Talk Preparation Guide for "Faithful to the End"

In this talk, Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus addresses the youth of the Church, using the biblical story of David and Goliath to illustrate how one can remain faithful in a world of sin. She identifies five "stones" or strengths that can help us triumph over our personal "giants". She concludes her talk with a testimony of the joy found in being faithful to God.

Topics

Facing Our Personal Goliaths

Sister Spannaus uses the story of David and Goliath to illustrate how we can face our own "giants" or challenges in life. She emphasizes the importance of preparation and faith in God.

Among the Israelite people lived David, a young shepherd much smaller than Goliath but with a giant faith in Jesus Christ! David volunteered to fight.

To David, the cause of God was the most important cause.

While David used only one stone to kill Goliath, he was prepared with five. With five! This makes me think about how I can prepare myself to face the world.

Key Points:

David was smaller than Goliath but had a giant faith
David was prepared with five stones, even though he only needed one
We can prepare ourselves to face our own "giants"

Experiences:

Think of a time when you faced a "giant" in your life. How did your faith in God help you?
How can the story of David and Goliath inspire you to prepare for your own challenges?
What "stones" or strengths do you have to help you face your "giants"?

Identifying Our Five Stones

Sister Spannaus identifies five "stones" or strengths that we can use to overcome our challenges: love for God, faith in Jesus Christ, knowledge of our true identity, daily repentance, and access to God's power.

What if each of David’s stones represented a strength we need to be triumphant in our lives? What could those five stones be?

First, the stone of my love for God.

Second, the stone of my faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Number three, the stone of the knowledge of my true identity.

Fourth, the stone of my daily repentance.

The fifth stone is the stone of my access to God’s power.

Key Points:

We can develop five key strengths to help us overcome our challenges
These strengths include love for God, faith in Jesus Christ, knowledge of our true identity, daily repentance, and access to God's power

Experiences:

How have these five "stones" helped you in your life?
What steps can you take to further develop these strengths?
Can you think of a time when one of these "stones" helped you overcome a challenge?

The Joy of Faithfulness

Sister Spannaus testifies of the joy found in being faithful to God, including daily prayer, scripture study, partaking of the sacrament, and attending seminary.

I testify that there is joy in praying every day, in reading the Book of Mormon every day, in partaking of the sacrament every Sunday, and in going to seminary—even in the early morning! There is joy in doing good.

There is joy in being faithful to the God of the universe, the Savior of the world, the King of kings. There is joy in being a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Key Points:

Faithfulness to God brings joy
Daily spiritual practices such as prayer and scripture study can bring joy
Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is a joyful experience

Experiences:

When have you experienced joy as a result of your faithfulness to God?
How can daily spiritual practices bring joy into your life?
What does being a disciple of Jesus Christ mean to you?

Connecting with God's Power

Sister Spannaus discusses the importance of our covenants with God and how they give us access to His power. She emphasizes the importance of our personal connection to Jesus Christ.

The covenants we make with God, such as those we make in the ordinance of baptism, give us access to the power of godliness.

Our personal connection to Jesus Christ will give us the courage and confidence to move forward amid people who do not respect our beliefs or who bully us.

Thinking about the Savior gives us clarity of mind to make decisions, to act without fear, and to say no to what is contrary to God’s teachings.

Key Points:

Our covenants with God give us access to His power
Our personal connection to Jesus Christ gives us courage and confidence
Thinking about the Savior can guide our decisions and actions

Experiences:

How have your covenants with God given you access to His power?
How does your personal connection to Jesus Christ influence your decisions and actions?
Can you think of a time when thinking about the Savior helped you make a decision or take action?

Knowing Our True Identity

Sister Spannaus emphasizes the importance of knowing our true identity as children of God. She shares how this knowledge can give us confidence and help us overcome challenges.

Our beloved prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, taught us that our most important identities are as children of God, children of the covenant, and disciples of Jesus Christ.

Everything changes when I know who I really am.

When I doubt my abilities, I often repeat to myself in my mind or out loud, “I am a daughter of God, I am a daughter of God,” as many times as I need until I again feel confident to keep going.

Key Points:

Knowing our true identity as children of God can change everything
This knowledge can give us confidence and help us overcome challenges

Experiences:

How has knowing your true identity as a child of God helped you in your life?
What does being a child of God mean to you?
Can you think of a time when this knowledge gave you confidence or helped you overcome a challenge?