God’s Favourite
Karl D. Hirst, of the Seventy
Elder Hirst teaches that God's love is constant and personal, regardless of our circumstances.
Open talk in Gospel LibraryContents
Topics
Embrace God’s Unconditional Love
Elder Hirst emphasizes that God's love for us is pure, complete, and unwavering, much like the love parents have for their children. This divine love is not dependent on our actions or perceived worthiness.
Our Saviour’s love is the "highest, noblest, strongest kind of love," and He provides until we are "filled."
Divine love never runs dry, and we are each a cherished favourite.Key Points:
- God's love is unconditional and encompasses all His children.
- We are each a cherished favourite in God's eyes.
- His love is the foundation where we find unity and togetherness.
- Reflect on a time when you felt God’s love in a profound way.
- Share a personal experience where you felt like a "favourite" in someone’s eyes.
- Discuss a moment when you saw Christlike love demonstrated by others.
Overcome Feelings of Unworthiness
Elder Hirst addresses the feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness that many experience, reassuring us that these feelings do not disqualify us from receiving God's love.
If you hear those ideas, then please hear this: those voices are just wrong.
Through His brokenness, He became perfect, and He can make us perfect in spite of our brokenness.Key Points:
- Feelings of brokenness or inadequacy do not separate us from God's love.
- Jesus Christ's atonement covers all our imperfections.
- Self-condemnation is not part of God's plan for us.
- Think of a time when you felt unworthy but later realized you were loved.
- Share an experience where someone’s kindness helped you overcome self-doubt.
- Describe an instance when you felt the Savior’s love despite your imperfections.
Seek Divine Connection
Elder Hirst encourages us to actively seek and recognize the connections to divine love in our lives, especially during challenging times.
Perhaps you could invite those you trust to share their sources of divine connection with you as you search for relief and understanding.
Birdsong, feeling the sun or a breeze or rain on my skin, and times when nature puts my senses in awe of God—each has had a part in providing me with heavenly connection.Key Points:
- Explore different ways to feel and express divine love.
- Nature and music can be powerful tools for feeling God's presence.
- Sharing experiences with trusted friends can strengthen our connection to divine love.
- Recall a moment in nature that helped you feel closer to God.
- Describe a time when music or art brought you spiritual comfort.
- Share how a friend or family member helped you feel God’s love.
Live and Share Christlike Love
Elder Hirst highlights the importance of living and sharing Christlike love, which in turn fills us with divine love and joy.
When we try to share Jesus’s love, we find ourselves being filled up in a variation of the principle that "whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."
Being filled with God’s love shields us in life’s storms but also makes the happy moments happier.Key Points:
- Sharing Christlike love brings us closer to God.
- Living with love and kindness enhances our joy and shields us in difficult times.
- Christlike love is transformative and fulfilling.
- Share a time when giving service brought you unexpected joy.
- Reflect on how showing love to others has strengthened your faith.
- Describe an experience where you felt protected or uplifted by divine love.
Find Joy in the Gospel
Elder Hirst reminds us that joy is a fundamental purpose of the gospel, available to everyone regardless of their circumstances.
Joy is our purpose, not the gift of our circumstances.
We have every good reason to "rejoice and be filled with love towards God and all men."Key Points:
- Joy is an essential part of the gospel and is available to everyone.
- Our circumstances do not determine our capacity for joy.
- Being filled with love towards God and others enhances our joy.
- Reflect on a time when you found joy despite challenging circumstances.
- Share how living gospel principles has increased your happiness.
- Describe a moment when you felt overwhelming joy and gratitude.
