God Loves All His Children
Gregorio E. Casillas, of the Seventy
Elder Casillas testifies that following the Spirit's promptings allows us to minister Christ's love.
Open talk in Gospel LibraryContents
Topics
Embrace Your Divine Potential
Elder Casillas encourages members to recognize their divine potential and the unique spiritual abilities given to them by Heavenly Father. He emphasizes that realizing this potential is a crucial part of our earthly mission.
One of the greatest reasons your Heavenly Father sent you here at this time is so that you can realize your full potential.
Your spiritual abilities are unique, personal, and innate, and your Heavenly Father wants to help you develop them.Key Points:
- Heavenly Father prepared us in the premortal existence for our life on earth.
- We have been reserved for the latter days to become disciples of Jesus Christ.
- Avoid comparing yourself to others; focus on your unique spiritual gifts.
- Reflect on a time when you felt guided by the Spirit to develop a particular talent or ability.
- Share an experience where you helped someone else recognize their divine potential.
- Discuss how understanding your divine potential has influenced your life decisions.
Minister Like the Savior
Elder Casillas shares a personal experience of ministering to a family in need, illustrating how simple acts of service can deeply reflect the Savior's love.
He is always calling upon us, and He uses us, His ordinary servants, to help bring His children to Him.
Almost the entire visit happened in silence. On this occasion we did not give a big sermon or share our favorite scripture, but the Lord blessed us with His Spirit abundantly.Key Points:
- The Lord uses us to help bring His children to Him.
- Ministering can often be done through simple acts of service and presence.
- The Spirit can be felt powerfully even in silence.
- Recall a time when you felt prompted to visit or help someone unexpectedly.
- Describe an experience where a simple act of service had a profound impact.
- Share how you have felt the Spirit while serving others.
Help Others Stay on the Covenant Path
Elder Casillas speaks about the importance of helping others make and keep sacred covenants, reminding us that everyone has the opportunity to return to the covenant path.
By helping our sisters and brothers in their daily challenges, let us also remember to help them make and keep these sacred promises with their Heavenly Father.
As oft as [we repent] and [seek] forgiveness, with real intent, [we will be] forgiven.Key Points:
- The gospel has been restored with necessary ordinances for our spiritual growth.
- We can help others by supporting them in keeping their covenants.
- Repentance and forgiveness are always available.
- Consider a time when someone helped you return to or stay on the covenant path.
- Reflect on an experience where you helped someone understand the importance of covenants.
- Share how making and keeping covenants has blessed your life.
Combat Destructive Thinking
Elder Casillas warns against the adversary's tactics to instill hopelessness and encourages members to offer support and hope to those struggling.
One of the crafts of the adversary today is to make us think and believe that there is no way for us to change or that we no longer have hope.
Our love, our words of encouragement and support, our time, and our help can give someone hope enough to try once more.Key Points:
- The adversary tries to make us feel hopeless and incapable of change.
- Offering love and support can help others regain hope.
- We have the power to make a positive difference in others" lives.
- Share a time when you felt hopeless and how you overcame it.
- Discuss how someone’s encouragement helped you during a difficult time.
- Reflect on how you have been able to offer hope and support to others.
Strengthen Your Testimony Through Service
Elder Casillas highlights how serving others not only blesses their lives but also strengthens our own testimonies and faith in Jesus Christ.
By going and blessing the lives of our brothers and sisters, we will collect testimonies that will fill our lives with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Whenever we seek to bless the lives of others, the Lord takes mercy upon us even more; He strengthens us and helps us in our lives.Key Points:
- Serving others strengthens our own testimonies.
- The Holy Spirit revitalizes us as we minister to others.
- Service invites the Lord’s strength and blessings into our lives.
- Describe a time when your testimony was strengthened through serving others.
- Reflect on how you have felt the Lord’s strength while ministering.
- Share an experience where service brought you closer to Christ.
