Study Guide for "The Love of God"

In his talk "The Love of God," Elder Benjamin M. Z. Tai of the Seventy shares profound insights into how we can experience and share the love of God in our lives. Through personal experiences, scriptural references, and teachings from Church leaders, Elder Tai emphasizes the accessibility of God's love and the actions we can take to feel it more abundantly. He encourages us to strengthen our spiritual foundations, remove bitterness, and serve others to draw closer to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Before Reading

Before reading or listening to the talk, consider the following questions:

How does Elder Tai describe the experience of seeing the stars with his family?
What does the tree in Lehi's vision represent?
What are the actions Elder Tai suggests to consistently experience God's love?
How did Elder Tai's friend find peace and understanding after visiting the temple?
What experience did Elder Tai's son have that helped him feel God's love?

Topics

Recognize God's Creation

Elder Tai shares an experience of marveling at the stars with his family, which led to a deeper connection with God. He explains how distractions can cloud our spiritual vision, but faith in God and Jesus Christ brings assurance of Their reality.

While we marveled at the majesty of God’s creation, we felt a reverent connection to Him.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

What does Elder Tai suggest can cloud our spiritual vision?
How does faith help us recognize God's presence in our lives?
When have you felt a connection to God through His creations?
What steps can you take to clear distractions and focus on God's presence?

Experience the Love of God

Elder Tai discusses how the love of God is accessible to all and can be experienced through Jesus Christ's atonement. He emphasizes the importance of repentance, forgiveness, and keeping commandments to draw closer to God.

Jesus Christ embodies Heavenly Father’s love for us.

We can consistently experience God’s love when, through the grace of Jesus Christ, we repeatedly repent, frankly forgive, strive to keep His commandments, and selflessly serve others.

What actions does Elder Tai suggest to consistently experience God's love?
How does Jesus Christ's atonement relate to experiencing God's love?
How can you incorporate repentance and forgiveness into your daily life?
What commandments can you focus on to feel closer to God?

Strengthen Spiritual Foundations

Elder Tai shares counsel from President Russell M. Nelson about removing old debris from our lives and centering on the Savior. He highlights the importance of temple covenants in accessing the Lord's power and experiencing the love of God.

President Russell M. Nelson has invited us to "remove, with the Savior’s help, the old debris in our lives" and to "lay aside bitterness."

As we keep our temple covenants, we gain greater access to the Lord’s strengthening power.

What does President Nelson advise regarding spiritual foundations?
How do temple covenants help us experience God's love?
What "old debris" in your life can you remove with the Savior's help?
How can you prioritize temple attendance and covenants?

Serve Others to Feel God's Love

Elder Tai recounts a story of his son serving a woman in need, which helped him feel God's love. He emphasizes the importance of serving others and following promptings to bring God's love into their lives.

To help others feel God’s love, we need to cultivate in ourselves Christlike attributes such as humility, charity, compassion, and patience.

If we consistently pray and ask on the behalf of others, God will show us the people we can help.

What attributes does Elder Tai suggest we cultivate to help others feel God's love?
How does serving others help us feel God's love in our own lives?
Who in your life might need to feel God's love through your service?
What Christlike attributes can you develop to better serve others?

Trust in the Savior's Presence

Elder Tai encourages us to remember that the Savior is always near, even during life's storms. He shares the story of Peter walking on water to illustrate the importance of faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

What does the story of Peter walking on water teach about faith?
How can we remember that the Savior is near during difficult times?
How can you strengthen your trust in the Savior during life's storms?
What experiences have helped you recognize the Savior's presence in your life?