Jesus Christ Is Not Our Burden; He Is Our Relief

Keep Jesus Christ in your pack

Brother Wunderli uses the story of his young son’s backpack to teach that Jesus Christ is never the burden we should remove. The real weight comes from the rocks we carry, not from the Savior.

When we stopped for lunch along the trail, he got busy finding small, unique rocks, and soon he had a large pile of them.

Then he carefully placed his picture of Jesus Christ back on top and zipped it up.

Now, thinking there might be a lesson to be taught, I lightheartedly suggested that maybe he should remove his picture of Jesus. “That should lighten your load,” I said.

I will never forget the hurt look on his face.

Removing Him will not lighten your load.

• The backpack represents life and the burdens we carry.
• The rocks represent the accumulating weights of mortality.
• The picture of Jesus Christ represents keeping the Savior in our lives.
• It is a mistake to think that leaving the Savior behind will make life easier.
• The story creates a memorable image for understanding discipleship.

• When have you mistakenly thought that distancing yourself from spiritual habits would make life easier?
• What "rocks" have you carried in a season of life that felt especially heavy?
• Can you share a time when a simple image, object, or experience taught you a gospel truth?
• When have you felt determined to hold on to the Savior even when life was difficult?
• How has a child’s faith or simple testimony taught you something important about Jesus Christ?

Recognize that Jesus Christ brings relief

The central doctrine of the talk is that Jesus Christ is not the source of our burden but our relief. Because He has overcome the world and understands every pain and affliction, He can succor and strengthen us.

Jesus Christ is not the weight; He is the relief.

To His disciples, the Lord affirmed, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

He has overcome the world.

He has taken “upon him the pains and [sickness] of his people.”

He has suffered “afflictions and temptations of every kind; … that he may know … how to succor [us].”

His pleading, loving, powerful invitation is to abide with Him. It is to stay with Him.

• Jesus Christ has already overcome the world.
• He understands our pains, sicknesses, afflictions, and temptations perfectly.
• Because of His Atonement, He knows how to help and succor us.
• Relief comes through staying with Him, not separating from Him.
• The Savior offers cheer, hope, and strength in the midst of tribulation.

• When have you felt the Savior give you relief in a hard moment?
• How have you come to know that Jesus Christ understands your pain personally?
• Can you share an experience when prayer, repentance, or faith in Christ brought peace?
• When has a trial helped you rely more deeply on the Savior’s Atonement?
• How would you describe the difference between carrying a burden alone and carrying it with Christ?

See the rising generation walk with Jesus Christ

Brother Wunderli highlights the faith of today’s youth, who are choosing to abide with Christ through temple worship, seminary, missionary service, and discipleship. Their example shows that young people can be strong, committed followers of Jesus Christ.

Like Enoch, many of our youth today are choosing to abide with Jesus Christ.

They are choosing to keep Him in their lives. They are walking with Him.

They are gathering in record numbers to temples throughout the world.

They wake before sunrise to participate in seminary.

More are serving missions, resulting in more of God’s children being baptized than ever before.

More are committed to becoming lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ.

• Many youth are actively choosing discipleship.
• Their devotion is visible in temple attendance, seminary participation, and missionary service.
• The rising generation has spiritual gifts, empathy, and understanding.
• Young disciples can be examples of lifelong commitment to Jesus Christ.
• This message offers encouragement and confidence to youth.

• What have you seen in the faith of youth that has inspired you?
• Can you share an experience from seminary, youth activities, FSY, the temple, or missionary service?
• When have you seen a young person choose Christ in a courageous way?
• How has your own youth or the youth in your ward shown commitment to discipleship?
• What experiences have helped you become a lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ?

Reject Satan’s lie that life is easier without Christ

The talk warns that the adversary tries to separate us from Jesus Christ by persuading us that commandments, repentance, and discipleship are too hard. Brother Wunderli plainly teaches that Satan is a liar and that removing Christ never lightens our load.

The enemy of happiness wants to separate you from Jesus Christ.

He will tempt you to remove the Savior from your life, enticing you to think that the road would be easier without Him, that the weight of His commandments is too great, that the path back is too long, that repentance is too hard.

Know this: Satan is a liar.

Jesus Christ is not the weight; He is the relief.

• Satan’s goal is separation from Jesus Christ.
• He uses discouragement, deception, and false ideas about commandments and repentance.
• He tries to make discipleship seem restrictive instead of liberating.
• Repentance and covenant living are not punishments but pathways to relief.
• Truth about Jesus Christ helps us resist spiritual deception.

• When have you recognized a false thought that tried to pull you away from the Savior?
• Can you share a time when repentance felt difficult at first but brought peace afterward?
• What commandments have brought blessings that you did not fully understand at first?
• How have you learned to identify the adversary’s discouraging messages?
• When has choosing Christ proved far better than the easier-looking alternative?

Abide with Christ through daily worship

Brother Wunderli teaches that keeping Jesus Christ with us requires intentional, daily worship. He specifically points to prayer, scripture study, faith, repentance, and covenant keeping as ways to abide with Him.

Each morning as you begin your daily walk, please make sure that Jesus Christ is with you.

Keeping Jesus Christ with you requires intentional, daily worship.

You keep Him with you as you reverently, with real intent, kneel and pray to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ.

You keep Him with you as you study the scriptures daily, especially the Book of Mormon, and reflect on the witness of Jesus Christ that it bears.

You keep Jesus Christ with you as you exercise faith in Him, trust Him, and turn to Him in sincere, daily repentance.

You keep Jesus Christ with you as you are willing to live your covenants every day and renew them every week.

My young brothers and sisters, it is that simple.

• Discipleship requires intentional daily effort.
• Prayer invites the Savior’s presence into our lives.
• Scripture study, especially in the Book of Mormon, helps guide us through darkness.
• Faith and daily repentance keep us close to Christ.
• Living and renewing covenants helps us continue to abide with Him.

• What daily spiritual habit has helped you feel closest to Jesus Christ?
• Can you share an experience when the Book of Mormon guided you through a confusing or dark time?
• When has sincere prayer changed your heart or given you direction?
• How has daily repentance brought greater peace into your life?
• What blessings have come from honoring and renewing your covenants?

Let walking with Christ change your heart

Walking with Jesus Christ blesses us with confidence, forgiveness, love, hope, and Christlike character. Abiding with Him not only eases burdens but transforms who we are becoming.

Then, as you face opposing forces aimed at separating you from Him, your confidence and resolve will be anchored to His truth, to His wisdom, to Him who is all-knowing.

Your capacity to understand and forgive will be deeper.

Your ability to love others, and even love yourself, will be an extension of His love—His infinite love—and you will have hope, real hope.

Abiding with Him eases your burdens.

Walking with Him shapes your character and helps you become even as He is.

It brings you real and lasting joy.

• Christ provides stability against opposing forces.
• He deepens our ability to forgive and understand others.
• His love expands our capacity to love others and ourselves.
• Hope in Christ is centered in His Atonement and Resurrection.
• Discipleship changes our character and brings lasting joy.

• When has following Jesus Christ changed the way you treated someone else?
• Can you share a time when the Savior helped you forgive?
• How has your relationship with Christ affected your sense of worth and identity?
• When have you felt real hope through the Atonement or Resurrection of Jesus Christ?
• What experience has helped shape your character through walking with the Savior?

Hold to Christ in your hardest moments

The talk invites us to keep Jesus Christ with us when we struggle with worth, capability, faith, loneliness, or overwhelming challenges. In those moments, we can let Him remove rocks, cleanse us, defend us, and move obstacles before us.

My dear young friends, may we together continue to walk with Jesus Christ, even in our most difficult moments—when we question our worth, doubt our capabilities, or question our faith.

When we feel that we are alone, when the weight of life’s challenges sends us backward, may we hold strong to our resolve to keep Him with us.

Let us allow the Savior to ease our burdens—allow Him to help remove the rocks of addiction and the weight of our sorrows.

Let Him contend with those who would contend with us.

Let Him cleanse us from our sins again and again and, yes, even again.

Let Him move the mountains before us and change the course of the powerful rivers in our lives that carry us away from Him.

• Hard moments often include doubt, loneliness, and discouragement.
• We should not let those moments separate us from Christ.
• The Savior can help with addiction, sorrow, sin, and opposition.
• His help is ongoing and merciful, "again and again."
• He has power to change circumstances and strengthen us through them.

• When have you felt the Savior help you in a moment of weakness, doubt, or loneliness?
• Can you share an experience of being cleansed or changed through repentance?
• How has the Lord helped you face sorrow, addiction, or another heavy burden?
• When has the Savior defended, strengthened, or carried you through opposition?
• What experience has taught you to keep Christ with you when life pushed you backward?

Follow Jesus Christ as the way

The talk concludes by affirming that Jesus Christ is our relief, our strength, and the way forward. The invitation is not merely to admire Him but to walk with Him continually.

To which our prophet responded, “Jesus Christ is the way.”

Jesus Christ is not the weight; He is our relief; He is our strength; He is the way.

May we all walk with Him.

• Jesus Christ is the way forward in every season of life.
• Prophetic counsel centers us on the Savior.
• The answer to life’s burdens is not less of Christ but more of Him.
• Walking with Christ is both a present practice and a lifelong path.
• The talk ends with a direct invitation to follow Him.

• What does it mean to you personally that "Jesus Christ is the way"?
• Can you share a time when prophetic counsel helped you focus more clearly on the Savior?
• When have you found direction by choosing to follow Christ?
• How has the Savior become your strength in a meaningful way?
• What invitation from this talk do you feel impressed to share with your congregation?