“How Long Will It Be Ere They Believe Me?”
Open talk in Gospel LibraryContents
Before Reading
Before reading or listening to the talk, consider the following questions:
- How do everyday frustrations affect my awareness of God’s blessings?
- What do the Lord’s past dealings with His children teach me about His trustworthiness?
- How does Jesus Christ offer peace when difficult circumstances remain?
- Do I sometimes believe that God’s promises apply to others but not to me?
- What does the Savior’s power to redeem mean for my particular circumstances?
Topics
Look Beyond Present Frustrations to God’s Blessings
Elder Renlund uses “cold oatmeal” to describe immediate frustrations that can distract us from God’s blessings and promises. Mr. Martin’s response to his hospital breakfast and the children of Israel’s complaints illustrate how easily people lose sight of the bigger picture. The Lord invites us to trust His constancy rather than allow present challenges to erase our awareness of His care.
We focus on the here and now—the “cold oatmeal”—and lose sight of the bigger picture, both where we have been and God’s promises to us.
As they overlooked both the Lord’s blessings and His promises, their trust eroded in God and in God’s prophet, Moses.
Perhaps, like the children of Israel, you have doubted God’s care for you, His willingness to succor you, or His capacity to keep His promises. Yet God invites us to trust Him and His promises.
- What does “cold oatmeal” represent in Elder Renlund’s message?
- How does overlooking blessings and promises affect the children of Israel’s trust?
- What does the Lord’s declaration, “I will never break my covenant with you,” teach about His character?
- What is the “cold oatmeal” in my life right now, and how does it affect my perspective?
- What blessings or opportunities become more visible when I look beyond my immediate frustration?
- How can I acknowledge a genuine difficulty while also remembering God’s care and promises?
Center Your Faith on Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ promises spiritual peace even when tribulation continues. Elder Renlund teaches that our hope rests on the Savior’s faithfulness and righteousness, not on our own. Through faith in Christ and a covenant relationship with Him, we can experience joy in present circumstances and rely on His power to redeem.
Jesus overcame the world; we do not have to do so ourselves.
When our faith is centered on Jesus Christ, He promises spiritual peace no matter our circumstances.
Faith in Jesus Christ frees us from uncertainty because our hope rests on His faithfulness and righteousness, not on our own.
- What does the Savior promise His disciples alongside His warning that they face tribulation?
- How does Elder Renlund explain the source of Jacob’s redemption?
- Why does centering faith on Jesus Christ provide a more secure foundation for hope than relying on personal righteousness?
- Where do I place my confidence when I feel uncertain about my spiritual progress?
- How do I experience the Savior’s peace even when a challenge remains unresolved?
- What can I do this week to focus more deliberately on Jesus Christ and my covenant relationship with Him?
Remember the Lord’s Goodness and Mercy
Elder Renlund highlights the Book of Mormon’s purpose of showing the Lord’s great works and helping us understand His covenants. Moroni’s invitation to remember and ponder God’s mercy helps us see our lives within a larger perspective. Reflecting on what the Lord already does for His children strengthens our ability to rely on His promises.
One of the purposes of the Book of Mormon is to show us “what great things the Lord hath done … that [we] may know the covenants of the Lord, that [we] are not cast off forever.”
As we reflect on the great things the Lord has already done and remember His goodness and mercy, we are better positioned to grasp the bigger picture and to rely on His promises to us.
Strive to remember all the times He has inclined His ear to you, especially when confronted with cold oatmeal.
- How does the Book of Mormon help readers understand the Lord’s covenants and care?
- What does Moroni invite us to remember and ponder?
- How does reflecting on God’s mercy prepare us to trust His promises?
- What experiences show me that the Lord hears and cares for me?
- Which scriptural account of God’s mercy most strengthens my trust in Him, and why?
- What practice can I establish to remember the Lord’s goodness when present difficulties consume my attention?
Believe God’s Promises Apply to You
Elder Renlund describes his sister Linda’s recognition that she is not an exception to the blessings the Lord promises. He invites each reader to erase the imagined asterisk that excludes them from God’s richest blessings. His concluding witness affirms that God’s promises are sure and invite us to partake of the divine nature.
She said, “I am not extraordinary enough to warrant an exception. The blessings are promised to me too.”
Neither are you, brothers and sisters; there is no asterisk excluding you from God’s richest blessings.
We can trust the Lord, especially His promises. These promises apply to you.
- What does the imagined asterisk represent in Linda’s experience?
- What does Elder Renlund invite us to do when we believe we are excluded from God’s blessings?
- According to Elder Renlund’s concluding testimony, what do God’s “exceeding great and precious promises” make possible?
- Do I attach an imagined asterisk to any of God’s promises? What thoughts contribute to that belief?
- Which promise from scripture do I need to study and receive more personally?
- How can I replace a thought of exclusion with trust in the Lord while honoring the covenant conditions associated with His promises?
Trust the Savior’s Infinite Power to Redeem
Drawing on Joseph Smith’s teaching, Elder Renlund explains that Jesus Christ makes ample provision for redemption across human circumstances. The Savior’s power is both profoundly personal and infinite, reaching every person’s needs. Because His redemptive capacity is sufficient and His eternal purposes continue, we can trust Him to fulfill His promises.
“Ample provision” means that all human circumstances are within the Savior’s redemptive reach.
The power of the Messiah to save and exalt is profoundly intimate and infinite beyond human comprehension; there is more than enough to cover any breach, need, or deficit for all of us, for each of us.
With Moroni, I declare, “The eternal purposes of the Lord shall roll on, until all his promises shall be fulfilled.”
- What does Elder Renlund mean by “ample provision”?
- How does he describe the scope and personal nature of the Messiah’s power to save and exalt?
- How does Moroni’s declaration about the Lord’s eternal purposes support confidence in His promises?
- What circumstance or need do I struggle to place within the Savior’s redemptive reach?
- How does the assurance of “ample provision” change the way I view myself or someone I love?
- What specific act of faith can I take as I trust the Savior’s power and await the fulfillment of His promises?
