Study Guide for "God Is at Your Side"

In “God Is at Your Side,” Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus addresses young women and testifies that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know them personally and love them perfectly. She invites them to pursue righteous aspirations, trust divine guidance, and strengthen their spiritual and personal well-being. As you study, consider how her message applies to your own life, and listen to the Spirit to choose one invitation to focus on over the next few weeks.

Before Reading

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

What righteous desires do I want to pursue with Heavenly Father’s help?
How does knowing that God understands my exact circumstances affect my trust in Him?
What does Jesus Christ’s response to the young man teach me about His love?
Which daily choices help me recognize the Holy Ghost’s companionship?
How can I turn to God when discouragement weakens my confidence?

Topics

Seek Righteous Aspirations With God’s Guidance

Sister Spannaus uses the thirteenth article of faith to invite readers to identify virtuous and good aspirations. She encourages them to approach their future with enthusiasm and confidence that Heavenly Father guides them. Her navigation experience illustrates that the Lord knows their exact circumstances and can show them the best way forward.

If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Today I invite you to look at your life and what you want to achieve with enthusiasm and the certainty that your Father in Heaven will guide you on that journey and show you the best way to make the righteous desires of your heart come true.

I invite you to study the thirteenth article of faith and to create your own list of aspirations.

How does the thirteenth article of faith shape the kinds of aspirations Sister Spannaus encourages?
What does the navigation experience teach about the Lord’s ability to guide us?
How does Sister Spannaus connect righteous desires with trust in Heavenly Father?
What aspirations help me learn, contribute, create, and draw closer to God?
Where do I need God’s guidance rather than relying only on my own understanding?
What is one step I can take this week toward a righteous aspiration?

Trust God’s Perfect Knowledge and Love

Sister Spannaus teaches that the Lord knows each person’s dreams, gifts, questions, loneliness, and challenges. His complete knowledge does not diminish His love. The account of Jesus loving the young man before giving him direction illustrates how divine love accompanies invitations to improve.

He knows your challenges and how to turn your weaknesses into strengths. He knows everything. And knowing everything about you does not make Him love you less.

Jesus beholding him loved him.

Our Father and our Savior know you and have the same perfect love for you.

Part of that love and mercy is giving us many opportunities and being patient as we learn and work on our list of aspirations.

What does the Lord know about us, according to Sister Spannaus?
Why does Sister Spannaus emphasize that Jesus expresses love before telling the young man how to improve?
How do patience and repeated opportunities to grow express God’s love and mercy?
What weakness or concern can I bring honestly to God, trusting that He loves me?
How does the Savior’s loving response change the way I view correction or invitations to repent?
Where do I recognize God’s patience and mercy in my present efforts to grow?

Embrace Your Divine Identity and Important Work

Sister Spannaus testifies that young women are beloved daughters of heavenly parents with a divine nature and an eternal destiny. Each has crucial work to do, though that work differs from person to person. She teaches that loving and trusting God and Jesus Christ brings joy as each person fulfills that work.

Dear young women, how crucial and important you are as members of the Church of Jesus Christ in these latter days!

Dear young women, I testify that you are beloved daughters of heavenly parents, with a divine nature and an eternal destiny.

Each of you has a crucial and important work to do here on earth.

That work is different for each person, but if you choose to love God and Jesus Christ and to trust Them, doing that work will bring you the same great joy.

What truths about identity does Sister Spannaus emphasize to young women?
How does she explain the relationship between individual differences and important earthly work?
What choices does she connect with finding joy in that work?
How does my identity as a beloved child of heavenly parents influence my view of myself?
What gifts, responsibilities, or opportunities help me recognize work I can do now?
How can I focus on my own contribution rather than comparing it with someone else’s?

Strengthen Spiritual Companionship Through Daily Devotion

Sister Spannaus invites readers to partake of the sacrament humbly, keep their covenants, and ask Heavenly Father for the Holy Ghost’s companionship. She also encourages daily repentance, scripture study that deepens knowledge and love of God, and study of ministering angels. She asks each listener to follow the Spirit in selecting one practice to emphasize over the next few weeks.

I invite you to listen to the Spirit to choose one to focus on over the next few weeks.

Partake of the sacrament with a humble heart, grateful for the promise that as you keep your covenants, the Holy Ghost will be your constant companion.

Repent daily and at the end of the day, as you pray, ask for forgiveness.

Study the scriptures with a desire to know God’s character so you can do His will, increase your love for Him, and advance His work.

Study what it means to have ministering angels help you.

How does Sister Spannaus connect covenant keeping with the Holy Ghost’s companionship?
What purposes does she give for studying the scriptures?
How does her invitation to choose one practice encourage focused spiritual growth?
Which of these spiritual practices do I feel prompted to focus on over the next few weeks?
How can I prepare to partake of the sacrament with greater humility and gratitude?
What does my current scripture study help me understand about God’s character?
How can my evening prayers include more sincere repentance?

Protect Your Well-Being and Choose Faithful Friends

Sister Spannaus includes adequate sleep, limited cell phone use, and faith-strengthening friendships among her seven invitations. She explains that sleep supports a clear, alert mind and warns that social media can undermine peace, self-esteem, and meaningful connection. She encourages friendships that help readers feel the Spirit and reinforce their faith.

Protect your sleep; go to bed early. Get enough sleep to keep your mind clear and alert.

Limit cell phone use.

Social media makes us believe we are connected; however, it is a thief of our peace of mind, self-esteem, and the real connection that makes us feel loved, accepted, heard, and valued when spending time face to face with others.

Seek friends … who are striving to follow the Lord … with whom you can feel the Spirit and … reinforce your faith.

Why does Sister Spannaus include sleep among her recommendations?
What contrast does she draw between social media connection and face-to-face connection?
What qualities does the quoted invitation identify in faith-strengthening friends?
What change to my bedtime routine can help me get sufficient sleep?
How does my cell phone use affect my peace, self-esteem, and relationships?
What boundary can I set around phone use to make more room for meaningful connection?
How can I become a friend who helps others feel the Spirit and strengthen their faith?

Turn to Divine Help During Discouragement

Sister Spannaus shares an experience of discouragement about teaching while learning English. A priesthood blessing reassures her that the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are at her side. She testifies that the Lord has greater power than the enemy and invites readers to put Him first, remain faithful to baptismal covenants, and trust His guidance.

But the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are at your side.

Dear young women, I testify that the Lord has greater power than the enemy.

He knows where you are and has promised to lead you by the hand.

Always put Him first and remain faithful to the covenants you made at your baptism.

Angels can minister to you.

What does Sister Spannaus’s experience teach about seeking divine help during discouragement?
How does the reassurance in her blessing answer her feelings of inadequacy?
What invitations accompany her testimony that the Lord is more powerful than the enemy?
When feelings of inadequacy arise, how can I remember that God is at my side?
What experiences help me recognize the Lord’s support, including support through priesthood blessings?
What does putting the Lord first look like in my current challenge?
How can faithfulness to my baptismal covenants guide my response to discouragement?