Talk Preparation Guide for "God Is at Your Side"

Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus speaks to young women and testifies that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know them personally, love them perfectly, and guide them toward righteous aspirations. Her message helps members of all ages recognize their divine worth, strengthen their covenant relationship with God, and trust His help during discouragement. As you prepare a sacrament meeting talk, prayerfully select the principles and personal experiences that best meet your congregation’s needs and point listeners toward Jesus Christ. Preview questions to consider before reading: What righteous desires do I want to pursue with God’s help? How does knowing that God understands my circumstances affect my trust in Him? Which of Sister Spannaus’s seven invitations can strengthen my relationship with Him? What experiences help me recognize that the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are at my side?

Topics

Seek Righteous Aspirations and Trust God’s Guidance

Sister Spannaus invites young women to identify virtuous aspirations that bring them closer to God. Her experience with inaccurate GPS directions illustrates that, unlike imperfect navigation tools, the Lord knows exactly where each person is and can guide them toward righteous desires.

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.

Dear young women, the Lord knows where you are; He has your exact location and can guide you.

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

Key Points:

The thirteenth article of faith provides a standard for choosing worthwhile aspirations.
Righteous aspirations include opportunities to learn, contribute, create, and experience happiness.
Heavenly Father understands each person’s circumstances, dreams, gifts, and questions.
Members can approach their future with enthusiasm and confidence in God’s guidance.
Creating a personal list of aspirations gives practical expression to the invitation to seek virtuous things.

Experiences:

What experience helps you see how a righteous goal draws you closer to God?
When do you recognize God’s guidance while facing an uncertain decision?
What example from your life illustrates the difference between relying only on your own understanding and seeking the Lord’s direction?
Which aspiration on your own list offers a meaningful example of learning, contributing, or creating?

Receive Christ’s Love as You Learn and Improve

Sister Spannaus teaches that God’s complete knowledge of us does not diminish His love. The Savior’s encounter with the young man in Mark shows that He communicates love before inviting improvement, and His patience gives us opportunities to learn and grow.

And knowing everything about you does not make Him love you less.

Jesus beholding him loved him.

Only after transmitting that love did He tell him what he could do to improve.

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.

Key Points:

Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know our weaknesses as well as our gifts.
Their perfect knowledge of us accompanies perfect love for us.
Jesus’s loving response to the young man illustrates how love and invitations to improve belong together.
Divine patience and mercy provide opportunities to continue learning.
Trust in the Savior’s love helps members approach personal growth with hope.

Experiences:

What experience helps you recognize the Savior’s love while becoming aware of something you need to change?
How does someone’s patient, loving correction help you understand Christ’s way of teaching?
When does remembering God’s love help you respond to a mistake with hope rather than discouragement?
What experience illustrates the blessing of another opportunity to learn or improve?

Recognize Your Divine Identity and Important Work

Sister Spannaus affirms that young women are beloved daughters of heavenly parents with a divine nature and an eternal destiny. She teaches that each has important work to do and that loving and trusting God and Jesus Christ brings joy in fulfilling that work.

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.

Key Points:

Young women have divine worth and an eternal destiny.
Each person’s work matters even when it differs from another person’s work.
Loving and trusting Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ helps individuals fulfill their responsibilities.
Joy comes through doing the work God gives, not through having the same assignment as someone else.
A sacrament meeting message can affirm the importance of young women and help all listeners consider their own opportunities to serve.

Experiences:

What experience helps you better understand your identity as a child of heavenly parents?
When does a small act of service help you recognize that your contribution matters?
How does trusting God help you find joy in a responsibility you do not initially choose?
What example helps you appreciate someone whose gifts or responsibilities differ from yours?

Strengthen Covenants Through Daily Spiritual Practices

Sister Spannaus invites members to partake of the sacrament humbly, seek the Holy Ghost, repent daily, and study the scriptures to know God’s character. She encourages listeners to follow the Spirit in choosing one of her seven invitations to focus on 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.

Begin each day by asking the Father for that companionship.

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.

Key Points:

Humble sacrament participation encourages gratitude for covenant promises.
Keeping covenants relates directly to the promise of the Holy Ghost’s companionship.
Daily prayer includes asking for the Holy Ghost and seeking forgiveness.
Scripture study helps members know God, love Him, do His will, and advance His work.
Selecting one invitation through the Spirit provides a focused way to act on the message.

Experiences:

How does preparing your heart for the sacrament influence your worship or choices?
What experience helps you recognize the Holy Ghost’s companionship in daily life?
How does regular repentance help you feel closer to Jesus Christ without sharing private details?
What passage of scripture helps you understand God’s character and act differently?

Protect Rest and Build Faith-Strengthening Relationships

Sister Spannaus connects practical daily choices with clarity, peace, and meaningful relationships. She encourages sufficient sleep, limited cell phone use, face-to-face connection, and friendships that reinforce faith in the Lord.

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.

Key Points:

Adequate sleep supports a clear and alert mind.
Limiting cell phone use creates room for meaningful personal connection.
Sister Spannaus warns that social media can undermine peace of mind and self-esteem.
Face-to-face relationships help people feel loved, accepted, heard, and valued.
Friends who strive to follow the Lord can strengthen faith and invite the Spirit.
The invitation to seek faith-strengthening friends is a quotation from President Dallin H. Oaks.

Experiences:

What do you notice about your attention, patience, or well-being when you protect your sleep?
How does putting away your phone improve a conversation or relationship?
What experience shows the difference between online interaction and meaningful face-to-face connection?
How does a friend help you feel the Spirit or make a choice that strengthens your faith?

Trust God’s Power When Discouragement Comes

Sister Spannaus describes discouragement while teaching in a language she is learning and the reassurance she receives through a priesthood blessing. She testifies that the Lord has greater power than the enemy, invites members to study the help of ministering angels, and encourages faithfulness to baptismal covenants.

Study what it means to have ministering angels help you.

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.

Key Points:

Feelings of inadequacy can arise while fulfilling a calling or learning a new skill.
Sister Spannaus’s priesthood blessing reassures her of divine help during discouragement.
The Lord’s power is greater than the enemy’s power.
Members receive an invitation to study what it means to receive help from ministering angels.
Putting the Lord first and remaining faithful to baptismal covenants are central responses to difficulty.
The Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are at our side.

Experiences:

What experience helps you recognize God’s support when you feel inadequate in a calling or responsibility?
How does a priesthood blessing bring reassurance or direction during a difficult time?
When does remembering your baptismal covenants help you remain faithful through discouragement?
What appropriate personal experience helps you testify that the Lord’s power is greater than the opposition you face?