Transformative Truths Podcast

There is still so much love in this world—quiet, unassuming, yet endlessly generous. You may not always find it in people, not right away, but if you pause and soften your gaze, you’ll see it woven into everything.

The trees don’t ask if you’re worthy before they dance for you in the wind. The birds sing their morning songs as if the world is still full of promise—because it is. Even the smallest flower opens just for the chance to share its beauty with you. The butterfly doesn’t question your heaviness; it simply flutters by as a reminder that transformation is possible. And the dragonfly, shimmering in the light, says without words, You are a part of this. You belong.

The earth doesn’t just carry you—it cherishes you.
So, when your heart feels tired and you’re tempted to believe that love has forgotten you, step outside. Breathe. Listen.
The world is still whispering—Don’t give up.
You are loved more than you know.

Unknown

It has sometimes been hard for me to accept that God can forget in mercy what I remember with so much pain. I have sometimes felt like I was playing a game of mnemonic whack-a-mole—resolving one remembered sin only to recall another. I have doubted at times the adequacy of my repentance, even as I have anguished over the sins that made repentance necessary.

Justin Collings, Divine Law, 2024, p. 30

As I age I refuse to deny my years. When asked at 30, I’ll be 30. When the question comes up at 45, I’ll take 45. For what year could I subtract — the one in which my son or daughter was born? Or the year I first fell in love? How about one less favourable? Like the year I came down with pneumonia. Or one of those grief-filled years spent saying goodbye to someone close? Maybe I could choose the seemingly insignificant. That year I saw a falling star? Or the one spent not enthralled with life, just content with it?
No. I think I’ll keep them all — the good years, the bad and even the not so memorable. To deny one would be to deny myself. Because added up, they are my life.

Sheila B. Cabrera, Reader’s Digest, Jan. 1994

Perhaps with the future in mind, we might live with greater confidence, trust in the Lord’s providence, and be more accepting of and joyful in the life of willing discipleship. Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still with the utmost assurance to see the salvation of God and for His arm to be revealed. Anxiety is, for many of us, a more instinctual response to life than cheerfulness.

Agency, Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants by Terryl Givens, 2024, BYU Maxwell Institute, p. 52

Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.

Doctrine and Covenants 123:17

It may be possible for each to think too much of his own potential glory hereafter; it is hardly possible for him to think too often or too deeply about that of his neighbor.

The load, or weight, or burden of my neighbor’s glory should be laid daily on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken.

It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship—or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare.

All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another—all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics.

There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat.

But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.

This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously—no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption.

And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner—no mere tolerance or indulgence which parodies love. Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.

C.S. Lewis. The Weight of Glory. Sermon delivered at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Oxford, June 8, 1941.
Reprinted in The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses (New York: HarperCollins, 1980).
Online version available at https://www.doxaweb.com/assets/weight_of_glory.pdf.

As members of the Church, as a people, we don’t have to look far in our history to reflect on times when we were refugees, violently driven from homes and farms over and over again. The Savior also knows how it feels to be a refugee. He was one. As a young child, Jesus and His family fled to Egypt to escape the murderous swords of Herod. At various points in His ministry, Jesus found Himself threatened and His life in danger, ultimately submitting to the designs of evil men who had plotted His death.

We must be careful that news of the refugees’ plight does not somehow become commonplace when the initial shock wears off and yet the wars continue and the families keep coming. Millions of refugees worldwide, whose stories no longer make the news, are still in desperate need of help. The possibilities for us to lend a hand and to be a friend are endless. You might help resettled refugees learn their host country’s language, update their work skills, or practice job interviewing. You could offer to mentor a family or a single mother as they transition to an unfamiliar culture, even with something as simple as accompanying them to the grocery store or the school.

We must take a stand against intolerance and advocate respect and understanding across cultures and traditions. Meeting refugee families and hearing their stories with your own ears—and not from a screen or newspaper—will change you. Real friendships will develop and will foster compassion and successful integration. Let us come out from our safe places and share with them from our abundance: hope for a brighter future, faith in God and in our fellow man, and love that sees beyond cultural and ideological differences to the glorious truth that we are all children of our Heavenly Father.

This moment does not define them, but our response will help define us. “For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me. Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

Elder Patrick Kearon, “Refuge from the Storm,” April 2016 General Conference, Ensign, May 2016, pp. 111–113.
🔗 Official text on churchofjesuschrist.org

It should come as no surprise that one of the adversary’s tactics in the latter days is stirring up hatred among the children of men.
He loves to see us criticize each other, make fun or take advantage of our neighbor’s known flaws, and generally pick on each other. The Book of Mormon is clear about where all anger, malice, greed, and hate come from.

None of us need one more person bashing or pointing out where we have failed or fallen short. Most of us are already well aware of the areas in which we are weak.

What each of us does need is family, friends, employers, and brothers and sisters who support us, who have the patience to teach us, who believe in us, and who believe we’re trying to do the best we can, in spite of our weaknesses.

Whatever happened to giving each other the benefit of the doubt? Whatever happened to hoping that another person would succeed or achieve? Whatever happened to rooting for each other?

Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don’t judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet.

Charity is accepting someone’s differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn’t handle something the way we might have hoped.

Charity is refusing to take advantage of another’s weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us.

Charity is expecting the best of each other.

Elder Marvin J. Ashton, “The Tongue Can Be a Sharp Sword,” April 1992 General Conference.
Published in Ensign, May 1992, pp. 18-21.
The Tongue Can Be a Sharp Sword

The thought that rescued Alma, when he acted upon it, is this: Restoring what you cannot restore, healing the wound you cannot heal, fixing that which you broke and you cannot fix is the very purpose of the atonement of Christ. When your desire is firm and you are willing to pay the ‘uttermost farthing,’ the law of restitution is suspended. Your obligation is transferred to the Lord. He will settle your accounts.

Boyd K. Packer
“The Brilliant Morning of Forgiveness”

When you reach up for the Lord’s power in your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours. When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him — when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life — you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do.

President Russell M. Nelson
“Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives”

We must believe that there is a purpose running through the stern, forbidding process. What men have needed most of all in suffering is not to know the explanation, but to know that there is an explanation. Religious faith alone gives confidence that human tragedy is not the meaningless sport of physical forces, making our life what Voltaire called “a bad joke.”

How can I believe that my existence and my purpose are not a cruel joke unless I am begotten by a spiritual life that will sustain my strength and crown my effort? To believe that man’s soul is a foundling, laid on the doorstep of a merely physical universe—crying in vain for any father who begot him or any mother who conceived him—is to make our highest life a liar. Underneath everything… let me start again.
Underneath our experience, there must be meaning. Meaning weaves through all of our experience and ties it together—to make it purposeful and ultimately triumphant, rather than random and meaningless.

Harry Emerson Fosdick
The Meaning of Faith (New York: Association Press, 1918), Chapter 4 –
The Venture of Faith.
Available free online at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/40482

 He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world. For he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.

Nephi 26:24

 All of God’s faculties, all of his inclinations are poised and bent on blessing at the slightest provocation. Oh, how God loves to be merciful and bless his children! Perhaps that is his greatest joy. It is the inherent quality that drives him with tireless vigilance to save his children.

  p. 313, Tad R. Callister (2000). Infinite Atonement. Deseret Book
 

 Lord, I know not what I ought to ask of thee. Thou only knowest what I need. Thou lovest me better than I know how to love myself.
O Father, give thy child that which he himself knows not how to ask. I dare not ask either for crosses or consolations. I simply present myself before thee. I open my heart to thee, Behold my needs, which I know not myself, See and do according to thy tender mercy, Smite or heal, depress me or raise me up, I adore all thy purposes without knowing them, I am silent, I offer myself in sacrifice, I yield myself to thee.
I would have no other desire than to accomplish thy will. Teach me to pray, pray thyself in me, amen.

François Fénelon

 on the occasion of my hundred and first birthday, I wish to share two truths, lessons that I believe contribute to lasting happiness and peace. First, each of us has inherent worth and dignity.
I believe we are all children of a loving heavenly Father. But no matter your religion or spirituality, recognizing the underlying truth beneath this belief that we all deserve dignity is liberating. It brings emotional, mental, and spiritual equilibrium. The more you embrace it, the more your anxiety and fear about the future will decrease.
Life can be terrifying. I have watched many, especially young people. Struggle with anxiety about whether they belong or have value, but a heart that knows it is loved and remains focused on its purpose, beats with steadiness, confidence and hope no matter what is happening or not happening in life.

 Second, love your neighbor and treat them with compassion and respect.
A century of experience has taught me this with certainty, anger, never persuades, hostility never heals, and contention never leads to lasting solutions. Too much of today’s public discourse, especially online, fosters enmity instead of empathy. Imagine how different our world could be if more of us were peacemakers building bridges of understanding rather than walls of prejudice, especially with those who might see the world differently than we do.
I’ve seen bitter divisions soften who neighbors choose to listen to one another. With respect rather than suspicion. Even small acts like reaching out across the lines of faith, culture, or politics can open doors to healing. There is power in affording others, the human dignity that all of God’s children deserve earth.

 This work begins at home and you just gave us a good example, didn’t At a time when loneliness and isolation are rising around the world, families. Though never perfect, remain one of life’s strongest sources of stability and meaning.
My own experience has taught me that fidelity, forgiveness, and faithfulness within families yield deep enduring peace. Strong families help us extend kindness outward reinforcing communities and societies as well.

 my faith teaches me that over two millennia ago, Jesus Christ preached these same laws of happiness to love God and to love your neighbor.
After 101 years, I can say that these are not abstract theological ideas. They are practical wisdom. They are what have sustained me through loss and triumph. Uncertainty, peace, war, and healing. if we embrace these eternal truths, honoring our own worth, treating others with dignity and nurturing our families, our lives and our world will be steadier and more joyful.
That is my birthday wish for all of us.

President Russell M. Nelson
Russell M. Nelson: We All Deserve Dignity and Respect | TIME

“Repentance is God’s ever-accessible gift that allows and enables us to go from failure to failure without any loss of enthusiasm. Repentance isn’t His backup plan in the event we might fail. Repentance is His plan, knowing that we will. This is the gospel of repentance. And as President Russell M. Nelson has observed, it will be ‘a lifetime curriculum.’ In this lifetime curriculum of repentance, the sacrament is the Lord’s designated way of providing continual access to His forgiveness. If we partake with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, He proffers us weekly pardon as we progress from failure to failure along the covenant path.”

Elder Lynn G. Robbins

Next time you’re in line at the market, or pumping gas, or in the workplace, notice the people around you and the quick conclusions you’re tempted to draw. Catch yourself judging unfairly and rewind the tape. Instead, see this person as a child of God who is loved and hoped for. Know that a Patriarchal Blessing awaits this person. Realize they cheered in the Pre‑mortal World when they heard the Plan of Happiness. Ask a silent prayer to see if your path was meant to cross theirs today, to help them and bring them the truth.

Joni Hilton

If you don’t like someone, the way he holds his spoon will make you furious; if you do like him, he can turn his plate over into your lap and you won’t mind.

 Irving Becker