The Lord Looketh on the Heart

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The past two weekends we had the opportunity to hear from the leaders of our church, including the prophet and apostles, in what we call General Conference. It is held every 6 months and never fails to uplift my soul and rejuvenate my spirit! I've decided to make a goal to listen to one conference talk everyday. I was further challenged by a friend on Facebook to share a thought from each talk you read on social media everyday, so I'm working on that over on my facebook page, too.

Today's talk was from the General Women's Session and was entitled The Master Healer by Carole M. Stephens. I just want to list a few things that really stuck out to me.

1. The world needs women who have a "bedrock understanding of the doctrine of Christ." When first hearing this, I felt overwhelmed and inadequate. She goes on to explain that instead of turning to the world for help, when we turn to the Savior and "press forward with a steadfastness in Christ" our understanding of His doctrine can freely and continually grow!

2. The Lord knows our sins, but "looketh on the heart" instead. He sees us for our infinite potential and because he has suffered for our sins, He can help us overcome ALL sin. Likewise, I should be trying to see others for their infinite potential, too!

3. Perceived differences. I just love her choice of words here. "....regardless of perceived differences, all of us are in need of the same infinite Atonement." She is actually quoting Elder Dale G. Renlund's April 2015 talk, Latter-day Saints Keep on Trying. To me, this shows that we need to stop seeing each other as so different! Stop judging, stop assuming. See others through the eyes of Christ and your love for everyone around you will increase.

4. The last point I want to touch on covers the trial of bipolar disorder. Whether you experience that same disorder or some other mental condition, anxiety, depression, etc., the Atonement is there for us! Sister Stephens tells the story of a girl deep in mental anguish with a mother who wishes she could take away her pain. In that moment, a miracle happens and the girl manages the words, "You don't have to; somebody already has." How true that is!I am grateful for a Savior that can not only take away pain and sin, but can lift me to peace and mental health. It is no simple task, but leaning on your Savior can help.

There are so many other amazing gems of knowledge and truth in this talk that I didn't even touch on. Give it a read and see what you can discover!