2023 October General Conference, Sunday Afternoon Session

Love is Spoken Here
Elder Gerrit W. Gong Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Main Points

  • Elder Gong explores the expression of love through warmth and reverence, sacrifice and service, and covenant belonging.
  • Service allows us to both give love and feel the love of the Savior.
  • We can choose to show and feel the Savior’s love

Gospel Principles taught

Our Father in Heaven, Jesus Christ, Agency, The Atonement, The Lord’s Covenant People, Faith in Christ, Work and Personal Responsibility, Service

Gospel Doctrine taught

The Atonement of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Agency

Scriptures

2 Nephi 2:8, Mosiah 4:24, 1 John 4:18, Moroni 8:16, Matthew 16:25–26, Matthew 10:39–40, Mark 8:35–36, Luke 9:24–25, Luke 17:33, John 12:25

Sources:

Look for Jesus Christ:

  • Testimony of Christ.
    • Jesus Christ offers a better way—relationships founded on divine covenant, stronger than the cords of death. Covenant belonging with God and each other can heal and sanctify our most cherished relationships. In truth, He knows us better and loves us more than we know or love ourselves. In truth, when we covenant all we are, we can become more than we are. God’s power and wisdom can bless us with every good gift, in His time and way.
    • When we meet the Lord, I imagine Him saying, with words of instruction and promise, “My love is spoken here.”
  • Description of His Teachings.
    • “Perfect love casteth out fear.”
    • “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man [or woman] profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
  • Description of His Atonement.
    • We speak reverently of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, personal and real, not only of atonement in the abstract.
    • Let us always speak with warm and reverent gratitude for God’s work and glory and the merits, mercy, and grace of Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice.
    • Faith, service, and sacrifice draw us beyond ourselves closer to our Savior. The more compassionate, faithful, and selfless our service and sacrifice are in Him, the more we may begin to fathom Jesus Christ’s atoning compassion and grace for us.
  • Description of His relationship with us.
    • When we let Him, Jesus Christ helps us speak His love here.

Inspiring Words & Phrases

  • Sometimes we need to know love spoken here is heard and appreciated here.
  • As we recognize Jesus Christ at the heart of temple covenants, we refer less to “going to the temple” and more to “coming to Jesus Christ in the house of the Lord.”
  • Each covenant whispers, “Love is spoken here.”
  • We speak reverently of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, personal and real, not only of atonement in the abstract.
  • We use reverent prayer language when we address Heavenly Father and warm respect when we speak with each other.
  • The words we use can draw us closer to or distance us from other Christians and friends.
  • Sometimes we speak of missionary work, temple work, humanitarian and welfare work in ways that may cause others to think we believe we work on our own. Let us always speak with warm and reverent gratitude for God’s work and glory and the merits, mercy, and grace of Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice.
  • Calls to serve the Lord and each other in His Church give opportunity to increase in compassion, capacity, and humility. As we are set apart, we can receive the Lord’s inspiration to lift and strengthen others and ourselves.
  • Of course, the changing circumstances and seasons of our lives may affect our ability to serve, but hopefully never our desire. With King Benjamin, we say, “If I had I would give” and offer all we can.
  • As we worship, serve, enjoy, and learn His love together, we anchor each other in His gospel.
  • We nurture connection and fight isolation as we regularly minister with our hearts in each other’s homes and neighborhoods.
  • Sociality and service often go together.
  • Faith, service, and sacrifice draw us beyond ourselves closer to our Savior. The more compassionate, faithful, and selfless our service and sacrifice are in Him, the more we may begin to fathom Jesus Christ’s atoning compassion and grace for us.

Lists

We speak love in many languages:

  • The human family speaks 7,168 living languages
  • In the Church we speak 575 documented primary languages

We communicate intent, inflection and emotion:

  • Through art
  • Through music
  • Through dance
  • Through logical symbols
  • Through interpersonal expression (relating to relationships or communication between people.)
  • Through intrapersonal expression (something that occurs within a person’s mind or self.)

Three languages of gospel love:

  • The language of warmth and reverence
  • The language of service and sacrifice
  • The language of covenant belonging

Children recognize the different ways their parents show love:

  • “My parents work hard to feed our family.” 
  • “My parents read stories and tuck me into bed at night.” 
  • “My parents keep me safe.” 
  • “My parents help me with my Children and Youth goals.”
  • “Even though she is very tired after working all day, my mother comes outside to play with me.” 
  • “Even though my mother and I sometimes disagree, I trust my mother.”

We can express our sacramental covenant commitment to Jesus Christ and each other through:

  • Church callings
  • Fellowship
  • Sociality
  • service

To anchor each other in the gospel of Christ:

  • We worship together
  • We serve each other
  • We serve together
  • We enjoy one another
  • We learn His love together

Callings to serve in the Lord’s Church give opportunity:

  • To increase in compassion
  • To increase in capacity
  • To increase in humility

Stake and ward leaders, as you call and release brothers and sisters:

  • Do so with dignity
  • Do so with inspiration
  • Help each feel appreciated
  • Help each feel they can be successful
  • Counsel with sister leaders
  • Listen to sister leaders

Ward activities:

  • Should be inspired
  • Should be well-planned
  • Help everyone feel valued
  • Help everyone feel included
  • Help everyone feel invited & needed
  • Bridge ages and backgrounds
  • Can cost little or nothing
  • Invite neighbors and friends

Stories told

  • Elder Gong told of a locket he gave Sister Gong, inscribed with Morse code for I,I,U. In Mandarin, “ai” means love. So the message was “I, ai (爱), U.”
  • The story of the new member, when criticized for how short her skirts were, who said: “My heart is converted; please be patient as my skirts catch up.” 
  • When the Gong’s were married, Elder David B. Haight counseled them to: “Always hold a calling in the Church. Especially when life is busy, you need to feel the Lord’s love for those you serve and for you as you serve.”
  • A stake president observed that service is a privilege that often includes sacrifice; but when we do, we find fewer faults and greater peace.
  • AI learning to translate idioms correctly: learns better by repetition of examples than by understanding rules of grammar.

Invitations/Challenges

  • Please, let us be understanding and kind as we learn new languages of love together.
  • Accept callings to serve in the Church.
  • Cultivate a desire and willingness to serve in the Church.
  • May we remember, as President J. Reuben Clark taught, in the Lord’s Church we serve where called, “which place one neither seeks nor declines.”
  • For some time I have felt that, in many places in the Church, a few more ward activities, of course planned and implemented with gospel purpose, could knit us together with even greater belonging and unity.
  • Our own direct, repeated experiences may be our best spiritual way to learn the gospel languages of warmth and reverence, service and sacrifice, and covenant belonging.
  • Where and how does Jesus Christ speak to you in love?
  • Where and how do you hear His love spoken here?
  • May we each learn to speak and hear His love here, in our hearts and homes, and in our gospel callings, activities, ministering, and service.

Blessings/Promises

  • As we are set apart, we can receive the Lord’s inspiration to lift and strengthen others and ourselves.
  • I promise that love is spoken here, there, and everywhere as we answer yes to Church leaders to serve the Lord in His Church by His Spirit and our covenants.
  • The Lord’s restored Church can be an incubator for a Zion community.
  • Ward social and service activities can build new and enduring gospel bonds.
  • Jesus Christ offers a better way—relationships founded on divine covenant, stronger than the cords of death. Covenant belonging with God and each other can heal and sanctify our most cherished relationships. In truth, He knows us better and loves us more than we know or love ourselves. In truth, when we covenant all we are, we can become more than we are. God’s power and wisdom can bless us with every good gift, in His time and way.

Application Ideas

  1. Ponder Elder Gong’s question: “Where and how does Jesus Christ speak to you in love?” Write your thoughts in your scriptures or journal.
  2. Ponder Elder Gong’s question: “Where and how do you hear His love spoken here?” Consider sharing your insights with your family or friends.
  3. Ask the Lord to inspire you in your calling and help you know specific ways you can lift and strengthen others.
  4. Think of three ways you could increase your desire to serve in the church, especially in any callings you have at this time. Map out a plan to implement those three ways over the next month.

 

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