Last updated on June 9th, 2025 at 07:08 am
General Conference Applied
S5 E16 – Thursday, June 5, 2025 | “Reverence for Sacred Things” by Elder Ulisses Soares; April 2025 General Conference
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Podcast Episode Outline
Introduction
Bio
- Mitch shared stories of shaking Elder Soares’s hand on two occasions on two different continents.
- This was Elder Soares’s 20th general conference address. His most recent address was “Aligning Our Will with His” from the October 2024 General Conference.
Invitations
- “[Moses] turned aside from his daily cares—something we all should be willing to do.”
- In our own words: We should be willing to turn aside from our daily cares.
- Clay Application:
- Mitch Application: Just as our Savior, Jesus Christ, embraced interruptions to help others in need, I will do the same. When someone interrupts me seeking for help, I will refrain from allowing that interruption to bother me.
- “[Make] the virtue of reverence a sacred part of our spiritual character. … Cultivate the gift of reverence in our lives. … Discover reverence for sacred things and convert our discipleship into a deeper level of spirituality and devotion. … Embrace this gift of reverence for sacred things—whether in the mountain of the Lord’s house, in a meetinghouse, or in our own homes.”
- In our own words: Prioritize the development of reverence in our lives.
- Clay Application:
- “As followers of Christ, we need to be careful not to weaken our connection with God and His Son by using AI-generated content and images inappropriately. We should remember that relying on a modern technological ‘arm of flesh’ is an inadequate and disrespectful substitute for the inspiration, edification, and witness that can be received only through the power of the Holy Ghost.”
- In our own words: Don’t use artificial intelligence inappropriately – for example, by mocking sacred things or replacing the influence of the Holy Ghost in our lives.
- Clay Application:
- “Strive to protect our home environment from worldly influences. This can be accomplished by sincerely and fervently praying before our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ and seeking to better know our Savior through our diligent study of the word of God found in the scriptures and in the teachings of our prophets. Additionally, such spiritual transformation can come as we strive to honor the covenants we have made with the Lord by living in obedience to the commandments.”
- In our own words: To develop reverence in our homes, prioritize prayer, scripture study, the words of living prophets, honoring our covenants, and keeping the commandments.
- Clay Application:
- “Faithfully participate in the Church’s worship service, including tuning our hearts to the Lord through our sincere singing of sacred hymns. Turning aside—like Moses—from worldly distractions, especially our cell phones or anything not in harmony with this sacred moment, enables us to turn our full attention to partaking of the sacrament, with our minds and hearts focused on the Savior and His atoning sacrifice along with our own covenants.”
- In our own words: To develop reverence at church, sing the hymns and eliminate distractions (especially by putting our cell phones away).
- Clay Application:
- “Experience this spiritual change in our discipleship as we regularly worship in the mountain of the Lord’s house—our holy temples—and strive to live with covenant confidence, especially when we face the trials of mortal life.”
- In our own words: Regularly worship in the temple to grow in confidence before God.
- Clay Application:
Discussion Questions
- What is the Lord, through Elder Soares, inviting us to do? And how do we intend to take action?
- Elder Soares stated: “[Moses] turned aside from his daily cares—something we all should be willing to do.” How did our Savior, Jesus Christ, demonstrate how this is to be done?
- Elder Soares invites us to “cultivate,” “discover,” and “embrace reverence for sacred things.” What are some practical applications for how this is to be done?
- Elder Soares taught: “as sophisticated as modern technology has become, it simply cannot simulate the wonder, awe, and amazement found in the kind of reverence born from the influence of the Holy Ghost.” Have we replaced “the influence of the Holy Ghost” with “a modern technological ‘arm of flesh'”?
- Elder Soares shares ways that we can “embrace this gift of reverence for sacred things” in the temple, at church, and in our homes. Which of these ways resonated with you the most? Why?
External Resources Referenced In This Episode
What will you do?
How will you take action on the invitations extended in this General Conference address?
Conclusion
The focus of our next podcast episode will be the April 2025 General Conference address that was delivered by Elder Patrick Kearon and was entitled “Receive His Gift.”
As we conclude this episode, we would invite you to refer to the podcast episode details for this podcast episode where we have provided important information for connecting with us and further supporting the General Conference Applied Podcast. The best ways to help us are to like and subscribe to the podcast, to share the podcast with others, to like and share our content on social media, to share your own experiences with us on social media, and especially to contact us on our website.
Please remember that General Conference Applied is meant to be a supplement for your review of General Conference Addresses. We promise that you will get more out of each General Conference Applied episode when you study the General Conference address first.
Thank you for joining us in this effort to become doers of the word and to take action on general conference invitations.
Tags
Discipleship | Joy | Reverence | Spiritual Growth
Additional Content
Next Podcast Episode (“Receive His Gift” by Elder Patrick Kearon)