Last updated on September 4th, 2025 at 10:04 pm
General Conference Applied
S5 E21 – Thursday, June 19, 2025 | “Your Repentance Doesn’t Burden Jesus Christ; It Brightens His Joy” by Sister Tamara W. Runia; April 2025 General Conference
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Podcast Episode Outline
Introduction
Bio
- “Sister Tamara W. Runia was sustained as First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency on April 1, 2023. She began serving on August 1, 2023.
“She previously served with her husband as leaders of the Australia Sydney Mission (2018–2021). She also has served as stake scripture class instructor, stake Young Women president, and stake Relief Society presidency counselor.
“Sister Runia studied broadcast journalism at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Her civic service includes 20 years on the board of the Provo Food & Care Coalition and the Provo City Parks and Recreation board.
“Tamara Wood Runia was born March 2, 1961, in Concord, California. She married R. Scott Runia on May 23, 1981. She and her husband have seven children.” - This was Sister Runia’s 2nd general conference address. Her most recent address was “Seeing God’s Family through the Overview Lens” from the October 2023 General Conference.
Invitations
- “So when the Lord says, ‘Repent ye, repent ye,’ what if you imagined Him saying, ‘I love you. I love you.’ Picture Him pleading with you to leave behind the behavior causing you pain, inviting you to step out of darkness and turn to His light.”
- In our own words: Consider that Jesus Christ and His prophets are saying that they love you each time they invite you to repent.
- “Picture your favorite image of Christ. Now imagine Him smiling brightly with joy each time you use His gift [of repentance], because He is the ‘perfect brightness of hope.’ Yes, your repentance doesn’t burden Jesus Christ; it brightens His joy! Let’s teach that!”
- In our own words: Imagine the Savior smiling at you each time you repent. Teach that repentance brings Jesus Christ joy.
- “You need to hear this, so I’ll say these words out loud: You are not the voice in your head or the mistakes you have made. You may need to say that out loud too. Tell Satan, ‘Not today.’ Put him behind you.”
- In our own words: Speak kindly to yourself.
- “Let’s try this. Tonight, before you pray, imagine Jesus Christ close by. He is your Advocate with the Father. Ask yourself, ‘What would my Savior say to the Father about me?’ And then become silent. Listen for that voice that says good things about you—the voice of the Savior, your finest friend, and your Father in Heaven, who is really there.”
- In our own words: Before you pray, ask yourself what Jesus Christ would say to Heavenly Father about you, and then listen for the voice that says good things about you.
- Clay Application: Try this specific invitation and continue listening to the voice that says Good things about me when seeking to connect with the spirit.
- Mitch Application: I will try this tomorrow night before I go to bed and journal about my experience.
- “Remember … on those days when you feel that voice telling you to hide, that you should hide in a dark room all by yourself, I invite you to be brave and believe Christ! Walk over and turn on the Light—our Perfect Brightness of Hope.”
- In our own words: Don’t hide from your duty or from the consequences of sin. Draw near to Jesus Christ.
Discussion Questions
- What is the Lord, through Sister Runia, inviting us to do? And how do we intend to take action?
- Sister Runia stated: “So when the Lord says, ‘Repent ye, repent ye,’ what if you imagined Him saying, ‘I love you. I love you.'” Note that footnote 9 indicates that this idea came from a “conversation with Sister Kathryn Reynolds of the Young Women general advisory council.” Are we making time for gospel conversations with others? And are we writing down what we learn? (Also see footnote 13).
- Sister Runia taught: “You are not the voice in your head or the mistakes you have made.” Do we believe this about ourselves and others?
- “Everyone is diving with their own degree of difficulty. And your Savior is the only one who truly knows the difficulty you are diving with.” What are some of the difficulties you have faced in life that have transformed you into who you are?
- Sister Runia invites us to ask ourselves: “What would my Savior say to the Father about me?” How would you respond?
External Resources Referenced In This Episode
- Clay bio materials (Church News article)
- Salt Lake Tribune article
- Sister Runia’s social media accounts
- Sister Runia’s October 2023 General Conference address
- April 23, 2025, social media post
- The Power of Spiritual Momentum
- Elder Uchtdorf’s address
- Luke 15 – Joy in Heaven when a sinner repents
- Bummer lambs
- Richard G. Scott General Conference address and book (21 Principles)
- Jonah
- The Brother of Jared
- The two great commandments
- Alma and the zoramites
- The Divine Gift of Forgiveness
- “Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption” by Bryan Stevenson
- “The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row” by Anthony Ray Hinton and Lara Love Hardin
- Elder Clark G. Gilbert – the Parable of the Slope
- Simone Biles graph
- Be Ye Therefore Perfect Eventually, President Holland
- Elder Christofferson cosmic vending machine
- Sister Soares studying scriptures to be close to God
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 Sister Amy A. Wright and was entitled “Thou Art the Christ.”
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
Forgiveness | Hope | Individual Worth | Jesus Christ | Joy | Love | Obedience | Repentance
Additional Content
Previous Podcast Episode (May 2025 General Conference+ Part Two)
Next Podcast Episode (“Thou Art the Christ” by Sister Amy A. Wright)