Last updated on August 10th, 2025 at 07:35 pm
General Conference Applied
S5 E26 – Sunday, July 6, 2025 | “Compensating Blessings” by Bishop Gérald Caussé; April 2025 General Conference
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Podcast Episode Outline
Introduction
As we begin this podcast episode, if you have not recently listened to or read Bishop Caussé’s April 2025 General Conference address, please pause this podcast episode and go review his address.
Bio
- “Gérald Caussé became the 15th presiding bishop in the Church’s history in October 2015. Bishop Caussé is the third presiding bishop born outside the United States and the first for whom English is a second language.
“Gérald Caussé was born in Bordeaux, France on May 20, 1963. He married Valérie Lucienne Babin in August 1986. They are the parents of five children.
“His Church service includes elders quorum president, bishop’s counselor, stake president’s counselor, stake president and Area Seventy.
“Bishop Caussé was serving as a General Authority Seventy and as a counselor in the Europe Area Presidency when he accepted the call to be a counselor in the Presiding Bishopric at the April 2012 general conference.
“Bishop Caussé received a master’s degree in business from ESSEC in 1987. His career has been in the food industry, where he has worked with several supermarket chains and food distribution companies. At the time of his call as a General Authority Seventy, he was the general manager of Pomona, a food distribution company in France.” - This was Bishop Caussé’s 7th general conference address. His most recent address was “Our Earthly Stewardship” from the October 2022 General Conference.
Invitations
- “My dear friends, if you ever feel limited or disadvantaged by the circumstances of your life, I want you to know this: The Lord loves you personally. He knows your circumstances, and the door to His blessings remains wide open to you no matter the challenges you face.”
- In our own words: Know that the Lord loves you personally, He knows your circumstances, and your specific challenges don’t close any doors to the blessings He has in store for you.
- Application Idea #1: Put more effective effort into studying His word and feeling the spirit. That doesn’t necessarily require more time so long as we’re already doing our best to “Give the Lord equal time.” We say “work smarter, not harder.” Try to worship deeper, not always longer. Seek high-value worshipful experiences like fasting, temple service, genealogy, vocal prayer and pondering with a notebook in a distraction-free space.
- Application Idea #2: Study Elder Clark G. Gilbert’s October 2021 General Conference address which was entitled “Becoming More in Christ: The Parable of the Slope“.
- Clay Application: Implement Application Idea #1, above. Figure out where I need to spend more time worshipping and where I should worship deeper instead of longer.
- “Through Jesus Christ and His Atonement, … find the strength to endure and ultimately overcome all of life’s challenges.”
- In our own words: Find the strength to endure and ultimately overcome all of life’s challenges through Jesus Christ and His Atonement.
- Application Idea: Like Elder Tad R. Callister, we should study the Lord’s atonement. His study resulted in his excellent book, The Infinite Atonement.
- “The Lord asks us to do ‘all we can’ and to ‘offer [our] whole souls as an offering unto him.’ This requires a deep desire, a sincere and faithful heart, and our utmost diligence in keeping His commandments and aligning our will with His.”
- Application Idea: Practice prayer and feeling the spirit. Since this could go any direction, depending on the person, focus on seeking personal revelation for what God wants your next steps to be. While waiting for direction, don’t be paralyzed, just “do what is right” until you learn something specific.
- Mitch Application: I will hold a family council in a future Family Home Evening where we discuss Bishop Caussé’s “prescription” for doing “all we can” for the Lord. In particular, I will write the four steps for this “prescription” on our whiteboard (i.e., deep desire, sincere and faithful heart, utmost diligence in keeping God’s commandments, and aligning our will with God’s will), and then discuss as a family ways that we can incorporate these four steps into our worship.
- “When facing limitations and challenges, may we recognize our own blessings—our gifts, resources, and time—and use them to serve those in need.”
- In our own words: When facing limitations and challenges, recognize our own blessings—our gifts, resources, and time—and use them to serve those in need.
- Application Idea: Consider writing down your blessings, gifts, resources, and available time slots. Ask other trusted people what they see as your unique gifts/abilities to learn some you might not be aware of.
- “One of the most powerful ways we may contribute to God’s compensating blessings is through the vicarious work we do for our ancestors in the house of the Lord.”
- In our own words: Do the vicarious work for our ancestors in the house of the Lord.
- Application Idea: Serve in the temple. Bring your own family names where possible.
Discussion Questions
- What is the Lord, through Bishop Caussé, inviting us to do? And how do we intend to take action?
- Bishop Caussé shared a story from his own life demonstrating how “the Lord will compensate in ways that allow us to receive His promised blessings”. Can you think of any experiences like this in your own life?
- Bishop Caussé quoted Elder Neal A. Maxwell: “God … takes into merciful account not only our desires and our performance, but also the degrees of difficulty which our varied circumstances impose upon us.” Sister Tamara W. Runia taught this concept as well in her April 2025 General Conference address in the context of diving. What can we learn from studying Bishop Caussé’s and Sister Runia’s addresses side-by-side?
- While quoting a verse from the Doctrine and Covenants, Bishop Caussé interjects and indicates that enemies “may include adverse circumstances in our lives”. What can we learn from this truth by pairing it with the Savior’s admonition in Matthew 5:44 – “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you”?
- Bishop Caussé stated: “When facing limitations and challenges, may we recognize our own blessings—our gifts, resources, and time—and use them to serve those in need. In doing so, we will not only bless others but invite healing and compensation into our own lives.” How have you taken action on that invitation in your own life and seen that powerful promise fulfilled?
External Resources Referenced In This Episode
- Clay bio materials
- The Infinite Atonement
- Sister Runia’s address
- Elder Roman’s address
- Christ and the New Covenant
- President Nelson desire God’s help like a drowning person: Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ Into Our Lives
- The Squiggly Career
- Elder Bednar Pray Always
- Increase In Learning
- Matthew 5:44
- President Uchtdorf Lift Where You Stand
- President Eyring Mountains to Climb
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 Applications – Return and Report: Elder Cook, Elder Christofferson, and Elder Andersen.
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
Adversity | Blessings | Temple Work