Last updated on September 16th, 2025 at 10:10 pm
General Conference Applied
S5 E46 – Thursday, September 11, 2025 | “Harden Not Your Heart” by Elder Christopher H. Kim; April 2025 General Conference
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Podcast Episode Outline
Introduction
As we begin this podcast episode, please remember that the General Conference Applied Podcast is meant to be a supplement for your review of General Conference Addresses. This podcast episode will be even more beneficial to you if you also review Elder Kim’s April 2025 General Conference address.
Bio
- “Elder Christopher H. Kim was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the April 2024 general conference. At the time of his call, he had been serving as a member of the Fourth Quorum of the Seventy in the Asia North Area. He is currently serving in the Asia North Area Presidency.
“Elder Kim has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Washington Seattle Mission, high councilor, counselor in a stake presidency, and stake president.
“Elder Kim received a bachelor of science degree in sociology in 1995 and a master of business administration degree in 1997, both from Brigham Young University. He has worked in several executive positions for multinational companies. Since 2005, he has worked for Unicity International Inc. in a variety of positions, most recently as president of global markets.
“Christopher Hyunsu Kim was born in Daegu, South Korea, on November 18, 1965. He married Seongmi Kim in 1991. They are the parents of four children.” - This was Elder Kim’s first general conference address.
Invitations
- “What can we do to not harden our hearts?
“First, we can practice daily repentance…. Second, we can practice humility…. Third, we can trust and rely on our Savior.”- In our own words: Repent daily, practice humility, and trust and rely on the Savior to avoid a hard heart.
- Application Idea #1: Ponder what it might mean to “practice” daily repentance, humility, or trust and reliance on our Savior and what that could look like for you.
- In this context, to practice means to “carry out or perform (a particular activity, method, or custom) habitually or regularly” such as to “observe the teaching and rules of (a particular religion).” It’s something you “actively pursue or [are] engaged in.”
- However, I think there’s benefit in considering the other definition of practice: to “perform (an activity) or exercise (a skill) repeatedly or regularly in order to improve or maintain one’s proficiency.” See if you can create methods and schedules to practice daily repentance, humility, and trusting and relying on the Savior similar to practicing a musical instrument. Keep it sincere, but just doing it will be a great start.
- Application Idea #2: Study Helaman chapters 5 and 6 in the Book of Mormon. In particular, make lists of what led to the hardness of the Nephites’ hearts and the softness of the Lamanites’ hearts in these two chapters. Then, share what you learned with someone you love and/or on social media.
- Clay Application: Idea #1 above. Find ways to actively “practice” daily repentance, humility, and trust and reliance on the Savior.
- Jace Application: Focus on trusting the Savior more by relying more on powerful prayer. Journal about my progress.
- Mitch Application: Idea #2 above.
- “President Russell M. Nelson, taught: ‘Repenting is the key to progress. Pure faith keeps us moving forward on the covenant path. Please do not fear or delay repenting. Satan delights in your misery. … Start today to experience the joy of putting off the natural man. The Savior loves us always but especially when we repent.'”
- In our own words: Don’t fear or delay repenting; start today!
- Application Idea #1: Do it. Right now. Pause the podcast and pray to start positive spiritual momentum from daily repentance.
- Application Idea #2: Study President Russell M. Nelson’s April 2022 General Conference address “The Power of Spiritual Momentum“. Then share what you learned with someone you love and/or on social media.
- “We [must] want to become humble before the Lord, like a little child who obeys their father…. Let us follow the example of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who followed the will of the Father.”
- In our own words: Cultivate a desire to be humble before the Lord by following Jesus’ example of obeying Heavenly Father.
- Application Idea #1: Think of someone humble you admire and how you could emulate their best qualities or behaviors. Examine Jesus and Heavenly Father’s relationship by looking up each scriptural instance of Jesus praying to the Father, or teaching people about the Father, or how He was doing the Father’s will.
- Application Idea #2: I have long been inspired with this explanation under the heading of “Prayer” in the Guide to the Scriptures: “The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that we must ask for in order to obtain.” For the next week, intentionally commit to seeking for God’s will so that you can ask for God’s will in your prayers. At the end of the week, journal about what you learned, and then make plans to either continue your approach or change your approach based on what you learned.
- “Brothers and sisters, we’ve been given moral agency. We can choose to harden our hearts, or we can choose to soften our hearts. In our daily lives, we can choose to do the things that invite the Lord’s Spirit to come into and dwell in our hearts.”
- In our own words: Use your moral agency to choose a soft heart and do things that invite the Lord’s Spirit.
- Application Idea #1: Identify one area where you may need to soften your heart. Be honest in asking yourself what things, doctrines, people, promptings, etc. rile you up or bring out your stubbornness. Decide how you’ll use your agency to make choices and take steps to invite God to help you change.
- Application Idea #2: Study Elder Michael T. Ringwood’s October 2009 General Conference address “An Easiness and Willingness to Believe” to learn what Elder Ringwood says we can do to have soft hearts. Then share what you learn with someone you love and/or on social media.
Discussion Questions
- What is the Lord, through Elder Kim, inviting us to do? And how do we intend to take action?
- What could it look like to “practice” daily repentance and humility as Elder Kim invites?
- Can you think of someone, in addition to Jesus, whom you consider a role model of humility?
- What is the difference between “trusting” the Savior and “relying” on Him?
- Identify one area where you may need to soften your heart. What choices and steps will you take to invite God to help you change?
External Resources Referenced In This Episode
- Practice definition
- The Power of Spiritual Momentum
- Alma 5:27
- Isaiah the Lord’s ways are higher than our ways
- Clay bio materials
- Elemental Pixar movie
- President Nelson repentance is not an event it’s a process
- Elder Kearon the Church of Joy
- Elder McCune address and episode
- President Holland April 2025 General Conference
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 Benjamin M.Z. Tai and was entitled “The Love of God.”
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
Book of Mormon | Holy Ghost | Humility | Jesus Christ | Repentance | Trust
Additional Content
Next Podcast Episode (“The Love of God” by Elder Benjamin M.Z. Tai)