This week, I'm taking a closer look at a surprisingly heavy talk from this past General Conference. Elder Holland is traditionally known for his upbeat messages, but in April he deviated from the norm and took on a difficult discussion about some uncomfortable topics in his address, “Not as the World Giveth.”

Joining me in a discussion about Elder Holland's talk is Julia Stolworthy. Julia is a mother to 3 teenagers, and wife to her favorite human. She and her husband recently celebrated their 20 year anniversary. But those 20 years weren’t all sunshine and rainbows. They started down the barrel of divorce a couple of years ago, but when one of their kids began battling severe mental trauma, they dug in deeper, with more vigor than they knew they had in them. Their family underwent major changes in every facet of life. Julia and her husband were given a second chance and let me tell you, they are not wasting it!

Julia’s conversion to the gospel began not too many years ago, although she was born under the covenant. It was when her beliefs began to be challenged that she really started to make conscious decisions about what she believed. Today, you don’t have to be around her for long before you come to the conclusion that Julia’s heart belongs to the Lord.

She’s quirky. She’s cool. She’s got a heart of gold. And she’s my Relief Society President.

KEY POINTS:

• Don't confuse comfort with peace.
• "We cannot afford our failure to put these gospel concepts and fortifying covenants to full use personally and publicly."
• The "Covenant of peace"
• "In spite of frightful prophecies and unsettling scriptures declaring that peace will be taken from the earth generally ... it does not have to be taken from us individually."
• The world considers knowledge as power, and some have "learned" God right out of their lives.
• Sometimes gospel knowledge gets "to us," but not "in us."
• "...the help and peace we need is not the kind the world giveth...No, for the truly difficult problems we need what the scriptures call 'the powers of heaven,' and to access these powers we must live by what these same scriptures call 'principles of righteousness.'"
• "Understanding that connection between principle and power is the one lesson the human family never seems able to learn...so says the God of heaven and earth."
• "Love," the verb, precedes "Love," the noun.
• "In no case are we to be guilty of any form of abuse or unrighteous dominion or immoral coercion--not physical or emotional or ecclesiastical or any other kind."
• "Everyone has the right to be loved, to feel peaceful, and to find safety at home."
• "Pledge total loyalty in word and deed to the Lamb of God."

DO ONE THING INVITATION

Write about the gifts you have received from the Lord that bring peace to your soul. If you aren’t into journaling, then consider creating a post on social media and sharing how you are accessing God’s peace in your life. Most importantly, express your gratitude to the Lord for the blessings His peace brings to you.

RESOURCES

"Not as the World Giveth" -- Jeffrey R. Holland
“Watchful Unto Prayer Continually” — David A. Bednar

Life Help — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints — Click here to access resources for abuse, addiction, disability, pornography, suicide, and other issues facing our world today.