Conference Talk of the Week

Overview

Elder Patrick Kearon describes his early experience as a new convert learning what it means to accept callings and to sustain others through common consent. He teaches that sustaining is a real, personal commitment, not a formality, and that the Lord uses callings (whether visible or quiet, convenient or stretching) to build faith, unity, and Christlike virtues. He connects this to the Church’s solemn assembly and our sustaining of President Dallin H. Oaks, and he invites each of us to be “about [the Father’s] business” by serving with a humble, willing heart.

Three Key Takeaways

• 1Common consent matters: raising your hand is a voluntary commitment to uphold the Lord’s servants with prayers, patience, love, and faith, even when you don’t fully agree or think they’re doing everything perfectly.
• 2The Lord shapes disciples through callings: assignments may stretch you, feel small, or change unexpectedly, but in the Lord’s economy we “come out ahead” as faith is expanded and Christlike virtues are developed in real relationships.
• 3Being “about His business” is about how you serve: when you accept and magnify a calling, you’re not just filling an assignment, you’re joining the Savior’s redeeming work to lift, comfort, and share His good news, and life is better when you do.

Reflection Questions

• When I sustain someone at church, what does that look like in my actual week (prayer, encouragement, cooperation, refusing to criticize, offering help), and where have I treated sustaining like a formality?
• What has my current (or most recent) calling been designed to teach me about humility, charity, meekness, forgiveness, or love, especially with people who are different from me?
• Is there a calling change, inconvenience, or reluctance I’m carrying right now, and what would it mean for me to respond with a more willing heart while trusting the Lord’s guiding hand?