Relief Society · Elders Quorum · 25 minutes
Elder Kevin J. Hathaway · Of the Seventy · Saturday Morning Session
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Jesus Christ will deliver those who turn to Him, and while they wait for His time and way, His grace gives them strength to endure and grow.
Skip walking through every scripture example in the talk (Liberty Jail, the stripling warriors, Alma's people, Darius, Jairus); choose one and leave the four-part pattern on the board instead of teaching each step at length.
Before Sunday
Sunday: Jesus Christ is the Great Deliverer
This Sunday we'll discuss Elder Kevin J. Hathaway's October 2026 talk, "Jesus Christ Is the Great Deliverer!" He teaches that for faithful followers of Christ, the question is not whether the Savior will deliver them but how and when. Read or listen to the talk if you can. Ponder this: when you have had to wait on the Lord, what helped you hold on?
Pick one opening
Elder Hathaway opened by asking whether we have ever felt left out, wondered if we were enough, lost someone we loved, or carried a burden no one else could see. Without naming anything personal, think of a time you had to wait for relief that didn't come right away. What made that waiting hard?
Elder Hathaway opened by asking whether we have ever felt left out, wondered if we were enough, lost someone we loved, or carried a burden no one else could see. Without naming anything personal, think of a time you had to wait for relief that didn't come right away. What made that waiting hard?
Elder Hathaway and his family were driving in two cars to begin serving as mission leaders. In a construction zone, two large tires came loose from a semitruck and hit both cars at high speed. The airbags went off and both cars were destroyed. They stood on the roadside wondering why this happened when they had left everything to serve. Then the Spirit brought peace: everything would be all right. The trial wasn't over yet, but they had been given hope.
Elder Hathaway taught that for faithful followers of Christ, the question is not if He will deliver but how and when. Read that sentence aloud. How does changing "if" to "how and when" change the way a person waits through a hard time?
Teach this first
Jesus Christ suffered pains and afflictions of every kind, so He understands what we are going through and knows how to help us. His grace does not always remove the pain right away. It gives us strength beyond our own so we can endure and grow until He delivers us in His time and way.
Elder Hathaway taught that the Lord "is not delayed, distracted, or derelict in His deliverance. He has not forgotten you."
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If time remains
Elder Hathaway taught that heartrending questions like Joseph Smith's "O God, where art thou?" are not sin or weakness. Those moments give us a choice, and when we turn to Christ through prayer, fasting, and scripture study, He sends assurances of peace and hope.
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Counsel together
Last 3–5 minutes
This week, choose one burden you are carrying, take it to Heavenly Father in sincere prayer (and fasting, if you are able), and write down any peace or assurance that comes, even if the trial stays.
Elder Hathaway promised that as we humbly and patiently keep our covenants, the Savior will visit us in our afflictions and bring assurances of deliverance.
Your witness: Think of a time Jesus Christ strengthened you before the trial ended, or a time His deliverance came differently than you expected. Share it briefly, and tell what it taught you about His timing.