Conference Talk of the Week

Overview

Elder Matthew J. Eyring begins with a friend who was told his young married son had died. The friend's first thought was "I can't fix this." Elder Eyring explains that everyone, however capable, eventually meets burdens they cannot carry alone. He draws on his own family's loss of a twin before birth and on a dinner with a young couple who had just suffered the same loss. He teaches that the Savior's peace reaches us through the Holy Ghost, the "other Comforter" Jesus promised in John 14. Comfort matters because without it we can lose hope, and losing hope can cost us our faith. Elder Eyring also points to the Resurrection and to Christ's power over sin as the reasons mortal losses are temporary. He closes by urging members to make the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost one of their highest priorities.

Three Key Takeaways

• 1Self-reliance has limits. Elder Eyring teaches that all of us, "regardless of experience, talent, or willpower," will face burdens we cannot carry ourselves, such as a death in the family, poor health, a child who leaves the gospel path, loneliness, or a habit we keep failing to overcome. Running into those limits gives us a reason to turn to the Savior, who suffered for us and knows exactly how we feel.
• 2The Holy Ghost is how the Savior's peace reaches us. Jesus promised the Father would send "another Comforter" who would "be in you" (John 14:16–17). Elder Eyring adds that the Lord's answers come on His timetable and in different forms, sometimes through tools, resources, and help from other people.
• 3Comfort protects faith. Prophets have warned that we will not survive spiritually without the constant influence of the Holy Ghost, partly because true sources of comfort will become harder to find. Elder Eyring explains the chain: without divine comfort we can lose hope, and without hope we can lose faith and stop trying.

Reflection Questions

• Where in your life right now are you facing something you cannot fix? What would it look like for you to take that burden to the Savior instead of carrying it alone?
• Think about a time the Lord's answer or comfort came through another person, a resource, or a later season instead of how or when you expected. What does that experience teach you about recognizing the Holy Ghost now?
• How does believing in a literal resurrection change the way you see a loss, limitation, or grief you or someone you love is carrying?