“Simplicity That Is in Christ” | Steven D. Shumway | February 2026

Summary

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Podcast Summary: “Simplicity That Is in Christ”

Speaker: Steven D. Shumway
Date: February 4, 2026
Podcast: BYU Speeches

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Overview

In this inspiring BYU devotional, Elder Steven D. Shumway, General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, explores the theme of simplifying our lives by prioritizing our relationship with Jesus Christ above all else. Through personal stories, scriptural allegory, and counsel from Church leaders, Elder Shumway teaches that abundance, clarity, and peace come when we deliberately prune away distraction and consecrate the best of our time and energy to eternal things. The message is one of hope and encouragement—inviting listeners to “lay aside what is unnecessary, choose what is eternal, and center our lives more fully on Jesus Christ.”

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Testimony and Introduction (00:36–03:06)

• Elder Shumway invites his wife, Heidi (“the Three Scoop Ice Cream Girl”), to bear her testimony, emphasizing the perfection of God's plan and the centrality of Jesus Christ.
  • Notable Quote:
    “We can trust in Jesus Christ. I testify that he is the way, the truth, the light…We belong in our heavenly home. And I testify that following Jesus Christ will lead us there.” —Heidi Shumway (01:23–02:50)
• Elder Shumway expresses heartfelt gratitude to those who supported the devotional, illustrating the value of gratitude.

2. Confidence in the Rising Generation (04:04–05:00)

• Recounts counsel from President Nelson about the “mounting task” of building God’s kingdom and the Lord’s trust in “brighter souls,” referring to the current generation of young adults.
  • Notable Quote:
    “The Lord has immense confidence in you…You will do a mighty work to dispel the gross darkness that is covering this earth.” (04:23–04:42)

3. Approachability as a Christlike Attribute (04:44–06:15)

• Shares a story about BYU’s President and Sister Reese, highlighting their “approachability” as a Christlike trait.
• Links true leadership to pointing others to Christ, not oneself.
  • Notable Quote:
    “Leadership in God’s kingdom is never about being seen, but about helping others see the Savior.” (05:19–05:43)

4. Personal Experience With President Oaks (06:15–10:27)

• Shares a touching account of President Oaks making time for his family, especially his daughter, Callie, demonstrating the impact of Christlike love and availability.
  • Notable Moment:
    President Oaks tells a struggling daughter, “Oh, sweet Callie, I have all the time in the world for you.” (09:04–09:11)
• The experience spurs Elder Shumway to ask: Why do Christlike leaders seem “so calm, so available, so interruptible,” while others feel hurried?

5. The Key: Deliberately Simplifying and Prioritizing (10:27–13:40)

• Elder Shumway identifies intentional simplification and daily focus on eternal things as the answer to “calm, available lives.”
• Introduces the wisdom of Sister Patricia T. Holland:
  • Notable Quote:
    “If I could live any part of my life over again, I would do one thing differently. Very differently. Simplify…it seems to me that everything is better in simplicity…What I regret most is that in my youth, I didn’t see the simple beauty of the gospel. He wants us to know that the gospel is beautifully simple and simply beautiful.” —Sister Holland (12:15–13:35)

6. The Allegory of the Olive Tree: Three Symbols (13:40–15:45)

• Tree = our individual lives
• Branches = pursuits and responsibilities (school, work, hobbies)
• Roots = our covenant relationship with God and Christ
• Lesson: Imbalance (branches outgrowing roots) leads to spiritual instability and collapse.

7. Lesson 1: Pruning and Grafting (15:45–17:42)

• Pruning (sacrifice) and grafting (consecration) are critical to simplify and “cultivate the abundant life.”
• Do we prune away lesser pursuits and deliberately consecrate time to the things of eternity—especially at the start of each day?
  • Notable Quote (President Benson):
    “When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives.” (17:44–17:53)

8. Lesson 2: Staying Rooted in Christ (17:53–21:18)

• Activities and “good branches” only bear fruit when connected to the roots (our relationship with the Savior).
• Warns of Satan’s tactic: distraction via excess, busyness and “the lust of other things” (19:12–19:53).
• Notable Quotes:
  • “You focus on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will know how to resolve every challenge you have.” —President Nelson (20:05–20:09)
  • “I invite you to examine what branches in your life have taken strength unto themselves. What can you prune? What can you graft back to the Savior?” (20:54–21:10)

9. Lesson 3: Decisions Rooted in Covenants Lead to Simplicity (21:18–24:16)

• Real change comes from covenant-based decisions, not just behavioral tweaks.
• Illustrates with a parenting example: lasting change in children’s behavior comes as they connect their choices to covenants with God, not just restrictions.

10. Prayer as a Tool for Simplification (24:16–28:28)

• Prayer is described as a “form of work” that helps us discern what needs pruning and what to prioritize.
• Details President Oaks’ habit: praying in the morning, pondering, and praying again for direction (24:59–25:24).
• Stresses the importance of “patiently waiting upon the Lord” and not giving up before receiving an answer (26:23–27:47).
  • Notable Quote:
    “Prayer helps us to know what to trim and what to prune. It helps us to know what to graft in so that we can preserve what matters most.” (28:28–28:44)

11. The First Vision: Deliverance Through Prayer (29:15–30:50)

• Draws a parallel between Joseph Smith's First Vision and our own efforts to find simplicity in Christ: distress, then deliverance, comes as we call upon God.
• Encourages listeners to “come unto him in prayer” for clarity, peace, and the power to move forward.

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Memorable Quotes and Moments

• On approachability:
  “The Savior’s approachability is what gives the sinner comfort and the timid confidence to come unto him.” (04:44–05:12)
• On worthiness and gospel living:
  “I made the gospel too complex…I had to climb a mountain of righteousness…He wants us to know that the gospel is beautifully simple and simply beautiful.” —Sister Holland (12:15–13:35)
• On pruning distraction and choosing Christ:
  “We lose what Paul calls the simplicity that is in Christ and we begin to perish under the weight of our many complex endeavors.” (18:53–19:12)
• On personal revelation and waiting:
  “For the people of the Lord are they who wait for Him.” (27:47–27:52)
• On deliverance and simplicity:
  “When we kneel in sincerity and call upon God, he delivers.” (29:53–30:09)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:36–03:06 — Heidi Shumway’s testimony: God’s plan and the simplicity of following Christ.
• 06:15–10:27 — Personal experience with President Oaks: compassion, time, and spiritual leadership.
• 12:15–13:35 — Sister Holland’s counsel on simplification.
• 13:40–15:45 — Olive Tree allegory introduced (tree, branches, roots).
• 17:44–17:53 — President Benson quote on putting God first.
• 24:59–25:24 — Elder Shumway describes President Oaks’ daily pattern of prayer and seeking direction.
• 29:15–30:09 — Parallel to Joseph Smith’s First Vision and personal deliverance through prayer.
• 31:00–31:08 — Closing invitation to focus on what’s eternal and center our lives on Jesus Christ.

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Final Exhortation

Elder Shumway leaves a moving invitation:

“May we each find the quiet courage to lay aside what is unnecessary, choose what is eternal, and center our lives more fully on Jesus Christ, who I witness is the Great Deliverer.” (31:00–31:09)

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Summary prepared for those seeking spiritual direction, clarity in daily living, and practical Christian leadership. Listening to (or reading) this devotional offers both reassurance and a clear path to an abundant, simple, Christ-centered life.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to the Recent Speeches podcast presented by BYU Speeches, featuring inspiring new devotionals and forums given each week on BYU campus. Be sure to check out our other podcasts by searching BYU Speeches wherever you get your podcasts or by visiting speeches BYU edu podcasts.

[B]

This devotional address entitled Simplicity that is in Christ was given on February 3rd of 2026 by Stephen D. Shumway, a General Authority 70 of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

[C]

We are so happy for the blessing.

[D]

Of being with you today.

[C]

And for those of you who may remember my general conference talk, I wanted to introduce you to the Three Scoop Ice Cream Girl.

[D]

Heidi.

[C]

And in fact, if it would be okay with you, I would love it if we could have a testimony from her. She didn't know this, but have a testimony from her. That's not a good marriage tactic. I just realized that after I said it.

[D]

I'd love to hear a testimony from.

[C]

Her first, in large part because Heidi sounds a whole lot like the Holy Ghost.

[D]

So would you share your testimony?

[E]

Yes. I always love to share testimony very briefly. But would I share? I think that it would be my witness that the plan, or God the Father's plan of salvation, of happiness, of eternal joy for us, for each of his children, perfect. And the pivotal part of that plan is His Son, Jesus Christ. And because of him and his atonement, the Father's plan won't fail. So even though we live in a world that is far from perfect, it's messy. We can trust in Jesus Christ. I testify that he is the way, the truth, the light. I testify that by following him and his ways we can return to our heavenly home. I know these truths. I know that he walks with us in this moral journey that is far from perfect. But I know that the example that he leads, that he has given us and that the teachings that he gives us are real and true and that they are perfect. We belong in our heavenly home. And I testify that following Jesus Christ will lead us there. That is my witness. It is my testimony. And I say that in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

[C]

Amen. Can I begin just by saying thank you? Thank you to the choir that set.

[D]

A perfect tone with your beautiful voices.

[C]

Thank you to family and friends that are here in person and not in person that we love so very much and are so grateful for.

[D]

Grateful for.

[C]

Brother Vorkink and his team that have done a magnificent job helping us to set this up and for others at the church, Melissa and Karen, that have been so helpful in making this happen. I remember hearing President Holland saying, second only in importance to bearing witness of Jesus Christ are expressions of gratitude. So before we go on, can I.

[D]

Just say thank you to you?

[C]

I have a responsibility over the young adults of the church.

[D]

Being with you today is a filling experience for me.

[C]

In one of President Nelson's final meetings with the 70, he warned that the work of God's kingdom, building God's kingdom will become increasingly challenging. And then he paused in this meeting and he pensively told us that in response to that mounting task, the Lord is sending brighter souls.

[D]

Being with you today, I feel the reality of that prophetic truth.

[C]

The Lord has immense confidence in you. As Isaiah prophesied, you will do a mighty work to dispel the gross darkness that is covering this earth. Flying home from Houston recently, I sat.

[D]

By two of you BYU students and.

[C]

I asked them what stood out most to them about President and Sister Reese. Without hesitation, they replied. They are both just so approachable. We may not think of approachability as a Christlike attribute, but the Savior's approachability is what gives the sinner comfort and the timid confidence to come unto him and receive the blessings of the atonement of Jesus Christ.

[D]

Shane and Wendy Reese possess this Christlike attribute. I've seen this for myself.

[C]

Their genuine love creates a wide and welcoming circle where people feel seen and valued and where hearts are directed not to the Reese's but to the Savior. Leadership in God's kingdom is never about being seen, but about helping others see the Savior. As you lead in God's kingdomand you.

[D]

Areand you willi invite you to be approachable to the outcast, the lonely, the sin laden and the hopeless.

[C]

Then, like President and Sister Reece, point them to Jesus Christ where they can find healing and hope and strength. As just mentioned by President Reese, next week you're going to have this profound privilege of learning from President Oaks. No one on this earth points us more to the Savior than He does.

[D]

I wish today that somehow I could convey to you how much he loves you. I have witnessed that love personally myself.

[C]

Can I share with you one brief experience? On occasion, mission leaders can postpone serving due to business or family concerns. When Heidi and I were called as mission leaders, we discussed that if we were given that option, we would delay going for one year because this change could be a significant struggle for our daughter who was going to be a senior in high school. We weren't even sure that this daughter would go with us on the mission. With that understanding his background, we met with President Oaks and as we walked into his office, he said, I have been studying about you and asking the Lord two questions. First, does he want you to serve? And second, if he does, when would he want you to serve? He continued, I have felt impressions about those two questions, but before I share my feelings, I'd like to know yours. Now. I have felt pressure before in my life, but this was low key. Next level. Gratefully, he turned to Heidi first. I don't know the answer to the first question, she said, but about the timing of when we should go. I think we should go now. My jaw hit the floor. I turned to Heidi and I whispered, what did you say? I thought we talked about this. And she whispered back, I know. I'm sorry. To which I replied, well, that's just not going to cut it. President Oaks began to be amused at this and chuckled with his shoulders shrugging. Finally he said, well, my feelings aligned with Sister Shumway's. Now I felt about 2 inches tall, but I found the courage to express our concern for our daughter. President Oaks tenderly replied, I understand.

[D]

I'd like to visit with her. We were stunned. With President Oaks busy schedule, how would he ever manage this?

[C]

Still, we set up this meeting with.

[D]

Two of our daughters where President Oaks.

[C]

Again asked us to share our feelings. Heidi and I went first, followed by our younger daughter, Sophie. Then President Oaks turned to Callie and she began to cry.

[D]

It was difficult for her to say anything.

[C]

President Oaks lovingly said, oh, sweet Callie, I have all the time in the world for you.

[D]

When you are ready, we can chat. And then he patiently waited and kindly listened to Callie.

[C]

Did President Oaks have all the time in the world? No. And yet he took time to love.

[D]

And minister to the one. He blessed me. He blessed my daughters.

[C]

He blessed our family. And now, as God's living prophet, he blesses the entire world. Yes, President Oaks is the Lord's voice unto the ends of the earth. And to accomplish the mighty work of dispelling darkness I spoke of earlier, you will need to know this truth deeply for yourself. But I also hope you know that President Oaks is a loving and compassionate disciple of Jesus Christ who is personally interested in helping each one of us return to live with God. I saw this truth with our Callie, who did decide to join us on the mission field and had a life changing experience. Watching President Oaks make time for my daughter and then seeing President and Sister Reese find time to love and draw people to Christ has compelled me to ask a very hard question.

[D]

Why do their lives feel so calm, so available, so interruptible? While mine, at times has felt hurried and overcrowded.

[C]

The answer, I have come to believe, is found in their deliberate efforts to simplify and to foster first each day what matters most. Today I speak about the abundant life we find in Jesus Christ when we simplify and put first each day the things of eternity. The picture showing now was taken the year before Heidi and I graduated from byu. I have always been smitten by Heidi's beauty. But her greatest influence on me comes from her unwavering ability to focus on what matters most. That's people and her relationship with Jesus Christ. When I attended this university, I had great ambitions. I loved God. I wanted to please Him. But I often became overextended with good endeavors that that distracted me from the essential ones. I'm sure that has never been a challenge for any of you. And I assumed that life would become simpler after graduation.

[D]

It did not.

[C]

So 30 years later, if I could give my younger self one piece of advice.

[D]

If I were sitting in your seat again, something that would bless my family.

[C]

Influence my career, and shape my discipleship.

[D]

It would be learn to simplify by.

[C]

Sacrificing lesser endeavors and consecrating time at.

[D]

The beginning of each day to what is essential.

[C]

And by essential I mean eternal. Listen to Sister Holland's wise counsel on this matter.

[B]

As I look back at my lives, and if I could lead live any part of it over again, I would do one thing differently. Very differently. Simplify. It seems to me that everything is better when it is simplified. What I regret most is that in my youth I didn't see the simple beauty of the gospel. I even made the gospel too complex. I felt it was too overwhelming, too difficult, and sometimes too mysterious. It seems to me that even as a young adult I had to climb a mountain of righteousness, go through a fiery furnace of purification, and unraveled every doctrinal controversy known to mankind. I thought I had to do all these things to be acceptable before God. He wants us to know that the Gospel is beautifully simple and simply beautiful.

[D]

Such wise counsel from a remarkable woman.

[C]

Among the lessons of great worth that I find in Zenos Allegory of the Olive Tree is a pattern for building an uncompromising relationship with the Savior by simplifying and prioritizing our lives around what matters most. For our purposes today, we will consider three symbols in the allegory that could be likened to us learning and living this pattern. First, the tree could represent our individual lives in the allegory. The Lord, I will liken thee unto a tame olive tree. The Lord repeatedly expresses sorrow over the tree, saying, it grieveth me that I should lose this tree or a child. Heavenly Father's concern for saving his children.

[D]

Is so deep that it causes him to weep.

[C]

The second symbol, the branches, could represent our pursuits and responsibilities like school and work callings, sports, hobbies and so forth, which may or may not provide good fruit, depending on their connection to the roots. And that's the third symbol. The roots could represent our covenant relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. This is the source of our strength that keeps our tree alive and stable to withstand the storms of life. The allegory teaches that the recurring problem with the tree is imbalance. Seeing this imbalance, the Lord of the vineyard wept and he asked, who has corrupted my vineyard? The servant replied, is it not the loftiness of thy vineyard? Have not the branches thereof overcome the roots which are good? And because the branches have overcome the roots thereof, behold, they grew faster than the strength of the roots, taking strength unto themselves. Behold, I say, is not this the cause that the trees of thy vineyard have become corrupted? The tree perishes when the branches take strength unto themselves and grow faster than the strength of the roots. The tree becomes top heavy and root poor, so it collapses under the weight of its own complexity. To restore balance, the Lord instructs the servant to keep the root and the top thereof equal in strength by pruning the branches and strengthening the roots. So what do we learn from this allegory about how to simplify and prioritize our lives? Lesson 1 Both pruning, which I liken to the law of sacrifice, and grafting, in which we can liken to the law of consecration, are necessary to simplifying our lives. In Zenos Allegory, trimming, pruning, and clearing away branches are necessary to the productivity and the preservation of the tree in our lives. We become more productive when we intentionally prune away or sacrifice the unnecessary or distracting branches, and then we cultivate the abundant life as we graft in or consecrate that time towards a nobler pursuit. The Scriptures teach, lay aside the things of the world to seek for the things of a better. It is important to understand that the timing of when we graft in those better things is important to the Lord and helps us to simplify. Listen to this quote from President A morning prayer and an early search in the Scriptures to know what we should do for the Lord can set the course of a day. We can know which task of all those we might choose matters most to God and therefore to us, those who daily seek first the Kingdom of God. Discover President Benson's imperative truth to Simplifying.

[D]

Our lives.

[C]

When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper.

[D]

Place or drop out of our lives.

[C]

You may recall that some ancient sacrificial offerings had to be the firstborn and the unblemished. If time is our modern day offering that we are giving to God during the firstborn and unblemished hours, what do you give as we begin each day? What does your offering of time say about what you value most? As we give God the firstlings of time each day, he gives us power to simplify and focus on what matters most. Even good branchesgood pursuits of life can become problematic if they take strength unto themselves by not being grafted to the root of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father in the allegory. Some branches that were once fruitful became corrupted because they lost their connection to the roots. When good activities become the focus of.

[D]

Your growth and the source of your.

[C]

Worth, we become top heavy and root poor. We lose what Paul calls the simplicity that is in Christ and we begin to perish under the weight of of our many complex endeavors. Satan promotes complexity in countless ways and means.

[D]

We have millions of itunes, songs and.

[C]

Smartphone apps at our fingertips, posts and websites galore, thousands of TV channels, limitless video games, an overabundance of activities and hobbies seeking our attention. As one author observed, you cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything. Hence the Savior. It is the lust of other things that enter into our lives that may cause us to become unfruitful. No matter how good these other endeavors these other things may be. If our first and primary focus is.

[D]

Not the Savior Jesus Christ, it can be so easy to waste away the days of our probation. President Nelson taught it this it is simple.

[C]

You focus on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will know how to resolve.

[D]

Every challenge you have.

[C]

The devil is unlikely to get you a valiant saint to do something wicked. Rather, for the disciple, distraction away from Christ and onto lesser things is the adversary's go to tactic. Look, it is not a bad thing to be a go getter. But as Elder Maxwell warned, someday when we look back on mortality, we will see that so many of the things that seem to matter so much at the moment will be seen to not have mattered at all. And the eternal things will be seen to have mattered even more than the.

[D]

Most faithful of saints imagined.

[C]

So I invite you to examine what branches in your life have taken strength unto themselves. What can you prune? What can you graft back to the Savior? Where are you spending your time? What has your love?

[D]

Your loyalty? Are the good endeavors of your life connected to Christ so that you can.

[C]

Experience the simplicity and the abundance found only in him? Lesson 3 Decisions rooted in our covenant relationship with God lead to a life of clarity, abundance and simplicity. When our covenant relationship with God and Jesus Christ is the prevailing foundation from which our decisions are made, God changes our natures. He transforms our wild branches into tame ones. Conversely, decisions based on a secular value system or pragmatic thinking only temporarily affect our behavior. Consider the following example of this. As a parent, one of your children spends an unhealthy amount of time on social media or video games, a potentially wild branch of a modern day tree. How do most parents attempt to fix this? They might take away the child's device.

[D]

Or delete an app.

[C]

Maybe some of you in this room have done what I've done and tried that tactic for yourself. These pruning actions temporarily change behavior because as soon as the app is reinstalled or the device is returned, what happens? The behavior returns. On the other hand, as parents focus on the roots by teaching their child about covenants with God, that child learns to connect to the powers of heaven. They understand the why and the what they need to prune by living the law of sacrifice and they understand what to graft in through consecration. They choose the covenant path for themselves. Once upon God changes their nature as parents and leaders, we should teach and focus on the covenant path much more than on the ordinance path, ensuring that our children are more knowledgeable and excited about baptism or perhaps the temple sealing and this covenant relation with God than they are the ordinance. This would be a transformative change to help all of God's children better access his power to simplify and guide their choices. The prevailing challenge though to choosing a covenant relationship with God is that the world overvalues what it can see and it undervalues what is not seen. Branches are seen. They have temporary outward show which others use to judge our abilities and our beauty. So it is tempting to give an unhealthy amount of time and effort to the branches. In contrast, our covenant relationship with God is eternal and mostly unseen. It is nourished by secret alms like prayer time in the Book of Mormon.

[D]

And worshiping Jesus Christ during sacrament and the Temple.

[C]

When covenants are the basis of decisions, we gain laser like clarity. We discover this abundant life found by simplifying on that which is, as the allegory states most precious above all other. May I offer a practical suggestion that could help you to simplify and focus on what matters most? One of the greatest gifts and tools that God has given us to help us simplify and to prioritize is prayer. I learned this truth from President Oaks. When President Oaks called me and Heidi as mission leaders, he asked us if we had any questions.

[D]

Yes, I said, with your heavy load, how can you find time to visit with my daughter? With the many important things that you have to do each day, how do.

[C]

You know what matters most? He replied that the first thing he does each day is is offer prayer. Expressing his foremost desire to know and do God's will.

[D]

He then goes on a walk.

[C]

He ponders what the Lord would have him do. He returns to pray again for confirmation of his thoughts and for further direction in dividing the light from the darkness in that day's decisions and endeavors. The Bible Dictionary states that prayer is a form of work.

[D]

If you've ever planted a tree, you know that you need to spend time on your knees working to nourish the.

[C]

Roots and prune those sucker branches that signal stress and suck away meaningful growth.

[D]

So I ask, how hard are you.

[C]

Working at your prayers? There are many ways we can work at our prayers, including our posture, listening, recording and acting on impressions and developing sincere questions to take to the Lord in counsel. It is worthwhile to consider ways you can make your prayers more meaningful and effective. But today I'd like to suggest one.

[D]

Way to work at your prayers, and.

[C]

That is work at patiently waiting upon the Lord. When Christ fed the 5,000 plus women and children, one person in that massive.

[D]

Gathering had to be the last to eat.

[C]

And when 2,500 people felt the resurrected.

[D]

Savior's wound marks, one of them was last in line. You can almost hear that person's concerns and doubts.

[C]

What if the food runs out?

[D]

Or what if the Savior leaves before it's my turn?

[C]

Perhaps you've asked, have my chances run out? Will I ever receive the answers I seek? Is God listening to me? Is he real? Satan wants us to believe that the.

[D]

Bread is going to run out before you're fed, or that the Savior is going to leave before you have your chance to feel his wounds. So what do we do? We sometimes metaphorically get up from our.

[C]

Prayers and walk away.

[D]

Because before the Savior shows up with a miraculous loaf of bread prepared just for you, if you're pleading for a blessing, work at being patient.

[C]

For the.

[D]

People of the Lord are they who wait for Him.

[C]

Christ is the bread of life who fed thousands. He offers us more than we'll ever need. He suffered and rose again so that his grace is never out of our reach. Even in confusion, in stress, under heavy expectations, swamped in responsibilities, Christ will never forget us.

[D]

He stands at the door ready and knocking. We just have to choose to let him in. So let him in by clearing away time for meaningful prayer.

[C]

Prayer helps us to know what to trim and what to prune. It helps us to know what to graft in so that we can preserve what matters most. Prayers that do not involve much work will lack the power to help us simplify and prioritize our lives. When we work at our prayers, we are promised in the Scriptures that they become an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings. That is an astonishing promise. And though I don't fully understand that statement, I close by sharing one final thought. In the first vision, Joseph Smith knelt to pray, seeking wisdom. Before the answer came, darkness pressed in. It was so real and so heavy.

[D]

That he feared he would be destroyed.

[C]

In that moment of despair, Joseph exerted all the power he possessed to call upon God and deliverance came. Light descended, darkness fled, and Joseph found himself in the presence of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Sometimes we speak about the first word of the Restoration being Joseph saying the intimate nature of God. But perhaps the first and the most sacred lesson of the Restoration is that when we kneel in sincerity and call.

[D]

Upon God, he delivers. Each of us will face moments when life feels overwhelming, burdened by responsibilities and expectations, when the noise and the chaos.

[C]

And the complexity of the world threaten to drown out what matters most. In those moments, Jesus Christ invites us.

[D]

To come unto him in prayer, wherein he delivers us not always by removing.

[C]

The burden, but by strengthening us and giving us clarity and peace and power to move forward with simplicity found in Him. I bear witness that Jesus Christ is the source of the abundant life.

[D]

He is the strength of our roots, the one who brings order and peace.

[C]

And meaning out of complexity. May we each find the quiet courage to lay aside what is unnecessary, choose.

[D]

What is eternal, and center our lives.

[C]

More fully on Jesus Christ, who I.

[D]

Witness is the Great Deliverer.

[C]

In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

[A]

You've been listening to the recent Speeches podcast presented BYU Speeches. Please check out our other podcasts, including classic speeches taken from our vast audio library, as well as other BYU Speeches compilations on love and marriage, overcoming Adversity by study and by faith. Come follow me. The Prophet Joseph Smith and Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. Go to Speeches BYU Edu and click on Podcasts for more information. You can also find all BYU Speeches podcasts at your preferred podcast provider.