Elder Robert M. Daines, General Authority Seventy, spoke during the Saturday morning session of October 2023 general conference. Elder Daines talked about how to overcome spiritual face-blindness by recognizing the love of Jesus. The following is a summary of what he said.
Elder Daines’ talk summary
Spiritual face-blindness — or struggling “to see God as a loving Father,” but seeing “a thicket of rules” — may cause Heavenly Father’s children to doubt His love.
However, Latter-day Saints can seek the Savior as did outsiders in the New Testament, who said, “Sir, we would [like to] see Jesus” (John 12:21).
“We want to see Jesus for who He is and to feel His love. This should be the reason for most of what we do in the Church and certainly in every sacrament meeting.”
The Savior’s first followers “had to learn to recognize Him, and so do we.” This can be done in three ways:
- Prayer: “Pray ‘with all the energy of heart’ (Moroni 7:48) to be filled with the love promised His disciples.”
- Reading the Gospels: “Open the Gospels at random; on almost every page, we see Him caring for people who suffer.”
- Seeking Jesus: “We’re not finished until we see Jesus as the face of our Father’s love and follow Him and not just His rules.”
These allow Saints to more effectively minister. “To serve in this Church is to stand in the river of God’s love. ... Help carry His love to His children, and some of it will splash on you.”
Notable quotes
“We want to see Jesus for who He is and to feel His love. This should be the reason for most of what we do in the Church and certainly in every sacrament meeting.”
“Paul says God is the ‘Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort’ (2 Corinthians 1:3). If you see Him differently, please keep trying.”
“When prophets and apostles talk of covenants, ... they want us to see our covenants are fundamentally about relationships and can be a cure for spiritual face-blindness.”
See the full text of Elder Daines’ talk: ‘Sir, We Would Like To See Jesus’
Who is Elder Daines?
- Elder Robert M. Daines was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 1, 2023. At the time of this call, he had been serving as a stake president.
- Elder Daines has received degrees in American studies and economics from Brigham Young University. He also obtained a law degree from Yale University.
- In his professional life, Elder Daines worked as an associate for Goldman Sachs and taught at New York University and Yale. He was also an associate dean and Pritzker professor of law and business at Stanford University.
- Born in Bloomington, Indiana, Elder Daines met his future wife, Ruth Ann Glazier, as they were 16-year-olds. They married in the Salt Lake Temple in 1988, and they have five children.
Read more in the Church News about seeking Christ and recognizing His love:
- Read six steps from President Russell M. Nelson on becoming a true disciple of Christ.
- The Relief Society general presidency shares how “Jesus Christ is relief.”
- How seven individuals grew closer to the Savior through a 30-day challenge.
Read more about Elder Daines.
