Elder Karl D. Hirst, General Authority Seventy, spoke during the Saturday morning session of October 2024 general conference. He spoke about feeling and sharing God’s love. The following is a summary of what he said.
Elder Hirst’s talk summary
“Divine love never runs dry, and we are each a cherished favorite.”
To help someone else who feels distant from God’s love, do things to draw closer to God and then show Christlike love to that person.
Voices of discouragement and darkness may tell someone they do not warrant heavenly love. “If you hear those ideas, then please hear this: Those voices are just wrong.” No one is ever beyond the reach of God’s love.
“However misshapen we might feel we are, His arms are not shortened.” They are long enough to embrace everyone.
Being loved is not the same as feeling loved. Grief, depression, betrayal, loneliness or disappointment may intrude into an individual’s ability to feel God’s love. Step back and think celestial. Seek comfort from faithful friends, music, serving or remembering times of a clearer connection to God.
“If you are waiting for Him to come, might He already be there and within reach?”
Those who feel filled with love right now should share it wherever they go. The joy of the gospel is available to all. “We have every good reason to ‘rejoice and be filled with love towards God and all men’ (Mosiah 2:4).”
See the full text of Elder Hirst’s talk: ‘God’s Favorite’
Notable quotes
“Divine love never runs dry, and we are each a cherished favorite.”
“When we don’t feel the warmth of divine love, it hasn’t gone away.”
“If you do feel filled with love in this season of your life, please try and hold onto it as effectively as a sieve holds water. Splash it everywhere you go.”
Who is Elder Hirst?
- Elder Karl D. Hirst was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 6, 2024.
- He received a Bachelor of Law degree in 1996 from Lancaster University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Alliance Manchester Business School in 2016.
- Elder Hirst and his wife, Sister Claire Hirst, were sealed in the London England Temple and are now parents to six children.
- He served as a full-time missionary in the England London South Mission.
Read more about God’s love in the Church News
- Read five times Church leaders have spoken on the two great commandments
- A study shows people return to their faith when they feel God’s love again
- What have Church leaders taught about love?
- President Dallin H. Oaks: “Divine Love in the Father’s Plan”
