Editor’s note: To support elders quorum and Relief Society classes, the Church News is publishing lesson resources on messages from October 2024 general conference. These are meant to be a starting point and not a strict lesson plan.
About this talk
- “Following Christ”
- by President Dallin H. Oaks | first counselor in the First Presidency
- Saturday morning session of October 2024 general conference.
- Theme: Followers of Jesus Christ need to avoid contention and be peacemakers.
Read the full message here.
Read a summary of President Oaks’ message here.
Outline
- Following Jesus Christ is not a casual practice but rather a continuous commitment that guides one’s life at all times. All are invited to follow His teachings and example.
I.
- The first step to following Christ is to love God and love one’s neighbor.
- God’s commandments provide the guiding and steadying force in one’s life. Just as a kite’s string prevents it from crashing to the earth, covenants connect Latter-day Saints to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and allow them to soar to celestial heights.
- Christ is the Light of the World, and “He is our role model.” People learn what He has said and done by studying the scriptures and following prophetic teachings.
II.
- In the Book of Mormon, the Lord established “the doctrine of Christ”: faith in Him, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, enduring to the end and becoming as a little child.
- The Lord gives both permanent and temporary commandments. Temporary commandments meet needs in temporary circumstances, while permanent commandments may need reemphasis for current circumstances.
III.
- A teaching of the Savior that requires reemphasis today is to avoid contention. This is a time of many hurtful words of hostility and hatred, but the Savior taught that “he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me” (3 Nephi 11:29).
- Jesus’ command to “love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44) is most revolutionary and most difficult to follow, yet a fundamental part of His invitation to follow Him.
- Personal relationships change if followers of Christ forgo harsh and hurtful words in all their communications. As President Russell M. Nelson taught, “Contention is a choice. Peacemaking is a choice.”
- Potential adversaries should begin discussion by identifying common ground. Followers of the Savior treat others how we want to be treated. Avoiding contention is not compromising one’s principles but rather not harshly attacking another for theirs.
- Followers of Christ forgo contention and use the language and behavior of peacemakers. They avoid what is harsh and hateful, and they seek to be holy.
Discussion questions
How can we make discipleship a continuous commitment rather than a casual practice?
In what ways have your covenants allowed you “to soar to celestial heights”?
How can we avoid contention in all our communications?
When have you made peacemaking a choice?
What can we do this week to treat others how we want to be treated?
Notable quotes
- “Following Christ is not a casual or occasional practice. It is a continuous commitment and way of life that should guide us at all times and in all places.”
- “It is significant that among the first principles Jesus taught when He appeared to the Nephites was to avoid contention. While He taught this in the context of disputes over religious doctrine, the reasons He gave clearly apply to communications and relationships in politics, public policy and family relationships.”
- “Here is another fundamental teaching by Him who is our role model: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God’ (Matthew 5:9). Peacemakers. How it would change personal relationships if followers of Christ would forgo harsh and hurtful words in all their communications.”
Key scriptures
- “He inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.”
- “For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another. Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.”
- “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”
Invitations and promises
- “Potential adversaries should begin their discussions by identifying common ground on which all agree. To follow our Perfect Role Model and His prophet, we need to practice what is popularly known as the Golden Rule: ‘All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets’ (Matthew 7:12).”
- “We need to love and do good to all. We need to avoid contention and be peacemakers in all our communications. This does not mean to compromise our principles and priorities but to cease harshly attacking others for theirs. That is what our Perfect Role Model did in His ministry. That is the example He set for us as He invited us to follow Him.”
- “As followers of Christ, we teach and testify of Jesus Christ, our Perfect Role Model. So let us follow Him by forgoing contention. As we pursue our preferred policies in public actions, let us qualify for His blessings by using the language and methods of peacemakers. In our families and other personal relationships, let us avoid what is harsh and hateful. Let us seek to be holy, like our Savior.”
Stories
- A little boy and his father flew a kite on a windy day. The boy proposed they cut the string so the kite could rise higher, but his father explained the string held the kite in place and prevented it from being carried by the winds and crashing to the earth. The string is like covenants, which connect Saints to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Their promised blessings enable covenant keepers to soar to celestial heights.
- Some permanent commandments take considerable time to be generally observed and need reemphasis in the circumstances of today. For example, President Lorenzo Snow emphasized the law of tithing, President Gordon B. Hinckley emphasized the role of the family, and President Russell M. Nelson called for the Church to be known by its revealed name. President Oaks reemphasized the Savior’s commandment to avoid contention.
Additional resources
- Related image: “Christ Calling Peter and Andrew” by James T. Harwood
- Related video: “How To Show Christlike Kindness to Others”
- Related hymn: No. 232, “Let Us Oft Speak Kind Words”
Recent conference talks on peacemaking
- Elder Quentin L. Cook: “Be Peaceable Followers of Christ” (October 2023)
- President Russell M. Nelson: “Peacemakers Needed” (April 2023)
- Elder Neil L. Andersen: “Following Jesus: Being a Peacemaker” (April 2022)
Who is President Oaks?
- President Dallin H. Oaks was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1984 and as the first counselor in the First Presidency in January 2018. He was a law clerk to Chief Justice Earl Warren in the U.S. Supreme Court and served as a Utah Supreme Court justice until his call to apostleship in 1984.
