Editor’s note: To support personal and family gospel learning, the Church News is publishing articles on messages from April 2025 general conference. It is recommended to listen to or read the full address in addition to reviewing these resources.
About this talk
- “The Love of God”
- Elder Benjamin M.Z. Tai | General Authority Seventy
- Sunday afternoon session of April 2025 general conference.
- Theme: Jesus Christ embodies Heavenly Father’s perfect love, which followers can feel and share with others as they make righteous choices.
Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Elder Tai’s message here.
Outline
- While in a remote area with his family, Elder Tai taught his children how air and light pollution prevented them from seeing stars back home. Similarly, distractions and temptations can cloud spiritual vision.
- Jesus Christ embodies God’s love, which, like the fruit in Lehi’s vision, is “desirable to make one happy” and “most sweet, above all” (1 Nephi 8:10-11). Jesus Christ took upon Himself all sins and sorrows, and He sends the Holy Ghost to comfort.
- God’s love is accessible to all, and they can feel His love through repentance, forgiveness, service and more. President Nelson has invited listeners to experience God’s love by becoming peacemakers and making and keeping covenants.
- Elder Tai’s friend felt troubled and confused when he learned his former spouse had remarried and requested a cancellation of their temple sealing. He sought peace in the house of the Lord and felt the Spirit remove the resentment from his heart.
- Those who experience God’s love can bear their burdens with ease and will desire to share that joy with others. To help others feel God’s love, one needs to cultivate Christlike attributes within oneself.
- When Elder Tai’s son was struggling with self-esteem, the two began taking the sacrament to a woman with health challenges. Elder Tai’s son felt useful and trusted — he felt God’s love for him.
- Even when listeners can’t feel God’s love, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know, hear and love them.
- During a boisterous storm, the Savior walked on water and told His disciples, “Be not afraid” (Matthew 14:27). How can believers faithfully look to the Savior when the winds are against them?
- Feel God’s love more abundantly by praying daily to know who needs to feel His love and acting promptly on inspiration received.
- While traveling in Vietnam, Elder Tai and his wife were on a flight that took off in a heavy storm. After a long and volatile ascent, their airplane finally rose above the storm clouds and emerged to a clear and beautiful view that reminded them of God’s love.
- Jesus Christ is the love of God. Followers of Him can be filled with His love and guide others to that love.
Reflection questions
Who in your life needs to feel God’s perfect love?
When has God helped you bear your burdens with ease?
What can you change in your life to more fully feel God’s perfect love?
How can serving others help you feel God’s love for you?
How does Jesus Christ embody Heavenly Father’s love?
Speaker quotes
- “When we experience the love of God, we can bear up our burdens with ease and submit patiently and cheerfully to His will.”
- “If despite your best efforts life is overcast, if you feel that your prayers are not heard or if you can’t feel God’s love, please know that your every effort matters and, as certain as the stars above us, that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know, hear and love you.”
- “Dear friends, as one who has experienced God’s love, I joyfully witness that the Savior Jesus Christ is the love of God. His love for us is perfect, personal and perpetual.”
Reference scriptures
- “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
- “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
- “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
Invitations and promises
- “The scriptures and the Lord’s prophet teach us that we can consistently experience God’s love when, through the grace of Jesus Christ, we repeatedly repent, frankly forgive, strive to keep His commandments and selflessly serve others.”
- “To help others feel God’s love, we need to cultivate in ourselves Christlike attributes such as humility, charity, compassion and patience and help turn others towards the Savior through following the two great commandments of loving God and loving our fellow men.”
- “If we consistently pray and ask on the behalf of others, God will show us the people we can help. And if we act promptly, we can become the means through which He answers their prayers. By doing so, in time, we will receive answers to our prayers and we will feel God’s love in our own lives.”
Stories
- While sleeping outdoors in a remote area with his family, Elder Tai’s children were surprised to see the Milky Way and wondered if they lived under the same sky at home. Elder Tai explained that air and light pollution prevented them from seeing the stars where they lived. Similarly, distractions and temptations can cloud spiritual vision, but exercising faith in God and His Son, Jesus Christ, brings clear assurance of Their reality and concern.
- Elder Tai’s friend’s life was changed when an illness left him unable to work, which was followed by a divorce. One day this friend learned that his former spouse had remarried and requested a cancellation of their temple sealing. Troubled and confused, he sought peace in the house of the Lord. He told Elder Tai he felt the Spirit remove the resentment from his heart and a physical burden had been lifted. Although this friend still has challenges, he treasures that experience in the temple.
- Elder Tai felt prompted to ask his elders quorum president if he knew of anyone in need whom he could visit with his son, who was struggling with self-esteem. Elder Tai and his son began taking the sacrament to a woman with significant health challenges each week. Even when Elder Tai was away, his son fulfilled this assignment and even helped the sister fix her video player. His son felt useful and trusted.
Additional resources
- Related image: “Christ Comforts Mary and Martha”
- Related video: “God Is in Relentless Pursuit of You”
- Related hymn: No. 1013, “God’s Gracious Love”
Recent conference talks on God’s love
- President Henry B. Eyring: “Draw Near Unto Me” (April 2025)
- Elder Patrick Kearon: “Receive His Gift” (April 2025)
- Elder Karl D. Hirst: “God’s Favourite” (October 2024)
Who is Elder Tai?
- Elder Benjamin M.Z. Tai was born in Hong Kong. A second-generation Church member, he spent his teenage years in California and served in the Australia Melbourne Mission. He currently serves as the Asia Area president.
