Aug 2025 Stake Speaking Assignment

Stake Speaking Assignment - Elder Mark Palmer - “Return Unto Me…That I May Heal You” - Aug 2025

I hope that I am not alone when I say that know of those who have many questions regarding the church and who’ve chosen to stay despite those questions. Today I am addressing my talk to those who may have questions- 

D&C 93:1 reads, “Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am.”

Forsake, Come, Call, Obey, Keep - To me in this verse it appears the Lord has laid out 5 easy steps for staying. In this talk Elder Palmer relates a story of a sister who chose to come back, “I could list a myriad of reasons for why I walked away from the Church, the gospel, and in a way, my family. But they really don’t matter. I didn’t make one big decision to leave the Church—I probably made a thousand choices. But one thing I have always known is that my parents did make one big decision, and they stuck to it. They decided to love me…”

Love - let’s add Love. I determined many years ago that my job as an aunt was to love - that’s it. I just needed to love - love without judgement. As my bigs and littles have gotten older - to where I have more bigs than littles - standing by as they’ve made their choices has been difficult. Sometimes it has come with guilt on my part - “What more could I have done?” 

At the time President Uchtdorf in the Octo 2013 General Conference said, “One might ask, “If the gospel is so wonderful, why would anyone leave?”

Sometimes we assume it is because they have been offended or lazy or sinful. Actually, it is not that simple. In fact, there is not just one reason that applies to the variety of situations.

Some of our dear members struggle for years with the question whether they should separate themselves from the Church.

In this Church that honors personal agency so strongly, that was restored by a young man who asked questions and sought answers, we respect those who honestly search for truth. It may break our hearts when their journey takes them away from the Church we love and the truth we have found, but we honor their right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own conscience, just as we claim that privilege for ourselves.”

For those who question and for those who are standing by while decisions are made - and the book that you are writing on “Agency and How to Enforce It” is being blown to smithereens (okay that’s just me that is trying to write the book) - how does Forsake, Come, Call, Obey, Keep and Love apply?

For the “Stand By-ER’s” and for the “Hold-ER’s” - it is the same - President Nelson said, “Nothing will help you more to hold fast to the iron rod than worshipping in the temple as regularly as your circumstances permit. Nothing will protect you more as you encounter the world’s mists of darkness. Nothing will bolster your testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement or help you understand God’s magnificent plan more. Nothing will soothe your spirit more during times of pain. Nothing will open the heavens more. Nothing! (April 2024) From the Octo 2024 General Conference,  “There is no limit to the Savior’s capacity to help you. His incomprehensible suffering in Gethsemane and on Calvary was for you! His infinite Atonement is for you!

I urge you to devote time each week—for the rest of your life—to increase your understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.”