Jesus Christ, the Greatest Influencer in Your Life | Pamela Jo Brubaker | 2023

foreign thank you for being here today wherever you are listening from for a moment flash back with me to the 1980s as a young girl it was a joyous time of jelly shoes leg warmers and Perms I listened to my favorite music on a cassette tapes and watched movies on VHS I even talked my friends behind a closed door on a phone Tethered to an extra long cord that stretched all the way to our kitchen it was not a time of selfies cell phones streaming or social media when my parents told me to follow the prophet do you think they fathom the day when I would interpret that to mean follow the prophet's social media account throughout my life I have found the more I follow the profit and study his teachings the more I come to know him have you ever realized the more time you spend observing celebrities athletes and social media Stars the more they begin to feel like friends use swifties know exactly what I'm talking about you may have formed a tight bond with Taylor Swift but sadly she does not know you one-sided relationships like these are common it is the reason I did not hesitate to lay down some cash to snap a picture with my favorite childhood TV star and then I was disappointed when she did not want to reminisce online networks have expanded the influencers in our lives now at the top of a screen you can follow trendy online fashionistas who provide self-help tips as well as church leaders who inspire you to become better online influencers by their very nature inspire you relate to you and help you feel seen and heard they are people you want to emulate I asked a group of BYU students to think about the influencers who were positively impacting their life and the characteristics they exhibited among all the traits students identified there was one trait mentioned more than any other it was kindness those people who made a positive impact on students lives personally showed them kindness or administered compassion to others they were quick to show humility empathy forgiveness meekness and love they listened without judgment and loved without boundaries their actions embodied the love of Christ one student is described an influencer in her life by saying quote she is someone I've been able to express my feelings to and feel heard and loved we can laugh and cry together in a judgment-free environment I feel valued when I'm around her unquote influencers who make the biggest impact are heroes who step up to provide Comfort when you need comfort they find ways to help you mourn when you are mourning they embody Christ's love children provide some of the best examples of how to administer Christ's love after spending a long hot day at an amusement park with my three nieces ages 6 10 and 11 my brother husband and I found ourselves in line for a much anticipated water ride as the kids we're most excited about this ride and we did not want to disappoint we all hopped into the end of the line for what was projected to be a 90-minute wait after 15 minutes attempting to keep ourselves and the kids entertained it was clear we lost their attention and they were bored instead of turning to complaining the kids instinctively turn their attention to the other people in line it did not take long for my three nieces to make friends with three teenagers who stood in line right in front of us soon all six were laughing talking and joking together near the end of what turned into more than two hours standing in line the kids never complained because they were focused on someone else without spending time talking with the teens we would have never learned the woman accompanying them was not their mother the teenagers were with their aunt who took the kids away for a weekend after their mother's funeral all three teenagers were now learning what it was like to be orphans gratefully that day three little girls and a long line at an amusement park showed me how to truly Minister and uplift those people around me how many people figuratively in line next to you have hands that hang down or feeble needs that need strengthening you never know what hardships or difficulties others are experiencing and you never know the impact your interactions will have on them turning your focus on other people can have a healing effect that helps lift burdens and mend broken hearts but sometimes doing good requires taking off your headphones putting down your smartphone and interacting with a huge smile simple acts of judgment-free kindness rendered through the Pure Love Of Christ have the power to part gray clouds and allow rays of sunshine to descend into our lives during his Earthly Ministry Jesus Christ called 12 Apostles whom he called his disciples specifically while Simon Peter and his brother Andrew were fishing he called to them saying follow me and I will make you Fishers of Men after being called each of the disciples actively chose to follow Jesus Christ throughout his ministry they watched him perform numerous selfless Acts including calming the sea casting out Devils Healing The Sick cleansing the lepers and catching a multitude of fish where there did not seem to be any fish around despite witnessing Jesus compassionately love and serve others these 12 apprentices still had much to learn after three years near the end of his mortal Ministry and what the world calls the Last Supper Jesus taught his followers a valuable lesson prior to eating he began washing their feet this job was usually performed by the lowest level of servants Peter very uncomfortable at the idea of having Jesus scrub his dirty feet says Thou shalt never wash my feet the Lord replies telling Peter that if he does not wash his feet Peter will have no part with him so Peter then says Lord not my feet only but also my hands and my head once the disciples feet were cleansed Jesus provided his next instruction quote if I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet ye also ought to wash one another's feet for I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you he continues a new commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one to another by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have loved one to another unquote Jesus wants his disciples to reach out and Inspire others find ways to relate to others and help others know they are loved he wants his disciples to Humble themselves and minister but Peter's commitment was not as strong as he thought he told Jesus he would never deny him but before the next morning Peter denied knowing Jesus three times Our Father in Heaven expects Disciples of Jesus Christ to do more than metaphorically click on a follow button and Proclaim casual interest in his son heart emojis high fives and hug gifts are kind gestures that have the potential to show we like Jesus Christ that they are insufficient proclamations of our discipleship these actions tell the world we follow Jesus Christ and subscribe to what his ideas beliefs and teachings but following the Savior and becoming a disciple is more than proclaiming love for him it requires keeping his Commandments and loving others as he loves them after Jesus's death Resurrection the apostles decided to go back to the Sea of Galilee to fish Jesus surprises them by meeting them once again where he first called Peter the Savior later asked Peter love us thou me three times he repeats this question Peter most likely heartbroken responded thou knowest that I love thee although Jeffrey R Holland just elaborates and describes what might have been the savior's response to Peter and the other Apostles at this moment in time then Peter why are you here why are we back on this same Shore by these same Nets having this same conversation wasn't it obvious then and isn't it obvious now that if I want fish I can get fish feed Peter our disciples and I need them forever I need someone to feed my sheep and save my Lambs I need someone to preach my gospel and defend my faith I need someone who loves me truly truly loves me and loves what our father in Heaven has commissioned me to do ours is not a feeble message it is not a fleeting task it is not hapless it is not hopeless it is not to be consigned to the ash heap of History it is the work of almighty God and it is to change the world so Peter for the second and presumably the last time I am asking you to leave all this and to go and teach and testify you labor and serve loyally until the day in which they will do to you exactly what they did to me how many times do we go fishing when we should be serving Peter's transformation was not a one-time event it was a lifelong process beginning at the shores of Galilee we see Peter be taught and molded into what the Lord needed him to become Peter was the chief Apostle of his day and after the death resurrection and ascendant of the Savior it was Peter who called the church together and acted in the office of his calling as the one who possessed the keys of the priesthood are we not all apprentices learning to follow the master teacher as his students we need to carefully study his words and follow his example and then gain valuable experiences applying his teachings we need to love one another president wrestling Nilsson taught one of the easiest ways to identify a true follower of Jesus Christ is how compassionately that person treats other people my paternal grandfather Von grunvig was a great influence in my life at 13 months old his sweet grandparents began raising him because both of his parents tragically passed away his father died in a snow Avalanche and his mother died when her car unexpectedly rolled through a fence and off a cliff Von grew up in a rural Southern Utah Community located about 16 miles from price at age 17 during World War II he chose to join the United States Navy during his military service he regularly sent money home to help support his grandmother as you might imagine the selfless Act was gratefully received but the story does not end there his grandmother decided not to use the money herself instead she saved the money under a mattress for when Von returned from the war later after returning home his grandmother obviously eager and excited to give him the money found it was missing someone stole the money while I love a good happily ever after the story does not end with recovering the money neither does it end with bitterness and regret this story ends with a quiet humble obedient Man Who Loved God and showed his love by forgiving and moving on I can remember my grandfather saying he hoped someone was able to use the money for a good purpose in his final General Conference address other Robert D Hells reminded us as we earnestly strive to be true Disciples of Jesus Christ there will be no disparity between the kindness we show our enemies and the kindness we bestow on our friends we will be as honest when no one is looking as when others are watching we will be as devoted to God in the Public Square as we are in our private closet near the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic eggs were hard to come by and my so my husband and I decided it was time to get backyard chickens during their first Utah winter Alvin our Top chicken and spunkiest hen who yes was named after a chipmunk stopped eating and got deathly ill to nurse her back to health we brought her inside and started Force feeding her medicine from her syringe after a couple weeks she started to regain her strength so we decided to let her outside for a few hours as the other five hearty chickens eagerly ran to greet me I set almond Dam then to my horror one by one Alvin aggressively pecked and attacked each of the other hens Alvin my smallest hen barely well enough to walk made sure the hens did not forget she was on top of the pecking order as Top chicken and my flock oven feeds first expects to get the best nesting box for laying eggs and sleeps in the best spot on the perch at night she has no problem pecking the other chickens and putting them in their place chickens love to feed together praying together and stay together despite their close-knit Community they are prone to bullying and harassing any chicken they deem as being weaker different injured or new but when it comes to God's children there is no pecking order one person does not stand above another comparing yourself to others and demeaning them does not increase your value or make you better there is no joy in jealousy no progression and putting others down and no strength and backstabbing it leads to low self-esteem Incorrect self-expectations and wasted time and effort digital media has expanded our influence around the globe and in the process Stripped Away the moral inhibitions that should guide our behavior when we interact with children of God how you express yourself and what you say to others and about others matters even when you cannot see the other person on the other end of the screen the merry nature of digital media makes it all too easy to hide behind a screen and actively argue complain and poke fun at others you do not have to look very far to see a lack of empathy accompanied by devious and manipulative behaviors online internet trolling cyber stalking and cyber bullying may be fun for the messenger but it can be devastating for the person who receives the message it is not okay to send threatening offensive intimidating insulting and hateful messages in March of 1832 Joseph Smith a prophet of the restoration was captured by an angry mob because he was preaching something new and different his captors beat him and stripped him of his clothes then they scratched him and lathered his body with Hot Tar although tiring and Feathering is not common practice today the mob mentality associated with it has found its way online as we see public mocking shaming and actions aimed at just destroying the reputation of others when the Pharisees inscribed brought forward a Woman They found committing sin and suggested that she should be stoned Jesus responded he that is without sin among you let him first cast a stone at her his words were as true then as they are now it is not a response our responsibility to expose what we believe to be the flaws and foibles of others the morning after Joseph was tired and feathered he stood to meekly preach a sermon to mob mobbers and members alike like Joseph Smith we must follow Jesus Christ's example and learn to forgive you cannot control what others say or do but you can control what you say and how you react like our father in Heaven our work and our Glory should be for the Salvation of all mankind for we believe in being honest true chaste benevolent virtuous and in doing good to all men if there is anything virtuous lovely or of good report or praiseworthy we seek after these things Jesus our savior was the epitome of kindness and compassion he showed us you do not have to think the same or be the same to listen learn lift and love as you listen to others you will find greater wisdom and you will develop deeper and stronger relationships to get along we must take the higher road we must focus on Building Bridges of respect across the river that divides us research shows when we feel love and believe we matter we have a greater sense of self-worth and a positive self-esteem it improves our physical and physiological well-being and we are happier this is as true for humans as it is for rabbits researchers found when rabbits with an unhealthy lifestyle received an extra measure of love in the form of being held and lovingly talked to the rabbit had a better health outcome than rabbits who were not given the same type of care from the mouth of Jesus Christ himself to Peter and the apostles and then to Joseph Smith and Prophets and apostles in our day Jesus's disciples continue to admonish us to love one another president Nelson has said we are all connected very literally as family thus we have a god-ordained responsibility to make life better for each other we do not have to act alike or look alike to love each other we can disagree on a matter without being disagreeable if we have any hope of creating the Good Will and sense of humanity for which we all yearn it must begin with each of us one person and one interaction at a time may we as Sons and Daughters of God as Eternal brothers and sisters do all within our power to build up each other learn from each other and demonstrate respect for all of God's children may we link arms in love and Brotherhood as we implement the savior's teachings perhaps we should follow the example of birth a day the great grandmother of my graduate research assistant she was known for saying everybody ought to come into this world with the words love me and flashing lights across their forehead it is all anybody ever wants it is what we have in common we have to remember the need is there even if the words are not then we should act accordingly and follow the directions and preparing for this speech one of my students offered me some much needed courage he said be brave to say what is true and what you are still learning his words give me strength because like you I am still learning but isn't that the point the Lord takes us as we are and uses us to bless and influence the lives of his children if you want to make a difference and create lasting change in this world be kinder test viewer stones and Peck at each other less civilly stand up for what is right and then do what is right find ways to reach out and Inspire others relate to others and help others feel valued you may never know what results come from your action but if you do nothing there will be no result I have never considered myself a runner or part of the running Community but as a BYU student because of the influence of great friends who are Avid Runners I started participating in 5K runs during my first official 5K at BYU I learned a valuable lesson I covered a considerable distance during the race and realized my roommate one of my dear friends was still running by my side she was a strong Runner instead of taking off without me and taking and placing in the top five she chose to stay with me until I crossed the finish line that same day my roommate's brother who also happened to be one of my good friends and a runner on BYU's press country team decided to run the 5K course as well I will never forget the love I felt as my roommate and I ran around BYU campus together and we were greeted by her and we were greeted by her brother who after finishing the course turned around and returned to find us you would think in a sea of 2 000 Runners who were all aiming for the same destination I would instinctively feel like a runner or part of the 5K Community but the reason I felt like I belonged is because my friends reached out and helped me feel like no matter my running ability or my pace I mattered just being a member of a community does not mean each person feels like they belong each of us are running through life in a race that can feel lonely and difficult what a blessing it is when others reach out and help us realize that no matter our weaknesses or personal failings We Belong speaking here at BYU's Sharon Eubank said in the same way as the Savior you yourself are one of the best gifts that you can give to other people in need do not underestimate the power you possess to make a difference just as the Lord called to Peter he is calling us today and saying come follow me come be my disciples today more than ever Jesus Christ needs you to come and hashtag follow him he needs you to transform toxicity into tranquility and pandemonium into peace he needs you to change the world one kind act at a time becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ is a life-changing and a life-altering experience as each of us are going through a transformative process of becoming we need to forgive more and judge less there are times when each of us can do better when we can be kinder more compassionate and more forgetting giving and when like Peter we do not get it right he wants us to try again and keep following him there are a variety of influencers vying for your attention if you are seeking influencers who can give you guidance follow Jesus Christ and His prophets Jesus Christ is the most important influencer to have ever lived he is the most important influencer you can subscribe to the more you get to know Jesus Christ the more you will learn you are not engaging in a one-sided fan girl or Fanboy relationship he knows you and he loves you As You Look to Him He will inspire you relate to you and help you feel seen and heard and then he will accomplish his work through you he will make you an influence for good when you make Jesus Christ the greatest influencer in your life and truly follow him you begin to act as he would act and love as he would love you begin to see others as he sees them May each of us heed his call and hashtag follow him is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ amen

Channel: BYU Speeches

Views: 12,071

Keywords: BYU Speeches, BYU Devotionals

Id: G6Ac4N4F2rk

Length: 27min 13sec (1633 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 19 2023