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The following talk by Stephanie Snuffer was delivered at the “Let Us Rejoice” General Conference, held in the Jewett Auditorium at the College of Idaho, Caldwell, Idaho, on Sunday, August 31, 2025.
Good morning. I have a daughter who says the way you do one thing is the way you do everything. So, I’d like you all to check out where you’re sitting in the auditorium. Are you front row, back row? Because I’m a back row kind of gal, which must mean that’s how I do everything. So…just something I noticed as I look at the consistent seating arrangements of people who come into these places.
Okay. Thank you, conference organizers: Lori, Reed. This really has been wonderful. And it’s funny that you commented on the socialization, because without realizing consciously this morning that that was the whole point of the conference, I’m like, “Wow, there’s been so much to do,” like running from one thing to the next. It’s been really lovely. So, all you who participated, contributed, helped out: Thank you very much. It really has been wonderful.
Alright. A (I don’t know…) a few weeks ago, I had a friend in our neighborhood text me, and she says, “Hey, I have to give this lesson in Relief Society, and I want to run some ideas by you.” And I said, “Okay,” so we made arrangements, and she came over. She sent me the talk, and I read it, and she came over, and we had a nice little chat, and it was a talk by Elder Uchtdorf—and I don’t remember the name of it, but it perfectly aligned with the topic that I had already chosen to speak about today. And I thought, “Huh, that’s interesting.” And then I have a book club that I’m part of, and the book that we read perfectly aligned with the topic I had chosen to speak on at this conference. And I thought, “Huh, that’s interesting.” And it’s really not interesting. It really is just God saying, “Hey, Steph, go ahead with your topic. It sounds like a good one.”
So, the talk that Elder Uchtdorf gave was him taking a non-member to church on Easter Sunday in Germany, and he really wanted this meeting to be great. And it was in the upstairs storeroom of a grocery store, and it was noisy, and the kids were misbehaved. And he talked about just how horrible he felt about this experience and how embarrassed he was. And he’s just getting ready to explain to this woman (when the meeting is over) that “It’s not always like that,” and “We’re better behaved,” and make all the excuses in the world that he could for this imperfect meeting. And she says, “That was wonderful!” And he stopped, checked himself, and she continued, and she said, “It was the people. It was how they loved each other, how they treated each other.”
Very often, what people are likely to notice above all else is how they feel when they’re with us and how we treat each other. And John 9:5 says, A new commandment I give unto you: that you love one another — as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall…men know that [ye] are my disciples — if ye have one love one to another.
This is key. This is a person’s first impression of a disciple of Jesus Christ is how they treat the people around them.
Here on Earth, we look at each other through the lens of physical appearance, nationality, language, clothing, customs, so on. But God does not look on the outward appearance of people. He looks on the heart.
Naturally, we want to be around people who are like us. We want to be around people who look like us, talk like us, think like us, act like us. It’s a natural way to feel. And there IS a place for that. But in Christ’s church, He gathers ALL who are willing to be gathered. It is not our physical appearance. It’s not our political views. It’s not our culture, our ethnicity, or any of those external things that bring us together. It is common background that unites us. It is NOT common background that unites us. It is a common objective. And that common objective needs to be our love of the Savior, love for our neighborhood, and our commitment to Jesus Christ and what He is doing on the Earth today.
We are only “one” when we are one in Christ. The Lord invites us not just to join this work but to be anxiously engaged in this work. He envisions a people who are of one heart and one mind. And to be of one heart and one mind, we must seek pure hearts. And that requires a mighty change of OUR heart. That does not mean me changing my heart to align with yours. That doesn’t mean you changing your heart to align with mine. It means that we all change our hearts to align with the Savior.
God only sees one category/one label, and we all fit perfectly into this one category and this one label, and that is “a child of God.” So, when you’re in a group of people and you look different and you act different and you think different and you feel kind of silly or kind of embarrassed or kind of put off, that’s not God. That’s man. Because God wants us all to be part of the body of Christ.
The ears perceive things that the eyes never could. The feet do things that the hands would be completely ineffective at.
1 Corinthians 1:49
For as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we are Jews or Gentiles, whether we are bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body — is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body — [it is] therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now [God has] set the members, every one of them, in the body as it has pleased him. And if they were all one member, where would be the body? But now [they are] many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of you. Nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary, and those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor. And our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness, for our comely parts have no need. But God has tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have…[some] care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
The unity we seek is not to have everyone stand in the same place. It is to have everyone face the same direction, toward Christ. We are not one because of where we have been but where we are striving to go, not because of who we are but because of who we seek to become. That is what Christ’s true church is all about. We are not going to get closer to God by getting closer to each other. But we will get closer to each other by getting closer to God. Each one of us must have a personal relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ, and our Heavenly Parents. And that’s what God is seeking for us. He wants to be an integral part of our lives, not just some distant deity but a loving presence who desires a personal relationship with each one of us. And there are plenty of scriptures that show us that.
Psalm 34:4, in part, reads,
The righteous cry and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all [of] their troubles. The Lord is near unto them that are of a broken heart and saves such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. The Lord redeems the soul of his servants and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
This verse reflects God’s immediate response to our struggles and His closeness in our times of pain and distress and unhappiness. He desires to be present during all of our challenges.
Testimony of St. John 10:19 says,
This is my commandment: That you love one another as I have loved you. No man loves more than when he is willing to sacrifice his life to save his friends. You are my friends if you do whatever I communicate to you. Beginning now, I will no longer call you my servants because a servant does not share his Lord’s life. But I make you my friends because everything I received from my Father I have shared and will yet share with you. You did not choose me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should progress and become fruitful, that your fruit will testify on your behalf forever, that whatever I direct you to seek from my Father you will be able to obtain. I have taught these things to you to enable you to share my love among one another.
This is an expression of Christ’s desire for a more profound and meaningful relationship than mere servitude. This highlights the friendship aspect of our connection with him.
Psalm 139:1
O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up. You understand my thought [from] afar off. You encompass my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You have beset me behind and before, and laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high. I cannot attain unto it. Where shall I go from your spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend up into Heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the farthest parts of the sea, even there shall your hand lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
This passage, it’s about the omnipresence of God, emphasizing that He is always with us, encouraging a deep and ongoing relationship.
Traditional religious teachings often present a set of established truths to be accepted, sometimes implying that doubt is a sign of weakness or a lack of faith. One of the difficult ways to connect with God is when we find ourselves in these places. God is not afraid of your doubt. He’s not afraid of your questions. And He will use those questions to draw nearer to you, and He will not push you away. He can handle your hardest questions, your biggest struggles, your secrets, the things you tell no one. He knows. So the common assumption that expressing these difficulties to God (or anyone else, for that matter) is shameful and distances you from God is not true. These are the things that draw us closer. God accepts us as we are. He does not require us to be free from our struggles to experience His closeness.
The New Testament emphasizes this and emphasizes asking God for wisdom, suggesting that He welcomes these sincere inquiries. In the Epistle of Jacob 1:2, it says,
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into many afflictions, knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience; but let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect…entire, lacking nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and upbraids not, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, for he that wavers is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed; for let not that man think that he shall receive anything [from] the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.
This is a cornerstone verse for the idea that God is generous with His knowledge and does not rebuke those who seek it. It directly implies that questions, particularly those seeking wisdom, are encouraged and will always be answered in God’s time.
Matthew 3:42 says, in part, Say unto them, Ask of God. Ask and it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you; for everyone that asks, receives; and he that seeks, finds; …to him that knocks, it shall be opened.
This is from the Sermon on the Mount and provides a direct invitation—a direct invitation—to grow in spiritual understanding by asking God. These efforts (and it IS effort) will be rewarded by Him. God has an open-door policy. I remember a saying from (probably) Primary. (Now I’m going to forget it. Um… )
This radio set called prayer
Is designed for remarkably simple repair.
When the lines fail, there is no doubt
Whose side of the radio is out.
See? I’ve always remembered that. God is always there. He’s waiting for me.
Enos 1:1-8 [Enos 1:1 CE],
I Enos respected my father because he taught me to read and understand his language, and that allowed me to be guided and corrected by the Lord. May the name of God be blessed for it. I’ll tell you about the struggle I had with God before receiving forgiveness of my sins. I went to hunt animals in the forest, and the lessons I had often heard from my father about eternal life and the joy of the holy ones sank deep into my heart, and I wanted that to my very soul. Therefore I knelt down before my Maker and cried [un]to Him in powerful prayer in an appeal [of] my own soul. I prayed to Him all day long. When the night came, I continued to pray out loud to get the attention of heaven. Then a voice came to me saying: Enos, your sins are forgiven, and you will be Blessed. And because I knew God couldn’t lie, I felt no more guilt. Then I asked: Lord, how did it happen? And He replied: Because of your faith in Christ, whom you haven’t heard or seen before this. Many years from now He’ll reveal Himself as a man. Press on, your faith has made you whole.
The entire account of Enos describes his wrestle before God in mighty prayer and supplication for a remission of his sins. Enos’s experience highlights this concept of a deeply engaging God who wants us to bring our spirituality, our wrestle, our struggles, our pleas to Him, pouring our souls out to a God who loves us unquestionably, and then receive direct answers.
“Lord, how is it done?” He wants to know how he is forgiven from a god he has not seen nor heard. God responds to our sincere inquiries.
Many traditional religious settings may encourage a facade of having it all together or offer a rather simplistic platitude to extremely complex problems. So addressing personal struggles and being vulnerable with those things can be extremely difficult. However, God wants us to approach Them with a focus on overcoming our struggles through our faith, while we acknowledge the ongoing messy reality of life.
In Mosiah 4:2 [Mosiah 2:1 CE], after King Benjamin’s people hear his sermon, they all of a sudden recognize just how terrible they are, and they say and the scripture says,
They looked at themselves in their carnal state, feeling no better than dust on the ground. In unison, they cried out: Have mercy on us and purify our hearts with Christ’s atoning blood, that we might receive a remission of our sins. They believed in Jesus, the Son of God who created all things, heaven, and earth, and who would come down to mankind.
This entire group of people, standing at this space and time, all in unison, cry out about how poorly they feel about themselves. This is a desperate plea of a group of people—who feel no better than the dust of the earth—for mercy. And this group of people demonstrate a willingness to expose their spiritual need rather than pretending to be righteous. We are not. They were not.
2 Corinthians 1:43 says,
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing, I implored the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
This passage directly confronts the idea of needing to be strong to have it all together. And yet, here’s Paul who says, “I’ll just embrace my infirmities. I’ll embrace my weaknesses,” because it is precisely in those moments of weakness and hurt that Christ’s power is made manifest.
This scripture encourages a profound vulnerability and reliance on God rather than self-sufficiency. We are truly nothing and can do nothing without God. One of the core messages in Scriptures is that God does not need you to change in order for Him to love you. He does not require you to be free of these struggles in order for Him to be close to you. This contrasts with some of the traditional teachings that you may have heard growing up (or we may just internalize on our own) that might implicitly or explicitly link God’s favor or acceptance to adherence to specific behaviors or doctrines, or that we need to be a cleaned-up version of ourselves before God will communicate with us. And as a reminder, God is big enough and trustworthy enough and lovable enough and loving enough to handle our biggest and deepest troubles. He expects us to be accountable and follow the commandments, but He does not expect us to be perfect.
In 2 Nephi 11:17 [CE], in part, it says,
So the Lord God has commanded everyone to have charity — that is, love — and unless they have charity, they’re nothing. As a result, if they had charity, they wouldn’t allow those who labor in Zion to waste away. But laborers in Zion must work for the good of Zion since they’ll perish if they work only for money. Again, the Lord God has commanded people not to murder, not to lie, not to steal, not to misuse His name, not to envy, not to hate, not to fight with each other, not to commit whoredoms — not to do any of these things. Because whoever does them will perish, since none of these iniquities comes from the Lord. Indeed, He does what’s good among mankind. And He doesn’t do anything without it being clear to mankind. He invites everyone to come to Him and share in His goodness and doesn’t deny anyone who comes to Him, black or white, enslaved or free, male or female; and He remembers those who don’t worship Him or know Him or know anything about Him. All are the same to God — Jews and Gentiles.
This is God’s universal love for the world and God’s desire to draw all men unto Him through the atonement. The invitation is broad. It is inclusive, and it is not limited to a select few people who have achieved some certain level of righteousness.
Okay. So this is a little bit of transition here because I came across the King David, the story of David and (because of the book that I was reading) read it in an entirely different way than I had ever read it before. And so we’re going to look a little bit deeper into the Old Testament and focus on David’s story.
So David is referred to as a man after God’s own heart. And the narrative in the Old Testament is a… just a broad, multi-faceted exploration of faith, sin, and the enduring pursuit of a relationship with God. David is a warrior, a king, a sinner, a murderer, an adulterer. And he presents such a compelling picture of someone who is so deeply flawed yet profoundly connected to God. And so when it says David is a man after God’s own heart, this made a lot more sense to me after reading it this way.
So let’s do 1 Samuel 6:4,
And it came to pass that as soon as he [was] made an end of offering the burnt offering[s], behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. And Samuel said, What have you done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you came not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash, therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord. I forced myself therefore and offered a burnt offering. And Samuel said to Saul, You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God which he commanded you. For now would the Lord have established your kingdom upon Israel for ever; but now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be captain over his people, because you have not kept that which the Lord commanded you.
So that’s the only reference I could find in the Scriptures that let us know that David was the king that God was referring to. At this point, …Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. Alright. God chose David and wanted a deep personal relationship with him, and David was a hot mess.
2 Samuel 4:1-11: Adultery.
2 Samuel 4:14: Murder.
…And plenty of other sins.
But in those sins, in that terrible, terrible turmoil, David ALWAYS returned to God. His honesty and lamentations and praise is reflected all over the Psalms.
Psalm 51:1
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving kindness. According unto the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done evil in your sight, that you might be justified when you speak and be clear when you judge. Behold, I was shaped in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part you shall make me to [have] wisdom.
This example teaches that seeking God is an act of humility and authenticity. And as modern-day believers, we need to be like David. We need to approach God with our openness and our acknowledgment of our weaknesses and our sins.
Many individuals today encounter barriers similar to those David faced, which hinders our efforts to form a relationship with God. Some of those include shame and guilt, the heaviness of past sins. I don’t know how often you have a hard time praying because of where your heart is, or your mind is, or your life is. But oftentimes, an inability to pray creates feelings of unworthiness. David’s case illustrates that even the gravest sins can be brought before God in repentance.
Very often, we are distracted. We have too much going on. We’re too busy. We have too many children. (We don’t have too many children, but we have children, and they’re a lot.) And then sometimes we have grandchildren, and they’re a lot too. And sometimes we have jobs, and distraction is a huge part. And so in a world saturated with all of these responsibilities, finding a quiet space for prayer can be challenging. Can you imagine: I don’t think David prayed in his kitchen with all of his kids running around. I don’t know. But we have to really put aside time.
So David notes his struggles with distraction when he cries out in Psalm 42:1, and he says,
As the hart pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after you, O God. My soul thirsts to see God, to see the living God. When shall I come and appear before you, O God? My tears have been poured out unto you day and night while my enemies continually say unto me, Where is your God? When I remember these my enemies, I pour out my soul unto you, for I had gone with the multitude. I also went with them to the house of God with the voice of joy and praise, with the multitude that kept holy day. Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted in me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
Another thing that might keep us from this kind of relationship with God is our doubts. And as I said before, God can handle your doubts. And David expressed doubts quite frequently. In Psalm 13:1, he says,
How long, O Lord, will you withdraw yourself from me? How long will you hide your face from me, that I may not see you? Will you forget me and cast me off from your presence for ever? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, sorrowing in my heart daily? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider me, O Lord, and hear my cry, O my God, and lighten my eyes lest I sleep the death of the ungodly, lest my enemy say, I have prevailed against him. Those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. But I have trusted in your mercy. My heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing unto the Lord because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Another reason we might have difficulty connecting with God would be cultural and societal pressures. This cultural belief that you must be perfect to approach God, you must be morally perfect (we’ll go with that: “morally perfect”) in order to connect with God, can be very disheartening. David’s life encourages believers that God desires genuine connection over perfection.
The other thing that David did that we probably should do more of (or I can speak for myself) is a remarkable persistence in seeking God. David’s extraordinary commitment to seek after God despite his faults is one of the ways that enabled him to be called “a man after God’s own heart.” His ability to repent and his desire for restoration with the Lord makes his story quite remarkable. In Psalm 73:3 [John 9:5], it says,
Therefore, when he had gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God should be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall immediately glorify him. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You shall seek me, and as I said unto the Jews — Where I go, you cannot come — so now I say to you. A new commandment I give unto you: that you love one another — as I have loved you, that you also [have] love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples — if you have love one to another.
David was authentic in his prayers. He brought his true self to God, expressing all of his emotions without any kind of pretense. He acknowledged both his joys and his sorrows. In Psalm 62:2, it says,
My soul, wait only upon God, for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation. He is my defense. I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory. The rock of my strength and my refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times, you people. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us.
The other thing David did was embrace repentance. He understands that acknowledging sin is essential. And so we need to approach God with a repentant heart.
1 John 1:3
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.
The other thing David did was made prayer a priority. Set aside times for prayer to establish consistency, and make prayer the kind of prayer that David prayed (to the God that David prayed to) a habit in your life.
David also celebrated God’s presence. He knew that no matter what he did, God was always with him. And he also knew that the only—the ONLY—person who could give him the forgiveness and absolve him of his sins was God. And so he engaged in praise and thanksgiving and recognized God’s goodness in all circumstances.
Psalm 100
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all you lands. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before his presence with singing. Know that the Lord, he is God. It is he that has made us, and not we ourselves. We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise. Be thankful unto him and bless his name, for the Lord is good. His mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures to all generations.
Okay. David’s story is a story of a man—an extraordinarily flawed man—who pursued a relationship with God relentlessly. He spent little time thinking about whether or not others were doing the same thing, or if they were doing it like him, or if he should intervene with how they were doing it.
Our journey of faith is not defined by others’ successes or failures but by our compassionate understanding that we are only the same, and we are only “one” insofar as we are all relentlessly pursuing God.
We all live in a state of imperfection, and that is the only thing that is the same about us. Our oneness comes from believing in and worshiping the God David worshiped with the same devotion he did. Our hope should be a oneness and a unity when we all hear “the Lord has sought him a man or a woman after his own heart,” and have that be us.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.