God’s Favourite

October 2024 – Karl D. Hirst of the Seventy – Elders Quorum Lesson

God’s Favourite – October 2024 – Karl D. Hirst of the Seventy

As I listened to this talk a few points of interest came into my mind that I would like to discuss as a quorum today.

In fact initially I didn’t like the title of the talk at all :). Perhaps you can tell me why?

Elder Hirst — God’s Favourite

“Our family has six children, who sometimes tease one another that they are the favourite child. Each has different reasons for being preferred. Our love for each of our children is pure and fulfilling and complete. We could not love any one of them any more than another—with each child’s birth came the most beautiful expansion of our love. I most relate to my Heavenly Father’s love for me through the love that I feel for my children.”

Does God Have Favorites?

  • The title of the Article is God’s Favorite
    • Does God actually have favorites?
      • No — we are each and every one of us a Cherished Favorite of our Heavenly Father
      • No — we are each and every one of us a Cherished Favorite of our Redeemer Jesus Christ
      • Just as Elder Hirst doesn’t have favorites, even more so God does not!

Elder Hirst — God’s Favourite

“In his Gospel, John describes himself as ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved,’ as if that arrangement were somehow unique. I like to think that this was because John felt so completely loved by Jesus. Nephi gave me a similar sense when he wrote, ‘I glory in my Jesus.’ Of course, the Saviour isn’t Nephi’s any more than He is John’s, and yet the personal nature of Nephi’s relationship with ‘his’ Jesus led him to that tender description. Isn’t it wonderful that there are times when we can feel so fully and personally noticed and loved? Nephi can call Him ‘his’ Jesus, and so can we. Our Saviour’s love is the ‘highest, noblest, strongest kind of love,’ and He provides until we are ‘filled.’ Divine love never runs dry, and we are each a cherished favourite. God’s love is where, as circles on a Venn diagram, we all overlap. Whichever parts of us seem different, His love is where we find togetherness.”

Scripture References — No Respect of Persons

Premortal Progression and Equal Standing

  • What about Jesus Christ — is he a favorite of his Father? No

We also know that when an intelligence is organized and placed in spirit bodies they are equal — they start at the same state. They were then allowed to choose, and because of their choices they gained greater light and knowledge and were given additional capabilities/opportunities (Alma 13:3–5, Abraham 3:19–22, D&C 93:36–39, D&C 50:24, D&C 93:29–32, D&C 138:50). Thus individuals developed traits, personalities, and capabilities that were unique among the children of God. He then selected them based upon these choices, to receive different experiences in this life in order for their perfection and improvement, their empowerment and their development. It wasn’t just God’s whim — it was based upon law and thus receipt based upon that obedience to law. (D&C 130:19–21)

In the premortal life, spirits progressed at different rates based on their choices and obedience to divine principles. Jesus Christ excelled in intelligence and righteousness, becoming “like unto God” (Abraham 3:19). This progression set the stage for our mortal journey, where we continue to exercise agency and strive for eternal growth.

Scriptures on This Topic

  • Alma 13:3–5 — They were initially all on the same standing before God
  • Abraham 3:19–22 — Jesus Christ more intelligent than them all
  • D&C 93:36–39 — All spirits were innocent in the beginning
  • D&C 50:24 — Gradual development bit by bit
  • D&C 93:29–32 — Man in beginning with God, Eternal, Agency required, Agency and Condemnation of men
  • 2 Nephi 26:33 — All are alike unto God – God’s love is universal
  • D&C 93:11–14 — Jesus Christ received Grace for grace just as we all have
  • God is Perfectly Just and Perfectly Merciful and there is no respect of persons with him
    • His judgments are Just, his choices are right, his mercy and compassion cover all
  • How should an understanding that each and every one of us is considered of the same value to God affect us?
    • D&C 18:10–13 – Worth of Souls is Great — why is it so great?
    • Moses 1:39 – His work and Glory is to bring to pass…
    • Matt 16:26 – What is the profit if you gain the whole world but lose your soul?

Feeling God’s Love

Elder Hirst — God’s Favourite

“In his Gospel, John describes himself as ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved,’ as if that arrangement were somehow unique… Isn’t it wonderful that there are times when we can feel so fully and personally noticed and loved? Nephi can call Him ‘his’ Jesus, and so can we. Our Saviour’s love is the ‘highest, noblest, strongest kind of love,’ and He provides until we are ‘filled.’ Divine love never runs dry, and we are each a cherished favourite. God’s love is where, as circles on a Venn diagram, we all overlap. Whichever parts of us seem different, His love is where we find togetherness. Is it any surprise that the greatest commandments are to love God and to love those around us? When I see people showing Christlike love for one another, it feels to me as if that love contains more than just their love; it is love that also has divinity in it. When we love one another in this way, as completely and fully as we can, heaven gets involved too.”

  • What is a person’s Love Language? Have you heard of such a thing?
    • People feel loved for different reasons and from different people
    • Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, Physical Touch
  • How do we show Love to others?
    • What if they don’t seem to appreciate what we have done?
    • What if that Love doesn’t seem to be reciprocated?
    • How does a person’s love language matter to how they may feel based upon our actions?

Elder Hirst — God’s Favourite

“So if someone we care about seems distant from a sense of divine love, we can follow this pattern — by doing things that bring us closer to God ourselves and then doing things that bring us closer to them — an unspoken beckoning to come to Christ. I wish I could sit down with you and ask you what circumstances cause you to feel God’s love. Which verses of scripture, which particular acts of service? Where would you be? What music? In whose company? General conference is a rich place to learn about connecting with heaven’s love.”

  • What are some reasons we may feel Loved by God?

When We Feel Broken or Unlovable

Elder Hirst — God’s Favourite

“But perhaps you feel a long way from the love of God. Maybe there is a chorus of voices of discouragement and darkness that weighs into your thoughts, messages telling you that you are too wounded and confused, too weak and overlooked, too different or disoriented to warrant heavenly love in any real way. If you hear those ideas, then please hear this: those voices are just wrong. We can confidently disregard brokenness in any way disqualifying us from heavenly love—every time we sing the hymn that reminds us that our beloved and flawless Saviour chose to be ‘bruised, broken, [and] torn for us,’ every time we take broken bread. Surely Jesus removes all shame from the broken. Through His brokenness, He became perfect, and He can make us perfect in spite of our brokenness. Broken, lonely, torn, and bruised He was — and we may feel we are — but separated from the love of God we are not. ‘Broken people, perfect love,’ as the song goes. You might know something secret about yourself that makes you feel unlovable. However right you might be about what you know about yourself, you are wrong to think that you have put yourself beyond the reach of God’s love. We are sometimes cruel and impatient toward ourselves in ways that we could never imagine being toward anyone else. There is much for us to do in this life, but self-loathing and shameful self-condemnation are not on that list. However misshapen we might feel we are, His arms are not shortened. No. They are always long enough to ‘[reach our] reaching’ and embrace each one of us.”

  • What should we do when/if we have internal dialogue that is in opposition to these concepts?
  • How can we invite the spirit into our lives so that these feelings of self doubt and guilt do not destroy us?
  • What patterns or practices have you used to do this?
  • What are some reasons we may not feel Loved by God?

Why Don’t We Always Feel God’s Love?

Elder Hirst — God’s Favourite

“So if God’s love does not leave us, why don’t we always feel it? Just to manage your expectations: I don’t know. But being loved is definitely not the same as feeling loved, and I have a few thoughts that might help you as you pursue your answers to that question. Perhaps you are wrestling with grief, depression, betrayal, loneliness, disappointment, or other powerful intrusion into your ability to feel God’s love for you. If so, these things can dull or suspend our ability to feel as we might otherwise feel. For a season at least, perhaps you will not be able to feel His love, and knowledge will have to suffice. But I wonder if you could experiment — patiently — with different ways of expressing and receiving divine love. Can you take a step back from whatever is in front of you and maybe another step and another, until you see a wider landscape, wider and wider still if necessary, until you are literally ‘thinking celestial’ because you are looking at the stars and remembering worlds without number and through them their Creator? Birdsong, feeling the sun or a breeze or rain on my skin, and times when nature puts my senses in awe of God — each has had a part in providing me with heavenly connection. Perhaps the comfort of faithful friends will help. Maybe music? Or serving? Have you kept a record or journal of times when your connection with God was clearer to you? Perhaps you could invite those you trust to share their sources of divine connection with you as you search for relief and understanding.”

  • What might be the causes of us not feeling loved?
    • The behavior of others
    • The situations we are placed in
    • Mental Illness, disease, sickness and pain
  • Do not discount these feelings
  • What can we do when we are in these states and feel isolated and unloved?

Elder Hirst — God’s Favourite (Closing)

“Let’s become ‘rooted and grounded’ in our Jesus and in His love. Let’s look for and treasure experiences of feeling His love and power in our lives. The joy of the gospel is available to all: not just the happy, not just the downcast. Joy is our purpose, not the gift of our circumstances. We have every good reason to ‘rejoice and be filled with love towards God and all men.’ Let’s get full. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”