#patrick kearon

[nerdygaymormon]

I love that in this interview Elder Patrick Kearon is as compassionate as in his General Conference talks.

•  On singles — “When we are most in tune, or most alive to the truth [that God and Jesus have a plan of happiness for everyone], we are at our best selves. Whether you’re a member of a large family, a small family, or an individual, whether you’re in a good place, as we sit at the moment, or are feeling lost, and alone, the message is the same.”

• On women leading — “I’d love to see women leading. We have extraordinary women doing the most profound work. I see things that women are doing under the guidance of the general Relief Society presidency, which at the moment has a focus on education, malnutrition and neonatal initiatives — these are worldwide things. Then you think of the role of women in their congregations and homes. We’re getting a better understanding and description of the contributions and leadership that women provide.”

• On LGBTQ members — “We need to treat them like everybody else, treat them as the Savior treated those he ran into. … He blessed them. That’s our model. The invitation to all of us is to get better at being like him. When we treat people the way he would have us treat them, we feel more peace, we feel more joy. And that’s what we want for them.”

• On the church becoming less America-centric — “There are more members of the church outside North America than in and that’s a trend that I think is likely to increase rather than decrease and it’s beautiful and it’s enriching. It’s a reminder that Heavenly Father and the Savior are interested in all of us, wherever we are, whatever circumstances we’re in. I’m sure they yearn most for those who are again, suffering through some kind of deficit or loss or pain.”

[j-the-latter-gay-saint]

I love Elder Kearon, and he's giving a great talk, but there's a credibility gap here I can't just ignore as a gay man.

[latter-ace-saint]

If you have experienced any kind of abuse, violence, or oppression, you may be left with the idea that these events were somehow your fault and that you deserve to carry the shame and guilt you feel. You may have had thoughts such as:

I could have prevented this.

God doesn’t love me anymore.

Nobody will ever love me.

I am damaged beyond repair.

The Savior’s Atonement applies to others but not to me.

These erroneous thoughts and feelings may have been a barrier to seeking help from family, friends, leaders, or professionals, and so you have struggled alone. If you have sought help from those you trust, you may still be wrestling with ideas of shame and even self-loathing. The impact of these events can remain for many years. You hope that one day you’ll feel better, but somehow that day has not yet come.

The abuse was not, is not, and never will be your fault, no matter what the abuser or anyone else may have said to the contrary. When you have been a victim of cruelty, incest, or any other perversion, you are not the one who needs to repent; you are not responsible.

You are not less worthy or less valuable or less loved as a human being, or as a daughter or son of God, because of what someone else has done to you.

God does not now see, nor has He ever seen, you as someone to be despised. Whatever has happened to you, He is not ashamed of you or disappointed in you. He loves you in a way you have yet to discover. And you will discover it as you trust in His promises and as you learn to believe Him when He says you are “precious in [His] sight.”

You are not defined by these terrible things that have been done to you. You are, in glorious truth, defined by your eternally existing identity as a son or daughter of God and by your Creator’s perfect, infinite love and invitation to whole and complete healing.

...

There is no place for any kind of abuse—physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal—in any home, any country, or any culture. Nothing a wife, child, or husband might do or say makes them “deserve” to be beaten. No one, in any country or culture, is ever “asking for” aggression or violence from someone else in authority or by someone who is bigger and stronger.

Those who abuse and who seek to hide their grievous sins may get away with it for a time. But the Lord, who sees all, knows the deeds and the thoughts and intents of the heart. He is a God of justice, and His divine justice will be served.

-- Patrick Kearon, April 2022 General Conference

[demigodofhoolemere]

“Dear friends who have been so terribly wounded — and for that matter, anyone who has borne the injustices of life — you can have a new beginning and a fresh start. In Gethsemane and on Calvary, Jesus ‘took upon Himself … all of the anguish and suffering ever experienced by you and me,' and He has overcome it all! With arms outstretched, the Savior offers the gift of healing to you. With courage, patience, and faithful focus on Him, before too long you can come to fully accept this gift. You can let go of your pain and leave it at His feet. Your gentle Savior declared, 'The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that [you] might have life, and that [you] might have it more abundantly.' You are a survivor, you can heal, and you can trust that with the power and grace of Jesus Christ, you will overcome and conquer. Jesus specializes in the seemingly impossible. He came here to make the impossible possible, the irredeemable redeemable, to heal the unhealable, to right the unrightable, to promise the unpromisable. And He's really good at it. In fact, He's perfect at it. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Healer, amen.”

Patrick Kearon

[bitter-blooded-demon]

Behind every new apostle stands an astonished mother-in-law.

I suspect that the fact that my mother-in-law is no longer with us does nothing to reduce her astonishment - Patrick Kearon

[magnetocerebro]

”Behind every new Apostle stands a stunned mother-in-law.”

Okay, I love Patrick Kearon. It’s official.

[divineautumn]

Elder Patrick Kearon. He's got good vibes.

I have a hard time keeping track of apostles, so I'm noting him down.

[blogcowboyron]

In case you missed it: New photo of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Rasband ministers in Maui ministry, plus 7 more stories

In case you missed it: New photo of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Rasband ministers in Maui ministry, plus 7 more stories Here are 9 stories from the Church News the week of Feb. 11-17. By Melina Myers  18 Feb 2024, 10:00 AM MST   During the week of Feb. 11-17, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released the first photo of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles with Elder Patrick Kearon.…

[lds365]

Get to Know New Apostle Elder Patrick Kearon

http://dlvr.it/T2NYT8

[stanfave8-1-17]

What is an apostle? Who is Elder Patrick Kearon? - Deseret News

[hlmowrer]

Week Three: "God Be With You Till We Meet Again"

Once more my friends, more has happened than I could possibly write.  I will do my best to get as much of it down as I can.

At the beginning of the week, we were visited by Patrick Kearon, the Senior President of the Seventy.  I've watched him speak at General Conference multiple times, so it was a real surprise to see he was speaking at our campus.  He is an articulate and interesting man, and I enjoyed hearing from him.  After his event my district had a review session about it, which was an awesome spiritual experience for all of us.  I can't write everything which was said but one particularly poignant thing said there was how God's revelation doesn't expire.  If he said it, then it is.  Forever.  And that matters to me, because God has sworn to me in numerous ways that all things can be made possible to me and anyone who follows the Gospel of Christ.  He, in no uncertain terms, promised me all the things my heart yearns for if only I could serve Him here and remain faithful.  He said that.  He will not take it back.

It was what I needed to hear that day.

Later in the week we were finally able to visit the Temple.  This too was an incredible experience as always, and it was beyond awesome to see my new friends who I've come to love so much with me in my favorite place.  I hope I see them on the other side of the veil when we depart this world for good.

And then...there was the goodbyes.  The first to go was my evening teacher, Brother LaRose.  This man is one of the most spiritually connected people I have ever met, and is very possibly the most skilled missionary I've ever met.  The number of times he would just know exactly who needed help on any given day or what story or lesson would hit us hardest is unbelievable.  In our final meeting he prayed for every single one of us, and I don't think I've ever felt that loved by a man I met not three weeks ago.

The next goodbye was our morning teacher, Sister Teo.  She too is an incredible disciple of Jesus Christ and had an uncanny ability to redirect class based on the needs of the district...there were several moments when we couldn't figure out how she even knew about what was going on.  In our last class with her we had a "last words" testimony meeting that had us all in tears by the end.  I'm getting physically exhausted from all the crying that goes on in this place, but it's wonderful.

And then on Sunday, things got extra ridiculous.  I was awakened at 3 in the morning by the sound of my companion raining his guts down on my personal items.  We used the call box to notify security, who sent us to the front desk.  There was only one person on staff, and she said that normally there would be a doctor and a custodian to help us out but being 3 AM on Sunday morning, nobody was at work.  We cleaned up as best we could and went back to bed.  In the morning we went back so that we could at least call the MTC doctor, who authorized us to seek care at a nearby hospital.  Another Elder in our room had been tested covid positive two days prior so we were quite concerned that he had left us a 'rona gift.  We sat in the hospital's Instacare for a good three hours (again...Sunday morning in Utah=nobody is working) only to be told that he tested negative for everything and that we should go home and rest.  While we were there one of our district sisters showed up, and she definitely had Covid.  That was the last time we saw her, as she has now been confined to "the box".  By the end of the day my companion was completely fine...My district leader and I had given him a priesthood blessing of healing that morning...I think the Lord appreciated our faith in Him.

That night we had our final district meeting.  Several of us had requested priesthood blessings of comfort before going into the field, so after we bore our testimonies one final time we were able to do that for each other.  My friends, the power of God himself was in that room.  I hope I can remember how it felt to hear those words come out of my mouth for the sister who had asked me for a blessing and from the elder who I asked to bless me, because if I can do that I will never doubt myself or my decision to be a missionary ever again.  Life is still life.  I will have darker moments in this mission field, I'm sure.  But nobody, ever, will I allow to tell me that Christ isn't real.  That He doesn't love each and every one of us beyond our capacity to understand it.  That there isn't a reason for which we are here on this big floating rock.  I want nothing more than for every single one of my brothers in sisters in Michigan to feel the things I've felt this week.  There is no greater happiness than feeling Jesus Christ smiling upon you.

I'm going to miss these people dearly.  They are my new family, and I'm on the verge of tears just writing about this experience.  I hope beyond hope that we'll still know each other on the other end of this.  But, we have work to do.  So just as Alma and the Sons of Mosiah once did, we will cry and hug and go forth to teach and love the people of the world.

All of this is not to say I didn't have hard moments this week.  I've been distracted from my purpose as a missionary, I've been stressed, I've been depressed, I've been sleep deprived, I've been all of it.  I just don't care.  There is no joy without suffering, and my savior is standing by my side today.  I refuse to let myself be distracted from the divinity of my experiences this week by all the noise...I've spent far too much of my life doing that.

I love you, dear friends.  I hope you're all well.  Those of you that have the time, please write.  I may not be able to respond right away but I want to hear how your lives are going.  My messages are long, I shouldn't be allowed to take all the oxygen.

With all the love in the world,

Elder Beren Mowrer

[bookish-bi-mormon]

"Jesus Christ came to this earth to ... heal the unhealable ... and he's really good at it."

- Elder Patrick Kearon (once again, not the full quote. There are too many things going on, but the end of that talk hit me, I want the full quote on my wall)

[j-the-latter-gay-saint]

Patrick Kearon's Mormonism is the Mormonism I stay for.

[demigodofhoolemere]

“There is no place for any kind of abuse — physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal — in any home, any country, or any culture. Nothing a wife, child, or husband might do or say makes them 'deserve' to be beaten. No one, in any country or culture, is ever 'asking for' aggression or violence from someone else in authority or by someone who is bigger and stronger. Those who abuse and who seek to hide their grievous sins may get away with it for a time. But the Lord, who sees all, knows the deeds and the thoughts and intents of the heart. He is a God of justice, and His divine justice will be served. Miraculously, the Lord is also a God of mercy to the truly repentant. Abusers — including those who were once abused themselves — who confess, forsake their sin, and do all in their power to make recompense and restitution, have access to forgiveness through the miracle of the Atonement of Christ. For the falsely accused, the unspeakable gravity of these accusations brings its own purgatory. But they too are blessed by the Savior's vicarious suffering for them and the knowledge that ultimately truth will prevail. But unrepentant abusers will stand before the Lord to account for their heinous crimes. The Lord Himself is crystal clear in His condemnation of abuse of any kind: 'But whoso shall offend one of these little ones … , it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.'”

Patrick Kearon

[bitter-blooded-demon]

I can't focus on Patrick Kearon's words because I'm too caught up in his voice. Whoever said he sounds like Tom Hiddleston was right on the money.

I can't stop imagining Loki and it IS a problem.

[magnetocerebro]

Ooooooh Patrick Kearon’s first Conference talk as an apostle! Excited for him.