Sacrament Meeting Program

Presiding: Bishop St. Felix
Conducting: Brother Alan Riker
Opening Hymn: #26 - Joseph Smith's First Prayer
Invocation: By Invitation

Ward Business

Sacrament Hymn: # 194 - There is a Green Hill Far Away
Administration of the Sacrament

Primary Program

Closing Hymn: #1004 - I Will Walk with Jesus
Benediction: By Invitation

Compensating Blessings

By Bishop Gérald Caussé
Presiding Bishop

Serving in the Presiding Bishopric, I have had the privilege of meeting Latter-day Saints around the world in a variety of places and cultures. I have been continually inspired by your abiding faith and devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet I have also been moved by the diverse and often difficult circumstances many of you face—challenges such as illness, disability, limited resources, fewer opportunities for marriage or education, abuse by others, and other limitations or constraints. At times, these trials may seem to hinder your progress and challenge your genuine efforts to live the gospel fully, making it more difficult to serve, worship, and fulfill sacred duties.

My dear friends, if you ever feel limited or disadvantaged by the circumstances of your life, I want you to know this: The Lord loves you personally. He knows your circumstances, and the door to His blessings remains wide open to you no matter the challenges you face.

I have learned this truth through a personal experience that, though seemingly insignificant, left a lasting impression on me. At the age of 22, while serving in the French Air Force in Paris, I was thrilled to learn that Elder Neal A. Maxwell, an Apostle of the Lord, would be speaking at a conference on the Champs-Élysées. However, just before the event, I received orders to drive a senior officer to the airport at the exact time the conference was set to take place.

I was disappointed. But determined to attend, I dropped the officer off and rushed to the conference. After finding a parking spot, I sprinted down the Champs-Élysées to the meeting place and arrived breathless with only five minutes left before the meeting ended. Just as I entered, I heard Elder Maxwell say, “I will now give you an apostolic blessing.” In that instant, I had a beautiful, unforgettable spiritual experience. I was overcome by the Spirit, and the words of the blessing seemed to penetrate every fiber of my soul as though they were meant just for me.

What I experienced that day was a small yet powerful manifestation of a comforting aspect of God’s plan for His children: When circumstances beyond our control prevent us from fulfilling the righteous desires of our hearts, the Lord will compensate in ways that allow us to receive His promised blessings.

This reassuring truth is grounded in three key principles found in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ:

1. God loves each of us perfectly. “He inviteth [us] all to come unto him and partake of his goodness.” His plan of redemption ensures that everyone, without exception, will be granted a just opportunity to one day receive the blessings of salvation and exaltation.
2. Because God is both just and merciful and His plan is perfect, He will not hold us accountable for things beyond our control. Elder Neal A. Maxwell explained that “God … takes into merciful account not only our desires and our performance, but also the degrees of difficulty which our varied circumstances impose upon us.”
3. Through Jesus Christ and His Atonement, we can find the strength to endure and ultimately overcome all of life’s challenges. As Alma taught, the Savior took upon Himself not only the sins of the repentant but also “the pains and the sicknesses of his people” and “their infirmities.” Thus, beyond redeeming us from our mistakes, the Lord’s mercy and grace sustain us through injustices, deficiencies, and limitations imposed by our mortal experience.

Receiving these compensating blessings comes with certain conditions. The Lord asks us to do “all we can” and to “offer [our] whole souls as an offering unto him.” This requires a deep desire, a sincere and faithful heart, and our utmost diligence in keeping His commandments and aligning our will with His.

Compensating Blessings

Bishop Caussé teaches that limitations and challenges will not prevent God’s children from receiving the Lord’s promised blessings.

Bishop Gérald Caussé