Elder Lynn Grant Robbins was sustained as a General Authority Seventy in 1997. After serving for over 25 years, he was released and given emeritus status on October 2, 2022. Elder Robbins served as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, as President of the North America Southwest Area, and supervised the North America Southeast and Southwest Areas. He has served as President of the South America South, Central America, and North America West Areas. He has also served in the North America Central Area. In his professional career, Elder Robbins was one of the founders of Franklin Quest. He concluded his career there when he was called to preside over the Uruguay Montevideo Mission. Born in Springville, Utah, he married Jan Nielson and they are the parents of seven children and 21 grandchildren.

Highlights

02:10 Introduction to Lynn G Robbins; his background in the Church, education, and work

11:30 Lynn talks about his journey in church leadership.

17:40 The early years of leadership as a bishop and mission president

20:00 Transitioning to becoming a new mission president; relying on revelation instead of past experience

21:30 Every Christ-like attribute has a complementary attribute. We can make all the plans but those plans have to be balanced with following the Spirit.

23:00 Elder Robbins explains complementary principles. They complement one another.

• It’s not justice versus mercy. It’s justice and mercy.
• Religion and science
• Men and women

24:15 The contrary principle. Elder Robbins explains the firefly effect. It takes a dark background to manifest the light of the firefly. We need contrary principles and opposites to manifest the truth.

26:30 Any virtue taken to the extreme becomes discombobulated. For example, love taken to the extreme becomes enabling and permissive.

27:00 A complimentary principle that goes with love is self reliance. Elder Robbins gives the example of Helen Keller.

29:00 Bishops need to use these complementary principles of justice and mercy or love and self reliance. When giving welfare help it’s important to make sure that there is self reliance there.

31:50 Bishops also have to balance administration and ministering. It’s easy to write someone a check to help them out. Problem solved. It’s much more difficult to sit down with that person and go through all their expenses but this is ministering.

33:10 You can give a man a fish and feed him for a day. That’s charity. However, it’s far wiser to teach him to fish. This is self reliance and he will be fed for a lifetime.

36:30 Too many people leave the bishop’s office feeling condemned. Always lean to the side of mercy. They should leave the bishop’s office feeling the love of the Savior demonstrated through the bishop and the hope of the Atonement.

39:40 Elder Robbins gives advice on how to help people with repentance. Remember that every case is different. Some sins need more mercy and others need justice and sacrifice. It’s not about punishment.

45:00 The bishop’s office is like a garbage dump. It’s a place where people can unload their garbage and walk away feeling lighter.

49:50 The most important things happening in a stake are never going to show up on a sheet of statistics because they can’t be seen. You can’t count love between husband and wife, conversion, and acts of service.

50:30 The Savior counted the things that cannot be seen or counted as the “weightier matters.” Statistics are things that matter less. Elder Robbins describes the difference between do’s and be’s.

51:30 Elder Robbins talks about how he has helped stake presidencies during stake conference weekend and what they focused on.

54:40 Elder Robbins gives an example of the do’s and be’s and why they are both important.

57:00 The world looks for accolades and titles. The Lord looks for the weak and the simple. Christ’s disciples were fishermen. It’s the Lord that qualifies his servants.

1:02:30 Some people are afraid of extending invites. Why are we afraid of extending invites?

1:05:00 A good question for a leader to ask while doing home visits is, “Would you be willing to share your experience in the Church?”

1:06:00 A totally ineffective question that all of us do at the end of a visit is, “is there anything that we can help you with?” Let’s change that to something more effective. A better question is, “If it’s not too personal, what are the things that keep you awake at night?” Pray with them and for them about these things.

1:07:10 Elder Robbins breaks down the quote from Elder Packer, “True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behaviors.” Behavior is evidence of what’s in their heart. You have to figure out what is driving someone’s behavior.

1:09:00 Elder Robbins shares an experience of teaching his daughter to make her own decisions and letting her be self reliant. Forcing our children into a decision can plant the seed of rebellion.

1:14:00 President Nelson’s story of teaching his daughter. He took a minute to teach her and then let her make her decision to keep the Sabbath day holy or not.

1:15:45 Balance of love and expectations

1:21:30 How do you have high love for people? What can you do on a day to day basis?

1:24:30 Christ’s greatest sermon was His life. The quest of our lifetime is to develop Christlike attributes. Be like Him.

1:27:40 If you were to ask the world to consider the words, leader and servant and if they are antonyms or synonyms, they would say antonyms. However, if you asked Christ, he would say they are synonyms.

1:29:20 Elder Robbins’ final thoughts and sharing how leading has drawn him to Christ and vice versa

Links

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Scriptures referenced in this podcast: Luke 9, Alma 31:5, Exodus 31:13
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Quotes referenced in this podcast: “By proving contraries, truth is made manifest.”—Brigham Young