Darby Stapelman, who is the director of Elementary Student Teaching Services, gave this Tuesday’s devotional address at BYU-Idaho. Her talk titled, “Numbered Among the Sheep,” focused on how young adults should actively work to build a covenant relationship with Heavenly Father and work to follow Jesus Christ and His teachings.
“The sheep follow Jesus,” Stapelman said. “They choose to obey His teachings. The sheep are compassionate while the goats are hard-hearted. Sheep are the believers. They hear the voice of the shepherd and have accepted Him as their personal Savior and Redeemer. The sheep desire to stay safe in His fold and are wholeheartedly committed to following Him and serving Him. The sheep know their shepherd.”
Stapelman acknowledged the challenges of navigating life and the many adversities that come with it, emphasizing the never-ending support of a loving Heavenly Father. She expressed her admiration for young adults and missionaries in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who are preparing the world for the second coming of the Savior.
Drawing from her own experiences with goats, Stapelman reflected on the metaphorical significance of “being among the sheep” and emphasized the importance of aligning oneself with Christ’s teachings and the covenant path.
“We do want to be numbered among the sheep, but the Savior will remind us always that the goats are His too,” she said in an interview with BYU-Idaho Radio. “We are all children of God, and our Heavenly Father wants every one of us back, the sheep and the goats. But we all find our own path and we all get there when we get there.”
Stapelman’s address also illuminated the power of human connection and the commandment to love one another and to have compassion for others. She encouraged the audience to engage with those around them and to foster a sense of belonging and friendship within them.
“The way we treat each other matters to the Lord! The two great commandments …love God and love people. Both are required in walking the covenant path. As we look more closely at these verses, we come to understand more clearly what it means to truly love God by loving people,” she said.
At the conclusion of her address, Stapelman shared a few more personal stories, teaching about the power of prayer and connection, and reiterated her challenge for the audience members to walk the covenant path and to follow in the footsteps of Christ. Stapelman reminded the audience that they should strive to walk with Christ, knowing that He walks with them every step of the way.
“God is in relentless pursuit of you. He truly is, and everything is in place to bring us home and to have us be numbered among the sheep. It truly is, and so the gospel is a gospel of hope and peace and joy. And I find a lot of comfort and happiness in that,” she said.