You can read or watch Sister Runia’s talk in full here

Using the metaphor of an “overview lens,” Sister Runia encouraged us to view our interactions and relationships with others from a broader perspective. Oftentimes, we focus on the imperfections and shortcomings of those around us, leading to judgment and disconnection. However, when we step back and see the bigger picture, we understand that each person is a precious child of God with infinite worth.

Sister Runia began with an amusing story about thinking her daughter had grown because of the reading glasses she looked at her through.

What lessons did you take from this story?

Sometimes all we can see is that up-close, magnified view of those we love. Tonight, I invite you to zoom out and look through a different lens—an eternal lens that focuses on the big picture, your bigger story.

This reminds me of President Nelson’s invitation for us to ‘Think Celestial!’

During humankind’s early push into space, the unmanned rockets had no windows. But by the Apollo 8 mission to the moon, the astronauts had one. While floating in space, they were struck by the power of seeing our earth and took this spectacular image, capturing the whole world’s attention! Those astronauts experienced a sensation so powerful it has been given its own name: the overview effect.

Viewing from a new vantage point changes everything. One space traveler said it “reduces things to a size that you think everything is manageable. … We can do this. Peace on earth—no problem. It gives people that type of energy … that type of power.”

As humans, we have an earthbound point of view, but God sees the grand overview of the universe. He sees all creation, all of us, and is filled with hope.

President  James E Faust said:  ‘ Look at everything through the lens of eternity. If you will do this, life will take on a different perspective.’ 

Have you had an experience where a new vantage point has changed everything? Did it fill you with hope?

Is it possible to begin to see as God sees even while living on the surface of this planet—to feel this overview feeling? I believe we can, through the eye of faith, zoom out and view ourselves and our families with hope and joy.

The scriptures agree. Moroni speaks about those whose faith was so “exceedingly strong” that they “truly saw … with an eye of faith, and they were glad.” (Ether 12:19)

With an eye focused on the Savior, they felt joy and knew this truth: because of Christ, it all works out. Everything you and you and you are worried about—it’s all going to be OK! And those who look with an eye of faith can feel that it’s going to be OK now.

How can having an eye of faith help us navigate the troubled world we live in?

I went through a rough patch my senior year in high school when I wasn’t making great choices. I remember seeing my mom crying, and I wondered if I’d disappointed her. At the time, I worried that her tears meant she’d lost hope for me, and if she didn’t feel hope for me, maybe there wasn’t a way back.

But my dad was more practiced at zooming out and taking the long view. He’d learned from experience that worry feels a lot like love, but it’s not the same. He used the eye of faith to see that everything would work out, and his hopeful approach changed me.

When I graduated from high school and went to BYU, my dad sent letters reminding me of who I was. He became my cheerleader, and everybody needs a cheerleader—someone who isn’t telling you, “You’re not running fast enough”; they’re lovingly reminding you that you can.

Everyone not only needs a cheerleader, but needs to be one as well. Who is your cheerleader? Who are you cheering on?

Dad exemplified Lehi’s dream. Like Lehi, he knew that you don’t chase after your loved ones who feel lost. “You stay where you are and call them. You go to the tree, stay at the tree, keep eating the fruit and, with a smile on your face, continue to beckon to those you love and show by example that eating the fruit is a happy thing!”

This visual image has helped me during low moments when I find myself at the tree, eating the fruit and crying because I’m worried; and really, how helpful is that? Instead, let’s choose hope—hope in our Creator and in one another, fueling our ability to be better than we are right now.

How do we gain this hope? President Uchtdorf said:

‘We learn to cultivate hope the same way we learn to walk, one step at a time. As we study the scriptures, speak with our Heavenly Father daily, commit to keep the commandments of God, like the Word of Wisdom, and to pay a full tithing, we attain hope. We grow in our ability to “abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost,” (Romans 15:13) as we more perfectly live the gospel.’ (General Conference, October 2008)

Before we interact with a loved one, can we ask ourselves the question “Is what I’m about to do or say helpful or hurtful?” Our words are one of our superpowers, and family members are like human blackboards, standing in front of us saying, “Write what you think of me!” These messages, whether intentional or unintentional, should be hopeful and encouraging.

How could it impact a family or a ward if everyone asked themselves if what they were about to say was helpful or hurtful?

Remember, families are a God-given laboratory where we’re figuring things out, so missteps and miscalculations are not just possible but probable. And wouldn’t it be interesting if, at the end of our lives, we could see that those relationships, even those challenging moments, were the very things that helped us to become more like our Savior? Each difficult interaction is an opportunity to learn how to love at a deeper level—a godlike level.

Many people face challenges within their families, whether it be strained relationships or feelings of inadequacy. Sister Runia reminded us that we are all part of God’s family and that we can find strength and healing through understanding our divine connection.

How do you feel about this perspective on life and learning?

In the footnotes to her talk, Sister Runia here references Moroni 7:48: 

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

In his April 2023 General Conference talk. President Nelson said: 

‘Charity is the principal characteristic of a true follower of Jesus Christ.Let’s zoom out to view family relationships as a powerful vehicle to teach us the lessons we came here to learn as we turn to the Savior.’

Let’s admit, in a fallen world there’s no way to be a perfect spouse, parent, son or daughter, grandchild, mentor, or friend—but a million ways to be a good one. Let’s stay at the tree, partake of the love of God, and share it. By lifting the people around us, we ascend together.

Unfortunately, the memory of eating the fruit is not enough; we need to partake again and again in ways that reposition our lens and connect us to the heavenly overview by opening up the scriptures, which are filled with light, to chase away the darkness, staying on our knees until our casual prayer turns mighty. This is when hearts soften, and we begin to see as God sees.

What does staying at the tree look like? What do we need to do to stay there?

In these last days, perhaps our greatest work will be with our loved ones—good people living in a wicked world. Our hope changes the way they see themselves and who they really are. And through this lens of love, they’ll see who they will become.

But the adversary does not want us or our loved ones to return home together. And because we live on a planet that is bound by time and a finite number of years, he tries to perpetuate a very real sense of panic in us. It’s hard to see, when we’re zoomed in, that our direction matters more than our speed.

I love that thought that our direction matters more than our speed. What does it mean to you? What does it mean in relation to your family members?

Remember, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Thankfully, the God we worship is not bound by time. He sees who our loved ones really are and who we really are. So He’s patient with us, hoping we’ll be patient with each other.

The writer of Ecclesiastes said:
“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.” (Ecclesiastes 4 :9-10)

We all need help and company on our journey through life. 

I will admit there are times when earth, our temporal home, feels like an island of sorrow—moments when I have one eye of faith and the other eye is weeping. Do you know this feeling?

I had it Tuesday.

Can we instead choose the faithful posture of our prophet when he promises miracles in our families? If we do, our joy will increase even if turbulence increases. He’s promising that an overview effect can be experienced now, regardless of our circumstances.

Having this eye of faith now is a recapturing, or an echo, of the faith we had before we came to this planet. It sees past the uncertainty of a moment, allowing us to “cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then … stand still.”

In his October 2020 General Conference talk, Elder Jeffrey R Holland said:

‘The point is that faith means trusting God in good times and bad, even if that includes some suffering until we see His arm revealed in our behalf.’

Is there something difficult in your life right now, something you’re worried can’t be resolved? Without the eye of faith, that might feel like God has lost oversight of things, and is that true?

Or maybe your greater fear is that you’re going to go through this difficult time all by yourself, but that would mean God has abandoned you, and is that true?

It is my witness that the Savior has the ability, because of His Atonement, to turn any nightmare you are going through into a blessing. He has given us a promise “with an immutable covenant” that as we strive to love and follow Him, “all things wherewith [we] have been afflicted shall work together for [our] good.”  (D&C 98:3) All things.

And because we are children of the covenant, we can ask for this hopeful feeling now!

Is there anybody who does not have difficult things in their life? I suspect not. How does having an oversight help us deal with them? Every promised blessing will be realised for those who endure to the end. What comfort do you draw from D&C 98:3? While our families aren’t perfect, we can perfect our love for others until it becomes a constant, unchanging, no-matter-what kind of love—the type of love that supports change and allows for growth and return.

It’s the Savior’s work to bring our loved ones back. It’s His work and His timing. It is our work to provide the hope and a heart they can come home to. “We have neither [God’s] authority to condemn nor His power to redeem, but we have been authorized to exercise His love.” President Nelson has also taught that others need our love more than our judgment. “They need to experience the pure love of Jesus Christ reflected in [our] words and actions.”

Love is the thing that changes hearts. It is the purest motive of all, and others can feel it. Let’s hold fast to these prophetic words offered 50 years ago: “No home is a failure unless it quits trying.” Surely, those who love the most and the longest win!

How do we do this? How do we keep loving and trying and not judging?

In earthly families, we’re simply doing what God has done with us—pointing the way and hoping our loved ones will go in that direction, knowing the path they travel is theirs to choose.

And when they pass to the other side of the veil and draw close to that loving “gravitational pull” of their heavenly home, I believe it will feel familiar because of how they were loved here.

Let’s use that overview lens and see the people we love and live with as shared companions on this beautiful planet.

How should seeing others as shared companions affect how we relate to them?

You and I? We can do this! We can hold on and hope on! We can stay at the tree and partake of the fruit with a smile on our face, letting the Light of Christ in our eyes become something others can count on in their darkest hours. As they see light manifest in our countenances, they will be drawn to it. We can then help refocus their attention to the original source of love and light, “the bright and morning star,” Jesus Christ.

I bear my testimony that this—all of this—is going to turn out so much better than we could ever imagine! With an eye of faith on Jesus Christ, may we see that everything will be all right in the end and feel that it will be all right now. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Tamara Runia’s General Conference talk, “Seeing God’s Family Through the Overview Lens,” provided a refreshing perspective on family relationships and reminded us of the eternal significance they hold. By viewing others through an overview lens, embracing imperfections, and practicing patience and gentleness, we can strengthen our family connections and build a more loving and supportive community.

As we strive to understand the divine nature of our relationships, may we carry the lessons shared by Sister Runia in our hearts and continually seek to see God’s family through His eyes. Let us remember that we are all part of His eternal plan, and through love and understanding, we can create a world where everyone feels valued and appreciated.This was a great talk. What have you taken away from it?

NB: Passages in italics are direct quotes from Sister Runia’s talk.