When We Cannot Fix It
From “Comfort from the Holy Ghost,” by Elder Matthew J. Eyring · Saturday afternoon session, October 2026 General Conference
The big idea
When we meet burdens we cannot carry ourselves, the Savior keeps His promise of peace by sending the Holy Ghost to comfort us.
Objective
Learners will name a burden they cannot fix alone, find the Savior's promises of comfort in the talk and the scriptures, and choose one way to draw nearer to Him and to the Holy Ghost this week.
Before you teach
- Read Elder Matthew J. Eyring's talk, Comfort from the Holy Ghost, and mark paragraphs 2, 5, 6, 12 and 17.
- Bring slips of paper and pencils for silent writing.
- Write on the board: Draw near. Another Comforter. Mourn with those that mourn.
- Pray by name for class members who are carrying something heavy. Do not plan to call on them; let them choose whether to speak.
Lesson plan
Thirty minutes in 6 parts. Times are a guide; let the Spirit and the learners set the pace.
The thought that came
- Begin with prayer, and ask that the Holy Ghost will be the teacher and the comforter in the room.
- Tell how the talk opens: a friend of Elder Eyring received a call from his wife telling him their young married son had passed away unexpectedly the night before. One thought came to his mind: “I can’t fix this.”
- Hand out slips of paper. Invite everyone to write, silently and for no one else's eyes, one thing in their life right now that they cannot fix. Allow a full minute of quiet.
- Say that no one will be asked to share what they wrote. Ask them to keep the paper in hand for the rest of the lesson.
Burdens we cannot carry ourselves
- Read aloud the first key quote, from paragraph 2 of the talk.
- Explain that Elder Eyring then lists burdens people carry: not enough food, failing health, loved ones who stray from the gospel path, hurting or being hurt by someone we love, loneliness, and a habit we have tried again and again to overcome. Read paragraph 5 if time allows.
- Invite learners to turn to one person nearby and discuss the questions below for three minutes.
- Ask one or two pairs to share a thought with the whole class.
- Why is it so hard for capable, faithful people to admit that a burden is too heavy to carry alone?
- Elder Eyring says our self-reliance can mask a deeper reality. What have you learned when your own strength ran out?
What the Savior promises
- Divide the class into groups of three or four. Give half the groups John 14:16–18 and the other half Doctrine and Covenants 88:63 with Alma 7:11–12.
- Ask each group to read their verses aloud and list two things: what the Lord promises, and what He asks of us.
- After four minutes, have each group report one promise. Write the promises on the board.
- Read the second key quote, from paragraph 6. Point out what Elder Eyring adds: comfort and answers come on the Lord's timetable, and answers sometimes come as tools, resources, and help from other people.
- Ask the questions below. Wait through the silence; let learners testify to one another.
- How is being comforted different from having the problem fixed?
- When has the Holy Ghost comforted you in something that did not change, or did not change quickly?
Comfort that comes through us
- Retell the dinner: Elder Eyring and his wife ate with a young couple who had lost one of their twins right before birth, in their first pregnancy. Many years earlier the Eyrings had gone through a similar loss. They talked together of parenthood, loss, and the path to healing and hope. Afterward Elder Eyring gave the father a priesthood blessing, and through the whisperings of the Spirit the father was promised peace. The couple left with their countenances shining.
- Invite someone to read Mosiah 18:9 and find the covenant words Elder Eyring used to describe that evening.
- Read the aligned quote about how God usually meets our needs: President Spencer W. Kimball's words, shared by President Eyring at this conference.
- Discuss the questions below as a class.
- The Eyrings could not fix that couple's loss. What did they do instead?
- Who has mourned with you in a way that let you feel the Lord's comfort? What did that person do, or wisely not do?
There is hope in Jesus Christ
- Read the third key quote, from paragraph 12, and then President Oaks's words in the aligned quote.
- Explain Elder Eyring's warning in paragraph 9: without divine comfort we risk losing hope, and without hope we can lose our faith and stop trying.
- Check for understanding: ask learners to finish this sentence to a neighbor in their own words: Because of Jesus Christ, the thing I cannot fix is...
Make room for the Comforter
- Read the last key quote, from paragraph 17.
- Invite learners to turn over their slip of paper and write one specific thing they will do this week to draw near to the Lord and welcome the Holy Ghost, and the name of one person they could sit with in a hard time.
- Remind them of the promise Elder Eyring quoted: “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you.”
- Bear your own brief witness that Jesus Christ lives and does not leave us comfortless. Tell the class you will begin next week by asking who felt the Comforter during the week, and do it.
Key passages from the talk
“All of us, regardless of experience, talent, or willpower, will sooner or later encounter burdens we cannot possibly carry ourselves.”
“Our Savior, Jesus Christ, suffered for us. He knows exactly how we feel, especially in our darkest and most trying times.”
“Even as He comforts us through temporary times of challenge and pain, He has prepared our rescue from permanent tragedy.”
“The Savior’s peace is made manifest through the comforting power of the Holy Ghost. That comfort will help us when we go through the inevitable hardships of life and times when we can’t fix things on our own. Living worthy of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost should be one of our highest priorities.”
Scriptures
- John 14:16–18 Read in small groups. List what the Savior promises about the Comforter and how long that comfort is meant to stay.
- D&C 88:63 Read in small groups with Alma 7:11–12. Name what the Lord asks of us and what He promises in return.
- Alma 7:11–12 Read to see why the Savior knows exactly how we feel in our darkest times.
- Mosiah 18:9 Read after the dinner story. Find the covenant words Elder Eyring used and ask how we keep them.
Other voices that agree
“It gives us the strength and perspective to endure the mortal challenges faced by each of us and by those we love.”
“God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs.”
Three things to remember
- Sooner or later every one of us meets a burden we cannot carry alone.
- The Savior's peace reaches us through the comforting power of the Holy Ghost.
- We keep our covenant when we mourn with those who mourn, even when we cannot fix anything.
Ways to act this week
- Each day this week, pray about the thing you wrote down and tell the Lord plainly that you cannot fix it alone. Notice any comfort that comes and write it down.
- Choose one thing that crowds the Holy Ghost out of your day and set it aside for the week. Put in its place one thing that invites Him.
- Sit with one person who is hurting. Listen more than you speak, and do not try to fix it.
- If you are carrying a burden in silence, consider asking for a priesthood blessing.
Suggestions written for this lesson, not the speaker’s words.
Music
- Where Can I Turn for Peace?
- Be Still, My Soul
Adapting the lesson
- At home or with two or three people: skip the groups. Read John 14:16–18 together and let each person answer one question from the third segment.
- Large class: keep every discussion in pairs or threes so that all speak, and take only two comments from the whole room each time.
- Short on time: teach segments 1, 3 and 6. The silent writing and the promise in Doctrine and Covenants 88:63 carry the lesson.
This lesson is an independent study aid written for this site. It is not an official lesson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Quotations are word for word from the official talk; paragraph numbers count the paragraphs of the talk as published at churchofjesuschrist.org, not counting headings or picture captions. The activities, questions and ideas for acting are suggestions; follow the Spirit and adapt them to those you teach.