196th Semiannual General Conference

Conference Summaries

October 3–4, 2026 · Salt Lake City

37 Talks 4 Sessions Come Unto Christ
Free Weekly Newsletter

EG
Elder Gerrit W. Gong
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Saturday Morning

Come to the Lord in His Holy House

Elder Gong opened with a riddle — "Why did the temple workers cross the road? To help the people on the other side." He laid three doctrinal foundations: eternal families united by covenant commitment, moral agency (God will not require anyone to be sealed in a relationship they do not choose), and the Holy Spirit of Promise, which makes honored covenants binding. He then described five elements of personal temple culture: a dedication is a beginning, not an end; temple sacrifice now means attending more often and bringing family names; everything in every temple testifies of Christ; we should never speak of a temple as "big or small"; and, where possible, members can save for and buy their own temple clothes. He announced that 21 temples will be dedicated this year.

Ordinances are not big or small. Covenants are not big or small.

Whatever generation you are in the church, in the chain of your eternal family, please be a strong link.

Please do not deliberately delay the spiritual peace and joyful freedom Jesus Christ wants you to have.

templeseternal familiesagencyfamily historygratitude
ST
Sister Tamara W. Runia
First Counselor, Young Women General Presidency
Saturday Morning

The Sculpting of Our Souls

Sister Runia — a self-described "stain whisperer" who loves fixing things — shared the sudden death of her oldest son Ryan from an undetected heart condition 13 years ago, the day before his daughter's second birthday. She taught that "the gospel isn't the umbrella; it's the solid rock we're standing on during the storm," and that not understanding is not the same as not believing. She told of Ryan's 7-year-old son comparing God's plan to Lego instructions you can trust even without the picture on the box. She closed with her brother's college sculpting class, where the instructor's aggressive carving brought the eyes of his clay bust to life — a picture of how the Master shapes our souls when we finally invite Him in.

The gospel isn't the umbrella. It's the solid rock we're standing on during the storm.

Not understanding is not the same as not believing.

God is shaping us into something only He knows we can become.

griefadversitytrust in Godrefinementfaith
EG
Elder Gérald Caussé
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Saturday Morning

The Gift of Testimony

Elder Caussé recalled the scripture that comforted him when he was called as a Seventy 18 years ago — "Be of good cheer, and do not fear… ye shall bear record of me" — and how it returned with power when he bore his first testimony as a newly ordained Apostle. He taught that bearing witness is a foundational responsibility of every disciple, not only apostles. Rather than asking "why me?", we should ask what the Lord expects us to do with the gift of testimony. He paired "I know" with "I love you" as connected expressions, and shared a niece's two-sentence testimony at Young Women camp: a testimony need not be long or eloquent, only true.

Our testimony is not a talent to be hidden. It is a gift to be shared.

It need not be long, eloquent or dramatic. It only needs to be true.

I hope you will fill your lives and the lives of others with many heartfelt "I knows," as I hope you already do with many "I love yous."

testimonybearing witnesslovemissionary workHoly Ghost
EV
Elder Vaiangina Sikahema
Seventy
Saturday Morning

Prophets, Seers, and Revelators

Elder Sikahema told of his Tongan grandparents, serving as missionaries in 1947, who sailed through a storm for two and a half days to hear Apostle Matthew Cowley. Their 10-month-old son died of exposure on the voyage; they buried him and got back on the boat to finish the journey to sit at an apostle's feet. He contrasted the "famine of hearing the words of the Lord" foretold by Amos with the restoration of living prophets through Joseph Smith. He warned against treating "the oracles of God" as a light thing now that we can easily watch and hear the Lord's servants on our devices.

What a blessing it is to live in a time when apostles and prophets are on the earth.

Let us not be guilty of holding the oracles of God as a light thing.

How grateful I am for noble progenitors who left me and my posterity a legacy of faith and courage in the face of difficulties and obstacles.

prophetsapostlesRestorationsacrificeheritage
EK
Elder Kevin J. Hathaway
Seventy
Saturday Morning

Jesus Christ Is the Great Deliverer

Elder Hathaway taught that for the righteous, the question is not if Christ will deliver but how and when. He described his family's cars being struck by loose semi-truck tires while driving to begin service as mission leaders, and laid out a pattern of deliverance: opposition brings heart-rending questions; sincere seeking invites assurances; Christ's enabling grace helps us endure and grow; and deliverance comes in the Savior's time and way. He shared a missionary, Sister Kenzie Brinkerhoff, whose father died one week before she was to return home, who said she had "never clung so tightly to my covenants." He cited Jairus's daughter to show no mortal timeline puts us beyond Christ's power.

The Lord is not delayed, distracted, or derelict in His deliverance.

Some miracles are immediate, some come after long waiting, and some await the resurrection.

Lessons learned while waiting can bring converting growth that an earlier rescue might not produce.

deliveranceadversitygracepatiencecovenants
EU
Elder Ulisses Soares
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Saturday Morning

A Higher and Holier Fast

Elder Soares taught that the law of the fast, as revealed in Isaiah 58, is an act of worship that shapes and refines discipleship — more than a physical test of restraint or a petition for a specific blessing. Fasting joined with earnest prayer softens hearts, increases humility and receptivity to the Holy Ghost, and prepares us for personal revelation. The Savior exemplified this in His 40 days in the wilderness. A true fast also turns our hearts outward through generous fast offerings that "let the oppressed go free." He promised that as we live this law in a higher and holier way, miracles will come.

Fasting and prayer may not remove every burden from our path, but they draw heaven near.

Though our fast offerings may seem small and simple, they become consecrated expressions of compassion, concern, and service.

Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.

fastingprayerfast offeringsconsecrationrevelation
BS
Bishop Sean Douglas
Second Counselor, Presiding Bishopric
Saturday Morning

The Hour of Your Mission Is Come

Bishop Douglas celebrated that more missionaries are serving and more people are being baptized than ever before in this dispensation. He told of Elder Merlin Sanchez in Peru, baptized near age 24, who drifted away, returned at 25 with partly completed mission papers, served faithfully, and was called as a bishop on his wedding day — now a stake president. He invited converts and the rising generation to place full-time missionary service high on their list, reaffirming that every worthy, able young man should prepare for and serve, and that young sisters should pray to know if they should serve. He closed by inviting listeners to put their own name in the Lord's words to Thomas B. Marsh.

You are what you preach. You're not only messengers, but also living examples of the message.

Make no mistake, you are doing the most important work you could be doing.

There is still plenty of room and a special place reserved for each one of you. We need you. Come join the ranks.

missionary workyouthconvertsdiscipleshippriesthood duty
PD
President D. Todd Christofferson
Second Counselor, First Presidency
Saturday Morning

O Be Wise

Feeling like the prophet Jacob compelled to use "boldness of speech," President Christofferson addressed gambling, echoing President Hinckley: "We're against it." He described how smartphones have put "casinos in our pockets" through online sports betting, internet casino games, and prediction markets — even bets on the timing of the Second Coming. He cited troubling statistics on youth (nearly half of 17-year-old boys gamble) and asked about the opportunity cost of gambling. Using Paul's counsel on meat offered to idols, he warned that even casual wagers can become a stumbling block for others. Gambling is morally wrong because it seeks something for nothing at others' expense; he pleaded with members to refrain and use the time and money saved to do good.

The industry's entire business model is built on its customers losing money.

It's being and doing better without others doing worse.

My plea again is not only to refrain from gambling, but to use the time and resources saved thereby for doing good.

gamblingagencyopportunity costexamplestewardship
ED
Elder Dale G. Renlund
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Saturday Afternoon

How Long Will It Be Ere They Believe Me

Elder Renlund told of a heart-transplant patient, Mr. Martin, who survived two transplants and multiple organ failures — then, the day before discharge, complained that "the oatmeal isn't hot and the milk isn't cold." Like the children of Israel, who complained in the wilderness despite miracle after miracle, we can fixate on "cold oatmeal" and lose sight of where we've been and God's promises. He shared his sister Linda's realization that there is no asterisk excluding her from God's promised blessings, and taught that Christ has made "ample provision" for every human circumstance. We are redeemed through the Redeemer's righteousness, not our own.

There is no asterisk excluding you from God's richest blessings. If you think there is, take out a big eraser and obliterate that asterisk.

Jesus overcame the world. We don't have to do so ourselves.

There is more than enough to cover any breach, need, or deficit for all of us, for each of us.

trust in GodpromisesgratitudeperspectiveAtonement
PT
President Timothy L. Farnes
Young Men General President
Saturday Afternoon

Divine Appointments

President Farnes recalled a discouraging day as a new stake presidency member when he almost skipped the temple — until Elder Dallin H. Oaks, then an Apostle, noticed him in the dressing room, asked "how are you really doing?", listened, and hugged him. Years later Elder Oaks didn't remember the encounter, but said, "It's what we do, isn't it?" President Farnes taught that the covenant we make at the sacrament each Sunday is kept by ministering every day through "divine appointments" — people God places in our path. He told of a terrified young missionary at an airport, clutching a boarding pass and alarm clock, who ended up in the only empty seat — next to him.

It's what we do, isn't it?

To Jesus, these people were not interrupting His mission. They were His mission.

Let us pray every day for eyes to see the divine appointments God places before us.

ministeringcompassionsacramentcovenantsdivine appointments
EC
Elder Christian C. Chigbundu
Seventy
Saturday Afternoon

Spiritual Immunity

Drawing on health lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, Elder Chigbundu taught that just as the body builds immunity, we can build spiritual immunity through "small and simple things": scripture study, prayer, the sacrament, and covenants. He told of a new missionary who wanted to go home until he began studying the Book of Mormon daily, and of a sister battling cancer who felt the Savior saying, "My daughter, all is well." He taught that our burdens may not be removed, but our backs will be strengthened to carry them, and that "why me?" questions will become "what can I learn?"

The burden we carry may not always be removed, but our backs will be built to carry the load placed upon it.

Our "why me" questions will be replaced by "what can I learn and what can I change."

While they may seem small and simple, they are truly the armor of God.

spiritual strengthscripture studyprayersacramentcovenants
EP
Elder Patricio M. Giuffra
Seventy
Saturday Afternoon

Trusting the Lord Through Tithes and Offerings

Elder Giuffra told of teaching a 70-year-old woman in Chile who washed clothes to pay for her room, firewood, and food, and believed she could never pay tithing. His mission president read him the account of the widow's mite and said, "You are no one to deny this sister the blessings of the law of tithing." After the missionaries fasted and prayed, she told them she had asked Heavenly Father to help her live the law; she was baptized and faithfully paid tithing and fast offerings. He testified that tithing can break generational cycles of poverty and that we keep commandments because we love God, not merely for the blessings.

You are no one to deny this sister the blessings of the law of tithing. There are no exceptions to this commandment.

We keep the commandments because we love God, not merely because we hope to receive the blessings that come from obedience.

The law of tithing is a law of faith.

tithingfast offeringsfaithobediencemissionary work
EJ
Elder Jeremiah J. Morgan
Seventy
Saturday Afternoon

The Infinite Power of God in Our Covenants

Elder Morgan was raised in a different church that also believes in the Book of Mormon; his single mother read it aloud to him every morning before school. At 14 he secretly attended a Latter-day Saint congregation from behind the accordion doors and gained a testimony. Pondering why, his wife Rebecca said, "It was covenants" — the temple covenants his ancestors made in Nauvoo, who had been baptized by Oliver Cowdery in 1831. He taught that covenants are generational, with no time limit, and urged parents of wandering children: "Your family story is not all written."

No time or effort is ever wasted in reading the Book of Mormon — not for you, not for your children, not for anyone.

Don't ever give up. Your story, your family story is not all written. God is the author and the finisher of it.

I am a standing, breathing, believing demonstration of God's love and the power of God in covenants.

covenantsBook of Mormonconversionfamilyhope for wanderers
EH
Elder Hutch U. Fale
Seventy
Saturday Afternoon

I Am a Child of God

Elder Fale taught that knowing our identity as beloved children of heavenly parents is essential to happiness and protects against deception. He showed his children their baby pictures and asked what they had done to earn their parents' love — "Nothing" — teaching that they could not earn it and cannot lose it. He warned against the adversary's twisted lie that God's love means we can be saved regardless of pride, rebellion, or rejection of Christ. Understanding the Father's love helps us understand Jesus Christ, makes us immune to the world's divisive labels, and refutes the lie that it is ever too late to change.

You did not earn it. You cannot lose it. It is yours forever.

We become immune to the divisive and misleading labels of our fallen world.

There is still yet time if we turn to Christ today.

divine identityGod's lovefamilylabelsrepentance
EP
Elder Patrick Kearon
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Saturday Afternoon

Jesus Lives to Lift

Answering President Uchtdorf's teasing request for "more aviation," Elder Kearon described learning to fly gliders as a teenager with the Royal Air Force. Gliders stay aloft by finding invisible rising air called "lift" and avoiding sinking air called "sink" — you cannot see either, but you can feel them. Spiritually, the Holy Ghost helps us feel lift and sink; if we aren't actively climbing, we are slowly descending. He gave a simple pattern: find a faithful guide, tune in to the Spirit, join others who are climbing, turn decisively away from sink, and show others where to rise.

Jesus Christ loves to lift.

In gliding, if you're not actively climbing in lift, you are descending.

Your Savior is your lift. He is your ever-rising air. There is no limit to how high you can climb with Him.

Holy Ghostspiritual momentumgraceministeringdiscipleship
EM
Elder Michael A. Dunn
Seventy
Saturday Afternoon

The 90 and 10

Elder Dunn told of running a 100-mile ultramarathon in 1998 with his friend Ted, who promised to run the second half with him. At mile 90, Elder Dunn collapsed and said, "I give up." Ted knelt and said, "I know you can do this, Mike, and I'm going to get you there." Ted let him finish the last 100 yards alone — and only later, in a photo, did Elder Dunn see Ted had been carrying his water bottles and pack the whole last 10 miles. So the Savior carries our burdens, often unseen: He rescues not by shortening our course but by helping us lengthen our stride.

The Redeemer rescues not by shortening our course, but by helping us lengthen our stride.

Feeling broken does not mean you've been abandoned by God.

Sometimes the God who makes the impossible possible can part seas and move mountains. Other times, He simply sends us a Ted.

burdensgraceendurancefriendshipministering
EM
Elder Matthew J. Eyring
Seventy
Saturday Afternoon

Comfort From the Holy Ghost

Echoing Sister Runia's "I can't fix this," Elder Eyring shared a friend's sudden loss of a married son and a young couple's loss of one of their twins before birth — a loss he and his wife had also experienced. He taught that all of us will face burdens we cannot carry alone, and that in an increasingly turbulent world we will not survive spiritually without the constant influence of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter. Quoting President Oaks on the literal, universal resurrection, he testified that Christ spares us from the only two sources of permanent misery: separation from our bodies and separation from God.

All of us, regardless of experience, talent, or willpower, will sooner or later encounter burdens we cannot possibly carry ourselves.

Living worthy of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost should be one of our highest priorities.

Without divine comfort, we risk losing hope. And without hope, we can lose our faith and stop trying.

comfortHoly Ghostgriefresurrectionhope
ER
Elder Ronald A. Rasband
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Saturday Afternoon

Love Like Jesus

Elder Rasband spoke to everyone whose heart aches for loved ones who have turned away from the Lord, acknowledging that he and Sister Rasband share that grief. Lecturing, cajoling, and even sending conference links often widen the rift. Quoting "the battle is not yours, but God's," he invited listeners to turn their despair over to Jesus Christ: "We cannot change their hearts, but He can." Love — not sanctioning choices, but staying interested, with arms outstretched — is the answer, along with faith-filled prayer like Alma the Elder's for his son. He gave three suggestions: let go of guilt, never let a problem become more important than a person, and remember that Jesus Christ is the answer.

In the vernacular, Jesus Christ says to all who grieve, "I've got this."

We fail only when we give up and we stop trying. So never, never give up on those you love.

Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.

wayward loved onesloveprayerhopeAtonement
PH
President Henry B. Eyring
First Counselor, First Presidency
Sunday Morning

Fear Not, I Am With Thee

President Eyring testified that the promises in the hymn "How Firm a Foundation," drawn from Isaiah 41, are true — but that the promise is not the removal of challenges. He recalled asking his mother as a boy why life was so hard; she answered, "Of course it's hard. It's supposed to be. Life is a test," while she herself endured lifelong illness. He described his father sleeping on a cot by her hospital bed and, after she died, thanking every nurse on the ward. Quoting President Kimball that God usually meets our needs through another person, he thanked members who pray to know whom to help, lift discouraged missionaries, and sustain leaders — helping the Lord keep His promise to succor His children.

It is important to realize that the promise is not for the removal of challenges.

Hal, of course it's hard. It's supposed to be. Life is a test.

He keeps His promises both through the Holy Spirit and through His loving, true and faithful disciples.

adversityGod's promisesministeringservicecomfort
PR
President Rosemary K. Chibota
Primary General President
Sunday Morning

A Child of God

In her first address as the new Primary General President, President Chibota shared the southern African greeting "Sawubona," meaning "I see you" — an acknowledgment of another's worth. The Savior truly saw people: the woman at the well, the man at the pool of Bethesda, even the rich young man He "beholding him loved." She told of a school janitor who tearfully thanked her for her daughter: "Very few students know my name. Your daughter sees me." She taught that our identity is inherited, not achieved, and that labels can never capture who we are. She invited listeners to learn the name of someone who feels unseen, pray to see others as God sees them, and replace worldly labels with "child of God, child of the covenant, disciple of Jesus Christ."

Our identity is not something we achieve; it is something we inherit as beloved sons and daughters of God.

His grace is sufficient to lift you above every label and limitation.

I see you. More importantly, your Heavenly Father sees you. Your Savior Jesus Christ sees you.

divine identityseeing otherslabelsbelongingministering
EN
Elder Neil L. Andersen
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Sunday Morning

Courage Born of Our Faith in Jesus Christ

Elder Andersen welcomed President Chibota, who at 17 read a Joseph Smith pamphlet in Zimbabwe and received a witness. He taught that discipleship has always required spiritual courage born of faith — like Moroni, alone, declaring "I will not deny the Christ." Recalling summer days herding cows on his family's dairy farm with no phone, he said we need stillness to nourish faith amid a flood of "information, misinformation, and now artificial information." Faith and courage reinforce each other: in private prayer, in accepting callings (as young attorney Dallin H. Oaks did), and in trials — like a Spokane family who lost their home to fire and said, "Our family is safe, and our faith is secure."

Times have changed, but our spirits have not changed. We need stillness to nourish our faith in Christ.

Our faith in Christ gives us the courage to choose the right, and as we manifest our courage to choose the right, our faith in Christ grows.

The greatest battle of life is fought within the silent chambers of your own soul.

couragefaithstillnessdiscipleshiptechnology
EJ
Elder James G. O. Fantone
Seventy
Sunday Morning

Take Upon Us His Name

Enrolling his daughter in school, Elder Fantone accidentally signed his own name where hers belonged — then fixed it easily by adding "Amanda" in front, since her name is Amanda James Fantone. That "quick fix" contrasted with the Savior's invitation: not to add His name to ours like a badge, but to take His name upon us by covenant through a lifelong determination to serve. He told of his parents in the Philippines giving up their children's bedrooms to a student and to a vulnerable family, and of homesick missionaries who a year later wished time would slow down. "Time did not change. The missionaries did."

The Savior's invitation is not merely for us to add His name to our name like a badge of religious affiliation.

Time did not change. The missionaries did. The work did not change — but the workers did.

Service is the very fiber of which an exalted life in the celestial kingdom is made.

taking His nameservicecovenantsconversionmissionary work
EE
Elder Edward Dube
Presidency of the Seventy
Sunday Morning

Come Unto Christ

Elder Dube recalled that in 1987, as a young missionary, he saw then-Elder Dallin H. Oaks ask that a "Trespassers will be prosecuted" sign be removed from the mission office gate to avoid any impression of exclusion. From Moroni's invitation he drew three truths: "Come" is an action; "deny yourselves" means letting go of what holds us back; and "be perfected in Him" means we come as we are. He told of a ministering visit to Randall Child, who was struggling to quit smoking; invited to set a sealing date, Randall and his wife chose August 5 and were sealed two months later. His wife's answer to prayer: "Randall doesn't need to be perfect. He needs to do the very best he can."

We do not need to perfect ourselves to come to Christ. We come to Christ to be perfected.

The adversary wants us to hang that sign on the gate of our heart.

Randall doesn't need to be perfect. He needs to do the very best he can.

come unto Christgracerepentancetemplesministering
EQ
Elder Quentin L. Cook
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Sunday Morning

Integrity and Virtue Lead to Happiness

Elder Cook recalled the stone inscription that inspired young missionary David O. McKay in Scotland: "What e'er thou art, act well thy part." He taught that integrity, virtue, and happiness are intrinsically linked in the Father's plan, noting that the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence reminds us its founders tied "the pursuit of happiness" to virtuous living. He condemned coarse, crude conduct online and any use of the internet to bully or destroy a reputation, calling members to be peacemakers. The ultimate reward of integrity and virtue is the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. He shared a WWII veteran he taught as a missionary who likened repentance to kneeling on his home soil after returning from war.

What e'er thou art, act well thy part.

Any use of the internet to bully, destroy a reputation, or place a person in a bad light is reprehensible.

Integrity, virtue, and ongoing repentance are the answer in a world where coarse language and serious challenges are so prevalent.

integrityvirtuehappinesscivilityrepentance
EA
Elder Alfred Kyungu
Seventy
Sunday Morning

Using the Language of Peacemakers

Elder Kyungu took up President Oaks's April 2026 invitation to "forgo contention by using the language and methods of peacemakers," calling it "not a simple suggestion" but a call to discipleship. Citing Proverbs, Matthew, Ephesians, and Colossians on the power of words, he listed hurtful phrases to abandon — "You are useless," "What is wrong with you?", "You never listen" — and phrases that build peace: "I respect your view," "We can work this out," "I'm sorry," "I forgive you," "Let us start again." As the converted Lamanites buried their weapons of war, we can bury the language of contention. Because "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh," filling our hearts with the doctrine of Christ changes our language.

It is not a simple suggestion; it is a call to discipleship as we follow Jesus Christ.

As the converted Lamanites buried the weapons of war, for peace, we too can bury the language of contention for peace.

This peace is real. It is powerful, and it begins with us — with our hearts, our choices, and our words.

peacemakingwordscontentionfamily relationshipsforgiveness
EC
Elder Ciro Schmeil
Seventy
Sunday Morning

Consider Your Ways, and From This Day Will I Bless You

Elder Schmeil focused on two of the "divine helps for mortality" President Oaks has taught: the Savior Jesus Christ and covenants. Through humility and faith, Christ makes weak things become strong, and covenants yoke us to Him so our burdens become light. He emphasized that the sacrament prayer reminds us we need not be perfect to partake — only willing. From Haggai, he noted the Israelites were "sowing much and bringing in little," earning wages "to put into a bag with holes," because they neglected the Lord's house; once they began rebuilding the temple, the Lord said, "From this day will I bless you." We too should consider our ways and prioritize our covenant relationship with God.

We do not need to be perfect to partake of the sacrament.

Although they were doing much, they were not accomplishing much because God's holy house was not a priority in their lives.

God knows what is best for us and is eager to bless us.

covenantssacramenttemplesprioritiesweakness to strength
PD
President Dallin H. Oaks
President of the Church
Sunday Morning

The Gospel of Jesus Christ Is for All

President Oaks declared that this is the Church of Jesus Christ because it is His Church, and that the way to overcome every concern — including questions or doubts — is to draw closer to Jesus Christ. Expressing special concern for members of diminishing faith, he said the Lord "is relentless in His loving pursuit of each of you." He taught there is no ultimate conflict between knowledge gained through the scientific method and through the spiritual method, urged members to "never let your secular learning limit your spiritual horizons," and to hold to the first Article of Faith while waiting on the Lord. Drawing on the Book of Mormon, he testified that God's grace is for all — "black and white, bond and free" — and that the Lord will one day bring forth His teachings to all nations, including the lost tribes.

He is relentless in His loving pursuit of each of you.

Never let your secular learning limit your spiritual horizons.

We are all a work in progress. We need to be patient with one another and, occasionally, even with ourselves.

faith in Christdoubtscience and religionhumilityGod's love for all
PD
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Acting President, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Sunday Afternoon

Christ-Centered Unity

President Uchtdorf recalled being baptized at age eight in a public swimming pool, thinking, "The pool is getting deeper and deeper, and I can't swim!" Spiritual growth, like an exponential curve, starts gradually and then multiplies. Baptism is individual, yet it joins us to a covenant people. In a world as divided as the Savior's — Jews and Samaritans, Pharisees and publicans — Christ broke down "the middle wall of partition," while Satan seeks to isolate us by magnifying differences. What unites the Church is not politics, culture, or interests but love of God and neighbor and our covenants. He noted the sacrament is the only ordinance in which we are not addressed by name — it is performed for all who partake — a weekly reminder that "we are not alone."

If we are not one, we are not His.

Unity won't magically happen in the next life if we haven't earnestly tried to learn it here.

The sacrament is a weekly reminder, a sacred reminder, that we are not alone. We have the Savior, and we have each other.

unitybaptismsacramentbelongingpeacemaking
SA
Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus
Second Counselor, Young Women General Presidency
Sunday Afternoon

God Is at Your Side

Speaking to young women, Sister Spannaus recalled making a list of aspirations as a youth after studying the 13th Article of Faith. When her GPS mistakenly kept telling her to turn off a freeway, her husband could guide her only once she gave him her exact location — and "the Lord knows where you are; He has your exact location." She offered seven ways to stay close to God: partake of the sacrament humbly, repent daily, study scripture to know God's character, learn about ministering angels, protect your sleep, limit cell phone use (social media is "a thief of our peace of mind"), and seek faith-reinforcing friends. After a discouraging day teaching in her still-new English, a priesthood blessing told her the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost were at her side.

The Lord knows where you are; He has your exact location and can guide you.

Knowing everything about you does not make Him love you less.

The Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are at your side.

youthdivine identityaspirationssocial mediaGodhead
EM
Elder Moisés Villanueva
Seventy
Sunday Afternoon

Prove Me Now Herewith

Elder Villanueva's family was baptized when he was 10; his mother, separated and supporting eight children, chose to trust Malachi's promise and pay a full tithe. He counseled a sister whose testimony of tithing weakened because she never received the promotion she hoped for, inviting her — as Elder Bednar taught — to list the "significant but subtle blessings" that are easy to overlook. His own list included steady work, good health, preserved possessions, education, gratitude, and guidance from the Holy Ghost. Another sister felt her propane tank lasted far longer than expected, like Israel's clothes that did not wax old and the widow of Zarephath's barrel of meal that did not waste.

Sometimes we expect the Lord's blessings to come the way we would wish, rather than in His own way and timing.

Have you ever asked yourselves whether the Lord has caused your personal possessions to last longer because you have faithfully lived the law of tithing?

He gives us commandments because He wants us to receive His blessings.

tithingsubtle blessingsgratitudefaithtrust
ED
Elder David A. Bednar
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Sunday Afternoon

Sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise

Quoting President Boyd K. Packer that ordinances and covenants are "our credentials for admission into His presence," Elder Bednar told of a traveler turned away at a border because his valid passport had been damaged and repaired with tape. The integrity of spiritual credentials must likewise be maintained — though adversity we experience through no fault of our own never invalidates our covenants. He taught that the Holy Spirit of Promise ratifies ordinances over time as we repent and keep covenants. Explaining the "lateral" (husband-wife) and "vertical" (into God's family) dimensions of a temple sealing, he declared that another person's unrighteous choices can never rob a faithful covenant keeper of any promised blessing.

The integrity of a passport must be maintained over time.

Unrighteousness by one person cannot hinder or thwart the flow of God's love, strength, and blessings to another person.

No faithful disciple will ultimately be deprived of any eternal blessing God has promised because of another individual's unrighteous exercise of moral agency.

covenantsordinancesHoly Spirit of Promisesealingdivorce and heartache
ET
Elder Thabo Lebethoa
Seventy
Sunday Afternoon

Jesus Christ Is the Light and Life of the World

Elder Lebethoa explained that his name "Thabo" means "joy" and his wife's middle name means "eternal" — together "eternal joy" — which made their first serious argument and silent treatment all the more humbling. The Savior's words to the Nephites that contention is "not of me" enlightened his mind. Whatever our concerns, "the answer is always Jesus Christ," who brings light into darkness. He gave three ways to receive more of the Savior's light: increase faith in Christ, study the scriptures daily (consistency matters more than method), and practice daily repentance. He told of a man in South Africa who, after reading the Book of Mormon, dug a hole in his garden and buried a newly bought tin of coffee.

Whatever concerns, challenges, and struggles we may have in our lives, the answer is always Jesus Christ.

Through Him, today can be a new day and tomorrow can be a better day.

The method, timing, and length of our scripture study matter less than the consistency and sincerity of our effort.

light of Christcontentionscripture studyrepentancemarriage
EP
Elder Paul H. Sinclair
Seventy
Sunday Afternoon

Quick to Help, Slow to Judge

During a Primary program, Elder Sinclair watched a boy named James button his jacket sleeve to his lapel and get stuck in a "one-arm straitjacket." While Elder Sinclair grew aggravated, the little girl beside James simply reached over with "tiny, nonjudgmental fingers" and freed him — a "quiet rebuke" that led to a spiritual reorientation. He drew on the Savior's encounter with the woman at the well: Jesus knew everything about her, yet spoke with dignity, not shame, and offered living water. Disciples must look not only at people's past but at "their possible." He invited members to welcome friends and new converts at "modern-day wells" with the same Christlike help.

A true disciple of Jesus Christ is quick to help and slow to judge.

He did not hold her hostage to her history. He trusted her with truth.

She walked to the well that day as a pariah. She walked away from the well with a purpose.

judgmentcompassionministeringnew membersdiscipleship
EG
Elder Gary E. Stevenson
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Sunday Afternoon

Fruit to Make One Happy

Speaking especially to Primary children at the end of a long conference ("just one more talk"), Elder Stevenson showed a childhood photo with his father at a fruit stand and turned to Lehi's vision of the tree whose fruit was "desirable to make one happy." Gospel truths, like fruit, become sweet when we taste them by living them. He shared three favorite fruits: we are children of a loving Heavenly Father (illustrated by a young boy who ran to the stand to sing "I Am a Child of God" after an earthquake in South America); the great plan of happiness (a grieving Buddhist priest in Japan whose countenance changed on learning where his wife's spirit was); and the gift of the Holy Ghost. He invited children to "love, share, and invite."

Gospel truths are the same. They become sweet to us as we live them, bringing us happiness and joy.

This is why Jesus Christ is the strength of youth.

Love, share, and invite.

childrenplan of happinessdivine identityHoly Ghostsharing the gospel
BG
Brother Gabriel W. Reid
Second Counselor, Sunday School General Presidency
Sunday Afternoon

You Are Good Enough to Teach

Brother Reid laughed about a headline announcing the new Sunday School leaders as "men involved in Church education and an NFL player" — he hopes people think he's one of the scholars. Feeling inadequate, he noticed that whenever the Savior called someone to teach, He gave a promise: "I will make you fishers of men." He described his first gospel classroom — a home in Leone, American Samoa, with 13 children — and Primary classes under a mango tree, where teachers' love helped him feel the Savior's love. Addressing the new Sunday schedule, he said shorter lessons "are not a limitation; they are an invitation" to help learners connect with the Savior sooner. To teach like the Savior, we must love like the Savior.

The impact of a gospel teacher is not just the message — it is the love of the messenger.

If class members leave the lesson feeling closer to the Savior than when they came, we have taught enough.

To teach like the Savior, we must love like the Savior!

teachingloveinadequacySunday schedulediscipleship
EC
Elder Clark G. Gilbert
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Sunday Afternoon

Teach Truth With Love

"It takes courage to stand for truth. It takes even more courage to stand for truth with love." Elder Gilbert amplified five principles from a devotional he gave with President Oaks: avoid overly contentious settings; find common ground first (he once listened for two hours to five struggling members before inviting them to stake conference); be a light; hold to truth even in our outreach; and stay anchored in Jesus Christ. He admitted once "winning the debate" with a bitter friend but losing the Spirit. Quoting Elder Holland, he noted that Christ never withheld His love from anyone, but never said that love exempted anyone from His commandments. Truth and love always walk together.

It takes courage to stand for truth. It takes even more courage to stand for truth with love.

I may have won the debate, but I lost the Spirit and failed to help my struggling friend.

Being a light opens more doors than any pointed argument ever will.

truth and lovepeacemakingcontentioncovenantscharity
PD
President Dallin H. Oaks
President of the Church
Sunday Afternoon

Concluding Remarks

President Oaks invited all to study, ponder, and act in faith on the conference messages, citing the Lord's promise, "Unto him that receiveth I will give more." He invited the world, in person or virtually, to the Salt Lake Temple celebration, with the temple's doors opening April 5, 2027, and announced that the first episode of a new video series, "Dedicate," would premiere worldwide after the session, with a virtual tour of the Salt Lake Temple to come. He blessed members with peace and contentment in their service in these challenging times.

As the talks of this conference are published, we invite all to study and ponder them prayerfully, and to act in faith on the principles they explain.

We bless your service of the Lord Jesus Christ in these challenging times.

Salt Lake Templeconference studyblessingtestimony