Church members around the world “tuned in” — either in the Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City or via broadcast — to listen to the second session of the 187th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day-day Saints on Saturday morning, April 1.
President Thomas S. Monson presided at the meeting; he was accompanied by his counselors in the First Presidency, President Henry B. Eyring and President Dieter F. Uchtdorf.
“The work of gathering Heavenly Father’s family is not just for young people, and it is not just for their grandparents. It is for everyone. We are all gatherers,” President Eyring taught during the session’s address.
“Our Heavenly Father is anxious to gather and bless all of His family,” he said. “While He knows that not all of them will choose to be gathered, His plan gives each of His children the opportunity to accept or reject His invitation. And families are at the heart of this plan.”
President Russell M. Nelson, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, concluded the session by speaking about “drawing the power of Jesus Christ into our lives.”
“Challenges, controversies and complexities swirl around us,” said the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “These turbulent times were foreseen. The Savior, Himself, warned that in our day, the adversary would stir up anger in the hearts of men and lead them astray. Yet, our Heavenly Father never intended that we would deal with the maze of personal problems and social issues on our own.
“God so loved us that He sent His only begotten Son to help us. And His Son, Jesus Christ gave His life for us. All so that we could have access to godly power — power sufficient to deal with the burdens, obstacles, and temptations of our day.”
Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles encouraged Church members to follow the example of Heavenly Father and the Savior in treating others with love and compassion.
“The Savior’s compassion in the face of our imperfections draws us toward Him and motivates us in our repeated struggles to repent and emulate Him. As we become more like Him, we learn to treat others as He does, regardless of any outward characteristic or behavior,” Elder Renlund said.
Other speakers during the session included Brother M. Joseph Brough of the Young Men general presidency; Elders Weatherford T. Clayton and Mark A. Bragg, General Authority Seventies; and Elder Ulisses Soares of the Presidency of the Seventy.
President Uchtdorf conducted the session and Elder Kim B. Clark and Elder Jorge F. Zeballos, both General Authority Seventies, offered the prayers.
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, directed by Mack Wilberg and Ryan Murphy with Clay Christiansen and Richard Elliott at the organ, provided music during the session.
