President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, spoke during the Saturday morning session of April 2022 general conference. He spoke about how his missionary service has blessed his life. The following is a summary of what he said.
Notable quotes from President Ballard
“I testify that my mission is where I came to know that Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ know and love me.”
“As an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, I now call upon you young men, and those young women who desire to serve a mission, to begin right now to talk with your parents about serving a mission.”
“Commit to yourselves and to Heavenly Father that you will serve a mission and that from this time forward you will strive to keep your hearts, hands and minds clean and worthy.”
Summary of President Ballard’s talk
“I testify that my mission is where I came to know that my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ know and love me.”
He told the congregation: “The Lord knows you. When you are serving your mission, you will have experiences that will help you come to know Him better. You will grow spiritually in serving Him. … He will give you experiences with promptings of the Holy Ghost. … You can show Him that He can trust you and can rely on you.”
As an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, he called upon young men, and those young women who desire to serve a mission, to begin right now to talk with their parents about missionary service.
“Commit to yourselves and to Heavenly Father that you will serve a mission and that from this time forward you will strive to keep your hearts, hands and minds clean and worthy.”
After full-time missionary service, Latter-day Saints can build upon good habits learned, “continue to strengthen your testimony, work hard, pray and be obedient to the Lord.” Honor covenants and continue to bless and serve others.
“When you are released from your mission, remember that you are not released from activity in the Church.”
About President Ballard
- President M. Russell Ballard has been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles since 1985 and was set apart as Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Jan. 14, 2018.
- President Ballard’s great-great-grandfather is Hyrum Smith, a brother of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
- President Ballard and his wife, Sister Barbara Ballard, are the parents of five daughters and two sons. Sister Ballard died on Oct. 1, 2018.
President Ballard in the news
- From his first talk in 1976 to this conference, President Ballard shared his memories of general conference and emphasized the need to anchor faith in Christ in a Church News podcast.
- Seminary blessed his life as he grew up in a family that didn’t attend church, President Ballard told seminary and institute instructors during an online training broadcast on Friday, Jan. 21.
- President Ballard with Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated the Pocatello Idaho Temple on Nov. 7, 2021.
President Ballard’s recent social posts
- As President Ballard has attended funerals, he has noticed that the speakers focus on “their loved one’s relationships, service to others, life lessons and experiences, and their love for Jesus Christ.” “I’m not saying that having a nice home or a nice car is wrong or that using social media is bad,” he wrote on Jan. 26. “What I am saying is that in the end, those things matter very little compared to loving the Savior.”
- President Ballard recalled a decision that he made as a young adult that he has “regretted his entire life.” “If you are able, I encourage you to make a degree an integral element of your life plan,” he said on Feb. 23. “God blesses us for starting and finishing something that challenges us.”
- On Feb. 28, President Ballard wrote a brief testimony on Twitter that “Heavenly Father and Jesus will never forget us.”
