Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke during the women’s session of April 2022 general conference. His talk centered on truths in the Young Women theme. The following is a summary of what he said.
Notable quotes from Elder Renlund
“God loves you because you are His spirit daughter.”
“Heavenly Father’s prescribed path leads to the best eternal outcomes.”
“I invite you to center your life on Jesus Christ and remember the foundational truths in the Young Women theme.”
Summary of Elder Renlund’s talk
The Young Women theme contains many eternal truths.
“God loves you because you are His spirit daughter.” The Spirit communicates His love, but can be obscured by sin, strong emotions like hate or anger, or physical or mental illness.
Everyone has “heavenly parents, a father and a mother.” What is known doctrinally about Heavenly Mother is found in Gospel Topics. “Speculation will not lead to greater spiritual knowledge, but it can lead to deception or divert our focus from what has been revealed. For example, the Savior taught His disciples: ‘always pray unto the Father in my name’ (3 Nephi 18:19). We follow this pattern and direct our worship to our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ, and do not pray to Heavenly Mother.”
A divine nature is “intrinsic to who we are” and the most important identity. “Understanding this profound truth is important for everyone but especially for individuals belonging to groups who have been historically marginalized, oppressed or subjugated.”
An eternal destiny is dependent on one’s choices and can’t be forced on anyone. Like a cardiologist giving a patient an optimal treatment plan, “Heavenly Father’s prescribed path leads to the best eternal outcomes.”
About Elder Renlund
- Elder Dale G. Renlund was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Oct. 3, 2015.
- He was a professor of medicine at the University of Utah and medical director of the Utah Cardiac Transplant Program.
- Elder Renlund was born in Salt Lake City in November 1952. He married Ruth Lybbert in 1977. They are the parents of one daughter.
Elder Renlund in the news
- Speaking at the Provo (Utah) Missionary Training Center on March 23, Elder Renlund told missionaries that they don’t have to be a perfect messenger to deliver the perfect message of Christ.
- Obtaining personal revelation is a skill set that will be used throughout life, Elder Renlund taught in a broadcast to French-speaking young adults in Canada, France, Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific on Jan. 9. He also shared 14 parallels between the stethoscope and an individual’s experience with the Holy Ghost.
- At the First Presidency’s Christmas Devotional on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021, Elder Renlund shared how his parents’ testimonies of the Savior Jesus Christ influenced his own. Elder Renlund said he embarked on the covenant path with a desire to “know it, too.”
Elder Renlund’s recent social posts
- On Feb. 15, Elder Renlund explained the difference between rebellion and weakness, and how imperfect people can still serve the Lord.
- In a Nov. 5, 2021, Twitter post, Elder Renlund taught that “unity requires effort” and that discipleship to Jesus Christ should be placed above all other personal interests, viewpoints and priorities.
- Elder Renlund wrote a tribute to his older brother Gary, who recently passed away after a battle with cancer. “If more people had an older brother like Gary, more people would find it easier to have faith in Jesus Christ,” he wrote on Oct. 15, 2021.
