Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke during the Sunday morning session of April 2022 general conference. He taught about the faith, patience and refinement required to create a lasting relationship with God. The following is a summary of what he said.
Notable quotes from Elder Christofferson
“Our repentance and obedience, our service and our sacrifices do matter.”
“In the midst of this refiner’s fire, rather than get angry with God, get close to God.”
“In the end, it is the blessing of a close and abiding relationship with the Father and the Son that we seek.”
Summary of Elder Christofferson’s talk
When life doesn’t turn out as expected, some “may feel betrayed by God.” However, Heavenly Father’s plan is not “a cosmic vending machine where we select a desired blessing, insert the required sum of good works and the order is promptly delivered.”
Individuals must do their best while trusting that Heavenly Father will make good on His promises.
“Our repentance and obedience, our service and our sacrifices do matter … because they engage us in God’s work and are the means by which we collaborate with Him in our own transformation from natural man to saint.”
Heavenly Father “is willing to guide each of us along His covenant path with steps designed to our individual need and tailored to His plan for our ultimate happiness with Him.”
That path can’t be easy because of the amount of refinement needed by each of Heavenly Father’s children.
“In the midst of this refiner’s fire, rather than get angry with God, get close to God.”
“In the end, it is the blessing of a close and abiding relationship with the Father and the Son that we seek.”
About Elder Christofferson
- Elder D. Todd Christofferson has been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles since April 5, 2008.
- In 1968, he married Kathy Jacob. The two met at a football game — at the time, he had been helping with crowd control, and she was a Cougarette. They are the parents of five children.
- From 1975 to 1980, Elder Christofferson practiced law in Washington, D.C., after serving as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge John J. Sirica during the trials and other proceedings known as Watergate (1972-74).
Elder Christofferson in the news
- Speaking to BYU students at a devotional on March 22, Elder Christofferson encouraged them to ensure that God’s first great commandment is always first.
- Elder Christofferson visited with government leaders in West Africa during his ministry there from Feb. 19 to Feb. 28.
- Missionaries offer the “incomparable blessings” of repentance, baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost, opening the way to forgiveness and redemption, Elder Christofferson taught missionaries at the Provo (Utah) Missionary Training Center on Feb. 8.
- Elder Christofferson addressed those gathered on Jan. 29 to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the arrival of the Mormon Battalion in San Diego, California.
Elder Christofferson’s recent social posts
- On Feb. 8, Elder Christofferson taught that when prophets warn against sin, they are not motivated by a desire to condemn, but rather that “their true desire mirrors the love of God.”
- During his recent visit to Nigeria, Elder Christofferson was “tremendously inspired to see how the gospel of Jesus Christ is changing lives in Nigeria” and shared photos from his trip on Feb. 28.
- Elder Christofferson shared the principles he taught at a BYU devotional on March 22 about the first two great commandments to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart…” and to “love thy neighbor as thyself.” “Our love of God elevates our ability to love others more fully and perfectly because we in essence partner with God in the care of His children,” he said.
