Elder Christophe G. Giraud-Carrier, General Authority Seventy, spoke during the Sunday afternoon session of October 2023 general conference. He spoke about ministering to one another as fellow children of God. The following is a summary of what he said.
Elder Giraud-Carrier’s talk summary
From Samuel to Annanias, to the scribes and Pharisees of Christ’s day, the scriptures are full of examples of people passing judgment based on appearance and assumptions. But the Lord saw these judged people in a better way.
“In every case, the Lord saw these individuals for who they were and accordingly ministered to each one.”
To follow Christ’s example, “May we likewise not let our eyes, our ears or our fears mislead us, but open our hearts and minds and minister freely to those around us as He did.”
Though raised in different circumstances and cultures, “we have the same divine origin and the same limitless potential through the grace of Jesus Christ.”
The gospel of Jesus Christ “is the great equalizer.” When truly embraced, one comes to know that each person is a child of God.
Church members “belong to a group of people who all try to place the Savior and their covenants at the center of their lives and to live the gospel joyfully. Hence, rather than seeing each other through the distorted lens of mortality, the gospel raises our sights and allows us to see each other through the flawless unchanging lens of our sacred covenants.”
Notable quotes
“May we … not let our eyes, our ears or our fears mislead us, but open our hearts and minds, and minister freely to those around us as He did.”
“We have the same divine origin and the same limitless potential through the grace of Jesus Christ.”
“We belong to a group of people who all try to place the Savior and their covenants at the center of their lives and to live the gospel joyfully.”
See the full text of Elder Giraud-Carrier’s talk: ‘We Are His Children’
Who is Elder Giraud-Carrier?
- Elder Christophe G. Giraud-Carrier was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 1. Previous callings include president of the France Lyon Mission and a full-time missionary in the Canada Montreal Mission.
- He has worked as a senior lecturer for England’s University of Bristol and a senior manager for Switzerland’s ELCA Informatique before his 19 years as a BYU computer science professor.
- He married Isabelle Sophie Mauclair on July 16, 1988, in Cholet, France; they were sealed three days later in the Bern Switzerland Temple. They are the parents of eight children.
Learn more about what Elder Giraud-Carrier referred to in his talk
- Elder Giraud-Carrier refers to President Russell M. Nelson’s worldwide devotional from May 2022 about identity.
- Elder Giraud-Carrier quoted from Elder Gerrit W. Gong’s October 2019 general conference talk, “Covenant Belonging.”
- Elder Giraud-Carrier quoted from the song “I’ll Walk With You.” Here is that song.