Saturday afternoon session: See photos, read summaries from April 2024 general conference
Elders Bednar, Cook and Gong speak, with Elder Stevenson conducting the Saturday afternoon session
Conferencegoers file in before the Saturday afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 6, 2024. Megan Nielsen, Deseret News
The Saturday afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference marked a rare time a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has conducted a session of general conference.
Church President Russell M. Nelson, center; President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, left, and President Henry B. Erying, second counselor in the First Presidency, stand during the Saturday afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 2024. | Cristy Powell, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Sister Milica Pauković of Serbia scans the tickets of conferencegoers before the Saturday afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 6, 2024. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News
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Conferencegoers file in before the Saturday afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 6, 2024. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News
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Someone holds a sign to try and get a ticket before the Saturday afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 6, 2024. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News
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Conferencegoers file in while it snows before the Saturday afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 6, 2024. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News
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Elder Gary E. Stevenson, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, conducts the afternoon session at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 6, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks during the Saturday afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 2024. | Cristy Powell, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Elder Massimo De Feo, General Authority Seventy, speaks during the Saturday afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 2024. | Cristy Powell, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Elder Brent H. Nielsen of the Presidency of the Seventy speaks during the Saturday afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 2024. | Cristy Powell, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Elder Jose L. Alonso, General Authority Seventy, speaks during the Saturday afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 2024. | Cristy Powell, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks during the Saturday afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 2024. | Cristy Powell, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Brother Michael T. Nelson, second counselor in the Young Men general presidency, speaks during the Saturday afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 2024. | Cristy Powell, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks during the Saturday afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 2024. | Cristy Powell, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Conferencegoers file in before the Saturday afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 6, 2024. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News
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Göran Wern, Daniel Palm, Olle Ståhlberg and Helena Österlund of the Handen ward, Stockholm South Stake, translate the Saturday morning session of General Conference into Swedish on April 6. | Helena Österlund
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Elder Gary E. Stevenson, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, conducts the afternoon session at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 6, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Sister Milica Pauković of Serbia scans the tickets of conferencegoers before the Saturday afternoon session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 6, 2024. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News
In the first address of the session, Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles noted the often hectic pace of modern life and “the busyness, noise, diversions, distractions and detours that so often seem to demand our attention.”
However, “as the foundation of our lives is built upon the Savior, we are blessed to ‘be still’ — to have a spiritual assurance that God is our Heavenly Father, we are His children, and Jesus Christ is our Savior,” Elder Bednar said.
Elder Bednar was one of three Apostles who spoke during the afternoon session on April 6: Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum also spoke with Elder Quentin L. Cook offering the concluding address.
“Oneness with Christ and our Heavenly Father can be obtained through the Savior’s Atonement,” Elder Cook testified.
There are no economic, race, gender or ethnicity requirements for baptism — all qualifications are spiritual, and all people are invited to partake of the Lord’s goodness, he said.
A combined choir from BYU–Idaho performed “All Glory, Laud and Honor,” “God Loved Us, So He Sent His Son,” “How Great the Wisdom and the Love,” and “We Will Sing of Zion” under the direction of Paul Busselberg, Randall Kempton, Eda Ashby and Atina Coates with organists Joseph Peeples and Linda Margetts.