Elder Christopher H. Kim, General Authority Seventy, spoke during the Sunday afternoon session of April 2025 general conference. He offered three steps to avoid hardening one’s heart. The following is a summary of what he said.
Elder Kim’s talk summary
“When we harden our hearts, we are blinded, and good things cannot come into our hearts or our minds.”
What can one do to not harden one’s heart?
“First, we can practice daily repentance.” President Russell M. Nelson has taught in 2022: “Repenting is the key to progress. Pure faith keeps us moving forward on the covenant path. Please do not fear or delay repenting.”
“Second, we can practice humility.” Daily repentance brings humility to one’s heart. “We want to become humble before the Lord, like as a little child who obeys their father. We will then always have the Holy Spirit with us, and our hearts will soften. …
“Third, we can trust and rely on our Savior.” If one sincerely repents, becomes humble and trusts and relies on the Lord, one’s heart will be softened. “He will then pour out His Spirit and show us the mysteries of heaven. …
“Let us follow the example of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who followed the will of the Father. As we do so, the Lord has promised us, ‘For, behold, I will gather them as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if they will not harden their hearts’ (Doctrine and Covenants 10:65).”
Read the full text of Elder Kim’s talk: ‘Harden Not Your Heart’
Notable quotes
“When we harden our hearts, we are blinded, and good things cannot come into our hearts or our minds.”
“We want to become humble before the Lord, like as a little child who obeys their father. We will then always have the Holy Spirit with us, and our hearts will soften.”
“We can choose to harden our hearts, or we can choose to soften our hearts. In our daily lives, we can choose to do the things that invite the Lord’s Spirit to come into and dwell in our hearts.”
Who is Elder Christopher H. Kim?
- Elder Christopher H. Kim was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 6, 2024.
- He earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Brigham Young University in 1995 and Master of Business Administration from BYU in 1997.
- Elder Kim served as a full-time missionary in the Washington Seattle Mission.
- He and his wife, Sister Seongmi (Sue) Kim, were sealed in the Los Angeles California Temple and are parents to one son and three daughters.
What have others taught recently about having a softened heart?
- During the October 2024 general conference, several leaders testified of the need for humility and submissiveness to God’s will.
