Elder Peter M. Johnson, General Authority Seventy, spoke during the Sunday morning session of October 2025 general conference about the power of ministering to the one. The following is a summary of what he said.
Elder Johnson’s talk summary
In his message at the October 2024 general conference, President Russell M. Nelson encouraged everyone to prepare for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and promised that regular worship in the temple will enable “every sincere seeker” to find the Savior in the temple.
How do members “become” and “help one another become” devoted disciples of Jesus Christ and worship in the house of the Lord?
The answer: “We minister to the one.”
Ministering in the Savior’s way means showing love without judgment, along with compassion, kindness and patience. By ministering to the one, individuals feel invited to come unto Jesus Christ and worship in the house of the Lord, where they receive His redeeming power.
“In other words, we help one another become devoted disciples as we minister to the one in ways that lead to the house of the Lord.”
In the scriptures, Jesus Christ and His apostles exemplified how to minister to the one with love and without judgement.
A member’s ability to minister to others can be enhanced by living the doctrine of Christ, along with daily scripture study and partaking of the sacrament weekly.
Read the full text of Elder Johnson’s talk: ‘The Power of Ministering to the One’
Notable quotes
“Christ ministered to the one with love and as a result, others became His devoted disciples.”
“At times we will have unanswered questions and feelings of being unimportant, discouraged, alone and unseen; however, my friends, we must press forward with faith in Jesus Christ.”
“Our ability to live the doctrine of Christ will be enhanced by daily study of the Book of Mormon and weekly partaking of the sacrament.”
See more quotes, stories, video clips and other study helps for this talk
Who is Elder Johnson?
- Elder Peter M. Johnson was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 6, 2019.
- Elder Johnson was born on Nov. 29, 1966, in Jamaica, Queens, New York City.
- Elder Johnson was raised in a religiously diverse family — one parent affiliated with the Baptist Church, another with the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and early on he joined the Nation of Islam and became Muslim. Later he accepted a basketball scholarship to BYU–Hawaii, which started him on the path to join the Church.
- Elder Johnson received bachelor’s and a masters’ degrees in accounting from Southern Utah University and a doctorate in accounting from Arizona State University.
- During his career, he was an associate professor at BYU–Hawaii, assistant professor of accountancy at BYU and associate professor of accountancy at the University of Alabama.
- He was baptized in 1986 and one year later entered the mission field. He served in the Alabama Birmingham Mission. After his mission, Elder Johnson played college basketball at Southern Utah University.
- Elder Johnson married Stephanie Lyn Chadwick in the Salt Lake Temple on June 4, 1990.
- Elder and Sister Johnson served as leaders of the England Manchester Mission from 2020 to 2022.
What has Elder Johnson done recently?
- Elder Johnson last spoke during the October 2019 general conference on “Power to Overcome the Adversary.”
- On Sept. 27, Elder Johnson presided at the groundbreaking ceremony of the future Fairbanks Alaska Temple.
- Elder Johnson spoke at a BYU–Idaho devotional in March 2023, teaching students how the doctrine of Christ offers “the power to overcome.”
- In November 2022, Elder Johnson taught students about the Savior’s Atonement at a BYU devotional.
- In June 2021, Elder Johnson narrated his life story of discovering his divine identity through the gospel of Jesus Christ in a Church video titled “Running Toward the Light.”
Read Elder Johnson’s previous general conference address.
