President Dallin H. Oaks, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, closed the Sunday afternoon session of the October 2025 general conference. The following is a summary of what he said.
President Oaks’ talk summary
The Church’s doctrine centers on the family. “Our relationship to God and the purpose of our mortal life are explained in terms of the family.” The gospel plan’s intended destiny is to exalt God’s children in eternal families.
Marriages and birthrates are declining. ”It is vital that Latter-day Saints do not lose their understanding of the purpose of marriage and the value of children. That is the future for which we strive.”
Latter-day Saints have a God-given responsibility to teach their children to prepare for eternity. They can do this even through divorce, death and separation.
Parents, single or married, and others like grandparents who fill that role, are the master teachers for children.
Have love and patience for family members who do not embrace gospel values and expectations. Repentance and spiritual growth are still possible.
Families unite when they do meaningful things together, such as gardening, camping, sports activities, recreation, reunions, working in the yard and home, learning languages and more. Families flourish when they learn together and counsel together.
Blessings come to families as they pray and worship together, share family stories, create traditions and share sacred experiences.
The sealing powers in the temple bring families together for eternity.
Read the full text of President Oaks’ talk: ‘The Family-Centered Gospel of Jesus Christ’
“The doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints centers on the family. ”
“Parents — single or married and others like grandparents who fill that role for children — are the master teachers.”
“Many parents will find that they can turn their family on if they all turn their technologies off. And parents remember, what those children really want for dinner is time with you.”
See more quotes, stories, video clips and other study helps for this talk
Who is President Oaks?
- President Dallin H. Oaks was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1984 and as the first counselor in the First Presidency in January 2018. In 2022, he became the 19th latter-day apostle to reach the age of 90. Following President Russell M. Nelson’s death, he began leading the Church as president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
- President Oaks was a law clerk to Chief Justice Earl Warren at the U.S. Supreme Court and served as a Utah Supreme Court justice until his call to apostleship in 1984.
- As president of Brigham Young University from 1971 to 1980, he oversaw creation of the J. Reuben Clark Law School and the graduate business school.
- President Oaks and his late wife, Sister June Dixon Oaks, are the parents of six children. She died July 21, 1998. On Aug. 25, 2000, he married Sister Kristen M. McMain in the Salt Lake Temple.
What has President Oaks done recently?
- In the April 2025 general conference, President Oaks spoke about God’s mortal helps or gifts for His children.
- On Sept. 29, he issued a statement about the death of President Nelson and about the mass shooting at a Latter-day Saint chapel in Michigan.
- On Sept. 30, he spoke at a tribute to President Nelson from the Salt Lake Tabernacle.
- In July, he was in Belgium, where he taught European Latter-day Saints that following Christ is “a continuous commitment and way of life.’
- He taught new mission leaders in June why a testimony of Joseph Smith is vital to missionary work.
- As part of the First Presidency, he met with a Hindu spiritual leader and also ambassadors from Portugal and the Dominican Republic on Temple Square and sent a statement of good will to the new Catholic pope.
Read more of President Oaks’ general conference addresses, or follow him on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X/Twitter.
