President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, spoke during the Sunday morning session of April 2026 general conference about the messages of the empty tomb and Christ’s Resurrection. The following is a summary of what he said.
President Uchtdorf’s talk summary
Nearly 2,000 years ago, a small group of women arrived at the open and empty tomb where Christ’s body had been laid after His Crucifixion, with two heavenly messengers pronouncing He had risen.
“This encounter at the empty tomb changed them forever. It changed the world. … Because of what happened on that Sunday morning, we can speak of Jesus Christ in the present tense. He lives. Today. At this moment.”
The first witnesses of the world’s greatest event, Mary and her friends, learned for themselves the glorious truth of Christ’s Resurrection.
“We must do the same. We must encounter the empty tomb, experience the reality of what it means and in turn share that witness with others. …
“We did not see what she and the other women saw. But we can ask ourselves: What have we seen, felt or experienced? Shall we not, therefore, become witnesses of Jesus Christ? Shall we not share our love for Him with others?”
Christ has risen, and He lives. “That testimony has made all the difference in my life. That encounter at the tomb will do the same for all who earnestly seek Him. It will make a difference to you.”
Read the full text of Elder Uchtdorf’s talk: ‘Encounter at the Empty Tomb’
Notable quotes
“He lives indeed. That testimony has made all the difference in my life. That encounter at the tomb will do the same for all who earnestly seek Him. It will make a difference to you.”
“Because of what happened on that Sunday morning, we can speak of Jesus Christ in the present tense. He lives. Today. At this moment.”
“We can ask ourselves: what have we seen, felt or experienced? Shall we not, therefore, become witnesses of Jesus Christ? Shall we not share our love for Him with others?”
Who is President Uchtdorf?
- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 2004. He served as second counselor in the First Presidency under President Thomas S. Monson, from February 2008 to January 2018.
- From 1965 to 1996, he was a pilot, captain and corporate executive for the German airline Lufthansa.
- Twice in his life, he and his family have been refugees. When he was 4 years old, World War II forced his family from Czechoslovakia. Years later, the Uchtdorfs fled their home in East Germany in search of safety in West Germany.
- He met his wife, Sister Harriet Reich Uchtdorf, in their teens attending a branch in Frankfurt, Germany, soon after she and her family joined the Church. Years later, following Elder Uchtdorf joining the German air force and completing his training in the United States, they began a courtship and were soon married in the Swiss Temple (now the Bern Switzerland Temple) in 1962. They are the parents of two children.
What has President Uchtdorf done recently?
- In the October 2025 general conference, President Uchtdorf spoke about discipleship and doing one’s part.
- President Uchtdorf was named as acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and set apart Jan. 8, 2026.
- In a March 2026 devotional at Brigham Young University–Hawaii, President Uchtdorf invited listeners to do good now and not wait for a future day to fully commit to living the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Read more of President Uchtdorf’s general conference addresses, or follow him on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) and YouTube.
