Editor’s note: To support personal and family gospel learning, the Church News is publishing articles on messages from April 2026 general conference. It is recommended to listen to or read the full address in addition to reviewing these resources.
About this talk
- “Alive in Christ”
- President Dallin H. Oaks | President of the Church
- Sunday morning session of April 2026 general conference.
- Theme: Followers of Christ follow Him by forgoing contention and by using the language and methods of peacemakers.
Read the full message here.
Read a summary of President Oaks’ message here.
Outline
I.
- The literal Resurrection of Jesus Christ is settled doctrine for believers of the Bible and Book of Mormon. For Latter-day Saints, the universal Resurrection is equally certain (see Alma 11:43-44).
- The conviction that death is not the conclusion of one’s identity changes the perspective of mortal life. Belief in the Resurrection also encourages people to fulfill family responsibilities in mortality.
II.
- The present time can be characterized as toxic, with contempt or hostility toward adversaries. This hostility affects many relationships in society.
- Christ taught how to relate to one another. He said the great commandments in the law were to love God and neighbor (see Matthew 22:37-39), and He taught to love even enemies (see Matthew 5:43-44).
- “Enemies” in the King James translation meant adversaries and any who actively oppose one another. All mortals are beloved children of God.
- A bedridden man tried to make life miserable for the nurses caring for him. After finding the man fallen out of bed and thrashing about in blood and glass, a nurse who had despised him now saw him as a child of God.
- Church President Howard W. Hunter described the pure love of Christ as kind and meek, encouraging diverse people to live together in Christian love.
III.
- Loving one’s adversaries does not mean surrendering values. Followers of Christ should seek to live peaceably and lovingly with other children of God.
- Follow the example of Jesus Christ by choosing to love others. Followers of Christ change the world when they forgo harsh and hurtful words in all their communications.
- Peacemakers include those who seek to resolve a personal controversy, involve themselves in service projects, seek to reduce human suffering and care for children. Missionaries are also peacemakers by inviting all to repent and come unto Christ.
- Followers of Christ follow Him by forgoing contention and by using the language and methods of peacemakers.
Reflection questions
Why does belief in a literal, universal resurrection change “the whole perspective of our mortal life”?
How can you live peaceably with those who don’t share your values?
When has someone shown you how to be a peacemaker?
How do your covenants guide you “in the eternal contest between truth and error”?
What does it look like to use “the language and methods of peacemakers”?
Speaker quotes
- “The conviction that death is not the conclusion of our identity changes the whole perspective of our mortal life. It affects how we look on the physical challenges of mortality. It gives us the strength and perspective to endure the mortal challenges faced by each of us and by those we love. It signifies that mortal deficiencies are only temporary! It also gives us the courage to face our own death or that of loved ones — even deaths we might call premature.”
- “Each of us can strive to follow our Savior in His teachings about how to relate to one another. This does not mean surrendering our values. The covenants we have made inevitably position us as devoted participants in the eternal contest between truth and error. We balance our various responsibilities.”
- “Peacemakers! How it would change the world if followers of Christ would forgo harsh and hurtful words in all their communications.”
Reference scriptures
- “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
- “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”
- “And blessed are all the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”
Invitations and promises
- “As followers of Christ, we should seek to live peaceably and lovingly with other children of God who do not share our values and do not have the covenant obligations we have assumed.”
- “We can follow the example of Jesus Christ, who is our role model, by choosing to love others — even if they show little or no love toward us.”
- “My brothers and sisters, as followers of Christ, let us follow Him by forgoing contention and by using the language and methods of peacemakers. In our families and other personal relationships, let us avoid what is harsh and hateful. Let us seek to be holy, like our Savior.”
Stories
- At a stake conference, President Oaks had an impression to ask a particular woman to speak. She introduced herself as a nurse in a maximum care facility and talked about “the most repulsive man” she had ever met. The bedridden man tried to make life miserable for the nurses caring for him. After finding the man fallen out of bed and thrashing about in blood and glass, the nurse now saw him as a child of God.
- Peacemakers include: a bishop seeking to heal a troubled marriage, young men and women involving themselves in service projects and other acts of kindness, those who seek to reduce human suffering, faithful mothers and fathers who lovingly care for children, and missionaries who invite all to repent and come unto Christ.
Additional resources
- Related image: “Sermon on the Mount”
- Related video: “How To Show Christlike Kindness to Others”
- Related hymn: No. 1061, “Love Will Bless Our Home”
Recent conference talks on peacemaking
- Elder Gary E. Stevenson: “Blessed Are the Peacemakers” (October 2025)
- President Russell M. Nelson: “Peacemakers Needed” (April 2023)
- Elder Neil L. Andersen: “Following Jesus: Being a Peacemaker” (April 2022)
Who is President Oaks?
- President Dallin H. Oaks was set apart as the 18th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Oct. 14, 2025, about 41 years after he was sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. President Oaks was a law clerk to Chief Justice Earl Warren in the U.S. Supreme Court and served as a Utah Supreme Court justice until his call to apostleship in 1984.
