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
- “I Will Give Away All My Sins To Know Thee”
- Elder Wan-Liang Wu | General Authority Seventy
- Saturday afternoon session of April 2026 general conference.
- Theme: Those with a sincere desire can come to know the true God the Father and gain eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Elder Wu’s message here.
Outline
- Elder Wu was born into a non-Christian family. He would accompany his mother to Chinese temples to worship different gods.
- At the age of 10, his family moved to Bolivia, where he met with the missionaries, and they taught him about a God he had never heard of before. The missionaries taught him that He is a living God, his Heavenly Father, who loves him.
- Despite a language barrier, Elder Wu felt peace in his heart from what the missionaries taught, and he made up his mind to get baptized. The gospel of Jesus Christ changed his life and gave him an eternal purpose.
- The Book of Mormon tells the story of King Lamoni meeting with the missionary Aaron (see Alma 22:12–18). Aaron begins reading from the scriptures and shares about the nature of God, the plan of redemption, faith in Jesus Christ and repentance. The king hears all the words Aaron is speaking and says he would give away all his sins to know God. This ultimately leads to the conversion of his entire household and several cities in his kingdom.
- Those who have a sincere desire can come to know God the Father and gain eternal life through Jesus Christ. It is up to them to choose to believe and decide to act accordingly.
- The only way to come to know Heavenly Father and gain eternal life is by coming unto Christ and following Him. Coming unto Christ means much more than just knowing Him. It includes faith and works.
- The Book of Mormon king did not remain stuck in his state of astonishment, but rather he chose to believe and act. He was willing to give up all of his sins so that he might know God.
- President Dallin H. Oaks taught that the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges people to change and repent. They cannot know God without a sincere desire and real intent. They need to have faith in Jesus Christ, continuously repent and strive to obey the commandments.
- The Savior pleads with His disciples to follow Him because He loves them more than they can comprehend. All are invited to choose to have faith in Jesus Christ and decide to follow Him.
Reflection questions
While reading Elder Wu’s words, what has the Spirit inspired you to do to grow in your personal conversion?
How have you already seen your conversion to Jesus Christ grow?
What can you do today to deepen your faith in the Savior?
What does it mean for you to “choose to have faith in Jesus Christ”?
When do you feel closest to the Savior? How can you make more time for these experiences?
Speaker quotes
- “The gospel of Jesus Christ changed my life for the better. It gave me an eternal purpose — to prepare to return to God’s presence with my family.”
- “The only way we can come to know our Heavenly Father and gain eternal life is by coming unto Christ and following Him. Coming unto Christ is much more than just learning of Christ. It includes faith and works; it means to be converted to Him and to His restored gospel.”
- “The Savior loves us more than we can comprehend, and He pleads with us again and again, ‘Come, follow me.’ He gave His life for us, paid the price for our sins and rose from the dead. Because of Him, we have ‘hope for a future existence with Heavenly Father.’”
Reference scriptures
- Aaron said unto him: If thou desirest this thing, if thou wilt bow down before God, yea, if thou wilt repent of all thy sins, and will bow down before God, and call on his name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the hope which thou desirest. And it came to pass that when Aaron had said these words, the king did bow down before the Lord, upon his knees; yea, even he did prostrate himself upon the earth, and cried mightily, saying: O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee.”
- “For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.”
- “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Invitations and promises
- “If we have a sincere desire, being meek and lowly in heart, we can come to know the true God the Father and gain eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ, for the power is in us — in choosing to believe and deciding to act accordingly.”
- “Coming unto Christ is much more than just learning of Christ. It includes faith and works; it means to be converted to Him and to His restored gospel. As we do so, we ‘will have greater happiness, hope, peace and purpose’ in this life.”
- “I invite you to choose to have faith in Jesus Christ and to decide to follow Him. For ‘there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ … whereby man can be saved’ (2 Nephi 25:20).”
Stories
- Elder Wu was born into a non-Christian family. His mother would take him to Chinese temples to worship different gods. When he was 10 years old, their family moved to Bolivia. He started to meet with the missionaries, and they taught him about a God he had never heard of before. He was so amazed by the story of Joseph Smith, and even though he did not speak Spanish, Elder Wu felt peace in his heart that ultimately led him to be baptized.
- The Book of Mormon tells the story of King Lamoni meeting with the missionary Aaron (see Alma 22:12–18). Aaron begins reading from the scriptures and shares about the nature of God, the plan of redemption, faith in Jesus Christ and repentance. The king hears all the words Aaron is speaking and says he would give away all his sins to know God. This ultimately leads to the conversion of his entire household and several cities in his kingdom.
Additional resources
- Related image: “Blind Man Healed on the Sabbath”
- Related video: “Now Is the Time To Draw Closer to the Savior”
- Related hymn: No. 117, “Come Unto Jesus”
Recent conference talks on personal conversion
- President Camille N. Johnson: “Spiritually Whole in Him” (April 2025)
- President D. Todd Christofferson: “Burying Our Weapons of Rebellion” (October 2024)
- Elder Eduardo Gavarret: “A Mighty Change of Heart: ‘I Have Nothing More To Give You’” (April 2022)
Who is Elder Wu?
- Elder Wan-Liang Wu was sustained as a General Authority Seventy in the April 2025 general conference. Elder Wu was born in Taiwan, and his family moved to Bolivia in several groups when he was a boy and later moved to Argentina.
