Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke during the Saturday morning session of October 2026 general conference about blessings of and respect for the temple. The following is a summary of what he said.
Elder Gong’s talk summary
In a world of commotion, contention and cares, Christ invites each person to a place of spiritual safety, harmony and holiness: the house of the Lord.
Heavenly Father’s work and glory is for united families to return to Him, happy and forever. “Agency, faith and repentance, and Jesus Christ’s Atonement make change and forgiveness possible.” Temple service evokes the Savior’s Atonement and softens hearts on both sides of the veil.
A temple dedication is a beginning. “While we are grateful our temples and everything in them are physically beautiful, let us celebrate and treasure even more the spiritual blessings temples bring.”
While each temple uniquely fits its place, culture and circumstance, everything in each temple testifies of Christ. “Covenants are not big or small. Please let us never speak of a temple as big or small, elaborate or plain. Let us always only speak with love and gratitude for ‘holiness to the Lord, the house of the Lord.’”
Always be grateful for the gifts of eternity that sacred temples bring. Look for the miracles. “Dear brothers and sisters, come worship and rejoice with the Lord in the house of the Lord, in temple doctrine and in your personal temple culture.
Notable quotes
“While we are grateful our temples and everything in them are physically beautiful, let us celebrate and treasure even more the spiritual blessings temples bring.”
“Covenants are not big or small. Please let us never speak of a temple as big or small, elaborate or plain. Let us always only speak with love and gratitude for ‘holiness to the Lord, the house of the Lord.’”
“Dear brothers and sisters, come worship and rejoice with the Lord in the house of the Lord, in temple doctrine and in your personal temple culture.”
Who is Elder Gong?
- Elder Gerrit W. Gong was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on March 31, 2018, and had served as a General Authority Seventy since April 2010.
- His mother met the missionaries when she was a teenager in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father joined the Church after attending Stanford University, where Elder Gong’s parents met and dated.
- The first time Elder Gong met his wife, Susan Lindsay, was at an evening devotional he volunteered to give at the Provo Missionary Training Center to help missionaries learn more about Taiwan. They briefly met, but Elder Gong said in that moment, he “had a feeling this was somebody I’d always know.”
What has Elder Gong done recently?
- He spoke in April 2026 general conference about Easter and abiding in Christ.
- In August, he attended the media day for the Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple.
- In June, after attending the dedication of the Nauvoo Temple Visitors’ Center, Elder Gong spoke to news media about the distinction between honoring prophets and worshipping Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Read more of Elder Gong’s general conference addresses, or follow him on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X/Twitter.
