Young Men General President Timothy L. Farnes spoke during the Saturday afternoon session of October 2026 general conference about ministering to others with compassion. The following is a summary of what he said.
President Farnes’ talk summary
“As covenant followers of Jesus Christ, we minister with compassion to whomever God places in our path. We do it because that’s what the Savior did. And we’ve made a covenant to follow Him.”
Through the sacrament, Latter-day Saints witness to Heavenly Father their willingness to take upon themselves the name of Jesus Christ. “That means we choose to see as He sees, feel as He feels and do as He would do. His life should be reflected in ours. It means that when someone encounters us, they should experience something of Jesus Christ — His kindness, His patience, His hope, His love, His compassion.”
The Lord promises the Saints will have His Spirit with them; with the gift, they can minister as the Savior would, with His power and His loving kindness.
Connecting with God’s children is a way to stay connected to Him. “Often this happens when God places someone in our path and we have eyes to see them. I call these ‘divine appointments’ …
“Let us pray every day for eyes to see the divine appointments God places before us. Let us put compassion into action and minister to the person in front of us. It’s what Jesus did.”
Notable quotes
“As covenant followers of Jesus Christ, we minister with compassion to whomever God places in our path. We do it because that’s what the Savior did. And we’ve made a covenant to follow Him.”
“We choose to see as He sees, feel as He feels and do as He would do. His life should be reflected in ours.”
“Let us pray every day for eyes to see the divine appointments God places before us. Let us put compassion into action and minister to the person in front of us. It’s what Jesus did.”
Who is President Farnes?
- President Timothy L. Farnes served as an Area Seventy in the Utah Area prior to his calling as the Young Men general president, which he began on Aug. 1, 2025.
- He was born in Maryland then moved with his family to Sandy, Utah, where he grew up with his six younger siblings.
- He married Linsey Anne Skinner on Aug. 27, 1992, in the Salt Lake Temple. They have five children and six grandchildren.
- Shortly after his marriage, President Farnes had a near-death experience while on vacation in Hawaii. He then rededicated his life to the Lord and began integrating his core values into his work. He went on to found a variety of companies, including a humanitarian nonprofit.
What has President Farnes done recently?
- No previous general conference talks
- During the First Presidency’s Christmas Devotional 2025, President Farnes spoke of a life-changing Christmas experience he had while serving as full-time missionary in Brazil.
- President Farnes ministered in the Pacific Area in December 2025.
- He appeared on the Church News podcast in August to explain how Sunday youth curriculum has changed.
