Elder James G.O. Fantone, General Authority Seventy, spoke during the Sunday morning session of October 2026 general conference about taking upon the name of Jesus Christ. The following is a summary of what he said.
Elder Fantone’s talk summary
Jesus Christ invites all to “take upon us His name” and become more like Him by making and keeping covenants and serving others.
How can Latter-day Saints take upon themselves His name and reflect that commitment in their daily lives?
Book of Mormon prophets taught that following baptism, taking upon oneself the name of Jesus Christ requires a lifelong commitment to serve Him.
Latter-day Saints can learn from the righteous, charitable examples of family members and full-time missionaries who demonstrate courageous examples of service, becoming more like the Savior as they help others.
“When we genuinely take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ by losing ourselves in the service of others, something miraculous happens. We experience what Alma the Younger referred to as a ‘mighty change’ in our hearts.” That change leads to true conversion.
Taking upon oneself the Savior’s name means more than wearing a badge of religious affiliation. “His invitation is for us to take upon us His name by covenant and to serve Him with all of our heart, might, mind and strength — by lifting, loving and serving our fellow men.”
“As we lose our lives in His service, we will find Him, and we will find ourselves.”
Notable quotes
“The Savior’s invitation is not merely for us to add His name to our name like a badge of religious affiliation.”
“Taking upon us His name requires a lifelong determination to serve Him.”
“When we genuinely take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ by losing ourselves in the service of others, something miraculous happens.”
Who is Elder Fantone?
- Elder James G.O. Fantone was sustained as a General Authority Seventy at the April 2026 general conference. At the time of his call, he was serving as an Area Seventy in the Philippines Area.
- As a young man, he served in the Philippines Cagayan de Oro Mission. Elder Fantone later served as president of the Philippines Antipolo Mission from 2022 to 2025.
- He married Cynthia Caseres Uy in the Manila Philippines Temple in 1994. They are the parents of four children.
- After earning a college degree and other studies, he worked in multinational companies in sales and leadership positions.
- From 2001 to 2004, he worked for the Church as an institute director for Seminaries and Institutes of Religion. From 2004 to 2022, he worked as a country director for the Academy for Creating Enterprise.
What has Elder Fantone done recently?
- This is the first time Elder Fantone has spoken in general conference.
- On Sept. 22, Elder Fantone was the featured speaker at a BYU–Idaho devotional, where he spoke about overcoming the Goliaths of life by allowing the Lord to fight the battle.
- In August, he began serving in the Church’s United States Central Area presidency.
- Elder Fantone’s testimony was featured on the Church News podcast in April 2026 after he was sustained in general conference.
