President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, spoke during the Sunday morning session of October 2026 general conference about helping give the Lord’s comfort to others. The following is a summary of what he said.
President Eyring’s talk summary
“Fear not, I am with thee” (Isaiah 41:10) and more of the Lord’s promised comfort found in Isaiah 41 and “How Firm a Foundation” (“Hymns,” No. 85) “will become more important and more precious in the time ahead for all of us and for those we love.”
Why does a loving God allow mortal tests to be hard? “It is because He knows that we must grow in spiritual cleanliness and stature to be able to live in His presence. To make that possible, Heavenly Father gave us a Savior and the power to choose for ourselves by faith to keep His commandments and to repent and to come unto Him.”
Many have:
- Prayed to know whom the Lord would have them help for Him.
- Recognized a discouraged missionary as an invitation to lift a servant of Jesus Christ.
- Prayed regularly for the Lord’s servants in whatever calling they hold.
- Invited the Holy Ghost to help find ways to help the Lord comfort those pleading for it.
“We shed tears of joy and take courage whenever we hear the words, ‘Fear not, I am with thee,’ and we are touched that He offers us the trust of helping and loving others.”
Notable quotes
“It is because He knows that we must grow in spiritual cleanliness and stature to be able to live in His presence. To make that possible, Heavenly Father gave us a Savior and the power to choose for ourselves by faith to keep His commandments and to repent and to come unto Him.”
“The Lord sends faithful disciples to help Him keep his promise to succor others in their distress.”
“We shed tears of joy and take courage whenever we hear the words, ‘Fear not, I am with thee,’ and we are touched that He offers us the trust of helping and loving others.”
Who is President Eyring?
- President Henry B. Eyring has been a general authority for about four decades, called in 1985 to the Presiding Bishopric. After his call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1995, he served as a counselor to four Prophets: President Gordon B. Hinckley from 2007 to 2008, President Thomas S. Monson from 2008 to 2018, President Russell M. Nelson from 2018 to 2025 and President Dallin H. Oaks beginning in 2025.
- While studying at Harvard, he met his wife, Sister Kathleen Johnson Eyring, when she enrolled in a Harvard summer program and he “was immediately impressed by the goodness she radiated.” They were married in the Logan Utah Temple in July 1962 and are the parents of four sons and two daughters. Sister Eyring died in October 2023.
- He served as the 10th president of BYU–Idaho — then Ricks College — from 1971 to 1977. Forty years later, his son Henry J. Eyring was the 17th president of BYU–Idaho, from 2017 to 2023.
What has President Eyring done recently?
- President Eyring spoke in the April 2026 general conference about receiving peace through prayer.
- At the June 2026 Seminar for New Mission Leaders, President Eyring promised “your missions will build faith.”
- In May, he dedicated the Lindon Utah Temple.
Read more of President Eyring’s general conference addresses, or follow him on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X/Twitter.
