At the conclusion of October 2024 general conference, President Russell M. Nelson invited members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to rededicate their lives to the Savior and prepare for His Second Coming.
“My dear brothers and sisters, in a coming day, Jesus Christ will return to the earth as the millennial Messiah,” President Nelson said. “So today I call upon you to rededicate your lives to Jesus Christ. I call upon you to help gather scattered Israel and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord. I call upon you to talk of Christ, testify of Christ, have faith in Christ and rejoice in Christ.”
In his message titled “The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again,” President Nelson urged all to devote time each week to increase understanding of the Savior’s Atonement and study the messages given during that general conference. He testified of the peace and spiritual reassurance gained by regularly worshipping in the temple.
“Now is the time for us to make our discipleship our highest priority,” he declared.
During five conference sessions over two days Oct. 5-6, President Nelson’s counselors in the First Presidency and members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles also extended invitations and offered counsel. Following are excerpts from their messages:
Avoid contention, be peacemakers
“As followers of Christ, we teach and testify of Jesus Christ, our perfect role model. So let us follow Him by forgoing contention. As we pursue our preferred policies in public actions, let us qualify for His blessings by using the language and methods of peacemakers. In our families and other personal relationships, let us avoid what is harsh and hateful.”
— President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, “Following Christ”
Teach true doctrine
“As we teach [the doctrine of Christ] to those we love, the Holy Ghost will help us to know the truth. Because we need the promptings of the Holy Ghost, we must avoid speculation or personal interpretation that goes beyond teaching true doctrine. … One of the surest ways to avoid even getting near false doctrine is to choose to be simple in our teaching.”
— President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, “Simple Is the Doctrine of Jesus Christ”
‘Stay the course’
“Through abundance as well as poverty, through private acclaim as well as public criticism, through the divine elements of the Restoration as well as the human foibles that will inevitably be part of it, we stay the course with the true Church of Christ. Why? Because as with our Redeemer, we signed on for the whole term — not ending with the first short introductory quiz but through to the final exam.”
— President Jeffrey R. Holland, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “‘I Am He’”
Nourish testimony
“A testimony is not something that you build once and it stands forever. It is more like a tree that you nourish constantly. Planting the word of God in your heart is only the first step. Once your testimony starts to grow, then the real work begins. That is when you ‘nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit’ (Alma 32:37).”
— Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Nourish the Roots, and the Branches Will Grow”
Overcome pride
“Simply stated, if you or I do not believe we could be afflicted with and by pride, then we are vulnerable and in spiritual danger. … If, however, you or I believe we could be afflicted with and by pride, then we consistently will do the small and simple things that will protect and help us become ‘as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us]’ (Mosiah 3:19).”
— Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “In the Space of Not Many Years”
Return to the scriptures
“My counsel for those who have in any way deviated from the covenant path is to return to the sacred scriptures, prophetic guidance, religious observance in the home and the music of faith. Every soul is precious to the Lord. We need you. The Lord needs you, and you need Him. You will always be welcome.”
— Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Sacred Scriptures—the Foundations of Faith”
Bury weapons of rebellion
“Our Heavenly Father and His Son, our Redeemer, have confirmed Their unending commitment to our ultimate happiness through the most profound love and sacrifice. We experience Their love daily. Surely we can reciprocate with our own love and loyalty. May we bury — very, very deep — any element of rebellion against God in our lives and replace it with a willing heart and a willing mind.”
— Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Burying Our Weapons of Rebellion”
Press forward with hope
“Brothers and sisters, the peace you seek may not come as quickly as you desire, but I promise you that as you trust in the Lord, His peace will come. May we nurture our precious faith, pressing forward with a perfect brightness of hope. I testify that our hope is our Savior, Jesus Christ. Through Him, all our righteous dreams will be realized. He is the God of hope — the triumph of hope.”
— Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “The Triumph of Hope”
Sustain the Prophet
“We hold up the Lord’s light when we hold fast to our covenants and when we support our living Prophet as he speaks the words of God. … To hold up the prophet is a sacred work. We do not sit quietly by but actively defend him, follow his counsel, teach his words and pray for him.”
— Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Behold I Am the Light Which Ye Shall Hold Up”
Live, care, invite and unite
“My beloved brothers and sisters, my dear young friends, there will likely be difficulties for each of us in the days ahead. However, as we enter this coming decade of unprecedented moments, may we share glad tidings through the simple activities of living, caring, inviting and uniting. As we do so, the Lord will bless us with experiences never to be forgotten.”
— Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Days Never to Be Forgotten”
Commit more fully to the Savior
“I invite you to commit yourself more fully to the Savior, His gospel and His Church. As you do so, you will find that the combination of the Savior’s gospel and His Church brings power into your life. This power is far greater than dynamite. It will shatter the rocks in your way, transform you into an inheritor in God’s kingdom.”
— Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “‘This Is My Gospel’ — ‘This Is My Church”
Become holy
“Holiness sets things apart for sacred purpose. But holiness also invites us to infuse daily living with the sacred — to rejoice in daily bread amidst this world’s thistles and thorns. To walk with the Lord, we must become holy, for He is holy, and to help us become holy, the Lord invites us to walk with Him.”
— Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Holiness to the Lord in Everyday Life”
Follow the Lord’s will
“I testify to you that following the Lord’s will in our life will enable us to find the most precious pearl in the world — the kingdom of heaven. I pray that each of us, in our time and turn, will be able to declare, with covenant confidence, to our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ that ‘what works for Thee, works for me.’”
— Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Aligning Our Will with His”
Discover joy in Christ
“At the start of my journey of faith, joy in Jesus Christ was my first great discovery, and it changed my world. If you have yet to discover this joy, embark on its quest. This is an invitation to receive the Savior’s gift of peace, light and joy — to revel in it, to wonder at it and to rejoice in it every Sabbath.”
— Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Welcome to the Church of Joy”
