This weekend on social media, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shared excerpts and summaries of their April 2025 general conference messages with their friends and followers on social media April 5 and 6. They invited others to increase their confidence before the Lord, experience His greater love and worship Him in reverence and unity, among other invitations.
Church President Russell M. Nelson posted both a quote and a video clip of his remarks, reminding individuals that when challenges in life knock their self-confidence, they — as covenant-keeping disciples of Jesus Christ — have access to a different kind of confidence: one that is “born of the Spirit.”
“When I speak of having confidence before God, I am referring to having confidence in approaching God right now,” President Nelson wrote.
He then invited individuals to take “intentional steps” to grow their confidence before the Lord, promising them that as they fill their lives with charity and virtue, they will grow in confidence, joy and faith in Jesus Christ.
Teaching others about the “divine helps” that Heavenly Father’s plan provides for His children, President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, wrote, “God’s strongest mortal help was His provision of a Savior, Jesus Christ, who would suffer to pay the price and provide forgiveness for repented sins.”
The Savior’s “merciful and glorious Atonement,” President Oaks continued, explains why faith in Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel.
President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, acknowledged there are times when mortal trials create distance from the Savior and a “wish for an assurance that He knows what is in our heart and loves us as individuals.”
He taught that the Savior’s invitation in Doctrine and Covenants 88:63 includes “the way to feel that assurance.”
President Eyring wrote: “Draw near Him by always remembering Him. Seek Him diligently through scripture study. Ask through heartfelt prayer to Heavenly Father to feel closer to His Beloved Son. … As you do this, you will feel His love and find joy in being drawn closer to Him.”
Reiterating the Savior’s invitation to all to become “as little children” (Matthew 18:3), President Jeffrey R. Holland, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, pointed to the sweet, pure and humble example of children.
“Children really do love Jesus Christ,” he wrote. He added, “Even in their youngest years, children love so easily, forgive so readily and laugh so delightfully, that even the coldest, hardest heart can melt.”
The Savior’s Church, said Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, gathers all of God’s children who seek the truth, regardless of their differences in physical appearance, political views, culture or ethnicity.
He said, “We are one, not because of where we have been, but where we are striving to go, not because of who we are, but who we seek to become.”
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles testified that knowing Christ restored His gospel and Church in the latter days is the “most important and glorious ‘good news’” any individual anywhere in the world can ever receive.
“I joyfully witness that the Father and the Son appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, thus initiating the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the latter days,” he said.
Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles recounted the “profound emotional and spiritual experience” he had in November 2024, when he visited the Casper Wyoming Temple for its dedication and saw the paintings displayed in the foyer for the first time.
They “immediately invoked overwhelming feelings of gratitude,” he said, and brought into “clear focus” the role temples play in rescuing God’s children through the Savior’s Atonement.
Elder Cook wrote: “In a world of great beauty, there are also enormous challenges. But as we turn to Jesus Christ — the Savior of the world — He rescues us from the storms of life through His Atonement in accordance with the Father’s plan.”
Reemphasizing his invitation to others to be intent on worshipping Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles posted a few of the answers he received on a March 9 social media post, which invited others to share what worshipping God means to them. He explained that these and other responses helped inform his remarks.
“May we yield our hearts to God and seek His glory, have no other gods before Him, and as disciples of Jesus Christ emulate His character in our own lives,” he implored.
“Life is a most precious part of our Father’s perfect plan,” posted Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “By His decree we cherish life and preserve life; and we choose the continuation of life once conceived.”
Elder Andersen continued by explaining that as Latter-day Saints, “we also treasure the gift of moral agency, helping to strengthen righteous choices approved by God that bring eternal happiness.” He encouraged all to extend their love to others as a sign of their discipleship. “Let us focus on the healing power of Jesus Christ and His Atonement, not a person’s past sins.”
Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles testified that, to every question, Jesus Christ is the answer, and those who trust in Him will hasten their return to the “arms of His love” (2 Nephi 1:15).
“Start with Him. Look for His hand in your life. Let not your heart be troubled,” he encouraged listeners.
Displaying the Church’s representation of Albert Bertel Thorvaldsen’s Christus statue, Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said this “visual identifier” reflects the truth that Jesus Christ sits at the center of His Church and “should be at the center of our lives.”
Elder Stevenson said, “We truly celebrate the resurrected, living Christ, even in the use of the Church symbol.”
“Personal preparation to meet our Savior is central to life’s purpose,” testified Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, adding that the “best advice” to prepare is to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Elder Renlund explained that Christ’s teachings are neither mysterious nor complex and, when followed, can reduce fear and anxiety. “I invite you to follow Jesus Christ and to trust the Holy Ghost as you would a cherished friend. … As you help prepare the world for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, you will be blessed with sufficient hope to enter the rest and joy of the Lord.”
The scripture “Jesus wept” (John 11:35) was one Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was naturally drawn to because of its length as he worked to memorize Bible passages years ago, he recalled.
Now, Elder Gong wrote, he knows Jesus weeps in sorrow and joy as a testament of His divine mission. “When we cry out in grief or joy, Jesus Christ understands perfectly. He can be present in the moments when we most need eternity’s great gifts: Jesus Christ’s Atonement, the Resurrection, the Restoration.”
Using Moses’ experience at the burning bush on Mount Horeb, Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught others about the importance of having “reverence for sacred things.”
He wrote, “Each of us can transform our discipleship into a higher pattern of spirituality by making the virtue of reverence a sacred part of our spiritual character.”
He then invited others to incorporate reverence into their daily lives, promising it will increase their humility, expand their understanding of God’s will for them and strengthen their covenant confidence.
Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles posted a video of himself sitting in a chair on the podium of the Conference Center reiterating his message to all of God’s children.
“You are a cherished daughter, you are a precious son of God,” Elder Kearon declared. “The powerful effect that has had on me since I discovered this truth in my mid-20s, I can’t really begin to describe, but it is profound.”
