Recently President Russell M. Nelson met a new great-granddaughter and contemplated the challenges — illness, disappointment, temptation or loss — she will experience in life.
“These challenges can knock our self-confidence. However, disciples of Jesus Christ have access to a different kind of confidence,” President Nelson taught as the concluding speaker in the final session of April 2025 general conference.
How can individuals gain such confidence? The Lord explains, “Let thy bowels … be full of charity towards all men, … and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:45).
Said President Nelson: “There’s the key. In the Lord’s own words, charity and virtue open the way to having confidence before God. Brothers and sisters, we can do this. Our confidence can truly wax strong in the presence of God, right now.”
The Prophet invited listeners to take intentional steps to grow in confidence before the Lord. “Then, as we go to our Heavenly Father with increasing confidence, we will be filled with more joy, and your faith in Jesus Christ will increase. We will begin to experience spiritual power that exceeds our greatest hopes,” he promised in his message titled “Confidence in the Presence of God.”
During five sessions over two days April 5-6, President Nelson’s First Presidency counselors and all 12 members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles also offered invitations, promises and blessings to their worldwide audience. Here are excerpts from their messages.
Seek and use divine helps
“I have spoken of the many mortal helps our loving Father in Heaven has given to help His children return to Him. Our part in this divine plan is to trust in God and seek and use these divine helps, most notably the Atonement of His Beloved Son, our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. I pray that we will teach and live these principles.”
— President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, “Divine Helps for Mortality”
Draw near to Him
“Here is [the Savior’s] invitation to us: ‘Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you’ (Doctrine and Covenants 88:63).
“There are times we feel close to the Savior Jesus Christ. And yet, sometimes during our mortal trials, we feel some distance from Him and wish for an assurance that He knows what is in our hearts and loves us as individuals.
“The Savior’s invitation includes the way to feel that assurance. 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.”
— President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, “Draw Near Unto Me”
‘Become as little children’
“He ‘called a little child unto him, …
“‘And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
“‘Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven’ (Matthew 18:2-4). …
“So what is it that we are to see in the virtues of life’s junior varsity? What was it that brought Christ Himself to tears in the most tender scene in the entire Book of Mormon? What was Jesus teaching when He called down heavenly fire and protective angels to surround those children, commanding the adults to ‘behold [their] little ones’ (3 Nephi 17:23)?
“We don’t know what prompted all of that, but I have to think it had something to do with their purity and innocence, their inborn humility and what it could bring to our lives if we retain it.”
— President Jeffrey R. Holland, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “As a Little Child”
Be patient with one another
“‘Until the perfect day,’ there will always be a gap between the ideal and the real. So, what should we do when the Church doesn’t feel like the perfect day? When, for whatever reason, our ward doesn’t yet nurture perfect faith or love? Or when it feels that we don’t fit in?
“One thing we should not do is give up on the ideal. …
“Can a book — or a church or a person — have ‘faults’ and ‘mistakes’ and still be the work of God?
“My answer is a resounding yes.
“So, while we hold ourselves to the Lord’s high standards, let’s also be patient with one another. We are each a work in progress, and we all rely on the Savior for any progress we make. That’s true for us as individuals, and it’s true for the kingdom of God on earth.”
— Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “‘By This All Will Know That You Are My Disciples’”
Prove the message of the Restoration
“I have attempted to summarize basic elements of the most important and glorious ‘good news’ any person anywhere in the world can ever receive — the message that the Lord Jesus Christ has restored His gospel and Church in the latter days.
“I invite all to learn about and prove this message. I promise that individuals ‘who prayerfully study the message of the Restoration and act in faith will be blessed [through the power of the Holy Ghost] to gain their own witness of its divinity and of its purpose to prepare the world for the promised Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ’ (’The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World‘). As you pray earnestly with the expectation to both receive and act upon an answer from God, as did young Joseph Smith, your capacity to recognize and respond to that divine witness will be increased."
— Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “The Times of Restitution of All Things”
Provide and receive rescue
“I share three recommendations which I think are particularly relevant for our day.
“First, do not underestimate the importance of doing what we can to rescue others from physical and especially spiritual challenges.
“Second, gratefully accept the Savior’s Atonement. We all should strive to exhibit joy and happiness even as we face the challenges of life. Our goal should be to live optimistically on the sunny side of the street. I have observed my precious companion, Mary, do this her entire life. I have appreciated her sparkling, uplifting approach even as we have faced problems throughout the years.
“My third counsel is to set aside consistent time to faithfully contemplate the Savior’s Atonement. There are many ways to do this in our personal religious observance. However, attending sacrament meeting and partaking of the sacrament are especially significant.”
— Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “The Atonement of Jesus Christ Provides the Ultimate Rescue”
Joy in worship
“May we, as the ancient Nephites and Lamanites, ‘fall down at the feet of Jesus, and … worship him’ (3 Nephi 11:17). May we, as commanded by Jesus, ‘fall down and worship the Father in [the] name [of the Son]’ (Doctrine and Covenants 18:40). May we receive the Holy Spirit and yield our hearts to God, have no other gods before Him and, as disciples of Jesus Christ, emulate His character in our own lives. I testify that as we do, we will experience joy in worship."
— Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Worship”
Speak with faith, compassion
“A statement by President J. Reuben Clark Jr., who served in the First Presidency, beautifully describes our youth today: ‘The youth of the Church are hungry for things of the Spirit; they are eager to learn the gospel, and they want it straight, undiluted. They want to know about … our beliefs; they want to gain testimonies of [the] truth. They are … inquirers, seekers after truth.’
“Let us speak more often with faith and compassion to our youth in our homes, and with each other in our Relief Society and elders quorum meetings, about the Lord’s law of chastity, the sanctity of life, and the care of the unborn and their mothers.”
— Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Cherishing Life”
‘Hurrah for Israel’
“I emphasize again the words of our living Prophet: ‘Do you see what is happening right before our eyes? I pray that we will not miss the majesty of this moment! The Lord is hastening His work’ (’The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again,’ October 2024 general conference).
“May we as disciples of our day shout, ‘Hurrah for Israel’ as we prepare for the return of our Lord and Savior.”
— Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Right Before Our Eyes”
Higher and holier Easter celebration
“In recent First Presidency messages concerning Easter, we have been challenged to ‘celebrate the Resurrection of our living Savior by studying His teachings and helping to establish Easter traditions in our society as a whole, especially within our own families’ (’A Special 2025 Easter Season Message From the First Presidency‘). In short, we have been encouraged to move to a higher and holier celebration of Easter. …
“I testify that all who accept the invitations from our living Prophet and his counselors to more intentionally commemorate the holy events that Easter represents will find that their bond with Jesus Christ grows ever stronger.”
— Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “And We Talk of Christ”
Follow Jesus Christ
“A girl in Primary recently told me that she becomes anxious whenever the Second Coming is mentioned. She said, ‘I’m scared because bad things are going to happen before Jesus comes again.’ …
“My invitation to the anxious Primary child ..., and to each of you, is to follow Jesus Christ and to trust the Holy Ghost as you would a cherished friend. Rely on those who love you and who love the Savior. Seek God’s guidance to develop your unique abilities, and help others, even when it isn’t easy. You will be ready to meet the Savior, and you can join President Nelson in being joyfully optimistic. In doing so, you help the world prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and you will be blessed with sufficient hope to enter the rest and joy of the Lord, now and in the future.”
— Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Personal Preparation To Meet the Savior”
Celebrate great gifts of Jesus Christ
“Each Easter season, we celebrate, as a symbolic whole, eternity’s great gifts through Jesus Christ: His Atonement; His (and the promise of our) literal Resurrection; Restoration of His latter-day Church with priesthood keys and authority to bless all God’s children. …
“May we each find in Jesus Christ atonement, resurrection and restoration — peace, becoming and belonging — that which is enduringly real and joyful, happy and forever."
— Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Eternity’s Great Gifts: Jesus Christ’s Atonement, Resurrection, Restoration”
Reverence for sacred things
“As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are invited to cultivate the gift of reverence in our lives in order to open ourselves to a deeper communion with God and His Son, Jesus Christ, simultaneously strengthening our spiritual character. Had we more of such feelings in our hearts, there would be undoubtedly greater joy and delight in our lives, and there would be less room for sorrow and sadness. We must remember that showing reverence for sacred things gives meaning to much of what we do every day and strengthens our feeling of gratitude — inspiring awe, respect and love for higher and holier things.”
— Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Reverence for Sacred Things”
Receive the gift
“I invite you to receive, either for the first time or to a greater extent than ever before, the magnificent realization that you truly are God’s beloved child. You must undo the bow, tear off the wrapping paper, open the box and actively receive with grateful humility a true, pure understanding of this foundational truth. The Holy Spirit can bear witness to your heart that you are indeed a child of the Most High.”
— Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Receive His Gift”
