On Oct. 4-5, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held its 195th Semiannual General Conference.
The two days of general sessions included counsel and teachings from Church leaders, and included expressions of appreciation for the leadership of President Russell M. Nelson, who died one week before the conference convened.
This special conference edition of the Church News podcast features excerpts from each of the conference addresses and covers topics like the family’s place in God’s plan, the healing that comes through relying on the Savior, ministering to the one and sustaining the Lord’s leaders.
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Transcript:
President Dallin H. Oaks: The Church of Jesus Christ is sometimes known as a family-centered church. It is. Our relationship to God and the purpose of our mortal life are explained in terms of the family. We can truly say that the gospel plan was first taught to us in the council of an eternal family, it is implemented through our mortal families, and its intended destiny is to exalt the children of God in eternal families. Latter-day Saints still have a God-given responsibility to teach their children to prepare for our family destiny in eternity. I testify of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Only Begotten Son of God, our Eternal Father. He invites us to follow the covenant path that leads to a heavenly family reunion. This is real. Let us be part of it.
1:12
Jon Ryan Jensen: This is Jon Ryan Jensen, editor of the Church News. Welcome to the Church News podcast. Today, we are taking you on a journey of connection as we discuss news and events of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Members and friends of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints joined together to participate wherever they were around the world to learn together during the 195th Semiannual General Conference over the weekend of Oct. 4 and 5. The two-day conference included tokens of appreciation for the leadership of President Russell M. Nelson, who passed away one week before the conference convened. Participants in the conference heard counsel and messages about Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness.
This special conference edition of the Church News podcast features excerpts from each of the conference addresses and covers topics like the family’s place in God’s plan, the healing that comes through relying on the Savior, ministering to the one and sustaining the Lord’s leaders.
2:13
The Saturday morning session was conducted by Elder Henry B. Eyring of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. After he conducted the sustaining of Church officers, President Dallin H. Oaks, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, stood to welcome the conference’s attendees, listeners and viewers around the world.
Presiding over the conference, President Oaks also honored the memory of President Russell M. Nelson and said the conference would proceed as it had been organized under President Nelson’s direction.
2:38
President Dallin H. Oaks: My own brief tribute — suitable to this conference and to the tributes we have already paid — is this: I loved Russell M. Nelson and have learned more about the gospel and gospel leadership from my long friendship and association with him than from any other leader I have personally known. He is our model as a servant and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. Of these things I testify.
3:13
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about peacemaking as a Christlike attribute and urged individuals to promote peace wherever they are. He said peacemaking begins in the heart and expands to homes, families and communities.
Elder Gary E. Stevenson: We embrace the words of the Savior: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. … Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). Today, peacemaking still begins in the most basic place — in our hearts. Then in homes and families. As we practice there, peacemaking will spread into our neighborhoods and communities. In our congregations and our communities, may we choose to see one another as children of God.
In summary, I offer an invitation. Peacemaking demands action — what might that be, for each of us, starting tomorrow? Before posting, replying or commenting online, ask, ‘Will this build a bridge?’ If not, stop. Do not send. Instead, share goodness. Publish peace in the place of hate.
4:31
Jon Ryan Jensen: Sister Tracy Y. Browning, second counselor in the Primary general presidency, spoke of the enduring impact of Primary music in building a testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel.
Sister Tracy Y. Browning: Music has always been at the heart of teaching children the gospel. Primary songs can become a child’s first spiritual language because their simple, memorable melodies give voice to gospel truths. These songs hold the power to stay with children for a lifetime, becoming part of their discipleship and a natural and normal way for them to testify of the Savior.
Primary songs can also be powerful doctrinal teaching tools. Some songs tell the stories of the Savior’s life and ministry. Others teach of His attributes, such as His faith, His hope and His charity. And the most sacred songs testify of His infinite Atonement and the love that flows from that act of salvation.
I know their prayerful songs reach heaven as expressions of faith that invite the Holy Spirit to confirm eternal truths and softly and tenderly invite others to accept the call of our Savior to follow Him and come home.
5:37
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Ronald M. Barcellos, a General Authority Seventy, talked about the importance of aligning hearts with the Savior. He invited listeners to turn their whole hearts over to God.
Elder Ronald M. Barcellos: The Savior taught that if our hearts are fully turned to Him, because of His atoning sacrifice we can be blessed with the strength and spiritual gifts we need to overcome our mortal challenges, resist temptation, receive direction and understanding and feel joy and peace in our lives. “Out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (Doctrine and Covenants 64:33), He said. He can “make weak things become strong” (Ether 12:27) and bless us with everything we need to succeed in this mortal life and to receive eternal life.
Our Heavenly Father desires more than mechanical acts of obedience and service from His children. He wants us to do those things with real intent because we love Him with all our hearts. He wants us to desire to become like Him.
6:33
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Brik V. Eyre, a General Authority Seventy, said the foundational belief in God as a loving Heavenly Father can help individuals’ lives fundamentally change.
Elder Brik V. Eyre: It is insightful that the first point of doctrine that our missionaries teach is that God is our loving Heavenly Father. Every subsequent truth builds on the foundational understanding of who we really are. It is no coincidence that in likely the most repeated scripture, God reminds us of our relationship with Him. Of all the names He could be identified by in the sacrament prayer, He has asked to be called “God, the Eternal Father” (Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79). As we come to truly know who we are, we will believe more strongly that our loving Heavenly Father has provided a plan for us to return to live with Him again.
May I suggest two ways in which we can deepen this understanding. First, prayer. There may be some who haven’t prayed for a long time or others who haven’t felt that their prayers are being heard. I promise you that your Heavenly Father knows you, loves you and wants to hear from you. He wants to communicate with you. He wants you to remember who you are.
Second, come to know that Jesus is the Christ. The greatest manifestation of Heavenly Father’s love for us as His children is the reality that He sent His Son, our own personal Savior, to help us come home. Therefore, we need to come to know Him.
8:14
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Kelly R. Johnson, a General Authority Seventy, spoke of reconciliation through the Savior’s Atonement.
Elder Kelly R. Johnson: To be “reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20) means to be brought back into harmony with God or to restore a relationship with God that has been strained or broken because of our sins or actions. Simply put, being reconciled to God means aligning our will and actions with God’s will, or as taught by President Russell M. Nelson, letting God prevail in our lives.
As taught in the scriptures, we are free to act for ourselves, “to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life” (2 Nephi 10:23). But if we are not diligent, this freedom to act for ourselves may lead to a loss of alignment with the will of God.
9:06
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles closed the first session of the October conference teaching about the self-discipline required for discipleship and the divine potential within each individual.
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf: Simply put, discipleship takes self-discipline. It is not a casual endeavor and it doesn’t happen by accident.
Faith in Jesus Christ is a gift, but receiving it is a conscious choice that requires a commitment of all our “might, mind and strength” (Moroni 10:32). It is a practice of every day. Every hour. It takes constant learning and determined commitment. Our faith, which is our loyalty to the Savior, becomes stronger as it is tested against the opposition we face here in mortality. It endures because we keep nourishing it, we keep actively applying our faith and we never give up.
Oh, how I wish I could embrace you and help you understand this great truth: You are a blessed being of light, the spirit child of an infinite God. And you bear within you a potential beyond your own capacity to imagine.
10:50
Jon Ryan Jensen: The Saturday afternoon session of the October 2025 general conference was conducted by Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
And Elder Ronald A. Rasband, also a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, was the session’s first speaker. Elder Rasband testified of the eternal truths found in “The Family Proclamation.”
Elder Ronald A. Rasband: I love “The Family Proclamation.” I have testified across the world from Africa to Australia and everywhere in between of the role of the family in God’s eternal plan. The proclamation has a divine origin, so we must treat it with the reverence deserving words from God. Remember, brothers and sisters, as I said in a previous general conference from this very pulpit, “Words matter.”
The proclamation states, “The family is ordained of God.” I love the clarity of that statement. The proclamation is a call for us to live in mortality ever mindful of the divinity within us and the eternal future that lies before us.
The proclamation on the family is, as President Hinckley stated, doctrine, my dear brothers and sisters. The principles are not out of step but perfectly in step with the ways of the Lord and His covenant path. The teachings of the proclamation were revealed by our Lord Jesus Christ to His Apostles then and now. This is His Church; He has established the truths by which we live.
12:40
Jon Ryan Jensen: Brother Chad H Webb, first counselor in the Sunday School general presidency, shared insights to help both teachers and learners of the gospel at home and in Church settings.
Brother Chad H Webb: Today I invite you to consider the role of the Holy Ghost, specifically related to gospel learning and teaching in the home and at church. The Holy Ghost is given by the prayer of faith and as we strive to live worthy of this precious gift. The inspired Church manual “Teaching in the Savior’s Way” outlines additional principles the Lord has established that will help invite the influence of the Holy Ghost.
One of these principles is to invite diligent learning. In the past, we may have thought of teaching as a chance for a parent or teacher to invite the Spirit into their own preparation and then share what they have learned with children or class members, whose role it has been to listen. But even more effective is when we, as learners, also come prepared and when teachers create learning experiences that foster personal revelation directly to our hearts and minds. Then, as we’re given opportunities to share what we are learning through our study and from the Holy Ghost, we help each other to be instructed and edified.
13:56
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Jeremy R. Jaggi, a General Authority Seventy, talked about how making and keeping covenants with the Lord forms a reciprocal relationship with Him.
Elder Jeremy R. Jaggi: The sacrament table and temple altars symbolize the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His infinite Atonement.
As we make and honor our covenants, receiving the ordinances of the sacrament at church and the endowment and sealing at the temple, we bind ourselves to the Savior, gaining greater access to His mercy, protection, sanctification, healing and rest.
14:30
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Kevin G. Brown, a General Authority Seventy, shared what he referred to as his own Sacred Grove moment and invited listeners passionately to hold strong to their testimonies and choose eternal life again and again.
Elder Kevin G. Brown: A witness from the Holy Ghost is greater than sight. He is the preeminent witness of the Father and the Son.
A testimony through the Holy Ghost can come in many ways. Like a light bulb in a dark room, it can come on dramatically and suddenly. It can come like the sunrise gradually and over time. It can come like rays of light, intermittent exposure to pure intelligence. Whatever the way, it comes through the Holy Ghost. The gift and witness of the Holy Ghost are available to everyone.
Jamaica is to me like Palmyra was to Joseph Smith. It is my Sacred Grove. I do not know the exact spot where Joseph knelt to pray in the Sacred Grove, but I know exactly where I was when my Sacred Grove became a reality. That experience changed me.
Brothers and sisters, a testimony is not given for temporary use. This gift from our loving Heavenly Father is meant to be eternal because the giver is eternal. A testimony should not have an expiration date. It should not weaken or diminish because something in my life has changed or something in the world has changed. It should get stronger because, like the servant’s talents in the parable of the talents, my personal testimony is a gift to be multiplied — not buried.
16:25
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught about inclusion and invited Latter-day Saints to ensure that no one sits alone at the Lord’s table.
Elder Gerrit W. Gong: “No one sits alone” also means no one sits alone emotionally or spiritually. On the dusty roads to Jericho, each of us has been laughed at, embarrassed and hurt, perhaps scorned or abused. And with varying degrees of intent, each of us has also disregarded, not seen or heard, perhaps deliberately hurt others. It is precisely because we have been hurt and have hurt others that Jesus Christ brings us all to His inn. In His Church and through His ordinances and covenants, we come to each other and to Jesus Christ.
In His restored Church, we are all better when no one sits alone. Let us not simply accommodate or tolerate. Let us genuinely welcome, acknowledge, minister to, love. May each friend, sister, brother not be a foreigner or stranger but a child at home. Today many feel lonely and isolated. Social media and artificial intelligence can leave us yearning for human closeness and human touch. We want to hear each other’s voices. We want authentic belonging and kindness.
There are many reasons we may feel we do not fit in at church — that, speaking figuratively, we sit alone. I invite us to worry less, judge less, be less demanding of others — and, when needed, be less hard on ourselves. We do not create Zion in a day. But each “hello,” each warm gesture, brings Zion closer. Let us trust the Lord more and choose joyfully to obey all His commandments.
18:36
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Michael Cziesla, a General Authority Seventy, shared the conversion story of his parents and other family members as he spoke of the simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Elder Michael Cziesla: When the focus of our life is on Christ and His gospel message, we can experience the full blessings of discipleship wherever we live.
However, in a world that is increasingly secular, complex and confusing, with different and often conflicting messages and demands, how can we avoid our eyes becoming blinded and our hearts becoming hardened and remain focused on the “plain and precious things” (1 Nephi 13:28; see also verses 26-27, 29) of the gospel of Jesus Christ? During a time of confusion, the Apostle Paul gave great advice to the Saints of Corinth by reminding them to focus on “the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).
The doctrine of Christ and the law of the gospel are so simple that even little children can understand them. We can access the redeeming power of Jesus Christ and receive all the spiritual blessings our Heavenly Father has prepared for us by exercising faith in Jesus Christ, repenting, being baptized, being sanctified through the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. President Nelson described this journey so beautifully as the “covenant path” and the process of becoming a “devout disciple of Jesus Christ.”
19:54
Jon Ryan Jensen: Closing the Saturday afternoon session of conference, Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke of the ways the Lord is hastening His work before the Second Coming of the Savior and shared how the Church has recently been in a period of rapid growth around the world.
Elder Quentin L. Cook: There is clear evidence that faith in Jesus Christ is increasing in our day. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there has been a remarkable increase in converts and convert participation. In the last 36 months, nearly 900,000 converts have joined the Church. These converts constitute approximately 5 percent of the total Church membership. We welcome new members with open arms and deep appreciation for the path you have chosen.
Our sacred duty is to accept and welcome new and returning members. As the Lord hastens His work, we should love, nurture and serve those who accept His gospel. We can help build a Zion people, where we are “of one heart and one mind, and [dwell] in righteousness” (Moses 7:18). To be one with the Lord, we must be one before the Lord. All members, regardless of baptism date, share a responsibility to welcome others.
My counsel to the members of the Church is to wrap our arms around these precious, elect people who have accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ.
21:22
Jon Ryan Jensen: Saturday’s closing session of the October general conference was conducted by Elder Cook and began with a message from Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Elder Kearon taught about the new beginnings available through Jesus Christ.
Elder Patrick Kearon: All of us can have a new beginning through, and because of, Jesus Christ. Even you. New beginnings are at the heart of the Father’s plan for His children. This is the church of new beginnings. This is the church of fresh starts.
With baptism by water and the Spirit, we are “born again” (John 3:3) and can “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). How much hope does that new beginning bring to one who has trudged under the burden of sin or suffered from the effects of a troubled life and dysfunctional relationships? Jesus needed no forgiveness of sin Himself or a fresh start in life, yet He was baptized, showing us in high relief the way to the new beginning He has carved for each of us.
And our new beginning doesn’t just happen once. We tend to think that our baptism is our one shot at a new beginning. It isn’t. We don’t have just one chance. These new beginnings can happen every day. And certainly every week as we eat a small piece of bread and drink a tiny cup of water in remembrance of the gift of our perfect Savior, who died for the express purpose of giving us as many new beginnings as we need. Jesus gives us as many new beginnings as we need.
23:01
Jon Ryan Jensen: Sister J. Anette Dennis, first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, invited listeners to cheer each other on in the race of life and to understand that each individual has different strengths and abilities as they navigate mortality.
Sister J. Anette Dennis: No matter where we live in the world, no matter our age, it is a basic human need for all of us to feel a sense of belonging, to feel that we are wanted and needed and that our lives have purpose and meaning, no matter our circumstances or limitations.
On the last lap of the race, the crowd overwhelmingly cheered Orville on, giving him the strength to keep going. It didn’t matter that he finished last. For the participants and the crowd, this was about far more than a competition. In many ways, this was a beautiful example of the Savior’s love in action. When Orville finished, they all rejoiced together.
Just like the Masters Championship, our congregations and families can be gathering places where we cheer each other on — covenant communities fueled by the love of Christ for one another — helping each other overcome whatever challenges we face, giving each other strength and encouragement without judging one another. We need each other. Divine strength comes from unity,
Our experience at church is meant to provide vital connections with the Lord and with each other that are so needed for our spiritual and emotional well-being.
24:29
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Steven C. Barlow, a General Authority Seventy, spoke about how to feel God’s love by showing love for God.
Elder Steven C. Barlow: When love is freely given and sincerely received, a virtuous cycle ensues with an increase of love between both the giver and the receiver.
God’s love is perfect, infinite, enduring and “most sweet” (1 Nephi 8:11). It fills the soul with “exceedingly great joy” (1 Nephi 8:12). Nevertheless, at times we may find it difficult to recognize God’s love in our lives. However, our perfectly loving Heavenly Father so deeply desires for us to experience His love that He “speaketh unto [us] according to … [our] understanding” (2 Nephi 31:3). He will express His love for us in ways we, individually, can recognize. We may experience God’s love for us when we observe the beauties of nature, or receive answers to prayers, or have thoughts come to our mind in the very moment of need, or experience sweet moments of joy. The greatest manifestation of Heavenly Father’s love for us that resonates with both mind and heart is when He allowed His Beloved Son to offer Himself as the atoning one.
26:04
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder William K. Jackson, a General Authority Seventy, spoke about remembering and ministering to others through the principle of counting and accounting.
Elder William K. Jackson: Christ is the Good Shepherd. Each one of the flock is precious to Him. He patterned shepherding and taught us by word and deed the qualities of a good shepherd, including knowing your sheep by name, loving them, finding those that are lost, feeding and ultimately, leading them back home again. He expects us to do the same as His undershepherds.
We can learn much about ministering the Lord’s way from the ancient prophet — and exceptional shepherd — Moroni.
We get a glimpse into his methodology in Moroni 6. There we read that members “were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way. … The church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls” (Moroni 6:4-5).
For Moroni, it was all about people — names. He practiced the principle of counting and accounting so that all would be remembered. Any who struggled or wandered were noticed, allowing the Saints to discuss their welfare in councils.
We have been asked to be just as aware of our flocks — to notice and remember and go and do likewise.
27:31
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles closed Saturday’s final session of the October 2025 general conference by teaching about how the Savior helps those both seeking forgiveness and healing from wounds caused by others.
Elder Neil L. Andersen: My desire is to offer hope for those seeking forgiveness for very serious sins and to offer comfort to those seeking healing from the anguishing wounds caused by the serious sins of others. Healing and forgiveness are each found in their fulness in the atoning love of Jesus Christ.
If you have committed serious sins and are in the process of repenting or have the desire to fully repent and feel the unspeakable joy of forgiveness, please know this miracle is awaiting you. The Savior continuously calls, “Come unto me” (Matthew 11:28). Strengthening your faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ, will invigorate the yearning of your soul to know Him, believe in Him, and yield your heart to Him.
Turning from sin, turning toward God and strengthening your faith in Jesus Christ are a beautiful beginning. As you seek the Lord’s forgiveness, be patient as you wait upon His full approval. Be patient as the Lord gives you His blessing and approval by degrees. In the Lord’s time, you will feel His voice telling you, “Let these things trouble you no more” (Alma 42:29). One day, as you continue to turn to the Savior, your Heavenly Father will take “away the guilt from [your heart], through the merits of his Son” (Alma 24:10).
29:16
Jon Ryan Jensen: The Sunday morning session of the October general conference was conducted by President Dallin H. Oaks, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
The session’s opening speaker was Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, also of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He taught about the sight-giving truths he has seen in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: My first sight-giving, life-giving encounter with real evidence of truth did not come with anointing clay or in the pool of Siloam. No, the instrument of truth that brought my healing from the Lord came as pages in a book, yes, the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
Now, brothers and sisters, I came to my whole-souled conviction that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a true restoration of the New Testament Church — and more — because I could not deny the evidence of that restoration. Since those first experiences, I suppose I have had a thousand — ten thousand — other witnesses of evidence that what I have spoken today. All of it has been true.
31:12
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder James E. Evanson, a General Authority Seventy, spoke about the parable of the good Samaritan.
Elder James E. Evanson: In our day, service continues to lead others to the gospel. As we serve others, we “show forth good examples unto them” (Alma 17:11), and they desire to know the “reason of the hope that is in [us]” (1 Peter 3:15). Jesus invites us to “go, and do thou likewise” (Luke 10:37). Now every worthy young man and woman who desires to serve a full-time mission for the Lord can do so, with very few exceptions.
To all of you who serve, and especially to the over 4,000 young service missionaries, we love you. If teaching missionaries are the Lord’s mouth, then service missionaries are the Lord’s hands, and you are not second-class missionaries. Each of you is vital to the gathering of Israel.
You don’t need to have a service assignment or wear a name tag to do good. Every act of service is recognized by the Savior. We are all able to help others come unto Christ by serving with loving-kindness. We can all minister in Christ’s name to the one through the power of the Holy Ghost and live as examples of faith in Jesus Christ. Service allows us to present ourselves as living sacrifices who are acceptable to God.
32:36
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught about the indispensable, strengthening, Christlike virtue of temperance.
Elder Ulisses Soares: The gospel of Jesus Christ provides us with divinely inspired and effective means to prevent the spiritual erosion in our souls, powerfully reinforcing our foundation and helping us avoid gaps in our faith and instability in both our testimony and our understanding of the sacred truths of the gospel.
One particularly relevant principle for achieving this purpose is found in section 12 of the Doctrine and Covenants, a revelation given through the Prophet Joseph Smith to Joseph Knight, a righteous man who earnestly sought to understand the Lord’s will, not for mere outward change but to stand unwavering in his discipleship — “firm as the pillars of heaven.”
The Lord declared: “Behold, I speak unto you, and also to all those who have desires to bring forth and establish this work; And no one can assist in this work except he shall be humble and full of love, having faith, hope and charity, being temperate in all things, whatsoever shall be entrusted to his care” (Doctrine and Covenants 12:7-8).
34:04
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Peter M Johnson, a General Authority Seventy, spoke on Sunday about the power of ministering to the one.
Elder Peter M. Johnson: Ministering in the Savior’s way involves compassion, kindness, patience and love without judgment. As we minister to the one, we invite the one to come unto Christ and to worship in the house of the Lord to receive of His redeeming power. In other words, we help one another become devoted disciples as we minister to the one in ways that lead to the house of the Lord.
Christ ministered to the one with love; as a result, others became His devoted disciples. So what can we do to ensure our ministering to the one in the Savior’s way is most effective? Living the doctrine of Christ will help us.
34:56
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, spoke on Sunday about looking to God.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson: Of course, the counsel “look to God and live” (Alma 37:47) not only has meaning for us in eternity but also makes all the difference in the character and quality of our mortal lives. Remember the words of young Sister Selebeli in Lesotho already mentioned — “Jesus Christ loves us and is with us, even though our hearts hurt.”
It is in the nature of a fallen world — where the devil rages and where everyone is imperfect — that there will be disappointments and offenses, suffering and sorrow, failure and loss, persecution and injustice. It is only by looking to God that individuals, families and even nations can flourish. Through the grace of Christ, “all things work[ed] together for [their] good” (Romans 8:28), refined them and deepened their relationship with Him.
Looking to God means that He is not just one of our priorities; it means, rather, that He is our one highest priority.
I call to mind again that awful crash in Lesotho last June. From her hospital bed, one of the Young Women leaders who survived, who did not believe in God before joining the Church, said that her purpose is now to discover why her life was spared. “Constantly serving God is how I will come to an answer, if I come to an answer,” she stated. “I used to think that I love God, but now I really, really, really, really, really love Him. Now He is the [number-one] priority in my life.”
I bear testimony of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, who in perfect unity of word, thought, purpose and action are the one God, to whom we may look for all good things.
37:00
Jon Ryan Jensen: Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus [second counselor in the general Young Women presidency] spoke about receiving a personal testimony of God’s prophets today to hear what message Heavenly Father has for these latter days.
Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus: Prophets are seers and revelators. That means they can see what others cannot see, and they can prophesy of future events. They can also prepare us for calamities. Prophets receive commandments and revelations from the Lord. The ninth article of faith speaks of the continuing revelation in these last days. It says, “We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.”
37:52
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Henry B. Eyring of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, was the concluding speaker on Sunday morning. He spoke about trusting in the Savior in times of trial.
Elder Henry B. Eyring: The word prove has several meanings. To prove something is not simply to test it. It is to increase its strength. To prove a piece of steel is to place it under strain. Heat, weight and pressure are added until its true nature is enhanced and revealed. The steel is not weakened by the proving. In fact, it becomes something that can be trusted, something strong enough to bear greater burdens.
The Lord proves us in much the same way to strengthen us. That proving does not come in moments of ease or comfort. It comes in moments when we feel stretched beyond what we thought we could bear. The Lord teaches that we are to continue to grow and never tire in our efforts, that we never give up, that we keep trying.
39:18
Jon Ryan Jensen: The concluding session of the October 2025 general conference was conducted by Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
The first speaker of the final session was Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve apostles, who spoke about accountability for one’s own sins and judgment day.
Elder David A. Bednar: The overarching purposes of the Father’s plan are to provide His spirit children with opportunities to receive a physical body, learn “good from evil” (2 Nephi 2:5) through mortal experience, grow spiritually and progress eternally.
What the Doctrine and Covenants refers to as “moral agency” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:78) is central in God’s plan to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of His sons and daughters. This essential principle also is described in the scriptures as agency and the freedom to choose and to act.
The term “moral agency” is instructive. Synonyms for the word “moral” include “good,” “honest” and “virtuous.” Synonyms for the word “agency” include “action,” “activity” and “work.” Hence, “moral agency” can be understood as the ability and privilege to choose and act for ourselves in ways that are good, honest, virtuous and true.
God’s creations include both “things to act and things to be acted upon” (2 Nephi 2:14; see also verse 13). And moral agency is the divinely designed “power of independent action” that empowers us as God’s children to become agents to act and not simply objects to be acted upon.
The fundamental purposes for the exercise of agency are to love one another and to choose God. And these two purposes align precisely with the first and second great commandments to love God with all our heart, soul and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
41:24
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder B. Corey Cuvelier, a General Authority Seventy, also spoke on Sunday afternoon about being called by the name of Christ and making discipleship a lifelong priority.
Elder B. Corey Cuvelier: President Russell M. Nelson has taught that if the Lord were speaking to us directly, the first thing He would make sure we understand is our true identity: we are children of God, children of the covenant and disciples of Jesus Christ. Any other designation will ultimately let us down.
Jesus called His followers by many names: Disciples. Sons and daughters. Children of the prophets. Sheep. Friends. The light of the world. Saints. Each carries eternal significance and underscores a personal relationship with the Savior. But among these names, one rises above the rest — the name of Christ.
42:21
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Matthew S. Holland, a General Authority Seventy, spoke Sunday afternoon about the Old Testament prophet Jonah and not forsaking one’s own mercy.
Elder Matthew S. Holland: My plea, inspired by Jonah, is forsake not your own mercy. You have immediate access to divine help and healing despite your human flaws. This awe-inspiring mercy comes in and through Jesus Christ. Because He knows and loves you perfectly, He offers it to you as your “own,” meaning it is perfectly suited to you, designed to relieve your individual agonies and heal your particular pains. So, for heaven’s sake and yours, do not turn your back on that. Accept it. Start by refusing to listen to the “lying vanities” of the adversary, who would tempt you into thinking that relief is found in sailing away from your spiritual responsibilities. Instead, follow the lead of the repentant Jonah. Cry unto God. Turn to the temple. Cling to your covenants. Serve the Lord, His Church, and others with sacrifice and thanksgiving.
43:49
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Carlos A. Godoy, a General Authority Seventy, spoke about finding joy despite challenges and seeking the Savior’s healing power.
Elder Carlos A. Godoy: [President Nelson said in 2016:] “When the focus of our lives is on God’s plan of salvation … and Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening — or not happening — in our lives.”
They find joy despite their challenges. They have learned that our relationship with the Savior enables us to approach difficulties with smiling faces and grateful hearts. Because they center their lives in the gospel of Jesus Christ. They know where to find help and hope.
Why can the Savior succor them and us in any circumstances of our lives? The answer can be found in the scriptures: “And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind. … And he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, … that he may know … how to succor his people according to their infirmities” (Alma 7:11-12).
As Elder Bednar taught, there is no physical pain, anguish or weakness we can experience that the Savior does not know. “You and I in a moment of weakness may cry out, ‘No one understands [what I am going through]. …’ No human being, perhaps, knows. But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands.” And why? Because “He felt and bore our burdens before we ever did.”
45:26
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, spoke Sunday about what it means to take upon oneself the name of the Savior.
Elder Dale G. Renlund: Partaking of the sacrament each week helps us remember Jesus Christ throughout the week. As we partake of the sacrament, we do so in remembrance of the price He paid to redeem us. We covenant anew to remember Him, recognize His greatness and appreciate His goodness. We acknowledge repeatedly that it is only in and through His grace that we are saved from physical and spiritual death.
Even when we are occupied with other matters, we remain mindful of Him, just as we remember our own names, regardless of what else we focus on.
An outgrowth of remembering what the Savior has done for us is a third parallel — emulation. Dr. Selzman began to emulate President Nelson and the RMN ethos. I believe that President Nelson’s ethos is simply a manifestation of his lifelong discipleship of Jesus Christ. For us, the more we identify with and remember Jesus Christ, the more we want to be like Him. As His disciples, we change for the better when we focus on Him, more so than when we focus on ourselves. We strive to become like Him and seek to be blessed with His attributes.
47:10
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder John D. Amos, a General Authority Seventy, spoke about happiness through gospel living.
Elder John D. Amos: The answer is always Jesus Christ. I think we all have moments when we feel our ingredients are not good enough, or we struggle to follow the directions, or perhaps we do something out of order, or something happens that is out of our control, and so on. What’s the remedy? It’s simply to add more of what invites Jesus Christ into your life.
As you follow the Good News Recipe for happy living, remember President Nelson’s teaching: “Whatever questions or problems you have, the answer is always found in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Learn more about His Atonement, His love, His mercy, His doctrine and His restored gospel of healing and progression. Turn to Him. Follow Him.”
I testify that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. He has “accomplished everything we need to be able to return to [our] Heavenly Father.”
48:28
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Ozani Farias, a General Authority Seventy, spoke about three ways to deepen conversion to Jesus Christ through a study of the Book of Mormon.
Elder Ozani Farias: As we feast upon the words of Christ, they will open the door to revelation and show us what we need to do in the various circumstances of our life to draw closer to Him.
The third suggestion: Bear your testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. Just as Lehi desired to share the fruit of the tree of life with his family (see 1 Nephi 8:12), when we gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon, we develop a desire to share the joy that comes from knowing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
My beloved brothers and sisters, I encourage each of you to deepen your study of the Book of Mormon. I know as we feast upon the words of Christ found in the Book of Mormon, the Spirit will help us understand eternal truths and share our testimonies with conviction with those whom the Lord has prepared to hear His message. The Lord said, “Mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts” (Doctrine and Covenants 29:7). I testify that those who ask God in faith will gain a testimony of the truth and divinity of the Book of Mormon by the power of the Holy Ghost.
49:55
Jon Ryan Jensen: The concluding speaker of the October 2025 general conference was President Dallin H. Oaks, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He bore strong testimony of the family on the 30th anniversary of the Family Proclamation. We give him the final word.
President Dallin H. Oaks: The Church of Jesus Christ is sometimes known as a family-centered church. It is. Our relationship to God and the purpose of our mortal life are explained in terms of the family. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the plan of our Heavenly Father for the benefit of His spirit children. We can truly say that the gospel plan was first taught to us in the council of an eternal family, it is implemented through our mortal families and its intended destiny is to exalt the children of God in eternal families.
As parental influences diminish, Latter-day Saints still have a God-given responsibility to teach their children to prepare for our family destiny in eternity (see Doctrine and Covenants 68:25). Many of us must do this when not all of our families are traditional. Divorce, death and separation are realities. I experienced that in the family in which I was raised.
We are all grateful for temple marriage and for the prospective blessings of being sealed as an eternal family. Like my mother, we love to quote Lehi’s promise to his son Jacob that God “shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain” (2 Nephi 2:2). That applies to every Latter-day Saint family, complete or currently incomplete. We are a family church.
Parents, single or married — and others, like grandparents, who fill that role for children — are the master teachers. Their most effective teaching is by example. The family circle is the ideal place to demonstrate and learn eternal values, such as the importance of marriage and children, the purpose of life and the true source of joy. It is also the best place to learn other essential lessons of life, such as kindness, forgiveness, self-control and the value of education and honest work.
Our Savior, Jesus Christ, is our ultimate role model. We will be blessed if we model our lives after His teachings and self-sacrifice. Following Christ and giving ourselves in service to one another is the best remedy for the selfishness and individualism that now seem to be so common.
I testify of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Only Begotten Son of God, our Eternal Father. He invites us to follow the covenant path that leads to a heavenly family reunion. The sealing powers of the priesthood, directed by the keys restored in the Kirtland Temple, bring families together for eternity (see Doctrine and Covenants 110:13-16). They are currently being exercised in a growing number of temples of the Lord throughout the world. This is real. Let us be part of it, I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
53:46
Jon Ryan Jensen: Thank you for listening to the Church News podcast. I’m your host, Church News editor Jon Ryan Jensen. I hope you learned something today about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had your faith in the Savior increase by looking through the Church News window as a living record of the Restoration. Please subscribe, rate and review this podcast so it can be accessible to more people. And if you enjoyed the messages we shared today, please share the podcast with others. Thanks to our guests; to my producer, KellieAnn Halvorsen; and to others who make this podcast possible. Join us every week for a new episode. Find us on your favorite podcasting channels or with other news and updates about the Church on TheChurchNews.com or on the Church News app.
