WEST JORDAN, UTAH — The concept of infinity is often misunderstood within the context of eternity, Elder Dale G. Renlund taught at the Jordan Institute of Religion on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
Elder Renlund, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was accompanied by his wife, Sister Ruth L. Renlund, as they spoke to young adults in the western part of the Salt Lake Valley.
As Elder Renlund taught about the limitless power that Jesus Christ has as the Savior, he showed that the Savior’s ability to help individuals is not reduced when He offers some of that help to others. Elder Renlund said that the Lord’s power is not like a cake with a finite number of pieces. His power, instead, is endless.
“Our despondency and weeping in this world can be turned to boundless joy and rejoicing because of Jesus Christ, His mercy and love,” he said.
Perspective on the prodigal son and his brother
Scripturally, Elder Renlund described this point by teaching about the parable of the prodigal son. Elder Renlund recalled a conversation he had with his sister, Anita, about this scriptural story.
She said that some people believe they understand infinity because they have seen its mathematical symbol and have learned a simplistic definition of the word.
“Infinite means without limit, immeasurable in scope or duration,” Elder Renlund said.
His sister said that the older brother in the story could not comprehend that the generosity of his father toward the prodigal would not diminish his own inheritance.
“We sometimes do the same thing with God. We put limits on Him, because our minds work within finite constructs. As God said, ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts’ (Isaiah 55:9). We need to trust Him that His promises are sure,” Elder Renlund said.
Knowledge requires effort
Sister Renlund spoke before her husband and invited the young adults to take every opportunity to learn and to gain knowledge spiritually and academically.
“Just like gaining and retaining other knowledge, gaining spiritual knowledge requires work. It’s a different kind of work, but it requires your time and constant attention,” she said.
Sister Renlund explained that she had studied the French language when she was in school. Later, when she and Elder Renlund moved to Africa when he was called to serve in the Church’s Africa Southeast Area presidency, she was excited to use her French skills. However, because she had not maintained those skills, she could not speak or write the way she had previously in her life.
Elder Renlund later taught that maintaining spiritual skills requires consistently engaging in “intentional acts of personal, private devotion,”
The acts are sometimes referred to in the Church as Primary answers, he said. Meaning that those answers are taught to children while they are in Primary.
“However, they are primary — meaning foundational — because they help us capture the awe for the Savior and His power. They are the things that help us course correct and turn to Him. They are the actions that help us become His lifelong disciples and allow us to always have His Spirit to be with us.”
And those same primary and Primary acts are personal because no one can do them on behalf of another individual, Elder Renlund taught.
“Like physical exercise, personal, private acts of devotion are individual work. … They are acts of devotion because the intent is to draw us closer to the Savior.”
Learnings at the killing fields of Cambodia
While ministering in Cambodia in January 2024, Elder Renlund had a personal experience that reaffirmed his understanding of the Savior’s infinite atoning sacrifice.
He visited the genocide museum known as the Choeung Ek Killing Fields to the south of the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh. In the 1970s, more than a million individuals were killed in those and other similar fields.
Elder Renlund recalled asking himself as he visited, “Does the Atonement of Jesus Christ cover even this?”
He said that he felt amazed to receive a feeling of peace and joy despite the horror and suffering that took place there.
“What I understood intellectually before, I understood now in my heart. Anything that is unfair in this life can and will be ‘made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.’ This means that the consequences of any unfairness to anyone will be resolved, mitigated or lifted,” he testified.
