Editor’s note: To support personal and family gospel learning, the Church News is publishing articles on messages from April 2025 general conference. It is recommended to listen to or read the full address in addition to reviewing these resources.
About this talk
- “My Love for the Savior Is My ‘Why’”
- Elder Ricardo P. Giménez | General Authority Seventy
- Saturday morning session of April 2025 general conference.
- Theme: Following the Prophet links with one’s love of the Savior.
Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Elder Giménez’s message here.
Outline
- President Russell M. Nelson continually extends invitations. In October 2024, he extended the invitation to study recent conference messages and to “use them as a litmus test of what is true and what is not during the next six months.”
- Invitations from the Prophet are more than just another thing to add to a to-do list; they are a way to express love for the Savior and fellow brothers and sisters.
- Linking “everything we do with our love for the Savior” will help believers understand their “why,” strengthen their covenantal relationship with God and understand His eternal and absolute truths.
- At times, traditions can dictate how one builds faith in Jesus Christ. Connecting activities and traditions with love for the Savior will allow one to learn, feel and connect with Him. Connecting one’s “why” with love for the Savior enables one to receive what one needs or is seeking.
- President Nelson gave an invitation to study and ponder the messages from general conference, not to read all of the messages and mark it off a to-do list. Accepting this invitation and understanding the “why” behind it will give more opportunities to grow closer to the Savior.
- Many will try to influence and “lead you to believe that some fundamental truths of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ are unnecessary.” Be slow to accept these “misleading ideas.” Instead, remember what the Savior taught.
- The Church “is the means established by Heavenly Father to access covenants that enable us to return home.” These grant access to covenantal love of God the Father and His Son, making it possible to attain the highest kingdom of glory.
- Elder Giménez bears his witness of Jesus Christ, His love and His knowledge of what is happening in one’s life. His love for the Savior is his “why.”
Reflection questions
How do you express your love for the Savior, Jesus Christ?
What invitations from President Nelson have you accepted? What blessings have come from obedience to those invitations?
What is the “why” behind your discipleship?
How can we be “immune” to the influence of misleading ideas and be quicker to remember the Savior’s teachings?
How have you experienced the love of Jesus Christ?
Speaker quotes
- “The more we can connect the reason with our love for the Savior, the more we will be able to receive what we need or are seeking.”
- “When we accept the invitation, understanding the ‘why’ behind it, we will have more opportunities to become closer to the Savior. We will begin to understand that because I love the Savior, I want to learn more about Him by studying the words of the living prophets. And because I love my fellow man, I will share the teachings of prophets, seers and revelators with others, starting with my loved ones.”
- “With all the energy of my soul, I bear witness to the reality and divinity of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He loves you. He knows what is happening in your life. His arms are wide open, extending the invitation ‘Come unto me, … and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28). I love the Savior, and my love for Him is my ‘why.’”
Reference scriptures
- “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
- “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Invitations and promises
- “As your brother, I hope you will consider my words as a sincere invitation to seek to understand the opportunity to link everything we do with our love for the Savior. Doing this will help us understand the real ‘why’ behind everything we do as disciples of the Savior. This will help us strengthen our covenantal connection with God, understanding His divine and eternal truths — His eternal and absolute truths that will never change.”
- “Please don’t misunderstand my point about having activities and traditions or setting goals and working hard to achieve them; there is nothing wrong with this. However, I invite you to open your hearts and minds to the opportunity and blessing of understanding why we do these things and how we practice our religion.”
- “You may hear voices insisting that only a personal relationship or understanding with the Savior is sufficient and that religion or the restored Church is unnecessary or nonessential. I invite you to be slow to consider or even be immune to being influenced by these misleading ideas and to be quicker to remember what the Savior has been telling and teaching us since ancient times — beginning with the love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for us and connecting our love for Them as the reason to follow Them.”
Stories
- Elder Giménez is inspired by the various invitations from President Nelson. Pondering on those invitations, he was reminded by his decision to do things because he loves Jesus Christ. “This is the real and most powerful reason why I do what I do, and then connected with this is my love for you, my fellow brothers and sisters.”
- President Dallin H. Oaks gave a February 2025 invitation, on behalf of the First Presidency, to celebrate Christ’s Resurrection during Easter traditions. Elder Giménez explained that believers can “use these traditions as a means to learn more about the Savior and remember His Resurrection.”
Additional resources
- Related image: “Lovest Thou Me More Than These?” by David Lindsley
- Related video: “Going to Grandma‘s”
- Related hymn: No. 1031, “Come, Hear the Word the Lord Has Spoken”
Recent conference talks on love
- Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf: “By This All Will Know That You Are My Disciples” (April 2025)
- Elder John A. McCune: “Joy Through Covenant Discipleship” (April 2025)
- Sister Tamara W. Runia: “Your Repentance Doesn’t Burden Jesus Christ; It Brightens His Joy” (April 2025)
Who is Elder Giménez?
- Elder Ricardo P. Giménez, was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 6, 2019. At the time of his call, he was serving as a counselor in a stake presidency in Ely, Nevada. His professional career included mining and information technology.
