Editor’s note: To support personal and family gospel learning, the Church News is publishing articles on messages from April 2025 general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is recommended to listen to or read the full address in addition to reviewing these resources.
About this talk
- “True to the Faith That Our Parents Have Cherished”
- Elder Hans T. Boom | General Authority Seventy
- Saturday afternoon session of April 2025 general conference.
- Theme: Consider what stories of faith, strength and celestial commitment can be passed on to the next generation.
Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Elder Boom’s message here.
Outline
- In 1862, 14-year-old Mary Wanlass traveled from Missouri to the Utah Valley with her four younger siblings and bedridden father. A painting of Mary Wanlass titled “Carry On” hangs in the Nashville Tennessee Temple to remind all to just carry on.
- Both of Elder Boom’s parents came from difficult childhoods and faced a poor adult life together. However, as they fully embraced the gospel and lived by their covenants, these hardships just made the family stronger, like when Alma put his trust and faith in Jesus Christ (see Alma 36:27).
- When the health of Elder Boom’s mother deteriorated, his father was prepared for the mental weight it gave him from his childhood experiences in a concentration camp. “Their faith and testimonies are a driving strength for the generations that have come after them.”
- Elder Boom’s mother- and father-in-law were shunned by family, friends and their town when they became Latter-day Saints. While serving as bishop, he was falsely accused and immediately released. Rather than leave the Church, the couple continued to attend, as “this is the Church of Jesus Christ.”
- Do not take for granted the faith and testimonies of faithful parents, as their experiences were just as strong for them to say, as the Prophet Joseph Smith did, “I knew it, … and I could not deny it” (Joseph Smith—History 1:25).
- Even when not raised by “goodly parents who love the Lord,” as was the case for Elder Boom’s mother, anyone can become one and be an example to others. Believers can find the truth of their role as mentioned in the songs “We’ll Bring the World His Truth (Army of Helaman)” and “True to the Faith.”
- Sacrifices must be made to grow a testimony, and one sacrifice is serving a mission. Accepting President Russell M. Nelson‘s invitation to serve shows the Lord a love for Him and desire to know Him better (see Mosiah 5:13).
- Consider: “What stories of faith, strength and celestial commitment will I pass on to the next generation?” As believers make the Savior the center of their lives, they can stand firm when times become difficult.
Reflection questions
What stories of faith do you have about your parents or other ancestors? What have you learned from them?
How has embracing the gospel of Christ and living by covenants strengthened you through hardships?
Have you told those stories to loved ones? What were their reactions?
When has drawing on the past experiences of your parents or a role model helped you through a challenging situation?
How can we exhibit faith and strength in difficult circumstances?
Speaker quotes
- “How did two people who experienced so many trials in their younger years become the very best parents I could ever wish for? The answer is simple: They fully embraced the gospel and live by their covenants to this very day.”
- “To those of the rising generation wherever you are and in whatever situation you may find yourself, please learn and receive strength from the faith and testimonies of those who came before you.”
- “All of us, whether we are the first generation in the gospel or the fifth, should ask ourselves: What stories of faith, strength and celestial commitment will I pass on to the next generation?”
Reference scriptures
- “And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, God has delivered me from prison, and from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me.”
- “I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.”
- “For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?”
Invitations and promises
- “Even when this might not be the case, as my mother experienced as a child, you can become one of those ‘goodly parents who love the Lord’ and provide a righteous example to others.”
- “Thinking about a sacrifice that will truly bless your life, please consider and pray about the invitation of our beloved Prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, when he asked ‘every worthy, able young man to prepare for and serve a mission. For Latter-day Saint young men, missionary service is a priesthood responsibility. … For … young and able sisters, a mission is also a powerful, but optional, opportunity.’”
- “Let us all continue in our efforts to get to know our Savior, Jesus Christ, better and to make Him the center of our lives. He is the rock upon which we must build so that when times become difficult, we will be able to stand firm.”
Stories
- In 1862, 14-year-old Mary Wanlass traveled from Missouri to the Utah Valley with her four younger siblings and bedridden father. Mary promised her dying stepmother that she would get them to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake. This included Mary driving the oxen and milk cows attached to the wagon, foraging for edible plants and traveling with only a compass to guide them. When they arrived in the valley, her father died shortly after.
- Elder Boom’s parents met at a Church activity after both being baptized in their young adult years. His mother grew up in a broken home, and his father survived a concentration camp. Wanting to be sealed in the temple, they spent their last pennies to travel to Bern, Switzerland. They were so poor yet so devoted to the restored gospel that they gave all the money they had saved for a washing machine so that a new meetinghouse could be built in their area. At the end of their lives, Elder Boom’s mother died of Alzheimer’s disease.
- After Elder Boom’s mother- and father-in-law became members of the Church of Jesus Christ, they were shunned by their family, friends and town. It took many years of service and letters for them to finally be accepted again. While this went on, the father was falsely accused and subsequently released as the bishop of the ward. The couple did not let this event separate them from the Church, and after some time, the truth was revealed and apologies were made.
Additional resources
- Related image: “Pioneer Girl” by Julie Rogers
- Related video: “Your Story Is Worth Remembering”
- Related hymn: No. 254, “True to the Faith”
Recent conference talks on family history
- Elder Benjamín De Hoyos: “The Work of the Temple and Family History—One and the Same Work” (April 2023)
- Elder Rafael E. Pino: “Let Doing Good Be Our Normal” (October 2022)
- Elder Gerrit W. Gong: “We Each Have a Story” (April 2022)
Who is Elder Boom?
- Elder Hans T. Boom was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 6, 2019. He was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and his parents were both converts to the Church. At the time of his call as a general authority, he worked as a sales manager for MacLean Agencies.
