Members and friends of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around the world tuned in to the 195th Annual General Conference held April 5-6, 2025.
The two-day conference featured messages of encouragement and hope from the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and other Church leaders, including President Russell M. Nelson.
This special conference edition of the Church News podcast features excerpts from each conference address, including topics like the Lord’s great love for His children, the need for repentance and personal preparation before the Savior’s Second Coming.
Listen to this episode of the Church News podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Spotify, bookshelf PLUS, YouTube or wherever you get podcasts.
Transcript:
President Russell M. Nelson: When we make and keep covenants with God, we can have confidence that is born of the Spirit. Imagine the comfort of having confidence in the presence of God. Now, how do we gain such confidence? In the Lord’s own words, charity and virtue open the way to having confidence before God. As we diligently seek to have charity and virtue fill our lives, our confidence in approaching God will increase. I invite you to take intentional steps to grow in your confidence before the Lord.
1:06
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 of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and friends of the Church around the world participated in the 195th Annual General Conference over the weekend of April 5-6. The two-day conference included counsel and messages about the Savior Jesus Christ from members of the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and other Church leaders.
This special conference edition of the Church News podcast features excerpts from each of the conference addresses, covering topics like the Lord’s greater love, the need for repentance and personal preparation before the Savior’s Second Coming.
1:52
President Jeffrey R. Holland, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, led off Saturday morning session of general conference talking about the virtues of children.
President Jeffrey R. Holland: So, 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” (Matthew 18:2-3).
So, what is it that we are to see in the virtues of life’s junior varsity? What was it that brought Christ to tears, 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 their innocence, their inborn humility, and what it could bring to our lives if we retain it.
Brothers and sisters, at the top of the list of the most beautiful images I know are babies and children and youth as conscientious and as priceless as those we have referred to today. I testify that they are images of the kingdom of God flourishing on earth in all of its strength and beauty.
3:52
Jon Ryan Jensen: Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson was the second speaker in the Saturday morning session of general conference. She spoke about becoming “spiritually whole” through Jesus Christ.
President Camille N. Johnson: If healing and wholeness are not the same, can one be made spiritually whole by Him but not yet physically and emotionally healed? The Master Healer will heal all our afflictions — physical and emotional — in His time. But in the waiting to be healed, can one be whole? What might it mean to be spiritually whole?
We are whole in Jesus Christ when we exercise our agency to follow Him in faith, submit our hearts to Him so He can change them, keep His commandments and enter a covenant relationship with Him, meekly enduring and learning from the challenges of this earthly estate until we return to His presence and are healed in every way.
I can be whole, while I wait for healing, if I am wholehearted in my relationship with Him. Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we can seek to be spiritually whole while we wait and hope for physical and emotional healing. All will be physically and emotionally healed in the Resurrection; but will you choose now to be whole in Him?
5:20
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was the third speaker of the Saturday morning session. He spoke and testified of how the Lord is hastening His work.
Elder Ronald A. Rasband: President Russell M. Nelson said at our last conference, “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 indeed hastening His work.”
Hastening His work. “Hastening” is a word that matters. It suggests moving quickly, accelerating, even urgency. In the growth of the Church and the plan of Christ, hastening is happening. And we are all a part of it.
I marvel at what President Nelson calls the “majesty of this moment” and express profound gratitude to the Lord for His work. I encourage us to stand tall as His disciples, eyewitnesses of the fulfillment of prophecy, both ancient and modern.
In my assignments this year, I have had a front-row seat to the Lord “hastening His work.” The Church is building temples at an unprecedented pace, giving more members an opportunity to worship in the house of the Lord. Second, missionary work is gathering record numbers to the fold of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. And third, Church education in many configurations is at a new high in teaching those who “seek this Jesus” (Ether 12:41).
7:05
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Quentin L. Cook, also of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, spoke on Saturday morning about the rescue that comes through Jesus Christ’s Atonement.
Elder Quentin L. Cook: The Atonement of Jesus Christ provides the ultimate rescue from the trials we face in this life. The Father’s plan of happiness is based on the Savior’s atoning rescue.
Without the Atonement, we cannot save ourselves from sin and death. While sin can play a significant role in our trials, life’s adversities are compounded by mistakes, bad decisions, evil actions by others, and many things outside of our control.
During this Easter season, our focus is on the Savior and His atoning sacrifice. The Atonement provides hope and light at a time that for many seems dark and dreary. President Gordon B. Hinckley declared, “When all of history is examined, ... there is nothing so wonderful, so majestic, so tremendous as this act of grace.”
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. My third counsel is to set aside consistent time to faithfully contemplate the Savior’s Atonement.
We must never forget the sacrifices and examples of prior generations, but our adulation, appreciation and worship should be centered on the Savior of the world and His atoning sacrifice.
8:57
Jon Ryan Jensen: General Authority Seventy Elder Ricardo P. Giménez spoke in the Saturday morning session of conference about his love for the Savior and how that is his “why.”
Elder Ricardo P. Giménez: In our world, we usually focus on what we do and on consistently accomplishing tasks and goals. In this environment, we have the opportunity to go beyond just doing things or achieving goals by understanding why we are doing them, especially in a spiritual sphere.
If we can understand and connect that the reason behind our actions relates to our love for the Savior and our Heavenly Father, by taking advantage of these opportunities, we will understand that even though doing righteous things, like having church activities or traditions, and appropriately doing them is a good thing, when we connect them with the why, we will be blessed to understand the reason. It won’t be just doing good things or doing it right; we will also get it right.
9:57
Jon Ryan Jensen: Closing out the first session of general conference was President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency. President Eyring talked about the Savior’s invitation to “draw near unto [Him]” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:63).
President Henry B. Eyring: 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 heart 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.
Jesus Christ loves each of us. He offers that opportunity to draw closer to Him. As with a loving friend, you will do it in much the same way by communicating through prayer to Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ, listening for cherished guidance from the Holy Ghost and then serving others for the Savior cheerfully. Soon you would feel that blessing of drawing nearer to Him.
Many of you have loved ones who are wandering off the path to eternal life. You wonder what more you can do to bring them back. Well, one thing: You can depend on the Lord to draw closer to them as you serve Him in faith.
As you bind up the wounds of those in need, the Lord’s power will sustain you. His arms will be outstretched with yours to succor and bless the children of our Heavenly Father.
12:26
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was the first speaker in Saturday afternoon session of general conference. He spoke about nurturing and protecting life that is yet unborn.
Elder Neil L. Andersen: When a single woman discovers that she is expecting an unanticipated child, health concerns, spiritual turmoil, embarrassment, financial worries, educational questions, marriage uncertainty, and the sadness of shattered dreams can, in a moment of pain and bewilderment, lead a thoughtful woman to take steps that will bring deep pain and regret.
For any listening who have experienced the deep pain and regret from having or participating in an abortion, please remember: Although we cannot change the past, God can heal the past. Forgiveness can come through the miracle of His atoning grace, as you turn to Him with a humble and repentant heart.
Two words are often attached to the sanctity of mortal birth: life and choice. Life is a most precious part of our Father’s perfect plan, and by His decree we cherish and preserve life; and we choose the continuation of life once conceived. We also treasure the gift of choice, of moral agency, helping to strengthen righteous choices approved by God that bring eternal happiness.
When a woman and a man are in such a fragile time facing a crucial choice, our words, our hands, our hearts — spiritually, emotionally and financially — can bless them to feel the Savior’s love and, as President Henry B. Eyring said, bring a clarifying adjustment to their spiritual eyes from “what they think they see” to “what they cannot yet see.”
My dear brothers and sisters, the diminishing love for unborn children worldwide is a grave concern. God cherishes life. It is His work and His glory to bring immortality and eternal life to His children (see Moses 1:39). As disciples of Jesus Christ, we cherish life. “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35).
May we share our love even more abundantly with those who need us so desperately. I express my love for you and our Heavenly Father’s love for His children coming to earth.
15:21
Jon Ryan Jensen: Young Men General President Steven J. Lund, who was released in the morning session on Saturday, spoke in the Saturday afternoon session about the divine authority of the Aaronic Priesthood.
President Steven J. Lund: Knowing God’s power for what it truly is, we were witness to the disruption of the very patterns of this world by godly authority spreading across the earth.
These ordinations launch these young men into lifetimes of service as they will find themselves in consequential times and places where their presence and prayers and powers of priesthood, the priesthood of God that they hold, will profoundly matter.
The Aaronic Priesthood is called the preparatory priesthood partly because its ordinances allow them to experience the weight and the joy of being on the Lord’s errand, preparing them for future priesthood service, when they may be called upon to minister in unforeseeable ways — including pronouncing inspired blessings in times when hopes and dreams, and even life and death, hang in precarious balance.
Such serious expectations require serious preparation. I am forever grateful that holders of the Aaronic Priesthood, with its powers, ordinance and duties, do bless all of us through the keys of the very “ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins” (Doctrine and Covenants 13:1).
16:56
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder S. Mark Palmer of the Presidency of the Seventy spoke in the Saturday afternoon session about returning to the Savior and allowing Him to heal us.
Elder S. Mark Palmer: Yet again and again, I am inspired by the stories of so many who have chosen to renew their discipleship and come back to their Church home.
Now, my message today is especially to all who once felt the Spirit but question whether there is a way back or a place for you in the restored Church of Jesus Christ. It is also for any who are barely hanging on or who are tempted to step away.
This message is not a challenge, and it is not a condemnation. It is an invitation, extended with love and a sincere desire to welcome you back to your spiritual home. I witness that there is rejoicing in heaven over those who return. You are needed, and you are loved.
18:05
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Sandino Román spoke in the Saturday afternoon session about building faith and looking at it as a bond of trust and loyalty with the Savior.
Elder Sandino Román: What does it mean to have faith in Christ? Does it mean we believe in Him, or have a testimony that He is real? That may be a start, but it’s more than that. Have you ever thought of faith as trust?
Think of the person you trust the most; perhaps a family member or a friend. Why do you trust them? It is probably because you have seen their constant love and help. When we have faith in Christ, we recognize His blessings and develop a relationship of trust with Him.
Notice that faith sprouts as we trust in Jesus Christ and blooms as we are faithful and loyal to Him. If you want a true relationship with Christ, show Him by making covenants and honoring them with faithfulness and loyalty. Making covenants with Jesus Christ builds hope. Honoring them builds faith.
19:29
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke on Saturday afternoon about personal preparation and the need to prepare to meet the Savior.
Elder Dale G. Renlund: Toward the end of His mortal ministry, Jesus Christ was asked when He would come again. In answering, He taught three parables, recorded in Matthew 25, about how to prepare to meet Him — whether at His Second Coming or whenever we leave this world. These teachings are crucial because personal preparation to meet Him is central to life’s purpose.
If we are wise, we receive the truth by accepting the gospel of Jesus Christ through priesthood ordinances and covenants. Next, we strive to remain worthy of having the Holy Ghost always with us. This capability must be acquired individually and personally, drop by drop. Consistent, personal, private acts of devotion invite the Holy Ghost to guide us.
Indeed, God will be disappointed if we do not rely upon the merits, mercy and grace of the Savior to magnify the God-given talents we have received. With His loving assistance, He expects us to become the best version of ourselves. That we may start with differing abilities is irrelevant to Him. And it should be to us.
When we serve others, we serve God; when we don’t, we disappoint. He expects us to use our gifts, talents and abilities to bless the lives of Heavenly Father’s children.
21:21
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Hans T. Boom of the Quorum of the Seventy spoke about honoring heritage and being true to the faith of our parents.
Elder Hans T. Boom: “Just carry on,” or freely translated in my native Dutch language “Gewoon Doorgaan,” is also my mom and dad’s lifelong slogan. My parents and in-laws are the pioneers in our family. They have crossed their own “plains” just like all those who are coming into the Church, the Lord’s fold, every day. Their stories have little to do with oxen and wagons but have the same effect on future generations.
Why is it that some of us take for granted the faith and testimonies of our parents who through all their hardships have remained faithful? Do we think that they do not have a clear understanding of things? They were not and are not deceived. They just have too many experiences with the Spirit and can say with the Prophet Joseph, “I knew it, ... and I could not deny it.”
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 that came before you. It will help you understand that in order to gain or grow a testimony, sacrifices will have to be made. And that “sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven.”
22:58
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles closed out the Saturday afternoon session by talking about the importance of demonstrating love to one another as members of the Church.
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf: My dear brothers and sisters, my dear friends, I love The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the Savior’s true and living Church, and it teaches the restored fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. His priesthood power and authority reside here.
Jesus Christ leads this Church personally, through servants He has called and authorized and by a living Prophet, even President Nelson. The Savior has given the Latter-day Saints a unique mission to gather God’s children and prepare the world for the Savior’s Second Coming. I bear witness that all this is true.
But it’s important to remember that when most people experience the Church of Jesus Christ for the first time, they aren’t thinking about priesthood authority or ordinances or the gathering of Israel. What they’re likely to notice, above all else, is how they feel when they are with us and how we treat each other.
“Love one another,” Jesus said. “By this all will know that you are My disciples” (John 13:34-35). The love of our friends and the love our friends feel among us will lift them closer to Jesus Christ. That is our simple goal every time we gather when we meet together.
Anyone who is seeking greater faith in Christ or a closer connection to Heavenly Father should feel right at home in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Inviting them to our meetings can be as normal and as natural as inviting them into our homes.
It is not our physical appearance, our political views, our culture, our ethnicity that brings us together. It is not our common background that unites us. It is our common objective, our love for God, our love for our neighbor, our commitment to Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. We are “one in Christ” (Galatians 3:28).
25:41
Jon Ryan Jensen: Leading off the Saturday evening session of general conference, Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about maintaining the Savior at the center of one’s life.
Elder Gary E. Stevenson: Easter allows us to honor both the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the literal and joyous Resurrection of Him. Our hearts are heavy as we imagine the Savior’s suffering in the garden and upon Calvary, but our hearts rejoice as we envision the empty tomb and the heavenly decree, “He is risen” (Matthew 28:6).
Recent First Presidency encouragement to “look forward to Easter and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ — the most glorious of all messages to mankind” highlight the magnitude of this season. While there appears to be a growing trend among various Christian theologians to view the Resurrection in figurative and symbolic terms, we affirm our doctrine that “the Resurrection means that all who have ever lived will be resurrected, and the Resurrection is literal.”
“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). Jesus Christ broke the bands of death for every living soul. We truly stand all amazed at the grace Jesus offers us. We embrace His words that “greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
27:12
Jon Ryan Jensen: Sister Amy A. Wright, first counselor in the Primary general presidency, spoke about Latter-day Saint families educating their children and helping them to become like Jesus Christ.
Sister Amy A. Wright: Lifelong discipleship of Jesus Christ begins in our homes — and in Primary as early as 18 months of age. We want our children to believe in Jesus Christ, belong to Jesus Christ and His Church through covenant, and strive to become like Jesus Christ.
We exercise faith in Jesus Christ when we have an assurance that He exists, an understanding of His true character and nature, and a knowledge that we are striving to live according to His will.
I invite you to ponder what this can look like in the life of young children. Do they hear testimonies of Jesus Christ and His gospel? Do they see reverential, worshipful images of His ministry and godhood? Do they feel and recognize the Holy Ghost testifying of His reality and divinity? Do they know of His message and mission?
How can we help baptized and confirmed children fulfill their covenantal responsibility to gather themselves and others unto Jesus Christ? Lifelong discipleship requires us to “be ... doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22).
As Jesus Christ becomes the focus of our lives, what we desire, and how we desire it, is forever altered. Conversion changes everything. It changes our nature, “that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” (Mosiah 5:2).
29:06
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder James R. Rasband, a General Authority Seventy, spoke about how Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation is a plan of mercy.
Elder James R. Rasband: There are so many ways in which we each can find mercy in the house of the Lord. This has been true since the Lord first commanded Israel to build a tabernacle and to place at its center the “mercy seat.” In the temple, we find mercy in the covenants we make.
Those covenants, in addition to the baptismal covenant, bind us to the Father and the Son and give us increased access to what President Nelson has taught is “a special kind of love and mercy ... called hesed” in Hebrew.
We find mercy also in the opportunity to be sealed to our families for eternity. In the temple, we come to understand with greater clarity that the Creation, the Fall, the Savior’s atoning sacrifice and our very ability to enter again into our Heavenly Father’s presence — indeed, every part of the plan of salvation — is a manifestation of mercy. It might be said that the plan of salvation is a plan of happiness precisely because it is a “plan of mercy” (Alma 42:15).
30:18
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Sergio R. Vargas, a General Authority Seventy, spoke also on Saturday evening, about focusing our lives on Jesus Christ.
Elder Sergio R. Vargas: Deep inside each of us is a desire to return to our heavenly home, and Jesus Christ is our heavenly guidance system. He is the way. His atoning sacrifice makes it possible for us to make sacred covenants with God.
Once we make covenants, we will at times find ourselves swimming against the current. Danger, disappointment, temptation and affliction will test our faith and spiritual strength. Ask for help. Jesus Christ understands and is always eager to share our burdens.
31:07
Jon Ryan Jensen: Closing out the Saturday evening session of general conference, Elder D. Todd Christofferson spoke about the significance of personal worship.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson: What does worshipping God mean for you and me? When we think of worship, our thoughts typically turn to the ways we show religious devotion, both privately and in Church services.
As I have considered the matter of worshipping our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, our Savior, four concepts have come to mind: first, the actions that constitute our worship; second, the attitudes and feelings that figure into our worship; third, the exclusivity of our worship; and fourth, the need to emulate the holy Beings that we 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.
32:29
Jon Ryan Jensen: Leading the Sunday morning session of general conference, Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about the Restoration of Christ’s Church and the miraculous events that led to its founding.
Elder David A. Bednar: The appearance of the Father and the Son to Joseph Smith, the translation and coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the restoration of priesthood authority and keys were necessary prerequisites to the organization of the Lord’s restored Church 195 years ago today.
I testify the Lord is fulfilling His promise. The Savior’s restored Church is being established throughout the world and is the instrument by which God will “gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him” (Ephesians 1:10).
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.”
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.
34:10
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Bednar was followed by General Authority Seventy Elder Steven D. Shumway, who talked about participating to prepare for Christ’s return.
Elder Steven D. Shumway: In the majesty of this moment, as God’s kingdom expands and temples dot the earth, there is a growing need for willing souls to engage in God’s work. Selflessly serving is the very essence of Christlike discipleship, but serving is rarely convenient.
This is why I admire you covenant-keeping disciples who set aside your desires, your challenges to serve God by serving His children. This includes our dear missionaries. God delights to honor you for serving Him in righteousness. He promises, “Great shall be [your] reward and eternal shall be [your] glory” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:6).
When we say yes to serving, we’re saying yes to Jesus Christ. And when we say yes to Christ, we’re saying yes to the most abundant life possible.
35:11
Jon Ryan Jensen: Sister Tamara W. Runia, first counselor in the Young Women general presidency, spoke also in the Sunday morning session of conference about how an individual’s repentance does not burden the Savior but instead brings Him joy.
Sister Tamara W. Runia: I’ve learned that if you wait until you’re clean enough or perfect enough to go to the Savior, you’ve missed the whole point.
I testify that while God cares about our mistakes, He cares more about what happens after we make a mistake. Are we going to turn to Him again and again? Are we going to stay in this covenant relationship?
So when the Lord says, “Repent ye, repent ye,” what if you imagined Him saying, “I love you, I love you”? Picture Him pleading with you to leave behind the behavior causing you pain and inviting you to step out of darkness and turn to His light.
The invitation to repent is an expression of God’s love. Saying yes to that invitation is an expression of ours. I promise the minute we bring a broken heart courageously towards Him, He is immediately there.
If you saw someone drowning, wouldn’t you reach your hand out to rescue them? Could you imagine your Savior rejecting your outstretched hand? I imagine Him diving into the water, descending below all things to lift us up so we can take a fresh breath. No one can sink lower than the Light of Christ shines.
36:37
Jon Ryan Jensen: Following Sister Runia, Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé spoke in the Sunday morning session. He said that through the Lord’s atoning sacrifice, the Savior will compensate for every inability and injustice if individuals will offer their whole soul to the Lord.
Bishop Gérald Caussé: At times, these trials may seem to hinder your progress and challenge your genuine efforts to live the gospel fully, making it more difficult to serve, worship and fulfill sacred duties.
My dear friends, if you ever feel limited or disadvantaged by the circumstances of your life, I want you to know this: The Lord loves you personally. He knows your circumstances, and the door to His blessings remains wide open to you, no matter the challenges you face.
When facing limitations and challenges, may we recognize our own blessings — our gifts, resources and time — and use them to serve those in need. In doing so, we will not only bless others but invite healing and compensation into our own lives.
37:50
Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke during the Sunday morning session about finding Atonement, Resurrection and Restoration all in Jesus Christ.
Elder Gerrit W. Gong: For me now, that Jesus weeps in sorrow and joy testifies of the miraculous reality: The divine Son of God came into physical mortality and learned according to the flesh how always to be with and bless us.
When we cry out in grief or joy, Jesus Christ understands perfectly. He can be present in the moments when we most need eternity’s great gifts — Jesus Christ’s Atonement, Resurrection, Restoration.
Easter in Jesus Christ helps us mend, reconcile, make right our relationships, on both sides of the veil. Jesus can heal grief; He can enable forgiveness. He can free us and others from things we or they have said or done that otherwise bind us captive.
Easter in Jesus Christ lets us feel God’s approbation. This world tells us we are too tall or too short, too wide, too narrow, not smart, pretty or spiritual enough. Through spiritual transformation in Jesus Christ, we can escape debilitating perfectionism.
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. We rejoice in the garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness. We shout, “Hosanna to God and the Lamb!” (Doctrine and Covenants 109:79).
39:59
Jon Ryan Jensen: Following Elder Gong, Elder John A. McCune, a General Authority Seventy, spoke about and testified of the fact that individuals may deepen their relationship with the Father and Son through their covenants.
Elder John A. McCune: God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, are perfectly aligned in purpose and love. Because God and Jesus Christ love us, we are given the opportunity and privilege as true disciples to make covenants with Them. By doing so, our relationship with Christ is expanded.
“And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters” (Mosiah 5:7).
As disciples, when we make and keep sacred covenants, we are blessed with spiritual power. We are connected to Christ and God the Father in a special relationship and can experience Their love and joy in a measure reserved for those who have made and kept covenants. Our ability to sense a full measure of God’s love, or to continue in His love, is contingent upon our righteous desires and actions.
Joy and eternal perspective come through being bound to the Savior by making and keeping covenants and through Christlike discipleship.
41:19
Jon Ryan Jensen: The concluding address of the Sunday morning session of general conference featured a message from President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency. He spoke about God’s mortal helps, or gifts, for His children and how they can obtain help from those gifts.
President Dallin H. Oaks: Because God desired to help His children progress, He decided to create an earth on which we could receive a body, learn through experience, develop divine attributes and be proven to see if we would keep God’s commandments. Those who qualified would have “glory added upon their heads for ever and ever” (Abraham 3:26).
By far, God’s strongest mortal help was His provision of a Savior, Jesus Christ, who would suffer to pay the price and provide forgiveness for repented sins. That merciful and glorious Atonement explains why faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel.
Our Heavenly Father’s plan provides other helps to guide us through our mortal journeys. First, I speak of the Light or Spirit of Christ. The second of the great assistances provided by the Lord to help us choose what is right are a cluster of divine directions in the scriptures as part of the plan of salvation, plan of happiness. These directions are commandments, ordinances and covenants.
Other God-given helps for making right choices are the manifestations of the Holy Ghost. 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 divine helps, most notably the Atonement of His Beloved Son, our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
43:46
Jon Ryan Jensen: Beginning the final session of the April 2025 general conference, Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about reverence transforming discipleship and inviting personal spiritual revelation.
Elder Ulisses Soares: The word “reverence” can be traced to the Latin verb revereri, which means to “stand in awe of.” In the gospel sense, this definition mingles with a feeling or attitude of profound respect, love and gratitude. Such expression for the sacred by those who have a contrite heart and deep devotion to God and Jesus Christ fosters increased joy in their souls.
Reverence for sacred things is the greatest manifestation of a vital spiritual quality; it is a byproduct of our connection to holiness and reflects our love and proximity to our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is also one of the most elevated experiences of the soul. Such virtue directs our thoughts, hearts and lives toward Deity.
In fact, reverence is not just an aspect of spirituality; it is the essence of it — the foundation upon which spirituality is built, creating a personal connection to the divine, as taught by our children when they sing: “When I am rev’rent, I know in my heart / Heav’nly Father and Jesus are near.”
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Jon Ryan Jensen: Following Elder Soares, Elder Michael B. Strong, a General Authority Seventy, spoke in the Sunday afternoon session about three patterns of charity seen in true disciples of Jesus Christ.
Elder Michael B. Strong: A disciple is a follower or student of another. Disciples are apprentices who devote their lives to becoming like their teacher. Thus, being a disciple of Jesus Christ implies more than believing His teachings and doctrine. It even implies more than acknowledging His divinity and accepting Him as our Savior and Redeemer — as vitally important as that is.
President Dallin H. Oaks explained: “Following Christ is not a casual or occasional practice. It is a continuous commitment and way of life that should guide us at all times and in all places.” Discipleship is a deliberate journey that we take to become transformed through the Lord’s atoning sacrifice and His enabling power. The real destination of discipleship is literally to become as Jesus Christ is — even to the point where we receive His “image in [our] countenances” (Alma 5:14).
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Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Scott D. Whiting also spoke in the Sunday afternoon session. He spoke about the temptation some individuals feel to hide from God.
Elder Scott D. Whiting: Some might attempt to hide from God because they don’t want to be discovered or exposed, and they feel shame or guilt. However, numerous scriptures teach us that hiding from God is impossible.
If you incur a physical injury, your condition will deteriorate and may become life-threatening if you don’t seek proper medical attention. That is true for spiritual wounds as well. Only untreated spiritual wounds may threaten your eternal salvation. Don’t hide from those who will love and support you; rather, run to them. Good bishops, branch presidents and leaders can help you access the healing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
To those who may be in hiding, we implore you to come back. You need what the gospel and the Atonement of Jesus Christ offer, and we need what you offer.
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Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Christopher H. Kim, a General Authority Seventy, spoke on Sunday afternoon and offered three steps to avoid hardening one’s heart.
Elder Christopher H. Kim: What does it mean to have a hardness of heart? The Korean translation of “hardness” in the Book of Mormon is 완악 (Wan-Aak:頑惡). This phrase uses the Chinese character “Wan” (頑), meaning “stubborn,” and “Aak” (惡), meaning “wicked.”
When we harden our hearts, we are blinded, and good things cannot come into our hearts or our minds. We become stubborn and begin to place more focus on the worldly desires, closing our hearts to the things of God.
We choose to focus solely on our own thoughts while not accepting the opinions and guidance of others. We choose to not open our hearts to the things of God but instead to the influence of the things of the world and the adversary.
Brothers and sisters, we’ve been given moral agency. We can choose to harden our hearts, or we can choose to soften our hearts. In our daily lives, we can choose to do the things that invite the Lord’s Spirit to come into and dwell in our hearts. I know that in these choices, there is peace and joy.
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Jon Ryan Jensen: Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke Sunday afternoon about the importance of receiving the gift of being God’s children.
Elder Patrick Kearon: To truly receive a gift, we come to value it for ourselves, put it to full use in our lives and then remember with thankfulness the giver. Receiving a gift is not passive, but an intentional and meaningful process that goes far beyond merely opening the package. To receive is to appreciate and connect with both the gift and the heart of the giver in a way that strengthens the bonds between the giver and receiver.
Our Heavenly Father has innumerable gifts of light and truth prepared to shower down on each of us, His treasured children. They flow from our bounteous Giver like a wellspring in the wilderness from His benevolent heart.
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.
When you welcome this majestic reality into your very soul and feel both the comfort and the thrill of it, your entire paradigm shifts. You can feel His love, hear His voice and recognize His hand no matter what is happening, or not happening, in your life. You can redefine how you see yourself and others.
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Jon Ryan Jensen: Following Elder Kearon, Elder Benjamin M.Z. Tai, General Authority Seventy, spoke in the Sunday afternoon session about how individuals can feel the love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Elder Benjamin M.Z. Tai: When we experience the love of God, we can bear up our burdens with ease and submit patiently and cheerfully to His will. We have confidence that God will remember His covenants with us and visit us in our afflictions and deliver us from bondage.
To help others feel God’s love, we need to cultivate in ourselves Christlike attributes such as humility, charity, compassion and patience, and help turn others towards the Savior through following the two great commandments of loving God and loving our fellow man.
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Jon Ryan Jensen: The concluding speaker of the April 2025 general conference was Church President Russell M. Nelson. President Nelson provided steps to help individuals intentionally grow their confidence before the Lord.
President Nelson also announced new temples to be constructed in certain locations and then finished with his testimony, saying the Savior is preparing to come again and inviting people around the world to prepare to receive Him.
President Russell M. Nelson: When we make and keep covenants with God, we can have confidence that is born of the Spirit. The Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith that our confidence can “wax strong in the presence of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:45). Imagine the comfort of having confidence in the presence of God!
Now, how do we gain such confidence? In the Lord’s own words, charity and virtue open the way to having confidence before God.
True charity towards all men is the hallmark of peacemakers. It is imperative that we have charity in our discourse, both public and private. I thank those of you who took my previous counsel to heart. But we can still do better.
Let us plead with our Heavenly Father to fill our hearts with greater charity — especially for those who are difficult to love. For charity is a gift from our Heavenly Father for true followers of Jesus Christ. The Savior is the Prince of Peace. We are to be His instruments for peace.
Now, let us speak of virtue. The Lord tells us to garnish our thoughts unceasingly with virtue. Imagine the boost you will receive to any positive thought when you enhance it with virtue. Virtue makes everything better and happier. On the other hand, imagine what will happen when you add virtue to an impure thought, a cruel thought or a depressing thought. Virtue will drive away those thoughts. Virtue will free you from anxious, troublesome thoughts.
Brothers and sisters, as the world grows more wicked, we need to grow increasingly pure. Our thoughts, words and actions need to be unfailingly virtuous and filled with the pure love of Jesus Christ towards all men.
As we diligently seek to have charity and virtue fill our lives, our confidence in approaching God will increase. I invite you to take intentional steps to grow in your 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.
I testify that Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of Israel, leads this, His Church. He is preparing to come again. May we likewise prepare to receive Him.
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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.
