The 80 guests at this prom were all treated like stars throughout the night with pizza, snacks, ice cream and a dance.

Each individual with special needs was paired with a dedicated buddy who stayed with them throughout the evening. The goal for the 200 youth volunteers was to create a fun and supportive environment for people in their community who may not always feel included.

Latter-day Saint volunteer Avalyn Turner, from the Santa Margarita California Stake, was paired with an individual named Joey who uses a wheelchair.

“It was cool, because I got to feel this special responsibility of being able to be their buddy and dance with them and have fun with them,” Turner said. “He had a little bit of struggle moving, but he was really fun to talk to. He’s a great conversationalist. And he just seemed to be having so much fun, and he was all smiles. It was awesome.”

This event was just one of many around the world that same weekend in honor of Global Youth Service Day — April 24-26, 2026 — and throughout Global Youth Service Month.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were part of this global effort of several service organizations, and many service projects by members of the Church and others were coordinated through the Church’s JustServe platform.

Chile

Young men and young women in Rancagua, Chile, helped paint 20 homes for senior citizens.

“What I’ve liked most about being here is that it helps people,” said volunteer Agustín Meléndez. “Jesus Christ would help people. So I follow His example.”

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Volunteer Sofía Castillo said: “I am filled with joy because I know I’m helping people who need it.” She added, “I also know that I’m serving the Savior, and that makes me very happy.”

In La Cisterna, Región Metropolitana, 100 youth and their families gathered April 25 to plant trees and other vegetation at a sports complex.

Mayor Joel Olmos expressed gratitude for each of the volunteers and said: “This tree-planting project is very important for our community. … This effort will help reduce extreme heat, improve air quality and inspire similar projects in other parts of the community, since this is one of the municipalities with the fewest green spaces in Chile’s metropolitan region.”

Texas

In Melissa, Texas, northeast of Dallas, 700 youth volunteers joined in serving individuals with special needs at a Special Olympics from April 30 to May 2.

Youth from five North Texas stakes were part of this large volunteer force.

Henry Bloxham from the Sherman Texas Stake said he loved serving people.

“What would I have just been doing? Sitting around, playing video games instead all day?” Bloxham said. “I just felt the Savior’s light when seeing their smiles.”

Natalie Brown, also from the Sherman Texas Stake, said the amount of love and joy at the event was a spiritual boost.

“So many people were out there wanting to help each other,” she said. “It’s the way God sees us. He doesn’t care how fast we run, just how hard we work to get to the finish line. He just wants to see us try.”

Although this event had hundreds of volunteers, one volunteer in Denton, Texas, northwest of Dallas, has made a difference in her community.

Seventeen-year-old Eden Bennion of the Denton Texas Stake set out to collect 250 pairs of socks for homeless individuals as part of Global Youth Service Month and the America250 celebration in honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States.

For two months, Bennion worked on collecting donations and ended up with 938 pairs of socks to donate at the end of April to Our Daily Bread homeless shelter in Denton, Texas.

Arizona

Young men and young women from three stakes in Phoenix, Scottsdale and Avondale, Arizona, gathered at St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix for Global Youth Service Day.

In total, 130 youth worked to package bread, food and afterschool meals for children. In one day, they put together food boxes for over 3,300 families.

Volunteer Alma Salas boxed bread for food pantries in the city. Even though he went to prom the night before, he said he didn’t want to miss the opportunity to serve.

Volunteer Eden Earl used a sealer to finish the kids packs to go to children to take home after school.

“Once we got in the groove sealing up kids’ packs, we had so much fun,” she said. “It was special to pack food for kids.”

Oklahoma

After 64 youth volunteered at the Savannah Station Therapeutic Riding Program, in a community west of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, they were asked if they wanted to come back, and they gave a resounding “yes.”

The young men and young women of the Yukon Oklahoma Stake scraped and painted fences, stained a deck, cleaned debris and refreshed horse stalls.

Andi Holland, the executive director of the riding program, said the youth were “truly the hands and feet of Jesus.”

“Eight projects were completed on that Saturday that would have taken our staff weeks, if not months, to complete,” Holland wrote in a thank you email to the group.

Idaho

Forty-eight young men and young women gathered 142 bags of trash along a highway near Rexburg, Idaho, while others worked near Sugar City, Teton and Newdale, Idaho, to collect 88 bags of trash on Saturday, April 25.

Across the state in Caldwell, Idaho, 110 young men and young women spent that same Saturday at the Idaho Youth Ranch Residential Center for Healing and Resilience. They worked across the former tree-farm property to clear dead trees, branches, weeds and overgrowth surrounding the irrigation lines that circle the ranch.

Volunteer Linea Lacayo said it was a sweet way to spend the day.

“Doing this in such a beautiful space makes me feel good to be outside working and thinking about the kids and families who will be able to enjoy it in the future,” Lacayo said.

Church News podcast, episode 292: The global and individual impact of caring for those in need in 2025

Youth help their communities for Global Youth Service Day

Thousands of youth serve their communities for Global Youth Service Day and Month

The Savior promised in Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

To open the door to Him, President Johnson suggested six areas one can focus on to “throw the door wide open to the Savior.”

“I am not suggesting you add something more to your to-do list to strengthen your relationship with Jesus Christ,” she said.

President Johnson spoke about how to be more intentional and purposeful with “what you are already doing.”

“To have Jesus Christ in my life, I need prayer, scripture study, covenant making and keeping — including weekly participation in the sacrament; I need temple worship, repentance, forgiveness and service,” she said.

President Johnson pointed to the story of Mary and Martha in the New Testament. Mary chose to sit at the Savior’s feet and learn from Him. President Johnson described this as choosing the best part.

“For more Jesus Christ in your life, what are you willing to do, see and hear less of?” she asked. “Will you sit with that question for a moment and commit to less of something for more Jesus Christ in your life?”

Prayer

President Johnson referenced a talk at RootsTech 2025, when the late President Jeffrey R. Holland, then acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, spoke on two lessons he learned during a hospital stay.

“We are to pray more often, and in more places, than we do. And if you have prayed a lot, pray more,” President Holland said. “The other lesson was to testify, to be a witness. However much you testify, testify more.”

Said President Johnson, “Sisters, I believe we can be more intentional with the prayers we are offering to Heavenly Father to have more of His Son, Jesus Christ, in our lives.”

She also shared how she has been blessed by trying to pray more, with specific expressions of love and gratitude.

“In those prayers, always offered in the name of Jesus Christ, I am opening the door to having the Savior in my life.”

Scripture study

President Johnson again shared how she has been blessed in her own life by opening the door wide to Jesus Christ in her life by studying the scriptures.

“My days are best when I study the scriptures, searching for connections, patterns and themes,” she said. “We can be more purposeful in looking for types and symbols of Jesus Christ. I have learned important lessons from women whose stories are told in scripture. They poignantly make the point that when choosing Jesus Christ in difficulty, we discover increased strength and purpose and enjoy spiritual growth.”

Sacrament meeting

President Johnson said “all of us can make more of our sacrament experience by conscientiously preparing to take the emblems of the Savior’s death” during sacrament meetings.

This will require some advance work, President Johnson added.

“Because of my desire, I can choose to prioritize a Sabbath day atmosphere that invites self-reflection and softens my heart. I can joyfully repent in anticipation of partaking of the sacrament so that my covenant making is worthy.”

Temple worship

The lessons applied to enhance sacrament meeting worship can also apply to temple worship.

“It is celebratory worship in the house of the Lord,” President Johnson said. “Covenant making and keeping — on Sunday during the sacrament and when we joyfully worship in the house of the Lord — reflect our desire for a relationship with Jesus Christ. When we take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ through covenant, we invite Him to help us, and He will."

Forgiveness

Pointing to the Savior’s teachings in Matthew 6:14-15, President Johnson said forgiving others is a profound act of faith in Jesus Christ and His promises.

“Forgiving others is an elegant way to invite more Jesus Christ into our lives,” she said. “Accepting both sides of His Atonement — that His power pays for our sins and sorrow and for the sins and sorrows of others — is throwing the door wide open to the Savior.”

Serving

Serving in the way the Savior would deepens and strengthens one’s relationship with Him, President Johnson said.

“When I act as His hands and feet, or His kind-speaking lips or patient ears, I draw closer to Him, become more like Him and prepare to live with Him,” she said.

In conclusion, President Johnson invited women to be “the holy women whose lamps are full of the oil of conversion and who let their light shine.”

Read more Church News coverage of BYU Women's Conference

BYU Women’s Conference: Sister Runia on the power of Christ’s light

President Johnson speaks on the importance of daily acts of kindness — both global and personal — in address to global leaders

“We see beautiful, beautiful things that are occurring, but what catches my attention most is the individual,” said Blaine Maxfield, managing director of the Church’s Welfare and Self-Reliance Services, on the Church News podcast. “We’ve seen this in emergency response events, where there’ll be two neighbors that maybe don’t get along. And before you know it, by the end of the day, hearts — hard and frozen hearts — have thawed and melted. And now they’ve set that aside, and they can come together because they’re working together to help someone else.”

Maxfield said he sees an antidote for the current divisiveness in the world by looking “outside of yourself” to care for another.

Members of the Church strive to follow the two great commandments taught by Jesus Christ — to love God and “love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:39).

“We want to become more like Him,” Maxfield said. “We want to follow Him as His disciples. And so we do those things that He has done. Those things that we’ve seen Him do, we should do those likewise.”

The Church’s efforts to care include both the work of the Church as an organization and the individual efforts of Latter-day Saints around the world. Many efforts done by Church members around the world are organized through the Church’s JustServe platform and app. In 2025, a new milestone was reached on JustServe with 1 million registered users.

Building self-reliance

In addition to offering self-reliance courses, the Church supports the principle of self-reliance for those in need with a special focus on giving people a hand up, rather than a handout. Then, when people have received help, they can in turn help others.

As an example, Maxfield shared the story of a woman in Zimbabwe named Future. When she first started attending a literacy class, she was only able to read at a kindergarten level. But after six months of attending the class, she improved to a third-grade level.

“She now takes what she’s learned in our experiences, and she helps kids in her community to learn some of the same principles that she’s learning,” Maxfield said. “She wanted to give back as a disciple of Jesus Christ.”

Maxfield said the woman was recently called as a temple worker in the newly dedicated Harare Zimbabwe Temple.

“So we just see what she’s doing in the trajectory of her life that’s changing, the trajectory of the kids’ lives that’s learning from her, and her desire to even better follow Jesus Christ as she provides service in the house of the Lord,” Maxfield said.

Divine identity

The Church’s efforts to care for those in need in 2025 included spending $1.58 billion — supporting 3,514 humanitarian projects, donating 37,063,409 pounds of food through bishops’ storehouses and aiding 569 emergency relief projects.

The Caring for Those in Need 2025 report is the fifth such report released from the Church detailing the Church’s recent efforts, and Maxfield said he’s learned a lot from the first report to the latest.

“The first year that we did it, we received some great feedback from the report,” he said. “And in it, we had put labels, outside labels on people, like ‘vulnerable’ or other terms. And I was reminded … that these are short-term labels, and really, it can perpetuate or diminish their most important identity, which is a son or daughter of God.”

Maxfield added that his ability to see God’s children as sacred beings has improved as he’s observed members of the Church serving “the one.”

“We see how the Savior ministered one by one. And we see the impact that it’s having on people’s lives all over the world — those that are receiving aid, those that are reaching outside of themselves to help others,” he said.

Helping women and children

The Relief Society organization is leading the Church’s efforts to care for women and children. In 2025, the Church contributed $63.4 million in these efforts to improve the health and well-being of women and children around the world, especially through child nutrition, maternal and newborn care, immunizations and education.

This initiative groups together four consortia, each focused on projects benefiting women and children in 12 high-need countries.

“We kind of consider ourselves now more of a conductor of a symphony in bringing them all together with their great parts,” Maxfield said of the nonprofit organizations in the four consortia. “Some of them are better with these countries, some are better with these fields. And so we come together, we allow them to know, ‘Stop competing with each other, and let’s focus on helping God’s children.’”

Episode 292: The global and individual impact of caring for those in need in 2025

Church spent $1.58 billion — exceeding previous year’s record — in caring for those in need in 2025

How lives have been blessed by the Church’s efforts to care for those in need

In Boston, Massachusetts, 35,000 pounds of shelf-stable food were unloaded from a semitruck for the Mary Ann Brett Food Pantry on Friday, April 10.

Michael Thomas of the Belmont Ward, Cambridge Massachusetts Stake, has helped build relationships between members of the Church and the food pantry for about four years.

“I think interfaith work always reaffirms the goodness of our fellow brothers and sisters and our realization that they, like us, are motivated by a call for discipleship and faith in the Savior,” Thomas said. “And I think it’s a cause for real optimism, despite the challenges we face. I think there is not only strength to be found in our own faith and faith community but by connecting to those of our neighbors as well.”

Jim Brett, who runs the food pantry named after his mother, said the connection with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been a “godsend.”

“I say, ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you,’” Brett said as the food was unloaded.

The Church follows Jesus Christ’s teaching to “love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:39), and members of the Church work to be the Savior’s hands in caring for those in need. In 2026, the Church is sending 250 truckloads of food donations to food banks around the country to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Chicago, Illinois

In Chicago, Illinois, 40,000 pounds of food were delivered to the Pan de Vida Food Pantry on March 25.

“It is an honor for the Church to help with the sacred mission of loving our neighbors,” said Bruce Duffield, a local member of the Church.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was there as the food was unloaded from the truck and thanked the Church for the donation.

“This country was founded by people coming together,” Johnson said. “I know that this delivery will make a huge difference in the lives of so many of our residents and show the country and the world what it truly looks like to care for one another.”

Chicago Illinois Stake President Scott Shurtliff said it was meaningful to connect with others in the community through service, especially using the JustServe platform.

“We try to empower individuals and families and groups to make a positive impact on a community,” President Shurtliff said. “The mission is simple — we’re trying to spread hope, goodness and love through voluntarism.”

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President Shurtliff called it “miraculous” when different individuals come together to serve each other.

“It reminds us that ultimately we are brothers and sisters, a part of this human family working together,” President Shurtliff said.

Tomas Garcia, the Pan de Vida community care director, said the pantry is currently serving about 2,000 families weekly.

“We want people to feel that they have restored dignity, to feel that they are loved, to feel that they are valued as a community member,” Garcia said.

Kansas City, Missouri, and Lawrence, Kansas

In Kansas City, Missouri, 200 volunteers showed up at the Harvesters Food Bank on Thursday, April 23, to help unload 30,000 pounds of food donated by the Church. The Church also donated 36,000 pounds of food to another Harvesters location in nearby Lawrence, Kansas, that same day.

“Volunteering at Harvesters was such a wonderful event,” said volunteer Michael Struempf. “I really felt the Spirit, talking with other volunteers and serving the Lord in such a simple way.”

Another volunteer, Monica Philips, said, “We wanted to do as much as possible in the time we had so we could relieve the burden on those who work here every day — relieving hunger in this area.”

Many of the volunteers also worked before the semitruck donation to prepare 2,200 T-shirt bags. These bags are used instead of plastic bags for the families in need of food in the area.

Volunteers in four Latter-day Saint stakes worked to create the bags, along with youth in a sewing club at Andover High School and the National Honor Society Club at Andover Central High School.

Keith Kata, welfare and self-reliance manager for the Church’s United States Central Area, said this donation and volunteer effort was a celebration of “the divine establishment of the United States of America.”

“It is through volunteering and working together, just as the Founding Fathers did, that communities will flourish and God’s love will expand,” Kata said.

Deb Ramsay, Barbara Maloof, Colleen Thomas, Corrie Clasen, Amanda Volk and Cindy McDavitt contributed to this article.

Donations of food — by the truckload — continue to pour into food banks across the country

What the Church does to help thousands in the United States each year

How lives have been blessed by the Church’s efforts to care for those in need

A member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Stevenson pointed to how God’s power and understanding are described in scripture as “infinite.”

“The apostle Paul in his epistle to the Ephesians taught that the glory of the Church through Jesus Christ extends through ‘all ages, worlds without end,’” Elder Stevenson said. “In the Book of Mormon, the sons of Mosiah spoke of the ‘infinite mercy’ of the Lord, and Mormon wrote to his son Moroni of His ‘infinite goodness and grace.’”

Said Sister Stevenson: “If we ever feel our conversion is complete, let’s invite ourselves to be amazed that we can always deepen our conversion and faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement.”

The devotional was filmed in the Clark Planetarium in Salt Lake City and the Orson Pratt Observatory at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and broadcast around the world on the Church’s YouTube channel and on broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Elder James R. Rasband, a General Authority Seventy and commissioner of education for the Church, opened the devotional.

The Stevensons spoke to young adults in front of a large IMAX screen, with visuals depicting deeper depths as a metaphor for deepening one’s conversion to Jesus Christ. The metaphor began with a swimming pool, then a lake, an ocean, outer space and, finally, deep space.

Orson Pratt Observatory

At the Orson Pratt Observatory, the Stevensons spoke with experts who use the advanced telescopes in their studies.

“One of the things that we have learned here is that it is an almost universal hypothesis within the world of astrophysicists that there is yet much to be discovered — and that the future holds deeper and deeper travel, vision and understanding of the depths of space,” Elder Stevenson said. “There is much further to go in the quest to deepen our understanding and vision of the universe.”

Sister Stevenson emphasized that just as the child who feels they have finally arrived when they reach the deep end of the swimming pool, “we too need to be careful not to find ourselves feeling we somehow can reach an endpoint in our conversion leading to lifelong discipleship.”

One can always deepen one’s conversion, Elder Stevenson added.

“Certainly following baptism and Primary, yes, after we have progressed through Young Men and Young Women, even following a rich and fulfilling mission or participation in ordinances and covenants performed in the holy temple. We should not liken the depth of our conversion to reaching the bottom of the deep end of the pool, lake or even ocean. We can go so much deeper. Deeper than the spectacular images of galaxies millions of light-years away.”

Elder Stevenson said that just as the reward to look deeper into space has followed the progression of advanced technology, there will also be blessings from an investment into a deeper conversion to Jesus Christ.

“You too will find as you invest time, effort and apply gospel principles to deepen your conversion, you will likewise be rewarded,” he said. “The eyes of your understanding — with respect to spiritual matters — will be opened, revealing greater depth and clarity.”

Young adults

The broadcast included several young adults who spoke from around the world, answering the question, “How can I deepen my conversion leading to lifelong discipleship of Jesus Christ?”

Leah Flores from Cabanatuan City, Philippines, said regular temple attendance has helped her deepen her conversion to Jesus Christ, “because it reminds me of who I am and who I am becoming.”

Jennifer Yazmin Castro Guerra in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, said studying the scriptures and general conference messages has taught her that she has a desire to learn from Jesus Christ.

“He is there with me,” Castro Guerra said. “He supports me, He strengthens me, and I truly have that testimony that He lives and that He is there for me — for all of us.”

Mission control

Carrying the space exploration metaphor even further, Elder Stevenson pointed to ground control teams who work as support from earth as astronauts explore the cosmos.

With the recent Artemis II mission, a whole team of experts were completely immersed in mission objectives, including predicting obstacles and providing solutions, contributing to the success of the mission and the well-being of the people in space.

“I hope to assure you, in your mission to deepen your conversion leading to a lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ, you too have a dedicated team deeply interested in your mission goal,” Elder Stevenson said. “I am grateful to be a part of that team with many others. The restored Church of Jesus Christ is built upon a foundation of apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. Rest assured, beginning with Him, through a living Prophet, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve — along with dedicated file leaders, family and loved ones — you are not alone.”

In closing, Elder Stevenson said that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is both infinite and eternal.

“He knows each of you and rejoices as you strive to know Him.”

Elder Stevenson invited young adults to reserve some quiet time within the next week to prayerfully consider what they can do to deepen their conversion, leading to lifelong discipleship.

“Consider both guiding principles and more tactical action items,” he said. “I have done this myself, and I have a list I am working on. I promise that as you do so, you will find answers, peace, joy, direction and a deepening faith, knowledge and a deepening conversion of Jesus Christ.”

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The Church collaborated with Heart of America, a national education nonprofit working to provide light for families with school-age children, focusing on educational stability and student well-being.

Approximately 14,000 homes on Navajo Nation tribal land lack access to electricity.

In a Church News video titled “A Brighter Future,” volunteers and parents talk about the impact on these solar lights for their community and their families.

Colynn Begay, a mother of five, said she was previously using a small, battery-powered light while trying to help her sons with homework and bedtime each night.

Eugene Gorman, a father of three in the Red Valley community, said his family relied on generators for years. He said they would often spend significant amounts on fuel.

“This solar will help us a lot,” Gorman said. “We’ll be able to spend money in different places for our kids now instead of just worrying for electricity all the time.”

Gorman said he really appreciated those who made this possible.

“Nobody else would do it, but you guys did,” he said.

Jill Heath, Heart of America president and CEO, said the donation is “not just about light.”

“It’s about hope. It’s about providing the families and the students really with opportunity and the hope for a future.”

The Church helps bring solar-powered light to remote Navajo Nation communities

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The Church funded solar installations for 100 homes, along with age‑appropriate educational and enrichment materials for families in March 2026.

Approximately 14,000 homes on Navajo Nation tribal land lack access to electricity. Heart of America is working to provide light for families with school-age children, focusing on educational stability and student well-being.

Jill Heath, Heart of America president and CEO, said it’s a game changer to “provide students and their families with electricity and power at home.”

“We focus on making sure the student has what he or she needs to succeed — the ability to do homework after the sun sets, the ability to read, to connect with family,” Heath said in a news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Heath said organization leaders were thrilled after learning of the Church’s desire to help Heart of America in their mission.

“When this grant came along and the Church so generously said, ‘We want to help provide more students with electricity and power,’ we knew that this was going to be a great collaboration,” Heath said.

The donation is “not just about light,” Heath said.

“It’s about hope. It’s about providing the families and the students really with opportunity and the hope for a future.”

Impact on families

Installation takes about an hour, according to Mylo Fowler with Heart of America, who worked on installing the 100 donated solar kits from the Church.

“So in one day, we can effectively bring solar power to a family for the next decade,” Fowler said.

Each solar kit includes rooftop panels, batteries, lighting, a charge controller, an inverter and a refrigeration unit. The systems provide reliable power for lighting, food storage and essential devices, replacing temporary solutions like fuel-powered generators and battery lights.

“We hear stories of students doing better in school because they can do their homework after dark,” said Lian Mah, who has worked on installation teams for several years. “We hear of stories of students who can keep their medicine in the refrigerator now. They don’t have to store it at a neighbor’s house. To keep their food cold, [some families] would literally freeze a gallon of water at a neighbor’s house, bring it over every day, put it in their cooler to try and keep their food cold. And now they have fresh food in their house 24/7 because of this, which is just amazing.”

Before receiving a solar-kit installation, Colynn Begay was using a small battery-powered light while trying to help her five sons with homework and bedtime each night.

“Life is so challenging because I have no electricity,” she said.

Begay turned on her new lights on March 5.

“I’m filled with joy and love,” she said. “We get to read bedtime stories, and my kids get to do their homework, we have lights, and we get to charge my laptop.”

Heath said schools have seen improvements in attendance, engagement and academic focus among students whose homes receive solar power.

“The home is where you should feel the most stable, the home is where you should feel the most safe,” Heath said.

Eugene Gorman, a father of three in the Red Valley community, said his family relied on generators for years. He said they would often spend significant amounts on fuel.

“This solar will help us a lot,” Gorman said. “We’ll be able to spend money in different places for our kids now instead of just worrying for electricity all the time.”

Gorman said he really appreciated those who made this possible.

“Nobody else would do it, but you guys did,” he said.

Other Church efforts in the Navajo Nation

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints collaborates with charitable organizations and nonprofits around the world to get resources and aid to people. Following Jesus Christ’s teaching to “love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:39), the Church and its members work to be the Savior’s hands in caring for those in need.

Beginning in September 2022, the Diné (Navajo) community near Blanding in southeastern Utah received running water and electrical power, thanks to a donation from the Church.

The Church also helped with a donation of 3 million pounds of firewood to families in the Navajo Nation, most of whom are largely dependent on burning wood to heat their homes throughout the winter.

Operation Firewood Rescue: How tragedy on the Wasatch Front became a blessing for the Navajo Nation

Water to Westwater: Small Utah community near Navajo Nation receives running water

Church’s caring for those in need is ‘doing what the Savior would’

The photos from their historic journey are awe-inspiring: intricate details of craters, the small sliver of the earth rising behind the moon, a glowing halo of sunlight and the smiling faces of the four astronauts.

As their capsule approached the moon, Glover spoke in a livestream video about what he called “one of the most important mysteries on earth.”

“And that’s love,” he said. “Christ said in response to ‘what was the greatest command’ that it was ‘to love God with all that you are.’ And he also, being a great teacher, said the second is equal to it, and that is ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”

While their mission was filled with dazzling and wondrous views, one of the most extraordinary achievements of the whole mission came as the world witnessed the friendship — the love — among the astronauts.

These four individuals became one.

“I will miss this comradery,” said Koch. “We are close like brothers and sisters, and that is a privilege.”

Said Hansen: “We’re glad that we can remind people that we can do better as a human race by lifting one another up and collaborating.”

Said Wiseman: “We launched as friends, and we came back as best friends.”

After being welcomed home with a small parade in his hometown, Glover spoke to his neighbors from his front yard: “Let’s be this more. Let’s be neighbors.”

This love in action is peacemaking in action — with life-changing results. Many people around the world observed the Artemis mission and have been inspired by their words and actions.

At the same time the four astronauts were approaching the moon, Church President Dallin H. Oaks stood at the pulpit of the Conference Center in Salt Lake City and quoted the Savior’s words on loving one’s neighbors.

From Matthew 5:43–44: “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”

Said President Oaks: “What a revolutionary teaching for personal relationships! Love even your enemies. But who are our enemies? The full meaning of enemies in the sources from which King James’ translators chose the word ”enemies" includes military foes but even extends to any who actively oppose one another. Today we might say that we are commanded to love our adversaries. All mortals are beloved children of God.”

We don’t have to go to space to see the world change through this kind of peacemaking President Oaks is referring to.

“How it would change the world if followers of Christ would forgo harsh and hurtful words in all their communications,” he said.

Jesus Christ has given us the greatest example to follow.

“We can follow the example of Jesus Christ, who is our role model, by choosing to love others — even if they show little or no love toward us,” President Oaks taught.

While studying his talk, I’ve reflected on the people who have had an impact on my own life because of their peacemaking efforts: the Young Women leaders who encouraged our class to be kind to each other, the mission companions who sought to build friendships even when it wasn’t easy, the family members who have forgiven each other for past disagreements.

Even as I watch peacemaking on the global stage, it is the peacemaking among my own friends and family that is truly humbling.

As President Oaks has echoed the Savior’s command to “love your enemies,” I’ve had to take a real look at my own words and actions toward others, and I’ve felt a need to do more to be a peacemaker.

This desire to improve can become overwhelming or discouraging. But the more I’ve prayed to Heavenly Father for help, the more my thoughts have turned to His grace through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

The need for improvement that we all experience is the reason for our Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation and the Savior Jesus Christ’s Atonement. He knew we would fall short and need a Savior — even for the day-to-day mistakes in our efforts to become peacemakers. He knew and He provided the way.

The Savior declared: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. ...

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:6, 27).

— Aimee Cobabe is a reporter for the Church News.

‘Love even your enemies,’ President Oaks says during April 2026 general conference

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130+ quotes from Church leaders and scriptures about being peacemakers

The meeting and roundtable discussion focused on the Church’s efforts to care for those in need.

In 2025, the Church expended $1.58 billion in 196 countries and territories in efforts to care for those in need, reported the Caring for Those in Need summary released earlier this year. The efforts included 3,514 humanitarian projects, 37,063,409 pounds of food donated through bishops’ storehouses, 569 emergency relief projects and 7.4 million hours of volunteer work.

“These numbers represent real people, real lives and real hope,” said Eric Rottermann, the Church’s Europe Central Area humanitarian services manager. “They reflect the faith and generosity of members of the Church and the power of collaboration with trusted partners.”

Similar roundtable discussions have been presented in Brussels, Belgium; London, England; and Los Angeles, California.

Church spent $1.58 billion — exceeding previous year’s record — in caring for those in need in 2025

“We believe that all people on the earth are children of God,” said Elder Jack N. Gerard, a General Authority Seventy and first counselor in the Europe Central Area presidency. “Because of that belief, we should look upon all people as brothers and sisters. Caring for those in need is not optional for disciples of Jesus Christ — it is central to who we are.”

Guests included representatives from UNICEF, the International Organization for Migration, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Food Programme and Alier Deng Ruai Deng, ambassador of South Sudan to the United Nations in Geneva.

According to a news release from the Church’s Europe Newsroom, Deng spoke with emotion about projects supported by the Church — including access to clean water.

Stefano Bosco, director of Latter-day Saint Charities in Geneva, thanked guests for their long-standing collaboration with the Church around the world on behalf of those in need.

“Being here in Geneva, where humanitarian diplomacy and action intersect every day, reminds us how much more we can accomplish together,” Bosco said.

Elder Gerard said he is grateful “for the good we are seeing.”

“When faith, expertise and compassion come together, even in a world facing many challenges, there is reason to hope,” he said.

Church’s commitment to global humanitarian work showcased in roundtables

Church’s caring for those in need is ‘doing what the Savior would’

The new Primary leaders will begin their service on Aug. 1.

President Rosemary K. Chibota has been called as Primary general president with Sister Nina M. Garfield, first counselor, and Sister Theresa A. Collins, second counselor.

President Chibota, 58, lives in South Jordan, Utah; Sister Garfield, 68, lives in Orem, Utah; and Sister Collins, 64, lives in Draper, Utah.

Released were the three members of the outgoing Primary general presidency — President Susan H. Porter and her counselors, Sister Amy A. Wright and Sister Tracy Y. Browning. They will complete their service on Aug. 1.

President Porter and Sister Wright were initially sustained in April 2021 as counselors in the Primary general presidency when President Camille N. Johnson was sustained as Primary general president. In April 2022, President Johnson was sustained as Relief Society general president, and President Porter was sustained as Primary general president with Sister Wright and Sister Browning as counselors.

Following is a brief look at the new leaders. A more in-depth profile on each will appear in coming weeks.

Video: ‘Children are very precious,’ new Primary general president says

Find out more about the Church’s 8 new General Authority Seventies

Rosemary K. Chibota, president

Ever since President Rosemary Khwimani Chibota and her husband, Brother Joel B. Chibota, finished their assignment as Alabama Birmingham Mission leaders, she felt something else was coming.

“Our callings are gifts from the Lord. We think of it as a sacrifice, but it is really a gift that we are given.”

President Chibota was born on Oct. 16, 1967, in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, to Malawian parents — Wellington Daniel Gondwe and Rosebelle Nyakabango Mwakasungula Gondwe — and raised in Zimbabwe. This calling marks the first time an African will lead an organization general presidency of the Church. She has received many messages of love and support from people of different cultures and backgrounds.

“I am so excited to serve God’s finest, the little children. I look up to them a lot because the Lord said except we repent and become like little children, we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.” (See Matthew 18:3.)

The Chibotas have one daughter and moved to Utah 22 years ago. President Chibota works as a human resources generalist for the Church and served as a senior executive assistant in the office of the Seventy.

She has a master’s degree from Western Governors University and a bachelor’s degree from Colorado Technical University.

At the time of her call, President Chibota was a Sunday School teacher and stake mission preparation instructor. She is a former district and branch Young Women president; ward Relief Society and Primary presidency counselor; ward activities chair; and Relief Society, Primary and seminary teacher.”

— Mary Richards

Nina M. Garfield, 1st counselor

Sister Nina Marie Garfield joined the Church as a senior in high school in Boulder, Colorado. She said friends and their families “loved her into the Church.”

“They loved me into the gospel,” she said. “It was people who loved me and made me feel a part of this wonderful ward family.”

Sister Garfield said she has received “the best of blessings” as a result of joining the Church, including “the best of husbands, great kids and opportunities to serve.”

Sister Garfield and her husband, David R. Garfield, were married on July 30, 1980, in the Ogden Utah Temple. She worked as a homemaker, and they raised five children in Colorado and Minnesota.

Sister Garfield’s husband died in 2019 of cancer while serving as San Francisco California Stake president.

“We shared a wonderful life together in marriage, our family and the Church,” Sister Garfield said.

On Sundays, Sister Garfield likes to watch families worship together.

“I love that we bring our families to church and teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ,” she said. “I’m so thankful for people who have made so many sacrifices to make sure that His gospel moves forward.”

Sister Garfield was born in Tokyo, Japan, on March 21, 1958, to Robert Sparks and Kiyoko Saito. While she was an infant, her family relocated to the United States, and she was raised in Boulder, Colorado. She has served as a stake Relief Society president and counselor, ward Young Women president and counselor, ward and stake Primary presidency counselor, and ward Primary president.

— Aimee Cobabe

Theresa A. Collins, 2nd counselor

There’s nothing that Sister Theresa Ann Collins wants more than for her children and grandchildren to understand that they are children of a Heavenly Father who loves them.

Now, as she prepares to serve in the Primary general presidency, she wants the same for all children.

“Their Savior sees them,” Sister Collins said. “He knows everything that they’re feeling and thinking, and is always a safe place to turn. He was certainly that refuge for me.”

Parents and leaders, she continued, have a “wonderful” mantle of responsibility to teach children who they really are.

“As we help them become acquainted with their Savior, He will be a lifelong companion and guide,” she said.

Sister Collins was born Aug. 18, 1961, in Long Beach, California, to Antoinette Erickson and Charles Ernest Knowles. She is the oldest of four children and was raised in Texas, North Carolina and Salt Lake City.

She studied special education at Utah State University, where she met Richard E. Collins. The couple was married March 18, 1982, in the Logan Utah Temple. They are the parents of four children and have 16 grandchildren.

At the time of her call, Sister Collins was serving as a Nursery leader, temple ordinance worker and, with her husband, stake mission preparation instructor. Her previous callings include stake Young Women presidency counselor, ward Relief Society president, ward Young Women president and Primary teacher. She and Brother Collins served as mission leaders of the Arkansas Bentonville Mission from 2021 to 2024.

— Kaitlyn Bancroft

April 2026 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

7 General Authority Seventies to be given emeritus status on Aug. 1

“I still believe that the most important work that any of us does — the most impactful work — continues to be done when we care for our own children. When we teach a friend to read. When we patiently address the needs of someone who’s elderly in our neighborhood or prepare a meal for the sick, or cry with someone who is grieving,” she said.

President Johnson spoke to thought leaders, business and government leaders, educators, and religious and civic leaders during the 2026 Kindness Summit, sponsored by the Semnani Family Foundation and One Kind Act a Day, in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 10.

Although the Relief Society is working with global humanitarian organizations to care for those in need around the world, President Johnson said, “we need not wait for that chance of a lifetime to travel to Africa to feed the starving children.”

“In this season of my life and while my current work involves broad organizational efforts to improve conditions generally for women and children, still, my most important work is to recognize the needs of those that are closest to me and respond with kindness and patience and love,” she said.

The best way to become kind is to practice doing one kind act a day, President Johnson said.

“One kind act a day is the way we practice a principle of the heart,” she said. “Kindness is a fundamental characteristic of the noblest of women and men. And if I wish to acquire that fundamental characteristic for myself, I will practice with one kind act a day.”

President Johnson shared how she “first practiced kindness” with her parents. As a child, she observed and helped her mother prepare food for others and care for those who were sick or hurt. She also observed her dad take time to engage others in conversation.

Global efforts

As Relief Society general president, President Johnson has witnessed kindness on a global scale.

“I do believe that women possess special gifts and propensities to sense human needs, and with kindness to offer comfort and to teach and to strengthen,” she said. “Because of that, our communities depend upon very ordinary women for our human flourishing.”

President Johnson said she has witnessed women unite in providing consistent acts of kindness and service within their homes and communities.

In one example, she shared how Relief Society members in the Philippines organized nutritional screenings in Church buildings for families and taught parents about good nutrition. This effort has since rippled beyond the Philippines and is being implemented in over 26 countries.

The Church’s global effort to nourish children and mothers

President Johnson said the Relief Society works to “empower women and families with greater knowledge and resources so they are better equipped to make changes that can have a lasting impact in their homes, communities and nations.”

“When a woman is empowered with information and when she is healthy, families are blessed, and communities are lifted and nations are strengthened.”

President Johnson also shared details from the Church’s humanitarian initiative to improve the well-being of women and children. This initiative groups together four consortia, each focused on projects benefiting women and children in 12 high-need countries.

‘A visionary project’: Millions blessed by Church’s global initiative collaboration

In the first two years of this initiative:

• 42 million women and children have received vitamins.
• 23 million children were dewormed.
• 3.5 million children were screened for malnutrition.
• 67,000 families received water, sanitation and hygiene support.
• 85,000 individuals have been trained on agricultural techniques.

In one final example, President Johnson shared how her own family had been blessed by kindness. After a grandchild was born prematurely and required constant care in the hospital, a kind newborn-intensive-care nurse would place notes in his bassinet for his sisters to see. One note read “I love you so much. I can’t wait to come home and snuggle you.”

Said President Johnson: “It soothed our aching hearts at a time that was traumatic for us as a family.”

“The work of caring for those in need is clearly big and broad and could feel overwhelming, but when we tackle it one mother, one child, one family at a time, one kind act at a time,” President Johnson said, “we see that this can be accomplished. Looking at these challenges through that lens keeps me optimistic. The challenges are big, but our opportunities are even bigger.”

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Members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles were sustained through votes by quorums and groups in this special, sacred meeting.

In his opening remarks at the start of the Saturday morning session, President Dallin H. Oaks said this solemn assembly is done only in the first conference where a new president and prophet of the Church has been called.

“I am grateful to be among those whose leadership callings are formally recognized in this way and to express appreciation for your participation in this significant occasion,” President Oaks said.

He also expressed gratitude on behalf of the leaders of the Church “for our members’ sustaining vote, prayers and support.”

“We also pray for you to be guided and prospered as you continue the great service you give to the children of God throughout the world,” he said. “At this Easter season, I reaffirm our testimony of the resurrected Lord and recognize that He is the head of this Church.”

Sustaining by vote in quorums and groups

President D. Todd Christofferson, second counselor in the First Presidency, followed President Oaks’ remarks and conducted the solemn assembly.

“We ... pray that you will be uplifted as you join us this Easter weekend and in this unique opportunity to sustain the leaders of the Church,” said President Christofferson at the start of the Saturday morning session.

President Christofferson invited quorums and groups to stand and vote by raising the right arms, one group at a time as requested.

The entire Church membership was also invited to stand and vote wherever they were around the world.

The voting included:

• Sustaining President Oaks as prophet, seer and revelator and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• Sustaining President Henry B. Eyring as first counselor and President D. Todd Christofferson as second counselor in the First Presidency of the Church.
• Sustaining President Eyring as president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and President Dieter F. Uchtdorf as acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
• Sustaining as members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: President Uchtdorf and Elders David A. Bednar, Quentin L. Cook, Neil L. Andersen, Ronald A. Rasband, Gary E. Stevenson, Dale G. Renlund, Gerrit W. Gong, Ulisses Soares, Patrick Kearon, Gérald Caussé and Clark G. Gilbert.
• Sustaining the counselors in the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers and revelators.

The quorums and groups invited to stand and vote were:

• The First Presidency
• Members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
• General Authority Seventies, Area Seventies and members of the Presiding Bishopric
• Ordained patriarchs, high priests and elders
• Members of the Relief Society — all women 18 years of age and older
• All those holding only the Aaronic Priesthood — all ordained priests, teachers and deacons
• Young women girls, including those who are turning 12 this year to those 18 years old
• The entire Church membership, wherever located, including children and all of those who previously stood

After these sustainings, President Christofferson said: “Thank you, brothers and sisters, for your sustaining vote on behalf of these leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We are grateful for your faith and prayers in our behalf.”

Read the full text of the solemn assembly

Common consent

Following the solemn assembly, Elder Kearon spoke about what it means to raise the right hand, participate in common consent and sustain those called to serve.

He taught that common consent is a voluntary, personal commitment to support, uphold and help the Lord’s servants in their callings and responsibilities.

“While today is certainly solemn in purpose, it is also a day full of gratitude and rejoicing at the opportunity for the whole Church to come together and exercise common consent,” he said. “Common consent is not merely a formality but a beautiful mix of agency, unity and faith.”

What is a solemn assembly?

In a revelation given through the Prophet Joseph Smith in December 1832 and January 1833, the Lord commanded Latter-day Saints to “sanctify yourselves … and call a solemn assembly” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:68-70).

“Solemn assemblies are special, sacred meetings held for a variety of holy purposes,” according to an article on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. “They require Latter-day Saints to bring an elevated sense of spirituality with them into the meeting.”

These “holy purposes” have included the sustaining of a new Church president, the dedication of a temple or other significant building (such as the Conference Center in 2000), the introduction of new scripture and the instruction of priesthood leaders. Some solemn assemblies include the Hosanna Shout, a symbolic act with New Testament roots honoring God and Jesus Christ.

Elder David B. Haight, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles who died in 2004, taught during the October 1994 general conference: “A solemn assembly, as the name implies, denotes a sacred, sober and reverent occasion when the Saints assemble under the direction of the First Presidency.”

During that general conference in 1994, a solemn assembly was held to sustain President Howard W. Hunter for the first time as “prophet, seer and revelator and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” President Hunter had become the 14th President of the Church following the death of President Ezra Taft Benson.

Said Elder Haight in his conference address: “Today we are witnesses to and participants in a most sacred occasion — a solemn assembly to act upon heavenly things. As in olden times, there has been much fasting and prayer offered by the Saints throughout the world that they may receive an outpouring of the Spirit of the Lord, which is so much in evidence here on this occasion this morning.”

Solemn assemblies in biblical times

Solemn assemblies “have their origins in the antiquity of God’s dealings with His covenant people,” explains a Church News article published prior to President Thomas S. Monson being sustained as 16th President of the Church in a solemn assembly during April 2008 general conference.

In the Old Testament, solemn assemblies were held on the seventh day of the Feast of the Passover (see Deuteronomy 16:8) and the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles (see Leviticus 23:33-36; Nehemiah 8:18).

The late President M. Russell Ballard, then acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, taught that a solemn assembly was a practice when “ancient Israel gathered to feel the Lord’s presence and celebrate His blessings.”

Solemn assemblies also have an ancient connection with temple dedications. Solomon’s temple, the first temple in Jerusalem, was dedicated in a solemn assembly during the Feast of Tabernacles (see 2 Chronicles 7:9).

Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, solemn assemblies were restored in this dispensation as a part of the “restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21), according to a Church magazine article.

Solemn assembly at Kirtland Temple dedication

On March 27, 1836, the Prophet Joseph Smith heeded the Lord’s repeated command to “call a solemn assembly.” The occasion was the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, and the proceedings would set a precedent for later solemn assemblies.

A Church History Topic titled “Solemn Assemblies” explains that during this solemn assembly, priesthood quorums and the general Church membership in turn sustained the leadership of the Church. Joseph then offered the dedicatory prayer of the temple.

Joseph recorded that President Sidney Rigdon, first counselor in the First Presidency, “called upon the several quorums, commencing with the Presidency, to manifest, by rising, their willingness to acknowledge me as Prophet and Seer and uphold me as such, by their prayers of faith.

“All the quorums, in turn, cheerfully complied with this request. He then called upon all the congregation of the Saints also to give their assent by rising on their feet, which they did unanimously” (History of the Church, 2:416).

The Prophet also recorded: “I prophesied to all that inasmuch as they would uphold these men in their several stations, … the Lord would bless them; … in the name of [Jesus] Christ, the blessings of heaven should be theirs” (History of the Church, 2:418).

In the temple’s dedicatory prayer, Joseph acknowledged that the Saints had convened a solemn assembly and asked the Lord to let His glory rest down upon them as a blessing for their obedience (Doctrine and Covenants 109:6,10-12). The Saints who attended this solemn assembly experienced an outpouring of spiritual manifestations.

Solemn assemblies for sustaining Church leaders

Elder Haight explained more about the precedent set by the Prophet Joseph Smith during the solemn assembly at the Kirtland Temple dedication. “There is a pattern to solemn assemblies that distinguishes them from other general Church meetings where we sustain officers of the Church,” he said in his general conference talk on solemn assemblies.

“That pattern, which was established by the Prophet Joseph Smith, is that the priesthood quorums, commencing with the First Presidency, stand and manifest by the uplifted right hand their willingness to sustain the President of the Church as a prophet, seer and revelator and uphold him by their confidence, faith and prayers,” Elder Haight said.

“The priesthood quorums of the Church so manifest by their vote. Then the general body of all the Saints stand and signify their willingness to do the same. The other leaders of the Church are similarly sustained in their offices and callings.”

Joseph recorded that President Sidney Rigdon, first counselor in the First Presidency, “called upon the several quorums, commencing with the Presidency, to manifest, by rising, their willingness to acknowledge me as Prophet and Seer and uphold me as such, by their prayers of faith.

“All the quorums, in turn, cheerfully complied with this request. He then called upon all the congregation of the Saints also to give their assent by rising on their feet, which they did unanimously” (History of the Church, 2:416).

The Prophet also recorded: “I prophesied to all that inasmuch as they would uphold these men in their several stations, … the Lord would bless them; … in the name of [Jesus] Christ, the blessings of heaven should be theirs” (History of the Church, 2:418).

In the temple’s dedicatory prayer, Joseph acknowledged that the Saints had convened a solemn assembly and asked the Lord to let His glory rest down upon them as a blessing for their obedience (Doctrine and Covenants 109:6, 10-12). The Saints who attended this solemn assembly experienced an outpouring of spiritual manifestations.

Solemn assemblies for sustaining Church leaders

Elder Haight explained more about the precedent set by the Prophet Joseph Smith during the solemn assembly at the Kirtland Temple dedication. “There is a pattern to solemn assemblies that distinguishes them from other general Church meetings where we sustain officers of the Church,” he said in his general conference talk on solemn assemblies.

“That pattern, which was established by the Prophet Joseph Smith, is that the priesthood quorums, commencing with the First Presidency, stand and manifest by the uplifted right hand their willingness to sustain the President of the Church as a prophet, seer and revelator and uphold him by their confidence, faith and prayers,” Elder Haight said.

“The priesthood quorums of the Church so manifest by their vote. Then the general body of all the Saints stand and signify their willingness to do the same. The other leaders of the Church are similarly sustained in their offices and callings.”

What it means to ‘sustain’ in a solemn assembly

During April 1995 general conference, President Gordon B. Hinckley, 15th President of the Church, described a solemn assembly as “a gathering of the membership where every individual stands equal with every other in exercising with soberness and in solemnity his or her right to sustain or not to sustain those who, under the procedures that arise out of the revelations, have been chosen to lead.

“The procedure of sustaining is much more than a ritualistic raising of the hand,” said President Hinckley, who had been sustained as President of the Church in a solemn assembly earlier that conference. “It is a commitment to uphold, to support, to assist those who have been selected.”

In his 1994 talk, Elder Haight also taught what it means to sustain the President of the Church in a solemn assembly: “When we sustain the President of the Church by our uplifted hand, it not only signifies that we acknowledge before God that He is the rightful possessor of all the priesthood keys; it also means that we covenant with God that we will abide by the direction and the counsel that come through His prophet.

“It is a solemn covenant,” he said.

April 2026 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

Elder Andersen’s talk summary

The sacred sealing power Jesus Christ spoke about in Matthew 18:18 has been restored to the earth and is found in His dedicated temples today.

“In my 74 years, there are only a few experiences where nearly every emotion and feeling are solidly cemented in my conscious mind. One of the most poignant is as I knelt across the altar from Kathy in a holy temple of God.”

The sealing ordinance binds couples together with God for eternity. Within this bond, spiritual development and “the very character of Christ ... can become a greater part of us.”

Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God. “We believe in eternal marriage, we teach of eternal marriage, and we seek an eternal marriage.”

The divine attributes sought in an eternal marriage will not be perfected in this life. Eternal marriage is an eternal journey.

One of the deceptions of the world is to discount the sacred importance and the actual power of the sealing ordinance.

And there are times in marriage that require a “stellar dose of patience.” In these times, “keep your hope in each other and in Jesus Christ. His promises can see us through the obstacles and distractions.”

Read the full text of Elder Andersen’s talk: ‘Eternal Marriage Is an Eternal Journey’

Notable quotes

“We anticipate our marriage with faith and confidence because we conscientiously prepare for the covenants we make in the house of the Lord.”

“While embracing the happiness and sorrows of life’s experiences, we etch our covenants indelibly upon our souls, and we keep our eyes focused heavenward toward the glorious destination awaiting us.”

“As we increase our love for the Savior, our love for each other grows.”

Who is Elder Andersen?

• Elder Neil L. Andersen was sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on April 4, 2009. He had served as a General Authority Seventy since 1993, during which time he managed development of the film “The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd” and supervised the initial launch of Mormon.org, now ComeUntoChrist.org.
• Elder Andersen served a mission in France from 1970 to 1972, presided over the France Bordeaux Mission from 1989 to 1992, and accompanied President Henry B. Eyring as he dedicated the Paris France Temple on May 21, 2017. In addition to English, he speaks French, Portuguese and Spanish.
• He met his wife, Sister Kathy Williams Andersen, while attending Brigham Young University. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on March 20, 1975, and are the parents of four children.
• Elder Andersen worked as an advertising executive and later as a vice president of Morton Plant Health System.

What has Elder Andersen done recently?

• In the October 2025 general conference, Elder Andersen taught about both seeking forgiveness and healing from wounds caused by others.
• In March, he ministered to Latter-day Saints in the Pacific Area and posted multiple interviews, interactions and highlights with social media followers.
• In a devotional address at the Provo Missionary Training Center, Elder Andersen gave missionaries a unique experience.
• Elder Andersen spoke to young adults during a devotional broadcast in North and South America in November.

Read more of Elder Andersen’s general conference addresses, or follow him on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X/Twitter.

April 2026 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

President Eyring’s talk summary

The Savior comforted His apostles knowing He would have to leave them and cease to lead, protect and succor them in their perils. At the Last Supper, He gave them a promise that continues to comfort and encourage faithful disciples today:

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

Even as the world seems full of commotion, faithful Latter-day Saints around the world have flooded heaven with prayers, petitioning the Lord for help, comfort, direction and peace.

Opening the windows of heaven through prayer does not require many words or flowery language.

“Heavenly Father requires us to ‘pour out [our] souls’ in private places and have our hearts ‘drawn out in prayer unto him continually’ (Alma 34:26-27).”

The sons of Mosiah received spiritual strength from continued prayer. Their example shows that consistent prayer during joyous times and also during distress and grief will be rewarded according to God’s will and perfect timing.

“I bear my testimony that the Savior’s promise is true and that a humble prayer for peace in your heart will be honored.”

Read the full text of President Eyring’s talk: ‘Prayers for Peace’

Notable quotes

“In times of fear, tragedy, danger, trouble or illness, people often turn to God in prayer. His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray, He lives, He knows us, watches over us and cares for us.”

“In moments of pain, loneliness or confusion, we know that our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son are aware of our circumstances and that They yearn to bless us.”

“I know that God the Father lives. He loves us. He hears our prayers, and many times He will answer with feelings of peace.”

Who is President Eyring?

• President Henry B. Eyring has been a general authority for about four decades, called in 1985 to the Presiding Bishopric. After his call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1995, he served as a counselor to four Prophets: President Gordon B. Hinckley from 2007 to 2008, President Thomas S. Monson from 2008 to 2018, President Russell M. Nelson from 2018 to 2025, and President Dallin H. Oaks beginning in 2025.
• He served as the 10th president of BYU–Idaho — then Ricks College — from 1971 to 1977. Forty years later, his son Henry J. Eyring was the 17th president of BYU–Idaho, from 2017 to 2023.
• While studying at Harvard, he met his wife, Sister Kathleen Johnson Eyring, when she enrolled in a Harvard summer program, and he “was immediately impressed by the goodness she radiated.” They were married in the Logan Utah Temple in July 1962 and are the parents of four sons and two daughters. Sister Eyring died in October 2023.

What has President Eyring done recently?

• He spoke in October 2025 general conference about trusting in the Savior during times of trial.
• He expressed gratitude for the trust from the Lord and the trust from President Oaks at the announcement of the new First Presidency in October 2025.
• In November, he taught in a social media post about a time when the Lord strengthened him.
• He shared a brief testimony of Jesus Christ and His love in an Easter video.

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Read more of President Eyring’s general conference addresses, or follow him on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X/Twitter.

President Eyring testifies of the Savior’s promised peace through fervent prayer

April 2026 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid,” the Savior promised (John 14:27).

President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, pointed to this scripture in his April 2026 general conference address, testifying that the Savior’s promise is true.

“As we pray continually, no matter the circumstances of life, the Lord will offer us peace and abiding support,” President Eyring said during the Saturday morning session.

As the world is in commotion, faithful Latter-day Saints in hardship aorund the world are flooding heaven with prayers, President Eyring said.

“Turning to Heavenly Father in fervent prayer when the world seems chaotic is as old as mankind,” he said. “In times of fear, tragedy, danger, trouble or illness, people often turn to God in prayer. His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray, He lives, He knows us, watches over us and cares for us.”

President Eyring said that in moments of pain, loneliness or confusion, “we know that our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son are aware of our circumstances and that They yearn to bless us.”

President Eyring pointed to the Savior’s words in Luke 11:9-10: “I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”

Opening the windows of heaven through fervent prayer doesn’t require one to use many words of flowery language, President Eyring taught.

“Rather, the diligence in prayer which Heavenly Father requires of us is to ‘pour out [our] souls’ in private places and have our hearts ‘drawn out in prayer unto him continually’ (Alma 34:26-27).”

The power of nonverbal prayers

President Eyring shared the Book of Mormon story of the people of Alma the Elder who would have been killed if they had prayed openly.

Mosiah 24:12-13 reads: “And Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts. And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort.”

Said President Eyring: “I testify the Lord hears and answers the prayers of our hearts, just as He did for Alma and his people. We can follow His commandment to ‘pray always’ by having a continual prayer in our hearts.”

President Eyring promised that God “hears the secret prayers of our hearts” even in those times when “you may not feel like praying or you may not know what to say.”

“The feelings of your heart and the love for our Heavenly Father and for His Beloved Son can be so constant that your prayers will ascend always,” he said.

Prayer in joyous times and during seasons of distress

In another Book of Mormon story, the sons of Mosiah had success in preaching the gospel and were made spiritually strong “because they prayed constantly,” President Eyring said.

Alma 17:3 reads that they had “given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation.”

Said President Eyring: “It is significant that their spiritual strength came from continued prayer rather than waiting to pray until a moment of crisis when they needed desperately divine help. Consistent prayer during joyous times and also during seasons of distress and grief will surely be rewarded according to His will and perfect timing.”

President Eyring bore his testimony that “a humble prayer for peace in your heart will be honored.”

“I felt it at the funeral of my wife of 61 years,” he said. “I was surprised at the feeling of peace, and almost joy. The people at the funeral must have wondered why I was smiling. It was because the Lord had answered my prayer for peace, with an assurance from the Holy Ghost which allowed me to envision the happy reunion ahead with her. The Lord gave me peace and hope that He had promised His disciples.”

President Henry B. Eyring: ‘Prayers for Peace’

April 2026 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

October 2025: Then-Elder Henry B. Eyring: ‘Proved and Strengthened in Christ’

That strip of paper is used to measure the width of a child’s upper arm to determine whether they are malnourished.

“This is the upper-arm circumference of a 3-year-old who has severe acute malnutrition,” Dalgliesh said while holding up the strip of paper rolled into a small circle. “That’s about the size of a quarter. … I think this just brings it home in terms of the urgency of need for children who are suffering from this.”

In contrast to the small circle representing the child’s arm, Dalgliesh holds up a small pack of food.

“This is the hope,” he said. “This little miracle called ‘Plumpy’Nut.’ … You take two to three packets of this for seven to eight weeks, you’ll transform a child.”

Dalgliesh said he’s seen children who were previously malnourished turn into healthy, happy children thanks to this food.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s remarkable. It’s a miracle.”

A full treatment — with several weeks worth of Plumpy’Nut for a single child — costs about $50 according to Dalgliesh. And because of a collaboration with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Edesia is getting this food to more children in need.

The Church’s efforts to care for those in need

Dalgliesh spoke about the efforts Edesia is making to solve the problem of malnutrition around the world along with leaders of the Church on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Salt Lake City.

Edesia is a nonprofit organization that makes Plumpy’Nut and distributes it throughout the world to mothers and children in need.

In 2025, the Church expended $1.58 billion in 196 countries and territories in efforts to care for those in need. The Church also donated 37,063,409 pounds of food through bishops’ storehouses and contributed to 569 emergency relief projects.

President Dallin H. Oaks and his counselors, President Henry B. Eyring and President D. Todd Christofferson, wrote that the Church seeks to follow Jesus Christ “by ministering to the sick, feeding the hungry and comforting the afflicted.”

“Every meal shared, every shelter built, every kindness offered becomes part of the Lord’s work. As we serve others, we are truly serving Him (see Matthew 25:40). In this way, each of us is answering His call to be a light to the world and to follow the Savior’s pattern of loving our neighbor.”

Church spent $1.58 billion — exceeding previous year’s record — in caring for those in need in 2025

The Church works with other charitable organizations and nonprofits around the world to maximize the impact of these caring efforts. Edesia is one of these organizations, and Dalgliesh said he’s seen the real impact of the Church’s charitable donations in the lives of people in need.

Presiding Bishop W. Christopher Waddell said that when someone donates to the Church’s humanitarian fund, 100% of the money goes to humanitarian efforts.

“So if someone donates a dollar and you add all those dollars together, it means there’s a meal, it means there’s the $50 box, it means there’s shelter, it means we’re eliminating certain diseases,” he said.

Losing a home and finding a home

Kerri Murray, president of ShelterBox USA, said The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is “the most important partner in humanitarian relief, period.”

“They do so much to help bring emergency shelter to people who’ve lost everything — their homes, their livelihoods — in an instant,” Murray said.

ShelterBox has a mission to make sure everyone around the world has a safe place to call home. They do this by providing emergency shelter, tools and household supplies to displaced families.

Although the scale of the issues ShelterBox is trying to confront is massive, Murray said “we actually can have an impact, and we have a massive impact around the world.”

“It really always comes down to that one family that we were able to get back on their feet again,” Murray said.

Murray said she is inspired by one woman in particular whose story is emblematic of so many others.

“Her name is Esther, and she was a teenager living in Nigeria when Boko Haram stormed her village,” Murray said. “And they brutally raped and murdered her mother, and they killed her father and brothers. And she was able to run in the middle of the night and make it to the border of Cameroon, where she has lived ever since.”

Murray said Esther experienced incredible trauma “like so many refugees and so many of them women and children.” But despite this, Esther was able to establish herself at the Minawao Refugee Camp, where ShelterBox was providing tents for new arrivals.

“She was able to take a sewing class, and she’s become the best seamstress in her block of the camp,” Murray said. “She’s now lived in that camp half her life. But she’s able to have a productive life as a seamstress. She’s able to get married, and she has two young children.”

Murray said the Church has provided support to enable Esther — and others like her — to be resilient.

“That is the reason why we do this work,” Murray said. “These problems often seem very far away, or they seem insurmountable, or you get fatigued because you’re hearing about them so much. But the reality is that we can actually make an impact in the lives of these families.”

Tents and mud-brick homes allow refugees in Cameroon, West Africa, to rebuild their lives

Building self-reliance

In addition to working with collaborating organizations around the world to provide for those in need, the Church also offers free self-reliance courses to help people develop skills and build self-reliance through education, employment, finances and other topics.

Courses are completed individually or in small groups and focus on combining spiritual principles with practical skills. Job seekers, displaced persons and prospective students can all be blessed through these courses. Classes are Emotional Resilience, Personal Finances, Starting and Growing My Business, Education for Better Work, Find a Better Job and EnglishConnect.

Blaine Maxfield, managing director of the Church’s Welfare and Self-Reliance Services, said the Church tries to focus on giving people “a hand up rather than just a handout.”

From receivers to givers

Maxfield said during a recent Church News interview that he was also recently inspired by a woman in Honduras who received eggs as part of a poultry program from iDE — a nonprofit organization that empowers entrepreneurs to end poverty — with the support of the Church.

Berta Hernandez learned how to raise chickens in the program and quickly turned it into a productive business. Inspired by what she was able to accomplish, she created a group called Manos Unidas, or United Hands, in the remote Indigenous community of Monte de los Negros. She has become a pivotal figure in driving positive change in her community by taking the lead in the poultry program.

“As women in remote Indigenous communities, we often lack opportunities like this project provides,” Hernandez said. “I am proud to lead and bring positive change, showing that our efforts and sacrifices have a purpose.”

Another woman in the group, Yuri Guerra, is leading women in her own remote community of Sesesmil Primero.

For Guerra, the initiative was not just about raising chickens; it was a way to acquire more knowledge about poultry care and management.

“Knowledge is the basis of every human being, and so it is nice to have and to know how to handle the birds,” she said.

Guerra has gained more confidence to tackle challenges and grow in her personal and professional life. She also sees how her fellow community members have gained resilience.

Poultry program in Honduras lifts women through egg production

“It has been a great opportunity for us,” Guerra said. “We are very motivated by the opportunity that was given to us.”

Guerra would like to see the initiative become a way to have a broader economic development. By expanding the group to include more participants, more women will have direct income opportunities, better employment and financial stability.

The collective effort of the women has led to success. With all the hens among the women’s groups, 1,500 people in the community gained access to higher-quality eggs at more affordable prices.

Said Maxfield: “First they were receivers, and now they’re givers. Now they’re going out to bless others in remarkable ways.”

Feeding the hungry

In 2025, the Church donated 37,063,409 pounds of food through bishops’ storehouses, equating to more than 30 million meals for people around the world.

In one community, a donation of food came at just the right time to help fill an empty food bank.

When Cheryl Jackson, the owner of Minnie’s Food Pantry in Plano, Texas, opened her food bank, she promised God that as long as there was food, she would continue to serve those who are hungry.

But that became difficult in May 2025 when, she said, the number of families seeking assistance grew every week, food costs rose, and there was a sharp decline in donations.

Jackson posted about the bare shelves on May 16, 2025, and less than a week later, the Church responded with a truck from Salt Lake City with 20,000 pounds of food for Minnie’s Food Pantry and 10,000 pounds for another nearby food bank in need, the All Community Outreach.

After the donation, Jackson said, “the need is great, but our God is so much greater that He touches your heart to say hunger is unacceptable in our community.”

Bales of clothes and boxes of food for Oklahoma, Texas

Serving the one

In addition to the Church’s efforts to care for those in need worldwide, individual members of the Church offer up their own time and service to care for those in need in their own communities.

The Church teaches — and its members affirm through their actions — that selfless service is how one can follow the Savior’s two great commandments: to love God and love one another.

“Service is an imperative for those who worship Jesus Christ,” President Dallin H. Oaks said in the October 1984 general conference.

Ben Arkell and his family in Lehi, Utah, have been serving together for several years.

Although they’ve taken part in many organized service projects, Arkell said they frequently visit the elderly in their community together.

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“We have built so many incredible bonds through that habit,” Arkell said. “We have seven children, and I have always felt like they were our secret weapons, because people are always willing to have these cute little kids visit them.”

The Primary service initiative began in 2025, where all Primaries around the world were invited to organize an annual service activity. After the invitation was issued, Primary children around the world responded in many different ways to serve others.

Arkell said he has learned that as he works to take care of others, he feels Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are taking care of him.

“I want to be God’s hands. It’s one of my purposes in life,” he said.

Arkell has found fulfillment in serving others, especially in helping people know they are not forgotten.

He said during one activity with his family where they delivered special notes to old friends, one gentleman opened the door, chatted with the Arkell family and then said: “Thank you so much. It’s nice to know that I’m not forgotten.”

Said Arkell: “Those words have never left me. That was 10 years ago, but I still remember them and am so happy we made someone know that we care.”

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The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the apostles and prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”

The Twelve Apostles are called to be “special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world” (Doctrine and Covenants 107:23).

In a 2023 Liahona article, President Dallin H. Oaks wrote: “In a world that doubts the divinity of the Savior, I testify with my Brethren in the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of His divine ministry and Atonement. We testify ‘that he is the Only Begotten of the Father.’ We testify that He has a resurrected body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s’ (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22). We testify that because of His Resurrection, all of God’s children will also be resurrected. We testify that He speaks to His servants in our day. We testify that ‘there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’”

In the following quotes, today’s prophets and apostles testify of Jesus Christ’s divine ministry, Atonement and Resurrection.

What Jesus Christ has done because He loves all the children of God

“Under the plan of our Heavenly Father, He ‘created the heavens and the earth’ (Doctrine and Covenants 14:9) so that each of us could have the mortal experience necessary to seek our divine destiny. As part of the Father’s plan, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ overcame death to assure each of us immortality. Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice gives each of us the opportunity to repent of our sins and return clean to our heavenly home. His commandments and covenants show us the way, and His priesthood gives the authority to perform the ordinances that are essential to reach that destiny. And our Savior willingly experienced all mortal pains and infirmities that He would know how to strengthen us in our afflictions.

“Jesus Christ did all of this because He loves all of the children of God. Love is the motivation for it all, and it was so from the very beginning. God has told us in modern revelation that ‘he created … male and female, after his own image … ; and gave unto them commandments that they should love and serve him’(Doctrine and Covenants 20:18–19).”

— President Dallin H. Oaks, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “What Has Our Savior Done for Us?,” April 2021 general conference

‘Jesus Christ has given you the invitation “Come unto me”’

“When the storms in life come, you can be steady because you are standing on the rock of your faith in Jesus Christ. That faith will lead you to daily repentance and consistent covenant keeping. Then you will always remember Him. And through the storms of hatred and wickedness, you will feel steady and hopeful.

“More than that, you will find yourself reaching out to lift others to safety on the rock with you. Faith in Jesus Christ always leads to greater hope and to feelings of charity toward others, which is the true love of Christ.

“I bear you my solemn witness that the Lord Jesus Christ has given you the invitation ‘Come unto me’ (Matthew 11:28). He invites you, out of love for you and for those you love, to come to Him for peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come. He knows perfectly the storms you will face in your test as part of the plan of happiness.

“I plead with you to accept the Savior’s invitation. Like a meek and loving child, accept His help. Make and keep the covenants He offers in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They will strengthen you. The Savior knows the storms and the places of safety on the way home to Him and to our Heavenly Father. He knows the way. He is the Way.”

— President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, “Steady in the Storms,” April 2022 general conference

Perfect love

“Our Heavenly Father loves us profoundly and perfectly. In His love, He created a plan, a plan of redemption and happiness to open to us all the opportunities and joys we are willing to receive, up to and including all that He has and is. To achieve this, He was even willing to offer His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, as our Redeemer. ‘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’ (John 3:16). His is a Father’s pure love — universal to all yet personal to each.

“Jesus Christ shares with the Father this same perfect love. When the Father first elaborated His great plan of happiness, He called for one to act as a Savior to redeem us — an essential part of that plan. Jesus volunteered, ‘Here am I, send me’ (Abraham 3:27). The Savior ‘doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation’ (2 Nephi 26:24).”

— President D. Todd Christofferson, second counselor in the First Presidency, “The Love of God,” October 2021 general conference

‘Unimaginable glory and perfect happiness’

“Because of Jesus Christ, we will rise from the despair of death and embrace those we love, shedding tears of overwhelming joy and overflowing gratitude. Because of Jesus Christ, we will exist as eternal beings, worlds without end.

“Because of Jesus the Christ, our sins can not only be erased; they can be forgotten.

“We can become purified and exalted. Holy.

“Because of our beloved Savior, we can forever drink from the fountain of water that springs up into eternal life. We can dwell forever in the mansions of our eternal King, in unimaginable glory and perfect happiness.”

— President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Behold the Man!,” April 2018 general conference

‘Only in and through Christ’

“All opportunities and blessings of eternal consequence originate in, are possible and have purpose because of, and endure through the Lord Jesus Christ. As Alma testified: ‘There is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ. Behold, he is the life and the light of the world’ (Alma 38:9).

“I joyfully declare my witness of the divinity and living reality of the Eternal Father and of His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. In our Savior we find joy. And in Him we find the assurance of ‘peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.’”

— Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Gather Together in One All Things in Christ,” October 2018 general conference

‘Be one with Him’

“Following the Savior and His doctrine and teachings has never been easy in a world that is constantly in commotion. It was not easy for the Savior in the volatile world during His mortal sojourn, it was not easy for our early leaders and members, and it is not easy for us. Fortunately, living prophets provide the guidance we specifically need for our day. President Dallin H. Oaks will continue that spiritually powerful legacy.

“I testify that the doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ is eternal and true. I bear my sure and certain witness that Jesus Christ lives and because of His Atonement, we can be one with Him.”

— Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “The Lord Is Hastening His Work,” October 2025 general conference

‘The Savior knows you and loves you’

“For you who have been so unfairly injured by the serious sins of another, I long to share the Savior’s love and compassion, His comfort and peace.

“The sadness you have felt, the heartbreak, the loss, the suffocating feeling of betrayal, the upending of your life as you imagined it to be — I give you my absolute assurance, the Savior knows you and loves you. Reach out to Him. He is your comfort and strength; He will send His angels to bear you up. When will your pain be gone, your grief subdued, the unwanted memories forgotten? I do not know. But this I do know: He has the power to bring beauty from the ashes of your suffering."

— Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “The Atoning Love of Jesus Christ,” October 2025 general conference

‘Feel the power of the Redeemer in your life’

“To us in times of trial He has said, ‘Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven’ (Doctrine and Covenants 6:37). That, brothers and sisters, is the miracle promised to us all.

“On this Easter Sunday, as we celebrate the miracle of our Lord’s Resurrection, as an Apostle of Jesus Christ I humbly pray that you will feel the power of the Redeemer in your life, that your appeals to our Heavenly Father will be answered with the love and commitment Jesus Christ demonstrated throughout His ministry. I pray that you may stand steadfast and faithful in all that is to come.”

— Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Behold! I Am a God of Miracles,” April 2021 general conference

We talk of Christ

“Through ancient and living prophets, our Heavenly Father has commanded us to ‘hear Him’ and to ‘come unto Christ.’ ‘We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, [and] we prophesy of Christ’ (2 Nephi 25:26).

“We teach that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and during His earthly ministry, Jesus taught His gospel and established His Church.

“We testify that at the end of His life, Jesus atoned for our sins when He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane, was crucified on the cross, and then was resurrected.

“We rejoice that because of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice, we can be forgiven and cleansed of our sins as we repent. This brings us peace and hope while making it possible for us to return to God’s presence and receive a fulness of joy.”

— Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “And We Talk of Christ,” October 2025 general conference

‘He lives’

“The Savior invites us, ‘Come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness’ (Doctrine and Covenants 93:19). I urge you to do this. Come unto our Heavenly Father. Take upon yourself the name of Jesus Christ. Identify with Him. Always remember Him. Strive to be like Him. Join Him in His work. Receive His power and blessings in your life. Etch His name in your heart, willingly and intentionally. This gives you ‘standing’ before God and qualifies you for the Savior’s advocacy on your behalf. You will become an exalted inheritor in the kingdom of our Father in Heaven, a joint-heir with His Firstborn, our beloved Savior and Redeemer.

“He lives. I absolutely know it. He loves you. He gave His life for you. He pleads with you to come unto the Father through Him.”

— Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Taking on the Name of Jesus Christ,” October 2025 general conference

‘Sing hallelujah and shout hosanna’

“Jesus Christ’s Atonement can deliver and redeem us from sin. But Jesus Christ also intimately understands our every pain, affliction, sickness, sorrow, separation. In time and eternity, His triumph over death and hell can make all things right. He helps heal the broken and disparaged, reconcile the angry and divided, comfort the lonely and isolated, encourage the uncertain and imperfect and bring forth miracles possible only with God.

“We sing hallelujah and shout hosanna. With eternal power and infinite goodness, in God’s plan of happiness all things can work together for our good. We can face life with confidence and not fear.”

— Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “All Things for Our Good,” April 2024 general conference

‘Hosanna in the highest’

“May we today, on this Palm Sunday, spread out our robes of love and palm leaves of charity, walking in the footsteps of the Prince of Peace as we prepare to celebrate, this coming Sunday, the miracle of the empty tomb. As brothers and sisters in Christ, let us joyfully proclaim, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest’ (Matthew 21:9).

“I testify that Jesus Christ lives and that His perfect love, expressed through His atoning sacrifice, is extended to all who desire to walk with Him and enjoy His peace in this world and in the world to come.”

— Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Followers of the Prince of Peace,” April 2023 general conference

‘New beginnings’

“Because He always did those things which pleased His Father, and because He ‘suffered the will of the Father in all things’ (3 Nephi 11:11), you and I can have new beginnings. Please receive your new beginning, even today, right now. Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of our faith, writing countless new chapters with us. He is the Beginning and the End — the end of our shame and suffering and the beginning of a new life in Him, letting us receive His grace, leave the past behind and begin again with a new dawn, as many times as we need. Truly His ‘goodness and mercy shall follow [us] all the days of [our lives]’ (Psalm 23:6).”

— Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Jesus Christ and Your New Beginning,” October 2025 general conference

‘The Lord’s infinite blessings’

“None of us can escape the challenges and limitations of mortality. After all, we are all born with an inherent incapacity to save ourselves. Yet we have a loving Savior, and ‘we know that it is by [His] grace that we are saved, after all we can do’ (2 Nephi 25:23).

“I testify that while many circumstances in life may be beyond our control, none of us is beyond the reach of the Lord’s infinite blessings. Through His atoning sacrifice, the Savior will compensate for every inability and injustice if we offer our whole souls to Him.”

— Elder Gérald Caussé of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Compensating Blessings,” April 2025 general conference

‘He will comfort us in our afflictions’

“He lives. I love Him. We can overcome death because of the Savior. We can be forgiven of our sins because of Jesus Christ. He will succor us in our infirmities and heal us when life is not fair. He is the Savior of the world. And I know that is true. And He has a Prophet on the earth today, President Dallin H. Oaks, who speaks for Him and does not teach what he was prepared to do or what his background would suggest, but he teaches what the Lord tells him to speak.”

— Elder Clark G. Gilbert of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, interview with the Church News in February 2026

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In the Church’s Caring for Those in Need 2025 report, President Dallin H. Oaks and his counselors, President Henry B. Eyring and President D. Todd Christofferson, wrote that the Church seeks to follow Jesus Christ “by ministering to the sick, feeding the hungry and comforting the afflicted.”

“Every meal shared, every shelter built, every kindness offered becomes part of the Lord’s work,” they wrote. “As we serve others, we are truly serving Him. In this way, each of us is answering His call to be a light to the world and to follow the Savior’s pattern of loving our neighbor.”

They also testified that Jesus Christ is “at the center of this great work” of serving those in need.

“May God bless you abundantly for your goodness, and may you feel His love as you continue to love and care for His children.”

In 2025, members of the Church volunteered in 3,514 humanitarian projects and spent 7.4 million hours volunteering throughout the year.

4 simple steps inspired by Christ’s ministry

The 2025 Caring Report outlines ways disciples of Jesus Christ can follow His example in efforts to serve.

1. See as He Saw

“Look for those who are lonely, hungry, or burdened — just as Jesus noticed the one in need. Pray for eyes to see and a heart to act” (see Luke 10:33; 3 Nephi 17:7).

2. Love as He Loved

“Build relationships rooted in compassion. The Savior listened, taught, and walked with people. Start by listening and showing genuine care” (see John 13:34; Mosiah 18:9).

3. Act as He Acted

“Plan and serve with intention. Jesus fed the hungry, healed the sick, and comforted the sorrowful. Begin with simple acts that meet immediate needs and help others progress toward independence and hope” (see Matthew 14:19–20; Mark 1:41).

4. Invite as He Invited

“Share your experiences and invite others to serve. The Savior taught His disciples to go and do likewise. Your example can inspire more love and service” (see Matthew 5:16; John 13:14–15).

Ways to get involved

Many of the volunteer efforts by members of the Church — and friends of the Church — are accomplished through local JustServe projects. The JustServe platform is a free website and app where community organizations list their service needs and where volunteers can find service opportunities around them.

After helping neighbors with yard work in September 2025 as part of a JustServe project, Perri Matthews in the Eager Arizona Stake said he “had a rewarding experience assisting others” and contributing “to the happiness of others.”

Blaine Maxfield, managing director of the Church’s Welfare and Self-Reliance Services, said anyone wanting to get involved should look for opportunities on JustServe within one’s own community.

“Start with those that are closest to you, and look for ways to bless them,” he said.

The 2025 Caring Report also lists dozens of ways to serve others. The list includes:

• Participate in a type of community service that is new to you.
• Volunteer through JustServe.org to find local opportunities to serve in your community.
• Offer to help a child with their homework.
• Check in on a mother you know and ask her how she is doing.
• Build an emergency preparedness plan for your family and neighborhood.
• Collaborate with local leaders to organize local cleanup days.
• Volunteer to make hygiene kits for those in need.
• Donate bedding and other essential items to a local shelter.
• Help a neighbor with home repairs.
• Send job leads or networking opportunities to someone looking for employment.
• Donate items to your local Deseret Industries store (or another thrift store near you).
• Educate others about energy consumption and energy access.
• Use energy-efficient appliances and smart HVAC systems to reduce demand on the grid.
• Make a meal for someone in your neighborhood.
• Donate needed items to your local food bank.
• Plant a garden and share its produce with others.
• Offer to drive someone to their medical appointments.
• Enroll in a self-reliance course at Self-Reliance.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
• Take the Finding Strength in the Lord: Emotional Resilience course and share what you learn.
• Support someone with their mental and emotional challenges by listening, encouraging, and sharing helpful resources.
• Collect supplies and donate them to a local classroom.
• Volunteer to help someone practice a skill.
• Reduce water waste and teach others about water conservation.
• Organize a school supply drive or vocational training event in your area.
• Donate soap or shampoo to a local shelter.
• Offer to give someone a ride to a medical appointment.
• Donate to organizations that provide health care supplies, educational tools, or job training for vulnerable communities.
• Mentor displaced people in your area to help them acclimate to their new environment and feel loved.

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“In our belief, Jesus Christ is hope,” he said.

Following Jesus Christ’s teaching to “love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matthew 22:39), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints expended $1.58 billion in 196 countries and territories in efforts to care for those in need in 2025.

In Europe in 2025, the Church’s humanitarian efforts included donating two state-of-the-art digital mammography machines to two of Montenegro’s largest healthcare facilities, working to launch a national emergency preparedness campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and collaborating with The Felix Project to distribute millions of meals in London, England.

The roundtable discussions were held to highlight the Church’s Caring for Those in Need 2025 report and were in London on Monday, March 23, and in Brussels, Belgium, on Tuesday, March 24.

In London, Bishop Waddell was joined by Sophie Britt of Save the Children International, Euan Crawshaw of ShelterBox and Tala Hassoun of CARE USA, according to a news release on the Church’s United Kingdom Newsroom website.

The Church has collaborated with these organizations in efforts to care for those in need and relieve suffering around the world.

“As we work together, we are able to reach many more people in need than we ever could reach on our own,” Bishop Waddell said.

Hassoun of CARE USA echoed that sentiment and said no organization can respond to those in need alone.

“Partnership is at the core of how we operate — working with local organizations, governments and communities to ensure we can respond effectively and at scale,” Hassoun said.

Crawshaw of ShelterBox said the number of major crises has grown significantly over recent decades, increasing the urgency for coordinated responses.

“There are now multiple crises happening at once, each with significant impact. That makes collaboration more important than ever,” he said.

Along with discussing the challenges of caring for those in need around the world, Bishop Waddell also paid tribute to each charity’s commitment and expertise.

Many of the charity leaders also thanked the Church for the support that makes their missions easier.

“Our relationship with the Church has always been about problem-solving together,” Hassoun said.

Bishop Waddell also reflected on the example of Jesus Christ and the importance of serving one person at a time.

“Despite all the challenges in the world, we see good things taking place,” he said. “We see good people stepping up to make a difference, and that can give us all cause to hope.”

Brussels, Belgium

In a separate roundtable in Brussels the following day, Bishop Waddell also said the leaders of different humanitarian organizations have reason to hope.

“I hope what they walk away from is that they have hope — that we realize that we come from so many different backgrounds, but it’s the unique talents and abilities that we bring to the table, each of us individually. When you combine it all, some remarkable things can take place,” he said.

Participants included Dr. Dániel Solymári, ambassador-at-large of Hungary’s Hungary Helps Program; Mamar Merzouk, Director of the Office to the European Union for the U.N. World Food Programme; and Jean-Yves Terlinden, international cooperation and humanitarian director of Caritas Europa, according to a news release on the Church’s Europe Newsroom .

Elder Rubén V. Alliaud, General Authority Seventy and president of the Church’s Europe Central Area, also joined the discussion.

“Caring for those in need is one of the divinely appointed responsibilities that we have as a Church. It is one of the reasons why we have the Church,” he said.

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Bishop W. Christopher Waddell and his counselors, Bishop L. Todd Budge and Bishop Sean Douglas, met with the governor at the Utah State Capitol on Wednesday, March 25.

“We want to thank you and know how incredibly lucky we are to have you as friends and neighbors,” Gov. Cox said.

Bishop Waddell told the governor “we feel the same way.”

“How fortunate we are as a Church to have you leading us as citizens of this state and to be able to collaborate and work together closely on things that impact all of us,” he said, according to a news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Joel Ferry, executive director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources, praised Bishop Waddell for a speech he gave in 2023 on the Church’s efforts to conserve water.

“That was really a watershed moment,” Ferry said. “We need to recognize that we have stewardship over this precious resource. The Church leading out and setting that example does more good, and it makes our job so much easier. It’s more ingrained in the culture to help people recognize and say, ‘Yes, if they can do it, we can do it.’”

In 2023, the Church announced a donation of more than 20,000 acre-feet of water to be delivered annually on a perpetual basis to the Great Salt Lake. Then in 2025, the Church released 10,000 acre-feet — or 3.26 billion gallons — of water from Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake. The water comes from leases owned by the Church.

The Great Salt Lake is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere, but water levels have been receding for several decades.

Officials have blamed much of the low levels on overconsumption, according to reporting by the Deseret News.

Efforts to conserve water

Beyond the donations to the Great Salt Lake, the Church has worked to conserve water through smart irrigation controllers and by eliminating nonfunctional grass in some areas.

In March 2025, the Church announced plans to save over 500 million gallons of water a year, thanks to the installation of over 3,000 smart controllers at facilities across the Intermountain West.

At Temple Square in Salt Lake City, ground crews are implementing the use of smart controllers in combination with water-wise landscaping as part of the grounds’ ongoing renovations.

The Church has been redesigning landscaping around Church facilities to better reflect local climates and save water since the early 2000s.

That includes gradually phasing out purely decorative or “nonfunctional” grass for new meetinghouses and reducing or completely eliminating nonfunctional grass in Utah’s Washington County and in Southern Nevada.

Caring for the Earth

In November 2025, Elder Gérald Caussé of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke as part of a stewardship symposium at Brigham Young University about the sacred duty to care for God’s creations.

“Our Heavenly Father has entrusted His children with stewardship over His creations, a sacred duty to care for them so that every element of this world can fulfill the measure of its creation and contribute to the glorious work of humanity’s salvation and exaltation,” he said.

Elder Caussé also said that caring for the earth and caring for the people who live in it are inseparably connected.

As part of that stewardship, the Church continually strives to be wise with the earth’s natural resources and to set an example through the responsible management of its global operations.

Update to the General Handbook

The latest updates to the General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on March 18 include the addition of a new section about caring for the earth (see 38.8.6).

The section reads in part: “The Church strives to improve its operational practices in relation to the use of natural resources. It also seeks to help communities address environmental challenges.”

The section also encourages members to care for the earth, be wise stewards of it and preserve it for future generations.

Church reducing water usage by billions of gallons; Bishop Waddell outlines Latter-day Saint water conservation efforts

‘A sacred duty’: Elder Gérald Caussé speaks on stewardship over God’s creations