<![CDATA[Church News]]>https://www.thechurchnews.comWed, 17 Jun 2026 22:35:01 +0000en1hourly1<![CDATA[Remember conference — Elder Ozani Farias: ‘The Book of Mormon — an Immeasurable Treasure on Our Journey’]]>https://www.thechurchnews.com/general-conference/2025/12/06/ozani-farias-study-help-october-2025-general-conference/https://www.thechurchnews.com/general-conference/2025/12/06/ozani-farias-study-help-october-2025-general-conference/Sat, 06 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000Editor’s note: To support personal and family gospel learning, the Church News is publishing articles on messages from October 2025 general conference. It is recommended to listen to or read the full address in addition to reviewing these resources.

Read more conference study helps here

About this talk

  • “The Book of Mormon — an Immeasurable Treasure on Our Journey”
  • Elder Ozani Farias | General Authority Seventy
  • Sunday afternoon session of October 2025 general conference.
  • Theme: Studying the Book of Mormon daily, feasting upon the words of Christ and bearing testimony of the book deepen conversion to Jesus Christ.
Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Elder Farias’ message here.

Outline

  • While in high school, Elder Farias was given a copy of the Book of Mormon by a classmate. The classmate invited him to meet with the missionaries, who taught him the doctrine of Christ and invited him to follow Moroni’s invitation.
  • Elder Farias received a testimony and was baptized. Despite opposition, the Book of Mormon became an immeasurable treasure in his mortal journey.
  • Today, some 80,000 missionaries in more than 150 countries bear witness that this book is another testament of Jesus Christ. Elder Farias gives three suggestions to deepen conversion to Jesus Christ through study of the Book of Mormon.

1. Be diligent and consistent in your daily study

  • As mission leaders in the Georgia Atlanta Mission, Elder Farias and his wife encouraged missionaries to study the Book of Mormon 30 minutes a day, which increased faith and helped them to seek and expect miracles.
  • Prayerful study of the Book of Mormon daily brings greater spiritual strength and confidence in the Lord and His promises.

2. Make your study more meaningful by feasting upon the words of Christ

  • Feasting upon the words of Christ (see 2 Nephi 32:3) means savoring, pondering and applying.
  • To make scripture study more meaningful, use study aids in the Gospel Library app, identify eternal truths, highlight significant phrases, and record impressions. Feasting upon the words of Christ will open the door to revelation and show readers what to do in various circumstances of life.

3. Bear your testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon

  • When people today gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon, they develop a desire to share the joy that comes from knowing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
  • After one of Elder Farias’ missionaries sent her brother a marked copy of the Book of Mormon to read each night, he gained a testimony and served a mission.
  • Feasting on the words of Christ will help readers understand eternal truths and share their testimonies. Those who ask God in faith will gain a testimony of the truth and divinity of the book by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Reflection questions

Why is asking with a sincere heart, with real intent and having faith in Christ key to helping us gain a personal witness of the truth of the Book of Mormon through the power of the Holy Ghost?

What does it mean to feast upon the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon, as opposed to just reading?

How does the Book of Mormon teach the doctrine of Christ and explain more about the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ than any other book?

In what ways has your study of the Book of Mormon given you answers to the questions of your soul?

What are ways you can share your joy from knowing the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Speaker quotes

  • “The Book of Mormon has been my companion and has become an immeasurable treasure in my mortal journey.”
  • “Today, approximately 80,000 full-time missionaries in more than 150 countries are serving as volunteers, dedicating their lives to bearing witness that the Book of Mormon is true and that it testifies of Jesus Christ.”
  • “Just as Lehi desired to share the fruit of the tree of life with his family (see 1 Nephi 8:12), when we gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon, we develop a desire to share the joy that comes from knowing the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Reference scriptures

  • “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.”
  • “The Book of Mormon … puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come.”
  • “Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.”

Invitations and promises

  • “I promise that if you sincerely prioritize studying the Book of Mormon prayerfully each day, you will find greater spiritual strength and confidence in the Lord and His promises.”
  • “As we feast upon the words of Christ, they will open the door to revelation and show us what we need to do in the various circumstances of our life to draw closer to Him.”
  • “I encourage each of you to deepen your study of the Book of Mormon. I know as we feast upon the words of Christ found in the Book of Mormon, the Spirit will help us understand eternal truths and share our testimonies with conviction with those whom the Lord has prepared to hear His message.”

Stories

  • Forty years ago, a young Elder Farias noticed that a classmate had a light different from others. One day, that classmate told him he was a member of the Church and offered him a copy of the Book of Mormon. The young man met with the missionaries, learned the doctrine of Christ and followed the counsel in Moroni 10:4. He gained a testimony and was baptized. Soon, others told him he had made the wrong decision, but he received renewed confirmation through study and prayer and remained true to his covenants.
  • The Prophet Joseph Smith was only 23 years old when he completed the translation of the Book of Mormon in 1829. The entire book was translated in less than 75 days, while the printing process took seven months.
  • While serving as president of the Georgia Atlanta Mission, Elder Farias counseled a sister missionary to read and mark a copy of the Book of Mormon and send it to her younger brother, who was unsure he would serve a mission. She did so and invited her brother to read from it each night. Over time, the young man found increasing joy in his life and accepted a call to serve in the Mexico Tuxtla Gutiérrez Mission.

Additional resources

Elder Ozani Farias, a General Authority Seventy.

Recent conference talks on the Book of Mormon

Who is Elder Farias?

  • Elder Ozani Farias was sustained as a General Authority Seventy in the April 2025 general conference. From Recife, Brazil, Elder Farias has worked for the Church for most of his career in positions including financial manager, human resources manager and most recently the director of temporal affairs for the Brazil Area.

Remember conference — Elder John D. Amos: ‘The Good News Recipe’

Download a PDF of talk summaries from October 2025 general conference

October 2025 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

]]><![CDATA[Remember conference — Elder John D. Amos: ‘The Good News Recipe’]]>https://www.thechurchnews.com/general-conference/2025/12/05/john-amos-study-help-october-2025-general-conference/https://www.thechurchnews.com/general-conference/2025/12/05/john-amos-study-help-october-2025-general-conference/Fri, 05 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000Editor’s note: To support personal and family gospel learning, the Church News is publishing articles on messages from October 2025 general conference. It is recommended to listen to or read the full address in addition to reviewing these resources.

Read more conference study helps here

About this talk

Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Elder Amos’ message here.

Outline

  • In Elder Amos’ home state of Louisiana, tasty dishes like gumbo and jambalaya often have a Creole seasoning added as a “secret ingredient” to compensate for imperfections. He and his wife, Michelle, served as mission leaders in Louisiana, where they would teach missionaries how to cook Sister Amos’ jambalaya recipe.
  • Browsing through the Church Media Library, Elder Amos saw a short video with Church President Russell M. Nelson titled “Scriptures Are God’s Recipes for Happy Living.” Using the analogy of baking a cake according to a recipe, President Nelson taught Primary children his “secret” is called the scriptures.
  • God’s recipe in the scriptures is the “Good News Recipe.” Embedded in the Good News Recipe is the “secret ingredient,” with the answer being Jesus Christ.
  • All have moments when their ingredients are not good enough, they struggle to follow directions or they do something out of order or something happens out of their control. The remedy is always Jesus Christ.
  • Speaking of what it looks like to add more Jesus Christ into one’s life, Elder Amos shared how as a mission president, he helped an elder with companionship challenges use Moroni 7:45 to seek charity. After a few weeks, both elders’ letters showed greater unity and love in their companionship and work.
  • While following the Good News Recipe, remember President Nelson’s teaching that “whatever questions or problems you have, the answer is always found in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.”
  • When one needs to “hear Him” and know how to invite Jesus Christ into one’s life, Elder Amos admonished to follow the steps President Nelson taught about personal revelation, including finding a quiet place to regularly go and pray, to pray in the name of Jesus Christ, to listen and to record feelings and follow through with actions.
  • Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer and has accomplished what one needs to return to Heavenly Father.

Reflection questions

How is Jesus Christ the “secret ingredient” in the plan of salvation?

When have Jesus Christ and His Atonement compensated for your imperfections?

In what ways is the “Good News Recipe” found in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ?

Think of ways an appeal to the scriptures has led you to find answers to life’s questions or problems.

How can you invite Jesus Christ more into your life and seek personal revelation?

Speaker quotes

  • “What do you do if something goes wrong when following the recipe? Well, embedded in the Good News Recipe is the ‘secret ingredient’ to ensure you always get it right in the end. The answer is always Jesus Christ.”
  • “The elder then looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, ‘Yes, President, but that is hard to do.’ I agreed and reminded him that he is a son of God with divine potential to do it together with the Lord.”
  • “I testify that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. He has ‘accomplished everything we need to be able to return to [our] Heavenly Father.’”

Reference scriptures

  • “And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”
  • “Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.”

Invitations and promises

  • “The simple secret for happy living is to just follow God’s recipe as detailed in the scriptures. I call it the ‘Good News Recipe.’”
  • “We all have moments when we feel our ingredients are not good enough, or we struggle to follow the directions, or perhaps we do something out of order, or something happens that is out of our control, and so on. What’s the remedy? It’s simply to add more of what invites Jesus Christ into your life.”
  • “As you follow the Good News Recipe for happy living, remember President Nelson’s teaching: ‘Whatever questions or problems you have, the answer is always found in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Learn more about His Atonement, His love, His mercy, His doctrine and His restored gospel of healing and progression. Turn to Him! Follow Him!’”

Stories

  • In Elder Amos’ home state of Louisiana, there are tasty dishes, including gumbo and jambalaya. When he cooks one of those recipes, he does the undocumented final step of the taste test. At that point, if anything is missing, “the Creole cooking legends” whisper in his ear to add a special seasoning. That “secret ingredient” compensates for imperfections made while following the recipe.
  • When Elder Amos and his wife, Michelle, served as mission leaders in Louisiana, they had a tradition of teaching the missionaries her special jambalaya recipe on their last night in the mission home. The missionaries returned home with testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ and an appreciation for recipes.
  • While serving as a mission president, Elder Amos met with a missionary struggling in his companionship. They knelt together and prayed, then turned to the scriptures, specifically Moroni 7:45, concerning charity. Together, the mission president and elder identified small things the elder could do for his companion. As the weeks went by, the elders’ letters reflected increased love and unity in their companionship.

From the footnotes

Additional resources

Elder John D. Amos, a General Authority Seventy.

Recent conference talks on happiness through Christ

Who is Elder Amos?

  • Elder John D. Amos was sustained as a General Authority Seventy during the April 2025 general conference. Born in Lafayette, Louisiana, Elder Amos worked as an engineering duty officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, Siemens Energy Inc. engineering director and engineering adjunct professor at the University of Central Florida.

Remember conference — Elder Dale G. Renlund: ‘Taking on the Name of Jesus Christ’

Download a PDF of talk summaries from October 2025 general conference

October 2025 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

]]><![CDATA[Remember conference — Elder Christopher H. Kim: ‘Harden Not Your Heart’]]>https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2025/06/18/christopher-kim-study-help-april-2025-general-conference/https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2025/06/18/christopher-kim-study-help-april-2025-general-conference/Wed, 18 Jun 2025 16:39:38 +0000Editor’s note: To support personal and family gospel learning, the Church News is publishing articles on messages from April 2025 general conference. It is recommended to listen to or read the full address in addition to reviewing these resources.

Read more conference study helps here

About this talk

Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Elder Kim’s message here.

Outline

  • The Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ began when God the Father and His Beloved Son appeared to young Joseph Smith. As part of the Restoration, Joseph translated an ancient record by the gift and power of God. This record contains the fullness of the everlasting gospel.
  • Laman and Lemuel didn’t believe truths given to them because of the “hardness of their hearts” (1 Nephi 2:18). The Korean translation of “hardness” means “stubborn” and “wicked.”
  • When people harden their hearts, good things cannot come into their hearts or minds. They choose to open hearts not to the things of God but instead to the influence of the adversary. They resist the influence of the Holy Ghost and become “past feeling” (1 Nephi 17:45).
  • Alma taught the people of Ammonihah that some reject the Spirit of God because of the hardness of their hearts. (See Alma 13:4.) Because Laman and Lemuel hardened their hearts, they ultimately rejected eternal truths. In contrast, Nephi continually humbled himself, and the Lord softened his heart.
  • How do people not harden their hearts? First, practice daily repentance. The Savior taught, “Whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive” (3 Nephi 9:22).
  • Second, practice humility. A woman who was learning about the Church struggled to commit to baptism. When she began to understand humility in the perspective of God’s eyes, she prayed to soften her heart. She felt the Spirit witness to her that Heavenly Father wanted her to be baptized.
  • Third, trust and rely on the Savior. When one puts trust in the Lord and relies on Him, He will soften hearts and offer support in trials, troubles and afflictions.
  • By sincerely repenting, humbling oneself, and trusting and relying on the Lord, hearts will be softened. He will pour out His Spirit and show the mysteries of heaven. Understanding will deepen.
  • Jesus Christ was the ultimate example of meekness. Even though He was holy and perfect, he humbled Himself before the Father and was baptized. At the end of His mortal life, Jesus Christ submitted His will to His Father by partaking of the bitter cup.
  • Everyone has been given moral agency. They can choose to harden their hearts or choose to soften their hearts. Follow the example of Jesus Christ, who followed the will of the Father.

Reflection questions

What resulted in Laman and Lemuel hardening their hearts against the teachings of their father, Lehi, and their brother Nephi?

What does it mean to have a hardness of heart?

How did Nephi humble himself and seek guidance from the Spirit of the Lord?

How do repenting daily, practicing humility and trusting in the Savior help us not harden our hearts?

What are some spiritual blessings from choosing to soften our hearts?

Speaker quotes

  • “When we harden our hearts, we are blinded, and good things cannot come into our hearts or our minds. We become stubborn and begin to place more focus on worldly desires, closing our hearts to the things of God. ... When our hearts are hardened, we resist the influence of the Holy Ghost.”
  • “When we put our trust in the Lord and rely on Him, He will soften our hearts, and we will be supported in our trials, troubles and afflictions.”
  • “We’ve been given moral agency. We can choose to harden our hearts, or we can choose to soften our hearts. In our daily lives, we can choose to do the things that invite the Lord’s Spirit to come into and dwell in our hearts. I know that in these choices, there is peace and joy.”

Reference scriptures

  • “But, behold, Laman and Lemuel would not hearken unto my words; and being grieved because of the hardness of their hearts I cried unto the Lord for them.”
  • “And it came to pass that I, Nephi, ... having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers.”
  • “And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart. If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity.”

Invitations and promises

  • “As we experience the joy of softening our hearts and coming to the Lord, we become ‘as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father’ (Mosiah 3:19).”
  • “Daily repentance will bring humility to our hearts. We want to become humble before the Lord, like a little child who obeys their father. We will then always have the Holy Spirit with us, and our hearts will soften.”
  • “If we sincerely repent, humble ourselves, and trust and rely on the Lord, our hearts will be softened. He will then pour out His Spirit and show us the mysteries of heaven. We will believe all the words that He has taught, and our understanding will deepen.”

Stories

  • As a young boy reading the Book of Mormon, Elder Kim often wondered why Laman and Lemuel did not believe the truths given to them, even when an angel of the Lord appeared and spoke to them directly. He found an answer in 1 Nephi, which states that Nephi was “grieved because of the hardness of their hearts” (1 Nephi 2:18).
  • Elder Kim and his wife, Sister Seongmi (Sue) Kim, have known a wonderful couple for the last four years. When they first met, the husband was a new member of the Church, and the wife was meeting with the missionaries. They felt she had a vibrant testimony of the gospel and knew the Church was true, but she found it difficult to commit to baptism. After reading Moroni 7:43-44, she realized what she needed to do. She prayed to soften her own heart and came to know through the Spirit that Heavenly Father wanted her to be baptized.

Additional resources

Elder Christopher H. Kim, a General Authority Seventy.

Recent conference talks on humility

Who is Elder Kim?

  • Elder Christopher H. Kim was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 6, 2024. Born in Daegu, South Korea, he and his family immigrated to the United States, settling in the San Fernando Valley in California. He received a Master of Business Administration from BYU in 1997 and worked for international companies, taking him from Idaho to Thailand and South Korea.

Remember conference — Elder Scott D. Whiting: ‘Beware the Second Temptation’

Download a PDF of talk summaries from April 2025 general conference

April 2025 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

]]><![CDATA[Remember conference — Bishop Gérald Caussé: ‘Compensating Blessings’]]>https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2025/06/09/bishop-gerald-causse-study-help-april-2025-general-conference/https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2025/06/09/bishop-gerald-causse-study-help-april-2025-general-conference/Mon, 09 Jun 2025 10:00:00 +0000Editor’s note: To support personal and family gospel learning, the Church News is publishing articles on messages from April 2025 general conference. It is recommended to listen to or read the full address in addition to reviewing these resources.

Read more conference study helps here

About this talk

Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Bishop Caussé’s message here.

Outline

  • Bishop Caussé has been moved by the diverse and difficult circumstances in which Latter-day Saints throughout the world live. At times, these trials may hinder progress and genuine efforts to live the gospel fully, making it difficult to serve, worship and fulfill sacred duties.
  • Those who feel limited or disadvantaged by circumstances in their lives need to know the Lord loves them personally and knows their circumstances. The door to His blessings remains wide open no matter the challenges.
  • When he was 22, Bishop Caussé was excited to hear Elder Neal A. Maxwell speak at a nearby conference. Because of an air force assignment, though, he arrived late and heard only the apostolic blessing, which ended up an unforgettable spiritual experience.
  • When circumstances beyond one’s control prevent the fulfillment of righteous desires, the Lord compensates in ways that allow the reception of promised blessings.
  • This truth is found in three key principles: First, God loves each perfectly. Second, because God is both just and merciful, He will not hold His children accountable for things beyond their control. Third, through Jesus Christ and His Atonement, people can find the strength to endure and overcome.
  • To receive compensating blessings, the Lord asks for all one can do and to offer one’s whole soul. This requires a deep desire, a sincere and faithful heart, and diligence in keeping His commandments and aligning one’s will with His.
  • When the Prophet Joseph Smith worried about his brother Alvin, who died without gospel ordinances, he received the comforting revelation that those who die without a knowledge of the gospel but who would have received it shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom. What matters to the Lord is not merely being able but being willing.
  • Bishop Caussé shared two accounts of compensating blessings. First, he related the account of a young missionary receiving an early release for health reasons and receiving comfort that no promised blessings would be withheld. Second, Bishop Caussé related the service given to his daughter in France after a difficult delivery. Blessing others invites healing and compensation.
  • Doing vicarious work in the house of the Lord is one of the most powerful ways to contribute to God’s compensating blessings. Loving service offered in holy temples reminds Latter-day Saints that the Savior’s grace extends beyond this life.
  • While many circumstances in life are beyond control, none are beyond the reach of the Lord’s infinite blessings. Through His atoning sacrifice, the Savior will compensate for every inability and injustice if one’s whole soul is offered to Him.

Reflection questions

When have you seen the Lord’s compensating blessings in your life?

How can compensating blessings manifest God’s plan for His children?

How might the Lord’s mercy and grace “sustain us through injustices, deficiencies and limitations imposed by our mortal experience”?

What are the personal conditions or requirements to receiving compensating blessings?

When has seeking to bless others invited healing and compensation into your own life?

Speaker quotes

  • “My dear friends, if you ever feel limited or disadvantaged by the circumstances of your life, I want you to know this: The Lord loves you personally. He knows your circumstances, and the door to His blessings remains wide open to you no matter the challenges you face.”
  • “When our earnest efforts fall short of our aspirations due to circumstances beyond our control, the Lord still accepts the desires of our hearts as a worthy offering.”
  • “When facing limitations and challenges, may we recognize our own blessings — our gifts, resources and time — and use them to serve those in need. In doing so, we will not only bless others but invite healing and compensation into our own lives.”

Reference scriptures

  • “He inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him.”
  • “And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind. … And he … will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.”
  • “For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.”

Invitations and promises

  • “When circumstances beyond our control prevent us from fulfilling the righteous desires of our hearts, the Lord will compensate in ways that allow us to receive His promised blessings.”
  • “Because God is both just and merciful and His plan is perfect, He will not hold us accountable for things beyond our control.”
  • “One of the most powerful ways we may contribute to God’s compensating blessings is through the vicarious work we do for our ancestors in the house of the Lord. As we perform ordinances on their behalf, we actively participate in the Lord’s great work of salvation, using our gifts and abilities to provide blessings to those who did not have the opportunity to receive them during their mortal lives.”

Stories

  • When he was 22, Bishop Caussé was serving in the French air force and was thrilled to learn that Elder Neal A. Maxwell, an Apostle of the Lord, would be speaking at a nearby conference. But orders to take an officer to the airport delayed him so that he arrived in time only for the apostolic blessing. The words of the blessing penetrated every fiber of his soul and was a beautiful, unforgettable experience.
  • A friend comforted a young missionary grieving over his early release due to health reasons. The friend shared Doctrine and Covenants 124:49 then testified to this young man that the Lord knew he had given his best in answering the call to serve and that no promised blessings would be withheld.
  • The Lord’s compensating blessings often come through the kindness of others. While living far from one of his daughters in France, Bishop Caussé and his wife, Sister Valérie Caussé, felt helpless to assist her after a difficult delivery. That same week, their Utah ward sought help for a mother who had given birth to twins. Sister Caussé volunteered to take in a meal. Soon, they learned that sisters in their daughter’s ward in France were organizing meals for her family.

Additional resources

Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé.

Recent conference talks on overcoming through Christ

Who is Bishop Caussé?

  • Bishop Gerald Caussé has served as presiding bishop since Oct. 9, 2015, after serving the previous three and a half years as first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric. Born in France, Bishop Caussé is the third presiding bishop born outside the United States and the first for whom English is a second language.

Remember conference — Sister Tamara W. Runia: ‘Your Repentance Doesn’t Burden Jesus Christ; It Brightens His Joy’

Download a PDF of talk summaries from April 2025 general conference

April 2025 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

]]><![CDATA[Remember conference — Elder Dale G. Renlund: ‘Personal Preparation To Meet the Savior’]]>https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2025/05/23/dale-renlund-study-help-april-2025-general-conference/https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2025/05/23/dale-renlund-study-help-april-2025-general-conference/Fri, 23 May 2025 10:00:00 +0000Editor’s note: To support personal and family gospel learning, the Church News is publishing articles on messages from April 2025 general conference. It is recommended to listen to or read the full address in addition to reviewing these resources.

Read more conference study helps here

About this talk

  • “Personal Preparation To Meet the Savior”
  • Elder Dale G. Renlund | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
  • Saturday afternoon session of April 2025 general conference.
  • Theme: Those who follow the Savior’s teachings can be prepared for and not fear His Second Coming.
Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Elder Renlund’s message here.

Outline

  • When President Russell M. Nelson speaks of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, it is always with joyful optimism. But a Primary girl recently told Elder Renlund that she is scared for the Second Coming because bad things will happen first.
  • Follow the Savior’s teachings, which are neither mysterious nor complex. When one follows these teachings, one need not fear.
  • Toward the end of His mortal ministry, Jesus Christ taught three parables, recorded in Matthew 25, about how to prepare to meet Him. Personal preparation to meet Him is central to life’s purpose.
  • The Savior identified three aspects from the parable of the ten virgins. First, the wise who take the Holy Spirit as their guide need not fear or be anxious. Next, remaining worthy of the Holy Ghost is a capability acquired drop by drop. Third, avoid deception.
  • Christ knew pretenders would try to deceive the very elect and that many disciples would be duped. The Book of Mormon teaches how to differentiate deceivers from disciples. Saints can also avoid deception by worshipping regularly in the temple.
  • In the Savior’s parable of the talents, three servants are given five talents, two talents and one talent. The first two doubled their talents, while the third buried his. God expects His children to magnify their talents but not compare.
  • Rely upon the merits, mercy and grace of the Savior to magnify God-given abilities. With His loving assistance, He expects believers to become the best version of themselves. Differing abilities are irrelevant to Him.
  • In the parable of the sheep and the goats, the Savior taught that those on His right will become heirs to His kingdom and those on His left will receive no inheritance. The distinguishing characteristic will be whether they served others.
  • When one serves others, one serves God. The divine impulse to serve is taught in the 19th century poem “Farmer Paavo,” where a farmer with a meager harvest was frugal but continued to be frugal after a bountiful harvest to help a destitute neighbor.
  • People are to use time, talents and blessings to serve Heavenly Father’s children, especially the vulnerable and needy.
  • Follow Jesus Christ and trust in the Holy Ghost. Rely on loved ones, and seek God’s guidance to develop unique abilities and help others. One will then be ready to meet the Savior and join President Nelson in being joyfully optimistic.

Reflection questions

How can following the Savior’s teachings help us overcome fear of events preceding the Second Coming?

What might the oil acquired by the wise virgins “drop by drop” symbolize for us?

How does studying the Book of Mormon, taking counsel from faithful disciples of the Savior and worshipping regularly in the temple help us avoid deception?

How is using our gifts, talents and abilities to bless the lives of others serving God?

What can you do in the next weeks to “magnify the God-given abilities” you’ve received?

Speaker quotes

  • “If we are wise, we receive the truth by accepting the gospel of Jesus Christ through priesthood ordinances and covenants. Next, we strive to remain worthy of having the Holy Ghost always with us. This capability must be acquired individually and personally, drop by drop. Consistent, personal, private acts of devotion invite the Holy Ghost to guide us.”
  • “The Savior knew pretenders would try to deceive the very elect and that many disciples would be duped. We should neither believe those who falsely claim divine sanction nor venture into metaphorical deserts or secret chambers to be taught by counterfeits.”
  • “Indeed, God will be disappointed if we do not rely upon the merits, mercy and grace of the Savior to magnify the God-given abilities we have received. With His loving assistance, He expects us to become the best version of ourselves. That we may start with differing abilities is irrelevant to Him. And it should be to us.”

Reference scriptures

  • “And at that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins. For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived — verily I say unto you, they shall ... abide the day.”
  • “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
  • “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

Personal preparation to meet our Savior is central to life’s purpose. As we prepare to meet Him, the best advice for you...

Posted by Dale G. Renlund on Saturday, April 5, 2025

Invitations and promises

  • “The best advice ... for you and for me is to follow the Savior’s teachings. His instructions are neither mysterious nor complex. When we follow them, we do not need to fear or be anxious.”
  • “If we are wise, we receive the truth by accepting the gospel of Jesus Christ through priesthood ordinances and covenants. Next, we strive to remain worthy of having the Holy Ghost always with us. This capability must be acquired individually and personally, drop by drop. Consistent, personal, private acts of devotion invite the Holy Ghost to guide us.”
  • “My invitation ... is to follow Jesus Christ and to trust the Holy Ghost as you would a cherished friend. Rely on those who love you and who love the Savior. Seek God’s guidance to develop your unique abilities, and help others, even when it isn’t easy.”

Stories

  • A Primary girl recently told Elder Renlund that she becomes anxious whenever the Second Coming is mentioned. She said, “I’m scared because bad things are going to happen before Jesus comes again.” The best advice for those who feel this way is to follow the Savior’s teachings.
  • The 18th-century Hasidic scholar Zusya of Anipol was a renowned teacher who began to fear as he approached death. His disciples asked him why when he had lived a good life. Zusya said that if God asked why he wasn’t another Moses or another Solomon, he would reply he did not have the greatness of Moses nor the wisdom of Solomon. But if God asks, “‘Zusya, why were you not Zusya? Why were you not the man I gave you the capacity to be?’ Ah, that is why I tremble.”
  • The 19th-century Finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg wrote the poem “Farmer Paavo” about a poor farmer with his wife and children who lived in the lake region of central Finland. For several years, his crops were destroyed. Each time, he would tell his wife to mix bark with the rye flour to make bread to feed their children. Finally, Paavo harvested a rich crop, and his wife exulted that they could bake bread with only rye. He took his wife’s hand and told her to mix half the flour with bark because the neighbor’s fields had frosted over. He sacrificed his family’s bounty to help a destitute neighbor.

From the footnotes

  • 2. We need not feel anxious, because Jesus Christ will transform us so that we are ready to meet Him. As we consistently honor our covenants and keep the commandments, we gradually become, through His grace and blessings, more and more like the Savior. And as we do, we will be prepared for His Second Coming.
  • 3. The Lord’s Second Coming will occur at the beginning of the millennial era, when He returns in glory, and all will acknowledge that He was and is the promised Messiah.
  • 11. The teachings in the Book of Mormon combine with and clarify biblical teachings “unto the confounding of false doctrines” (2 Nephi 3:12). Perhaps this is part of the rationale for President Russell M. Nelson’s teaching that the Book of Mormon is God’s instrument to prepare the world for the Second Coming. (See “The Book of Mormon, the Gathering of Israel and the Second Coming,” Ensign, July 2014, 29.)

Additional resources

Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Recent conference talks on preparing for the Second Coming

Who is Elder Renlund?

Remember conference — Elder Sandino Roman: ‘Faith: A Bond of Trust and Loyalty’

Download a PDF of talk summaries from April 2025 general conference

April 2025 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Ruth Renlund, exit after the Sunday morning session of the 195th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 6, 2025.Elder Dale G. Renlund and his wife, Sister Ruth Renlund, greet great-niece Brynn Day, who was part of the combined youth choir from northern Utah, after the Saturday afternoon session of the 195th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 5, 2025.]]>CRISTY POWELL<![CDATA[Remember conference — Elder Ronald A. Rasband: ‘Right Before Our Eyes’]]>https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2025/05/12/ronald-rasband-study-help-april-2025-general-conference/https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2025/05/12/ronald-rasband-study-help-april-2025-general-conference/Mon, 12 May 2025 10:00:00 +0000Editor’s note: To support personal and family gospel learning, the Church News is publishing articles on messages from April 2025 general conference. It is recommended to listen to or read the full address in addition to reviewing these resources.

Read more conference study helps here

About this talk

Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Elder Rasband’s message here.

Outline

  • The Lord is hastening His work. “Hastening” suggests moving quickly, accelerating and even urgency.
  • In April 1834 in Kirtland, Ohio, in a little schoolhouse, a small group of priesthood holders met the Prophet Joseph, who said that one day the Church would fill the world. Today, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are seeing this prophecy fulfilled.
  • The Church is increasing in numbers and influence, but more importantly in the hearts and lives of its members, who are known as disciples of Jesus Christ. Members are encouraged to stand tall as His disciples, as eyewitnesses to the fulfillment of prophecy.
  • Naysayers are but footnotes in this noble work. The Church is building temples at an unprecedented rate, missionary work is gathering record numbers to the fold, and Church education is at a new high.
  • Before April 2025 conference, the Church had 367 temples in various stages of design, construction or operation. Members are hastening holiness as they live temple worthy, worship in the house of the Lord and make covenants with God for themselves and on behalf of their ancestors. (Note: President Russell M. Nelson announced 15 more temple locations at the end of the Sunday afternoon session, for a total of 382 temples.)
  • The Lord is hastening His work in missions. In 2024, 80,000 missionaries were serving in 450 missions. In the same year, missionary work brought over 308,000 members into the Church.
  • Before setting off as missionaries to the British Isles in 1839, Apostles Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball cheered, “Hurrah, hurrah for Israel.” Elder Rasband heard a similar cheer from missionaries in Lima, Peru.
  • The Lord is hastening educational opportunities for members and for others around the world. Currently, there are more than 800,000 students worldwide enrolled in seminary and institute.
  • Whatever is on a to-do list, give equal time, not spare time, to the Lord in personal scripture study, family study of “Come, Follow Me,” prayer, Church callings, ministering, partaking of the sacrament, worshipping in the temple and pondering the things of God.
  • There is positive spiritual momentum building at seminaries, institutes and Church universities. In these environments, the Lord is a priority.
  • Another area showing the growing reach of education in the Church is BYU–Pathway Worldwide. Around the world, enrollment has reached nearly 75,000. The PathwayConnect programs are about access to education.
  • In the midst of the good news of the gospel, there are those who struggle with faith challenges, doubts and questions. Jesus Christ is the answer. He understands. Faith in Christ can lift and heal the wounded soul.

Reflection questions

How is the Lord hastening His work? Why does it matter?

How is worshipping regularly in the temple “hastening our holiness”?

How can we have the “spirit of the gathering” in missionary work?

What blessings have you found as you “seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:118)?

How can looking to Jesus Christ help us with faith challenges, doubts and questions?

Speaker quotes

  • “We are grateful to be on earth when the Church is increasing in numbers and influence, but more importantly in the hearts and lives of its members. We are known as disciples of Jesus Christ. We share our testimonies of Him, His Church, His ways and His covenant path. We are His people, and He is our Savior.”
  • “Remember the words of Joseph Smith: ‘No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, … but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.’”
  • “I recognize that in the midst of the good news of the gospel, there are those who struggle, who have faith challenges, doubts and questions that seem to have no answers. Brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ is the answer.”

Reference scriptures

  • “And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.”
  • “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
  • “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.”

Invitations and promises

  • “I marvel at what President [Russell M.] Nelson calls the ‘majesty of this moment’ and express profound gratitude to the Lord for His work. I encourage us to stand tall as His disciples, eyewitnesses of the fulfillment of prophecy, both ancient and modern.”
  • “Whatever is on your to-do list, give equal time, not spare time, to the Lord in personal scripture study, family study of ‘Come, Follow Me,’ prayer, Church callings, ministering, partaking of the sacrament, worshipping in the temple and pondering the things of God.”
  • “Faith in Jesus Christ can lift you up and heal your wounded soul. Trust Him and you will hasten your return to ‘the arms of his love’ (2 Nephi 1:15).”

Stories

  • In April 1834 in Kirtland, Ohio, the Prophet Joseph Smith gathered priesthood holders into a little schoolhouse about 14 feet square. The Prophet said, “It is only a little handful of Priesthood you see here tonight, but this Church will fill North and South America — it will fill the world.” This prophecy is being fulfilled “right before our eyes.”
  • In 2024, Elder Rasband presided over the dedication of the Mendoza Argentina Temple. In his message, he referred to the 1926 prophecy by Elder Melvin J. Ballard that the work would grow slowly in South America, “just as an oak grows slowly from an acorn. It will not shoot up in a day,” but that in time thousands would join the Church and the nations of South America would become “a power in the Church.” Elder Rasband declared that this prophecy was being fulfilled before his eyes.
  • In 1839, Apostles Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball set off as missionaries to the British Isles, though ill and leaving their families sick and destitute. As the wagon pulled away, the two Apostles struggled to their feet and shouted, “Hurrah, hurrah for Israel.” Elder Rasband shared how he met with missionaries in Lima, Peru, and at the end of the meeting, the missionaries rose up and shouted, “Hurrah for Israel.”

From the footnotes

  • 7. The inscription “Holiness to the Lord” is on the exterior of every temple of the Church. Most also include the phrase “The House of the Lord.”
  • 13. President Gordon B. Hinckley stated: “I need not remind you that this cause in which we are engaged is not an ordinary cause. It is the cause of Christ. It is the kingdom of God our Eternal Father. It is the building of Zion on the earth.” (“An Ensign to the Nations,” October 1989 general conference.)

Additional resources

Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Recent conference talks on preparing for the Second Coming

Who is Elder Rasband?

  • Elder Ronald A. Rasband was sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Oct. 3, 2015. Between his call as a General Authority Seventy in 2000 and serving in the Presidency of the Seventy in 2005, he served in the Temple Department first as an assistant executive director and then as executive director in 2004 — a position no other living prophet or apostle has held.

Remember conference — President Camille N. Johnson: ‘Spiritually Whole in Him’

Download a PDF of talk summaries from April 2025 general conference

April 2025 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles waves as he exits with his wife, Sister Melanie Rasband, after the Saturday morning session of the 195th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, held at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 5, 2025.Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Melanie Rasband, exit after the morning session of the 195th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 6, 2025.]]><![CDATA[Remember conference — Elder Dale G. Renlund: ‘This Is My Gospel — This Is My Church’]]>https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/11/05/dale-renlund-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/11/05/dale-renlund-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/Tue, 05 Nov 2024 11:00:00 +0000Editor’s note: To support personal and family gospel learning, the Church News is publishing articles on messages from October 2024 general conference. It’s recommended to listen to or read the full address in addition to reviewing these Church resources.

Read more conference lesson aids here

About this talk

  • “This Is My Gospel — This Is My Church”
  • by Elder Dale G. Renlund | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
  • Saturday morning session of October 2024 general conference.
  • Theme: The combination of the gospel of Jesus Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers powerful and transformative benefits.
Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Elder Renlund’s message here.

Outline

  • Nitroglycerin was synthesized as a powerful explosive, but it was too unstable. However, when combined with diatomaceous earth, or kieselguhr, which is a porous rock that can be ground into fine powder, the nitroglycerin stabilized. The combination of nitroglycerin and kieselguhr formed into sticks became known as “dynamite.”
  • In a similar way, the combination of the gospel of Jesus Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers powerful and transformative benefits.
  • Consider the combination of the Savior’s gospel and His Church. Under direction of the Book of Mormon prophet Alma, the Church was responsible for preaching repentance and faith on the Lord and for administering the ordinance of baptism.
  • Though the people of Alma who flocked to the Waters of Mormon to hear him preach revered those waters, the Lord’s Church is not a location or a building. The Church is the instrument through which its members learn the central role of Jesus Christ in Heavenly Father’s plan and offers the authoritative way for individuals to participate in ordinances and make covenants with God.
  • Just as dynamite without nitroglycerin is unremarkable, the Church is special only if built upon the Savior’s gospel. And just as nitroglycerin has limited value as an explosive without the stabilizing effect of kieselguhr, humanity’s understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ is likewise unstable without the Lord’s Church.
  • The Church of Jesus Christ enables access to God’s power because it is authorized by Him to teach the doctrine of Christ and offer saving and exalting ordinances. The Savior — who yearns to forgive sins, provide access to His power and transform God’s children — has the power to do this.
  • The core of the gospel the Church teaches is that Jesus Christ bore “our griefs, and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4). The Savior wants nothing more than for individuals to repent and come unto Him so He can justify and sanctify them.
  • Access to God’s covenantal power and covenantal love is through His Church. The combination of the Savior’s gospel and His Church transforms lives as it did Elder Renlund’s maternal grandparents.
  • Oskar Andersson and his wife, Albertina, learned about the gospel through missionaries in Sweden. They were baptized, served faithfully on the island of Högmarsö then immigrated in 1949 to Salt Lake City to receive the blessings of the temple.
  • The Savior calls The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “my church” (Doctrine and Covenants 115:4) because He commissioned it to accomplish His purposes — preaching His gospel, offering His ordinances and covenants, and making it possible for His power to justify and sanctify. The combination of the Savior’s gospel and His Church can bring power in one’s life.

Discussion questions

What powerful and transformative benefits are provided by a combination of the gospel of Jesus Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

Why may the Waters of Mormon have been revered by the people of Alma?

Why is proper authority necessary to administer the ordinances of the gospel?

Without the Lord’s Church, why is humanity’s understanding of His gospel likely to be unstable?

How can we “commit [ourselves] more fully to the Savior, His gospel and His Church” within the next month?

Notable quotes

  • “The combination of the gospel of Jesus Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides powerful and transformative benefits for us.”
  • “Though [the people of Alma] revered [the Waters of Mormon] and the surrounding forests, the Lord’s Church was not a location or a building, nor is it today. The Church is simply ordinary people, disciples of Jesus Christ, gathered and organized into a divinely appointed structure that helps the Lord accomplish His purposes.”
  • “The Savior refers to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as ‘my church’ (Doctrine and Covenants 115:4) because He commissioned it to accomplish His purposes — preaching His gospel, offering His ordinances and covenants, and making it possible for His power to justify and sanctify us.”

Key scriptures

  • “Yea, even [Alma] commanded them that they should preach nothing save it were repentance and faith on the Lord, who had redeemed his people.”
  • “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows ...; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
  • “For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

Invitations and promises

  • “The people who were baptized took on themselves the name of Jesus Christ, joined His Church and were promised great power through an outpouring of the Spirit.”
  • “The Church offers the authoritative way for individuals to participate in ordinances and make lasting covenants with God. Keeping those covenants draws us closer to God, gives us access to His power, and transforms us into who He intends us to become.”
  • “I invite you to commit yourself more fully to the Savior, His gospel and His Church. As you do so, you will find that the combination of the Savior’s gospel and His Church brings power into your life. This power is far greater than dynamite.”

Stories

  • In 1846, Italian chemist Ascanio Sobrero synthesized a new explosive, nitroglycerin, which was powerful but unstable. Then in 1860, Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel experimented with absorbing nitroglycerin into diatomaceous earth, called kieselguhr. The resultant paste could be formed into sticks, and dynamite was invented.
  • At the Waters of Mormon, the Book of Mormon prophet Alma taught the people about the Savior’s gospel and established the Church, which was responsible for preaching “nothing save it were repentance and faith on the Lord, who [would redeem] his people” (Mosiah 18:20).
  • The combination of the Savior’s gospel and His Church transformed the lives of Elder Renlund’s maternal grandparents. His grandfather Oskar Andersson worked at a shipyard in Sweden. He met two American missionaries preaching the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. He; his wife, Albertina; and their family were baptized and served faithfully, despite hardships. Oskar was called as branch president. Albertina was known for her testimony and burning missionary zeal.

Notable footnotes

  • 5. The gospel of Jesus Christ is synonymous with the doctrine of Christ.
  • 21. We can access God’s power by exercising faith in Jesus Christ, repenting of our sins, and keeping the covenants we make with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in ordinances such as baptism, the endowment and the sacrament.
  • 35. If you receive what the Lord’s Church offers, you can be perfected in Christ before His Church is perfected, if it ever is. His goal is to perfect you, not His Church. His goal has never been to, metaphorically, turn kieselguhr into diamond; His goal has been to refine you into pure gold, to save and exalt you as a co-inheritor with Him in the kingdom of our Heavenly Father. But that needs to become your goal, too. It is your choice.

Additional resources

Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Recent talks on the Church of Jesus Christ

Who is Elder Renlund?

Relief Society/elders quorum lesson aid — Elder Karl D. Hirst: ‘God’s Favorite’

Download a PDF of talk summaries from October 2024 general conference

October 2024 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his wife, Sister Ruth Renlund, exit after the Sunday morning session of the 194th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024.Elder Dale G. Renlund and Elder Gerrit W. Gong, each of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, talk prior to the afternoon session of the 194th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday Oct. 5, 2024.Elder Dale G. Renlund and Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Quorum of the Twelve Apostles talk in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City prior to the 194th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.]]><![CDATA[Relief Society/elders quorum lesson aid — Elder I. Raymond Egbo: ‘Focus on Jesus Christ and His Gospel’]]>https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/12/07/raymond-egbo-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/12/07/raymond-egbo-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/Sat, 07 Dec 2024 11:00:00 +0000Editor’s note: To support elders quorum and Relief Society classes, the Church News is publishing lesson resources on messages from October 2024 general conference. These are meant to be a starting point and not a lesson plan.

Read more conference lesson aids here

About this talk

Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Elder Egbo’s message here.

Outline

  • In 1996, the Nigerian men’s soccer team won gold at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. Before the Games, this team faced numerous challenges. Without financial support, they competed without training venues, food and laundry services. With hard work and dogged determination, they ignored distractions and focused on winning. Nigerians christened them the “Dream Team.”
  • When Latter-day Saints ignore the distractions of the world and focus on Christ and His gospel, they are guaranteed success and can feel great joy. President Russell M. Nelson taught, “When the focus of our lives is on ... Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening — or not happening — in our lives.”
  • Several accounts in the Book of Mormon describe individuals who turned their lives around by focusing on Christ and His gospel. Alma the Younger rebelled and fought against the Church. His father, Alma, prayed and fasted. An angel appeared, calling Alma the Younger to repentance. Mercy and joy came to Alma because he and his father focused on the Savior.
  • Parents with children who have strayed, take heart. Instead of wondering why an angel does not come, know the Lord has placed a mortal angel in his or her path: the bishop, a Church leader or a ministering brother or sister. Keep fasting and praying; do not set a timetable or a deadline for God and trust that He is stretching forth His hand to help. Sooner or later, parents will find God touching the hearts of their children when they choose to listen. Christ is joy — Christ is hope.
  • For Alma, joy in Christ began when he exercised faith in Him and cried for mercy. Then Alma exercised his faith by laboring to help others taste the same joy.
  • Another group in the Book of Mormon who made Christ and His gospel the focus of their lives were those who founded the city Helam. This righteous people were enslaved and stripped of the right to exercise religion. This people endured their trials and suffering by focusing on Christ and His gospel. These Saints let their troubles and trials be swallowed up in the joy of Christ.
  • As people focus on Christ and follow His prophet, they, too, will be led to Christ and the joy of His gospel. Elder Egbo related how his mother recently passed away. He and his family experienced both sorrow and joy. Because of Him, she is not dead — she lives.
  • Christ lovingly invites, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Discussion questions

How can we ignore the distractions of the world and focus on Christ and His gospel?

When have the Savior and His gospel helped you feel joy regardless of what was happening or not happening in your life?

How can we “take heart” in the account of Alma the Younger when those we love stray from the gospel?

How can sharing the gospel help us find the “exceedingly great joy” Alma felt?

How could we be a ministering angel to someone in need of Jesus Christ and His gospel?

Notable quotes

  • “When we ignore the distractions of the world and focus on Christ and His gospel, we are guaranteed success beyond what we can fully imagine and can feel great joy.”
  • “How did [the people of Alma] endure through their trials and suffering? By focusing on Christ and His gospel. Their troubles did not define them; rather, each of them turned to God, likely defining themselves as a child of God, a child of the covenant and a disciple of Jesus Christ. As they remembered who they were and called upon God, they received peace, strength and ultimately joy in Christ.”
  • “I am learning that to ‘think celestial’ and ‘let God prevail’ includes focusing on the joy available in Christ.”

Key scriptures

  • “From that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, [to] bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste. ... And ... the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors. ... And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind.”
  • “The Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith. Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day.”
  • “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Invitations and promises

  • “For parents with children who have strayed, take heart. Instead of wondering why an angel does not come to help your child repent, know that the Lord has placed a mortal angel in his or her path: the bishop, another Church leader or a ministering brother or sister.”
  • “If you keep fasting and praying, if you do not set a timetable or a deadline for God, and if you trust that He is stretching forth His hand to help, then — sooner or later — you find God touching the heart of your child when your child chooses to listen. This is so because Christ is joy — Christ is hope; He is the promise ‘of good things to come’ (Hebrews 9:11). So trust Jesus Christ with your child, for He is the strength of every parent and every child.”
  • “As we focus on Christ and follow His prophet, we too will be led to Christ and the joy of His gospel.”

Stories

  • In 1996, the Nigerian men’s soccer team won gold at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. Jubilant crowds poured onto the streets in every city and town in Nigeria. There was infectious joy, happiness and excitement. Before the Olympics, the team had faced numerous challenges, including losing their financial support. At one point, they were minutes away from elimination but triumphed. This pivotal moment changed how they saw themselves. With newfound confidence, hard work and dogged determination, they unitedly ignored distractions and focused on winning. Once the team learned to ignore the distractions facing them and focused on their goal, they succeeded beyond what they thought possible and experienced joy.
  • Alma the Younger rebelled and fought against the Church. Alma the Elder, his father, prayed and fasted. An angel called Alma the Younger to repentance. He suffered the “pains of a damned soul” (Alma 36:16). Alma remembered his father teaching that Christ would atone for the sins of the world. He pleaded with God for mercy. Joy was the result. Once he experienced joy in Christ, Alma lived with that joy through difficulty and trials. Alma exercised faith in Christ by laboring to help others taste the same joy.
  • Those who founded the city of Helam in the Book of Mormon made Jesus Christ and His gospel the focus of their lives and found joy. These righteous people were enslaved by a marauding group and stripped of their right to exercise religion. Sometimes bad things happen to good people, but they endured through their trials and suffering by focusing on Christ and His gospel. These believers let their troubles, suffering and trials be swallowed up in the joy of Christ. In due time, He showed Alma, a prophet of God, the way for escape.

Additional resources

Elder I. Raymond Egbo, General Authority Seventy.

Recent conference talks on joy in Christ

Who is Elder Egbo?

  • Elder I. Raymond Egbo was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 6, 2024. Formerly with Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, Elder Egbo was an institute director, coordinator, country director and area director.

Relief Society/elders quorum lesson aid — Elder Rubén V. Alliaud: ‘Sons and Daughters of God’

Download a PDF of talk summaries from October 2024 general conference

October 2024 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

]]><![CDATA[Relief Society/elders quorum lesson aid — Elder Rubén V. Alliaud: ‘Sons and Daughters of God’]]>https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/12/06/ruben-alliaud-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/12/06/ruben-alliaud-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/Fri, 06 Dec 2024 11:00:00 +0000Editor’s note: To support elders quorum and Relief Society classes, the Church News is publishing lesson resources on messages from October 2024 general conference. These are meant to be a starting point and not a lesson plan.

Read more conference lesson aids here

About this talk

Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Elder Alliaud’s message here.

Outline

  • Addressing one of the most joyful, glorious and powerful gospel truths that God has revealed, Elder Alliaud related how he once attended a religious conference where baptisms for almost all Christian churches were declared valid — except one. The baptism not valid was that performed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because of beliefs concerning the Godhead.
  • Latter-day Saints believe that God the Father “is an exalted man” with a glorified “body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s [and] the Son also” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22). Thus, every time Church members talk about the nature of God, they are in some way also talking about their own nature.
  • The words of the Psalmist, “Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High” (Psalm 82:6), is a precious doctrine recovered with the advent of the Restoration. In summary, this is what missionaries teach in the first lesson, first paragraph, first line: “God is our Heavenly Father, and we are His children.” This teaching is not metaphorical. Latter-day Saints believe all are literally the children of God.
  • It’s been over 200 years since the First Vision opened the doors of the Restoration. Through the revelation Joseph Smith received that day and in later revelations, he obtained knowledge about the nature of God and mankind’s relationship to Him as His children.
  • Heavenly Father has taught this doctrine from the beginning. God’s interactions with Moses in the Pearl of Great Price teach that God was determined to teach Moses at least one lesson: “You are my child.” When left alone, Satan came tempting him to believe he was only a “son of man,” rather than a child of God. Fortunately, Moses was not confused.
  • Scholars have entitled the account found in Matthew 4 as the “three temptations of Jesus.” In all three instances, Satan’s ultimate temptation may have had less to do with the three provocations and more to do with tempting Jesus Christ to question His divine nature. Every time the children of God are taught about their divine nature and destiny, the adversary tempts them to question this.
  • Latter-day Saints live in a challenging world, where honorable people strive to emphasize human dignity, while members belong to a church and embrace a gospel that lifts their vision and invites them into the divine.
  • Jesus’ commandment to be “perfect, even as [our] Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48) is a clear reflection of high expectations and eternal possibilities. But it will not happen overnight. The promise is that if one comes “unto Christ,” one will “be perfected in him” (Moroni 10:32). The good news is that Father in Heaven has said, “For behold, this is my work and my glory — to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).
  • President Russell M. Nelson’s invitation to “think celestial” implies a reminder of divine nature, origin and potential destination. One can obtain the celestial only through Christ’s atoning sacrifice. While Jesus hung on the cross, those who reviled him said, “If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross” (Matthew 27:39-40). Glory be to God that He did not hearken but instead provided a way for celestial blessings.

Discussion questions

How did the First Vision reveal the true nature of God and our relationship to Him?

When we talk about the nature of God, how are we also in a way talking about our own nature?

How did Moses and the Savior respond when Satan tempted them to deny their divine identity?

How can we respond when the world tempts us to forget who we are as children of God?

How can thinking celestial help us remember our divine identity?

Notable quotes

  • “We believe that God the Father ‘is an exalted man’ with a glorified ‘body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; [and] the Son also’ (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22). Thus, every time we talk about the nature of God, in some way, somehow, we are also talking about our own nature.”
  • “It has now been over 200 years since the First Vision opened the doors to the Restoration. At the time, young Joseph Smith sought guidance from heaven to know what church to join. Through the revelation he received that day, and in later revelations given to him, the Prophet Joseph obtained knowledge about the nature of God and our relationship to Him as His children.”
  • “How different our decisions would be if we really knew who we really are.”

Key scriptures

  • “Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.”
  • “For behold, this is my work and my glory — to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”
  • “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”

Invitations and promises

  • “We live in a challenging world, a world of increasing commotion, where honorable people strive to at least emphasize our human dignity, while we belong to a church and embrace a gospel that lift our vision and invite us into the divine.”
  • “Jesus’ commandment to be ‘perfect, even as [our] Father which is in heaven is perfect’ (Matthew 5:48) is a clear reflection of His high expectations and our eternal possibilities. Now, none of this will happen overnight. In the words of President Jeffrey R. Holland, it will happen ‘eventually.’ But the promise is that if we ‘come unto Christ,’ we will ‘be perfected in him’ (Moroni 10:32). That requires a lot of work — not just any work, but a divine work. His work.”
  • “President Russell M. Nelson’s invitation to ‘think celestial’ implies a wonderful reminder of our divine nature, origin and potential destination. We can obtain the celestial only through Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice.”

Stories

  • As a representative of the Church, Elder Alliaud once attended a religious conference where it was announced they would not recognize baptisms performed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as valid. After the conference, Elder Alliaud delved deeper into the reasons for this exception with the leader in charge of the announcement. In a wonderful and insightful conversation, the leader explained that the exception had primarily to do with the Church of Jesus Christ’s beliefs about the Godhead, which other denominations often refer to as the Trinity. At the end of the conversation, the two hugged and said goodbye. This “mystery of the Trinity” stayed on Elder Alliaud’s mind. The leader of that conference was referring to the Church of Jesus Christ’s understanding of the nature of God.
  • As recorded in Moses 1 of the Pearl of Great Price, “God spake unto Moses, saying: Behold, I am the Lord God Almighty, and Endless is my name.” In other words, “Moses, I want you to know who I am.” Then He added, “And, behold, thou art my son.” Later he said, “And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten.” And finally, He ended with, “And now, behold, this one thing I show unto thee, Moses, my son” (Moses 1:3-7). It appears that God was determined to teach Moses at least one lesson: “You are my child.” After Moses was left alone, Satan came tempting him, saying, “Moses, son of man, worship me” (Moses 1:12). A temptation for Moses in that moment was to become confused and believe that he was only a “son of man,” rather than a child of God. Fortunately, Moses was not confused and did not allow himself to become distracted. He had learned the lesson of who he really was.
  • Scholars have entitled Matthew 4 “the three temptations of Jesus,” as if the Lord were tempted only three times. The chapter begins with Jesus going into the desert to fast 40 days and 40 nights. “He was afterward an hungred.” Satan’s first temptation had to do with satisfying the Lord’s physical needs. “Command that these stones be made bread.” A second enticement had to do with tempting God: “Cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee.” Finally, Satan’s third temptation referred to the glory of the world. After Jesus had been shown “all the kingdoms of the world, ... [Satan] saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me” (Matthew 4:1-9). Satan’s ultimate temptation may have had less to do with those three provocations and more to do with tempting Christ to question His divine nature. At least twice, the enticement was preceded by the challenging accusation, “If thou be the Son of God” — if you really believe it, then do this or that.

Additional resources

Elder Rubén V. Alliaud, General Authority Seventy.

Recent conference talks on divine identity

Who is Elder Alliaud?

Elder Rubén V. Alliaud was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 6, 2019. As a young convert in Argentina, he held several demanding callings in his branch and learned his desire to serve qualified him for the work.

Relief Society/elders quorum lesson aid — Elder Quentin L. Cook: ‘Sacred Scriptures — The Foundations of Faith’

Download a PDF of talk summaries from October 2024 general conference

October 2024 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

]]><![CDATA[Relief Society/elders quorum lesson aid — Elder Takashi Wada: ‘The Words of Christ and the Holy Ghost Will Lead Us to the Truth’]]>https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/12/03/takashi-wada-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/12/03/takashi-wada-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/Tue, 03 Dec 2024 18:04:17 +0000Editor’s note: To support elders quorum and Relief Society classes, the Church News is publishing lesson resources on messages from October 2024 general conference. These are meant to be a starting point and not a lesson plan.

Read more conference lesson aids here

About this talk

  • “The Words of Christ and the Holy Ghost Will Lead Us to the Truth”
  • by Elder Takashi Wada | General Authority Seventy
  • Sunday afternoon session of October 2024 general conference.
  • Theme: Feasting on the words of Christ and seeking the guidance of the Holy Ghost show what one must do.
Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Elder Wada’s message here.

Outline

  • God is Father in Heaven to His spirit children, who are created in His image. As a child of God, each has divine potential to become like Him. Loving His spirit children and wanting the best for them, He prepared a plan for them to receive His greatest blessings — immortality and eternal life.
  • According to that plan, spirit children would have agency, leave God’s presence, gain bodies of flesh and bones, gain their own experience and develop faith. As natural men, they would succumb to temptation, becoming unclean and distant from God. He sent His firstborn Son, Jesus Christ, to be their Savior, making it possible for redemption, resurrection and eternal life.
  • Expressing gratitude for these glorious truths, Elder Wada said he wanted to share how the words of Christ and the Holy Ghost helped him find these important peace-giving truths in his teenage years.

The words of Christ will tell you all things what you should do

  • Elder Wada was born in Nagano, Japan, of “goodly parents,” with a religious father who prayed every morning and night in front of the Shinto and Buddhist altars. The young man believed in an unseen power or a God, but life without a plan of salvation was confusing.
  • Through a New Testament in English given out in school, Elder Wada learned about Jesus Christ. He found that the words of Christ comforted him, lifted his soul and gave him hope. He wanted to learn more about Jesus Christ.

The Holy Ghost will show you all things what you should do

  • Years later, Elder Wada met Latter-day Saint missionaries. He came to see in the restored gospel what he yearned for when he had studied the New Testament — the words of Jesus Christ and the hope and peace that come from them.
  • Struggling to understand the Holy Ghost, he one day stepped out to take a break while meeting with the missionaries and heard them pray for him. He wondered why they cared so much for him. He realized their prayer in his behalf was a reflection of Heavenly Father and the Savior’s love.
  • Elder Wada’s decision to follow the Savior by being baptized and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost blessed his life more than he ever imagined. Those who enter into the baptismal covenant promise they are willing to take upon themselves the name of Jesus Christ, keep the commandments and serve God. In turn, Heavenly Father promises His Spirit — the continued guidance from the Holy Ghost.
  • Knowing Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation helps His children know who they are and that they can become like Him.

Discussion questions

How does the plan of salvation help us reach our divine potential?

Why is it necessary to have agency to build faith in Jesus Christ?

How have the words of Christ and the Holy Ghost brought peace into your life?

How can we receive the continued guidance of the Holy Ghost?

In the days to come, how can we “feast upon the words of Christ” (2 Nephi 32:3)?

Notable quotes

  • “I am extremely grateful for these glorious truths — what we call the Father’s plan of salvation, His plan of mercy or His great plan of happiness. Learning these important truths has helped me know my true identity and the great blessings of exaltation and eternal life God has prepared for us.”
  • “Praying to Heavenly Father helped me know who He is and my relationship with Him — that I was His beloved spirit son. I learned that because Heavenly Father knows and loves me, He would speak to me personally, uniquely and in ways I would understand through the Holy Ghost.”
  • “Knowing this incredible plan will help us know we are children of God and we can become like Him. I am grateful for this important truth.”

Key scriptures

  • “Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.”
  • “For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.”
  • “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Invitations and promises

  • “As we enter into the baptismal covenant with God, we promise that we are willing to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, keep the commandments of God and serve Him for the remainder of our lives. Our Heavenly Father, in turn, promises us that we can always have His Spirit to be with us — the continued guidance from the Holy Ghost.”
  • “I invite you to have faith in the message Nephi taught us — that the words of Christ and the Holy Ghost will direct you to ‘all things what [you] should do’ (2 Nephi 32:3). Everything. This is an incredible gift from God.”
  • “I bear you my witness that the words of Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost will lead us to receive eternal life.”

Stories

  • Born of “goodly parents,” like Nephi (1 Nephi 1:1), Elder Wada grew up in Nagano, Japan, in a home where honesty, diligence and humility were strongly encouraged. His father was a religious man, praying every morning and night in front of the Shinto and Buddhist altars. The young Elder Wada had no idea to whom his father was praying or what he was praying for, but the boy believed in an unseen power or a God who would help if one sincerely asked.
  • Like other teenagers, Elder Wada experienced hardships, felt lost and didn’t have a sense of direction. Life without knowing the plan of salvation was confusing. While learning English in junior high school, he was given a copy of the New Testament. He was drawn to a list of statements and questions of the soul included just before the biblical text in this Gideon Bible. Each item on the list was followed by a reference to verses and pages in the New Testament. Elder Wada realized the words of Jesus Christ comforted him, lifted his soul and gave him hope. He felt that Jesus Christ was someone he knew. He hoped to learn more about Him in the future.
  • As a teenager, Elder Wada met missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He came to see in the restored gospel what he had yearned for when studying the New Testament — the words of Jesus Christ and the hope and peace that come from them. A sacred experience was when the missionaries taught him to pray. He learned that because Heavenly Father knows and loves him, He would speak to him personally and uniquely through the Holy Ghost. But he misunderstood how to recognize the Holy Ghost. One day while the missionaries were teaching him, he took a break and then heard the missionaries praying for him. He realized their prayer in his behalf was a reflection of Heavenly Father and the Savior’s love for him. That love gave him hope, and he was able to pray and feel a joyful and peaceful feeling that he was, indeed, a child of God with divine potential and destiny.

Additional resources

Elder Takashi Wada, General Authority Seventy.

Recent conference talks on revelation

Who is Elder Wada?

  • Elder Takashi Wada was sustained on March 31, 2018, as a General Authority Seventy. He formerly served as director for temporal affairs for the Church in the North America West, North America Northwest and Asia North areas. From 2013 to 2016, he was president of the Japan Tokyo South Mission.

Relief Society/elders quorum lesson aid — Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf: ‘Nourish the Roots, and the Branches Will Grow’

Download a PDF of talk summaries from October 2024 general conference

October 2024 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

]]><![CDATA[Relief Society/elders quorum lesson aid — President Henry B. Eyring: ‘Simple Is the Doctrine of Jesus Christ’]]>https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/12/01/henry-eyring-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/12/01/henry-eyring-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/Sun, 01 Dec 2024 11:00:00 +0000Editor’s note: To support elders quorum and Relief Society classes, the Church News is publishing lesson resources on messages from October 2024 general conference. These are meant to be a starting point and not a lesson plan.

Read more conference lesson aids here

About this talk

Read the full message here.
Read a summary of President Eyring’s message here.

Outline

  • All have beloved family members who are tempted and tried by the constant forces of Satan. For many, there are sleepless nights, even when they try to surround the people at risk with every force for good, plead in prayer for them, love them and set a good example.
  • Alma, a wise prophet from ancient times, faced similar trials. He pleaded for God’s help and tried “the virtue of the word of God” (Alma 31:5). The word of God is the doctrine taught by Jesus Christ and His prophets.
  • The Lord revealed the foundation of His doctrine in the 18th section of the Doctrine and Covenants. In that section, the Savior gives the perfect example of how to teach His doctrine, which is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end.
  • The Holy Ghost will reveal the spirit of truth only as one is careful not to go beyond teaching true doctrine. One more easily avoids false doctrine when being simple in teaching. Teaching simply allows the sharing of saving doctrine early, while children remain untouched by the deceiver’s temptations and the noise of social media, peers and their own personal struggles.
  • President Eyring’s great-grandmother Mary Bommeli was devoted to sharing the doctrine of Christ after being taught by missionaries in Switzerland when she was 24. After she was baptized, she desired to join the Saints in America. She first made her way from Switzerland to Berlin, where sharing the restored gospel of Jesus Christ got her both cast into and cast out of jail.
  • As members do their best to teach those they love, some may not respond. Doubts may creep in that one does not know the Savior’s doctrine well enough to teach effectively. Those who have already made attempts to teach may wonder why positive effects aren’t more visible. Don’t give in to these doubts. Turn to God for help.
  • If one prays, talks to God, pleads for His help for a loved one and thanks Him not only for help but for the patience and gentleness that come from not receiving all one desires, there one draws closer to Him.
  • Find hope in the scriptural record of families. Latter-day Saints can read of those who turned away and who wrestled with God for forgiveness, such as Alma the Younger, Enos and the sons of Mosiah. In moments of crisis, they remembered the words of their parents, words of the doctrine of Jesus Christ. One’s teaching of that sacred doctrine will be remembered.
  • Teach Heavenly Father’s children the simple doctrine of Jesus Christ, which allows them to be spiritually cleansed and ultimately be welcomed into God’s presence.

Discussion questions

When have you found success teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to a child or other loved one? What made it impactful?

What does it mean to try “the virtue of the word of God” (Alma 31:5)?

What power do you find in the simplicity of the doctrine of Christ (Doctrine and Covenants 18:21-22)?

How can we find time to teach our children or other loved ones the doctrine of Christ?

How does teaching the gospel simply protect us from false doctrine?

Notable quotes

  • “Teaching simply allows us to share the saving doctrine early on, while children remain untouched by the deceiver’s temptations that will later confront them, long before the truths they need to learn are drowned out by the noise of social media, peers and their own personal struggles.”
  • “The Holy Ghost will reveal the spirit of truth only as we are cautious and careful not to go beyond teaching true doctrine. One of the surest ways to avoid even getting near false doctrine is to choose to be simple in our teaching. Safety is gained by that simplicity, and little is lost.”
  • “Some of you may wonder whether it might be better to draw your children closer to you through having fun, or you may ask whether the child may start to feel overwhelmed by your teachings. Instead, we should consider, ‘With so little time and so few opportunities, what words of doctrine can I share that will strengthen them against the inevitable challenges to their faith?’ The words you share today could be the ones they carry with them, and today will soon pass.”

Key scriptures

  • “And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.”
  • “Take upon you the name of Christ, and speak the truth in soberness. And as many as repent and are baptized in my name, which is Jesus Christ, and endure to the end, the same shall be saved.”
  • “And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.”

Invitations and promises

  • “We should seize every opportunity to share the teachings of Jesus Christ with children. These teaching moments are precious and far fewer compared to the relentless efforts of opposing forces. For every hour spent instilling doctrine into a child’s life, there are countless hours of opposition filled with messages and images that challenge or ignore those saving truths.”
  • “As we do our best to teach those we love about the doctrine of Jesus Christ, some may still not respond. Doubts may creep into your mind. You might question whether you know the Savior’s doctrine well enough to teach it effectively. And if you’ve already made attempts to teach it, you may wonder why the positive effects aren’t more visible. Don’t give in to those doubts. Turn to God for help.”
  • “If you pray, if you talk to God, and if you plead for His help for your loved one, and if you thank Him not only for help but for the patience and gentleness that come from not receiving all you desire right away or perhaps ever, then I promise you that you will draw closer to Him. You will become diligent and long-suffering. And then you can know that you have done all that you can to help those you love and those you pray for navigate through Satan’s attempt to derail them.”

Stories

  • Alma, a wise prophet from the Book of Mormon, had loved ones tried by the seemingly constant forces of Satan, similar to today. People he led and loved were under attack by a ferocious enemy yet were trying to rear righteous children in a world of wickedness. He pleaded for help. Alma knew that for God to help, repentance was required, so he opted for a different approach to battle. Alma thought it expedient to “try the virtue of the word of God” (Alma 31:5).
  • President Eyring admires his great-grandmother Mary Bommeli’s devotion to sharing the doctrine of Jesus Christ. Her family was taught by missionaries in Switzerland when she was 24. After baptism, Mary wanted to join the Saints in America and made her way to Berlin, where she was employed to weave cloth for a family’s clothing. She set up her loom in the home’s living area. At the time, teaching the doctrine of the Church was illegal in Berlin, but the woman of the house and her friends would gather around the loom to hear Mary teach. She was soon arrested, but she asked to write a letter to the judge in her case. In her letter, she suggested the judge would need time to reflect on his life before he faced final judgment. All charges were soon dismissed.

Additional resources

President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency.

Recent conference talks on the doctrine of Jesus Christ

Who is President Eyring?

  • President Henry B. Eyring was sustained as second counselor in the First Presidency on March 31, 2018. President Eyring, ordained an Apostle in 1995, formerly served as president of Ricks College, as deputy commissioner of Church Education and as a member of the Presiding Bishopric and a General Authority Seventy.

Relief Society/elders quorum lesson aid — Brother Bradley R. Wilcox: ‘O Youth of the Noble Birthright’

Download a PDF of talk summaries from October 2024 general conference

October 2024 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

President Russell M. Nelson sits with his counselors, President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, and President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, at the beginning of the Sunday afternoon session of the 194th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024.President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, waves as he exits after the Sunday morning session of the 194th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024.President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, and President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, walk toward their seats before the Sunday morning session of the 194th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024.President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, waves to conferencegoers during the Saturday evening session of the 194th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.President Russell M. Nelson waves to the crowd as he joins his counselors — President Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B. Eyring — at the Saturday afternoon session of the 194th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, exits after the Saturday morning session of the 194th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.]]><![CDATA[Relief Society/elders quorum lesson aid — Elder Gary E. Stevenson: ‘Days Never To Be Forgotten’]]>https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/11/26/gary-stevenson-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/11/26/gary-stevenson-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/Tue, 26 Nov 2024 11:00:00 +0000Editor’s note: To support elders quorum and Relief Society classes, the Church News is publishing lesson resources on messages from October 2024 general conference. These are meant to be a starting point and not a lesson plan.

Read more conference lesson aids here

About this talk

Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Elder Stevenson’s message here.

Outline

Introduction

  • The history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in this dispensation is resplendent with divine experiences showing how the Lord has guided His Church. But the decade from 1820 to 1830 stands strikingly supreme — beginning with the First Vision and culminating in the organization of the Church. Oliver Cowdery described that era well: “These were days never to be forgotten.”
  • In 2024, members commenced a decade that may prove as momentous as any that followed that unparalleled founding decade nearly two centuries ago.

Our decade

  • Between 2024 and 2034, there will be seminal events with extraordinary opportunities to introduce the Church. Members celebrated with tens of millions the 100th birthday of President Russell M. Nelson. And in spring 2024, a refurbished plaza on Temple Square featuring a display of international flags was unveiled. In addition, there is the potential for open houses and dedications for 164 temples and counting, with tens of millions walking through a house of the Lord. A symbolic center of these events will be the rededication of the Salt Lake Temple.
  • Future events will include the 2030 bicentennial of the organization of the Church. And in 2034, thousands of dignitaries, visitors and athletes will flood Salt Lake City for the Winter Olympic Games. These moments will provide members the opportunity to share the glad tidings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Glad tidings

  • The phrase “glad tidings” comes from the original Greek word “euangelion,” which means “good news.” Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness enables joy; the Atonement of Jesus Christ is central to that plan.
  • The message of glad tidings of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the most important message on earth.

For the strength of youth

  • While this decade may be filled with days “never to be forgotten” by every Church member, this can be especially true for the rising generation. And it will be doubly so if they actively strive to become a light unto the world.
  • Prophets of God have taught this is done through four simple activities: first, living the gospel of Jesus Christ; second, caring for those in need; third, inviting all to receive the gospel; and fourth, uniting families for eternity.

Divinely appointed responsibilities

  • Latter-day Saints will have a decade never to be forgotten if they embrace these four divinely appointed responsibilities. First, live the gospel of Jesus Christ. Study the words of prophets, learn to love Father in Heaven, walk in the confidence that comes from making covenants to follow Jesus Christ. Second, reach out in compassion to care for those in need. The younger generation is unusually mindful of the less fortunate.
  • Third, invite all to receive the gospel. In 2024, 36 new missions were opened worldwide to accommodate all who desire to serve full time. This is remarkable in an era when many youth are opting out of formal religious activity and speaks to the magnificent nature of their testimonies. Realize the immense capacity to influence peers whether serving full time or not. Fourth, unite families for eternity. Become engaged in family history, spend time in the temple and prepare to be the kind of man or woman ready to marry in the temple.

Conclusion

  • There will be difficulties in the days ahead. However, as Saints enter this coming decade, may they share glad tidings through living, caring, inviting and uniting.

Discussion questions

Why was the decade between the First Vision and the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ “days never to be forgotten”?

How might the years 2024 to 2034 also be “days never to be forgotten”?

How is Isaiah 2:2 being fulfilled today?

How can we take advantage of increased opportunities to share the glad tidings of the gospel of Jesus Christ when the eyes of the world are upon us?

How might we fulfill divinely appointed responsibilities to live the gospel of Jesus Christ, care for the needy, invite all to receive the gospel and unite families for eternity?

Notable quotes

  • “Consider these remarkable events. The young Prophet conversed with the angel Moroni, translated the gold plates and published the Book of Mormon. He was the instrument through whom the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods were restored, and then he organized the Church. Oliver Cowdery described that era well: ‘These were days never to be forgotten.’ Miraculous events have continued to this very day.”
  • “In a meeting just weeks before his birthday, President [Russell M.] Nelson shared the reason he cherishes the phrase ‘glad tidings.’ On the face of it, he noted, the phrase rings of joy and happiness. But ‘glad tidings’ conveys much more than that. He explained that this phrase comes from the original Greek word ‘euangelion,’ which literally means the ‘good news’ or the ‘gospel.’ Happiness and joy in this life and the next are always linked with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thus the phrase ‘glad tidings’ captures this double meaning in a wonderful way.”
  • “Now, while this upcoming decade may be filled with days ‘never to be forgotten’ for every member of the Church, this especially can be true for you of the rising generation. You are here on earth now because you were selected to be here now. You have the strength and capacity to be disciples of Christ in an unprecedented way.”

Key scriptures

  • “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.”
  • “And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.”
  • “And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon ..., and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life.”

Invitations and promises

  • “This will be a decade never to be forgotten. But it will be doubly so if you actively strive to become a light unto the world of how the glad tidings of the gospel of Jesus Christ can enrich and enhance not only your lives but also those of your family, friends and social media followers.”
  • “Prophets of God have taught us ... four simple activities, referred to as divinely appointed responsibilities: first, living the gospel of Jesus Christ; second, caring for those in need; third, inviting all to receive the gospel; and fourth, uniting families for eternity. Remarkably, each can be done in the most normal and natural ways.”
  • “I testify that those who approach the Lord with a sincere heart and real intent, those who have the name of the Savior upon their lips and the Holy Spirit in their souls, those who embark upon this grand and glorious pilgrimage will discover and experience bounteous celestial blessings and receive a witness that God hears you, knows you and loves you.”

Stories

  • Whenever disaster strikes and Latter-day Saints rush to help clear away debris and comfort the afflicted, it seems the majority of the Church’s emergency response volunteers are teenagers and twentysomethings.
  • A young Primary-age boy, Evan, decided to spend his summer vacation gathering supplies for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to donate to a local food bank. He found the project on the JustServe website. Evan enlisted his entire school class to help collect over 700 jars of jelly.
  • Recently, some 600 youth from Scotland and Ireland traveled to the Preston England Temple, performing more than 4,000 ordinances, many of which were for their personal deceased ancestors.

Additional resources

Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Recent conference talks on this dispensation

Who is Elder Stevenson?

  • Elder Gary E. Stevenson was sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Oct. 3, 2015. He had been serving as the presiding bishop since 2012, and he was formerly a General Authority Seventy and president of the Church’s Asia North Area.

Relief Society/elders quorum lesson aid — Bishop L. Todd Budge: ‘Seek Him With All Your Heart’

Download a PDF of talk summaries from October 2024 general conference

October 2024 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Lesa Stevenson, exit after the Saturday morning session of the 194th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Lesa Stevenson, exit after the Sunday morning session of the 194th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024.]]><![CDATA[Relief Society/elders quorum lesson aid — Sister Tracy Y. Browning: ‘Seeking Answers to Spiritual Questions’]]>https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/11/23/tracy-browning-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/11/23/tracy-browning-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/Sat, 23 Nov 2024 11:00:00 +0000Editor’s note: To support elders quorum and Relief Society classes, the Church News is publishing lesson resources on messages from October 2024 general conference. These are meant to be a starting point and not a lesson plan.

Read more conference lesson aids here

About this talk

  • “Seeking Answers to Spiritual Questions”
  • by Sister Tracy Y. Browning | Second counselor in the Primary general presidency
  • Sunday morning session of October 2024 general conference.
  • Theme: Sincere gospel questions give Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ the opportunity to help seekers of truth grow.
Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Sister Browning’s message here.

Outline

  • The dwarf planet Pluto, discovered in 1930, was thought to be the most distant object in the solar system. Many scientists believed the outer solar system consisted of empty space. In the intervening decades, with significant technological advances, the planetary zone was reconfigured, resulting in Pluto being rehomed to a new region of space and the solar system consisting of eight planets.
  • What is striking about this period of space exploration are parallels and key distinctions between the pursuit of expanding scientific horizons and the journey that children of God undertake to seek answers to spiritual questions. Specifically, how they respond to limits in spiritual understanding — and where they turn for help.

Line upon line

  • Asking questions and searching for meaning are natural and normal. Not readily having answers can bring one to the edge of understanding, resulting in feeling frustrated or overwhelmed. Heavenly Father’s plan is designed for one to progress despite limitations, even without a knowledge of all things. God’s plan is merciful toward the limitations of humanity, provides a Savior and inspires agency to choose Him.
  • Forming narratives to fill in perceived gaps in knowledge may be incomplete on its own when discerning things pertaining to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. God the Father and His Son’s way of imparting wisdom prioritizes inviting the Holy Ghost as one’s personal teacher; centering one’s life in Jesus Christ; spending time in the scriptures, including Latter-day revealed truth; spending regular time in the house of the Lord; and kneeling in prayer.

Obedience

  • A key principle taught in the Book of Mormon is that when God’s children choose obedience and keep their covenants, they receive spiritual guidance and direction. Through obedience and diligence, one gains knowledge and intelligence. An interaction in Moses 5 between Adam and an angel of the Lord teaches that humble obedience will pave the way for spiritual discernment.
  • Fidelity to knowledge and wisdom one has already inherited is crucial preparation for readiness to receive and be stewards of communications from the Holy Spirit. And understanding that personal knowledge is not independent of God helps one to know whom to turn to and where to place primary trust.

Profound trust

  • The Old Testament account of Naaman, the military leader healed of leprosy by the prophet Elisha, illustrates how some spiritual petitions have reasonable discernible answers or, like in Naaman’s case, may be more challenging and complex. Relying exclusively on one’s own limited understanding may lead one away from the covenant path. Some questions may persist until God provides enlightenment through belief on His name.
  • One significant caution is that resisting obedience to God’s laws and commandments may prolong or delay growth. Obedience to God’s laws and commandments can open the way for the Savior to provide understanding and healing.

Closing testimony

  • Those with sincere gospel questions can provide Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ with opportunities to help them grow. Placing one’s trust in Heavenly Father and in His prophets will help one to spiritually elevate and push one forward toward God’s expanded horizon.

Discussion questions

How can asking questions and searching give Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ the opportunity to help us grow?

When have you used your agency to choose Christ, despite limitations and without a knowledge of all things?

Why is it important to invite the Holy Spirit, study the scriptures and the words of modern-day prophets, attend the temple and pray when seeking answers to spiritual questions?

Why is obedience and keeping our covenants important when seeking spiritual guidance?

As we learn “line upon line, precept upon precept” (2 Nephi 28:30), how can we “wait upon the Lord” (Isaiah 40:31) in the space between our current line of understanding and the next yet to be delivered?

Notable quotes

  • “Wondrously, Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness for all of us is designed to help us progress despite our limitations and accomplish what we cannot accomplish on our own, even without a complete knowledge of all things.”
  • “The Lord’s method of teaching is ‘line upon line, precept upon precept’ (2 Nephi 28:30). We may be required to ‘wait upon the Lord’ (Isaiah 40:31) in the space between our current line of understanding and the next yet to be delivered. This sacred space can be a place where our greatest spiritual conditioning can occur — the site where we can ‘bear with patience’ (Alma 26:27) our earnest seeking and renew our strength to continue to keep the sacred promises we have made to God through covenant.”
  • “God’s laws and commandments are not designed to be an obstacle in our life but a powerful gateway to personal revelation and spiritual education.”

Key scriptures

  • “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”
  • “For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.”
  • “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.”

Invitations and promises

  • “God the Father and His Son’s way of imparting Their wisdom to us prioritizes inviting the power of the Holy Ghost to be our personal teacher as we center Jesus Christ in our lives and in our faithful seeking for Their answers and Their meaning. They invite us to discover truth through devoted time spent studying holy scripture and to seek for latter-day revealed truth. ... They entreat us to spend regular, worshipful time in the house of the Lord and to take to our knees in prayer ‘to access information from heaven.’”
  • “Our humble obedience will ... pave the way for our spiritual discernment of God’s ways and His divine purpose for each of us. Reaching to elevate our obedience brings us closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ, because obedience to His laws and commandments is effectually reaching out to Him.”
  • “Placing your trust in Heavenly Father and in His prophets ... will help you to spiritually elevate and push you forward toward God’s expanded horizon. Your vantage will change because you will change. God knows that the higher you are, the farther you can see. Our Savior invites you to make that climb.”

Stories

  • The dwarf planet Pluto, discovered in 1930, was given its name by 11-year-old Venetia Burney of Oxford, England. Until 1992, Pluto was believed to be the most distant object in the solar system. Scientists believed that beyond the edge of earth’s solar system, the outer solar system consisted of empty space. In the intervening decades, with significant technological advances, the earth’s planetary zone was reconfigured, and Pluto was rehomed to a new region of space. A leading planetary scientist said: “We thought we understood the geography of our solar system. We didn’t.”
  • Moses 5 teaches about an interaction between Adam and an angel of the Lord. Adam and Eve were commanded by the Lord to “offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord.” Adam was “obedient unto the commandments of the Lord.” After many days, “an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me” (Moses 5:5-6). Adam’s obedience preceded his understanding and prepared him to receive sacred knowledge that he was participating in a sacred symbol of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
  • The Old Testament account of Naaman, the military leader healed of leprosy by the prophet Elisha, illustrates how the faith of a “little maid” altered the course of one man’s life and revealed the reach of God’s mercy to those who place their trust in Him and His prophet. Naaman’s response to the prophet’s instructions to wash in the river Jordan was at first skeptical and indignant. An invitation for him to be obedient to the prophet’s counsel made way for his healing. (See 2 Kings 5:1-15.)

Additional resources

Sister Tracy Y. Browning, second counselor in the Primary general presidency.

Recent conference talks on seeking answers

Who is Sister Browning?

  • Sister Tracy Y. Browning was sustained on April 2, 2022, as second counselor in the Primary general presidency. She was baptized as a teenager when her mother ordered a free copy of the Book of Mormon after seeing a late-night television infomercial.

Relief Society/elders quorum lesson aid — President Jeffrey R. Holland: ‘I Am He’

Download a PDF of talk summaries from October 2024 general conference

October 2024 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

]]><![CDATA[Relief Society/elders quorum lesson aid — Elder David A. Bednar: ‘In the Space of Not Many Years’]]>https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/11/21/david-bednar-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/11/21/david-bednar-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/Thu, 21 Nov 2024 11:00:00 +0000Editor’s note: To support elders quorum and Relief Society classes, the Church News is publishing lesson resources on messages from October 2024 general conference. These are meant to be a starting point and not a lesson plan.

Read more conference lesson aids here

About this talk

Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Elder Bednar’s message here.

Outline

  • One of the hallmarks of the ministry of Church President Ezra Taft Benson was his focus on the purpose and importance of the Book of Mormon. He often emphasized teachings and warnings about the sin of pride found in this latter-day testament of Jesus Christ.
  • The Book of Mormon, President Benson taught, was “written for our day,” and “we should constantly ask ourselves, ‘Why did the Lord inspire Mormon ... to include [this account] in his record? What lesson can I learn from [this admonition] to help me live in this day and age?’”

The Nephites and the Lamanites

  • The record of Helaman and his sons describes a people anticipating the birth of Jesus Christ. The half century in this scriptural record highlights the conversion and righteousness of the Lamanites and the wickedness and apostasy of the Nephites. A series of comparisons and contrasts are instructive today.
  • When the Lamanites became a righteous people, “the Lord began to pour out his Spirit upon the Lamanites” and withdraw His Spirit from the Nephites (Helaman 6:34-36).
  • Perhaps the most stunning, sobering aspect of the Nephites’ apostasy is the fact that “all these iniquities did come unto them in the space of not many years” (Helaman 6:32).

The Nephites turned away from God

  • The negative example of the Nephites’ pride is instructive today. It shows that prosperity, possessions and ease constitute a potent mixture that can lead even the righteous to pride.
  • Those who are not faithful and obedient can allow prosperity to distract from eternal truths and vital spiritual priorities. Be on guard against an exaggerated sense of self-importance, a misguided evaluation of self-sufficiency and seeking self instead of serving others.
  • Those pridefully focusing on self are afflicted with spiritual blindness, causing them to fall away into forbidden paths and become lost. They are then inclined to lean upon their own understanding and boast in their own strength.

The Lamanites turned to God

  • The Lamanites turned to God and were brought to a knowledge of the truth through faith, repentance and a mighty change of heart.
  • As a consequence, their righteousness “did exceed that of the Nephites, because of their firmness and their steadiness in the faith” (Helaman 6:1).

A warning and a promise

  • Apostasy can occur at two basic levels — institutional and individual. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at the institutional level, will not be lost through apostasy or taken from the earth. At the individual level, one must “beware of pride, lest [one becomes] as the Nephites of old” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:39).
  • Those who believe they are sufficiently strong against the arrogance of pride may already be suffering from this deadly spiritual disease. However, those who believe they could be afflicted with and by pride are then consistently doing the small and simple things that will protect and help them become “as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [them]” (Mosiah 3:19).

Discussion questions

Why is pride a “spiritual poison” and “deadly spiritual disease”?

What has the Book of Mormon taught you about humility?

What made the Lamanites a “righteous people” while the Nephites become “grossly wicked” (Helaman 6:1-2)?

How might prosperity lead to pride and then from pride to apostasy?

What “small and simple things” can protect us from pride?

Notable quotes

  • “The Book of Mormon is not primarily a historical record that looks to the past. Rather, this volume of scripture looks to the future and contains important principles, warnings and lessons intended for the circumstances and challenges of our day. Hence, the Book of Mormon is a book about our future and the times in which we do now and will yet live.”
  • “Ancient voices from the dust plead with us today to learn this everlasting lesson: Prosperity, possessions and ease constitute a potent mixture that can lead even the righteous to drink the spiritual poison of pride.”
  • “May I suggest that if you or I believe we are sufficiently strong and stalwart to avoid the arrogance of pride, then perhaps we already are suffering from this deadly spiritual disease.”

Key scriptures

  • “Pride ... began to enter ... into the hearts of the people who professed to belong to the church of God ... because of their exceedingly great riches and their prosperity in the land.”
  • “Ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our great and Eternal Head.”
  • “But beware of pride, lest thou shouldst enter into temptation.”

Invitations and promises

  • “We always must be on guard against a pride-induced and exaggerated sense of self-importance, a misguided evaluation of our own self-sufficiency and seeking self instead of serving others.”
  • “If, however, you or I believe we could be afflicted with and by pride, then we consistently will do the small and simple things that will protect and help us become ‘as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us]’ (Mosiah 3:19).”
  • “As we follow President Benson’s counsel and ask ourselves why the Lord inspired Mormon to include in his abridgment of the book of Helaman the accounts, admonitions and warnings that he did, I promise we will discern the applicability of these teachings to the specific conditions of our individual lives and families today.”

Stories

  • President Ezra Taft Benson served as President of the Church from November 1985 to May 1994. Elder David A. Bednar was 33 years old when President Benson became Church President and was 42 years old when he passed away. President Benson’s teachings and testimony profoundly influenced Elder Bednar, especially about the importance of the Book of Mormon.
  • The record of Helaman and his sons describes a people anticipating the birth of Christ. The half century recounted in the record highlights the conversion and righteousness of the Lamanites and the wickedness, apostasy and abominations of the Nephites.
  • Samuel the Lamanite summarized the turning away from God by the Nephites: “Ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our great and Eternal Head” (Helaman 13:38).

Additional resources

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Recent conference talks on avoiding pride

Who is Elder Bednar?

  • Elder David A. Bednar was sustained Oct. 2, 2004, to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. President of Ricks College during its transition to BYU–Idaho, Elder Bednar was formerly a professor of management in the College of Business Administration at the University of Arkansas.

Relief Society/elders quorum lesson aid — Elder Jorge M. Alvarado: ‘Embrace the Lord’s Gift of Repentance’

Download a PDF of talk summaries from October 2024 general conference

October 2024 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Bednar, wave to conferencegoers as they exit the Saturday evening session of the 194th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.Elder Quentin L. Cook, left, and Elder David A. Bednar, both of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, share a laugh prior to the Saturday evening session of the October 2024 general conference in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.]]><![CDATA[Relief Society/elders quorum lesson aid — Elder Jorge M. Alvarado: ‘Embrace the Lord’s Gift of Repentance’]]>https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/11/20/jorge-alvarado-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/11/20/jorge-alvarado-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/Wed, 20 Nov 2024 11:00:00 +0000Editor’s note: To support elders quorum and Relief Society classes, the Church News is publishing lesson resources on messages from October 2024 general conference. These are meant to be a starting point and not a lesson plan.

Read more conference lesson aids here

About this talk

Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Elder Alvarado’s message here.

Outline

  • The common feeling of inadequacy, weakness or even unworthiness is something with which many struggle. There are many accounts in the scriptures, including Nephi, who was a faithful and valiant servant, who seem to have felt similar things. The Prophet Joseph Smith’s sincere desire to repent helped him come to Jesus Christ and receive forgiveness of sin.
  • Repentance is joy. Sweet repentance is part of a daily process through which the Lord teaches one to live a life centered in His teachings. He can fulfill any righteous desire or longing and can heal any wound.
  • Readers of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ can find countless accounts of individuals who learned how to come unto Christ through sincere repentance.
  • A sister in Ponce, Puerto Rico, put a Book of Mormon in her purse to give to a friend, but a thief stole her purse. A few days later, the woman received an apology letter from the thief, who had read the book and changed his life because of it.
  • For those who come unto Jesus Christ, their path of sincere repentance will eventually lead to the holy temple. What a righteous motive to strive to be clean — to be worthy of the blessings made possible by Heavenly Father and His Son through sacred temple covenants.
  • Those who feel inadequate or unworthy can remember there will be mistakes in life along the way but that, as Elder Gerrit W. Gong taught: “Our Savior’s Atonement is infinite and eternal. Each of us strays and falls short. We may, for a time, lose our way. God lovingly assures us [that] no matter where we are or what we have done, there is no point of no return. He waits ready to embrace us.”
  • Do not wait for things to get hard before turning to God. Do not wait until the end of mortal life to truly repent. No matter what part of the covenant path one is on, focus on the redemptive power of Jesus Christ.
  • The Lord’s house, His holy scriptures, His holy prophets and apostles inspire one to strive toward personal holiness through the doctrine of Christ.
  • The Master Potter will mold and define, which can be difficult. Nonetheless, the Master Healer will also cleanse.
  • God’s love can be felt profoundly through sincere and wholehearted repentance.

Discussion questions

What are some of the common feelings of inadequacy, weakness or unworthiness with which we may struggle?

How did the prophet Nephi face his inadequacies, like those he mentions in 2 Nephi 4:17-19?

How can repentance be joyful?

How can a path of sincere repentance eventually lead us to the Savior’s holy temple?

What can we be doing now to turn to God and truly repent rather than wait until the end of our mortal lives?

Notable quotes

  • “My friends, repentance is joy. Sweet repentance is part of a daily process through which, ‘line upon line, precept upon precept’ (2 Nephi 28:30), the Lord teaches us to live a life centered in His teachings.”
  • “As we come unto Jesus Christ, our path of sincere repentance will eventually lead us to the Savior’s holy temple. What a righteous motive to strive to be clean — to be worthy of the fullness of the blessings made possible by our Heavenly Father and His Son through sacred temple covenants.”
  • “Obstacles will come. Let us not wait for things to get hard before turning to God. Let us not wait until the end of our mortal lives to truly repent. Instead, let us now, no matter which part of the covenant path we are on, focus on the redemptive power of Jesus Christ and on Heavenly Father’s desire for us to return to Him.”

Key scriptures

  • “Notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.”
  • “Yea, cry unto [God] for mercy; for he is mighty to save.”
  • “And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man [and woman] can be saved in the kingdom of God. and now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

Invitations and promises

  • “If we are humble, this will help us come to recognize our dependence upon Jesus Christ and stir within our hearts a sincere desire to turn to the Savior and repent of our sins.”
  • “Serving regularly in the house of the Lord and striving to keep the sacred covenants we make there will increase both our desire and our ability to experience the change of heart, might, mind and soul necessary for us to become more like our Savior.”
  • “Our process of ‘at-one-ment’ with God may feel challenging. But you and I can pause, be still, look to the Savior, and seek to find and act on what He would have us change. If we do so with full intent, we will witness His healing. And think of how our posterity will be blessed as we embrace the Lord’s gift of repentance.”

Stories

  • When Elder Alvarado was sustained as a General Authority Seventy in April 2019, he felt inadequate and flawed. Then as the choir sang “I Stand All Amazed,” the Lord blessed him to know he can do all things through Him.
  • The Prophet Joseph Smith spoke of feeling “condemned” for “[his] weakness and imperfections” (Joseph Smith—History 1:29). But his feelings of inadequacy and worry were part of what led him to ponder, study, learn and pray. He went to pray in a grove near his home to find truth, peace and forgiveness. Joseph’s sincere desire to repent and seek salvation helped him come to Jesus Christ and receive forgiveness of his sins. This effort opened the door to the continuing Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
  • In Ponce, Puerto Rico, a sister in the Church, Célia Cruz Ayala, wrapped a Book of Mormon to give as a gift to a friend. A thief grabbed her purse, with the special gift inside, and ran away. Later, she received a letter from the thief, saying, “Forgive me, forgive me.” He was sorry for attacking her but added that his life was changed. He had been reading the book and wrote, “I want you to know that you will see me again, but when you do, you won’t recognize me, for I will be your brother. ... Here, where I live, I have to find the Lord and go to the church you belong to.” Later, that brother found joy in repentance. Other family members followed and accepted sacred responsibilities in the Lord’s vineyard.

Notable footnotes

  • 7. President Russell M. Nelson taught: “When we choose to repent, we choose to change. We allow the Savior to transform us into the best version of ourselves. We choose to grow spiritually and receive joy — the joy of redemption in Him. When we choose to repent, we choose to become more like Jesus Christ” (“We Can Do Better and Be Better,” April 2019).
  • 13. May we stop for one second and think about our posterity? Because of our myopic view, we cannot see it now, but our willingness to turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart — to change, repent and embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ — can influence generations. Imagine the additional blessings that may blossom from one soul’s humility, meekness and faith in Jesus Christ under even the most inconvenient of circumstances.
  • 16. When we find ourselves asking questions [of self-doubt], it is important to remember the words of the apostle Paul: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ... Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35, 37-39).

Additional resources

Elder Jorge M. Alvarado, General Authority Seventy.

Recent conference talks on repentance

Who is Elder Alvarado?

  • Elder Jorge M. Alvarado was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 6, 2019. A businessman and native of Puerto Rico, he formerly served as president of the Puerto Rico San Juan Mission.

Relief Society/elders quorum lesson aid — Elder Kyle S. McKay: ‘The Man Who Communed With Jehovah’

Download a PDF of talk summaries from October 2024 general conference

October 2024 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

]]><![CDATA[Relief Society/elders quorum lesson aid — Elder Ulisses Soares: ‘Aligning Our Will With His’]]>https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/11/16/ulisses-soares-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/11/16/ulisses-soares-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/Sat, 16 Nov 2024 11:00:00 +0000Editor’s note: To support elders quorum and Relief Society classes, the Church News is publishing lesson resources on messages from October 2024 general conference. These are meant to be a starting point and not a lesson plan.

Read more conference lesson aids here

About this talk

Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Elder Soares’ message here.

Outline

  • Through His parable of the “goodly pearls,” the Savior likened the kingdom of heaven unto a priceless pearl. To be worthy of this reward, believers need to give their best effort to set aside all self-centered pursuits and abandon entanglements that hold them back from full commitment to the Lord and His higher and holier ways.
  • As exemplified by Jesus Christ, this means “[doing] always those things that please [the Lord]” (John 8:29), submitting one’s will to His will.
  • Jesus Christ achieved a perfect, divine level of submission to the Father by allowing His will to be swallowed up in the Father’s will.
  • During mortality, everyone wrestles with what they think they know, what they think is best and what they assume works, as opposed to comprehending what Heavenly Father actually knows, what is eternally best and what works for children within His plan. People are increasingly becoming “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:1-2,4).
  • People are becoming consumed with themselves and proclaiming, “No matter what, I live my own truth or I do what works for me.” Although each travels an individualized discipleship journey, they need to be careful and vigilant to not be tempted to adopt this worldly philosophy.
  • When children of God let Him be the most powerful influence in their life, they can increase capacity to unite their mind and heart with the Savior. On the other hand, when they don’t allow God to prevail, they’re left to themselves. Without the Lord’s inspiring guidance, one can justify almost anything.
  • While the Savior was declaring His doctrine in John 8:33-42, some self-righteous Pharisees rejected His message and implied their lineage from Abraham granted them special privileges in God’s eyes. In response, Jesus declared that if they were true covenant children of Abraham, they would do the works of Abraham.
  • Acting on “what works for me” versus doing “what always pleases the Lord” is an age-old mentality that often confuses and exhausts God’s children. This mentality is an old trick of the adversary, a deceptive path that carefully leads God’s children away from the true, faithful covenant path.
  • Christ’s disciples desire to walk the path He marked during His mortal ministry. As they strive to be true to every covenant they’ve entered into, they are protected from errors of philosophy and doctrine that would lead them away from those most precious pearls.
  • It takes a courageous and a willing heart to acknowledge, through introspection, the presence of weaknesses in one’s life that may impede one’s ability to submit to God and adopt His way rather than one’s own. The ultimate test of one’s discipleship is found in willingness to lose one’s old self and submit one’s heart and whole soul to God.
  • Following the Lord’s will in one’s life will enable one to find the most precious pearl in the world — the kingdom of heaven.

Discussion questions

How is the kingdom of heaven precious like a “pearl of great price” (Matthew 13:45-46)?

How might we be like the merchant who was willing to sell all his possessions to obtain the “pearl of great price”?

How can we avoid becoming “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:4)?

What can we learn from the Savior allowing His will to be swallowed up in the will of His Father?

When have you increased your “covenant confidence” by consecrating your will to the Lord?

Notable quotes

  • “During our sojourn in mortality, we often wrestle with what we think we know, what we think is best and what we assume works for us, as opposed to comprehending what Heavenly Father actually knows, what is eternally best and what absolutely works for children within His plan.”
  • “In things that truly matter, there is an inner space where we are free to choose whether or not we will decide to follow the pattern the Lord has prepared for our life.”
  • “One of the most glorious moments of mortality occurs when we discover the joy that comes when doing always those things that ‘work for and please the Lord’ and ‘what works for us’ become one and the same. To decisively and unquestioningly make the Lord’s will our own requires majestic and heroic discipleship. At that sublime moment, we become consecrated to the Lord, and we totally yield our wills to Him. Such spiritual submissiveness, so to speak, is beautiful, powerful and transformational.”

Key scriptures

  • “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
  • “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.”
  • “For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; ... Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.”

Invitations and promises

  • “We certainly need, among other things, to give our best effort to set aside all self-centered pursuits and abandon any entanglement that holds us back from full commitment to the Lord and His higher and holier ways.”
  • “My dear friends, when we choose to let God be the most powerful influence in our life over our self-serving pursuits, we can make progress in our discipleship and increase our capacity to unite our mind and heart with the Savior.”
  • “As we strive to be true to every covenant we have entered into and live ‘by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God’ (Matthew 4:4), we will be protected against falling victim to the sins and errors of the world — errors of philosophy and doctrine that would lead us away from those most precious pearls.”

Stories

  • In the parable of the “goodly pearls” found in Matthew 13:45-46, a merchant man seeks for and finds one pearl of “great price.” In order to acquire the magnificent pearl, the man promptly and joyfully sells all his possessions. The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a priceless pearl, the most precious treasure that should be desired above all.
  • A young man was unsettled about going on a mission until he listened to a senior leader of the Church share his own testimony and sacred experience of serving as a missionary. Later, after serving his mission, the young man said: “As I listened to the testimony of an Apostle of the Savior, Jesus Christ, I was able to feel of God’s love for me, and I desired to share that love with others. ... Today, I am a new person; I have a testimony that this gospel is true and that the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored on earth.” The young man chose the Lord’s way and became an example of a true disciple.
  • A faithful young woman chose not to compromise her standards when she was asked to dress immodestly to fit into the business division of the fashion company where she worked. Understanding that her body is a sacred gift from Heavenly Father and a place where the Spirit can dwell, she lived a standard higher than the world’s. She gained the confidence of those who saw her living the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and preserved her job, which had been in jeopardy. Her willingness to do what was pleasing in the sight of the Lord gave her covenant confidence amid difficult choices.

Notable footnotes

Additional resources

Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Recent conference talks on obedience

Who is Elder Soares?

  • Elder Ulisses Soares was sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on March 31, 2018. The first Apostle from South America, he was formerly an accountant and auditor for multinational corporations in Brazil and, later, director for temporal affairs in the Church area office in São Paulo, Brazil.

Relief Society/elders quorum lesson aid — Elder Aroldo B. Cavalcante: ‘The Wind Did Never Cease To Blow’

Download a PDF of talk summaries from October 2024 general conference

October 2024 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Rosana Soares, exit after the Sunday morning session of the 194th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024.Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles greets President Russell M. Nelson as he exits the Saturday afternoon session of the 194th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles waves as he exits with his wife, Sister Rosana Soares, after the Saturday afternoon session of the 194th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.Elder Gerrit W. Gong, Elder Ulisses Soares and Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles talk together before the Saturday morning session of the 194th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Oct. 5, 2024.]]><![CDATA[Relief Society/elders quorum lesson aid — Elder Juan Pablo Villar: ‘His Hand Ready To Help Us’]]>https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/11/11/juan-villar-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/11/11/juan-villar-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/Mon, 11 Nov 2024 11:00:00 +0000Editor’s note: To support elders quorum and Relief Society classes, the Church News is publishing lesson resources on messages from October 2024 general conference. These are meant to be a starting point and not a lesson plan.

Read more conference lesson aids here

About this talk

Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Elder Villar’s message here.

Outline

The Savior’s power over the adversary

  • Life brings challenges that seem greater than one’s capacity to overcome them. These challenges include attacks from the adversary. But do not forget who has power over all things. That is the Savior, Jesus Christ.
  • As believers reach out to Him in faith, He will always be there. In His time, He is ready and willing to grasp their hands and pull them to safety.

The Savior and His ministering example

  • Jesus Christ is a flawless example of ministry. There is a pattern in the scriptures when He or His disciples reach out to someone in need of help, rescue or a blessing.
  • Occasionally, there is a need to more than just be there for someone. One can rely on the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Ghost to discern what kind of help is needed, whether it is temporal support or spiritual guidance.

The Savior is ready to rescue us

  • After Peter the apostle “walked on the water, to go to Jesus, ... he was afraid; and beginning to sink” (Matthew 14:29-30). The Savior saved Peter and reminded him that He, the Messiah, was with him.
  • For those who exercise faith in Christ — their Rescuer — He will save them from their challenges in this temporal life and give them the greatest of all gifts, which is eternal life.

The Savior does not give up on us

  • Elder Villar’s brother did not give up on saving him from the waves but persisted so the young brother could learn how to do it for himself. The Savior will also be there as many times as necessary to provide help if one desires.

The Savior’s hands

  • Scriptures immortalize the symbol and significance of the Savior’s hands. In His atoning sacrifice on the cross, His hands were pierced by nails. After the Resurrection, He appeared in a perfect body, but the prints in His hands remain as a reminder of His infinite sacrifice.
  • Those who think celestial know they are not left alone in this life. While they face challenges and trials, their Heavenly Father knows their capabilities and knows they can bear or overcome difficulties.

Discussion questions

How can the account of Elder Villar’s brother saving him twice from the waves be like our Savior reaching out to save us?

Why might we sometimes feel powerless and overwhelmed by the waves of life’s challenges? What help can our Savior provide us in these moments?

How does Jesus Christ have power over all things?

What are the symbol and significance of the Savior’s pierced hands?

When have you turned to Jesus Christ in faith to overcome or learn from a challenge?

Notable quotes

  • “[Jesus Christ] has the power to help us out of every miserable condition or adverse situation. Regardless of whether we feel close to Him, He still can reach us where we are as we are.”
  • “If we think celestial, we will recognize Jesus Christ as a flawless example of ministry. There is a pattern for us in the scriptures when He or His disciples reach out to someone in need of help, rescue or a blessing as they reach out with their hands.”
  • “The scriptures immortalize the symbol and significance of the Savior’s hands. In His atoning sacrifice, His hands were pierced by nails to affix Him to the cross. After His Resurrection, He appeared to His disciples in a perfect body, but the prints in His hands remain as a reminder of His infinite sacrifice.”

Key scriptures

  • “And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.”
  • “And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”

Invitations and promises

  • “If we think celestial, we will receive the confirmation in our hearts that Jesus Christ is indeed our Rescuer, our Advocate with the Father and our Redeemer.”
  • “As we exercise faith in Him, He will save us from our fallen state, beyond our challenges, infirmities and needs in this temporal life, and give us the greatest of all gifts, which is eternal life.”
  • “Our Heavenly Father knows our capabilities and knows we can bear or overcome our difficulties. We must do our part and turn to Him in faith.”

Stories

  • When Elder Villar was a boy, his family went on vacation to the coast of Chile, his native country. While at the ocean, he joined his older brothers to play in the waves, but he was caught by surprise by a large wave that dragged him under the water. He felt a hand pull him to the surface. It was his brother Claudio. The younger boy went into the ocean a second time, and again the waves tossed him around, so his brother rescued him. Finally, not only did Claudio teach his brother how to dive into the wave, but he also dove in the water with him. Thanks to the help and example of his older brother, Elder Villar learned to dive into the waves and come out victorious.
  • When Peter the apostle “walked on the water, to go to Jesus, ... he was afraid; and beginning to sink”; then “he cried, saying, Lord, save me” (Matthew 14:29-30). Although Jesus knew the faith Peter had exercised to come to Him on the water, He was also aware of Peter’s fear. Jesus “immediately ... stretched forth his hand, and caught him,” saying: “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” (Matthew 14:31).

Notable footnotes

  • 3. While we believe that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have the ability to help us whenever we need it, Their help may not always come in the way we expect. It’s important to trust that They know us better than we know ourselves and will provide the support and assistance that is best for us at the right time: “Know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good” (Doctrine and Covenants 122:7). The trials and challenges we face help us develop the strength and character to resist temptation and overcome the natural man.
  • 5. When President Russell M. Nelson invited us to minister in a newer and holier way (see “Ministering,” April 2018), he also asked us to understand that this new way of ministering is not about us and what we want to offer but what others need. Jesus Christ is giving us the opportunity to love our neighbor (see Luke 10:27) in a higher and holier way.
  • 8. To truly understand happiness, we need to understand the role of blessings in our lives. The definition of blessings helps to clarify this concept: A blessing is “to confer divine favor upon someone. Anything contributing to true happiness, well-being or prosperity is a blessing” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Bless, Blessed, Blessing”). The world often confuses true happiness with temporary pleasure, which imitates a “happiness” that is short-lived.

Additional resources

Elder Juan Pablo Villar, General Authority Seventy.

Recent conference talks on overcoming

Who is Elder Villar?

  • Elder Juan Pablo Villar was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on March 31, 2018. An Area Seventy in the South America South Area at the time of his calling as a general authority, Elder Villar is the recipient of a Master of Business Administration from BYU.

Relief Society/elders quorum lesson aid — Elder José A. Teixeira: ‘Bonded to Jesus Christ: Becoming the Salt of the Earth’

Download a PDF of talk summaries from October 2024 general conference

October 2024 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

]]><![CDATA[Relief Society/elders quorum lesson aid — Elder D. Todd Christofferson: ‘Burying Our Weapons of Rebellion’]]>https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/11/09/todd-christofferson-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/11/09/todd-christofferson-rs-eq-lessons-october-2024-general-conference/Sat, 09 Nov 2024 11:00:00 +0000Editor’s note: To support elders quorum and Relief Society classes, the Church News is publishing lesson resources on messages from October 2024 general conference. These are meant to be a starting point and not a lesson plan.

Read more conference lesson aids here

About this talk

Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Elder Christofferson’s message here.

Outline

  • Approximately 90 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, the sons of Mosiah began a 14-year mission to the Lamanites. Through the miraculous interventions of the Holy Spirit, thousands were converted and became disciples of Christ.
  • The key to the enduring conversion of those Ammon taught was that they did “lay down the weapons of their rebellion” (Alma 23:7). The reference to “weapons of rebellion” was both literal and figurative. It meant swords and other weapons of war but also their disobedience to God and His commandments.
  • Rather than risk any possible return to their prior state of rebellion, the Lamanites buried their swords. As they buried their physical weapons, with changed hearts, they also buried their disposition to sin.
  • Rebellion can be active or passive. The classic example of willful rebellion is Lucifer, who opposed the Father’s plan of redemption in the premortal world and rallied others to oppose it as well. It is not hard to discern the impact of his continuing rebellion today.
  • Perhaps the most insidious form of rebellion against God is the passive version — ignoring His will in one’s life. Many who would never consider active rebellion still oppose the will and word of God by pursuing their own path without regard to divine direction.
  • The Savior’s example regarding baptism was a demonstration of loyalty to the Father and an example for the children of God.
  • The weapons the Lamanite converts buried were weapons of rebellion because of how they had used them. Those same kinds of weapons in the hands of their sons, used in defense of family and freedom, were not weapons of rebellion against God. Nor were the weapons in the hands of the Nephites, who were fighting for “their homes and their liberties” (Alma 43:45).
  • In the same way, there are things in one’s life that may be neutral or even inherently good but if used in the wrong way become “weapons of rebellion,” such as speech, which can edify or demean; one’s career, if all else becomes secondary; or physical well-being, if one becomes consumed with appearance.
  • In the end, burying weapons of rebellion against God means yielding to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, putting off the natural man and becoming a “saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord” (Mosiah 3:19). It means letting God prevail.
  • Burying weapons of rebellion leads to joy. Those converted to the Lord are “brought to sing [the song of] redeeming love” (Alma 26:13).

Discussion questions

Why did the converted Lamanites bury their swords and other weapons of war?

What does it mean to bury our “weapons of rebellion” in modern days?

In Alma 24:11, the king of the converted Lamanites said burying their weapons was “all that we could do ... to repent of all our sins.” How can we similarly do all we can to repent?

What are some neutral or good things that can become “weapons of rebellion” if misused? How can we prevent this misuse?

Over the next month, how can we show our love and loyalty to Heavenly Father and His Son?

Notable quotes

  • “This reference to ‘weapons of rebellion’ was both literal and figurative. It meant their swords and other weapons of war but also their disobedience to God and His commandments.”
  • “Perhaps the more insidious form of rebellion against God ... is the passive version — ignoring His will in our lives. Many who would never consider active rebellion may still oppose the will and word of God by pursuing their own path without regard to divine direction.”
  • “If our love of God and our determination to serve Him with all our might, mind and strength become the touchstone by which we judge all things and make all our decisions, we will have buried our weapons of rebellion. By the grace of Christ, God will forgive our sins and rebellions of the past and will take away the stain of those sins and rebellions from our hearts. In time, He will even take away any desire for evil, as He did with those Lamanite converts of the past. Thereafter, we too ‘never [will] fall away’ (Alma 23:6).”

Key scriptures

  • “And as sure as the Lord liveth, so sure as many as believed, or as many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working miracles in them — yea, I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away.”
  • “For they became a righteous people; they did lay down the weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight against God any more, neither against any of their brethren.”
  • “[The Savior] showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments. ... And he said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father.”

Invitations and promises

  • “We might ask ourselves what we could do to follow this pattern, to ‘lay down the weapons of [our] rebellion,’ (Alma 23:7) whatever they may be, and become so ‘converted [to] the Lord’ (Alma 23:6) that the stain of sin and the desire for sin are taken from our hearts and we never will fall away.”
  • “Our Heavenly Father and His Son, our Redeemer, have confirmed Their unending commitment to our ultimate happiness through the most profound love and sacrifice. We experience Their love daily. Surely we can reciprocate with our own love and loyalty.”
  • “May we bury — very, very deep — any element of rebellion against God in our lives and replace it with a willing heart and a willing mind.”

Stories

  • The Book of Mormon’s anti-Christs — Sherem, Nehor and Korihor — provide a classic study of active rebellion against God. The overarching thesis of Nehor and Korihor was that there is no sin; therefore, there is no need for repentance, and there is no Savior. The anti-Christ rejects religious authority and characterizes ordinances and covenants as performances “laid down by ancient priests, to usurp power and authority” (Alma 30:23).
  • William W. Phelps is a latter-day example of willful rebellion with a happier ending. After joining the Church in 1831 and being appointed Church printer, Phelps edited several Church publications, wrote hymns and served as scribe to the Prophet Joseph Smith. Unfortunately, he turned against the Church and the Prophet, even contributing to the Prophet’s imprisonment in Missouri. Later, Phelps asked Joseph for forgiveness, to which the Prophet replied, “Come on, dear brother, since the war is past, for friends at first are friends again at last.”
  • Years ago, a song was made famous by singer Frank Sinatra, with the climactic line, “I did it my way.” Certainly in life there is room for personal preference and individual choice, but when it comes to matters of salvation and eternal life, one’s theme song ought to be, “I did it God’s way.” Truly, there is no other way.

Notable footnotes

  • 13. “Make sure your language reflects love of God and others — whether you’re communicating in person or virtually. Say things that uplift — nothing that might be divisive, hurtful or offensive, even as a joke. Your words can be powerful. Let them be powerful for good” (“For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices,” published 2022, page 12).

Additional resources

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Recent conference talks on obedience

Who is Elder Christofferson?

  • Elder D. Todd Christofferson was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on April 5, 2008. Prior to his calling as a general authority in 1993, Elder Christofferson was associate general counsel of NationsBank Corporation (now Bank of America) in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Relief Society/elders quorum lesson aid — President Dallin H. Oaks: ‘Following Christ’

Download a PDF of talk summaries from October 2024 general conference

October 2024 general conference: Announcements, talk summaries, photos, session highlights

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Kathy Christofferson, smile as they leave the Saturday evening session of the 194th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.]]>