[Music] from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City Utah this is the Saturday afternoon session of the 195th annual general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with speakers selected from leaders of the church music for this session is provided by a choir of young men and young women who reside in northern Utah this broadcast is furnished as a public service by Bonavville Distribution it may be used for personal and non-commercial home family or church uses elder Ulyses Suarez of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will conduct this session [Music] brothers and sisters we welcome you to the Saturday afternoon session of the 195th annual general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints president Russell M nelson who is viewing this meeting from home has asked me to conduct this session we extend our love and warm regards to all who have joined us and pray for the blessings of the Lord to be upon you the music for this session will be provided by a choir of young men and young women who reside in Northern Utah under the direction of Jeff Anderson with Linda Marget at the organ the choir will open this meeting by singing "Sing praise to him." The invocation will then be offered by Elder Alan T phillips of the 70 [Music] sing praise to him who reigns above the Lord of all creation the source of power the fountain of the rock of our salvation with healing my soul he fills and every faithless ner stills to him all praise and [Music] glory his alm mighty powerath made his gracious mercy keep by morning or evening shade his watchfulness sleep within the kingom of his might oh all is just and all is right to him all praise and glory cross is never far away but through all grief distressing and ever present help and say our peace and joy and blessing as with the mother center and feelings his own his chosen to him all praise and [Music] glory my way along I sing aloud thy praises as they hear the grful song my voice We praises be joyful in the Lord my heart oh soul and body your heart to him all praise and glory to him all praise and [Music] glory our dear father in heaven we gather together at this time in various locations throughout the world to express our love and to worship thee we are grateful for thy son Jesus Christ for his atonement and all the peace and hope that that brings we're especially grateful for this Easter season when we can remember him and his redeeming love father we thank thee for prophets in these days to guide us and lead us we're especially grateful for their testimonies and knowledge of thy son we pray at this time for those in need we are mindful of those who are displaced or overlooked or forgotten those who might be abused or are suffering poverty or sickness or ill health or ill treatment father we pray that they may be filled if it be thy will Father we pray that those who are most in need will be filled this weekend that there will be an outpouring of light and hope and truth father in a a world facing uncertainty we are grateful to thee and for the sure foundation of thy son may we look to him be still and fear not we love thee and say this in the name of thy son Jesus Christ amen amen elder New L anderson of the corn of the twelve apostles and President Steven J land who serves as a young gen man general president will now speak to us following their remarks the choir will sing "Come hear the word the Lord has spoken." We will then be pleased to hear from Elder S mark Palmer of the Presidency of the 70 he will be followed by Elder Sandino Roman of the 70 our savior Jesus Christ taught us "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if you have love one to another." A bishop in you in Utah recently shared with me an outpouring of love in his ward for a young woman and her family through a series of beautiful events the parents determined to return to the Savior and his church during the time they were distant from the church their teenage daughter was involved with a young man returning this precious daughter felt immense love from her heavenly father during a young women testimony meeting she determined to move more fully into the commandments of God she wrote "I began the repentance process with my bishop soon after she became ill in her words "A test showed I was pregnant i began to cry my dad wrapped me in his arms and assured me everything would be okay my boyfriend asked me to get rid of the baby i declined." She continued "I have received so much love and support from our ward family it has been overwhelming my bishop and young women's president have gone above and beyond to show their love and support i have seen the Lord's hand guiding me and my family a ward such as mine is the family everyone needs especially a young woman in my position she and her family and her ward family lovingly welcomed her baby boy this past February president Russell M nelson said "A hallmark of the Lord's true and living church will always be an organized effort to minister to individual children of God ministering with loving kindness to the one just as he did." When a single woman discovers that she is expecting an unanticipated child health concerns spiritual turmoil embarrassment financial worries educational questions marriage uncertainty and the sadness of shattered dreams can in a moment of pain and bewilderment lead a thoughtful woman to take steps that will bring deep pain and regret for any listening who have experienced the deep pain and regret from having or participating in an abortion please remember although we cannot change the past God can heal the past forgiveness can come through the miracle of his atoning grace as you turn to him with a humble and repentant heart two words are often attached to the sanctity of mortal birth life and choice life is a most precious part of our father's perfect plan and by his decree we cherish and preserve life and we choose the continuation of life once conceived we also treasure the gift of choice of moral agency helping to strengthen righteous choices approved by God that bring eternal happiness when a woman and a man are in such a fragile time facing a crucial choice our words our hands our hearts spiritually emotionally and financially can bless them to feel the Savior's love and as President Henry Biring said bring a clarifying adjustment to their spiritual eyes from what they think they see to what they cannot yet see president Don H oak said "Our attitude toward abortion is not based on revealed knowledge of when mortal life begins it is fixed by our knowledge that all of the spirit children of God must come to this earth for a glorious purpose and that individual identity began long before conception and will continue for all the eternities to come." End of quote the word of the Lord concerning the unborn given voice through the first presidency in the quorum of the twelve apostles has never varied and echoes the words of prophets through the ages giving divine clarity to what the Lord has asked of us the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes in the sanctity of human life therefore the church opposes elective abortion for personal or social convenience and counsels its members not to submit to perform encourage pay for or arrange for such abortions the Lord allows for possible exceptions when pregnancy results from the rape or incest or a competent physician determines that the life or health of the mother is in serious jeopardy or a com competent physician determines that the fetus has severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth the First Presidency continues "Abortion is a most serious matter even in these rare situations it should be considered only after the persons responsible have received confirmation through prayer and counseledled with others 30 years ago the Lord's prophets issued a proclamation to the world it includes these words we declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman lawfully wedded as husband and wife we declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed we affirm the sanctity of life and its importance in God's eternal plan end of quote nurturing and protecting life that is yet unborn is not a political position it is a moral law confirmed by the Lord through his prophets a statement by President J ruben Clark Jr who served in the First Presidency beautifully describes our youth today the youth of the church are hungry for things of the spirit they are eager to learn the gospel and they want it straight undiluted they want to know about our beliefs they want to gain testimonies of the truth they are inquirers seekers after truth end of quote let us speak more often with faith and compassion to our youth in our homes and with each other in our Relief Society and Elders Corp meetings about the Lord's law of chastity the sanctity of life and the care of the unborn and their mothers a dear sister wrote to me of an experience she had decades ago as a 17-year-old I found myself pregnant with little to no support from my boyfriend i felt ashamed and alone but I never considered an abortion i had my loving family and my bishop with whom I met regularly for guidance i turned to God i studied the scriptures and prayed and found strength through my savior and the repentance process i received an answer to my prayers that I could not deny it was heartbreaking but I knew I would be placing my daughter for a for adoption i prayed for courage and felt the Savior's love so clearly through repentance i know that God answers prayers and strengthens us a loving couple adopted the precious baby girl taught her the gospel and she is now married with a beautiful family of her own at times profoundly difficult and agonizing uncertainty can accompany the protection of life recently a young couple that Kathy and I love wrote me about the precious baby they were expecting the father wrote "When my wife was 10 weeks pregnant we found out that our miracle baby has the genetic condition of tricomeme 21 commonly known as Down syndrome we felt the pressure from the medical field to consider termination a few weeks later we discovered our unborn child would require multiple heart surgeries in her first year of life throughout this process as we prayed fervently for divine help we have felt the spirit give us comfort we received revelation and understanding that our daughter is an elite child of heavenly father and has an immense desire to be in our family and to come to earth the baby's mother wrote "We were completely shocked confused and honestly devastated by the news when I was 14 weeks pregnant we found out that our baby had multiple congenital heart defects one that could be potentially fatal we saw countless doctors and specialists from 10 to 18 weeks gestation at each of our appointments we were asked if we wanted to continue with the pregnancy or terminate the Savior healed my heart and gave me a sense of peace and excitement about our baby girl heavenly Father has shown me time and time again that he has a perfect plan for me and I trust him they excitedly welcomed their baby girl exactly one week ago today she is theirs and they are hers forever undaunted faith and remarkable courage are hallmarks of disciples of Jesus Christ through the years I have had the privilege of meeting with men and women who have humbly sought to return to the covenant path and to their priesthood and temple blessings many years after a loss of their membership on one occasion I was to interview a man on behalf of the First Presidency for the restoration of his priesthood and temple blessings after his marriage in the holy temple and after having three wonderful children the man was unfaithful to his wife and his sacred covenants a single woman became pregnant and wanted an abortion the husband's saintly wife pleaded with the woman to have the baby and promised that she would raise the child once he was born with her own children the single woman thoughtfully agreed not to end the pregnancy it had now been 10 years the humble sister sitting in front of me loved the boy as her own and told me of her husband's efforts to make amends and to love and care for her and the family the father wept as she spoke how could this noble woman of God take a child as her own who could be a daily reminder of the unfaithfulness of her husband how because she found strength through Jesus Christ and she believed in the sacredness of life the holiness of life she knew the unborn child was a child of God innocent and pure my dear brothers and sisters the diminishing love for unborn children worldwise is a grave concern god cherishes life it is his work and his glory to bring immortality and eternal life to his children as disciples of Jesus Christ we cherish life by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another may we share our love even more abundantly with those who need us so desperately i express my love for you and our heavenly father's love for his children coming to earth in the name of Jesus Christ amen amen thank you Elder Anderson for that remarkable expression of priesthood power and of the power of the atonement one Sunday morning this January as I sat in sacrament meeting over a dozen young men were sustained to be advanced in the ironic priesthood I felt the world changing beneath their feet it struck me that all around the world time zone by time zone in sacrament meetings just like that one tens of thousands of deacons teachers and priests like Elder Holland's friend this morning Easton were being sustained to be ordained into lifelong priesthood ministries that would span the length and breadth of the gathering of Israel each January hands are laid on the heads of about 100,000 young men connecting them through ordinance to a bright line of authority stretching back through the restoration epic to Joseph and Oliver and John the Baptist and to Jesus Christ now ours is not a very demonstrative church here we do understatement but still seeing this rolling thunder of newly ordained priesthood holders spreading across the earth I wondered in a church of joy kind of a way if it shouldn't be shouted from the rooftops today I thought there should be trumpets and crashing symbols and blazing Roman candles there should be parades knowing God's power for what it truly is we were witness to the disruption of the very patterns of this world by godly authority spreading across the earth these ordinations launch these young men into lifetimes of service as they will find themselves in consequential times and places where their presence and prayers and powers of priesthood the priesthood of God that they hold will profoundly matter this controlled chain reaction began with a ministering angel sent of God the resurrected John the Baptist of ancient times appeared to Joseph and Oliver and placed his hands on their heads and said "Upon you my fellow servants in the name of Messiah i confer the priesthood of Aaron which holds the keys of the ministering of angels and of the gospel of repentance and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins john called this authority the priesthood of Aaron after Moses's brother and priesthood companion anciently the holders of this priesthood of Aaron were to teach and assist in the ordinances the ordinances that focused disciplehip on the future Messiah the Lord Jesus Christ the book of Numbers explicitly assigns to holders of the priesthood of Aaron the tasks of handling the vessels of the ordinances and thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons and their charge shall be the table and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister the Old Testament ordinance of animal sacrifice was fulfilled and replaced through the Savior's life and atonement that ancient ordinance was replaced with the ordinance that we now call the sacrament of the Lord's supper the Lord entrusts today's bearers of the priesthood of Aaron to do very much the same things that they did anciently to teach and to administer ordinances all to remind us of his atonement when deacons teachers and priests help with the sacrament they receive its blessings just like everyone else by keeping the covenant they make as they individually partake of the bread and the water but in the performance of these sacred duties they also learn more about their priesthood roles and responsibilities the ironic priesthood is called the preparatory priesthood partly because its ordinances allow them to experience the weight and the joy of being on the Lord's errand preparing them for future priesthood service when they may be called upon to minister in unforeseeable ways including pronouncing inspired blessings in times when hopes and dreams and even life and death hang in precarious balance such serious expectations require serious preparation the Doctrine in Covenants explains that deacons and teachers are to warn expound exhort and teach and invite all to come unto Christ and in addition to these opportunities priests are to preach and baptize well all that sounds like a lot but in the real world those things happen naturally and all over this world one bishop taught his new deacons corum presidency these duties and so the young president and presidency began to talk about what that might look like in their quorum and in their ward they decided that they should start visiting elderly ward members to see what their needs were and then do those among those they served was Allen a rough often profane and sometimes hostile neighbor allan's wife Wanda became a member of the church but Allan was as we say something of a piece of work still the deacons went to work and comically ignored his insults while they shoveled snow and took out trash deacons could be hard to hate and Allan eventually began to love them at some point they invited him to church i don't like church he responded well you like us they said so just come with us you can come to our quorum meeting if you want and with the bishop's approval he came and he kept coming the deacons became teachers and as they continued to serve him he taught them to work on cars and to build things by the time these deacons turned teachers became priests Allen was calling them my boys they were now preparing for missions as priests and asked him if they could practice missionary lessons with him well he swore that he would never listen and never believe but yeah they could practice at his house and then Allan got sick and he softened and one day in quorum meeting he tenderly asked them to pray for him to quit smoking and so they did but then they followed him home and confiscated all of his tobacco stash as his failing health put Allan into hospitals and rehab centers his boys served him quietly exuding powers of priesthood and of love unfeigned the miracle continued and Allen asked to be baptized but then passed away before it could happen but at his request his deacons turned priests were the pbearers and the speakers at his funeral they were fittingly are there they fittingly warned expounded exhorted taught and invited all to Christ and later in the temple it was one of Allen's boys who baptized that earwile deacons quorum president in proxy for Allen everything John the Baptist said to do they did they did what deacons teachers and priests do all over this church and all over this world one of the things that holders of the priesthood of Aaron are charged to do involves the ordinance of the sacrament last year I met an inspired bishop and his wonderful wife on a recent Sunday morning they were driving to their son's baptism and suffered the tragic and sudden loss of their darling two-year-old daughter Tess the next morning Sunday morning their ward members gathered for sacrament meeting filled with compassion suffering themselves no one expected the bishop's family to be at church that morning but a couple of minutes before the meeting started they quietly entered and took their place the bishop went to the stand and walked past his usual seat between his counselors and sat down instead between his priests at the sacrament table during that anguished and sleepless night before of searching for understanding and peace he'd received a strong impression of what his family most needed and what his ward most needed it was to hear the voice of their bishop their ward ironic priesthood president their grieving father pronounced the promises of the sacramental covenant and so in due course he knelt with those priests and spoke to his father with the pathos of that occasion he pronounced some of the most powerful words that anyone is ever permitted to say out loud in this lifetime they're words of eternal consequence words of ordinance words of covenant instruction that connects us to the very purposes of this life and to the most magnificent outcomes of Heavenly Father's plan for us can you imagine what the congregation heard in that chapel that day what they felt in the words that we hear every Sunday in our chapels oh God the eternal father we ask thee in the name of thy son Jesus Christ to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy son and witness unto thee oh God the eternal father that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy son and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them that they may always have his spirit to be with them and then oh God the eternal father we ask thee in the name of thy son Jesus Christ to bless and sanctify this water to the souls of all those who drink of it that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy son which was shed for them that they may witness unto thee oh God the eternal father that they do always remember him that they may have his spirit to be with them this good father and mother testify that that promise has been fulfilled they do in fact to their everlasting comfort have his spirit to be with them i am forever grateful that holders of the ironic priesthood with its powers ordinances and duties do bless all of us through the keys of the very ministering of angels and of the gospel of repentance and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins in the name of Jesus Christ amen amen [Music] come hear the word the Lord has spoken revealed a new in days the heavens again to us are open let all rejoice and sing his praise [Music] the Savior will redeem his people and Satan's work will be undone the truths of God to earth from heaven will all be gathered into one the Lord's great day is surely coming we long to see that blessed day when Christ will reign with peace and justice and he will wipe all tears away [Music] oh will shout rejoicing for Christ will reign on earth as king his holy word will stand forever let every soul give thanks and sing and sing and sing as every [Music] soul sing [Music] We once lived in a home surrounded by majestic trees next to the entrance was a beautiful willow tree one sad night a mighty storm blew and the willow came crashing down it lay on the ground with its roots pulled out and it was a sorry sight i was ready to rev up the chainsaw and cut the tree up for firewood when our neighbor came running out to stop me he chastised me for giving up on the tree and he emphatically urged us not to get rid of it he then pointed to one root still in the ground and said that if we propped the tree up cut off its branches and nourished it the roots would take hold once again i was skeptical and doubted how a tree so obviously fallen and in trouble could possibly survive and come back to life i reasoned that even if it did begin growing again it would surely not survive the next storm but knowing our neighbor believed the tree still had a future we went along with the plan and the result after some time we saw signs of life as the tree began to take root now 12 years later the tree is vibrant and full of life with strong roots and once again contributing to the beauty of the landscape well I meet saints around the world i am reminded of this willow tree and how there is hope even when all seems lost some once had testimonies of the gospel that were strong and vibrant like the willow then for uniquely personal reasons those testimonies became weakened leading to a loss of faith others hang on with the slimmest of roots tapping into gospel soil yet again and again I'm inspired by the stories of so many who have chosen to renew their disciplehip and come back to their church home rather than discarding their faith and belief like worthless firewood instead they've responded to spiritual prompings and loving invitations to return i attended a state conference in Korea where returning members shared "I thank the brothers for their willingness to accept my lack of faith and my weakness for reaching out to me and for the members who are always so kind to me i still have a lot of friends around me who are less active." It's funny but they tell each other to go back to the church to get their faith back i think maybe they are all longing for faith so to all who are longing for faith we invite you to come back i promise your faith can be strengthened as you once again worship with the saints a former missionary from Africa wrote a senior church leader apologizing and seeking forgiveness for being offended by his teachings about a certain cultural tradition which then led him to leave the church he humbly expressed "Sadly the fact that I took offense 15 years ago has made me pay an extremely heavy price i lost so much much more than I ever imagined i am deeply embarrassed by the harm I may have caused along the way but above all else I am pleased that I have found my way back close quote so to all who recognize what you have lost we invite you to come back so you can once again taste the joyous fruit of the gospel a sister in the United States was gone from the church for many years her story of coming back includes powerful lessons for parents and family members who anguish over loved ones who step away she wrote "I could list a myriad of reasons for why I walked away from the church the gospel and in a way my family but they really don't matter i didn't make one big decision to leave the church i probably made a thousand choices but one thing I have always known is that my parents did make one big decision and they stuck to it they decided to love me i couldn't possibly know how many tears have been shared how many sleepless nights nor how many heartfelt pleading words of prayer have been uttered on my behalf they didn't call me out on my sins rather they called out to me in my sinfulness they didn't make me feel unwelcome in their home and at family gatherings any of those feelings were of my own doing instead they continued to welcome me they must have seen my light dim over time but they knew that the person I was back then was just a shadow of who I was yet to become just as my path away from the church was complex so was my way back but one thing that was not hard about coming back was a feeling of being back home where I belong close quote now my message today is especially to all who once felt the spirit but question whether there is a way back or a place for you in the restored church of Jesus Christ it's also for any who are barely hanging on or who attempted to step away this message is not a challenge and it's not a condemnation it's an invitation extended with love and a sincere desire to welcome you back to your spiritual home i have prayed that you will feel the witness of the Holy Ghost as you now hear this loving invitation and magnificent promise from our savior Jesus Christ will ye not now return unto me repent of your sins and be converted that I may heal you every week many are responding to the Savior's invitation by returning to disciplehip in church activity quietly and humbly seeking the healing that Jesus promises and contrary to narratives which sometimes circulate record numbers of our young people are choosing to stay strong and to grow their faith in Jesus Christ when some of Jesus' followers in Compernum found his teachings hard and chose to leave he turned to his apostles and asked "Will ye also go away?" This is the question we each must answer as we face our individual times of testing peter's response to Jesus is timeless and resounding to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life so as you consider the Savior's invitation to return unto him what might you learn from the story of the willow tree one the journey back is often not easy or comfortable but it is worth it when our willow was stood back up all its branches were cut away it was not pretty we too may feel vulnerable as we discard old ways and a stripped of pride but focusing your faith on Jesus Christ and his gospel the trunk and the roots will give you the hope and the courage to take that first step back two it took many years for our willow to regain its former strength and beauty now it is even stronger and more beautiful than before be patient as your faith and testimony also grow this includes not taking offense at thoughtless comments like "Where have you been all these years?" Three the willow would never have survived without constant care and nourishment you will nourish your faith and your testimony as you feast at the sacrament table each week and as you worship in the house of the Lord four just as a willow needed sunshine for its branches and leaves to grow again so your testimony will grow as you stay sensitive to the feelings and the witness of the spirit learn from Amu who described his time as a less active member by saying "I was called many times and I would not hear." Five my neighbor knew what the will could once again become so too the Lord knows your divine potential and what your faith and your testimony can become he will never give up on you through the atonement of Jesus Christ all that is broken can be healed i witness that there is rejoicing in heaven over those who return you are needed and you are loved i testify that Jesus Christ is our savior and that he blesses all who return unto him with greater peace and with great joy his arms of mercy are not folded but are open and extended to you it's not too late for you to come back with all the love in our hearts we welcome you home in the name of Jesus Christ amen amen when I was 17 I made an agreement with my friend Jose Luiz to teach him how to swim so one morning we dedicated time to practice when our lesson was over and I was leaving the pool I heard my friend shouting for help he was drowning in the deep end of the pool i threw myself into the water and swam towards him while praying for help as I grabbed his hand to pull him to the surface my desperate friend climbed onto my back and put me in a choke hold now we were both drowning trying my best to reach the service I prayed with all my might for a miracle from God then slowly but steadily the power of God was manifest as I felt a hand propelling me toward the shallow end of the pool bringing us to safety this experience confirmed the profound lesson President Russell M nelson once thought "When you reach out for the Lord's power in your life with the same intensity that the drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air power from Jesus Christ will be yours." Dear children and young people today I want to talk to you about the essential principle of faith in Jesus Christ what does it mean to have faith in Christ does it mean we believe in him or have a testimony that he is real that may be a start but it's more than that have you ever thought of faith as trust think of the person you trust the most perhaps a family member or a friend why do you trust them it is probably because you have seen their constant love and help when we have faith in Christ we recognize his blessings and develop a relationship of trust with him how can you increase your trust in Christ in a recent youth devotional you were invited to meditate on a time in your life when you receive a ray of heavenly light try this exercise start by meditating about Christ and the happiness his atonement and gospel bring to your life also make a record of the spiritually defining memories where God has been there for you your loved ones and for the people in the scriptures now these testimonies will not bring power to your life until the spirit etches them in the fleshy tables of your heart so ponder and record all God set in motion for these miracles to come at just the right time next use this exercise as an opportunity to get closer to God pray to your heavenly father as if it were the first time express your love and gratitude for his blessings even ask him how he feels about you and about the direction your life is taking if you are sincere and humble you will hear his answer and begin a personal and lasting relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ not only that but your religious habits will become meaningful for instance you will look forward to your prayers personal study and temple worship as opportunities to get to know them and be with them notice that faith sprouts as we trust in Jesus Christ and blooms as we are faithful and loyal to him if you want a true relationship with Christ show him by making covenants and honoring them with faithfulness and loyalty making covenants with Jesus Christ builds hope honoring them builds faith let me use a personal example when I was a child I found my mother crying alone one day when I asked her why she gently said "I need you to be a good boy." Even though I knew that I was not the cause of her distress I loved and trusted my mother like no one else and wanted to make her life less difficult so with tears in my eyes and with all the solemnity that a 9-year-old could have promised her that day I would always strive to be the best son and make her proud can you imagine the power that promise had and it still has on me that promise with her would guide my life before making decisions I would consider whether my actions would please her the bond of this promise and the relationship with my mother were the anchors for my conduct throughout my life years later as I came to know Jesus Christ better I already knew how to base my faith in him i made covenant with the Lord and as I have sought to honor them he has forgiven my sins guiding my life and filled me with his love to the very core of my being christ has instilled in me a deep love respect and loyalty for him do you understand why faith is a principle of action and that without faith it is impossible to please God as you try to do what pleases him you will say like the Joseph in Egypt when he was tempted by Piper's wife how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God and when faced with opposition you will say like the young prophet Joseph I knew it and I knew that God knew it and I could not deny it i knew that by so doing I would offend God so faith in Jesus Christ is a bond of trust forged in loyalty and love in other words in gratitude for God's merciful love we show our loyal love by keeping his commandments christ promises "He that hath my commandments and keepeth them shall be loved of my father and I will love him and will manifest myself to him." If you commit to be loyal to him he will manifest his love for you but how should you respond to such adverse situations that require his miracles while challenges are inevitable and sometimes frightening simply walk undanted toward him just as the FSY 2025 theme invites look to me in every thought doubt not fear not how can you walk undounted toward him imagine that you are an explorer in unchartered territory to overcome the obstacles ahead you need a source of light your faithfulness to God and your constant interactions with him are the fuel for your lantern so when you encounter dark and perilous situations instead of walking toward them blindly you will turn on your lamp filled with the oil of faith in Christ to shed the glimmers of hope on the uncertain path your past experiences will increase your hope that the Lord will sustain you on your journey how far will you go with your hope and faith in Christ remember my story at the pool in that moment of despair the miracle came in the way I had expected but God does not guarantee that it will always be according to our will our faith must be center in Christ and our hope in his blessings as he chooses to send them expect miracles but let God prevail in our lives my young friends how much we love and trust you you belong to the family of God and are children of the covenant believe and trust in Jesus Christ he will enable you to truly become his disciples i invite you to begin today to nurture your relationship with Jesus Christ make a commitment to never forsake him your loyalty love and trust in Christ will shape your character and identity after his you will gain confidence and strength to overcome Satan's attacks and when you made mistakes you will yearn for his forgiveness finally your hope for the future will be bright he will trust you with his power to accomplish anything he expects of you even the power to return to his presence i testify to you of the joy that comes from singing the song of redeeming love and being encircled about eternally in the arms of his love in the sacred name of Jesus Christ amen amen as directed by brother Anderson the congregation will join with the choir in singing Hark all ye nations elder Dale G railland of the corn of the twelve apostles will then speak to us he will be followed by Elder Hans Bon of the 70 [Music] this is the Saturday afternoon session of the 195th annual general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints all the nations and voice through every [Music] [Music] [Music] Angel heat heat [Music] [Applause] [Music] heat heat [Music] heat heat heat [Applause] [Music] heat heat heat [Music] heat heat heat [Music] heat yeah heat [Music] as the [Music] [Applause] [Music] sun my dear brothers and sisters last October President Russell M nelson taught "Now is the time for you and for me to prepare for the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ." When President Nelson speaks about the second coming it is always with joyful optimism however a girl in primary recently told me 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." It's not just children who may feel this way the best advice for her for you and for me is to follow the Savior's teachings his instructions are neither mysterious nor complex when we follow them we don't need to fear or be anxious toward the end of his mortal ministry Jesus Christ was asked when he would come again in answering he taught three parables recorded in Matthew 25 about how to prepare to meet him whether at his second coming or whenever we leave this world these teachings are crucial because personal preparation to meet him is central to life's purpose the Savior first told the parable of the 10 virgins in this parable 10 virgins went to a wedding feast five wisely brought oil to fill their lamps and five foolishly did not when the bridegroom's imminent arrival was announced the foolish virgins left to buy oil when they returned it was too late the door to the feast was shut jesus identified three aspects of the parable to help us he explained "And at that day when I shall come in my glory shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the 10 virgins for they that are wise have received the truth have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide and have not been deceived verily I say unto you they shall abide the day." In other words they didn't need to fear or be anxious because they would survive and prosper they would prevail if we're 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 third element that Jesus highlighted is avoiding deception the Savior warned "Take heed that no man deceive you for many shall come in my name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many." 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 the Book of Mormon teaches us how we can differentiate deceivers from disciples disciples always promote believing in God serving him and doing good we won't be deceived when we seek and take counsel from trusted individuals who are themselves faithful disciples of the Savior we can also avoid deception by worshiping regularly in the temple this helps us maintain an eternal perspective and protects us from influences that might distract or divert us from the covenant path the essential lesson of this parable of the 10 virgins is that we're wise when we accept the gospel seek to have the Holy Ghost with us and avoid deception the five wise virgins could not help those without oil no one can accept the gospel take the Holy Ghost as a guide and avoid deception on our behalf we have to do this for ourselves the savior then told the parable of the talents in this parable a man gave differing amounts of money referred to as talents to three servants to one servant he gave five talents to another he gave two and to a third he gave one over time the first two servants doubled what they had received but the third servant simply buried his single talent to both servants who had doubled their talents the man said "Well done good and faithful servant thou has been faithful over a few things i'll make thee ruler over many things enter thou into the joy of thy lord." The man then chided the servant who had buried his talent for being wicked and slothful this servant's talent was taken away and he was banished yet had this servant doubled his talent he would have received the same commenation and reward as the other servants one message of this parable is that God expects us to magnify the abilities we've been given but he doesn't want us to compare our abilities to those of others consider this insight provided by the 18th century hidic scholar Zusia of Anipole zusia was a renowned teacher who began to fear as he approached death his disciples asked "Master why do you tremble you've lived a good life surely God will grant you a great reward." Zusia said "If God says to me Zusa why were you not another Moses?" I will say "Because you didn't give me the greatness of soul you gave Moses." And if I stand before God and he says "Zusha why were you not another Solomon?" I will say because you didn't give me the wisdom of Solomon but alas what will I say if I stand before my maker and he says "Zusha why were you not Zusa why were you not the man I gave you the capacity to be?" Uh that is why I trembled indeed God will be disappointed if we don't rely upon the merits mercy and grace of the Savior to magnify the God-given talents we have received with his loving assistance he expects us to become the best version of ourselves that we may start with differing abilities is irrelevant to him and it should be to us finally the Savior told the parable of the sheep and goats when he returns in his glory before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats and he shall set his sheep on his right hand but the goats on the left those on his right became heirs in his kingdom and those on his left received no inheritance the distinguishing characteristic was whether they fed him when he was hungry gave him drink when he was thirsty housed him when he was a stranger clothed him when he was naked and visited him when he was sick or imprisoned everyone was perplexed both those on the right hand and on the left hand they asked when they had or when they had not given him food drink and clothing or helped him when he was vulnerable in response the Savior said "Verily I say unto you in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me." The message of the parable is clear when we serve others we serve God when we don't we disappoint he expects us to use our gifts talents and abilities to bless the lives of Heavenly Father's children the divine impulse to serve others is illustrated in a poem written in the 19th century by the Finnish poet Yuan Ludvig Runar my siblings and I repeatedly heard the poem Farmer Pavo throughout our childhoods in the poem Pabo was a poor farmer who lived with his wife and children in the lake region of central Finland several years in a row most of his crops were destroyed whether through the runoff from the spring snow melt summer hail storms or an early autumn frost each time the meager harvest came in the farmer's wife lamented "Pavo Pavo you unfortunate old man god has forsaken us." Pavo in turn stoically said "Mix bark with the ry flour to make bread so the children won't go hungry i'll work harder to drain the marshy fields god is testing us but he will provide each time the crops were destroyed Pava directed his wife to double the amount of bark that she mixed into the flower to ward off starvation he also worked harder digging trenches to drain the ground and decrease his field susceptibility to a spring runoff and an early autumn frost after years of hardship Pavo finally harvested a rich crop his wife exalted pavo Pavo these are happy times it's time to throw away the bark and bake bread made only with rye but Pabo solemnly took his wife's hand and said "Mix half the flour with bark for our neighbors fields have frosted over." Pavos sacrificed his and his family's bounty to help his devastated and destitute neighbor the lesson of the Savior's parable of the sheep and goats is that we're to use the gifts we've been given time talents and blessings to serve Heavenly Father's children especially the most vulnerable and needy my invitation to the anxious primary child I mentioned earlier and to each of you 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 you'll be ready to meet the Savior and you can join President Nelson in being joyfully optimistic in doing so you help the world prepare for the second coming of Jesus Christ and you'll be blessed with sufficient hope to enter the rest and joy of the Lord now and in the future as we sing in one of our new hymns rejoice and prepare for that day no one knows the day and hour when he will come again but he'll return as the scriptures say it will be a joyful day when our beloved savior comes again in the name of Jesus Christ amen amen while I was visiting the Nashville Tennessee temple for a temple review I was privileged to do a walkthrough as part of this assignment reviewing this beautiful house of the Lord I was especially impressed with the painting of Mary Wlas called Carry On hanging on the wall in the office of the matron this is the story behind the painting in Missouri in 1862 the 14-year-old Mary Wless promised her dying stepmother that she would see to it that her disabled father and her four much younger siblings would all make it to the to the valley of the Great Salt Lake mary drove the oxen milk cows that pulled the wagon in which her father was bedridden and she cared for her siblings after each day's journey she fed the family by foraging edible plants flowers and berries her only compass was the instruction she had received to keep traveling west until the clouds became mountains they reached Utah the Utah Valley in September having traveled all spring and summer her father died not long after the family settled in Utah County where Mary later married and raised her own family this is an amazing story of the faith and strength of a 14-year-old young woman that can help each one of us today to just carry on or freelance freely translated in my native Dutch language kavon Dora is also my mom and dad's lifelong slogan my parents and in-laws are the pioneers in our family they have crossed their own plains just like all those who are coming into the church the Lord's fold every day their stories have little to do with oxen and wagons but have the same effect on future generations they embraced the gospel and were baptized in their young adult years both my parents had a difficult childhood my father grew up on the island of Java in Indonesia during World War II he was forcefully separated from his family and entered in a concentration camp where he suffered unspeakable hardships at a young age my mother was raised in a broken home and also suffered from hunger and hardships of World War II at times she even had to resort in eating tulip bulbs due to her father's actions and a subsequent divorce from her mother it was sometimes difficult for her to see Heavenly Father as a loving father my parents met at the church activity and shortly after decided to get married and sealed in the burn Switzerland temple waiting at the railway station having spent the last of their little savings for the trip to the temple they wondered how they would make ants meet but were confident that it would all work out and it did they started to raise their family from a very humble single attic room apartment in the heart of Amsterdam after several years of washing their clothes by hand they had finally saved up enough money to purchase a washing machine just before they would make the purchase the bishop visited them asking for a contribution to build the meeting house in Amsterdam they decided to give all they had saved for the washing machine and continued to do the laundry by hand as a family we went through some hardships just like any other family these have only made us stronger and have deepened our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ just like when Elma was sharing his story with his son Helimman where he told him that he has been supported under trials and troubles of every kind because he had put his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ how did two people that experienced so many trials in their younger years become the very best parents I could ever wish for the answer is simple they fully embrace the gospel and live by their covenants to this very day after more than 65 years of marriage my mother who suffered from Alzheimer's disease passed away in February my father at the age of 92 and still living at home visited her often as he could until she passed away some time ago he mentioned to my younger siblings that the dreadful experiences in the camp in Indonesia during World War II had prepared him to patiently care for his wife for so many years as she fell ill and deteriorated from this horrible disease and also for the fateful day he had to entrust her primary care to others and could not be by her side anymore their motto has been and still is to just carry on having a perfect hope in Christ to be raised up at the last day and to dwell with him in glory forever their faith and testimonies are a driving strength for the generations that come after them in the village where my wife grew up her parents who were good church-going people embraced the gospel as a young married couple with my wife as their two-year-old daughter and only child child at that time their decision to become members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints had a great impact on their lives as they were shunned by the villagers and by their family it took many years loving service um and loving notes to family members and the community before they were finally accepted on one occasion when my wife's father was serving as a bishop he was falsely accused of something and was immediately released my mother-in-law was so hurt that she asked her husband if they should continue to go to church he answered that they of course would continue to go to church since this is not the church of man but this is the church of Jesus Christ it took some time before the truth came to light and apologies were made what could have been their breaking point just added to their strength and conviction why is it that some of us take for granted the faith and testimonies of our parents who through all their hardships have remained faithful do we think that they do not have a clear understanding of things they were not and are not deceived they just have too many experiences with the spirit and can say with the prophet Joseph "I knew it and I could not deny it." Don't you love the song about the army of Heliliman found in the children's song book we have been born of as Nephi of old of goodly parents who love the Lord we have been taught and we understand that we must do as the Lord commands even when this might not be the case as my mother experienced as a child you can become one of those goodly parents who love the Lord and provide a righteous example to others do we feel that this is absolutely true when we sing it do you feel that you are as the army of Helilimman and that you will be the Lord's missionaries to bring the world his truth i have felt it on so many occasions while singing this song in several FSY settings and other youth gatherings or what do we feel when we sing the hymn true to the faith shall the youth of Zion falter in defending truth and right while the enemy assail it shall we shrink or shun the fight no true to the faith that our parents have cherished to those of the rising generation wherever you are and in whatever situation you may find yourself please learn and receive strength from the faith and testimonies of those that came before you it will help you understand that in order to gain or grow a testimony sacrifices will have to be made and that sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven thinking about a sacrifice that will truly bless your life please consider and pray about the invitation of our beloved prophet President Nelson when he asked every worthy able young man to prepare for and serve a mission for Leather Day Saint young man missionary service is a priesthood responsibility for young enabled sisters a mission is also a powerful but optional opportunity you could be called as as a service or as a teaching missionary both types of missionaries contribute to the same goal of bringing souls to Christ each in their own and unique powerful way in both types of service you will show the Lord you love him and that you want to get to know him better remember for how knoweth the man the master whom he has not served and who is a stranger unto him and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart all of us whether we are the first generation in the gospel or the fifth should ask ourselves "What stories of faith strength and celestial commitment will I pass on to the next generation?" Let us all continue in our efforts to get to know our savior Jesus Christ better and to make him the center of our lives he is the rock upon we which we must build so that when the times come become difficult we will be able to stand firm let us be true to the faith that our parents have cherished true to the truth for which martyrs have perished to God's command soul heart and hand faithful and true we will ever stand in the name of Jesus Christ amen amen we are most grateful to all who have spoken to us and for the beautiful music by the youth choir we remind you of the Saturday evening general session which will be broadcast from the conference center this evening at 6 pm mountain daylight daylight time the choir will now favor us with all the deep deep love of Jesus the concluding speaker for this session will be Elder Der F ukdorf of the corn of the twel apostles following Elder Uggdorf's remarks the choir will sing true to the faith the benediction will then be offered by Sister J anette Dennis who serves as first counselor in the Relief Society Presidency [Music] oh the deep love of Jesus boundless free holy c of mighty ocean in it over me underneath me all around me is the current of his love leading onward leading homeward to his glorious rest above [Music] oh the deep love of Jesus spread his grace from shore to shore praise his mercy praise his goodness praise his love forever more how he love to call them his for them he interceded watch for them from his throne [Music] [Music] the deep love of Jesus love of every of the best is an ocean of blessing is a haven sweet of rest [Music] oh the deep deep love of Jesus is a heavens to me and it lifts me up to glory lifts me up eternal [Music] oh the deep of Jesus [Music] oh the deep deep love of Jesus lift me up thank you to you beautiful choir of the rising generation many years ago sistov and I were traveling through southern Germany it was just before Easter and we invited a good friend who was not a member of the church to join us in our Sunday worship service we love this dear friend so it was normal and natural to share with her how we felt about the Savior and his church and to invite her to come and see she accepted the invitation and joined us at the meeting of a nearby branch if you have ever brought a friend to church for the first time you can probably relate to the way I felt that Sunday morning i wanted everything to go perfectly our friend was highly educated spiritual person i earnestly hoped the meetings of this branch would make a good impression on her and represent the church well the branch met in some rented rooms on the second floor of a grocery store to get there we had to take the stairs at the back of the building passing the strong aromas from goods stored there as the second meeting began I thought about my friend experiencing this for the first time and I couldn't help but notice things that made me cringe a little the singing of course was not like we heard it now or like the tabernacle choir but uh restless noisy children could be heard during the sacrament the speakers did their best but they were not skilled at public speaking i sat uncomfortably through the meeting hoping that maybe the Sunday school would be better it wasn't all morning I worried about what our friend must think of this church we had taken her to afterwards as we drove home I turned to talk to our friend i wanted to explain that this was just one small branch and it didn't really represent the church as a whole but before I could say a word she spoke up "that was beautiful," she said "i was speechless." She continued "I'm so impressed with how people treat each other in your church they all seem to come from different backgrounds and yet it's clear that they generously love each other this is what I imagine Christ wanted his church to be like well I quickly repented of my judgmental attitude i had wanted picture perfect meetings to impress my friend but what the members of this branch had achieved was a heart perfect spirit of love kindness patience and compassion my dear brothers and sisters my dear friends I love the church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints it is the Savior's true and living church and it teaches the restored fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ his priesthood power and authority reside here jesus Christ leads this church personally through servants he has called and authorized and by a living prophet even President Nelson the Savior has given the letters of the saints a unique mission to gather God's children and prepare the world for the Savior's second coming i bear witness that all this is true but it's important to remember that when most people experience the church of Jesus Christ for the first time they aren't thinking about priesthood authority or ordinances or the gathering of Israel what they are likely to notice above all else is how they feel when they are with us and how we treat each other love one another jesus said "By this I will know that you are my disciples." Very often a person's first testimony of Jesus Christ comes when he or she feels love among the disciples of Jesus Christ the Savior declared that he restored his church so that faith might increase in the earth therefore when people visit our church meetings the savior wants them to leave with stronger faith in him the love of our friends and the love our friends feel among us will lift them closer to Jesus Christ that is our simple goal every time we gather when we meet together anyone who is seeking greater faith in Christ or a closer connection to Heavenly Father should feel right at home in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints inviting them to our meetings can be as normal and as natural as inviting them into our homes now I realize that I'm describing the ideal and in this mortal life we rarely get to experience the ideal and until the perfect day there will always be a gap between the ideal and the real so what should we do when the church doesn't feel like the perfect day when for whatever reason or ward our personal ward doesn't yet nurture perfect faith or love or when it feels that we don't fit in one thing we should not do is give up on the idea the title page of the Book of Mormon includes this important caution if they are false it says they are the mistakes of men wherefore condemn not the things of God can a book or a church or a person have faults and mistakes and still be the work of God my answer is a resounding yes so while we hold ourselves to the Lord's high standards let's also be patient with one another we're each a work in progress and we all rely on the Savior for any progress we make that's true for us as individuals and it's true for the kingdom of God on earth the Lord invites us not just to join his kingdom but also be anxiously engaged in building it god envisions a people who are of one heart and of one mind and to be of one heart we must seek pure hearts and that requires a mighty change of heart but that doesn't mean changing my heart to align with yours nor does it mean changing your heart to align with mine it means that we all change our hearts to align with the Savior if we are not there yet remember with the Lord's help nothing is impossible and if you ever feel like you don't quite fit in please know that you are not alone haven't we all been in life situations when we felt like a stranger in the room i have experienced this more than once when I was 11 years old my family was forced to leave our home and move to an unfamiliar region everything was different from what I was used to and my accent made it clear to the other children that I was different from what they were used to at a time when I desperately needed friendship and belonging I felt lonely and displaced here on earth most of the differences we notice the difference some of us use to categorize each other have to do with earthly things physical appearance nationality language clothing customs and so on but God does not view things the way people do people look on the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart from this perspective there's one category that comes before all others child of God and we all fit perfectly in this one it's natural to want to be around people who look talk act and think like we do there's a place for that but in the Savior's church we gather all of God's children who are willing to be gathered and who seek the truth it is not our physical appearance our political views our culture our ethnicity that brings us together it is not our common background that unites us it is our common objective our love for God our love for our neighbor our commitment to Jesus Christ and his restored gospel we are one in Christ the unity we seek is not to have everyone stand in the same place it is to have everyone face in the same direction toward Jesus Christ we are one not because of where we have been but where we're striving to go not because of who we are but who we seek to become that is what Christ to church is all about if you love God if you want to know him better by following his son then you belong here if you are earnestly seeking to keep the Savior's commandments even though you are not perfect at all in it yet then you are a perfect fit for the church of Jesus Christ of Leads and what if you're different from people around you that doesn't make you a misfit it makes you a needed part of the body of Christ all are needed in the body of Christ the ears perceive things that the eyes never could the feet do things that the hands would be ineffective at that doesn't mean your job is to change everyone to be like yourself but it does mean that you have something important to contribute and that you have something important to learn in every session of general conference we are blessed with in blessed with inspiring music from talented talented choirs as you listen you might notice that singers don't all sing the same notes sometimes one section carries a melody sometimes another but they all contribute to the beautiful sound and they are completely unified each choir member has the same central goal to praise God and lift our hearts to him each must have his or her mind and heart fixed on the same divine purpose and when that happens they truly become one voice if you're not yet a member of the Church of Jesus Christ already saints we invite you to join us as we rejoice in the Savior's song of redeeming love we need you we love you the church will be better with your efforts to serve the Lord and his children if you have already shown through baptism through making covenants with God your desire to come into the fold of God and to be called his people thank you for being part of this great and divine work and for helping to make the church of Jesus Christ and all of us what the Savior wants us to be as I learned from my friend in Germany our love for God and his children is a powerful testimony to the world that this is truly the Savior's church may God bless us to be patiently but diligently seek to live up to the ideals our savior redeemer and master has set for us so all will know that we are his disciples in the sacred name of Jesus Christ amen amen [Music] shall the youth of falter in defending truth and right while the enem [Music] [Music] [Music] soul heart and hand faithful and true we will ever stand [Music] while we know the powers of darkness seek to pour the work of God shall the children of the proise seeks to grasp the IR no true to the faith that our parents have cherish true to the truth for which true we will ever ever [Music] We will work out our salvation we will leave unto the truth we will watch and pray and labor with the firant seal of you we will be found worthy of the kingom of our Lord in the faithful ones redeemed who have loved and kept his [Music] I [Applause] choose to [Music] mand heat [Music] heat heat [Applause] up our dear beloved father in heaven we are so grateful to be here in this conference we love thee and we love thy son and we are eternally grateful to him for his atoning sacrifice for us and the hope that it gives us here in this life and in the eternities we are so grateful for a prophet and we pray for him our dear President Nelson that thou will sustain him and give him the strength that he needs we are so grateful father in heaven for our membership in thy church and we pray for the members of the church throughout the world especially those that are suffering from difficult trials and difficult circumstances that thou will bless them and sustain them and bless them to be able to feel the love of the Savior for them and to be able to feel peace despite their circumstances we pray for the missionaries throughout the world young and old please bless them to be able to find those who are seeking to know more of thee and of thy son we pray for thy strength we pray that these messages of this conference will be able to sustain us and bless us in following thy son more closely that we might be able to be examples of him wherever we are we love thee dear father and pray for these things in the name of thy beloved son our savior and redeemer Jesus Christ amen amen amen [Music] [Music] are [Music] you Let's go [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] heat heat [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] heat heat [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] this has been a broadcast of the Saturday afternoon session of the 195th annual general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints speakers were selected from leaders of the church music for this session was provided by a choir of young men and young women who reside in northern Utah all are welcome to view and share the messages of this and other conferences found at churchofjesus.org this broadcast is furnished as a public service by Bonavville distribution it may be used for personal and non-commercial home family or church uses copyright 2025 by Intellectual Reserve Incorporated all rights reserved [Music]