"By This All Will Know That You Are My Disciples"
By Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 2025
📖 general conference
Sister Uchtdorf and the speaker invite a non-member friend to a Sunday worship service in a small branch in southern Germany, hoping to make a good impression, but the friend is instead impressed by the love and kindness she observes among the members.
Many years ago Sister Uchtdorf 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 loved 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 meetings of a nearby branch.
If you have ever brought a friend to church for the firs ... (continued)
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"By This All Will Know That You Are My Disciples"
By Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 2025
📖 general conference
The speaker recalls feeling like a stranger and out of place at age 11 when his family had to move to an unfamiliar region, emphasizing the universal experience of feeling different and the importance of inclusivity in the Church.
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 the 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 thatIwas different from whattheywere used to. At a time when I desperately needed frien ... (continued)
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"Draw Near unto Me"
By President Henry B. Eyring
- Second Counselor in the First Presidency
📅 April 2025
📖 general conference
The speaker recalls a sacrament meeting from over 75 years ago, feeling warmth and light as he kept the commandment to partake of the sacrament and sang 'Abide with Me; 'Tis Eventide.'
In my youth, I experienced the joy of coming closer to the Savior"”and of His coming closer to me"”through simple acts of obedience to the commandments. When I was young, the sacrament was offered during an evening meeting. I can still remember one specific night, more than 75 years ago, when it was dark and cold outside. I remember a feeling of light and warmth as I realized that I had kept the commandment to gather with the Saints to partake of the sacrament, covenanting with our Heavenly ... (continued)
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"Draw Near unto Me"
By President Henry B. Eyring
- Second Counselor in the First Presidency
📅 April 2025
📖 general conference
Years later, the speaker sought to rekindle the feeling of closeness to the Savior by studying the scriptures, particularly the account of the disciples on the road to Emmaus and their encounter with the resurrected Christ.
Years later I wanted to rekindle the same feeling of the Savior"™s love and the closeness I had felt to the Lord during that sacrament meeting in my youth. So I kept another simple commandment: I searched the scriptures.
In the book of Luke, I read of the third day after His Crucifixion and burial, when faithful servants had come, out of love for the Savior, to anoint His body. When they arrived, they found the stone rolled away from the tomb and saw that His body was not there.
Two angels sto ... (continued)
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"Return unto Me "¦ That I May Heal You"
By Elder S. Mark Palmer
- Of the Presidency of the Seventy
📅 April 2025
📖 general conference
A member in Korea expresses gratitude for the support received from others in returning to faith and observes friends longing for faith.
I attended a stake conference in Korea where a returning member 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 alllonging for faith."
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"Return unto Me "¦ That I May Heal You"
By Elder S. Mark Palmer
- Of the Presidency of the Seventy
📅 April 2025
📖 general conference
A willow tree by the speaker's home fell during a storm, but was saved and restored to life by propping it up and nurturing it.
We once lived in a home surrounded by majestic trees.1[This was and still is the mission home for the Washington Spokane Mission. The photos of the willow tree were taken by my wife, Jacqui.]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 was a sorry sight.
I was ready to rev up the chainsaw and cut the tree up for firewood when our neighbour came running out to stop me. He ... (continued)
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"Return unto Me "¦ That I May Heal You"
By Elder S. Mark Palmer
- Of the Presidency of the Seventy
📅 April 2025
📖 general conference
A former missionary from Africa apologizes for being offended and leaving the Church, recognizing the heavy price paid and expressing joy in returning.
A former missionary from Africa wrote a senior Church leader, apologising 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 ba ... (continued)
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"Return unto Me "¦ That I May Heal You"
By Elder S. Mark Palmer
- Of the Presidency of the Seventy
📅 April 2025
📖 general conference
A sister in the United States recounts her journey away from and back to the Church, highlighting her parents' unwavering love.
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 ... (continued)
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And We Talk of Christ
By Elder Gary E. Stevenson
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 2025
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts an experience at an airport customs checkpoint where his wife's passport contained a small card with the image of the Savior, which softened the customs officer's demeanor and led to a warm exchange.
At the end of a long overseas assignment, my wife, Lesa, and I stepped into an airport terminal in preparation for just one more flight"”a red-eye"”to get home. As we stood with many others moving a step at a time in long lines, we could feel the growing anxiety of fellow travelers worried about making flights, getting through passport and visa review, and successfully navigating security checks.
We finally reached a station occupied by a customs officer who seemed unaffected by the high lev ... (continued)
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And We Talk of Christ
By Elder Gary E. Stevenson
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 2025
📖 general conference
The speaker shares a personal story about enhancing his family's Easter celebrations by incorporating more Christ-centered elements and traditions.
I believe that family worship surrounding Easter has elevated remarkably. Two years ago, I spoke about our family"™s determination to improve the way we honor Easter. Admittedly, this is still a work in progress. We have always enjoyed a special Easter Sunday meal, Easter baskets, and an Easter egg hunt, and we still do. However, adding an intentional spiritual dimension that focuses on Jesus Christ and His Atonement to our celebration has brought a sweet balance to our commemoration of these ... (continued)
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And We Talk of Christ
By Elder Gary E. Stevenson
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 2025
📖 general conference
The speaker tells about a grandmother teaching her grandson the Easter story with simple figures, and the boy's understanding of Easter being because 'Him's alive.'
Just days ago, I learned about a grandmother who rehearsed the Easter story with her four-year-old grandson by using simple replicas of the tomb, the stone that covered the sepulchre, Jesus, Mary, the disciples, and the angel. The little boy watched and listened intently as his grandma shared the burial, closing and opening of the tomb, and the garden scene of the Resurrection. He later carefully repeated the story in surprising detail to his parents as he moved the figures about himself. Follow ... (continued)
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Beware the Second Temptation
By Elder Scott D. Whiting
- Of the Seventy
📅 April 2025
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts an embarrassing incident from his youth where he participated in a prank during an Aaronic Priesthood quorum overnight camp, which resulted in him sitting on a cactus and needing his father to remove the spines.
A couple of years ago, when I turned 12, I was invited to attend my first Aaronic Priesthood quorum overnight camp. This was a long-awaited invitation, as my father was a quorum leader and often went camping with the boys in the ward, while I was left at home.
When the day came, I was excited. And I must admit that I desperately wanted to fit in with the older boys. I was determined to prove myself. In that effort it wasn"™t long before I was tested to see if I would play along and be part of ... (continued)
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Beware the Second Temptation
By Elder Scott D. Whiting
- Of the Seventy
📅 April 2025
📖 general conference
The speaker draws a parallel between his own experience of hiding after a prank and the story of Adam and Eve hiding from God after transgressing His commandment in the Garden of Eden.
Many patterns in human behavior seem to be common in the natural man"”the desire to fit in, the desire to prove oneself, the fear of missing out, and the compelling need to hide so we avoid consequences. It is this final behavior I will focus on today"”hiding after we do something that we should not.
Now, I am not equating my childish prank with grievous sin, but we can draw some parallels that may prove useful as we are tested in our mortal sojourn.
In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had a ... (continued)
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Charity"”a Sign of True Discipleship
By Elder Michael B. Strong
- Of the Seventy
📅 April 2025
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts a personal story of being involved in a tragic accident that resulted in the death of a young man and being locked up in jail, feeling frightened and alone. A fellow missionary, Elder Brian Kochevar, showed compassion by staying with him in his cell to provide comfort during his distress.
While serving as a young missionary in South America, I likewise benefited from the compassion of a dear friend. One evening while I was driving with my companion to the home of our mission president, a young man on a bicycle turned suddenly in front of the vehicle. It happened so quickly that I could not avoid the collision. Tragically, this young man was killed by the impact. I was devastated over the loss of his life. Terrified and in shock as the awful reality of what had just occurred crash ... (continued)
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Charity"”a Sign of True Discipleship
By Elder Michael B. Strong
- Of the Seventy
📅 April 2025
📖 general conference
The speaker shares an example of charity through the actions of John and Debbie Benich, who helped his wife manage their six young children during sacrament meetings while he served as a bishop.
When I was called to serve as a bishop, our six young children made sacrament meetings challenging for my wife, Cristin, who had to manage them alone while I sat on the stand. As you may imagine, our children were often less than reverent. Noticing her situation, two members of our ward, John and Debbie Benich, began sitting with her each Sunday to help. Their kindness continued for years, and they became surrogate grandparents to our family. Like the Lord, these disciples had noticed the unspok ... (continued)
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Charity"”a Sign of True Discipleship
By Elder Michael B. Strong
- Of the Seventy
📅 April 2025
📖 general conference
The speaker tells the story of the Agamata family, who were unable to attend their temple sealing due to typhoons affecting their farming. Elder and Sister Cauilan and three young service missionaries helped plant the rice, enabling the Agamatas to attend their temple sealing.
Helping others along their covenant path may take the form of an unconventional act of service. As an example, during my current assignment in the Philippines, I learned of the Agamata family. They were baptized in 2023, and then they eagerly set a date to be sealed as a family in the nearby Urdaneta Philippines Temple. However, just before the family's appointment, several typhoons struck the region. Brother Agamata, a rice farmer, was unable to plant his crops during the harsh storms. When the ... (continued)
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Cherishing Life
By Elder Neil L. Andersen
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 2025
📖 general conference
A bishop in Utah witnessed a young woman and her family's return to the Church, where the daughter felt loved and supported by her ward after deciding to keep her pregnancy despite challenges.
A bishop 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 more fully live the commandments. She wrote, "I be ... (continued)
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Cherishing Life
By Elder Neil L. Andersen
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 2025
📖 general conference
A 17-year-old girl chose adoption over abortion for her baby, with support from her family and bishop, and found peace through prayer and repentance.
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 ... (continued)
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Cherishing Life
By Elder Neil L. Andersen
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 2025
📖 general conference
A young couple expecting a baby with Down syndrome and congenital heart defects chose life despite medical pressure to consider termination, finding peace and revelation through prayer.
Recently a young couple whom 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 trisomy 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 fe ... (continued)
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Cherishing Life
By Elder Neil L. Andersen
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 2025
📖 general conference
A faithful wife agreed to raise a child conceived from her husband's infidelity, showing her belief in the sacredness of life and finding strength through Jesus Christ.
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 ... (continued)
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