The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again
By President Russell M. Nelson
- President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
📅 October 2024
📖 general conference
The speaker shares a life-threatening experience with his wife Wendy in a distant land where armed robbers put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger, but the gun did not fire, and they felt an undeniable peace.
Later, I married my beloved wife Wendy. She was a central part of my second example. When Wendy and I were on assignment in a distant land, armed robbers put a gun to my head and pulled the trigger. But the gun did not fire. Throughout that experience, both of our lives were threatened. Yet Wendy and I felt an undeniable peace. It was the peace 'which passeth all understanding.'
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The Man Who Communed with Jehovah
By Elder Kyle S. McKay
- Of the Seventy
📅 October 2024
📖 general conference
Joseph Smith, after praying earnestly for forgiveness on September 21, 1823, was visited by the angel Moroni who informed him of the Book of Mormon.
On September 21, 1823, Joseph earnestly prayed for forgiveness, confident that because of his experience in the grove three years earlier, heaven would respond again.6[SeeJoseph Smith"”History 1:28"“29]And it did. The Lord sent an angel, Moroni, to instruct Joseph and inform him of an ancient record he would later translate by the gift and power of God"”the Book of Mormon.
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The Man Who Communed with Jehovah
By Elder Kyle S. McKay
- Of the Seventy
📅 October 2024
📖 general conference
Joseph Smith, at age 14, prayed in a grove of trees about his sins and which church to join, leading to the First Vision where he was visited by God the Father and Jesus Christ.
On the morning of a beautiful clear day early in the spring of 1820, 14-year-old Joseph Smith entered a grove of trees near his family"™s home to pray about his sins and to ask which church to join. His sincere prayer, offered with unwavering faith, received the attention of the most powerful forces in the universe, including the Father and the Son. And the devil. Each of these had an intense interest in that prayer and in that boy.
What we now call the First Vision marked the beginning of the ... (continued)
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The Man Who Communed with Jehovah
By Elder Kyle S. McKay
- Of the Seventy
📅 October 2024
📖 general conference
Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, after praying in the Kirtland Temple, were visited by Jesus Christ who forgave their sins and declared them clean.
Almost 13 years after that, Joseph and Oliver Cowdery knelt in solemn, silent prayer in the newly dedicated Kirtland Temple. We do not know what they prayed for, but their prayers likely included a plea for forgiveness, for, as they arose, the Savior appeared and declared, "Behold, your sins are forgiven you; you are clean before me."7[Doctrine and Covenants 110:5]
In the months and years after this experience, Joseph and Oliver would sin again. And again. But in that moment,forthat moment, in ... (continued)
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The Man Who Communed with Jehovah
By Elder Kyle S. McKay
- Of the Seventy
📅 October 2024
📖 general conference
Joseph Smith's testimony continues to reverberate around the world and in the speaker's soul, even after his martyrdom on June 27, 1844.
On June 27, 1844, Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were murdered. Joseph"™s body was laid to rest, but his testimony continues to reverberate around the world and in my soul:
"I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it."23[Joseph Smith"”History 1:25]
"I never told you I was perfect; but there is no error in the revelations which I have taught."24[Teachings: Joseph Smith, 522.]
"The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony o ... (continued)
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The Man Who Communed with Jehovah
By Elder Kyle S. McKay
- Of the Seventy
📅 October 2024
📖 general conference
Joseph Smith, before his death, spoke of the unity between the heavenly and earthly priesthood to roll forth the kingdom of God, and promised his friend Benjamin Johnson that he would continue to work from the other side of the veil.
In 1842, Joseph wrote of amazing things that would come to pass in this last dispensation. He declared that during our day, "the heavenly Priesthood will unite with the earthly, to bring about those great purposes; and whilst we are thus united in the one common cause, to roll forth the kingdom of God, the heavenly Priesthood are not idle spectators."21[Teachings: Joseph Smith, 514.]
To his friend Benjamin Johnson, Joseph said, "Benjamin, [if I die] I [would] not be far away from you, and if o ... (continued)
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The Powerful, Virtuous Cycle of the Doctrine of Christ
By Elder Dale G. Renlund
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 2024
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts a kayaking excursion in Hawaii where he flipped over due to waves and had to be towed by the guide until he regained his breath and could paddle on his own.
Years ago, my wife, Ruth; our daughter, Ashley; and I joined other tourists on a kayaking excursion in the state of Hawaii in the United States. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the rower sits facing forward and uses a double-bladed paddle to pull front to back on one side and then on the other. The plan was to row to two small islands off the coast of Oahu and back again. I was confident because, as a young man, I had paddled kayaks across mountain lakes. Hubris never bod ... (continued)
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The Powerful, Virtuous Cycle of the Doctrine of Christ
By Elder Dale G. Renlund
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 2024
📖 general conference
The speaker draws a parallel between maintaining momentum in kayaking and in our spiritual lives, emphasizing the importance of continually 'rowing' toward the Savior.
By consistently paddling the kayak, I maintained momentum and forward progress, mitigating the effect of waves hitting me from the side. The same principle applies in our spiritual lives. We become vulnerable when we slow down and especially when we stop.3[In physics, momentum = mass × velocity. When we stop, the velocity is zero. Therefore, the product of mass and velocity becomes zero, regardless of our prior momentum or the mass.]If we maintain spiritual momentum by continually “row ... (continued)
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The Powerful, Virtuous Cycle of the Doctrine of Christ
By Elder Dale G. Renlund
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 2024
📖 general conference
The speaker uses his kayaking experience to illustrate how we should minister to others, by providing help when needed and not being judgmental.
Consider how the expedition guide helped me after I flipped over in the kayak. He did not shout from afar an unhelpful question such as, “Mr. Renlund, what are you doing in the water?†He did not paddle up and chide me, saying, “Mr. Renlund, you would not be in this situation if you were more physically fit.†He did not start towing my kayak while I was just trying to get on top of it. And he did not correct me in front of the group. Instead, he gave me the help I needed ... (continued)
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The Testimony of Jesus
By Elder D. Todd Christofferson
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 2024
📖 general conference
Elder John H. Groberg recounted a story about a young family in Hawaii who faced public embarrassment when the branch president stopped them from preparing the sacrament due to their daughter's illness, but the father chose to focus on eternal goals and returned to church, leading to a legacy of faithful descendants.
Years ago, Elder John H. Groberg related the story of a young family living in a small branch in Hawaii in the early 1900s. They had been members of the Church for about two years when one of their daughters fell ill with an undiagnosed disease and was hospitalized. At church the next Sunday, the father and his son prepared the sacrament as they did most weeks, but as the young father knelt to bless the bread, the branch president, suddenly realizing who was at the sacrament table, jumped u ... (continued)
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The Triumph of Hope
By Elder Neil L. Andersen
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 October 2024
📖 general conference
The speaker tells of Adam and Eve's experience with hope after being taught by an angel about the promise of Jesus Christ.
After leaving the garden, Adam and Eve were taught by an angel of the promise of Jesus Christ. The gift of hope enlightened their lives. Adam declared, 'My eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy.' Eve spoke of 'the joy of [their] redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.'
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The Triumph of Hope
By Elder Neil L. Andersen
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 October 2024
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts President Russell M. Nelson's invitation for listeners to seek the ministering of the Holy Ghost during general conference.
Three years ago, President Russell M. Nelson began general conference with these words: 'Pure revelation for the questions in your heart will make this conference rewarding and unforgettable. If you have not yet sought for the ministering of the Holy Ghost to help you hear what the Lord would have you hear during these two days, I invite you to do so now. Please make this conference a time of feasting on messages from the Lord through His servants.'
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The Triumph of Hope
By Elder Neil L. Andersen
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 October 2024
📖 general conference
The speaker shares a story of a couple who lost their faith and faced despair upon the husband's unexpected death.
I recently observed from a distance a couple who at one time had faith in Christ but then decided to discard their belief. They were successful in the world, and they found pleasure in their intellect and the rejection of their faith. All seemed well until the husband, still young and energetic, suddenly fell ill and died. Like an eclipse of the sun, they had blocked the light of the Son, and the result was an eclipse of hope. The wife, in her disbelief, now felt disoriented, painfully unprepare ... (continued)
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The Triumph of Hope
By Elder Neil L. Andersen
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 October 2024
📖 general conference
The speaker relates the story of his nephew's family, who maintained hope in Christ during their newborn son's life-threatening heart condition and subsequent passing.
Twenty-one years ago the newborn son of my nephew Ben Andersen and his wife, Robbie, was life-flighted from their Idaho farming community to Salt Lake City. I arrived at the hospital, and Ben explained the severe, life-threatening complications with their baby's heart. We placed our hands on Trey's tiny head. The Lord blessed him with continued life. Trey had heart surgery the first week of his life, and more surgeries followed. As the years passed, it became apparent that Trey would need a hear ... (continued)
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The Wind Did Never Cease to Blow
By Elder Aroldo B. Cavalcante
- Of the Seventy
📅 October 2024
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts a humorous exchange with a 93-year-old woman named Lúcia during the pro bono project, who jokingly proposed marriage to him.
One resident I personally interviewed during the pro bono project was a kindhearted 93-year-old woman named Lúcia. Grateful for our service, she jokingly exclaimed, "Marry me!" Surprised, I responded: "Look over there at that beautiful young woman! She is my wife and the state prosecutor." She quickly fired back: "So what? She is young, pretty, and can easily get married again. All I have is you!"
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The Wind Did Never Cease to Blow
By Elder Aroldo B. Cavalcante
- Of the Seventy
📅 October 2024
📖 general conference
In 2015, members of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society in Brazil interviewed over 200 nursing home residents, discovering several crimes against them, leading to successful prosecution two months later.
In 2015, in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, 62 members of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society cooperated with the state Prosecutor"™s Office in investigating the legal challenges of residents in four different nursing homes. For five hours one Saturday, these attorneys interviewed over 200 residents one by one, each of whom had been functionally forgotten by society. During their interviews, they discovered several crimes that had been committed against the elderly residents, such as abandonmen ... (continued)
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The Wind Did Never Cease to Blow
By Elder Aroldo B. Cavalcante
- Of the Seventy
📅 October 2024
📖 general conference
The speaker shares a story about a brother recommended as a counselor who always wore sunglasses at church, which he stopped wearing after a conversation with the speaker.
Several years ago, when Chris, my dear wife, and I were interviewed for my calling as bishop, our stake president asked me to prayerfully consider names to recommend as counselors. After hearing the names I recommended, he said I should know a few things about one of the brethren. First, this brother could not read. Second, he didn"™t have a car he could use to visit members. Third, he always"”always"”used sunglasses at church. Despite the president"™s honest concerns, I felt strongly th ... (continued)
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The Words of Christ and the Holy Ghost Will Lead Us to the Truth
By Elder Takashi Wada
- Of the Seventy
📅 October 2024
📖 general conference
The speaker grew up in Nagano, Japan, observing his father's religious practices and feeling that sincere prayer could invoke divine assistance.
Just like Nephi stated in the opening verse of the book of 1Â Nephi, I was also "born of goodly parents."11[1Â Nephi 1:1]I grew up in Nagano, Japan, in a home where honesty, diligence, and humility were strongly encouraged and conformity to the old customs was strictly followed. My father was a very religious man. I watched him praying in front of the Shinto and Buddhist altars every morning and every night. Even though I had no idea whom he was praying to and what he was praying for, ... (continued)
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The Words of Christ and the Holy Ghost Will Lead Us to the Truth
By Elder Takashi Wada
- Of the Seventy
📅 October 2024
📖 general conference
As a teenager, the speaker felt lost and confused about life until he found comfort and hope in the words of Jesus Christ while studying the New Testament.
Like other teenagers, I experienced many hardships. I struggled, thinking that life was unfair and had lots of ups and downs. I felt lost, not having a sense of direction in my life. Life seemed so fleeting because it would end when I died. Life without knowing the plan of salvation was confusing.
Not long after I started to learn English in junior high school, all the students in our school received a copy of the New Testament.13[Gideon Bible.]Though we had barely begun our study of English, ou ... (continued)
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The Words of Christ and the Holy Ghost Will Lead Us to the Truth
By Elder Takashi Wada
- Of the Seventy
📅 October 2024
📖 general conference
The speaker's heart was softened by overhearing a missionary's sincere prayer for him, which led to a personal revelation of God's love and the truth of the plan of salvation.
There was a time when I really could not recognize the Holy Ghost. I misunderstood, thinking that all I had to do was follow the steps of prayer and something dramatic would happen. One day, during a lesson with the missionaries, I stepped out of the lesson to take a break. I was still confused about what I should do with my life if the restored gospel of Jesus Christ really was true.
As I was about to return to the room where the missionaries were waiting, I heard the voice of one of the missio ... (continued)
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