April 2025 General Conference Recap—Sunday Morning Session

Are you looking for talk summaries, quotes, or a recap of the April 2025 General Conference? Here is our recap of the Sunday Morning Session!

President Henry B. Eyring conducted the session and the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square provided the music. 

Elder David A. Bednar

Elder David A. Bednar testified that the formal organization of the Church in 1830 was the culmination of divinely guided events—each restoring doctrine, authority, and covenants essential for the Lord’s New Testament Church to return in the dispensation of the fulness of times.

Key Quotes: 

• “Please note that Joseph did not pray merely to know what was right. Rather, he prayed to know what was right so he could do what was right.”
• “The Savior’s restored Church is being established throughout the world, and is the instrument by which God will gather together in one all things in Christ.”
• “I have attempted to summarize basic elements of the most important and glorious good news any person anywhere in this world can ever receive—the message that the Lord Jesus Christ has restored His gospel and Church in the latter days.”

Key Teachings:

Elder Bednar began by commemorating the 195th anniversary of the formal organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 1830. On that historic day, a small congregation gathered and was blessed by “a great outpouring of the Spirit” as the sacrament was administered, priesthood ordinations performed, and truths of the gospel declared. The Lord designated 24-year-old Joseph Smith as the Church’s first earthly leader: “a seer, a translator, a prophet, an apostle of Jesus Christ.”

He then outlined the divine sequence of events that culminated in that historic day—beginning with the First Vision. In the spring of 1820, Joseph Smith entered a grove of trees to ask God which church he should join. Elder Bednar emphasized that “Joseph didn’t pray merely to know what was right—he prayed to know so he could do what was right.” God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him, fulfilling prophecy and initiating “the restitution of all things.” From this moment, Joseph came to understand that God knew him, had a plan for his salvation, and a mission for him to fulfill.

Quoting Joseph, Elder Bednar recounted:

“‘I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description… One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—‘This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!’”

Joseph also learned key truths about the Godhead—that the Father and the Son are distinct, glorified beings of flesh and bone, and the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit.

The next essential event was the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. By the gift and power of God, Joseph translated an ancient record that gives another witness of Jesus Christ. Elder Bednar affirmed that the Book of Mormon explains the doctrine of Christ, confirms the Bible’s teachings, and restores plain and precious truths lost over time. It teaches that God has a divine plan for all His children and that Christ speaks today.

The third crucial restoration was priesthood authority and keys. Beginning in 1829, divine messengers restored priesthood power and its governing keys to Joseph Smith:

John the Baptist restored the Aaronic Priesthood and authority to baptize.

Peter, James, and John restored the Melchizedek Priesthood and apostleship.

In 1836, Moses restored the keys of the gathering of Israel, Elias restored the gospel of Abraham, and Elijah restored the sealing power that binds families for eternity.

Only after these steps were complete did the Lord instruct Joseph to organize His Church on April 6, 1830. Elder Bednar declared:

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ’s New Testament Church restored. It is anchored in the perfect life of its Chief Cornerstone, Jesus Christ, and in His infinite Atonement and literal Resurrection.”

He taught that Daniel’s Old Testament vision of a stone “cut out of the mountain without hands” is being fulfilled as the restored Church spreads across the world. A year after its founding, the Lord told Joseph the gospel would roll forth to fill the earth.

Elder Bednar testified:

“The Savior’s restored Church is being established worldwide. It is the instrument by which God gathers all things in Christ—both in heaven and on earth.”

He reflected on the prophetic anticipation of this day. Prophets and saints in all ages looked forward to the dispensation of the fulness of times, when all ordinances, powers, and keys would be united and revealed. Quoting Joseph Smith, he declared that “all the ordinances and duties ever required by the priesthood… shall all be had in the last dispensation.”

He concluded with a powerful testimony and invitation:

“The Lord Jesus Christ has restored His gospel and Church in the latter days. I invite all to learn of this message and prove it.”
“Those who prayerfully study the Restoration and act in faith will be blessed by the Holy Ghost to gain a personal witness.”

Elder Bednar bore witness of God the Father, of Jesus Christ as the Only Begotten in the flesh, of the First Vision, and of the Book of Mormon. He reaffirmed:

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ’s New Testament Church restored.”

He closed with his sure witness that all these things are true.

Elder Steven D. Shumway

Elder Steven D. Shumway testified that participating in God’s work through callings and service prepares us—and others—for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and invited us to accept His grace and grow into our divine potential through faithful discipleship.

Key Quotes: 

• “When we say yes to serving, we’re saying yes to Jesus Christ. And when we say yes to Christ, we’re saying yes to the most abundant life possible.”
• “We engage in God’s work not because He needs us, but because we need Him and His mighty blessings.”
• “When we consecrate our meager but best efforts, God magnifies them. When we sacrifice for Jesus Christ, He sanctifies us.”

Key Teachings:

Elder Shumway began with a humorous and touching moment. After being called as a new General Authority, Elder Neil L. Andersen walked by and said, “Well, there looks like a man who has absolutely no idea what he’s doing.” Elder Shumway responded internally, “There looks like a true prophet and seer.” Elder Andersen’s follow-up—“Don’t worry, Elder Shumway. It gets better in five or six years”—provided reassurance and introduced the theme: how God stretches us through service.

He acknowledged the common feelings of inadequacy and even questioning the need for callings amid life’s demands. He found a powerful answer during General Conference in President Russell M. Nelson’s prophetic reminder:

“Now is the time for you and for me to prepare for the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.”

From this, Elder Shumway learned that participation in God’s work—whether through callings, ministering, temple worship, or personal promptings—“uniquely prepare[s] us to meet the Savior.”

As temples dot the earth, the need for willing disciples grows. Service, though rarely convenient, is the “very essence of Christlike discipleship.” He praised covenant-keeping Saints, especially missionaries, who “set aside your desires and your challenges to serve God by serving His children.” To these faithful disciples, the Lord promises:
“Great shall be your reward and eternal shall be your glory.”

Elder Shumway bore witness that “when we say yes to serving, we’re saying yes to Jesus Christ,” which leads to “the most abundant life possible.” He illustrated this through a personal story—his dreaded college calling as the singles ward activity planner. Though reluctant, he accepted, and through that service, he met his future wife Heidi. That small “yes” changed his life forever. “I shudder to think of missing out on Heidi if I had said no to that calling.”

He then introduced three principles showing how God’s work prepares us to meet Christ:

1. We Progress Toward the Measure of Our Creation

Referencing the Creation story, Elder Shumway noted how God saw each day’s progress and declared, “It was good.” Even unfinished work can be divinely approved. He taught, “Callings don’t determine or validate a person’s worth or worthiness… God rejoices in our progress, and so should we—even when we still have work to do.”

When we can’t serve in formal callings, we can still protect our testimonies through prayer and scripture study. “Our loving Heavenly Father does not condemn us when we are willing but unable to serve.”

2. Service Elevates Our Homes and Churches into Holy Places

Service enables us to “practice covenant living.” He explained that “our covenant to always remember Christ is made individually, but it is lived when we serve others.” This transforms duty into joy and aligns our will with God’s.

He clarified: “Ordinances don’t save us because they fulfill a heavenly checklist. Rather, when we live the covenants connected to those ordinances, we become the kind of people who want to be in God’s presence.”

This shift—from asking what God permits to what He prefers—is key to spiritual transformation and preparation for Christ’s coming.

3. Participation Helps Us Receive Grace and Know God’s Love

Service brings divine compensation—not in money, but in grace: “The grace of God, that we might wax strong in the Spirit, have the knowledge of God, and teach with the power and authority of God.”

He emphasized that “abilities—or inabilities—are not the basis for extending or accepting a calling.” If perfection were required, biblical and modern heroes like Esther, Peter, and Joseph Smith would not have qualified.

“As we act in faith to do something beyond our abilities, our weakness is exposed. It’s never comfortable, but it’s necessary.”

“We will fall many times… but in our efforts, Jesus Christ catches us.”

He powerfully taught, “When we consecrate our meager but best efforts, God magnifies them. When we sacrifice for Jesus Christ, He sanctifies us.”

Through this process, grace transforms us until we are “prepared to be lifted up by the Father to stand before Jesus Christ.”

Elder Shumway then asked a sobering, reflective question he imagines might come from the Savior at judgment: “Who did you bring with you?”

Callings are sacred gifts from a loving Father, designed to “help bring others with us to Jesus Christ.” He urged leaders to seek out those without callings and help them participate.

He shared the story of John, a less-active member, whose bishop extended a calling and asked him to quit smoking. With divine help, John did so. When the stake president extended a bishopric calling soon after, John hesitated due to giving up football games on Sundays. The stake president responded, “I’m not asking you—the Lord is.” John accepted, and it became a turning point for his entire family.

“Sometimes we fail to extend callings because someone seems unlikely or unworthy—or because we’re more focused on performance than on progression.”

He quoted Elder Bednar’s reminder that we are to “let every man and woman learn their duty and to act.” Leaders must trust and empower the “unlikely and the unproven,” rather than defaulting to the faithful few.

He concluded with this beautiful truth:

“With participation in God’s work comes the right, the privilege, and the responsibility to represent Jesus Christ. When others leave our meetings… remembering Christ more than they remember us, the work is energizing.”

By earnestly seeking to represent the Savior, we become more like Him—“and that is the best preparation for the sacred moment when each of us will kneel and confess that Jesus is the Christ.”

He closed his witness with love and certainty, “I witness to you this day that He is—and that President Russell M. Nelson is His voice unto the ends of the earth, to prepare us for that which is to come.” 

Sister Tamara W. Runia

Sister Tamara W. Runia bore a heartfelt testimony of God’s love, reminding us that our worth is unchanging, repentance is a joyful return, and the Savior delights in every effort we make to come back to Him—again and again.

Key Quotes: 

• “I testify that while God cares about our mistakes, He cares more about what happens after we make a mistake. Are we going to turn to Him again and again? Are we going to stay in this covenant relationship?”
• “Our Savior was willing to suffer the pain of His Atonement because He loves you. In fact, you are the joy that was set before Him while He suffered. The invitation to repent is an expression of God’s love. Saying yes to that invitation is an expression of ours.”
• “Your worth isn’t tied to obedience. Your worth is constant. It never changes. It was given to you by God, and there’s nothing you or anyone else can do to change it.”

Key Teachings:

Sister Runia began with a story from a Florida vacation where a stranger asked if she thought heaven was possible despite imperfection. At the time, she gave a joking response—but now she wishes she could go back and say, “Yes, it’s possible, because heaven isn’t for people who have been perfect. It’s for people who have been forgiven, who choose Christ again and again.”

She spoke directly to those who feel like repentance and forgiveness are working for everyone else but them. Those who wonder if repeated mistakes mean, “maybe this is just the way I am,” or who find the covenant path feels less like a path and more like a steep “covenant hike.”

She shared a moving quote from a missionary named Elder Ganga: “I know that God loves me, but sometimes I wonder, does God know that I love Him? Because I’m not perfect, and I still make mistakes.” This question resonated deeply with her—she, too, had often wondered, “Does God know I’m really trying when I keep falling short?”

Sister Runia admitted she used to think her relationship with the Savior depended on how well she was doing spiritually. She thought obedience meant she’d never need to repent, and when she inevitably made mistakes, she distanced herself from God. But she testified, “If you wait until you’re clean enough or perfect enough to go to the Savior, you’ve missed the whole point.”

She invited listeners to see commandments and obedience differently. God does care when we make mistakes—but He cares even more about what we do afterward. The question is: are we going to turn to Him again and again?

Referencing Alma’s heartfelt desire to cry repentance, she emphasized that repentance isn’t about shame—it’s about avoiding pain. She described repentance and commandments as paths away from pain, not punishment. Quoting President Nelson, she reminded us, “The Savior loves us always, but especially when we repent.” She added, “So when the Lord says, ‘Repent ye, repent ye,’ what if we imagined Him saying, ‘I love you, I love you’?”

She illustrated this through a sweet story: during a sacrament prayer, a young priest mistakenly said “that they may do it in remembrance of the love of thy Son” instead of “the blood.” The phrasing was unintentional, but it moved her daughter Carly to tears. The truth behind those words hit deeply—Jesus suffered out of love.

She testified, “You are the joy that was set before Him while He suffered.” Saying yes to repentance is “an expression of our love.”

She invited us to picture Christ’s joy every time we repent: “Your repentance doesn’t burden Jesus Christ—it brightens His joy.”

She emphasized that repentance is not just good news—it’s the best news. “We don’t stay on the covenant path by never making a mistake. We stay on that path by repenting every day.” And when we repent, God forgives—”without shaming us, comparing us to anyone else, or scolding us, because this is the same thing we were repenting of last week.” She declared, “He is excited every time He sees us on our knees. He delights to forgive, because to Him, we are delightful.”

However, Satan tries to keep us from this truth. Shame, she explained, is one of his greatest tools. “Shame doesn’t tell us we made a mistake—it tells us we are our mistakes.” She said it can feel so heavy it’s as if it has “actual weight or heft to it.”

“You are not the voice in your head or the mistakes you have made.” She encouraged us to say it out loud. “Tell Satan, ‘Not today.'” Instead, she encouraged us to lean into the “godly sorrow that turns you towards your Savior” and allow His grace to flow into our lives.

She bore witness, “The minute we bring a broken heart courageously toward Him, He is immediately there.” She asked, “If you saw someone drowning, wouldn’t you reach your hand out to rescue them?” Then she said, “I imagine Him diving into the water, descending below all things to lift us up so we can take a fresh breath.” She promised, “No one can sink lower than the light of Christ shines.” And added, “He would never attack your worth.”

She used a visual: imagine one hand representing worth and one representing obedience. “Maybe you woke up this morning, said a meaningful prayer, searched the scriptures… your obedience is here.” Or maybe things didn’t go so well. But, she reminded, “Your worth isn’t tied to obedience. Your worth is constant. It never changes.” She affirmed, “Obedience does bring blessings—that is true—but worth isn’t one of them.”

She compared our spiritual journey to diving competitions. “Everyone is diving with their own degree of difficulty, and your Savior is the only one who truly knows the difficulty you are diving with.” She testified, “I want a relationship with the one person who gets me.”

Even when we’re holding to the iron rod, “we’re going to get splashed.” But coming to Christ is about saying, “Will you help me?” and trusting that “His arms are extended to you always.”

She introduced the phrase “affectionate obedience”—not perfect obedience, but choosing to stay because we love Him. She said, “Even though we don’t have perfect obedience yet, we try affectionate obedience now.” She referenced King Benjamin’s people, who no longer had a desire to sin. “Do you think they packed up their tents, went home, and never made another mistake? Of course not. The difference is they no longer wanted to sin.”

She shared a memory from Australia, where she and her husband asked missionaries, “If you could hear the Savior praying for you, what would He say?” The responses were powerful. One sister said, “She’s doing her very best. I know how hard she’s trying.” One elder imagined Jesus saying, “I’m so proud of him.”

She encouraged us to do the same. “Before you pray, imagine Jesus Christ close by… Ask yourself, ‘What would my Savior say to the Father about me?'”

She ended with a firm testimony: “Jesus Christ gives light to those who sit in darkness.” On days when the voice of shame tells us to hide, she invited us to “be brave and believe Christ.”

“Walk over and turn on the light—our perfect brightness of hope.” She concluded, “Bathed in His light, you’ll see people all around who felt alone too… and they will wonder, ‘Why were we so afraid in the dark, and why did we stay there so long?'”

“May the Lord of Light wrap you in His arms and console and love you continually. May we love Him continually, and choose Him again and again. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

Bishop Gérald Caussé

Bishop Gérald Caussé bore powerful witness that no matter our limitations or circumstances, the Lord’s blessings remain fully available to us—and He will lovingly compensate for what is beyond our control when we offer our whole souls to Him.

Key Quotes:

• “When circumstances beyond our control prevent us from fulfilling the righteous desires of our heart, the Lord will compensate in ways that allow us to receive His promised blessings.”
• “What matters to the Lord is not merely whether we are able, but whether we are willing to do all we can to follow Him as our Savior.”
• “While many circumstances in life may be beyond our control, none of us is beyond the reach of the Lord’s infinite blessings.”

Key Teachings: 

Bishop Caussé began by expressing admiration for faithful Saints around the world, acknowledging both their devotion and the very real trials many face—such as illness, disability, limited opportunities, abuse, or other life constraints. These challenges, he noted, can make it harder to fully live the gospel, serve, and worship. To those feeling limited, he offered reassurance: “The Lord loves you personally. He knows your circumstances, and the door to His blessings remains wide open to you.”

He shared a personal experience from age 22, while serving in the French Air Force. He had longed to attend a conference with Elder Neal A. Maxwell, but was given a conflicting military assignment. Though disappointed, he rushed to the meeting after fulfilling his duty and arrived with only five minutes left. Just as he walked in, Elder Maxwell said, “I will now give you an apostolic blessing.” Bishop Caussé testified that the spiritual experience he had in that moment taught him that “the Lord will compensate” when our righteous desires are blocked by things beyond our control.

He explained that this principle is grounded in three key gospel truths:

1. God loves each of us perfectly.

He invites everyone to partake of His goodness. His redemptive plan ensures that everyone, without exception, will have a just opportunity to receive the blessings of salvation and exaltation.

2. God is both just and merciful.

He “will not hold us accountable for things beyond our control.” He quoted Elder Maxwell: God “takes into merciful account not only our desires and our performance, but also the degrees of difficulty which our varied circumstances impose upon us.”

3. Through Jesus Christ and His Atonement, we can endure and overcome.

The Savior took upon Himself not only our sins, but also “the pains and the sicknesses of His people” and their “infirmities.” His mercy and grace sustain us in every hardship, injustice, or limitation.

These compensating blessings, Bishop Caussé taught, are conditioned on our willingness to offer our “whole souls as an offering unto Him.” We must do all we can—with sincere hearts and faithful effort—even when we fall short. In those moments, the Lord may still accept the righteous desires of our hearts as a worthy offering.

He quoted President Eyring: “We will be blessed for the righteous desires of our hearts, even though some outside circumstance has made it impossible for us to carry those desires into action.”

Bishop Caussé also referenced the Prophet Joseph Smith’s revelation about Alvin, his brother who died without receiving gospel ordinances. The Lord assured him: “All that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of the gospel, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God.” The Lord further added: “I… will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.”

Bishop Caussé emphasized, “What matters to the Lord is not merely whether we are able, but whether we are willing to do all we can.”

He shared the story of a young missionary who had to return home early due to health issues. A friend comforted the missionary by citing a scripture where the Lord says that when His people go forward with all diligence and are hindered by enemies—including health or circumstance—He will no longer require the work but will “accept of their offerings.” The friend assured him that the Lord had accepted his best efforts and that the blessings for faithful missionaries would still be his.

Compensating blessings often come through others, Bishop Caussé added. He recalled how, while he and his wife were far from their daughter in France after her difficult delivery, they felt helpless. That same week, their Utah ward asked for volunteers to help another new mother. His wife, Valérie, brought a meal while praying for both the Utah mother and their daughter. Soon after, they learned that the sisters in their daughter’s ward in France had organized to bring meals. He testified, “God had answered our prayers, sending His angels to bring comfort when we couldn’t.”

He encouraged us to use our own gifts, time, and resources to serve others when we can, noting that doing so not only blesses others, but “invites healing and compensation into our own lives.”

He then testified of the unique power of temple work. Through vicarious ordinances, we help ancestors receive what they could not during their mortal lives. This sacred work is part of the Savior’s grace extending beyond death. He quoted President Lorenzo Snow, who said that no faithful Latter-day Saint would lose out on blessings simply because certain opportunities weren’t available in mortality. “They will have all the blessings, exaltation, and glory” others receive.

Bishop Caussé concluded with this message of deep hope: “None of us can escape the challenges and limitations of mortality.” We are all born with an incapacity to save ourselves—but we are not beyond the reach of the Savior. “It is by His grace that we are saved, after all we can do.”

He ended with a testimony: “While many circumstances in life may be beyond our control, none of us is beyond the reach of the Lord’s infinite blessings.” Christ’s Atonement ensures that “the Savior will compensate for every inability and injustice if we offer our whole souls to Him—together.”

Elder Gerrit W. Gong

Elder Gerrit W. Gong testified that Jesus Christ weeps with us, rejoices with us, and restores us—through His Atonement, Resurrection, and Restoration—offering comfort, healing, and eternal belonging to all God’s children in every time, place, and circumstance.

Key Quotes: 

• “When our tears flow, we sometimes apologize, embarrassed. But knowing Jesus Christ understands life’s pains and joys can give us strength beyond our own as we navigate bitter and sweet.”
• “Easter in Jesus Christ helps us mend, reconcile, and make right our relationships—on both sides of the veil.”
• “Each season we celebrate as a symbolic whole: eternity’s great gifts through Jesus Christ—His Atonement, His and our literal Resurrection, the Restoration of His latter-day Church with priesthood keys and authority to bless all God’s children.”

Key Teachings: 

Elder Gong opened with a personal memory from his youth: memorizing the shortest verse in the Bible—“Jesus wept.” This verse, he said, testifies to the reality of a divine Savior who entered mortality and learned “according to the flesh” how to be with us and bless us in both grief and joy.

He walked through sacred scriptural moments where Jesus weeps: with Mary and Martha over Lazarus, over Jerusalem, at the sepulcher with Mary Magdalene, and in the Book of Mormon as He blesses and prays for the little children one by one. These moments reveal how deeply Christ understands and feels with us. Elder Gong declared, “This is Easter in Jesus Christ.”

Jesus weeps not only in sorrow, but also in joy. Elder Gong gave powerful modern-day examples:

• A grieving South American father holds Elder Gong and cries, “I would give anything to see her again,” after losing his daughter.

• At the Puebla Mexico Temple dedication, a faithful sister’s face radiates joy as she says, “Por fin, mis hijos están aquí en el templo hoy.”

• In Côte d’Ivoire, a woman offers healing to a neighbor by revealing the location of missing family members.

• A 70-year-old bride joyfully swishes her wedding dress as she’s sealed in the temple.

Elder Gong shared the tender story of a widow who lived with sorrow for 50 years after her last words to her husband were spoken in anger—just before he unexpectedly died. He bore witness that Easter in Jesus Christ brings not just hope for the next life but power to reconcile and heal in this one. “Jesus can heal grief. He can enable forgiveness. He can free us and others from things we or they have said or done that otherwise bind us captive.”

He emphasized that through Christ’s grace, we are released from worldly perfectionism. Though the world tells us we are never enough, Jesus transforms us spiritually. “Christ’s Resurrection frees us from death, from time’s frailties and physicalities and perfection.” His Atonement “restores us spiritually,” and unites us “whole and holy” with one another and with God.

Elder Gong highlighted the inclusive reach of God’s love across time and cultures. He pointed to shared religious heritage in Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, connecting it through Father Abraham, Joseph in Egypt, Moses, and even the Holy Family’s refuge in Egypt. In Cairo, a Muslim believer shared, “In my country, Jesus, as a toddler, ate our food, took His first steps… His being in my country blessed our people and land.”

God’s plan, Elder Gong taught, allows us to learn through mortal agency—even through experiences we would not choose. Jesus Christ, having descended below all things, rejoices in our acts of goodness and weeps with us in sorrow. “He weeps in sorrow at the enormity of our human suffering… as do the heavens and the God of heaven with them.”

Elder Gong reflected on the sacred convergence of Easter, Passover, and Restoration. He noted that the Church was organized on April 6, a date that often coincides with Easter. He spoke of the Kirtland Temple dedication on Easter Sunday, 1836, when the resurrected Christ, along with Moses, Elias, and Elijah, returned to restore priesthood keys. That Restoration fulfilled prophecy, bringing authority to gather Israel, unite families, and prepare the world for Christ’s return.

In that Restoration, the Prophet Joseph saw the heavens and declared that all of God’s children, save those who willfully reject Christ, would inherit a kingdom of glory. He reaffirmed Christ’s mission to bless each of us “with all we are willing to receive” in every time, land, and circumstance.

He quoted Jesus’ declaration in the synagogue that “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me… to preach the gospel to the poor… to heal the brokenhearted… to set at liberty them that are bruised.”

Elder Gong testified that this promise is for each of us—“poor, brokenhearted, captive, blind, bruised.”

Quoting Isaiah, he reminded us that the Messiah offers “beauty for ashes,” “the oil of joy for mourning,” and “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”

He concluded with a powerful, sweeping testimony of what Easter in Jesus Christ means:
Atonement, Resurrection, and Restoration. The garments of salvation. The robe of righteousness. The Hosannas. And most of all, the promise, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.”

Elder Gong ended his message with this hope, “May we each find in Jesus Christ—Atonement, Resurrection, and Restoration—peace, a coming and belonging, that which is enduring, the real and joyful, the happy and forever.”

Elder John A. McCune

Elder John A. McCune taught that covenant discipleship deepens our relationship with God, aligns us with His joy, and empowers us to help gather Israel as we receive spiritual strength and eternal perspective—even amid trials.

Key Quotes: 

• “Joy and eternal perspective come through being bound to the Savior by making and keeping covenants, and through Christlike discipleship.”
• “Our ability to sense a full measure of God’s love—or to continue in His love—is contingent upon our righteous desires and actions.”
• “As we bind ourselves to act as covenant disciples… our relationship with the Father and the Son is enriched, our joy is enhanced, and our eternal perspective expanded.”

Key Teachings: 

Elder McCune began by telling the story of a woman named Oyanga from Darhan, Mongolia. She first noticed the gospel through the light in the countenance of her local mission president. Feeling inspired and concerned for her children in a dark and stressful world, she chose to attend church and eventually welcomed the missionaries.

When the missionaries taught her family about tithing, her children were excited: “We must pay our tithing, Mom!” Elder McCune observed, “She could see her children’s faith at that moment.”

Before she even joined the Church, Oyanga watched General Conference and was moved to tears when President Nelson announced a temple would be built in Ulaanbaatar. “I rejoiced and shed tears, even though I did not understand why,” she said. “With this joy, I could tell that my faith and testimony were growing.”

Oyanga’s experience reflects the global gathering of Israel in preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. She has begun walking the covenant path and becoming a disciple of Christ.

Elder McCune then posed a central question: What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ?

He highlighted the Japanese word deshi, meaning “younger brother” and “child”—beautifully capturing what it means to follow Christ with childlike trust.

Quoting Jesus, Elder McCune said, “I was in the beginning with the Father, and am the Firstborn.” Because of Christ’s identity and mission, “we worship Him, we revere Him, we give glory to Him, and we follow Him.”

We have a loving Heavenly Father whose attributes—perfect love, patience, kindness, and glory—go beyond anything mortal. Though we may compare divine parenthood to our own experiences, Elder McCune cautioned, “We should be careful in applying these comparisons too far.” God’s love and justice are perfect and can be trusted entirely.

Jesus Christ is the embodiment of God’s love and the means through which we can understand the Father’s perfect attributes. Elder McCune explained that Christ gives us the “enabling power to overcome the tendencies of natural men and women.”

Importantly, he taught that God’s justice and mercy are not opposites, but complementary expressions of His love. “Because God and Jesus Christ love us, we are given the opportunity and privilege… to make covenants with Them.”

Quoting from the Book of Mormon, Elder McCune emphasized the sacred bond of covenant discipleship: “And now, because of the covenant which ye have made, ye shall be called the children of Christ… your hearts are changed through faith on His name.”

Covenants connect us to Christ and the Father in a deeper way, and allow us to feel “Their love and joy in a measure reserved for those who have made and kept covenants.” But that joy, he reminded, is conditional: “Our ability to sense a full measure of God’s love… is contingent upon our righteous desires and actions.”

Referencing John 15, Elder McCune showed how we continue in Christ’s love:

• “Continue ye in my love.”

• “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love…”

• And the purpose? “That my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

Covenant discipleship, he taught, helps us understand the joy God wants for His children—even when suffering exists in the world. The answer lies in “God’s perfect perspective and His perfect plan.” He sees us as we can become, and has given us “the way and the choice” through Jesus Christ.

He challenged the idea that we are only as happy as our most unhappy child. Using the example of his 94-year-old mother with over 200 descendants, Elder McCune pointed out that perpetual unhappiness isn’t inevitable. “Those who know her know how joyful she is.”

He then shared a deeply personal experience. In 2019, Elder and Sister McCune were invited into President Nelson’s office to receive their current calling. President Nelson showed personal love and attention to Sister McCune, holding her hand and offering comfort and reassurance. They felt like they were “the most important people to him.”

What they didn’t know was that President Nelson’s daughter had passed away from cancer that same day. Elder McCune asked: How could he be so kind, loving, and even joyful at such a difficult time?

The answer: “Because he knows.” He knows Christ is victorious. He knows he will be with his daughter again.

This experience illustrated that joy and eternal perspective come “through being bound to the Savior by making and keeping covenants.”

Quoting President Nelson, Elder McCune taught: “Just as the Savior offers peace that passeth all understanding, He also offers an intensity, depth, and breadth of joy that defy human logic or mortal comprehension.”

This includes joy even when we face loss, betrayal, illness, or hardship.

Covenant discipleship also causes us to turn outward. Elder McCune emphasized that we’ll naturally want to help others feel the joy and love we feel. We are invited to be part of “the greatest cause on the earth today—the gathering of Israel.”

He quoted Jacob from the Book of Mormon:
“Because ye have been diligent… and have brought unto me again the natural fruit, ye shall have joy with me because of the fruit of my vineyard.”

Elder McCune closed by promising that as we bind ourselves to act as covenant disciples, our relationship with God deepens, our joy increases, and our eternal perspective expands. In doing so, “we are endowed with power and can feel joy in a measure reserved for God’s true covenant disciples.”

President Dallin H. Oaks

President Dallin H. Oaks taught that God’s plan for His children includes built-in divine helps—especially the Savior’s Atonement, the Holy Ghost, commandments and covenants, and the Light of Christ—to guide us back to Him, and that our role is to trust Him and diligently prepare to meet the Redeemer.

Key Quotes:

• “Our part in this divine plan is to trust in God and seek divine helps—most notably the Atonement of His Beloved Son, our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.”
  

• “Without the aid of the Holy Spirit… no mortal can walk in the straight and narrow way.”

• “People who imagine commandments as the way God decides who to punish fail to understand this purpose of God’s loving plan of happiness.”

Key Teachings: 

President Oaks began with foundational doctrine revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith: in our pre-earth life, we lived as spirit children of God. God’s plan for our growth included receiving mortal bodies, experiencing opposition, and being proven through obedience. “Those who qualified,” he taught, “would have glory added upon their heads forever and ever.”

To enable this plan, God appointed Jesus Christ as our Savior. Lucifer rebelled and became Satan, seeking to destroy agency. Cast down to earth, Satan was permitted to tempt and deceive mankind—but this opposition would be essential for our spiritual growth. President Oaks taught, “Just as our physical muscles cannot be developed or maintained without straining against the law of gravity, so mortal growth requires man to strain against Satan’s temptations and other mortal opposition.”

Central to our progression is the ability to choose between good and evil. Because all would at some point choose evil, a loving God provided help—especially through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. His suffering and resurrection make forgiveness and spiritual healing possible. “His Atonement… erases all of our repented sins and gives our Savior power to succor us in our mortal infirmities.”

But God’s plan includes more than the forgiveness of sins. He also gave us many other helps to keep us safe from sin in the first place. President Oaks introduced four divine helps (while acknowledging they overlap and are not exhaustive):

1. The Light or Spirit of Christ.

This is given to every person to help them know good from evil. He quoted both Moroni and modern scripture affirming that the Spirit enlightens everyone who comes into the world. President Joseph Fielding Smith taught that this light ensures we are not “helpless, groping to find the light and truth.”

2. Divine directions in the scriptures: commandments, ordinances, and covenants.

These elements define the path back to God. President Oaks corrected a common misconception: “People who imagine commandments as the way God decides who to punish fail to understand this purpose of God’s loving plan.” Rather, commandments guide us to eternal life. Ordinances and covenants serve as “required steps and essential guardrails,” demonstrating that God’s greatest blessings are promised to those who commit and keep His commandments.

3. Manifestations of the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost testifies, teaches, brings truth to our remembrance, and guides us. He distinguished between occasional spiritual manifestations and the gift of the Holy Ghost, which is received after baptism and repentance. That gift leads to “a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.”

When we regularly repent, partake of the sacrament, and strive to keep our covenants, we qualify to have the Holy Ghost always with us. President Joseph F. Smith taught that the Holy Ghost becomes “a companion through life… a sure and safe guide into all truth,” filling us with “joy and gladness” and a desire to do good. Without this gift, “no mortal can walk in the straight and narrow way.”

4. (Implied help): Trust and spiritual habits.

President Oaks acknowledged that many remain unprepared to meet the Savior. He referenced the parable of the ten virgins and warned that only half were ready. He listed common examples of spiritual unpreparedness:

• Returned missionaries who lapse into inactivity

• Youth who detach from the Church

• Adults who delay priesthood ordination or temple covenants

These spiritual setbacks, he explained, often result from neglecting core practices: “personal prayer, regular scripture study, and frequent repentance.” He added that some members abandon the sacrament and covenants, claiming the Church “is not meeting their needs.” In truth, they prioritize perceived future needs over the Lord’s established spiritual foundations.

The remedy for these spiritual missteps is humility and trust. Citing the Book of Mormon, he affirmed: “The Lord doth prosper and bless those who put their trust in Him.” He warned against measuring God’s commandments or prophetic teachings against “the latest findings and wisdom of man.”

In conclusion, President Oaks urged listeners to rely on divine helps provided by our loving Heavenly Father. Chief among them is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. “Our part in this divine plan is to trust in God and seek divine helps.”

Aleah Ingram

Aleah is a graduate of Southern Virginia University, where she studied English, Creative Writing, and Dance. She now works full time as a marketing and product manager, writer, and editor. She currently hosts the podcast “Single to the Glory” about singlehood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Aleah served a mission in California and loves baking, Lang Leav poetry, Gaynor Minden pointe shoes, and Bollywood movies.