General conference: Day 2 speakers give spiritual guidance, talk of being joint heirs with Christ
Sunday morning session
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- President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency gives the concluding speech during the morning session of general conference at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024.
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- Missionaries visit prior to the morning session of general conference in the Conference Center on Temple Square in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024.
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- Sister Tracy Y. Browning, second counselor in the Primary General Presidency, offers words of encouragement during the morning session of general conference at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024.
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- Conferencegoers assemble during the morning session of general conference in the Conference Center on Temple Square in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024.
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- President Jeffrey R. Holland, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostle, shares a message of inspiration during the morning session of general conference at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024.
The Sunday morning session of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ 194th Semiannual General Conference provided listeners all over the world with messages of faith, love, spiritual guidance, living as Jesus lived, and teaching and sharing the gospel.
President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor of the First Presidency, conducted the session as the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square provided the music. Church President Russell M. Nelson watched the session from home.
The session began with Jeffrey R. Holland, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, speaking about Jesus and the importance of always looking to him and his teachings, including his teachings about the two great commandments: “If ye love me, keep my commandments” and “Love one another, as I have loved you.”
“So, if sometimes the harder you try, the more difficult it seems to get; if, just as you try to work on your limitations and shortcomings, you find someone or something determined to challenge your faith; if, as you labor devotedly, you still feel moments of fear wash over you, remember that it has been so for some marvelously faithful people in every era of time. Also remember that there is a force in the universe determined to oppose every good thing you try to do,” he said.
Sister Tracy Y. Browning, second counselor in the Primary General Presidency, spoke about seeking answers to spiritual questions. “One key principle taught throughout the Book of Mormon is when God’s children choose to demonstrate obedience and keep their covenants, they receive continual spiritual guidance and direction,” she said.
She spoke about how limited understanding may lead us away from more understanding. To counteract this, she said, “Our obedience to God’s laws and commandments can open the way for our savior to provide the understanding and healing he knows we need, according to his prescribed treatment plan for us.”
Elder Brook P. Hales, General Authority seventy, spoke about the difficulties of this mortal life. “Despite the challenges, heartaches and difficulties we all face, our loving, wise and perfect Heavenly Father has designed the Plan of Happiness such that we are not destined to fail,” he said. “His plan provides a way for us to rise above out mortal failures.”
“I testify that as we receive the ordinances of the gospel, enter into covenants with God and then keep those covenants, repent, serve others and endure to the end, we, too, can have the assurance and complete trust in the lord that mortality works,” he said.
Bishop L. Todd Budge of the Presiding Bishopric spoke about making time for the Lord in followers’ lives, to slow down and to live with greater spiritual awareness. God desires that we approach our time with him with heartfelt devotion, he said, adding, “He yearns for us to commune with him.”
According to Budge, opportunities to commune with God include daily prayers, scripture study, the sacrament ordinance, the Sabbath day and temple worship. “Even the savior took time from his ministry to be still. The scriptures are replete with examples of the Lord retreating to a solitary place, a mountain, the wilderness, a desert place or going a little way off to pray to the Father,” he said.
Elder Gary E. Stevenson, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said that upcoming events will provide increased opportunities to share the glad tidings of the gospel of Jesus Christ through word and deed, including temple open houses and dedications, the bicentennial of the organization of the church in 2030, and the 2034 Winter Olympics.
He said that through these experiences and others, church members can be lights unto the world by living the gospel of Jesus Christ, caring for those in need, inviting all to receive the gospel and uniting families for eternity.
“Don’t let the world change you when you were born to change the world,” proclaimed Bradley R. Wilcox, first counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, as he spoke about being joint heirs with Christ. “Thus, your commitments demand more of you, but that is how God is making more of you.”
“As you fulfill your birthright responsibilities, you are never alone. The Lord of the Vineyard labors with you. You are working hand in hand with Jesus Christ,” he said.
President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, ended the morning session by speaking about the simplicity of the doctrine of Jesus Christ and how the savior provides the perfect example of how to teach his doctrine. “This doctrine is that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end blesses all of God’s children,” he said
“We should seize every opportunity to share the teachings of Jesus Christ with children. These teaching moments are precious and far fewer compared to the relentless efforts of opposing forces,” Eyring added. “For every hour spent instilling doctrine into a child’s life, there are countless hours of opposition filled with messages and images that challenge or ignore those saving truths.”
