The 100-year-old church leader spoke of the love God has for his children, urging members to live charitable and virtuous lives necessary to reach their “highest potential.”

“I invite you to take intentional steps to grow in your confidence before the Lord,” Nelson said. “Then, as we go to our Heavenly Father, with increasing confidence, we will be filled with more joy, and our faith in Jesus Christ will increase. We will begin to experience spiritual power that exceeds our greatest hopes.”

Nelson’s remarks concluded the fifth and final session of the 195th General Conference at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. Precluded by The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square’s weekly “Music and the Spoken Word” performance Sunday morning, the conference’s second day saw 14 talks from various church leaders across two sessions.

An overarching theme on the day was a reminder of the worth individuals have before God.

Nelson said God loves his children “more than we can comprehend,” and that “He sends angels to be with us and with those we love.”

He warned of various challenges, including “alarming” hostility in public dialogue, but said followers of Jesus Christ should lead as peacemakers, and develop the charity necessary to progress.

“As charity becomes part of our nature, we will lose the impulse to demean others,” Nelson said. “We will stop judging others. We will have charity for those from all walks of life.”

Bishop Gérald Caussé, the presiding bishop of the church, acknowledged the many difficult challenges people in the faith may endure, some which may hinder the progress to grow closer to God.

“My dear friends, if you ever feel limited or disadvantaged by the circumstances of your life, I want you to know this: The Lord loves you personally. He knows your circumstances, and the door to His blessings remains wide open to you no matter the challenges you face,” Caussé said.

He shared a story of when he was a young man serving in the French Air Force in Paris. He was excited to hear a talk from a visiting Apostle, Neal A. Maxwell, but prior to the event received orders to drive a senior officer to the airport.

Despite missing most of the speech to fulfill his duty, Caussé said he arrived to the talk with five minutes to spare, and witnessed Maxwell offer the congregation an apostolic blessing, which he called an “unforgettable spiritual experience.”

“What I experienced that day was a small yet powerful manifestation of a comforting aspect of God’s plan for His children,”Caussé said. “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.”

Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles further expanded on the depth of God’s love for his children, explaining that gifts from God are not something people have to work towards, but are something they simply have to be willing to receive.

“You are His child. You are beloved of Him,” Kearon said. “Do not complicate it. Do not block the receiving of this gift with thoughts that you are somehow undeserving. The reality is, none of us are ‘deserving’ – all the Father’s gifts are received only through the merits, mercy and grace of the Holy Messiah, but how His generous heart longs for each of His children to receive them!”