Saturday evening session: Summaries from Latter-day Saint general conference
by KSL.com Staff · KSL.comEstimated read time: Less than a minute
SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is holding its 195th Annual General Conference Saturday, April 5, and Sunday, April 6. This blog summarizes the key points from the Saturday evening session.
Follow along with our blog updates below, or watch each session live here.
Here is a glossary of the Latter-day Saint terminology used in this blog.
Or watch the session live in Spanish below:
Saturday, 07:33 pm
Elder D. Todd Christofferson — Worship
Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was the final speaker of the Saturday evening session of the 195th Annual General Conference. He began by talking about the birth of Jesus and how the wise men searched for the baby to worship him.
He explained the concept of worship makes him think of four things: the actions that constitute worship, the attitudes and feelings of worship, the exclusivity of worship and the need to be like the beings we worship.
"One of the most common and important forms of worship is to gather in a consecrated space to perform acts of devotion," he said.
Elder Christofferson described what worshiping on the Sabbath looks like — praying, singing, instructing, learning, paying tithing, taking the sacrament, confessing, reading scripture, bearing testimony, serving, giving thanks and coming together to remember Christ.
Next, he described the feelings and attitude of worship, which should involve aligning our will with God's, with joy and trying to be like Christ.
"Feeling and expressing gratitude to God is, in fact, what infuses worship with a sense of joyful renewal as opposed to seeing it as just one more duty," he said.
Elder Christofferson said anything that "takes precedence over worship of the father and the son becomes an idol," including parties, causes or ourselves.
"Ultimately, how we live may be the best, most genuine form of worship," he said, continuing by saying that we should emulate Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, which will transform us.
— Jenny Rollins
Saturday, 07:23 pm
Elder Sergio R. Vargas — Our heavenly guidance system
Elder Sergio R. Vargas, of the Seventy, spoke about Heavenly Father's plan and told members they are children of God. He invited them to center their lives on Christ and his teachings to avoid temptation.
Elder Vargas referred to the life cycle of salmon, which will move between the ocean and rivers using a "magnetic map," and said, like the salmon, members use a "magnetic map" — the light of Christ — to guide them to their heavenly home.
"Our covenants bring us closer to God to the point of making the impossible possible, filling every space of darkness and doubt with light and peace," Elder Vargas said.
He said as a new convert, he took offense to a conversation in a Sunday class and headed toward the exit of the church when another priesthood holder invited him to instead focus on Christ. He said that man later shared that a voice had told him to go after Elder Vargas because he was "important."
"Our divine nature and covenant relationship with God entitles us to receive divine help," Elder Vargas said.
Elder Vargas said members need nourishment through prayer, scriptures, meeting attendance and the temple. He said Christ is eager to share members' burdens, and his sacrifice means their sins can be forgiven.
Elder Vargas told members that taking the sacrament each Sunday is an "essential part of worship and spiritual development."
Attending the temple gives him hope, Elder Vargas said, adding that two of his children have unseen illnesses requiring daily care.
"Our family rejoices as we share about the plan of happiness. My children's faces light up when they hear that thanks to Jesus Christ, their afflictions shall be but a small moment," he said.
— Emily Ashcraft
Saturday, 07:11 pm
Elder James R. Rasband — The plan of mercy
The temple, the Book of Mormon and the plan of salvation are ways we can find the mercy of God, Elder James R. Rasband of the Seventy taught.
Elder Rasband shared what he learned by following President Russell M. Nelson's invitation to read Section 109 of the Doctrine and Covenants.
"The dedicatory prayer does not explain exactly how our time in the temple will soften others' hearts, but I am convinced it is bound up with how time in the house of the Lord softens our own hearts by centering us on Jesus Christ and His mercy," Elder Rasband said.
He said serving in the temple can help prepare new missionaries. "Time in the temple before entering the MTC (Missionary Training Center) can be a wonderful blessing for new missionaries as they learn more about temple covenants before sharing the blessing of those covenants with the world," Elder Rasband said.
"There are so many ways in which we can each find mercy in the house of the Lord. This has been true since the Lord first commanded Israel to build a tabernacle and to place at its center the 'mercy seat.'"
Elder Rasband said the temple, the Book of Mormon and God's plan for his children are manifestations of God's mercy. "In sum, is the father's plan, as taught in the Book of Mormon, really this merciful? I testify that it is, and that the peace-giving and hopeful teachings of mercy in the Book of Mormon are true," he said.
— Matt Brooks
Saturday, 06:55 pm
Sister Amy A. Wright — 'Thou art the Christ'
Sister Amy A. Wright, first counselor in the Primary presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, told a story about her son who, during an interview for a law school, said he patterned his life after Jesus Christ. The law school displayed attributes from the Sermon on the Mount, which, she said, can help us better understand the character of Christ and become more like him.
"Lifelong discipleship of Jesus Christ begins in our homes — and in Primary, as early as 18 months of age. We want our children to believe in Jesus Christ, belong to Jesus Christ and his church through covenant, and strive to become like Jesus Christ," she said.
People can teach their children to believe in Christ by hearing testimonies, seeing images of him, feeling the Holy Ghost, and learning about his life and mission, Sister Wright explained.
She advised people to teach children to belong to Christ and the church by having guided conversations and lessons from the "Come, Follow Me" manual, in Appendix A and B.
Finally, she spoke about how people can encourage their children to become like Christ.
"Counsel with these precious little ones as they prepare to teach, testify, pray or serve — so they are confident and experience joy in fulfilling their responsibilities. Seek inspired ways to help them come to know this is their church, and they have a vital role to play in preparing for the Savior's return," she said.
— Jenny Rollins
Saturday, 06:45 pm
Elder Gary E. Stevenson — 'And we talk of Christ'
Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles emphasized celebrating Easter and the resurrection and sharing Jesus Christ's light in his conference message Saturday evening.
He talked about a customs officer whose demeanor changed when she saw a photo of the Savior in his wife's passport.
"This small picture of the Savior connected the hearts of two otherwise disconnected strangers, capturing the beauty, the miracle and the reality of the Light of Jesus Christ," he said.
Elder Stevenson said living prophets are increasingly inviting members to come to Christ, talking about art in meetinghouses, the church's full name and new logo, and an emphasis on the Easter season.
He said Christ standing under the arch in the church's logo represents Christ emerging from the tomb — a celebration of the resurrected Christ. "This symbol is a visual representation of the love of the Savior Jesus Christ and a constant reminder of the living Christ," he said.
Elder Stevenson encouraged church members to celebrate the Easter season more, including Palm Sunday and Holy Week. He said his family does an Easter Day play and has religious decorations, along with bunnies and Easter eggs.
"Easter allows us to honor both the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the literal and joyous resurrection of him. Our hearts are heavy as we imagine the Savior's suffering in the Garden and upon Calvary, but our hearts rejoice as we envision the empty tomb and the heavenly decree, 'He is Risen!'" He said.
Elder Stevenson said the resurrection is literal, and all who have lived will be resurrected. He said members who accept the invitation to intentionally commemorate Easter and related holy events will have a stronger bond with Jesus Christ.
— Emily Ashcraft
Saturday, 06:00 pm
Saturday evening general conference session begins
Join us as the KSL.com team keeps you up to date with the latest talk summaries, announcements and events during the April general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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KSL.com Staff