Saturday night 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 194th Semiannual General Conference Saturday, Oct. 5, and Sunday, Oct. 6. This blog summarizes the key points from the Saturday night 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.
Saturday, 07:45 pm
Elder David A. Bednar — In the space of not many years
Elder David A. Bednar, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, centered his remarks on the Book of Mormon and encouraged members to guard themselves against pride.
He said the Book of Mormon is not primarily a historical record but scripture looking to the future.
Elder Bednar said in the Book of Mormon, the Nephite people fell away from Christ "in the space of not many years" while the Lamanites began to believe in God. He contrasted the two groups and encouraged members to learn from their examples.
He said pride can cause church members to mock the sacred, deny God's word, and forget God — leading them to fall into "spiritual blindness."
"If we are not faithful and obedient, we can transform the God-given blessing of prosperity into a prideful curse that diverts and distracts us from eternal truths and vital spiritual priorities," he said.
He said apostasy can happen at an institutional or individual level, and that Joseph Smith taught that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will not be lost to apostasy.
At the individual level, he said each member should avoid pride. Elder Bednar said members who believe they could be affected by pride will do the small things that will protect them.
"I testify that as we walk in the meekness of the Lord's spirit, we will avoid and overcome pride and have peace in him," he said.
He said the Lamanites believed the scriptures and prophets, had faith, repented and experienced "a mighty change of heart."
"Please remember that the Book of Mormon looks to the future and contains important principles, warnings, and lessons intended for me and you," Elder Bednar said.
— Emily Ashcraft
Saturday, 07:26 pm
Elder Jorge M. Alvarado — Embrace the Lord's gift of repentance
Elder Jorge M. Alvarado, a general authority seventy, reflected on the profound gift of repentance, expressing feelings of inadequacy that many share. He shared that feeling weak could actually lead people to learn to depend on Christ. He spoke of Nephi's lament and Joseph Smith's struggles with feelings of condemnation and how those weaknesses led to sincere repentance.
"My friends, repentance is joy!" Elder Alvarado said.
He shared a story about a thief in Puerto Rico who stole a Book of Mormon and later wrote to the person he took it from to express how reading the book led him to want to change.
Elder Alvarado stressed the importance of striving for temple covenants, noting that "nothing will open the heavens more than worshiping in the temple." He encouraged listeners to embrace the redemptive power of Jesus Christ and repent daily.
"God lovingly assures us that no matter where we are or what we have done, there is no point of no return. He waits ready to embrace us," he said.
Elder Alvarado concluded by testifying of the healing power of Christ's Atonement and that, through repentance, people can experience profound transformation and return to their Heavenly Father.
"Our process of 'At-one-ment' with God may feel challenging. But, you and I can pause, be still, look to the Savior, and seek to find and act on what he would have us change," he said.
— Jenny Rollins
Saturday, 07:20 pm
Elder Kyle S. McKay — The man who communed with Jehovah
Elder Kyle S. McKay, of the Seventy, shared his knowledge and testimony of the Savior "as it has been strengthened and deepened by the life and teachings of one key apostle and prophet," he said.
Elder McKay reflected on Joseph Smith's experience in the Sacred Grove, where he asked God for both forgiveness and direction for the rest of his life.
"His experience has also given me confidence to ask for forgiveness and direction for the rest of my life," Elder McKay said.
He added that Joseph Smith's life of regular repentance gives him the confidence to ask for mercy himself.
"I have learned that Jesus Christ truly is 'of a forgiving disposition,'" Elder McKay said. "It is neither his mission nor his nature to condemn. He came to save."
Elder McKay asked listeners to consider the following: that Heavenly Father and Christ "have bodies as tangible as man's"; that Christ took upon himself our sickness and afflictions as well as sins; that the Atonement was "so excruciating it caused him to bleed from every pore"; that we are saved by his grace after all we can do, and there are conditions to Christ's mercy. He said that as we come unto Christ, "He will not only forgive our sins, but he will also change our very nature, so that we have no more disposition to do evil."
"Christ always commands his people to build temples, where he manifests himself unto them and endows them with power from on high," Elder McKay added.
He said those principles "represent only a fraction of the fullness that was restored by Jesus Christ through Joseph Smith in response to Joseph's recurring requests for direction."
— Logan Stefanich
Saturday, 07:01 pm
Sister Kristin M. Yee — The joy of our redemption
Sister Kristin M. Yee, second counselor in the Relief Society presidency, spoke about painting a portrait of Jesus Christ. She applied varnish too quickly, and the painting smudged, but she did her best to fix the painting.
The next morning, it looked even better.
"What I thought was a mistake without mend was an opportunity for his merciful hand to be manifest. He was not done with the painting, and he was not done with me," she said.
Sister Yee said she learned about Christ's power to save through this experience. She said each day is filled with hope because of Christ.
"He holds the power of redemption and resurrection. … I know that through his atoning sacrifice we can repent and truly be cleansed and redeemed. It is a miracle he loves you and me in this way," she said.
Sister Yee said church members cannot measure the depths of Jesus' forgiveness, mercy and love, and told them even if they feel they are beyond the Atonement's reach, they are not.
"Through his sufferings, he has made a way for each of us to overcome our personal weaknesses and sins," she said.
But, she said, just like with her painting, it takes sincerity and work to improve.
"As we live our covenants, the Lord can give us the help and power we need to both recognize and overcome our weaknesses," Sister Yee said.
She told church members the Lord is not done healing them when they make a mistake and encouraged them to not give up.
"Our need for healing and help is not a burden to him, but the very reason he came," she said.
— Emily Ashcraft
Saturday, 06:37 pm
Elder Gerrit W. Gong — Holiness to the Lord in everyday life
Elder Gerrit W. Gong, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, began with a humorous story from a family reunion, where he and his grandchildren competed in a "dad joke" contest against an artificial intelligence program designed to think and talk like him. We are meant to experience joy and laugh in life, he explained.
Elder Gong emphasized that holiness is about setting things apart for sacred purposes while infusing the ordinary with the sacred. He reminded listeners that walking with the Lord in holiness brings peace and strength. He cited studies showing that religious believers generally experience greater happiness, health and satisfaction with their lives.
"Holiness to the Lord says 'yes' to the sacred and reverent, 'yes' to our becoming our freest, happiest, most authentic best selves as we follow him in faith," Elder Gong said.
He shared personal stories from people who demonstrated faith during difficult circumstances — a young couple learning from each other's testimonies, a missionary who sacrificed college baseball opportunities to serve the Lord, and a woman whose faith helped heal her strained relationship with her father through temple attendance.
Elder Gong also reflected on the importance of the temple and the healing power it brings. He shared that he honors his mother who has passed away by going to the temple. He encouraged listeners to make finding holiness a daily practice, creating greater connection with God and others.
He closed by sharing that holiness in everyday life draws us closer to Jesus Christ and prepares us for eternal life with God and loved ones. He invited listeners to seek holiness and joy in their daily lives.
— Jenny Rollins
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 October general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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KSL.com Staff