Faith to Act ~ Come Unto Christ

A House of Sequential Order By Elder Vaiangina Sikahema Of the Seventy “Sequential order” is a simple, natural, and effective way for the Lord to teach us, as His children, important principles. In my professional life and in my service in the Church, I have done this thousands of times—just never before the 15 men seated directly behind me. I feel your prayers and theirs. Brothers and sisters, I am a native of the Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific but was raised in North America. The pandemic has kept hundreds, perhaps thousands of young Tongan missionaries serving around the world from returning to their beloved homeland because of its closed borders. Some Tongan elders have been on their missions for three years and sisters over two years! They wait patiently with the faith for which our people are known. Meanwhile, don’t be too alarmed if some of them serving in your wards and stakes are looking increasingly more like me—aging and gray. We’re grateful for missionaries everywhere for their devoted service, even when longer or shorter than they had anticipated because of the pandemic. One Sunday when I was a deacon, I was in the foyer with a tray of water passing the sacrament when a woman walked into the building. Dutifully, I approached and handed her the tray. She nodded, smiled, and took a cup of water. She had arrived too late to receive the bread. Shortly after this experience, my home teacher, Ned Brimley, taught me that many aspects and blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ are given to us in sequential order. Later that week, Ned and his companion came to our home with a memorable lesson. Ned reminded us that there was order to how God created the earth. The Lord took great care in explaining to Moses the order in which He created the earth. First, He started by dividing the light from the darkness, then water from dry land. He added plant life and animals before introducing to the newly formed planet His greatest creation: humankind, beginning with Adam and Eve. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. … “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:27, 31). The Lord was pleased. And He rested on the seventh day. The sequential order in which the earth was created gives us a glimpse not only of what is most important to God but also why and for whom He created the earth. Ned Brimley punctuated his inspired lesson with a simple statement: “Vai, God’s house is one of order. He expects you to live your life with order. In proper sequence. He wants you to serve a mission before you get married.” To this point, Church leaders currently teach that “the Lord expects each able young man to prepare to serve. … Young women … who desire to serve should also prepare” (General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 24.0, ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Brother Brimley continued: “God wants you to get married before you have children. And He wants you to continually develop your talents as you earn an education.” If you choose to live your life out of sequence, you will find life more difficult and chaotic. Brother Brimley also taught us that through His atoning sacrifice, the Savior helps us to restore order to our lives made chaotic or out of sequence by our own or others’ poor choices. From that time on, I’ve had a fascination with “sequential order.” I developed a habit of looking for sequential patterns in life and in the gospel. Elder David A. Bednar taught this principle: “As we study, learn, and live the gospel of Jesus Christ, sequence often is instructive. Consider, for example, the lessons we learn about spiritual priorities from the order of the major events that occurred as the fulness of the Savior’s gospel was restored in these latter days.” General Conference Sunday Morning Session October 2021 Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” 🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200 😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com ⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/ 📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon 📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible ⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-basics--faq 👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/ #GeneralConferenceOctober2021 #FaithToAct #Christian #BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration

The Peace of Christ Abolishes Enmity By Elder Dale G. Renlund Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles When love of Christ envelops our lives, we approach disagreements with meekness, patience, and kindness. My dear brothers and sisters, during an exercise stress test, the heart’s workload is increased. Hearts that can handle walking may struggle to support the demands of running uphill. In this way, the stress test can reveal underlying disease that is not otherwise apparent. Any issues identified can then be treated before they cause serious problems in daily life. The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly been a global stress test! The test has shown mixed results. Safe and effective vaccines have been developed.1 Medical professionals, teachers, caregivers, and others have sacrificed heroically—and continue to do so. Many people have displayed generosity and kindness—and continue to do so. Yet, underlying disadvantages have been manifest. Vulnerable individuals have suffered—and continue to do so. Those who work to address these underlying inequalities are to be encouraged and thanked. The pandemic is also a spiritual stress test for the Savior’s Church and its members. The results are likewise mixed. Our lives have been blessed by ministering in a “higher and holier way,”2 the Come, Follow Me curriculum, and home-centered, Church-supported gospel learning. Many have provided compassionate help and comfort during these difficult times and continue to do so.3 Yet, in some instances, the spiritual stress test has shown tendencies toward contention and divisiveness. This suggests that we have work to do to change our hearts and to become unified as the Savior’s true disciples. This is not a new challenge, but it is a critical one.4 When the Savior visited the Nephites, He taught, “There shall be no disputations among you. … He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.”5 When we contend with each other in anger, Satan laughs and the God of heaven weeps.6 Satan laughs and God weeps for at least two reasons. First, contention weakens our collective witness to the world of Jesus Christ and the redemption that comes through His “merits, … mercy, and grace.”7 The Savior said: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another. … By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”8 The converse is also true—everyone knows that we are not His disciples when we do not show love one to another. His latter-day work is compromised when contention or enmity9 exists among His disciples.10 Second, contention is spiritually unhealthy for us as individuals. We are robbed of peace, joy, and rest, and our ability to feel the Spirit is compromised. Jesus Christ explained that His doctrine was not “to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but [that His] doctrine [is] that such things should be done away.”11 If I am quick to take offense or respond to differences of opinion by becoming angry or judgmental, I “fail” the spiritual stress test. This failed test does not mean that I am hopeless. Rather, it points out that I need to change. And that is good to know. After the Savior’s visit to the Americas, the people were unified; “there was no contention in all the land.”12 Do you think that the people were unified because they were all the same, or because they had no differences of opinion? I doubt it. Instead, contention and enmity disappeared because they placed their discipleship of the Savior above all else. Their differences paled in comparison to their shared love of the Savior, and they were united as “heirs to the kingdom of God.”13 The result was that “there could not be a happier people … who had been created by the hand of God.”14 General Conference Sunday Morning Session October 2021 Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” 🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200 😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com ⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/ 📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon 📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible ⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-basics--faq 👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/ #GeneralConferenceOctober2021 #FaithToAct #Christian #BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration

Invite Christ to Author Your Story By Camille N. Johnson Primary General President Let your narrative be one of faith, following your Exemplar, the Savior Jesus Christ. I begin by posing several questions, meant for self-reflection: What kind of personal narrative are you writing for your life? Is the path you describe in your story straight? Does your story end where it began, at your heavenly home? Is there an exemplar in your story—and is it the Savior Jesus Christ? I testify that the Savior is “the author and finisher of our faith.”1 Will you invite Him to be the author and finisher of your story? He knows the beginning from the end. He was the Creator of heaven and earth. He wants us to return home to Him and our Heavenly Father. He has everything invested in us and wants us to succeed. What do you suppose keeps us from turning our stories over to Him? Perhaps this illustration will help your self-assessment. An effective trial lawyer knows that on cross-examination, you should rarely ask a witness a question to which you do not know the answer. Asking such a question is inviting the witness to tell you—and the judge and jury—something you don’t already know. You might get an answer that surprises you and is contrary to the narrative you have developed for your case. Although asking a witness a question to which you do not know the answer is generally unwise for a trial lawyer, the opposite is true for us. We can ask questions of our loving Heavenly Father, in the name of our merciful Savior, and the witness who answers our questions is the Holy Ghost, who always testifies of truth.2 Because the Holy Ghost works in perfect unity with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, we know that the manifestations of the Holy Ghost are reliable. Why, then, are we sometimes resistant to asking for this kind of heavenly help, truth manifest to us by the Holy Ghost? Why do we put off asking a question to which we do not know the answer when the witness not only is friendly but will always tell the truth? Perhaps it is because we don’t have the faith to accept the answer we might receive. Perhaps it is because the natural man or woman in us is resistant to turning things completely over to the Lord and trusting Him entirely. Maybe that is why we choose to stick with the narrative we have written for ourselves, a comfortable version of our story unedited by the Master Author. We don’t want to ask a question and get an answer that doesn’t fit neatly into the story we are writing for ourselves. Frankly, few of us would probably write into our stories the trials that refine us. But don’t we love the glorious culmination of a story we read when the protagonist overcomes the struggle? Trials are the elements of the plot that make our favorite stories compelling, timeless, faith promoting, and worthy of telling. The beautiful struggles written into our stories are what draw us closer to the Savior and refine us, making us more like Him. For David to overcome Goliath, the boy had to take on the giant. The comfortable narrative for David would have been a return to tending sheep. But instead he reflected upon his experience saving lambs from a lion and a bear. And building on those heroic feats, he mustered the faith and courage to let God write his story, declaring, “The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.”3 With a desire to let God prevail, with an ear to the Holy Ghost and a willingness to let the Savior be the author and finisher of his story, the boy David defeated Goliath and saved his people. General Conference Sunday Morning Session October 2021 Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” 🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200 😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com ⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/ 📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon 📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible ⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-basics--faq 👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/ #GeneralConferenceOctober2021 #FaithToAct #Christian #BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration

Daily Restoration By Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles We need an ongoing, daily infusion of heavenly light. We need “times of refreshing.” Times of personal restoration. We gather this beautiful Sabbath morning to speak of Christ, rejoice in His gospel, and support and sustain one another as we walk in “the way” of our Savior.1 As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we assemble for this purpose every Sabbath day throughout the year. If you are not a member of the Church, we welcome you most warmly and thank you for joining with us to worship the Savior and learn of Him. Like you, we are striving—though imperfectly—to become better friends, neighbors, and human beings,2 and we seek to do this by following our Exemplar, Jesus Christ. Christ's image We hope you can feel the sincerity of our testimony. Jesus Christ lives! He is the Son of the living God, and He directs prophets on the earth in our day. We invite all to come, hear the word of God, and partake of His goodness! I bear my personal witness that God is among us and that He will surely draw near to all who draw near to Him.3 We consider it an honor to walk with you in the Master’s strait and narrow path of discipleship. The Art of Walking in a Straight Line There is an oft-repeated theory that people who are lost walk in circles. Not long ago, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics tested that theory. They took participants to a thick forest and gave them simple instructions: “Walk in a straight line.” There were no visible landmarks. The test subjects had to rely solely on their sense of direction. How do you think they did? The scientists concluded, “People really [do] walk in circles when they do not have reliable cues to their walking direction.”4 When questioned afterwards, some participants self-confidently claimed that they had not deviated in the slightest. Despite their high confidence, GPS data showed that they walked in loops as tight as 20 meters in diameter. Why do we do have such a hard time walking in a straight line? Some researchers hypothesize that small, seemingly insignificant deviations in terrain make the difference. Others have pointed to the fact that we all have one leg that is slightly stronger than the other. “More likely,” however, we struggle to walk straight ahead “[because] of increasing uncertainty about where straight ahead is.”5 Whatever the cause, it is human nature: without reliable landmarks, we drift off course. Straying from the Path Isn’t it interesting how small, seemingly insignificant factors can make a major difference in our lives? I know this from personal experience as a pilot. Every time I started the approach to an airport, I knew that much of my remaining work would consist of making constant minor course corrections to safely direct the aircraft to our desired landing runway. You might have a similar experience when driving a vehicle. Wind, road irregularities, imperfect wheel alignment, inattentiveness—not to mention the actions of other drivers—all can push you off your intended path. Fail to pay attention to these factors and you may end up having a bad day.6 Car/Pool This applies to us physically. It also applies to us spiritually. Most of the changes in our spiritual lives—both positive and negative—happen gradually, a step at a time. Like the participants in the Max Planck study, we may not realize when we veer off course. We may even have high confidence that we are walking a straight line. But the fact is that without the help of landmarks to guide us, we inevitably deviate off course and end up in places we never thought we would be. This is true for individuals. It is also true for societies and nations. The scriptures are filled with examples. The book of Judges records that after Joshua died, “there arose another generation … which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.” General Conference Sunday Morning Session October 2021 Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” 🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200 😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com ⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/ 📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon 📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible ⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-basics--faq 👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/ #GeneralConferenceOctober2021 #FaithToAct #Christian #BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration

General Conference Sunday Morning Session October 2021 Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” 🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200 😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com ⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/ 📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon 📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible ⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-basics--faq 👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/ #GeneralConferenceOctober2021 #FaithToAct #Christian #BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration

The Faith to Ask and Then to Act By President Henry B. Eyring Second Counselor in the First Presidency Faith in Jesus Christ is the key to receiving revelations of truth. My beloved brothers and sisters, I am grateful for the opportunity to speak with you in this Saturday evening session of general conference. In his introduction to the conference this morning, President Russell M. Nelson said that “pure revelation for the questions in your heart will make this conference rewarding and unforgettable. If you have not yet sought for the ministering of the Holy Ghost to help you hear what the Lord would have you hear during these two days, I invite you to do so now.”1 I have sought for that blessing as I have prepared to receive revelation for this visit with you. My earnest prayer is that you may receive revelation from God. The way to receive revelation from God has not changed from the days of Adam and Eve. It has been the same for all called servants of the Lord from the beginning to the present day. It is the same for you and me. It is always done by exercising faith.2 The teenage Joseph Smith had faith sufficient to ask a question of God, believing that God would answer his heartfelt need. The answer that came changed the world. He wanted to know what church to join to be cleansed of sin. The answer he received encouraged him to keep asking ever-better questions and to act on the continuing flow of revelation that had just begun.3 Your experience can possibly be similar in this conference. You have questions for which you seek answers. You have at least enough faith to hope that you will receive answers from the Lord through His servants.4 You will not have the opportunity to ask aloud for answers from the speakers, but you can ask your loving Father in prayer. I know from experience that answers will come to fit your needs and your spiritual preparation. If you need an answer that is important to your eternal welfare or that of others, the answer is more likely to come. Yet even then, you may receive—as did Joseph Smith—the answer to be patient.5 If your faith in Jesus Christ has led to a heart softened through the effects of His Atonement, you will be more able to feel the whisperings of the Spirit in answer to your prayers. My personal experience is that the still, small voice—which is real—is clear and discernible in my mind when I feel an internal quiet and submission to the Lord’s will. That feeling of humility can be best described as “Not my will, but thine, be done.”6 This process of revelation is why you will hear speakers teach in this conference what is called the doctrine of Christ.7 Revelation comes to us in proportion to the degree to which we have sought to take the doctrine of Christ into our hearts and implement it in our lives. You remember from the Book of Mormon that Nephi taught us that faith in Jesus Christ is the key to receiving revelations of truth and the key to having the confidence that we are following the Savior’s direction. Nephi wrote the following words centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ into mortality: “Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. “Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark. “For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do. “Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and there will be no more doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh. And when he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you shall ye observe to do.”8 General Conference Saturday Evening Session October 2021 Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” 🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200 😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com ⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/ 📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon 📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible ⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-basics--faq 👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/ #GeneralConferenceOctober2021 #FaithToAct #Christian #BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration

Hold Up Your Light By Elder Marcus B. Nash Of the Seventy My invitation today is simple: share the gospel. Be you and hold up the light. While on a flight to Peru a few years ago, I was seated next to a self-proclaimed atheist. He asked me why I believe in God. In the delightful conversation that ensued, I told him that I believed in God because Joseph Smith saw Him—and then I added that my knowledge of God also came from personal, real spiritual experience. I shared my belief that “all things denote there is a God”1 and asked him how he believed the earth—this oasis of life in the vacuum of space—came into existence. He replied that, in his words, “the accident” could have happened over eons of time. When I explained how highly improbable it would be for an “accident” to produce such beauty and order, he was quiet for a time and then good-naturedly said, “You got me.” I asked if he would read the Book of Mormon. He said he would, so I sent him a copy. Years later I made a new friend while in an airport in Lagos, Nigeria. We became acquainted as he checked my passport. I asked him about his religious beliefs, and he expressed strong faith in God. I shared the joy and vibrancy of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and asked if he would like to learn more from the missionaries. He said yes, was taught, and was baptized. A year or two later, as I walked through the airport in Liberia, I heard a voice call out my name. I turned, and that same young man approached with a big smile. We joyfully embraced, and he let me know that he was active in the Church and working with the missionaries to teach his girlfriend. Now, I do not know whether my atheist friend ever read the Book of Mormon or joined the Church. My second friend did. For both of them, my responsibility2—my opportunity—was the same: hold up the gospel light—to love, share, and invite each of them in a normal, natural way.3 Brothers and sisters, I have experienced the blessings of sharing the gospel, and they are remarkable. Here are a few of them: Sharing the Gospel Brings Joy and Hope You see, you and I know that we lived as children of our Heavenly Father before coming to this earth4 and that the earth was created for the purpose of giving each person the opportunity to obtain a body, gain experience, learn, and grow in order to receive eternal life—which is God’s life.5 Heavenly Father knew we would suffer and sin on earth, so He sent His Son, whose “matchless life”6 and infinite atoning sacrifice7 make it possible for us to be forgiven, healed, and made whole.8 To know these truths is life changing! When a person learns the glorious purpose of life, comes to understand that Christ forgives and succors those who follow Him, and then chooses to follow Christ into the waters of baptism, life changes for the better—even when the external circumstances of life do not. A radiantly happy sister I met in Onitsha, Nigeria, told me that from the time she learned the gospel and was baptized (and now I use her words), “everything is good for me. I am happy. I am in heaven.”9 Sharing the gospel kindles joy and hope in the souls of both giver and receiver. Truly, “how great shall be your joy”10 as you share the gospel! Sharing the gospel is joy upon joy, hope upon hope.11 Sharing the Gospel Brings God’s Power into Our Lives When we were baptized, each of us entered into a perpetual12 covenant with God to “serve him and keep his commandments,”13 which includes “to stand as witnesses of [Him] at all times and in all things, and in all places.”14 As we “abide in” Him by keeping this covenant, the enlivening, sustaining, sanctifying power of godliness flows into our lives from Christ, just as a branch receives nourishment from the vine.15 Sharing the Gospel Protects Us from Temptation The Lord commands: “Hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do. … General Conference Saturday Evening Session October 2021 Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” 🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200 😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com ⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/ 📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon 📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible ⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-basics--faq 👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/ #GeneralConferenceOctober2021 #FaithToAct #Christian #BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration

To Be a Follower of Christ By Elder Alfred Kyungu Of the Seventy To be a follower of Christ is to strive to conform our actions, conduct, and lives to those of the Savior. In my personal study of the scriptures, I have been impressed by the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, who later became known as Paul, as described in the Bible. Paul was an active man in the persecution of the Church and the Christians. But because of the power of heaven and the Atonement of Jesus Christ, he was changed completely, and he became one of the great servants of God. His model of life was the Savior Jesus Christ. In one of Paul’s teachings to the Corinthians, he invited them to be his followers as he himself was a follower of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 11:1). This is a sincere and valid invitation from Paul’s time until today: to be a follower of Christ. I began to reflect on what it means to become a follower of Christ. And more important, I began to ask, “In what way should I imitate Him?” To be a follower of Christ is to strive to conform our actions, conduct, and lives to those of the Savior. It is to acquire virtues. It is to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ. I have studied some aspects of the Savior’s life, and I have retained, as part of my message today, four of His qualities that I try to imitate and that I share with you. The first quality of the Savior is humility. Jesus Christ was very humble from the premortal life. At the Council in Heaven, He recognized and allowed the will of God to prevail in the plan of salvation for mankind. He said, “Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever” (Moses 4:2). We know that Jesus Christ taught humility and humbled Himself to glorify His Father. Let us live in humility because it brings peace (see Doctrine and Covenants 19:23). Humility precedes glory, and it brings God’s favor upon us: “Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). Humility brings gentle answers. It is the source of a righteous character. Elder Dale G. Renlund taught: “Individuals who walk humbly with God remember what Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have done for them.” “We act honorably with God by walking humbly with Him” (“Do Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with God,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 111, 109). The second quality of the Savior is courage. When I think of Jesus Christ at the age of 12, sitting in the temple of God among the doctors of the law and teaching them divine things, I note that He already had, very early in His life, a good sense of courage, a particular courage. While most would expect to see the young boy being taught by the doctors of the law, He was teaching them as “they were hearing him, and asking him questions” (Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 2:46 [in Luke 2:46, footnote c]). We served a full-time mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Mbuji-Mayi Mission from 2016 to 2019. The way to travel in the mission from one zone to another was by road. A phenomenon had arisen in that area with bandits armed with bladed weapons breaking onto the road and disturbing the movement of travelers. General Conference Saturday Evening Session October 2021 Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” 🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200 😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com ⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/ 📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon 📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible ⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-basics--faq 👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/ #GeneralConferenceOctober2021 #FaithToAct #Christian #BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration

Worthiness Is Not Flawlessness By Bradley R. Wilcox Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency When you feel like you have failed too many times to keep trying, remember Christ’s Atonement and the grace it makes possible are real. I once sent a message to my daughter and son-in-law using the voice-to-text feature on my phone. I said, “Hey, you two. Sure love you.” They received, “Hate you two. Should love you.” Isn’t it amazing how easily a positive and well-intentioned message can be misunderstood? This is what sometimes happens with God’s messages of repentance and worthiness. Some mistakenly receive the message that repentance and change are unnecessary. God’s message is that they are essential.1 But doesn’t God love us despite our shortcomings? Of course! He loves us perfectly. I love my grandchildren, imperfections and all, but that does not mean I don’t want them to improve and become all they can become. God loves us as we are, but He also loves us too much to leave us this way.2 Growing up unto the Lord is what mortality is all about.3 Change is what Christ’s Atonement is all about. Not only can Christ resurrect, cleanse, console, and heal us, but through it all, He can transform us to become more like Him.4 Some mistakenly receive the message that repentance is a onetime event. God’s message is that, as President Russell M. Nelson has taught, “Repentance … is a process.”5 Repentance may take time and repeated effort,6 so forsaking sin7 and having “no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually”8 are lifetime pursuits.9 Life is like a cross-country road trip. We can’t reach our destination on one tank of gas. We must refill the tank over and over. Taking the sacrament is like pulling into the gas station. As we repent and renew our covenants, we pledge our willingness to keep the commandments, and God and Christ bless us with the Holy Spirit.10 In short, we promise to press forward on our journey, and God and Christ promise to refill the tank. Some mistakenly receive the message that they are not worthy to participate fully in the gospel because they are not completely free of bad habits. God’s message is that worthiness is not flawlessness.11 Worthiness is being honest and trying. We must be honest with God, priesthood leaders, and others who love us,12 and we must strive to keep God’s commandments and never give up just because we slip up.13 Elder Bruce C. Hafen said that developing a Christlike character “requires patience and persistence more than it requires flawlessness.”14 The Lord has said the gifts of the Spirit are “given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him that seeketh so to do.”15 One young man I’ll call Damon wrote: “Growing up, I struggled with pornography. I always felt so ashamed that I could not get things right.” Each time Damon slipped, the pain of regret became so intense, he harshly judged himself to be unworthy of any kind of grace, forgiveness, or additional chances from God. He said: “I decided I just deserved to feel terrible all the time. I figured God probably hated me because I wasn’t willing to work harder and get on top of this once and for all. I would go a week and sometimes even a month, but then I would relapse and think, ‘I’ll never be good enough, so what’s the use of even trying?’” At one such low moment, Damon said to his priesthood leader: “Maybe I should just stop coming to church. I’m sick of being a hypocrite.” His leader responded: “You’re not a hypocrite because you have a bad habit you are trying to break. You are a hypocrite if you hide it, lie about it, or try to convince yourself the Church has the problem for maintaining such high standards. Being honest about your actions and taking steps to move forward is not being a hypocrite. It is being a disciple.”16 This leader quoted Elder Richard G. Scott, who taught: “The Lord sees weaknesses differently than He does rebellion. … When the Lord speaks of weaknesses, it is always with merc General Conference Saturday Evening Session October 2021 Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” 🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200 😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com ⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/ 📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon 📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible ⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-basics--faq 👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/ #GeneralConferenceOctober2021 #FaithToAct #Christian #BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration

Deepening Our Conversion to Jesus Christ By Elder Arnulfo Valenzuela Of the Seventy The scriptures and our knowledge of God are gifts—gifts that we too often take for granted. Let us cherish these blessings. Thank you so much, Elder Nielson, for your beautiful message. We needed that. My dear brothers and sisters, President Russell M. Nelson has taught us recently: “To do anything well requires effort. Becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ is no exception. Increasing your faith and trust in Him takes effort.” Among the recommendations that he gave us to increase our faith in Jesus Christ is that we become engaged learners, that we immerse ourselves in the scriptures to understand better Christ’s mission and ministry. (See “Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains,” Liahona, May 2021, 103.) We learn in the Book of Mormon that the scriptures were an important part of Lehi’s family—so much so that Nephi and his brothers returned to Jerusalem to obtain the plates of brass (see 1 Nephi 3–4). The scriptures reveal God’s will for us, much as the Liahona did for Nephi and his father. After he broke his bow, Nephi needed to know where he should go to obtain food. His father, Lehi, looked at the Liahona and saw the things that were written. Nephi saw that the spindles functioned according to the faith, diligence, and attention given to them. He also saw writing which was easy to read and which gave them understanding regarding the paths of the Lord. He became aware that the Lord brings about great things through small means. He was obedient regarding the directions given by the Liahona. He went up the mountain and obtained food for his family, who had suffered so much from the lack thereof. (See 1 Nephi 16:23–31.) It seems to me that Nephi was a student dedicated to the scriptures. We read that Nephi delighted in the scriptures, pondered them in his heart, and wrote them for the learning and profit of his children (see 2 Nephi 4:15–16). President Russell M. Nelson said: “If we ‘press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, … [we] shall have eternal life’ [2 Nephi 31:20]. “To feast means more than to taste. To feast means to savor. We savor the scriptures by studying them in a spirit of delightful discovery and faithful obedience. When we feast upon the words of Christ, they are embedded ‘in fleshy tables of the heart’ [2 Corinthians 3:3]. They become an integral part of our nature” (“Living by Scriptural Guidance,” Ensign, Nov. 2000, 17; Liahona, Jan. 2001, 21). What Are Some of the Things That We Will Do If Our Souls Delight in the Scriptures? Our desire to be part of the gathering of Israel on both sides of the veil will increase. It will be normal and natural for us to invite our family and friends to listen to the missionaries. We will be worthy, and we will have a current temple recommend in order to go to the temple as often as possible. We will work to find, prepare, and submit the names of our ancestors to the temple. We will be faithful in keeping the Sabbath day, attending church every Sunday to renew our covenants with the Lord as we participate worthily in taking the sacrament. We will resolve to remain on the covenant path, living by every word that proceeds forth from the mouth of God (see Doctrine and Covenants 84:44). What Does It Mean for You to Delight in the Things of the Lord?

Is There No Balm in Gilead? By Elder Brent H. Nielson Of the Presidency of the Seventy The Savior’s healing power is not just His ability to heal our bodies but, perhaps even more important, His ability to heal our hearts. Shortly after my mission, while a student at Brigham Young University, I received a phone call from my dad. He told me that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and that although his chances of survival were not good, he was determined to be healed and return to his normal life activities. That phone call was a sobering moment for me. My dad had been my bishop, my friend, and my adviser. As my mother, my siblings, and I contemplated the future, it appeared bleak. My younger brother, Dave, was serving a mission in New York and participated long-distance in these difficult family events. The medical providers of the day suggested surgery to try and curtail the spread of the cancer. Our family earnestly fasted and prayed for a miracle. I felt that we had sufficient faith that my father could be healed. Just prior to the surgery, my older brother, Norm, and I gave my dad a blessing. With all the faith we could muster, we prayed that he would be healed. The surgery was scheduled to last many hours, but after just a short time, the doctor came to the waiting room to meet with our family. He told us that as they began the surgery, they could see that the cancer had spread throughout my father’s body. Based upon what they observed, my father had just a few months to live. We were devastated. As my father awakened from the surgery, he was anxious to learn if the procedure had been successful. We shared with him the grim news. We continued to fast and pray for a miracle. As my father’s health quickly declined, we began to pray that he could be free of pain. Eventually, as his condition worsened, we asked the Lord to allow him to pass quickly. Just a few months after the surgery, as predicted by the surgeon, my father did pass away. Much love and care were poured out upon our family by ward members and family friends. We had a beautiful funeral that honored the life of my father. As time passed, however, and we experienced the pain of my father’s absence, I began to wonder why my father had not been healed. I wondered if my faith was not strong enough. Why did some families receive a miracle, but our family did not? I had learned on my mission to turn to the scriptures for answers, so I began to search the scriptures. The Old Testament teaches of an aromatic spice or ointment used for healing wounds that was made from a bush grown in Gilead. In Old Testament times, the ointment came to be known as the “balm of Gilead.”1 The prophet Jeremiah lamented over the calamities that he observed among his people and hoped for healing. Jeremiah questioned, “Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there?”2 Through literature, music, and art, the Savior Jesus Christ has often been referred to as the Balm of Gilead because of His remarkable healing power. Like Jeremiah, I was wondering, “Is there no balm in Gilead for the Nielson family?” In Mark chapter 2 of the New Testament, we find the Savior in Capernaum. Word of the Savior’s healing power had spread throughout the land, and many people traveled to Capernaum to be healed by the Savior. There were so many gathered around the house where the Savior was located that there was no room for Him to receive them all. Four men carried a man sick of the palsy to be healed by the Savior. They were unable to make their way through the crowd, and so they uncovered the roof of the house and lowered the man down to meet the Savior. General Conference Saturday Evening Session October 2021 Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” 🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200 😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com ⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/ 📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon 📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible ⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-basics--faq 👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/ #GeneralConferenceOctober2021 #FaithToAct #Christian #BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration

I Pray He’ll Use Us By Sharon Eubank First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency Small efforts collectively make a big impact, magnifying the many individual things we do as disciples of Jesus Christ. This cookie made of phyllo dough and pistachio nuts is a thank-you. It was made by the Kadado family who, for decades, owned three bakeries in Damascus, Syria. When war came, a blockade stopped food and supplies from reaching their part of the city. The Kadados began to starve. At the height of this desperate situation, Latter-day Saint Charities and some very courageous staff at Rahma Worldwide began serving a daily hot meal, along with milk for the little children. After a difficult time, the family began their life—as well as their bakery—once again in a new country. Recently, a box of cookies arrived at the Church offices with the following message: “For more than two months, we managed to get food from the Rahma–Latter-day Saint [Charities] kitchen. Without it we would [have] starve[d] to death. Please accept this … sample from my shop as a small token of thanks. I ask God the Almighty to bless you … in everything you do.”1 A cookie of gratitude and remembrance. It is meant for you. To all who prayed after watching a story on the news, to all who volunteered when it was not convenient or who kindly donated money to the humanitarian fund trusting it would do some good, thank you. Divine Responsibility to Care for the Poor The Church of Jesus Christ is under divine mandate to care for the poor.2 It is one of the pillars of the work of salvation and exaltation.3 What was true during the days of Alma is certainly true for us: “And thus, in their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need.”4 The Church responds to this charge in a wide variety of ways, including: the ministering we do through Relief Society, priesthood quorums, and classes; fasting and the use of fast offerings; welfare farms and canneries; welcome centers for immigrants; outreach for those in prison; Church humanitarian efforts; and the JustServe app, where it’s available, that matches volunteers with service opportunities. These are all ways, organized through the priesthood, where small efforts collectively make a big impact, magnifying the many individual things we do as disciples of Jesus Christ. Prophets Have Stewardship for the Whole Earth Prophets have charge for the whole earth, not just for members of the Church. I can report from my own experience how personally and devotedly the First Presidency takes that charge. As needs grow, the First Presidency has charged us to increase our humanitarian outreach in a significant way. They are interested in the largest trends and the smallest details. Recently, we brought to them one of the protective medical gowns that Beehive Clothing sewed for hospitals to use during the pandemic. As a medical doctor, President Russell M. Nelson was highly interested. He didn’t want to just see it. He wanted to try it on—check the cuffs and the length and the way it tied in the back. He told us later, with emotion in his voice, “When you meet with people on your assignments, thank them for their fasting, their offerings, and their ministering in the name of the Lord.” General Conference Saturday Evening Session October 2021 Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” 🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200 😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com ⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/ 📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon 📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible ⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-basics--faq 👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/ #GeneralConferenceOctober2021 #FaithToAct #Christian #BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration

“Lovest Thou Me More Than These?” By President M. Russell Ballard Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles What things can you do within your own life to show that you love the Lord first? In November 2019, my friend and I visited the Holy Land. While there, we reviewed and studied scriptures about Jesus Christ’s life. One morning we stood on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee at a place that may have been where Jesus met His disciples following His Resurrection. After Jesus’s Resurrection, as we read in John chapter 21, Peter and the other disciples fished all night without success.1 In the morning, they saw a man standing on the shore who told them to cast their net on the other side of the boat. To their astonishment, the net was filled miraculously.2 They immediately recognized that the man was the Lord, and they rushed to greet Him. As they dragged the net to shore, full of fish, Jesus said, “Come and dine.”3 John reports that “when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?”4 While I was standing on that same seashore, I realized that the Savior’s question was one of the most important questions that He might someday ask me. I could almost hear His voice asking, “Russell, lovest thou me more than these?” Do you wonder what Jesus was referring to when He asked Peter, “Lovest thou me more than these?” Relating this question to ourselves in our day, the Lord may be asking us about how busy we are and about the many positive and negative influences competing for our attention and our time. He may be asking each of us if we love Him more than the things of this world. This may be a question about what we really value in life, who we follow, and how we view our relationships with family members and neighbors. Or maybe He is asking what really brings us joy and happiness. Do the things of this world bring us the joy, happiness, and peace that the Savior offered to His disciples and that He offers to us? Only He can bring us true joy, happiness, and peace through our loving Him and following His teachings. How would we answer the question “Lovest thou me more than these?” When we discover a fuller meaning of this question, we can become better family members, neighbors, citizens, members of the Church, and sons and daughters of God. At my age, I have attended many funerals. I am sure many of you have noticed what I have noticed. When celebrating the life of a deceased family member or a friend, it is rare for the speaker to talk about the size of the person’s home, the number of cars, or the bank account balances. They usually don’t speak about social media posts. At most of the funerals that I have attended, they focus on their loved one’s relationships, service to others, life lessons and experiences, and their love for Jesus Christ. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying that having a nice home or a nice car is wrong or that using social media is bad. What I am saying is that in the end, those things matter very little compared to loving the Savior. When we love and follow Him, we have faith in Him. We repent. We follow His example and are baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. We endure to the end and stay on the covenant path. We forgive family members and neighbors by letting go of grudges we may be holding. We earnestly strive to keep God’s commandments. We strive to be obedient. We make and keep covenants. We honor our fathers and mothers. We set aside negative worldly influences. We prepare ourselves for His Second Coming. General Conference Saturday Evening Session October 2021 Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” 🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200 😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com ⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/ 📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon 📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible ⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-basics--faq 👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/ #GeneralConferenceOctober2021 #FaithToAct #Christian #BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration

The Saturday Evening Session of the October 2021 General Conference. 00:00 Opening 12:36 M. Russell Ballard 25:34 Sharon Eubank 36:04 Brent H. Nielson 46:26 Arnulfo Valenzuela 59:44 Bradley R. Wilcox 1:10:32 Alfred Kyungu 1:20:14 Marcus B. Nash 1:37:30 Henry B. Eyring General Conference Saturday Morning Session October 2021 Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” 🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200 😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com ⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/m... 📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/reques... 📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/c... ⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.o... 👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/ #GeneralConferenceOctober2021 #FaithToAct #Christian #BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration

Simply Beautiful—Beautifully Simple By Elder Gary E. Stevenson Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles May we keep the gospel simple as we take upon us our divinely appointed responsibilities. Introduction I offer a warm welcome to each of you participating in this conference. Today I hope to describe two elements of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, followed by four stirring accounts from Latter-day Saints around the world demonstrating the application of these principles. The first element of the restored gospel—God’s work of salvation and exaltation—focuses on divinely appointed responsibilities. The second element reminds us that the gospel is plain, precious, and simple. Divinely Appointed Responsibilities To receive eternal life, we must “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him.”1 As we come unto Christ and help others do the same, we participate in God’s work of salvation and exaltation, which focuses on divinely appointed responsibilities.2 These divine responsibilities align themselves with priesthood keys restored by Moses, Elias, and Elijah, as recorded in the 110th section of the Doctrine and Covenants,3 and the second great commandment given to us by Jesus Christ to love our neighbor as ourselves.4 They are found on the first two pages of the updated General Handbook, available to all members. If hearing the words “General Handbook” or “divinely appointed responsibilities” causes you to shudder in fear of complexity, please don’t. These responsibilities are simple, inspirational, motivating, and doable. Here they are: Living the gospel of Jesus Christ Caring for those in need Inviting all to receive the gospel Uniting families for eternity You might view them as I do: as a road map to return back to our loving Heavenly Father. Icons The Gospel Is Plain, Precious, and Simple It has been said that the gospel of Jesus Christ is “simply beautiful and beautifully simple.”5 The world is not. It is complicated, complex, and filled with turmoil and strife. We are blessed as we exercise care not to allow complexity, so common in the world, to enter into the way we receive and practice the gospel. President Dallin H. Oaks observed: “We are taught many small and simple things in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to be reminded that in total and over a significant period of time, those seemingly small things bring to pass great things.”6 Jesus Christ Himself describes that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.7 We should all strive to keep the gospel simple—in our lives, in our families, in our classes and quorums, and in our wards and stakes. As you listen to the following stories I will share with you, recognize that they have been carefully chosen to inspire on the one hand and to inform on the other. The actions of each of these Latter-day Saints becomes a model for each of us in applying the gospel in plain, precious, simple ways while fulfilling one of the divinely appointed responsibilities just introduced. General Conference Saturday Afternoon Session October 2021 Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” 🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200 😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com ⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/ 📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon 📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible ⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-basics--faq 👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/ #GeneralConferenceOctober2021 #FaithToAct #Christian #BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration

Favored of the Lord in All My Days By Elder Moisés Villanueva Of the Seventy How do we react to our afflictions? Do we feel thankful because we are more focused on our blessings than on our problems? The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the many trials and challenges that God’s children have confronted throughout the history of the world. At the beginning of this year, my beloved family and I lived through some dark days. The pandemic and other causes brought death and pain to our family through the passing of some dear loved ones. Despite medical attention, fasting, and prayer, during the course of five weeks my brother Charly, my sister Susy, and my brother-in-law Jimmy crossed to the other side of the veil. At times I have wondered why the Savior cried when He saw Mary anguished by the death of her brother, Lazarus, even though He knew that He had the power to raise Lazarus and that very soon He would use this power to rescue His friend from death.1 I am amazed by the Savior’s compassion and empathy for Mary; He understood the indescribable pain that Mary felt at the death of her brother, Lazarus. We feel that same intense pain when we experience the temporary separation from our loved ones. The Savior has perfect compassion for us. He doesn’t fault us for our shortsightedness nor for being limited in visualizing our eternal journey. Rather, He has compassion for our sadness and suffering. Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, want us to have joy.2 President Russell M. Nelson has taught: “The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives. When the focus of our lives is on God’s plan of salvation, … we can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives.”3 When I was a young missionary, I remember when a marvelous missionary that I had come to admire received some devastating news. His mother and his younger brother had passed away in a tragic accident. The mission president offered this elder the option to return home for the funeral. However, after speaking with his father on the phone, this missionary decided to stay and finish his mission. Moisés Villanueva A short time later, when we were serving in the same zone, my companion and I received an emergency call; some thieves had stolen the bicycle belonging to this same missionary and had injured him with a knife. He and his companion had to walk to the nearest hospital, where my companion and I met up with them. On the way to the hospital, I was grieving for this missionary. I imagined that his spirits would be low and that surely, after this traumatic experience, he would now want to return home. However, when we arrived at the hospital, I saw this missionary lying in his bed, waiting to be taken into surgery—and he was smiling. I thought, “How could he be smiling at a time like this?” While he was recuperating in the hospital, he enthusiastically handed out pamphlets and copies of the Book of Mormon to the doctors, nurses, and other patients. Even with these trials, he did not want to go home. Rather, he served until the last day of his mission with faith, energy, strength, and enthusiasm. At the beginning of the Book of Mormon, Nephi states, “Having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days.”4 General Conference Saturday Morning Session October 2021 Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” 🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200 😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com ⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/ 📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon 📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible ⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-basics--faq 👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/ #GeneralConferenceOctober2021 #FaithToAct #Christian #BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration

Preparing for the Second Coming of Christ By Elder Christoffel Golden Of the Seventy More than ever before, we are required to confront the reality that we are getting ever closer to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. As recorded in the Book of Mormon, six years before the birth of Jesus Christ, Samuel, a righteous Lamanite, prophesied to a Nephite people, who by then had become mostly apostate,1 of the signs that would accompany our Savior’s birth. Tragically, most Nephites rejected those signs because it was “not reasonable that such a being as a Christ [should] come.”2 Regrettably, according to the scriptural record, many of the Jews, in like manner, could not accept that a man named Jesus, from the little-regarded province of Galilee, was indeed the long-awaited Messiah.3 Jesus, who had indeed come to fulfill the many prophecies made by Hebrew prophets, was rejected and even crucified because, as the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob taught, the Jews were “looking beyond the mark.” Consequently, Jacob testified that “God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it. And because they desired it God hath done it, that they may stumble.”4 Strange as it may seem, no teaching, no miracle, and no appearance even of a heavenly angel, as witnessed by Laman and Lemuel,5 appears to have the persuasive power to convince some individuals to alter their course, outlook, or belief that something is true. This is especially the case when teachings or miracles do not agree with an individual’s preconceived whims, wishes, or ideas. Please contrast for a moment the following two scriptures, the first from the Apostle Paul speaking of the latter days, describing the ways of man, and the second from Alma the prophet showing how God does His work among mankind. First from Paul: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, “Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, “Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; … “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”6 And now from Alma, stating a foundational principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ: “Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.”7 We live in a modern world filled with great knowledge and much prowess. Nonetheless, these things too often camouflage the unsteady foundation upon which they are built. Consequently, they do not lead to real truth and on toward God and the power to receive revelation, acquire spiritual knowledge, and develop faith in Jesus Christ that leads to salvation.8 We are profoundly reminded of our Lord’s words to Thomas and the other Apostles on the eve of His atoning sacrifice: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”9 For those who have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to feel, more than ever before we are required to confront the reality that we are getting ever closer to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. True, great difficulties yet await those on the earth at His return, but in this regard, the faithful need not fear. Now I quote for a moment from the Church’s Gospel Topics under the heading “Second Coming of Jesus Christ”: “When the Savior comes again, He will come in power and glory to claim the earth as His kingdom. His Second Coming will mark the beginning of the Millennium. “The Second Coming will be a fearful, mournful time for the wicked, but it will be a day of peace for the righteous. The Lord declared: General Conference Saturday Afternoon Session October 2021 Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” 🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200 😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com ⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/ 📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon 📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible ⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-basics--faq 👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/ #GeneralConferenceOctober2021 #FaithToAct #Christian #BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration

The Things of My Soul By Elder Ronald A. Rasband Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles What things do you ponder? What things really matter to you? What are the things of your soul? My brothers and sisters, as I stand in our beloved Conference Center once again, I am reminded of the words of the Apostle Peter: “Lord, it is good for us to be here.”1 My thoughts today are centered on the words of the prophet Nephi, who kept the record of his people following Father Lehi’s death. Nephi wrote, “And upon these I write the things of my soul.”2 I used to pass over this verse, thinking the word things was not very elegant or spiritual, not grand enough to pair with “my soul.” Yet I have learned that the word things is used in the scriptures 2,354 times.3 For example, in Moses: “I am the Beginning and the End, the Almighty God; by mine Only Begotten I created these things.”4 And Nephi’s words: “Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.”5 Nephi’s words raise the questions “What things do you ponder?” “What things really matter to you?” “What are the things of your soul?” The things of our souls are often clarified and deepened by asking questions. Mission Conference with Elder Ronald A. Rasband Mission Conference with Elder Ronald A. Rasband Asia Pacific Young Adult Face to Face During the pandemic I have met with youth from all over the world in many devotionals, large and small, through broadcasts and social media, and we have discussed their questions. Fourteen-year-old Joseph Smith had a question deep in his soul, and he took it to the Lord. President Russell M. Nelson has emphasized: “Take your questions to the Lord and to other faithful sources. Study with the desire to believe rather than with the hope that you can find a flaw in the fabric of a prophet’s life or a discrepancy in the scriptures. Stop increasing your doubts by rehearsing them with … doubters. Allow the Lord to lead you on your journey of spiritual discovery.”6 Youth often ask me what I believe and why I believe. I remember visiting virtually with one young woman in her home. I asked if it was the first time an Apostle had been in her home. She quickly smiled and responded, “Yes.” Her question for me was good: “What are the most important things I should know?” I answered with the things of my soul, the things that prepare me to hear promptings, that lift my sights beyond the ways of the world, that give purpose to my work in the gospel and to my very life. May I share with you some of the things of my soul? These things apply to all who seek to be true disciples of Jesus Christ. Ten would be a good, round number. Today I am giving you seven with the hope that you will complete eight, nine, and ten from your own experiences. First, love God the Father and Jesus Christ, our Savior. Jesus decreed the first great commandment: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”7 President Nelson declared his devotion to God, our Eternal Father, and to His Son, Jesus Christ, when he was called to lead the Lord’s Church, saying, “I know Them, love Them, and pledge to serve Them—and you—with every remaining breath of my life.”8 So first, love the Father and the Son. Second, “Love thy neighbour.”9 That is not just a good idea; it’s the second great commandment. Your neighbors are your spouse and family, ward members, work colleagues, roommates, those not of our faith, those needing a helping hand, and, frankly, everyone. The essence of “love thy neighbour” is voiced in the hymn “Love One Another.”10 President Nelson reminds us, “When we love God with all our hearts, He turns our hearts to the well-being of others.”11 Third, love yourself. General Conference Saturday Afternoon Session October 2021 Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” 🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200 😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com ⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/ 📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon 📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible ⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-basics--faq 👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/ #GeneralConferenceOctober2021 #FaithToAct #Christian #BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration

Addressing Mental Health By Elder Erich W. Kopischke Of the Seventy Allow me to share several observations I made as our family has passed through trials. Even though our family has enjoyed rich blessings while joyfully walking the covenant path, we have also faced exceedingly high mountains. I wish to share some very personal experiences regarding mental illness. These include clinical depression, severe anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD—and sometimes a combination of them all. I share these tender experiences with the approval of those involved. During my ministry, I have encountered hundreds of individuals and families with similar experiences. Sometimes I wonder if the “desolating sickness” covering the land, as mentioned in the scriptures, might include mental illness.1 It is worldwide, covering every continent and culture, and affecting all—young, old, rich, and poor. Members of the Church have not been excluded. At the same time, our doctrine teaches us to strive to become like Jesus Christ and be perfected in Him. Our children sing, “I’m trying to be like Jesus.”2 We long to be perfect even as our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are perfect.3 Because mental illness can interfere with our perception of perfection, it remains all too often a taboo. As a result, there is too much ignorance, too much silent suffering, and too much despair. Many, feeling overwhelmed because they do not meet perceived standards, mistakenly believe they have no place in the Church. To combat such deception, it is important to remember that “the Savior loves each of His Father’s children. He fully comprehends the pain and struggle that many experience as they live with a broad range of mental health challenges. He suffered ‘pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; … [taking] upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people’ (Alma 7:11; emphasis added; see also Hebrews 4:15–16; 2 Nephi 9:21). Because He understands all afflictions, He knows how ‘to heal the brokenhearted’ (Luke 4:18; see also Isaiah 49:13–16).”4 Challenges often indicate a need for additional tools and support and are not a character defect. Allow me to share several observations I made as our family has passed through trials. First, many people will mourn with us; they won’t judge us. Due to severe panic attacks, anxiety, and depression, our son returned home from his mission after just four weeks. As his parents, we found it difficult to deal with disappointment and sadness because we had prayed so much for his success. Like all parents, we want our children to prosper and be happy. A mission was to be an important milestone for our son. We also wondered what other people might think. Unbeknownst to us, our son’s return was infinitely more devastating for him. Note that he loved the Lord and wanted to serve, and yet he could not for reasons he struggled to understand. He soon found himself at a point of total hopelessness, battling deep guilt. He no longer felt accepted but spiritually numb. He became consumed by recurring thoughts of death. While in this irrational state, our son believed that the only action left was to take his own life. It took the Holy Ghost and a legion of angels on both sides of the veil to save him. General Conference Saturday Afternoon Session October 2021 Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” 🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200 😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com ⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/ 📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon 📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible ⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-basics--faq 👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/ #GeneralConferenceOctober2021 #FaithToAct #Christian #BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration While he was fighting for his life and during this immensely difficult time, our family, ward leaders, members, and friends went out of their way to support and minister to us. I have never felt such an outpouring of love. I have never sensed more powerfully and in such a personal way what it means to comfort those in need of comfort. Our family will be ever grateful for that outpouring. I cannot describe the countless miracles that accompanied these events. Gratefully, our son survived, but it has taken a long time and much medical, therapeutic, and spiritual care for him to heal and to accept that he is loved, valued, and needed.

God’s Love: The Most Joyous to the Soul By Susan H. Porter First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency God’s love is not found in the circumstances of our lives but in His presence in our lives. Brothers and sisters, do you know how completely God, our Heavenly Father, loves you? Have you felt His love deep in your soul? When you know and understand how completely you are loved as a child of God, it changes everything. It changes the way you feel about yourself when you make mistakes. It changes how you feel when difficult things happen. It changes your view of God’s commandments. It changes your view of others and of your capacity to make a difference. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught: “The first great commandment of all eternity is to love God with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength—that’s the first great commandment. But the first great truth of all eternity is that God loves us with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength.”1 How can each of us know deep in our souls that great truth of eternity? The prophet Nephi was shown in a vision the most powerful evidence of God’s love. Upon viewing the tree of life, Nephi asked to know the interpretation thereof. In answer, an angel showed Nephi a city, a mother, and a baby. As Nephi looked upon the city of Nazareth and the righteous mother Mary, holding the infant Jesus in her arms, the angel declared, “Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father!”2 At that sacred moment, Nephi understood that in the birth of the Savior, God was showing forth His pure and complete love. God’s love, Nephi testified, “sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men.”3 Tree of Life We can picture the love of God as light emanating from the tree of life, shedding itself abroad over all the earth into the hearts of the children of men. God’s light and love permeate all His creations.4 Sometimes we mistakenly think that we can feel God’s love only after we have followed the iron rod and partaken of the fruit. God’s love, however, not only is received by those who come to the tree but is the very power that motivates us to seek that tree. “Wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things,” Nephi taught, and the angel exclaimed, “Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.”5 Twenty years ago, a beloved family member stepped away from the Church. He had many unanswered questions. His wife, a convert, stayed true to her faith. They worked hard to preserve their marriage in the differences that arose. Last year he wrote down three questions about the Church that were difficult for him to reconcile and sent them to two couples who had been his friends for several years. He invited them to reflect on those questions and come to dinner to share their thoughts. Following this visit with friends, he went to his room and started working on a project. The evening conversation and the love shown to him by his friends came to the forefront of his mind. He later wrote that he was compelled to stop his work. He said: “A bright light filled my soul. … I was familiar with this deep feeling of enlightenment, but in this case it continued to grow stronger than ever before and lasted for several minutes. I sat quietly with the feeling, which I came to understand as a manifestation of the love of God for me. … I felt a spiritual impression that told me I could return to church and express this love of God in what I do there.” He then wondered about his questions. The feeling he received was that God honored his questions and that not having clear answers should not stop him from moving forward.6 He should share God’s love with all while he continued to contemplate. As he acted on that impression, he felt a kinship with Joseph Smith, who remarked after his First Vision, “My soul was filled with love, and for many days I could rejoice with great joy.”7 General Conference Saturday Afternoon Session October 2021 Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” 🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200 😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com ⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/ 📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon 📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible ⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-basics--faq 👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/ #GeneralConferenceOctober2021 #FaithToAct #Christian #BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration

Faith to Act and Become By Elder Ciro Schmeil Of the Seventy Through prayer, scripture study, and action, we can unlock the blessings of heaven and become better followers of the Savior Jesus Christ. Shortly after I was called to serve as a General Authority Seventy, I had the opportunity to visit with President Russell M. Nelson for a few minutes. It was an unplanned encounter in the cafeteria, and he was so kind to invite Elder S. Mark Palmer and me to sit and enjoy lunch with him. “What do we talk about during lunch with the prophet?” was the thought that came to my mind. So I decided to ask President Nelson if he had any counsel or guidance for me since I was just starting my calling. His answer was very simple and direct; he looked at me and said, “Elder Schmeil, you are called for what you can become.” I walked away from that experience pondering about what the Lord wants me to become. As I thought about this, I realized that He wants me to become a better husband, father, and son and a better servant. I then realized that all of this could be accomplished as I worked to become a better disciple of the Savior Jesus Christ. Last general conference, President Nelson said: “To do anything well requires effort. Becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ is no exception.”1 President Nelson is inviting us to work hard to become better disciples of Jesus Christ. He told us that to become more like the Savior, we need to strengthen our faith by asking, acting, and studying, among other things. 1. Ask He said, “Ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, for help.”2 Asking through prayer is one of the keys to knowing how to become a better disciple of Jesus Christ. Toward the end of His ministry among the Nephites in the Americas, Jesus Christ ascended into heaven. Later, His disciples gathered together, “united in mighty prayer and fasting. And Jesus again showed himself unto them, for they were praying unto the Father in his name.”3 Why did Jesus show Himself again to His disciples? Because they were praying; they were asking. Then He continued: “Now I go unto the Father. And verily I say unto you, whatsoever things ye shall ask the Father in my name shall be given unto you. “Therefore, ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for he that asketh, receiveth; and unto him that knocketh, it shall be opened.”4 We need to ask in faith to know the will of the Lord and accept that the Lord knows what is better for us. 2. Act Acting is another essential key to becoming a better disciple of Jesus Christ. As we act, He will guide and direct us along the way. I am sure that Nephi was seeking guidance from the Lord to know how to get the brass plates from Laban, yet he and his brothers tried twice without success. But they were acting, and the Lord was directing them along the way. Finally, Nephi was successful the third time. He recalled, “I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.”5 This is how the Lord works as we put forth effort and act, even when we do not have a clear understanding of what needs to be done. The Lord told Nephi what to do: go and get the plates. But He did not tell Nephi how to do it. He left it to Nephi to figure out and seek the Lord’s help—and this is often how the Lord works in our lives. As we act in faith, the Lord guides and directs us. 3. Study In 3 Nephi, the disciples mentioned to the Savior that there were disputations among the people regarding the name of the Church. In response, the Savior taught an important principle when He asked, “Have they not read the scriptures?”6 Studying is then another essential key to becoming a better disciple of Jesus Christ. Prayer and scripture study go hand in hand. They work together for our benefit. This is the process that the Lord has established. “Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.”7 General Conference Saturday Morning Session October 2021 Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” 🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200 😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com ⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/ 📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon 📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible ⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-basics--faq 👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/ #GeneralConferenceOctober2021 #FaithToAct #Christian #BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration

With the Power of God in Great Glory (1 Nephi 14:14) By Elder David A. Bednar Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Honoring covenants arms us with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory. I pray that the Holy Ghost will enlighten and edify all of us as we consider together the marvelous work of salvation and exaltation in the dispensation of the fulness of times. Moroni’s First Visit to Joseph Smith Approximately three years after the First Vision, on the night of September 21, 1823, young Joseph Smith was praying to receive a remission of his sins and to know of his state and standing before God.1 A personage appeared at his bedside, called Joseph by name, and declared “he was a messenger sent from the presence of God … and that his name was Moroni.” He explained “that God had a work for [Joseph] to do”2 and then instructed him about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Significantly, the Book of Mormon was one of the first topics addressed in Moroni’s message. The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and the great tool of conversion in the latter days. Our purpose in sharing the gospel is to invite all to come unto Jesus Christ,3 receive the blessings of the restored gospel, and endure to the end through faith in the Savior.4 Helping individuals to experience the mighty change of heart5 and bind themselves to the Lord through sacred covenants and ordinances are the fundamental objectives of preaching the gospel. Moroni’s introduction of the Book of Mormon to Joseph Smith initiated the work of salvation and exaltation for individuals on this side of the veil in the dispensation of the fulness of times. Continuing his instruction to Joseph, Moroni next quoted from the book of Malachi in the Old Testament, with a little variation in the language used in the King James Version: “Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. “… And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.”6 Our purpose in building temples is to make available the holy places wherein the sacred covenants and ordinances necessary for the salvation and exaltation of the human family can be administered, for both the living and the dead. Moroni’s instruction to Joseph Smith about the vital role of Elijah and priesthood authority expanded the work of salvation and exaltation on this side of the veil and initiated in our dispensation the work for the dead on the other side of the veil. In summary, Moroni’s teachings in September of 1823 about the Book of Mormon and the mission of Elijah established the doctrinal foundation for the work of salvation and exaltation on both sides of the veil. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith The lessons Joseph Smith learned from Moroni influenced every aspect of his ministry. For example, at a solemn assembly held in the Kirtland Temple on April 6, 1837, the Prophet declared, “After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel.”7 Almost precisely seven years later, on April 7, 1844, Joseph Smith delivered a sermon known today as the King Follett Discourse. He declared in that address, “The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is to seek after our dead.”8 But how can preaching the gospel and seeking after our dead both be the single greatest duty and responsibility God has placed upon us? I believe the Prophet Joseph Smith was emphasizing in both statements the fundamental truth that covenants, entered into through authoritative priesthood ordinances, can bind us to the Lord Jesus Christ and are the essential core of the work of salvation and exaltation on both sides of the veil. General Conference Saturday Afternoon Session October 2021 Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” 🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200 😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com ⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/ 📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon 📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible ⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-basics--faq 👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/ #GeneralConferenceOctober2021 #FaithToAct #Christian #BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration

General Conference Saturday Afternoon Session October 2021 Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” 🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200 😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com ⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/ 📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon 📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible ⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-basics--faq 👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/ #GeneralConferenceOctober2021 #FaithToAct #Christian #BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration

The Need for a Church By President Dallin H. Oaks First Counselor in the First Presidency The scriptures clearly teach the origin and need for a church directed by and with the authority of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Many years ago, Elder Mark E. Petersen, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, began a talk with this example: “Kenneth and his wife, Lucille, are good people, honest and upright. They don’t go to church, though, and they feel they can be good enough without it. They teach their children honesty and virtue and they tell themselves that is about all the Church would do for them. “And, anyway, they insist that they need their weekends for family recreation … [and] church-going would really get in their way.”1 Today, my message concerns such good and religious-minded people who have stopped attending or participating in their churches.2 When I say “churches,” I include synagogues, mosques, or other religious organizations. We are concerned that attendance in all of these is down significantly, nationwide.3 If we cease valuing our churches for any reason, we threaten our personal spiritual life, and significant numbers separating themselves from God reduce His blessings to our nations. Attendance and activity in a church help us become better people and better influences on the lives of others. In church we are taught how to apply religious principles. We learn from one another. A persuasive example is more powerful than a sermon. We are strengthened by associating with others of like minds. In church attendance and participation, our hearts are, as the Bible says, “knit together in love.”4 I. The scriptures God has given Christians in the Bible and in modern revelation clearly teach the need for a church. Both show that Jesus Christ organized a church and contemplated that a church would carry on His work after Him. He called Twelve Apostles and gave them authority and keys to direct it. The Bible teaches that Christ is “the head of the church”5 and that its officers were given “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”6 Surely the Bible is clear on the origin of a church and the need for it now. Some say that attending church meetings is not helping them. Some say, “I didn’t learn anything today” or “No one was friendly to me” or “I was offended.” Personal disappointments should never keep us from the doctrine of Christ, who taught us to serve, not to be served.7 With this in mind, another member described the focus of his Church attendance: “Years ago, I changed my attitude about going to church. No longer do I go to church for my sake, but to think of others. I make a point of saying hello to people who sit alone, to welcome visitors, … to volunteer for an assignment. … “In short, I go to church each week with the intent of being active, not passive, and making a positive difference in people’s lives.”8 Church Attendance President Spencer W. Kimball taught that “we do not go to Sabbath meetings to be entertained or even solely to be instructed. We go to worship the Lord. It is an individual responsibility. … If the service is a failure to you, you have failed. No one can worship for you; you must do your own waiting upon the Lord.”9 Church attendance can open our hearts and sanctify our souls. International and Domestic Stock/LDS.org Adult Section In a church we don’t just serve alone or by our own choice or at our convenience. We usually serve in a team. In service we find heaven-sent opportunities to rise above the individualism of our age. Church-directed service helps us overcome the personal selfishness that can retard our spiritual growth. General Conference Saturday Morning Session October 2021 Get your FREE copy of The New Proclamation to the World: “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” 🙏🏼http://bit.ly/Restoration200 😇Come Unto Christ - Faith to Act - http://www.faithtoact.com ⛪ - Find a local Latter-day Saint Church to attend ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/ 📘 - Request a FREE Book of Mormon ➜ https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon 📖 - Request a FREE Holy Bible ➜ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible ⭐ - Learn the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ➜ https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-basics--faq 👪 - Find out about your family history and get to know your relatives ➜ https://www.familysearch.org/en/ #GeneralConferenceOctober2021 #FaithToAct #Christian #BookofMormon #ComeUntoChrist #HeLives #HearHim #TheRestoration

A Faithful Search Rewarded By Elder Patricio M. Giuffra Of the Seventy I invite us all to continually increase our faith in Christ, who continues to change the lives of all who seek Him. Beginning in 1846, thousands of pioneer men, women, and children headed westward to Zion. Their great faith stirred their boundless courage. For some, that trip was never finished as they died along the way. Others, facing great adversity, pressed forward in faith. Because of them, generations later, my family enjoyed the blessings of the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Much like another young man, whom I will mention later, I was 14 when I started to question religion and my faith. I attended the church of another denomination close to my house, but I felt the desire to visit many different churches. One afternoon, I noticed two young men in dark suits and white shirts entering my neighbor’s home. These young men looked—special. The next day I met my neighbor, Leonor Lopez, and asked her about those two men. Leonor explained that they were missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She joyfully told me that her family was baptized into the Church a year earlier. Seeing my interest, Leonor invited me to meet the missionaries and learn about the Church. Two days later, I joined the Lopez family to meet the missionaries. They introduced themselves as Elder John Messerly from Ogden, Utah, and Elder Christopher Osorio from Walnut Creek, California. I will never forget them. Family and Missionary Dinner Since I was only 14, Elder Messerly insisted we go next door to my home so that my mother could know what they were teaching me. There, he kindly explained that they came to share a message about Jesus Christ and asked for her permission to teach me. Mother agreed and even joined us while they taught me. The missionaries first asked Leonor to offer a prayer. This touched me very deeply because her prayer was not a repetition of memorized words but an expression from her heart. I felt she was really talking to her Heavenly Father. The missionaries then taught us about Jesus Christ. They showed a picture of Him that impressed me because it was a picture of the resurrected, living Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ They continued, teaching us how Jesus established His Church in ancient times, with Him at the head joined by twelve Apostles. They taught us about the Apostasy—how truth and Christ’s authority had been taken from the earth after His Apostles died.