Sunday Morning Session | April 2021 General Conference

[Music] from the conference center theater in salt lake city utah this is the sunday morning session of the 191st annual general conference of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints with speakers selected from the general authorities and general officers of the church music for this session is provided by previous recordings of various choirs throughout the world this broadcast is furnished as a public service by bonneville distribution any reproduction recording transcription or other use of this program without written consent is prohibited [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] is president dallin h oaks first counselor in the first presidency of the church will conduct this session brothers and sisters we welcome you to the sunday morning session of the 191st annual general conference of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints on this glorious easter morning president russell m nelson who presides at the conference has asked me to conduct this session we extend our love and our greetings to all who are participating by radio television the internet or satellite transmission throughout the world we acknowledge members of the first presidency and quorum of the twelve apostles who are seated on the rostrum this morning the music for this session will be provided by various choirs directors and accompanist all selections have been previously recorded by members of the church living in many areas of the world the tabernacle choir at temple square opened this meeting with on this day of joy and gladness a choir of members of the church from mexico will now favor us with redeemer of israel the invocation will then be offered by elder terrence m vinson a native of australia and member of the presidency of the seventy after which a choir of children from korea will sing i love to see the temple [Music] oh [Music] is [Music] a [Music] our beloved father in heaven we approach there now grateful for the opportunity we have to do so on this beautiful easter morning we're particularly mindful of the glorious resurrection of our beloved savior jesus christ and pray that thou bless us with our testimonies as vibrant and strong as those of mary and those others to whom our savior appeared following his resurrection we pray thy blessing to be upon us this day father and upon those who will speak at this meeting that they may be blessed and guided by thee that thy spirit may carry their message to the hearts and minds of those who will listen and watch we're so grateful for thy love grateful for the gospel which is restored and which carries thy doctrine pure and simple to the world we pray that they'll bless us that we may reach out with love to all of thy children both those living and those who have passed beyond mortality that we may more effectively and demonstrably show love to all of thy children as thou has taught we pray that thou bless those who are participating in this meeting with concerns and questions that they may receive of thy spirit their messages from the spoken word and messages communicated to their thoughts and hearts through thy spirit we pray thy blessing upon all who will speak and we thank thee for this wonderful opportunity on this glorious easter morning in the name of jesus christ amen amen [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] okay [Music] on this beautiful easter morning president nelson expressed a great desire to have speakers from throughout the world preach the gospel of jesus christ we will begin by hearing from elder ulysses sowaris of the quorum of the twelve apostles who is a native of brazil he will be followed by sister reina isabel alberto second counselor in the relief society general presidency who is a native of nicaragua elders s mark palmer of new zealand and edward dubay of zimbabwe will then address us they are both serving in the africa south area presidency and their messages were recorded previously my dear brothers and sisters on this radiant easter morning my heart rejoices upon remembering the most marvelous the most majestic the most immeasurable act that has occurred in all of human history the atoning sacrifice of our lord jesus christ the eminent words of the prophet isaiah magnify the greatness and selflessness of the savior's condescension and sacrifice in behalf of all the children of god and i quote surely he had borne our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of god and afflicted but he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed end of quote by voluntarily taking upon himself the sins of all mankind being cruelly nailed to the cross and victoriously conquering death on the third day jesus gave a more sacred significance to the passover ordinance that had been bestowed upon israel in ancient times in fulfillment of prophecy he offered his own body and precious blood as the great and last sacrifice validating the traditional symbols used in the celebration of the lord's passover in doing so christ experienced physical and spiritual suffering that is incomprehensible to the human mind the savior himself said for behold i god have suffered these things for all which suffering caused myself even god the greatest of all to tremble because of pain and to bleed at every pore and just suffer both body and spirit and wood that i might not drink the bitter cup and shrink nevertheless glory be to the father and i partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men end of quote christ graciously fulfilled the will of the father through his infinite and merciful sacrifice he overcame the sting of physical and spiritual death introduced to the world through the fall offering us the glorious possibility of eternal salvation jesus was the only being capable of realizing this eternal and perfect sacrifice for all of us he was chosen and for ordained in the great grand grand council in the heaven even before the world was formed furthermore being born of a mortal mother he inherited the physical death but from god as the only begotten son of the father he inherited the power of lay down his own life and then to take it up again additionally christ lived a perfect life that was without blemish and therefore was exempt from the demands of the divine justice on one occasion the prophet joseph smith thought and i quote salvation could not come to the world without the mediation of jesus christ god prepared a sacrifice in the gift of his own son who should be sent in due time to open a door through which men might enter into the lord's presence end of quote while through his sacrifice the savior unconditionally removed the effects of physical death he did not eliminate our personal responsibility to repent for the sins we commit rather he extended to us a loving invitation to be reconciled to our eternal father through jesus christ and his atoning sacrifice we can experience a mighty change of mind and heart bringing a fresh attitude both toward god and toward life in general when we sincerely repent of our sins and turn our hearts and will to god and his commandments we can receive his forgiveness and feel the influence of his holy spirit in greater abundance mercifully we have we avoid having to experience the death of the suffering the savior endured the gift of repentance is an expression of god's kindness towards his children and it is a demonstration of his incomparable power to help us overcome the sins we commit it is also an evidence of the patience and long-suffering our loving father has for our mortal weakness and frailties president rosalie nelson our beloved prophet referred to this gift as the key to happiness and peace of mind my dear friends i testify to you that as we genuinely repent of our sins we allow the atoning sacrifice of christ to become wholly effective in our life we will become free from the bondage of sin find joy in our earthly journey and become eligible to receive eternal salvation which was prepared from the foundation of the world for all who believe in jesus christ and come unto him in addition to the majestic gift of salvation the savior offers us relief and comfort as we face our afflictions temptations and weaknesses of mortal life including the circumstances we have experienced recently in the current pandemic i can assure you that christ is ever aware of their diversities and experience immortality he understands all of the bitterness agony and physical pain as well as the emotional and spiritual challenge we face the savior's bowels are filled with mercy and he's always ready to sucker us this is possible because he personally experienced and took upon himself in the flesh the pain of our weakness and infirmities with meekness and humility of heart he descended below all things and accepted being despised rejected and humiliated by men having been wounded for our transgressions and iniquities he suffered the stinks for all taking upon himself the sins of the world thus becoming our ultimate spiritual caregiver as we draw nearer to him surrendering ourselves spiritually to his care will be able to take upon ourselves his yoke which is easy and his burden which is light thus finding that promised comfort and rest furthermore we receive the strength we all need to overcome the hardships weaknesses and sorrows of life which are exceedingly difficult to endure without his help and healing power the scriptures teach us to cast thy burden upon the lord and he shall sustain thee and then may god grant us that our burdens may be light through the joy of his son near the end of last year i learned of the passing of our dear couple mario and regina emerick who were very faithful to the lord and passed away four days apart from one another due to the complications from covet 19. one of their sons who is currently serving as a bishop in brazil related the following to me and i quote it was so difficult to see my parents depart from this world in that condition but i could clearly feel the hand of the lord in my life amidst that strategy because i received the strength and peace that transcended my understanding through my faith in jesus christ and his atonement i receive divine help and strengthen and comfort my family members and all those who helped us during this trying experience even though the miracle that everyone hoped for did not occur personally i am a witness of many other miracles that we have that have occurred in my own life and in the lives of my family members i felt an ex inexplicable peace that penetrated the depths of my heart giving me hope and confidence in the love of the savior for me and in the plan of happiness of god for his children i learned that on the very most grief field days the loving arms of the savior are always extended when we seek him with all our heart power mind and strength end of quote my dear brothers and sisters on this easter sunday i bear my solemn witness that jesus rose from the dead and that he lives i testify to you that through him and his infinite atonement the savior provided us the way to overcome death both physically and spiritually in addition to these great blessings he also offers us comfort and assurance in difficult times i assure you that as we put our trust in jesus christ and his supernova turning atoning sacrifice enduring in our faith to the end we will enjoy the promises of our beloved heavenly father who does everything within his power to help us return to his presence one day this is his work and his glory i testify to you that jesus is the christ the redeemer of the world the promised messiah the resurrection and the life and i share these truths with you in his holy name the only begotten of the father our lord jesus christ amen on these glorious easter sunday our children joyfully sing on a golden springtime jesus christ awoke and left the tomb where he had lain the bands of death he broke we are grateful for our knowledge of the resurrection of jesus christ and yet at some point in our lives we will have felt heartbroken after losing someone whom we love dearly through the current global pandemic many of us have lost loved ones either family members or friends we pray for those who are grieving such loss president russell m dawson has said irrespective of age we mourn for those loved and lost mourning is one of the deepest expressions of pure love moreover we can't fully appreciate joyful reunions later without tearful separations now the only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life we can imagine how jesus's friends who had followed him and ministered to him felt upon witnessing his death we know that they mourned and wept on the day of the crucifixion not knowing what will happen on sunday they must have been overwhelmed by distressed wondering how they will go on without their lord nevertheless they continued ministering to him even in death joseph of arimathea begged pilate to give him jesus's body he took the body down wrapped it in fine like linen laid it in his own new tomb and rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher nicodemus brought mirror and aloes he helped joseph take the body and wrapped it in linen with the spices mary magdalene and other women followed joseph and nicodemus watched where they laid jesus's body and prepared sweet spices and ointments too anointed according to the street loss of that day they waited to further prepare and anoint the body because saturday was the sabbath then early in the morning on sunday they went to the sepulchers after realizing that the body of the savior was not there they went to tell the disciples who were jesus's apostles the apostles came with them to the tomb and saw that it was empty all but mary magdalene eventually left wondering what had happened to the savior's body mary magdalene stayed at the tomb by herself only a few days before she had seen the tragic death of her friend and master now his tomb was empty and she did not know where he was it was too much for her to take in and she wept at that moment the resurrected savior came to her and asked why she was weeping and whom she was seeking thinking that the gardener spoke to her she asked that if he had taken her lord's body to tell her where it was so she could get it i imagine that the lord may have allowed mary magdalene to grieve and to express her pain he then called her by her name and she turned to him and recognized him she saw the resurrected christ and was a witness of his glorious resurrection like you in some way i can relate to the anguish felt by mary magdalene and her friends as they grieved the death of their lord when i was nine years old i lost my older brother during a devastating earthquake because it happened unexpectedly it took me a while to grasp the reality of what had occurred i was heartbroken by sorrow and i will ask myself what happened to my brother where is he where did he go will i ever see him again back then i did not yet know about god's plan of salvation and i had the desire to know where we come from what the purpose of life is and what happens to us after we die don't we all have those yearnings when we lose a loved one or when we go through difficulties in our lives a few years after i started thinking of my brother in a specific way i would imagine him knocking on our door i will open the door he will be standing there and he will tell me i am not dead i am alive i could not come to you but now i will stay with you and never leave again god imagining almost a dream helped me cope with the pain that i felt over losing him the thought that he will be with me came to me to my mind over and over sometimes i will even stare at the door hoping that he will knock and i will see him again about 40 years later during easter time i was pondering about the resurrection of jesus christ and started thinking about my brother at that moment something clicked in my mind i remembered imagining him coming to see me that day i realized that the spirit had given me comfort in a difficult time i had received a witness that my brother's spirit is not dead he is alive he is still progressing in his eternal existence i now know that my brother shall rise again at that magnificent moment when because of jesus christ's resurrection we will all be resurrected in addition he has made it possible for all of us to be reunited as families and have eternal joy in the presence of god if we will choose to make and keep sacred covenants with him president nelson has thought death is a necessary component of our eternal existence no one knows when it will come but it is essential to god's great plan of happiness thanks to the atonement of the lord eventual resurrection is a reality an eternal life is a possibility for all humankind for sorrowing loved ones left behind the sting of death is soothed by a steadfast faith in christ a perfect brightness of hope a love of god and of all men and a deep desire to serve them that faith that hope that love will qualify us to come into god's holy presence with our eternal companions and families dwell with him forever i testified that if christ had not risen from the dead or have broken the bands of death that the graves should have no victory and that death should have not sting there could have been no resurrection but there is a resurrection therefore the grave hath not victory and the sting of death is swallowed up in christ he is the light and the life of the world yea a light that is endless that can never be darkened yea and also a life which is endless that there can be no more death jesus christ himself declared i am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live i testify that through the redeeming atonement and glorious resurrection of jesus christ broken hearts can be healed anguish can become peace and distress can become hope he can embrace us in his arms of mercy comforting empowering and healing each of us in the name of jesus christ amen several years ago while attending meetings in salt lake city i was greeted by idea prophet russell m nelson in his typically warm and personal way he asked mark how is your mum doing i told him i had been with her earlier that week at her home in new zealand that she was getting old but was full of faith and an inspiration to all who knew her he then said please give her my love and tell her i look forward to seeing her again i was rather surprised and asked do you have a trip planned to new zealand soon with thoughtful sincerity he replied oh no i will see her in the next life there was nothing frivolous in this response it was a perfectly natural expression of fact in that private unguarded moment i heard and felt pure testimony from a living prophet that life continues after death this conference weekend you will hear living apostles and prophets testify of the resurrection of jesus christ the fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the apostles and prophets concerning jesus christ that he died was buried and rose again the third day all of the things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to this truth i promise that as you listen with real intent the spirit will confirm in your mind and your heart the truth of these testimonies jesus ancient apostles were forever changed after he appeared to them following his death ten of them saw for themselves that he had been resurrected thomas being initially absent declared except i shall see i will not believe later jesus admonished thomas saying be not faithless but believing then the lord taught the vital role of faith blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed the resurrected lord gave his apostles a charge to testify of him as with our living apostles today they left behind worldly occupations and spent the rest of their lives boldly declaring that god had raised up this jesus their powerful testimonies led to thousands accepting the invitation to be baptized the glorious message of easter morning is central to all christianity jesus christ has risen from the dead and because of this we too will live again after we die this knowledge gives meaning and purpose to our lives if we go forward in faith we will be forever changed as we're the apostles of old we like them will be able to endure any hardship with faith in jesus christ this faith also gives us hope for a time when our sorrow shall be turned into joy my own faith had its beginnings following a time of sorrow my father and mother were sheep farmers in new zealand they enjoyed their life as a young married couple they were blessed with three little girls the youngest of these was named anne one day while they were on holiday together at a lake seventeen-month-old ann toddled off after minutes of desperate searching she was found lifeless in the water this nightmare caused unspeakable sorrow dad wrote years later that some of the laughter went out of their lives forever it also caused a yearning for answers to life's most important questions what will become of our precious anne will we ever see her again how can our family ever be happy again some years after this tragedy two young missionaries from the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints came to our farm they began teaching the truths found in the book of mormon and the bible these truths include the assurance that anne now lives in the spirit world because of the resurrection of jesus christ she too will be resurrected they taught that the church of jesus christ has once again been restored on earth with a living prophet and twelve apostles and they taught the unique and remarkable doctrine that families can be bound together forever by the same priesthood authority jesus christ gave as chief apostle peter mum instantly recognized truth and received a witness of the spirit dad however wrestled for the next year between doubts and spiritual nudges also he was reluctant to change his way of life one morning following a sleepless night or pacing the floor he turned to mum and said i will be baptized today or never mum told the missionaries what had happened they immediately recognized the flicker of faith in my father that would now be either lit or extinguished that very morning our family traveled to the nearest beach unaware of what was happening we children had a picnic on the sand dunes well elders boyd green and gary sheffield led my parents into the ocean and baptized them in a further act of faith dad privately committed to the lord that come what may you be true all his life to the promises he was making one year later a temple was dedicated in hamilton new zealand shortly thereafter our family or someone representing ann knelt around the altar in that sacred house of the lord thereby the authority of the priesthood we were united as an eternal family in a sinful and beautiful ordinance this brought great peace and joy many years later dad told me that if not for anne's tragic death he would never have been humble enough to accept the restored gospel yet the spirit of the lord and instilled hope that what the mysteries taught was true this led to my parents faith growing until they each burned with the fire of testimony that quietly and humbly guided their every decision in life i will always be thankful for my parents example to future generations it's impossible to measure the number of lives forever changed because of their acts of faith in response to profound sorrow i invite all who feel sorrow all who wrestle with doubt all who wonder what happens after we die to place your faith in christ i promise that if you desire to believe then act in faith and follow the whisperings of the spirit you will find joy in this life and in the world to come how i look forward to the day i will meet my sister anne i look forward to a joyful reunion with my father who died over 30 years ago i testify of the joy to be found in living by faith believing without seeing but knowing by the power of the holy ghost that jesus christ lives with all my heart and soul i choose to follow jesus christ in his restored gospel this blesses every aspect of my life i know that jesus is the christ the son of god our savior and our redeemer in the name of jesus christ amen as i read the book of acts and post epistles i'm amazed on how paul was driven by love and gratitude in serving teaching and testifying of jesus christ how can such a person save with such love and gratitude especially considering his great sufferings what motivated poor to save court i pressed toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of god in christ jesus close quote to press toward the mark is to faithfully continue on the straight and narrow path which leads to eternal life with our savior and our father in heaven paul revealed his sufferings is not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us paul's letter to the philippians which he wrote when he was bound in prison is a letter of overwhelming joy and rejoicing and encouragement to all of us particularly in this difficult time of uncertainty we all need to take courage from paul i count all things but lost for the excellence of the knowledge of christ jesus my lord for whom i have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but down that i may win christ while we look at poor service we are inspired and uplifted by our own polls in our day who save teach and testify with love and gratitude amidst the challenges they face in their lives and in the lives of their loved ones an experience i had nine years ago it helped me to realize the importance of pressing toward the mark in 2012 as i walked for the first time in the general conference leadership meeting i could not help feeling overwhelmed and inadequate in my mind there was a voice persistently repeating you do not belong here a serious mistake had been made just as i was walking trying to find a place to see it elder jeffrey r holland spotted me he came to me and said edward it is good to see you here and he tenderly patted my face i felt like a baby his love and embrace warmed me up and he helped me to feel the spirit of belonging the spirit of brotherhood on the following day i observed elder holland doing the same thing he had done to me on the previous day only parting elder darling h oak's face who is his senior at that moment i felt the lord's love through this man we sustained as prophets seers and revelators elder holland through his kind natural actions he helped me to overcome my self-centeredness and my feelings of inadequacy he helped me to focus on the sacred and joyful work which i had been called to bring souls to christ he like po of old pointed me to press toward the mark interestingly paul is exhorting us to press forward while calling us to forget that which is behind our past fears our past focus our past failures in our past sadness he is inviting us just like our dear prophet president russell m nelson to a newer only approach the savior's promise is real for whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it in my first general conference address i shared an experience of my mother teaching me to work in our field never look back she said look ahead at what we still have to do towards the end of your life while mother battled cancer she lived with name and me one night i had a sobbing in your bedroom a pain was intense even after taking a last daily dose of morphine only two hours earlier i entered a room and sobbed with it i prayed aloud for you to receive instant relief from your pain and then she did the same thing she had done in the field years ago she stopped and taught me a lesson i'll never forget your face at that moment frail stricken and full of pain gazing with pity on your sorrowing sun she smiled through your tears looked directly into my eyes and said it is not up to you or anyone else but it is up to god whether this pain will go away or not i set up quietly she said she too said quietly the sin remains in my mind vivid in my mind that night through my mother the lord taught me a lesson that will stay with me forever as my mother expressed the acceptance of god's will i remember the reason jesus christ suffered in the garden of gethsemane and on the cross at gologota he said behold i have given unto you my gospel and this is my gospel which i have given unto you that i came into the world to do the will of my father because my father sent me as i reflect on our dear prophet president nelson's prophetic questions to us on the last general conference president nelson asked are you willing to let god prevail in your life are you willing to let god be the most important influence in your life will you allow his voice to take precedence over every other ambition are you willing to have your will be swallowed up in years my mother would have responded with an emotional but firm yes and other faithful members of the church across the globe would also respond with an emotional but firm yes president nelson thank you for inspiring and uplifting us with these prophetic questions recently i had a conversation in pretoria south africa with a bishop who buried his wife and his adult daughter on the same day their lives were claimed by this coronavirus pandemic i asked how he was doing bishop ted taverto's response strengthened my resolve to follow the words and counsel from the lord's prophet seers and revelators bishop taverton responded that there is always hope and comfort in knowing that the savior has taken upon himself the pains of his people that he may know how to suck us with deep faith he testified i'm grateful for the plan of salvation the plan of happiness he then asked me a question is this not is this not what our prophet was trying to teach us this last conference well the challenges of mortality will come to all of us in one way or another let us focus on the goal of our pressing toward the mark which is the price of the high calling of god my humble invitation to all of us is to never give up we are called to lay aside every weight and the sin which don't so easily beset us and let us run with patience the rest that is set before us looking unto jesus the author and finisher of our faith it is not so much about what we are going through in life but what we are becoming there is joy in pressing toward the mark i testify that you overcame all who help us as we look up to him in the name of jesus christ amen amen thank you brethren for your great messages a choir of women and children from around the world will now favor us with the beloved primary hymn i am a child of god after the singing we will hear from elder jose a tushera a native of portugal and a member of the presidency of the seventy he will be followed by elder taniela b wacholo a native of fiji who is serving as president of the philippines area his message was recorded previously he will be followed by elders chi hong sam wong a native of hong kong and michael john u tay a native of the philippines this is the sunday morning session of the 191st annual general conference of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints [Music] oh [Music] is [Music] oh [Music] is [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Applause] me [Music] [Applause] [Music] uh yes [Music] me [Music] in 1946 the young researcher arthur hassler was hiking along a mountain stream near his boyhood home when he had an experience that led to an important discovery about how fish find their way back to their birth streams hiking up a mountain yet out of sight of his favorite childhood waterfall asler was suddenly brought back to a forgotten memory he said as a cool breeze bearing the fragrance of mosses and columbine swept around the rocky abutment the details of this waterfall and its setting on the face of the mountain suddenly leapt into my mind's eye these smells rekindled his childhood memories and reminded him of home if smells could trigger such memories for him a reason that perhaps smells could be as evocative to salmon who after years of being the open ocean returned to the exact stream of their birth to spawn based on this experience asler together with other researchers went on to demonstrate that salmon remember the very sense that would help them navigate thousands of miles to find their way back from the sea this account caused me to think that one of the most important things we can do in this life is to recognize and remember the pathway back to our heavenly father and faithfully and joyfully persevere throughout the journey i thought of four reminders that one used and applied consistently in our lives can rekindle feelings of our heavenly home first we can remember that we are children of god we have a divine heritage knowing that we are children of god and that he wants us to return to his presence is one of the first steps on the journey back to our heavenly home remind yourself of this heritage make time regularly to boost your spiritual immune system by remembering the blessings you have received from the lord trust the guides you have been given from him rather than turning solely to the world to measure your personal worth and find your way recently i visited a loved one after she had been in the hospital she told me with emotion that while she was lying in the hospital bed all she desired was for someone to sing to her the song i am a child of god that thought alone she said gave her the peace she needed in that hour of affliction knowing who you are changes what you feel and what you do understanding who you truly are better prepares you to recognize and remember your way back to your heavenly home and yearn to be there second we can remember the foundation that protect us strength comes to us when we remain righteous true and faithful to heavenly father and jesus christ even when others overwhelmingly disregard the commandments and principles of salvation in the book of mormon element taught his sons to remember that they must build their foundations on jesus christ in order to have the strength to withstand the temptations of the adversary satan's mighty winds and storms are beating upon us but they will have no power to drag us down if we put our trust in the safest place in our redeemer i know from personal experience that as we choose to hear his voice and follow him we will receive his help we will obtain a wider perspective of our circumstances and a deeper understanding of the purpose of life we will feel the spiritual stirrings that will guide us to heavenly home third we can remember to be prayerful we live in a time when with a single touch or a voice command we can begin searching for answers on almost any topic in the immensity of data stored and organized in a vast and complex network of computers on the other hand we have the simplicity of the invitation to begin seeking answers from heaven pray always and i will pour out my spirit upon you then the lord promises and great shall be your blessing yea even more than if you should obtain treasures of earth god is fully aware of each one of us and ready to listen to our prayers when we remember to pray we find this sustaining love and the more we pray to our father in heaven in christ's name the more we bring the savior into our life and the better we will recognize the path he has marked to our heavenly home fourth we can remember to serve others as we strive to follow jesus christ by serving and showing kindness to others we make the world a better place our actions can significantly bless the lives of those around us and our life our own lives as well loving service adds meaning to the lives of both the giver and the receiver do not underestimate the potential you have to influence others for good both by the service of your actions and by the service of your example loving service to others guides us along the path to our heavenly home the path of becoming like our savior in 1975 as a result of a civil war hernando and eugenia telus grilo and their children had to leave behind their home and all that they have built through decades of hard work back in their native country of portugal brother and sister telus grillo faced the challenge of starting all over again but years later after joining the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints they said we lost everything we had but it was a good thing because it compelled us to consider the importance of eternal blessings they lost their earthly home but they found the way back to their heavenly home whatever you must leave behind to follow the path to heavenly home will one day seem like no sacrifice at all we have jesus christ's perfect example to follow and the journey towards our eternal home is possible only because of his teachings his life and his atoning sacrifice including his death and glorious resurrection i invite you to experience the joy of remembering that we are children of god that he so loved the world that he has sent his son to show us the path i invite you to remember to be faithful to turn your life to the savior and build your foundation on him remember to be prayerful in your journey and serve others along the way dear brothers and sisters on this easter sunday i bear testimony that jesus christ is the redeemer and savior of the world he is the one that can usher us to the table of a joyful life and guide us in our journey may we remember and follow him home in the name of jesus christ amen brothers and sisters i rejoice within the gospel of jesus christ i bring with me love from the resilient members in the philippines and say on their behalf mabuhay on this easter morning i testify of the living christ that he rose from the dead and that his love for us and for our father in heaven is pure and eternal today i desire to focus on the love of heavenly father and jesus christ for all which is manifest through the atonement of his son jesus christ for god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son when the prophet nephi was asked by an angel about his knowledge of god nephi responded simply i know that he loved his children a verse from the book of mormon another testament of jesus christ powerfully describes the savior's perfect love and the world because of the iniquity shall judge him to be a thing of not they scourge him they smite him they spit upon him and he suffered because of his loving-kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men the savior's universal love is the motivating force behind all that he does we know that it is the same love our father in heaven has for us because the savior humbly taught that he and the father are one how then do we reciprocate and show our gratitude for the universal love the savior taught us with this simple all-encompassing invitation if you love me keep my commandments president dalian h oaks talked quote god's universal and perfect love is shown in all the blessings of his gospel plan including the fact that his choices blessings are reserved for those who obey his laws close quote i would like to share three specific ways our heavenly father manifests his love for us his children first relationships with god and family manifest his love our most valuable relationships are with the father and the son and with our own families because our ties to them are eternal the great plan of happiness is a wonderful manifestation of god's love for us with eyes riveted on god's plan we willingly choose to cover soil and rocks within us that support selfish desires and replace them with foundations that build eternal relationships in a sense this can be called spiritual excavation in performing a spiritual excavation we must first seek after god and call upon him seeking after him and calling upon him will begin the process and provide space to build and strengthen our eternal relationships it broadens our spiritual view and helps us focus on changing what we can control rather than on fears outside of control studying the life and ministry of our savior jesus christ will enable us to view these other concerns with an eternal perspective distractions can sometimes prevent us from experiencing god's love in our family relationships and activities a mother feeling that gadgets were taking over her family relationships came up with a solution at the dinner table and in other family times she just calls out phones on the deck let us have face time she says that this is the new norm for their family and that it strengthens their relationship as a family when they have real face time they now enjoy quality come follow me discussions together as a family second he manifests his love to his children by calling prophets our current world is deluged in a war of words and tumult of opinions paul reminds us that there are so many kinds of voices in the world which of all the voices rise clearly and meaningfully above the fray it is the voice of god's prophets seers and revelators i remember vividly after undergoing surgery in 2018 upon returning to work i was in the parking garage at church headquarters suddenly i heard the voice of president russell m nelson calling tania daniela i ran towards him and he asked how i was doing i said i am recovering very well president nelson he gave me counsel and a hug i truly felt the personal ministry of a prophet to the one prison nelson has traveled to many nations of the earth in my mind he is not just ministering two thousands but he is ministering to thousands of ones in doing so he shares the love god has for all his children recently the words of praise nelson have been a source of strength and inspiration to the people of the philippines as with every country in the world during 2020 the philippines was severely affected by the kovite 19 pandemic as well as a volcanic eruption earthquakes typhoons and devastating floods but like a pillar of light shining through dark clouds of fear loneliness and despair came the words of the prophet it included the call for worldwide fasting and prayer and counsel to move forward despite the pandemic he invited us to make our homes personal sanctuaries of faith he called upon latter-day saints everywhere to respect all of god's children and to let god prevail in our lives likewise turing was praised nelson's recent video testimony about the power of gratitude and his concluding prayer which resonated across the philippines the philippines along with the entire world are so blessed to feel god's love through the words of his chosen prophet third chastening can be a manifestation of god's love for his children sometimes god manifests his love by chastening us it is a way of reminding us that he loves us and that he knows who we are his promised blessings of peace is open to all those who courageously walk the covenant path and are willing to receive correction when we recognize the chastening and our willing recipients it becomes a spiritual surgery who likes surgery by the way but to those who need it and are willing to receive it it can be life-saving the lord chasing whom he loves the scriptures tell us so that chastening or spiritual surgery will bring about nearly change in our lives joseph smith the prophet of the restoration was chastened after losing the 116 pages of the book of mormon manuscript the lord both corrected and showed love by saying you should not have feared men more than god you should have been faithful behold thou art joseph and thou was chosen remember god is merciful therefore repent in 2016 while serving a mission in little rock arkansas i asked brother the bar to deliver a package to my older sister who lived on an island in fiji his response was not something that i had anticipated president wacolo he groaned your sister passed away and was buried 10 days ago i had self-pity and even felt a little upset that my family did not even bother to let me know the next day while my wife was teaching missionaries this thought penetrated my soul daniella all these experiences are for your own good and development you have been teaching and sharing your testimony about the atonement of jesus christ now live accordingly i was reminded that happy is the man whom god corrects therefore we should despise not the chastening of the almighty it was a spiritual surgery for me and the outcome was immediate just as i was contemplating the experience i was called upon to give my concluding thoughts of this cousin among other things i shared the lessons that i had just been taught one i had just been chastened by the holy ghost and i loved it because i was the only one who heard it two because of the savior's sacrifice and ransom i will no longer refer to my challenges as trials and tribulations but is my learning experiences and three because of his perfect and seamless life i will no longer refer to my shortcomings and lack of abilities as weaknesses but rather as my development opportunities this experience helped me know that god chastens us because he loves us i conclude our eternal father and his son jesus christ show their love by making it possible for us to have eternal relationships with them and our family members by calling modern day prophets to teach and minister to us and by chastening us to help us learn and grow god be thanked for the matchless gift of his divine son our resurrected lord even the living christ in the name of jesus christ amen our dear prophet president wrestle m nelson said in our last general conference during these previous times of which the apostle paul prophesied satan is no longer even trying to hide his attack on god's plan and potent evil abounds therefore the only way to survive spiritually is to be determined to let god prevail in our lives to learn to hear his voice and to use our energy to help gather israel as we consider the prophet's invitation to learn to hear god's voice our hearts determined or hardened let us remember the counsel given in jacob chapter 6 verse 6 yea today if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts for why will he die let us be determined to let god prevailed in our lives how can we let god prevail in our lives and not the adversary in the doctrine and covenants section 6 34 we read therefore fear lord little flock do good let earth and help combine against you for if ye are built upon my rock they cannot prevail it is a significant promise although earth and hell may combine against us they cannot prevail if we choose to not to let god prevailed by establishing our lives upon his rock speaking to his disciples jesus christ thought of a wise man and a foolish man recorded in matthew chapter 7 of the new testament many of you have heard the primary song the wise man and the foolish man if you have taken the time to compare the four verses in the song you will find that verses 1 and 2 are very similar to verses three and four both the wise man and the footage man were building a house they want to provide their families with a safe and comfortable home they desire to live happily together forever as a family just like you and me the surrounding situation was the same the rains came down and the floods came up we sing it six times when we sing that song the only difference is that the wise man built his house upon the rock and the house stood still whereas the foolish man built his house upon the sand and his house washed away therefore where our foundation is is really matters and this has a decisive effect on the outcome ultimately and eternally i hope and pray that we all will find and stay on the shure foundation as we establish our future life we are reminded in hiloman chapter 5 verse 12. and now my sons remember remember that it is upon the rock of our redeemer who is christ the son of god that he must feel your foundation that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds yea his sharks in the whirlwind yea when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of mystery and end its world because of the rock upon which er built which is a sure foundation a foundation where on if men build they cannot that is the promise from god if we build our foundation on jesus christ we cannot fall as we endure faithfully to the end god will help us establish our lives upon his rock and the gates of hell shall not prevail against us we may not be able to change all of we what is coming but we can choose how we prepare for what is coming some of us may think the gospel is good so we need to put it in our lives maybe once a week just going to church once a week is not enough to build upon the rock our entire life should be filled with the gospel of jesus christ the gospel is not part of our lives but our lives is actually part of the gospel of jesus christ think about it is that not true our mortal life is only part of the whole plan of salvation and exaltation god is our heavenly father he loves all of us he knows our potential way better that we know ourselves he knows not only the details of our lives god knows the details of the details of the details of our lives please follow our living prophet president nelson's wise counsel as recorded in the doctrine and covenants section 21 verses 5 and six for his word he shall receive as if from my own mouth in all patience and faith for by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you yea and the lord will disperse the powers of darkness from before you and caused the heavens to shake for your good and his name's glory for that reason they cannot prevail and we cannot fall i testify to you that christ will come again a second time as he did the first time but this time it will be with great glory and majesty i hope and pray that i will be ready to receive him whether on this side of the veil or the other side as we celebrate in this wonderful easter season i hope through the atonement of jesus christ and the power of his resurrection i will be able to go up and meet with my maker and say thank you in the name of jesus christ amen i am grateful to be with you this wonderful easter morning when i think of easter i love to rehearse in my mind the words spoken by angels to those who were at the garden tomb why seek ye the living among the dead he is not here but is risen i testify that jesus of nazareth was resurrected and he lives 34 years ago my missionary companion and i met and taught a very intellectual man who was a contributing writer in a local newspaper in davao city in the philippines we enjoyed teaching him because he had a lot of questions and was very respectful of our beliefs the most memorable question he asked us was what thinky of christ we of course excitedly shared our feelings and bore testimony of jesus christ he later published an article on the same topic that contained wonderful words and phrases about the savior i remember being impressed but not necessarily lifted it had good information but felt hollow and lacked spiritual power what thinky of christ i am realizing that how intimately i know the savior significantly influences my ability to hear him as well as how i respond a few years ago elder david a bednar asked the following questions as part of his remarks quote do we only know about the savior or are we increasingly coming to know him how do we come to know the lord close quote as i studied and pondered i came to the stark realization that what i know about the savior greatly outweighed how much i really know him i resolved then to put forth more effort to know him i am very grateful for the scriptures and testimonies of faithful men and women disciples of jesus christ my own journey over the last few years has taken me down many roads of study and discovery i pray that the holy ghost will convey to you today a message far greater than the inadequate words that i have written first we need to recognize that knowing the savior is the most important pursuit of our lives it should take priority over anything else quote and this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true god and jesus christ whom thou has sent jesus saith unto him i am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the father but by me i am the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life close quote second as we are increasingly coming to know the savior scriptural passages and the words of the prophets become so intimately meaningful to us that they become our own words it is not about copying the words and feelings and experiences of others as much as it is coming to know for ourselves in our own unique way by experimenting upon the word and receiving a witness from the holy ghost as the prophet alma declared quote do you not suppose that i know of these things of myself behold i testify unto you that i do know that these things were off i have spoken are true and how do we suppose that i know of their surety behold i say unto you they are made known unto me by the holy spirit of god behold i have fasted and prayed many days that i might know this things of myself and now i do know of myself that they are true for the lord god hath made them manifest into me by his holy spirit and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me third an increasing understanding that the atonement of jesus christ applies to us personally and individually will help us know him oftentimes it is easier for us to think and speak of christ's atonement in general terms than to recognize its personal significance in our lives the atonement of jesus christ is infinite and eternal and all encompassing in its breadth and depth but wholly personal and individual in its effects because of his atoning sacrifice the savior has power to cleanse heal and strengthen us one by one the savior's only desire his only purpose from the very beginning was to do the will of the father the will of the father was for him to assist in bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of men by becoming our advocate with the father hence quote though he were the son yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered and being made perfect he became the author of eternal salvation and to all them that obey him and he shall go forth suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind and he will take upon him death that he may lose the bands of death and he will take upon him their infirmities that his bowels may be filled with mercy that he may know according to the flesh how to sucker his people according to their infirmities the son of god suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people that he might blood out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance i would like to share a simple experience that illustrates the struggle we sometimes have to embrace the personal nature of the lord's atonement years ago at the invitation of my file leader i read the book of mormon from cover to cover and mark the verses that referenced the lord's atonement he also invited me to prepare a one-page summary of what i learned i said to myself one page sure that is easy to my surprise however i found the task to be extremely difficult and i failed i have since realized i failed because i missed the mark and have incorrect assumptions first i expected a summary to be inspiring to everyone the summary was meant for me and not for anyone else it was meant to capture my feelings and emotions about the savior and what he has done for me so that every time i read it it will bring to the surface wonderful poignant and personal spiritual experiences second i expected a summary to be grand and elaborate and contain big words and phrases it was never about big words it was meant to be a clear and simple declaration of conviction quote for my soul delighteth in plain is for after his manner that the lord god work among the children of men for the lord god giveth light and to the understanding third i expected it to be perfect a summary to end all summaries a final summary that one cannot and should not add to instead of a work in progress that i can add a word here or phrase there as my understanding of jesus christ's atonement increases as a young man i learned a lot from my conversations with my bishop during those tender years i learned to love these words from a favorite hymn i stand all amazed that the love jesus offers me confused that the grace that so fully he proffers me i tremble to know that for me he was crucified that for me a sinner he suffered he bled and died oh it is wonderful that he should care for me enough to die for me oh it is wonderful wonderful to me the prophet moroni invited us to and now i would command you to seek this jesus of whom the apostles and apos apostles and prophets have written president russell m nelson promised that quote if we proceed to learn all we can about jesus christ our ability to turn away from sin will increase our desire to keep the commandments will soar close quote on this easter sunday just as the savior came forth from his stone grave may we awake from our spiritual slumber and rise above the clouds of doubt the clutches of fear the intoxicating pride and the lull of complacency jesus christ and heavenly father live i testify of their perfect love for us in the name of jesus christ amen amen we are grateful to the various choirs for the beautiful music that has been provided this morning the concluding speaker for this session will be our beloved prophet president russell m nelson following his remarks the tabernacle choir at temple square will close this meeting by singing that great easter anthem he is risen the benediction will then be offered by elder arnolfo valenzuela a native of mexico my dear brothers and sisters i am grateful for the privilege of speaking with you on this easter sunday the atoning sacrifice and resurrection of jesus christ changed each of our lives forever we love him and gratefully worship him and our heavenly father during the past six months we have continued to grapple with a global pandemic i marvel at your resilience and spiritual strength in the face of illness loss and isolation i pray constantly that through it all you will feel the lord's unfailing love for you if you have responded to your trials with a stronger discipleship this past year will not have been in vain this morning we have heard from church leaders who come from every populated continent on earth truly the blessings of the gospel are for every race language and people the church of jesus christ is a global church jesus christ is our leader thankfully even the pandemic has not been able to slow the onward march of his truth the gospel of jesus christ is exactly what is needed in this confused contentious and weary world each of god's children deserves the opportunity to hear and accept the healing redeeming message of jesus christ no other message is more vital to our happiness now and forever no other message is more filled with hope no other message can eliminate contention in our society faith in jesus christ is the foundation of all belief and the conduit of divine power according to the apostle paul without faith it is impossible to please god for he that cometh to god must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him everything good in life every potential blessing of eternal significance begins with faith allowing god to prevail in our lives begins with faith that he is willing to guide us true repentance begins with faith that jesus christ has the power to cleanse heal and strengthen us deny not the power of god the prophet moral and i declared for he worketh by power according to the faith of the children of men it is our faith that unlocks the power of god in our lives and yet exercising faith can seem overwhelming at times we may wonder if we can possibly muster enough faith to receive the blessings that we so desperately need however the lord put those fears to rest through the words of the book of mormon prophet alma alma asks us simply to experiment upon the word and exercise a particle of faith yea even if we can know more than desire to believe the phrase particle of faith reminds me of the lord's biblical promise that if we have faith as a grain of mustard seed we shall be able to say unto this mountain remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove and nothing shall be impossible unto you the lord understands our mortal weakness we all falter at times but he also knows of our great potential the mustard seed starts small but grows into a tree large enough for birds to nest in its branches the mustard seed represents a small but growing faith the lord does not require perfect faith for us to have access to his perfect power but he does ask us to believe my dear brothers and sisters my call to you this easter morning is to start today to increase your faith through your faith jesus christ will increase your ability to move the mountains in your life even though your personal challenges may loom as large as mount everest your mountains may be loneliness doubt illness or other personal problems your mountains will vary and yet the answer to each of your challenges is to increase your faith that takes work lazy learners and lacks disciples will always struggle to muster even a particle of faith 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 may i offer five suggestions to help you develop that faith and trust first study become an engaged learner immerse yourself in the scriptures to understand better christ's mission and ministry know the doctrine of christ so that you understand its power for your life internalize the truth that the atonement of jesus christ applies to you he took upon himself your misery your mistakes your weakness and your sins he paid the compensatory price and provided the power for you to move every mountain you will ever face you obtain that power with your faith trust and willingness to follow him moving your mountains may require a miracle learn about miracles miracles come according to your faith in the lord central to that faith is trusting his will and timetable how and when he will bless you with the miraculous help you desire only your unbelief will keep god from blessing you with miracles to move the mountains in your life the more you learn about the savior the easier it will be to trust in his mercy his infinite love and his strengthening healing and redeeming power the savior is never closer to you than when you are facing or climbing a mountain with faith second choose to believe in jesus christ if you have doubts about god the father and his beloved son or the validity of the restoration or the veracity of joseph smith's divine calling as a prophet choose to believe and stay faithful 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 other doubters allow the lord to lead you on your journey of spiritual discovery third act in faith what would you do if you had more faith think about it write about it then receive more faith by doing something that requires more faith fourth partake of sacred ordinances worthily ordinances unlock the power of god for your life and fifth ask your heavenly father in the name of jesus christ for help faith takes work receiving revelation takes work but everyone that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened god knows what will help your faith grow ask and then ask again a non-believer might say that faith is for the weak but this assertion overlooks the power of faith would the savior's apostles have continued to teach his doctrine after his death at the peril of their lives if they had doubted him would joseph and hiram smith have suffered martyr's deaths defending the restoration of the lord's church unless they had a sure witness that it was true would nearly 2 000 saints have died along the pioneer trail if they did not have faith that the gospel of jesus christ had been restored truly faith is the power that enables the unlikely to accomplish the impossible do not minimize the faith you already have it takes faith to join the church and remain faithful it takes faith to follow prophets rather than pundits and popular opinion it takes faith to serve a mission during a pandemic it takes faith to live a chaste life when the world shouts that god's law of chastity is now outmoded it takes faith to teach the gospel to children in a secular world it takes faith to plead for the life of a loved one and even more faith to accept a disappointing answer two years ago sister nelson and i visited samoa tonga fiji and tahiti each of those island nations had experienced heavy rains for days members had fasted and prayed that their outdoor meetings would be protected from the rain in samoa fiji and tahiti just as the meetings began the rain stopped but in tonga the rain did not stop yet 13 000 faithful saints came hours early to get a seat waited patiently through a steady downpour and then sat through a very wet two-hour meeting we saw vibrant faith at work in each of those among each of those islanders faith sufficient to stop the rain and faith to persevere when the rain did not stop the mountains in our lives do not always move how or when we would like but our faith will always propel us forward faith always increases our access to godly power please know this if everything and everyone else in the world and whom you trust should fail jesus christ and his church will will never fail you the lord never slumbers nor does he sleep he is the same yesterday today and tomorrow he will not forsake his covenants his promises or his love for his people he works miracles today and he will work miracles tomorrow faith in jesus christ is the greatest power available to us in this life all things are possible to them that believe your growing faith in him will move mountains not the mountains of rock that beautify the earth but the mountains of misery in your lives your flourishing faith will help you turn challenges into unparalleled growth and opportunity on this easter sunday with my deep feelings of love and gratitude i declare my witness that jesus christ is indeed risen he is risen to lead his church he has risen to bless the lives of all of god's children wherever they live with faith in him we can move the mountains in our lives i so testify in the sacred name of jesus christ amen [Music] please [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] is [Music] glory [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] is [Music] ah [Music] [Applause] our dear father in heaven at the conclusion of this wonderful session of conference on this easter sunday when we celebrate thy son jesus christ victory over seen and death which will guide us to the and to uh hope of eternal future joy we come to the empower heads and and pray and express gratitude for thou blessings for thy son jesus christ his atonement and resurrection we are grateful father for thy church the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints we are grateful for living prophets seers and revelators we are grateful for the teachings that we have received today we pray that we may follow the advice and counsel of our beloved prophet to increase our faith in thy son jesus christ we pray father for the first presidency of thy church for the quorum of the twelve apostles please bless them with health strength and revelation to guide us in the covenant path that will bring us back to thee one day we pray father this day and we say that we love thee we love thy son jesus christ in the sacred name of him who is thy beloved our savior and redeemer even jesus christ amen amen [Music] this has been a broadcast of the sunday morning session of the 191st annual general conference of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints speakers were selected from the general authorities and general officers of the church music for this session was provided by previous recordings of various choirs throughout the world this broadcast has been furnished as a public service by bonneville distribution any reproduction recording transcription or other use of this program without written consent is prohibited [Music] you

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Published: Sun Apr 04 2021