Students responded to President Nelson’s latest statement on social media about what he called the “not only memorable but also unforgettable” upcoming General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
President Nelson closed the October 2019 General Conference announcing 2020 as a bicentennial year to honor and celebrate 200 years since the First Vision.
“That event marked the onset of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness, precisely as foretold in the Holy Bible,” President Nelson said.
He also said the April 2020 General Conference will be included in this yearlong commemoration. He promised a unique and special conference to those who take time to personally prepare.
“You may wish to begin your preparation by reading afresh Joseph Smith’s account of the First Vision as recorded in the Pearl of Great Price,” President Nelson said in an Instagram post. “Select your own questions. Design your own plan. Act on any of these invitations to prepare yourself for sharing the important messages of the ongoing Restoration.”
BYU students Kenta Yamazaki and Spencer Ika both said they noticed a sense of urgency in the prophet’s Instagram post.
“He is encouraging us to act immediately,” Ika said.
Yamazaki recalled bringing personal questions to General Conference in the past and said he wants to get started on that preparation right away.
Kristen Bertoldo, BYU student from Pueblo West, Colorado, said she appreciated President Nelson having Latter-day Saints come up with individualized questions and preparations. She plans to repost his recent admonition on her own social media profile.
“(The invitations) all show the importance of prophets testifying of Jesus Christ,” Bertoldo said.
Some students, like Bri Clark from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, have a desire to share the message of the Restoration with others. Clark took the religion class Foundations of the Restoration this semester to follow President Nelson’s challenges.
Clark, as a full-time missionary, taught the Restoration to those who were not members of the Church. She said she returned home to discover a strong desire to share her feelings with people who are already members of the Church as well.
“It is equally crucial to make an effort to share the gospel with members of the Church,” she said. “I think of people close to me — friends, roommates, etc. — that I could be more active about sharing my testimony of the Restoration with.”
