Thousands of individuals showed up in person and tuned in from around the globe to hear the words of Church leaders during the Saturday evening session of the 193rd Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
President Dallin H. Oaks conducted the session, while President Russell M. Nelson was presiding.
The theme of the session was a “combination of love, forgiveness and ministering, but personally it’s was about God’s value towards the individual,” Spencer Hall, a BYU sophomore studying marketing, said.
Issac Lee, who attends Utah State University, said the messages shared in this session made him feel known and loved.
Elder Mark A. Bragg of the Seventy spoke not on humility but on Christlike poise, which was described as being “calm, cool and collected in all situations, particularly in times of adversity and pressure” as Christ did.
He said this could be done by turning to the example of Christ. He showed that one could obtain His level of poise by knowing who you are, that there is a plan of happiness and that those who make and keep sacred covenants will be saved due to His atonement.
He said 'by framing challenging times within an eternal plan, pressure becomes a privilege to love, serve, teach and bless.' He added that the Savior can give us strength in our weaknesses, fears and challenges in life.
Conference goer Sadie Cox said this talk showed her that if she knows who she is, and if she understands the character of Christ, that will reflect in how she carries herself.
Brother Milton R. Camargo, first counselor in the Sunday School general presidency, taught that individuals should focus on the Lord while dealing with their problems.
He shared two ways to focus on Christ: keeping covenants and transforming “our homes into a sanctuary of faith and a center of gospel learning.”
Brother Camargo promised that “as our homes are filled with the Savior’s light, there is less and less room for the darkness of the adversary.”
Elder K. Brett Nattress of the Seventy shared a story of when he consulted a young man while he was a local Church leader years ago. This young man had “traveled down the slippery slope of addiction and destruction,” according to Elder K. Brett Nattress.
The young man asked Elder Nattress if he could be forgiven, and he responded by reading the story of Alma the younger, who himself had repented of deep sin.
“We discussed that while his sins did not rise to the level of Alma’s, the same promise of complete and perfect forgiveness is made to everyone — in and through the infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ,” Elder Nattress said.
He showed the young man that he could “begin his journey by trusting in the Lord and forgiving himself!”
After going through the repentance process, he was able to serve a full-time mission, receive a master’s degree, get married in the temple and become a devoted father.
A BYU junior in marketing, and an attendee, HunterEve Voisin, shared that this talk reminded her that when we do eventually receive our promised blessings the joy we will receive will be greater than the pains of the trails.
Elder Juan A. Uceda of the Seventy focused his talk on ministering to the individual.
He shared that even when called to minister to groups of people, we must “always, always minister to them, care for them and love them one by one, individually.”
He said this is what Christ taught in his parables and as he lived as the perfect example and as the Good Shepherd.
Elder Uceda ended his talk, and the night, by testifying that “with our Savior’s help, we can love His precious sheep and minister to them as He would.”
The evening session closed after just about an hour. This differed greatly from the two other sessions today that were two hours each. One high schooler from Kaysville in attendance, Tyler Hall, said that he was ready for more. To hear more from Church leaders, the Sunday morning session begins at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
