General Conference – April 2020 – Saturday Morning
Saturday Morning Session:
President Russell M. Nelson
Life’s personal trials stretch far beyond this pandemic. If you are prepared, ye shall not fear. Store reserves of food, water, and savings while also storing for spiritual matters. We must prepare to meet our maker. Strive daily to become more like our Savior Jesus Christ. Stand in holy places and be not moved. Messages to heal your heart and illuminate your mind as you move ahead in times of turmoil and trial. We commence a lifelong quest to hear Him.
Russell Ballard
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God. Joseph Smith, the prophet and seer of the Lord has brought forth The Book of Mormon. 200th anniversary of The First Vision. We shall always remember the price Joseph, Hyrum and other faithful women, men, and children paid. Their faithfulness will not be forgotten. Before Joseph’s death, he wrote a call to action: Shall we not go on in such great a cause? Go forward and not backwards, on and on to victory.
James R. Rasband
The truths of The Book of Mormon have the power to heal and cheer our souls. Christ’s sacrifice fulfills all the demands of justice. The Plan of Happiness could not be accomplished unless all the demands of justice are satisfied. The Savior will clear the underbrush of ignorance and the painful thorns caused by others. Look to Him and live. Our sins and mistakes not only displace our relationship with God, but our relationship with others. Sometimes, restitution requires years of humble effort. The Savior will mend all that we have broken. He will also mend us if we turn to Him in faith. He loves all of us with perfect love.
Joy D. Jones
“The Lord loves effort because effort brings rewards that can’t come without it.” – President Russell M. Nelson. If you don’t practice, you don’t progress. There’s never an end. We are all progressing. Even in the next life, we are progressing. The Lord loves effort and effort brings rewards. We are always progressing as long as we are striving for the Lord. We keep climbing our personal Mt. Sinai. Our commitment to progress brings eternal rewards. The First Vision gives us direction in our unique and continuing roles. He knows each of us by name and has individual roles for us to fill. He expects us to receive revelation from Him. Learning is integral to progression. The constant companionship of the Holy Ghost teaches us what we need to set aside that will distract us. Women wear many hats, but it is impossible and unnecessary to wear them all at once. Our continuing role is to receive continual revelation. Lay aside the things of this world. We can then more effectively inspire our rising generation to do the same. Let us boldly declare our devotion to our Heavenly Father and our Savior with unshaken faith in Him. Let us joyfully continue this journey and help those around us to do the same through love, service, leadership, and compassion. To hear Him, to follow Him, to trust Him, and to become an extension of His Love.
Neil L. Andersen
“I am calm as a summer’s morning. I have a consciousness void of offense toward God and of all men.” – Joseph Smith. God knows us and loves us. He is blessing us specifically and openly. In our moments of difficulty, the Savior brings these experiences back into our mind. He eagerly desires to reveal Himself to us. They are always accompanied by an exceptionally strong spiritual confirmation of the love of God. God actually does hear our prayers. We sometimes receive sudden strokes of ideas. Perhaps your prayers have been answered time and time again but you have been expecting some grand reveal. Think deeply and often about this key question: How do you hear Him? Take steps to hear Him better and more often. We hear Him in our prayers, in our homes, scriptures, and in our hymns, as declare our faith, as we serve others, and attend the temple. Jesus did teach and minister to the children and the children did speak great and marvelous things. We can hear Him because of the blessing of the Savior’s atonement. Did God send a message just for me? Did I see His hand in my life or the life of a family member? With constant prayer, a determination to keep our covenants, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, we navigate our way through life. Our spiritual defining memories are like illuminated stones that light the dark road. Some experiences are so spiritual that we guard them. The Comforter, the Holy Ghost, shall bring all things to remembrance. Remember, write, and share your spiritual experiences. Treasure the spiritually defining events in your life, more and more will come to you. Heavenly Father knows and loves you. As we remain faithful, we will be His forever.
Douglas D. Holmes
We aren’t expected to walk the path alone. We need love and support from parents, families, and leaders. These relationships take time. Time to laugh and serve together and appreciate each other’s interests. Be open and honest with each other as we strive to be better together. To effectively serve others, we must see them through Heavenly Father’s eyes. Seeing others as God does, is a gift. To connect our hearts with heaven, we need individual spiritual experiences. The word of God is spiritual power. It is truth and light. It is how we hear Him. Repent and walk the covenant path. When we choose to repent, we choose to change. We allow the Savior to transform us into the best version of ourselves. We must choose repentance of ourselves. The gospel can’t be forced into our hearts. Invitation to choose Him. Allow Him to change us to become the best version of ourselves. Goals are simply a tool to help us to connect to heaven. To get the gospel deep in our hearts, we need to engage with it. Give time and sacrifice for it. We all want to live a life of meaning. We desire a cause. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the cause. Only the gospel will unite men and women and nationalities. Come unto Christ and be perfected in Him.
President Henry B. Eyring
Celebration of the ongoing restoration. As part of our preparation for His coming, he will rise each of us. “The work of the Lord in these last days is one of vast magnitude and almost beyond the comprehension of mortals.” Through His saints, the Lord will offer the gift of His gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. We as a people will become more united amongst increasing conflict. An unbelieving world will recognize The Church of Jesus Christ and that the power of God is upon it. Take upon the name of Christ in our everyday lives. Strive to obey and live the commandments. The Holy Ghost can be our constant companion. A feeling of light will stay with us even as the world around us becomes darker. Joseph Smith showed us that the prayer of faith is the key to revelation from God. Every breath to be virtually a prayer to God to guide and direct His people. Always remember Him. Keep His commandments. What would He have me do? Satan and his servants try to make us feel that we must not pray. There is peace and joy even in hard times.
The Sacred Grove – Joseph Smith’s First Prayer