 From the Conference Center Theater in Salt Lake City, Utah, this is the Saturday afternoon session of the 190th Semiannual 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 various choirs from previous general conferences. 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. President Dallin H. Oggs, first counselor in the first presidency of the Church, will conduct this session. Brothers and sisters, we welcome you to the Saturday afternoon session of the 190th Semiannual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Russell M. Nelson, who presides at the conference, has asked me to conduct this session. We extend our greetings to members of the Church and friends everywhere who are participating in these proceedings by radio, television, the internet, or satellite transmission. The music for this session, which has been previously recorded, will be by various choirs, directors, and organists. The choir will open this meeting by singing Hark, All Ye Nations. The invocation will then be offered by Elder J. Devin Cornish of the Seventy. Through every land that all may rejoice, angels of glory shout the refrain. Truth is restored again. From the throne above shines the gospel light of truth and love. Bright as the sun, this heavenly ray lights every land to dare rejoice above. With firmant accord, teaching on this land. We love thee, we praise thee, we thank thee for thy countless blessings to us individually and collectively. We love thy holy Son, Jesus Christ, and thank thee for his matchless life and sacred atonement. We pray thee to stretch forth thy arm in mercy, to help and to heal the many people in this world who suffer, to temper the elements and the attitudes that lead to suffering. We are grateful to be gathered here to hear from thy servants. Bless them as they counsel us. Open our minds to learn and our hearts to change. We pray it humbly. In the name of thy holy Son, Jesus Christ, amen. President Henry B. Eyring will now present the General Authorities, Area 70s, and General Officers of the Church for sustaining vote. Brothers and sisters, I will now present to you the General Authorities, Area 70s, and General Officers of the Church for your sustaining vote. It is proposed that we sustain Russell Marion Nelson as prophet, seer, and revelator, and president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Dallin Harris Oaks as First Counselor in the First Presidency, and Henry Benyon Eyring as Second Counselor in the First Presidency. Those in favor may manifest it. Those opposed, if any, may manifest it. It is proposed that we sustain Dallin H. Oaks as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and M. Russell Ballard as Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Those in favor, please signify. Any opposed may manifest it. It is proposed that we sustain the following as members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, M. Russell Ballard, Jeffrey R. Holland, Dieter F. Uchtorf, David A. Bednar, Quentin L. Cook, D. Todd Christofferson, Neil L. Anderson, Ronald A. Rasband, Gary E. Stevenson, Dale G. Rendland, Garrett W. Gong, and Ulysses Suarez. Those in favor, please manifest it. Any opposed may so indicate. It is proposed that we sustain the Counselors in the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as Prophets, Sears, and Revelators. All in favor, please manifest it. Contrary, if there be any, by the same sign. We have released elders L. Whitney Clayton, Enrique R. Fallabella, and Richard J. Maines as General Authority 70s and grant them emeritus status. Those who wish to join with us in expressing gratitude to these brethren and to their families for their remarkable service, please so manifest it. We have released Elder L. Todd Budge as a General Authority 70. All who wish to thank him for his service, please do so by the uplifted hand. We have released Bishops Dean M. Davies and W. Christopher Waddell as First and Second Counselors, respectively, in the presiding bishopric. All who wish to express appreciation to these brethren for their dedicated service may so indicate. We have released the following as Area 70s. Ruben Acosta, René R. Alba, Alberto A. Alvarez, Vladimir N. Asteshoff, Jose Batalla, Bradford C. Bowen, Sergio Luis Carboni, Armando Carrion, S. Mark Clay Jr., Z. Dominique de Calle, Osvaldo R. Gius, Michael M. Dudley, Mark P. Durham, A. Javier Espinoza, James E. Evanson, Pasquale F. Ortenaga, Sam F. Galvez, Patricio M. Giuffra, Leonard D. Greer, Daniel P. Hall, Toru Hayashi, Paul F. Hincey, Adolf J. Johansson, Wisset Kanakam, Xiong Hun Koh, Pedro X. La Real, Johnny L. Liotta, Jose E. Maravilla, Joel Martinez, Joe Akim J. Morera, Isaac K. Morrison, Eduardo A. Nurambuena, Ferdinand P. Pongun, Jairus C. Patas, Sivan M. Peterson, J. D. Pimentel, Ejevaldo B. Pinto, Jr., Alexi V. Zemeikon, K. David Scott, Rulan F. Stacey, Carl M. Tillman, William R. Tittorah, Carlos R. Tolival, Cesar E. VR, David T. Warner, Gary K. Wilde, William B. Wong. Those who wish to join us in expressing appreciation for their excellent service, please manifest it. It is proposed that we sustain Dean M. Davies as a general authority 70. Those in favor, please manifest it. Any opposed may so signify. It is proposed that we sustain W. Christopher Waddell to serve as first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric and L. Todd Budge to serve as second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric. Those in favor may manifest it. Any opposed, by the same sign. It is proposed that we sustain the following as New Area 70s. Loryan B. Pelamewa, Jonathan W. Bunker, Enrico R. Mayoga, and Konstantin Tolomeyev. Those in favor may manifest it. Those opposed, if any, may manifest it. It is proposed that we sustain the other general authorities, Area 70s, and general officers of the Church as presently constituted. All in favor, please manifest it. Contrary, if there be any, by the same sign. Those who opposed any of the proposals should contact their stake president. Brothers and sisters, we express gratitude for your continued faith and prayers in behalf of the leaders of the Church. The choir will now favor us with beautiful savior. After the singing, we will hear from Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Brother Stephen J. Lund, young man general president, will then speak to us. Brother Lund will be followed by Elder Garrett W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Out of caution, because he has been potentially exposed recently to COVID-19, Elder Gong is at home today. He feels fine, but he recorded his remarks earlier. We'll now hear from the choir. Beautiful choir singing of the beautiful savior. I don't know how old they are now, but they look good there. In 2015, the United Nations adopted what was called the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It was described as a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet now and into the future. The Agenda for Sustainable Development includes 17 goals to be achieved by the year 2030, such as no poverty, zero hunger, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, and decent work. The concept of sustainable development is an interesting and important one. Even more urgent, however, is the broader question of sustainable societies. What are the fundamentals that sustain a flourishing society, one that promotes happiness, progress, peace, and well-being among its members? We have scriptural record of at least two such thriving societies. What can we learn from them? Anciently, the great patriarch and prophet Enoch preached righteousness and built a city that was called the city of holiness, even Zion. It is reported that the Lord called His people Zion because they were of one heart and one mind and dwelt in righteousness, and there was no poor among them. And the Lord blessed the land, and they were blessed upon the mountains and upon the high places and did flourish. The first and second century peoples in the Western Hemisphere, known as Nephites and Lamanites, provide another outstanding example of a flourishing society. Following the resurrected Savior's remarkable ministry among them, they did walk after the commandments which they had received from their Lord and their God, continuing in fasting and prayer and in meeting together oft both to pray and to hear the word of the Lord. And there were no envoys, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor hordoms, nor lying, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness. And surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God. The societies in these two examples were sustained by the blessings of heaven, growing out of their exemplary devotion to the two great commandments. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind, and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. They were obedient to God in their personal lives, and they looked after one another's physical and spiritual welfare. In the words of the Doctrine and Covenants, these were societies with every man seeking the interest of his neighbor and doing all things with an eye single to the glory of God. Unfortunately, as noted this morning by Elder Quentin L. Cook, the ideal society described in 4th Nephi of the Book of Mormon did not endure beyond its second century. Sustainability is not guaranteed, and a thriving society can fail in time if it abandons the cardinal virtues that uphold its peace and prosperity. In this case, yielding to the temptations of the devil, the people began to be divided into classes, and they began to build up churches under themselves to get gain, and began to deny the true Church of Christ. And it came to pass that when 300 years had passed away, both the people of Nephi and the Lamanites had become exceedingly wicked one like and to another. By the end of another century, millions had died in internecine warfare, and their once harmonious nation had been reduced to warring tribes. Reflecting on this and other examples of once flourishing societies that later founded, I think it's safe to say that when people turn from a sense of accountability to God and begin to trust instead in the arm of flesh, disaster lurks. Trusting in the arm of flesh is to ignore the divine author of human rights and human dignity and to give highest priority to riches, power, and the praise of the world, while often mocking and persecuting those who follow a different standard. Meanwhile, those in sustainable societies are seeking, as King Benjamin said, to grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created them or in the knowledge of that which is just and true. The institutions of family and religion have been crucial for endowing both individuals and communities with the virtues that sustain an enduring society. These virtues rooted in scripture include integrity, responsibility, and accountability, compassion, marriage, and fidelity in marriage, respect for others, and the property of others, service, and the necessity and dignity of work, among others. Editor-at-large Gerard Baker wrote a column earlier this year in The Wall Street Journal honoring his father, Frederick Baker, on the occasion of his father's 100th birthday. Baker speculated about the reasons for his father's longevity, but then added these thoughts. While we may all want to know the secret to a long life, I often feel we'd be better off devoting more time to figuring out what makes a good life, whatever span we're allotted. Here I'm confident I know my father's secret. He's from an era when life was defined primarily by duty, not by entitlement, by social responsibilities, not personal privileges. The primary animating principle throughout his century has been a sense of obligation to family, God, and country. In an era dominated by the detritus of broken families, my father was a devoted husband to his wife of 46 years, a dutiful father to six children. He was never more present and vital than when my parents suffered the unthinkable tragedy of losing a child. And in an era when religion is increasingly a curiosity, my father has lived as a true, faithful Catholic with an unshakable belief in the promises of Christ. Indeed, I sometimes think he's lived so long because he's better prepared than anyone I've ever met to die. I've been a fortunate man blessed by a good education, my own wonderful family, some worldly success that I didn't deserve. But however proud and grateful I feel, it's eclipsed by the pride and gratitude I have for a man who, without fuss or drama, without the expectation of reward or even acknowledgement, has got on for a century now with the simple duties, obligations, and ultimately joys of living a virtuous life." The perceived importance of religion and religious faith has declined in many nations in recent years. A growing number of people consider that belief in and allegiance to God are not needed for moral uprightness in either individuals or societies in today's world. I think we would all agree that those who profess no religious belief can be and often are good moral people. We would not agree, however, that this happens without divine influence. I'm referring to the light of Christ. The Savior declared, I am the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world. Whether aware of it or not, every man, woman, and child of every belief, place, and time is imbued with the light of Christ and therefore possesses the sense of right and wrong we often call conscience. Nevertheless, when secularization separates personal and civic virtue from a sense of accountability to God, it cuts the plant from its roots. Reliance on culture and tradition alone will not be sufficient to sustain virtue in society. When one has no higher God than himself and seeks no greater good than satisfying his own appetites and preferences, the effects will be manifest in due course. A society, for example, in which individual consent is the only constraint on sexual activity, is a society in decay. Adultery, promiscuity, elective abortion, and out-of-wedlock births are but some of the bitter fruits that grow out of the immorality sanctioned by the sexual revolution. Follow-on consequences that work against the sustainability of a healthy society include growing numbers of children raised in poverty and without the positive influence of fathers, sometimes through multiple generations. Women bearing alone what should be shared responsibilities and seriously deficient education as schools like other institutions are tasked to compensate for failure in the home. Added to these social pathologies are the incalculable instances of individual heartbreak and despair. Mental and emotional destruction visited upon both the guilty and the innocent. Nephi proclaims, woe be unto him, that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men and denyeth the power of God and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Woe unto all those who tremble and are angry because of the truth of God. In contrast, our joyous message to our children and to all humanity is that the truth of God points a better way. Or as Paul said, a more excellent way, a way to personal happiness and community well-being now and everlasting peace and joy hereafter. The truth of God refers to the core truths that underlie His plan of happiness for His children. These truths are that God lives, that He is the Heavenly Father of our spirits, that as a manifestation of His love, He's given us commandments that lead to a fullness of joy with Him, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and our Redeemer, that He suffered and died to atone for sins on condition of our repentance, that He rose from the dead, bringing to pass the resurrection of all humankind, and that we will all stand before Him to be judged, that is, to account for our lives. Nine years into what was called the reign of the judges in the Book of Mormon, a prophet Alma resigned his position as chief judge to give full time to his leadership of the church. His purpose was to address the pride, persecution, and greed that were growing among the people and particularly among members of the church. As Elder Stephen D. Nadal once observed, Alma's inspired decision was not to spend more time trying to make and enforce more rules to correct the behavior of his people, but to speak to them of the word of God, to teach the doctrine, and have their understanding of the plan of redemption lead them to change their behavior. There's much we can do as neighbors and fellow citizens to contribute to the sustainability and success of the societies we live in, and surely our most fundamental and enduring service will be to teach and live by the truths inherent in God's great plan of redemption. As expressed in the words of the hymn, faith of our fathers, we will love both friend and foe in all our strife, and preach thee, too, as love knows how by kindly words and virtuous life. If enough of us and enough of our neighbors strive to make our decisions and guide our lives by the truth of God, the moral virtues needed in every society will abound. In his love, our Heavenly Father gave his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that we might have everlasting life. Jesus Christ, doeth not anything, save it be for the benefit of the world, for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life, that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore he commanded none that they shall not partake of his salvation. Behold, hath he cry unto any, saying, depart from me? Behold, I say unto you, Nay, but he saith, come unto me, all the ends of the earth, by milk and honey, without money and without price. This we declare in solemnity of heart, in the spirit of meekness, and in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. You know, the Lord does not ask our Aaronic priesthood youth to do everything, but what he does ask is awe-inspiring. A few years ago, our little family went through what many families face in this fallen world, our youngest son, Tanner Christian Lund, contracted cancer. He was an incredible soul, as nine-year-olds tend to be. He was hilariously mischievous, and at the same time, stunningly spiritually aware. Imp and angel, naughty and nice. When he was little, and was every day bewildering us with his shenanigans, we wondered if he was going to grow up to be the prophet, or a bank robber. Either way, it seemed that he was going to leave a mark on the world. And then he became desperately ill. Over the next three years, modern medicine employed heroic measures, including two bone marrow transplants where he contracted pneumonia, requiring him to spend 10 weeks unconscious on a ventilator. Miraculously, he recovered for a short time, and then his cancer returned. Shortly before he passed away, Tanner's disease had invaded his bones, and even with strong pain medications, still, he hurt. He could barely get out of bed. One Sunday morning, his mom, Colleen, came into his room to check on him before the family left for church. She was surprised to see that he had somehow gotten himself dressed and was sitting on the edge of his bed, painfully struggling with a button to button his shirt. Colleen sat down by him to Tanner. She said, are you sure you're strong enough to go to church? Maybe you should stay home and rest today. He stared at the floor. He was a deacon. He had a quorum, and he had an assignment. I'm supposed to pass the sacrament today. Well, I'm sure somebody could do that for you. Yes, he said, but I see how people look at me when I pass the sacrament. I think it helps them. So Colleen helped him button his shirt and tie his tie, and they drove to church. Clearly something important was happening. I came to church from an earlier meeting, and so was surprised to see Tanner sitting on the deacons row. Colleen quietly told me why he was there and what he had said. It helps people, and so I watched as the deacons stepped to the sacrament table. Healing gently against another deacon as the priest passed them the bread trays, and then Tanner shuffled to his appointed place and took hold at the end of the pew to steady himself as he presented the sacrament. It seemed that every eye in the chapel was on him, moved by his struggle as he did his simple part. Somehow Tanner expressed a silent sermon as he solemnly, haltingly moved from row to row, his bald head moist with perspiration, representing the Savior in the way that deacons do. His once indomitable deacons body was itself a little bruised and broken and torn, willingly suffering to serve by bearing the emblems of the Savior's atonement into our lives. Seeing how he had come to think about being a deacon made us think differently too about the sacrament, about the Savior, and about deacons and teachers and priests. I wonder at the unspoken miracle that it impelled him that morning to respond so bravely to that still small call to serve and about the strength and capacities of all of our emergent youth as they pushed themselves to respond to a prophet's call to enlist in God's battalions and join in the work of salvation and exaltation. Every time a deacon holds a sacrament tray, we are reminded of the sacred story of the Last Supper, of Gethsemane, of Calvary, and of the Garden Tomb. When the Savior said to his apostles this, do in remembrance of me, he was also speaking through the ages to each of us. He was speaking of the unending miracle that he would provide as future deacons, teachers and priests would present his emblems and invite his children to accept his atoning gift. All of the sacramental symbols point us to that gift. We contemplate the bread that he once broke and the bread the priests before us in turn are now breaking. We think of the meaning of the liquid, consecrated then and now as the sacrament prayers solemnly passed from the mouths of young priests into our hearts and into the heavens. Renewing covenants that connected us to the very powers of Christ's salvation. We may think about what it means when a deacon carries the sacred emblems to us, standing as he does where Jesus would stand if he were there, offering to lift our burdens and our pain. Fortunately, young men and women do not have to get sick to discover joy and purpose in serving the Savior. Elder David A. Bednar has taught that to grow and become as missionaries are, we should do what missionaries do and then line upon line and precept upon precept we can gradually become the missionary the Savior expects. Likewise, if we desire to be like Jesus we should do what Jesus does. And in one astonishing sentence the Lord explains what it is that he does. He said, for behold, this is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. The Savior's mission has always and forever been to serve his Father by saving his children. And the surest way to find joy in this life is to join Christ in helping others. This is a simple truth that inspired the Children and Youth program. All children and youth activities and all children and youth teachings are about helping young people become more like Jesus by joining with him in his work of salvation and exaltation. Children and youth is a tool to help every primary child and youth to grow in discipleship and gain a faith-filled vision of what the way of happiness looks like. They can come to anticipate and yearn for the way stations and signposts along the covenant path where they will be baptized and confirmed with the gift of the Holy Ghost and soon belong to quorums and young women classes where they will feel the joy of helping others through a succession of Christ-like acts of service. They'll set goals, large and small, that will bring balance to their lives as they become more like the Savior. For the strength of youth conferences and magazines, the Friend and the Gospel Living App will help center them in finding joy in Christ. They will anticipate the blessings of holding limited-use temple recommends and feel the spirit of Elijah through the influence of the Holy Ghost as they pursue the blessings of the temple and family history. They will be guided by patriarchal blessings. In time, they will see themselves going into temples to be endowed with power and find joy there as they are eternally connected, come what may, with their families. Against the headwinds of pandemic and calamity, bringing about the full promise of the new children and youth program is still a work in progress, but there is urgency. Our youth cannot wait for the world to write itself before they come to know the Savior. Some are making decisions, even now, that they would not make if they understood their true identities and his. And so the urgent call from God's battalions in fateful training is for all hands on deck. Moms and dads, your sons need you to support them now as passionately as ever you have in the past when they have been about lesser things like badges and pins. Mothers and fathers, priesthood and young women leaders, if your youth are struggling, children and youth will help to bring them to the Savior, and the Savior will bring them peace. Quorum and class presidencies, step up and take your rightful place in the Lord's work. Bishops, link your keys with those of quorum presidents, and your quorums and your wards will forever change. And to you of the rising generation, I testify, as one who knows, that you are beloved sons and daughters of God. And he has a work for you to do. As you rise to the majesty of your stations with all of your hearts, might, mind, and strength, you will come to love God and keep your covenants and trust in his priesthood as you work to bless others beginning in your own homes. I pray that you will strive with redoubled energy worthy of this time to serve, exercise faith, repent, and improve each day to qualify to receive temple blessings and the enduring joy that comes only through the gospel of Jesus Christ. I pray that you will prepare to become that diligent missionary, loyal husband or wife, loving father or mother that you have been promised you may ultimately become by being a true disciple of Jesus Christ. May you help repair the world for the Savior's return by inviting all to come unto Christ and receive the blessings of his atonement in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Dear brothers and sisters, I recently officiated in a temple ceiling following COVID-19 guidelines. With the bride and groom, both faithful return missionaries were their parents and all their siblings. This was not easy. The bride is the ninth of ten children. Her nine siblings sat in order, oldest to youngest, socially distanced, of course. The family had sought to be good neighbors wherever they lived. However, one community had been unwelcoming because the bride's mother said their families were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The family did everything to make friends at school, contribute and be accepted, but to no avail. The family prayed and prayed hearts would soften. One night, the family felt their prayers were answered, though in a very unexpected way. Their house caught fire and burned to the ground. But something else happened. The fire softened their neighbor's hearts. Their neighbors in local school gathered clothes, shoes, others' necessities needed by the family who had lost everything. Kindness opened understanding. It was not the way the family hoped or expected their prayers to be answered. However, they expressed gratitude for what they learned through hard experiences and unexpected answers to heartfelt prayers. Truly, for those with faithful hearts and eyes to see, the Lord's tender mercies are manifest amidst life's challenges. Faithfully met challenges and sacrifice do bring the blessings of heaven. In this mortality we may lose or wait for some things for a time. But in the end, we will find what matters most. That is His promise. Our 2020 Bicentennial proclamation begins with the profoundly inclusive promise that God loves His children in every nation of the world. Each of us in every nation, kindred tongue, and people, God promises covenants and invites us to come partake of His abundant joy and goodness. God's love for all people is affirmed throughout Scripture that love encompasses the Abrahamic covenant, gathering His scattered children and His plan of happiness. In the household of faith, there are to be no strangers, no foreigners, no rich and poor, no outside others. As fellow citizens with the Saints, we are invited to change the world for the better from the inside out, one person, one family, one neighborhood out of time. This happens when we live and share the gospel. Early in this dispensation, the Prophet Joseph received a remarkable prophecy that Heavenly Father desires everyone everywhere to discover God's love and experience His power to grow and change. That prophecy was received here at the Smith Family Log Home in Palmyra, New York. This second-story bedroom occupies the same 18 by 30 by 10-foot physical space where Moroni, as a glorious messenger from God, came to the young Joseph on the evening of September 21st, 1823. The Prophet Joseph recounted, Moroni said, God had a work for me to do and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues. Moroni said there was a book deposited that the fullness of the everlasting gospel was contained in it. Here we pause. We worship God the Eternal Father and His Son Jesus Christ, not the Prophet Joseph nor any mortal man or woman. Yet consider how the prophecies God gives His servants are fulfilled. Some are fulfilled earlier, some later, but all are fulfilled. As we hearken to the Lord's spirit of prophecy, we can become in our own way part of the fulfillment of His prophecies and promises, part of the gospel blessing the world. In 1823, Joseph was an unknown 17-year-old teenage boy living in an obscure village in a newly independent country. Unless it were true, how would he imagine to say he would be an instrument in God's work and translate by God's gift and power sacred scripture that would become known everywhere? Yet because it is true, you and I can witness that prophecy being fulfilled, even as we're invited to help bring it to pass. Brothers and sisters, each of us participating in this October 2020 General Conference is among the nation's kindreds and tongues spoken of. Today members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints live in 196 nations and territories with 3,446 church stakes in 90 of them. We represent both geographic breadth and centers of strength. In 1823, who would have imagined that in the year 2020 there would be three countries, each with more than a million members of this church, the United States, Mexico, and Brazil, or 23 countries, each with more than 100,000 members of the church, three in North America, 14 in Central and South America, one in Europe, four in Asia, one in Africa. President Russell M. Nelson calls the Book of Mormon a miraculous miracle. Its witnesses testify be it known until all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people. Today General Conference is available in 100 languages. President Nelson has testified of Jesus Christ in his restored gospel in 138 nations and county. Beginning with 5,000 printed copies of the 1831st edition of the Book of Mormon, some 192 million copies of all or part of the Book of Mormon have been published in 112 languages. They're also available widely digitally. Currently, Book of Mormon translations include most of the 23 world languages spoken by 50 million people or more, collectively the native tongues of some 4.1 billion people. By small and simple things, in which we are each invited to participate, great things are brought to pass. For example, at a state conference in Monroe, Utah, population 2,200, I asked how many had served missions. Nearly every hand went up. In recent years from that one stake, 564 missionaries have served in all 50 US states and 53 countries on every continent except Antarctica. Speaking of Antarctica, even in Ushuaia, at the southern tip of Argentina, I saw prophecy being fulfilled as our missionaries shared the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in a place called the End of the Earth. The mural formed by the covers of our four volumes of saints depicts a global tapestry of the fruits of gospel living coming the faithful saints everywhere. Our church history is anchored in the lived testimony and gospel journey of each member, including Mary Whitmer, the faithful sister to whom Marona showed the Book of Mormon plates. Coming in January 2021, our three new global church magazines The Friend, For the Strength of Youth, and the Leohona invite all to belong and share in our worldwide community of faith. Brothers and sisters, as we increase our faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, live restored gospel truths and receive sacred covenants, and study, ponder, and share about the ongoing restoration. We participate in fulfilling prophecy. We are changing ourselves in the world in a gospel pattern that blesses lives everywhere. An African sister says, My husband's priesthood service makes him more patient and kind, and I am becoming a better wife than mother. A now-respected international business consultant in Central America says, before he discovered God's restored gospel, he lived aimlessly on the street. Now, he and his family have found identity, purpose, and strength. A young boy in South America raises chickens and sells their eggs to help buy windows for the house his family is building. He pays his tithing first. He will literally see the windows of heaven open. In four corners in the Southwest United States, a Native American family grows a beautiful rose to blossom in the desert, symbol of gospel faith and self-reliance. A survivor of bitter civil war, a brother in Southeast Asia, this spared life had no meaning. He found hope in a dream in which a former classmate held a sacrament tray and testified of saving ordinances and the atonement of Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father invites us everywhere to feel His love, to learn and grow through education, honorable work, self-reliance service, and patterns of goodness and happiness we find in His restored Church. As we come to trust God, sometimes through pleading in our darkest, loneliest, most uncertain moments, we learn He loves us better and knows us better than we know or love ourselves. This is why we need God's help to create lasting justice, equality, fairness, and peace in our homes and communities. Our truest, deepest, most authentic narrative, place, and belonging come when we feel God's redeeming love, seek grace and miracle through His Son's atonement, and establish lasting relationships by sacred covenant. Religious goodness and wisdom are needed in today's cluttered, noisy, polluted world. How else can we refresh, inspire, and edify the human spirit? Planting trees in Haiti is only one among hundreds of examples of people coming together to do good. The local community, including 1,800 members of our Church, which donated the trees, gathered to plant nearly 25,000 trees. This multi-year reforestation project has already planted over 121,000 trees. It anticipates planting tens of thousands more. This united effort provides shade, conserves soil, abates future floods, it beautifies neighborhoods, builds community, and satisfies taste and nourishes the soul. If you ask Haitians who will harvest the fruit from those trees, they say, whoever is hungry. Some 80% of the world's population are religiously affiliated. Religious communities readily respond to immediate needs after natural disasters, as well as to chronic needs for food, shelter, education, literacy. Across the world, our members, friends, and Church help communities support refugees and provide water, sanitation, handicapped mobility, vision care, one person, one village, one tree at a time. Everywhere we seek to be good parents and good citizens to contribute in our neighborhoods and societies, including through Latter-day Saint Charities. God gives us moral agency and moral accountability, declares the Lord, I the Lord make you free, therefore you are free indeed. In proclaiming liberty to the captives, the Lord promises that His atonement and gospel path can break temporal and spiritual bonds. Mercifully, this redemptive freedom extends to those who have passed from mortality. Some years ago, a priest in Central America told me he was studying Latter-day Saint, quote, baptism for deceased persons. It does seem just, the priest said, that God would offer every person opportunity to receive baptism, no matter when or where they lived, except little children who are alive in Christ. The Apostle Paul, the priest noted, speaks of the dead awaiting baptism and resurrection. Vicarious temple ordinances promise all nations, kindreds, and tongues that no one need, quote, remain a slave of death, of hell, or of the grave, end quote. As we discover God, sometimes unexpected answers to prayers take us from the street, bring us to community, chase darkness from our souls, and guide us to find spiritual refuge and belonging in the goodness of His covenants and abiding love. Great things often begin small, but God's miracles are manifest daily. How grateful we are for this eternal gift of the Holy Ghost, the atonement of Jesus Christ, and His revealed doctrine, ordinances, and covenants. May we joyfully accept God's promised and prophesied blessings in all nations, kindreds, and tongues, I pray, in the sacred and holy name of Jesus Christ, amen. We will now join the choir in singing, Go forth with faith. After the singing, we will hear from Bishop W. Christopher Waddell, who was sustained earlier in this session as First Counselor in the presiding bishopric. He will be followed by Elders Matthew S. Holland and William K. Jackson of the Seventy. This is the Saturday afternoon session of the 190th Semi-Annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Prior to travel restrictions caused by the current pandemic, I was returning home from an international assignment which, due to scheduling issues, created a Sunday layover. I had time between flights to attend a local sacrament meeting where I was also able to share a brief message. Following the meeting, an enthusiastic deacon approached me and asked if I knew President Nelson and if I had ever had a chance to shake his hand. I answered that I did know him, that I had shaken his hand, and that as a member of the presiding bishopric, I had the opportunity to meet with President Nelson and his counselors a couple of times each week. The young deacon then sat down on a chair, threw his hands in the air, and shouted, This is the greatest day of my life! Brothers and sisters, I may not throw my hands in the air and shout, but I am eternally grateful for a living prophet and for the direction we receive from prophets, seers, and revelators, especially during these times of challenge. From the beginning of time, the Lord has provided direction to help his people and, temporarily, against the calamities and trials that he knows will come as part of this mortal experience. These calamities may be personal or general in nature, but the Lord's guidance will provide protection and support to the extent that we heed and act upon his counsel. A wonderful example is provided in an account from the Book of Genesis where we learn of Joseph in Egypt and his inspired interpretation of Pharaoh's dream. We read, And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, God hath showed Pharaoh what he is about to do. Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, and there shall arise after them seven years of famine, and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt. Pharaoh listened to Joseph, responded to what God had showed him in a dream, preparing for what was to come. The scriptures then record, And in the seven plenteous years, the earth brought forth by handfuls, and he gathered up all the food of the seven years. And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea until he left numbering, for it was without number. Once the seven years of plenty had passed, we are told that seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said, and the dearth was in all lands. But in all the lands of Egypt, there was bread. Today we are blessed to be led by prophets who understand the need for us to prepare against the calamities which should come, and who also recognize the limitations or restrictions that we may encounter in striving to follow their counsel. There is a clear understanding that the effects of COVID-19 as well as devastating natural disasters are no respecter of persons and cross ethnic, social and religious boundaries on every continent. Jobs have been lost and incomes reduced as the opportunity to work has been affected by layoffs and the ability to work has been impacted by health and legal challenges. To all who have been affected, we express understanding and concern for your situation as well as a firm conviction that better days are ahead. You have been blessed with bishops and branch presidents who seek out members of their congregations who have temporal needs and these leaders have access to tools and resources that can help you reestablish your lives and place you on the path of self-reliance as you apply principles of preparedness. In today's environment with a pandemic that has devastated the whole economies as well as individual lives it would be inconsistent with a compassionate savior to ignore the reality that many are struggling and ask them to begin building a reserve of food and money for the future. However, that does not mean that we should permanently ignore principles of preparation. Only that these principles should be applied in wisdom and we might say as did Joseph in Egypt there was bread. The Lord does not expect us to do more than we can do but He does expect us to do what we can do when we can do it. As President Nelson reminded us in our last General Conference the Lord loves effort. Church leaders have often encouraged Latter-day Saints to prepare for adversity in life for food and water and some money and savings. At the same time we are encouraged to be wise and not to go to extremes in our efforts to establish a home storage supply and a financial reserve. A resource entitled Personal Finances for Self-Reliance published in 2017 and currently available on the Church website in 36 languages begins with a message that states, The Lord has declared it is my purpose to provide for my Saints. This revelation is a promise from the Lord that He will provide temporal blessings and open the door of self-reliance. Accepting and living these principles will better enable you to receive the temporal blessings promised by the Lord. We invite you to diligently study and apply these principles and teach them to your family members. To do so, your life will be blessed because you are a child of our Father in Heaven. He loves you and will never forsake you. He knows you and is ready to extend to you the spiritual and temporal blessings of self-reliance. This resource includes chapters devoted to creating and living within a budget, protecting your family against hardship, managing a financial crisis, investing for the future and many more, and is available for everyone on the Church website or through your local leaders. When considering the principle of preparedness, we can look back to Joseph in Egypt for inspiration. Knowing what would happen would not have been sufficient to carry them through the lean years without a degree of sacrifice during the years of abundance. Rather than consume all that Pharaoh's subjects could produce, he established and followed, providing sufficient for their immediate as well as their future needs. It was not enough to know that challenging times would come. They had to act, and because of their effort, there was bread. So this leads to an important question. Therefore what? Well, a good place to begin is to understand that all things are spiritual to the Lord, and not at any time has he given us which was temporal. Everything, then, points to Jesus Christ is the foundation upon which we must build, even our temporal preparedness. Being temporally prepared and self-reliant means believing that through the grace or enabling power of Jesus Christ and our own effort, we are able to obtain all the spiritual and temporal necessities of life we require for ourselves and our families. The additional aspects of a spiritual foundation for temporal preparedness includes acting and wisdom and order, which implies a gradual buildup of food storage and savings over time, as well as embracing small and simple means, which is a demonstration of faith that the Lord will magnify our small but consistent efforts. With a spiritual foundation in place, we can then successfully apply the requirements of temporal preparedness, managing finances, and home storage. Key principles to manage your finances includes the payment of tithes and offerings, eliminating and avoiding debt, preparing and living within a budget, and saving for the future. Key home storage principles includes the storage of food, the storage of water, as well as other necessities based on individual and family needs, and the best storehouse is the home, which becomes the most accessible reserve in times of need. As we embrace the spiritual principles and seek inspiration from the Lord, we will be guided to know the Lord's will for us, individually and as families, and how best to apply the important principles of temporal preparedness. The most important step of all is to begin. The Lord's principle when he said, Taking action is the exercise of faith. True faith is focused in and on the Lord Jesus Christ and always leads to action. Brothers and sisters, in an ever-changing world, we must prepare for uncertainties. Even with better days ahead, we know that the temporal peaks and valleys of mortality will continue. As we seek to become temporally prepared, with the trials of life with increased confidence, peace in our hearts, and like Joseph in Egypt, we will be able to say even in stressful circumstances there was bread in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. While reading the Book of Mormon for a Come Follow Me lesson last summer, I was struck by Alma's report that when he became fully conscious of his sins, his exquisite and so bitter as were his pains. I confess, talk of exquisite pain caught my attention partly due to my battle that week with a 7mm kidney stone. Never has one man experienced such great things when such a small and simple thing was brought to pass. Alma's language also stood out to me because the word exquisite in the English translation of the Book of Mormon typically describes things of exceptional beauty or unparalleled magnificence. For example, Joseph Smith noted that the Angel Moroni wore robes of exquisite whiteness, a whiteness beyond anything earthly he had ever seen. Yet, exquisite can also convey an extreme intensity, even for awful things. Thus, Alma and top dictionaries link exquisite pain to being tormented, wracked, and harrowed to the greatest degree. Alma's imagery reflects the sobering reality that at some point, the full excruciating guilt of every sin we commit must be felt. Justice demands it, and God Himself cannot change it. When Alma remembered all his sins, especially those that destroyed the faith of others, his pain was virtually unbearable in the idea of standing before God filled him with possible horror. He yearned to become extinct, both soul and body. However, Alma said everything started to change the moment his mind caught hold upon the prophesied coming of one Jesus Christ to atone for the sins of the world. And he cried within his heart, O Jesus, Thou Son of God, have mercy on me. With that one thought and one plea, Alma was filled with exquisite joy as exceeding as was his pain. We must never forget that the very purpose of repentance is to take certain misery and transform it into pure bliss. Thanks to his immediate goodness, the instant we come unto Christ, demonstrating faith in him and a true change of heart, the crushing weight of our sins starts to shift from our backs to his. This is only possible because he without sin suffered the infinite and unspeakable agony of every single sin in the universe of his creations for all of his creations. A suffering so severe, blood oozed out of his every pore. From direct personal experience, the Savior thus warns us in modern Scripture that we have no idea how exquisite our sufferings will be if we do not repent. But with unfathomable generosity, he also clarifies that I, God, have suffered these things for all that they might not suffer if they would repent. A repentance which allows us to taste the exceeding that we have tasted. For this doctrine alone I stand all amazed. Yet astonishingly, Christ offers even more. Sometimes exquisite pain comes not from sin but honest mistakes, the actions of others or forces beyond our control. In these moments, you may cry like the righteous psalmist, my heart is sore pain within me and I have fallen upon me and horror hath overwhelmed me, oh that I had wings like a dove for then I would fly away and be at rest. Medical science, professional counseling, or legal rectification can help alleviate such suffering. But note, all good gifts, including these, come from the Savior. Regardless of the causes of our worst hurts and heart aches, the ultimate source is the same, Jesus Christ. He alone holds the full power and healing balm to correct every mistake, right every wrong, adjust every imperfection, mend every wound, and deliver every delayed blessing. Like witnesses of old, I testify that we have not in high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, from His throne above and went forth suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind that He may know how to succor His people. For anyone today with pains so intense or so unique that you feel no one else could fully appreciate them, you may have a point. There may be no family member, friend or priesthood leader, meaning each may be who knows exactly what you are feeling or has the precise words to help you heal. But know this, there is one who understands perfectly what you are experiencing, who is mightier than all the earth and who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you ask or think. The process will unfold in His way and on His schedule, but Christ stands ready in His face to heal every ounce and aspect of your agony. As you allow Him to do so, you will discover your suffering was not in vain. Speaking of many of the Bible's greatest heroes and their griefs, the Apostle Paul said that God provided some better things for them through their sufferings, for without sufferings they could not be made perfect. Their existence is happiness, but we cannot become perfect beings of divine joy without experiences that test us sometimes to our very core. Paul says even the Savior Himself was made eternally perfect or complete through sufferings. So, guard against the satanic whispering that if you were a better person you would avoid such trials. You must also resist the related lie that your suffering somehow suggests you stand outside the circle of God's chosen ones who seem to glide from one blessed state to another. Instead, see yourself as John the Revelator surely saw you in his majestic revelation of the latter days. For John saw a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and peoples and tongues who stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes who cried with a loud voice saying salvation to our God. When asked what are these which are raid and white robes and whence came they John receives the answer these are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Brothers and sisters suffering and righteousness helps qualify you for rather than distinguishes you from God's elect and it makes their promises your promises. As John declares you shall hunger no more neither thirst anymore neither shall the sun light on you nor any heat for the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed you and shall lead you unto living waters and God shall wipe away all tears from your eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain. I witness to you that through the staggering goodness of Jesus Christ and his infinite atonement we can escape the deserved agonies of our moral failings and overcome the undeserved agonies of our mortal misfortunes. Under his direction your divine destiny will be one of unparalleled magnificence and indescribable joy. A joy so intense and so unique to you your particular ashes will become beauties beyond anything earthly that you might taste this happiness now and be filled with it forever. I invite you to do what Alma did. Let your mind catch hold on the exquisite gift of the Son of God as revealed through his gospel in this is true and living church. In the name of Jesus Christ amen. What a magnificent world we live in and share home to a great diversity of peoples, languages customs and histories spread out over hundreds of countries and thousands of groups each rich in culture. Mankind has much to be proud of and to celebrate. But though learned behavior those things to which we are exposed by the cultures we grow up in can serve as a great strength in our lives it can also at times become a significant obstacle. It may seem that culture is so heavily embedded in our thinking that it is impossible to change. It is after all much of what we feel defines us and from which we feel a sense of identity. It can be such a strong influence that we can fail to see the man-made weaknesses or flaws in our own cultures resulting in a reluctance to throw off some of the traditions of our fathers. And over fixation on one's cultural identity may lead to the rejection of many ideas, attributes and behavior. I knew a wonderful gentleman not too many years ago who helps to illustrate this universal principle of cultural myopia. I first met him in Singapore when I was assigned to be his family's home teacher. A distinguished professor of Sanskrit and Tamil he hailed from the south of India. His wonderful wife and two sons were members of the church and the families of the gospel. He was happy with the way his wife and sons were developing and supported them fully in their undertakings and church responsibilities. When I offered to teach him the principles of the gospel and share our beliefs with him he initially balked. It took me a while to figure out why. He felt that by so doing he would become a traitor to his past, his people and his history. To his way of thinking everything his family had taught him to be. His very Indian heritage. Over the next few months we were able to talk about these issues. I was odd, though not surprised by how the gospel of Jesus Christ was able to open his eyes to a different viewpoint. In most man-made cultures there is found both good and bad, constructive and destructive. Many of our world's problems are a direct result of clashes between those of differing ideas and customs arriving from their culture. But virtually all conflict and chaos would quickly fade if the world would only accept its original culture, the one we all possessed not so very long ago. This culture dates back to our premortal existence. It was the culture of Adam and Enoch. It was the culture founded on the Savior's teachings in the meridian of time and it is available to all women and men once again in our day. It is unique. It is the greatest of all cultures and comes from the great plan of happiness authored by God and championed by Christ. It unites rather than divides. It heals rather than harms. The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us that there is purpose in life. Our being here is not just some big cosmic accident or mistake. We are here for a reason. This culture is grounded in the testimony that our Heavenly Father exists. That he is real and loves each one of us individually. We are his work and his glory. It espouses the concept of equal worth. There is no recognition of cast or class. We are, after all, brothers and sisters, spirit children of our heavenly parents, literally. There is no prejudice or us versus them mentality in the greatest of all cultures. We are all us. We are all them. We believe that we are responsible and accountable for ourselves, each other, the church and our world. Charity, true Christlike caring is the bedrock of this culture. We feel real concern for the needs of our fellow man, temporal and spiritual feelings. This dispels prejudice and hatred. We enjoy a culture of revelation centered on the word of God as received by the prophets and personally verifiable to each one of us through the Holy Ghost. All humankind can know the will and mind of God. This culture champions the principle of agency. The ability to choose is extremely important for our development and our happiness. It is a culture of learning and study. We seek knowledge and wisdom and the best in all things. It is a culture of faith and obedience. Faith in Jesus Christ is the first principle of our culture and obedience to his teachings and commandments is the outcome. These give rise to self mastery. It is a culture of prayer. We believe that God will not only hear us but also help us. It is a culture of covenants and ordinances, high moral standards, sacrifice, forgiveness and repentance, and the caring for the temple of our bodies. All of these witness our commitment to God. It is a culture governed by the priesthood, the authority to act in God's name, the power of God to bless his children. It edifies and enables individuals to be better people, leaders, mothers, fathers and companions, and it sanctifies the home. True miracles abound in this, the oldest of all cultures wrought by faith in Jesus Christ, the power of the priesthood, prayer, self-improvement, true conversion, and forgiveness. It is a culture of missionary work. The worth of souls is great. In the culture of Christ, women are elevated to their proper and eternal status. They are not subservient to men, as in many cultures in today's world, but full and equal partners here and in the world to come. This culture sanctions the sanctity of the family. The family is the basic unit of eternity. The perfection of the family is worth any sacrifice, because, as has been taught, no other success can compensate for failure in the home. The home is where our best work is done and where our greatest happiness is gained. In the culture of Christ, there is perspective and eternal focus and direction. This culture is concerned with things of lasting worth. It comes from the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is eternal and explains the why, what, and where of our existence. It is inclusive, not exclusive. Because this culture results from the application of our Savior's teachings, to provide a healing balm of which our world is in such a desperate need. What a blessing it is to be part of this grand and noble way of life. To be part of this culture, the greatest of all will require change. The prophets have taught that it is necessary to leave behind anything in our old cultures that is inconsistent with the culture but that doesn't mean we have to leave behind everything. The prophets have also emphasized that we are invited, one in all, to bring our faith and talents and knowledge, all that is good in our lives and our individual cultures with us and let the church add to it through the message of the Gospel. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is hardly a western society or an American cultural phenomenon. It is an international church as it was always meant to be. New members from around the world bring richness, diversity and excitement into our ever growing family. Latter-day Saints everywhere still celebrate and honor their own heritage and heroes but now they are also part of something far grander. The culture of Christ helps us to see ourselves as we really are and when seen through the lens of eternity, with righteousness it serves to increase our ability to fulfill the great plan of happiness. So what happened to my friend? Well, he was taught the lessons and joined the church. His family has since been sealed for time and all eternity in the Sydney Temple. He has given up little and gained the potential for everything. He discovered that he can still be proud of his ancestry, his music and dance and literature, his food, his land and its people. He has found that there is no problem incorporating the best of his local culture into the greatest of all cultures. He discovered that bringing that which is consistent with truth and righteousness from his old life into his new one serves only to enhance his fellowship with the Saints and to assist in guiding all as one in the society of heaven. We can indeed all cherish the best of our individual earthly cultures and still be full participants in the oldest culture of them all, the original, the eternal culture that comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ. What a marvelous heritage we all share in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. I am grateful for all who have spoken to us this afternoon and for the beautiful music that has been provided. We remind the young women and Relief Society sisters of the women's session which will be broadcast from the Conference Center Theater this evening at 6 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time. A previously recorded broadcast of music and the spoken word will be aired tomorrow morning from 9.30 to 10 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time. The Sunday morning session of conference will immediately follow. Our concluding speaker for this session will be Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Following his remarks, the choir will close this meeting by singing How Firm a Foundation. The benediction will then be offered by Sister Joy D. Jones, Primary General President. Not long after arriving in Salt Lake Valley, the Latter-day Saints began building their Holy Temple. They felt they had finally found a place where they could worship God in peace and free from persecution. However, just as the Temple Foundation were in completion, an Army of United States soldiers approached to forcibly install a new governor. Because Church leaders did not know how hostile the Army would be, Brickham Young ordered the Saints to evaluate and evacuate and bury the Temple Foundation. I'm sure some members of the Church wondered why their efforts to build God's Kingdom were constantly being frustrated. Eventually, the danger passed and the Temple Foundations were excavated and inspected. It was then that the pioneer builders discovered that many of the original sandstones had cracked, making them unsuitable as a foundation. Consequently, Brickham replaced them with massive blocks of credits strong enough to support the walls of the majestic Temple. Finally, the Saints could sing the hymn how firm a foundation and know their holy Temple was built on a solid foundation that would last for generations. This story can teach us how God uses adversity to bring about His purposes. If this sounds familiar given the circumstances in which we find ourselves today, it's because it is. I doubt there is a person who hears my voice or reads my words who has not been affected by the worldwide pandemic. To those who mourn the loss of family and friends, we mourn with you. We plead with Heavenly Father to comfort and console you. The long-term consequences of this virus go beyond physical health. Many families have lost incomes and are threatened with hunger, uncertainty and apprehension. We admire the selfless efforts of so many to prevent the spread of this disease. We are humbled by the quiet sacrifice and noble efforts of those who have risked their own safety to assist, heal and support people in need. Our hearts are full of gratitude for your goodness and compassion. We pray mightily that God will open the windows of heaven and fill your lives with God's eternal blessings. There's still a lot of unknowns about this virus. But if there's one thing I do know, this virus did not catch Heavenly Father by surprise. He did not have to muster the words of angels, call emergency meetings or divert resources from the World Creation Division to handle an unexpected need. My message today is that even though this pandemic is not what we wanted or expected, God has prepared His children and His Church for this time. We will endure this, yes. But we will more than simply grit our teeth, hold on and wait for things to return to the old normal. We will move forward and we will be better as a result. In a way where seeds and for seeds to reach their potential, they must be buried before they can sprout. It is my witness that though at times we may feel of life or surrounded by emotional darkness, the love of God and the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ will bring something unimaginable to a spring forth. Every dispensation has faced its times of trial and hardship. Enoch and his people lived in a time of wickedness, wars, and bloodshed. But the Lord came and dwelt with his people. He had something unimaginable in mind for them. He helped them establish Zion, a people of one heart and one mind who dwelt in righteousness. Young Joseph, the son of Jacob, was thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, betrayed and abandoned. Joseph must have wondered if God had forgotten him. God had something unimaginable in mind for Joseph. He used this period of trial to strengthen Joseph's character and put him in a position to save his family. Think of Joseph Smith, the prophet, while imprisoned in Liberty Jail, how he bled for relief for the suffering saints. He must have wondered how Zion could be established in those saints. But the Lord spoke peace to him. And the glorious revelation that followed brought peace to the saints. And it continues to bring peace to you and me. How many times in the early years of the Church of Jesus, Christ of Latter-day Saints, did the saints despair and wonder if God had forgotten them. But through persecutions, murals, and threats of extermination, the Lord God of Israel had something else in mind for this little flock, something unimaginable. What do we learn from these examples and the hundreds of others in the Scriptures? First, the righteous are not given a free pass that allows them to avoid the valleys of shadow. We all must walk through difficult times. For it is in these times of adversity that we learn principles that fortify our characters and cause us to draw closer to God. Second, our Heavenly Father knows that we suffer. And because we are His children, He will not abandon us. Think of the compassionate one, the who spends so much of His life ministering to the sick, the lonely, the doubting, the despairing. Do you think He is any less concerned about you today? My dear friends, my beloved brothers and sisters, God will watch over and shepherd you during these times of uncertainty and fear. He knows you. He hears you. He is faithful and dependable. He will fulfill His promises. God has something unimaginable in mind for you personally and the Church collectively. A marvelous work and a wonder. Our best days are ahead of us, not behind us. This is why God gives us modern revelation. Without it, life might feel like flying pattern, waiting for the fog to lift so we can land safely. The Lord's purposes for us are much higher than that. Because this is the Church of the Living Christ and because He directs His prophets, we are moving forward and upward. To places we have never been. To heights we can hardly imagine. Now this does not mean we won't experience turbulence in our flight through mortality. It doesn't mean there won't be unexpected instrument failures, mechanical malfunctions, or serious weather challenges. In fact, things might get worse before they get better. As a fighter pilot and airline captain, I learned that while I could not choose the adversity I would encounter it during a flight, I could choose how I prepared and how I reacted. What is needed during times of crisis is calm and clear-headed trust. How do we do this? We face effects and return to the fundamentals, to the basic gospel principles, to what matters most. You strengthen your private religious behavior like prayer and scripture study and keeping God's commandments. You make the decisions based on best proven practices. Focus on the things you can do and not on the things you cannot do. You muster your faith and you listen for the guiding word of the Lord and His prophet to lead you to safety. This is the Church of Jesus Christ. He is at the helm. Think of the many inspired advancements that happened in the past decade alone to mention just a few. The segment was re-emphasized as center of our Sabbath worship. Come follow me, it was provided as a home-centered church-supported tool to strengthen individuals and families. We are here and holy away of ministering to all. The use of technology in sharing the gospel and doing the Lord's work has spread throughout the Church. Even these general conference sessions would not be possible without the wonderful tools of technology. Brothers and sisters with Christ at the helm, things will not only be all right, they will be unimaginable. The work of gathering Israel goes forward. At first, it may have seemed that a worldwide pandemic would be a roadblock to the Lord's work. For example, traditional methods of sharing the gospel had not been possible. However, the pandemic is revealing new and more creative ways of reaching out to the honest in heart. The work of gathering Israel is releasing in power and enthusiasm. Hundreds and thousands of stars attest to this. A good friend, living in beautiful Norway, wrote to Harriet and me about a recent increase in baptisms. In locations where the church is small, she wrote, tweaks will become branches and branches will become warts. In Latvia, a woman who had discovered the gospel of Jesus Christ. She was sitting on an internet ad and was so excited to learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ that he showed up to her appointment. And our early and before the missionaries ended the first lesson, she asked for a date to be baptized. In Eastern Europe, one woman who received a call from the missionaries exclaimed, sisters, why haven't you called me? Many of our missionaries are busier than ever. Many are teaching more people than ever. There's an increased connection between members and missionaries. In the past, we might have been so tied to the traditional approaches that it took a pandemic to open our eyes. Perhaps we were still building with sandstone when granite was already built. Of necessity, we're now learning how to use a variety of methods, including technology to invite people in normal and natural ways to come and see and come and help and come and belong. This is the Lord's work. He invites us to find his ways of doing it, and they may differ from past experiences. This happened to Simon Peter and other disciples who went fishing on the sea of Tiberius. That night, they caught nothing. But when the morning came, Jesus stood on the shore and he said unto them, cast the net on the other side of the ship and ye shall find. They did cast the net on the other side and were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. God has revealed and will continue to reveal his almighty hand. The day will come when we will look back and know that during this time of adversity, God was helping us to find the other way, the better ways, his ways to build his kingdom on a firm foundation. I bear witness that this is God's work and he will continue to do many unimaginable things among his children, his people. God holds us in the palm of his caring and compassionate hands. I testify that President Russell M. Nelson is God's prophet for our day. As an Apostle of the Lord, I invite and bless you to cheerfully to all things that lie in your power, and then may you stand still with the utmost assurance to see the salvation of God and for his arm to be revealed. And I promise that the Lord will cause unimaginable things to come from your righteous labors. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Thy mercy, Thy tender care for each of us, Thy children. We thank Thee for the gift of Thy beloved Son, our Savior. We thank Thee for His atoning sacrifice. We thank Thee for His example in all things. We thank Thee for our living prophet and we ever pray for Him. We are grateful to Thee for this wonderful session of General Conference, for this opportunity to be still, to listen, to learn, and to feel. We pray that Thou bless us, that we will be filled with peace, that we will be filled with hope and healing. And we ask Thee to bless us with the gift of charity, that we can love and care for one another as our Savior has taught us. We humbly pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. This has been a broadcast of the Saturday afternoon session of the 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 various choirs from previous General Conferences. 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.