Saturday afternoon session: Summaries from Latter-day Saint general conference

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SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is holding its 196th Semiannual General Conference on Saturday, Oct. 3, and Sunday, Oct. 4.

This blog summarizes the key points from the Saturday afternoon session, the second of four held at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City this weekend.

Follow along with our talk summaries in the blog below, or watch the session here:

Here is a glossary of the Latter-day Saint terminology used in this blog.

General conference is broadcast in multiple languages. The Spanish broadcast can be found here.

Saturday, 04:01 pm

Elder Ronald A. Rasband — 'Love like Jesus'

Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles addressed those "whose heart aches for loved ones who have turned away from the Lord." He said the actions and choices of others can lead many to feel burdened or weighed down.He said efforts to reach out can sometimes create deeper rifts, and everyone must choose to follow Christ."I ask you to turn over to Jesus Christ your despair for those wayward souls. We cannot change their hearts, but he can; he is a God of miracles. We love our family members and friends profoundly, but they are foremost children of our father in heaven who knows and loves them even more than we do," Elder Rasband said.

He said the "good news of the gospel" is that there is always a way back because Christ has the power to heal all of God's children."In the vernacular, Jesus Christ says to all who grieve, 'I've got this!' Jesus Christ is the perfect embodiment of love," Elder Rasband said.He encouraged the faithful to leave their arms stretched out and continue to pray for family members, and that love is "the answer to connecting to our loved ones." Christ has already given his life to bring even those who have strayed "all the way home," he told them."Jesus Christ pulls more than his weight. His Atonement is a witness of his all-encompassing love for each one of us. Brutal as it was for him, his Atonement was crucial for our eternal journey," he said.He encouraged members to never give up on those they love, to not let the problem become more important than the person, and to remember Christ is the answer."Trust him, he's got this!" Elder Rasband concluded.— Emily Ashcraft

Saturday, 03:44 pm

Elder Matthew J. Eyring — 'Comfort from the Holy Ghost'

Elder Matthew J. Eyring of the Seventy spoke about the challenges that people cannot simply solve, no matter how hard we may want to help."All of us, regardless of experience, talent or willpower, will sooner or later encounter burdens we cannot possibly carry ourselves," he said.During those times, he said it is important not to let a person's challenges disrupt their faith in Jesus Christ and the comfort that can only come from God through the Holy Ghost."Our mortal journey is designed to try our faith," Elder Eyring said. The challenges will be difficult, but we can accomplish them with the help and power of Jesus Christ."It is important to not allow our challenges to negatively impact our faith," he said.He said Jesus Christ suffered for us and knew exactly what each person has felt in life, regardless of their challenges.He shared the story of a young couple who had recently lost one of their twins right before birth. As Elder Eyring and his wife comforted the young couple, Elder Eyring had the opportunity to give the father a priesthood blessing."Through the whisperings of the Spirit, he was promised peace 'which passeth all understanding' during this difficult time and throughout his life," he said. As the young couple left, Elder Eyring said "their countenances shone" with faith in Christ.Elder Eyring said that peace from God comes through the comforting power of the Holy Ghost. He said that should be one of a person's highest priorities in life, to live worthy of its constant companionship.— Joe R. Wirthlin, Jr.

Saturday, 03:37 pm

Elder Michael A. Dunn — 'The ninety and ten'

Elder Michael A. Dunn, a general authority seventy for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, told a story about running a 100-mile ultramarathon he ran with his friend in 1998.Once they hit mile 90, Dunn was ready to quit, but his friend encouraged him and ran the final 10 miles with him. Later, Dunn found out that Ted had slipped some of Dunn's running supplies into his own pack to lighten his load. He compared Ted's actions to those of Jesus Christ and his atonement.Dunn continued the metaphor, explaining that in the race of life, Christ's help doesn't always come the way one expects."The Redeemer rescues not by shortening our course. But by helping us lengthen our stride," he said.He explained that sometimes people may not see God's help and may feel overwhelmed and discouraged, but he is always there and always cares."Don't confuse the perceived invisibility of the Lord's hand with the inveterate nature of the Lord's heart," Dunn said.He shared that sometimes God works miracles. Sometimes he sends someone like Ted to help carry people through their burdens. And most times, "he tops off our courage, capacity and confidence" so we can continue forward on the path, he said.— Jenny Rollins

Saturday, 03:30 pm

Elder Patrick Kearon — 'Jesus lives to lift'

Elder Patrick Kearon, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, spoke about learning to fly a glider, a plane without an engine, during two summers while he was a teenager. He said climbing in the glider was a beautiful, magnificent sensation.Because there was no engine, he would look for rising air, called "lift," and sinking air, which he learned to avoid. He later realized these align with spiritual principles. He encouraged members to avoid "sink" and find "lift" through Christ."Our Savior constantly sought out the most desperate souls sinking into darkness and dread, and lifted them up. And He wants to lift you!" he said.Elder Kearon invited members to think about where they have been when they felt spiritual lift or sink. In gliding, he said, if you are not actively climbing, you are descending, and he warned members they might not recognize they are sinking. But he said Christ is there to lift those who turn to him.Elder Kearon said there is joy in helping others experience spiritual lift, and encouraged members to take on the responsibility of sharing it with others, which "brings joy beyond compare."He encouraged members to find a guide who can teach them where to find lift, tune in to the Holy Spirit, join others who are climbing, and turn away from signs of sink in their lives."None of this is complicated; we simply need to keep turning toward the Savior, into the source of lift, and keep choosing to rise into the light rather than drift imperceptibly into the shadow," Elder Kearon said.He told members there is no limit to how high the Savior can help them climb.— Emily Ashcraft

Saturday, 03:19 pm

Elder Hutch U. Fale — 'I am a child of God'

Elder Hutch U. Fale, a General Authority Seventy for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, began his talk by stating that he is a child of God. He compared God's love for his children to the love parents have for their own children.He shared a conversation he had with his own children about a parent's love. "You did not earn it; you cannot lose it. It is yours forever," he told his children.Fale explained that not all families look the same and that not everyone has a loving or intact family. Even when earthly family relationships are difficult or absent, he said knowing God loves us gives us comfort and hope."It is often through families, despite all their imperfections, that our father teaches us about his love," Fale said.However, he warned, just because God loves his children does not mean that those children will automatically be saved and return to live with him. Making and keeping covenants is the only way to accomplish that, he explained.He also added that understanding familial and divine love should lead us to love one another and reject divisive labels."We are forever willing to love, and to make sure that no one is ever sitting, standing or walking alone," he said.He concluded with the same reminder he began with: "I am a child of God. He loves me, and he loves you."— Jenny Rollins

Saturday, 03:08 pm

Elder Jeremiah J. Morgan — 'The infinite power of God in our covenants'

Elder Jeremiah J. Morgan, of the Seventy, did not grow up a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but he said his mom belonged to a different church that believed in the Book of Mormon and read it to him daily. He learned the Book of Mormon was important to his mom, and that she knew it was true.At 14 years old, he began to question his family's church and secretly attended The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Elder Morgan said he has since felt the covenants his ancestors made in Nauvoo are responsible for his interest in the church."There is a discernible impact of those covenants on all our posterity. It was covenants that had impacted me, not my covenants, but those that came before me," he said.He said covenants have a generational impact; members are "intended beneficiaries of countless covenants.""Like the great binding power of gravity that stretches across the universe, covenants with God stretch over all time and all space," Elder Morgan said.He encouraged parents whose children are struggling to not give up, telling them that God hears them and will answer their prayers in his own time and way."If you are wondering whether you or a loved one has wandered so far away that the love of God and his covenantal power cannot reach you — I say to you, you have not," he said.Elder Morgan said the power and reach of Christ's atonement, "the greatest promise God made," is infinite."Your story, your family's story, is not all written. God is the author and the finisher of it," he told members.— Emily Ashcraft

Saturday, 02:56 pm

Elder Patricio M. Giuffra — 'Trusting the Lord through tithes and offerings'

Elder Patricio M. Giuffra, a General Authority Seventy for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, began his talk by discussing the importance of tithes and offerings.A woman he met on his mission initially doubted paying her tithing because of her indigent circumstances. Elder Giuffra said he approached his mission president to ask for an exception.Rather than agreeing, the mission president shared the story of the widow's mite from the Bible."You are no one to deny this sister the blessings of the law of tithing. There are no exceptions to this commandment," Elder Giuffra recalled his mission president saying.The woman told Elder Giuffra and his companion that she had prayed the night before and gained a testimony of the law of tithing. She was baptized and continued to pay even after he left the area.He bore his testimony of the importance of paying tithing. Throughout his life, he had seen blessings come from God as God opened the windows of heaven for him, according to his obedience.Elder Giuffra did not say that people would be free from their trials or difficulties because of their faithfulness in paying tithing. Instead, he testified that the lord knows the circumstances of each of his children.He said he had personally seen "men and women prosper both temporally and spiritually" as they paid their tithings faithfully.He ended by quoting Malachi, sharing the Old Testament prophet's promises that God would reward those who paid tithing, allowing God to work miracles in the lives of those who lived the law of faith.— Joe R. Wirthlin, Jr.

Saturday, 02:46 pm

Elder Christian C. Chigbundu — 'Spiritual immunity'

Elder Christian C. Chigbundu, a General Authority Seventy for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, compared spiritual strength to the body's immunity. Vaccines give people what their bodies need to build physical immunity to disease, and spiritual immunity gives people what they need to build spiritual immunity to get through life's challenges."As we build our spiritual immunity, we develop the strength and courage to withstand the challenges of life," he said.He teaches that difficult experiences are not evidence that God has abandoned us, but opportunities to become stronger.There are four small and simple things he recommends for spiritual immunity:

Scripture study

Prayer

The taking of the Sacrament

The making of covenants

He shared a story from his time as a mission leader during which a struggling missionary wanted to go home but found a sense of purpose in scripture study. Chigbundu then told a story of a woman battling cancer who found reassurance through prayer that Jesus Christ loved her.Although these practices don't remove the burdens, they can strengthen people to carry them and learn from the experience."Our 'why me?' questions will be replaced by 'what can I learn and what can I change?'" he said.Chigbundu encouraged listeners to consistently practice these seemingly simple acts of faith as protection against spiritual challenges.— Jenny Rollins

Saturday, 02:40 pm

President Timothy L. Farnes — 'Divine appointment'

Young Men General President Timothy L. Farnes encouraged conferencegoers to be aware of people around them and reach out to help them.He described an instance when he did not want to go to the temple right after receiving an assignment in a stake presidency, and he did not feel he had more to give. After counseling with his wife, he ended up going, and while there he met President Dallin H. Oaks, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who spoke to him genuinely, encouraged him and gave him a hug."I went from feeling like giving up to feeling like I could give my whole soul in service to the Lord," President Farnes said.Years later, he said President Oaks did not remember the experience, and when asked about it, said, "But it's what we do. Isn't it?" President Farnes said covenant followers of Christ "minister with compassion" to anyone in their path, because it is what Christ did."His life should be reflected in ours. It means that when someone encounters us, they should experience something of Jesus Christ — his kindness, his patience, his hope, his love, his compassion," he said.He told members that often God places someone in their path for them to help, something he referred to as "divine appointments."Elder Farnes talked about helping a missionary who was flying for the first time and happened to be on their plane."What we did for that elder didn't require much of us, but this ordinary encounter became a divine appointment we will always treasure," Elder Farnes said.He encouraged members to pray for divine appointments and "put compassion into action.""It's what Jesus did — and it's what we do," Elder Farnes concluded.— Emily Ashcraft

Saturday, 02:20 pm

Elder Dale G. Renlund — 'How long will it be ere they believe me'

Elder Dale G. Renlund, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, began the second session of the 196th Semiannual General Conference by relating the story of a man who received a heart transplant.After a harrowing experience with a failed heart transplant and nearly dying from liver, kidney and lung failure, the man finally began to recover with a second heart transplant. However, 10 days after the successful surgery, the man complained to Elder Renlund about cold oatmeal.While giving the man grace after such a difficult time in surgery and recovery, Elder Renlund used the experience to relate to how people may focus on the here and now while losing sight of the bigger picture.He encouraged listeners to focus on the blessings God has already granted, and prepare for the bigger picture that may seem small when faced with daily challenges."As we reflect on the great things the Lord has already done and remember his goodness and mercy, we're better positioned to grasp the bigger picture and to rely on his promises to us," Elder Renlund said. "We can trust him."He said that some people may think that God's promises do not apply to them. He challenged people to re-think those assumptions and rely on God's promises in their personal lives.By relying on the memories of past promises fulfilled by God, Elder Renlund promised that people "can trust the lord, especially his promises."— Joe R. Wirthlin, Jr.

Saturday afternoon session: Summaries from Latter-day Saint general conference

UPDATED - Oct. 3, 2026 at 4:02 p.m. | Posted - Oct. 3, 2026 at 1:58 p.m.

President Henry B. Eyring, President Dallin H. Oaks and President D. Todd Christofferson talk before the Saturday afternoon session of the 196th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center. (Tess Crowley, Deseret News)

Elder Ronald A. Rasband — 'Love like Jesus'

Elder Matthew J. Eyring — 'Comfort from the Holy Ghost'

Elder Michael A. Dunn — 'The ninety and ten'

Elder Patrick Kearon — 'Jesus lives to lift'

Elder Hutch U. Fale — 'I am a child of God'

Elder Jeremiah J. Morgan — 'The infinite power of God in our covenants'

Elder Patricio M. Giuffra — 'Trusting the Lord through tithes and offerings'

Elder Christian C. Chigbundu — 'Spiritual immunity'

President Timothy L. Farnes — 'Divine appointment'

Elder Dale G. Renlund — 'How long will it be ere they believe me'

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Saturday afternoon session: Summaries from Latter-day Saint general conference

UPDATED - Oct. 3, 2026 at 4:02 p.m. | Posted - Oct. 3, 2026 at 1:58 p.m.

President Henry B. Eyring, President Dallin H. Oaks and President D. Todd Christofferson talk before the Saturday afternoon session of the 196th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center. (Tess Crowley, Deseret News)

Elder Ronald A. Rasband — 'Love like Jesus'

Elder Matthew J. Eyring — 'Comfort from the Holy Ghost'

Elder Michael A. Dunn — 'The ninety and ten'

Elder Patrick Kearon — 'Jesus lives to lift'

Elder Hutch U. Fale — 'I am a child of God'

Elder Jeremiah J. Morgan — 'The infinite power of God in our covenants'

Elder Patricio M. Giuffra — 'Trusting the Lord through tithes and offerings'

Elder Christian C. Chigbundu — 'Spiritual immunity'

President Timothy L. Farnes — 'Divine appointment'

Elder Dale G. Renlund — 'How long will it be ere they believe me'

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Free audiobook: LDS author's bestseller guides truth seekers to spiritual rebirth

Federal funding cuts lead to childcare subsidy reductions for thousands of Utah families

KSL Truth Test: Fact-checking debate claims in Utah's 3rd Congressional District

Most Viewed

STAY IN THE KNOW

KSL Weather Forecast