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President Russell M. Nelson greets members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the Conference Center Theater in Salt Lake City before the Sunday afternoon session of the 191st Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 4, 2021. © 2021 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
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By Sydney Walker, Church News
April 2021 general conference was characterized by the many international participants, the messages from afar, and the increased availability of television and radio broadcasting worldwide — making it a truly global event.
President Russell M. Nelson announced 20 new temples — the most ever announced in a single day. Musical selections during the Sunday morning Easter session represented the worldwide Church and its members.
Eleven new leaders — eight General Authority Seventies and three members of the Primary General Presidency — were sustained.
Throughout the five conference sessions, Church leaders testified of the Savior’s Atonement and Resurrection, encouraged inclusion and invited all to increase their faith.
As October 2021 general conference approaches, here is a look back at 15 invitations the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles extended during April 2021 general conference.
1. ‘Increase your faith’
“My dear brothers and sisters, my call to you this Easter morning is to start today to increase your faith. Through your faith, Jesus Christ will increase your ability to move the mountains in your life, even though your personal challenges may loom as large as Mount Everest.” — President Russell M. Nelson, “Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains”
2. ‘Be positive about this nation’s future’
“Our belief in divine inspiration gives Latter-day Saints a unique responsibility to uphold and defend the United States Constitution and principles of constitutionalism wherever we live. We should trust in the Lord and be positive about this nation’s future.” — President Dallin H. Oaks, “Defending Our Divinely Inspired Constitution”
3. Build a desire to go to the temple
“I pray that you will try to build desire in the hearts of Heavenly Father’s children to go [to the temple], where they can feel close to Him, and that you will also invite your ancestors to qualify to be with Him and with you forever.” — President Henry B. Eyring, “I Love To See the Temple”
4. Include single members
“Let us call upon our members who are single to serve, lift, and teach. Disregard old notions and ideas that have sometimes unintentionally contributed to their feelings of loneliness and that they do not belong or cannot serve.” — President M. Russell Ballard, “Hope in Christ”
5. Practice peace
“This Easter let’s try to practice peace in a personal way, applying the grace and healing balm of the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ to ourselves and our families and all those we can reach around us.” — Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Not as the World Giveth”
6. ‘Trust the Lord’
“To you, my dear brothers and sisters, my dear friends, and to all who are searching for answers, truth, and happiness, I do offer the same counsel: keep searching with faith and patience. Ask, and you will receive. Knock, and it will be opened unto you. Trust the Lord.” — Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “God Among Us”
7. Learn, live and love gospel principles
“With all the energy of my soul, I invite all of us to learn, live, and love principles of righteousness. Only gospel truths can enable us to ‘cheerfully do all things that lie in our power’ to press forward on the covenant path and to ‘see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.’” — Elder David A. Bednar, “The Principles of My Gospel”
8. Counsel with parents and the bishop
“Many of you precious young people may not have a clear vision of who you are and who you can become. … Please counsel with both your parents and your bishop about important choices that are ahead of you. Allow the bishop to be your friend and counselor.” — Elder Quentin L. Cook, “Bishops — Shepherds Over the Lord’s Flock”
9. ‘Stay on the covenant path’
“It is only in pursuing the covenant path that we inherit the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the ultimate blessings of salvation and exaltation that only God can give. … Let us heed the prophet’s call to stay on the covenant path.” — Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “Why the Covenant Path”
10. Live, teach and share God’s commandments
“What is our responsibility as peaceful disciples of Jesus Christ? Let us live God’s commandments, teach them to our children, and share them with others who are willing to listen. Let us share our deep feelings about the sanctity of life with those who make decisions in society.” — Elder Neil L. Andersen, “The Personal Journey of a Child of God”
11. Look for miracles
“I bless you that miracles will attend you as we experienced in Goshen — if it be the Lord’s will. Look for these heaven-sent blessings in your life as you ‘seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever.’” — Elder Ronald A. Rasband, “Behold! I Am a God of Miracles”
12. Be inclusive
“The Lord expects us to teach that inclusion is a positive means toward unity and that exclusion leads to division. … Prejudice, racial tension, or violence should never have any place in our neighborhoods, communities, or within the Church. Let each of us, no matter our age, strive to be our best.” — Elder Gary E. Stevenson, “Hearts Knit Together”
13. Don’t let unfairness corrode faith
“Do not let unfairness harden you or corrode your faith in God. Instead, ask God for help. Increase your appreciation for and reliance on the Savior. Rather than becoming bitter, let Him help you become better.” — Elder Dale G. Renlund, “Infuriating Unfairness”
14. Make room for all
“As we create room in His inn, welcoming all, our Good Samaritan can heal us on our dusty mortal roads. With perfect love, our Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, promise ‘peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come’ — ‘that where I am ye shall be also.’” — Elder Gerrit W. Gong, “Room in the Inn”
15. Allow the Atonement to ‘become wholly effective’
“My dear friends, I testify to you that as we genuinely repent of our sins, we allow the atoning sacrifice of Christ to become wholly effective in our life. We will become free from the bondage of sin, find joy in our earthly journey, and become eligible to receive eternal salvation.” — Elder Ulisses Soares, “Jesus Christ: The Caregiver of Our Soul”
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