.jpg)
A few years ago, I started reading all the General Conference talks and pulling out my favourite parts. I then compile that into a document that I read sections of each morning as part of my scripture study. I have found it to be a digestible way to keep General Conference on my mind throughout the year.
I won't share that entire document, but here is a list of my top quote from each of the talks given at the April 2023 General Conference:
The Greatest Easter Story Ever Told
By Elder Gary E. Stevenson
“New Testament scholar N. T. Wright suggested: “.... Take Christmas away, and in biblical terms you lose two chapters at the front of Matthew and Luke, nothing else. Take Easter away, and you don’t have a New Testament; you don’t have a Christianity.””
Never Give Up an Opportunity to Testify of Christ
By President Bonnie H. Cordon
“True joy rests on our willingness to come closer to Christ and witness for ourselves. ... I pray this witness will become a normal and natural experience for us now—that we will take every opportunity to joyfully testify: Jesus Christ lives!”
Just Keep Going—with Faith
By Elder Carl B. Cook
“The God of heaven and earth will help us overcome discouragement and whatever obstacles we encounter if we look to Him, follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and just keep going—with faith. Thankfully, when we are weak or incapable, the Lord can strengthen our faith. He can increase our capacity beyond our own.”
Ministering
By Elder Gerrit W. Gong
“In some places in the Church, we have a ministering gap. More say they are ministering than say they are being ministered to. We do not want checklist concern. But often we need more than a sincere hello in the hall or a casual “Can I help you?” in the parking lot. In many places, we can reach out, understand others where they are, and build relationships when we regularly visit members in their homes. Inspired invitations change lives. When invitations help us make and keep sacred covenants, we draw closer to the Lord and each other.”
Safely Gathered Home
By Elder Quentin L. Cook
“We cannot be in camouflage. Our Christlike example of kindness, righteousness, happiness, and sincere love for all peoples can create not only a guiding beacon light for them but also an understanding that there is a safe harbor in the ordinances of salvation and exaltation of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.”
A Living Prophet for the Latter Days
By Elder Allen D. Haynie
“When parents ignore the counsel of the living prophet, they not only lose the promised blessings for themselves but even more tragically teach their children that what a prophet says is insignificant or that prophetic counsel can be picked through in a smorgasbord fashion without concern for the resulting spiritual malnutrition.”
Finding Personal Peace
By President Henry B. Eyring
“The Savior’s invitation to come to Him is an offer of peace.”
Accessing God’s Power through Covenants
By Elder Dale G. Renlund
“As you walk the covenant path, from baptism to the temple and throughout life, I promise you power to go against the natural worldly flow—power to learn, power to repent and be sanctified, and power to find hope, comfort, and even joy as you face life’s challenges. I promise you and your family protection against the influence of the adversary, especially when you make the temple a major focus in your life.”
He Could Heal Me!
By Elder Peter F. Meurs
“…whether you are carrying the burden of unresolved sin, suffering because of an offense committed against you long ago, or struggling to forgive yourself for an accidental mistake, you have access to the healing and redeeming power of the Savior Jesus Christ.”
Your Patriarchal Blessing—Inspired Direction from Heavenly Father
By Elder Randall K. Bennett
“Cherishing my patriarchal blessing while I was young blessed me with courage when I was discouraged, comfort when I was fearful, peace when I felt anxious, hope when I felt hopeless, and joy when I needed it most. My patriarchal blessing helped increase my faith and trust in my Heavenly Father and my Savior. It also increased my love for Them—and it still does. I testify that patriarchal blessings do provide inspired direction from Heavenly Father.”
“There Can Be Nothing So Exquisite and Sweet as Was My Joy”
By Elder Craig C. Christensen
“The joy we speak of is a gift for the faithful, yet it comes with a price. Joy is not cheap or casually given. Rather, it is bought “with the precious blood of [Jesus] Christ.” If we really understood the value of true, godly joy, we would not hesitate to sacrifice any worldly possession or make any necessary life changes to receive it.”
Trusting the Doctrine of Christ
By Elder Evan A. Schmutz
"Jesus did not speak of the possibility of rain and flood and wind in our lives; He spoke of the certainty that storms will arise. The variable in this parable is not whether storms will come but how we have responded to His loving invitation to both hear and do what He has taught.”
The Work of the Temple and Family History—One and the Same Work
By Elder Benjamín De Hoyos
“... let us remember that family history is more than just looking for names, dates, and places. It is uniting families and feeling the joy that comes from extending to them the ordinances of the gospel.”
Jesus Christ Is the Strength of Parents
By Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
“…remember that “by small means the Lord can bring about great things.” One home evening, one gospel conversation, or one good example may not change your child’s life in a moment, any more than one drop of rain causes a plant immediately to grow. But the consistency of small and simple things, day after day, nourishes your children much better than an occasional flood.”
Christlike Poise
By Elder Mark A. Bragg
“By framing challenging times within an eternal plan, pressure becomes a privilege to love, serve, teach, and bless. An eternal view enables Christlike poise.”
Focus on Jesus Christ
By Brother Milton Camargo
“...too often we concentrate so much on our own problems that we lose focus on the solution, our Savior, Jesus Christ.”
Have I Truly Been Forgiven?
By Elder K. Brett Nattress
“Brothers and sisters, I testify that our Heavenly Father always remembers us and that He loves us perfectly. My question is this: Do we remember Him? And do we love Him?”
The Lord Jesus Christ Teaches Us to Minister
By Elder Juan A. Uceda
“President Nelson has said: “A hallmark of the Lord’s true and living Church will always be an organized, directed effort to minister to individual children of God and their families. Because it is His Church, we as His servants will minister to the one, just as He did.””
One in Christ
By Elder D. Todd Christofferson
“…unity does not mean simply agreeing that everyone should do his or her own thing or go his or her own way. We cannot be one unless we all bend our efforts to the common cause.”
Jesus Christ Is Relief
By President Camille N. Johnson
“That the yoke is easy and the burden is light presumes we get in the yoke with the Savior, that we share our burdens with Him, that we let Him lift our load. That means entering into a covenant relationship with God and keeping that covenant, which, as President Nelson has explained, “makes everything about life easier.” He said, “Yoking yourself with the Savior means you have access to His strength and redeeming power.””
Followers of the Prince of Peace
By Elder Ulisses Soares
“One of the most evident signs that we are drawing closer to the Savior and becoming more like Him is the loving, patient, and kind way with which we treat our fellow beings, whatever the circumstances.”
When to Receive Your Patriarchal Blessing
By Elder Kazuhiko Yamashita
“Patriarchal blessings are sacred gifts from Them. When you receive your blessing, you will realize and feel how They love you and how They focus on you individually.”
My Mind Caught Hold upon This Thought of Jesus Christ
By Elder Neil L. Andersen
“Our love for Him does not shield us from the sadness and sorrow in this mortal life, but it allows us to walk through the challenges with a strength far beyond our own.”
A Voice of Gladness!
By Elder Kevin R. Duncan
“…priesthood authority, covenants and ordinances, marriages that could last forever, the sealing of children to their parents within the family of God, and ultimately the blessing of returning home to the presence of God, our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ. ... As members of the Church today, some of us may find it easy to take these glorious eternal truths for granted. They have become second nature to us.”
Peacemakers Needed
By President Russell M. Nelson
“As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are to be examples of how to interact with others—especially when we have differences of opinion. One of the easiest ways to identify a true follower of Jesus Christ is how compassionately that person treats other people.”
The Teachings of Jesus Christ
By President Dallin H. Oaks
“We believe in Christ. … we worship Him and follow His teachings in the scriptures.”
Remember What Matters Most
By President M. Russell Ballard
“…being converted to the Lord, bearing testimony of Him, and serving Him are also among the things that matter most. ... I invite you to bear your testimony of Jesus Christ more often.”
Hosanna to the Most High God
By Elder Ronald A. Rasband
“Palm Sunday was not just an event, another page in history with a date, time, and place. Jesus Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem and the events of the week that followed exemplify doctrine we can apply in our lives today.”
The Imperfect Harvest
By Elder Vern P. Stanfill
“We must remember that whatever our best-but-imperfect offering is, the Savior can make it perfect. No matter how insignificant our efforts may seem, we must never underestimate the Savior’s power.”
After the Fourth Day
By Elder W. Mark Bassett
"…the Savior expects us to do all we can do, and He will do what only He can do.”
Do You Know Why I as a Christian Believe in Christ?
By Elder Ahmad S. Corbitt
“The steps God revealed we must take to follow Jesus and receive eternal life are called the doctrine of Christ. They include “faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism [into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints], receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.””
“Abide in Me, and I in You; Therefore Walk with Me”
By Elder David A. Bednar
“Enoch ultimately became a mighty prophet and a tool in God’s hands to accomplish a great work, but he did not start his ministry that way! Rather, his capacity over time was magnified as he learned to abide in and walk with the Son of God.”
The Answer Is Always Jesus Christ
By President Russell M. Nelson
“I plead with you to come unto Him so that He can heal you! He will heal you from sin as you repent. He will heal you from sadness and fear. He will heal you from the wounds of this world. ... Whatever questions or problems you have, the answer is always found in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.”
