193rd Semiannual General Conference Highlights - Saturday Sessions

 Saturday Morning 

David A. Bednar

• Press forward. Even when you're worn and tired, even disheartened. Press forward. Trust in the Lord that he is with you and guiding you. 
• If all Men had been, were, and ever would be like Moroni, the Powers of Hell would have been shaken. The devil would never have had power over men. 
• Even though you're not as noticable or consipicious as more famous people, you can be as helpful and as useful. 
• If you feel what you do this year and in the years to come isn't noticed, take heart, the best people to ever live weren't taken note of either. Serving faithfully and quietly. 
• Observe to keep the commandments and statues of the Lord. 
• Strive with unweary diligence. 
• If you've turned away from God, turn humbly once again to him. Seek him. Come unto him. 
• Joy cometh in the morning. 
• Trust in the Lord even when the righteous desires of your heart aren't met in the timeline or way that you hoped. 
• Stand guard like a lioness at the gate of your home. 
• Love and Serve. Listen and Learn. Care and Console. Teach and Testify. 

Amy A. Wright

• If you knew you would meet the Lord tomorrow, what would you do today to prepare? 
• Because of Christ, everything can be Okay.
• Abiding the Day does not mean adding to an ever increasing To Do list. 
• You need to simplify. Focus your efforts. 
• We cannot share our Oil, but we can share His Light. 
• Nothing we have or have not done is beyond the Lord's infinite reach or sacrifice. He is the reason why it's Never the End of our Story.
• Look to Christ and Live. 

Robert M. Daines

• Are we so focused on our own needs and desires that we're ignoring the sacrifices of others around us for us? 
• Are you lipsyncing instead of singing the song of redeeming love? 
• Reach out and offer love and hope to someone on the margins. 
• The more you learn about the Savior, the easier it is to trust in him and his plan. 
• God is the Father of all Mercies and all Comfort. 
• We worship our Father, not a Formula. 
• We aren't finished until we see Christ as the Face of our Father's love, and follow Him and not our Rules. 
• Our Covenants are fundamental to our Relationships. They're not rules to earn His love. He already loves us perfectly, our purpose is to understand His love for us. 
• Covenants are the Shape of God's Embrace. 
• To serve in this Church is to Stand in the River of God's love.

Carlos A. Godoy

• You will be happier in life with the Gospel of Christ in your life. 
• The decision of one can affect a whole chain of descendants. 
• Anything broken can be mended through Jesus Christ.
• Our Decisions of Today will affect our Future and the Future of our Family Members. 
• We should be more Valiant instead of lukewarm for our own sakes and the sake of our posterity. 

D. Todd Christofferson

• Unless Authority is given, Ordinances cannot be administered in Righteousness. 
• Sealing Authority is necessary for ANY ordinances performed in the church.
• If nothing had come from the restoration but the sealing power, it would have been worth the cost.
• God's pattern with family can Begin with You. You can add strength to your chain and perhaps help to restore the broken links. 
• The reason why the Earth was created was so that Families could be formed and sealed together. 
• No one can be Exalted alone.

Ian S. Ardern

• Your good works brighten the lives and lighten the load of those who need it desperately. 
• Compassion has no bounds.
• Despite our efforts, we won't heal every one we encounter, but we can make a difference in the lives of everyone we encounter. 
• Give what you're able, then allow Christ to make the final effort. 
• It is unlikely you'll know the recipients of your dollars, your time, your compassion. But have faith that your efforts are helping and changing others.
• Turn your heart towards the wellbeing of others.

Dallin H. Oaks

• Our Heavenly Father loves all His children so much that he wants All his Children to live in a Kingdom of Glory for forever. 
• All the children of God, will ultimately inherit one of three kingdoms of Glory.
• Exaltation can only be obtained through faithfulness in Covenants made. 
• The Plan completely honors your agency.
• The Gospel of Christ challenges to Become Something rather than just Knowing Something. 
• Because of Christ and His Atonement, when we fall short in this life we can repent and rejoin the Covenant path.
• Salvation is an individual matter, but Exaltation is a Family matter. 
• God won't force us to be in a sealing relationship against our will. 

Saturday Afternoon

Neil L. Anderson

• As we are honest in our tithes, God will open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings insomuch that there will be no room to receive them. 
• The windows of heaven open in many ways. Some are temporal, some are spiritual. Some are subtle and easy to overlook. Trust in the Lord's timing. The blessings will Always Come. 
• The only permanent solution to poverty on the earth is the Gospel of Christ.
• As you trust in the Lord, the blessings of God will follow.
• Your tithes are allowing the blessings of the Temple to be in places only the Lord could forsee.
• Because of your tithes, the Church is being established in places you may never visit or know. But they are making a difference. 
• The spiritual power of tithing isn't decided by the amount contributed but by the power of the trust we've placed in the Lord. 
• The blessings of tithing come in many ways. 
• If you pay your tithing, you will want for nothing.
• There will be those who cheer us forward and those who do not. 

Jan E. Newman

• Each person must dig deep to find the Rock. We each must put in our own efforts to find a firm foundation to stand on.
• To build our lives upon the rock of the Savior, we must dig deep, moving the sand away, so that we can establish a firm foundation.
• For the Rising Generation it's not enough for Faith in the Lord to be a tradition of the older generations. They must learn and know for themselves.
• Don't let the voice of the Covenant people be silenced in the Rising Generation. Teach them. Have them come to know Jesus. 
• Feast upon the Words of Christ Daily. As we do so we'll be told how to face the difficulties in life that we never thought we'd have to face. 
• What does Feasting Upon the Lord look like? It looks like whatever works for You and Your Family and then strive to do better each day. 
• Don't give up. Don't worry about accomplishing something grand every time. Just be consistent in your efforts. 
• We cannot allow our covenant voice to become muted or silenced when it comes to Him.
• You are doing much better than you think. Just keep working at it. 
• You may forget the Savior for a season, but I promise you He will never Forget You. 

Joaquin E. Costa

• The source of our Strength is Faith in Jesus Christ.
• Faith in Christ is what gives us the energy to face the trials in our lives. 
• Our Covenants aren't Transactional, they're Transformational.
• We don't come to Jesus because we're perfect. We come because we want to become perfect through him.
• In the days we fail to remember the Lord, he is still there. He'll be there tomorrow always to comfort and to tell us that he loves us. 
• The reward for keeping the commandments and covenants of God is Heavenly Power. Heavenly power to withstand and have strength to get through the trials in our lives.
• Trust in God. He brings power to our weakness, and comfort to our grief. 

Gary E. Stevenson

• God given gifts make gifted people. 
• God endows his children with many spiritual gifts, making them spiritually gifted people. 
• A gift alone does not a master make. It is through painstaking practice and effort in order to reach the highest levels of artistry. 
• Exercising spiritual gifts requires spiritual exercise. 
• 4 Guiding Principles in Recognizing the Promptings of the Spirit
• 1. Stand in Holy Places
• 2. Stand with Holy People
• 3. Testify of Holy Truths as Often as You can.
• 4. Listen to the Holy Spirit
• If you hope to feel the Spirit, be in a place where the Spirit can easily dwell. 
• The Spirit cannot be restrained from attending a gathering of holy people. If you hope to feel the Spirit, be with people where the Spirit can easily dwell.
• Find your strength in numbers. Find good friends. Be good friends. Stand with holy people.
• The Comforter always shares his voice when we use our voice on his behalf. 
• The Spirit doesn't get our attention by shouting and shaking, but by whispering and nudging. 
• Spiritual matters cannot be forced. You can cultivate an environment to encourage spiritualness to occur, but you cannot force it. 
• You do not need to be led in the Spirit in ALL things. Use your intelligence and act with your best understanding. 
• A desire to be led by the Spirit is a strength, but it needs to be partnered with our own understanding.
• If we do not receive guidance from the Spirit, we should use our best judgement. 
• Look at the Mirror and say to yourself: Wow. Look at me! I'm amazing! I'm a child of God. God loves me. Knows me. And wants the best for me. 

Yoon Hwan Choi

• If we want Joy. Stay on the Path. If you want to be Happy. Make Covenants and Keep them in our Lives. 
• You may ask Heavenly Father for peace, but the answer may be different than the one you're expecting. 
• The Greatest lesson we can learn in Mortality is that when God speaks and we obey, we will always be right. 
• Whenever we're asked to serve in a calling, he sees our needs and the blessings we can be given and the trials we can overcome as we serve. 
• As we Yoke ourselves to Christ, we can do things we can't do on our own because he can help us. 
• Keeping Covenants actually makes life easier. 

Alan T. Phillips

• Life is challenging. You may feel overwhelmed, isolated, exhausted. Know that you are a child of God and members of his Family will restore a sense of belonging and purpose. 
• You are not an accidental by product of nature, a cosmic orphan, where there is design there is a Designer. Your life has meaning and purpose. 
• Religion is not only about our relationship with God, it is also about our relationship with each other. 
• True Religion is the Tie that Binds us to God and to Each Other. 
• How we treat one another truly matters. 
• Our Journey to God is often found Together. 
• Judge less. Love more. Extend the pure love of Christ through our words and actions. 
• Christ is our Rescuer and the Healer of our Souls.
• We are not and never need be alone.
• Faith requires work. 
• Faith can be challenging and requires choices. But prayers are answered and answers can be felt. Some of the realest things in life can't be seen but Are Felt. 

Ronald A. Rasband

• The Lord needs you.
• If ye have desires to serve God, then ye are called to the work.
• We need you. We. Need. You.
• Take your know how, coupled with your time honored testimonies and go and serve. 

Saturday Evening 

Gary B. Sabin

• There are many things that are interesting in this world, but few are truly important. 
• Building upon the foundation of Christ is essential to our happiness. 
• In spite of our limitations so long as we try our best we will hear from the Lord. "Well done." 
• Our life is a purposeful adventure. 
• Withhold not good from them when it is due when it is in your power to do so.
• Part of greatness is kindness.
• If our weaknesses were revealed, hopefully we'd be more considerate and welcoming of others and they too would return the favor to us. 
• A true follower of Christ is known by how compassionate they treat other people. 
• Seeing life from an eternal vantage point provides clarity, comfort and hope. 
• Do not take your blessings for granted. Life becomes magical when blessings are appreciated. 
• Gratitude gives birth to a multitude of other virtues. 

Joni L. Koch

• When we choose not to be humble, we end up being humiliated. 
• Humility is a willingness to submit to the will of the Lord. It is being teachable. It is a vital catalyst for Spiritual Growth. 
• Are we letting God prevail in our lives? 
• Let our strong opinions be swallowed by even stronger conviction. 
• After you've done everything you can, leave the rest in God's hands. He'll help out with the rest. 

Tamara W. Runia

• Are you too focused on the little picture? Do you need to zoom out to see the big picture?
• Viewing from a new vantage point changes everything. It can change things to a size that seems more manageable. 
• Because of Christ. It all works out. It's all gonna be okay. 
• Worry feels a lot like love...but it's not the same. Take a more hopeful approach. 
• Everyone needs a cheerleader. Someone who lovingly reminds you that You Can. 
• You don't chase after your loved ones who feel love. You call to them. Stand where you are. 
• Choose hope. 
• Silence the critical voice and instead focus on what your children are already doing and cheering them on. 
• Is what you're about to do or say helpful...or hurtful? 
• Tell your loved ones in spoken and unspoken ways what they long to hear. 
• Your kids want you to listen to them and not listen to a lecture. 
• Stay on your knees until your casual prayer turns mighty. 
• Our Hope changes the way they see themselves and who they really are. 
• Our direction is more important than our speed. 
• If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go together the pace will be slow and steady. 
• The Lord has the power to turn any nightmare you're going through into a blessing. 
• Provide a hope and a heart your children can come home to.
• Others need your love more than your judgement. 
• Love is the thing that changes hearts. It is the purest motive of all and others can feel it.
• No home is a failure unless it stops trying.
• Those who love the most and the longest, win. 

Ulisses Soares

• Have respect for all of God's children. Abandon prejudice. 
• We all have divine nature, heritage, and potential. 
• Promote respect. 
• We need to do whatever we can in our spheres of influence to preserve the dignity and respect every son and daughter of God deserves. 
• There is no place for prejudiced thoughts or actions in the community of saints. 
• Find more what we have in common than what we have as differences.
• We're all from the same origin river in God, but we flow through different cultures and ethnicities. 

To read/watch/see these talks in their entirety please visit: 

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2023/10?lang=eng

Until you next find these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi