Coverage of the October 2018 General Conference Saturday Afternoon Session
Contributed By Valerie Johnson, Church News staff writer
President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, right, and his counselors, President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor, and President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor, center, greet others on the rostrum as they enter the Conference Center for the Saturday afternoon session of the 188th Semiannual General Conference. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News.
Talk Summaries
“My dear brothers and sisters, it’s such a wonderful occasion to be with you in this marvelous general conference session today,” said Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in opening his remarks.
“To listen to inspired messages, to listen to this marvelous, amazing choir of missionaries representing the many thousands of missionaries all around the world—our daughters, our sons. And especially of being united in our faith today, again sustaining our dear president and prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, the First Presidency, and the General Officers of the Church. What a joyful day to be with you today.”
Latter-day Saints around the world raised their arms to the square to sustain the leaders of the Church during the Saturday afternoon session of the 188th Semiannual General Conference of the Church on October 6.
President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, announced the release of seven General Authority Seventies and 39 Area Seventies.
The General Authority Seventies—Elder Mervyn B. Arnold, Elder Craig A. Cardon, Elder Larry J. Echo Hawk, Elder C. Scott Grow, Elder Allan F. Packer, Elder Gregory A. Schwitzer, and Elder Claudio D. Zivic—were given emeritus status.
Additionally, Elder Brook P. Hales was sustained as a General Authority Seventy.
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Uchtdorf, Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Elder Gerrit W. Gong, and Elder Ulisses Soares spoke during the session, along with Bishop Dean M. Davies, First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, and Elder Paul B. Pieper, General Authority Seventy.
“There is a solution to the emptiness, vanity, and Weltschmerz of life,” Elder Uchtdorf said—Weltschmerz being a German word meaning a sadness that comes from brooding about how the world is inferior to how one thinks it ought to be.
“This hope is found in the transformative power of the gospel of Jesus Christ and in the Savior’s redemptive power to heal us of our soul-sickness.”
Discipleship, he said, begins with three simple worlds: Believe, love, do.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson speaks during the Saturday afternoon session of the 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on October 6, 2018. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News.
A combined missionary choir sings during the Saturday afternoon session of the 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, October 6, 2018. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News.
Elder Christofferson taught, “To persevere firm and steadfast in the faith of Christ requires that the gospel of Jesus Christ penetrate one’s heart and soul, meaning that the gospel becomes not just one of many influences in a person’s life, but the defining focus of his or her life and character.”
Elder Gong spoke of the strength that can come from a “campfire of faith.”
“My testimony is, for those who see, allow, live for it, the dawn of faith, sometimes gradually, will come or can return. The light will come, when we desire and seek it, when we are patient and obedient to God’s commandments, when we are open to God’s grace, healing, and covenants,” he said.
Elder Soares compared how the Solimoes and Negro Rivers flow together before blending into one to the way children of God from different backgrounds and traditions come together in the restored Church of Jesus Christ.
“Eventually, as we encourage, support, and love each other, we combine to form a mighty force for good in the world. As followers of Jesus Christ, flowing as one in this river of goodness, we will be able to provide the ‘fresh water’ of the gospel to a thirsty world.”
President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency, conducted the session. Sister Sharon Eubank, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, and Elder Joni L. Koch, General Authority Seventy, offered prayers.
A combined choir of missionaries from the Provo Missionary Training Center provided music during the session, with Ryan Eggett and Elmo Keck directing, and Linda Margetts and Bonnie Goodliffe at the organ.
Church members sing outside Temple Square during the 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on Saturday, October 6, 2018. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News.
President Russell M. Nelson, center, President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor, left, and President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor, right, take their seats for the Saturday afternoon session of the 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, October 6, 2018. Photo by Spenser Heaps, Deseret News.
President Russell M. Nelson, center, President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor, left, and President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor, right, take their seats for the Saturday afternoon session of the 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, October 6, 2018. Photo by Spenser Heaps, Deseret News.
People attend the Saturday afternoon session of the 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, October 6, 2018. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News.
President Russell M. Nelson smiles at attendees during the Saturday afternoon session of the 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, October 6, 2018. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News.
Conference-goers raise their hands to sustain President Russell M. Nelson during the Saturday afternoon session of the 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, October 6, 2018. Photo by Spenser Heaps, Deseret News.
President Russell M. Nelson, bottom right, and other Church leaders raise their hands to sustain members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during the Saturday afternoon session of the 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, October 6, 2018. Photo by Spenser Heaps, Deseret News.
President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency, left, and President Russell M. Nelson, right, raise their hands to sustain Church leaders during the Saturday afternoon session of the 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, October 6, 2018. Photo by Spenser Heaps, Deseret News.
Conference-goers raise their hands to sustain Church leaders during the Saturday afternoon session of the 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, October 6, 2018. Photo by Spenser Heaps, Deseret News.
Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks during the Saturday afternoon session of the 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, October 6, 2018. Photo by Spenser Heaps, Deseret News.
Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks during the Saturday afternoon session of the 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, October 6, 2018. Photo by Spenser Heaps, Deseret News.
A choir from the missionary training center in Provo sings during the Saturday afternoon session of the 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, October 6, 2018. Photo by Spenser Heaps, Deseret News.
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks during the Saturday afternoon session of the 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, October 6, 2018. Photo by Spenser Heaps, Deseret News.
President Russell M. Nelson speaks to Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at the end of the Saturday afternoon session of the 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, October 6, 2018. Photo by Spenser Heaps, Deseret News.
President Russell M. Nelson and his wife, Sister Wendy Nelson, leave the rostrum at the end of the Saturday afternoon session of the 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, October 6, 2018. Photo by Spenser Heaps, Deseret News.
President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency; President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency, and his wife, Sister Kristen Oaks; and President Russell M. Nelson and his wife, Sister Wendy Nelson, left to right, leave the rostrum at the end of the Saturday afternoon session of the 188th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, October 6, 2018. Photo by Spenser Heaps, Deseret News.
