General Conference Applied
S5 E2 – Thursday, April 17, 2025 | “Confidence in the Presence of God” by President Russell M. Nelson; April 2025 General Conference
Listen on Amazon Music [insert episode link] | Listen on Apple Podcasts [insert episode link] | Listen and/or Watch on Spotify [insert episode link] | Watch on YouTube [insert episode link]
Podcast Episode Social Media Posts
- Facebook | Instagram | X
Podcast Episode Outline
Introduction
Bio
- “Call to the Holy Apostleship“, April 1984 General Conference: “Saturday of April conference of 1984 has been circled on our calendar for many years, for that date was targeted as the first time in my life that our only son would be old enough to attend general priesthood meeting with me. Last night, that long awaited goal became a reality. Brothers and sisters, little did we know that on that day my name would be presented as a member of the Council of the Twelve.
“Since we didn’t know, our children didn’t know either. Our married daughters telephoned us between sessions. One who was expecting a baby, said, ‘Daddy, I was so shocked by that announcement—I think I am going into labor.’
“That she did.
“So, President Hinckley, your announcement from the First Presidency should get credit at least for ‘an assist.’ Our twenty-second grandchild arrived safely last evening!” - This was President Nelson’s 114th general conference address. His most recent address was “The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again” from the October 2024 General Conference.
Discussion Questions
- What is the Lord, through President Nelson, inviting us to do?
- Does President Nelson’s emphasis on Jesus Christ’s Second Coming excite you, scare you, or both?
- What is charity? What is virtue?
- How does “regular worship in the house of the Lord [increase] our capacity for both virtue and charity?”
- What are ways that we can better “have charity in our discourse, both public and private?”
“My dear brothers and sisters, I am grateful to speak to you today in this important general conference. My eyes continue to get older. Thank you for your understanding as I deliver my message.
“We live in a day of great momentum in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am filled with joy as I see progress in so many areas.
“I am especially inspired by our youth. They are giving service in large numbers. They are seeking their ancestors and performing ordinances in the temple. Our young men and women are submitting applications for missionary service in record numbers. The rising generation is rising up as stalwart followers of Jesus Christ.
“Recently I met a new great-granddaughter. When I contemplate the challenges she will experience in her life, I feel a great desire to help her build faith in Jesus Christ. Living His gospel is essential for her future happiness.
“She, like each of us, will face challenges. We all will experience illness, disappointment, temptation, and loss. These challenges can knock our self-confidence. However, disciples of Jesus Christ have access to a different kind of confidence.
“When we make and keep covenants with God, we can have confidence that is born of the Spirit. The Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith that our confidence can ‘wax strong in the presence of God.’ Imagine the comfort of having confidence in the presence of God!
- The prophet Alma invited the people of Zarahemla to imagine the same thing in Alma 5:14-21:
- “[14] And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts? [15] Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body? [16] I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth? [17] Or do ye imagine to yourselves that ye can lie unto the Lord in that day, and say—Lord, our works have been righteous works upon the face of the earth—and that he will save you? [18] Or otherwise, can ye imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God with your souls filled with guilt and remorse, having a remembrance of all your guilt, yea, a perfect remembrance of all your wickedness, yea, a remembrance that ye have set at defiance the commandments of God? [19] I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances? [20] I say unto you, can ye think of being saved when you have yielded yourselves to become subjects to the devil? [21] I say unto you, ye will know at that day that ye cannot be saved; for there can no man be saved except his garments are washed white; yea, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem his people from their sins.”
- “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less” by Greg McKeown: “[Michael] Phelps explains: ‘It’s just a routine. My routine. It’s the routine I’ve gone through my whole life. I’m not going to change it.’ And that is that. His coach, Bob Bowman, designed this physical routine with Phelps. But that’s not all. He also gave Phelps a routine for what to think about as he went to sleep and first thing when he awoke. He called it ‘Watching the Videotape.’ There was no actual tape, of course. The ‘tape’ was a visualization of the perfect race. In exquisite detail and slow motion Phelps would visualize every moment from his starting position on top of the blocks, through each stroke, until he emerged
from the pool, victorious, with water dripping off his face.
“Phelps didn’t do this mental routine occasionally. He did it every day before he went to bed and every day when he woke up—for years. When Bob wanted to challenge him in practices he would shout, ‘Put in the videotape!’ and Phelps would push beyond his limits. Eventually the mental routine was so deeply ingrained that Bob barely had to whisper the phrase, ‘Get the videotape ready,’ before a race. Phelps was always ready to ‘hit play.’
“When asked about the routine, Bowman said: ‘If you were to ask Michael what’s going on in his head before competition, he would say he’s not really thinking about anything. He’s just following the program. But that’s not right. It’s more like his habits have taken over. When the race arrives, he’s more than halfway through his plan and he’s been victorious at every step. All the stretches went like he planned. The warm-up laps were just like he visualized. His headphones are playing exactly what he expected. The actual race is just another step in a pattern that started earlier that day and has been nothing but victories. Winning is a natural extension.'”
“When I speak of having confidence before God, I am referring to having confidence in approaching God right now! I am referring to praying with confidence that Heavenly Father hears us, that He understands our needs better than we do. I am referring to having confidence that He loves us more than we can comprehend, that He sends angels to be with us and with those we love. I am referring to having confidence that He yearns to help each of us reach our highest potential.
- This is a great definition for “confidence.”
“Now, how do we gain such confidence? The Lord answers this question with these words: ‘Let thy bowels … be full of charity towards all men, … and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God.’
“There’s the key! In the Lord’s own words, charity and virtue open the way to having confidence before God! Brothers and sisters, we can do this! Our confidence can truly wax strong in the presence of God, right now!
- Charity and virtue are both Christlike attributes from Preach My Gospel chapter 6:
- Charity: “Charity is the pure love of Christ. It is the love that Christ has for the children of men and that the children of men should have for one another. It is the highest, noblest, and strongest kind of love and the most joyous to the soul.”
- Virtue: “Virtue is a prerequisite to entering the Lord’s holy temples and to receiving the Spirit’s guidance. Virtue is a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards. It encompasses chastity and moral purity. Virtue begins in the heart and in the mind. It is nurtured in the home. It is the accumulation of thousands of small decisions and actions. Virtue is a word we don’t hear often in today’s society, but the Latin root word virtus means strength. Virtuous women and men possess a quiet dignity and inner strength. They are confident because they are worthy to receive and be guided by the Holy Ghost. President Thomas S. Monson has counseled: ‘You be the one to make a stand for right, even if you stand alone. Have the moral courage to be a light for others to follow. There is no friendship more valuable than your own clear conscience, your own moral cleanliness—and what a glorious feeling it is to know that you stand in your appointed place clean and with the confidence that you are worthy to do so.'”
“Let’s consider both charity and virtue.
“First, charity. Two years ago, I called upon us, as covenant followers of Jesus Christ, to be peacemakers. I repeat what I said then: ‘Anger never persuades. Hostility builds no one. Contention never leads to inspired solutions.’
“True charity towards all men is the hallmark of peacemakers! It is imperative that we have charity in our discourse, both public and private. I thank those of you who took my previous counsel to heart. But we can still do better.
“The present hostility in public dialogue and on social media is alarming. Hateful words are deadly weapons. Contention prevents the Holy Ghost from being our constant companion.
- Footnote 6: “Choosing to contend with others is choosing to live without the guidance of the Holy Ghost.”
“As followers of Jesus Christ, we should lead the way as peacemakers. As charity becomes part of our nature, we will lose the impulse to demean others. We will stop judging others. We will have charity for those from all walks of life. Charity towards all men is essential to our progress. Charity is the foundation of a godly character.
“Let us plead with our Heavenly Father to fill our hearts with greater charity—especially for those who are difficult to love—for charity is a gift from our Heavenly Father for true followers of Jesus Christ. The Savior is the Prince of Peace. We are to be His instruments for peace.
- There are two Christlike Attribute Activity questions that are similar to this statement:
- “When I pray, I ask for charity—the pure love of Christ. (Moroni 7:47–48)” (Charity and Love)
- “I am kind and patient with others, even when they are hard to get along with. (Moroni 7:45)” (Charity and Love)
- “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness” by Dr. Daniel G. Amen: “When my son was seven years old, I took him to a marine life educational and entertainment park for the day. We went to the killer whale show, the dolphin show, and finally the penguin show. The penguin’s name was Fat Freddie. He did amazing things: He jumped off a twenty-foot diving board; he bowled with his nose; he counted with his flippers; he even jumped through a hoop of fire. I had my arm around my son, enjoying the show, when the trainer asked Freddie to get something. Freddie went and got it, and he brought it right back. I thought, ‘Whoa, I ask this kid [meaning his son] to get something for me, and he wants to have a discussion with me for twenty minutes, and then he doesn’t want to do it!’ I knew my son was smarter than this penguin.
“I went up to the trainer afterward and asked, ‘How did you get Freddie to do all these really neat things?’ The trainer looked at my son, and then she looked at me and said, ‘Unlike parents, whenever Freddie does anything like what I want him to do, I notice him! I give him a hug, and I give him a fish.’ The light went on in my head.
“Whenever my son did what I wanted him to do, I paid little attention to him, because I was a busy guy, like my own father. However, when he didn’t do what I wanted him to do, I gave him a lot of attention because I didn’t want to raise a bad kid! I was inadvertently teaching him to be a little monster in order to get my attention. Since that day, I have tried hard to notice my son’s good acts and fair attempts (although I don’t toss him a fish, since he doesn’t care for them) and to downplay his mistakes. We’re both better people for it.
“I collect penguins as a way to remind myself to notice the good things about the people in my life a lot more than the bad things. This has been so helpful for me as well as for many of my patients. It is often necessary to have something that reminds us of this prescription. It’s not natural for most of us to notice what we like about our life or what we like about others, especially if we unconsciously use turmoil to stimulate our prefrontal cortex.”
“Now, let us speak of virtue. The Lord tells us to garnish our thoughts unceasingly with virtue. Imagine the boost you will receive to any positive thought when you enhance it with virtue. Virtue makes everything better and happier! On the other hand, imagine what will happen when you add virtue to an impure thought, a cruel thought, or a depressing thought. Virtue will drive away those thoughts. Virtue will free you from anxious, troublesome thoughts.
“Brothers and sisters, as the world grows more wicked, we need to grow increasingly pure. Our thoughts, words, and actions need to be unfailingly virtuous and filled with the pure love of Jesus Christ towards all men. The great opportunity before us is to become the people God needs us to be.
“Regular worship in the house of the Lord increases our capacity for both virtue and charity. Thus, time in the temple increases our confidence before the Lord. Increased time in the temple will help us prepare for the Second Coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We do not know the day or the hour of His coming. But I do know that the Lord is prompting me to urge us to get ready for that ‘great and dreadful day.’
- This statement stood out the most to Mitch from the April 2025 General Conference.
“As we diligently seek to have charity and virtue fill our lives, our confidence in approaching God will increase. I invite you to take intentional steps to grow in your confidence before the Lord. Then, as we go to our Heavenly Father with increasing confidence, we will be filled with more joy, and your faith in Jesus Christ will increase. We will begin to experience spiritual power that exceeds our greatest hopes.
- Here’s an idea – Mitch identified a number of statements in this address that can be interpreted as invitations. His thought is, however, that there might just be one invitation (“I invite you to take intentional steps to grow in your confidence before the Lord.”), and that all of the other statements are actually directives or ‘intentional steps to grow in [our] confidence before the Lord.’ President Nelson has laid out a roadmap for growing in confidence before the Lord.
What is the speaker inviting me to do?
- In my own words: To kneel in confidence before the Lord when He comes again or at the Final Judgment, I need to be intentional about my preparation.
Why does it matter, or why is it important? (Doctrines, Principles, Christlike Attributes)
- Christlike Attribute: “I am clean and pure in heart. (Psalm 24:3–4)” (Virtue)
- “[3] Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? [4] He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.”
What’s in it for us? (Promises)
- “As we diligently seek to have charity and virtue fill our lives, our confidence in approaching God will increase. … Then, as we go to our Heavenly Father with increasing confidence, we will be filled with more joy, and your faith in Jesus Christ will increase. We will begin to experience spiritual power that exceeds our greatest hopes.” -President Nelson
How will we take action? (Directives, Personal Revelation)
- Intentional Step One: “Imagine the comfort of having confidence in the presence of God!”
- Intentional Step Two: “It is imperative that we have charity in our discourse, both public and private. I thank those of you who took my previous counsel to heart. But we can still do better.”
- Intentional Step Three: “As charity becomes part of our nature, we will lose the impulse to demean others. We will stop judging others. We will have charity for those from all walks of life.”
- Intentional Step Four: “Let us plead with our Heavenly Father to fill our hearts with greater charity—especially for those who are difficult to love.”
- Intentional Step Five: “We are to be His instruments for peace.”
- Intentional Step Six: “Imagine the boost you will receive to any positive thought when you enhance it with virtue.”
- Intentional Step Seven: “On the other hand, imagine what will happen when you add virtue to an impure thought, a cruel thought, or a depressing thought.”
- Intentional Step Eight: “We need to grow increasingly pure. Our thoughts, words, and actions need to be unfailingly virtuous and filled with the pure love of Jesus Christ towards all men.”
- Intentional Step Nine: “Regular worship in the house of the Lord increases our capacity for both virtue and charity. Thus, time in the temple increases our confidence before the Lord. Increased time in the temple will help us prepare for the Second Coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”
- Intentional Step Ten: “He is preparing to come again. May we likewise prepare to receive Him.”
- Mitch: I will take action on the 10 “intentional steps” that President Nelson shared in this address that I have identified above, and then I will write an article about my experience.
“We are grateful to the Lord for the acceleration of temple-building in recent years. Under His direction, today we announce plans to construct a temple in each of these 15 locations:
“Reynosa, Mexico
“Chorrillos, Peru
“Rivera, Uruguay
“Campo Grande, Brazil
“Porto, Portugal
“Uyo, Nigeria
“San Jose del Monte, Philippines
“Nouméa, New Caledonia
“Liverpool, Australia
“Caldwell, Idaho
“Flagstaff, Arizona
“Rapid City, South Dakota
“Greenville, South Carolina
“Norfolk, Virginia
“Spanish Fork, Utah
“I testify that Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of Israel, leads this, His Church. He is preparing to come again. May we likewise prepare to receive Him. For this I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”
What will you do?
How will you take action on the invitations extended in this General Conference address?
Conclusion
The focus of our next podcast episode will be the April 2025 General Conference address that was delivered by President Dallin H. Oaks and was entitled “Divine Helps for Mortality.”
As we conclude this episode, we would invite you to refer to the podcast episode details for this podcast episode where we have provided important information for connecting with us and further supporting the General Conference Applied Podcast. The best ways to help us are to like and subscribe to the podcast, to share the podcast with others, and to like and share our content on social media.
Please remember that General Conference Applied is meant to be a supplement for your review of General Conference Addresses. We promise that you will get more out of each General Conference Applied episode when you study the General Conference address first.
Thank you for joining us in this effort to become doers of the word and to take action on general conference invitations.
Tags
Charity | Confidence | Peacemaking | Temples | Virtue
Additional Content
Next Podcast Episode (“Divine Helps for Mortality” by President Dallin H. Oaks)