June 2025 General Conference+ Part Two

Posted on by Mitch Peterson

Last updated on August 10th, 2025 at 07:50 pm

General Conference Applied

S5 E33 – Tuesday, July 29, 2025 | June 2025 General Conference+ Part Two

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Podcast Episode Outline

External Resources Referenced In This Episode

  1. Boyd K. Packer, “Little Children,” GC Oct 1986, “True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior.”
  2. Saints volumes
  3. Richard Lyman Bushman, Joseph Smith Rough Stone Rolling
  4. Book of Mormon app
  5. Joseph the Prophet, Forthcoming Joseph Smith biography by Richard Turley
  6. Articles of Faith
  7. Elder S. Mark Palmer address and podcast episode
  8. Elder Richard G. Scott, “The Power of Scripture,” memorized scriptures are friends. See also 21 Principles
  9. Lin Manuel Miranda, “The Room Where it Happens” from Hamilton : An American Musical
  10. Elder Ricardo Giménez, “My Love for the Savior Is My ‘Why‘” address, podcast
  11. Bishop Causse’s GCA episode
  12. Preach My Gospel, Missionary purpose
  13. Sam Parker, The 212th Degree
  14. Elder Stevenson GCA episode
  15. Alma meeting Amulek
  16. “Integrity: A Christlike Attribute,” Elder Gerard
  17. Daily repentance – President Nelson and others
  18. Frequency illusion
  19. President Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives” See also, “A look at President Nelson’s urgent, repeated plea: ‘Increase your capacity to receive personal revelation’”
  20. James Clear, Atomic Habits
  21. John Hilton III, Voices in the Book of Mormon, See also Y Religion podcast episode 98
  22. John Welch, The Legal Cases in the Book of Mormon
  23. Richard G. Scott, “To Acquire Spiritual Guidance,” – “I witness that as you gain experience and success in being guided by the Spirit, your confidence in the impressions you feel can become more certain than your dependence on what you see or hear.”

What is the speaker inviting me to do, and how might I consider taking action?

President Russell M. Nelson

Other

Civic / Community Forums / Podcasts
  • Church News Podcast Episode 247: Messages from the 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders — Missionary purpose and personal conversion
    • “I invite you to make the Book of Mormon the cornerstone of your teaching of your missionaries. Help them learn how to treasure the truths taught from the first page to the last page. Encourage your missionaries to study diligently. Help them see that inside this book are the answers to their questions. Please teach them that the truths of the Book of Mormon are filled with power — power to help them do the impossible, power to help them become increasingly pure, power to help them teach with authority from God. Please teach them that blessings will come to them as they study, teach from and testify of the Book of Mormon.”
  • 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders: President Nelson Calls Book of Mormon ‘One of the Greatest Tools of Conversion’
    • “Perhaps at no other time in your life will you see so many lives change. These will of course include the lives of those who find and join the Church in your mission,” he said. “At least as important, however, is the conversion of your missionaries.”
    • Embrace the “converting power of the Book of Mormon.”
    • Joseph Smith – “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” President Nelson elaborated. “It teaches the doctrine of Christ and explains more about the Savior’s Atonement than does any other book. It recovers some of the ‘plain and precious’ truths — including covenants — lost during various translations of the Bible through the centuries.”
    • Promised three types of power that missionaries can gain from the Book of Mormon:
      • Power to do the impossible.
      • Power to become increasingly pure.
      • Power to teach with authority from God.
    • Promised blessings of increased personal conversion, strength and protection to family, and guidance in callings from their service.

President Dallin H. Oaks

Other

Civic / Community Forums / Podcasts

President Henry B. Eyring

Other

Civic / Community Forums / Podcasts
  • Church News Podcast Episode 247: Messages from the 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders — Missionary purpose and personal conversion
  • 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders: President Eyring’s message for new mission leaders about being prepared by the Lord
    • “You can take courage from the fact that the Lord called you personally. He knows you, and He knows your capabilities. He knows your heart and your capacity to grow. He knows what you will face in your service. He wants you to succeed in the tasks He has prepared for you. He loves you.”
    • Mission leaders can have confidence that the Lord placed their missionaries with them because of their ability to give them the love and leadership that will be best for them.
      • Taught that most missionaries focus on being divinely called to a place and for some to learn a certain language. Pres. Eyring says, “They were, but more important to their lives will be the assignment to serve with you. You will likely have a greater effect on their mission and on their lives. You can have confidence that the Lord placed your missionaries with you because of your ability to give them the love and leadership that will be best for them.”
    • Mission leaders should not feel critical of their predecessors’ handling of a missionary, and should pray for their successors to refrain from criticizing them either. He suggested that the treatment of a missionary by a former mission leader may have been what the Lord wanted at the time.
    • Mission leaders must “pay the price in faith to receive inspiration for [their] missionaries” so the missionaries can “have confidence that the assignments you extend to them came directly from the Lord.”
    • It is the mission leaders’ responsibility to see that every missionary serving under their guidance grows in spirituality and capacity to invite people to repent, have faith in Jesus Christ, come unto Him, and take His name upon them.

President Jeffrey R. Holland

Other

Civic / Community Forums / Podcasts
  • Church News Podcast Episode 247: Messages from the 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders — Missionary purpose and personal conversion
    • “First and foremost, we see missionaries succeed and mark theirs as a successful mission when the elder and sister understand and live their missionary purpose, that of bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of a friend. Everything else is secondary; important, but secondary.”
      • Application Idea: Journal about ways that I can better bring to pass “the immortality and eternal life of a friend” who is not currently actively participating in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
    • “An emphasis on the word of God, the scriptures and the prophets applies here, because we want those missionaries committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ and His Church for the rest of their lives. This is not checking the mission box, thinking that after 18 or 24 months, ‘Got that done, can go back to real life.’ Real life? This is real life. They can’t go back to being what they were before. They will go back to be less than they were or more than they were, but they can’t go back to be what they once were. We want them to stay on the continuing, positive, upward trajectory you have put them on. We want the rest of their life filled with faith-promoting inspiration and willing, joyful service.”
      • Application Idea: If your study of the word of God has slacked off since your mission, recommit to feasting upon God’s word once again, and create a schedule to make this happen.
    • “Teach them that they have strength and inspiration and power lying within their own home, within their bedroom, on the seat of their car and in their backpack as they go to school. Their strength and anchor while away from you will be the standard works of this Church, to which they continue to hold fast at all costs, especially the Book of Mormon, the most important missionary tool ever given, especially in this dispensation.”
  • 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders: Highlights From the 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders
    • “Mission leaders won’t have to give endless sermons about obedience or being a kind companion or working hard when missionaries have the vision of Christ’s ‘atoning love elevated before them. When they are focused on the mission of Jesus Christ, they will be investing heart, might, mind and strength in the quest.'”
      • Application Idea: Discuss with your spouse, making sure to take notes in your journal, about how more deliberately teaching your children about Jesus Christ can inspire them to be more obedient and to get along better with each other.
    • “After their faithful service, ‘we want to send [missionaries] home with a love and a beginning mastery’ of the Book of Mormon.”
      • Application Idea: Journal about what a “mastery of the Book of Mormon” might look like in your life, and set concrete goals to achieve that mastery.

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Other

Civic / Community Forums / Podcasts
  • Church News Podcast Episode 247: Messages from the 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders — Missionary purpose and personal conversion
    • “Help [the people you serve] to learn that commandments are a blessing because they help them use their moral agency wisely and bring the supernal happiness we all so intently seek.”
    • Instruct others sufficiently to know good from evil so they may fully exercise their agency.
      • “Lehi taught that in order for God’s children to fully exercise agency, they must be ‘instructed sufficiently that they know good from evil’ (2 Nephi 2:5). You and your missionaries will show friends where to find it. You will invite them to ‘come and see’ and ‘come and help’ and ‘come and belong.’ We simply bring the truth out of obscurity and out of darkness. We hold up the light, the Savior’s light, and let it shine brightly. We help people see how the Savior’s gospel and His Church could bless their lives, their families, now and eternally, and we do it because we love God and His children.”
  • 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders: Missionaries have made a sacred act of agency to serve, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf says
    • Missionaries are special because they’ve used their agency to volunteer for service, saying in effect, “here am I; send me.” We don’t do that for other callings, not even mission leaders do. He reminded the mission leaders to let that truth transform the way they help their missionaries live up to their potential.
      • “Always remember there is a sacred flame of righteous desire inside of each missionary. Part of your responsibility is to help your missionaries to give full expression to that desire.” That full expression, Elder Uchtdorf said, can be found in Doctrine and Covenants 58:28: ‘The power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves.'”
    • “[Don’t] spell out everything [your missionaries] must do or over-regiment their every move.”
    • “Help your missionaries to understand that moral agency is not the freedom to decide what is right or what is wrong. Agency is the freedom to choose between right or wrong — to show, by their choices, which one they prefer.”
    • Missionaries [and all of us] need to know we will be held accountable for our own choices, not for the choices of others
    • Set and achieve goals. Goals and plans are foundational to exercising one’s agency. “Goals give life to your plans, and plans give muscle to your goals.”
    • When diligent efforts — on a mission or anytime — don’t seem to be making a difference, rather than give up or let up, Elder Uchtdorf suggests recalling Doctrine and Covenants 64:32-34: “Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great. Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind.”
    • “A mission is an opportunity to give the Lord your ‘heart and [your] willing mind.’ It is a chance to show — and develop — your faith that small and simple things really do produce a great and marvelous work. You get to demonstrate, by your consistent choices, that you believe in what you are building and that it will be monumental, even majestic. So never be weary of well-doing. Instead, be joyful, be grateful, rejoice in the freedom to choose this wonderful work. You will give thanks that the Savior, Jesus Christ, called you and you were able to leave your nets and follow Him.”

Elder David A. Bednar

Other

Civic / Community Forums / Podcasts
  • Church News Podcast Episode 247: Messages from the 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders — Missionary purpose and personal conversion
    • “I want to review with you four principles that can help us have ‘hearts knit together in unity and … love’ (Mosiah 18:21). First, be one. Second, unity as a means and not an end. Third, missionaries need to earn the trust of Church members. And fourth, priesthood keys need to be aligned.”
      • Application Idea: Study the topic of “Unity” in Gospel Topics and Questions and journal about what you learn.
    • “Unity among members, Church leaders and missionaries is essential in fulfilling the Lord’s purpose for revelatory reasons. Counseling in council with and under the influence of the Holy Ghost can and should be a revelatory experience. It is an invitation for the spiritual gift of revelation to operate in the work of proclaiming the gospel. It is an occasion for faithful servants of the Lord to unite their hearts and minds in seeking inspiration to bless the lives of individuals and families.”
      • Application Idea: Learn about church councils by studying the eight videos about councils from the Church News’ Inside Church headquarters article series.
    • “Unity is strengthened as we emulate Jesus Christ. In Church councils, presidencies and committees, we listen to understand, assume best intent and display mutual respect for all involved. No one should seek unity by imposing his or her own preference and will. All participants bring their best thinking, share their feelings and opinions, and avoid being stubborn or defensive when others disagree. We strive to be one and become faithful servants so the Lord can inspire and work through us to accomplish His holy work according to His will and timing.”
  • 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders: Unity invites inspiration and revelation, Elder Bednar says
    • “Unity is essential to accomplish the Lord’s purpose: ‘Counseling in council with and under the influence of the Holy Ghost can and should be a revelatory experience. … We strive to ‘be one’ and become faithful servants so the Lord can inspire and work through us to accomplish His holy work.'”
      • Application Idea: Study 1 Nephi 7 and journal about how Nephi’s experience forgiving his brothers, and the unity that ensued, led to Lehi’s vision of the tree of life in 1 Nephi 8.
    • “‘Come unto the Savior (See Moroni 10:32), and ‘learn of [Him]’ (Doctrine and Covenants 19:23).'”
      • Application Idea: Accept President Russell M. Nelson’s invitation to “read and underline every verse cited about Jesus Christ, as listed under the main heading and the 57 subtitles in the Topical Guide.” (“Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives“, April 2017 General Conference)

Elder Quentin L. Cook

Other

Civic / Community Forums / Podcasts
  • Church News Podcast Episode 247: Messages from the 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders — Missionary purpose and personal conversion
  • 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders: Focusing on the missionary purpose is leading to miracles in the Lord’s work, says Elder Cook
    • Disbelieve the detractors who want you to think the church is floundering, that most people are abandoning it and you should too. On the contrary, Elder Cook said there were over 308,000 baptisms in 2024, about 50,000 more convert baptisms than in 2023, which was more convert baptisms than the Church has had in nearly 25 years. Elder Cook said, “And as exciting as this increase in baptisms was in 2024, we were delighted to learn that the rate of increase for new members attending sacrament meeting was even higher. We thank the Lord for allowing us to witness His hand in these remarkable outcomes — He is the reason for the hastening.” He said this “spiritual momentum” has continued to increase in 2025. Comparing the first quarter of this year with the first quarter of 2024, every region of the world has seen at least a 20% increase in convert baptisms.
    • Elder Cook shared three principles that have helped mission leaders and missionaries be most effective in fulfilling their purpose.
      1. “Focus everything you do on the missionary purpose and the doctrine of Christ.”
        • When mission leaders help missionaries connect their purpose — or “the why” — with “the what” and “the how” of their work, missionaries are better able to find, teach and baptize people and help them qualify for the celestial kingdom, Elder Cook said.
      2. “With the purpose as your focus, invite and help people to worship with us and attend sacrament meeting.” Elder Cook said when people attend sacrament meeting the week they are found, they are about 10 times more likely to be baptized and confirmed. Missionaries should also help see that conversion is a process, not an event, and keep inviting each week.
      3. “Effectively find people to teach.” Some will be like Brigham Young who took around two years to convert while others will be like Parley Pratt who accepted the gospel almost immediately. Elder Cook mentioned that technology is helping missionaries reconnect with and teach many “Brighams” who were taught in the past and are now ready to receive the message.
    • “Let the scriptural and latter-day pattern of teaching the doctrine of Christ be a model for your mission. Just as the Savior and His disciples throughout time have repeatedly taught the doctrine of Christ, I invite you to teach the missionary purpose and the doctrine of Christ boldly and frequently throughout your service.”

Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Other

Civic / Community Forums / Podcasts
  • Church News Podcast Episode 247: Messages from the 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders — Missionary purpose and personal conversion
    • “Consider how the Savior engaged people and invited them to exercise their own moral agency to learn and apply gospel truth. Jesus did not just tell His hearers what they should do, nor did He do everything for them. He taught in ways that required them to think, to participate, to discuss and to apply His teachings. Because of this, when the Savior was no longer with His disciples in person, they were more prepared to receive and be led by the Holy Ghost in acting for themselves.”
      • Application Idea: Ponder this summary of a personal experience that Stephen R. Covey shared in his book “The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness“: “To illustrate empowerment, Covey shares a personal story of a family struggling with morning routines. His wife felt exhausted trying to get their kids ready for school—she reminded them to wake up, monitored their showers, helped them pick outfits, and constantly urged them to hurry. The children, in turn, became dependent on her prodding, leading to frustration for everyone.

        “One evening, Covey and his wife sat down with their children and asked a simple question: ‘Who likes the way mornings are going?’ No one raised a hand. So instead of just giving orders, they shifted the conversation to empowerment. They asked, ‘Can you wake up on your own?’ ‘Can you set out your clothes the night before?’ One by one, the children realized they were capable of managing their own responsibilities.

        “Together, they created a morning agreement outlining what each child needed to do. There were clear expectations and natural consequences—if they didn’t wake up on time, they would go to bed earlier the next night. The next morning, something amazing happened: the kids got up on their own, got ready quickly, and even had extra time to spare. The sense of ownership and responsibility transformed their behavior.

        “This story highlights an important shift in leadership. Instead of thinking, ‘How do I make people do this?’ leaders should ask, ‘How can I help them see that they are capable and responsible?'”
    • “Our intense desire is to help friends become converted disciples of Jesus Christ who can enter into a covenant relationship with Him and take the Holy Ghost as their guide through life to the end. … I pray that we will ever bear in mind that we teach to build faith in Jesus Christ. We are about the work of helping develop lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ, including our missionaries themselves.”
      • Application Idea: When you pray for those who have left The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, pray for them specifically to rekindle their relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
    • “We teach what [Jesus Christ] has commanded us to do. But we also teach that beyond anything and everything we can do, we necessarily rely on the mercy and merits of Jesus to become holy and enter into the presence of the Father and enjoy eternal life.”
  • 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders: The Savior engaged people and invited them to exercise their own moral agency, Elder Christofferson says

Elder Neil L. Andersen

Other

Civic / Community Forums / Podcasts
  • Church News Podcast Episode 247: Messages from the 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders — Missionary purpose and personal conversion
    • “‘Preach My Gospel’ teaches, ‘Have faith that the Lord is preparing people to receive the restored gospel. Have patient confidence that He will lead you to them, or them to you.’ When the flame of faith in Jesus Christ is strong, it moves a missionary to be unceasing in searching out the elect. It gives a missionary confidence that through prayer, faith, obedience and diligence, the powers of heaven will be at their side. Miracles await you.'”
  • 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders: Miracles in missionary work rely on faith, Elder Andersen says
    • Have faith that the Lord is preparing people to receive the gospel in every part of the world. Elder Andersen knows this is true, having lived for eight years in Europe, four years in Brazil, 15 years in the eastern United States, and for 16 years he’s travelled the globe as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. He doesn’t deny that some areas are more fruitful than others, but “miracles occur in every mission. It is the way the Lord works. Faith in Jesus Christ stirs the power of heaven to intercede and bless the work of missionaries. Faith and miracles are at the center of bringing souls to Christ.”
    • New mission presidents must be “watchmen” and use their priesthood keys to fan the flame of their missionaries’ faith, guiding them to build a solid foundation of faith in Jesus Christ with a firm expectation that miracles will follow.
      • “When the flame of faith in Jesus Christ is strong, it moves a missionary to be unceasing in searching out the elect,” Elder Andersen said. “It gives a missionary confidence that through prayer, faith, obedience and diligence, the powers of heaven will be at their side.”
    • Engage in daily planning and goal setting to open the door to experiencing miracles.
      • A portion of Elder Andersen’s message included a video interview of his newly-returned missionary grandson, Elder Ebert, who said that finding friends to teach through daily planning and goal setting can help missionaries experience miracles. He told about being transferred to a city that had little success; through faith, prayer and following the Spirit, he and his companion felt led to people whom the Lord had prepared.

Elder Ronald A. Rasband

Other

Civic / Community Forums / Podcasts
  • Church News Podcast Episode 247: Messages from the 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders — Missionary purpose and personal conversion
    • “The Lord is hastening His work. Now, hastening is a word that matters. It suggests moving quickly, accelerating and even urgency. In the growth of the Church and the plan of Christ, a hastening is occurring. And you are all a part of it. You will help missionaries increase their faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ, so they too will see right before their very eyes the majesty of the moment. And with you, we’ll shout, ‘Hurrah for Israel.'”
      • Application Idea: The phrase “majesty of this moment” comes from President Russell M. Nelson’s October 2024 General Conference address “The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again.” Revisit this address and journal about this paragraph from President Nelson’s address: “My dear brothers and sisters, do you see what is happening right before our eyes? I pray that we will not miss the majesty of this moment! The Lord is indeed hastening His work.”
    • “Our desire is to do much more than help God’s children begin to walk the straight and narrow path. Rather, we desire for all to remain as they continue progressing along the covenant path. New members need to be numbered, named, nourished by the good word of God and kept in the right way.”
      • Application Idea: Contact the missionaries in your area and ask them how you can become involved in helping new members to be “nourished by the good word of God and kept in the right way.”
  • 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders: Elder Rasband teaches about baptism and real growth

Elder Gary E. Stevenson

Other

Civic / Community Forums / Podcasts
  • Church News Podcast Episode 247: Messages from the 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders — Missionary purpose and personal conversion
    • “Chapter 8 of ‘Preach My Gospel’ reads: ‘Let your missionary purpose guide your goals and plans.’ It lays out how missionaries can reach their goals through tracking key indicators. However, Elder Stevenson taught, “As missionaries embrace the accountability involved in the use of key indicators for conversion, you will need to continually teach that key indicators are a means to an end, not the end goal. They represent the person’s spiritual progress and introduce those they are teaching to the covenant path, the covenant path for people we teach, which begins with the ordinances of baptism and confirmation, even to remember that baptism and confirmation are not the final destination. Rather, these ordinances are the gateway by which God’s children enter the covenant path. This path leads to the ordinances, covenants and joyous blessings of the temple and ultimately lifelong conversion and eternal life.”
  • 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders: Elder Stevenson teaches how to build lifelong conversion on foundational principles
    • We should all be familiar with missionaries’ key indicators and help the missionaries as some of their goals depend on our participation.
      • “[N]ew people being taught, lessons with members participating, people being taught who attend sacrament meeting, people with baptismal dates, people who are baptized and confirmed, and new members attending sacrament meeting.”
    • Mission leaders, “Please strive for … balance. On the one hand, missionaries should feel both your enthusiasm and focus toward key indicators for conversion. On the other, avoid pressure, coercion, quotas or external rewards associated with them. Key indicators should inspire and align missionaries to their purpose.”
    • Prepare for miracles to happen by working to achieve a goal.
      • Elder Stevenson shared the story of two missionaries who “prepared for miracles to happen” by working to achieve a set goal. After the last lesson of the day, the missionaries noted that they talked to more people than ever in a day but were still short of the goal they set that morning. They calculated that if they returned to their apartment, they would arrive 15 minutes before curfew, so they instead decided to swing by the train station and talk to a few more people to achieve their daily goal. At the train station, unbeknownst to them, a man was startled by an audible voice that told him: “They are men of God with an important message. Go speak to them.” Elder Stevenson said this miraculous encounter led to a cascade of life-changing events, culminating in the man’s baptism and confirmation. “Following the baptism, I listened to the missionaries and their friend reflect on the miraculous encounter in the train station that night,” he said. “They each wondered what might or might not have been had they not set a goal that morning and remained accountable to it until the last moment of the day.”

Elder Dale G. Renlund

Other

Civic / Community Forums / Podcasts
  • Church News Podcast Episode 247: Messages from the 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders — Missionary purpose and personal conversion
    • “Missionaries are taught in ‘Preach My Gospel‘: “Your ability to resist temptation will increase as you study and apply the scriptures, the words of the living prophets [and] ‘Preach My Gospel.'”
      • Application Idea: Commit to an in-depth study of ‘Preach My Gospel‘. Create a schedule to study the entire resource between now and the next general conference.
    • “The Book of Mormon is part of this armor that missionaries need. The teachings found in the Book of Mormon can spiritually fortify and protect. President Nelson said: ‘I promise that as you prayerfully study the Book of Mormon every day, you will make better decisions — every day. I promise that … the windows of heaven will open, and you will receive answers to your own questions and direction for your own life. I promise that … you can be immunized against the evils of the day, even the gripping plague of pornography and other mind-numbing addictions.’ Many Church leaders have promised additional protective blessings when we immerse ourselves in the Book of Mormon. These promises include help with weakness, discouragement and fear; decreased concerns and anxieties; greater ability to overcome doubt and fear; power to resist temptation; strength to overcome bad habits; greater ability to stay on the straight and narrow path; lighter burdens; and decreased susceptibility to deception.”
      • Application Idea: Find the resources that Elder Renlund referenced in which “many Church leaders have promised additional protective blessings when we immerse ourselves in the Book of Mormon”. Then study each of these resources and consider sharing what you learned with someone to whom you minister.
  • 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders: ‘Putting on the armor of God’ can help protect missionaries physically and spiritually, says Elder Renlund

Elder Gerrit W. Gong

Other

Civic / Community Forums / Podcasts
  • Church News Podcast Episode 247: Messages from the 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders — Missionary purpose and personal conversion
    • “Invite others to come unto Christ through a sacred gospel pattern of repentance, commitment and conversion.”
  • 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders: Elder Gerrit W. Gong: The missionary purpose in ‘repentance, commitment, conversion’
    • Study how church leaders, scriptural prophets, and the Savior extended invitations.
      • Elder Gong invited 3 returned missionaries to speak as part of his presentation. One, Lindsey Bourne, said her testimony grew as she studied how current Church leaders extended invitations at general conference, how prophets in the scriptures extended invitations and how the Savior extended invitations.
    • Practice inviting and testifying
      • When asked how he learned to bear testimony while extending invitations to those he taught, a third returned missionary, Carter Boswell, said the answer is simple. “Practice…. [W]e were always encouraged to practice teaching and promising blessings to our friends as we extended invitations.”
    • Sister Gong taught, “Help your missionaries know that repentance is a gift of healing, forgiveness, cleansing, strengthening, purification and sanctification — one of God’s greatest gifts…. [Repentance is] a pattern to spiritual rebirth, which “enables the growth and flourishing God intends for each of us.”
    • Consistently act on truths of the gospel to become converted.
    • Employ dedicated training so missionaries understand the why and the how of inviting people to change. Rather than simply asking someone to “come to Church,” missionaries can “invite people to come with us to worship God and feel His Spirit” in sacrament meeting — a time focused on ordinances and covenants — “this Sunday.”

Elder Ulisses Soares

Other

Civic / Community Forums / Podcasts

Elder Patrick Kearon

Other

Civic / Community Forums / Podcasts
  • Church News Podcast Episode 247: Messages from the 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders — Missionary purpose and personal conversion
    • Remember that “no loving, Spirit-led effort is wasted” even if some people are slow to respond. Elder Kearon cites himself as a prime example.
      • “[F]or some of us who are converts, we were not very quick to respond….Faith is a power, and it can cause things to happen that need to happen. It can cause a soul who is good but dormant to awaken to God. That power is real. Every single one of those efforts, and every single one of the efforts, of your efforts and those of your missionaries, will be a blessing to those you are seeking to bring to Christ.”
  • 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders: Elder Kearon’s own powerful conversion shows that no effort in missionary work is wasted
    •  It is natural to be disappointed when a person does not accept the gospel. In those times, “turn to the Lord,” and as promised in Isaiah 41:10, “I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee.” “Turn to the Lord, and He will uphold you.”
    • “Your missionaries must develop under your loving care and under your righteous expectations, glorious, faithful resilience and determination.”
      • Elder Kearon detailed the relentless efforts of the missionaries to help him understand and accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. These efforts included teaching about Jesus Christ, kneeling in prayer together, fasting and singing. They invited him to attend Church meetings. They baked him cookies and wrote him notes to read on days when they couldn’t meet together. They introduced him to new friends in the Church and a senior missionary couple. They invited him to be baptized between 15 and 20 times, never showing frustration despite his repeated refusals. “It was all new to me, but it was beautiful, and I was touched,” he said. “They taught me about the plan of happiness, and what I was struck by is they were so happy. They embodied what they were teaching me. But I could just not believe. They were undaunted and listened to my myriad concerns. I was skeptical at best — sometimes cynical — but was being blessed by what they were doing, how they were doing it and what they were digging deep to convey.” A pivotal point came when Elder Kearon received a blessing from a senior missionary. After the blessing, he experienced a profound spiritual feeling of exuberance and gospel light that changed his perspective. He was baptized on Christmas Eve in 1987. He credited the missionaries’ consistent love, patience and spiritual guidance.
      • Elder Kearon cited a statement from Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from the 2016 Seminar for New Mission Leaders that Elder Kearon felt described his experience perfectly: “Some might say that baptisms are not determined by the missionary because it is a moral choice that [everyone] must make. There is truth in that statement, but there is also truth in this one: There is power that can cause things to happen that need to happen. There is a spiritual force that can stir a mortal soul toward the spiritual. Faith is a power, and it can cause things to happen that need to happen. It can cause a soul who is good but dormant to awaken to God.”

Take Action

How will you take action on the invitations discussed in this podcast episode?

Conclusion

The focus of our next podcast episode will be the April 2025 General Conference Applications – Return and Report: Elder Gong, Elder Soares, and Elder Kearon.

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, to like and share our content on social media, to share your own experiences with us on social media, and especially to contact us on our website.

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.

Additional Content

Previous Podcast Episode (“Faith: A Bond of Trust and Loyalty” by Elder Sandino Roman)

Next Podcast Episode (April 2025 General Conference Applications – Return and Report: Elder Gong, Elder Soares, and Elder Kearon)

All Podcast Episodes

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