Welcome to Closer to Christ, their General Conference.
For two friends who love Jesus, share our own approach to studying the most recent General
Conference talks.
This is Abby and Amy.
Let's jump into it.
Today we're talking about Days Never to Be Forgotten.
This is by Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve.
Now it is the year of the Doctrine and Covenants, and maybe more so than any other year, this
is our opportunity to watch the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
unfold in how it's been restored and is also being restored in this dispensation.
Experience after experience of how God's hand has been involved in commanding this work.
He talks about the decade from the spring of 1820 that began when the Prophet Joseph Smith
experienced in the Sacred Grove, and then when he saw God the Father and his son Jesus
Christ, continuing until April 6, 1830, when Christ's Church was once again organized in
this dispensation, and it was truly miraculous.
Abby, what are some of the key moments of that decade?
There are so many, but let's start with the young prophet conversing with the angel Moroni.
Reciprocation of the ancient scripture that goes on plates, eventually culminating in
the publishing of the Book of Mormon, the restoration of the Aaronic and Melchizedek
priesthoods, and then like you said, that blessed day April 6th when the Church was
organized once again on this earth.
Love that.
It's no wonder that we have recorded Oliver Cowdery describing that era so well by saying
these were days never to be forgotten.
That's always been one of my favorite things.
I think the whole thing is how he said, we stood at the Prophet's feet that these were
days never to be forgotten.
It paints a beautiful picture.
And I'm sure like every day you're kind of waking up like, what new thing do they have?
And then how long is it going to take for that information to disseminate?
But you're just reading it.
This talk, it repeats that phrase multiple times.
And Elder Stevenson is going to make us a promise that he thinks that we've entered
another decade that we'll be able to say these days were never to be forgotten.
And I'm filling that phrase right now.
Just you reading it back to me.
And I was like, don't we kind of wait a conference, even aside from just conference announcements,
but conference in particular, like what is the Prophet going to reveal for the next six
months?
Especially as soon as President Nelson got in, I was always like, all right, what's next?
It was boom, boom, boom, boom.
Running shoes, it's like it's hard to keep up with how fast things are moving for him.
So I can definitely see why Elder Stevenson kind of got the idea of that.
Miraculous events did not cease in 1830.
They have continued on in small and big ways.
Like I was thinking in a personal way, miracles have been happening churchwide.
We've seen miracles as a church to this very day.
But Elder Stevenson boldly declared, he believed that we have just commenced a decade that
may prove to be just as momentous as any other decade that has followed that unparalleled
founding decade almost 200 years ago.
He had me when he said that.
I was like, okay, what is he going to say?
So excited.
Let's consider some of the events on the lineup for 2024 to 2034 and consider the question,
why are these events so seminal?
So the first was President Nelson's 100th birthday.
The statement from a New York Times article represents the spirit of much of the international
coverage.
It said in the United States presidential election cycle that has promoted soul searching
about aging and leadership, Mr. Nelson's milestone suggests that at least in his church, a triple
digit does not merit much hand-wringing.
He reminds a popular figure among church members who view their president not just as an executive,
but as a prophet, seer, and revelator.
Why was his birthday so special?
Think of it, tens of millions of us were able to gather in celebration, but the landmark
birthday also gave us an opportunity to introduce a global audience to a prophet of God, a celebration
never to be forgotten.
I was definitely impressed and interested when I saw all the different people who were
there.
I thought, what a great opportunity that they took.
Right.
And leading up to it, he gave us that invitation, the 99.
He was 99 turning one and he wanted us to do something, seek out for the one.
So great.
He used his birthday to make a global impact.
Awesome.
Then last spring, the Plaza on Temple Square was refurbished and completed.
So it featured a display of international flags.
If you look online, there's a great picture of it representing countries where the church
is organized or recognized.
The Plaza entrance is marked by a granite monument with these prophetic words, and it
shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lord's health shall be established
in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all nations shall flow
unto it.
Possibly one manifestation of the prophecy in Isaiah.
I think it's Isaiah 2, 2 being fulfilled.
Love it.
And we've used that scripture talking about people flowing into Utah, but something about
hearing it right now when you're talking makes me think of Temple language, mountain
of the Lord's house, and how now more than ever his children around the world have access
to flow into his houses because of the restoration of the priesthood, keys that are available
to all throughout the world.
Love that.
So he brings up that point next.
The next decade marks an unprecedented number of temple open houses and dedications.
Just think of that.
If there's 164 temples that are going to be going and counting, then that's a lot.
These events will invite millions of both members of our church and also our friends
to walk through a house of the Lord.
Then, oh my gosh, I can't wait, Abby, the rededication of the Salt Lake Temple and the
activities that are associated with it will likely be incredible.
And we heard mention that this will happen around 2026.
So we're 2025 now.
I mean, this is coming close.
These certainly will be days never to be forgotten.
I'm speculating here, but when there weren't so many temple dedications happening all at
once and there was a temple was kind of in your region, but not necessarily right in
your place, or even like we were in Twin Falls when they did that dedication, they made the
church houses like an extension of the temple you got to recommend and we did the dedication.
Could be the same.
That would be amazing.
What if around the world, we all got to participate?
If anybody's listening, like that idea, go with that.
They're like we've already talked about it.
We love to participate in that.
Wouldn't that be amazing?
Because that temple, like of all others, like it took 40 years, right?
Right.
The first time.
Like a labor of love and maybe something there about temple building, like that was like
our opportunity to learn about temples just like the children, like the Moses and the
Israelites in the 40 year process there.
Other temples popped up, you know, in the meantime in that process, but what's happening,
there's truly incredible and what opportunities are going to surround like they said, the
rededication of that.
Oh, I love that.
I can only hold my breath and wait to see what they do with that.
So cool.
So exciting.
Love that.
So the next would be the bicentennial of the organization of the church that will happen
in 2030.
Certainly the events will allow us to invite family, friends, colleagues and distinguished
guests to come and see and to better understand the powerful impact the church has in the
lives of church members.
Then, as we've heard, Salt Lake City will open and host the Olympics in 2034, bringing
thousands of dignitaries, visitors and athletes from around the world.
The eyes of the world will be upon the church and its members, affording a multitude of
opportunities to volunteer, serve and share glad tidings through kind deeds and event
never to be forgotten.
Yeah.
I think it made an impact last time around.
That's why they got another opportunity to do it.
The infrastructure is there and Utah really accommodated that, but I think there's like
a general feeling when you get to Utah and I think it really shows well for the church.
It really invites people into see what the state has to offer.
It's wonderful to be reminded why these events are so special and the reason being that really
they provide members of the church everywhere an increased opportunity to share the glad
tidings of the gospel of Jesus Christ through the world, through word and deed.
These upcoming events will provide extraordinary opportunities to serve, like you said, to
unite members and friends and introduce people to the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints to more people than ever before.
The prophet, he uses this cherished phrase.
He says, glad tidings rings of joy and happiness, but glad tidings conveys much more than that.
It's derived from the original Greek word, uenglion, which literally means the good news
or the gospel.
Happiness and joy in this life and the next are always linked with the gospel of Jesus
Christ.
Thus the phrase glad tidings captures this double meeting in a wonderful way.
And I think it's just wonderful to remind ourselves that these upcoming events have
so much potential to spread the good news if we seize the opportunity.
It's always nice to be able to have something to invite people to and these events that
are coming up.
Like, hopefully we're just primed and prepared to invite others to enjoy the celebration
with us.
Love that, Abby.
Also it's so interesting because you know that the angels came and said, we bring you
glad tidings of great joy.
That's interesting because now it's the gospel of joy, great joy again.
You've heard that in months past.
So who better to take the charge?
Okay, I love this, where he starts talking to the youth of the church than the rising
generation.
Elder Stevenson reminds the youth and young single adults, you are here on earth now
because you are selected to be here now.
You have the strength and capacity to be disciples of Christ in an unprecedented way.
I'm in total awe at the capacity of the youth and young single adults in this generation.
I think we are really an excellent hands as I'm watching this generation come up.
I know for myself that the words from President George Buchanan to be true from the talk,
he said, God has reserved spirits for this dispensation who have had the courage and
determination to face the world and all the powers of the evil one and to build up the
design of our God fearless of all consequences.
So I mean, I think you still have the same testimony of the youth.
What you're seeing, you know, what your children are doing, what the youth in your sphere are
up to.
I feel like they have a different skill set than generations previous.
What are you noticing?
Like, well, one of them is that I just think that they're, they're very intuitive.
They're very in tune and things might get done a different way and that's okay.
Like I think that for generations past, it might be unsettling thinking, well, they have
new ideas and they might quote mess things up at the same time, new ideas are what needed
or what are needed, right?
A new way of looking at things.
So I just think that the way that they're going to tackle the problems that will be
coming their way, that they are uniquely set up for that.
And what I see for them is that they've always had information at their fingertips.
They've always had these like these powerful phones.
We used to maybe have to go to the library to do some research on something or do a little
bit of digging.
They have so much information at their fingertips.
Sometimes I'll hear the youth speak something that literally I was like, maybe learned a
few years ago.
Like I was practically 40 when I got that and you're expressing this to me in a form of
testimony like, you know this thing to be true.
Half of a life away from that.
So what potential is there if they're already there and they're just growing?
They're just starting out in life.
They amaze me.
Same, Abby.
So we asked the youth to consider the feature on our phones.
I love this.
That put together slideshows occasionally for him.
And to think what the picture of the photos that their phones will bring up in 10 years
from now.
I love that thought too, Abby.
It was so great.
I was like, oh wow, we all know that feature.
And he said, you may see yourself graduating from high school or college, receiving your
endowment, going on a mission, getting married and having your first child.
But then to consider rather than the next 10 years, only blessings your life, what is
simultaneously we each strive to become a light under the world of how the glad tidings
of the gospel of Jesus Christ can enrich and enhance not only our lives, but also those
of our family, friends and social media followers.
Those are like a double-edged sword.
My phone totally does that.
It puts the music behind it, little slideshow of things.
And I'm at this stage where I'm like equally, man, that was a fond memory and like complete
sadness at how fast time has gone.
It's like my baby's face is changing drastically.
I know.
Then I'm thinking like, you're going to shoot that to me in another 10 years and like, there'll
be grand babies in that picture.
Which is so exciting.
But there's also some like, wow, it's just like the speed of light.
It is.
It's just flashing by.
Yes.
In the next 10 years, how might we fulfill our divinely appointed responsibilities?
The first one, Abby would be living the gospel of Jesus Christ, studying the words of the
prophets and learn to love our Father in heaven.
And climb your hearts to Him and strive to walk in His way.
Be lifted by the covenant confidence that Elysees Svoros has described.
This confidence comes from making covenants to follow Jesus Christ, knowing that the Savior
will in turn strengthen and support you.
This is a theme that has come over and over again, and I love that it continues to be
brought up to be in our hearts.
The best gospel message we can share and the greatest effort we can make as missionaries
is simply living the gospel of Jesus Christ so that others can see the power that comes
when we yoke ourselves with covenants.
And not despite challenges because those will certainly come and they do come with the Lord
rather than but doing it with the Lord rather than without Him has been a huge testimony
builder in my own life.
I totally agree with that.
He made the next point about our Divinely appointed responsibilities being caring for
those in need.
He said to the youth particularly, your generation is unusually mindful of the less fortunate.
Whenever disaster strikes and church members rush to help clear away debris and comfort
the afflicted, it seems the majority are wearing helping hand and t-shirts.
They're teenagers and 20-somethings.
It's in your nature to be bare one another's burdens and comfort those that stand in need
of comfort. By doing this, we all fulfill the law of Christ.
A reminder to check out the JustServe website is a great place to start when you're thinking
you want to reach out and do something for other people.
There's always a myriad of ideas on there.
When you're concerned for others is rooted in the love of God and your desire to treat
your neighbors as yourself, your service projects will have far reaching effects on those who
you're serving and those who you have embedded.
Those who maybe in a reverse situation are invited to serve you.
They just released information, I don't know, over the last weekend about the primary children
around the world being invited to hold a service project that's really led by the children.
Can you just imagine the power in these communities as the little children go about filling whatever
need they find in their community?
Maybe making blankets or picking up garbage, maybe doing something for the food banks.
Really, this guy's the limit based on the area that they're at, what their abilities
are.
But just praying that we as adults don't get in the way of that, mess that up.
That's it, it's getting in the way, right?
Step back and let these babies take over the world.
Abby, third, inviting all to receive the gospel. Did you know we opened 36 new missions worldwide
to accommodate all who desired to serve full-time missions?
In an era when many youth are opting out of formal religious activity altogether, this
is pretty remarkable and speaks to the magnificent nature of the testimonies of the youth.
Whatever serving or sorry, whether serving full-time or not, please realize your immense
capacity to influence your peers as you love, share, and invite them to explore the gospel
of Jesus Christ.
Didn't you love just time after time?
So step one, so two, step three, a lot of these, he's just saying, just live a life focused
on Jesus Christ and it's going to emulate to those around you.
They're going to see you being a particular people and unique.
You'll stand out and they'll want to know more about it just by virtue of living your
life.
The last one, the fourth, let me read it right where we're doing, the fourth divinely appointed
responsibility we have is uniting families for eternity.
The crowning event of Temple Work is sealing families together, but that work begins with
baptism.
I had a baptism initiatory this week and I had four family names and one from somebody
that had presented it from the stake, yeah, on the stake level.
And so I was looking, that one, it was a pretty recent name, but the family names, they were
ones that had hit that 110-year mark, basically January 1st.
Awesome, Abby.
The work was done by the youth for these family names between the 2nd and 9th of January,
ready to be moved into the initiatory process.
I've had names that could take years, like maybe they were baptized in 2018 and then you
do the initiatory in 2024 or whatever the case might be, but I'm maybe speculating on
it, but what I saw was that these youth are eager to be in the temple and they're doing
their part and they're getting this work going for these deceased ancestors and I have to
keep up with them.
So who did your baptisms for you?
It's throughout the world.
I did the temple ready names.
So I'm just saying it from my whole file, it's pulled these, it found four names to
pull, which also means to me that people are moving that work along too.
That means that other people are taking these names, these kids have just recently baptized
and confirmed and they're not ones that I have painstakingly sought out.
These are the low lying fruit, but nonetheless, still family names in their mind, yeah, and
are happy to participate that.
Other seasons, other, we talked about the crowds of youth waiting at the baptistry
line.
He referenced young adult serving as ordinance workers.
I've had that same, I've seen that same impressive number of youth at the baptistry,
they do early morning, they open the temple extra early, like two different mornings
so that the kids can get in before their high school hours or whatever.
And I've also been awestruck at the number of young adults serving in different capacities
in the temple.
Honestly, I would use the word jealous to describe my feelings about that.
They're in there and immersing themselves in that work at such a much younger age.
And I've kind of missed that opportunity and like in the middle of raising children,
families so when I can escape and go to the temple for myself, that's great.
But I'm like looking at these youth, I'm like, you've performed these ordinances a
billion more, you know, like in a lifetime, they're going to get these boards in their
hearts so much quicker, sooner than I was able to because they're just heavily involved
in the work.
It's amazing.
That's why I know that we're in good hands.
Temple attendance is a priority when you're in a place where it's feasible to do so.
That's how I would explain like our high school is about five minutes from the temple.
So it's something that they're able to do often, but Elder Stevenson shared a story
about a group of youth that were 600 kids from Scotland and Ireland.
They traveled to the Preston England temple.
They performed 4,000 ordinances for most of which were personal deceased ancestors of
theirs.
My children, they've come to both of them individually have come to me asking me to
help them with their goal and increasing their commitment to their time in the temple.
And for me, that's, I'm not going to use the word burden, but it puts some of the pressure
on me.
I'm their ride and their schedule learn.
And that's something that I'm really willing to accept for them because I know that these
temple experiences in their youth are going to have our reaching effects on them as they
grow.
Elder Stevenson reminded the youth of the power that comes from being engaged in family history.
Spend time in the temple, carefully prepare yourself to be the kind of man or woman ready
to marry on an equally worthy companion in the temple.
Develop this pattern in your life now to make the temple a regular part of your lives.
Adam and I are on week two of teaching temple prep to the graduating seniors.
And I think there's a fire in them that just shows they are ready to, they're preparing,
they're ready to make future covenants.
It's inspiring.
Yeah.
Again, the youth, he's not lying.
He's seeing the youth around the world.
He's seen it.
I'm seeing them in Star Valley.
Yeah.
They are ready.
I love that.
Certainly the days ahead, in the days ahead, there will be no doubt times of sorrow and
sadness and heartache, but there are absolutely going to be exquisite moments of joy, just
like any part of our lives, right?
For an action item, be prepared for opportunities and upcoming moments as a member of Jesus
Christ Church, where you will have many chances to share the glad tidings of the gospel of
Jesus Christ through these simple activities, living, caring, inviting, and uniting.
It doesn't seem that hard when he puts it that way.
That's an action item, I think we hopefully will all be prepared to hear and accept.
And live your life naturally normally when these opportunities come.
I know this for a fact.
When the temple open house was coming, people would ask me more often, like in my work setting,
the conversation would lend to that way, and they would give me an opening to then say,
would you like to go through the temple open house or with my neighbors?
They're not of our faith, they're friends in the community, and we were able to take
multiple neighbors through the temple, and they were able to fill God's love for them.
Like definitely one guy, he just lost his wife, and he said he felt more close to her
in that experience than ever before.
Now if that opportunity for the open house hadn't been there, presented itself, we would
have missed that awesome opportunity.
And it was a normal and natural way to invite that out.
That's great, Abby.
Any last thoughts?
Nope.
All right, as I love to do, I'll share his testimony in closing.
He said, I testify that those who approach the Lord with a sincere heart and real intent,
those who have the name of the Savior upon their lips, the Holy Spirit in their souls,
those who embark upon this grand and glorious pilgrimage, will discover and experience boundless
celestial blessings and receive a witness that God hears you, knows you, and loves you.
You will experience days never to be forgotten.
This he did in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Amen, Abby.
We'll catch you next time.
Thanks, guys.
See ya.
Bye.