TRACES OF TIME... OCTOBER 3-4, 2026 - GENERAL CONFERENCE

 

Family is Everything

...and so is

General Conference...

Here are highlights from the 

Salt Lake Tribune

Conference highlights: LDS President Dallin Oaks worries about members’ diminishing faith in Christ

Story by Peggy Fletcher Stack, Tamarra Kemsley, Dylan Eubank, David Noyce

Oct 05 • 9 min read • Updated 2h ago

Key takeaways

Spiritual Focus: President Dallin H. Oaks emphasized overcoming doubts, struggles, and tragedies by drawing closer to Jesus Christ, balancing secular learning with spiritual growth, and acting on gospel truths.

• Moral Guidance: D. Todd Christofferson warned against gambling, highlighting it as morally wrong and contrary to the commandment to love your neighbor.
• Global Perspective & Inclusion: Leaders like Rosemary K. Chibota encouraged seeing others as God does, recognizing their worth, and celebrating diversity, reflecting the faith’s growing international presence.

The way to overcome doubts, tragedies and struggles is to get closer to Jesus Christ, President Dallin H. Oaks told millions of members gathered this past weekend in Salt Lake City and around the world for the faith’s 196th Semiannual General Conference.

Indeed, the 94-year-old leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints repeatedly said the answers to the most pressing issues can be found in Christ’s gospel.

The most buzzed about talk, however, was by his second counselor in the governing First Presidency, D. Todd Christofferson, who warned against the dangers of gambling, including the booming sports betting and prediction markets.

“For us as Latter-day Saints,” Christofferson said, “overarching all other concerns is the fact that gambling is morally wrong. Gambling is built on the desire to obtain something for nothing. Its structure requires that any gain comes at others’ expense. It’s hard to reconcile that with the commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves.”

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) President D. Todd Christofferson denounces gambling in his Saturday sermon.© Trent Nelson

During the two-day conference, leaders largely avoided global issues and instead encouraged members to avoid contention, lift one another, overcome trials with faith, recognize their worth in God’s eyes, and celebrate God’s goodness.

Three women spoke and two prayed during the meetings, compared to dozens of men. Five Africans addressed the attendees — including Primary General President Rosemary K. Chibota, the first African to lead a churchwide organization — which possibly reflected the American-born faith’s rapid growth on parts of that continent.

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) People walk next to the Sal Lake Temple at Temple Square in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026.

Conferencegoers and watchers also heard from a general authority Seventy, Jeremiah J. Morgan, who converted from the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now the Community of Christ), and a Sunday school leader, Gabriel W. Reid, who mentioned the faith’s new Sabbath meeting schedule, with its shortened classes.

Some may ask, Reid said, “How can I teach everything in 25 minutes?” He responded saying a better question may be: “How can I help those I teach connect to the Savior sooner?”

Here are some of the key speeches:

Dallin Oaks: Never let secular learning limit spiritual horizons

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) President Dallin H. Oaks speaks during the Sunday morning session of General Conference at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Oct. 4, 2026.

What President Dallin H. Oaks wants is for Latter-day Saints to be “active members, proceeding forward on the covenant path into the eternities.”

But the 94-year-old leader recognized that many “have present or future concerns or struggles” they are trying to overcome, including questions and doubts.

“Whatever they are, the way to overcome them is to get closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ,” Oaks said. “... Overcoming uncertainty and doubt — which may include resolving conflicts between the evolving understanding of science and the sometimes-incomplete teachings of religion — can be a lengthy process. It involves building faith and strengthening humility. Hold on to the first article of faith even if something else is uncertain.”

Church leaders worry about “members of diminishing faith in Jesus Christ,” Oaks said. “We love you, young and old, men and women.” And so does God, who “is relentless in his loving pursuit of each of you.”

He urged any with doubts to “keep the commandments and be true to the covenants so many of you have made to guide you along the covenant path.”

“Never let your secular learning limit your spiritual horizons,” said Oaks, a former president of church-owned Brigham Young University. “There are two methods of gaining needed knowledge: (1) the evolving disclosures of man discovered by the scientific method including modern electronics, and (2) the truths disclosed by the spiritual method, which begins with faith in God and relies on scriptures, inspired teaching and personal revelation.”

There is no conflict between these methods, he said, “because God, our omnipotent eternal Father, knows all truth and expects us to learn by both methods.”

Interestingly, a recent Pew Research Center report showed that secular learning actually can help cement Latter-day Saints in the faith. Some 86% of U.S. members with a bachelor’s degree or higher attend church weekly compared to 59% of those without a college diploma.

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) President Dallin H. Oaks leaves with his wife, Kristen M. Oaks, after Saturday's afternoon session.

Oaks then moved to the teachings about Christ in the Book of Mormon. The faith’s scripture says the great Creator died “for all men, that all men might become subject unto him.”

This means, according to Oaks, “that if our sins are to be forgiven through his Atonement, we must comply with the conditions he has prescribed, including faith, repentance and baptism. The fulfillment of these conditions depends on our desires, our choices and our actions.”

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) President Dallin H. Oaks waves as he arrives Saturday morning followed by his first counselor, Henry B. Eyring, in a wheelchair.© Trent Nelson

Other passages “contradict the erroneous assertion that the grace of God saves only a chosen few,” the president said. “His grace is for all. Similarly, the Book of Mormon tells us that the children of God in ‘every nation’ have his promise that he “manifesteth himself unto all those who believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost.”

He urged his listeners to “act on these truths and to share them with others [so] that we may all draw closer to Jesus Christ.”

Rosemary Chibota: Seeing others as God does

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Primary General President Rosemary K. Chibota speaks during the Sunday morning session of General Conference at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Oct. 4, 2026.

As a child growing up in Zimbabwe, Rosemary K. Chibota learned the southern African greeting “sawubona,” which means, “I see you.”

Chibota, the first African to lead one of the faith’s worldwide organizations, said, “This greeting is much more than a simple ‘hello.’ It is an acknowledgment of another person’s worth and humanity. It communicates, ‘I recognize you. I respect you. You matter.’”

During her daughter’s final parent-teacher conference, a school janitor approached the parents, the African said. “With tears in his eyes, he thanked us for our daughter. He explained that she regularly greeted him, knew his name and even helped him clean up after lunch.”

He told the couple, Chibota said, “very few students know my name. Your daughter sees me.”

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Director Jane Fjeldsted leads a choir Saturday afternoon.

Seeing others as children of God “also influences the way we see ourselves, yet the world often encourages us to see ourselves and others differently,” she said. “The world invites us to focus on labels rather than eternal identity. However, labels can never fully capture who we truly are.”

She acknowledged sometimes viewing herself through such labels.

“When President Oaks extended my new calling, he told me, ‘You’ve been called for who you are. The Lord knows you.’” Chibota said. “In that moment, I was reminded that God’s view of us is always more complete and more hopeful than our own. This reminder eased my feelings of inadequacy.”

She left the audience with a final sawubona: “I see you. More importantly, your Heavenly Father sees you.”

Clark Gilbert: ‘Stand for truth with love’

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Apostle Clark G. Gilbert speaks during the Sunday afternoon session of General Conference at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Oct. 4, 2026.

Loving others does not mean exempting them from God’s commandments, apostle Clark G. Gilbert emphasized in a sermon focused on bridge building across ideological lines. Nonetheless, he stressed, individuals shouldn’t become combative while holding fast to their principles.

The sermon harked back to a 2022 address he and President Dallin H. Oaks delivered jointly to students of church-owned Ensign College.

Focused on peacemaking, it outlined five principles, which Gilbert, the faith’s newest apostle, revisited in his second General Conference address since his appointment:

• Avoid overly contentious settings.

• Find common ground.

• Be a light.

• Hold to truth even when doing outreach.

• Stay anchored in Jesus Christ.

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) People walk past a sculpture of Jesus Christ after a session of General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026.

“It takes courage to stand for truth,” he said. “It takes even more courage to stand for truth with love.”

Sometimes, this means listening more than speaking and waiting for tensions to ease before venturing into a debate.

The former head of the church’s educational system, Gilbert has long been critical of what he sees as the secularization of the country’s universities. And so it was with much difficulty, he said, that he refrained from arguing when a “group of national academic leaders aggressively criticized the role of faith in education.”

Sensing tension, he “tabled” the discussion.

“In part because I chose not to engage in the moment,” he said, “a university chancellor later reached out for counsel in creating a course on character.”

From this, Gilbert said he learned that “being a light opens more doors than any pointed argument ever will.”

Ronald Rasband: Jesus can ‘bring them home’

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Apostle Ronald A. Rasband speaks during the Saturday afternoon session of General Conference at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Oct. 3, 2026.

Speaking directly to those whose loved ones have stepped away from the church, apostle Ronald A. Rasband said, “I ask you to turn over to Jesus Christ your despair for those wayward souls.”

All have their agency and only God can change a person’s heart, he taught, warning that foisting faith on others can sometimes backfire.

“We preach, cajole, argue, demand, lecture, ignore, sit them down to watch General Conference and even send them links to the talks, like this one, but to no avail,” he said. “If anything, these efforts can cause a greater rift.”

Instead, he instructed listeners to turn those efforts over to Jesus, who, “in the vernacular … says to all who grieve, ‘I’ve got this!’”

Shun guilt, remain interested and engaged in those individuals’ lives, and remember, Rasband instructed listeners, Jesus “gave his very life to bring them home, all the way home.”

“Never, never,” he pleaded, “give up on those you love.”

Tamara Runia: ‘We’re going to get pelted’

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Tamara W. Runia, first counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, speaks during a session of General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026.

Growing up, Tamara Runia, first counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, absorbed the message that she would be blessed if she kept God’s commandments.

Because of this, she said, “the gospel felt like a big umbrella I could hold over my head to keep the rain from falling on me.”

Life has since taught her otherwise.

More than a decade ago, Runia’s son died, leaving behind a widow and four young children.

“We’re all going to get rained on,” she said. “And sometimes we’re going to get pelted.”

This, Runia explained, is by design, a necessary part of a mortal journey meant to shape and grow each person into what God alone can envision.

Nowadays, she envisions a different metaphor for understanding faith.

“The gospel isn’t the umbrella,” Runia taught. “It’s the solid rock we’re standing on during the storm — the sure ‘foundation whereon if men build, they cannot fall.’”

Jeremiah Morgan: The legacy of covenants

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) General authority Seventy Jeremiah J. Morgan speaks during the Saturday afternoon session of General Conference at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Oct. 3, 2026.

Jeremiah J. Morgan, named as general authority Seventy in April, grew up hearing his single mom reading from the Book of Mormon.

She wasn’t a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He grew up in Ohio, belonging to the Community of Christ, the former Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the group that stayed in the Midwest, rather than following Brigham Young to the West.

All he remembered of the faith’s sacred scripture, Morgan said Saturday, were the phrases “and it came to pass” and “wars and rumors of wars.”

More than any words that he heard, he knew the Book of Mormon “was important to my mother. And I knew she knew it was true.”

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) People walk through Temple Square in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026.

The lesson? “No time or effort is ever wasted in reading the Book of Mormon. Not for you, not for your children, not for your family, not for anyone.”

As a young teen, Morgan began to study the Utah-based faith, he said. Some members of that church were his friends.

For two months, he attended both churches.

“I can’t fully express the gratitude I have for my upbringing and the knowledge I had received,” Morgan said, “even so, I came to know that this is the Lord’s church.”

Morgan eventually joined and learned that his ancestors had made temple covenants in Nauvoo, Illinois.

“It was covenants that had impacted me, not my covenants,” Morgan began to understand, “but those that came before me.”

Covenants with God “are filled with incalculable power,” he said. “They do not bless just the maker of the covenant but are generational in their impact. We are all the intended beneficiaries of countless covenants. Like the great binding power of gravity that stretches across the universe, covenants with God stretch over all time and all space.”

James G.O. Fantone: Taking on Jesus’ name through service

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) General authority Seventy James G. O. Fantone speaks during the Sunday morning session of General Conference at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Oct. 4, 2026.

At baptism, Latter-day Saints covenant to take upon themselves the name of Jesus. But what, asked general authority Seventy James G. O. Fantone, does that mean?

“How,” the Filipino leader asked, “does that manifest in our daily lives?”

The answer: serving others.

As a mission leader in the Philippines, Fantone saw firsthand “courageous service” of the church’s young full-time proselytizers.

“In their first few months,” he recalled, “it was not uncommon for some to sit across from me in tears and say, ‘President, I am so sad, lonely and homesick. The days feel so long and time is so slow, I don’t even know if I can last for three more months.’ Yet, these valiant missionaries got on their knees, put on their nametags and went out to serve anyway.”

A year later, Fantone said, the same missionaries would state, “President, I am so happy! I love the people, and I love this work. But time is moving too fast — I don’t want this to end!”

Time, of course, did not change, Fantone said. “The missionaries did. The work did not change — but the workers did.”

Quoting former apostle Marion G. Romney, he said: “Service is not something we endure on this earth so we can earn the right to live in the Celestial Kingdom. Service is the very fiber of which an exalted life in the Celestial Kingdom is made.”

After the following 

two days of the

196th Semi-annual

General Conference,

this is what I sent to

my family:

"Our Posterity of  78…

Another powerful General Confrence...centered on

Jesus Christ has just concluded.

I testify to my family that I truly believe that Christ is

our Savior and Redeemer who loves each one of us.

Hope you are all honest, wise, kind and

have health, success, safety, and happiness.

 http://waltandeileen.blogspot.com/

 

Love always…

       Mom/ Grama Petersen 

          …and  Dad/Grampa Petersen from heaven  

SATURDAY,  

OCTOBER 3, 2026 

General Conference       

  Rendezvousing with 

our Annointed Senior 

Church Leaders

Today we sustained...

First Presidency

1.  Dallin H. Oaks – President

2.  Henry B. Eyring – First Counselor

3.  D. Todd Christofferson – Second Counselor

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

1.  Dieter F. Uchtdorf

2.  Dale G. Renlund

3.  David A. Bednar

4.  Quentin L. Cook

5.  Gerrit W. Gong

6.  Ulisses Soares

7.  Neil L. Andersen

8.  Ronald A. Rasband

9.  Patrick Kearon

10.                 Gérald Caussé

11.                 Gary E. Stevenson

12.                 Clark G. Gilbert

Presidency of the Seventy

1.  Carl B. Cook

2.  Marcus B. Nash

3.  Michael T. Ringwood

4.  Arnulfo Valenzuela

5.  Edward Dube

6.  Kevin R. Duncan

7.  Benjamin M.Z. Tai

Presiding Bishopric

1.  W. Christopher Waddell – Presiding Bishop

2.  L. Todd Budge – First Counselor

3.  Sean Douglas – Second Counselor

4.  Marcos A. Aidukaitis

General Officers

Relief Society

• Kristin M. Yee – President
• J. Anette Dennis – First Counselor
• Camille N. Johnson – Second Counselor

Sunday School

• Chad H. Webb – First Counselor
• Paul V. Johnson – President
• Gabriel W. Reid – Second Counselor

Young Women

• Emily Belle Freeman – President
• Tamara W. Runia – First Counselor
• Andrea Muñoz Spannaus – Second Counselor

Young Men

• Timothy L. Farnes – President
• David J. Wunderli – First Counselor
• Sean R. Dixon – Second Counselor

Primary

• Theresa A. Johnson – President
• Nina M. Garfield – First Counselor
• Rosemary K. Chibota – Second Counselor

Additional Leadership

The document also lists many other General Authority Seventies and church leaders, available on request if you need further details on a specific area.

 

GENERAL CONFERENCE – 196^th Semi-Annual  -

Sat Oct. 3 - Morning Session

At the end of the morning session of the October 2026 general conference on Saturday, October 3, 2026, President D. Todd Christofferson said he felt compelled to speak boldly about the explosion in recent years of gambling, which cell phones have made more pervasive and which disproportionately affects youth and young adults.

 “Gambling is morally wrong,” he said. It easily becomes consuming and often compulsive, robbing time from studies, relationships and career development. “It crowds out things of value and in their place fosters greed.”

The Second Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints pled for members to “live life on a higher plane,” and “not only to refrain from gambling but to use the time and resources saved thereby for doing good. The Lord counsels us to be ‘anxiously engaged in a good cause,’” he said.

 “A key part of a life well-lived is contributing to the well-being of others. It is being productive in worthy endeavors. It is being and doing better without others doing worse. It comes by supporting and rewarding work rather than idle pursuits. Work leads to prosperous, just, and equitable societies. Gambling, even for fun, leads in the opposite direction.”

Earlier in the session, President Christofferson led the sustaining of Church leaders.

 President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, conducted the session from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, where thousands attended in person. Tens of thousands tuned in live from around the world on various channels and platforms.

 “In a world of commotion, contention and cares, the Lord invites us to a place of spiritual safety, harmony and holiness — His Holy House,” taught Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who spoke about temple blessings.

 “God and His sacred ordinances and covenants of salvation and exaltation can bless; bring forgiveness, healing and peace; and unite loved ones here and away,” he said.

This year, a total of 21 temples will be dedicated and one rededicated, Elder Gong said. “While we are grateful our temples and everything in them are physically beautiful, let us celebrate and treasure even more the spiritual blessings temples bring.”

 On the topic of fasting, Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that fasting is “an act of worship that shapes and refines our discipleship and draws us closer to [God].”

He said that “through the union of fasting and prayer, our faith, love and devotion to Him deepen. We become more humble and more aware of our complete dependence upon the Lord. Our hearts are softened, our souls become more receptive to the influence of the Holy Ghost, and we are better prepared to receive personal revelation and move forward along the covenant path.”

The fast offerings we donate not only benefit those in need, he said, but express our love for the Lord and our commitment to His work.

 Another Apostle, Elder Gérald Caussé, taught that all disciples of Jesus Christ have the “duty and privilege” of testifying of Jesus Christ.

“Bearing witness is a foundational responsibility of discipleship. As members of the Church who have covenanted to take upon ourselves the name of Christ, sharing our witness of God and His Son is an essential way to keep that sacred covenant,” he said. “As taught in the Book of Mormon, covenant disciples will ‘stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places.’”

 Bishop Sean Douglas, Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, invited the rising generation to prioritize serving a mission and “invite God’s children to come unto Christ.”

“We love missionaries of all ages. You are an army of righteousness with the Doctrine of Christ as your purpose. You are a force of faith, power, love and joy. You are what you preach. You’re not only the messengers but also living examples of the message. Make no mistake — you are doing the most important work you could be doing.”

Sister Tamara Runia, First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, said “tempering, refining experiences” are part of our necessary growth during mortality.

“A godlike life is carved from the very things that make it hard — the gut-wrenching things that happen and the righteous desires that haven’t. ... God is shaping us into something only He knows we can become.”

She testified that “Christ’s work in your life and His love for you are bigger than your present story, and He can fix what feels badly broken.”

Elder Vaiangina Sikahema, a General Authority Seventy, spoke of “noble progenitors who left me and my posterity a legacy of faith and courage in the face of difficulties and obstacles.”

Like his ancestors, people throughout the ages have yearned, sacrificed, and waited for prophetic words and direction. “What a blessing it is to live in a time when apostles and prophets are on the earth,” he said.

 

Conferencegoers walk toward the Conference Center on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, during general conference weekend, October 3–4, 2026.2026 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. 

 Elder Kevin J. Hathaway, a General Authority Seventy, taught that while some miracles are immediate, others come after waiting a long time, even until the Resurrection.

“The Lord is not delayed, distracted or derelict in His deliverance. He has not forgotten you. He does not take joy in your suffering,” he said. “However, He knows that lessons learned while waiting can bring converting growth that an earlier rescue might not produce.”

 

Music was provided by The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square under the direction of Mack Wilberg and Ryan Murphy, with Brian Mathias and Richard Elliott at the organ. Guest choir members come from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Chile, England, Finland, Germany, Honduras, Puerto Rico, Scotland, South Africa, South Korea and Sweden.

 

Elder Steven D. Shumway and Elder Sergio R. Vargas, both General Authority Seventies, gave the prayers.

Talk Summaries (By speaking Order)

·        Elder Gerrit W. Gong: ‘Come to the Lord in His Holy House’

·        Sister Tamara W. Runia: ‘The Sculpting of Our Souls’

·        Elder Gérald Caussé: ‘The Gift of Testimony’

·        Elder Vaiangina Sikahema: ‘Prophets, Seers and Revelators’

·        Elder Kevin J. Hathaway: ‘Jesus Christ Is the Great Deliverer’

·        Elder Ulisses Soares: ‘A Higher and Holier Fast’

·        Bishop Sean Douglas: ‘The Hour of Your Mission Is Come’

·        President D. Todd Christofferson: ‘O Be Wise’

Newsroom October 2026 General Conference Session Summaries, News and Announcements

*** *** ***

Here are highlights

from the

Salt Lake Tribune

Here are highlights

from the

Salt Lake Tribune

*** *** ***

After General Conference

Saturday

was the BYU Football

game in Fort Worth

Texas vs the

Texas C University

Wolverines

BYU 17 - TCU 10

SUNDAY,

OCTOBER 4, 2026 

                     

Family is 

Everything

Hear the Word of God at General Conference