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Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. |
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During the Saturday afternoon session of the April 2026 conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, eight new General Authority Seventies and a new Primary General Presidency were announced.
Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles conducted the session on April 4, 2026, in the Conference Center on Temple Square in Salt Lake City.
President D. Todd Christofferson of the First Presidency announced leadership changes during the sustaining of General Authorities, Area Seventies and General Officers of the Church.
Elders Craig C. Christensen, Eduardo Gavarret, Brook P. Hales, William K. Jackson, Erich W. Kopischke, Peter F. Meurs and S. Mark Palmer of the Seventy will be released and receive emeritus status on August 1, 2026. Elder Benjamin M. Z. Tai has been called to serve as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, effective August 1, 2026.
Eight new General Authority Seventies, whose calls are effective immediately, are Elders Christian C. Chigbundu, Matthew J. Eyring, Hutch U. Fale, James O. Fantone, Kevin J. Hathaway, Thabo Lebethoa, Jeremiah J. Morgan and Paul H. Sinclair.
President Christofferson also announced a new Primary General Presidency, who will also begin serving in August. The new leaders are Rosemary K. Chibota (President), Nina M. Garfield (First Counselor) and Theresa A. Collins (Second Counselor).

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The new Primary General Presidency as of August 1, 2026. From left to right: Nina M. Garfield (First Counselor), Rosemary K. Chibota (President), and Theresa A. Collins (Second Counselor), during the Saturday afternoon session of general conference in the Conference Center on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, on April 4, 2026. 2026 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles invited listeners to provide Christlike love and service, offer help and comfort, prayerfully seek the Spirit’s guidance, and help prepare families to make and keep sacred covenants. “We are all one family,” he said. “We all need help along the way.”
In today’s “perilous times,” the rising generation needs a defense and refuge from the storm, which Church members can provide by teaching them to know, love and emulate Jesus Christ, he said.
Knowing that His children must pass through the challenges of mortality, Heavenly Father’s “great comfort is that they do not travel alone. Parents, family, leaders, friends, ministering brothers and sisters, you and me, serve as stewards of His most precious possessions.”
The Savior taught that He is the true, trusted and essential source of spiritual nourishment, said Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
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Conference-goers gather prior to the Saturday afternoon session of general conference in the Conference Center on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, on April 4, 2026. 2026 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
“Abiding in Christ is not an occasional or casual act; it is a constant, conscious, and sacred choice,” he said. “Abiding in Christ does not remove the burdens of life, but through His grace they are made lighter, and our hearts are strengthened by the comfort and peace He promises.”
He added that in a world full of voices, some may lead to spiritual loss and sorrow. “True wisdom in our technological day is found in using modern tools with spiritual discernment — through the Holy Ghost without allowing them to replace the rightful voice of the vine,” he said.
Despite a vast universe, each soul carries infinite worth, Elder Gérald Caussé of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said in his first general conference talk as an Apostle.
“Though we may seem small in a physical sense, each of us is personally known, remembered, and loved by our Eternal Father and by His Son Jesus Christ.”
They “love all — and they love each,” he testified, and disciples bear witness of and share that love with each person they meet.
In Christ’s Church, there should be no anonymity. “As we extend Christlike love to each person we serve, our eyes are opened to their divine potential. We begin to see them as the Lord sees them,” he said.
Elder Eduardo F. Ortega of the Seventy taught that regardless of the length of Church membership, “the invitation to seek, to come to know and to do, and then to endure on the covenant path is the same for all of us.”
A personal testimony comes from a sincere, dedicated quest to know for oneself and then act upon the impressions and knowledge received. “Becoming a lifelong disciple of Christ is a process,” he taught, “the sum of multiple small daily personal and spiritual events.”
Brother David J. Wunderli, First Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, said that more of today’s youth are choosing to become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ.
He invited those who feel alone and burdened by the weight of life’s challenges to “intentionally” keep the Savior with them through daily worship and repentance. “Jesus Christ is not the weight,” he said. “He is our relief, He is our strength, He is the way. May we all walk with Him.”
Coming unto Christ is more than just learning about Him, taught Elder Wan-Liang Wu of the Seventy. “It is an intrinsic relationship between faith and works; it means to be converted to Him and His restored gospel,” he said. “As we do so, we will have greater happiness, hope, peace and purpose in this life.”
He testified, “The gospel of Jesus Christ changed my life for the better.”
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A family on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, during general conference weekend, April 4-April 5, 2026. 2026 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Despite moments of beauty and joy, life is “no walk in the park,” taught Elder Brian J. Holmes of the Seventy. “We all want to cross the finish line and gain eternal life,” but “without a power greater than our own, no one successfully finishes this race.”
He added, “The Savior taught that He is not only our guide, He is the path. His way is the only path that leads to eternal life.”
Jesus Christ remembers and knows everyone by name, said Elder Clement M. Matswagothata of the Seventy, and the “most eternity-shaping name we can receive is the sacred name of Jesus Christ.”
He will heal broken hearts. “The question should never be ‘Will the Savior walk with me?’ He will,” he said. “The real question is, ‘Will I walk with Him?”
Elder Scott D. Whiting of the Seventy and Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus, Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, provided the prayers. Music was provided by a combined choir from Brigham Young University–Idaho under the direction of Atina Coates, Eda Ashby, Paul Busselberg, and Randall Kempton, with Linda Margetts and Joseph Peeples at the organ.
Individual Talk Summaries (By Speaking Order)