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Temple Square consistently offers breathtaking beauty during the spring. Gardeners diligently work to ready the grounds for the upcoming General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All proprietary rights reserved. |
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During the April 2026 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, held on Saturday afternoon, announcements were made regarding eight new General Authority Seventies and a newly called Primary General Presidency.
Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presided over the proceedings on April 4, 2026, within the Conference Center on Salt Lake City’s Temple Square.
President D. Todd Christofferson of the First Presidency revealed these leadership changes while conducting the sustaining vote for General Authorities, Area Seventies, and General Officers of the Church.
Effective August 1, 2026, 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 granted emeritus status. Furthermore, Elder Benjamin M. Z. Tai has been called to join the Presidency of the Seventy, also effective August 1, 2026.
The eight new General Authority Seventies, whose appointments are immediate, include 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 further announced the new Primary General Presidency, who will commence their service in August. The individuals called to these leadership roles are Rosemary K. Chibota (President), Nina M. Garfield (First Counselor), and Theresa A. Collins (Second Counselor).
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Captured during the Saturday afternoon session of the general conference in the Conference Center on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, on April 4, 2026, this image features the incoming Primary General Presidency, effective August 1, 2026. From left to right: Nina M. Garfield (First Counselor), Rosemary K. Chibota (President), and Theresa A. Collins (Second Counselor). © 2026 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles encouraged his audience to extend Christlike love and service, offer assistance and comfort, seek the Spirit’s guidance through prayer, and help families prepare to forge and uphold sacred covenants. He declared, “We are all one family,” adding, “We all need help along the way.”
In our current “perilous times,” the younger generation requires protection and sanctuary from life’s challenges, which Church members can provide by teaching them to recognize, love, and imitate Jesus Christ, he stated.
Heavenly Father, knowing His children must navigate mortal trials, finds “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 Himself taught that He is the authentic, trustworthy, and indispensable fount of spiritual nourishment, as conveyed by Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
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Prior to the Saturday afternoon session of the general conference on April 4, 2026, attendees congregate in the Conference Center located on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. © 2026 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 affirmed. He continued, “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 further remarked that in a world teeming with voices, some have the potential to lead to spiritual destitution and grief. “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 explained.
Despite the immensity of the universe, every soul holds infinite worth, declared Elder Gérald Caussé of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in his inaugural general conference address 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 bore witness, encouraging disciples to testify of and extend that love to every individual they encounter.
Within 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 expressed.
Elder Eduardo F. Ortega of the Seventy taught that irrespective of one’s tenure in the Church, “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 emerges from a genuine, earnest pursuit of knowledge for oneself, followed by acting upon the insights and understanding received. “Becoming a lifelong disciple of Christ is a process,” he elaborated, “the sum of multiple small daily personal and spiritual events.”
Brother David J. Wunderli, First Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, observed that an increasing number of today’s youth are committing to become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ.
He urged those feeling isolated and burdened by life’s difficulties to “intentionally” maintain the Savior’s presence in their lives through daily worship and repentance. “Jesus Christ is not the weight,” he affirmed. “He is our relief, He is our strength, He is the way. May we all walk with Him.”
Approaching Christ involves more than merely 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 explained. “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 enjoys time together on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, during the general conference weekend, April 4-April 5, 2026. © 2026 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Despite life’s beautiful and joyous moments, it is “no walk in the park,” asserted Elder Brian J. Holmes of the Seventy. “We all want to cross the finish line and gain eternal life,” yet “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, affirmed Elder Clement M. Matswagothata of the Seventy, and the “most eternity-shaping name we can receive is the sacred name of Jesus Christ.”
He is capable of healing broken hearts. “The question should never be ‘Will the Savior walk with me?’ He will,” he stated. “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, offered the prayers. Musical numbers were performed by a combined choir from Brigham Young University–Idaho, directed by Atina Coates, Eda Ashby, Paul Busselberg, and Randall Kempton, with Linda Margetts and Joseph Peeples on the organ.
Summaries of Individual Addresses (Presented in Speaking Order)