PURE TRUTH AND PURE DOCTRINE AND PURE REVELATION:191st Semi-Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

This weekend in Salt Lake City:  “There has never been a time in the history of the world when knowledge of our Savior is more personally vital and relevant to every human soul,” President Nelson said, adding an invitation to listen to the conference for “pure truth, the pure doctrine of Christ and pure revelation.”

(Image: President Russell M. Nelson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, center, President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, left, and President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, right, enter the afternoon session of the 191st Semiannual General Conference at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021.                     Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

 

A day of pure doctrine to build faith that heals the world

‘One of the plagues of our day is that too few people know where to turn for truth. I can assure you that what you will hear today and tomorrow constitutes pure truth,’ said President Russell M. Nelson

By Tad Walch@Tad_Walch Updated Oct 2, 2021, 10:31pm MDT

"Jesus Christ’s pure gospel provides those trying to follow him with healing, security and power against the plagues besetting the world, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints told millions Saturday during global broadcasts of the faith’s 191st Semiannual General Conference. A day after COVID-19 deaths surpassed 700,000 in the United States and 5 million worldwide, the biannual gathering’s return to the vast Conference Center auditorium in Salt Lake City for the first time since the coronavirus emerged was accompanied by ubiquitous reminders of the pandemic.

But a global pandemic and other natural disasters and plagues leaders described can be met with a global response of faith, church leaders said.

“One of the plagues of our day is that too few people know where to turn for truth,” President Russell M. Nelson said. “I can assure you that what you will hear today and tomorrow constitutes pure truth.”

He declared that the church’s general authorities and officers would focus on messages about Jesus Christ, his mercy and his redeeming power, and each of Saturday’s 24 speakers in three conference sessions urged believers to fully embrace and comprehend God’s profound, perfect love for them, and to put prophetic counsel ahead of the world’s norms.

President Russell M. Nelson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, front right, waves to members of the Tabernacle Choir during the 191st Semiannual General Conference of at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News (1 of 28)

“There has never been a time in the history of the world when knowledge of our Savior is more personally vital and relevant to every human soul,” President Nelson said, adding an invitation to listen to the conference for “pure truth, the pure doctrine of Christ and pure revelation.”

“The pure doctrine of Christ is powerful,” he said. “It changes the life of everyone who understands it and seeks to implement it in his or her life.”

Completely understanding and knowing the unfailing love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for all of God’s children and loving God and one’s neighbor helps with the plagues of mental illness, division, confusion, complexity and distractions, other leaders said. . .

> Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles told church members they have a divine responsibility to follow Christ and his prophet with wholehearted, unreserved devotion, to be “all in.”

. . .> This weekend’s conference is the fourth since the start of the pandemic but the first time since October 2019 that the international broadcast is originating from the main hall in the Conference Center.

> The 20,000-seat center remained closed to the public because of the spreading delta variant. > Attendance was restricted to the families and guests of the speakers and represented about 2.5% of the center’s capacity.

Saturday marked the return of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, which President Nelson called “a wonderful step forward.”

The choir had not performed in conference since October 2019. Following the group’s new pandemic protocols, half of the choir performed in the morning session. The other half will perform on Sunday. A multicultural choir sang in Saturday’s afternoon session and combined BYU choirs sang in the evening session.

Reference: By Tad Walch@Tad_Walch Updated Oct 2, 2021, 10:31pm MDT

Deseret News