Evening session begins with messages about restoration, divine patterns; 2 teenagers speak

The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is seen before the start of the 190th Annual General Conference in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 4, 2020. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles began the Saturday evening session of the 190th Annual General Conference by pointing directly toward Sunday morning’s collective Hosanna Shout.

“With hosanna and hallelujah, we celebrate the living Jesus Christ at this season of continuing Restoration and Easter,” he said. “...In both, we rejoice in the return of Jesus Christ. He lives, not only then, but now; not just for some, but for all. He came and comes to heal the brokenhearted, deliver the captives, recover sight to the blind, and set at liberty those who are bruised.

“That’s each of us. His redeeming promises apply, no matter our past, our present, our concerns for our future.”

He said the church is also celebrating restoration and resurrection, especially with Palm Sunday tomorrow and Easter next Sunday.

“The sacred events between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday are the story of hosanna and hallelujah,” Elder Gong said. “Hosanna is our plea for God to save. Hallelujah expresses our praise to the Lord for the hope of salvation and exaltation. In hosanna and hallelujah, we recognize the living Jesus Christ as the heart of Easter and latter-day restoration.”

He said the church is a vessel for the blessings of Christ’s gospel to reach the world today.

“Light and revelation continue to come forth through the Lord’s living prophet and his church called in his name — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — and through personal revelation and inspiration by the supernal gift of the Holy Ghost,” Elder Gong said.

He quoted President Russell M. Nelson saying, “Jesus Christ came to pay a debt he didn’t owe, because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay.”

Sister Jean B. Bingham

Sister Jean B. Bingham, Relief Society general president, spoke about the need for men and women, husbands and wives, to work unitedly in accomplishing God’s work.

“Are we ready?” she asked. “Will we strive to overcome cultural bias and instead embrace divine patterns and practices based on foundational doctrine?”

She added that, “One of the keys is to understand that when women and men work together we accomplish a great deal more than we do working separately. Our roles are complementary rather than competitive. Although women are not ordained to a priesthood office, as noted previously, women are blessed with priesthood power as they keep their covenants and they operate with priesthood authority when they are set apart to a calling.”

In a surprising development, two teenagers spoke during the session,

IRI

A young woman from Provo, Utah, Laudy Ruth Kaouk, speaks at the Saturday evening session of general conference,

Sister Laudy R. Kaouk, 17, a young woman from the Spanish-speaking Slate Canyon 14th Ward in the Provo Utah Stake, spoke in English about how priesthood blesses youth.

“Don’t hesitate to ask for a blessing when you need extra guidance,” she said. “It is in our difficult moments that we need the Spirit to help us the most. No one is perfect and we all experience hardships. Some of us might suffer with anxiety, depression, addiction or with feelings that we are not enough. Priesthood blessings can help us overcome these challenges and receive peace as we move forward into the future.”

Kaouk also said that temple attendance and patriarchal blessings have helped her connect with her Heavenly Father.

IRI

Enzo Serge Petelo, a young man from Provo, Utah, speaks at the Saturday evening session of general conference, April 4, 2020.

Brother Enzo S. Petelo, 15, a priest from the Meadow Wood Ward of the Provo Utah Edgemont Stake, said it can be hard for youth dedicated to following Christ to do so with exactness.

Serving in and with the priesthood can unite youth, help strengthen them and place them “in joint service with John the Baptist, Moroni, Joseph Smith, President Nelson and other diligent servants of the Lord,” said Petelo.

“You can be a beacon of light to all those who are unsure of themselves,” Petelo added. “The light within you will shine so bright that everyone you interact with will be blessed by just being in your company.”

The last time a youth spoke in conference was April 1983, when Elder Matthew S. Holland, called earlier Saturday as a new General Authority Seventy, gave a talk as a 17-year-old titled, “Muddy Feet and White Shirts.”

Some of the music for this conference was prerecorded in March by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square after its weekly broadcasts of “Music & the Spoken Word.” Other hymns are previous recordings of the choir.

The hymns for this session included “Lead, Kindly Light.”

The opening prayer was provided by Elder Kyle S. McKay, a General Authority Seventy.

Earlier today, the church released a statistical report that showed church membership has grown to 16,565,036.

It also announced nine new General Authority Seventies, a new Young Men general presidency and 57 new area seventies.

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