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The April 2025 general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints concluded with a message from President Russell M. Nelson, who emphasized the importance of growing in confidence before the Lord. Speaking on April 6, 2025, Nelson, who is the 100-year-old president of the Church, urged members to seek charity and virtue as part of their preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
“The great opportunity before us is to become the people God needs us to be,” he stated.
During his address, President Nelson announced the construction of 15 new temples. He shared his personal experience of meeting a new great-granddaughter, which reinforced his desire to help others build faith in Jesus Christ. Acknowledging life's challenges, Nelson remarked, “She, like each of us, will face challenges. We all will experience illness, disappointment, temptation, and loss.” He emphasized that challenges can affect self-confidence, but “disciples of Jesus Christ have access to a different kind of confidence” that grows strong in God's presence.
Nelson invited followers to take “intentional steps to grow in your confidence before the Lord.” He described this as having the confidence to approach God with the knowledge that “Heavenly Father hears us,” “He understands our needs better than we do,” “He loves us more than we can comprehend,” “He sends angels to be with us and with those we love,” and “He yearns to help each of us reach our highest potential.”
The increase in confidence, Nelson explained, can be achieved by embodying charity and allowing virtue to “garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God.”
His remarks also touched on the importance of charity amidst what he described as “alarming” hostility in public and social discourse, saying, “Contention prevents the Holy Ghost from being our constant companion.” In reference to his 2023 conference call, he reminded, “True charity towards all men is the hallmark of peacemakers!”
Urging members to eschew judgment and embrace charity, Nelson pleaded, “Let us plead with our Heavenly Father to fill our hearts with greater charity — especially for those who are difficult to love. For charity is a gift from our Heavenly Father for true followers of Jesus Christ.”
Continuing on the theme of virtue, Nelson referred to scriptural counsel that instructs saints to “garnish our thoughts unceasingly with virtue.” He assured that “virtue makes everything better and happier” and frees one from anxious thoughts, adding, “as the world grows more wicked, we need to grow increasingly pure.”
Discussing preparedness for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, Nelson acknowledged that the precise timing of this event is unknown but insisted, “I do know that the Lord is prompting me to urge us to get ready for that ‘Great and dreadful day.’” He called upon Church members to spend more time in the temple, asserting that this effort “will increase our capacity for both charity and virtue and our confidence before Him.”
In conclusion, he offered a promise that “as we go to our Heavenly Father with increasing confidence, we will be filled with more joy and our faith in Jesus Christ will increase. We will begin to experience spiritual power that exceeds our greatest hopes.”
