Dallin H. Oaks has been leading The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as its 18th president since mid-October, but Saturday’s General Conference provided the first opportunity for members to endorse the 93-year-old in his new role.

In a ritual called a solemn assembly, Latter-day Saints rose in Salt Lake City’s downtown Conference Center — or while viewing the livestreamed proceedings around the world — to offer their “sustaining vote” for Oaks and his two counselors in the governing First Presidency, Henry B. Eyring and D. Todd Christofferson.

“In a solemn assembly, we will sustain members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and other senior leaders voting by quorums and groups,” Oaks said in introductory remarks Saturday morning. “We do this only in the first conference where a new president and prophet of the church has been called.”

Christofferson conducted the solemn assembly, starting with the First Presidency, followed by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, other general authorities and continuing down through the adult male priesthood members, adult women’s Relief Society, Young Men and Young Women and, finally, the entire membership.

“I am grateful to be among those whose leadership callings are formally recognized in this way, and to express appreciation for your participation in this significant occasion,” Oaks said. “I express our gratitude as leaders of the church for our members’ sustaining vote, prayers and support. We also pray for you to be guided and prospered as you continue the great service you give to the children of God throughout the world.”

Oaks succeeded Russell M. Nelson as the faith’s prophet-president after the 101-year-old died in late September, just a week before the fall General Conference. Oaks presided over those sessions as the senior apostle but not as the church president.

(See latest speeches and announcements below as well.)

This weekend marks his first General Conference as the global faith’s president.

In other action, popular apostle Dieter F. Uchtdorf was sustained as the acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The 85-year-old German stands second in line — behind the 92-year-old Eyring — to take the church’s helm.

And Clark G. Gilbert delivered his first conference sermon Saturday morning as a recently named apostle. Gérald Caussé did the same in the afternoon.

In four sessions over two days this weekend, members will hear from high-level church leaders. Here are the latest news, speeches and announcements:

Afternoon session

Apostle Ulisses Soares: Jesus is the ‘true vine’

Christ said that he is the “true vine,” said apostle Ulisses Soares, “...the essential source of spiritual nourishment for our souls.”

He gives believers “strength beyond our own to not only survive the challenges of life, but to grow and thrive,” the Brazilian apostle said. “Through him, life becomes more hopeful and more joyful, and the fruits of the Spirit are manifested in us. Therefore, just as branches cannot bear fruit of themselves unless they remain connected to the vine, neither can we reach our full spiritual measure unless we abide in him and his gospel.”

Following Christ is “not an occasional or casual act; it is a constant, conscious and sacred choice,” Soares said. “It is allowing his holy teachings to abide in us, elevating our thoughts and governing our words in every setting — including the digital spaces where we so often interact — and purifying and consecrating our actions unto him.”

He warned listeners to be careful in their choices of voices to heed.

“Some speak with eloquence and influence and are well intentioned in their desire to promote goodness. Others are attractive in appearance but lack substance. Still others are misleading and may even appear to be connected to Christ and his gospel,” the apostle said. “Over time, many of these voices grow into tangled vines, rooted in popular philosophies and spread through various forms of media. They promise security, happiness or authenticity, yet they cannot satisfy the soul. Often, they quietly introduce doubt and division — first in the mind and then in the heart — leading to spiritual loss and sorrow.”

Wisdom in “our technological day is found in using modern tools with spiritual discernment — through the Holy Ghost,” Soares said, “without allowing them to replace the rightful voice of the True Vine.”

Seventy Clement Matswagothata: God ‘calls you by name…in whatever language you speak’

General authority Seventy Clement M. Matswagothata reminded listeners that God “knows you and calls you by name…from crowded cities to quiet villages, in whatever language you speak.”

The Botswanan leader recalled a time in his life when miseries compounded, including the death of his teenage son. During this time of grief, he was confronted by a child at church who asked, “with a very serious look on his face,” when Matswagothata would “stop being a naughty boy?”

Before the man could answer the child, the boy explained his reason for asking.

“‘Every morning and every night,’” he told Matswagothata, “‘my parents ask us to pray for you.’”

At that moment, “as I looked into the child’s eyes,” the church leader said, “I felt the warmth of the Savior’s love.”

Seventy Brian J. Holmes: Jesus is our guide

Jesus Christ taught that “he is not only our guide, he is the path,” said general authority Seventy Brian J. Holmes. “His way is the only path that leads to eternal life.”

When members “have doubts, when discipleship feels demanding, when others turn back, that is the moment to stay bound to Christ,” Holmes said. “There is nowhere else to go; only Christ has the words of eternal life.”

Apostle Gérald Caussé: On loving ‘each’ and ‘all’

In his first worldwide address since becoming an apostle, Gérald Caussé emphasized both the expansiveness and individual nature of God’s love.

This, the Frenchman said, is the kind of love that a life of church service is designed to bring in members.

“Discipleship was never meant to be a comfortable circle of familiar friends focused on their own interests,” he said. “Rather, our congregations are a beautiful mosaic — enriched by diverse backgrounds, cultures and experiences — yet united in devotion to Christ.”

At times, this will, like in the story of “Beauty and the Beast,” require service to those one might find initially off-putting. That, he said, is by design.

“Service in the church expands our circle of love and widens our associations,” he said. “We meet people from all walks of life — new friends, brothers and sisters in need, recent converts and missionary or ministering companions.”

He added: “We don’t serve only those we already love; rather, we come to love people as we serve them.”

Young Men counselor David Wunderli: Christ is not a burden

Satan wants to separate believers from Jesus Christ, warned David J. Wunderli, first counselor in the Young Men General Presidency. “He will tempt you to remove the Savior from your life, enticing you to think that the road would be easier without him, that the weight of his commandments is too great, that the path back is too long, that repentance is too hard.”

That is false, Wunderli said. “Jesus Christ is not the weight; he is the relief.”

Those who feel alone or carry burdens should keep Jesus with them, he said. “Let him contend with those who would contend with us. Let him cleanse us from our sin. Let him move the mountains before us and change the course of the powerful rivers in our lives that carry us away from him.”

Jesus is “our strength,” Wunderli said. “He is the way.”

Seventy Wan-Liang Wu: Finding Jesus

General authority Seventy Wan-Liang Wu was born in Taiwan into “a non-Christian family,” he said. “As a boy, I would accompany my mother to Chinese temples to worship different gods. We would bring special cakes as an offering and burn incense to ask for the blessings we needed. If we needed work, we asked the god of riches; if we needed health, we asked the god of healing.”

Then, when he was 10, the family moved to Bolivia.

“The great miracle,” he said, is that he “met the missionaries. They taught me about a God I had never heard of before.”

He was baptized, Wu said, and it changed his life.

“Whether you are a child or a king, and regardless of your background or your status,” he said, “I invite you to choose to have faith in Jesus Christ and to decide to follow him.”

Seventy Eduardo Ortega: The ‘intentional search for a personal testimony’ is incumbent upon all

A family heritage of faithfulness to the church can be “a great blessing,” general authority Seventy Eduardo F. Ortega said. But it is no “substitute for our diligent and

intentional search for a personal testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Rather, the Argentine leader instructed, “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, regardless of whether the gospel has been in our families for

generations or we were baptized just last week.”

Neither are there shortcuts, he added, comparing a lifelong commitment to the faith to a slow and often winding journey up a mountain.

Apostle Gary Stevenson: Not losing anyone

Apostle Gary E. Stevenson compared the meticulous care of luggage offered passengers in a Japanese airport to the responsibility believers must use when rearing the next generation.

“I wonder what it is like for a loving Father to send his most precious belongings, his children, away from their heavenly home, knowing they must pass through the challenges of mortality,” Stevenson said. “I suppose his great comfort is knowing 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.”

It is a “recognizable feeling,” the apostle said, “entrusting what is precious into the care of others and longing for its safe return.”

Stevenson encouraged his listeners “to diligently care for others as they seek to return to his heavenly embrace.”

Auditing director Jared Larson on church finances

The audit report for 2025 from Jared B. Larson, managing director of the church’s Auditing Department, followed the same pattern as previous statements. It was — as tradition has held for decades — devoid of any dollar figures, and, in fact, followed the same wording as Larson’s declaration last April, save for substituting 2025 for 2024.

“Church Auditing, which consists of credentialed professionals and is independent of all other church departments and entities, has responsibility to perform audits for the purpose of providing reasonable assurance regarding contributions received, expenditures made, and safeguarding of church assets,” Larson said. “Based upon audits performed, Church Auditing is of the opinion that, in all material respects, contributions received, expenditures made, and assets of the church for the year 2025 have been recorded and administered in accordance with church-approved budgets, accounting practices and policies.”

The church’s finances and vast wealth have drawn increased outside scrutiny. Its publicly reported “rainy day” investment fund was recently valued at more than $56 billion. This fund represents a portion of the Utah-based faith’s immense overall wealth in investments, businesses and landholdings.

In his report, Larson noted the church “follows the practices taught to its members of living within a budget, avoiding debt and saving against a time of need.”

The church and its investment arm, Ensign Peak Advisors, paid a $5 million settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2023 for failing to properly disclose past stock holdings and, according to federal investigators, going to “great lengths” to deliberately “obscure” the size and scope of the faith’s investment portfolio.

Morning session

President Henry Eyring: Prayers for peace

Even though the world is in turmoil now due to wars and economic woes, President Henry B. Eyring of the church’s governing First Presidency counseled conferencegoers to turn to the Lord through heartfelt prayer to find the personal peace and consolation they seek.

“In moments of pain, loneliness or confusion,” Eyring said, “we know that our Heavenly Father and his beloved son are aware of our circumstances and that they yearn to bless us.”

Fervent prayer rather than flowery language is the key to opening the windows of heaven, he added. That comes when people “pour out their souls” in private or have their hearts continually “drawn out” in prayer to Heavenly Father.

Speaking from personal experience, Eyring said he found peace at the funeral of his wife, Kathleen, of 61 years in 2023, finding himself able to smile despite the grievous loss of his companion.

“It was because the Lord had answered my prayer for peace,” he said, “with an assurance from the Holy Ghost, which allowed me to envision the happy reunion ahead with her.”

Eyring — who delivered his talk while seated, as has been the case in recent conferences — concluded by testifying that Jesus Christ blesses and bestows peace in the lives of those who offer up sincere and fervent prayer.

After the session, Eyring exited with the assistance of a cane and body man. In recent conferences, he left in a wheelchair.

Seventy Jorge T. Becerra: Put God first, pay tithing

Jorge T. Becerra, general authority Seventy, said members of the church need to prioritize tithing and in doing so they are “putting God first.”

Becerra recounted a time in his life when money was tight, and he had to learn this lesson for himself. While serving in a branch presidency, Becerra said then-general authority Clinton L. Cutler spoke at his small congregation.

“After the meeting, I had an opportunity to talk with him,” Becerra said. “Sensing that I had something on my mind he asked, ‘Is there something bothering you?’ ‘Yes,’ I replied. ‘I am having financial difficulties in my business, and I have fallen behind in my payment of tithes and offerings.’ He then asked, ‘Do you have anything of value?’”

Pondering this question, Becerra eventually decided to sell his car. He said that move stemmed from his “desire to put God first.”

After paying his tithing and thinking what to do without his car, Becerra said he was contacted by a close friend and asked to take over his car and its payments.

“It was a miracle,” Becerra said.

“From the beginning of time, God has taught his children to put him first in their lives,” Becerra said. “For example, the Lord gave Adam and Eve ‘commandments, that they should worship the Lord their God, and should offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord.’”

Seventy Michael John Teh: Follow the prophet

As general authority Seventy Michael John U. Teh talked about following Jesus Christ and his living prophet, he invoked the words of a children’s Primary song: “Follow the prophet; he knows the way.”

Teh, who grew up in the Philippines, recalled how his family struggled to follow the Lord and his prophet when they joined the church when he was boy, and learned some of their cultural and family traditions were inconsistent with the gospel.

Despite immense pressure from family and friends to hold on to those traditions, Teh added, his parents opted to follow the gospel.

“I am so grateful that my parents exercised faith and chose to keep their covenants,” he said. “It was a long and difficult process. Even when I left to live on my own, they were still working on it.”

While some people consider prophets a thing of the past, Teh affirmed there are living Latter-day Saint prophets today who “actually see into the future as watchmen on a tower.”

“When we follow their teachings and examples,” he continued, “we are following our Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Apostle David Bednar: ‘Enduring to the end’ is linked to charity

When thinking about the instruction to “endure to the end,” it is crucial to understand its connection to the commandment to be charitable, apostle David A. Bednar said. “At a higher and even holier level, charity is the very essence of the ‘end’ toward which we are enduring — becoming new creatures in Christ.”

Enduring to the end is “not merely a relentless determination to grit our teeth, hold on to the limits of our physical strength and mental capacity, and push through the challenges and adversities of mortal life,” Bednar said, “it is so much more than that.”

It is “the joyous quest of a lifetime — a pressing forward with faith in Jesus Christ,” the apostle said, “in a gradual process of trusting in and receiving help from our Savior to become more like him.”

Apostle Clark Gilbert: ‘Come home’

Speaking to those with doubts and feelings that they don’t belong, the church’s newest apostle, Clark G. Gilbert, encouraged members and former members alike to hold fast to their faith and to “come home.”

“Feeling we don’t belong, struggling with doubts, or being limited by traditions are just a few of the reasons we don’t immediately find our way home,” Gilbert said. “But even as societal pressures pull people away from faith, life’s deeper questions don’t go away.”

He recounted the story of a woman who left the faith 30 years ago. She wanted to come back but was “overwhelmed to just walk back into church.”

On one occasion, Gilbert said, she mustered the courage to attend a temple open house.

She went to the event “dressed for Sunday church, only to park her car and watch others walk into the building,” he said. “Overcome with anxiety, she simply drove home, changed her clothes and wept alone.”

A bishop later sent her a note inviting her back to church and she, in turn, finally decided to accept this invitation.

Gilbert expressed to those who are struggling that, although they are loved, “in the end, everyone must make their own choice to come home.”

With his new calling, Gilbert pledged to be a witness of Jesus Christ and that he will “specifically witness to the names of Redeemer and Repairer, as I focus on Christ’s invitation to come home.”

Relief Society counselor Kristin Yee: Ministering as Jesus would

Kristin Yee, second counselor in the global Relief Society presidency, recounted how two brothers in the church ministered to her father when he was at a low point in his life, and helped him become active in the church and temple work.

“Bless this ministering couple for helping my dad,” Yee said. “They didn’t judge him for where he was in his life. They walked with him and helped him to develop his relationship with God.”

Likewise, Yee added, church members are called by the Savior to be ministers to people who are struggling.

“We may not be able to fix difficult or heartbreaking circumstances as we hope; some changes are not ours to make,” she continued. “But we can choose to love and minister as the Savior would. Ministering by the spirit invites the Savior’s healing into our lives and the lives of those we minister to.”

In ministering to others, Yee said, members follow Jesus’ divine injunction for them to love one another.

“As we emulate his sacrifice by loving and ministering as he would, we will be blessed to find our own joy, healing and relief in him,” Yee said. “We will become even as he is.”

Apostle Patrick Kearon: ‘Our service is a choice, an offering to God and a blessing’

In a church staffed by volunteers, “service is a choice, an offering to God and a blessing,” apostle Patrick Kearon said in the opening address Saturday morning.

And every member who gets “a calling” [assignment] is sustained by others with a symbolic raised hand.

It is an act of “common consent,” the British apostle said. “Common consent is not merely a formality, but a beautiful mix of our agency, unity and faith. It is a voluntary personal commitment to support, uphold, and help the Lord’s called servants in their responsibility.”

Not everyone will agree with those who have been called, or believe them to be doing a good job, Kearon said, “but as we pray for them, and they for us, important bridges of unity are built.”

Having callings, he added, “affords us all the opportunity to pursue Christ and his virtues such as — charity, humility, meekness, forgiveness and love — with people who may be very different to us.”

Sometimes members are “unable to respond to a calling at a given time,” he said. “Careful leaders will be sensitive to this, and through prayer, the Lord can help you know when the time is right for you to serve again.”

This is the same act of support that the whole membership offered to Oaks today, Kearon said. “We have signified our willingness to uphold President Oaks with our confidence, faith and prayers.”