Conference Talk of the Week

Overview

President Dallin H. Oaks connects Easter faith in a literal, universal Resurrection with how we treat people now: because death is not the end and every person is a child of God, disciples of Jesus Christ should choose love over hostility, refuse contention, and use the language and methods of peacemakers, even with adversaries and in today’s “toxic” climate.

Three Key Takeaways

• 1Belief in a literal, universal resurrection (Alma 11:43–44) changes how we face mortality: physical limitations are temporary, and we can meet suffering and death with steadier courage and perspective.
• 2Jesus’s command to love extends beyond friends and neighbors to “enemies” and “adversaries” (Matthew 5:43–44); seeing others as children of God can replace contempt with compassion, as illustrated in the nurse’s experience with a repulsive patient.
• 3Being a peacemaker does not require surrendering covenant values; it means pursuing fairness and respectful relationships and deliberately forgoing harsh, hurtful words in family life, Church service, civic life, and daily interactions (Matthew 5:9; President Nelson’s invitation to choose to be a peacemaker).

Reflection Questions

• How does my belief in a literal, universal resurrection change the way I respond to my own weakness, pain, or the grief I carry for someone I love?
• Who is an “adversary” in my life right now (someone I avoid, resent, or speak about sharply), and what would change if I intentionally viewed them as a child of God?
• Where in my communication (at home, online, at work, in Church) do I slip into contention, and what “language and methods of peacemakers” would look like in that specific situation?