April 2021General Conference: Guidance for Singles

Every April and October, we members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints enjoy the immense benefits of general conference. We get to enjoy the guidance, direction, and instruction from the main prophet/president of the church, as well as other prophets, apostles, and inspired leaders. This represents the latest, most relevant inspiration for the members of the church. The will of the Lord is mainly shared through his prophets. We learn from Amos 3:7 that “…Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” We also learn from Doctrine & Covenants 1:38 that “…whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.” Therefore, it greatly behooves all members to watch, read, or listen to each conference talk, and then heed and apply the ideas given. Accordingly, this article will review some select quotes taken from the latest general conference that can have particular application of relevance for single members. Enjoy!

April, 2021 General Conference Quotes:

*Remember Your Eternal Worth and Potential:

It is astonishing what we can learn when we look a little closer at our Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation and exaltation, the plan of happiness, for His children. When we feel insignificant, cast off, and forgotten, we learn that we may be assured that God has not forgotten us—in fact, that He offers to all His children something unimaginable: to become “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.”

What does this mean? That we will live forever, receive a fulness of joy, and have the potential to “inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers.” It is so humbling to know that this magnificent and supernal future is possible—not because of who we are but because of who God is. Knowing this, how could we ever murmur or remain embittered? How could we ever keep our eyes on the ground when the King of kings invites us to take flight into an unimaginable future of divine happiness?

--Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “God Among Us”

*Choose Your Relationships Wisely in the Troubled Times; Avoid Contentious Ones; Be a Peacemaker:

Realizing what difficult hours lay ahead for Christ as He moved toward the cross and for His disciples as they would take His gospel to the world in the meridian of time, go with me now to a related message for members of the Savior’s Church in the latter days. It lies in the staggering number of verses in the Book of Mormon devoted to conflict of one kind or another, from Laman and Lemuel’s eternally annoying behavior up to final battles involving hundreds of thousands of soldiers. One of the obvious reasons for this emphasis is that inasmuch as the Book of Mormon was written for a latter-day audience, these authors (who experienced so much of war themselves) prophetically warn us that violence and conflict will be a signature characteristic of relationships in the last days.

--Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Not as the World Giveth”

*Deal with Unfairness in Life, Including Conditions as a Single Member, with the Faith in Christ:

When faced with unfairness, we can push ourselves away from God or we can be drawn toward Him for help and support. For example, the prolonged warfare between the Nephites and the Lamanites affected people differently. Mormon observed that “many had become hardened” while others “were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God.”

Do not let unfairness harden you or corrode your faith in God. Instead, ask God for help. Increase your appreciation for and reliance on the Savior. Rather than becoming bitter, let Him help you become better. Allow Him to help you persevere, to let your afflictions be “swallowed up in the joy of Christ.” Join Him in His mission “to heal the brokenhearted,” strive to mitigate unfairness, and become a stonecatcher.

--Elder Dale G. Renlund, “Infuriating Unfairness”

*Every Single Member is Important, Should Serve, and Can Enjoy All Promised Blessing Including Exaltation (this quote is long, but worth reading):

Brothers and sisters, more than half of adults in the Church today are widowed, divorced, or not yet married. Some wonder about their opportunities and place in God’s plan and in the Church. We should understand that eternal life is not simply a question of current marital status but of discipleship and being “valiant in the testimony of Jesus.” The hope of all who are single is the same as for all members of the Lord’s restored Church—access to the grace of Christ through “obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.”

May I suggest that there are some important principles we need to understand.

First, scriptures and latter-day prophets confirm that everyone who is faithful in keeping gospel covenants will have the opportunity for exaltation. President Russell M. Nelson taught: “In the Lord’s own way and time, no blessing will be withheld from His faithful Saints. The Lord will judge and reward each individual according to heartfelt desire as well as deed.”

Second, the precise time and manner in which the blessings of exaltation are bestowed have not all been revealed, but they are nonetheless assured. President Dallin H. Oaks explained that some of the circumstances “of mortality will be set right in the Millennium, which is the time for fulfilling all that is incomplete in the great plan of happiness for all of our Father’s worthy children.”

That doesn’t mean that every blessing is deferred until the Millennium; some have already been received, and others will continue to be received until that day.