President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, spoke during the Saturday afternoon session of October 2022 general conference. He spoke about pioneers of the past and present and the ways they have shown faith in Jesus Christ. The following is a summary of his message.
President Ballard’s conference talk summary
The Prophet Joseph Smith, missionaries of the Church, President Russell M. Nelson and the Savior Jesus Christ are all pioneers in one way or another.
A pioneer is someone who helps discover something new. To pioneer is the act of preparing or leading others on a new path. Joseph Smith was a pioneer as he helped in the Restoration of the Lord’s Church. Missionaries are pioneers because they help others find the covenant path. President Nelson is a pioneer by opening many lands for the preaching of the gospel. And the Savior “is the ultimate pioneer in preparing the way.”
“Indeed, He is ‘the way’ (John 14:6) for the plan of salvation to be accomplished so that we can repent, and through faith in Him, return to our Heavenly Father.”
He closed with an invitation to be faithful when confronting life’s challenges and to stay on the covenant path.
Although the challenges today are different than those of the early pioneers, they are no less challenging.
“It is as important to follow the Prophet and keep our feet firmly planted on the covenant path of faithfulness as it was for the early pioneers.”
Notable quotes
“There is hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is hope for all in this life.”
“It is important to follow the Prophet and keep our feet firmly planted on the covenant path of faithfulness as it was for the early pioneers.”
“Please remember that if anyone should lose their way, we will never be lost to our Savior.”
See the full text of President Ballard’s talk: ‘Follow Jesus Christ with Footsteps of Faith’
Who is President Ballard?
- President M. Russell Ballard has been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles since 1985 and was set apart as Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Jan. 14, 2018. He is the eighth longest-living Apostle in this dispensation and the Church’s longest-tenured general authority — sustained to the First Quorum of the Seventy in 1976.
- President Ballard is a great-great-great-nephew of Joseph Smith, a great-grandson of the sixth Church President, Joseph F. Smith, and a great-great-grandson of Hyrum Smith.
- Three days after he returned home from his mission in the British Isles, President Ballard met his wife, Sister Barbara Bowen Ballard, at a Hello Day dance at the University of Utah. They were married Aug. 28, 1951, in the Salt Lake Temple and are the parents of five daughters and two sons. Sister Ballard died in 2018.
What has President Ballard done recently?
- During the April 2022 general conference, he spoke about how his missionary service has blessed his life.
- President Ballard to Latino youth in Utah: ‘Get all the education that you can’
- President M. Russell Ballard shares counsel on preparing for — and then utilizing — patriarchal blessings
- President Ballard honors Joseph Smith’s ancestors and all who carry on his work today
- The historical significance of Topsfield, Massachusetts, to Latter-day Saints, the community and President Ballard
- Pioneer Day is more than handcarts — it’s about the story of the Restoration, President Ballard says
Read more of President Ballard’s general conference addresses, or follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
