President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, spoke during the Sunday afternoon session of October 2022 general conference. He taught that everyone faces adversity, but they can learn from and leave legacies of encouragement. The following is a summary of what he said.
President Eyring’s conference talk summary
Mortality has a mix of physical trials and opposition from the adversary that each child of Heavenly Father must work to overcome. Those challenges present themselves regardless of where an individual is on the covenant path.
When President Eyring complained to his mother about a hard moment he was having at one point in his life, she told him life is supposed to be hard because it is a test.
He felt encouraged by his mother’s example of following the Savior and talked about Mormon’s example and legacy of faith as written in Moroni 7.
Everyone needs a faithful friend or family member to provide encouragement at some point.
“When you sit with someone as their ministering sister or brother, you represent the Lord. Think of what He would do or say.” The Savior would invite them to come unto Him, encourage them, notice and praise their efforts, and “be the perfect example for them to emulate.”
Even with a good example in this life, the strongest example to follow is the Savior.
“The Savior knows your struggles in detail. He knows your great potential to grow in faith, hope, and charity.”
Notable quotes from President Eyring’s conference talk
“When you sit with someone as their ministering sister or brother, you represent the Lord. Think of what He would do or say.”
“The Savior knows your struggles in detail. He knows your great potential to grow in faith, hope, and charity.”
“As my mother told me when I complained of how hard something was, “Oh, Hal, of course it’s hard. It’s supposed to be. Life is a test.”
See the full text of President Eyring’s talk: ‘Legacy of Encouragement’
Who is President Eyring?
- President Henry B. Eyring has been a general authority for more than three decades, called in 1985. He served as a counselor to President Gordon B. Hinckley from 2007 to 2008, then to President Thomas S. Monson from 2008 to 2018. Now he is serving as second counselor to President Russell M. Nelson.
- While studying at Harvard, he met his wife, Sister Kathleen Johnson, when she enrolled in a Harvard summer program, and “was immediately impressed by the goodness she radiated.” They were married in the Logan Utah Temple in July 1962 and are the parents of four sons and two daughters.
- He served as the 10th president of BYU–Idaho — then Ricks College — from 1971 to 1977. Forty years later, his son President Henry J. Eyring was inaugurated as the 17th president of BYU–Idaho in September 2017.
What has President Eyring done recently?
- During the April 2022 general conference, he encouraged listeners to gain strength to withstand life’s storms.
- President Eyring rededicates Tokyo Japan Temple, Church’s longest-operating in Asia
- President Henry B. Eyring counsels BYU–Idaho graduates: In your lifetime of learning, seek personal revelation
Read more of President Eyring’s general conference addresses, or follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
