For almost 10 years Elder D. Todd Christofferson has served as an Apostle of the Lord in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. During that time he has spoken at each General Conference and given some great talks on sensitive and hard topics. But, he always seems to testify with a calm surety that encourages every listener to want to be a little better. Some of these top talks come from before Elder Christofferson was called to the Twelve, but they are great nonetheless.
Do you agree with this list? Comment below and let me know.
10 — Allegiance to God, 1999
"To live with this assurance is a blessing perhaps greater than you can today appreciate. Most of you have not yet lived long enough to know how precious peace is. Others, despite your youth, may have experienced feelings of desperation. But all of us, soon or late, in a moment of looming disaster or wearying confusion, having chosen God as our guide, will be able to sing with conviction, “Sweet is the peace the gospel brings” (Hymns, 1985, no. 14)."
9 — I Know in Whom I Have Trusted, 1993
"I readily attest to the reality and greatness of our God, to his goodness and grace, to his justice and mercy, to the truth of his gospel and the power of his priesthood and the authenticity of the calling of his latter-day seers. At the outset of this ministry, I acknowledge that anything I may achieve will be by virtue of the power and the grace and the gift of God. I am not, in Isaiah’s words, the axe that shall “boast itself against him that heweth therewith”; I am not the saw that shall “magnify itself against him that shaketh it.” (Isa. 10:15.) With Nephi, I know in whom I have trusted. (See 2 Ne. 4:19.)"
8 — A Sense of the Sacred, 2004
"All things sacred and holy are to be revealed and brought together in this last and most wonderful dispensation. With the Restoration of the gospel, the Church, and the priesthood of Jesus Christ, we hold an almost incomprehensible store of sacred things in our hands. It is almost too great a blessing that we have been born now, at a time and in places where the monumental blessings that past prophets have dreamed of and longed for would come into our lives. We cannot neglect or let them slip away."
7 — Greatness, 2007
"To say that the truest greatness is “to do well those things which God ordained to be the common lot of all mankind” means that to achieve this foundational greatness we must look to God as we conduct the daily routine and toil of life. Our lives should reflect our understanding that we are responsible to Him for what we do and what we become. We search for His will and commit to it in every aspect of our lives."
6 — Let Us Be Men, 2006
"We who hold the priesthood of God cannot afford to drift. We have work to do. We must arise from the dust of self-indulgence and be men! It is a wonderful aspiration for a boy to become a man—strong and capable; someone who can build and create things, run things; someone who makes a difference in the world. It is a wonderful aspiration for those of us who are older to make the vision of true manhood a reality in our lives and be models for those who look to us for an example."
5 — Why Marriage, Why Family, 2015
"Even so, everyone has gifts; everyone has talents; everyone can contribute to the unfolding of the divine plan in each generation. Much that is good, much that is essential—even sometimes all that is necessary for now—can be achieved in less than ideal circumstances. So many of you are doing your very best. And when you who bear the heaviest burdens of mortality stand up in defense of God’s plan to exalt His children, we are all ready to march. With confidence we testify that the Atonement of Jesus Christ has anticipated and, in the end, will compensate all deprivation and loss for those who turn to Him. No one is predestined to receive less than all that the Father has for His children."
4 — “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread,” 2011
"In reality, there aren’t very many things in a day that are totally without significance. Even the mundane and repetitious can be tiny but significant building blocks that in time establish the discipline and character and order needed to realize our plans and dreams. Therefore, as you ask in prayer for your daily bread, consider thoughtfully your needs—both what you may lack and what you must protect against. As you retire to bed, think about the successes and failures of the day and what will make the next day a little better. And thank your Heavenly Father for the manna He has placed along your path that sustained you through the day. Your reflections will increase your faith in Him as you see His hand helping you to endure some things and to change others. You will be able to rejoice in one more day, one more step toward eternal life."
3 — The Moral Force of Women, 2013
"My plea to women and girls today is to protect and cultivate the moral force that is within you. Preserve that innate virtue and the unique gifts you bring with you into the world. Your intuition is to do good and to be good, and as you follow the Holy Spirit, your moral authority and influence will grow."
2 — Fathers, 2016
"Perhaps the most essential of a father’s work is to turn the hearts of his children to their Heavenly Father. If by his example as well as his words a father can demonstrate what fidelity to God looks like in day-to-day living, that father will have given his children the key to peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come. A father who reads scripture to and with his children acquaints them with the voice of the Lord."
1 — “Abide in My Love," 2016
"To abide in God’s love in this sense means to submit fully to His will. It means to accept His correction when needed, 'for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth.' It means to love and serve one another as Jesus has loved and served us. It means to learn 'to abide the law of a celestial kingdom' so that we can 'abide a celestial glory.'"
