General Conference Recap: Virtue and Charity (President Nelson)
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President Russell M. Nelson gave a powerful talk in April 2025 General Conference on approaching our Heavenly Father with confidence each day. How do we do that? President Nelson pointed us to the scriptures to find the answer. D&C 121:45 states,
“Let thy bowels … be full of charity towards all men, … and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God.”
Charity and virtue open the way. We’ve spent a lot of time as a Church talking about charity - the pure love of Christ but virtue? That one can feel a little elusive. We kept waiting for President Nelson to define it directly in his talk, but he didn’t. So, we pulled out our scriptures, dove into the Gospel Library, and did a little digging of our own.
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What Is Virtue, Really?
Virtue can sound like one of those lofty gospel concepts that’s hard to pin down. After studying the scriptures and Church resources, we’ve come to define virtue as:
“A disciplined way of living - a consistent approach to thinking and acting based on high moral standards.”
In other words, virtue is more than just being good; it’s choosing to live God’s commandments so consistently that they become a natural part of who we are. It’s allowing His standards to shape not just our actions but also our thoughts and desires.
Virtue is living today in a way that prepares us to stand confidently in His presence someday.
And Then There’s Charity
Charity, on the other hand, is the noblest, strongest, most powerful love - the pure love of God. It’s the kind of love Christ showed when He chose to suffer for us in Gethsemane and on the cross.
It’s a love that changes everything. It gives life meaning. It shapes how we see others, how we forgive, and how we serve. When we cultivate charity, we begin to see people - and ourselves - the way Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ do.
Why These Two Matter Together
Virtue shapes how we live.
Charity shapes how we love.
And when we strive to develop both, something incredible happens: our confidence before God grows. We can approach Him in prayer knowing He hears us, knows us perfectly, and wants what’s best for us.
President Nelson promised:
“As we diligently seek to have charity and virtue fill our lives, our confidence in approaching God will increase. I invite you to take intentional steps to grow in your confidence before the Lord. Then, as we go to our Heavenly Father with increasing confidence, we will be filled with more joy, and your faith in Jesus Christ will increase.”
More joy, more faith, and greater spiritual power.
On our study sheet, you’ll find:
Highlights about virtue and charity from the Gospel Topics section in the Gospel Library
A handful of scriptures worth diving into
A few of our favorite quotes from President Nelson’s talk
A fun temple word unscrambler featuring some of the temples he announced
We also invite you to define these two traits for yourself. As you study, ponder what virtue and charity mean to you personally and how you can develop them in your daily life.
Happy studying!
