Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles opened the concluding session of general conference by referencing Moses removing his shoes to approach the sacred space of the burning bush — demonstrating reverence.
“Such expression for the sacred by those who have a contrite heart and deep devotion to God and Jesus Christ fosters increased joy in their souls,” he said.
He described reverence as “one of the most elevated experiences of the soul” and “the foundation upon which spirituality is built.”
Disciples of Christ, he explained, need to cultivate reverence to better commune with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and in doing so, increase the amount of joy and lessen the amount of sadness in their lives.
In contrast, the world tends to participate in and even celebrate irreverence, Elder Soares said.
One of the ways people can demonstrate reverence is by carefully selecting images of the Savior, especially when using generative artificial intelligence, he explained.
“The guidance of the Holy Ghost is a crucial component in determining how these images should reflect the sacred nature, character and godly attributes of the Father and of the Son,” he said.
Any source of information from the church is “carefully developed and approved under the direction of the Spirit to make sure we maintain the sacred virtue, values and standards of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Elder Soares cautioned listeners to make sure they use technology and generative AI appropriately and instead trust in revelation and the Holy Ghost for inspiration and guidance.
“Brothers and sisters, we do not need to climb to the top of a mountain, like Moses did, to discover reverence for sacred things and convert our discipleship into a deeper level of spirituality and devotion,” he said.
Instead, he recommends praying, reading the scriptures and teachings of the prophets, honoring covenants, obeying the commandments, attending church, singing hymns and taking the sacrament.
— Jenny Rollins