LDS Church Names Dallin H. Oaks as 18th President, Calls Members to Be Peacemakers
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held its 196th Annual General Conference on April 4-5, 2026, in Salt Lake City. Members formally sustained Dallin H. Oaks as the new Church President during a solemn assembly.
Dallin H. Oaks became the 18th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on October 14, 2025, following the death of President Russell M. Nelson. The April 2026 General Conference, held April 4-5 in Salt Lake City, was his first as Church President, and it opened with a solemn assembly where members formally sustained his leadership.
Oaks was joined in the First Presidency by Henry B. Eyring as first counselor and D. Todd Christofferson as second counselor.
In his Sunday morning address, titled Alive in Christ, Oaks focused on two themes: the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ and the call to love adversaries. He described contemporary society as toxic, marked by contempt and hostility, and urged members to be peacemakers.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God, he quoted from Matthew 5:9. He referenced a challenge from the late President Nelson to choose to be a peacemaker, now and always.
Oaks also shared a personal story about a nurse who learned to see a difficult patient as a child of God, using it to illustrate how divine love can change perspective.
In his closing remarks on Sunday afternoon, he said Jesus Christ is the way to peace in this world and eternal life in the world to come.
The conference included the sustaining of eight new General Authority Seventies and a new Primary general presidency, set to begin service on August 1. Seven General Authority Seventies were granted emeritus status, also effective August 1.
The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square performed during multiple sessions, joined by twelve singers from ten countries. A combined choir from Brigham Young University-Idaho performed during the Saturday afternoon session.
All 32 messages from the conference are available in English on ChurchofJesusChrist.org and the Gospel Library app. Spanish, Portuguese, and French versions were published the Friday following the conference.
