Sunday Morning Session

God’s Intent Is to Bring You Home

Excerpts

By Elder Patrick Kearon

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Everything about the Father’s plan for His beloved children is designed to bring everyone home. …

Does this mean anything goes with regard to how we live our lives? … No, of course not. … Fundamentally implicit in all of His teachings to live on a higher plane of moral conduct is a call to personal progression, to transformative faith in Christ, to a mighty change of heart. …

If we believe the intent of the Father’s all-reaching plan is to save us, redeem us, extend mercy to us, and thereby bring us happiness, what is the intent of the Son through whom this great plan is brought about? …

Jesus’s will is the benevolent Father’s will! He wants to make it possible for every last one of His Father’s children to receive the end goal of the plan—eternal life with Them. None is excluded from this divine potential. …

The Saviour, the Good Shepherd, goes in search of His lost sheep until He finds them. …

No, He does not put up roadblocks and barriers; He removes them. He does not keep you out; He welcomes you in. …

This is the good news! I am unspeakably grateful for these simple truths. The Father’s design, His plan, His purpose, His intent, His wish, and His hope are all to heal you, all to give you peace, all to bring you, and those you love, home.

Get to Know Elder Patrick Kearon

Born on July 18, 1961 in Carlisle, Cumberland, England.
Lived in Arabia for several years with his family.
Began attending boarding school in England when he was 10. “Harry Potter definitely had it cushy at Hogwarts by comparison,” he said of boarding school. “It was hard.” But, in both Arabia and England, he said, “I encountered lots of different people” and “learned through experience that most differences are good, even wonderful! My life has been enriched beyond measure by interacting with people of different cultures and beliefs in many parts of the world.”
Stung in the foot by a scorpion when he was seven years old while on a camping trip.
As a nine-year-old in the Arabian desert, he was taught by his father how to drive.
Baptized on Christmas Eve in 1987 at age 26.
Met his wife, Jennifer, while she visited London on a study abroad. They were married in the Oakland California Temple in January of 1991.
Has four children: Sean (who died in infancy), Elizabeth, Susannah, and Emma.
Worked in the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and the United States in many industries. He and his wife once ran their own communications business.
Sustained as a General Authority on April 3, 2010.
Called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on December 7, 2023. “This sacred call is so very daunting and humbling to me,” he said. “I will need to place all my trust in the Savior as I seek to become what he needs me to be and share my witness of His love and light. … I love Him. I will strive to serve Him to the best of my ability.”