In his October 2025 General Conference address, “Look to God and Live,” Elder D. Todd Christofferson teaches a simple but demanding truth: enduring life—spiritually, emotionally, and even socially—requires more than good intentions or self-reliance. It requires deliberately and consistently looking to God.
Against the backdrop of tragedy, uncertainty, and moral confusion, Elder Christofferson testifies that turning to God is not an abstract religious ideal but a lived priority that shapes how disciples think, choose, and endure.
Looking to God means that He is not just one of our priorities; it means, rather, that He is our one highest priority.
This framing clarifies that faith is not meant to compete with other commitments—it is meant to order them.
Common Criticism: “Faith is a personal preference, not a necessary foundation for a flourishing life.”
In modern discourse, religion is often treated as optional—one source of comfort among many. Moral reasoning, emotional resilience, and purpose are frequently framed as achievable through self-definition, cultural consensus, or personal strength alone.
Fallacy at Work: Self-Sufficiency as Salvation
This view assumes that individuals and societies can thrive without anchoring themselves to divine truth. When hardship, injustice, or loss arises, faith is sometimes dismissed as insufficient, outdated, or unnecessary.
Elder Christofferson’s Correction: Flourishing Requires God
Elder Christofferson teaches that life in a fallen world inevitably includes sorrow, injustice, and disappointment. What determines whether people endure—or fracture—is not the absence of difficulty but where they look for help.
Looking to God, he explains, includes keeping His commandments, crying unto Him for guidance, counseling with Him in all our doings, and living with gratitude. When God becomes the highest priority rather than one among many, disciples gain access to divine strength that cannot be replicated elsewhere.
Resolving this Fallacy:
When faith is treated as optional, people are left vulnerable to discouragement and confusion. When God becomes the organizing center of life, individuals receive clarity, restraint, and sustaining power—even amid suffering.
Living Apologetics: Where We Look Shapes How We Live
Elder Christofferson’s message responds to a central modern tension: the belief that meaning and morality can be constructed independently of God. His teaching reframes the issue—not as one of control or limitation, but of access to divine help.
This perspective addresses concerns such as:
- “Why does faith matter if life is still hard?”
- “Can’t I decide what’s right for me without religious authority?”
The talk teaches that looking to God does not eliminate hardship, but it changes what hardship produces—turning suffering into refinement rather than despair.
Practical Apologetic Use
- If someone says: “Faith shouldn’t be required to live a good life.”
- You can respond: “Elder Christofferson teaches that real flourishing comes when God is our highest priority, especially in a broken world.”
Ways to Apply Today
1️⃣ Notice where you instinctively turn first when facing fear, loss, or uncertainty.
2️⃣ Deliberately look to God through prayer, scripture, and obedience.
3️⃣ Trust that God’s presence, not immediate answers, is the sustaining gift.
Keep This Talk With You
Elder Christofferson reminds us that the opposite of flourishing is not hardship—it is distance from God. In a world filled with competing voices and shifting values, the invitation to “look to God and live” is both timeless and urgent.
Enduring well does not come from avoiding pain, but from anchoring life to the One who can redeem it.
Where in my life am I being invited to make God my highest priority more fully?
The Consider Conference series by FAIR offers an in-depth look at recent General Conference talks to help members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints navigate common questions, misunderstandings, and criticisms. Each post provides doctrinal insights, historical context, and practical ways to apply gospel principles in everyday conversations. Through this series, we hope to equip readers with faith-promoting resources that encourage thoughtful reflection, respectful dialogue, and a stronger foundation in gospel truths, fostering both personal conviction and meaningful discussions with others.
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