Oaks tells general conference: 'His grace is for all,' not just a chosen few

President Dallin H. Oaks stood before the October 2026 general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday morning and delivered a pointed rebuttal to what he called an 'erroneous assertion' — that God's grace belongs only to a chosen few.

Speaking during the Sunday morning session of the 196th Semiannual General Conference, Oaks drew on Book of Mormon teachings — including 2 Nephi 26:33 — to argue that the Savior 'inviteth all to come unto him' regardless of differences, according to Church News. He urged every listener to move closer to Jesus Christ as the path through personal trials, doubts, and struggles.

We all have present or future concerns or struggles we are trying to overcome. These may include questions or doubts. Whatever they are, the way to overcome them is to get closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ.— Dallin H. Oaks, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Oaks framed faith not as a feeling but as a daily discipline. 'Strong faith requires more than strong desire,' he said. He described the path forward as a matter of persistent effort — prayer, scripture study, and incremental progress taken one day at a time. He also noted, according to Church News, that working through apparent tensions between science and religion is a gradual process, one that can ultimately deepen both faith and humility.

If our sins are to be forgiven through His Atonement, we must comply with the conditions He has prescribed, including faith, repentance and baptism.— Dallin H. Oaks, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

As your President, I pray for what our Heavenly Father wants for each of us — to be active members of the Church of Jesus Christ, proceeding forward on the covenant path into the eternities. We need one another's prayers.— Dallin H. Oaks, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Oaks was ordained as church president on Oct. 14, 2025, following the death of President Russell M. Nelson on Sept. 27, 2025. In the roughly year since he took office, temple construction has moved at a notably brisk pace: 13 temples have been dedicated and 18 have broken ground under his leadership, a rate that puts 2026 on course to rank second all-time for temple dedications in a single year. According to Deseret News, the all-time high belongs to 2000, when the church dedicated 34 temples.

At the October 2025 general conference — held before his formal ordination — Oaks had signaled a shift in approach, saying the church would 'slow down the announcement of new temples' given the large number already in early planning and construction. In practice, his first year has seen new temples announced for Portland, Maine; Marysville, Washington; and Otavalo, Ecuador, with those announcements made locally by church leaders rather than from the conference pulpit, according to Deseret News.

Also completed this year were the last two temples originally announced by the late President Thomas S. Monson — the Harare Zimbabwe Temple and the Alabang Philippines Temple, which he announced in 2016 and 2017, respectively. The church's total temple portfolio now stands at 385, with 163 still in process as of Oct. 1, 2026, according to Deseret News.

We are living in a glorious season of temple building.— Dallin H. Oaks, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The conference continues with additional sessions still scheduled. Oaks' Sunday morning address — centered on the universality of Christ's grace and the practical work of building faith — arrives as the church he leads is simultaneously in the middle of one of its most active periods of physical expansion in decades.

Why it matters — As the leader of a global faith with nearly 400 temples in various stages of development, Oaks' theological emphasis on universal grace — paired with the fastest pace of temple construction in decades — signals the doctrinal and institutional priorities of a church in active expansion.

Reported by deseret.com, thechurchnews.com