After every General Conference, I like to ask my Latter-day Saint friends which talks were most meaningful to them. This time, almost everyone I asked pointed to Sister Tamara Runia’s message. As I listened, I completely understood why it resonated. Her words were full of hope, grace, and trust in God’s goodness.

(Image generated by Gemini)

God’s Willingness to Forgive

One of the most powerful moments came when she described God’s response to our repeated failures:

“And when we’re repenting, God forgives without shaming us, comparing us to anyone else, or scolding us because this is the same thing we were repenting of last week.”

Amen. The Bible describes God as gracious and quick to forgive, even beyond “seventy times seven.” Matthew 18:21–22

A Mixed Message?

But this hasn’t always been the consistent message within Latter-day Saint teachings. President Spencer W. Kimball, for instance, once wrote:
“We can hardly be too forceful in reminding people that they cannot sin and be forgiven and then sin again and again and expect repeated forgiveness.” (Miracle of Forgiveness).

Likewise, Doctrine & Covenants 82:7 warns that for “the soul who sinneth shall the former sins return.” These are sobering statements—and they’ve shaped generations of LDS thinking about repentance and worthiness.

Unchanging Worth?

Another example is Sister Runia’s focus on our worth in God’s eye not changing depending on how well we are doing:

“Your worth isn’t tied to obedience. Your worth is constant; it never changes.”

And

“Even on our worst days, God’s love doesn’t waver.”

This message is beautiful—but also a significant departure from many past and even present LDS teachings where leaders have repeatedly taught that God’s blessings and even the outpouring of his love are contingent on our efforts and obedience.

For instance, President Nelson taught that while “Divine love is perfect, infinite, enduring, and universal,” “[t]he full flower of divine love and our greatest blessings from that love are conditional—predicated upon our obedience to eternal law.”

What the Bible Says About God’s Love and Grace

Sister Runia’s talk reflects a growing recognition within LDS discourse of what Christians have long celebrated: that salvation begins and ends with God’s initiative, not ours, and that his love is not conditioned on our obedience but flows from His own character:

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
— Romans 5:8

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
— Ephesians 2:8–9

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? … For I am sure that neither death nor life … nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
— Romans 8:35–39

I believe that the reaction that I see to Sister Runia’s talk shows that Latter-day Saints are hungering and thirsting for this biblical gift of grace. But yet they receive mixed signals. For every talk like Sister Runia’s, they hear another one that suggests that God’s love and favor is contingent on their living worthy.

His Worth Rather than Our Efforts

But there was one part of Sister Runia’s talk that gave me pause. She shared an experience from her time as a mission leader in Australia, where she asked missionaries to imagine what Jesus might say to the Father if He were praying for them. Their responses were moving—one said, “Jesus would tell the Father, ‘She’s doing her very best.’” Another said, “With everything that’s happened in his life, I’m so proud of him.”

It’s a tender moment that reflects a longing to know that Jesus sees us and cares deeply. But what struck me was that the comfort being offered still pointed inward—to our own sincerity, our best efforts, our trying.

Yet the biblical message is something even greater: that our comfort is not found in Jesus affirming our progress, but in Jesus presenting His perfection on our behalf.

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” — Revelation 5:12

Jesus doesn’t plead our effort; He pleads His blood. He is worthy, not because of what we’ve done, but because of what He has done. And in Him, we are accepted—fully, finally, and forever.

A Personal Reflection

When I was a Latter-day Saint, I often experienced spiritual whiplash. On my best days, I felt a sense of calm and assurance. But when I struggled or failed, I felt I had disappointed God—and that His love was further away. My sense of worth always seemed to hinge on my feelings of worthiness or with how well I felt that I was trying.

But when I began attending a gospel-centered Evangelical church, I heard something radically different—and consistent. I heard that grace is not partial, not conditional, not up for negotiation. I began to truly understand the astounding truth that God’s grace is as full and free as His love. No ifs, ands, or buts

What If This Is the Gospel You’ve Been Longing For?

What Sister Runia preached from the LDS pulpit in 2025 is what many of us hear every Sunday: that Jesus is enough. Not 90% enough. Not conditionally enough. Simply, fully, gloriously enough.

If Sister Runia’s words stirred something in you, I’d invite you to reflect on why it resonates so deeply. Could it be that your heart is longing for the true freedom that comes not from striving, but from resting in what Christ has already done—once and for all?