Elder Patrick Kearon's "Jesus Christ and Your New Beginning" October 2025 Conference talk
The Church of New Beginnings
A Blog on Elder Patrick Kearon's "Jesus Christ and Your New Beginning"
Are you tired of feeling stuck in the middle? That endless, messy part of the journey where the same mistakes resurface, the same bad habits cling, and the destination seems permanently out of reach?
If so, Elder Patrick Kearon’s powerful message from the October 2025 General Conference is your essential spiritual reboot. The main point is startlingly simple, incredibly liberating, and perpetually true:
Jesus Christ offers us new beginnings—as many as we need—for everything, not just sin.
This isn't just "The Church of Latter-day Saints." It is "The Church of New Beginnings."
1. The Power of an Understatement
Elder Kearon highlights the simple scriptural account of the Savior: "He went about doing good." What an enormous understatement!
- When Jesus healed the leper, it was a new beginning for his social life.
- When He forgave the woman taken in adultery, it was a new beginning for her eternal destiny.
- When He raised the dead, it was a new beginning for a broken family.
The most important takeaway? He didn't withdraw from them, "and He certainly won't withdraw from you." Your new beginning is not a hard-earned reward; it is a continuously offered gift flowing from the very essence of Christ.
2. New Beginnings for Everything
We often limit the Atonement's power to "big" sin, which is a mistake. Elder Kearon emphasizes that Christ's grace is equally available for what he calls the "smaller" things that wear us down:
- Old mindsets (the cynical attitude that keeps you down).
- Bad habits (the scroll and swipe that steal your peace).
- Grumpy dispositions (the tendency to snap at loved ones).
- Feelings of powerlessness (the thought that "I'll never change").
The same power that cleanses a major transgression can propel a change in a negative attitude. This truth means you can actually change things about yourself that have been wearing you down for years—and you can do it today, right now.
3. The Grace of Persistence
What if you fail again? What if it's the same sin, the same setback, the same bad habit you fought yesterday?
Elder Kearon's counsel is compassionate and straightforward: You keep striving.
The miracle lies in trusting that the new beginning is there for you every time you turn back to your Father in sincerity of heart. The adversary's main trick is convincing you that you are "sunk" and that you've used up your chances. That is a lie.
Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of our faith, writing countless new chapters with us. He is the end of our shame and suffering, and the beginning of a new life with a new dawn, as many times as we need.
Go forth and receive your new beginning.
Study Guide: Jesus Christ and Your New Beginning
Focus Point: Accessing Daily, Comprehensive Grace
I. Identifying the Need for a "New Beginning"
| Area of Life | The Old Beginning/Setback (The "Wear Down") | The Needed New Beginning |
|---|---|---|
| Spiritual Habits | Sporadic scripture study, weak prayer. | Consistency in hearing Him daily. |
| Emotional/Mental | Negative self-talk, feelings of powerlessness. | Replacing self-accusation with Christ’s truth. |
| Relationships | Unresolved argument, holding a grudge. | Fresh start in communication and respect. |
| Personal Habits | Procrastination, time wasted on devices. | Gaining self-mastery over one small area. |
Self-Reflection: In which area above do I most urgently need Christ's grace for a "fresh start" today?
II. The Scriptural Blueprint for a Fresh Start
Elder Kearon cites the miracles of Christ, demonstrating that a new beginning starts with a direct, simple interaction with the Savior.
| Christ’s Action | His Words/New Beginning Offered | My Modern Application |
|---|---|---|
| Healed the Leper (Matt. 8:3) | "Be thou clean." | I can ask Christ to cleanse me from feelings of spiritual or emotional "uncleanliness" that separate me from others. |
| Forgave the Woman (John 8:11) | "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." | I can receive forgiveness and commit to making a genuine effort to "go and sin no more" in my specific struggle. |
| Healed the Woman with the Issue of Blood (Mark 5:34) | "Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace." | My faith is the action that draws His power. I must act on my faith today to receive healing and peace. |
III. Weekly Commitment: Trusting the Repetition
- The New Dawn Prayer: Commit to ending your day this week by consciously leaving yesterday's mistakes behind and receiving the promise of a "new dawn." In your prayer, specifically say: "Thank you for the new beginning that awaits me tomorrow."
- Practice Persistence: If you struggle with the same bad habit tomorrow, refuse the lie that you are "sunk." Instead, turn back to the Father immediately and trust that the new beginning is there for you again.
- Cheering Others On (Sister Dennis Link): The talk next to Elder Kearon's (Sister Dennis) focuses on "Cheering Each Other On." Recognize that others need new beginnings, too. How can I offer that non-judgmental "fresh start" to a family member or friend this week?
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