Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was scheduled to deliver a BYU devotional last September. Instead, his quorum colleague Elder Patrick Kearon pinch hit for him because of an illness.
Now, following a year in which he ministered in four European countries, three African nations and the Philippines, Elder Stevenson is again scheduled to deliver a BYU devotional on Tuesday at 11:05 a.m. MST at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah.
He will speak at BYU one day after representing the church with Elder Gerrit W. Gong at the inauguration ceremonies for President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C.
Here’s a brief look at Elder Stevenson’s 2024 apostolic ministry for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
Visiting Mars Hill, site of the Apostle Paul’s ‘Sermon of an Unknown God’
In October, Elder Stevenson visited Athens, Greece. He made a video on Mars Hill, site of the ancient Apostle Paul’s famous sermon to the Greeks about an altar in their capital inscribed with the words “To An Unknown God.”
Elder Stevenson saluted “wonderful, young Latter-day Saints” who are choosing to serve full-time missions in an age when many young people are leaving organized religion.
“I give my commendations to these young missionaries and the 72,000 missionaries around the world who are serving to invite people to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said. “For this, we are deeply grateful.”
International ministries
During that European trip, Elder Stevenson ministered to Latter-day Saints in the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Greece and Italy, offering counsel and instruction.
He also encouraged them to find courage and joy in sharing the gospel, even when faced with challenges. “You can have the confidence of the Lord and feel joy, even though the circumstances might be difficult,” he said.
He had done the same in Africa in February, when he visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania and Kenya. In Kenya, he held a news conference that was broadcast live on national television and explained his role as an apostle by mentioning Biblical apostles.
“We too are called to go into the nations of the world and bear witness of the divine Sonship of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God,” he said.
In May, he went to the Philippines to lead a countrywide devotional and cultural celebration for teens and young adults from the Philippines Missionary Training Center.
He invited youth to develop three traits of discipleship: “Pray over and over, read the scriptures time after time, and obey the commandments again and again.”
International messages
Elder Stevenson spoke to the entire 17.2-million-member church twice, in general conference addresses in April and October, and to all of the church’s youth in an international broadcast in January.
In April, he made a metaphor of California’s Golden Gate Bridge, noting that it is supported by bookend towers that function together in complete harmony. Following Jesus Christ similarly depends on living the first and second commandments with balance and equal devotion, he said.
“There is an important interdependency between loving the Lord and loving one another,” he said. “Our ability to follow Jesus Christ depends upon our strength and power to live the first and second commandments with balance and equal devotion to both.”
In October general conference, he encouraged church members to look forward with confidence and expectation to the next decade, which he said would become days never to be forgotten in church history, citing several examples. Among them are:
- An unprecedented number of expected temple open houses and dedications. “Imagine tens of millions of you and your friends walking through a house of the Lord,” he said.
- The bicentennial of the church’s organization in 2030.
- The 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, where he said “the eyes of the world will be on the church and its members who volunteer and serve.”
In the January broadcast to youth, Elder Stevenson invited them to repeat often the 2024 theme for youth — “I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.” He also shared four guiding principles for their lives:
- Stand in holy places.
- Stand with holy people.
- Testify of holy truths.
- Listen to the Holy Spirit.
Other highlights
In July, Elder Stevenson presented 12 U.S. governors with individual family pedigree charts during the National Governors Association conference in Salt Lake City.
In August, he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Los Angeles Dodgers game.
In November, he accompanied church President Russell M. Nelson as the president and prophet dedicated the church’s 200th temple, the Deseret Peak Utah Temple in Tooele, Utah.
How to watch or listen to the devotional
Elder Stevenson cofounded the exercise equipment manufacturing company, ICON Health & Fitness, Inc., where he served as president and chief operating officer until 2008, when he was called into church service as a General Authority Seventy.
He served as the Presiding Bishop of the church from April 2012 to his calling as apostle in October 2015.
Elder Stevenson’s talk will be broadcast live on BYUtv, BYUtv.org — where it will archived for on-demand streaming) — KBYU-TV 11, Classical 89 FM, BYUradio 107.9 FM and SiriusXM 143. Video, text and audio of BYU devotionals are archived on speeches.byu.edu.