Patrick Kearon called as apostle; here are his religious speeches
On December 8, 2023, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that Patrick Kearon had been called to fill the vacancy left in the church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Kearon has given memorable sermons over the last decade.
- “Come unto Me with Full Purpose of Heart, and I Shall Heal You” (October 2010 General Conference)
- Refuge from the Storm (April 2016 General Conference)
- “Bringing Christmas into Focus” (2019 First Presidency Christmas Devotional)
- “Of Rights and Responsibilities: The Social Ecosystem of Religious Freedom” (keynote address at the Religious Freedom Annual Review at Brigham Young University on June 19, 2019)
- “He Is Risen with Healing in His Wings” (April 2022 General Conference)
- “Messages of Love” (BYU Devotional, February 14, 2012)
- May 6, 2018, Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults
As an influential teacher with strong, caring leadership on taking care of others, openness, intelligence, and freedom, and a person who has spent their life in global arenas including the Middle East, UK, and US, to me, calling Kearon seemed like continued progress along a path of growth for the church and a further step into its global position. It is another step in the effort of steering church culture (of course, such a difficult and large ship to turn).
From the “allegory” of the scorpions in the desert to the injunctions to “lift up the sorrowing, heal the brokenhearted, visit the prisoners, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and give voice to the voiceless, the marginalized, the forgotten, and the despised”, Kearon has delivered moving sermons and spiritual edification for years, and he will have many more assignments going forward.
