Kevin W. Pearson, Holy Ghost Not Active For Doubters or Apostates

Salt Lake Area held a YSA conference where they also held a speed dating event which set a new world record for the number of people at a speed dating event (at 2,060). After receiving the award, Elder Pearson gave the keynote address to the YSA conference attendees.

Kevin Pearson described three types of people: those who make things happen, those who watch what happens, and those who wonder what happened. He proposes a spiritual analogy here, in that those who are fully invested in the church ideologies, are “all in” and only view the world through the church-provided lens, are those who make things happen. Thus those who are not completely engaged in the church or too casual with their covenants, are merely lucky enough to be watching things happen. He says “they’re good people, but” tend more to the worldly things than spiritual. While those who are not spiritually engaged with the LDS church, will be left without the Holy Ghost in their lives.

"There are unfortunately others who really aren't paying much attention spiritually. They're living in the last dispensation of times, but that fact is kind of lost on them. Hopefully, this condition is more temporary than permanent. The Savior, His gospel, and the church exist, at best, on the periphery of their lives, but they're not presently relevant to their lives. They perceive the church as a religious institution but not as the Church of Jesus Christ.
They agree with the church when the church agrees with them, but are often critical of church leaders, doctrines, and policies that don't suit their present view of the world." - Kevin W. Pearson, LDS Elder, First Quorum of the Seventy
Keynote Address, 2024 Utah YSA Conference | wasmormon.org — “There are unfortunately others who really aren’t paying much attention spiritually. They’re living in the last dispensation of times, but that fact is kind of lost on them. Hopefully, this condition is more temporary than permanent. The Savior, His gospel, and the church exist, at best, on the periphery of their lives, but they’re not presently relevant to their lives. They perceive the church as a religious institution but not as the Church of Jesus Christ. They agree with the church when the church agrees with them, but are often critical of church leaders, doctrines, and policies that don’t suit their present view of the world.” – Kevin W. Pearson, LDS Elder, First Quorum of the Seventy, Keynote Address, 2024 Utah YSA Conference

"These people place very little value on scriptures because they don't see the relevance, presently of the scriptures in their life. Hence they don't search the scriptures, they pay little attention to the words of living prophets, but they seem to be riveted on social media and those critical of sacred things. They're casual at best with sacred covenants. Therefore, the influence of the Holy Ghost is not active in their lives." - Kevin W. Pearson, LDS Elder, First Quorum of the Seventy
Keynote Address, 2024 Utah YSA Conference | wasmormon.org — “These people place very little value on scriptures because they don’t see the relevance, presently of the scriptures in their life. Hence they don’t search the scriptures, they pay little attention to the words of living prophets, but they seem to be riveted on social media and those critical of sacred things. They’re casual at best with sacred covenants. Therefore, the influence of the Holy Ghost is not active in their lives.” – Kevin W. Pearson, LDS Elder, First Quorum of the Seventy, Keynote Address, 2024 Utah YSA Conference

There are unfortunately others who really aren’t paying much attention spiritually. They’re living in the last dispensation of times, but that fact is kind of lost on them. Hopefully, this condition is more temporary than permanent. The Savior, and his gospel, and the church exist, at best, on the perifery of their lives, but they’re not presently relevant to their lives. They perceive the church as a religious institution but not as the Church of Jesus Christ. They agree with the church when the church agrees with them, but are often critical of church leaders, doctrines, and policies that don’t suit their present view of the world.
I had a conversation just yesterday afternoon with a wonderful young man, don’t know if he’s here today, but he was here yesterday.
“Elder Pearson, I’ve got some questions. Don’t the leaders of the church get this …? Why don’t they understand that?”
I said “Hey, can I just tell you one thing? Don’t ever assume for one minute that the First Presidency and the Twelve don’t get what’s going on in the world. They are so informed you would be blown away! You, my friend are looking at the church through a political lens, you may want to reverse and look at the world through a spiritual lens, and you might see things a little more differently.”
So these people place very little value on scriptures because they don’t see the relevance, presently of the scriptures in their life. Hence they don’t search the scriptures, they pay little attention to the words of living prophets, but they seem to be riveted on social media and those critical of sacred things. They’re casual at best with sacred covenants. Therefore, the influence of the Holy Ghost is not active in their lives.
They see their lives through a secular lens, not a spiritual lens. Their preoccupation is self-interest, and not the Savior. They are merely or primarily carnally, to use a scripture term, or worldly-minded and less so spiritually-minded. As a result, the Holy Ghost is not active in their lives.
Because you can’t see what you aren’t looking for, they are largely sleeping through the restoration (as Elder Uchtdorf said) and missing the entire objective of mortality. That’s problematic. They are currently, spiritually sight and hearing imparied. Now, which of these three groups best describes you.
Utah Area President, Elder Kevin W. Pearson. Keynote Speaker at Utah YSA Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, on August 3, 2024.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/broadcasts/watch/2024-ysa-conference-saturday-pm/2024/08?lang=eng (24:55)

Elder Pearson states that those who are not “all in” are “casual at best with sacred covenants.” These covenants made during a ritual stolen from the masons, made without informed consent or understanding, and under duress. He states that these who are not “all in” do not have the influence of the Holy Ghost active in their lives. He says they are metaphorically deaf and blind and sleeping through what the church calls the restoration. He says they are self-interested and carnally minded. Are these what Russell M. Nelson would call pathetic and pithy barbs?

"They see their lives through a secular lens, not a spiritual lens. Their preoccupation is self-interest and not the Savior. They are merely or primarily carnally, to use a scripture term, or worldly-minded and less so spiritually-minded. As a result, the Holy Ghost is not active in their lives. Because you can't see what you aren't looking for, they are largely sleeping through the restoration and missing the entire objective of mortality. That's problematic.
They are currently, spiritually sight and hearing impaired." - Kevin W. Pearson, LDS Elder, First Quorum of the Seventy
Keynote Address, 2024 Utah YSA Conference | wasmormon.org — “They see their lives through a secular lens, not a spiritual lens. Their preoccupation is self-interest and not the Savior. They are merely or primarily carnally, to use a scripture term, or worldly-minded and less so spiritually-minded. As a result, the Holy Ghost is not active in their lives. Because you can’t see what you aren’t looking for, they are largely sleeping through the restoration and missing the entire objective of mortality. That’s problematic. They are currently, spiritually sight and hearing impaired.” – Kevin W. Pearson, LDS Elder, First Quorum of the Seventy Keynote Address, 2024 Utah YSA Conference

This is not the first time a church leader marginalizes those who do not believe what the leaders preach. Even though President Nelson is concerned that so many believe it “acceptable to condemn, malign and vilify anyone who does not agree with them.”

"Civility and decency seem to have disappeared during this era of polarization and passionate disagreements. Vulgarity, faultfinding, and evil speaking of others are all too common. Too many pundits, politicians, entertainers, and other influencers throw insults constantly. I am greatly concerned that so many people seem to believe that it is completely acceptable to condemn, malign, and vilify anyone who does not agree with them. Many seem eager to damage another’s reputation with pathetic and pithy barbs!" President Russell M. Nelson of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, General Conference April 2023. Giving concern and council he does not follow in the past or in the future. | wasmormon.org — “Civility and decency seem to have disappeared during this era of polarization and passionate disagreements. Vulgarity, faultfinding, and evil speaking of others are all too common. Too many pundits, politicians, entertainers, and other influencers throw insults constantly. I am greatly concerned that so many people seem to believe that it is completely acceptable to condemn, malign, and vilify anyone who does not agree with them. Many seem eager to damage another’s reputation with pathetic and pithy barbs!” President Russell M. Nelson of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, General Conference April 2023. Giving concern and council he does not follow in the past or in the future.

He also is famous for doing exactly the same as Elder Kevin W. Pearson does here. There are many many other church leaders who say the same regarding those who don’t or no longer believe. They are marinalized as “lazy learners”, apostates, “lax disciples” and more.