Inspiring Quotes by Elder Gérald Caussé

As the first native French-speaking Apostle in modern history, Elder Gérald Caussé brings a distinct global perspective to his witness of Jesus Christ. A classically trained pianist and former executive, he spent a decade as Presiding Bishop deconstructing corporate culture, insisting the Church “is not a business” because it is “all about people.” His teachings uniquely blend the temporal and spiritual, urging environmental stewardship as a sacred duty and promising “compensating blessings” to those facing life’s unfair limitations. Similar to our Dallin H. Oaks Quotes page, this article provides inspiring excerpts from the teachings of a Latter-day Saint leader.

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Unanswered Prayers
Environmental Stewardship
Welcoming Others
The Church
Simplicity
Jesus Christ
Happiness
Body and Spirit
Time and Eternal Progression
About Elder Gérald Caussé

Gérald Caussé Quotes on Unanswered Prayers and Unfairness

The Lord will compensate us for circumstances beyond our control

When circumstances beyond our control prevent us from fulfilling the righteous desires of our hearts, the Lord will compensate in ways that allow us to receive His promised blessings.
“Compensating Blessings,” Conference Report, April 2025.

God’s plan is perfect

Because God is both just and merciful and His plan is perfect, He will not hold us accountable for things beyond our control.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell explained that “God … takes into merciful account not only our desires and our performance, but also the degrees of difficulty which our varied circumstances impose upon us.”
“Compensating Blessings,” Conference Report, April 2025.

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The Lord knows your circumstances

My dear friends, if you ever feel limited or disadvantaged by the circumstances of your life, I want you to know this:

The Lord loves you personally. He knows your circumstances, and the door to His blessings remains wide open to you no matter the challenges you face.
“Compensating Blessings,” Conference Report, April 2025.

The visual metaphor of an open door, as seen in Henri Matisse’s painting, mirrors the central promise of Elder Gérald Caussé’s teachings on compensating blessings. While mortality may shut certain doors of opportunity due to health or family circumstances, the Savior ensures that the way to His grace is never locked against those with righteous desires.

Gérald Caussé Quotes on Nature and Environmental Stewardship

Stewardship is a sacred responsibility

Brothers and sisters, our interactions with the beauties of nature around us can produce some of the most inspiring and delightful experiences in life. The emotions we feel kindle within us a deep sense of gratitude for our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, who created this magnificent earth—with its mountains and streams, plants and animals. . . .

However, the divine gift of the Creation does not come without duties and responsibilities. These duties are best described by the concept of stewardship. In gospel terms, the word stewardship designates a sacred spiritual or temporal responsibility to take care of something that belongs to God for which we are accountable.
“Our Earthly Stewardship,” Conference Report, October 2022.

Agency isn’t a license to consume without restraint

Our Heavenly Father allows us to use earthly resources according to our own free will. Yet our agency should not be interpreted as license to use or consume the riches of this world without wisdom or restraint.

The Lord gave this admonition: “And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion.”
“Our Earthly Stewardship,” Conference Report, October 2022.

Honoring creations—and the Creators

How can we honor and love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ without honoring and loving Their creations?
“Our Earthly Stewardship,” Conference Report, October 2022.

In his address “Our Earthly Stewardship,” Elder Gérald Caussé uses Claude Monet’s decades-long devotion to cultivating his garden to illustrate a vital Latter-day Saint precept: that loving the Creator requires actively tending to His creations. This perspective moves environmental stewardship beyond passive appreciation and into a divine partnership of co-creation.

We participate in the work of creation

The divine process of creation is not yet complete. Every day, God’s creations continue to grow, expand, and multiply. A most wonderful thing is that our Heavenly Father extends to us an invitation to participate in His creative work.

We participate in the work of creation whenever we cultivate the earth or add our own constructions to this world—as long as we show respect for God’s creations.

Our contributions may be expressed through the creation of works of art, architecture, music, literature, and culture, which embellish our planet, quicken our senses, and brighten our lives. We also contribute through scientific and medical discoveries that preserve the earth and life upon it.
“Our Earthly Stewardship,” Conference Report, October 2022.

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Caring for the earth is an integral component of our discipleship

Beyond being simply a scientific or political necessity, the care of the earth and of our natural environment is a sacred responsibility entrusted to us by God, which should fill us with a deep sense of duty and humility. It is also an integral component of our discipleship.
“Our Earthly Stewardship,” Conference Report, October 2022.

Gérald Caussé Quotes on Inclusivity and Welcoming Others

Brotherhood and sisterhood should exist among all

In this Church there are no strangers and no outcasts. There are only brothers and sisters. The knowledge that we have of an Eternal Father helps us be more sensitive to the brotherhood and sisterhood that should exist among all men and women upon the earth.
“Ye Are No More Strangers,” Conference Report, October 2013.

Unity is not achieved by isolating members who seem to be different

Unity is not achieved by ignoring and isolating members who seem to be different or weaker and only associating with people who are like us.

On the contrary, unity is gained by welcoming and serving those who are new and who have particular needs. These members are a blessing for the Church and provide us with opportunities to serve our neighbors and thus purify our own hearts.
“Ye Are No More Strangers,” Conference Report, October 2013.

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Gérald Caussé Quotes on the Church

The Church is about people

The Church is all about people. It is all about you, the Lord’s disciples—those who love and follow Him and who have taken His name upon them by covenant.
“It Is All about People,” Conference Report, April 2018.

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The Church is more than a building

Sometimes we talk about going to church. But the Church is more than a building or a particular place. It is just as real and alive in the humblest of dwellings in the most remote areas of the world as it is here at Church headquarters in Salt Lake City.

The Lord Himself said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

We take the Church with us wherever we go: to work, to school, on vacation, and especially in our homes. Our very presence and influence can be enough to make wherever we find ourselves a holy place.
“It Is All about People,” Conference Report, April 2018.

Wards and quorums do not belong to us

In this Church our wards and our quorums do not belong to us. They belong to Jesus Christ. Whoever enters our meetinghouses should feel at home.
“Ye Are No More Strangers,” Conference Report, October 2013.

Caring for the poor and needy is not optional

Caring for the poor and needy is not optional, nor is it merely an accessory in the Church of Jesus Christ.

This responsibility cannot be added to or taken away according to the whims of the situation or local conditions. It is an indispensable element of the mission of the Church.
“Caring for the Poor and Needy in the Growing International Church”

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The Church is not a business

The church is not a business. It’s not a financial institution, it’s not an education organization, it’s not even a humanitarian organization.

It is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and so all the resources that are available — I’m not even talking about money only — all of this is to accomplish the [gospel] work.

There is no other purpose.
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Elder Caussé Quotes on Simplicity in the Gospel

God would be unjust if the gospel were only accessible to elites

God would indeed be unjust if the gospel were only accessible to an intellectual elite. In His goodness, He has ensured that the truths regarding God are understandable to all His children, whatever their level of education or intellectual faculty.

In reality, the fact that a principle can be understood even by a child is proof of its power.
“Even a Child Can Understand,” Conference Report, October 2008.

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The quality of a lesson comes from your capacity to invite the Spirit

For you teachers of the Church, the principal goal of your lessons is the conversion of hearts.

The quality of a lesson is not measured by the number of new pieces of information that you give your students. It comes from your capacity to invite the presence of the Spirit and to motivate your students to make commitments.

It is by exercising their faith by putting into practice the lessons taught that they will increase their spiritual knowledge.
“Even a Child Can Understand,” Conference Report, October 2008.

There is always something new to learn

The gospel is a fountain of knowledge that never runs dry. There is always something new to learn and feel each Sunday, in every meeting, and in every verse of scripture.
“Is It Still Wonderful to You?” Conference Report, April 2015.

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Elder Gérald Caussé Quotes on Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is our Savior

I’ve always had a testimony of Jesus Christ. He’s always been in the center of my life. I know Jesus Christ lives. And I know He’s our Savior and Redeemer.

What a wonderful thing it is to be a witness of Christ. That’s the best responsibility or stewardship we might have in our lives.
“Elder Gérald Caussé Is Called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles,” Church Newsroom, November 6, 2025.

Elder Caussé’s Apostolic testimony

As a newly called Apostle of Jesus Christ, I have learned that I can love even more. My testimony is very simple. It is that Jesus is the Christ.

His Church is again upon the earth. It is where everyone can find the love of the Savior in the ordinances of salvation and exaltation, help that is needed through brothers and sisters that are unified together, living the gospel in a way that is blessing their lives forever.

I know this is true.
Church News, Episode 269: Elder Gérald Caussé on serving as a lifelong witness of the name of Jesus Christ

The Book of Mormon restores knowledge of Jesus Christ’s essential role

The central message of the Book of Mormon is to restore the true knowledge of the essential role of Jesus Christ in the salvation and exaltation of mankind.
“A Living Witness of the Living Christ,” Conference Report, April 2020.

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Gérald Caussé Quotes on Happiness

You are the architect of your own happiness

You can’t control all of the circumstances of your life. Things, both good and challenging, will happen to you that you never expected. However, I declare that you have control of your own happiness.

You are the architects of it.
CES devotional: ‘We are the architects of our own happiness,’ November 4, 2012.

Happiness depends on principles more than circumstances

Your happiness depends a lot more on the principles that you choose to follow than the external circumstances of your life.
CES devotional: ‘We are the architects of our own happiness,’ November 4, 2012.

Imagine seeing yourself as God sees you

Imagine what it would mean to you if you could see yourself as God sees you. . .

If you could view yourself through His eyes, what influence would that have on your life?
CES devotional: ‘We are the architects of our own happiness,’ November 4, 2012.

Claude Monet’s “Water Lilies”—a masterpiece defined by the artist’s unique perspective rather than the subject itself—visually reinforces Elder Gérald Caussé’s central thesis in “We Are the Architects of Our Own Happiness.” He teaches that true joy is not a product of our external environment, but of the internal spiritual principles we choose to prioritize.

Gérald Caussé Quotes on Body and Spirit

There is a beautiful harmony between the physical and spiritual

Our physical condition can profoundly influence our spiritual wellness. Conversely, our spiritual strength and the feelings of our hearts deeply affect our physical well-being.

In other words, the beautiful harmony that can exist between our physical and spiritual natures is an important condition for finding true happiness in our mortal journey and in the eternities to come.
“Harmony of Body and Spirit: A Key to Happiness,” BYU Speech, October 13, 2020.

Don’t allow perceived physical imperfections to define you

Please do not allow perceived physical imperfections to define you. Strengthening your inner light should be your focus.

By doing so, you will develop an inward beauty that radiates in your outward appearance, improves your physical well-being, invigorates your natural senses, and makes you a happier person.
“Harmony of Body and Spirit: A Key to Happiness,” BYU Speech, October 13, 2020.

Gérald Caussé Quotes on Time and Eternal Progression

We can learn from the past

We cannot change the past, but we can learn from it and move forward.
“In His Time,” BYUI Speech, May 10, 2016.

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Blessings come in God’s time.

God always keeps His promises. For the faithful Saints, blessings will inevitably come, but they will come “in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will.”
“In His Time,” BYUI Speech, May 10, 2016.

Eternity is a succession of “nows.”

Eternity is made up of a succession of nows, not a string of tomorrows. Don’t put off your efforts to change and progress.
“In His Time,” BYUI Speech, May 10, 2016.

Claude Monet’s “Impression, Sunrise”—a work famous for capturing the immediacy of a single, fleeting moment—visually parallels Elder Gérald Caussé’s teaching on time. He reminds us that our eternal destiny is not constructed on the vague promise of “tomorrows,” but on a continuous succession of actionable “nows.”

Find the Mozarts among us.

I would like to share a personal experience from my teenage years. I began learning the piano when I was seven years old. Having demonstrated some musical talent (and let’s clarify here that I was far from being a little Mozart), my mother enrolled me at the music conservatory in our hometown in France. The teaching program was very rigorous and required many hours of class and personal work. My piano teacher, whom I will refer to as Madame M., was very strict and demanding, and she manifested very little empathy for her students.

One day, she gave me Chopin’s Fantaisie Impromptu to work on. I was only 14 and that piece appeared to me to be totally out of my reach. Seeing that I was struggling to play it, Madame M. covered my sheet music with rebukes and threats, such as “This is not clean!” “How about working when being asked to do so?” and “Making noise is not like making music; listen to yourself.”

To tell the truth, the method was effective to the extent that I was able to put the piece together. . . .

Even though I learned this piece and have enjoyed playing it throughout my life, as a teenager I was so discouraged by the process of learning it that I wanted to stop my piano studies. Recognizing this, my mother found me a new teacher. Madame T. was completely different, the kind of person who loves her students and gives them confidence in their potential. She had high expectations in terms of musical technique, but with her, we played with our hearts.

One day, she gave me a new piece to work on. That one seemed just as impossible as the one I had received from Madame M. Seeing my hesitation, Madame T. confided in me that this was the very piece that had won her husband’s heart. She had never given it to any of her students before me because of how precious it was to her. However, she knew that I had the potential to play it beautifully. Her confidence boosted my motivation. That piece became my reference piece as a young man and, later on, it enabled me to win Valérie’s heart! . . .

I invite you to seek inspiration to find the Mozarts among us. In a way, each of us is a Mozart in the making. We all have talents, gifts, and abilities that ask for nothing more than the opportunity to blossom and thrive. Believing in others, helping them discover their potential, and loving them wholeheartedly, this is what should inspire us in our interactions with our fellow sojourners on this earth.
“I Saw Your Potential,” BYUI Speech, November 28, 2023.

Elder Gérald Caussé’s musical talent, as seen in this piano duet with Nicolas Giusti, was nurtured by a teacher who saw his potential.

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About Elder Gérald Caussé

Called as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on November 6, 2025, Elder Gérald Caussé is the first native French-speaking Apostle in the modern history of the Church. A classically trained pianist and former business executive, he previously served for 11 years as the Presiding Bishop, overseeing the Church’s global humanitarian aid and temporal affairs.

Elder Caussé is known for his unique emphasis that the Church “is not a business” but is “all about people.” His ministry includes a distinct focus on environmental stewardship, the harmony of body and spirit, and the inclusiveness of the gospel.

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