Walking the Road to Emmaus

 

The Dusty Road of Life

General Conference, April 2026

"Walking the Road to Emmaus" Luke 24

In the journey of mortality, we often find ourselves traveling on what Elder Gerrit W. Gong calls our own "dusty roads to Emmaus." These moments represent the intersection of our spiritual struggles and the Savior's infinite reach. For the natural man, these roads are defined by heavy, isolating feelings that cloud our spiritual vision. While we often recognize feeling alone, misunderstood, or unseen, Elder Gong reminds us that we are also frequently "burdened" by the complexities of a fallen world.

The account of the disciples in Luke 24 is more than a historical record; it is a "covenant pattern" for identifying Christ’s presence in our current lives. Even when we feel we are walking in the shadows, the Lord is actively seeking to join us.

"Sometimes on our dusty roads to Emmaus, we feel alone, misunderstood, burdened, unseen. But as He 'talks with us by the way,' His words in scripture can cause our hearts to burn. ... As we walk by faith with Him, abiding in Him, and He in us, we come to know He lives."
— Elder Gerrit W. Gong, "'Tis Eastertide: No One Walks Alone"

As we move from the internal weight of sadness toward the light of the Gospel, we find that the very destination of our journey—Emmaus—holds the promise of spiritual recovery and hope.

The Destination of Healing: Understanding 'Emmaus'

The physical destination of the disciples was a village called Emmaus, located about seven miles from Jerusalem. Yet, the name itself carries a profound spiritual meaning that acts as a symbol for the learner's spiritual recovery.

Term	Spiritual Significance for the Learner
Emmaus	Derived from a term meaning "hot springs," signifying a place of healing. It represents the spiritual restoration available through Christ (Gong, GC2604).
The Stranger	Represents the Savior joining our walk in a way we might not immediately recognize, showing that He is present even in our anonymity or grief.

The journey to healing begins with a willingness to let the Savior "talk with us by the way," inviting Him into our personal narrative even before we fully comprehend His identity.

Stage One: Walking in Sadness

In the Emmaus account, the disciples were "mighty in deed and word," yet they were blinded by their own grief. We often face similar "spiritual land mines"—undetected dangers that can injure our faith. Elder Edward B. Rowe emphasizes that we need a guide not only when we feel lost, but especially when we have become casual in our discipleship. He references Winta, a guide who knew the dangerous border terrain from personal experience, to illustrate that Christ knows our path because He has walked it. Elder Rowe warns that "casualness leads to casualties" when we wander off the path without realizing it; therefore, we must choose Jesus Christ as our personal guide (Rowe, GC2604).

The Savior initiates contact with those in sadness through three specific ways:

• Joining the walk: He meets us in our current circumstances, entering our "war zones" and trenches.
• Asking about sorrow: He invites us to externalize our burdens, asking, "What manner of communications are these... as ye walk, and are sad?"
• Listening to testimony: He allows us to voice our current understanding, providing space for our honest feelings to be heard.

As we allow the Savior to guide our steps, the focus naturally shifts from our internal state of sadness to the external influence of the Word.

Stage Two: Exploring the Scriptures

As the Savior walked with the disciples, He "expounded all things concerning Jesus Christ" through the scriptures. This acts as the catalyst for the "mighty change of heart" Elder David A. Bednar describes. While the natural man views the scriptures as mere historical information or restrictive rules, the "burning heart" experience happens when we walk by faith. The scriptures are transformed from ink on a page into a vitalizing force that changes our very nature.

The sequence of spiritual transformation follows this pattern:

1. Opening the records: Engaging deeply with the prophetic witness of Christ.
2. Burning of the heart: Feeling the spiritual resonance and warmth of the Holy Ghost (Gong, GC2604).
3. Expansion of faith: Moving from intellectual knowledge to a living, enduring trust in the Lord (Bednar, GC2604).

A burning heart creates an appetite for more of His light, leading to a desire for the Savior to stay longer and abide with us through the night.

Stage Three: Recognizing the Divine

The climax of the Emmaus narrative occurs at the table. It was only in the "breaking of bread" that the disciples' eyes were opened. For the modern learner, this points directly to the power of sacred ordinances to bridge the gap between our mortal sight and divine reality.

Through Sacred Ordinances 

The Sacrament is our modern "breaking of bread." When we partake, we signify our willingness to always remember Him. These ordinances are designed to "open our eyes" so that we can recognize His hand in our daily lives.

Through Covenant Belonging 

Elder Alan R. Walker teaches that covenant faithfulness identifies us as a "peculiar treasure" unto the Lord. This shifts our perspective from recognizing Christ to realizing how deeply He recognizes and prizes us. We are "bound together" with Him, occupying a special place in God's heart (Walker, GC2604). In this environment of belonging, we move from being "strangers" to being his accepted people.

This recognition is not meant to be a fleeting moment; it leads to a permanent state of "abiding" in His presence.

The Doctrine of Abiding: Remaining in His Presence

In John 14 and 15, the Savior uses the words "Abide" and "Abode" to describe a deep, permanent relationship. Elder Gong provides a beautiful linguistic insight into this doctrine, noting that "to make abode occurs when someone comes to abide—we abide in abode."

Mechanism	Definition/Action	Learner Benefit
The Vine	Remaining connected to Christ as the source of life (John 15).	Bringing forth fruit; being able to do "all things" through Him.
The First Comforter	The Holy Ghost teaching and bringing truths to remembrance (John 14:26).	Never being alone; receiving constant divine instruction.
The Second Comforter	The personal appearance of the Father and the Son (D&C 130:3).	Realizing the promise that "we will come unto him" (Gong, GC2604).

By correcting the "old sectarian notion" that the Godhead dwells only in the heart, we understand that abiding is a literal, personal connection. We choose to abide through our daily service and the pursuit of His business.

Being "About His Business" on the Road

The Emmaus pattern applies directly to our service. Elder Patrick Kearon teaches that "everything is better" when we are about the Savior's business, regardless of our "best days" or "worst days." President Emily Belle Freeman reminds us that joy is not the absence of sorrow, but the presence of Christ. To walk with others as He did, we can take these actionable steps:

1. Look for the "Alone": Actively seek out those walking in isolation or hidden sadness in your circles.
2. Listen with Grace: Create a safe space for others to express their "sinking moments" without immediate judgment.
3. Offer an Enabling Look of Strength: Modeled after Christ’s look to Peter, offer others a look that acknowledges their struggle but signals your belief in their capacity to return and strengthen their brethren (Freeman, GC2604).

These steps of discipleship lead to a final, joyous witness of the Savior's power to redeem and heal.

The Easter Witness

The central insight of the road to Emmaus is a profound promise: though we may not recognize Him at first, He has been walking with us all along. Because of Jesus Christ, resurrection is a universal gift, and as President Dallin H. Oaks witnesses, "mortal deficiencies are only temporary!" (Oaks, GC2604). Our belief in a literal, universal resurrection changes the whole perspective of our mortal life, giving us the strength to endure every challenge.

Elder Dale G. Renlund promises that the Savior's power to heal from sin and grief is available to everyone—and "all means everyone.” If everyone, then anyone; if anyone, then even you. Though the road may be dusty and long, because of Jesus Christ, no one walks alone (Renlund, GC2604).