Biographical information from Church website

Church Service

Elder Alan R. Walker was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 2019. At the time of his call, he had been serving as a Gospel Doctrine teacher. He is currently serving in the South America South Area Presidency.

Elder Walker has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Tennessee Nashville Mission, counselor in a bishopric, bishop, counselor in the Argentina Buenos Aires North Mission presidency, high councilor, counselor in a stake presidency, president of the México Monterrey East Mission, Area Seventy in the México Area, and ward mission leader.

Professional Life

Elder Walker received a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Brigham Young University in 1996. He has worked in corporate banking for Citibank and as an area controller for the Mexico Area. Most recently he served as director for temporal affairs in the South America South Area.

Personal Life

Alan Roy Walker was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on January 2, 1971. He married Ines Marcela Sulé in 1993. They are the parents of one child.

Brief summary of talk

Elder Walker teaches that the Lord regards His covenant people as His special treasure. Drawing on Exodus 19:5, he explains that those who obey the Lord’s voice and keep their covenants become His “peculiar treasure.” He emphasises that covenant discipleship is not accidental; it requires faith, sacrifice, persistence, and a willing heart. As we faithfully honour our covenants, the Lord blesses us with spiritual strength, guidance, hope, and the assurance that we are accepted of Him through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Key quotes and questions to discuss or ponder

‘…the Lord addressed the prophet Moses upon Mount Sinai and declared that His people would be a peculiar treasure unto Him if they would obey His voice and keep His covenant.’ (Paragraph 2)

• In what ways do worldly ideas of treasure differ from the Lord’s view of what is valuable? 

‘Our Heavenly Father’s greatest desire is for us to live with Him again and enjoy eternal life by His side. His work and glory are “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” In order to make this possible, He designed the plan of salvation.’ (Paragraph 3)

• What does it mean to you that the Lord considers His covenant people His “peculiar treasure”?

’In His benevolent teaching to Moses, the Lord established a pattern of application not only to the ancient children of Israel but to all those who desire to become His treasure—the Lord’s covenant people. That pattern includes two simple but powerful conditions: to obey His voice and to keep our covenants with Him.’ (Paragraph 4)

• Why are these conditions so powerful?

‘The same God who called the children of Israel calls us now—to become His covenant people, to rise above the ways of the world, and to receive blessings that only He can bestow.’ (Paragraph 5)

• What does it mean to be the Lord’s covenant people?

‘The Lord does not ask for perfection all at once; rather, He asks for honest and broken hearts, humble spirits, and a willing readiness to keep our covenants—even when it requires sacrifice.’ (Paragraph 7)

• What does it mean to have an honest and broken heart?

‘ We must be willing to lay aside lesser things—habits, ambitions, or comforts that distance our hearts from Him—so that we may offer ourselves wholly and without reservation.’ (Paragraph 8)

• What “lesser things” might sometimes distract us from wholehearted devotion to the Lord?

’As we choose to follow prophetic counsel, even when it stretches us or feels inconvenient, we demonstrate our love for the Lord and show that we cherish Him above all worldly desires.’ (Paragraph 8)

• How has following prophetic counsel blessed you and your family?

‘[President D Todd Christofferson] explained that when we honor our covenants, three sacred blessings follow: “the promised fruits of obedience become evident, … the Spirit communicates God’s pleasure, [and] we can face life with hope … , knowing … we will succeed in the end because we have God’s promise to us.”’ (Paragraph 10)

• How has honouring your covenants blessed you and your family?

Invitations and application

‘I testify that as we obey the Savior’s voice and keep our covenants—even by small and quiet sacrifices each day—we will feel His love more deeply and receive His guidance more clearly.’ (Paragraph 11)

We become the Lord’s “peculiar treasure” as we obey His voice, keep our covenants, and willingly sacrifice to follow Jesus Christ. Through covenant faithfulness, the Saviour blesses us with strength, guidance, hope, and the assurance of His love and acceptance.

Additional thoughts

‘Today the word peculiar is used to mean something different and unusual. Since Israel was to be a peculiar people in this sense also, Exodus 19:5 and similar scriptures (see Deuteronomy 14:2; 1 Peter 2:9) are often read in that way. The original word in both Hebrew and Greek, however, means “property, wealth, private property, which is laid up or reserved; the leading idea is that of select, precious, endeared; something exceedingly prized and [diligently] preserved” (Wilson, Old Testament Word Studies, s.v. “peculiar,” p. 305).’ (Institute Old Testament Manual)

‘We are all in this great endeavor together. We are here to assist our Father in His work and His glory, “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). Your obligation is as serious in your sphere of responsibility as is my obligation in my sphere. No calling in this church is small or of little consequence. All of us in the pursuit of our duty touch the lives of others. To each of us in our respective responsibilities the Lord has said: “Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees” (D&C 81:5).’ (Gordon B Hinckley, “This Is the Work of the Master,” Ensign, May 1995, 71)

You can watch Elder Walker’s talk here.

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