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LIAHONA THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS ■ JANUARY 2002
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Transcript of January 2002 Liahona - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter ...
LIAHONAT H E C H U R C H O F J E S U S C H R I S T O F L A T T E R - D A Y S A I N T S ■ J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 2
Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, by Max Gestal
Jerusalem of an earlier era, as seen across the Kidron Valley from the Mount of Olives, peacefully awaits weary travelers.
Report of the 171st Semiannual General Conference
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsSermons and proceedings of 6–7 October 2001 from the
Conference Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
An inscription on the Salt Lake Temple identifies it as the
house of the Lord.
Ineed not remind you that welive in perilous times . . . ,”President Gordon B. Hinckley
said on Sunday morning, 7 October2001. “Now, I do not wish to be analarmist. I do not wish to be aprophet of doom. I am optimistic. Ido not believe the time is here whenan all-consuming calamity will over-take us. I earnestly pray that it maynot. There is so much of the Lord’swork yet to be done. We, and ourchildren after us, must do it.”
He added: “There is no need tofear. We can have peace in ourhearts and peace in our homes. Wecan be an influence for good in thisworld, every one of us.”
During his Sunday afternoontalk, President Hinckley said: “Now,today, we are faced with particularproblems, serious and consumingand difficult and of great concernto us. Surely we have need for theLord. . . . Our safety lies in thevirtue of our lives. Our strength liesin our righteousness. God has madeit clear that if we will not forsakeHim, He will not forsake us.”
As he closed the conference,President Hinckley prayed that theLord would “bless the cause of peaceand bring it quickly to us again.”
Sessions of general conference
were conducted by PresidentHinckley and by President Thomas S.Monson, First Counselor in the FirstPresidency, and President James E.Faust, Second Counselor.
Administrative action during theSaturday afternoon session of theconference affected the Quorums ofthe Seventy and the Sunday Schooland Young Men general presiden-cies. Two changes were made in the
Presidency of the Seventy; fiveJ A N U A R Y 2 0 0 2
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members of the First Quorum of theSeventy were released and givenemeritus status; four members of theSecond Quorum of the Seventywere released; 24 Area AuthoritySeventies were released and 3 newArea Authority Seventies called;and the presidencies of the SundaySchool and Young Men were reorga-nized (see this issue, page 126).
Conference sessions were broad-cast via satellite to many stake centers in the United States andCanada; the Caribbean; Mexicoand Central America; 10 countriesof South America; the UnitedKingdom and Ireland; 19 otherEuropean countries; and SouthAfrica. General sessions were trans-mitted via satellite to some 1,500cable television systems and to tele-vision and radio stations in theUnited States and Canada on apublic service basis. Conference wasalso available on the BYUTV chan-nel on the Dish Network. Generalsessions of the conference werebroadcast live on the Internet atwww.lds.org/broadcast in 38 lan-guages. Videotapes of conferencesessions were later made availablefor areas of the Church where thebroadcast was not received.—The
Editors �
January 2002 Vol. 26 No. 1LIAHONA 22981Official English International Magazine of The Church ofJesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The First Presidency: Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson, James E. Faust
Quorum of the Twelve: Boyd K. Packer, L. Tom Perry,David B. Haight, Neal A. Maxwell, Russell M. Nelson,Dallin H. Oaks, M. Russell Ballard, Joseph B. Wirthlin,Richard G. Scott, Robert D. Hales, Jeffrey R. Holland,Henry B. Eyring
Editor: Dennis B. NeuenschwanderAdvisers: J. Kent Jolley, W. Rolfe Kerr, Stephen A. West
Curriculum Department Administrators:Managing Director: Ronald L. KnightonEditorial Director: Richard M. RomneyGraphics Director: Allan R. Loyborg
Editorial Staff:Managing Editor: Marvin K. GardnerAssistant Managing Editor: Jenifer L. GreenwoodAssociate Editor: Roger TerryEditorial Associate: Susan BarrettPublications Assistant: Collette Nebeker Aune
Design Staff:Magazine Graphics Manager: M. M. KawasakiArt Director: Scott Van KampenSenior Designer: Sharri CookDesigners: Thomas S. Child, Randall J. PixtonProduction Manager: Jane Ann PetersProduction: Reginald J. Christensen, Denise Kirby, Kelli Pratt, Rolland F. Sparks, Kari A. Todd,Claudia E. WarnerDigital Prepress: Jeff Martin
Printing and Distribution:Printing Director: Kay W. BriggsDistribution Director (Subscriptions): Kris T. Christensen
For subscriptions and prices outside the United Statesand Canada, contact your local Church distribution center or ward or branch leader.
Send manuscripts and queries to Liahona, Floor 24, 50 East North Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3223,USA; or e-mail: [email protected]
The Liahona (a Book of Mormon term meaning “com-pass” or “director”) is published in Albanian, Armenian(East), Bulgarian, Cambodian, Cebuano, Chinese,Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian,Fijian, Finnish, French, German, Haitian, Hiligaynon,Hungarian, Icelandic, Ilokano, Indonesian, Italian,Japanese, Kiribati, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian,Malagasy, Marshallese, Mongolian, Norwegian, Polish,Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Samoan, Slovenian,Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Tahitian, Tamil, Telugu, Thai,Tongan, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese. (Frequency variesby language.)
© 2002 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Printed in the United States of America.
For Readers in the United States and Canada:January 2002 Vol. 26 No. 1. LIAHONA (USPS 311-480)English (ISSN 1080-9554) is published monthly by TheChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 50 East NorthTemple, Salt Lake City, UT 84150. USA subscription priceis $10.00 per year; Canada, $15.50 plus applicabletaxes. Periodicals Postage Paid at Salt Lake City, Utah, andat additional mailing offices. Sixty days’ notice required forchange of address. Include address label from a recentissue; old and new address must be included. Send USAand Canadian subscriptions to Salt Lake DistributionCenter at address below. Subscription help line: 1-800-537-5971. Credit card orders (Visa, MasterCard,American Express) may be taken by phone. (Canada PosteInformation: Publication Agreement #40017431)
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Salt LakeDistribution Center, Church Magazines, PO Box 26368,Salt Lake City, UT 84126-0368.
TOPIC INDEXAaronic Priesthood 43, 47Activation 57Adversity 4, 27, 106Atonement 19, 33Book of Mormon 71Character 96Chastity 90Commitment 53Death 68Duty 43, 47, 57Endurance 27Example 75, 109Faith 10, 16, 24, 31, 94, 104, 106Family relations 80, 96, 109Fellowshipping 7Forgiveness 19Gratitude 37, 49Happiness 33, 49Holy Ghost 10, 100Hope 4, 19Humility 16, 53Inclusion 40, 75Jesus Christ 19, 31, 68, 80, 109Knowledge 35Leadership 77, 112Love 7, 40, 68, 77, 94, 96, 112, 115Missionary work 7, 87Modesty 75Murmuring 98Neighbors 40, 75, 94Obedience 31, 83, 98Parenthood 77, 80, 106, 109,
112, 115Peace 83Perfection 27Perpetual Education Fund 60Pioneers 49Plan of salvation 33Prayer 16, 87, 100, 104Priesthood 13, 51, 57, 60Priorities 35, 106Profanity 75Prophets 24, 98Repentance 19Resurrection 19, 68Scripture study 16, 71, 87Self-mastery 90, 96Self-reliance 83Service 16, 51, 53, 57, 68, 94, 115Teaching 80Testimony 100Tithing 37, 83Truth 115
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Unity 10, 13, 40, 83Womanhood 13Youth 43, 47, 77
Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching: There areno designated home teaching or visiting teachingmessages printed in the general conference issuesof the Liahona. After prayerfully considering theneeds of the members they visit, home teachersand visiting teachers are to choose a generalconference address as a message.
On the Cover: Photograph by John Luke.
Conference Photography: Photographs weretaken by Craig Dimond, Welden Andersen, JohnLuke, Jed Clark, Matt Reier, Kelly Larsen, TamraRatieta, Ellie Carter, Mark Hedengren, and RobertCasey.
Conference Talks on the Internet: To accessgeneral conference talks on the Internet in manylanguages, visit www.lds.org.
Speakers Listed in AlphabeticalOrderBallard, M. Russell 40Burton, H. David 75Clayton, L. Whitney 31Dew, Sheri L. 13, 112Didier, Charles 10Eyring, Henry B. 16Faust, James E. 19, 23, 53Golden, Christoffel, Jr. 33González, Walter F. 35Haight, David B. 24Hales, Robert D. 43Hilbig, Keith K. 51Hinckley, Gordon B. 4, 60, 83, 104Holland, Jeffrey R. 37Jensen, Virginia U. 109Larsen, Sharon G. 77Maxwell, Neal A. 90Monson, Thomas S. 57, 68, 115Nelson, Russell M. 80Oaks, Dallin H. 7Orton, Robert F. 94Packer, Boyd K. 71Perry, L. Tom 87Peterson, Wayne S. 96Samuelson, Cecil O., Jr. 47Scott, Richard G. 100Smoot, Mary Ellen W. 106Snow, Steven E. 49Wirthlin, Joseph B. 27Workman, H. Ross 98
CONTENTS1 REPORT OF THE 171ST SEMIANNUAL GENERAL
CONFERENCE OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
S A T U R D A Y M O R N I N G S E S S I O N4 LIVING IN THE FULNESS OF TIMES
PRESIDENT GORDON B. HINCKLEY
7 SHARING THE GOSPEL ELDER DALLIN H. OAKS
10 BUILDING A BRIDGE OF FAITH ELDER CHARLES DIDIER
13 IT IS NOT GOOD FOR MAN OR WOMAN TO BE ALONE SHERI L. DEW
16 PRAYER ELDER HENRY B. EYRING
19 THE ATONEMENT: OUR GREATEST HOPE PRESIDENT JAMES E. FAUST
S A T U R D A Y A F T E R N O O N S E S S I O N23 THE SUSTAINING OF CHURCH OFFICERS
PRESIDENT JAMES E. FAUST
24 FAITH OF OUR PROPHETS ELDER DAVID B. HAIGHT
27 ONE STEP AFTER ANOTHER ELDER JOSEPH B. WIRTHLIN
31 “HELP THOU MINE UNBELIEF” ELDER L. WHITNEY CLAYTON
33 OUR FATHER’S PLAN ELDER CHRISTOFFEL GOLDEN JR.
35 WRITING GOSPEL PRINCIPLES IN OUR HEARTS ELDER WALTER F. GONZÁLEZ
37 “LIKE A WATERED GARDEN” ELDER JEFFREY R. HOLLAND
40 DOCTRINE OF INCLUSION ELDER M. RUSSELL BALLARD
P R I E S T H O O D S E S S I O N43 FULFILLING OUR DUTY TO GOD
ELDER ROBERT D. HALES
47 OUR DUTY TO GOD ELDER CECIL O. SAMUELSON JR.
49 GRATITUDE ELDER STEVEN E. SNOW
51 CREATE OR CONTINUE PRIESTHOOD LINKS ELDER KEITH K. HILBIG
53 “SOME GREAT THING” PRESIDENT JAMES E. FAUST
57 DUTY CALLS PRESIDENT THOMAS S. MONSON
J A N U A
60 REACHING DOWN TO LIFT ANOTHER PRESIDENT GORDON B. HINCKLEY
S U N D A Y M O R N I N G S E S S I O N68 NOW IS THE TIME
PRESIDENT THOMAS S. MONSON
71 THE BOOK OF MORMON: ANOTHER TESTAMENT OFJESUS CHRIST PRESIDENT BOYD K. PACKER
75 STANDING TALL BISHOP H. DAVID BURTON
77 “FEAR NOT: FOR THEY THAT BE WITH US ARE MORE” SHARON G. LARSEN
80 “SET IN ORDER THY HOUSE” ELDER RUSSELL M. NELSON
83 THE TIMES IN WHICH WE LIVE PRESIDENT GORDON B. HINCKLEY
S U N D A Y A F T E R N O O N S E S S I O N87 THE RETURNED MISSIONARY
ELDER L. TOM PERRY
90 THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT: A SHIELD ELDER NEAL A. MAXWELL
94 “THE FIRST AND GREAT COMMANDMENT” ELDER ROBERT F. ORTON
96 OUR ACTIONS DETERMINE OUR CHARACTER ELDER WAYNE S. PETERSON
98 BEWARE OF MURMURING ELDER H. ROSS WORKMAN
100 THE POWER OF A STRONG TESTIMONY ELDER RICHARD G. SCOTT
104 “TILL WE MEET AGAIN” PRESIDENT GORDON B. HINCKLEY
G E N E R A L R E L I E F S O C I E T Y M E E T I N G106 STEADFAST AND IMMOVABLE
MARY ELLEN W. SMOOT
109 STAND FIRM VIRGINIA U. JENSEN
112 ARE WE NOT ALL MOTHERS? SHERI L. DEW
115 “BE THOU AN EXAMPLE” PRESIDENT THOMAS S. MONSON
64 GENERAL AUTHORITIES OF THE CHURCH OF JESUSCHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
119 THEY SPOKE TO US
120 INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES
126 GENERAL AUXILIARY PRESIDENCIES
126 NEWS OF THE CHURCH
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Living in the Fulness of TimesPresident Gordon B. Hinckley
“Notwithstanding the afflictions about us, notwithstanding the sordid things we see almost everywhere, notwithstandingthe conflict that sweeps across the world, we can be better.”
Saturday Morning Session6 October 2001
My beloved brethren andsisters, wherever you maybe, welcome to this great
world conference of The Church ofJesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Weare assembled in our wonderful newConference Center in Salt Lake City.This building is filled or soon will be.I am so glad that we have it. I am sothankful for the inspiration to buildit. What a remarkable structure it is.I wish all of us could be assembledunder one roof. But that is not pos-sible. I am so deeply thankful that we have the wonders of television,radio, cable, satellite transmission,and the Internet. We have become a
great worldwide Church, and it isnow possible for the vast majority ofour members to participate in thesemeetings as one great family, speak-ing many languages, found in manylands, but all of one faith and onedoctrine and one baptism.
This morning I can scarcely re-strain my emotions as I think ofwhat the Lord has done for us.
I do not know what we did in thepreexistence to merit the wonderfulblessings we enjoy. We have come toearth in this great season in the longhistory of mankind. It is a marvelousage, the best of all. As we reflect onthe plodding course of mankind,from the time of our first parents, wecannot help feeling grateful.
The era in which we live is the ful-ness of times spoken of in the scrip-tures, when God has brought togetherall of the elements of previous dispen-sations. From the day that He and HisBeloved Son manifested themselvesto the boy Joseph, there has been atremendous cascade of enlightenmentpoured out upon the world. Thehearts of men have turned to theirfathers in fulfillment of the words ofMalachi. The vision of Joel has beenfulfilled wherein he declared:
“And it shall come to pass after-ward, that I will pour out my spiritupon all flesh; and your sons andyour daughters shall prophesy, your
old men shall dream dreams, yourL I A H O N A
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young men shall see visions:“And also upon the servants and
upon the handmaids in those dayswill I pour out my spirit.
“And I will shew wonders in theheavens and in the earth, blood, andfire, and pillars of smoke.
“The sun shall be turned intodarkness, and the moon into blood,before the great and the terrible dayof the Lord come.
“And it shall come to pass, thatwhosoever shall call on the name ofthe Lord shall be delivered: for inmount Zion and in Jerusalem shallbe deliverance, as the Lord hathsaid, and in the remnant whom the
Lord shall call” (Joel 2:28–32).
Members fill the Conference Center for a session of conference.
There has been more of scientificdiscovery during these years thanduring all of the previous history ofmankind. Transportation, communi-cation, medicine, public hygiene,the unlocking of the atom, the mira-cle of the computer, with all of itsramifications, have blossomed forth,particularly in our own era. Duringmy own lifetime, I have witnessedmiracle after wondrous miraclecome to pass. We take it for granted.
And, with all of this, the Lord hasrestored His ancient priesthood. Hehas organized His Church and king-dom during the past century and a
half. He has led His people. Theyhave been tempered in the crucibleof terrible persecution. He hasbrought to pass the wondrous timein which we now live.
We have seen only the fore-shadowing of the mighty force forgood that this Church will become.And yet I marvel at what has beenaccomplished.
Our membership has grown. Ibelieve it has grown in faithfulness.We lose too many, but the faithfulare so strong. Those who observe ussay that we are moving into themainstream of religion. We are notchanging. The world’s perception of
us is changing. We teach the sameJ A N U A R Y 2 0 0 2
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doctrine. We have the same organi-zation. We labor to perform the samegood works. But the old hatred isdisappearing, the old persecution isdying. People are better informed.They are coming to realize what westand for and what we do.
But wonderful as this time is, it isfraught with peril. Evil is all about us.It is attractive and tempting and in somany cases successful. Paul declared:
“This know also, that in the lastdays perilous times shall come.
“For men shall be lovers of theirown selves, covetous, boasters, proud,blasphemers, disobedient to parents,
unthankful, unholy,
“Without natural affection,trucebreakers, false accusers, incon-tinent, fierce, despisers of those thatare good,
“Traitors, heady, highminded,lovers of pleasures more than loversof God;
“Having a form of godliness; butdenying the power thereof: fromsuch turn away” (2 Tim. 3:1–5).
We see today all of these evils,more commonly and generally, thanthey have ever been seen before, aswe have so recently been remindedby what has occurred in New YorkCity, Washington, and Pennsylvania,of which I shall speak tomorrowmorning. We live in a season whenfierce men do terrible and despicablethings. We live in a season of war.We live in a season of arrogance. Welive in a season of wickedness,pornography, immorality. All of thesins of Sodom and Gomorrah hauntour society. Our young people havenever faced a greater challenge. Wehave never seen more clearly thelecherous face of evil.
And so, my brothers and sisters,we are met together in this greatconference to fortify and strengthenone another, to help and lift oneanother, to give encouragement and
build faith, to reflect on the wonder-ful things the Lord has made avail-able to us, and to strengthen ourresolve to oppose evil in whateverform it may take.
We have become as a great army.We are now a people of conse-quence. Our voice is heard when wespeak up. We have demonstratedour strength in meeting adversity.Our strength is our faith in theAlmighty. No cause under the heav-ens can stop the work of God.Adversity may raise its ugly head.The world may be troubled withwars and rumors of wars, but thiscause will go forward.
You are familiar with these greatwords written by the ProphetJoseph: “No unhallowed hand canstop the work from progressing;persecutions may rage, mobs maycombine, armies may assemble,calumny may defame, but the truthof God will go forth boldly, nobly,and independent, till it has pene-trated every continent, visited everyclime, swept every country, andsounded in every ear, till the pur-poses of God shall be accomplished,and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done” (History of theChurch, 4:540).
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The Lord has given us the goaltoward which we work. That goal is to build His kingdom, which is a mighty cause of great numbers of men and women of faith, ofintegrity, of love and concern formankind, marching forward to cre-ate a better society, bringing bless-ings upon ourselves and upon theheads of others.
As we recognize our place andour goal, we cannot become arro-gant. We cannot become self-righteous. We cannot become smugor egotistical. We must reach out toall mankind. They are all sons anddaughters of God our Eternal Father,and He will hold us accountable forwhat we do concerning them. Maythe Lord bless us. May He make usstrong and mighty in good works.May our faith shine forth as the sun-light of the morning. May we walkin obedience to His divine com-mandments. May He smile withfavor upon us. And as we go for-ward, may we bless humanity withan outreach to all, lifting those whoare downtrodden and oppressed,feeding and clothing the hungry andthe needy, extending love andneighborliness to those about uswho may not be part of this Church.The Lord has shown us the way. Hehas given us His word, His counsel,His guidance, yea, His command-ments. We have done well. We havemuch to be grateful for and much tobe proud of. But we can do better, somuch better.
How I love you, my brothers andsisters of this great cause. I love youfor what you have become and forwhat you can become. Notwith-standing the afflictions about us,notwithstanding the sordid thingswe see almost everywhere, notwith-standing the conflict that sweepsacross the world, we can be better.
I invoke the blessings of heavenupon you as I express my love foryou and commend to you the greatmessages you will hear from this pul-pit during the next two days, and doso in the sacred name of our Lord,
Jesus Christ, amen. �
Sharing the GospelElder Dallin H. OaksOf the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
“The most effective missionaries, member and full-time,always act out of love. . . . If we lack this love for others, we should pray for it.”
Thank you , P re s i den tHinckley, for your greatmessage. We are all pro-
foundly grateful for your vigorousand inspired leadership in this diffi-cult time. Under that leadership, weare going forward with the work ofthe Lord, so urgently needed in thistroubled world.
To proclaim the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is afundamental principle of theChristian faith. Three of the gospelwriters report this direction by the Savior.
The book of Mark records: “Andhe said unto them, Go ye into allthe world, and preach the gospel toevery creature.
“He that believeth and is bap-tized shall be saved; but he thatbelieveth not shall be damned”
(Mark 16:15–16).Matthew quotes the Savior’s com-mand, “Go ye therefore, and teach allnations, baptizing them in the nameof the Father, and of the Son, and ofthe Holy Ghost” (Matt. 28:19).
Luke states, “Thus it is written . . .that repentance and remission ofsins should be preached in his nameamong all nations” (Luke 24:46–47).
Applying the Savior’s directionsto our day, modern prophets havechallenged each of us to share thegospel.
President Gordon B. Hinckleyhas given the clarion call for ourtime. In a worldwide satellite addressto missionaries and local leaders, heasked for “an infusion of enthusi-asm” for missionary work “at everylevel in the Church” (“Find theLambs, Feed the Sheep,” Liahona,July 1999, 121). Though missionar-ies must continue their best effortsto find persons to teach, he declaredthat the “better way . . . is throughthe members of the Church” (119).He asked each of us to give our verybest efforts to assisting missionariesin finding persons to teach. He alsoasked that each stake president andeach bishop “accept full responsibil-ity and accountability for the findingand friendshipping of investigators”within their units (121). PresidentHinckley also invoked the blessingsof the Lord upon each of us “inmeeting the tremendous challengethat is ours” (121).
Though it has been two and ahalf years since our president made
this plea, most of us have not yetJ A N U A R Y 2 0 0 2
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acted effectively upon his challenge.As I have prayerfully studied
President Hinckley’s words andpondered over how we can sharethe gospel, I have concluded thatwe need three things to fulfill ourprophet’s challenge. First, we need asincere desire to share the gospel.Second, we need divine assistance.Third, we need to know what to do.
I. DESIREAs with so many other things,
sharing the gospel begins with desire.If we are to become more effectiveinstruments in the hands of theLord in sharing His gospel, we mustsincerely desire to do so. I believe weacquire this desire in two steps.
First, we must have a firm testi-mony of the truth and importance ofthe restored gospel of Jesus Christ.This includes the supreme value ofGod’s plan for His children, theessential position of the Atonementof Jesus Christ in it, and the role ofThe Church of Jesus Christ in carry-ing out that plan in mortality.
Second, we must have a love forGod and for all of His children. Inmodern revelation we are told that“love, with an eye single to the gloryof God, qualify [us] for the work”(D&C 4:5). The early Apostles ofthis dispensation were told thattheir love should “abound unto allmen” (D&C 112:11).
From our testimony of the truthand importance of the restoredgospel, we understand the value ofwhat we have been given. From ourlove of God and our fellowmen, weacquire our desire to share thatgreat gift with everyone. The inten-sity of our desire to share the gospelis a great indicator of the extent ofour personal conversion.
The Book of Mormon containssome marvelous examples of theeffect of testimony and love. Whenthe sons of Mosiah, who had been“the very vilest of sinners,” acquiredtheir testimony, “they were desirousthat salvation should be declared toevery creature, for they could not
bear that any human soul should
The fountain on the plaza level inside the Conference Center is a popularmeeting place.
perish” (Mosiah 28:3–4). In a lateraccount, their associate, Alma, cried,“O that I were an angel, . . . that Imight go forth and speak with thetrump of God, with a voice to shakethe earth” and declare “the plan ofredemption” to every soul, “that theremight not be more sorrow upon allthe face of the earth” (Alma 29:1–2).
I like to refer to missionary effortsas sharing the gospel. The wordsharing affirms that we have some-thing extraordinarily valuable anddesire to give it to others for theirbenefit and blessing.
The most effective missionaries,member and full-time, always actout of love. I learned this lesson as ayoung man. I was assigned to visit aless-active member, a successful pro-fessional many years older than I.Looking back on my actions, I real-ize that I had very little loving con-cern for the man I visited. I actedout of duty, with a desire to report100 percent on my home teaching.One evening, close to the end of amonth, I phoned to ask if my com-panion and I could come right overand visit him. His chastening replytaught me an unforgettable lesson.
“No, I don’t believe I want you tocome over this evening,” he said.“I’m tired. I’ve already dressed forbed. I am reading, and I am just notwilling to be interrupted so that youcan report 100 percent on yourhome teaching this month.” Thatreply still stings me because I knewhe had sensed my selfish motivation.
I hope no person we approachwith an invitation to hear the mes-sage of the restored gospel feels thatwe are acting out of any reasonother than a genuine love for themand an unselfish desire to sharesomething we know to be precious.
If we lack this love for others, weshould pray for it. The prophetMormon’s writings about “the purelove of Christ” teach us to “prayunto the Father with all the energyof heart, that ye may be filled withthis love, which he hath bestowedupon all who are true followers of his
Son, Jesus Christ” (Moro. 7:47–48).II. DIVINE ASSISTANCE/RIGHT TIMINGWe also need divine assistance to
guide us in sharing the gospel. Just asour desires must be pure and rootedin testimony and love, our actionsmust be directed by the Lord. It is Hiswork, not ours, and it must be donein His way and on His timing, notours. Otherwise, our efforts may befated to frustration and failure.
All of us have family members orfriends who need the gospel but arenot now interested. To be effective,our efforts with them must bedirected by the Lord so that we actin the way and at the time whenthey will be most receptive. Wemust pray for the Lord’s help anddirections so we can be instrumentsin His hands for one who is now
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ready—one He would have us helptoday. Then, we must be alert tohear and heed the promptings of HisSpirit in how we proceed.
Those promptings will come. Weknow from countless personal testi-monies that in His own way and Hisown time the Lord is preparing per-sons to accept His gospel. Such per-sons are searching, and when we areseeking to identify them the Lordwill answer their prayers throughanswering ours. He will prompt andguide those who desire and who sin-cerely seek guidance in how, where,when, and with whom to share Hisgospel. In this way, God grants untous according to our desires (seeAlma 29:4; D&C 6:8).
In modern revelation, the Lord
has told us that “there are many yeton the earth among all sects, parties,and denominations, who are blinded. . . and who are only kept from thetruth because they know not whereto find it” (D&C 123:12). When weare standing as “witnesses of God atall times and in all things” (Mosiah18:9), the Lord will open ways for usto find and have appropriate commu-nications with those who are seeking.This will come when we seek direc-tion and when we act out of a sincereand Christlike love for others.
The Lord loves all of His chil-dren. He desires that all have thefulness of His truth and the abun-dance of His blessings. He knowswhen they are ready, and He wantsus to hear and heed His directionson sharing His gospel. When we doso, those who are prepared willrespond to the message of Him whosaid, “My sheep hear my voice . . .and they follow me” (John 10:27).
III. HOW TO DO ITWhen we have a sincere desire to
share the gospel with others, andwhen we have sought divine assis-tance in our efforts, what should wedo? How do we proceed? We beginby beginning. We should not wait fora further invitation from heaven.Revelation comes most often whenwe are on the move.
The Lord has given us this instruc-tion as to who and how: “And let yourpreaching be . . . every man to hisneighbor, in mildness and in meek-ness” (D&C 38:41). “Neighbors,” ofcourse, means not only those who livebeside us and other friends and asso-ciates. When He was asked, “Who ismy neighbour?” the Savior told of aSamaritan who recognized a neighboron the road to Jericho (see Luke10:25–37). Thus, our neighbors alsoinclude those we encounter in ourdaily travels.
We should pray, as Alma of old,for the Lord to give us “power andwisdom that we may bring” our asso-ciates to the Lord (Alma 31:35). Wealso pray for the welfare of their
souls (see Alma 6:6).We must be sure we act out oflove and not in any attempt to gainpersonal recognition or advantage.The warning against those who useChurch position to gratify theirpride or vain ambition (see D&C121:37) surely applies to our effortsto share the gospel.
The need to act out of love alsowarns us against manipulation, real orperceived. People who do not shareour belief can be repelled when theyhear us refer to something as a “mis-sionary tool.” A “tool” is somethingused to manipulate an inanimateobject. If we talk about something asa “missionary tool,” we can conveythe impression that we want tomanipulate someone. That impres-sion is entirely contrary to theunselfish, sharing spirit of our mis-sionary service.
In his great message PresidentHinckley declares that “opportunitiesfor sharing the gospel are everywhere”(Liahona, July 1999, 119). He men-tions many things we can do. Weshould live so that what he called“the tremendous power of the exam-ple of a member of the Church” (118)will influence those around us. “Themost effective tract we will carry,” hesaid, “will be the goodness of our ownlives and example” (121). We must besincerely friendly to all.
President Hinckley reminded us
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that we can “leave a piece of Churchliterature” (119) with those withwhom we come in contact. We canoffer our homes “to carry on thismissionary service” (119). The mis-sionaries “may appropriately ask themembers for referrals” (121), andwhen they do, we should respond.
In summary, President Hinckleysaid every member of the Churchcan “work constantly at the task offinding and encouraging investiga-tors” (121).
There are other things we can do,especially as we act upon the prophetMormon’s great statement, “I fear notwhat man can do; for perfect lovecasteth out all fear” (Moro. 8:16; alsosee 1 Jn. 4:18). We can invite friendsto Church meetings or Church-related activities. We can make appre-ciative references to our Church andthe effect of its teachings and ask per-sons if they would like to know more.
Even easier, we can carry a packetof these attractive pass-along cardsand give them to persons—evencasual acquaintances—with whomwe come in contact in the daily activ-ities of our lives. These cards are anideal way to invite people to investi-gate the additional truths we have toshare. In a nonintrusive way, theyoffer something precious, but the giftdepends upon the choice and initia-
tive of the potential recipient. In our
Building a Bridge of FaithElder Charles DidierOf the Presidency of the Seventy
“Our mortal life is the time for men to meet God by building a bridge of faith, opening the door into immortalityand eternal life.”
experience, a significant fraction ofthose who telephone for the offeredgift choose to have it delivered bythose who can tell them more.
The Church has just announcedanother way to share the gospel,worldwide, on the Internet. In itspotential, this new initiative is asexciting as the publishing of writtentracts in the 19th century and ouruse of radio, television, and film inthe 20th. The Church has activateda new Internet site to which we mayrefer persons interested in obtaininginformation about the Church andits doctrine and how they can find aplace to worship with us. Its addressis www.mormon.org. For missionar-ies, the value and use of this newresource will emerge with experi-ence. For members of the Church, itwill help us answer the questions offriends directly or by referring themto the site. It will also allow us tosend our friends electronic greetingcards that include gospel messagesand invitations.
IV. CONCLUSIONWe have been asked to redouble
our efforts and our effectiveness insharing the gospel, to accomplishthe Lord’s purposes in this greatwork. Until we do so, these won-derful full-time missionaries—oursons and daughters and our nobleassociates in the Lord’s work—willremain underused in their greatassignment to teach the restoredgospel of Jesus Christ.
We have spoken about lovingdesire, heavenly guidance, and wayswe can proceed with the divinecommand to share the gospel withour neighbors. The gospel of JesusChrist is the brightest light and theonly hope for this darkened world.“Wherefore,” as Nephi teaches, “wemust press forward with a steadfast-ness in Christ, having a perfectbrightness of hope, and a love ofGod and of all men” (2 Ne. 31:20).
I testify of Jesus Christ, our Savior,and of His desire that we join whole-heartedly in this, His work, in the
E
name of Jesus Christ, amen. �
ntering the offices of a largeadvertising company, onecould read the following
thought framed on one of the walls:“Men are building too many wallsand not enough bridges” (fromJCDecaux, a firm based in France).
Indeed, walls are usually built toseparate two or more entities physi-cally, mentally, or even spiritually andto create obstacles. They are builtbecause they represent the idea ofdefense, protection, or separation.Some walls have acquired famebecause of that nature: the walls ofJerusalem, the Great Wall of China,the Wall of Berlin. Walls, as a symbol,are also used in our common vocabu-lary to reflect this idea of separation,
as in “a wall of incomprehension,”L I A H O N A
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“a wall of intolerance,” or “it is liketalking to a brick wall!”
Bridges are the opposite of walls.Bridges are built to bring together, to join two or more entities, and tocreate unity. They are built to over-come obstacles. Some bridges havealso become famous, like the Bridgeof Sighs, the Allenby Bridge, and somany others. The term is also usedin our language to express the ideaof reunion or unity, as in “to bridge agap” or “to bridge differences.”
As we consider our mortal exis-tence on this earth and the purposeof life expressed by Alma that “thislife is the time for men to prepare tomeet God” (Alma 34:32), what isthe Lord’s way to help us achievethis very purpose? It is simply, byusing this metaphor, to help us builda bridge of faith in our life for cross-ing and overcoming the walls ofunbelief, indifference, fear, or sin.Our mortal life is the time for mento meet God by building a bridge offaith, opening the door into immor-tality and eternal life.
How do we build such a bridge offaith?
When I was a young man living ina city called Namur in Belgium, therewas a large river separating it from anadjacent city on the other side of theriver. At that time, only one bridgeconnected the two cities. It had beenbuilt and rebuilt over the remnants of
a bridge built centuries before by the
Members of the First Presidency confer before a session of conference: President Gordon B. Hinckley (center);President Thomas S. Monson, First Counselor (left); President James E. Faust, Second Counselor (right).
Roman conquerors. It had becometoo narrow for the traffic, and therewere too many small arches to allowthe passage of large boats and barges.A new bridge was necessary, widerand with only one arch. The work toestablish the foundations soon startedon both sides of the river. Rapidly, twohuge metallic arms began to stretchfrom each side with the aim to meettogether in the middle of the river. I was fascinated by the engineeringand rode my bicycle almost every day to watch the progress of thework. Finally the day came when thecenterpiece, a cornerstone made ofsteel, was going to link the two armstogether. Crowds were now watchingwith me the delicate operation, thefinal step that would join the twoarms together and permit crossing thebridge for the first time. When it tookplace, people applauded, workersembraced; the obstacle of the riverhad been conquered and overcome.
I mention this experience be-cause of the symbolism that it repre-sents. The bridge is more than abridge of metal. It symbolizes thebridge of faith enabling us, childrenof our Heavenly Father, to meet
Him again. The centerpiece of thebridge, the cornerstone, representsthe Atonement of Jesus Christ, theMediator, the link between mortalityand immortality, the connectionbetween the natural man and thespiritual man, the change from tem-poral life to eternal life. It is becauseof Him that mankind can be recon-ciled with their Heavenly Fatherand that we can overcome the wallsof sin and mortality, these obstaclesthat represent spiritual and physicaldeath. The Atonement of JesusChrist is the centerpiece of the planof salvation, the promised reunionwith our Heavenly Father, as weread in the book of Moses: “This isthe plan of salvation unto all men,through the blood of mine OnlyBegotten, who shall come in themeridian of time” (Moses 6:62).
The love of God, the other side ofthe bridge, is the reward of our faithin His Son, Jesus the Christ. “God soloved the world, that he gave hisonly begotten Son” (John 3:16). Thegreatest of all the gifts of God is thesupreme sacrifice of His Son, HisAtonement, that brings not onlyimmortality but also eternal life if wekeep His commandments and
endure to the end (see D&C 14:7).J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 2
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And so, as we attempt to build a bridge of faith, we need to build in our lives a firm testimony of the Father and the Son and HisAtonement. This bridge of faith willmake a difference between the realityof eternal reunion with our HeavenlyFather or eternal separation fromHim if we erect walls of sin that turnus away from His love and mercy.
The gift of the Holy Ghost is thefoundation of the bridge of faith.Salvation comes only by Jesus Christand by our divine exercise of faith inHim, allowing us to repent of our sinsand to receive the ordinances of sal-vation, the railings of the bridge. Theinner feelings and promptings toovercome the obstacles of life and tomake righteous choices will come bylistening to the voice of the HolyGhost. Crossing the bridge of faithmay not be as easy as we may think.A bridge will only resist the stormsbecause of the strength of the pillarsof its foundation. Storms in life, crisesof faith—such as death, serious ill-ness, loss of a job or financial security—are part of our mortal existence.Sometimes these crises may be exac-erbated to the point where one may
even question the very existence of a
God and of a Savior. A cry forincreased faith at such a time willalways be answered by the Comforter,which is the Holy Ghost, a “constantcompanion, . . . an unchangingscepter of righteousness and truth”(D&C 121:46).
Yes, the solutions to our dailyproblems can always be found bydaily seeking, by our faith, the influ-ence of the Holy Ghost, who bringsall things to our remembrance (seeJohn 14:26). Let me illustrate thispoint by quoting from a letter writ-ten many years ago by a new convertat that time and addressed toPresident Harold B. Lee after hespoke at a stake conference: “As youspoke, an idea kept repeating itself in my mind: how life as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ ofLatter-day Saints is like crossing aswinging bridge suspended betweenthe points of birth by baptism intothe Church and death into eternallife over the turbulent stream ofworldliness and sin. As one starts outonto the bridge, the nearness of his
baptism lends a feeling of securityand faith, but as one becomes awareof the stream below and the vastexpanse to be crossed, the sense ofsecurity gives way to spasmodictwinges of doubt and fear, causingone to lose the rhythm of prayer,faith, and love, and work whichmakes one’s progress smooth. Themists of doubt and apathy arise andcorrode one’s heart and mind,impeding one’s progress and restrict-ing one’s response to the magneticforce of love which streams acrossthe bridge. It is then one breaks stepand falls to his knees and hangs onuntil the force of love restores faithand direction to the crossing” (inConference Report, Apr. 1965, 15).
Finally, a bridge of faith wouldnot be complete without the linkingof parents and children, unitingthem to achieve an eternal family.The purpose of building this bridgeof faith between generations is sothey become one, as the Father andthe Son are one—one in purpose inachieving life eternal. In order to doso, commandments are given to us:
first, for children to honor theirL I A H O N A
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father and their mother, then forparents to teach their children “towalk uprightly before the Lord”(D&C 68:28). Let me illustrate:
As a little boy during the SecondWorld War, my country had beeninvaded; danger was all around us.My mother taught me a great lessonof trust and unity that I have neverforgotten. She alerted me to the per-ils of war and simply said: “Trust myword and follow me; listen to myvoice. If you do so, I will protect youthe best I know how.” I simply lis-tened to my mother because I lovedher and trusted her.
A little later, school started, andthis, for me, was a new bridge tocross. As a preparation for this newexperience in my life, leaving thehome, my mother told me to listen tomy teacher and to be obedient.Again, I trusted my mother’s advice. Idecided to be obedient to my teacherand a new code of rules. Schooltherefore became a bridge of knowl-edge instead of a wall of ignorance.
That lesson of trust and unity wasvital to become one with my parents,family members, and teachers. Itallowed me later to become one withmy Savior by being baptized into HisChurch. It reminded me as a hus-band, father, and grandfather to con-tinue to build trust and unity amongour family members by keeping thetemple covenants. As PresidentHinckley has stated: “The temple isconcerned with things of immortality.It is a bridge between this life and thenext” (Stand a Little Taller [2001], 6).
In our day, it is so easy to isolateourselves by erecting temporal, spiri-tual, and even family or religiouswalls. Let us instead build morebridges of faith, of reconciliation,and live by the peace that is given“not as the world giveth” (John14:27), but by Jesus Christ, the Sonof God. He is the bridge of faithunto eternity.
I testify that Jesus is the Christ; Iput my trust in Him and in Hisgospel of salvation to be reunitedsomeday. In the name of Jesus
Christ, amen. �
It Is Not Good forMan or Woman toBe AloneSheri L. DewSecond Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency
“No marriage or family, no ward or stake is likely to reach itsfull potential until husbands and wives, mothers and fathers,men and women work together in unity of purpose.”
For nearly five years, I havehad the blessing of servingwith Relief Society sisters and
priesthood leaders from Africa tothe Amazon. These experienceswith you have reinforced for me theimportance of a fundamental gospelprinciple. I wish to direct my re-marks about this principle especiallyto the young adult men and womenof the Church, who are embarkingupon a most demanding phase oftheir lives.
This summer I injured a shoulderand lost the use of an arm for weeks.
I hadn’t realized how much one armdepends upon the other for balance,or how much less I could lift withone arm than two, or that therewere some things I couldn’t do atall. This disability not only renewedmy respect for those who deal sowell with a physical limitation, buthelped me realize how much moretwo arms working together can do.
Two are usually better than one,1
as our Father confirmed when Hedeclared that “it was not good thatthe man should be alone”2 andmade a help meet for Adam—some-one with distinct gifts who wouldgive him balance, help him shoulderthe burdens of mortality, and enablehim to do things he couldn’t doalone. For “neither is the man with-out the woman, neither the womanwithout the man, in the Lord.”3
Satan understands the power ofmen and women united in righ-teousness. He is still stinging fromhis banishment into eternal exileafter Michael led the hosts ofheaven, comprised of valiant menand women united in the cause ofChrist, against him. In the chillingwords of Peter, “The devil, as a roar-ing lion, walketh about, seekingwhom he may devour.”4 Lucifer isdetermined to devour marriages and
families, because their demiseJ A N U A R Y 2 0 0 2
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threatens the salvation of allinvolved and the vitality of theLord’s kingdom itself. Thus, Satanseeks to confuse us about our stew-ardships and distinctive natures asmen and women. He bombards uswith bizarre messages about gender,marriage, family, and all male -female relationships. He would haveus believe men and women are soalike that our unique gifts are notnecessary, or so different we cannever hope to understand eachother. Neither is true.
Our Father knew exactly whatHe was doing when He created us.He made us enough alike to loveeach other, but enough differentthat we would need to unite ourstrengths and stewardships to createa whole. Neither man nor woman isperfect or complete without theother. Thus, no marriage or family,no ward or stake is likely to reach itsfull potential until husbands andwives, mothers and fathers, menand women work together in unityof purpose, respecting and relyingupon each other’s strengths.
These truths about the divinelyappointed stewardships of men andwomen are largely lost on the worldtoday. You will not find them on aTV sitcom or even, sadly, in somehomes and wards. But they are notlost to the Lord, who has given us “apattern in all things, that [we] maynot be deceived.”5 The Lord’s pat-tern for couples and in large mea-sure men and women servingtogether in His kingdom was estab-lished by our first parents. TogetherAdam and Eve labored,6 mourned,7
were obedient, had children,8 taughttheir posterity the gospel,9 calledupon the name of the Lord, “heardthe voice of the Lord,”10 blessed thename of God,11 and dedicated them-selves to God. Repeatedly the scrip-tures about Adam and Eve refer tothe pronoun they.
Neither Adam with his priest-hood nor Eve with her motherhoodcould bring about the Fall alone.Their unique roles were intercon-
nected. They counseled with one
another, lifted burdens neither couldhave lifted alone, and then faced thewilderness, with all of its uncertainty,together. This is the Lord’s patternfor righteous men and women.
Now, some of us encounter lifecircumstances that are less thanideal. I understand this. I personallydeal with this. And yet, my dearyoung friends, in whose hands reststhe future of the Church and itsfamilies, I must tell you that yourunderstanding of this divine patternwill affect your marriage, your fam-ily, your ability to help build thekingdom, and your eternal life.
My young sisters, some will try to persuade you that because you are not ordained to the priesthoodyou have been shortchanged. Theyare simply wrong, and they do notunderstand the gospel of JesusChrist. The blessings of the priest-hood are available to every righteousman and woman. We may all receivethe Holy Ghost, obtain personal rev-elation, and be endowed in the tem-ple, from which we emerge “armed”with power.12 The power of the
priesthood heals, protects, and in-oculates all of the righteous againstthe powers of darkness. Most signifi-cantly, the fulness of the priesthoodcontained in the highest ordinancesof the house of the Lord can only bereceived by a man and womantogether.13 Said President Harold B.Lee: “Pure womanhood plus priest-hood means exaltation. But woman-hood without priesthood, orpriesthood without pure woman-hood doesn’t spell exaltation.”14
Sisters, we as women are notdiminished by priesthood power, weare magnified by it. I know this istrue, for I have experienced it againand again.
Your future husbands and themen with whom you serve will needthe support only you can give. Youhave an inner spiritual strength thatPresident James E. Faust said equalsand even surpasses that of men.15 Donot abdicate your spiritual responsi-bility. Your faith will preach com-pelling sermons. No amount of timein front of the mirror will make youas attractive as having the Holy
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Ghost with you. Bless your familyand the Church as only a woman of God can—with virtue, faith,integrity, and constant compassion.
Young men, your ordination tothe priesthood is a grand privilegeand responsibility, and not a licenseto dominate. Be unfailingly worthyto exercise this godly power, which isgiven you to be of service. A man isnever more magnificent than whenhe is guided by the Spirit to honorthe priesthood he holds.
If you will marry a virtuouswoman who can hear the voice ofthe Lord, she will bless your lifeevery day of your life. Consider Eve.She was the first to see that the fruitof the tree was good, and after par-taking, she “gave unto her husband . . . , and he did eat.”16 Were it notfor Eve, our progression would haveceased. Elder Dallin H. Oaks statedthat her act was “a glorious necessity[that opened] the doorway towardeternal life. Adam showed his wis-dom by doing the same.”17
Young men, you will preside athome and in the Church. But behumble enough to listen to andlearn from the women in your life.They will provide insight, balance,and unique wisdom. And whenchallenges come, you will see howresilient a woman committed to Godthe Father and Jesus Christ is.
This divine pattern for men andwomen that strengthens marriagesand families also fortifies theChurch. For the Church cannotachieve the full measure of its cre-ation unless both faithful men whobear the priesthood and righteouswomen who rejoice in serving underthe direction of the priesthood worktogether. Time and again I haveexperienced this joy.
I think of a meeting in Brazilwhere I had a translator who wasunsure of her ability to convert myEnglish into Portuguese. But as itturned out, she and I communicatedwith ease. After the meeting I foundout why. I learned that not only hadthe General Authority who presided
been literally on the edge of his
NOTES1. See Eccl. 4:9.2. Moses 3:18; see also Abr. 5:14.3. 1 Cor. 11:11.4. 1 Pet. 5:8.5. D&C 52:14.6. See Moses 5:1.7. See Moses 5:27.8. See 2 Ne. 2:20.9. See Moses 5:12.10. Moses 5:4.11. See Moses 5:12.12. See D&C 109:22.13. See D&C 131:1–4; D&C
132:19–20.14. The Teachings of Harold B. Lee
(1996), 292.15. See “What It Means to Be a
Daughter of God,” Liahona, January 2000,123.
16. Moses 4:12.17. “The Great Plan of Happiness,”
Ensign, Nov. 1993, 73.
A view from the rostrum area behind the Quorums of the Seventy shows the Conference Center filled to capacity.
seat behind us the entire meeting,prompting the translator when nec-essary, but he had also assignedanother priesthood leader to pray forboth of us throughout the meeting.
That General Authority created asafety net of support so that I couldfulfill the assignment he had givenme. Such a circle of support has noend, because there is no end to thegood works of righteous men andwomen who respect each other andwho thrust in their sickles and reap,side by side, in the Lord’s vineyard.If we are going to build the kingdomof God, we as men and women ofGod must build each other. There is no challenge—with activation,retention, families, or anything—that we can’t solve when we counseltogether in councils and help eachother lift the load.
My dear young friends, learn theLord’s pattern for men and womennow. Ponder the scriptural accountsof Adam and Eve and see what theLord will teach you that willstrengthen your marriage, your fam-
ily, and your Church service. Recentdevastating events in the UnitedStates seem to indicate difficult daysahead. But they are days that will befilled with confidence and courage ifthe men and women of your genera-tion unite in righteousness as neverbefore. There is no limit to what youcan accomplish if you will worktogether, equally yoked, under theguidance of the priesthood.
Our Father’s patterns help usavoid deception. Look to the Lordand not to the world for your ideasand ideals about men and women.For, my young friends, you are themothers, fathers, and leaders whowere reserved for this unprecedentedtime because our Father knows you,and He knows you have what it takesto face the world and to be fearless inbuilding the kingdom. Do it together,for it is not good for man or womanto be alone. Lift each other, andtogether you will be able to lift thebeautiful burdens of mortality andhave glory added upon your headsforever.18 The Lord must have righ-teous men and righteous women to
build His kingdom. I know that thisJ A N U A R Y 2 0 0 2
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is so. God is our Father. His OnlyBegotten Son is the Christ. This isTheir work and Their glory. In thename of Jesus Christ, amen. �
18. See Abr. 3:26.
PrayerElder Henry B. EyringOf the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
“With . . . faith, we will be able to pray for what we want andappreciate whatever we get. Only with that faith will we praywith the diligence God requires.”
The world seems to be incommotion. There are warsand rumors of wars. The
economies of whole continents arefaltering. Crops are failing from lackof rain in places all over the earth.And the people in peril haveflooded heaven with prayers. In pub-lic and in private, they are petition-ing God for help, for comfort, andfor direction.
You have probably noticed, as Ihave in recent days, that prayershave not only become more numer-ous but more heartfelt. I often amseated on the stand in a meeting nearthe person who has been asked topray. I have listened recently withwonder. The words spoken are clearlyinspired by God, both eloquent andwise. And the tone is that of a lovingchild seeking help, not as we might
from an earthly parent but from anall-powerful Heavenly Father whoknows our needs before we ask.
Such a turning to fervent prayerwhen the world seems out of joint isas old as mankind. In times oftragedy and danger, people turn toGod in prayer. Even the ancientKing David would recognize what ishappening. You remember his wordsfrom the book of Psalms:
“The Lord also will be a refugefor the oppressed, a refuge in timesof trouble.
“And they that know thy namewill put their trust in thee: for thou,Lord, hast not forsaken them thatseek thee.”1
The great increase in heartfeltprayer, and the public acceptance ofit, has been remarkable to me and toothers. More than once in recentdays, someone has said to me withgreat intensity and with a sound ofworry in the voice, “I hope that thechange lasts.”
That worry is justified. Our ownpersonal experience and God’srecord of His dealing with His chil-dren teaches us that. Dependenceon God can fade quickly whenprayers are answered. And when thetrouble lessens, so do the prayers.The Book of Mormon repeats thatsad story over and over again.
From the book of Helaman, “O,how could you have forgotten yourGod in the very day that he hasdelivered you?”2 And later from thesame book, after God had answeredprayers with gracious kindness, the
awful pattern is described again:L I A H O N A
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“And thus we can behold howfalse, and also the unsteadiness ofthe hearts of the children of men;yea, we can see that the Lord in hisgreat infinite goodness doth blessand prosper those who put theirtrust in him.
“Yea, and we may see at the verytime when he doth prosper his peo-ple, yea, in the increase of theirfields, their flocks and their herds,and in gold, and in silver, and in allmanner of precious things of everykind and art; sparing their lives, anddelivering them out of the hands oftheir enemies; softening the heartsof their enemies that they shouldnot declare wars against them; yea,and in fine, doing all things for thewelfare and happiness of his people;yea, then is the time that they doharden their hearts, and do forgetthe Lord their God, and do trampleunder their feet the Holy One—yea,and this because of their ease, andtheir exceedingly great prosperity.
“And thus we see that except theLord doth chasten his people withmany afflictions, yea, except he dothvisit them with death and with ter-ror, and with famine and with allmanner of pestilence, they will notremember him.”3
And now, from the next words ofthat same scripture, we learn why itis we forget so easily the source ofour blessings and cease to feel ourneed to pray with faith:
“O how foolish, and how vain,and how evil, and devilish, and howquick to do iniquity, and how slowto do good, are the children of men;yea, how quick to hearken unto thewords of the evil one, and to settheir hearts upon the vain things ofthe world!
“Yea, how quick to be lifted up inpride; yea, how quick to boast, anddo all manner of that which is iniq-uity; and how slow are they toremember the Lord their God, andto give ear unto his counsels, yea,how slow to walk in wisdom’s paths!
“Behold, they do not desire thatthe Lord their God, who hath cre-
ated them, should rule and reign
Conference goers walk past the Salt Lake Temple on their way to theConference Center.
over them; notwithstanding hisgreat goodness and his mercytowards them, they do set at naughthis counsels, and they will not thathe should be their guide.”4
From those three short verses ofscripture, we see three causes for thesad drift away from humble prayer.First, while God implores us to pray,the enemy of our souls belittles andthen derides it. The warning from 2 Nephi is true: “And now, mybeloved brethren, I perceive that yeponder still in your hearts; and itgrieveth me that I must speak con-cerning this thing. For if ye wouldhearken unto the Spirit which tea-cheth a man to pray ye would knowthat ye must pray; for the evil spiritteacheth not a man to pray, but tea-cheth him that he must not pray.”5
Second, God is forgotten out ofvanity. A little prosperity and peace,or even a turn slightly for the better, can bring us feelings of self-sufficiency. We can feel quickly thatwe are in control of our lives, that thechange for the better is our owndoing, not that of a God who commu-nicates to us through the still, smallvoice of the Spirit. Pride creates anoise within us which makes thequiet voice of the Spirit hard to hear.And soon, in our vanity, we no longereven listen for it. We can comequickly to think we don’t need it.
The third cause is rooted deeplywithin us. We are spirit children of aloving Heavenly Father who placedus in mortality to see if we wouldchoose—freely choose—to keep Hiscommandments and come unto HisBeloved Son. They do not compel us.They cannot, for that would interferewith the plan of happiness. And sothere is in us a God-given desire tobe responsible for our own choices.
That desire to make our ownchoices is part of the upward pulltoward eternal life. But it can, if wesee life only through our mortaleyes, make dependence on God dif-ficult or even impossible when wefeel such a powerful desire to beindependent. This true doctrine can
sound hard:“For the natural man is an enemyto God, and has been from the fallof Adam, and will be, forever andever, unless he yields to the entic-ings of the Holy Spirit, and puttethoff the natural man and becometh asaint through the atonement ofChrist the Lord, and becometh as achild, submissive, meek, humble,patient, full of love, willing to sub-mit to all things which the Lordseeth fit to inflict upon him, even asa child doth submit to his father.”6
Those who submit like a child doit because they know that the Fatherwants only the happiness of Hischildren and that only He knowsthe way. That is the testimony we
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submissive child, in the good timesas well as the times of trouble.
With that faith, we will be able topray for what we want and appreci-ate whatever we get. Only with thatfaith will we pray with the diligenceGod requires. When God has com-manded us to pray, He has usedwords like “pray unceasingly” and“pray always” and “mighty prayer.”
Those commands do not requireusing many words. In fact, theSavior has told us that we need not multiply words when we pray.The diligence in prayer which Godrequires does not take floweryspeech nor long hours of solitude.That is taught clearly in Alma in the
Book of Mormon:
“Yea, and when you do not cryunto the Lord, let your hearts befull, drawn out in prayer unto himcontinually for your welfare, andalso for the welfare of those who arearound you.”7
Our hearts can only be drawn outto God when they are filled withlove for Him and trust in His good-ness. Joseph Smith, even as a boy,gave us an example of how we cancome to pray from a heart filled withthe love of God and then prayunceasingly through a life filled withtrials and blessings.
Joseph started for the grove to praywith faith that a loving God wouldanswer his prayer and relieve his con-fusion. He gained that assurancereading the word of God and receiv-ing a witness that it was true. He saidthat he read in James, “Let him ask ofGod, that giveth to all men liberally,and upbraideth not; and it shall begiven him.”8 His faith to ask of God inprayer came after pondering a scrip-ture which assured him of God’s lov-ing nature. He prayed, as we must,with faith in a loving God.
He prayed with the intent notonly to listen but to obey. He did notask only to know the truth. He wascommitted to act upon whateverGod would communicate to him. Hiswritten account makes clear that heprayed with real intent, determinedto comply with whatever answer hereceived. He wrote:
“Never did any passage of scrip-ture come with more power to theheart of man than this did at thistime to mine. It seemed to enterwith great force into every feeling ofmy heart. I reflected on it again andagain, knowing that if any personneeded wisdom from God, I did; forhow to act I did not know, andunless I could get more wisdom thanI then had, I would never know; forthe teachers of religion of the differ-ent sects understood the same pas-sages of scripture so differently as todestroy all confidence in settling thequestion by an appeal to the Bible.”9
The Father and His Beloved Son
appeared to him in answer to hisprayer. And he was told how to act,as he had desired. He obeyed like achild. He was told to join none of thechurches. He did as he was told. Andbecause of his faithfulness, in thedays and months and years ahead hisprayers were answered with a flood oflight and truth. The fulness of thegospel of Jesus Christ and the keys ofthe kingdom of God were restored tothe earth. His humble dependenceon God led to the Restoration of thegospel, with authority and sacredordinances. Because of that Res-toration, we have the chance tochoose the most priceless indepen-dence to be free of the bondage of sinthrough the cleansing power of theAtonement of Jesus Christ.
Joseph Smith’s mission was unique,yet his humble prayer can be a help-ful model for us. He began, as wemust, with faith in a loving God whocan and wants to communicate withus and help us. That faith wasrooted in impressions which came to him as he pondered the words of God’s servants in the scriptures.We can and must go often and
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carefully to the word of God. If webecome casual in our study of thescriptures, we will become casual inour prayers.
We may not cease to pray, but ourprayers will become more repetitive,more mechanical, lacking real intent.Our hearts cannot be drawn out to aGod we do not know, and the scrip-tures and the words of livingprophets help us know Him. As weknow Him better, we love Him more.
We must also serve Him to loveHim. Joseph Smith did that, finallysurrendering life itself in His service.Joseph prayed with the intent toobey. That obedience always includesservice to others. Service in God’swork allows us to feel a part of whatHe feels and come to know Him.
“For how knoweth a man themaster whom he has not served, andwho is a stranger unto him, and isfar from the thoughts and intents ofhis heart?”10 As our love for Himincreases, so will our desire toapproach the Father in prayer.
The words and the music of thisconference will lead you to do what
The Atonement: Our Greatest HopePresident James E. FaustSecond Counselor in the First Presidency
“Our salvation depends on believing in and accepting theAtonement. Such acceptance requires a continual effort tounderstand it more fully.”
will strengthen you against the dan-ger of a drift away from heartfeltprayer. From what you hear you willfeel promptings to go to the scrip-tures. Follow the promptings. Youwill be reminded in this conferenceof service you committed to givewhen you entered the waters of bap-tism. Choose to obey.
If you ponder the scriptures andbegin to do what you covenantedwith God to do, I can promise youthat you will feel more love for Godand more of His love for you. Andwith that, your prayers will comefrom the heart, full of thanks and ofpleading. You will feel a greaterdependence on God. You will find thecourage and the determination to actin His service, without fear and withpeace in your heart. You will prayalways. And you will not forget Him,no matter what the future brings.
I bear you my testimony that Godthe Father lives. He loves us. Hehears our prayers, and He answerswith what is best for us. As we cometo know Him through His words andin His service, we will love Himmore. I know that is true.
The fulness of the gospel of JesusChrist and the true Church of JesusChrist have been restored throughthe Prophet Joseph Smith. The keysof the priesthood are only in thisChurch. I know as surely as I livethat President Gordon B. Hinckleyholds and exercises the keys on theearth. Jesus Christ lives—I knowthat—and He leads His Churchtoday. He will teach you through Hisservants in this conference.
In the sacred name of JesusChrist, amen. �
M
NOTES1. Ps. 9:9–10.2. Hel. 7:20.3. Hel. 12:1–3.4. Hel. 12:4–6.5. 2 Ne. 32:8.6. Mosiah 3:19.7. Alma 34:27.8. James 1:5; see JS—H 1:11.9. JS—H 1:12.10. Mosiah 5:13.
y beloved brothers andsisters and friends, I comehumbly to this pulpit this
morning because I wish to speakabout the greatest event in all his-tory. That singular event was theincomparable Atonement of ourLord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.This was the most transcendent actthat has ever taken place, yet it isthe most difficult to understand. My reason for wanting to learn all Ican about the Atonement is partlyselfish: Our salvation depends onbelieving in and accepting the Atone-ment.1 Such acceptance requires a continual effort to understand it more fully. The Atonementadvances our mortal course of learn-
ing by making it possible for ourJ A N U A R Y 2 0 0 2
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natures to become perfect.2 All of ushave sinned and need to repent tofully pay our part of the debt. Whenwe sincerely repent, the Savior’smagnificent Atonement pays the restof that debt.3
Paul gave a simple explanation forthe need of the Atonement: “For asin Adam all die, even so in Christshall all be made alive.”4 Jesus Christwas appointed and foreordained to beour Redeemer before the world wasformed. With His divine sonship, Hissinless life, the shedding of His bloodin the Garden of Gethsemane, Hisexcruciating death on the cross andsubsequent bodily Resurrection fromthe grave, He became the author ofour salvation and made a perfectAtonement for all mankind.5
Understanding what we can of theAtonement and the Resurrection ofChrist helps us to obtain a knowledgeof Him and of His mission.6 Anyincrease in our understanding of Hisatoning sacrifice draws us closer toHim. Literally, the Atonement meansto be “at one” with Him. The natureof the Atonement and its effects is soinfinite, so unfathomable, and so pro-found that it lies beyond the knowl-edge and comprehension of mortalman. I am profoundly grateful for theprinciple of saving grace. Many peo-ple think they need only confess thatJesus is the Christ and then they aresaved by grace alone. We cannot be
saved by grace alone, “for we know
that it is by grace that we are saved,after all we can do.”7
Some years ago, PresidentGordon B. Hinckley told “somethingof a parable” about “a one roomschool house in the mountains ofVirginia where the boys were sorough no teacher had been able tohandle them.
“Then one day an inexperiencedyoung teacher applied. He was toldthat every teacher had received anawful beating, but the teacheraccepted the risk. The first day ofschool the teacher asked the boysto establish their own rules and thepenalty for breaking the rules. Theclass came up with 10 rules, whichwere written on the blackboard.Then the teacher asked, ‘Whatshall we do with one who breaksthe rules?’
“ ‘Beat him across the back tentimes without his coat on,’ came theresponse.
“A day or so later, . . . the lunch ofa big student, named Tom, was stolen.‘The thief was located—a little hun-gry fellow, about ten years old.’
“As Little Jim came up to take hislicking, he pleaded to keep his coaton. ‘Take your coat off,’ the teachersaid. ‘You helped make the rules!’
“The boy took off the coat. Hehad no shirt and revealed a bony lit-tle crippled body. As the teacherhesitated with the rod, Big Tomjumped to his feet and volunteeredto take the boy’s licking.
“ ‘Very well, there is a certain lawthat one can become a substitute foranother. Are you all agreed?’ theteacher asked.
“After five strokes across Tom’sback, the rod broke. The class wassobbing. ‘Little Jim had reached upand caught Tom with both armsaround his neck. “Tom, I’m sorrythat I stole your lunch, but I wasawful hungry. Tom, I will love youtill I die for taking my licking forme! Yes, I will love you forever!” ’ ”8
President Hinckley then quotedIsaiah:
“Surely he hath borne our griefs,
and carried our sorrows. . . .“. . . He was wounded for ourtransgressions, he was bruised forour iniquities: the chastisement ofour peace was upon him; and withhis stripes we are healed.”9
No man knows the full weight ofwhat our Savior bore, but by thepower of the Holy Ghost we canknow something of the supernal giftHe gave us.10 In the words of oursacrament hymn:
We may not know, we cannot tell,What pains he had to bear,But we believe it was for usHe hung and suffered there.11
He suffered so much pain, “in-describable anguish,” and “over-powering torture”12 for our sake. Hisprofound suffering in the Garden ofGethsemane, where He took uponHimself all the sins of all othermortals, caused Him “to tremblebecause of pain, and to bleed atevery pore, and to suffer both bodyand spirit.”13 “And being in an agonyhe prayed more earnestly,”14 saying,“O my Father, if this cup may notpass away from me, except I drink it,thy will be done.”15 He was betrayedby Judas Iscariot and denied byPeter. He was mocked by the chiefpriests and officers; He was stripped,smitten, spat upon, and scourged inthe judgment hall.16
He was led to Golgotha, wherenails were driven into His handsand feet. He hung in agony forhours on a wooden cross bearingthe title written by Pilate: “JESUSOF NAZARETH THE KING OFTHE JEWS.”17 Darkness came, and“about the ninth hour Jesus criedwith a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli,lama sabachthani? that is to say, MyGod, my God, why hast thou for-saken me?”18 No one could helpHim; He was treading the winepressalone.19 Then “Jesus, when he hadcried again with a loud voice,yielded up the ghost.”20 And “one ofthe soldiers with a spear pierced hisside, and forthwith came there outblood and water.”21 “The earth did
quake” and “when the centurion,L I A H O N A
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and they that were with him,watching Jesus, saw the earthquake,and those things that were done,they feared greatly, saying, Truly thiswas the Son of God.”22 In the wordsof the hymn, “Let me not forget, OSavior, / Thou didst bleed and diefor me.”23 I wonder how many dropswere shed for me.
What He did could only be doneby Deity. As the Only Begotten Sonof the Father in the flesh, Jesusinherited divine attributes. He wasthe only person ever born into mor-tality who could perform this mostsignificant and supernal act. As theonly sinless Man who ever lived onthis earth, He was not subject tospiritual death. Because of His god-hood, He also possessed power overphysical death. Thus He did for uswhat we cannot do for ourselves. Hebroke the cold grasp of death. Healso made it possible for us to havethe supreme and serene comfort ofthe gift of the Holy Ghost.24
The Atonement and the Res-urrection accomplish many things.The Atonement cleanses us of sin on condition of our repentance.Repentance is the condition onwhich mercy is extended.25 After allwe can do to pay to the uttermostfarthing and make right our wrongs,the Savior’s grace is activated in our lives through the Atonement,which purifies us and can perfect us.26
Christ’s Resurrection overcame deathand gave us the assurance of life afterdeath. Said He: “I am the resurrec-tion, and the life: he that believeth inme, though he were dead, yet shallhe live.”27 The Resurrection is uncon-ditional and applies to all who haveever lived and ever will live.28 It is a free gift. President John Taylordescribed this well when he said:“The tombs will be opened and thedead will hear the voice of the Son ofGod, and they shall come forth, theywho have done good to the resurrec-tion of the just, and they who havedone evil to the resurrection of theunjust.”29
With reference to our mortal acts
and the Atonement, President
President Gordon B. Hinckley waves to the congregation gathered in the Conference Center. Behind him are(from left) Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Elder Robert D. Hales, and Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the TwelveApostles and President Thomas S. Monson and President James E. Faust, counselors in the First Presidency.
J. Reuben Clark Jr. contributed thisvaluable insight when he said:
“I feel that [the Savior] will givethat punishment which is the veryleast that our transgression will jus-tify. I believe that he will bring intohis justice all of the infinite love andblessing and mercy and kindness andunderstanding which he has. . . .
“And on the other hand, I believethat when it comes to making therewards for our good conduct, hewill give us the maximum that it ispossible to give, having in mind theoffense which we have committed.”30
As Isaiah wrote, if we will returnunto the Lord, “he will abundantlypardon.”31
We are commanded to rememberthe singular events of the mediation,Crucifixion, and the Atonement bypartaking of the sacrament weekly.In the spirit of the sacramentalprayers, we partake of the bread andwater in remembrance of the bodyand the blood sacrificed for us, andwe are to remember Him and keep
His commandments so that we mayalways have His Spirit to be with us.Our Redeemer took upon Him-
self all the sins, pains, infirmities,and sicknesses of all who have everlived and will ever live.32 No one hasever suffered in any degree what Hedid. He knows our mortal trials byfirsthand experience. It is a bit likeus trying to climb Mount Everestand only getting up the first fewfeet. But He has climbed all 29,000feet to the top of the mountain. Hesuffered more than any other mortalcould.
The Atonement not only benefitsthe sinner but also benefits thosesinned against—that is, the victims.By forgiving “those who trespassagainst us” (JST, Matt. 6:13) theAtonement brings a measure of peaceand comfort to those who have beeninnocently victimized by the sins ofothers. The basic source for the heal-ing of the soul is the Atonement ofJesus Christ. This is true whether it befrom the pain of a personal tragedy ora terrible national calamity such as we
have recently experienced in NewJ A N U A R Y 2 0 0 2
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York and Washington, D.C., and nearPittsburgh.
A sister who had been through a painful divorce wrote of herexperience in drawing from theAtonement. She said: “Our divorce . . . did not release me from the obli-gation to forgive. I truly wanted todo it, but it was as if I had beencommanded to do something ofwhich I was simply incapable.” Herbishop gave her some sound advice:“Keep a place in your heart for for-giveness, and when it comes, wel-come it in.” Many months passed asthis struggle to forgive continued.She recalled: “During those long,prayerful moments . . . I tapped intoa life-giving source of comfort frommy loving Heavenly Father. I sensethat he was not standing by glaringat me for not having accomplishedforgiveness yet; rather he was sor-rowing with me as I wept. . . .
“In the final analysis, what hap-pened in my heart is for me an amaz-ing and miraculous evidence of the
Atonement of Christ. I had always
NOTES1. See Mosiah 4:6–7.2. See Moro. 10:32.3. See 2 Ne. 25:23.4. 1 Cor. 15:22.5. See Bible Dictionary,
“Atonement,” 617.6. See Jacob 4:12.7. 2 Ne. 25:23; emphasis added.8. “Pres. Hinckley: Christmas a Result
of Redeeming Christ,” Church News,10 Dec. 1994, 4.
9. Isa. 53:4–5.10. See 1 Cor. 12:3.11. “There Is a Green Hill Far Away,”
Hymns, no. 194.12. John Taylor, The Mediation and
Atonement (1882), 150.13. D&C 19:18.14. Luke 22:44.15. Matt. 26:42.16. See Matt. 26:47–75; 27:28–31.17. John 19:19.18. Matt. 27:46.19. See D&C 133:50.20. Matt. 27:50.21. John 19:34.22. Matt. 27:51, 54.23. “In Humility, Our Savior,” Hymns,
no. 172.24. See John 15:26.25. See Alma 42:22–25.26. See 2 Ne. 25:23; Alma 34:15–16;
42:22–24; Moro. 10:32–33.27. John 11:25.28. See Acts 24:15.29. The Gospel Kingdom, sel. G. Homer
Durham (1943), 118. See also John5:28–29.
30. “As Ye Sow . . . ,” Brigham YoungUniversity Speeches of the Year (3 May1955), 7.
31. Isa. 55:7.32. See Alma 7:11–12.33. Name Withheld, “My Journey to
Forgiving,” Ensign, Feb. 1997, 42–43.34. Alma 7:12.35. See Alma 7:11.36. See Alma 26:15; Morm. 5:11; 6:17;
viewed the Atonement as a means ofmaking repentance work for the sin-ner. I had not realized that it alsomakes it possible for the one sinnedagainst to receive into his or herheart the sweet peace of forgiving.”33
The injured should do what theycan to work through their trials, andthe Savior will “succor his peopleaccording to their infirmities.”34 Hewill help us carry our burdens. Someinjuries are so hurtful and deep thatthey cannot be healed without helpfrom a higher power and hope forperfect justice and restitution in thenext life. Since the Savior has suf-fered anything and everything thatwe could ever feel or experience,35
He can help the weak to becomestronger. He has personally experi-enced all of it. He understands ourpain and will walk with us even inour darkest hours.
We long for the ultimate blessing
of the Atonement—to become onewith Him, to be in His divine pres-ence, to be called individually byname as He warmly welcomes ushome with a radiant smile, beckon-ing us with open arms to beenfolded in His boundless love.36
How gloriously sublime this experi-ence will be if we can feel worthyenough to be in His presence! Thefree gift of His great atoning sacri-fice for each of us is the only waywe can be exalted enough to standbefore Him and see Him face-to-face. The overwhelming message ofthe Atonement is the perfect lovethe Savior has for each and all ofus. It is a love which is full ofmercy, patience, grace, equity, long-suffering, and, above all, forgiving.
The evil influence of Satan woulddestroy any hope we have in over-coming our mistakes. He wouldhave us feel that we are lost andthat there is no hope. In contrast,
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up. Through our repentance and thegift of the Atonement, we can pre-pare to be worthy to stand in Hispresence. I so testify in the name ofJesus Christ, amen. �
Moses 7:63.
The Sustaining of Church OfficersPresident James E. FaustSecond Counselor in the First Presidency
Saturday Afternoon Session6 October 2001
A statue located on Temple Square memorializes the sacrifices of thehandcart pioneers.
My brothers and sisters,President Hinckley hasrequested that I now pre-
sent to you the General Authorities,Area Authority Seventies, and gen-eral auxiliary presidencies of theChurch for your sustaining vote.
It is proposed that we sustainGordon Bitner Hinckley as prophet,seer, and revelator and President ofThe Church of Jesus Christ ofLatter-day Saints; Thomas SpencerMonson as First Counselor in theFirst Presidency; and James EsdrasFaust as Second Counselor in theFirst Presidency. Those in favor maymanifest it. Those opposed, if any,may manifest it.
It is proposed that we sustainThomas Spencer Monson asPresident of the Quorum of theTwelve Apostles; Boyd Kenneth
Packer as Acting President of theQuorum of the Twelve Apostles; andthe following as members of thatquorum: Boyd K. Packer, L. TomPerry, David B. Haight, Neal A.Maxwell, Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks, M. Russell Ballard,Joseph B. Wirthlin, Richard G.Scott, Robert D. Hales, Jeffrey R.Holland, and Henry B. Eyring.Those in favor, please manifest it.Any opposed.
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It is proposed that we sustain the counselors in the First Presi-dency and the Twelve Apostles asprophets, seers, and revelators. Allin favor may manifest it. Contrary, ifthere be any, by the same sign.
It is proposed that we releaseElders L. Aldin Porter and Marlin K.Jensen as members of the Presi-dency of the Seventy. It is also proposed that we release Elders L. Aldin Porter, Vaughn J. Feather-stone, Rex D. Pinegar, John K.Carmack, and L. Lionel Kendrick as members of the First Quorum of the Seventy and designate themas emeritus members of the FirstQuorum of the Seventy. All whowish to join with us in doing so,please manifest it.
With gratitude for their service asmembers of the Second Quorum ofthe Seventy, we extend an honorablerelease to Elders Richard B. Wirth-lin, Richard E. Cook, Wayne M.Hancock, and Ray H. Wood and to
Faith of Our ProphetsElder David B. HaightOf the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
“What we need is the faith of Brigham Young and the faith of Gordon B. Hinckley and the faith of people who are our prophets and leaders.”
the following as Area AuthoritySeventies: Norman C. Boehm, Jess L.Christensen, Dale L. Dransfield,David W. Eka, James E. Griffin,Esteban Guevara, Ronald J.Hammond, Thomas A. Holt, ErnstHusz, Julio H. Jaramillo, Lloyd W.Jones, Seiji Katanuma, J. Grey Larkin,Haruyoshi Nakamura, Karl E. Nelson,Jesús Nieves, Rodrigo Obeso, James S.Olson, Glen A. Overton, William W.Parmley, Steven H. Pond, Michael T.Robinson, Jorge W. Ventura, andCraig T. Vincent. Those who wish tojoin in an expression of appreciation,please indicate by the uplifted hand.
It is proposed that we release witha vote of thanks Elders Marlin K.Jensen, Neil L. Andersen, and John H. Groberg as the SundaySchool general presidency; andElders Robert K. Dellenbach, F. Melvin Hammond, and John M.Madsen as the Young Men generalpresidency. All in favor, pleasesignify by the uplifted hand.
It is proposed that we sustainElders Charles Didier and Cecil O.Samuelson as members of thePresidency of the Seventy. All infavor, please manifest it. Anyopposed, by the same sign.
It is proposed that we sustainCarlos J. Garcia, R. Randall Huff,and John W. Yardley as AreaAuthority Seventies. All in favor,please manifest it. Any opposed.
It is proposed that we sustainElders Cecil O. Samuelson, John H.Groberg, and Richard J. Maynes asthe Sunday School general presi-dency and Elders F. MelvinHammond, Glenn L. Pace, andSpencer J. Condie as the Young Mengeneral presidency. All in favor,please manifest it. Any opposed.
It is proposed that we sustain theother General Authorities, AreaAuthority Seventies, and general aux-iliary presidencies as presently consti-tuted. Those in favor, please manifestit. Any opposed may manifest it.
It appears that the sustaining hasbeen unanimous in the affirmative.
Thank you, brothers and sisters,
I
for your faith and prayers. �
hope that you had a little burn-ing in your heart as I did when Iraised my hand in sustaining
President Hinckley as President ofthe Church and as prophet, seer,and revelator, and the other officersthat have been presented to you.What a wonderful and grand oppor-tunity that is for all of us to be ableto sustain our living prophet uponthe earth today—but not just to sitthere and raise your hand in a hap-hazard way, but to feel it in yourheart and soul that you not only sus-tain him but you endorse what hehas been doing and what he hasdone for us in representing us to theworld. We are thankful for the mar-velous and inspired way in which hehas communicated and spoken tothe world, particularly in these lastfew days and weeks.
A few years ago, when Arturo
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Toscanini was musical director ofthe New York Philharmonic Orches-tra in New York City, he had a Sat-urday afternoon radio broadcast.And one day he received in his maila crumpled little note on somebrownish paper which read:
“Dear Mr. Toscanini, I am alonely sheepherder in the mountainsof Wyoming. I have two prized pos-sessions: an old violin and a batteryradio. And the batteries are gettingweak and beginning to run down onmy radio, and my violin is so out oftune I can’t play it anymore. Wouldyou please sound an A nextSaturday on your program?”
The next week on the program,Arturo Toscanini announced: “To a newfound friend in the mountainsof Wyoming, the New York Phil-harmonic Orchestra is now, alltogether and in unison, going tosound a perfect A.” And theysounded the perfect A. Then thatlonely little man was able to tune theA string and then the E string andthe D and the G from that perfect A.
Isn’t it interesting to reflect in ourown lives and in the lives of themany people who may hear me atthis time—those whose violin orlives may be a little out of tune—that we are able to come to a gen-eral conference of the Church andhear the marvelous messages thatare spoken? Those of us who havethe opportunity to speak here praymightily that we would have theenergy and the strength and the
vitality even as I do, as I enter the
President Gordon B. Hinckley escorts his wife, Marjorie, out of theConference Center after a conference session. Following them arePresident Thomas S. Monson and President James E. Faust, counselors in the First Presidency, and President Boyd K. Packer, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
twilight of my life, to stand and bearwitness of the truthfulness of thiswork—because I am a witness of it.
I have had the opportunity—asmany of you have and as many ofyou would wish to have—of beingraised in a Mormon home and to bea product of the Church, and tohave had the opportunity to go outand live in the world and rub shoul-ders with people in many places,whether it would be in governmentor the corporate world or whatever,but to associate with people and tobe able to share with them the feel-ings that you have in your heart.
Often President Hinckley hassaid to us in some of our meetings,and I think he has said it publicly,that behind his desk he has a pictureof Brigham Young. Sometimes whenPresident Hinckley has had a busyday and a hard day of making many,many difficult decisions, he turns inhis chair and looks up at Brigham’spicture behind him and either asksout loud or in his own mind says,“Brother Brigham, what would youhave done?” or “What advice wouldyou give to me?”
Think of what has happened inthe last few years. You all know sowell all of the inspiration and thedirection that has come to PresidentHinckley in the expansion of theChurch—the building of templesand the remodeling of the old HotelUtah into that marvelous building,now the Joseph Smith MemorialBuilding which bears his name, and for this unusual structure, theConference Center, that we’re intoday—probably nothing like it inthe world. And for us who have fornow a number of years worked withand by the side of and listened toand been associated with PresidentHinckley, what a marvelous experi-ence we’ve had and blessing in ourlives as we have seen and felt andbeen part of the inspired expansionthat has been moving forward.
As we look at Brigham Young andreflect upon the inspiration anddirection that came to that most
unusual man, we recall how he wasable to fill the tragic void caused bythe death of the Prophet JosephSmith, how he stepped in and wasable under inspiration and revelationto guide and direct the closing ofNauvoo and the planning of the tripwest. We remember the continuedwork there at that time on theNauvoo Temple and the way thatwas organized to move forward, withthe wagon trains crossing the Westand into the Salt Lake Valley intowhat would become the Zion wherethey could worship and teach andpreach and build the meetinghousesand all that would be needed for thiscivilization and for this culture thatwe have, to expand and grow here.
Think of the inspiration thatcame to the prophet Brigham Young
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for those people not to just build upa big city in Salt Lake, but to moveout into these other settlements. Hehad the genius to have people goout and look for the valleys and theareas away from Salt Lake Citywhere the pioneers who would pourinto this valley could go and settleand make their homes and buildcities and communities and buildtheir personalities and their charac-ters and develop the talents thatwould be theirs. So rather than hav-ing a large city in Salt Lake, underhis leadership some 360 communi-ties were developed out in Wyomingand Nevada and Arizona and south-ern Idaho as well as in Utah.
As people moved out and set upin these little communities, they
A line of people waiting to enter the Conference Center winds its way up astairway on the side of the building.
developed their talents and abilitiesby serving on school boards and ontown councils or became leading peo-ple in a little town. They became citi-zens of that area, and they startedbuilding schools and expanding thosecommunities. We see what has hap-pened in these areas that BrighamYoung envisioned and which hehelped set in motion. Just think ofhow that has developed—of thedeveloping of a settlement, for ex-ample, in Las Vegas, Nevada, so that people could go down to SanBernardino, California. The peoplecould come by ship into San Pedro,California, go to San Bernardino to beoutfitted and helped with the equip-ment necessary to come into thisvalley, and then into the outlyingcommunities, down into SanpeteCounty or up into Idaho or elsewhere.
I have become a product of that,because when my mother’s familyarrived here in Salt Lake City, theywere sent out to Tooele to settle.Then later they were sent up intoIdaho, where a sawmill and a grist-mill were needing to be built. My father’s family had settled inFarmington, Utah, part of this colo-nization that I’m referring to—thecolonization that made peoplestronger and gave them opportuni-ties. Rather than being lost in a big city, they were asked to move to a smaller community where theycould develop their ability andwhere there would be more schoolsand a need for more schoolteachersand where people with talent woulddevelop their ability. Out of all ofthis, my family were asked to leaveFarmington and Tooele, to sell theirgreen acres, and go out into south-ern Idaho, where there was nothingat that time but sagebrush.
In a little settlement of that kind,my mother and father fell in love. Bythe time they were 20 years old andready to be married, where wouldthey be married? In the Logan UtahTemple. How would they get there?By buggy. How long would it take?Well, five or six or seven days.
Highways and good roads? Of coursenot. They went by roads made bywagons going over the sagebrush andthrough the bushes and over therocks. Where would they be mar-ried? Where would they be sealed?Only one place—the temple. Theywent by buggy.
That became part of my heritage.And so people grew up in these littletowns. Then the Church decided toopen some academies, and theyopened some 30 of them out in theseareas far away. One of those littleacademies was opened in our town,and it became an area where manyfrom neighboring areas would moveinto that little town to get a highereducation. Of course, the higher edu-cation was only a high school, but itwas referred to as an academy.
I’m referring to the inspirationthat came to the prophet BrighamYoung years ago in the settlement,in the development of this inter-mountain area now surrounding SaltLake City. And think of who we aretoday and how this has grown andthe blessing that has come into our
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our prophet, seer, and revelator andleader and to envision what is hap-pening and what will be happeningahead of us if we just have the faithto be able to continue to do whathas been started. Think of what ison the way and being done.
President Hinckley often speaksto us about developing more faithwith our people. That faith is a resultof our living the principles of thegospel, living the way we should andraising our children as we should,and seeing them grow and developtheir character and personality in away that they become an example ofwhat we believe in and what wehave a hope to do and accomplish.
You’ll all remember the man whohad a son that was a lunatic. And heapproached the Savior and asked ifthe Savior would bless the boy todrive that evil spirit from his son.And the man told the Savior, “I’veasked your disciples to do this, butthey haven’t been able to do it.” TheSavior blessed that little boy. Theevil spirit immediately departed, and
the Savior’s disciples came to him
One Step after AnotherElder Joseph B. WirthlinOf the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
“We don’t have to be perfect today. We don’t have to be better than someone else. All we have to do is to be the very best we can.”
and said, “Why couldn’t we do it?Why weren’t we able to?” (See Matt.17:14–21). The Savior also had said,“O ye of little faith” (Matt. 16:8).
If ye had but the faith of a tiny—I’mtrying to think of the name of that lit-tle tree. [President Hinckley says,“Mustard.”] Mustard! Thank you,President. (I keep the President aroundto help me.) If you had but the faith ofa mustard seed. Perhaps not many ofyou have seen a mustard seed. A fewyears ago in Jerusalem we were in a carwith a driver, and he said, “Oh, there’sa mustard tree.” And I said, “Let’s seeit.” We got out to look at that mustardtree, and it had a little pod on it, and Iwas able to open the pod, which waslike those on a locust tree, and seethose tiny little seeds, not much largerthan a grain of pepper.
Just imagine the analogy that theSavior was teaching the people. If youonly had as much faith as that littletiny mustard seed—and I held it inmy hand, and I could hardly see it—ifyou had that much faith you wouldsay to the mountain, “Move hence,”and it would move, if you had thatmuch faith (see Matt. 17:20). “O yeof little faith,” he told us.
So what we need is the faith ofBrigham Young and the faith ofGordon B. Hinckley and the faith ofpeople who are our prophets andleaders.
God lives. I know He’s real, thatHe is our Father, and I know thatHe loves us. I know that. And Iknow that Jesus is the Christ, theSon of God. I have felt of that influ-ence. I’m a witness to it. I know thatthe Prophet Joseph Smith and all ofthe historical accounts we have ofwhat he did as the instrument of theRestoration are true and that theprophets down through the yearsand including President Hinckleyare called of God. The work is true.I leave you my love, my witness, andmy testimony that burns in myheart. All the days of my life I hopeto be able to tell somebody and helpsomebody understand that this workis true, in the name of Jesus Christ,
M
amen. �
y beloved brethren andsisters, it is a great privi-lege for me to stand here
today and bear my testimony as tothe truth of the gospel that has beenrestored. We have just listened toElder David B. Haight—95 years ofage. I just hope my memory is half as good as his at that age—if I livethat long.
I rejoice when the Saints assem-ble. Whether as families in humblehomes or by the thousands in hugehalls, the heavens rejoice whenthose who love and honor the nameof Jesus Christ gather together toworship in His name.
We all are going through differentlife experiences. While some are filled
with joy today, others feel as thoughJ A N U A R Y 2 0 0 2
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their hearts could burst with sorrow.Some feel as though the world is theiroyster; others feel as though theywere the oyster itself, plucked fromthe ocean, cracked open, and robbedof all that is precious to them.
No matter your station, no mat-ter your emotional or spiritual stateof mind, I would like to offer counselto you that may be of use, regardlessof where you are in your sojournthrough this mortal life.
Certainly we have much to begrateful for. And I think if we willconsider the blessings we have, wewill forget some of our worries.Certainly serenity and joy will cometo you if you realize the blessings wehave as a Church under the leader-ship of our wonderful President,President Gordon B. Hinckley. Itwill help us a great deal.
Recently, I read about ErikWeihenmayer, a 33-year-old manwho dreamed of climbing MountEverest, a feat that defies many ofthe world’s most expert climbers. Infact, nearly 90 percent of those whoattempt the climb never reach thesummit. Temperatures sink lowerthan 30 degrees below zero. Besidesextreme cold, 100-mile-per-hourwinds, deadly crevasses, and ava-lanches, the climber must overcomethe challenges of high altitude, lackof oxygen, and perhaps unsanitaryfood and water. Since 1953, at least
165 climbers have died in the
attempt to scale the 29,000-foot-high summit.
In spite of the risks, hundredsline up each year to make theascent, Erik among them. But thereis an important difference betweenErik and every other climber whohad attempted to ascend before:Erik is totally blind.
When Erik was 13 years of age,he lost his sight as a result of ahereditary disease of the retina.Although he could no longer domany of the things he wanted to, hewas determined not to waste his lifefeeling depressed and useless. Hethen began to stretch his limits.
At age 16 he discovered rockclimbing. By feeling the face of therock, he found handholds andfootholds that allowed him to climb.Sixteen years later, he began hisascent up Mount Everest. The storyof his climb, as you might imagine,was filled with many harrowing andlife-threatening challenges. But Erikeventually scaled the south summitand took his place with those whohad gone before him, one of the fewto stand on top of the highestmountain on the face of the earth.
When asked how he did it, Eriksaid, “I just kept thinking . . . keepyour mind focused. Don’t let all that
doubt and fear and frustration sortof get in the way.” Then, mostimportantly, he said, “Just take eachday step by step.”1
Yes, Erik conquered Everest bysimply putting one foot in front ofthe other. And he continued to dothis until he reached the top.
Like Erik, we may have obstaclesthat would hold us back. We mayeven make excuses why we can’t dowhat we want to do. Perhaps whenwe are tempted to justify our ownlack of achievement, we can remem-ber Erik, who, in spite of having losthis sight, accomplished what manythought was impossible simply bycontinuing to put one foot in frontof the other.
An old proverb states that a jour-ney of a thousand miles begins witha single step.
Sometimes we make the processmore complicated than we need to.We will never make a journey of athousand miles by fretting abouthow long it will take or how hard itwill be. We make the journey by tak-ing each day step by step and thenrepeating it again and again until wereach our destination.
The same principle applies tohow you and I can climb to higherspirituality.
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Our Heavenly Father knows thatwe must begin our climb from wherewe are. “When you climb up a lad-der,” the Prophet Joseph Smithtaught, “you must begin at the bot-tom, and ascend step by step, untilyou arrive at the top; and so it is withthe principles of the gospel—youmust begin with the first, and go onuntil you learn all the principles ofexaltation. But it will be a great whileafter you have passed through the veilbefore you will have learned them.”2
Our Heavenly Father loves eachone of us and understands that thisprocess of climbing higher takespreparation, time, and commitment.He understands that we will makemistakes at times, that we will stum-ble, that we will become discouragedand perhaps even wish to give upand say to ourselves it is not worththe struggle.
We know it is worth the effort, forthe prize, which is eternal life, is “thegreatest of all the gifts of God.”3 Andto qualify, we must take one step afteranother and keep going to gain thespiritual heights we aspire to reach.
An eternal principle is revealedin holy writ: “It is not requisite thata man should run faster than he hasstrength. And again, it is expedientthat he should be diligent, thatthereby he might win the prize.”4
We don’t have to be fast; we sim-ply have to be steady and move in theright direction. We have to do thebest we can, one step after another.
In my younger days, I loved torun. Although it may be hard foryou to believe it, I did. And I didwin a few races. I’m not so fast any-more. In fact, I’m not sure how wellI would do in a race if the only con-testants were the members of theQuorum of the Twelve.
My ability to run is not so swiftnow. While I am looking forward tothat future time when, with a resur-rected body, I can once again sprintover a field and feel the wind blow-ing through my hair, I do not dwellon the fact that I cannot do it now.
That would be unwise. Instead, I
take the steps that I can take. Even
General Authorities and members of the choir sustain Church leaders during the Saturday afternoon session of conference.
with the limitations of age, I can stilltake one step at a time. To do what Ican is all my Heavenly Father nowrequires of me. And it is all Herequires of you, regardless of your dis-abilities, limitations, or insecurities.
John Wooden was perhaps thegreatest college basketball coach inthe history of the game. He had fourfull undefeated seasons. His teamswon 10 national championships. Atone point, he had a streak of 88consecutive wins.5
One of the first things CoachWooden drilled into his players wassomething his father had taught himwhen he was a boy growing up on afarm. “Don’t worry much about try-ing to be better than someone else,”his father said. “Learn from others,yes. But don’t just try to be betterthan they are. You have no controlover that. Instead try, and try veryhard, to be the best that you can be.That, you have control over.”6
Let me cite a hypothetical exam-ple of a dear sister in any ward, theone who has perfect children whonever cause a disturbance in church.She is the one working on her 20thgeneration in her family history,keeps an immaculate home, has
memorized the book of Mark,and makes wool sweaters for theorphaned children in Romania. Nodisrespect, of course, intended forany of these worthy goals. Now,when you get tempted to throw yourhands in the air and give up becauseof this dear sister, please rememberyou’re not competing with her anymore than I’m competing with themembers of the Quorum of theTwelve in winning a 50-yard dash.
The only thing you need to worryabout is striving to be the best youcan be. And how do you do that?You keep your eye on the goals thatmatter most in life, and you movetowards them step by step.
I know many feel that the path is hard and the way is dark. But like Erik, the courageous mountainclimber, we are not left without aguide.
We have scriptures that revealthe word of God to mankindthrough the ages. When we feastupon the word of God, we open ourminds to eternal truths and ourhearts to the gentle whisperings ofthe Holy Ghost. Truly God’s word,through scriptures and modern-dayprophets, is a “lamp unto [our] feet,and a light unto [our] path.”7
As we read about the great souls
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who have preceded us, we learn thatthey too had times of discouragementand sorrow. We learn that they perse-vered in spite of hardship, in spite ofadversity, sometimes even in spite oftheir own weaknesses. We learn thatthey too continued to press forward,one step after another. We can be likethose righteous souls Lehi spoke ofwho “caught hold of the end of therod of iron; and they did press for-ward through the mist of darkness, . . . even until they did come forthand partake of the fruit of the tree.”8
We also have a living prophet,President Gordon B. Hinckley. Heprovides counsel and propheticdirection for us in our day.
Through his counsel and ourprayers, we can reach into the heav-ens and personally commune with theInfinite. Through faith, heaven itselfcan be moved in our behalf. Doorswill be opened and answers received.
Think of Joseph Smith, who, as ayoung boy surrounded by confusingand contradictory voices, yearned toknow which of all the churches wereright and true. He too felt blind—surrounded by the darkness of hisday. After reading the book of Jamesin the New Testament, he believed
the words of the ancient Apostle
NOTES
who said, “If any of you lack wis-dom, let him ask of God, that givethto all men liberally, and upbraidethnot; and it shall be given him.”9
Joseph believed these words, and ona spring morning in 1820 he retiredto a grove of trees to lift up his soulin prayer and ask his HeavenlyFather for wisdom.
The answer to his prayer filledhim with light and direction. OurHeavenly Father and His BelovedSon appeared to him. Their direc-tion swept away the thick darknessthat had seized him and threatenedto destroy him. It forever sweptaway his confusion.
From that moment until his mar-tyrdom nearly a quarter of a centurylater, Joseph Smith committed him-self to the path shown him by theFather and the Son. Consider howpainful his days were. Consider thesuffering and the persecution he hadto endure. Yet he continued, step bystep, never giving up, never doubt-ing that if he only did what hecould, his Heavenly Father wouldmake up the rest.
My brothers and sisters, our timehere is so precious and so short.How well I understand the prophetJacob when he said, “Our livespassed away like as it were unto us adream.”10
All too soon, our time is finished.While we can—while we have the
time to complete our work—let uswalk in the right direction, takingone step after another.
That is easy enough. We don’thave to be perfect today. We don’thave to be better than someone else.All we have to do is to be the verybest we can.
Though you may feel weary,though you sometimes may not beable to see the way, know that yourFather in Heaven will never forsakeHis righteous followers. He will notleave you comfortless. He will be atyour side, yes, guiding you every stepof the way.
Listen to these beautiful wordswritten by President Joseph FieldingSmith as he describes this life.
Does the journey seem long,The path rugged and steep?Are there briars and thorns on
the way? Do sharp stones cut your feetAs you struggle to riseTo the heights thru the heat of
the day?
Is your heart faint and sad,Your soul weary within,As you toil ‘neath your burden
of care?Does the load heavy seemYou are forced now to lift?Is there no one your burden
to share?
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Let your heart be not faintNow the journey’s begun;There is One who still beckons to you.So look upward in joyAnd take hold of his hand;He will lead you to heights that
are new—
A land holy and pure,Where all trouble doth end,And your life shall be free from
all sin, Where no tears shall be shed,For no sorrows remain.Take his hand and with him
enter in.11
That we will have the courage tobegin climbing our own MountEverest, that we may progress inlife’s journey step by step until wereach the best that is within us.
Our Heavenly Father lives andknows and loves each one of us. Jesusis the Christ, the Son of God, theSavior and Redeemer of all, and yes,the Prince of Peace. Joseph Smith isthe prophet of the Restoration, andPresident Gordon B. Hinckley is ourprophet, seer, and revelator on theearth today. I bear this testimony, andit is my testimony to you that you willbe happy and content if you only doyour best. This is my prayer in thename of Jesus Christ, amen. �
1. “Everest Grueling for Blind Man,”Deseret News, 5 June 2001, A12; see alsoKarl Taro Greenfeld, “Blind to Failure,”Time, 18 June 2001.
2. The Teachings of Joseph Smith, ed.Larry E. Dahl and Donald Q. Cannon(1997), 519.
3. D&C 14:7.4. Mosiah 4:27.5. http://www.coachwooden.com/bio.
shtml6. http://www.coachwooden.com/body
success.shtml7. Ps. 119:105.8. 1 Ne. 8:24.9. James 1:5.10. Jacob 7:26.11. “Does the Journey Seem Long?”
Hymns, no. 127.
“Help Thou Mine Unbelief”Elder L. Whitney ClaytonOf the Seventy
“We promote the process of strengthening our faith when we do what is right—increased faith always follows.”
On one occasion, the Saviorencountered a great multi-tude of people who were
listening to a discussion betweenHis disciples and the scribes. Hethen asked the scribes, “What ques-tion ye with them?”
A certain man, kneeling down toHim, answered that he had askedthe disciples to cast an evil spirit outof his son, but “they could not.” Thefather begged Him, saying, “But ifthou canst do any thing, have com-passion on us, and help us.
“Jesus said unto him, If thoucanst believe, all things are possibleto him that believeth.
“And straightway the father ofthe child cried out, and said withtears, Lord, I believe; help thou
mine unbelief.”The Savior then rebuked the evilspirit and charged it to “come out ofhim, and enter no more into him.And the spirit cried, and rent himsore, and came out of him.”1
All of us have come face-to-facewith difficult, even desperate hours,when with tears we have fallen onour knees and pled as did thisfather, “Lord, I believe; help thoumine unbelief.”
Just as the Savior stood ready tohelp this father whose son was “sorevexed,”2 so is He ready to help ourunbelief today so that with faith wecan survive our mortal struggles and“come off conqueror.”3
Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ isthe first principle of the gospel andis more than mere belief.4 Faith is a“hope for things which are not seen,which are true.”5 “Faith alwaysmoves its possessor to . . . physicaland mental action.”6 “To have faithin Jesus Christ means to have suchtrust in him that we obey whateverhe commands. There is no faithwhere there is no obedience.”7
Faith comes from hearing theword of God and is a spiritual gift.8
Faith increases when we not onlyhear, but act on the word of God aswell, in obedience to the truths wehave been taught.9
Mary’s reply to the angel’s an-nouncement provides an excellentexample. Mary was told by the angelGabriel: “Thou shalt conceive in
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and shalt call his name JESUS. Heshall be great, and shall be calledthe Son of the Highest.” Mary thenobediently said to Gabriel, “Beholdthe handmaid of the Lord; be itunto me according to thy word.”10
On another occasion, “Jesus,walking by the sea of Galilee, sawtwo brethren, Simon called Peter,and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they werefishers.
“And he saith unto them, Followme, and I will make you fishers ofmen.
“And they straightway left theirnets, and followed him.”11
After the Savior’s Resurrection,Peter and other disciples went “afishing.” However, “that night theycaught nothing. But when themorning was now come, Jesus stoodon the shore: but the disciples knewnot that it was Jesus.” He told themto “cast the net on the right side ofthe ship, and ye shall find. They casttherefore, and now they were notable to draw it for the multitude offishes.”12
We find similar faith-developingobedience in the life of the ProphetJoseph Smith. Following the angelMoroni’s all-night-long visits withhim in September 1823, Joseph wentto work in the morning with hisfather. Having been awake nearly allnight, he “found [his] strength soexhausted as to render [him] entirelyunable” to perform “the necessarylabors of the day.” His father told himto return home, and he “started withthe intention of going to the house;but . . . [his] strength entirely failed[him], and [he] fell helpless on theground, and for a time was quiteunconscious of anything.” When heawoke, he “looked up, and beheld thesame messenger standing over [his]head, surrounded by light as before.”Joseph was commanded to “go to[his] father and tell him of the visionand commandments which [he] hadreceived.” Although understandablyweary, he obediently “returned to[his] father in the field, and
rehearsed the whole matter to him.”
His father replied “that it was of God,and told [him] to go and do as com-manded.” Exhausted but obedient,Joseph then “left the field, and wentto the place where the messenger hadtold [him] the plates were deposited,”a journey of several miles.13
Each day we decide what we willdo and what we will not do, amongmyriad alternatives. When we chooseto obey the commandments cheer-fully as our first priority, neither mur-muring about nor measuring thethings He commands, we becomethe handmaids of the Lord and fish-ers of men and cast our nets on theright side of our own ships. We sim-ply go and do the things the Lordhas commanded, even when we areweary, trusting that He will help usto do exactly as He asks.14 As we do so, the Lord helps our unbelief,and our faith becomes powerful, vi-brant, and unshakable. The ProphetJoseph wrote from Liberty Jail,“Therefore, dearly beloved brethren,
Large screens to the right and left ofthe speaker.
let us cheerfully do all things that liein our power; and then may westand still, with the utmost assur-ance [or faith], to see the salvationof God, and for his arm to berevealed.”15
No matter who we are or wherewe live, there is much about ourdaily lives that is routine and repeti-tive. As we go about this dailiness,we must be deliberate about doingthe things that matter most. Thesemust-do things include makingroom first for the minimum dailyrequirements of faithful behavior:true obedience, humble prayer, seri-ous scripture study, and selfless ser-vice to others. No other dailyvitamins strengthen the muscles ofour faith as fast as these actions. Wealso must remember that genuinefasting fosters strong faith. This isespecially important as we faithfullyseek to fix deeply embedded charac-ter flaws which go “not out but byprayer and fasting.”16
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the Conference Center rostrum give th
Developing faith in the LordJesus Christ is a step-by-step, line-upon-line, and precept-upon-precept process. We promote theprocess of strengthening our faithwhen we do what is right—increasedfaith always follows as a conse-quence.17 If we exercise our faithdaily with prayer, study, and obedi-ence, the Savior helps our unbelief,and our faith becomes a shield to“quench all the fiery darts of thewicked.”18 Alma taught that we may“withstand every temptation of thedevil, with [our] faith on the LordJesus Christ.”19 However, we canneither ignore nor reject the essen-tial ingredients of faith and thenexpect to reap a rich harvest.
We see countless examples offaith developing in Church memberstoday. As young men, young women,and mature couples accept calls toserve missions, as couples preparethemselves in virtue to be marriedin the holy temple, as parents train
e congregation a closer view of
Our Father’s PlanElder Christoffel Golden Jr.Of the Seventy
“[Our Heavenly] Father’s desire is to provide all of us with the opportunity to receive a fulness of joy, even the fulness that He possesses.”
up children in the way they shouldgo,20 they strengthen their faith inthe Lord Jesus Christ. As we keepthe Sabbath day holy, magnify call-ings, pay tithes and offerings, wel-come new members into Churchcircles, and invite friends and neigh-bors to learn gospel truths, westrengthen our faith. When wechoose to abandon our sins andrepent willingly, and when we fall to our knees in prayer in good timesas well as in turbulent times, wedevelop strong faith.
We then find occurring in ourown lives an experience described inthe Book of Mormon: “Neverthelessthey did fast and pray oft, and didwax stronger and stronger in theirhumility, and firmer and firmer in thefaith of Christ, unto the filling theirsouls with joy and consolation, yea,even to the purifying and the sancti-fication of their hearts, which sancti-fication cometh because of theiryielding their hearts unto God.”21
I know that the Savior lives andthat He helps our unbelief. In thename of Jesus Christ, amen. �
NOTES1. See Mark 9:14–29; see also
Matt. 17:14–21.2. Matt. 17:15.3. D&C 10:5.4. See A of F 1:4; Bible Dictionary,
“Faith,” 669–70.5. Alma 32:21; see also Heb. 11:1;
Ether 12:6.6. Bible Dictionary, 670.7. Gospel Principles (1997), 118.8. See Rom. 10:17; Moro. 10:11; Bible
Dictionary, 669.9. See Bible Dictionary, 669–70.10. Luke 1:31–32, 38.11. Matt. 4:18–20.12. John 21:2–4, 6.13. JS—H 1:47–50.14. See 1 Ne. 3:7.15. D&C 123:17.16. Matt. 17:21; see also Mark 9:29.17. See Bible Dictionary, 669.18. D&C 27:17.19. Alma 37:33.20. See Prov. 22:6.21. Hel. 3:35.
In a revelation given to theProphet Joseph Smith sometimein June 1830, we are told of our
Heavenly Father’s declared intention:“For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the im-mortality and eternal life of man.”1
According to this decree, the Father’sdesire is to provide all of us with theopportunity to receive a fulness of joy,even the fulness that He possesses inHis perfected and glorified state.2
During these momentous latterdays, we declare that God ourEternal Father lives. We testify thatwe existed in His presence, prior to this life, as His spirit children.During our premortal existence, wewere tutored in conditions whichprovided us with the opportunity todevelop our talents and abilities. Inthat blessed, premortal abode, we
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Alma states that we chose good byexercising “great faith” and perform-ing “good works.” Thus, we kept ourfirst estate, while our Father, in turn,foreordained us to receive certainprivileges in this lifetime.3
Likewise, latter-day revelationreveals that our Heavenly Fatherordained a great plan of happiness for all of His spirit children who hadkept their first estate.4 It embracedthe prospect that we could one daybecome like our Father in Heavenand possess all of the attributes andrights He now enjoys. The ApostlePeter reminded the Saints that ourLord’s “divine power hath given untous all things that pertain unto life andgodliness,” so that “by these ye mightbe partakers of the divine nature.”5
Peter’s statement may be consideredbold, and we admit that it would takea lifetime, and more, to accomplish;nevertheless, his thoughts find reso-nance in the Savior’s charge, “Be yetherefore perfect, even as your Fatherwhich is in heaven is perfect.”6
The Father’s plan also requiredall who had kept their first estate tobe tried and tested in a mortal orsecond estate. In this environment,we are required to act for ourselvesand prove to ourselves and to Godwhether we would keep all of Hiscommandments and overcome sinand opposition.7
Since the Fall of Adam andbecause of the nature of mortalmankind, man developed a predis-position to violate the laws of God
and thereby become enslaved to the
Conference goers walk past the Tabernacle on Temple Square.
demands of justice. Nevertheless,because of our Heavenly Father’sforeknowledge and through thegreat plan of happiness, He deviseda plan of mercy. It furnished a wayfor the exacting requirements of jus-tice to be appeased through an infi-nite Atonement.8
Jesus Christ, as the chosen of theFather from the beginning,9 pos-sessed all the qualifications andattributes required to harmonize thelaws of justice and mercy throughHis Atonement.10
The Atonement, King Benjamintaught, allows man to put off the nat-ural man as we yield to the enticingsof the Holy Spirit.11 Consequently, itis our testimony that all who comeunto Christ by obedience to the lawsand ordinances of the gospel are ableto exercise faith unto “everlasting sal-
12
vation and eternal life.”We also testify that compliancewith all of the conditions of thegreat plan of happiness, after theGreat Apostasy, was not possibleuntil our Heavenly Father and HisSon, Jesus Christ, reestablished thegospel through the Prophet JosephSmith.13
Our beloved prophet, PresidentGordon B. Hinckley, declared, “TheProphet Joseph’s account of theseevents is true, that the Father borewitness of the divinity of His Son,that the Son instructed the boyprophet, and that there followed atrain of events which led to theorganization of ‘the only true andliving church upon the face of thewhole earth.’ ”14
It is the heartfelt desire of all thefaithful to keep their second estate.We are not left alone to find our way
back home. The Lord has set up HisL I A H O N A
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kingdom on the earth wherein theelect of God can be gathered.
In the Lord’s loving care, He hasprovided us with all of the essentialresources required to forge our waythrough the many pitfalls placedbefore us by the evil one.15
These indispensable resourcesinclude the ordinances and cove-nants of the gospel, in which thepower of the Atonement is mani-fest.16 We also have the holy scrip-tures, which provide us with astandard to discern truth from error.17
Importantly, we live in a blessedday in which the Lord has placedHis watchmen, even the living apos-tles and prophets, in our midst.They hold all the necessary keys andauthority which are essential toadministering the ordinances of sal-vation and exaltation.18
Above all, as baptized members
Writing GospelPrinciples in Our HeartsElder Walter F. GonzálezOf the Seventy
“Knowledge alone is not enough. We must take time to apply the principles in our lives.”
of the church of Christ, we have theincomparable gift of the Holy Ghost.The Savior, on the eve of His suffer-ing for our sins, told His disciplesthat the “Spirit . . . will guide youinto all truth.”19
John the Revelator, in heavenlyvision, saw the fulfillment of ourFather’s plan and recorded the con-dition of those who had come out ofgreat tribulation and had washedtheir robes white in the blood of theLamb. He saw how they who hadovercome the world stood before thethrone of God and served Him in Histemple. The Lord was in their midst,while the faithful hungered andthirsted no more, and God wipedaway all the tears from their eyes.20
We need not fear but with faithfollow our Heavenly Father’s greatplan of happiness. Our call to all isto come and receive of the grace andmercy of the Lord, for He is mightyto save and will never forsake us!21
May the Lord bless us in thisgreat endeavor, I pray, in the nameof Jesus Christ, amen. �
NOTES1. Moses 1:39.2. See Moses 7:67; D&C 76:69–70.3. See Alma 13:3–13; 1 Pet. 1:20.4. Alma 42:8.5. 2 Pet. 1:3–4.6. Matt. 5:48; see also 3 Ne. 12:48.7. Matt. 7:21; Rev. 3:21; D&C
98:14–15.8. See Alma 42:15.9. See Moses 4:2.10. Doctrines of the Gospel: Student
Manual (1986), 22.11. See Mosiah 3:19.12. Mosiah 5:15; see also Moro. 10:32.13. See 1 Ne. 11:13–36; 2 Ne. 3:5–11.14. D&C 1:30; “Special Witnesses of
Christ,” Liahona, Apr. 2001, 24.15. See Moses 4:3–4; D&C 93:39.16. See John 3:5; Mosiah 5:1–2; D&C
76:50–54.17. See Alma 4:19; 31:5.18. See Matt. 10:1–15; D&C 1:14–15;
21:1–8.19. John 16:13.20. Rev. 7:14–17.21. See Deut. 7:7–18.
English is the language of theRestoration, and in this con-ference session, English spo-
ken with an accent symbolizesChurch growth all over the world.I’m from South America, where theChurch has grown tremendously.When I joined the Church 30 yearsago, we had 108,000 members and 6stakes. At that time we had no tem-ple on our continent. Now we have2,600,000 members and 557 stakes.Eleven temples are functioning, andtwo are under construction. Nephi,the son of Lehi, said: “But I, Nephi,have written what I have written,and I esteem it as of great worth, and
especially unto my people. For I prayJ A N U A R Y 2 0 0 2
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continually for them by day, andmine eyes water my pillow by night,because of them” (2 Ne. 33:3). Thisheartfelt cry is being answered in ourday through the Book of Mormon.Nephi was praying that the word hehad “written in weakness would bemade strong unto” us, “for it per-suadeth them to do good; it makethknown unto them of their fathers;and it speaketh of Jesus, and per-suadeth them to believe in him, andto endure to the end, which is lifeeternal” (2 Ne. 33:4).
I have seen how the doctrine andgospel principles are guiding moreand more members in SouthAmerica. Our task both in SouthAmerica and everywhere continuesto be seeking for the principles foundin the scriptures and the teachings ofthe prophets and writing them “notwith ink, but with the Spirit of theliving God; not in tables of stone,but in fleshy tables of the heart” (2 Cor. 3:3). Such establishing ofgospel principles requires time. Timeis required both to be exposed to thetruths of the gospel and to applythem in our lives.
For most South American mem-bers, our exposure to gospel princi-ples started with devoting time tohearing the discussions and testi-monies from the missionaries. We
took time to listen, and now we
cannot help but feel profound grati-tude to the missionaries who servedin our countries. Our deep gratitudeis not only to the missionaries but tothe families from which they came.(Now thousands of South Americansare sending their own children toserve missions to share the glad tid-ings of the restored gospel.) Those ofus who are first-generation Churchmembers also feel great gratitude forour nonmember parents who tooktime to teach us righteous principleswhich prepared us to recognize andwelcome the gospel message.
Missionaries initiated the task oflearning doctrine and gospel prin-ciples; however, maintaining thegospel in our hearts is an ongoingtask which requires time. Knowl-edge alone is not enough. We musttake time to apply the principles inour lives. For example, Nephi knewthat the Lord answers our prayers.He applied his knowledge centuriesago and thus brought everlastingblessings upon us today. If we readcarefully, we see that Nephi prayedwith great faith unto God because
he knew that God was going to hearhis “cry” (see 2 Ne. 33:3). Howgrateful we are for Nephi’s takingtime to apply his knowledge. Howgrateful we are that Nephi wrotethis knowledge in his heart “notwith ink, but with the Spirit of theliving God.”
Like scholarship, discipleship alsorequires time. Sometimes we recog-nize that a principle is true, but wedon’t change our priorities to maketime to live the principle. In sodoing, we miss valuable opportuni-ties to develop a change of heart aswe are taught by the Holy Ghost.Consider for a moment the exampleof Enos, who delayed the applicationof the knowledge he received fromhis father. He eventually took timeto live up to that knowledge; a num-ber of blessings flowed to us becausehe did. Enos tells us that it was whenhe went to hunt beasts in the forestthat his father’s teachings abouteternal life and the joy of the Saintsdeeply touched his heart, so hedecided to devote time to praying(see Enos 1:3–4). In divine response
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to his prayer, the Lord covenantedwith Enos that He would bring therecords forth unto the Lamanites inHis own due time (see Enos 1:16).God answers our prayers. Enos tookthis principle from the stone tabletsand wrote it in the fleshy tablets ofhis heart, thus obtaining a higherlevel of knowledge. This broughtblessings both upon him and us inthis dispensation.
A number of things hinder ourgood intentions of devoting time tolearning and especially to living agospel principle. For example, theabundance of information aboutany specific subject which comesfrom various media can be over-whelming. Such an abundance ofinformation may cause some to be“ever learning, and never able tocome to the knowledge of thetruth” (2 Tim. 3:7).
Each of us can evaluate ourselves,determine which things are prevent-ing us from taking time to live agospel principle, then repent andmake the necessary adjustments sothat we can have time to apply thatgospel principle in our lives. If we doso, the Lord has promised that we’llhave an increased understanding ofHis truths as Enos did. The Saviordeclared, “If any man will do his will,he shall know of the doctrine,whether it be of God, or whether Ispeak of myself” (John 7:17).
Making time in our lives to learn,to ponder, and especially to practicegospel principles will bring us the joyand peace which come from theSpirit. The Church will continue toblossom in South America andother parts of the world becausemore and more members will con-tinue to write gospel principles notwith ink, but with the Holy Ghost;not in tablets of stone, but in thefleshy tablets of their hearts. I testifythat scriptural truths can developfrom intellectual appreciation to ourbecoming Christlike as we take timeto incorporate those truths into ourlives. I know the Savior is the LivingChrist. Of these things I testify in
the name of Jesus Christ, amen. �
“Like a WateredGarden”Elder Jeffrey R. HollandOf the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
“We should pay [tithes and offerings] as a personal expressionof love to a generous and merciful Father in Heaven.”
Surely and steadily TheChurch of Jesus Christ ofLatter-day Saints moves
across the earth. In Daniel’s lan-guage it is “the stone . . . cut out ofthe mountain without hands.”1
Isaiah described what he foresaw as“a marvellous work and a wonder.”2
It is a wonder! The Restoration ofthe gospel of Jesus Christ is filledwith miracles, revelations, manifes-tations of every kind. Many of thosehave come in our lifetime.
I was 17 years old before therewas any stake of Zion anywhere out-side North America. There are nowwell over 1,000 stakes on those dis-tant continents and isles of the sea.We now have 125 temples operatingor announced, more than half of
which (64) are outside the UnitedStates. Again I was nearly 16 beforethere was even one temple beyondthe states and provinces of the USAand Canada.
We have lived to see the revela-tion extending the priesthood to allworthy males of appropriate age, ablessing which has accelerated thework in many parts of the world. Wehave lived to see the publication ofour scriptures, wholly or in part, innearly 100 languages. We have livedto see the long-awaited creation ofthe Quorums of the Seventy withgreat men drawn from many nationsand, in turn, deployed to serve inmany nations. Most recently Presi-dent Hinckley has announced aPerpetual Education Fund that hasthe potential to bless many in eventhe most distant locations of theearth eventually. And so the inter-nationalizing of the Church goes on.
I give this brief summary to high-light another miracle, another reve-lation, if you will, that may havebeen overlooked by the generalmembership of the Church. In a wayit was intended to be transparent tothe public eye. I speak of the decisionmade by the Brethren just over adecade ago to cease placing any spe-cial assessments or other fund-raisingobligations upon the members of theChurch at home or abroad.
Inasmuch as this decision wasmade amidst the very internationalgrowth I have just described, how
could this be done financially? HowJ A N U A R Y 2 0 0 2
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could we go to more and more dis-tant locations at the very momentwe were removing all ancillary assess-ments from our people? Logic in thesituation might have suggestedexactly the opposite course of action.
How was it done? I will tell youhow it was done—with the whole-hearted belief on the part of the pre-siding Brethren that the Lord’sprinciples of tithing and freewillofferings would be honored by eventhe newest member of the Churchand that loyalty to such divine prin-ciples would see us through.
I was not in the Quorum of theTwelve when that momentous deci-sion was made, but I can imagine thediscussions that were held and theact of faith required within the pre-siding councils of the Church. Whatif the Brethren were to cease assess-ments and the Saints did not paytheir tithes and offerings, what then?So far as I know, that thought wasnever seriously entertained. Theywent forward in faith—faith in God,faith in revealed principle, faith in us.They never looked back. That was amagnificent (if nearly unnoticed) dayin the maturing of The Church ofJesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
But to honor that decision, wemust be equally mature as individ-ual members of the Church. May Ithen suggest five reasons why all ofus, rich or poor, longtime member or newest convert, should faithfullypay our tithes and offerings.
First, do so for the sake of yourchildren and grandchildren, the risinggeneration, who could now, if we arenot careful, grow up in the Churchwith absolutely no understanding asto how their temples, chapels, semi-naries, and socials are provided.Teach your children that many of theblessings of the Church are availableto them because you and they givetithes and offerings to the Church.Teach them that those blessingscould come virtually no other way.
Then take your children totithing settlement with you, just asPresident Howard W. Hunter ’s
grandson was taken with his father
Church buildings and office buildings in downtown Salt Lake City are seen in this view past the ConferenceCenter from the northwest.
several years ago. In that experiencethe bishop indicated his pleasure inyoung Brother Hunter’s wanting topay a full tithing. In the process ofreceiving the coins, he asked the ladif he thought the gospel were true.As the boy handed over his fulltithing of 14 cents, this seven-year-old said he guessed the gospel wastrue but “it sure costs a lot ofmoney.”3 Well, the buildings, pro-grams, and materials I have men-tioned do have an attached cost.That is not an unimportant lessonfor our children to learn in theiryouth.
Second, pay your tithing to right-fully claim the blessings promisedthose who do so. “Prove me nowherewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, ifI will not open you the windows ofheaven, and pour you out a blessing,that there shall not be room enoughto receive it.”4 After she lost herhusband in the martyrdom at
Nauvoo and made her way westwith five fatherless children, MaryFielding Smith continued in herpoverty to pay tithing. When some-one at the tithing office inappropri-ately suggested one day that sheshould not contribute a tenth of theonly potatoes she had been able toraise that year, she cried out to theman, “William, you ought to beashamed of yourself. Would youdeny me a blessing? If I did not paymy tithing, I should expect the Lordto withhold His blessings from me. Ipay my tithing, not only because it isa law of God, but because I expect ablessing by doing it. [I need a bless-ing.] By keeping this and other laws,I expect to . . . be able to provide formy family.”5
I can’t list all the ways that bless-ings will come from obedience to thisprinciple, but I testify many willcome in spiritual ways that go wellbeyond economics. In my life, forexample, I have seen God’s promise
fulfilled that He would “rebuke theL I A H O N A
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devourer for [my sake].”6 That bless-ing of protection against evil hasbeen poured out upon me and on myloved ones beyond any capacity Ihave to adequately acknowledge.But I believe that divine safety hascome, at least in part, because of ourdetermination, individually and as afamily, to pay tithing.
Third, pay your tithing as a decla-ration that possession of materialgoods and the accumulation ofworldly wealth are not the uppermostgoals of your existence. As oneyoung husband and father, living ona student budget, recently told me,“Perhaps our most pivotal momentsas Latter-day Saints come when wehave to swim directly against thecurrent of the culture in which welive. Tithing provides just such amoment. Living in a world thatemphasizes material acquisition andcultivates distrust for anyone or any-thing that has designs on our money,
we shed that self-absorption to give
NOTES1. Dan. 2:45.2. Isa. 29:14.3. Quoted by David B. Haight in
Conference Report, Apr. 1981, 57; orEnsign, May 1981, 42.
4. Mal. 3:10.5. In Conference Report, Apr. 1900, 48.6. Mal. 3:11.7. Personal correspondence.8. In Conference Report, Apr. 1968, 74.9. See Matt. 6:19–21.10. Mal. 3:8.11. The Lord’s Tenth (pamphlet,
1968), 10–11.12. Isa. 58:11; see also Isa. 58:6–10.
freely, trustingly, and generously. Bythis act, we say—indeed—we aredifferent, that we are God’s peculiarpeople. In a society that tells usmoney is our most important asset,we declare emphatically it is not.”7
President Spencer W. Kimballonce spoke of a man who prided him-self on his vast acreage and remark-able holdings—groves and vineyards,herds and fields, ponds and homesand possessions of every kind. Heprided himself on these, but to theend of his life was unwilling to titheon them or even acknowledge thatthey were gifts from God. PresidentKimball then spoke at the man’sfuneral, noting that this land baronwas laid to rest in an oblong piece ofsoil measuring “the length of a tallman, the width of a heavy one.”8 Inanswer to the age-old question, “Howmuch did he leave?” be reassured theanswer will always be, “All of it.” Sowe would do well to lay up treasuresin heaven, where not taxes but doc-trines give meaning to words like
9
estate, inheritance, testament, and will.Fourth, pay your tithes and offer-ings out of honesty and integritybecause they are God’s rightful due.Surely one of the most piercing linesin all of scripture is Jehovah’s thun-dering inquiry, “Will a man robGod?” And we ask, “Wherein havewe robbed thee?” He answers, “Intithes and offerings.”10
Paying tithing is not a token gift weare somehow charitably bestowingupon God. Paying tithing is discharg-ing a debt. Elder James E. Talmageonce described this as a contractbetween us and the Lord. He imag-ined the Lord saying: “‘You have needof many things in this world—food,clothing, and shelter for your family . . . , the common comforts of life. . . .You shall have the means of acquiringthese things; but remember they aremine, and I require of you the pay-ment of a rental upon that which Igive into your hands. However, yourlife will not be one of uniformincrease . . . [so] instead of doing asmortal landlords do—requir[ing] youto . . . pay in advance, whatever yourfortunes or . . . prospects may be—you shall pay me . . . [only] when youhave received; and you shall pay mein accordance with what you receive.If it so be that in one year yourincome is abundant, then . . . [your10 percent will be a] little more; andif it be so that the next year is one ofdistress and your income is not whatit was, then . . . [your 10 percent willbe] less. . . . [Whatever your circum-stance, the tithe will be fair.]’
“Have you ever found a landlordon earth who was willing to makethat kind of [equitable] contractwith you?” Elder Talmage asks.“When I consider the liberality of itall,” he says, “. . . I feel in my heartthat I could scarcely raise my coun-tenance to . . . Heaven . . . if I triedto defraud [God] out of that [whichis rightfully His].”11
This leads to a fifth reason to payour tithes and offerings. We shouldpay them as a personal expression oflove to a generous and mercifulFather in Heaven. Through His
grace God has dealt bread to theJ A N U A R Y 2 0 0 2
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hungry and clothing to the poor. Atvarious times in our lives that willinclude all of us, either temporally orspiritually speaking. For every one ofus the gospel has broken forth as thelight of the morning, driving backthe darkness of ignorance and sor-row, fear and despair. In nation afternation His children have called andthe Lord has answered. Through themovement of His gospel across theworld, God is relieving the burdensof the weary and setting free thosethat are oppressed. His loving good-ness has made our lives, rich or poor,near or far, “like a watered garden, . . . [from] a spring of water . . . [thatfaileth] not.”12
I express my deepest gratitude forevery blessing of the gospel of JesusChrist, especially that greatest of allgifts, the exemplary life and atoningdeath of God’s Only Begotten Son.I know I can never repay heaven forany of this benevolence, but thereare many ways I need to try to showmy thankfulness. One of those waysis in the payment of tithes andfreewill offerings. I want to givesomething back, but I never want itto be (in King David’s words) “thatwhich doth cost me nothing.”13
I testify that the principle oftithing is of God, taught to us insuch scriptural simplicity that wecannot doubt its divinity. May we allclaim its blessings forever, I pray inthe name of Jesus Christ, amen. �
13. 2 Sam. 24:24.
Doctrine of InclusionElder M. Russell BallardOf the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
“If we are truly disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we will reach out with love and understanding to all of our neighborsat all times.”
It may very well have been abeautiful, crisp autumn day likethis. The Savior was sitting,
teaching some of His disciples, whena man identified only as “a certainlawyer” stood and asked Him,“Master, what shall I do to inheriteternal life?”
Jesus knew the man’s heart andunderstood the question was athinly veiled attempt to get Him tosay something contrary to the law ofMoses.
The Savior responded to thequestion with two questions of Hisown: “What is written in the law?how readest thou?”
As you might expect, the lawyerwas able to recite the law: “Thoushalt love the Lord thy God with allthy heart, and with all thy soul, andwith all thy strength, and with all thy
mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”“Thou hast answered right,” theSavior said. “This do, and thou shaltlive.”
But the lawyer wasn’t satisfiedwith that. Knowing that there werestrict rules and beliefs among theJews regarding association withthose not of the faith, he pressed theLord for more information, hopingto trap Him in controversy: “Andwho is my neighbour?” he asked.
It was time, once again, to teach.Jesus drew upon one of His favoriteand most effective teaching tech-niques: a parable, perhaps one of themost-beloved and well-known para-bles in all of Christendom.
You know the parable, how aman from Jerusalem was on his wayto Jericho and fell among thievesand was left half dead. A certainpriest passed by on the other side;neither did a Levite stop to help.Then Jesus taught:
“But a certain Samaritan, as hejourneyed, came where he was: andwhen he saw him, he had compas-sion on him,
“And went to him, and bound uphis wounds, pouring in oil and wine,and set him on his own beast, andbrought him to an inn, and tookcare of him.”
Then Jesus asked the lawyer onemore question: “Which now ofthese three, thinkest thou, wasneighbour unto him that fell amongthieves?”
And the lawyer replied: “He thatshewed mercy on him.”
Then Jesus delivered His final
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instruction to the lawyer—and to allwho have read the parable of thegood Samaritan: “Go, and do thoulikewise” (see Luke 10:25–37).
Every time I read this parable Iam impressed with its power and itssimplicity. But have you ever won-dered why the Savior chose to makethe hero of this story a Samaritan?There was considerable antipathybetween the Jews and the Samari-tans at the time of Christ. Undernormal circumstances, these twogroups avoided association witheach other. It would still be a good,instructive parable if the man whofell among thieves had been rescuedby a brother Jew.
His deliberate use of Jews andSamaritans clearly teaches that we are all neighbors and that weshould love, esteem, respect, andserve one another despite our deep-est differences—including religious,political, and cultural differences.
That instruction continues todayto be part of the teachings of TheChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In enumerating the keydoctrines of the restored Church,Joseph Smith said, while “we claimthe privilege of worshiping AlmightyGod according to the dictates of ourown conscience,” we also “allow allmen the same privilege, let themworship how, where, or what theymay” (A of F 1:11).
Thankfully, many of our membersunderstand this doctrine and live itduring the course of their daily lives.I recently read a news account of atragic death in a community here inUtah. A grieving young widow wasquoted: “We’ve been overwhelmedby support. We’re not Mormon, butthe local ward here has been all overus with meals and help and words ofcomfort. It’s been a total outpouringof love, and we appreciate it”(quoted in Dick Harmon, “FormerUte’s Death Leaves Wife Coping,Wondering,” Daily Herald [Provo,Utah], 11 Aug. 2001, A3).
That’s just as it should be. If weare truly disciples of the Lord Jesus
Christ, we will reach out with love
and understanding to all of ourneighbors at all times, particularly in times of need. A recent ChurchNews carried a story of two womenwho are dear friends, a “Jewishphysician from New York and [a]stay-at-home [Latter-day Saint]mom of six from Utah, both a longway from home in Dallas [Texas].”
Our member reported: “If ourfriendship had been put through acomputer matching service, I doubtwe would have made it past the firsthurdle. . . .
“. . . A woman with a busy medi-cal practice, I assumed, would havelittle desire to discuss the color ofthe hospitality napkins for PTA.
“Funny thing about assumptions—they can cut away the very roots ofsomething that could flourish andgrow if given a chance. I am forevergrateful that assumptions were castaside” (Shauna Erickson, “UnlikelyFriends Sharing a Lifetime,” ChurchNews, 18 Aug. 2001, 10).
Perceptions and assumptions canbe very dangerous and unfair. There
are some of our members who mayfail to reach out with friendly smiles,warm handshakes, and loving ser-vice to all of their neighbors. At thesame time, there may be those whomove into our neighborhoods whoare not of our faith who come withnegative preconceptions about theChurch and its members. Surelygood neighbors should put forthevery effort to understand eachother and to be kind to one anotherregardless of religion, nationality,race, or culture.
Occasionally I hear of membersoffending those of other faiths byoverlooking them and leaving themout. This can occur especially incommunities where our membersare the majority. I have heard aboutnarrow-minded parents who tellchildren that they cannot play witha particular child in the neighbor-hood simply because his or her fam-ily does not belong to our Church.This kind of behavior is not in keep-ing with the teachings of the LordJesus Christ. I cannot comprehend
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why any member of our Churchwould allow these kinds of things tohappen. I have been a member ofthis Church my entire life. I havebeen a full-time missionary, twice a bishop, a mission president, aSeventy, and now an Apostle. I havenever taught—nor have I everheard taught—a doctrine of ex-clusion. I have never heard themembers of this Church urged to beanything but loving, kind, tolerant,and benevolent to our friends andneighbors of other faiths.
The Lord expects a great dealfrom us. Parents, please teach yourchildren and practice yourselves theprinciple of inclusion of others andnot exclusion because of religious,political, or cultural differences.
While it is true we declare to theworld that the fulness of the gospelof Jesus Christ has been restored tothe earth through the ProphetJoseph Smith and we urge our mem-bers to share their faith and testi-monies with others, it has neverbeen the policy of the Church that
those who choose not to listen or to accept our message should beshunned or ignored. Indeed, theopposite is true. President Gordon B.Hinckley has repeatedly reminded usof this special obligation that wehave as followers of the Lord JesusChrist. I quote just one:
“Each of us is an individual. Eachof us is different. There must berespect for those differences. . . .
“. . . We must work harder to buildmutual respect, an attitude of forbear-ance, with tolerance one for anotherregardless of the doctrines andphilosophies which we may espouse.Concerning these you and I may dis-agree. But we can do so with respectand civility” (Teachings of Gordon B.Hinckley [1997], 661, 665).
As members of The Church ofJesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, weunderstand that we are perceived bysome to be “a peculiar people” (1 Pet.2:9). Our doctrines and beliefs areimportant to us. We embrace themand cherish them. I am not suggestingfor a moment that we shouldn’t. Onthe contrary, our peculiarity and theuniqueness of the message of therestored gospel of Jesus Christ areindispensable elements in offering thepeople of the world a clear choice.Neither am I suggesting that weshould associate in any relationshipthat would place us or our families atspiritual risk. We must understand,however, that not everyone is going
to accept our doctrine of theRestoration of the gospel of JesusChrist. For the most part, our neigh-bors not of our faith are good, honor-able people—every bit as good andhonorable as we strive to be. Theycare about their families, just like wedo. They want to make the world a better place, just like we do. Theyare kind and loving and generousand faithful, just like we seek to be.Nearly 25 years ago, the First Presi-dency declared: “Our message . . . is one of special love and concernfor the eternal welfare of all men andwomen, regardless of religious belief,race, or nationality, knowing that weare truly brothers and sisters becausewe are sons and daughters of thesame Eternal Father” (First Presi-dency statement, 15 Feb. 1978).
That is our doctrine—a doctrineof inclusion. That is what webelieve. That is what we have beentaught. Of all people on this earth,we should be the most loving, thekindest, and the most tolerantbecause of that doctrine.
May I suggest three simple thingswe can do to avoid making others inour neighborhoods feel excluded?
First, get to know your neighbors.Learn about their families, theirwork, their views. Get together withthem, if they are willing, and do sowithout being pushy and without anyulterior motives. Friendship shouldnever be offered as a means to an
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end; it can and should be an endunto itself. I received a letter from awoman who recently moved to Utah,a small part of which I quote: “I musttell you, Elder Ballard, that when Igreet my neighbors, or if I wave tothem, they do not acknowledge mygreeting. If I pass them while takingmy morning or evening walk, mysalutation is not returned. Otherpeople of color consistently expresssimilar negative responses to friendlygestures.” If members of the Churchare among her neighbors, surely theymust know that this should not happen. Let us cultivate meaningfulrelationships of mutual trust andunderstanding with people from dif-ferent backgrounds and beliefs.
Second, I believe it would begood if we eliminated a couple ofphrases from our vocabulary: “non-member” and “non-Mormon.” Suchphrases can be demeaning and evenbelittling. Personally, I don’t con-sider myself to be a “non-Catholic”or a “non-Jew.” I am a Christian. Iam a member of The Church ofJesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.That is how I prefer to be identified—for who and what I am, as opposedto being identified for what I amnot. Let us extend that same cour-tesy to those who live among us. If acollective description is needed,then “neighbors” seems to work wellin most cases.
And third, if neighbors becometesty or frustrated because of somedisagreement with The Church ofJesus Christ of Latter-day Saints orwith some law we support for moralreasons, please don’t suggest tothem—even in a humorous way—that they consider moving some-place else. I cannot comprehendhow any member of our Church caneven think such a thing! Our pio-neer ancestors were driven fromplace to place by uninformed andintolerant neighbors. They experi-enced extraordinary hardship andpersecution because they thought,acted, and believed differently fromothers. If our history teaches us
nothing else, it should teach us to
Fulfilling Our Duty to GodElder Robert D. HalesOf the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
“I promise you that your achievement of the Duty to GodAward will provide you with a living testimony that will sustainyou throughout your life.”
Priesthood Session6 October 2001
respect the rights of all people topeacefully coexist with one another.
I now speak to all those who arenot of our faith. If there are issues ofconcern, let us talk about them. Wewant to be helpful. Please understand,however, that our doctrines andteachings are set by the Lord, sosometimes we will have to agree todisagree with you, but we can do sowithout being disagreeable. In ourcommunities we can and must worktogether in an atmosphere of courtesy,respect, and civility. Here in Utah, agroup of concerned citizens formedthe Alliance for Unity. This effort hasbeen endorsed by our Church as wellas other churches and organizations.One of its purposes is “to seek to builda community where differing view-points are acknowledged and valued.”Perhaps there has never been a moreimportant time for neighbors allaround the world to stand togetherfor the common good of one another.
Just hours before He began thepainful physical and spiritual pro-cesses of the Atonement, the Saviormet with His Apostles to partake ofthe Feast of the Passover—His LastSupper—and to give them the finalinstructions He would give them inmortality. Among these teachings isthe stirring, life-changing declara-tion: “A new commandment I giveunto you, That ye love one another;as I have loved you, that ye also loveone another.
“By this shall all men know thatye are my disciples, if ye have loveone to another” (John 13:34–35).
That is what Jesus taught His dis-ciples—including “a certainlawyer”—through the parable of thegood Samaritan. And that is what Heis teaching us today through livingprophets and apostles. Love oneanother. Be kind to one anotherdespite our deepest differences. Treatone another with respect and civility.I know and testify that Jesus is theChrist, our Savior and Redeemer, andI know that He expects all of us to fol-low His admonition to be betterneighbors, to which I testify in the
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name of Jesus Christ, amen. �
hat a joy it is to standbefore the priesthoodand address the royal
army of God. It is important that we know who we are—sons of Godwho hold the Aaronic Priesthoodand the Melchizedek Priesthood,restored in this dispensation. It isimportant that we know what weare trying to achieve in life—that is,to return back into the presence ofour Heavenly Father with our fami-lies. Because we are so blessed, it isalso important that we learn and doour duty to God.
For many years the First Presi-
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Twelve Apostles have had great con-cerns for the welfare of our youth inour troubled times. On September28, 2001, the First Presidency sent aletter to priesthood leaders in theUnited States and Canada whichstated:
“In January 2000, we introducedan Aaronic Priesthood Achievementprogram in areas outside the UnitedStates and Canada where Scoutingwas not available. The purpose . . . isto help young men prepare for theMelchizedek Priesthood, the templeendowment, a full-time mission,marriage, and fatherhood. . . . [Thatinternational program remains inforce and] has now been adapted foruse in the United States and Canadato include the important role ofScouting in the development ofyoung men . . . [and will be knownas] Aaronic Priesthood: Fulfilling OurDuty to God.
“Three guidebooks—AaronicPriesthood: Fulfilling Our Duty to Godfor deacons, teachers, and priests—explain the program. Young menwho complete the requirements out-lined in all of these guidebooks willreceive the Duty to God Award.
“We also announce a new simpli-fied Young Women Personal Progressbook and a revised For the Strength of
Youth pamphlet. These materials
have been updated to help youthdevelop greater faith and courage intoday’s world. In addition, weannounce a Guidebook for Parents andLeaders of Youth to help parents andleaders strengthen our youth. Thisguidebook also outlines the impor-tant and supportive role of Mutual.
“We desire all young men tostrive to earn the Eagle Scout andDuty to God Awards. We desire allyoung women to strive to earn theYoung Womanhood Recognition. Asyouth work on these goals, they willdevelop skills and attributes thatwill lead them to the temple andprepare them for a lifetime of serviceto their families and the Lord.
“Copies of these materials will besent to each stake for distribution towards by December 2001, for imple-mentation in January 2002” (FirstPresidency letter, 28 Sept. 2001).Thus ended the First Presidency’shistoric letter.
We live in a very difficult era inthe history of the world, when Satanis going to and fro on the earthamong the children of God, doingall manner of evil to thwart thedesires of a righteous God. Thescriptures teach us that Satan’s evildesigns upon the peoples of theearth will intensify as the SecondComing of our Lord and SaviorJesus Christ draws near at hand (see2 Thes. 2:1–10; D&C 10:33; 52:14;86:3–10).
There has never been a time inthese latter days like today, whenthe message is being brought for-ward so strongly by the FirstPresidency and the Quorum of theTwelve Apostles to have parentsalong with bishops and priesthoodand auxiliary leaders make sure youyoung men understand who you areand what you can become—notonly here in mortality but for theeternities that will follow.
The Duty to God Award willassist young men to meet the futurechallenges of life and to achieve thepurposes of the Aaronic Priesthood.
The First Presidency and Quo-
rum of the Twelve Apostles haveexplained, “We hope you will earnthe Duty to God Award and that itwill become a symbol of your prepa-ration to receive the MelchizedekPriesthood” (Aaronic Priesthood:Fulfilling Our Duty to God, Deacon[2001], 4).
As you earn the Duty to GodAward, you will complete goals inthe following areas:
• Be faithful in your priesthoodduties and standards
• Be involved in family activities• Participate in quorum activities• Complete a Duty to God ser-
vice project• Accomplish personal goals in
each of four categories, the centerbeing priesthood duties: spiritualdevelopment; physical development;educational, personal, and careerdevelopment; and citizenship andsocial development.
If you will fulfill the requirementsfor these priesthood duties and per-sonal attributes, you will prepareyourselves for the MelchizedekPriesthood responsibilities andfuture challenges in your life. Ipromise you that your achievementof the Duty to God Award will pro-vide you with a living testimony thatwill sustain you throughout your life.
Where available, Scouting canalso help you in this effort. Weencourage you to participate inScouting. Many of the Scoutingrequirements can fill goals andrequirements of the Duty to Godcertificates.
Scouting is part of the AaronicPriesthood activity program. TheDuty to God Award is a priesthoodaward, having requirements that willhelp you develop spiritually and ful-fill your priesthood duties.
Some of the great blessings ofthese programs that have beendeveloped are that as the youth ofthe Church, you will have a clearunderstanding of who you are, youwill be accountable for your actions,you will take responsibility for theconduct of your life, and you will beable to set goals so that you might
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to achieve. Our plea is that youstrive to do your very best.
Young men, get on your kneeseach day and express to God thedesires of your heart. He is thesource of all wisdom and will giveyou answers to your prayers. Behumble and willing to listen to thewhisperings of the Spirit. Read thescriptures daily. Strengthen your tes-timony. Pay tithes and fast offerings.Remember and keep the covenantsyou made when you were baptized,and renew those covenants eachweek when you partake of the sacra-ment. Keeping your baptismalcovenants now will help you preparefor the temple covenants you willmake in the future.
This is the essence of your dutyto God. By fulfilling your duty toGod, you will bring blessings notonly to your own life but to the livesof others.
Giving service to others is one of the purposes of the AaronicPriesthood. As a requirement for theDuty to God Award, at least onceeach year you will have a serviceproject that will provide an opportu-nity for significant service to yourfamily, the Church, or the commu-nity. As you help and serve others,you will learn that the followingscripture is a very essential part ofthe gospel: “Inasmuch as ye do itunto the least of these, ye do it untome” (D&C 42:38).
I hope the parents, and thebishops—who are the presidents ofthe Aaronic Priesthood—will under-stand that the young men and youngwomen for whom they have responsi-bility have been prepared to come toearth at this particular time for asacred and glorious purpose. It is agreat blessing to be able to qualify forand then receive the MelchizedekPriesthood. You young men havenoble callings to become righteousmen, to grow in strength, and toinfluence others for good. You youngmen are the future of the Church.
We have all progressed since wecame to earth from the presence of
our Heavenly Father. Our first
decade in this life was a great learn-ing experience. We were cared forand nurtured. We learned to walkand to talk and control this mortalbody. We learned about agency—that choices have consequences.Many of us were baptized at eightyears of age, which the scriptures tellus is the age of accountability whenwe have the ability to know rightfrom wrong, to know who we are—children of God—why we are hereon earth, and what we are trying toaccomplish (see D&C 68:25, 27).
From our baptism to the age of12, our families, priesthood and aux-iliary leaders, and teachers havetaught us gospel principles and stan-dards that prepare us to hold thepriesthood. The Aaronic Priesthoodis called the preparatory priesthood.This second decade of our lives is apreparatory period. It is a time inwhich we prepare to make the greatdecisions that lie ahead. We prepareto receive the Melchizedek Priest-hood, to take upon us our templecovenants, and to fulfill all of our priesthood responsibilities so
A reflective moment in the Conferen
that we can fulfill our duty to God.The choices you make today will
directly influence the number andkinds of opportunities you will havein the future. Each daily decision willeither limit or broaden your opportu-nities. As you make righteous deci-sions during this preparatory period,you will be ready to make righteousdecisions in the future.
Just think, in the next decade ofyour life—the decade of your 20s—what decisions will be made: templeworthiness, missionary service, edu-cation, career, an eternal companion,and a family. This decade of decisionis not a time to fear. It is a time toenjoy the blessings for which youhave prepared. “If ye are prepared yeshall not fear” (D&C 38:30).
One of the greatest gifts you weregiven at baptism was to receive thegift of the Holy Ghost. With the giftof the Holy Ghost, you can haveinspired guidance to make theseimportant decisions.
During the preparatory period ofyour lives it is so important that youcultivate spiritual growth, physical
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ce Center.
growth, education, personal devel-opment, career preparation, citi-zenship, and social skills. Thesequalities are all part of your priest-hood duties and will help in thedecisions that lie ahead for the nextdecades of your life.
An important part of fulfillingour duty to God at any age is tobecome a disciple of Jesus Christ,which means that we accept Hisinvitation to “come, follow me”(Luke 18:22). To follow the Saviorrequires us to know who He is—theSon of God—to take His nameupon us, to remember His atoningsacrifice, and to keep His command-ments. We made these covenants atbaptism, and we renew our bap-tismal covenants each time we par-take of the sacrament.
We learn from the Savior in Hisprayers to His Father in Heavengreat lessons of discipleship and dutyto God. In His intercessory prayerHe teaches, “I have glorified thee onthe earth: I have finished the workwhich thou gavest me to do” (John17:4; emphasis added).
When Jesus Christ sufferedagony in the Garden of Gethsemanefor the sins of all mankind, Heprayed, “O my Father, if it be possi-ble, let this cup pass from me: nev-ertheless not as I will, but as thouwilt” (Matt. 26:39; emphasisadded).
Discipleship and duty to God areshown in the lives of prophetsthroughout the scriptures. Thelessons we learn from these prophetscan be applied to our lives.
Young Joseph Smith said, “Iobeyed; I returned to my father inthe field, and rehearsed the wholematter to him” (JS—H 1:50; empha-sis added).
Elijah “went and did accordingunto the word of the Lord” (1 Kgs.17:5; emphasis added).
“Thus did Noah; according to allthat God commanded him, so did he”(Gen. 6:22; emphasis added).
Joshua taught his people, “As forme and my house, we will serve theLord. . . . And the people said untoJoshua, The Lord our God will weserve, and his voice will we obey”(Josh. 24:15, 24; emphasis added).
Alma said, “O, remember, myson, and learn wisdom in thy youth;
yea, learn in thy youth to keep thecommandments of God” (Alma37:35; emphasis added).
The First Presidency and Quo-rum of the Twelve Apostles havecounseled each holder of theAaronic Priesthood:
“You live in a day of great chal-lenges and opportunities. You havebeen called to make a difference inthe world. As a son of God, with thepower of the Aaronic Priesthood, youcan be a wonderful force for good.
“You can provide service, givingof your time, talents, and energieswithout thought of reward. You canfulfill priesthood duties, such as[preparing, passing, and] blessing thesacrament[, gathering fast offerings,helping others,] and serving as ahome teacher. You can lift others byyour example. You can strengthenyourself, building faith and testi-mony, living the gospel while youlearn it and share it.
“You have a responsibility tolearn what Heavenly Father wantsyou to do and then to do your bestto follow His will. . . .
“The Lord believes in you and hasan important mission for you to do.He will help you as you turn to Himin prayer. Listen for the promptings of
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Make and keep covenants that willprepare you for the temple. Workwith your parents and leaders as youset goals and strive to achieve them.You will feel a great sense of accom-plishment as you fulfill your duty andprepare for the exciting challenges ofthe future” (Aaronic Priesthood:Fulfilling Our Duty to God, Priest[2001], 4–5).
Brethren of the Aaronic Priest-hood, set your goals now and startworking toward earning your Dutyto God Award and Eagle ScoutAward. You will be blessed for yourefforts.
I express my love for the youth ofthe Church. I have great respectand admiration for the righteouschoices you are making each day.You are so faithful in these troubledtimes despite the many challengeswhich face you. You are preparingyourselves to be future fathers andpriesthood leaders of the Church.
It is so important that all of usunderstand that we live in the lastdispensation of the fulness of time—that we are preparing for the SecondComing of Jesus Christ and that theadversary in these last days will beable to loose more evils upon theworld. Our prayers are that all theyouth of the Church will have thestrength to withstand the fiery dartsof the adversary and that we as par-ents and priesthood leaders—yes,we as the shepherds—can help ourchildren remain true and faithful tothe gospel of Jesus Christ.
I testify to the truthfulness of thiswork and the restoration of thepriesthood in these latter days. Ipromise you that you will be blessedfor your faithfulness and declarewith the prophet Alma, “I have saidthese things unto you that I mightawaken you to a sense of your dutyto God, that ye may walk blamelessbefore him, that ye may walk afterthe holy order of God” (Alma 7:22).That each Aaronic Priesthoodholder will fulfill his duty to Godand return with honor to hisHeavenly Father is my prayer. In the
name of Jesus Christ, amen. �
Our Duty to GodElder Cecil O. Samuelson Jr.Of the Presidency of the Seventy
“Holding the priesthood and doing your duty to God is not only a very serious responsibility but also a remarkable privilege.”
As a young man, I wasimpressed with the OldTestament story of Samuel,
whose life had been dedicated toGod by his grateful mother,Hannah. While still a lad, he wentto live and serve in the temple. Onenight he was called three times bythe Lord and each time answered,“Here am I,”1 thinking that he hadbeen summoned by his high priestteacher, Eli. Wise Eli, knowing thatlittle “Samuel did not yet know theLord, neither was the word of theLord yet revealed unto him,”2
understood that the Lord had calledthe young boy. He, therefore, taughtSamuel how to respond, and whenhe was next called by the Lord,Samuel answered, “Speak; for thyservant heareth.”3
As we follow the life of Samuel,
we recognize that he did fulfill hisduty to God and that “Samuel grew,and the Lord was with him, and didlet none of his words fall to theground.”4 As a result, Samuel him-self became a great prophet andleader.
I hope that you young men of theAaronic Priesthood today under-stand that, as Samuel, you also havea sacred duty to God. Samuel had asainted mother, Hannah, and agreat priesthood leader, Eli. Most ofyou young men, likewise, have won-derful parents and inspired priest-hood leaders who care for you andstand ready to assist both you andyour parents in your quest to fulfillyour duty to God.
President Gordon B. Hinckleyhas said this of you and your genera-tion of young people: “I have . . .great love for the young men andyoung women of this Church. . . .How we love you and pray con-stantly for the genius to help you.Your lives are filled with difficultdecisions and with dreams andhopes and longings to find thatwhich will bring you peace andhappiness. . . .
“I make you a promise that Godwill not forsake you if you will walkin His paths with the guidance ofHis commandments.”5
With this promise of the prophetin mind, let me remind you, as wasmentioned by Elder Hales and theletter from the First Presidency, ofChurch resources that are beingmade available to assist you in
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Aaronic Priesthood purposes helpyou to:
• Become converted to thegospel of Jesus Christ and live itsteachings.
• Serve faithfully in priesthoodcallings and fulfill the responsibili-ties of priesthood offices.
• Give meaningful service.• Prepare and live worthily to
receive the Melchizedek Priesthoodand temple ordinances.
• Prepare to serve an honorablefull-time mission.
• Obtain as much education aspossible.
• Prepare to become a worthyhusband and father.
• Give proper respect to women,girls, and children.
The Duty to God Award programwill help you achieve these purposesof the Aaronic Priesthood. To qualifyfor the Duty to God Award, you willneed to achieve and completeAaronic Priesthood purposes andalso participate in family activities,specific quorum activities, a Duty toGod service project, keeping a per-sonal journal, and completing per-sonal goals in each of four categories:
• Spiritual Development• Physical Development• Educational, Personal, and
Career Development• Citizenship and Social Develop-
mentWhere Scouting is available, you
will note that many of the Scoutingrequirements can fill necessary expec-tations for the Duty to God Award.Both Duty to God and Scoutingactivities teach us to “be prepared” in“every needful thing.”6 Achieving theDuty to God and Eagle Scout Awards[or similar awards] are complemen-tary, not competitive.
The First Presidency and theQuorum of the Twelve love you anddesire to strengthen you in theseincreasingly difficult times. Withthis love and desire, they have pro-vided for you a revised For theStrength of Youth: Fulfilling Our Dutyto God pamphlet as well as addi-
tional materials for Young Men,
Young Women, parents, and leaders.As you young men of the Aaronic
Priesthood strive to achieve the Dutyto God Award even as the YoungWomen work on their PersonalProgress efforts, you will join withthem in standing as witnesses of Godas well. This witness is expressed bywhat you say and also by how you liveand keep the commandments.
You know that receiving the Dutyto God Award is not the ultimate goalin itself, but rather the incorporationinto your lives of attributes that willhelp you focus more clearly on yourduty to God. These characteristicswill keep you on track to be worthyand able to meet the sacred tasks andopportunities before you. They willhelp you to be happy, clean, andstrong now and also to prepare youfor eternally important events such asreceiving the blessings of the holytemple, serving missions, and ulti-mately being sealed to a worthy com-panion in the house of the Lord.
Alma, as he taught in the land ofGideon, made this clear in timelesslanguage: “And now my belovedbrethren, I have said these thingsunto you that I might awaken you toa sense of your duty to God, that yemay walk blameless before him, thatye may walk after the holy order ofGod, after which ye have beenreceived.”7
You who have received the
priesthood will wish to walk afterthis “holy order” to which you havebeen called and ordained. You rec-ognize that with every promisedblessing there are associated respon-sibilities. By fulfilling these responsi-bilities, you are given opportunitiesto serve others and develop yourselfspiritually. These are essential stepsin your progress to become morelike Jesus.
The Savior, who suffered all thingsfor us,8 faced challenges similar tosome we face in our Aaronic Priest-hood years. You remember Jesus’experience at about the age whenmost of us become deacons. He hadgone with His family and others tothe temple. When it came time toreturn home, He was not with Maryand Joseph. They must have assumedthat Jesus was with other trustedfriends or extended family members.Only when His absence persisted didthey become alarmed. As dutiful par-ents, Mary and Joseph did what yourparents may have done in similar cir-cumstances: they went looking forHim. When they located Jesus in the
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temple, only parents and grand-parents might fully appreciate themixed sense of relief they felt that Hewas safe, but they also were perhaps alittle surprised by His reaction. Haveany of you ever had a similar experi-ence? We all know the dialogue thatensued: “And when they saw him,they were amazed: and his mothersaid unto him, Son, why hast thouthus dealt with us? behold, thy fatherand I have sought thee sorrowing.And he said unto them, How is itthat ye sought me? wist ye not that Imust be about my Father’s business?”9
Jesus might have said, “Don’t youknow that I am doing my duty toGod?”
President Harold B. Lee taughtthat the meaning of Jesus’ question isfound in section 64 of the Doctrineand Covenants.10 Said President Lee:“When one becomes a holder of thepriesthood, he becomes an agent ofthe Lord. He should think of his call-ing as though he were on the Lord’serrand. That is what it means to mag-nify the priesthood. Think of the
GratitudeElder Steven E. SnowOf the Seventy
“Gratitude may be increased by constantly reflecting on ourblessings and giving thanks for them in our daily prayers.”
Master asking each of you, as thisyoung boy did of Joseph and Mary,Wist ye not that I must be about myFather’s business? Whatever you doaccording to the will of the Lord is theLord’s business.”11 Thus, holding thepriesthood and doing your duty toGod is not only a very serious respon-sibility but also a remarkable privilege.
Sometimes you might feel thatyour parents and leaders respond likeMary and Joseph did. After Jesusanswered by asking His importantquestion about His Father’s business,Luke records, “They understood notthe saying which he spake untothem.”12
Nevertheless, please pay close at-tention to what Jesus did! It is anexample for what we must do if weare really to fulfill our duty to God.“And he went down with them, andcame to Nazareth, and was subjectunto them. . . . And Jesus increasedin wisdom and stature, and in favourwith God and man.”13
You must remember that yourduty to God is very clearly linked toyour duties to your own family mem-bers, particularly your parents. It isnot only in being properly subject orsubmissive to God, but also to par-ents and priesthood leaders, that wecan truly fulfill our duty to God.May we all be as Samuel, who saidto the Lord, “Speak; for thy servantheareth.”14 In the name of JesusChrist, amen. �
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NOTES1. See 1 Sam. 3:4–8.2. 1 Sam. 3:7.3. 1 Sam. 3:10.4. 1 Sam. 3:19.5. “A Prophet’s Counsel and Prayer for
Youth,” Liahona, Apr. 2001, 30.6. D&C 88:119.7. Alma 7:22.8. See Alma 7:11; D&C 18:11.9. Luke 2:48–49.10. See D&C 64:29.11. Harold B. Lee, Stand Ye in Holy
Places (1974), 255.12. Luke 2:50.13. Luke 2:51–52.14. 1 Sam. 3:10.
rowing up in southernUtah, some of us soughtemployment at the many
gasoline service stations that linedold Highway 91 as it made its waythrough downtown St. George. Myyounger brother, Paul, then 18,worked at Tom’s Service, a stationlocated about three blocks from ourhome.
One summer day, a car with NewYork license plates pulled in the sta-tion and asked for a fill-up. (For youbrethren under the age of 30, inthose days someone actually cameout and filled your car with gas,washed your windows, and checkedyour oil.) While Paul was washingthe windshield, the driver asked himhow far it was to the Grand Canyon.Paul replied that it was 170 miles.
“I’ve waited all my life to see theGrand Canyon,” the man exclaimed.
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“I don’t know,” Paul answered.“I’ve never been there.”
“You mean to tell me,” the manresponded, “that you live two and ahalf hours from one of the sevenwonders of the world and you’venever been there!”
“That’s right,” Paul said.After a moment, the man replied,
“Well, I guess I can understand that.My wife and I have lived inManhattan for over 20 years, andwe’ve never visited the Statue ofLiberty.”
“I’ve been there,” Paul said.Isn’t it ironic, brethren, that we
will often travel many miles to seethe wonders of nature or the cre-ations of man, but yet ignore thebeauty in our own backyard?
It is human nature, I suppose, toseek elsewhere for our happiness.Pursuit of career goals, wealth, andmaterial rewards can cloud our per-spective and often leads to a lack ofappreciation for the bounteous bless-ings of our present circumstances.
It is precarious to dwell on why wehave not been given more. It is, how-ever, beneficial and humbling to dwellon why we have been given so much.
An old proverb states, “Thegreater wealth is contentment witha little.”
In his letter to the Philippians,Paul wrote, “Not that I speak inrespect of want: for I have learned,in whatsoever state I am, therewithto be content” (Philip. 4:11).
Alma instructed his son Helaman,giving him counsel that all fathers
should teach their children: “Counsel
Above: Members of the Quorums ofthe Seventy listen to a conferencesession.
with the Lord in all thy doings, andhe will direct thee for good; yea,when thou liest down at night liedown unto the Lord, that he maywatch over you in your sleep; andwhen thou risest in the morning letthy heart be full of thanks untoGod; and if ye do these things, yeshall be lifted up at the last day”(Alma 37:37).
Alma says, “Let thy heart be fullof thanks unto God.” The Lorddesires that we give thanks. InThessalonians we read, “In everything give thanks: for this is the willof God in Christ Jesus concerningyou” (1 Thes. 5:18).
As holders of the priesthood weshould constantly strive to increaseour gratitude. Gratitude may beincreased by constantly reflecting onour blessings and giving thanks forthem in our daily prayers.
President David O. McKay hassaid: “The young man who closesthe door behind him, who draws thecurtains, and there in silence pleadswith God for help, should first pour
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for friends, for loved ones, for thegospel, for the manifestations ofGod’s existence. He should firstcount his many blessings and namethem one by one” (in ConferenceReport, Apr. 1961, 7–8).
A constant expression of grati-tude should be included in all ourprayers. Often prayers are given forspecific blessings which we, in ourincomplete understanding, believewe need. While the Lord doesanswer prayers according to His will,He certainly must be pleased whenwe offer humble prayers of gratitude.
Brethren, the next time we pray,instead of presenting the Lord peti-tion after petition for some action inour behalf, give Him thoughtfulthanks for all with which He hasblessed us.
President Joseph F. Smith hasinstructed us that “the spirit of grati-tude is always pleasant and satisfyingbecause it carries with it a sense ofhelpfulness to others; it begets loveand friendship, and engendersdivine influence. Gratitude is said
to be the memory of the heart”
Create or ContinuePriesthood LinksElder Keith K. HilbigOf the Seventy
“When we serve righteously . . . , we are strengthening ourpriesthood link and connecting it ever more securely to thosewho have preceded and who will follow us.”
(Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. [1939], 262).In October of 1879 a group of 237
Latter-day Saints from several smallsouthwestern Utah settlements wascalled to blaze a new route and colo-nize what is today known as San JuanCounty in southeastern Utah. Thejourney was to have taken six weeksbut instead took nearly six months.Their struggles and heroics are welldocumented, particularly their seem-ingly impossible task of crossing theColorado River at a place calledHole-in-the-Rock. Those who havevisited this place marvel that wagonsand teams could have been loweredthrough this narrow crack in the redrock canyon walls to reach theColorado River far below. Once theColorado was crossed, however, manyother severe tests awaited them onthe trail to San Juan County. Tiredand worn out, early in April 1880they faced their final obstacle, CombRidge. The Comb is a ridge of solidsandstone forming a steep wall nearly1,000 feet high.
One hundred and twenty yearslater, our family climbed CombRidge on a bright spring day. Theridge is steep and treacherous. It wasdifficult to imagine that wagons,teams, men, women, and childrencould make such an ascent. Butbeneath our feet were the scars fromthe wagon wheels, left as evidence oftheir struggles so long ago. How didthey feel after enduring so much?Were they bitter after the manymonths of toil and privation? Didthey criticize their leaders for send-ing them on such an arduous jour-ney, asking them to give up somuch? Our questions were answeredas we reached the top of CombRidge. There inscribed in the redsandstone so long ago were thewords, “We thank Thee, O God.”
Brethren, I pray that we mightkeep our hearts full of thanks andappreciation for what we have andnot dwell on what is not ours. Asholders of the priesthood, let usadopt an attitude of gratitude in allwe do is my prayer, in the name of
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Jesus Christ, amen. �
ithin this vast congrega-tion of priesthood bear-ers assembled here and
throughout the world sit severalgenerations—tens of thousands ofsons, fathers, grandfathers, evengreat-grandfathers—all of whomhave faith in Christ, seek to keepHis commandments, and desire toserve Him.
Some are part of a long traditionof priesthood men stretching back intime. Others are the very first men intheir respective families to bear thepriesthood of God. But all have theopportunity—and responsibility—either to create or to continue achain of worthy men who honor thepriesthood and render service in the
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together from generation to genera-tion. It is your individual link in thatpriesthood chain of which I wouldspeak tonight.
In each dispensation faithful menhave been given the priesthood tofurther the Lord’s purposes. Thescriptures recount the passing ofpriesthood authority from prophetto prophet, beginning with Adam.
We are figuratively part of thatpriesthood chain stretching back tothe beginnings of the earth. How-ever, each of us is now literallyengaged in the critical task of creat-ing our own strong priesthood linkso as to be joined with our own fore-fathers and to our own posterity.
If one fails to obtain or to honorthe Melchizedek Priesthood, his linkwill be missing, and eternal life willbe unattainable (see D&C 76:79;84:41–42). Hence, our great effortas a church to teach the message ofthe Restoration to all who are will-ing to listen and to prepare all whoare desirous for the blessings of thepriesthood and the temple.
Our privilege to bear the priest-hood of God tonight has its begin-nings in our premortal existence.The prophet Alma explained thatmen ordained to the MelchizedekPriesthood on earth have been“called and prepared from the foun-dation of the world according to theforeknowledge of God, on account
of their exceeding faith and good
works; in the first place being left tochoose good or evil; therefore theyhaving chosen good, and exercisingexceedingly great faith, are calledwith a holy calling” (Alma 13:3).
The Lord has long intended you
to be a creator or a continuer of thechain of faithful bearers in yourpriesthood family. It was your faithand wise exercise of free agency—inthe premortal existence and here inmortality—which permitted you to
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receive the “holy calling” of thepriesthood.
The Prophet Joseph Smith statedin 1844, “Every man who has a call-ing to minister to the inhabitants ofthe world was ordained to that verypurpose in the Grand Council ofheaven before this world was”(Teachings of the Prophet JosephSmith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith[1976], 365).
Thus, whether as the first in yourfamily or as the fifth generation tohold the priesthood, we have eachcome to earth with a personal heri-tage of faithfulness and foreordina-tion. Such knowledge gives us a firmresolve to always honor the priest-hood and thereby to create or con-tinue a multigenerational family inthe Church and in the celestialkingdom.
We often define priesthood as thepower and authority to act in thename of God upon the earth. Butservice to our Savior, our family, andour fellowman also defines ourpriesthood. The Savior intends thatwe exercise our priesthood primarilyfor the benefit of others. We cannotbless or baptize ourselves, nor pro-vide the ordinances of the temple toourselves. Rather, every priesthoodbearer must rely upon others to lov-ingly exercise their priesthoodauthority and power to help each ofus progress spiritually.
I was able to learn the importanceof priesthood service not only byobserving my grandfather, father, andbrother magnify their callings butalso from the brethren in my wardwho were priesthood models to me.
As a newly ordained teacher in theAaronic Priesthood, my first hometeaching companion was HenryWilkening, a high priest nearly 60years my senior. He was a Germanimmigrant, a shoemaker by trade,small in stature, but an energetic andfaithful shepherd to the familiesassigned to us. I trotted behind him(for he seemed to walk and to climbstairs much faster than I could) dur-ing our monthly visits, which took us
into sobering environments new to
“Some Great Thing”President James E. FaustSecond Counselor in the First Presidency
“May we all be faithful in doing the day-to-day, ordinarythings that prove our worthiness, for they will lead us to andqualify us for great things.”
my sheltered experience. He expectedme to present part of each lesson andto make all the appointments, butmostly I listened and watched as heaided brothers and sisters with variousspiritual and social, economic andemotional needs previously unknownto me as a 14-year-old.
I began to realize how much good could be done by a single faith-ful priesthood bearer. I watchedBrother Wilkening forging a strongpriesthood link for himself throughhis loving service to those familiesin need—and to me in my youth.
The many priesthood men Iobserved while growing up taughtme that providing priesthood ser-vice to others is not dependentupon a particular title or specificcalling or formal position in thekingdom. Rather the opportunityarises from and is inherent withinthe fact that one has received thepriesthood of God.
President J. Reuben Clark Jr.wisely taught at the April 1951 gen-eral conference: “In the service ofthe Lord, it is not where you servebut how. In [T]he Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints, onetakes the place to which one is dulycalled, which place one neitherseeks nor declines” (in ConferenceReport, Apr. 1951, 154).
When we serve righteously withall our heart, whatever the responsi-bility apportioned to us, we arestrengthening our priesthood linkand connecting it ever more securelyto those who have preceded andwho will follow us.
I bear solemn testimony of theSavior’s divinity and atoning sacri-fice and of the restoration of Hispriesthood which we are privilegedto bear—and pray that every sonand father participating in this meet-ing will determine this night to servethe Lord by faithfully honoring thepriesthood and firmly connecting hispersonal link to the priesthood chainwhich will bind him, his forefathers,and his posterity together through-out eternity. In the name of Jesus
M
Christ, amen. �
y beloved brethren of thepriesthood of God all overthe world, I am pleased
to be counted as one of you. Thisevening I would like to challenge thepriesthood of the Church to be morecommitted in doing those thingswhich build faith, character, andspirituality. These are the routinepriesthood obligations we should bedoing daily, weekly, monthly—yearin and year out. The work of theChurch depends upon basics such aspaying tithes; taking care of familyand priesthood duties; caring for thepoor and the needy; having dailyprayer, scripture study, and familyhome evening; home teaching; par-ticipation in quorum activity; andattending the temple. If called uponby the President of the Church, we would be ready, able, and willing
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working on the Nauvoo temple, butmany are not quite so anxious to dosome of these basics.
We are all familiar with the OldTestament story of Naaman, thecaptain of the Syrian hosts, who wasa leper. A little Israelite servant toldNaaman’s wife that there was aprophet in Israel who could healhim. Naaman came with his chariotand horses to the house of Elisha,who sent a messenger to instructNaaman, “Go and wash in Jordanseven times, and thy flesh shallcome again to thee, and thou shaltbe clean.”1
You younger boys know how it iswhen you show your hands to yourmother: she’ll tell you to go andwash! But Naaman was not a youngboy. He was the captain of the Syrianhosts, and he was offended by Elisha’sinstruction to wash in the Jordan. Sohe “went away in a rage.”2 One ofNaaman’s servants with a wise headremonstrated with him and said: “Ifthe prophet had bid thee [to] dosome great thing, wouldest thou nothave done it? how much rather then,when he saith to thee, Wash, and beclean?”3 Naaman then repented andfollowed the counsel of the prophet.The leprosy disappeared, and “hisflesh came again like unto the flesh ofa little child, and he was clean.”4
“Some great thing” in this instancewas extraordinarily simple and easyto do.
We have in the modern history ofthe Church contrasting examples of
men who were highly favored of the
Lord. One, Hyrum Smith, remainedtotally faithful and committed, evento the giving of his life, while theother, Oliver Cowdery, despite hav-ing witnessed “some great things” in the history of the Restoration,became blinded by his personalambition and lost his exalted placein the leadership of the Church.
Oliver Cowdery shared with theProphet Joseph Smith many of theprofound events of the Restoration,such as their baptism under theauthority of John the Baptist, theconferral of the Aaronic Priesthood,the marvelous appearances in theKirtland Temple, and writing withhis own pen “the entire Book ofMormon (save a few pages) as it fellfrom the lips of the Prophet [JosephSmith].”5 No one except theProphet Joseph was more honoredwith the ministering of angels thanOliver Cowdery.
But when the Prophet Joseph fellupon hard times, Oliver was criticalof him and became estranged fromhim. Despite the efforts of theProphet to reach out the hand offellowship to him, he became hostileto the Prophet and the Church andwas excommunicated 12 April 1838.
A few years after the death of
the Prophet, Oliver repented andexpressed interest in coming back tothe Church. In response, BrighamYoung wrote on 22 November 1847,inviting him to “return to our father’shouse, from whence thou hast wan-dered, . . . and renew thy testimony tothe truth of the Book of Mormon.”6
Oliver appeared before the highpriests quorum and said: “Brethrenfor a number of years I have been sep-arated from you. I now desire to comeback. I wish to come humbly and beone in your midst.—I seek no station.I only wish to be identified withyou.—I am out of the church. I amnot a member of the church. I wish tobecome a member of the churchagain. I wish to come in at the door. Iknow the door. I have not come hereto seek precedence. I come humblyand throw myself upon the decisionof this body—knowing as I do thattheir decisions are right and should beobeyed.”7
He also bore his testimony inthese words: “Friends and brethrenmy name is Cowdery, OliverCowdery. In the early history of thischurch I stood identified with [you].. . . I . . . handled with my hands thegold plates from which [the Book
of Mormon] was translated. I also
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beheld the interpreters. That book istrue. Sidney Rigdon did not write it.Mr. Spaulding did not write it. Iwrote it myself as it fell from the lipsof the prophet.”8 Even thoughOliver came back, he lost hisexalted place in the Church.
In contrast, President Heber J.Grant said of Hyrum Smith: “Thereis no better example of an olderbrother’s love than that exhibited inthe life of Hyrum Smith for theProphet Joseph Smith. . . . Theywere as united and as affectionateand as loving as mortal men couldbe. . . . There never was one particleof . . . jealousy . . . in the heart ofHyrum Smith. No mortal man couldhave been more loyal, more true,more faithful in life or in death thanwas Hyrum Smith to the Prophet ofthe living God.”9
He responded to every need andrequest from his younger brother,Joseph, who led the Church andreceived the revelations which wehave today. Hyrum was steadfast dayto day, month by month, year in andyear out.
After their brother Alvin’s death,Hyrum finished building the whiteframe home for their parents. AfterJoseph had received the goldenplates, Hyrum provided the woodenbox to store and protect them. Whenthe plates had been translated,Joseph entrusted Hyrum with theprinter’s copy of the manuscript.Hyrum, often accompanied byOliver Cowdery, carried pages toand from the typesetter daily.10
Hyrum worked as a farmer andlaborer to support his family, butafter the Church was organized in1830 he accepted the call to presideover the Colesville Branch. He tookhis wife and family and went to livewith the Newel Knight family,spending much of his time “preach-ing the gospel wherever [he] couldfind any who would listen.”11 Ever a good missionary, he not onlypreached near his home but alsowent to the eastern seaboard andsouthward in the United States. In
1831 he went with John Murdock to
Missouri and back, preaching alongthe way.12
When the construction of theKirtland Temple was envisioned in1833, Hyrum immediately took hisscythe and cleared weeds from thetemple site and began digging thefoundation. In 1834 when Zion’sCamp was organized, Hyrum assistedLyman Wight in recruiting membersof the camp and led a group ofSaints from Michigan to Missouri.
Being thus proved in the littlethings, Hyrum became an AssistantPresident of the Church in De-cember of 1834. He served underthe direction of his younger brother,the Prophet Joseph. He was ever asource of strength and comfort tohis brother, whether in Church ser-vice or in the Liberty Jail. As perse-cutions came and Joseph fled themob at Nauvoo in 1844, Hyrumwent with him. As they stood on thebank of the river, contemplatingwhether to return, Joseph turned toHyrum and said, “You are the oldest,what shall we do?”
“Let us go back and give our-selves up and see the thing out,”13
Hyrum replied.They returned to Nauvoo and
were taken to Carthage, where theydied as martyrs within minutes ofone another. Hyrum had been faith-ful to his trust even to the layingdown of his life. In all respects hewas a disciple of the Savior. But hisday-to-day striving made him trulygreat. In contrast, Oliver Cowderywas great when handling the platesand being attended to by angels, butwhen called upon to faithfullyendure day-to-day trials and chal-lenges, Oliver faltered and fell awayfrom the Church.
We do not prove our love for theSavior only by doing “some greatthing.” If the prophet personallyasked you to go on a mission to somestrange and exotic place, would yougo? You would probably make everyeffort to go. But what about payingtithing? What about doing yourhome teaching? We show our love
for the Savior by doing the manysmall acts of faith, devotion, andkindness to others that define ourcharacter. This was well demon-strated by the life of Dr. George R.Hill III, former General Authority,who died a few months ago.
Elder Hill was a world authorityon coal and a renowned scientist. Hereceived multiple awards and honorsfor his scientific achievements. Hewas dean of the College of Minesand Mineral Resources and En-virotech professor of engineering atthe University of Utah. But as a per-son, Elder Hill was humble, self-effacing, and totally dedicated. Heserved as the bishop of three differ-ent wards and as a regional repre-sentative before being called as aGeneral Authority. After his releaseas a General Authority, he became acounselor in a ward bishopric. Hislast callings, at a time when he wasin failing health, were as stake can-nery director and member of a wardchoir. He filled these last callings
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with the same commitment as hehad all the others. He did whateverhe was called upon to do—it did nothave to be “some great thing.”
As a friend of mine once said,“When we sacrifice our talents orour earthly or academic honors orour increasingly limited time on thealtar to God, the act of sacrificebinds our hearts to Him, and we feelour love for Him increase.
“When we render any service inthe kingdom—be it teaching a . . .lesson or dry pack canning atWelfare Square—it will be of muchless value to us if we only see it as a‘To Do’ item. . . . But if we visualizeourselves laying on the altar to Godour talents or our time commitment,such as in attending an inconve-nient church meeting, then our sacrifice becomes personal and de-votional to Him.”14
A story shared by our belovedassociate, Elder Henry B. Eyring, illus-trates this principle of commitment
NOTES1. 2 Kgs. 5:10.2. 2 Kgs. 5:12.3. 2 Kgs. 5:13.4. 2 Kgs. 5:14.5. Reuben Miller, journal, 1848–1849,
Family and Church History DepartmentArchives, 21 Oct. 1848; punctuation andspelling modernized.
6. Letter from Brigham Young to OliverCowdery, 22 Nov. 1847, as cited by SusanEaston Black in Who’s Who in the Doctrine& Covenants (1997), 76.
7. Miller, journal, Nov. 1848.
still further. This story is about hisfather, the great scientist HenryEyring, who served on the BonnevilleStake high council. He was responsi-ble for the welfare farm, whichincluded a field of onions that neededto be weeded. At that time, he wasnearly 80 and suffering from painfulbone cancer. He assigned himself todo weeding even though the pain wasso great that he pulled himself alongon his stomach with his elbows. Thepain was too great for him to kneel.Yet he smiled, laughed, and talkedhappily with the others who werethere that day weeding that field ofonions. I now quote what ElderEyring said of this incident:
“After all the work was finishedand the onions were all weeded,someone [said to] him, ‘Henry, goodheavens! You didn’t pull those weeds,did you? Those weeds were sprayedtwo days ago, and they were going todie anyway.’
“Dad just roared. He thought thatwas the funniest thing. He thought itwas a great joke on himself. He hadworked through the day in the wrongweeds. They had been sprayed andwould have died anyway.
“. . . I [asked] him, ‘Dad how couldyou make a joke out of that?’ . . .
“He said something to me that Iwill never forget. . . . He said, ‘Hal, Iwasn’t there for the weeds.’”15
Small things can have greatpotential. Television, which is agreat blessing to mankind, was con-ceived by a teenager in Idaho as hewas plowing straight furrows in hisfather’s field with a disc harrow. Heenvisioned that he could transmitstraight lines from one image dis-sector to be reproduced in another.16
Often we cannot see the potentialin doing seemingly small things.This 14-year-old boy was doing ordi-nary day-to-day work when thisextraordinary idea came to him. AsNephi once commented, “And thuswe see that by small means the Lordcan bring about great things.”17
You young men are a chosen gen-eration for whom the future holdsgreat promise. The future mayrequire you to compete with youngmen in a worldwide market. Youneed special training. You may beselected for training not because ofsome extraordinary achievement orgreat thing, but because you got
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your Eagle Scout Award, your Dutyto God Award, graduated fromseminary, or served a mission.
In the parable of talents, the onewho had increased his talents wastold, “Well done, good and faithfulservant; thou hast been faithful overa few things, I will make thee rulerover many things: enter thou intothe joy of thy lord.”18 May we all befaithful in doing the day-to-day,ordinary things that prove our wor-thiness, for they will lead us to andqualify us for great things. I bear wit-ness of this in the name of JesusChrist, amen. �
8. Miller, journal, 21 Oct. 1848.9. Heber J. Grant, “Hyrum Smith and
His Distinguished Posterity,” ImprovementEra, Aug. 1918, 854–55.
10. Ronald K. Esplin, “Hyrum Smith:The Mildness of a Lamb, the Integrity ofJob,” Ensign, Feb. 2000, 32.
11. “Newel Knight’s Journal,” from“Scraps of Biography” in ClassicExperiences and Adventures (1969), 65.
12. See D&C 52:8–10.13. See Hyrum Smith—Patriarch, as
quoted in Ensign, Feb. 2000, 36.14. James S. Jardine, “Consecration
and Learning,” On Becoming a Disciple-Scholar (1995), 80.
15. See Henry B. Eyring, “Waitingupon the Lord,” Brigham YoungUniversity 1990–91 Devotional andFireside Speeches, 22.
16. Story of Philo Farnsworth, “Dr. X’sInstant Images,” U.S. News & WorldReport, 17 Aug. 1998, 44.
17. 1 Ne. 16:29.18. Matt. 25:23.
Duty CallsPresident Thomas S. MonsonFirst Counselor in the First Presidency
“All of us have a solemn duty to honor the priesthood andlabor to bring many precious souls unto the Lord.”
My dear brethren, it is anawesome responsibility,and yet a precious privi-
lege, to respond to the assignment to speak to you this evening. Theexcitement, the anticipation of gen-eral conference, including the gen-eral priesthood meeting—whether inperson or by satellite or television—brings joy to our hearts.
The Lord has made it clear whatour responsibilities are and hasgiven to us in the 107th section ofthe Doctrine and Covenants asolemn charge: “Wherefore, now letevery man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he isappointed, in all diligence.”1
At times the performance ofduty, the response to a divine call,or the reaction to a spiritualprompting are not overwhelming.On occasion, however, the duty to
respond is downright overpowering.I experienced such a situation priorto the general conference of April1966. That’s 35 years ago, but Iremember it vividly.
I had received my assignment tospeak at one of the conference ses-sions and had prepared and com-mitted to memory a messageentitled “Meeting Your Goliath.”This was based on the account ofthe famous battle waged by Davidand Goliath of olden times.
Then I received a telephone callfrom President David O. McKay. Theconversation went about like this:“Brother Monson, this is PresidentMcKay calling. How are you?”
I took a deep breath andanswered, “Oh, I’m fine, President,and looking forward to conference.”
“That’s why I’m calling, BrotherMonson. The Saturday morning ses-sion will be rebroadcast on Sundayas our Easter message to the world. Iwill be speaking to an Easter themeand would like you to join me andspeak during that important sessionto that type of theme.”
“Of course, President. I will behappy to do so.”
That’s when the extent of thisbrief conversation really dawned onme. All of a sudden “Meeting YourGoliath” didn’t quite measure up toan Easter message. I knew I mustbegin to prepare all over again.There was so little time. Indeed, my“Goliath” stood before me.
That night I cleared the kitchentable and placed my typewriter onthe tabletop along with a ream of
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basket by my side to hold all thefalse starts that accompany such anassignment of preparation. I beganat about 7:00 P.M. and had not writ-ten a satisfactory line by 1:00 A.M.The wastebasket was filled, but mymind certainly was not. What was Ito do? The clock was running—indeed, it was racing. I paused topray.
Soon thereafter there came to mymind the sadness of my neighborsMark and Wilma Shumway in therecent loss of their youngest child. Ithought to myself, Perhaps I couldspeak directly to them and peripherallyto all others, for who hasn’t lost a dearone and had occasion to grieve? Myfingers raced over the typewriterkeyboard but could barely keep upwith my thoughts.
As the first dim light of morningpeered through our kitchen window,I had finished the message. The taskremained to learn it and thendeliver it to the world. Rarely have Istruggled so hard to fill a propheticassignment. However, HeavenlyFather had heard my prayer. I shallnever forget the experience.
Two landmark passages of scrip-ture filled my soul as the conferencesession concluded. They are bothfamiliar to you, brethren. They haveno expiration date attached to them.First, from Nephi of old: “I will goand do the things which the Lordhath commanded, for I know thatthe Lord giveth no commandmentsunto the children of men, save heshall prepare a way for them thatthey may accomplish the thingwhich he commandeth them.”2
Second is the promise of theLord Himself to you and to me fromthe Doctrine and Covenants: “I willgo before your face. I will be on yourright hand and on your left, and mySpirit shall be in your hearts, andmine angels round about you, tobear you up.”3
Many of us assembled tonighthold the Melchizedek Priesthood,while others bear the AaronicPriesthood. All of us have a solemn
duty to honor the priesthood and
The waterfall outside a south window of the Conference Center provides abackdrop for conference goers.
labor to bring many precious soulsunto the Lord. We remember Hisdeclaration: “The worth of souls isgreat in the sight of God.”4 Are wedoing all we should? Do we remem-ber the words of President JohnTaylor: “If you do not magnify yourcallings, God will hold you responsi-ble for those whom you might havesaved had you done your duty.”5
The desire to help another, thequest for the lost sheep, may notalways yield success at once. Onoccasion, progress is slow—evenindiscernible. Such was the experi-ence of my longtime friend, GillWarner. He was a newly called bishopwhen Douglas, a member of his wardserving in the mission field, trans-gressed and was deprived of hisChurch membership. Father was sad-dened; Mother was totally devas-tated. Douglas soon thereafter movedfrom the state. The years hurried by,but Bishop Warner, now a member ofa high council, never ceased to won-der what had become of Douglas.
In 1975 I attended the stake con-ference of Brother Warner’s stakeand held a priesthood leadershipmeeting early on Sunday morning. Ispoke of the Church discipline sys-tem and the need to labor earnestlyand lovingly to rescue any who hadstrayed. Gill Warner raised his handand outlined the story of Douglas.
He concluded by posing a questionto me: “Do I have any responsibilityto work with Douglas to help bringhim back to Church membership?”
Gill reminded me later that myresponse to his question was directand given without hesitation. I said,“As his former bishop and one whoknew and loved him, I would thinkyou would wish to do all you couldto bring him back.”
Unbeknownst to Gill Warner,Douglas’s mother had, the previousweek, fasted and prayed that a manwould be raised up to help save her son. Gill discovered this when,following the meeting, he feltprompted to call her to report hisdetermination to be of help.
Gill began his odyssey of redemp-tion. Douglas was contacted by him.Old times, happy times, were remem-bered. Testimony was expressed, lovewas conveyed, and confidence in-stilled. The pace was excruciatinglyslow. Discouragement frequentlyentered the scene; but step-by-stepDouglas made headway. At long last prayers were answered, efforts rewarded, and victory attained.Douglas was approved for baptism.
The baptismal date was set, fam-ily members gathered, and formerbishop Gill Warner flew to the citywhere Douglas lived and performedthe ordinance.
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responsibility to a former priest inthe Aaronic Priesthood—even thequorum over which he presided—went to the rescue, that not onewould be lost.
There may be others, but I havepersonally known three bishops who,when they presided over their wards,there were in the priests quorum 48or more young men, or in otherwords, a full scripturally defined quo-rum of priests. These three bishopswere Alvin R. Dyer, Joseph B.Wirthlin, and Alfred B. Smith. Werethey overwhelmed by their task? Notat all. Through their diligent effortsand with the help of caring parentsand the blessings of the Lord, thesebishops guided each member of theirrespective priests quorum—almostwithout exception—to the ordina-tion of elder in the MelchizedekPriesthood, service in the missionfield, and marriage in the temple ofthe Lord. While Brother Dyer andBrother Smith have gone to theireternal reward, Elder Joseph B.Wirthlin, a member of the Quorumof the Twelve Apostles, is presentwith us tonight. Elder Wirthlin, yourservice and leadership with theseyoung men, now grown older, willnever be forgotten.
As a 12-year-old boy, I had theprivilege to serve as the secretary ofmy deacons quorum. I recall with joythe many assignments we membersof that quorum had the opportunityto fill. Passing the sacred sacrament,collecting the monthly fast offerings,and looking after one another comereadily to mind. The most frighten-ing one, however, happened at theleadership session of our ward con-ference. The member of our stakepresidency presiding was William F.Perschon. He called on a number ofthe ward officers to speak. Then,without the slightest warning, Presi-dent Perschon stood and said, “Wewill now hear from Thomas S.Monson, secretary of the deaconsquorum, to give us an accounting ofhis service and bear his testimony.” Idon’t recall a thing I said, but I have
never forgotten the experience.
Brethren, remember the ApostlePeter’s admonition, “Be ready alwaysto give an answer to every man thatasketh you a reason of the hope thatis in you.”6
During World War II, as a teen-ager I was privileged to serve aspresident of the teachers quorum. Iwas asked to learn and then applythe counsel from the Doctrine andCovenants, section 107, verse 86:“The duty of the president over theoffice of the teachers is to presideover . . . the teachers, and to sit incouncil with them, teaching themthe duties of their office, as given inthe covenants.” I tried my best tolive up to this defined duty.
In that quorum was a young man,Fritz Hoerold. He was short instature but tall on courage. Soonafter Fritz turned 17, he enlisted inthe United States Navy and was off
The men and women of the Mormon
to training. He then found himselfon a large battleship in a number ofthose bloody engagements in thePacific. His ship was severely dam-aged, and many sailors were killed orwounded.
Fritz returned home on leave fol-lowing such an engagement andcame back to our teachers quorum.The quorum adviser invited him tospeak to us. My, he looked resplen-dent in his Navy blues with appro-priate war ribbons attached. Iremember that I asked Fritz to tellus any thoughts he had for our ben-efit. After all, we were about thesame age. With a wry smile, heresponded, “Don’t volunteer foranything!”
I didn’t see Fritz again from thattime when we were 17 until, a fewyears ago, I read a magazine articleconcerning those same battles at
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Tabernacle Choir provided the music a
sea. I wondered if Fritz Hoeroldwere even still alive and if so, if helived somewhere in Salt Lake City.Through a telephone call I foundhim and sent the magazine to him.He and his wife expressed to metheir thanks. Having learned thatFritz had not as yet been ordainedan elder and hence had never beento the temple, I wrote a letterencouraging him to qualify for theblessings of the temple. On twooccasions we happened to see oneanother at restaurants. His dearwife, Joyce, always urged me, “Keepworking with this man of mine.” Hisdaughters voiced their approval oftheir mother’s urging. I kept up myencouragement.
Just a few weeks ago, I saw in thenewspaper obituary columns thatJoyce, Fritz’s wife, had passed away.How I wished that I had been more
t three general conference sessions.
Reaching Down to Lift AnotherPresident Gordon B. Hinckley
“Let us open our hearts, let us reach down and lift up, let usopen our purses, let us show a greater love for our fellowmen.”
successful with my private project toget Fritz to the temple. I noted thetime and place of Sister Hoerold’sfuneral service, rescheduled otherappointments, and went to the ser-vice. Immediately upon seeing me,Fritz made a beeline to my side. Weboth shed a few tears. He asked meto be the final speaker.
When I arose to speak, I lookedat Fritz and his family and said,“Fritz, I am here today as the presi-dent of the teachers quorum ofwhich you and I were once mem-bers.” I proffered how he and hisfamily could become a “forever fam-ily” through temple ordinances—ordinances at which I pledged toofficiate when that time came.
I concluded my remarks, chokingback the tears of emotion, by sayingto Fritz in the hearing and view ofhis family and all in attendance,“Fritz, my dear friend and fellowsailor, you have courage, you havedetermination. You put your life onthe line for your country in a time ofperil. Now, Fritz, you must heed thecall of the bos’n’s whistle: ‘Allaboard—anchors aweigh’—for yourjourney to exaltation. Joyce is therewaiting for you. I know your dearchildren and grandchildren are pray-ing for you. Fritz, as your teachersquorum president of long ago, I willstrive with all my heart and soul tomake certain you don’t miss the shipthat will carry you and your lovedones to celestial glory.”
I gave to him a Navy salute. Fritzstood and returned the salute.
Brethren, may each of us be obe-dient to the easily remembered cou-plet: “Do your duty, that is best.Leave unto the Lord the rest.” Forthis I pray in the name of JesusChrist, amen. �
N
NOTES1. D&C 107:99.2. 1 Ne. 3:7.3. D&C 84:88.4. D&C 18:10.5. Deseret News Semiweekly, 6 Aug.
1878, 1.6. 1 Pet. 3:15.
ow, my dear brethren, as Iface this great body of menin this hall and realize
there are tens of thousands morescattered across the world, all of onemind and of one heart and all carry-ing the authority of the priesthoodof the Living God, I am subdued andhumbled. I seek the guidance of theHoly Spirit.
This body is unique in all theworld. There is nothing else like it.You comprise the legions of the Lord,men ready to do battle with theadversary of truth, men willing tostand up and be counted, men whocarry testimonies of the truth, menwho have sacrificed and given muchfor this great cause. May the Lordbless you and sustain you and mag-nify you. “Ye are a chosen generation,
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Brethren, let us be worthy of thepriesthood which we hold. Let uslive nearer to the Lord. Let us begood husbands and fathers.
Any man who is a tyrant in hisown home is unworthy of the priest-hood. He cannot be a fit instrumentin the hands of the Lord when hedoes not show respect and kindnessand love toward the companion ofhis choice.
Likewise, any man who is a badexample for his children, who can-not control his temper, or who isinvolved in dishonest or immoralpractices will find the power of hispriesthood nullified.
I remind you “that the rights ofthe priesthood are inseparably con-nected with the powers of heaven,and that the powers of heaven can-not be controlled nor handled onlyupon the principles of righteousness.
“That they may be conferredupon us, it is true; but when weundertake to cover our sins, or togratify our pride, our vain ambition,or to exercise control or dominionor compulsion upon the souls of thechildren of men, in any degree ofunrighteousness, behold, the heav-ens withdraw themselves; the Spiritof the Lord is grieved; and when it iswithdrawn, Amen to the priesthoodor the authority of that man” (D&C121:36–37).
Brethren, let us be good men as those favored of the Lord with a bestowal of His divine power
upon us.
The spires of the Salt Lake Temple rise behind conference goers waitingoutside the Conference Center.
Now, to a different but relatedmatter.
Last April in our priesthood meet-ing, I announced a new program. Ispoke of the large numbers of ourmissionaries from South America,Mexico, the Philippines, and otherareas. They respond to calls and servewith their North American brothersand sisters. They develop strong testi-monies. They learn a new way of life.They are highly effective becausethey speak their native tongues andknow the cultures of their nativelands. They enjoy a wonderful seasonof hard and dedicated work.
Then they are released to go backhome. Their families are living inpoverty, and many of them fall backinto the same situation from whichthey came, unable to move becauseof a lack of skills and the conse-quent difficulty in finding goodemployment.
I spoke to you of the PerpetualEmigration Fund, which was estab-lished in the pioneer era of theChurch to assist the poor in comingfrom England and Europe. A revolv-ing fund was established from whichsmall loans were made, which made itpossible for 30,000 to emigrate fromtheir native lands and gather in Zion.
I told you we would apply thesame principle and create whatwould be known as the PerpetualEducation Fund. Out of the fundswhich would be donated by our peo-ple, and not from tithing funds, wewould create a corpus, the earningsfrom which would be used to assistour young brethren and sisters inattending school to qualify them-selves for better employment. Theywould develop skills whereby theycould earn sufficient to take goodcare of their families and rise abovethe poverty level that they and theirprior generations had known.
We had nothing in the fund atthe time it was planned. But movingforward in faith, we established anorganization, modest in its dimen-sions, to implement that which wefelt was necessary. I am pleased to
report that the money has come in,tens of thousands of dollars, hun-dreds of thousands of dollars, evenmillions. This has come from gener-ous members of the Church wholove the Lord and wish to assist theless fortunate of His people in risingin the economic world. We nowhave a substantial sum. It is not allthat we need. We hope that thesecontributions will continue. The sizeof the corpus will determine thenumber who can be helped.
Now, six months later, I wish togive you a report of what has beenaccomplished. First, we called ElderJohn K. Carmack, who served so well
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in the First Quorum of the Seventyand who became an emeritusSeventy with this conference. He isan accomplished attorney, a man ofsound judgment in business, a man ofgreat ability. He has been appointedmanaging director, and though he isretired from the work of the Seventyhe will give his full time to the prose-cution of this endeavor.
Elder Richard E. Cook of theSeventy, who likewise has becomeemeritus, will join him in looking afterthe finances. Elder Cook was formerlyassistant controller of the Ford MotorCompany, a man experienced in
worldwide finance, a most capableexecutive, and a man who loves theLord and the Lord’s children.
We have worn out these brethrenon one side, and now have turnedthem over to wear them out on theother side.
They have associated with themBrother Rex Allen, an expert inorganization and training, andBrother Chad Evans, who has vastexperience in programs of advancededucation.
All contribute their time andexpertise without compensation.
The program is up and running.These brethren have been very care-ful to get it off to a proper start withsound governing principles. Wehave restricted the area in which itwill operate initially, but this areawill be expanded as we have themeans to do so.
These brethren have gone towork to utilize the existing organiza-tion of the Church. The program ispriesthood-based, and that is why itwill succeed. It begins with the bish-ops and the stake presidents. Itinvolves the Church EducationalSystem, the Employment Servicesoffices, and others who work to-gether in a marvelous spirit of co-operation. It was first implementedin Peru, Chile, and Mexico—areaswhere the number of returned mis-sionaries is large and the need isgreat. The local leaders have beenenthusiastic and committed. Thebeneficiaries are learning true prin-ciples of self-reliance. Their vision oftheir potential is greatly broadened.They are selecting good localschools for training and are using, tothe extent possible, their personal,family, and other local resources.They are appreciative and willingand deeply grateful for the opportu-nity afforded them. Let me give youtwo or three vignettes.
The first is that of a young man who served in the BoliviaCochabamba Mission. He lives withhis faithful mother and nieces in apoor neighborhood. Their little homehas a concrete floor, one lightbulb,
the roof leaks, and the window is bro-ken. He was a successful missionary.He says:
“My mission was the best thingthat I have been able to do in mylife. I learned to be obedient to thecommandments and to be patient inmy afflictions. I also learned someEnglish and to manage my money,my time, and my skills better.
“Then, when I finished my mis-sion, going home was difficult. MyAmerican companions went back toa university. But there is a lot ofpoverty in our country. It is very dif-ficult to get an education. Mymother does her best, but she can’thelp us. She has suffered so much,and I am her hope.
“When I learned of the PerpetualEducation Fund, I felt so happy. Theprophet recognized our efforts. I wasfilled with joy. . . . There was a possi-bility I could study, become self-reliant, have a family, help mymother.
“I will study accounting at a localschool where I can study and work.It is a short course, just three yearslong. I have to keep working as ajanitor, but that is OK. Once I grad-uate and get a job in accounting, Iwill work toward higher educationin international business.
“This is our opportunity, and wecannot fail. The Lord trusts us. Ihave read many times in the Book ofMormon the words the Lord told theprophets, that as we keep the com-mandments, we would prosper in theland. This is being fulfilled. I am sograteful to God for this great oppor-tunity to receive what my brothersand sisters did not have, to help myfamily, to accomplish my goals. And Iam excited to repay the loan to seeothers be so blessed. I know the Lordwill bless me as I do it.”
Now, isn’t that wonderful? Nowanother. A young man in MexicoCity was approved to receive a loanof approximately $1,000 to make itpossible for him to attend school tobecome a diesel mechanic. He hassaid: “My promise is to give my bestin order to feel satisfied with my
efforts. I know this program is valu-able and important. Because of this,I am trying to take maximum advan-tage of this for the future. I will beable to serve and help the poor andhelp counsel my family members. Ithank my Father in Heaven for thisbeautiful and inspired program.”
A loan was recently approved foranother young man from MexicoCity, who served in the Nevada LasVegas Mission. He desires to becomea dental technician. His training willrequire 15 months of dedicated work.He says, “My promise upon finishingmy studies at the technical schoolwith the help of the PerpetualEducation Fund is to repay the loanso that other returned missionariescan enjoy these blessings.”
And so we have begun this workof making it possible for our faithfuland able young men and women toclimb the ladder which will assurethem of economic success. Withgreatly improved opportunities, theywill step out of the cycle of povertywhich they and those before themhave known for so long. They haveserved missions, and they will con-tinue to serve in the Church. Theywill become leaders in this greatwork in their native lands. They willpay their tithes and offerings, whichwill make it possible for the Churchto expand its work across the world.
We anticipate that by the end ofthis year we will have about 1,200 inthe program. Three years from now,we estimate there will be more than3,000. The opportunities are there.The need is urgent. We may fail in afew cases. But the vast majority willperform as we expect, both youngmen and young women.
Our only limitation will be theamount we have in the fund. Weagain invite all who wish to partici-pate to make a contribution, large orsmall. We can then extend this greatwork which will make it possible forthose of faith and latent ability torise to economic independence asfaithful members of The Church ofJesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Can you grasp the meaning of the
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Top left: President Gordon B. Hinckley greets Elder Henry B. Eyring (left), Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, and Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Top right: President Hinckley speaks at the pulpit during a session of conference. Above: President Hinckley waves to members of the congregation.
President James E. FaustSecond Counselor
President Thomas S. MonsonFirst Counselor
President Gordon B. Hinckley
Boyd K. Packer L. Tom Perry David B. Haight Neal A. Maxwell Russell M. Nelson Dallin H. Oaks
Jeffrey R. Holland Henry B. EyringRobert D. HalesRichard G. ScottJoseph B. WirthlinM. Russell Ballard
THE PRESIDENCY OF THE SEVENTY
THE QUORUM OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES
THE FIRST PRESIDENCY
General Authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Ben B. Banks Charles Didier Cecil O. Samuelson Jr.
Earl C. Tingey D. Todd Christofferson Dennis B.Neuenschwander
David E. Sorensen
October 2001
Ronald A. Rasband
Angel Abrea Carlos H. Amado Neil L. Andersen Merrill J. Bateman William R. Bradford Monte J. Brough
L. Whitney Clayton Gary J. Coleman Spencer J. Condie Gene R. Cook Quentin L. Cook Claudio R. M. Costa
Christoffel Golden Jr. Walter F. González John H. Groberg Bruce C. Hafen Donald L. Hallstrom F. Melvin Hammond
Harold G. Hillam F. Burton Howard Jay E. Jensen Marlin K. Jensen Kenneth Johnson W. Rolfe Kerr
Cree-L Kofford John M. Madsen Richard J. Maynes Lynn A. Mickelsen Glenn L. Pace Carl B. Pratt
Lynn G. Robbins Steven E. Snow Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Richard C. EdgleyFirst Counselor
H. David BurtonPresiding Bishop
Keith B. McMullinSecond Counselor
Francisco J. Viñas Lance B. Wickman W. Craig Zwick
Sheldon F. Child
Robert K. Dellenbach
Yoshihiko Kikuchi
THE PRESIDING BISHOPRIC
THE FIRST QUORUM OF THE SEVENTY THE SECOND QUORUM OF THE SEVENTY
John B. Dickson
Richard D. Allred Athos M. Amorim E. Ray Bateman L. Edward Brown Douglas L. Callister Val R. Christensen
Keith Crockett Adhemar Damiani Duane B. Gerrard H. Aldridge Gillespie Ronald T. Halverson Keith K. Hilbig
Earl M. Monson Merrill C. Oaks Robert C. Oaks Robert F. Orton Stephen B. Oveson Wayne S. Peterson
Bruce D. Porter H. Bryan Richards Ned B. Roueché R. Conrad Schultz Dennis E. Simmons Robert R. Steuer
H. Bruce Stucki Jerald L. Taylor D. Lee Tobler Gordon T. Watts Stephen A. West Robert J. Whetten
Richard H. Winkel
Dale E. Miller
David R. Stone
Robert S. Wood H. Ross Workman
Darwin B. Christenson
J. Kent Jolley
Donald L. Staheli
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A woman and boy contemplate the Christus statue in the newly remodeled North Visitors’ Center on Temple Square.
Sunlight streams into a Conference Center foyer.
tremendous work of this Church?Let me paint you a scenario. A pairof missionaries knock on the door ofa little home somewhere in Peru. Awoman answers. She does not quiteunderstand what the missionarieswant. But she invites them in. Theyarrange to come when her husbandand other members of the family arethere.
The missionaries teach them.Touched by the power of the Spirit,they respond to the message of eter-nal truth. They are baptized.
The family is active in theChurch. They pay an honest butvery meager tithing. They have a sonor daughter in that family who is inhis or her late teens. At the righttime, the son or the daughter iscalled to serve a mission. The familydoes all it can to support him or her,and the remainder is made up fromthe missionary fund, which comes ofthe contributions of the Saints.
The son or daughter works with acompanion from the United States orCanada. He or she learns English,while the companion’s Spanish isgreatly improved. They work togetherwith love and appreciation andrespect, one for another, representa-tives of two great divergent cultures.
Upon completion of their missions,the North American returns homeand goes back to school. ThePeruvian returns home and is hopefulonly of finding work of a menialnature. The pay is ever so small. Thefuture is dismal. He or she does nothave the needed skills to rise abovesuch employment. And then comesthis bright ray of hope. Well, brethren,you know the picture. I need notlabor it further. The way before us isclear, the need is tremendous, and theLord has pointed the way.
Elder Carmack recently cameacross an old account book. Hebrought it to me. We discoveredthat way back in 1903, a small fundwas established to help aspiringschoolteachers qualify for greateropportunities through small loans toassist them while going to school.
It was continued for 30 years
until it was finally dropped duringthe Depression.
I was amazed at the names con-tained in that old ledger book. Twobecame university presidents. Othersbecame well-known and highly qual-ified educators. The ledger showsrepayments of $10.00, of $25.00, of $3.10 interest, and such things.One of the beneficiaries of that pro-gram became a bishop, then a stakepresident, then an Apostle, andeventually a counselor in the FirstPresidency.
Brethren, we need to care for oneanother more diligently. We need tomake a little more effort to assistthose who are down at the bottomof the ladder. We need to giveencouragement and a lifting hand tomen and women of faith andintegrity and ability, who can climbthat ladder with a little help.
That principle applies not onlywith reference to our present under-taking in this fund, but in a moregeneral way. Let us open our hearts,let us reach down and lift up, let usopen our purses, let us show agreater love for our fellowmen.
The Lord has blessed us so abun-dantly. And the needs are so great.He has said, “Inasmuch as ye havedone it unto one of the least of thesemy brethren, ye have done it untome” (Matt. 25:40).
I read from the book of Acts:
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“And a certain man lame from hismother’s womb was carried, whomthey laid daily at the gate of thetemple which is called Beautiful, toask alms of them that entered intothe temple;
“Who seeing Peter and Johnabout to go into the temple asked analms.
“And Peter, fastening his eyes uponhim with John, said, Look on us.
“And he gave heed unto them,expecting to receive something ofthem.
“Then Peter said, Silver and goldhave I none; but such as I have giveI thee: In the name of Jesus Christof Nazareth rise up and walk.
“And he took him by the righthand, and lifted him up: and imme-diately his feet and ankle bonesreceived strength.
“And he leaping up stood, andwalked, and entered with them intothe temple, walking, and leaping,and praising God” (Acts 3:2–8).
Now note that Peter took him bythe right hand and lifted him up.
Peter had to reach down to lift thelame man. We must also reach down.
God bless you my dear brethren,young and old. Keep the faith.Minister with love. Rear your fami-lies in the way of the Lord. “Look toGod and live” (Alma 37:47).
I so pray in the name of JesusChrist, amen. �
Now Is the TimePresident Thomas S. MonsonFirst Counselor in the First Presidency
“May we live so that when that final summons is heard, we may have no serious regrets, no unfinished business.”
Sunday Morning Session7 October 2001
As I stand before you thismorning, my thoughtsreturn to the time of my
youth when in Sunday School weoften sang the lovely hymn:
Welcome, welcome, Sabbath morning;
Now we rest from ev’ry care.Welcome, welcome, is thy dawning,Holy Sabbath, day of prayer.1
This Sabbath day I pray for aninterest in your faith and prayers as Irespond to the invitation to addressyou.
All of us have been dramaticallyaffected by the tragic events of thatfateful day, September 11, 2001.Suddenly, without warning, devastat-ing destruction left death in its wake
and snuffed out the lives of enormousnumbers of men, women, and chil-dren. Evaporated were well-laid plansfor pleasant futures. Substituted,therefore, were tears of sorrow andcries of pain from wounded souls.
Countless are the reports we haveheard during the past three and a half weeks of those who were touchedin some way—either directly orindirectly—by the events of that day.I should like to share with you thecomments of a Church member,Rebecca Sindar, who was on a flightfrom Salt Lake City to Dallas on themorning of Tuesday, September 11.The flight was interrupted, as were allflights in the air at the time of thetragedies, and the plane grounded inAmarillo, Texas. Sister Sindar reports:“We all left the plane and foundtelevisions in the airport, where wecrowded around to see the broadcastof what had happened. People werelined up to call loved ones to assurethem we were safely on the ground. Ishall always remember the 12 or somissionaries who were on their way tothe mission field on our flight. Theymade phone calls, and then we sawthem huddled in a circle in a cornerof the airport, kneeling in prayertogether. How I wish I could havecaptured that moment to share withthe mothers and fathers of thosesweet young men as they saw theneed for prayer right away.”
My brothers and sisters, deatheventually comes to all mankind. Itcomes to the aged as they walk on
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by those who have scarcely reachedmidway in life’s journey, and often ithushes the laughter of little chil-dren. Death is one fact that no onecan escape or deny.
Frequently death comes as anintruder. It is an enemy that suddenlyappears in the midst of life’s feast,putting out its lights and gaiety.Death lays its heavy hand upon thosedear to us and at times leaves us baf-fled and wondering. In certain situa-tions, as in great suffering and illness,death comes as an angel of mercy. Butfor the most part, we think of it as theenemy of human happiness.
The darkness of death can everbe dispelled by the light of revealedtruth. “I am the resurrection, andthe life,” spoke the Master. “He thatbelieveth in me, though he weredead, yet shall he live: And whoso-ever liveth and believeth in me shallnever die.”2
This reassurance—yes, even holyconfirmation—of life beyond thegrave could well provide the peacepromised by the Savior when Heassured His disciples: “Peace I leavewith you, my peace I give unto you:not as the world giveth, give I untoyou. Let not your heart be troubled,neither let it be afraid.”3
Out of the darkness and the hor-ror of Calvary came the voice of theLamb, saying, “Father, into thy handsI commend my spirit.”4 And the darkwas no longer dark, for He was withHis Father. He had come from God,and to Him He had returned. So alsothose who walk with God in thisearthly pilgrimage know from blessedexperience that He will not abandonHis children who trust in Him. In thenight of death, His presence will be“better than [a] light and safer thana known way.”5
Saul, on the road to Damascus,had a vision of the risen, exaltedChrist. Later, as Paul, defender oftruth and fearless missionary in theservice of the Master, he bore witnessof the risen Lord as he declared to theSaints at Corinth: “Christ died for oursins according to the scriptures;
“. . . He was buried, and . . . he
rose again the third day according tothe scriptures:
“. . . He was seen of Cephas, thenof the twelve:
“After that, he was seen of abovefive hundred brethren at once. . . .
“After that, he was seen of James;then of all the apostles.
“And last of all he was seen ofme.”6
In our dispensation this same tes-timony was spoken boldly by theProphet Joseph Smith, as he andSidney Rigdon testified:
“And now, after the many testi-monies which have been given ofhim, this is the testimony, last of all,which we give of him: That he lives!
“For we saw him, even on theright hand of God; and we heard thevoice bearing record that he is theOnly Begotten of the Father—
“That by him, and through him,and of him, the worlds are and werecreated, and the inhabitants thereofare begotten sons and daughtersunto God.”7
This is the knowledge that sus-tains. This is the truth that comforts.
This is the assurance that guidesthose bowed down with grief out ofthe shadows and into the light. It isavailable to all.
How fragile life, how certaindeath. We do not know when wewill be required to leave this mortalexistence. And so I ask, “What arewe doing with today?” If we live onlyfor tomorrow, we’ll have a lot ofempty yesterdays today. Have webeen guilty of declaring, “I’ve beenthinking about making some coursecorrections in my life. I plan to takethe first step—tomorrow”? Withsuch thinking, tomorrow is forever.Such tomorrows rarely come unlesswe do something about them today.As the familiar hymn teaches:
There are chances for work allaround just now,
Opportunities right in our way.Do not let them pass by, saying,
“Sometime I’ll try,”But go and do something today.8
Let us ask ourselves the questions:“Have I done any good in the world
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today? Have I helped anyone inneed?” What a formula for happiness!What a prescription for contentment,for inner peace—to have inspiredgratitude in another human being.
Our opportunities to give of our-selves are indeed limitless, but theyare also perishable. There are heartsto gladden. There are kind words tosay. There are gifts to be given.There are deeds to be done. Thereare souls to be saved.
As we remember that “when yeare in the service of your fellowbeings ye are only in the service ofyour God,”9 we will not find our-selves in the unenviable position of Jacob Marley’s ghost, who spoketo Ebenezer Scrooge in Dickens’immortal A Christmas Carol .Marley spoke sadly of opportunitieslost. Said he: “Not to know thatany Christian spirit working kindlyin its little sphere, whatever it maybe, will find its mortal life too shortfor its vast means of usefulness.Not to know that no space ofregret can make amends for onelife’s opportunities misused! Yet
such was I. Oh! such was I!”Marley added: “Why did I walk
through crowds of fellow-beings withmy eyes turned down, and never raisethem to that blessed Star which ledthe Wise Men to a poor abode? Werethere no poor homes to which itslight would have conducted me!”
Fortunately, as we know, EbenezerScrooge changed his life for the bet-ter. I love his line, “I am not theman I was.”10
Why is the story A ChristmasCarol so popular? Why is it evernew? I personally feel it is inspired ofGod. It brings out the best withinhuman nature. It gives hope. Itmotivates change. We can turn fromthe paths which would lead us downand, with a song in our hearts, fol-low a star and walk toward the light.We can quicken our step, bolster ourcourage, and bask in the sunlight oftruth. We can hear more clearly thelaughter of little children. We candry the tear of the weeping. We cancomfort the dying by sharing thepromise of eternal life. If we lift oneweary hand which hangs down, if webring peace to one struggling soul, ifwe give as did the Master, we can—by showing the way—become aguiding star for some lost mariner.
Because life is fragile and deathinevitable, we must make the mostof each day.
There are many ways in which we
can misuse our opportunities. Sometime ago I read a tender story writ-ten by Louise Dickinson Rich whichvividly illustrates this truth. Shewrote:
“My grandmother had an enemynamed Mrs. Wilcox. Grandma andMrs. Wilcox moved, as brides, intonext-door houses on the main streetof the tiny town in which they wereto live out their lives. I don’t knowwhat started the war between them—and I don’t think that by the time Icame along, over thirty years later,they themselves remembered whatstarted it. This was no polite sparringmatch; this was total war. . . .
“Nothing in town escaped reper-cussion. The 300-year-old church,which had lived through theRevolution, the Civil War, and theSpanish-American War, almost wentdown when Grandma and Mrs.Wilcox fought the Battle of theLadies’ Aid. Grandma won thatengagement, but it was a hollow vic-tory. Mrs. Wilcox, since she couldn’tbe president, resigned in a huff.What’s the fun of running a thing ifyou can’t force your enemy to eatcrow? Mrs. Wilcox won the Battle ofthe Public Library by getting herniece, Gertrude, appointed librarianinstead of Aunt Phyllis. The dayGertrude took over was the dayGrandma stopped reading librarybooks. They became ‘filthy germy
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things’ overnight. The Battle of theHigh School was a draw. The princi-pal got a better job and left beforeMrs. Wilcox succeeded in havinghim ousted or Grandma in havinghim given life tenure of office.
“When as children we visited mygrandmother, part of the fun wasmaking faces at Mrs. Wilcox’s grand-children. One banner day we put asnake into the Wilcox rain barrel. Mygrandmother made token protests,but we sensed tacit sympathy.
“Don’t think for a minute thatthis was a one-sided campaign. Mrs.Wilcox had grandchildren, too.Grandma didn’t get off scot free.Never a windy washday went bythat the clothesline didn’t mysteri-ously break, with the clothes fallingin the dirt.
“I don’t know how Grandma couldhave borne her troubles so long if ithadn’t been for the household page ofher daily Boston newspaper. Thishousehold page was a wonderful insti-tution. Besides the usual cookinghints and cleaning advice, it had adepartment composed of letters fromreaders to each other. The idea wasthat if you had a problem—or evenonly some steam to blow off—youwrote a letter to the paper, signingsome fancy name like Arbutus. Thatwas Grandma’s pen name. Then someof the other ladies who had the sameproblem wrote back and told youwhat they had done about it, signingthemselves One Who Knows orXanthippe or whatever. Very often,the problem disposed of, you kept on for years writing to each otherthrough the column of the paper,telling each other about your childrenand your canning and your new dining-room suite. That’s what hap-pened to Grandma. She and a womancalled Sea Gull corresponded for aquarter of a century. Sea Gull wasGrandma’s true friend.
“When I was about sixteen, Mrs.Wilcox died. In a small town, no mat-ter how much you have hated yournext-door neighbor, it is only com-mon decency to run over and see
what practical service you can do the
The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus ChristPresident Boyd K. PackerActing President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
“The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ has the nourishing power to heal starving spirits of the world.”
bereaved. Grandma, neat in a percaleapron to show that she meant whatshe said about being put to work,crossed the lawn to the Wilcox house,where the Wilcox daughters set her tocleaning the already-immaculate frontparlor for the funeral. And there onthe parlor table in the place of honorwas a huge scrapbook; and in thescrapbook, pasted neatly in parallelcolumns were Grandma’s letters toSea Gull over the years and Sea Gull’sletters to her. Though neither womanhad known it, Grandma’s worstenemy had been her [very] bestfriend. That was the only time Iremember seeing my grandmother cry.I didn’t know then exactly what shewas crying about, but I do now. Shewas crying for all the wasted yearswhich could never be salvaged.”
My brothers and sisters, may weresolve from this day forward to fillour hearts with love. May we go theextra mile to include in our lives anywho are lonely or downhearted orwho are suffering in any way. May we“[cheer] up the sad and [make] some-one feel glad.”11 May we live so thatwhen that final summons is heard, wemay have no serious regrets, no unfin-ished business, but will be able to saywith the Apostle Paul, “I have foughta good fight, I have finished mycourse, I have kept the faith.”12 In thename of Jesus Christ, amen. �
NOTES1. Robert B. Baird, “Welcome,
Welcome, Sabbath Morning,” Hymns, no. 280.
2. John 11:25–26.3. John 14:27.4. Luke 23:46.5. Minnie Louise Haskins, “The Gate of
the Year,” in Masterpieces of Religious Verse,ed. James Dalton Morrison (1948), 92.
6. 1 Cor. 15:3–8.7. D&C 76:22–24.8. Will L. Thompson, “Have I Done
Any Good?” Hymns, no. 223.9. Mosiah 2:17.10. In Works of Charles Dickens (1982),
543, 581.11. Hymns, no. 223.12. 2 Tim. 4:7.
Ihold in my hand a first-editioncopy of the Book of Mormon. Itwas printed in 1830 on a hand-
operated letter press at the E. B.Grandin Company in the village ofPalmyra, New York.
In June of 1829, Joseph Smith,then 23 years old, called on 23-year-old Mr. Grandin in company withMartin Harris, a local farmer. Mr.Grandin had three months earlieradvertised his intent to publishbooks. Joseph Smith provided pagesof a handwritten manuscript.
If the content of the book did notdoom it to remain obscure, theaccount of where it came from cer-
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directing a teenage boy to the woodswhere he found buried a stone vaultand a set of golden plates.
The writings on the plates weretranslated by use of a Urim andThummim, which is referred to anumber of times in the Old Testa-ment1 and described by Hebrewscholars as an instrument “wherebythe revelation was given and truthdeclared.”2
Before the book was off the press,pages of it were stolen and printedin the local newspaper, accompaniedby ridicule. Opposition was destinedto excite mobs to kill the ProphetJoseph Smith and drive those whobelieved him into the wilderness.
From that very unlikely beginningto this day, 108,936,922 copies ofthe Book of Mormon: AnotherTestament of Jesus Christ have beenprinted. It has been published in 62languages, with selections of it inanother 37 languages, and 22 moretranslations are in process.
Now 60,000 full-time missionar-ies in 162 countries pay their ownway to devote two years of theirlives to testify that the Book ofMormon is true.
For generations it has inspiredthose who read it. Herbert Schreiterhad read his German translation ofthe Book of Mormon. In it he read:
“When ye shall receive these
things, I would exhort you that yewould ask God, the Eternal Father,in the name of Christ, if these thingsare not true; and if ye shall ask witha sincere heart, with real intent, hav-ing faith in Christ, he will manifestthe truth of it unto you, by thepower of the Holy Ghost.
“And by the power of the HolyGhost ye may know the truth of allthings.”3
Herbert Schreiter tested the prom-ise and joined The Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints.
In 1946, released as a prisoner of war, Herbert returned to his wifeand three little daughters in Leipzig,Germany. Soon thereafter, he went asa missionary to Bernburg, Germany.Alone, without a companion, he satcold and hungry in a room, wonder-ing how he should begin.
He thought of what he had tooffer the war-devastated people. Heprinted by hand a placard whichread, “Will there be a further lifeafter death?” and posted it on a wall.
About that same time, a familyfrom a small village in Poland cameto Bernburg.
Manfred Schütze was four yearsold. His father had been killed in thewar. His mother, with his grand-parents, and his mother’s sister, alsoa widow, and her two little girls, were forced to evacuate their villagewith only 30 minutes’ notice. Theygrabbed what they could and headedwest. Manfred and his mother pulledand pushed a small cart. At times,the ailing grandfather rode in thecart. One Polish officer looked at thepathetic little Manfred and began toweep.
At the border, soldiers ransackedtheir belongings and threw their bed-ding into the river. Manfred and hismother were then separated from thefamily. His mother wondered if theymight have gone to Bernburg, whereher grandmother was born, perhapsto relatives there. After weeks ofunbelievable suffering, they arrived inBernburg and found the family.
The seven of them lived together
in one small room. But their troubleswere not over. The mother of the twolittle girls died. The grieving grand-mother cried out for a preacher, andasked, “Will I see my family again?”
The preacher answered, “My dearlady, there is no such thing as theResurrection. They who are deadare dead!”
They wrapped the body in apaper bag for burial.
On the way from the grave, thegrandfather talked of taking theirown lives, as many others had done.Just then they saw the placard thatElder Schreiter had posted on thebuilding—“Is there further life afterdeath?”—with an invitation fromThe Church of Jesus Christ ofLatter-day Saints. At a meeting, theylearned of the Book of Mormon:Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
The book explains:• The purpose of mortal life and
death,4
• The certainty of life afterdeath,5
• What happens when the spiritleaves the body,6
• The description of theResurrection,7
• How to receive and retain aremission of your sins,8
• What hold justice or mercymay have on you,9
• What to pray for,10
• Priesthood,11
• Covenants and ordinances,12
• The office and ministry ofangels,13
• The still, small voice of per-sonal revelation,14
• And preeminently, the missionof Jesus Christ,15
• And many other jewels thatmake up the fulness of the gospel ofJesus Christ.
They joined the Church. Soontheir lives changed. The grandfatherfound work as a baker and couldprovide bread for his family and alsofor Elder Schreiter, who had giventhem “the bread of life.”16
Then help came from the Churchin the United States. Manfred grewup eating grain out of little sacks
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and peaches from California. Hewore clothes from the welfare sup-plies of the Church.
Soon after I was released fromthe air force, I went to the welfaremill at Kaysville, Utah, to help fillbags of wheat for shipment to thestarving people in Europe. I like tothink one of the bags of grain that Ifilled myself went to ManfredSchütze and his mother. If not, itwent to others in equal need.
Elder Dieter Uchtdorf, who sitswith us on the stand today as one ofthe Seventy, remembers to this veryday the smell of the grain and thefeel of it in his little-boy hands.Perhaps one of the bags I filledreached his family.
When I was about 10, I made myfirst attempt to read the Book ofMormon. The first part was easy-flowing New Testament language.Then I came to the writings of theOld Testament prophet Isaiah. Icould not understand them; I foundthem difficult to read. I laid thebook aside.
I made other attempts to read theBook of Mormon. I did not read it alluntil I was on a troop ship with otherbomber crew members, headed forthe war in the Pacific. I determinedthat I would read the Book ofMormon and find out for myselfwhether it is true or not. Carefully Iread and reread the book. I testedthe promise that it contained. Thatwas a life-changing event. After that,I never set the book aside.
Many young people have donebetter than I did.
A 15-year-old son of a missionpresident attended high school withvery few members of the Church.
One day the class was given atrue-or-false test. Matthew was con-fident that he knew the answers toall except for question 15. It read,“Joseph Smith, the alleged Mormonprophet, wrote the Book of Mor-mon. True or false?”
He could not answer it eitherway, so being a clever teenager, herewrote the question. He crossed
out the word alleged and replaced
the word wrote with translated. Itthen read, “Joseph Smith, theMormon prophet, translated theBook of Mormon.” He marked ittrue and handed it in.
The next day the teacher sternlyasked why he had changed thequestion. He smiled and said,“Because Joseph Smith did not writethe Book of Mormon, he translatedit, and he was not an allegedprophet, he was a prophet.”
He was then invited to tell theclass how he knew that.17
In England, my wife and I becameacquainted with Dorothy James, thewidow of a clergyman who lived atthe Close of Winchester Cathedral.She brought out a family Bible whichwas lost for many years.
Years before, the possessions of afamily member had been sold. Thenew owner found the Bible in a smalldesk that had remained unopenedfor over 20 years. There were alsosome letters written by a childnamed Beaumont James. He wasable to find the James family andreturn the long-lost family Bible.
On the title page my wife read thefollowing handwritten note: “This
Missionaries serving on Temple Squa
Bible has been in our family since thetime of Thomas James in 1683 whowas a lineal descendant of ThomasJames first librarian of the BodleianLibrary at Oxford, who was buried inNew College Chapel August 1629.[Signed] C. T. C. James, 1880.”
The margins and the open pageswere completely filled with notationswritten in English, Latin, Greek, andHebrew. One entry particularlytouched her. From the bottom of thetitle page, she read, “The fairestImpression of the Bible is to have itwell printed on the Readers heart.”
And then this quote from Cor-inthians: “Ye are our epistle writtenin our hearts, known and read of allmen: Forasmuch as ye are manifestlydeclared to be the epistle of Christministered by us, written not withink, but with the Spirit of the livingGod; not in the tables of stone, butin fleshly table of the heart. 2 Cor.3:2–3.”18
My Book of Mormon also hasmany notes in the margins and isheavily underlined. I was in Floridaonce with President Hinckley. Heturned from the pulpit and asked for acopy of the scriptures. I handed him
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re are available to greet visitors and s
my copy. He thumbed through it for a few seconds, turned and handed itback, saying, “I can’t read this. Youhave got everything crossed out!”
Amos prophesied of “a famine inthe land, not a famine of bread, nora thirst for water, but of hearing thewords of the Lord.”19
In a world ever more dangerousthan the world of little ManfredSchütze and Dieter Uchtdorf, theBook of Mormon: Another Testa-ment of Jesus Christ has the nour-ishing power to heal starving spiritsof the world.
Manfred Schütze is now a memberof the Third Quorum of Seventy andsupervises our seminaries in EasternEurope. His mother, now 88, stillattends the temple at Freiberg whereHerbert Schreiter once served as acounselor to the president.
With Elder Walter F. González, anew member of the Seventy fromUruguay, I attended a conference inMoroni, Utah, a town with a Book ofMormon name. There is no doctor or dentist in Moroni. They must leavetown to shop for groceries. Their stu-dents are bused to a consolidatedhigh school across the valley.
hare the gospel in many languages.
2. John M’Clintock and James Strong,Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, andEcclesiastical Literature (1867–1881), s.v.“Urim and Thummim.”
3. Moro. 10: 4–5.4. See 2 Ne. 2:21; 33:9; Alma 12:24;
34:32; 42:4.5. See 2 Ne. 9:3–7; Mosiah 16:8;
3 Ne. 11.6. See Alma 34:34; 40:11–14, 21.7. See 2 Ne. 9:12; Alma 40:23; 41:2;
3 Ne. 11:1–16.8. See Mosiah 4:1–3, 12, 26; Alma 4:14.9. See Alma 34:15–16; 41:14;
42:15–16, 22–25.10. See 2 Ne. 4:35; 32:8–9; Enos 1:9;
Alma 13:28; 34:17–27; 37:36–37; 3 Ne.18:19–21; Moro. 7:26.
11. See 2 Ne. 6:2; Mosiah 18:18; Alma 6:1; 13; 3 Ne. 11:21; 18:37;
Moro. 2:2; 3:4.12. See 2 Ne. 11:5; Mosiah 5:5; 18:13;
Alma 13:8, 16.13. See 2 Ne. 32:2–3; Omni 1:25;
Moro. 7:25, 37.14. See 1 Ne. 16:9; 17:44–45; Enos
1:10; Alma 32:23; Hel. 5:30; 3 Ne. 11:3.15. See 1 Ne. 11:13–33; 2 Ne. 2:6–10;
Mosiah 3:5–12; Alma 7:7–13; 3 Ne.27:13–16.
16. John 6:35.17. See George D. Durrant, “Helping
Your Children Be Missionaries,” Ensign,Oct. 1977, 67.
18. As quoted in Donna Smith Packer,On Footings from the Past: The Packers inEngland (1988), 329.
19. Amos 8:11.20. The Book of Mormon (1830), 105;
see also 2 Ne. 25:26.
We held a meeting with 236 pre-sent. Lest Elder González see onlyordinary rural farmers, I gave thissentence of testimony: “I know thegospel is true and that Jesus is theChrist.” I asked if someone couldrepeat it in Spanish. Several handswent up. Could someone repeat it inanother language? It was repeated in:
JapaneseSpanishGermanPortugueseRussianChineseTonganItalianTagalogDutchFinnishMaoriPolishKoreanFrench–––––––––––15 languages
Again in English: I know thegospel is true and that Jesus is theChrist.
I love this Book of Mormon:Another Testament of Jesus Christ.Study it and one can understandboth the Old Testament and theNew Testament in the Bible. I knowit is true.
In this 1830 edition of the Bookof Mormon, printed by 23-year-oldEgbert B. Grandin for 23-year-oldJoseph Smith Jr., I read from page105: “We talk of Christ, we rejoicein Christ, we preach of Christ, weprophesy of Christ, and we writeaccording to our prophecies, thatour children may know to whatsource they may look for a remissionof their sins.”20
And that, I assure you, is exactlywhat we do. In the name of JesusChrist, amen. �
NOTES1. See Ex. 28:30; Lev. 8:8; Num. 27:21;
Deut. 33:8; 1 Sam. 28:6; Ezra 2:63; Neh. 7:65.
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Standing TallBishop H. David BurtonPresiding Bishop
“Jesus Christ is our perfect example of one who always stood tall. He is the one who personifies integrity, strength, and courage.”
Aman of wisdom often offeredthis simple piece of advice:“David, stand tall.” My dad
did not expect that I would addinches to my stature or rise up on mytiptoes. He meant that I should becourageous in my decision, not com-promising principles, not violatingspiritual values, and not shrinkingfrom responsibility. When I have fol-lowed his advice, life has been verygood. When I have failed to standtall, life has usually been unpleasant.I recently asked my two young grand-sons what it would mean to them ifHeavenly Father asked them to standtall. I noticed one inadvertentlyraised himself to his tippy-toes so asto seem a little taller. And then theyquickly said in unison, “He wants usto do what is right.”
Out of the deep anguish and tur-
moil of September 11th have comemany instances of men, women, andnations standing tall. Foes andfriends have come together against acommon enemy. Uncommon acts ofbravery have become commonplace.Humanitarian response seems toknow no bounds. Men and women,regardless of race or creed, havereached out to victims and theirfamilies. Countless prayers havebeen offered. The forces for good arestanding tall against the forces ofterror and senseless mayhem.
It is said that a fence-sitter even-tually has to come down on one sideor the other. If we are sitting on thetop of life’s fences, now is the timeto muster the courage to stand tallon the side of righteousness andshun the shackles of sin.
The life, ministry, and teachingsof our Savior, Jesus Christ, provide a template for introspective assess-ment. Jesus Christ is our perfectexample of one who always stoodtall. He is the one who personifiesintegrity, strength, and courage. Iwould like to use three examplesfrom the Savior’s ministry.
First, after His baptism, Jesus wasprompted to remove Himself tocommune with His Father. For 40days He chose not to eat in orderthat His mortal body might be sub-jected to His divine spirit. In thisweakened state, He was visited by the tempter, who suggested that the Savior use His great powerto perform extraordinary feats. Tothe tempter’s request that He turn
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hunger, the Savior stood tall byreplying, “It is written, Man shallnot live by bread alone, but by everyword that proceedeth out of themouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). To thenotion that He throw himself from ahigh place to be saved by the handsof angels, He triumphantly stated,“Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thyGod” (Matt. 4:7). To the proposi-tion that the Savior fall on Hisknees and worship the devil inexchange for the wealth and splen-dor of earthly glory, He valiantlyreplied, “Thou shalt worship theLord thy God, and him only shaltthou serve” (Matt. 4:10).
The tempter’s insidious ways con-tinue unabated. The quest for“things” has enticed some to departfrom principle. Failure to distinguishbetween needs and wants has mud-died men’s minds. Families arestarving for the affection, recogni-tion, and leadership of parents.Many are resorting to unethical,immoral, and, on occasion, illegalmethods to acquire more and morematerial goods.
If you find yourself entrapped inthe pursuit of material things, nowis the time to courageously standtall. If you worship the items thatmoney can buy more than you cher-ish the love of God, now is the timeto stand tall. If you have beenblessed with abundance beyondyour needs, now is the time to standtall in sharing with those whoseneeds remain unfulfilled.
The second example—on oneoccasion, the Savior called togetherHis followers and said, “Hear, andunderstand: Not that which goethinto the mouth defileth a man; butthat which cometh out of themouth, this defileth a man” (Matt.15:10–11).
As a normal part of everyday lan-guage, many people take the nameof God in vain. Among our youth,vulgar and crude terms seem tocome easily as they describe theirfeelings. My young friends, now isthe time to stand tall in eliminating
these words from your vocabulary.
A family pauses outside the Tabernacle on Temple Square.
You know the words to which I refer.Unfortunately, you hear them usedover and over again in your schools,music, and sports. Will it takecourage to stand tall? Of course itwill. Can you muster the courage?
Of course you can. Seek strengthfrom your Heavenly Father to over-come it. The Savior said, “Prayalways, and I will pour out my Spiritupon you, and great shall be yourblessing” (D&C 19:38). It has beensaid, “You reach the greatest heights
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Tall,” New Era, Oct. 2001, 19).Profanity and crudeness do notexalt; they defile. My wife and I haveattended hundreds of youth sportingevents. Too often we hear profanityexpressed by coaches and otheradults who should be role models.Adults need to stand tall in eliminat-ing crude and profane language.
You have heard the phrase “Youractions speak so loudly, I cannot hearyour words.” Our actions indeedspeak volumes about us. We need tostand tall in following the counsel ofthe prophets to attire ourselves mod-estly. “Immodest clothing includesshort shorts and skirts, tight [form-fitting] clothing, shirts that do notcover the stomach, and other reveal-ing attire” (For the Strength of Youth[2001], 12). Clothing that is modest,neat, and clean uplifts. Immodestclothing degrades. If there is anyquestion, ask yourself, “Would I feelcomfortable with my appearance if Iwere in the Lord’s presence?” (For theStrength of Youth, 13). Mothers, youcan be our examples and consciencein this important matter. But remem-ber, young people can detect hypoc-risy as easily as they can smell thewonderful aroma of freshly bakedbread. Parents, counsel your sons anddaughters and then join with them instanding tall against immodesty.
Third, you will recall that inresponse to the lawyer’s questionabout who is our neighbor, theSavior recounted that a certain mantraveling from Jerusalem to Jerichofell among thieves and was beaten,robbed, and left for dead. The firstto come his way was a priest, wholooked away and passed by on theother side of the road. Likewise, thenext to discover his plight stoppedto look but passed without render-ing aid. The third, a Samaritan,bound up his wounds and madearrangements for his care. ThenJesus asked which of them was theneighbor. The lawyer responded thatthe neighbor was he who showedmercy. In response the Savior said,“Go, and do thou likewise” (Luke
10:37; see vv. 30–37).
“Fear Not: For They That Be with Us Are More”Sharon G. LarsenSecond Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency
“We are not alone in this sacred trust of parenting, loving, andleading. There is no greater joy. It is worth every sacrifice.”
As we reach out to our neigh-bors, are we sensitive not only totheir needs but also to their feel-ings? Is our neighborliness selectiveand confined to those of our faith,or is it all-inclusive regardless offaith, color, or any other perceiveddifferences? To the Savior there wasno reservation in the definition ofneighbor. Sometimes our uniqueChurch language can be misinter-preted and appear insensitive oreven condescending to our neigh-bors. As Elder Ballard suggested yes-terday, I too feel uncomfortable withthe term nonmember. When we referto others as nonmembers, theymight wonder if we feel they are notmembers of our community, city, oreven the human race. We are quickto say we are accepting and inclu-sive in our neighborly relationships,but to some we too often comeacross as barely tolerating. Love ofneighbor comes only after love ofself and God. Let us stand tall inextending unequivocal love andrespect to our neighbors.
A dear family friend passed away afew years ago. He and his wifeenjoyed hiking together in themountains. One fall afternoon, theyhiked several miles up a steep moun-tainside to a beautiful waterfall.While descending the trail, severalhikers making the climb upwardasked the question, “Is it worth it?”Our friends’ reply was always in theaffirmative. Later, they observed thatthe effort was worth it only if youenjoyed the fresh air, alpine beauty,exercise, and loving companionship.
Feeling the intense pressure frompeers and the need to be accepted,some may ask the question, “Is itworth the effort to stand tall?” Tothat question I respond, “If life eter-nal is important to you and if youwant to experience real joy in thislife, then standing tall is worth thedetermination and tireless dailyeffort it requires.”
May we all stand tall on the sideof righteousness, I pray in the sacredname of our Lord and Master, Jesus
A
Christ, amen. �
s parents and leaders ofyouth, it might be easy tolose our faith and wring our
hands with worry for them and theworld they are living in.
Our circumstances today are notwithout precedence or hope. WhenEnoch was the prophet, the heavenswept because of the wickedness ofthe world (see Moses 7:28–37).There is no doubt the heavens areweeping today.
Elisha the prophet was sur-rounded by the whole Syrian armydetermined to kill him. He reassuredhis worried and only companion,who was busy counting Syrian
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Lord’s side, regardless of numbers orworldly power, we are in the major-ity. I testify that the consoling wordsof Elisha to his young friend are stilltrue today: “They that be with usare more than they that be withthem” (2 Kgs. 6:16). The Lord willsurround and protect our youngpeople with chariots of fire, as Hedid for Elisha, in the form of parents,grandparents, aunts, uncles, neigh-bors, leaders, and friends who willvigorously love them and lead them.
The past four years I have beenimmersed in the work of YoungWomen. As we cross the world visit-ing with them, we learn to somedegree about their hopes and dreamsand fears and disappointments. Iecho President Hinckley’s words:this is “the best generation theChurch has ever had” (ChurchNews, 15 Feb. 1997, 3). As a whole,these young people are valiantly andenergetically taking a stand forgoodness and decency.
Strong and good as they are, ouryoung people need our help. Andhelp is available: The Young WomenPersonal Progress program, theAaronic Priesthood Duty to God,the Guidebook for Parents and Leadersof Youth, and the revised For theStrength of Youth will help parentsand leaders be actively and directly
involved in holding back the sliding
A woman waits beside a pillar on the lower level of the Conference Center.
scale of morality. Our youth wantmore than landlords. They wantpeople who will love them and leadthem.
A vital part of that loving is lis-tening. I know what listening reallyis, because I have had the blessedexperience.
I used to farm with my dad. Ididn’t always enjoy it, but whenlunchtime came we’d sit in the shadeof the tall poplar trees, eat ourlunch, and talk. My dad didn’t usethis as a golden teaching moment tolay down the law and straighten outhis daughter. We just talked—aboutanything and everything.
This was the time I could askquestions. I felt so safe I couldeven ask questions that might pro-voke him. I remember asking him,“Why did you embarrass me infront of my friends last week whenI had stayed out too late and youcame and got me?”
His answer leads to another aspect
of love. He wasn’t being arbitrary.There were certain standards ofbehavior I was expected to live. Hesaid, “Having you out late worriedme. Above all, I want you safe.” Irealized his love for me was strongerthan his desire for sleep or the incon-venience of getting dressed and driv-ing down the road looking for me.
Whether it is a hayfield or othercasual places, those times togethercan fill the reservoir for other timesthat may not be as idyllic and serene.Relationships stay intact with thiskind of investment—in spite of harddoctrine and correction—or maybebecause of it.
Love is listening when they areready to talk—midnight, 6 A.M. ontheir way to seminary, or whenyou’re busy with your urgencies.Have you seen the Church spot ontelevision showing a darkened bed-room? The door opens, and in walksa little girl with a book under herarm. She goes over to where her dadis sound asleep and asks, “Daddy,
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doesn’t open his eyes; he just mum-bles in his sleep, “Oh, honey, Daddyis so tired. Ask Mommy.” The littlegirl patters over to where her motheris sleeping and asks, “Mommy, canDaddy read me a story?” You see thedad’s eyes pop open, and the nextpicture shows all three of themtogether, and Dad is reading a story.
Loving may come naturally, butleading is a polished skill thatmaybe we don’t take seriouslyenough. We lead by example morestrongly than any other way. That is a heavy burden for parents andleaders of youth.
Can our young people tell by theway we live and talk and pray thatwe love the Lord? Do they knowthat their Father in Heaven is a Godof love by the way they feel whenthey are with us? Can they feelsecure that we will not be moved byevery wind of doctrine or the crafti-ness of social pressure and worldlyacceptance? (see Eph. 4:14).
If we are going to lead in righ-teousness, there can’t be any questionwhere we stand. Small uncertaintieson our part can produce large uncer-tainties in our youth.
I wonder sometimes if we asmothers are the ones who make ourchildren feel the pressure to be pop-ular and accepted. Educating ourdesires so our standards are theLord’s standards sends a clear mes-sage that in the Lord’s kingdomthere are no double standards.
Following President Hinckley’stalk to the youth last November, ayoung woman reported to hermother that her Young Womenleader had removed her second setof earrings. These scrutinizing youngpeople notice. They notice howshort your shorts are or if you had totuck and pin to wear that blouse;they notice what you wear (or don’twear) when you are working in youryard; they notice which line you arestanding in at the movie theater.
We have made covenants withthe Lord, and leading often tests thelevel of our commitment to those
covenants.
A young mother said, “It takes anenormous amount of time andenergy to be a good parent. It is eas-ier to let my children fall asleep infront of the television while I pickup the house and then put them tobed than it is to read the scripturesto them, have prayers and stories,and tuck them in. But they look for-ward to this evening ritual, and Iknow this investment, even whenI’m too tired to move, will pay eter-nal dividends.” Consistent leadinghelps youth make wise choices, andour trust in them increases.
I remember when I was about 16years old overhearing Mom talkingto Dad. She was concerned aboutsome choices I was making. I wasnot guilty of any sin more seriousthan the immaturity of youth, butMom was worried. What Dad saidseared into my heart. “Don’t worry,”he said to Mom. “I trust Sharon,and I know she’ll do the rightthing.” Those hours in the hayfieldpaid off then and there. From thatmoment on I was bound to thoseloving, trusting parents.
One of the greatest tests for par-ents and leaders is to love the onewho seems to be unlovable. This istough duty. It stretches the heart-strings and wrenches the soul.When heartbroken parents pray forhelp, the help often comes in theform of angel aunts or uncles, grand-mas or grandpas, good friends, andleaders surrounding our loved one.They can reinforce our very messagethat may put our child on the trackwe’ve been praying for.
Loving wisely and leading pur-posefully will help stem the tide ofwickedness as we prepare the nextgeneration for the exhilaratingdelights of parenthood. We neverforget the joys of our 12-year-oldwhen he first passes the sacramentor hearing the sacramental prayergiven in the voice of our son. Howdo you explain the feeling of hear-ing your daughter bear her testi-mony of the Savior or watching herreceive her Young Womanhood
medallion?We catch a glimpse of heavenwhen we are in the temple with ourchild who is kneeling across thealtar with a worthy companion.They are prepared to start a lifetogether of promise and accomplish-ments that we have helped to nur-ture. This is harvest time.
I close with my testimony that we
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are not alone in this sacred trust of parenting, loving, and leading.There is no greater joy. It is worthevery sacrifice, every inconvenientminute, every ounce of patience,personal discipline, and endurance.“If God be for us, who can beagainst us?” (Rom. 8:31). In thename of Jesus Christ, amen. �
“Set in Order Thy House”Elder Russell M. NelsonOf the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
“Our family is the focus of our greatest work and joy in thislife; so will it be throughout all eternity.”
Years ago when Sister Nelsonand I had several teenageddaughters, we took our
family on a vacation far away from telephones and boyfriends.We went on a raft trip down theColorado River through the GrandCanyon. As we started our journey,we had no idea how dangerous thistrip could be.
The first day was beautiful. Buton the second day, when weapproached Horn Creek rapids andsaw that precipitous drop ahead, Iwas terrified. Floating on a rubberraft, our precious family was aboutto plunge over a waterfall! In-stinctively I put one arm around mywife and the other around ouryoungest daughter. To protect them,
I tried to hold them close to me. Butas we reached the precipice, thebended raft became a giant sling andshot me into the air. I landed intothe roiling rapids of the river. I had ahard time coming up. Each time Itried to find air, I hit the undersideof the raft. My family couldn’t seeme, but I could hear them shouting,“Daddy! Where’s Daddy?”
I finally found the side of the raftand rose to the surface. The familypulled my nearly drowned body outof the water. We were thankful to besafely reunited.
The next several days were pleas-ant and delightful. Then came thelast day, when we were to go overLava Falls, known as the most dan-gerous drop of the journey. When Isaw what was ahead, I immediatelyasked to beach the raft and hold anemergency family council meeting,knowing that if we were to survivethis experience, we needed to plancarefully. I reasoned with our family:“No matter what happens, the rub-ber raft will remain on top of thewater. If we cling with all our mightto ropes secured to the raft, we canmake it. Even if the raft should cap-size, we will be all right if we hangtightly to the ropes.”
I turned to our little seven-year-old daughter and said, “All of theothers will cling to a rope. But youwill need to hold on to your daddy.Sit behind me. Put your armsaround me and hold me tightly
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That we did. We crossed thosesteep, rough rapids—hanging on fordear life—and all of us made it safely.1
THE LESSONBrothers and sisters, I nearly lost
my life learning a lesson that I nowgive to you. As we go through life,even through very rough waters, afather’s instinctive impulse to clingtightly to his wife or to his childrenmay not be the best way to accom-plish his objective. Instead, if he willlovingly cling to the Savior and theiron rod of the gospel, his family willwant to cling to him and to theSavior.
This lesson is surely not limitedto fathers. Regardless of gender,marital status, or age, individualscan choose to link themselvesdirectly to the Savior, hold fast tothe rod of His truth, and lead by thelight of that truth. By so doing, theybecome examples of righteousnessto whom others will want to cling.
THE COMMANDMENTWith the Lord, families are essen-
tial. He created the earth that wecould gain physical bodies and formfamilies.2 He established His Churchto exalt families. He provides tem-ples so that families can be togetherforever.3
Of course, He expects fathers topreside over, provide for, and protecttheir families.4 But the Master hasasked for much more. Etched insacred scripture is a commandment to“set in order thy house.”5 Once we asparents understand the importanceand meaning of that commandment,we need to learn how to do it.
HOW TO SET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDERTo set our house in an order
pleasing to the Lord, we need to doit His way. We are to employ Hisattributes of “righteousness, godli-ness, faith, love, patience, [and]meekness.”6 Each father shouldremember that “no power or influ-ence can or ought to be maintainedby virtue of the priesthood, only by
persuasion, by long-suffering, by
Despite the large crowds gathered in the Conference Center, conference goers listen attentively to each speaker.
gentleness and meekness, and bylove unfeigned.”7
Parents are to be living examplesof “kindness, and pure knowledge,which . . . greatly enlarge the soul.”8
Each mother and father should layaside selfish interests and avoid anythought of hypocrisy, physical force,or evil speaking.9 Parents soon learnthat each child has an inborn yearn-ing to be free. Each individual wantsto make his or her own way. No onewants to be restrained, even by awell-intentioned parent. But all ofus can cling to the Lord.
Ages ago, Job taught that con-cept. He said, “My righteousness Ihold fast, and will not let it go.”10
Nephi also taught, “Whoso wouldhearken unto the word of God, and . . . hold fast unto it, . . . wouldnever perish.”11
These tenets are timeless as thegospel and endless as eternity.Ponder these additional scriptural
admonitions:From the Old Testament Proverbswe read, “Take fast hold of instruc-tion; let her not go: keep her; for sheis thy life.”12
From the New Testament:“Brethren, stand fast, and hold thetraditions which ye have beentaught.”13
From the Book of Mormon welearn about multitudes who were“continually holding fast to the rodof iron,”14 likening it to “the word ofGod.”15 Anchored in truth, that ironrod is immovable and immutable.
OTHER DIVINE MANDATESNot only are parents to cling to
the word of the Lord, but they havea divine mandate to teach it to theirchildren. Scriptural direction is veryclear: “Inasmuch as parents havechildren in Zion . . . that teach themnot to understand the doctrine ofrepentance, faith in Christ the Sonof the living God, and of baptism
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the laying on of the hands, wheneight years old, the sin be upon theheads of the parents.”16
That commandment places re-sponsibility and accountability forthe teaching of children squarelyupon the shoulders of the parents.The proclamation to the world re-garding the family warns that indi-viduals “who fail to fulfill familyresponsibilities will one day standaccountable before God.”17 Today Isolemnly reaffirm that reality.
In discharging these duties, weneed both the Church and the fam-ily. They work hand in hand tostrengthen each other. The Churchexists to exalt the family. And thefamily is the fundamental unit of theChurch.
These interrelationships are evi-dent as we study the early history of the Church. In 1833 the Lordrebuked young leaders of HisChurch because of parental short-
comings. The Lord said:
“I have commanded you to bringup your children in light and truth.
“But verily I say unto you, . . .“You have not taught your chil-
dren light and truth, according tothe commandments. . . .
“And now a commandment I giveunto you . . . you shall set in orderyour own house, for there are manythings that are not right in yourhouse. . . . First set in order thyhouse.”18
This revelation represents one ofthe many powerful validations ofthe integrity of the Prophet JosephSmith. He did not delete from scripture words of stinging rebuke,even though some were directed tohimself.19
In our day, the First Presidencyhas again stressed parental priority.From their recent letter to the Saints,I quote: “We call upon parents todevote their best efforts to theteaching and rearing of their chil-dren in gospel principles which willkeep them close to the Church. Thehome is the basis of a righteous life,and no other instrumentality cantake its place or fulfill its essentialfunctions in carrying forward thisGod-given responsibility.”20
NOTES1. See Russell M. Nelson and
Rebecca M. Taylor, “Friend to Friend,”Friend, Mar. 1997, 6–7.
2. See D&C 2:1–3.
WHAT SHOULD PARENTS TEACH?With this sacred charge in mind,
let us consider what we should teach.Scriptures direct parents to teachfaith in Jesus Christ, repentance, bap-tism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost.21
Parents are to teach the plan of sal-vation22 and the importance of livingin complete accord with the com-mandments of God.23 Otherwise,their children will surely suffer inignorance of God’s redeeming andliberating law.24 Parents should alsoteach by example how to consecratetheir lives—using their time, talents,tithing, and substance25 to establishthe Church and kingdom of Godupon the earth.26 Living in that man-ner will literally bless their posterity.A scripture states, “Thy duty is untothe church forever, and this becauseof thy family.”27
OPPOSITION TO THE FAMILYParents and children should real-
ize that strong opposition will alwayscome against the work and will ofthe Lord.28 Because the work (andglory) of God is to bring to pass ourimmortality and eternal life as afamily,29 it logically follows that thework of the adversary will strikedirectly at the heart of the home—the family. Relentlessly Luciferattacks the sanctity of life and thejoy of parenthood.
Because the evil one is ever atwork, our vigilance cannot berelaxed—not even for a moment. Asmall and seemingly innocent invi-tation can turn into a tall tempta-tion which can lead to tragictransgression. Night and day, athome or away, we must shun sin and“hold fast that which is good.”30
The seditious evils of pornogra-phy, abortion, and addiction toharmful substances serve as ter-mites to erode the undergirdingstrength of a happy home and afaithful family. We cannot yield toany iniquity without putting ourfamilies at risk.
Satan wants us to be miserablejust as he is.31 He would animate our
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in spiritual darkness and doubt thereality of life after death. TheApostle Paul observed, “If in this lifeonly we have hope in Christ, we areof all men most miserable.”32
PERPETUATION OF FAMILY BLESSINGSAn understanding of God’s great
plan of happiness, however, fortifiesour faith in the future. His plan pro-vides answers to ageless questions:Are all our sympathies and love foreach other only temporary—to belost in death? No! Can family lifeendure beyond this period of mortalprobation? Yes! God has revealedthe eternal nature of celestial mar-riage and the family as the source ofour greatest joy.
Brethren and sisters, material pos-sessions and honors of the world donot endure. But your union as wife,husband, and family can. The onlyduration of family life that satisfiesthe loftiest longings of the humansoul is forever. No sacrifice is toogreat to have the blessings of an eter-nal marriage. To qualify, one needsonly to deny oneself of ungodlinessand honor the ordinances of the tem-ple. By making and keeping sacredtemple covenants, we evidence ourlove for God, for our companion, andour real regard for our posterity—even those yet unborn. Our family isthe focus of our greatest work and joyin this life; so will it be throughout alleternity, when we can “inheritthrones, kingdoms, principalities, . . .powers, dominions, . . . exaltationand glory.”33
These priceless blessings can beours if we set our houses in ordernow and faithfully cling to thegospel. God lives. Jesus is the Christ.This is His Church. PresidentGordon B. Hinckley is His prophet.I so testify in the name of JesusChrist, amen. �
3. See D&C 138:47–48.
4. See 1 Tim. 5:8.5. D&C 93:44; see also 2 Kgs. 20:1;
Isa. 38:1.6. 1 Tim. 6:11.7. D&C 121:41.8. D&C 121:42.9. See 1 Pet. 2:1.10. Job 27:6.11. 1 Ne. 15:24.12. Prov. 4:13.13. 2 Thes. 2:15. Other related
scriptures include “Hold fast the . . . soundwords, which thou hast heard of me, infaith and love which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 1:13), and “Let us hold fast theprofession of our faith without wavering”(Heb. 10:23).
14. 1 Ne. 8:30.15. 1 Ne. 11:25.16. D&C 68:25; emphasis added.17. “The Family: A Proclamation to
the World,” Liahona, Oct. 1998, 24.18. D&C 93:40–44.19. See D&C 93:47.20. In that letter dated 11 February
1999, signed by Presidents Gordon B.Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson, and James E.Faust, they also described what parentsmight do: “We counsel parents andchildren to give highest priority to familyprayer, family home evening, gospel studyand instruction, and wholesome familyactivities. However worthy and appropriateother demands or activities may be, theymust not be permitted to displace thedivinely appointed duties that only parentsand families can adequately perform” (in“Letter from the First Presidency,” Liahona,Dec. 1999, 1).
21. See Moro. 8:10; D&C 19:31;68:25–34; 138:33; A of F 1:4.
22. See Moses 6:58–62.23. See Lev. 10:11; Deut. 6:7;
Mosiah 4:14.24. See 2 Ne. 2:26; Mosiah 1:3; 5:8;
D&C 98:8.25. See Mosiah 4:21–26; 18:27;
Alma 1:27.26. See JST, Matt. 6:38.27. D&C 23:3.28. See Moro. 7:12–19.29. See Moses 1:39.30. 1 Thes. 5:21.31. See 2 Ne. 2:17–18, 27.32. 1 Cor. 15:19.33. D&C 132:19.
The Times in Which We LivePresident Gordon B. Hinckley
“Our safety lies in repentance. Our strength comes ofobedience to the commandments of God.”
My beloved brethren andsisters, I accept this op-portunity in humility. I
pray that I may be guided by theSpirit of the Lord in that which I say.
I have just been handed a notethat says that a U.S. missile attack isunder way. I need not remind youthat we live in perilous times. Idesire to speak concerning thesetimes and our circumstances asmembers of this Church.
You are acutely aware of theevents of September 11, less than amonth ago. Out of that vicious andugly attack we are plunged into astate of war. It is the first war of the21st century. The last century hasbeen described as the most war-tornin human history. Now we are off onanother dangerous undertaking, the
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thereof we do not know. For the firsttime since we became a nation, theUnited States has been seriouslyattacked on its mainland soil. Butthis was not an attack on the UnitedStates alone. It was an attack onmen and nations of goodwill every-where. It was well planned, boldlyexecuted, and the results were disas-trous. It is estimated that more than5,000 innocent people died. Amongthese were many from other nations.It was cruel and cunning, an act ofconsummate evil.
Recently, in company with a fewnational religious leaders, I wasinvited to the White House to meetwith the president. In talking to ushe was frank and straightforward.
That same evening he spoke tothe Congress and the nation inunmistakable language concerningthe resolve of America and itsfriends to hunt down the terroristswho were responsible for the plan-ning of this terrible thing and anywho harbored such.
Now we are at war. Great forceshave been mobilized and will con-tinue to be. Political alliances arebeing forged. We do not know howlong this conflict will last. We do notknow what it will cost in lives andtreasure. We do not know the mannerin which it will be carried out. Itcould impact the work of the Churchin various ways.
Our national economy has beenmade to suffer. It was already in trou-
ble, and this has compounded the
Members throng the Conference Center during each session to draw strength from the counsel of Church leaders.
problem. Many are losing theiremployment. Among our own peo-ple, this could affect welfare needsand also the tithing of the Church. Itcould affect our missionary program.
We are now a global organization.We have members in more than 150nations. Administering this vastworldwide program could conceiv-ably become more difficult.
Those of us who are Americancitizens stand solidly with the presi-dent of our nation. The terribleforces of evil must be confrontedand held accountable for theiractions. This is not a matter ofChristian against Muslim. I ampleased that food is being droppedto the hungry people of a targetednation. We value our Muslim neigh-bors across the world and hope thatthose who live by the tenets of theirfaith will not suffer. I ask particularlythat our own people do not becomea party in any way to the persecu-tion of the innocent. Rather, let usbe friendly and helpful, protectiveand supportive. It is the terroristorganizations that must be ferretedout and brought down.
We of this Church know some-thing of such groups. The Book of
Mormon speaks of the Gadiantonrobbers, a vicious, oath-bound, andsecret organization bent on evil anddestruction. In their day they did all in their power, by whatevermeans available, to bring down theChurch, to woo the people withsophistry, and to take control of thesociety. We see the same thing in thepresent situation.
We are people of peace. We arefollowers of the Christ who was andis the Prince of Peace. But there aretimes when we must stand up forright and decency, for freedom andcivilization, just as Moroni rallied hispeople in his day to the defense oftheir wives, their children, and thecause of liberty (see Alma 48:10).
On the Larry King televisionbroadcast the other night, I wasasked what I think of those who, inthe name of their religion, carry outsuch infamous activities. I replied,“Religion offers no shield forwickedness, for evil, for those kindsof things. The God in whom Ibelieve does not foster this kind ofaction. He is a God of mercy. He is aGod of love. He is a God of peaceand reassurance, and I look to Himin times such as this as a comfortand a source of strength.”
Members of the Church in this
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and other nations are now involvedwith many others in a great interna-tional undertaking. On television wesee those of the military leaving theirloved ones, knowing not whetherthey will return. It is affecting thehomes of our people. Unitedly, as aChurch, we must get on our kneesand invoke the powers of theAlmighty in behalf of those who willcarry the burdens of this campaign.
No one knows how long it willlast. No one knows precisely whereit will be fought. No one knowswhat it may entail before it is over.We have launched an undertakingthe size and nature of which we can-not see at this time.
Occasions of this kind pull us upsharply to a realization that life is frag-ile, peace is fragile, civilization itself isfragile. The economy is particularlyvulnerable. We have been counseledagain and again concerning self-reliance, concerning debt, concerningthrift. So many of our people areheavily in debt for things that are notentirely necessary. When I was ayoung man, my father counseled meto build a modest home, sufficient forthe needs of my family, and make itbeautiful and attractive and pleasant
and secure. He counseled me to pay
off the mortgage as quickly as I couldso that, come what may, there wouldbe a roof over the heads of my wifeand children. I was reared on thatkind of doctrine. I urge you as mem-bers of this Church to get free of debtwhere possible and to have a littlelaid aside against a rainy day.
We cannot provide against everycontingency. But we can provideagainst many contingencies. Let thepresent situation remind us that thiswe should do.
As we have been continuouslycounseled for more than 60 years,let us have some food set aside thatwould sustain us for a time in case ofneed. But let us not panic nor go toextremes. Let us be prudent in everyrespect. And, above all, my brothersand sisters, let us move forward withfaith in the Living God and HisBeloved Son.
Great are the promises concerningthis land of America. We are toldunequivocally that it “is a choiceland, and whatsoever nation shallpossess it shall be free from bondage,and from captivity, and from all othernations under heaven, if they will butserve the God of the land, who isJesus Christ” (Ether 2:12). This is thecrux of the entire matter—obedienceto the commandments of God.
The Constitution under whichwe live, and which has not onlyblessed us but has become a modelfor other constitutions, is our God-inspired national safeguard ensuringfreedom and liberty, justice andequality before the law.
I do not know what the futureholds. I do not wish to sound nega-tive, but I wish to remind you of thewarnings of scripture and the teach-ings of the prophets which we havehad constantly before us.
I cannot forget the great lesson ofPharaoh’s dream of the fat and leankine and of the full and witheredstalks of corn.
I cannot dismiss from my mind thegrim warnings of the Lord as set forthin the 24th chapter of Matthew.
I am familiar, as are you, with the
declarations of modern revelationthat the time will come when theearth will be cleansed and there willbe indescribable distress, with weep-ing and mourning and lamentation(see D&C 112:24).
Now, I do not wish to be analarmist. I do not wish to be aprophet of doom. I am optimistic. Ido not believe the time is here whenan all-consuming calamity will over-take us. I earnestly pray that it maynot. There is so much of the Lord’swork yet to be done. We, and ourchildren after us, must do it.
I can assure you that we who areresponsible for the management ofthe affairs of the Church will be pru-dent and careful as we have tried tobe in the past. The tithes of theChurch are sacred. They are appro-priated in the manner set forth bythe Lord Himself. We have become avery large and complex organization.We carry on many extensive andcostly programs. But I can assure youthat we will not exceed our income.We will not place the Church indebt. We will tailor what we do tothe resources that are available.
How grateful I am for the law oftithing. It is the Lord’s law offinance. It is set forth in a few wordsin the 119th section of the Doctrine
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wisdom. To every man and woman,to every boy and girl, to every childin this Church who pays an honesttithing, be it large or small, I expressgratitude for the faith that is in yourhearts. I remind you, and those whodo not pay tithing but who should,that the Lord has promised mar-velous blessings (see Mal. 3:10–12).He has also promised that “he thatis tithed shall not be burned at hiscoming” (D&C 64:23).
I express appreciation to thosewho pay a fast offering. This coststhe giver nothing other than goingwithout two meals a month. Itbecomes the backbone of our wel-fare program, designed to assistthose in distress.
Now, all of us know that war,contention, hatred, suffering of theworst kind are not new. The conflictwe see today is but another expres-sion of the conflict that began withthe War in Heaven. I quote fromthe book of Revelation:
“And there was war in heaven:Michael and his angels foughtagainst the dragon; and the dragonfought and his angels,
“And prevailed not; neither wastheir place found any more inheaven.
“And the great dragon was cast
out, that old serpent, called theDevil, and Satan, which deceiveththe whole world: he was cast outinto the earth, and his angels werecast out with him.
“And I heard a loud voice sayingin heaven, Now is come salvation,and strength, and the kingdom ofour God, and the power of hisChrist” (Rev. 12:7–10).
That must have been a terribleconflict. The forces of evil were pit-ted against the forces of good. Thegreat deceiver, the son of the morn-ing, was defeated and banished, andtook with him a third of the hosts ofheaven.
The book of Moses and the bookof Abraham shed further light con-cerning this great contest. Satanwould have taken from man hisagency and taken unto himself allcredit and honor and glory. Opposedto this was the plan of the Father
which the Son said He would fulfill,under which He came to earth andgave His life to atone for the sins ofmankind.
From the day of Cain to the pre-sent, the adversary has been thegreat mastermind of the terribleconflicts that have brought so muchsuffering.
Treachery and terrorism beganwith him. And they will continueuntil the Son of God returns to ruleand reign with peace and righteous-ness among the sons and daughtersof God.
Through centuries of time, menand women, so very, very many,have lived and died. Some may diein the conflict that lies ahead. To us,and we bear solemn testimony ofthis, death will not be the end.There is life beyond this as surely asthere is life here. Through the greatplan which became the very essenceof the War in Heaven, men shall go
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Job asked, “If a man die, shall helive again?” (Job 14:14). He replied:“For I know that my redeemerliveth, and that he shall stand at thelatter day upon the earth:
“And though after my skin wormsdestroy this body, yet in my fleshshall I see God:
“Whom I shall see for myself, andmine eyes shall behold, and notanother” (Job 19:25–27).
Now, brothers and sisters, wemust do our duty, whatever that dutymight be. Peace may be denied for a season. Some of our liberties maybe curtailed. We may be inconve-nienced. We may even be called onto suffer in one way or another. ButGod our Eternal Father will watchover this nation and all of the civi-lized world who look to Him. He hasdeclared, “Blessed is the nationwhose God is the Lord” (Ps. 33:12).Our safety lies in repentance. Ourstrength comes of obedience to thecommandments of God.
Let us be prayerful. Let us prayfor righteousness. Let us pray for theforces of good. Let us reach out tohelp men and women of goodwill,whatever their religious persuasionand wherever they live. Let us standfirm against evil, both at home andabroad. Let us live worthy of theblessings of heaven, reforming ourlives where necessary and looking toHim, the Father of us all. He hassaid, “Be still, and know that I amGod” (Ps. 46:10).
Are these perilous times? Theyare. But there is no need to fear. Wecan have peace in our hearts andpeace in our homes. We can be aninfluence for good in this world,every one of us.
May the God of heaven, theAlmighty, bless us, help us, as wewalk our various ways in the uncer-tain days that lie ahead. May welook to Him with unfailing faith.May we worthily place our relianceon His Beloved Son who is our greatRedeemer, whether it be in life or indeath, is my prayer in His holyname, even the name of Jesus
Christ, amen. �
The ReturnedMissionaryElder L. Tom PerryOf the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
“What we need is a royal army of returned missionariesreenlisted into service.”
Sunday Afternoon Session7 October 2001
This afternoon, I want toaddress my remarks to aspecial group. During the
last many years, hundreds of thou-sands of you have returned fromserving full-time missions. Each ofyou heeded the same call the Saviorgave to His disciples:
“Go ye therefore, and teach allnations, baptizing them in the nameof the Father, and of the Son, and ofthe Holy Ghost:
“Teaching them to observe allthings whatsoever I have com-manded you: and, lo, I am with youalway, even unto the end of theworld” (Matt. 28:19–20).
It was your privilege to go to the
many parts of the world to carry theSavior’s message—an invitation tocome unto Him and enjoy the fruitsof His gospel. You were privileged tolive in different cultures and learndifferent languages. It was also a timeof building your own personal testi-mony of the mission of Jesus Christ.
I have always been honored tovisit with you returned missionariesover the years—many of you long toreturn and visit the people you hadthe privilege of serving. You are anx-ious to share moments of your ex-periences in the mission field. Inyour wedding announcements andyour employment résumés, youinsert a line that identifies you as areturned missionary. While you nolonger wear a missionary’s badge,you seem anxious to identify your-selves as one who has served theLord as a missionary. Moreover, youhave fond memories because youdiscovered the joy of gospel service.
I have also learned from manyconversations with you that theadjustment associated with leavingthe mission field and returning tothe world you left behind is some-times difficult. Perhaps it is hard tokeep alive the spirit of missionarywork when you are no longer serv-ing as a full-time missionary of TheChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
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May I offer just a few suggestions?One of the strongest recollec-
tions I have of being a missionary is how close I drew to the Lordthrough the practice of regularprayer. In my day the Mission Homewas located on State Street in SaltLake City. It was a large house thathad been converted to a missiontraining center. It had large dormi-tory rooms with perhaps as many as10 beds in a room. We checked inon Sunday night.
The week before I entered themission field was an exciting time.There were a lot of parties andfarewells. I am afraid that I was notproperly rested and prepared for thetraining I was to receive at theMission Home. As the evening ofour first day in the Mission Homecame to a close, I was weary. Whilewaiting for the other missionaries to prepare themselves for bed, I stretched out on my bed andpromptly fell asleep. My sleep, how-ever, was interrupted by a feelingthat I was surrounded. As the fog ofsleep lifted, I heard the words of aprayer being said. I opened my eyes,and much to my surprise I found allthe elders in my dormitory roomkneeling around my bed, concludingthe day with a prayer. I quicklyclosed my eyes and acted as if I wasasleep. I was too embarrassed to getout of bed and join them. Eventhough my first experience withprayer as a missionary was an em-barrassing one, it was the beginningof two wonderful years of frequentlycalling upon the Lord for guidance.
Throughout my mission, I prayedwith my companion each morningas we began a new day. The processwas repeated each night before weretired. We offered a prayer beforewe studied, a prayer as we left ourapartment to go out tracting, and, ofcourse, special prayers when specialguidance was needed to direct ourmissionary work. The frequency ofour appeals to our Father in Heavengave us strength and courage topress forward in the work to which
we had been called. Answers would
come, sometimes in astonishinglydirect and positive ways. The guid-ance of the Holy Spirit seemed to be magnified the more times weappealed to the Lord for directionon a given day.
As I look back on my life follow-ing my mission, I realize that therewere periods when I was able tomaintain the same closeness to theLord that I experienced in the mis-sion field. There were also periodswhen the world seemed to creep inand I was less consistent and faithfulwith my prayers.
Wouldn’t this be a good time for alittle self-evaluation to determine ifwe still have the same relationshipwith our Father in Heaven that weenjoyed in the mission field? If theworld has diverted us from the prac-tice of prayer, we then have lost agreat spiritual power. Maybe it istime that we rekindle our missionaryspirit through more frequent, consis-tent, and mighty prayer.
The next fond memory I have asa missionary is that of daily engagingin scripture study. The discipline offollowing a scripture-study plan oflearning the gospel was a wonderful,
rewarding experience. The knowl-edge of the teachings of the scrip-tures would unfold in a glorious waythrough individual study. As a mis-sionary, I recall marveling at howcompletely the Lord had prepared aplan for His children here on earth,how in all dispensations of time He has inspired the minds of Hisprophets to record His dealings withthem. His words are always positiveand direct, revealing the blessingsthat come through following His lawand His way.
We would also take an hour ormore each day to study as compan-ions together. Having two sets ofeyes examine the doctrine of thekingdom seemed to multiply ourunderstanding. We would read to-gether, then share our insights.
Our minds were sharpened as wefollowed the daily practice of indi-vidual and companion study. Thepractice brought us closer togetheras companions and increased ourunderstanding of the doctrines ofthe kingdom.
When we leave the mission field,we no longer have companions tohelp us discipline our study habits,but that does not mean that thepractice should be discontinued. Aswe return home, how great it wouldbe to hold daily family scripturestudy. If we leave home, couldn’t weinvite roommates and friends tostudy with us? The practice of hold-ing regular study classes would helpkeep the doctrines of the kingdomclear in our minds and offset the per-sistent intrusion of worldly concerns.Of course, when we marry, we haveeternal companions with whom wecan study and share gospel teach-ings. The scriptures are always thereto deepen our understanding of thepurpose of life and what we need todo to make life more fulfilling andrewarding. Please keep alive thepractice of regular individual andcompanion scripture study.
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life, the excitement that comeswhen you teach the law of the Lord,and the blessings that are receivedfrom following Him? Could you everforget the joy of your first baptism inthe mission field?
In my day, the chapels were notequipped with baptismal fonts. Myfirst baptism was in the Scioto Riverin the state of Ohio. It was on a coolfall day, and the water seemed evencolder than the air. I remember theshock of wading into the cold riverwhile encouraging my investigatorto follow me. The coldness of the airand the water, however, soon van-ished as I administered the ordi-nance of baptism. Seeing the radiantface of the individual who came upout of the waters of baptism is animage I will never forget.
Opportunities to teach the gospeland baptize are not exclusive tothose who wear the badge of a full-time missionary. I wonder why weallow the fire of missionary serviceto diminish when we return to theactivities of our life in the world.
There has never been a time inthe history of mankind when wehave been better equipped to teachthe gospel to our Father in Heaven’schildren here on earth. And theyseem to need it more today thanthey ever have. We see a deteriora-tion of faith. We see an increasedlove for worldliness and a depletionof moral values, both of which willcause increased heartache and de-spair. What we need is a royal armyof returned missionaries reenlistedinto service. While they would notwear the badge of a full-time mis-sionary, they could possess the sameresolve and determination to bringthe light of the gospel to a worldstruggling to find its way.
I call on you returned missionar-ies to rededicate yourselves, tobecome reinfused with the desireand spirit of missionary service. I callon you to look the part, to be thepart, and to act the part of a servantof our Father in Heaven. I pray foryour renewed determination to pro-
claim the gospel that you may
Conference goers enjoy the view from the Conference Center balcony and plaza.
become more actively engaged inthis great work the Lord has calledall of us to do. I want to promise youthere are great blessings in store foryou if you continue to press forwardwith the zeal you once possessed asa full-time missionary.
I had an experience a few yearsago of receiving a call from my son,Lee. He told me that my first mis-sionary companion was in his neigh-borhood, and he wanted to spend afew minutes with me. Lee and I bothwent over to the home of my firstcompanion’s daughter, whom he wasvisiting. We had a special experienceof being together after many years ofnot seeing one another. As missionar-ies we were given the opportunity ofopening up a new town in Ohio tomissionary work. Because of thisassignment, we were allowed to labortogether for 10 months. He was my
trainer, my first companion. He camefrom a family that had taught himthe value of hard work. It was diffi-cult for me to keep up with him, butas we served together we drew closetogether as companions.
Our companionship did not endwith the 10-month assignment.World War II was raging, and when Ireturned home I had only a shorttime to adjust before I was draftedinto military service. On my firstSunday in boot camp, I attended anLDS service. I saw the back of a headthat was very familiar to me. It wasmy first missionary companion. Wespent most of the next two and a halfyears together. Although circum-stances were very different for us inmilitary service, we tried to continuethe practices of missionary service.As often as we could, we prayedtogether. When circumstancesallowed, we had scripture study
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study sessions under the light of aColeman lantern in a shrapnel-scarred tent. Several times our read-ing of the scriptures was interruptedby the sound of an air raid siren. Wewould quickly turn off our lantern,then kneel together and close ourstudy class with a prayer.
We were both set apart as groupleaders, and we again had theopportunity to serve and teach to-gether the glorious gospel of ourLord and Savior. We were more suc-cessful in the military than we hadbeen as full-time missionaries. Why? Because we were experiencedreturned missionaries.
My visit with my first missionarycompanion was the last opportunityI had to be with him. He was suffer-ing from an incurable disease anddied only a few months later. It wasa wonderful experience to relive our
missions together and then tell
The SeventhCommandment: A ShieldElder Neal A. MaxwellOf the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
“The keeping of the seventh commandment is such a vitalshield! By lowering or losing that shield, the much-neededblessings of heaven are lost.”
about our lives following our mis-sionary service. We recounted ourservice in bishoprics, high councils,and stake presidencies, and, ofcourse, we bragged about our chil-dren and our grandchildren. As wesat and thrilled at the opportunity ofbeing together again, I couldn’t helpbut think of the account in the 17thchapter of the book of Alma:
“And now it came to pass that asAlma was journeying from the landof Gideon southward, away to theland of Manti, behold, to his aston-ishment, he met with the sons ofMosiah journeying towards the landof Zarahemla.
“Now these sons of Mosiah werewith Alma at the time the angel firstappeared unto him; therefore Almadid rejoice exceedingly to see hisbrethren; and what added more tohis joy, they were still his brethren inthe Lord; yea, and they had waxedstrong in the knowledge of the truth;for they were men of a sound under-standing and they had searched thescriptures diligently, that they mightknow the word of God.
“But this is not all; they had giventhemselves to much prayer, and fast-ing; therefore they had the spirit ofprophecy, and the spirit of revela-tion, and when they taught, theytaught with power and authority ofGod” (Alma 17:1–3).
I wish all of you could have anexperience similar to the one I hadwith my first missionary companion,that you could pause and reflect ona time of service when you gave dili-gently of your time and your talentsin building our Father in Heaven’skingdom. If you try to make it hap-pen, I promise you that it will be oneof the thrilling experiences of yourlife. You are a great army of returnedmissionaries. Go forward with newzeal and determination, and throughyour example shine the light of thegospel in this troubled world. This isthe Lord’s work in which we areengaged. God lives. Jesus is theChrist. We belong to His Church.This is my witness to you in the
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name of Jesus Christ, amen. �
ith you, my brothers and sisters, I have ap-preciated afresh the
prophetic ministry of PresidentHinckley. I testify that he was fore-ordained a long, long time ago, andwe are glad.
I share the reluctance Jacob ex-pressed when he wrote of the prob-lems of unchastity and infidelity, thebreaching of what some number asthe seventh commandment. Anxiousbecause his audience had feelings“exceedingly tender and chaste anddelicate,” Jacob did not wish to
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[were] already wounded, instead ofconsoling and healing their wounds”(Jacob 2:7, 9). Nevertheless, Jacob’swords about the harsh consequencesof immorality are diagnostic as well aspoetic: “Many hearts died, piercedwith deep wounds” (Jacob 2:35).Today we move among so many ofthe walking wounded, and the casu-alty list grows.
Hence, reassuring gospel givenscould rightly be stressed, such ashow individuals who truly repent,though their “sins be as scarlet,”may become “as white as snow” (Isa.1:18). But the rigors and the richrewards of repentance are not thepurposes of this talk. Nor is givingdeserved praise to the many valiantyouth and adults who practicechastity and fidelity—even when,for example, only a shrinking minor-ity of American society now believespremarital relations are wrong.Commendations, therefore, to thosewho have faith unto obedience regard-ing the commandments, as well assalutations to those who have “faithunto repentance” (Alma 34:15;emphasis added) when command-ments are violated.
Clearly, unchastity and infidelitybring serious consequences such as
the rippling, even haunting, effects
Hymns provide opportunities for the congregation to stand andparticipate in conference sessions.
of illegitimacy and fatherlessness,along with disease and the shred-ding of families. So many marriageshang by a thread or have alreadysnapped. This quiet but deep crisiscoexists with vexing internationalcrises in our time, including war.Jesus spoke of latter days when therewould be “distress of nations, withperplexity” and how all things wouldbe in commotion (Luke 21:25; seealso D&C 88:91; 45:26).
Therefore, the keeping of theseventh commandment is such avital shield! By lowering or losingthat shield, the much-needed bless-ings of heaven are lost. No person ornation can prosper for long withoutthose blessings.
Strange, in a time otherwiseobsessed with entitlements, how lit-tle concern there is over our becom-ing entitled to the blessings ofheaven. Instead, a declining beliefby some in ultimate immortality hasonly intensified proximate immoral-ity, “leading away many . . . tellingthem that when a man was dead,that was the end thereof” (Alma30:18). A Japanese thinker, lookingat our pleasure-centered Westernsociety, said, almost confrontingly:
“If there is nothing beyond death,then what is wrong with giving one-self wholly to pleasure in the shorttime one has left to live? The loss offaith in the ‘other world’ has saddledmodern Western society with a fatalmoral problem” (Takeshi Umehara,“The Civilization of the Forest:Ancient Japan Shows Postmodernismthe Way,” in At Century’s End, ed.Nathan P. Gardels [1995], 190).
Therefore, being good citizensincludes being good, such as in know-ing the clear difference between lust-ing after a neighbor and loving one’sneighbor! Matthew Arnold wiselyobserved that while “Nature caresnothing [for] chastity, . . . humannature . . . cares about it a great deal”(Philistinism in England and America,vol. 10 of The Complete Prose Works ofMatthew Arnold, ed. R. H. Super[1974], 160). To which I add: divine
nature cares infinitely more!The influential tendencies of thenatural man are unfriendly to theseventh commandment and theseinvolve the self-damaging “carnal,sensual, [and] devilish” (Mosiah16:3; see also Mosiah 3:19; Moses5:13). If these three words sound tooharsh, consider, brothers and sisters,the awful goal the adversary pursues:“that all men might be miserable likeunto himself” (2 Ne. 2:27). Miseryreally does love company!
One of the best ways we can put“off the natural man” is to starvehim (Mosiah 3:19). Weakened, he ismore easily dislodged. Otherwise, heinsists on getting his ticket punchedat every stop on the temptationtrain. Sadly, corrective words do notusually help the natural man either,because lust chokes the word (seeMark 4:19).
Unfortunately, breaking the sev-enth commandment is made easierwhen clever sophists persuade somethat whatsoever individuals do is really“no crime” (Alma 30:17). Yet some
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hear something less than the truth, so they follow those who try to smooth the sharp-edged, inconvenientcommandments (see 2 Tim. 4:3).Nevertheless, the proverb remainstrue: “Whoso committeth adultery . . .lacketh understanding” (Prov. 6:32).The commandments are ignored bystill others who are otherwise focused.Dostoevsky has one of his characterssay, “The ages will pass, and humanitywill proclaim by the lips of their sagesthat there is no crime, and thereforeno sin; there is only hunger” (FyodorMikhailovich Dostoevsky, The BrothersKaramazov, trans. Constance Garnett[1952], 130–131).
The adversary has also artificiallyinflated the concept of privacy, fur-ther lubricating the slide away fromindividual accountability! After all, afew mouse clicks on a computer cantake one, privately and quickly, intoenemy territory without having to gothrough passport control, the onlyremaining restraint then being thecheckpoint of dulled conscience.
But God does not have two sets
of Ten Commandments, one indoorand another outdoor! Nor are theretwo approved roads to repentance.True, a weekend of regret may pro-duce some “sorrowing of thedamned,” but not the “mightychange” which only godly sorrowproduces (Morm. 2:13; Mosiah 5:2;Alma 5:13–14; see also 2 Cor. 7:10).
Yes, we mortals are still free tochoose. Yes, a war was even foughtin heaven to preserve our moralagency. Yet down here, the great giftof agency is often surrendered with-out so much as a mild whimper!
There are so many ways to keepthe shielding seventh command-ment firmly in place. Instructively,for instance, David’s fall, at least inpart, was facilitated because he wasnot where duty lay: “It came to pass,after the year was expired, at thetime when kings go forth to battle, . . . David tarried still at Jerusalem”(2 Sam. 11:1). Then, as you know,came the lustful view from the roofand all the sadness that followed.Implicit, therefore, in the instruc-tion “Stand ye in holy places” is toavoid indulgent tarrying (D&C87:8; see also Matt. 24:15).
Those who live “after the mannerof happiness” (2 Ne. 5:27) alsowisely develop protective, spiritualmanners. These manners are re-flected in their proper dress, lan-guage, humor, and music, therebysending the signal of determined dis-cipleship (see Prov. 23:7).
Moreover, the avoidance of laterdifficulty includes not carrying intoa marriage unrepented-of sins, caus-ing spouses to start off “unequallyyoked together” (2 Cor. 6:14).Likewise, husbands and wives candeliberately avoid drifting apart byrefusing to relax their loyalties andby not being caught in the strongcurrents leading to the waterfalls.Equally to be avoided is the stagnantswamp of self-pity. Therein, individ-uals can easily rationalize any re-maining sense of accountability bypushing aside the restraints of bothconscience and covenants, seeking
to “justify [themselves] before men”for that which is an “abomination[before] God” (Luke 16:15).
Seeing through sensuality’s de-ceptive spin is another vital preven-tive. For instance, some of those who flout the seventh command-ment by their immoral lifestyles are
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like Cain’s declaring, “I am free”(Moses 5:33), after breaking thesixth commandment by slaying Abel.Such erroneous thinking about free-dom evokes Peter’s warning words:“Of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage”
A family takes time to admire theSalt Lake Temple.
(2 Pet. 2:19; see also 2 Ne. 2:26–30).True, strident souls may even fakelaughter amid bondage and sin, butanother proverb applies: “Even inlaughter the heart is sorrowful; andthe end of that mirth is heaviness”(Prov. 14:13).
In an age rightly concerned withtruth in advertising, how intellectu-ally insulting are certain deceptivelabels: Ecstasy should read misery;Rave is really a mournful mutter ema-nating from sensuality gone amok.For instance, some participants fool-ishly think a little lewd dancing isharmless. These individuals do “notsin ignorantly” (3 Ne. 6:18). By imi-tating and by underestimating theenemy, they end up compromisingthemselves, while confusing and dis-appointing their friends!
Ever wonder why the sensualscene so often features flashing butfading lights? Or why all the rein-forcing glitz? Or why all the loudnessmasquerading as music? Because,fearful of the dawn, evil cannotstand the steady scrutiny of brighttruth, nor can it endure the quietreflections of soul-searching!
Thus the drumbeat of desensiti-zation deadens the tastebuds of thesoul by responding illegitimately tothe legitimate need for belonging andfor love, as predators and victimssadly become “past feeling” (1 Ne.17:45; Eph. 4:19; Moro. 9:20).
Henry Fairlie wrote of how “thelustful person will usually be foundto have a terrible hollowness at thecenter of his life” (Henry Fairlie, TheSeven Deadly Sins Today [1978],187). Still, some naive youth talkabout “filling their canteens,” whichwill be empty except for the residualsand and gravel of toxic memories.Fairlie also wrote, “Lust is not inter-ested in its partners, but only in thegratification of its own craving. . . .Lust dies at the next dawn, andwhen it returns in the evening, tosearch where it may, it is with itsown past erased” (The Seven DeadlySins Today, 175).
However costumed or made up,
lust is no substitute for love; actually,brothers and sisters, it chokes out thedevelopment of real love, causing“the love of many [to] wax cold”(Matt. 24:12). No wonder we aretold to “bridle all [our] passions, that[we] may be filled with love” (Alma38:12). Otherwise, oozing passionsfill the available soul space, and dou-ble occupancy is not possible.
Previously, society has often hadhelpful, though subtle, balancing andrestraining mechanisms—includingfamilies, and churches, and schools—to checkrein excessive individualbehavior. But too often some of thesemechanisms are either missing, mal-functioning, or equivocating.
Moreover, the foregoing trendsare further accelerated by the fash-ionable nonjudgmentalism whichexcuses whatever wrong individualsdo—as long as they do anything elsecommendable. After all, didn’tMussolini make the trains run ontime? Violators of the seventh com-mandment may still make usefulcontributions, but they pay a hid-den, personal cost (see Alma 28:13).Of King Morianton we read, “Hedid [deal justly with his] people, butnot [with] himself because of hismany whoredoms” (Ether 10:11).Apparently a fair, no-respecter-of-persons leader, Morianton did notrespect himself! His self-inflictedwounds were masked by the out-ward ornamentation of riches andbuildings (see Ether 10:12).
So sobering is all of the foregoingthat what follows needs to be said,and I do not hesitate to say it. Therevelations tell us that commensu-rate with their own sins, unrepen-tant sinners must suffer even as[Jesus] did for ours, as they one daypersonally experience the full justiceof God (see D&C 19:16–18).Additionally, however, those who invarious ways persistently foster andintensify this often drug-drencheddrama of immorality—whether aspromoters, enablers, facilitators, orprofiteers—will also then face andthen feel all the misery they havecaused countless others!
Finally, brothers and sisters, in
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certain times and circumstances,discipleship requires us to be willingto stand alone! Our willingness todo so, here and now, is consistentwith Christ’s kneeling alone, thereand then, in Gethsemane. In thefinal atoning process, “none werewith [Him]” (D&C 133:50; see alsoMatt. 26:38–45).
As we take our stand, the faithfulwill not be alone—not that alone,however. Of necessity, the angel whostood by Christ in Gethsemane tostrengthen Him left Him (see Luke22:43). If we hold aloft the shield offaith in God and faith in His com-mandments, His angels will be “roundabout [us], to bear [us] up” and “havecharge over [us]” (D&C 84:88;109:22). Of this promise, I testify.And now, therefore, in terms of theweather in our souls, brothers and sis-ters, I testify that we set the dial. Weso determine the degree of our happi-ness in this and the next world. I like-wise testify that our compliance withGod’s commandments, including theseventh, invites God to place Hishand on ours as we set the dial. It isthe hand of Him who desires to giveus all that He hath (see D&C 84:38).In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. �
“The First and GreatCommandment”Elder Robert F. OrtonOf the Seventy
“Given the purpose of our existence, if we do not love God and neighbor, whatever else we do will be of little eternalconsequence.”
The attention of peoplearound the world has beendrawn, during the past four
weeks, to the willful, intentional,and destructive acts of terrorism andhatred.
Hatred is the antithesis of love.Lucifer is its chief proponent andperpetrator and has been since hisapproach to the plan of salvationwas rejected by the Father. It was hewho influenced Judas to deliverJesus to the chief priests for 30pieces of silver. It is he, the enemy ofall righteousness and the father ofcontention, who, “as a roaring lion,walketh about, seeking whom hemay devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).
On the other hand, it was that
same Jesus whom Judas delivered tothe chief priests who said, “Loveyour enemies, . . . and pray for themwho despitefully use you and per-secute you” (3 Ne. 12:44; see alsoMatt. 5:44). And it was He whopleaded for the soldiers who cruci-fied Him, saying, “Father, forgivethem; for they know not what theydo” (Luke 23:34).
I thought for many years thatlove was an attribute. But it is more.It is a commandment. In His dia-logue with the lawyer, a Pharisee,Jesus said:
“Thou shalt love the Lord thyGod with all thy heart, and with allthy soul, and with all thy mind.
“This is the first and greatcommandment.
“And the second is like unto it,Thou shalt love thy neighbour asthyself.
“On these two commandmentshang all the law and the prophets”(Matt. 22:37–40; see also Gal.5:14).
President Hinckley has said that“love is like the Polar Star. In achanging world, it is a constant. It isthe very essence of the gospel.”
“Without love . . . there is littleelse to commend the gospel to us asa way of life” (Teachings of Gordon B.Hinckley [1997], 319, 317). TheApostle John said that “God is love”(1 Jn. 4:8). Thus, on Him, as theembodiment of love, hang all the
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The Apostle Paul taught thatfaith, which is the first principle ofthe gospel, works by love (see Gal.5:6). What a valuable doctrine tounderstand! Love is the drivingforce behind faith. Just as a fire athome on a cold winter night makesit warm, so love of God and neigh-bor gives us faith, with which any-thing is possible.
Most of us profess to love God.The challenge, I have observed, isloving our neighbor. The term neigh-bor includes family, people withwhom we work, those whom we seein geographical proximity to ourhome and at church, and even theenemy, though we do not condonewhat the latter does. If we do notlove all of these, our brothers andsisters, can we truly say that we loveGod? The Apostle John declared“that he who loveth God love hisbrother also,” and added, “If a mansay, I love God, and hateth hisbrother, he is a liar” (1 Jn. 4:21, 20).Love of God and neighbor musttherefore be inseparably connected.
Our eternal progression leansheavily on the degree to which welove. Webster defines love as the“unselfish, loyal and benevolentconcern for the good of another; anaffection based on admiration, benev-olence or common interests” (Long-man Webster English College Dictionary,overseas edition). And Moroni treatsas synonymous the terms “pure loveof Christ” and “charity” (see Moro.7:47). We can best demonstrate ourlove to God by keeping His com-mandments. And we can show ourlove to God and neighbor by charita-ble acts of service.
Permit me two illustrations. Inthe Transylvanian Alps of Romania,a man, with his wife and two chil-dren, was baptized into the Church.He became the leader of his branch;however, due to economic and fam-ily pressures, he became inactive fora time. Upon his return to activity,he reported that as he had steppedout of the water at the time of hisbaptism, someone whispered in his
ear, “I love you.” No one had ever
President Hinckley waves farewell to the congregation with his cane as heleaves the Conference Center.
told him that before. His recollec-tion of that expression of love, andthe loving and charitable acts andexpressions of members of hisbranch, brought him back.
Several years ago, a young manbecame involved in the ways of theworld. For a time, his parents had noinfluence on him. Two high priestswho were neighbors and members ofhis ward but who had no specificcalling to serve him, together withan uncle and others, put their armsaround and befriended him. Theynursed him back into activity andencouraged him to prepare for amission. They told him that theyloved him and demonstrated thatlove by their conduct towards him.This changed the young man’s life.It takes an abundance of love and acooperative effort to raise a child.
“No one can assist in this work[unless] he shall be humble and fullof love” (D&C 12:8). “By love serveone another” (Gal. 5:13). Just asservice is a natural consequence oflove, so is love a natural conse-quence of service. Husbands, serveyour wives. Wives, serve your hus-bands. Husbands and wives, serveyour children. And to all we say,serve God and neighbor. As we doso, we will come to love the objectof our devotion and thus be obedi-ent to the first and great command-ment of love.
Following His Resurrection inJerusalem, Jesus appeared to theNephites in the Americas. Afterteaching about baptism, He warnedagainst anger and contention, saying,“And there shall be no disputationsamong you. . . . For verily, verily I sayunto you, he that hath the spirit ofcontention is not of me, but is of thedevil, who is the father of con-tention, and he stirreth up the heartsof men to contend with anger, onewith another” (3 Ne. 11:22, 29).
Brothers and sisters, if we are obe-dient to the commandment of love,there will be no disputations, con-tention, nor hatred between noramong us. We will not speak ill of one
another but will treat each other withkindness and respect, realizing thateach of us is a child of God. Therewill be no Nephites, Lamanites, norother “ites” among us, and everyman, woman, and child will dealjustly one with another.
Early one morning in Bucharest,as I jogged through Cismigiu Park, I observed an old tree which wasstruggling to give new branches—to give new life. The symbol of life isto give. We give so much to familyand friends and to community andChurch that at times we, as the old tree, may think that life is toodifficult—that constantly giving is aburden too heavy to bear. We maythink that it would be easier to giveup and to do only that which thenatural man does. But we shouldnot and will not quit. Why? Becausewe must continue to give, just likeChrist and the old tree gave. As we
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give just a little bit, let us think ofHim who gave His life that wemight live.
Jesus, near the end of His mortallife, revisited the doctrine of lovewhen He instructed His adherentsthat as He had loved them, so theyalso should love one another. “Bythis shall all men know that ye aremy disciples, if ye have love one toanother” (John 13:35).
I conclude that, given the pur-pose of our existence, if we do notlove God and neighbor, whateverelse we do will be of little eternalconsequence.
I testify of the divinity of Christand the reality of His mission tobring to pass the immortality andeternal life of man. That we mightlove as He loved and continues tolove, I pray in the name of JesusChrist, amen. �
Our ActionsDetermine OurCharacterElder Wayne S. PetersonOf the Seventy
“In most encounters we can determine the kind of experiencewe are going to have by how we respond.”
Many years ago, while onvacation with my family, I had an experience that
taught me a great lesson. On aSaturday, my wife and I decided totake the children for a drive and todo some shopping. During the drivethe children fell asleep, and notwanting to wake them, I volun-teered to stay in the car while mywife ran into the store.
While waiting, I glanced at thecar parked in front of me. It was fullof children, and they were lookingat me. My eyes caught the eyes of asmall boy, six or seven years old. Asour eyes met, he immediately stuck
his tongue out at me.My first reaction was to stick mytongue out at him. I thought, Whathave I done to deserve this? For-tunately, before I reacted, I remem-bered a principle taught in generalconference the week before by ElderMarvin J. Ashton (see ConferenceReport, Oct. 1970, 36–38; orImprovement Era, Dec. 1970, 59–60).He taught how important it was toact instead of react to the eventsaround us. So I waved at the littleboy. He stuck his tongue out at meagain. I smiled and waved again.This time he waved back.
Soon he was joined in his enthu-siastic waving by a little brother andsister. I responded by waving thisway and that until my arm becametired. Then I rested it on the steer-ing wheel and continued with everycreative wave I could muster, all thetime hoping their parents wouldquickly return or that my wife wouldsoon come back.
The parents finally did come, andas they pulled away, my newfoundfriends continued to wave for aslong as I could see them.
That was a simple experience,but it demonstrated that in mostencounters we can determine thekind of experience we are going tohave by how we respond. I wasgrateful that I chose to act in a
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young friend’s childish behavior. Indoing so I avoided the negative feel-ings I would have felt had I followedmy natural instinct.
In His instructions to the Nephites,the Savior taught, “Therefore, allthings whatsoever ye would that menshould do to you, do ye even so tothem” (3 Ne. 14:12).
Imagine the effect it would havein the world if everyone practicedthis Golden Rule. But to do soseems contrary to human nature.King Benjamin declared that “thenatural man is an enemy to God,”and will remain such until he “yieldsto the enticings of the Holy Spirit,and putteth off the natural man”and learns to be “submissive, meek,humble, patient, [and] full of love”(Mosiah 3:19).
In today’s fast-paced world thereseems to be a greater tendency forpeople to act aggressively towardeach other. Some are quick to takeoffense and respond angrily to realor imagined affronts, and we’ve allexperienced or heard reports of roadrage or other examples of rude,insensitive behavior.
Unfortunately, some of this spillsover into our homes, creating fric-tion and tension among familymembers.
It may seem natural to react to asituation by giving back what is givento us. But it doesn’t have to be thatway. Reflecting on his horrendouswartime experiences, Viktor Franklrecalled: “We who lived in concen-tration camps can remember the menwho walked through the huts com-forting others, giving away their lastpiece of bread. They may have beenfew in number, but they offer suffi-cient proof that everything can betaken from a man but one thing: thelast of the human freedoms—tochoose one’s attitude in any given set ofcircumstances, to choose one’s ownway” (Man’s Search for Meaning[1985], 86; emphasis added).
That is noble behavior and a highexpectation, but Jesus expects no lessof us. “Love your enemies,” He said,
“bless them that curse you, do good
Members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing during a session ofconference.
to them that hate you, and pray forthem which despitefully use you, andpersecute you” (Matt. 5:44).
A favorite hymn reinforces thisteaching:
School thy feelings, O my brother; Train thy warm, impulsive soul. Do not its emotions smother, But let wisdom’s voice control.(“School Thy Feelings,” Hymns,
no. 336)
The decisions we make and theway we behave are what ultimatelyshape our character. Charles A. Hallaptly described that process in theselines: “We sow our thoughts, and wereap our actions; we sow ouractions, and we reap our habits; wesow our habits, and we reap ourcharacters; we sow our characters,and we reap our destiny” (quoted inThe Home Book of Quotations, sel.Burton Stevenson [1934], 845).
It is in the home that our behavioris most significant. It is the placewhere our actions have the greatestimpact, for good or ill. Sometimes weare so much “at home” that we nolonger guard our words. We forgetsimple civility. If we are not on guard,we can fall into the habit of criticiz-ing one another, losing our tempers,or behaving selfishly. Because theylove us, our spouses and childrenmay be quick to forgive, but theyoften carry away in silence unseeninjuries and unspoken heartache.
There are too many homes wherechildren fear their parents or wherewives fear their husbands. Our lead-ers have reminded us that “fathersare to preside over their families inlove and righteousness,” and warned“that individuals who . . . abusespouse or offspring . . . will one daystand accountable before God”(“The Family: A Proclamation to theWorld,” Liahona, Oct. 1998, 24). Theadversary knows that if he can fosteran atmosphere of contention, con-flict, and fear in the home, the Spiritis grieved, and the cords that oughtto bind the family are weakened.
The resurrected Lord Himself
declared, “For verily, verily I say untoyou, he that hath the spirit of con-tention is not of me, but is of thedevil, who is the father of con-tention, and he stirreth up the heartsof men to contend with anger, onewith another” (3 Ne. 11:29).
When we feel anger or con-tention in our homes, we shouldimmediately recognize what powerhas taken control of our lives andwhat Satan is endeavoring toaccomplish. Solomon provided usthis wise formula: “A soft answerturneth away wrath: but grievouswords stir up anger” (Prov. 15:1).
Our home should ideally be arefuge where each member feels safe,secure, loved, and insulated fromharsh criticism and contention thatwe so often encounter in the world.
Christ set a perfect example ofmaintaining emotional control inevery setting. Appearing beforeCaiaphas and Pilate, He was buffeted,slapped, spat upon, and mocked byHis tormentors (see Matt. 26; Luke23). The great irony was that they
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demeaned their Creator, whosesuffering was undertaken out of lovefor them.
In the face of this unjust abuse,Jesus maintained His composure,refusing to act unkindly. Even onthe cross, in the midst of thatunspeakable agony, His plea was,“Father, forgive them; for they knownot what they do” (Luke 23:34).
He expects the same of us. Tothose who would follow Him, Hesaid, “By this shall all men knowthat ye are my disciples, if ye havelove one to another” (John 13:35).
May we evidence our discipleshipby strengthening our homes in kindand loving ways. May we rememberthat “a soft answer turneth awaywrath” and strive through our rela-tionships and encounters to shape acharacter that will meet with theSavior’s approval.
Jesus Christ is the perfect exam-ple. He is our Savior and ourRedeemer. I testify of Him! We areled by a living prophet today. In thename of Jesus Christ, amen. �
Beware of MurmuringElder H. Ross WorkmanOf the Seventy
“Obedience is essential to realize the blessings of the Lord.”
As young missionaries, mycompanion and I testifiedthat God speaks through
prophets today. One man asked, “Sowhat did your prophet say thisweek?” Struggling to remember theprophet’s message in the mostrecent Improvement Era, the relevantChurch magazine at the time, Icame to a special understanding ofthe importance of knowing andobeying the teachings of the livingprophet.
Today I hope to persuade you tofollow the living prophets and towarn of a deception the adversaryhas devised to prevent you from fol-lowing them. The scriptures refer tothat deception as “murmuring.”
The Savior taught a parable towarn us of the treacherous path todisobedience through “murmuring.”In the parable, we learn of a noble-man who had a choice spot of land.He told his servants to plant 12 olive
trees and build a tower overlookingthe olive grove. The purpose for thetower was to permit a watchmanperched upon the tower to warn ofthe coming of the enemy. Thus, theolive grove could be protected.
The servants did not build thetower. The enemy came and brokedown the olive trees. The disobedi-ence of the servants left a catastro-phe in the olive grove (see D&C101:43–62).
Why did the servants fail to buildthe tower? The seeds of the disasterwere planted by murmuring.
According to the Lord’s parable,murmuring consists of three steps,each leading to the next in a de-scending path to disobedience.
First, the servants began to ques-tion. They felt to exercise their ownjudgment upon the instruction givenby their master. “What need hathmy lord of this tower, seeing this is atime of peace?” they said (D&C101:48). They questioned first intheir own minds and then plantedquestions in the minds of others.Questioning came first.
Second, they began to rationalizeand excuse themselves from doingwhat they had been instructed todo. They said: “Might not thismoney be given to the exchangers?For there is no need of these things”(D&C 101:49). Thus, they made anexcuse for disobedience.
The third step inevitably follows:slothfulness in following the com-mandment of the Master. Theparable says, “They became veryslothful, and they hearkened notunto the commandments of theirlord” (D&C 101:50). Thus, the
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God has blessed His childrenwith prophets to instruct them inHis ways and prepare them for eter-nal life. The ways of God are noteasily understood by man. “For mythoughts are not your thoughts, nei-ther are your ways my ways, saiththe Lord” (Isa. 55:8). Obedience isessential to realize the blessings ofthe Lord, even if the purpose of thecommandment is not understood.
The adversary whispers the de-ceptive invitation to murmur to thus destroy the power that comesfrom obedience. The pattern ofmurmuring can be seen clearly inthe following account of the chil-dren of Israel:
The Lord promised the childrenof Israel that He would send anangel to drive out the Canaanites,that Israel might inherit a land ofmilk and honey (see Ex. 33:1–3).When Israel reached the borders of Canaan, Moses sent spies into the countryside, and when theyreturned they reported that thearmies of Canaan were strong andventured the opinion that Canaanwas stronger than Israel. Thenbegan the murmuring.
They questioned the command-ment given through Moses, their liv-ing prophet. They spread theirquestioning to others. How couldIsrael defeat the giants of Canaanwhen the children of Israel saw them-selves, by comparison, as grass-hoppers? (see Num. 13:31–33).
The questioning turned to ratio-nalization and excuses. They claimedto fear for their wives and children.“It would have been better for us inEgypt!” they declared (see Num.14:2–3).
The murmuring became disobedi-ence when Israel sought to appoint acaptain who would lead them backto Egypt (see Num. 14:4).
They simply refused to follow theliving prophet. For their murmuring,the Lord relieved the children ofIsrael of the promised blessing thatHe would destroy the Canaanitesand give them their promised land.
Instead, He sent Israel into the
Priesthood holders arrive for the priesthood session of general conference on Saturday evening.
wilderness to wander for 40 years.The familiar pattern of murmur-
ing is again seen in the family ofLehi.
When the prophet Lehi sent hissons to Jerusalem to obtain theplates of brass, they met much oppo-sition. First, Laman was ejected fromthe house of Laban for merely askingfor the plates. After the sons of Lehioffered to pay for the plates withgold and silver, Laban sought theirlives and confiscated their property.The brothers huddled in the cavityof a rock to assess the situation.
Laman and Lemuel murmured. Itbegan, as always, with questioning:“How is it possible that the Lord willdeliver Laban into our hands?” theysaid (1 Ne. 3:31).
Next, the excuses: “Behold, he isa mighty man, and he can commandfifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; thenwhy not us?” (1 Ne. 3:31).
Finally, they were slothful. Filledwith anger, resentment, and excuses,Laman and Lemuel waited by thewalls of Jerusalem while the faithfulNephi accomplished the work of the
Lord (see 1 Ne. 4:3–5).The Lord has spoken against thisattitude in our day: “But he thatdoeth not anything until he is com-manded, and receiveth a command-ment with doubtful heart, andkeepeth it with slothfulness, thesame is damned” (D&C 58:29).
We have sustained by upliftedhand our living prophets. We rejoicein the privilege of hearing therevealed word of God in our dayfrom our living prophets. What dowe do when we hear them? Do wefollow the instructions of our livingprophets with exactness, or do wemurmur?
Is it easier in our own age to fol-low a living prophet than it was inthe days of Moses or Nephi? Wouldthose who murmured against Mosesand Nephi not also murmur today?The same questions can be asked inreverse. Those who murmur todaywould also have murmured as didLaman and Lemuel or the childrenof Israel against the prophet oftheir day with the same disastrousconsequences.
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attended a meeting once when thepresiding authority invited membersof the congregation to come forwardin the meeting room. A few stirred.Most did not. Why not?
I feel sure there were those whoquestioned why they should leavetheir comfortable position. “Whyshould I?” That question was, nodoubt, followed promptly by anexcuse or rationalization as to why itshould not matter whether the seatwas changed or not. I believe therefollowed some irritation that thepresiding authority should makesuch a request. The last step, obvi-ous to all who observed, was sloth-fulness in responding. Few moved.Was that a small thing? Yes. But itreflected a deeper, more profoundlack of willingness to obey. Itreflected a spirit of disobedience.That is not a small thing.
I was recently in a Church meet-ing in West Africa when a priest-hood leader invited the brethren tocome forward and occupy the firstthree rows of the chapel. Every manimmediately stood and moved
his seat according to instruction.
The Power of a Strong TestimonyElder Richard G. ScottOf the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
“Your personal security and happiness depend upon thestrength of your testimony, for it will guide your actions in times of trial or uncertainty.”
A small thing? Yes. But it reflected awillingness to obey. That is not asmall thing.
I invite you to focus on the com-mandment from living prophets thatbothers you the most. Do you ques-tion whether the commandment isapplicable to you? Do you find readyexcuses why you cannot now complywith the commandment? Do youfeel frustrated or irritated with thosewho remind you of the command-ment? Are you slothful in keeping it? Beware of the deception of theadversary. Beware of murmuring.
A fortunate parent experiencesthat special joy that comes with thewilling obedience of his child. Is itnot the same with God?
I can understand in some smallpart how joyful the Lord must bewhen His servants obey withoutmurmuring. Recently, my dear wifeand I participated in a meeting dur-ing which our responsibilities wereto be explained. We had no idea, atthat time, what our assignmentwould be or where we would be serv-ing. I was privately advised that wewould be called to serve in WestAfrica. I was surprised and delightedwith the assignment, but therepassed through my mind thethoughts that would inevitably arisein the mind of my companion ofalmost 39 years. How would shereceive this assignment? I knew shewould agree to go. In all our yearstogether, she has never refused a callfrom the Lord. But what would bethe feelings of her heart?
As I sat next to her, she discernedin my eyes that I knew our assign-ment. She said, “Well, where is it?” Isimply said, “Africa.” Her eyesbrightened, and she said with cheer-ful heart, “Isn’t that great!” My joywas full.
So also must our Father inHeaven feel joy when we follow theliving prophets with willing hearts. Itestify Jesus the Christ lives. Hespeaks to prophets in our day. Maywe follow our living prophets with-out murmuring, I pray in the name
I
of Jesus Christ, amen. �
n this uncertain world, there aresome things that never change:the perfect love of our Heavenly
Father for each of us; the assurancethat He is there and will always hearus; the existence of absolute, un-changing truths; the fact that thereis a plan of happiness; the assurancethat success in life is attainedthrough faith in Jesus Christ andobedience to His teachings becauseof the redemptive power of HisAtonement; the certainty of lifeafter death; the reality that our con-dition there is set by how we livehere. Whether one does or does notaccept these truths does not altertheir reality. They are the funda-mental building blocks of a living
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unshakable foundation of a secure,meaningful life where peace, confi-dence, happiness, and love canflourish. It is anchored in a convic-tion that an all-knowing God is incommand of His work. He will notfail. He will keep His promises.
A strong testimony is the sustain-ing power of a successful life. It iscentered in an understanding of thedivine attributes of God our Father,Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. Itis secured by a willing reliance uponThem. A powerful testimony isgrounded in the personal assurancethat the Holy Ghost can guide andinspire our daily acts for good.
A testimony is fortified by spiri-tual impressions that confirm thevalidity of a teaching, of a righteousact, or of a warning of pending dan-ger. Often such guidance is accom-panied by powerful emotions thatmake it difficult to speak and bringtears to the eyes. But a testimony isnot emotion. It is the very essence ofcharacter woven from threads bornof countless correct decisions. Thesechoices are made with trusting faithin things that are believed and, atleast initially, are not seen.1 A strongtestimony gives peace, comfort, andassurance. It generates the convic-tion that as the teachings of theSavior are consistently obeyed, lifewill be beautiful, the future secure,and there will be capacity to over-
come the challenges that cross our
path. A testimony grows from under-standing truth, distilled from prayerand the pondering of scriptural doc-trine. It is nurtured by living thosetruths in faith and the secure confi-dence that the promised results willbe obtained.
A strong testimony has sustainedprophets throughout the ages andfortified them to act with courageand determination in times of diffi-culty. A powerful testimony can dothe same for you. As you fortify yourown personal testimony, you willhave power to make correct choicesso that you can stand unwaveringlyagainst the pressures of an increas-ingly vicious world. Your personalsecurity and happiness depend uponthe strength of your testimony, for itwill guide your actions in times oftrial or uncertainty.
Honestly evaluate your personallife. How strong is your own testi-mony? Is it truly a sustaining powerin your life, or is it more a hope thatwhat you have learned is true? Is itmore than a vague belief that worth-while concepts and patterns of life
seem to be reasonable and logical?Such mental assent will not helpwhen you face the serious challengesthat will inevitably come to you.Does your testimony guide you tocorrect decisions? To do so, funda-mental truths must become part ofthe very fiber of your character.They must be an essential part ofyour being, more treasured than lifeitself. If an honest assessment ofyour own testimony confirms that itis not as strong as it should be, howcan it be strengthened?
Your testimony will be fortified asyou exercise faith in Jesus Christ, inHis teachings, and in His limitlesspower to accomplish what He haspromised.2 The key words are “exer-cise faith.” True faith has enormouspower, but there are principles thatmust be followed to unleash thatpower. Moroni taught, “Faith isthings which are hoped for and notseen; wherefore, dispute not becauseye see not, for ye receive no witnessuntil after the trial of your faith.”3
That means you must practice thetruth or principle you have faith in.
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As you live it consistently, there willcome a witness of its truthfulnessthrough the power of the HolyGhost. It is often a feeling of peace.It could be a stirring within you. Itmight be evidenced by openingdoors to other truths. As you pa-tiently look for a confirmation, itwill come. Recognize that the Lordwill give you the capacity to under-stand and prove through personalexperience the truthfulness of Histeachings. He will confirm the cer-tainty that His laws will produce thepromised results when obeyed will-ingly and consistently.
A powerful testimony distills fromquiet moments of prayer and pon-dering as you recognize the impres-sions that will accompany sucheffort. Humble, trusting prayer bringsconsolation, solace, comfort, direc-tion, and peace the unworthy cannever know.
Some truths regarding prayer mayhelp you. The Lord will hear yourprayers in time of need. He willinvariably answer them. However,His answers will generally not come
while you are on your knees praying,even when you may plead for animmediate response. There is a pat-tern that must be followed. You areasked to look for an answer to yourprayers, then confirm that it is cor-rect.4 Obey His counsel to “study itout in your mind.”5 Often you willthink of a solution. Then seek con-firmation that your answer is right.This help can come from prayer andfrom pondering the scriptures, attimes by the intervention of others,6
or from your own capacity, throughthe guidance of the Holy Spirit.
At times the Lord will want youto proceed with trust before you
receive a confirming answer. Hisanswer generally comes as packets ofhelp. As each piece is followed infaith, it will unite with others to giveyou the whole answer. This patternrequires the exercise of faith. Whilesometimes very hard, it results insignificant personal growth. Attimes the Lord will give you ananswer before you ask. This occurswhen you are unaware of a dangeror may be doing the wrong thing,trusting that it is correct.
Alma showed how fasting andprayer can strengthen your testi-mony. He stated:
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suppose that I know of their surety?“. . . Behold, I have fasted and
prayed many days that I might knowthese things of myself. And now I doknow of myself that they are true;for the Lord God hath made themmanifest unto me by his HolySpirit.”7
President Romney taught of thetestimony-strengthening power ofscriptures with this personal example:
“I urge you to get acquaintedwith [the Book of Mormon]. Read itto your children; they are not tooyoung to understand it. I rememberreading it with one of my lads whenhe was very young. . . . I lay in thelower bunk and he in the upperbunk. We were each reading aloudalternate paragraphs of those lastthree marvelous chapters of SecondNephi. I heard his voice breakingand thought he had a cold. . . . Aswe finished he said . . . , ‘Daddy, doyou ever cry when you read theBook of Mormon?’
“ ‘Yes, Son, . . . sometimes theSpirit of the Lord so witnesses to mysoul that the Book of Mormon istrue that I do cry.’
“ ‘Well,’ he said, ‘that is whathappened to me tonight.’ ”8
Your testimony will be madestrong through willing obedience tothe law of tithing and by fast offer-ings, and the Lord will bless yourichly for it. As your testimony is for-tified, Satan will try harder to temptyou. Resist his efforts. You willbecome stronger and his influenceon you weaker.9 Satan’s increasinginfluence in the world is allowed toprovide an atmosphere in which toprove ourselves. While he causeshavoc today, Satan’s final destinywas fixed by Jesus Christ through HisAtonement and Resurrection. Thedevil will not triumph.
Even now, he must operatewithin bounds set by the Lord. Hecannot take away any blessing thathas been earned. He cannot altercharacter that has been woven fromrighteous decisions. He has nopower to destroy the eternal bonds
forged in a holy temple between a
NOTES1. See Ether 12:6; Heb. 11:1.2. See Alma 26:22; D&C 3:1–10;
82:10.3. Ether 12:6; emphasis added.4. See D&C 6:23, 36; 8:2–3, 10; 9:9.5. D&C 9:8.6. See Spencer W. Kimball, The
Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball (1982), 252.
7. Alma 5:45–46.8. In Conference Report, Apr. 1949, 41.9. See David O. McKay, “Let Virtue
Garnish Thy Thoughts,” Improvement Era,June 1969, 28.
10. See David O. McKay, “The TimesCall for Courageous Youth and True Man-hood,” Improvement Era, June 1969, 117.
11. See D&C 43:16.
husband, wife, and children. Hecannot quench true faith. He can-not take away your testimony. Yes,these things can be lost by succumb-ing to his temptations. But he hasno power in and of himself todestroy them.
These and the other truths arecertainties. However, your convic-tion of their reality must come fromyour own understanding of truth,from your own application of divinelaw and your willingness to seek theconfirming witness of the Spirit.Your testimony may begin fromacknowledgment that the teachingsof the Lord seem reasonable. But itmust grow from practicing thoselaws. Then your own experience willattest to their validity and yield theresults promised. That confirmationwill not all come at once. A strongtestimony comes line upon line, pre-cept upon precept. It requires faith,time, consistent obedience, and awillingness to sacrifice.
A strong testimony cannot bebuilt upon a weak foundation.Therefore, don’t pretend you believesomething when you are not sure ofit. Seek to receive a ratifying witness.Wrestle in mighty prayer, living righ-teously, and ask for a spiritual confir-mation. The beauty of the teachingsof the Lord is that they are true andthat you can confirm them for your-self. Hone your spiritual susceptibilityby being constantly alert to the guid-ance that will come through the still,small voice of the Spirit. Let yourFather in Heaven know of your feel-ings, your needs, your concerns, yourhopes and aspirations. Speak to Himwith total confidence, knowing thatHe will hear and respond. Thenpatiently go forth in your life doingthose things you know are correct,walking with confidence born of faithand righteousness, patiently waitingfor the response that will come in themanner and at the time the Lordconsiders most appropriate.10
Why was Joseph Smith able todo that which was beyond his per-sonal capacity? It was because of his
powerful testimony. That led to hisobedience, his faith in the Master,and his unwavering determinationto do His will. I testify that as yourtestimony grows in strength, whenneeded and earned, you can enjoyinspiration to know what to do andwhen necessary, divine power orcapacity to accomplish it.11 JosephSmith perfected his ability to followthe guidance of the Lord by prac-ticed personal discipline. He did notlet his own desires, convenience, orthe persuasions of men interferewith that compliance. Follow hisexample.
For enduring peace and security,at some time in life, in quiet mo-ments of reflection, you must cometo know with a surety that there is aGod in heaven who loves you, thatHe is in control and will help you.That conviction is the core of strongtestimony.
In a few moments PresidentGordon B. Hinckley will give theclosing conference message. Thismorning we heard him, as theprophet of the Lord, give sober yetreassuring counsel regarding thechallenges we face. He asked thatwe humbly pray to our Father inHeaven for guidance and strength incombating evil. Our security is inHim and His Beloved Son, JesusChrist. I know that the Savior loves
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you. He will confirm your efforts tostrengthen your testimony so that itbecomes a consummate power forgood in your life, a power that willsustain you in every time of needand give you peace and assurance inthese times of uncertainty.
As one of His Apostles autho-rized to bear witness of Him, Isolemnly testify that I know that theSavior lives, that He is a resur-rected, glorified personage of perfectlove. He is our hope, our Mediator,our Redeemer. In the name of JesusChrist, amen. �
“Till We Meet Again”President Gordon B. Hinckley
“Our safety lies in the virtue of our lives. Our strength lies inour righteousness. God has made it clear that if we will notforsake Him, He will not forsake us.”
My dear brothers and sis-ters, I’m glad we’ve hadwith us today and yester-
day, Sister Inis Hunter, the widowof President Howard W. Hunter.We very much appreciate her presence.
Now we come to the close of thisgreat conference. The choir will sing“God Be with You Till We MeetAgain” (Hymns, no. 152). I’m grate-ful for that song. It says:
God be with you till we meet again;By his counsels guide, uphold you;With his sheep securely fold you. . . .
When life’s perils thick confound you,Put his arms unfailing round you. . . .
Keep love’s banner floating o’er you;Smite death’s threat’ning wave
before you.
God be with you till we meet again.I have sung those words inEnglish when others sang them in ascore of languages. I have lifted myvoice with those wonderful and sim-ple words on memorable occasionson all the continents of the earth. Ihave sung them in bidding farewellto missionaries, with tears in myeyes. I have sung them with men inbattle dress during the war inVietnam. In a thousand places andin many circumstances over thesealmost numberless years, I haveraised my voice with so many othersin these words of parting, sung bypeople who love one another.
We were strangers when we met.We were brothers and sisters whenwe said good-bye.
These simple words became aprayer offered to the throne ofheaven in behalf of one another.
And in that spirit, we bid good-bye as we close what has been a mostremarkable and historic conference.
I hope that as we have heard thebrethren and the sisters speak, ourhearts have been touched and ourresolutions lifted. I hope that everymarried man has said to himself, “Iwill be more kind and generoustoward my companion and chil-dren. I will control my temper.” Ihope that kindness will replaceharshness in our conversations onewith another.
I hope that every wife will look toher husband as her dear companion,the star of her life, her supporter, herprotector, her companion withwhom she walks hand in hand
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look to her children as sons anddaughters of God, the most signifi-cant contribution she has made tothe world, her greatest concern withregard to their achievements, andmore precious than any other thingshe has or could hope for.
I hope that boys and girls willleave this conference with a greaterappreciation for their parents, withmore fervent love in their hearts forthose who have brought them intothe world, for those who love themmost and are most anxious concern-ing them.
I hope that the noise of ourhomes will drop a few decibels, thatwe will subdue our voices and speakto one another with greater appreci-ation and respect.
I hope that all of us who aremembers of this Church will beabsolutely loyal to the Church. TheChurch needs your loyal support,and you need the loyal support ofthe Church.
I hope that prayer will take on anew luster in our lives. None of usknows what lies ahead. We mayspeculate, but we do not know.Sickness may strike us. Misfortunemay overtake us. Fears may afflict us.Death may place his cold andsolemn hand upon us or a loved one.
Regardless of what may come,may faith, immovable and constant,shine above us as the polar star.
Now, today, we are faced withparticular problems, serious andconsuming and difficult and of greatconcern to us. Surely we have needfor the Lord.
When I went home for lunch, Iturned on the television, looked atthe news for a moment, and para-phrased in my mind the words of thePsalms: “Why do the nations so furi-ously rage together?” (see Ps. 2:1).I’ve lived through all of the wars ofthe 20th century. My eldest brotherlies buried in the soil of France, a vic-tim of the First World War. I havelived through the Second World War,the Korean War, the Vietnam War,the Gulf War, and lesser conflicts. We
have been a very quarrelsome and
difficult people in our conflicts onewith another. We so need to turn tothe Lord and look to Him. I think ofthe great words of Kipling:
Far-called, our navies melt away;On dune and headland sinks the
fire—Lo, all our pomp of yesterdayIs one with Nineveh and Tyre!Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,Lest we forget—lest we forget!(Rudyard Kipling, “Recessional,”
in Masterpieces of Religious Verse, ed.James Dalton Morrison [1948], 512)
Our safety lies in the virtue of ourlives. Our strength lies in our righ-teousness. God has made it clearthat if we will not forsake Him, Hewill not forsake us. He, watchingover Israel, slumbers not nor sleeps(see Ps. 121:4).
And now as we close this confer-ence, even though we shall have abenediction, I should like to offer abrief prayer in these circumstances:
O God, our Eternal Father, Thougreat Judge of the Nations, Thouwho art the governor of the uni-verse, Thou who art our Father andour God, whose children we are, welook to Thee in faith in this darkand solemn time. Please, dearFather, bless us with faith. Bless uswith love. Bless us with charity inour hearts. Bless us with a spirit ofperseverance to root out the terribleevils that are in this world. Giveprotection and guidance to thosewho are engaged actively in carryingforth the things of battle. Bless them;preserve their lives; save them fromharm and evil. Hear the prayers oftheir loved ones for their safety. Wepray for the great democracies of theearth which Thou hast overseen increating their governments, wherepeace and liberty and democraticprocesses obtain.
O Father, look with mercy uponthis, our own nation, and its friendsin this time of need. Spare us andhelp us to walk with faith ever inThee and ever in Thy Beloved Son,
on whose mercy we count and towhom we look as our Savior andour Lord. Bless the cause of peaceand bring it quickly to us again, wehumbly plead with Thee, askingthat Thou wilt forgive our arro-gance, pass by our sins, be kind and
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gracious to us, and cause our heartsto turn with love toward Thee. Wehumbly pray in the name of Himwho loves us all, even the LordJesus Christ, our Redeemer and ourSavior, amen. �
Steadfast andImmovableMary Ellen W. SmootRelief Society General President
“We cannot abandon our faith when challenges come our way. We will not turn away; we will not retreat; we will not become discouraged.”
General Relief Society Meeting29 September 2001
Some people and events comeinto our lives, leave footprintson our hearts, and we are
never the same.Tonight, as a presidency, our
prayers are that the words spokenhere this evening will leave foot-prints upon our hearts and keep usfirm, steadfast, and immovable asdaughters of God.
As I have traveled the world, thefaithful sisters of Relief Society haveleft footprints upon my heart. I havewatched their devoted efforts toassist and serve one another hereand around the world. I will never
be the same.I ask that your prayers be with meas I say a few things that I hope willpenetrate your hearts and lead youcloser to our Savior and Redeemer.
We choose to be steadfast andimmovable in our faith because ofthe promises of eternal glory, eternalincrease, and continued family rela-tionships in the celestial kingdom.We love our families and know thatour greatest joy and peace come to usas we watch each family member facethe tests of life and make righteouschoices to overcome the world.
Occasionally I place my hands onboth sides of the face of one of mychildren or grandchildren when theyare doing something that will bringimmediate or long-term harm tothemselves in the process. I lookdeeply into their eyes and carefullyexplain to them how much they areloved and cherished. Then I de-scribe the harm that could resultfrom the actions they have chosen.
I can envision the Savior holdingour faces between His hands andpleading with each of us individuallyto remain steadfast and immovableand faithful to the God who made us.
Sisters, I wish I could place myhands on both sides of your faces,look deeply into your eyes, andimpart to you a clear vision of your
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God whose “lives have meaning,purpose, and direction.” We arewomen who “increase our testi-monies of Jesus Christ throughprayer and scripture study,” who“seek spiritual strength by followingthe promptings of the Holy Ghost.”We “dedicate ourselves to strengthen-ing marriages, families, and homes”and “find nobility in motherhoodand joy in womanhood.”1 We arewomen of the Relief Society organi-zation of The Church of Jesus Christof Latter-day Saints.
Before coming into this mortalworld, we lived together in the pres-ence of a loving Heavenly Father. Iimagine one of our favorite topics ofconversation was what would hap-pen when we passed through the veiland entered this earthly existence.
Now we are here. Even thoughwe were instructed regarding thedifficulties we would encounter onearth, I doubt we understood orcould have known how demandingand trying, how tiring and even sor-rowful at times this mortal existencewould be. We have no doubt all, atsome point, felt that what we wereexperiencing was just too hard tobear. Yet the Prophet Joseph Smithtaught: “When [we] joined thisChurch [we] enlisted to serve God.When [we] did that [we] left . . .neutral ground, and [we] never canget back on to it. Should [we] for-sake the Master [we] enlisted toserve it will be by the instigation ofthe evil one, and [we] will follow hisdictation and be his servant.”2
I can imagine our Savior placingHis hands on both sides of our faces,looking deeply into our eyes, andpromising a sisterhood, a ReliefSociety, to help us in our trials. Thisorganization for all women of theChurch is for the purpose of helpingto bring us to the Savior and assist-ing one another in helping the sickand the poor. Relief Society sisterswill put their arms around the newmembers and make everyone feelneeded and nurtured, no matterwhat their status of life is at this
time. They will welcome the new
young women as they arrive andmake them an integral part of everyactivity. Use them. We cannot affordto lose them. Everyone will be liftedand loved. Everyone will follow theirpriesthood leaders as they guide us through a narrow passageway to a safe harbor, pure truth, and alifestyle befitting daughters of God.
President Gordon B. Hinckleyhas counseled the women of theChurch: “Rise to the great potentialwithin you. I do not ask that youreach beyond your capacity. I hopeyou will not nag yourselves withthoughts of failure. I hope you willnot try to set goals far beyond yourcapacity to achieve. I hope you willsimply do what you can do in thebest way you know. If you do so, youwill witness miracles come to pass.”3
When I hear sisters say, “It is justtoo hard to do my visiting teaching”or “I simply do not have time to prayand read my scriptures!” or “I havetoo much going on to attend home,family, and personal enrichment
meeting,” I want to say as PresidentHinckley has counseled, “Rise to thegreat potential within you.” We mayneed to step back and consider ifour actions are consistent with thosethings that matter most to us. As weplace first things first in our lives, wecan live each day without regret.
We go to Relief Society eachweek not only to be fed, nurtured,and loved, but also to report forduty. Sometimes the most importantduty is right within the walls of ourown homes.
Lucifer is doing all that he can todivert us from those things of firstimportance. One of his most effec-tive tools is to convince us that it isimpossible to stay centered on spiri-tual things when the demands of lifeare so pressing.
When a lawyer asked the Saviorwhich of all the commandments wasgreatest, Jesus responded withouthesitation: “Thou shalt love theLord thy God with all thy heart, andwith all thy soul, and with all thy
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mind. . . . And the second is likeunto it, Thou shalt love thy neigh-bour as thyself.”4 These are the greatcommandments. Upon them hangall the law and the prophets. Theseare the things that matter most. Aswe strive to live these command-ments, the others will take care ofthemselves.
How is our relationship with ourHeavenly Father? Do we love Himwith all our heart, might, mind, andstrength? How well do we love ourfamilies, our neighbors, our ReliefSociety sisters, our fellowman? Thesequestions help us recognize the thingsthat matter most and serve as a tem-plate upon which we can place theactivities of our days to see how wemeasure up.
Do we show our love to the Lordif we spend our time at R-ratedmovies, reading pornographic mate-rial, or involving ourselves in activi-ties that would be degrading orunbecoming a daughter of God? Dowe show our love to the Lord if we
NOTES1. Relief Society declaration, in Mary
Ellen Smoot, “Rejoice, Daughters ofZion,” Liahona, January 2000, 112.
2. In “Recollections of the ProphetJoseph Smith,” Juvenile Instructor, 15 Aug.1892, 492.
3. Motherhood: A Heritage of Faith(1995), 9.
4. Matt. 22:37, 39.5. Mosiah 5:15.6. A Woman’s Reach (1974), 23.7. “The Lord Is My Trust,” Poems,
Religious, Historical, and Political, vol. 1(1856), 148–49; emphasis in original.
dress immodestly? Recently I spoketo a large group of youth, and oneyoung man after the meetinghanded me this note: “Please, willyou let the women of the Churchknow how much I appreciate theirmodesty? I know in our world it isdifficult to find modest clothes. Butplease let them know that it is worthit to me and to the wholesome menthey will marry.”
We cannot abandon our faithwhen challenges come our way. Wewill not turn away; we will notretreat; we will not become discour-aged. We will move boldly andclearly forward and be an examplefor all those around us in modesty,humility, and faith. Being steadfastand immovable is a personal questthat has eternal rewards, for if we do so, “Christ, the Lord GodOmnipotent, may seal you his, thatyou may be brought to heaven, thatye may have everlasting salvationand eternal life.”5
Some years ago, in her partingwords to the Relief Society sisters,Sister Belle Spafford said, “The aver-age woman today, I believe, woulddo well to appraise her interests,evaluate the activities in which sheis engaged, and then take steps tosimplify her life, putting things offirst importance first, placing empha-sis where the rewards will be greatestand most enduring, and ridding her-self of the less rewarding activities.”6
Sometimes it takes a traumatic
event to help us understand things offirst importance. A few weeks ago weexperienced one of those dramaticevents that changed our lives foreverand helped us realize the need to beprepared. The most frequent senti-ment expressed by those directlyaffected by the recent terrorist attackson the eastern coast of the UnitedStates was that all they wanted was tohave their family together again. Iunderstand this reaction.
Earlier this year, I underwent aserious surgery and spent many daysin the hospital. As I pondered mylife and what I would report to theLord if I were called home, I real-ized with absolute clarity that thefamily is one of the most importantresponsibilities we have. I knew mygreatest joy would be to have mychildren, grandchildren, and futuregreat-grandchildren remain firm,steadfast, and immovable in thegospel. In those lonely moments ina dark hospital room, I realizedthat what we do within the walls ofour homes far outweighs the thingswe do outside of them.
Yes, at times we are beset by trou-bles and pain and grief. But we mustnot surrender. We must not retreat.Eliza R. Snow, the second presidentof the Relief Society, penned thesewords:
“I will go forward. . . . I will smileat the rage of the tempest, and ridefearlessly and triumphantly acrossthe boisterous ocean of circum-stance. . . . And the ‘testimony of
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guide my vision through the portalsof immortality, and communicate tomy understanding the glories of theCelestial kingdom.”7
Oh, that I could look face-to-faceinto the eyes of every sister and haveher catch the fire of those words andtruly understand who she is and whatshe is capable of accomplishing. Oh,that the words of our declarationcould take root deep within us: “Weare beloved . . . daughters of God. . . .We are united in our devotion toJesus Christ. . . . We are women offaith, virtue, vision, and charity.”8
Discouragement, sorrow, pain,and grief may beset us and try us.But my beloved sisters in thegospel, while it is too late to turnback, we can stand firm and stead-fast and leave footprints on thehearts of those whose l ives wetouch. We can smile at the rage ofthe tempest and ride triumphantlyacross the boisterous ocean of cir-cumstance. We can have the testi-mony of Jesus Christ light up alamp that will guide us through theportals of immortality.
That we may finish gloriously,that we may focus our energies onthose things of first importance, andthat we may yet meet on the otherside of the veil and embrace eachother with the triumphant knowl-edge that we have remained stead-fast and immovable is my hope andprayer for you, dear sisters, in thename of Jesus Christ, amen. �
8. Liahona, January 2000, 112.
Stand FirmVirginia U. JensenFirst Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency
“Let us never forget that we are building a foundation for andwith our family upon the rock of our Redeemer.”
My youngest daughter andher husband spent sev-eral years earnestly seek-
ing the best medical direction andthe latest scientific assistance tohave a baby. They fasted, theyprayed, they hoped.
At last the long-desired resultwas achieved, and she is expectingtheir first child. Recently, the doctorscheduled an intensive examinationto determine the soundness of thepregnancy. My daughter approachedthe exam with much anxiety. As theappointed day drew near, she foundthat her husband could not accom-pany her, and she asked if I wouldgo with her. She said, “Mom, afterall we’ve been through, if anythingis wrong, I am going to need some-one with me.”
I was delighted to get a pre-view peek at someone I am going to
love and treasure through eternity. Iwanted to reassure her that every-thing was all right, but in my heart Itoo worried.
After the doctor reviewed thetechnician’s video, he came in todiscuss the findings with us. His firstwords were, “I wish every babycould look this perfect!” I couldhardly contain myself. As we got toour car, I could not hold back myfeelings any longer and I began tocry. So many feelings just camespilling out. I wept, wishing everyexpectant mother could hear thosewords. I cried for every woman whowanted to have a baby but couldn’t.Tears flowed for all the women whowant children but have not found ahusband. Finally, I shed tears ofgratitude with an overwhelmingdesire that our family will provide ahome worthy of this baby.
The English poet Wordsworthcaptured some of my feelings aboutthis grandchild and home when hereminded us that:
Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting . . .
. . . trailing clouds of glory do wecome
From God, who is our home.(William Wordsworth, “Ode:
Intimations of Immortality fromRecollections of Early Childhood”)
Our homes here are sacredbecause of their connection to ourHeavenly Father and our heavenlyhome. My experience with mydaughter brought into clear focus
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importance of home and family. Italso reminded me that as womenwith natural tendencies to love,nurture, and teach, we are called toprotect and bless all who compriseour family. As He sends babies tothis earth, the Lord needs us, what-ever our circumstance may be, tostand strong and unwavering and tocontinue to create homes that are afortress against a rising tide of evil.It is our charge to be the defendersof the home and family wherever wemay find ourselves on this earth.
“With all my heart I believe thatthe best place to prepare for . . . eter-nal life is in the home,” said PresidentDavid O. McKay (“Blueprint forFamily Living,” Improvement Era, Apr.1963, 252). But how do we raise righ-teous children in a world whichincreasingly resembles Sodom andGomorrah?
President Howard W. Hunterretold this historic story that helpsme answer that question.
The final and decisive battle ofthe Napoleonic Wars was fought on June 18, 1815, near Brussels,Belgium, in the village of Waterloo.What is now known as the Battle ofWaterloo ranks as a great turningpoint in modern history and broughtabout drastic changes in politicalboundaries and the power balancein Europe. At a critical moment inthis great battle between the forcesof the French emperor, Napoleon,and the allied forces under the com-mand of the British general ArthurWellesley, better known as the Dukeof Wellington, an anxious officerdashed into the office of the dukewith the message that unless thetroops were immediately withdrawn,they must yield before the largerFrench army.
The duke ordered, “Stand firm!”“But we shall all perish,” replied
the officer.“Stand firm!” again was the
answer of the duke.(See Howard W. Hunter, That We
Might Have Joy [1994], 148).“Stand firm!” was the duke’s
order; victory was the result. In these
two words of direction—stand firm—I take courage and counsel. Today, sis-ters, we are engaged in a fierce battlefor the minds, hearts, and even thesouls of our children, grandchildren,and other family members. But in thisfight we have much more powerfulweaponry and armor than did theDuke of Wellington’s troops. For wehave available to us the strength thatcomes from faith in the Lord JesusChrist and the power of the gospel’sordinances. To be victorious we mustarm ourselves with faith in the LordJesus Christ and stand firm in ourconvictions.
In the Book of Mormon we readof the Lamanites “who were con-verted unto the true faith; and theywould not depart from it, for theywere firm, and steadfast, andimmovable, willing with all diligenceto keep the commandments of theLord” (3 Ne. 6:14).
Your strong and unwavering faithin and knowledge of the gospel ofJesus Christ and His plan for you and
Sisters fill the Conference Center for
your family will be a great protectionagainst conflicting viewpoints andevil influences. Your obedience andfaithfulness to eternal covenants andcommandments can bring peaceand, yes, even happiness amid thechaos of this world. Armed withfaith, you can stand firm and you cancreate a home worthy of HeavenlyFather’s children.
Once while I was traveling in anarea plagued by violence and socialunrest, a sensitive priesthood leaderperceived my fear and shared with mea few words that brought comfort.
When he was a boy, his mother,finding herself suddenly single anddestitute, drew strength from the fol-lowing words she read in an old book:
“I said to the man who stood atthe gate of the year, ‘Give me a lightthat I may tread safely into theunknown.’
“And he replied:“‘Go out into the darkness and
put your hand into the Hand ofGod. That shall be to you better
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the general Relief Society meeting on S
than light and safer than a knownway’ ” (Minnie Louise Haskins, inThe Oxford Dictionary of Quotations,4th ed., ed. Angela Partington[1996], 328).
My friend’s mother rebuilt herlife and created a firm foundation byfollowing this admonition. I too wassustained in my time of concern bypressing forward into the unknown,armed with the knowledge that theLord’s companionship was betterthan any mortal protection.
To stand firm we must know inthe core of our souls that the Lordwill be our support if we stand firmlyplanted on the rock of our Redeemer.This idea is fervently expressed in thefifth chapter of Helaman. “And now,. . . remember, remember that it isupon the rock of our Redeemer, whois Christ, the Son of God, that yemust build your foundation; thatwhen the devil shall send forth hismighty winds, yea, his shafts in thewhirlwind, yea, when all his hail andhis mighty storm shall beat upon you,
aturday evening, 29 September 2001.
it shall have no power over you todrag you down . . . because of therock upon which ye are built, whichis a sure foundation, a foundationwhereon if men build they cannotfall” (Hel. 5:12).
Sisters, the Lord’s promises aresure. He has given His life for oursalvation.
To maintain a firm stance for our-selves and help others stand firm,the message of the restored gospelmust be firmly planted in our heartsand taught in our homes. In yourown homes, give your children andloved ones the spiritual armor theywill need as they leave you each dayand venture away from the safefortress of your home. Teach yourloved ones how to draw upon thepowers of heaven through fastingand prayer. Teach them that keepingthe Sabbath day holy will insulatethem from the world. Teach them tobe obedient. Teach them to seekGod’s approval, not man’s. Teachthem that the only route back to ourheavenly home is by loving and fol-lowing the Savior and by makingand keeping sacred covenants andcommandments. The truths of thegospel and knowledge of the plan ofsalvation are weapons your familymembers can use for victory overSatan’s evil forces.
In our roles as wives, mothers,grandmothers, sisters, and aunts, wemust stand firm as role models.Because we love them, we want togive our family members a strong,righteous pattern to follow. In every-thing we do and say, in how wedress, in how we spend our time, inall the choices we make, we demon-strate what we believe, and thatbecomes their pattern to follow.
Lucy Mack Smith, mother of theProphet Joseph Smith, recorded inher history that in the spring of1803 she and her husband weremuch concerned about religion. Shewrites of her own search for truth, “Iretired to a grove not far distant,where I prayed to the Lord . . . thatthe true gospel might be presented”
(History of Joseph Smith, ed. PrestonNibley [1958], 43). Does that soundfamiliar?
Seventeen years later, in the springof 1820, the Prophet Joseph Smith,in search of truth, “came to thedetermination to ‘ask of God.’ ” So“I retired to the woods to make theattempt” (JS—H 1:13–14).
Is it a coincidence that bothmother and son chose a grove oftrees as the place to ask God toreveal truth to them? Joseph’s prayerblessed the entire world through theRestoration of the gospel of JesusChrist. The righteous example set bya woman who stands firm in faithblesses countless others.
As much as I love being a wife andmother, I acknowledge it isn’t alwayseasy. I can appreciate the feelingsexpressed by a grade-school girl whenmy friend, her teacher, asked the classto write letters to God. Sharon said,“Dear God, I bet it’s very hard for youto love everyone in the world. Thereare only five people in my family, andI just can’t do it.” In like manner, I’mcertain my family members could tellyou it’s not always easy for them to
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Loren C. Dunn, who said, “There canbe nothing more precious or enduringthan the family” (“Our PreciousFamilies,” Ensign, Nov. 1974, 9). Inspite of how difficult family life can beat times, the work we do in our fami-lies is of the utmost importance.When you are discouraged and thingsin your family are not going the wayyou wanted them to, stand firm withfaith and say like another youngschoolgirl in her letter to God, “DearGod, I’m doing the very best I can.”Don’t allow the difficulties inherentin family life to unduly discourage youor to impact the love which we canshare in families.
Let us arm ourselves with faithand stand firm in our convictions.Let us never forget that we arebuilding a foundation for and withour family upon the rock of ourRedeemer. Let us put our hand intoGod’s hand. With the Lord’s helpwe can build homes that are a righ-teous fortress.
May the Lord bless you in yourefforts to stand firm in defense ofhome and family is my prayer in the
name of Jesus Christ, amen. �
Are We Not AllMothers?Sheri L. DewSecond Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency
“Motherhood is more than bearing children. . . . It is theessence of who we are as women.”
This summer four teenagenieces and I shared a tenseSunday evening when we set
out walking from a downtown hotelin a city we were visiting to a nearbychapel where I was to speak. I hadmade that walk many times, but thatevening we suddenly found ourselvesengulfed by an enormous mob ofdrunken parade-goers. It was noplace for four teenage girls, or theiraunt, I might add. But with thestreets closed to traffic, we had nochoice but to keep walking. Over the din, I shouted to the girls, “Stayright with me.” As we maneuveredthrough the crush of humanity, theonly thing on my mind was mynieces’ safety.
Thankfully, we finally made it to
the chapel. But for one unnervinghour, I better understood how moth-ers who forgo their own safety to pro-tect a child must feel. My siblings hadentrusted me with their daughters,whom I love, and I would have doneanything to lead them to safety.Likewise, our Father has entrusted usas women with His children, and Hehas asked us to love them and helplead them safely past the dangers ofmortality back home.
Loving and leading—these wordssummarize not only the all-consum-ing work of the Father and the Son,but the essence of our labor, for ourwork is to help the Lord with Hiswork. How, then, may we as Latter-day women of God best help theLord with His work?
Prophets have repeatedly an-swered this question, as did the FirstPresidency six decades ago whenthey called motherhood “the high-est, holiest service . . . assumed bymankind.”1
Have you ever wondered whyprophets have taught the doctrine ofmotherhood—and it is doctrine—again and again? I have. I havethought long and hard about thework of women of God. And I havewrestled with what the doctrine ofmotherhood means for all of us. Thisissue has driven me to my knees, tothe scriptures, and to the temple—allof which teach an ennobling doctrineregarding our most crucial role aswomen. It is a doctrine about which
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“steadfast and immovable”2 regardingthe issues that swirl around our gen-der. For Satan has declared war onmotherhood. He knows that thosewho rock the cradle can rock hisearthly empire. And he knows thatwithout righteous mothers loving andleading the next generation, thekingdom of God will fail.
When we understand the magni-tude of motherhood, it becomesclear why prophets have been soprotective of woman’s most sacredrole. While we tend to equate moth-erhood solely with maternity, in theLord’s language, the word motherhas layers of meaning. Of all thewords they could have chosen todefine her role and her essence,both God the Father and Adamcalled Eve “the mother of allliving”3—and they did so before sheever bore a child. Like Eve, ourmotherhood began before we wereborn. Just as worthy men were fore-ordained to hold the priesthood inmortality,4 righteous women wereendowed premortally with the privi-lege of motherhood.5 Motherhood ismore than bearing children, thoughit is certainly that. It is the essenceof who we are as women. It definesour very identity, our divine statureand nature, and the unique traitsour Father gave us.
President Gordon B. Hinckleystated that “God planted withinwomen something divine.”6 Thatsomething is the gift and the gifts ofmotherhood. Elder Matthew Cowleytaught that “men have to havesomething given to them [in mortal-ity] to make them saviors of men,but not mothers, not women.[They] are born with an inherentright, an inherent authority, to bethe saviors of human souls . . . andthe regenerating force in the lives ofGod’s children.”7
Motherhood is not what was leftover after our Father blessed His sonswith priesthood ordination. It wasthe most ennobling endowment Hecould give His daughters, a sacredtrust that gave women an unparal-
leled role in helping His children
keep their second estate. As Presi-dent J. Reuben Clark Jr. declared,motherhood is “as divinely called, aseternally important in its place as thePriesthood itself.”8
Nevertheless, the subject ofmotherhood is a very tender one, forit evokes some of our greatest joysand heartaches. This has been sofrom the beginning. Eve was “glad”after the Fall, realizing she otherwise“never should have had seed.”9 Andyet, imagine her anguish over Cainand Abel. Some mothers experiencepain because of the children theyhave borne; others feel pain becausethey do not bear children here.About this Elder John A. Widtsoewas explicit: “Women who throughno fault of their own cannot exercisethe gift of motherhood directly, maydo so vicariously.”10
For reasons known to the Lord,some women are required to wait tohave children. This delay is not easyfor any righteous woman. But theLord’s timetable for each of us doesnot negate our nature. Some of us,then, must simply find other ways tomother. And all around us are thosewho need to be loved and led.
Eve set the pattern. In addition tobearing children, she mothered all ofmankind when she made the mostcourageous decision any womanhas ever made and with Adamopened the way for us to progress.She set an example of womanhoodfor men to respect and women tofollow, modeling the characteristicswith which we as women have beenendowed: heroic faith, a keen sensi-tivity to the Spirit, an abhorrence ofevil, and complete selflessness. Likethe Savior, “who for the joy that wasset before him endured the cross,”11
Eve, for the joy of helping initiatethe human family, endured the Fall.She loved us enough to help lead us.
As daughters of our HeavenlyFather, and as daughters of Eve, weare all mothers and we have alwaysbeen mothers. And we each havethe responsibility to love and helplead the rising generation. How will
our young women learn to live aswomen of God unless they see whatwomen of God look like, meaningwhat we wear, watch, and read; howwe fill our time and our minds; howwe face temptation and uncertainty;where we find true joy; and whymodesty and femininity are hall-marks of righteous women? Howwill our young men learn to valuewomen of God if we don’t showthem the virtue of our virtues?
Every one of us has an overarch-ing obligation to model righteouswomanhood because our youth maynot see it anywhere else. Every sisterin Relief Society, which is the mostsignificant community of women onthis side of the veil, is responsible tohelp our young women make a joyfultransition into Relief Society. Thismeans our friendship with them mustbegin long before they turn 18. Everyone of us can mother someone—beginning, of course, with the chil-dren in our own families but ex-tending far beyond. Every one of uscan show by word and by deed thatthe work of women in the Lord’s
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repeat: We are all mothers in Israel,and our calling is to love and helplead the rising generation throughthe dangerous streets of mortality.
Few of us will reach our potentialwithout the nurturing of both themother who bore us and the motherswho bear with us. I was thrilledrecently to see one of my youth lead-ers for the first time in years. As ateenager who had absolutely no self-confidence, I always sidled up to thiswoman because she would put herarm around me and say, “You are justthe best girl!” She loved me, so I lether lead me. How many young menand women are desperate for yourlove and leadership? Do we fullyrealize that our influence as mothersin Israel is irreplaceable and eternal?
When I was growing up, it was notuncommon for Mother to wake me in the middle of the night and say,“Sheri, take your pillow and go down-stairs.” I knew what that meant. Itmeant a tornado was coming, and Iwas instantly afraid. But then Motherwould say, “Sheri, everything will be
OK.” Her words always calmed me.
NOTES1. “The Message of the First Presidency
to the Church,” Improvement Era, Nov.1942, 761.
2. Mosiah 5:15.3. Moses 4:26.4. See Alma 13: 2–4, 7–8.5. See Spencer W. Kimball, “The
Role of Righteous Women,” Ensign,Nov. 1979, 102.
6. Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley(1997), 387.
7. Matthew Cowley Speaks (1954), 109.8. “Our Wives and Our Mothers in the
Eternal Plan,” Relief Society Magazine, Dec.1946, 801.
9. Moses 5:11.10. Priesthood and Church Government,
comp. John A. Widtsoe (1939), 85.11. Heb. 12:2.12. See Job 38:7.
Today, decades later, when life seemsoverwhelming or frightening, I callMother and wait for her to say,“Everything will be OK.”
Recent horrifying events in theUnited States have underscored thefact that we live in a world of un-certainty. Never has there been agreater need for righteous mothers—mothers who bless their childrenwith a sense of safety, security, andconfidence about the future, moth-ers who teach their children whereto find peace and truth and that thepower of Jesus Christ is alwaysstronger than the power of theadversary. Every time we build thefaith or reinforce the nobility of ayoung woman or man, every time welove or lead anyone even one smallstep along the path, we are true toour endowment and calling asmothers and in the process we buildthe kingdom of God. No womanwho understands the gospel wouldever think that any other work ismore important or would ever say, “Iam just a mother,” for mothers healthe souls of men.
Look around. Who needs youand your influence? If we really wantto make a difference, it will happenas we mother those we have borneand those we are willing to bearwith. If we will stay right with ouryouth—meaning, if we will lovethem—in most cases they will stayright with us—meaning, they will letus lead them.
As mothers in Israel, we are theLord’s secret weapon. Our influencecomes from a divine endowment thathas been in place from the beginning.In the premortal world, when ourFather described our role, I wonder ifwe didn’t stand in wide-eyed wonderthat He would bless us with a sacredtrust so central to His plan and thatHe would endow us with gifts so vitalto the loving and leading of His chil-dren. I wonder if we shouted for joy12
at least in part because of the en-nobling stature He gave us in Hiskingdom. The world won’t tell youthat, but the Spirit will.
We just can’t let the Lord down.
And if the day comes when we arethe only women on earth who findnobility and divinity in motherhood,so be it. For mother is the word thatwill define a righteous woman madeperfect in the highest degree of thecelestial kingdom, a woman who hasqualified for eternal increase in pos-terity, wisdom, joy, and influence.
I know, I absolutely know, thatthese doctrines about our divine roleare true, and that when understoodthey bring peace and purpose to allwomen. My dear sisters, whom I lovemore than I know how to express,will you rise to the challenge of beingmothers in these perilous times,though doing so may test the lastounce of your endurance andcourage and faith? Will you standsteadfast and immovable as a motherin Israel and a woman of God? OurFather and His Only Begotten Sonhave given us a sacred stewardshipand a holy crown in their kingdom.
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May we rejoice in it. And may we beworthy of Their trust. In the name ofJesus Christ, amen. �
“Be Thou anExample”President Thomas S. MonsonFirst Counselor in the First Presidency
“Fill your mind with truth; fill your heart with love; fill yourlife with service.”
Tonight we have beeninspired by the stirring mes-sages of the general presi-
dency of the Relief Society of theChurch. Their plea that all of us besteadfast and immovable is wisecounsel, that we might meet theturbulence of our times and indeedbe citadels of constancy midst a seaof change.
Let us review words of wisdomwritten by the Apostle Paul to hisbeloved Timothy:
“Now the Spirit speaketh ex-pressly, that in the latter times someshall depart from the faith, givingheed to seducing spirits, and doc-trines of devils;
“Speaking lies in hypocrisy; hav-ing their conscience seared with a
1
hot iron.”Then came Paul’s rallying call toTimothy—equally applicable to eachone of us: “Be thou an example ofthe believers, in word, in conversa-tion, in charity, in spirit, in faith, inpurity.”2
With you dear sisters assembledhere in the Conference Center andin congregations throughout theworld, I share a three-part formulato serve as an unfailing guide tomeet this challenge issued by theApostle Paul:
1. Fill your mind with truth;2. Fill your heart with love;3. Fill your life with service.First, fill your mind with truth. We
do not find truth groveling througherror. Truth is found by searching,studying, and living the revealedword of God. We adopt error whenwe mingle with error. We learn truthwhen we associate with truth.
The Savior of the world in-structed, “Seek ye out of the bestbooks words of wisdom; seek learn-ing, even by study and also byfaith.”3 He added, “Search the scrip-tures; for in them ye think ye haveeternal life: and they are they whichtestify of me.”4
He invites each of us, “Learn ofme, and listen to my words; walk inthe meekness of my Spirit, and youshall have peace in me.”5
One from pioneer times whoexemplified the charge heard thisevening to be steadfast and immov-
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and soul with truth was CatherineCurtis Spencer. Her husband, OrsonSpencer, was a sensitive, well-educated man. She had been rearedin Boston and was cultured andrefined. She had six children. Herdelicate health declined from expo-sure and from the hardships en-countered after leaving Nauvoo.Elder Spencer wrote to her parentsand asked if she could return to livewith them while he established ahome for her in the West. Theirreply: “Let her renounce herdegrading faith, and she can comeback—but never until she does.”
Sister Spencer would not re-nounce her faith. When her parents’letter was read to her, she asked herhusband to get his Bible and read toher from the book of Ruth as follows:“Intreat me not to leave thee, or toreturn from following after thee: forwhither thou goest, I will go; andwhere thou lodgest, I will lodge: thypeople shall be my people, and thyGod my God.”6
Outside the storm raged, thewagon covers leaked, and friendsheld milk pans over Sister Spencer’shead to keep her dry. In these con-ditions and without a word of com-plaint, she closed her eyes for thelast time.
Though we may not necessarilybe called upon to forfeit our lives,let us remember that He hears oursilent prayers. He who observes ourunheralded acts will reward usopenly when the need comes.
We live in turbulent times. Oftenthe future is unknown; therefore, it behooves us to prepare for un-certainties. Statistics reveal that atsome time, because of the illness ordeath of your husband or because ofeconomic necessity, you may findyourself in the role of financialprovider. I urge you to pursue youreducation and learn marketableskills so that, should an emergencyarise, you are prepared to provide.
Your talents will expand as youstudy and learn. You will be able tobetter assist your children in their
learning, and you will have peace of
Conference goers stream in and out of the Conference Center and across the street to Temple Square.
mind in knowing that you have pre-pared yourself for the eventualitiesthat you may encounter in life.
To illustrate the second part ofour formula—namely, fill your heartwith love—I turn to a beautifulaccount recorded in the book ofActs which tells of a disciple namedTabitha, or Dorcas, who lived atJoppa. She was described as being awoman “full of good works andalmsdeeds.”
“It came to pass in those days,that she was sick, and died: whomwhen they had washed, they laid herin an upper chamber.
“And forasmuch as . . . the disci-ples had heard that Peter was there,they sent unto him two men, desir-ing him that he would not delay tocome to them.
“Then Peter arose and went withthem. When he was come, they
brought him into the upper chamber:and all the widows stood by himweeping, and shewing the coats andgarments which [Tabitha] made,while she was with them.
“But Peter put them all forth, andkneeled down, and prayed; and turn-ing him to the body said, Tabitha,arise. And she opened her eyes: andwhen she saw Peter, she sat up.
“And he gave her his hand, andlifted her up, and when he hadcalled the saints and widows, pre-sented her alive.
“And it was known throughoutall Joppa; and many believed in theLord.”7
To me the scriptural reference toTabitha, which describes her as awoman “full of good works and alms-deeds,” defines some of the funda-mental responsibilities of ReliefSociety; namely, the relief of suffer-ing, the caring for the poor, and all
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Society, you truly are angels of mercy.This is demonstrated on a grandscale through the humanitarian out-reach to the cold, the hungry, and tosuffering wherever it is found. Yourlabors are also very much in evidencein our wards and in our stakes andmissions. Every bishop in the Churchcould testify of this truth.
I remember when, as a youngdeacon, I would cover a portion ofthe ward on fast Sunday morning,giving the small envelope to eachfamily, waiting while a contributionwas placed in the envelope and thenreturning it to the bishop. On onesuch occasion, an elderly member,Brother Wright, who lived alone,welcomed me at the door and, withaged hands, fumbled at the tie of theenvelope and placed within it asmall sum. His eyes fairly glistenedas he made his contribution. He
invited me to sit down and then told
me of a time many years beforewhen his cupboard had been emptyof food. In his hunger, he had prayedto Heavenly Father for food to eat.Not long thereafter, he gazed out hisfront window and beheld someoneapproaching his door, pulling behindher a red-colored wagon. It wasSister Balmforth, the Relief Societypresident, who had pulled thatwagon almost half a mile over therailroad tracks and to his door. Thewagon overflowed with food col-lected from the sisters of the wardRelief Society, with which SisterBalmforth filled the empty shelvesin Brother Wright’s kitchen. Hedescribed her to me as “an angelsent from heaven.”
Sisters, you are the epitome oflove. You brighten your homes, youlead with kindness your children;and while your husbands may behead of the home, you surely are theheart of the home. Together,through respect for each other andsharing of responsibilities, you makean unbeatable team.
To me it is significant that whenchildren need care and loving atten-tion, they turn to you—their moth-ers. Even the wayward son orneglectful daughter, when he or sherecognizes the need to return to theembrace of family, almost inevitablycomes to Mother, who has nevergiven up on her child.
Mother’s love brings out the bestin a child. You become the model foryour children to follow.
The first word a child learns andutters is usually the dear expression“Mama.” To me it is significant thaton the battlefields of war or inpeace, frequently when death isabout to overtake a son, his finalword is usually “Mother.” Sisters,what a noble role is yours. I testifythat your hearts are filled with love.
To the third part of our formula—namely, fill your life with service—Imention two separate examples. Onefeatures a teacher and the profoundinfluence she has had in the lives ofthose whom she taught, while the
other pertains to a missionary couplewhose service helped to bring thelight of the gospel to those who hadlived in spiritual darkness.
Many years ago there was ayoung woman, Baur Dee Sheffield,who taught in Mutual. She had no children of her own, though sheand her husband dearly longed forchildren. Her love was expressedthrough devotion to her specialyoung women as each week shetaught them eternal truths andlessons of life. Then came illness,followed by death. She was but 27.
Each year, on Memorial Day, herMutual girls made a pilgrimage ofprayer to the graveside of theirteacher, always leaving flowers and alittle card signed “To Baur Dee, fromyour girls.” First there were 10 girlswho went, then five, then two, andeventually just one, who continues tovisit each Memorial Day, always plac-ing on the grave a bouquet of flowersand a card, inscribed as always, “ToBaur Dee, from your girls.”
One year, nearly 25 years afterBaur Dee’s death, the only one of“her girls” who continued to visitthe grave realized she would be awayon Memorial Day and decided tovisit her teacher’s grave a few daysearly. She had gathered flowers, tiedthem with a ribbon, attached a card,and was putting on her jacket toleave when her doorbell rang. Sheopened the door and was greeted byone of her visiting teachers, ColleenFuller, who said she had experienceddifficulty getting together with hervisiting teaching partner and so haddecided to come alone and un-announced in an effort to completeher visiting teaching before the endof the month. As Colleen wasinvited in, she noticed the jacketand flowers and apologized for obvi-ously interrupting whatever hadbeen planned.
“Oh, no problem,” came theresponse. “I’m just on my way to thecemetery to put flowers on the graveof the woman who was my Mutualteacher, who had a profound influ-ence on me and the other girls she
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visited her grave each year to expressour love and thanks to her, but now Irepresent the group.”
Colleen asked, “Could yourteacher’s name have been BaurDee?”
“Why, yes,” came the answer.“How did you know?”
With a catch in her voice,Colleen said, “Baur Dee was myaunt—my mother’s sister. EveryMemorial Day since she died, myfamily has found on her grave a bou-quet of flowers and a card inscribedfrom Baur Dee’s girls. They’vealways wanted to know who thesegirls were so they could thank themfor remembering Baur Dee. Now Ican let them know.”
Said American author ThorntonWilder, “The highest tribute to thedead is not grief but gratitude.”
The second example of lives filledwith service, with which I shall con-clude, is the missionary experienceof Juliusz and Dorothy Fussek, whowere called to fill an 18-month mis-sion in Poland. Brother Fussek wasborn in Poland. He spoke the lan-guage. He loved the people. Sister
NOTES1. 1 Tim. 4:1–2.2. 1 Tim. 4:12.3. D&C 88:118.4. John 5:39.5. D&C 19:23.6. Ruth 1:16.7. Acts 9:36–42.8. Ps. 121:2.9. Matt. 25:21.
Fussek was born in England andknew little of Poland and nothing ofits people.
Trusting in the Lord, they em-barked on their assignment. The liv-ing conditions were primitive, thework lonely, their task immense. Amission had not at that time beenfully established in Poland. Theassignment given the Fusseks was toprepare the way so that the missioncould be expanded and gain perma-nence, that other missionaries becalled to serve, people taught, con-verts baptized, branches established,and chapels erected.
Did Elder and Sister Fussekdespair because of the enormity oftheir assignment? Not for a moment.They knew their calling was fromGod, they prayed for His divine help, and they devoted themselves
Conference goers stroll through the
wholeheartedly to their work. Theyremained in Poland not 18 months,but rather served for five years. All ofthe foregoing objectives were realized.Such came about following an earliermeeting where Elders Russell M.Nelson, Hans B. Ringger, and I,accompanied by Elder Fussek, metwith Minister Adam Wopatka of thePolish government, and we heardhim say, “Your church is welcomehere. You may build your buildings,you may send your missionaries. Youare welcome in Poland. This man,”pointing to Juliusz Fussek, “hasserved your church well, as has hiswife. You can be grateful for theirexample and their work.”
Like the Fusseks, let us do whatwe should do in the work of theLord. Then we can, with Juliusz andDorothy Fussek, echo the Psalm:
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gates leading to Temple Square.
“My help cometh from the Lord.”8
Dear sisters, you indeed are“examples of the believers.” May ourHeavenly Father bless each of you,married or single, in your homes, inyour families, in your very lives—thatyou may merit the glorious salutationof the Savior of the world: “Welldone, thou good and faithful ser-vant.”9 For this I pray, as I bless you,in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. �
They Spoke to Us
Report for Children of the Church from the 171st SemiannualGeneral Conference, 6–7 October 2001
President Gordon B. Hinckley: Arethese perilous times? They are. Butthere is no need to fear. We canhave peace in our hearts and peacein our homes. We can be an influ-ence for good in this world, everyone of us.
President Thomas S. Monson, FirstCounselor in the First Presidency: Maywe resolve from this day forward tofill our hearts with love. May we gothe extra mile to include in our livesany who are lonely or downheartedor who are suffering in any way.
President James E. Faust, SecondCounselor in the First Presidency: Theoverwhelming message of theAtonement is the perfect love theSavior has for each and all of us. Itis a love which is full of mercy,patience, grace, equity, long-suffering, and, above all, forgiving.
President Boyd K. Packer, ActingPresident of the Quorum of the TwelveApostles: I love this Book ofMormon: Another Testament ofJesus Christ. Study it and one can
understand both the Old Testamentand the New Testament in theBible. I know it is true.
Elder Dallin H. Oaks of theQuorum of the Twelve Apostles: TheLord loves all of His children. Hedesires that all have the fulness ofHis truth and the abundance of Hisblessings. He knows when they areready, and He wants us to hear andheed His directions on sharing Hisgospel.
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of theQuorum of the Twelve Apostles: Theonly thing you need to worry aboutis striving to be the best you can be.And how do you do that? You keepyour eye on the goals that mattermost in life, and you move towardsthem step by step.
Elder Richard G. Scott of theQuorum of the Twelve Apostles: Forenduring peace and security, atsome time in life, in quiet momentsof reflection, you must come toknow with a surety that there is aGod in heaven who loves you, that
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He is in control and will help you.That conviction is the core ofstrong testimony.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of theQuorum of the Twelve Apostles: Weshould pay [tithes and offerings] asa personal expression of love to agenerous and merciful Father inHeaven. Through His grace Godhas dealt bread to the hungry andclothing to the poor. At varioustimes in our lives that will includeall of us.
Elder Henry B. Eyring of theQuorum of the Twelve Apostles: If youponder the scriptures and begin todo what you covenanted [at bap-tism] with God to do, I can promiseyou that you will feel more love forGod and more of His love for you.
Elder H. Ross Workman of theSeventy: God has blessed His chil-dren with prophets to instruct themin His ways and prepare them foreternal life. . . . Obedience is essen-tial to realize the blessings of theLord, even if the purpose of thecommandment is not understood.
Bishop H. David Burton, PresidingBishop: Among our youth, vulgarand crude terms seem to come eas-ily as they describe their feelings.My young friends, now is the timeto stand tall in eliminating thesewords from your vocabulary. . . .Seek strength from your HeavenlyFather. �
Teachings for Our Time, 2002
Melchizedek Priesthood andRelief Society meetings on
fourth Sundays are to be devoted to“Teachings for Our Time.” Each yearthe First Presidency determines 10subjects with designated resourcematerials to be used in these meet-ings. Following are the subjects anddesignated resources for 2002. Twoadditional subjects are to be selectedby stake or district presidencies.
Discussions in fourth-Sundaymeetings should be based on one orperhaps two of the designatedresources that best address the needsand circumstances of quorum or classmembers; teachers need not use all ofthe resources. Leaders and instructorsare encouraged to make these meet-ings discussions, not lectures or pre-sentations. They should consider waysto stimulate quorum and class mem-bers to apply the principles of the dis-cussion. Suggestions on preparing andconducting quorum or class discus-sions are found in Teaching, NoGreater Call and the TeachingGuidebook.
1. Jesus of Nazareth, Savior and KingMatt. 1:18–21; Acts 4:8–12;
3 Ne. 11:7–17.“Special Witnesses of Christ,”
Liahona, Apr. 2001, 2–24 (optionalvideo, Special Witnesses of Christ, itemno. 53584).
Russell M. Nelson, “Jesus theChrist: Our Master and More,”Liahona, Apr. 2000, 4–19.
“Jesus Christ, Our SureFoundation,” lesson 1 in The Latter-day Saint Woman, Part B.
2. Becoming Truly Converted asFamilies and Individuals
Luke 18:18–30; Mosiah 4:6–7; 5:2;Alma 5:14–35.
Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Miracleof Faith,” Liahona, July 2001, 82–85.
L. Tom Perry, “Discipleship,”Liahona, Jan. 2001, 72–74.
Dallin H. Oaks, “The Challenge toBecome,” Liahona, Jan. 2001, 40–43.
“Charity,” chapter 30 in GospelPrinciples.
3. Remaining Faithful to OurBaptismal Covenant
Matt. 3:13–17; 2 Ne. 31:5–20;
Mosiah 18:7–10.James E. Faust, “Born Again,”
Liahona, July 2001, 68–71.Robert D. Hales, “The Covenant
of Baptism: To Be in the Kingdomand of the Kingdom,” Liahona, Jan.2001, 6–9.
“Baptism, a ContinuingCovenant,” lesson 29 in Duties andBlessings of the Priesthood, Part A.
4. Finding Joy and Peace throughthe Atonement
Isa. 1:16–20; 2 Ne. 9:18–21; Alma34:14–16; 38:8–9; D&C 18:10–13.
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Boyd K. Packer, “ ‘The Touch ofthe Master’s Hand,’ ” Liahona, July2001, 25–28.
Richard G. Scott, “The Path toPeace and Joy,” Liahona, Jan. 2001,31–33.
“Repentance,” chapter 19 inGospel Principles.
5. Developing a Testimony ofGospel Truths
John 7:17; Alma 5:44–46;32:27–28; Ether 12:6; Moro. 10:4–5;D&C 6:20–23.
James E. Faust, “A GrowingTestimony,” Liahona, Jan. 2001, 69–71.
Joseph B. Wirthlin, “PureTestimony,” Liahona, Jan. 2001, 27–30.
“A Testimony of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ,” lesson 26 in Duties andBlessings of the Priesthood, Part A.
6. Providing Children with anInheritance of Faith
Prov. 22:6; Matt. 5:13–16; Titus2:1–8; 1 Ne. 1:1; D&C 68:25–28.
Gordon B. Hinckley, “A Prophet’sCounsel and Prayer for Youth,”Liahona, Apr. 2001, 30–41.
David B. Haight, “Be a StrongLink,” Liahona, Jan. 2001, 23–25.
“The Family Can Be Eternal,”chapter 36 in Gospel Principles.
7. Fortifying the Home and Familyagainst Evil
Isa. 52:11; John 15:1–4; Jacob3:10–12; D&C 121:45.
Thomas S. Monson,“Pornography—the Deadly Carrier,”Liahona, Nov. 2001, 2–6.
Neal A. Maxwell, “The Tugs andPulls of the World,” Liahona, Jan.2001, 43–46.
“Moral Cleanliness,” lesson 34 inDuties and Blessings of the Priesthood,Part A.
8. Participating in MissionaryService as Families and Individuals
Mark 16:15; D&C 18:15–16;34:4–6; 60:1–2; 88:81; 123:12.
M. Russell Ballard, “Members Arethe Key,” Liahona, Sept. 2000, 12–21.
Jeffrey R. Holland, “ ‘Witnessesunto Me,’ ” Liahona, July 2001, 15–17.
“Missionary Work,” chapter 33 inGospel Principles.
9. Finding and Feeding the Lord’sLost Sheep
Luke 10:25–37; Eph. 2:19; Alma31:34–35; D&C 18:15–16.
Thomas S. Monson, “Your EternalVoyage,” Liahona, July 2000, 56–59.
Henry B. Eyring, “ ‘Watch withMe,’ ” Liahona, July 2001, 44–47.
“Fellowshipping: A PriesthoodResponsibility,” lesson 10 in Duties andBlessings of the Priesthood, Part B.
10. Receiving the Blessings of theTemple
Ps. 24:3–5; D&C 109:12–23;110:6–10.
Boyd K. Packer, “The HolyTemple,” Tambuli, June 1992, 14–23.
Russell M. Nelson, “PersonalPreparation for Temple Blessings,”Liahona, July 2001, 37–40.
“Our Temple and Family HistoryResponsibilities,” lesson 8 in Duties
and Blessings of the Priesthood, Part B. �Home, Family, and PersonalEnrichment Meetings*
When planning home, family, and personal enrichment meetings, care-fully assess the needs of the sisters. When applicable, make certain
these meetings include classes that help develop skills in parenting and fam-ily relations. The Family Guidebook (31180) and Marriage and FamilyRelations Instructor’s Manual (35865) may be used as resources. These areavailable through Church distribution centers.
PRESENTATIONS
Spiritual Development(D&C 88:63)
Homemaking Skills (Prov. 31:27)
Marriage and Family Relations (Mal. 4:6; Mosiah 4:15)
Strengthening Relationships (Matt. 5:38–44; 25:40)
Self-Reliance(D&C 88:119)
Service(Prov. 31:20; Mosiah 4:26)
Physical and Emotional Health(Mosiah 4:27; D&C 10:4)
Personal Development and Education (D&C 88:118; 130:18–19)
Literacy (Dan. 1:17; Moses 6:5–6)
Cultural Arts (D&C 25:12)
IDEAS FOR MINICLASS SUBJECTS**
• Temple worship• Personal prayer and scripture study• Sabbath day observance (D&C 59)
• Growing, cooking, and preservingfood
• Home organization and cleaning• The value of work
• “The Family: A Proclamation to theWorld” (Liahona, Oct. 1998, 24)
• Family home evening, family prayer,and scripture study
• Parenting skills
• Communication and resolvingconflicts
• Repentance and forgiveness• Effective leadership
• Home storage and emergencypreparedness
• Education and resourcemanagement
• Health and hygiene
• Service to family and neighbors• Serving in the Church• Community service project
• Exercise and nutrition• Stress management and recreation• Feeling gratitude and recognizing
the Lord’s blessings
• Patriarchal blessings• Developing talents and creativity• Lifelong learning
• Gospel literacy• Written histories and testimonies• Early childhood education and
children’s literature
• Importance of music in the home• Literature and fine arts• Understanding other cultures
*Guidelines for home, family, and personal enrichment meetings were distributed with a letter from theFirst Presidency dated 20 September 1999.
**Resource materials for miniclass subjects include the Gospel Principles manual and Part A and Part Bof The Latter-day Saint Woman.
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Resource Guidefor AaronicPriesthoodManual 3For use in 2002, lessons 1–25
The following resources may beused to supplement, but not
replace, lessons 1–25. Please teachthe lessons in the order they areprinted. (F=The Friend.) Note: Themanual does not include a specificEaster lesson. If you want to teach aspecial Easter lesson (31 March),consider using conference addresses,articles, and hymns that focus on theAtonement, the Resurrection, and thelife and mission of the Savior.
Lesson 1: The GodheadGordon B. Hinckley, “The Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost,” Liahona, Mar.1998, 2–9.
James E. Faust, “That We MightKnow Thee, the Only True God, andJesus Christ,” Liahona, Feb. 1999, 2–6.
S. Michael Wilcox, “ ‘No OtherGods before Me,’ ” Liahona, Feb.1998, 26–33.
Lesson 2: The Plan of SalvationJoseph B. Wirthlin, “The Time
to Prepare,” Ensign, May 1998, 14–17.
Henry B. Eyring, “The Family,”Liahona, Oct. 1998, 12–23.
John B. Dickson, “TheIncomparable Gifts,” Liahona,Oct. 1999, 18–24.
“I Am a Child of God,” Hymns, no. 301.
Lesson 3: Sons of the Living GodBoyd K. Packer, “ ‘Ye Are the
Temple of God,’ ” Liahona, Jan. 2001,85–88.
Russell M. Nelson, “We AreChildren of God,” Liahona, Jan. 1999, 101–4.
“I Know My Father Lives,” Hymns,no. 302.
Lesson 4: I Have the Ability andFreedom to Choose
Joseph B. Wirthlin, “It’s YourChoice,” Liahona, Nov. 1998, 46–48.
Richard G. Scott, “Do What IsRight,” Liahona, Mar. 2001, 10–17.
“Choose the Right,” Hymns,no. 239.
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Lesson 5: “How Art Thou Fallenfrom Heaven, O Lucifer!”
James E. Faust, “The EnemyWithin,” Liahona, Jan. 2001, 54–57.
Richard C. Edgley, “Satan’s Bag ofSnipes,” Liahona, Jan. 2001, 52–53.
Dennis Largey, “Refusing toWorship Today’s Graven Images,”Liahona, Mar. 1998, 16–23.
Lesson 6: The Fall of AdamRussell M. Nelson, “The
Atonement,” Ensign, Nov. 1996,33–36.
Dallin H. Oaks, “ ‘The Great Planof Happiness,’ ” Ensign, Nov. 1993,72–75.
“The Mortal Conflict,” Liahona,Sept. 2001, 30–31.
Lesson 7: The Atonement BringsVictory over Death and Hell
Gordon B. Hinckley, “TheWondrous and True Story ofChristmas,” Liahona, Dec. 2000, 2–6.
D. Todd Christofferson, “TheRedemption of the Dead and theTestimony of Jesus,” Liahona, Jan.2001, 10–13.
Richard D. Draper, “Christ’s Roleas Redeemer,” Liahona, Dec. 2000,10–17.
Lesson 8: The Resurrection andJudgment
Gordon B. Hinckley, “ ‘He Is NotHere, but Is Risen,’ ” Liahona, July1999, 82–85.
Dallin H. Oaks, “Resurrection,”Liahona, July 2000, 16–19.
“To Overcome the World,”Liahona, Sept. 2000, 26–27.
Lesson 9: Justice and MercyRichard G. Scott, “The Path to
Peace and Joy,” Liahona, Jan. 2001,31–33.
Jeffrey R. Holland, “Come andSee,” Liahona, Aug. 1998, 44–48.
Lesson 10: A Mighty ChangeJames E. Faust, “A Second Birth,”
Liahona, June 1998, 2–6.Dallin H. Oaks, “The Challenge
to Become,” Liahona, Jan. 2001,40–43.
Robert L. Millet, “Putting Off the Natural Man,” Liahona, Aug.2000, 6–10.
“Lord, I Would Follow Thee,”Hymns, no. 220.
Lesson 11: Faith Sufficient toObtain Eternal Life
James E. Faust, “The Shield ofFaith,” Liahona, July 2000, 20–23.
Jeffrey R. Holland, “As Doves toOur Windows,” Liahona, July 2000,90–93.
Taylor Hartley, “The Trial of MyFaith,” Liahona, Oct. 1999, 40–42.
“True to the Faith,” Hymns,no. 254.
Lesson 12: RepentanceBoyd K. Packer, “Washed Clean,”
Ensign, May 1997, 9–11.Henry B. Eyring, “Do Not Delay,”
Liahona, Jan. 2000, 38–41.“Finding Inner Peace,” Liahona,
June 2000, 32–33.“Come unto Jesus,” Hymns,
no. 117.
Lesson 13: Receiving ForgivenessAs We Forgive
Gordon B. Hinckley, “ ‘Of You It IsRequired to Forgive,’ ” Tambuli, Nov.1991, 2–7.
Henry B. Eyring, “That We May BeOne,” Ensign, May 1998, 66–68.
Yessika Delfin Salinas, “ ‘Pray for Your Enemies,’ ” Liahona,Sept. 2000, 8–10.
Aurora Rojas de Álvarez,“Forgiveness United Us,” Liahona,
Oct. 1999, 44–46.Roderick J. Linton, “The ForgivingHeart,” Liahona, June 1998, 28–33.
Lesson 14: The SacramentRobert D. Hales, “In
Remembrance of Jesus,” Ensign,Nov. 1997, 24–26.
“Appreciating the Savior’sSacrifice,” Liahona, June 2001, 26–27.
“How Do I Know When I AmTaking the Sacrament Worthily?”Liahona, Apr. 1999, 22–24.
“While of These Emblems WePartake,” Hymns, no. 174.
Lesson 15: Enduring to the EndNeal A. Maxwell, “Enduring
Well,” Liahona, Apr. 1999, 10–17.Robert D. Hales, “ ‘Behold, We
Count Them Happy Which Endure,’ ”Ensign, May 1998, 75–77.
“Press Forward, Saints,” Hymns,no. 81.
Lesson 16: Jesus Christ, the Lifeand Light of the World
Russell M. Nelson, “Jesus theChrist: Our Master and More,”Liahona, Apr. 2000, 4–19.
Sharon G. Larsen, “Your Light inthe Wilderness,” Liahona, July 1999,106–8.
“The Lord Is My Light,” Hymns,no. 89.
Lesson 17: The Holy GhostBoyd K. Packer, “The Cloven
Tongues of Fire,” Liahona, July 2000,7–10.
Sheri L. Dew, “We Are NotAlone,” Liahona, Jan. 1999, 112–14.
“Let the Holy Spirit Guide,”Hymns, no. 143.
Lesson 18: PrayerHenry B. Eyring, “ ‘Write upon My
Heart,’ ” Liahona, Jan. 2001, 99–102.Julieta Arevyan de Álvarez,
“Gratitude on a Rainy Day,” Liahona,May 2000, 26–28.
“Did You Think to Pray?” Hymns,no. 140.
Lesson 19: FastingThomas S. Monson, “Building
Your Eternal Home,” Liahona, Oct.1999, 2–7.
Joseph B. Wirthlin, “The Law ofthe Fast,” Liahona, July 2001, 88–91.
Brigada Acosta de Pérez, “Blessedfor Fasting,” Liahona, Oct. 1999, 46–48.
Diane K. Cahoon, “SisterStratton’s Miracle,” Liahona, May1999, F6–7.
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Lesson 20: Tithing—A SpiritualTest
James E. Faust, “Opening theWindows of Heaven,” Liahona,Jan. 1999, 67–70.
Theodor G. Baalman, “Proving theLord’s Promise,” Liahona, Dec. 1998,26–27.
“Because I Have Been GivenMuch,” Hymns, no. 219.
Lesson 21: The Role of the QuorumM. Russell Ballard, “Are We Keeping
Pace?” Liahona, Jan. 1999, 6–9.D. Todd Christofferson, “The
Priesthood Quorum,” Liahona, Jan.1999, 47–49.
“Ye Elders of Israel,” Hymns,no. 319.
Lesson 22: Duties of PriestsThomas S. Monson, “The
Priesthood—Mighty Army of theLord,” Liahona, July 1999, 56–59.
Dallin H. Oaks, “The AaronicPriesthood and the Sacrament,”Liahona, Jan. 1999, 43–46.
Lesson 23: Preparing for theMelchizedek Priesthood
Thomas S. Monson, “TodayDetermines Tomorrow,” Liahona,Jan. 1999, 55–58.
Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Growing intothe Priesthood,” Liahona, Jan. 2000,45–49.
Jeffrey R. Holland, “ ‘SanctifyYourselves,’ ” Liahona, Jan. 2001,46–49.
Lesson 24: Follow the ProphetGordon B. Hinckley, “A Prophet’s
Counsel and Prayer for Youth,”Liahona, Apr. 2001, 30–41.
Clyde J. Williams, “Following theProphet: A Book of MormonPerspective,” Liahona, June 2000,18–23.
“Come, Listen to a Prophet’sVoice,” Hymns, no. 21.
Lesson 25: Every Young ManShould Serve a Mission
Thomas S. Monson, “Who HonorsGod, God Honors,” Ensign, Nov.1995, 48–50.
Lance B. Wickman, “The FutureYou,” Liahona, Nov. 2000, 22–24.
“Called to Serve,” Liahona, Aug.1999, 26–31.
Janet Peterson, “Still Riding aBicycle,” Liahona, Apr. 1999, 26–28.
“Come, All Ye Sons of God,”
Hymns, no. 322. �
Resource Guidefor Young WomenManual 3For use in 2002, lessons 1–25
The following resources may beused to supplement, but not
replace, lessons 1–25. Please teach thelessons in the order they are printed.Note: The manual does not include aspecific Easter lesson. If you want toteach a special Easter lesson (31 March),consider using conference addresses, articles, and hymns that focus on theAtonement, the Resurrection, and the lifeand mission of the Savior.
Lesson 1: God the FatherGordon B. Hinckley, “The Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost,” Liahona, Mar.1998, 2–9.
James E. Faust, “That We MightKnow Thee, the Only True God, andJesus Christ,” Liahona, Feb. 1999, 2–6.
S. Michael Wilcox, “ ‘No OtherGods before Me,’ ” Liahona, Feb. 1998,26–33.
Lesson 2: Coming to Know theSavior
Russell M. Nelson, “Jesus theChrist: Our Master and More,”Liahona, Apr. 2000, 4–19.
Jeffrey R. Holland, “Come andSee,” Liahona, Aug. 1998, 44–48.
Sheri L. Dew, “Our Only Chance,”Liahona, July 1999, 77–79.
“Come unto Jesus,” Hymns, no. 117.
Lesson 3: Living the Gospel DailyJeffrey R. Holland, “ ‘Cast Not
Away Therefore Your Confidence,’ ”Liahona, June 2000, 34–42.
Laury Livsey, “Welcome to RizalHigh,” Liahona, May 1998, 10–15.
Linda Van Orden, “Putting theLord First,” Liahona, Nov. 1998,42–45.
Lesson 4: Preparing to Become anEternal Companion
Gordon B. Hinckley, “Walking inthe Light of the Lord,” Liahona, Jan.1999, 115–18.
Richard G. Scott, “The Joy ofLiving the Great Plan of Happiness,”Ensign, Nov. 1996, 73–75.
“Celestial Marriage,” Liahona, Oct.1998, 25.
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Lesson 5: Creating a SpiritualEnvironment in the Home
M. Russell Ballard, “Like a FlameUnquenchable,” Liahona, July 1999,101–4.
“How Can I Make My HomeHappier and More Spiritual?” Liahona,Aug. 1998, 26–29.
“Home Can Be a Heaven onEarth,” Hymns, no. 298.
Lesson 6: A Woman’s Responsibilityto Teach
Gordon B. Hinckley, “YourGreatest Challenge, Mother,” Liahona,Jan. 2001, 113–16.
Boyd K. Packer, “Teach theChildren,” Liahona, May 2000, 14–23.
Ronald L. Knighton, “BecomingOur Children’s Greatest Teachers,”Liahona, June 2001, 36–45.
“Help Me Teach with Inspiration,”Hymns, no. 281.
Lesson 7: Our Purpose in LifeThomas S. Monson, “Your
Celestial Journey,” Liahona, July 1999,114–16.
Russell M. Nelson, “We AreChildren of God,” Liahona, Jan. 1999,101–4.
“I’ll Go Where You Want Me toGo,” Hymns, no. 270.
Lesson 8: Eternal FamiliesHenry B. Eyring, “The Family,”
Liahona, Oct. 1998, 12–23.Alfonso Castro Vázquez, “ ‘I Want
an Eternal Family,’ ” Liahona, Aug.2000, 26–28.
“Families Can Be TogetherForever,” Hymns, no. 300.
Lesson 9: Encouraging Family UnityThomas S. Monson, “Building Your
Eternal Home,” Liahona, Oct. 1999,2–7.
Henry B. Eyring, “That We May BeOne,” Ensign, May 1998, 66–68.
Robert E. Wells, “Uniting BlendedFamilies,” Liahona, June 1999, 28–35.
Tammy Munro, “Reading withBen,” Liahona, May 2000, 10–12.
“Love at Home,” Hymns, no. 294.
Lesson 10: Encouraging EnjoyableFamily Activities
First Presidency, “Letter from the First Presidency,” Liahona,Dec. 1999, 1.
Paul J. Rands, “Home EveningDoesn’t Have to Be Perfect,” Liahona,Aug. 1999, 44–47.
D. Ray Thomas, “Eight Tips forBuilding Stronger Families,” Liahona,Dec. 1999, 30–32.
Lesson 11: Extended FamilyRelationships
Robert D. Hales, “StrengtheningFamilies: Our Sacred Duty,” Liahona,July 1999, 37–40.
Dennis B. Neuenschwander,“Bridges and Eternal Keepsakes,”Liahona, July 1999, 98–100.
Lesson 12: The Blessings of thePriesthood
Boyd K. Packer, “What Every ElderShould Know—and Every Sister AsWell,” Tambuli, Nov. 1994, 14–24.
Ray H. Wood, “ ‘Made Like untothe Son of God,’ ” Liahona, July 1999,48–49.
Kerstin Saffer and BirgittaStrandberg, “ ‘Leonard Has Drowned!’ ”Liahona, Nov. 1999, 10–11.
Fuco Rey, “The Priesthood in MyHands,” Liahona, Sept. 1998, 32–33.
Lesson 13: The Priesthood CanBless Families
Russell M. Nelson, “Shepherds,Lambs, and Home Teachers,” Liahona,Apr. 1999, 42–48.
D. Lee Tobler, “Priesthood and theHome,” Liahona, July 1999, 51–52.
Lesson 14: We Have a WonderfulLegacy
Jeffrey R. Holland, “As Doves toOur Windows,” Liahona, July 2000,90–93.
Stephen B. Oveson, “Our Legacy,”Liahona, Jan. 2000, 34–36.
“An Angel from on High,” Hymns,no. 13.
Lesson 15: Blessings of the House of Israel
James E. Faust, “ ‘Search Me, OGod, and Know My Heart,’ ” Ensign,May 1998, 17–20.
Russell M. Nelson, “Children ofthe Covenant,” Ensign, May 1995,32–35.
Marvin K. Gardner, “ ‘One of aCity, and Two of a Family’: TheBeginnings of the Church inChernigov, Ukraine,” Liahona, Apr.1999, 36–41.
Lesson 16: Temple EndowmentBoyd K. Packer, “The Holy
Temple,” Tambuli, June 1992, 14–23.Julia Hardel, “A Trip to the
Temple,” Liahona, Feb. 1997, 8–9.Kuteka Kamulete, “From Zaire to
the Lord’s House,” Liahona, Aug.1997, 8–9.
Lesson 17: Preparing to Attend the Temple
James E. Faust, “Eternity Liesbefore Us,” Ensign, May 1997, 18–20.
Barbara Jean Jones, “Lives underConstruction,” Liahona, Nov. 2000,8–13.
Tamara Leatham Bailey, “TheTemple-Going Type,” Liahona, May1999, 46–48.
“We Love Thy House, O God,”Hymns, no. 247.
Lesson 18: Temple MarriageRichard G. Scott, “Receive the
Temple Blessings,” Liahona, July 1999,29–31.
“Nurturing a Love That Lasts,”Liahona, May 2000, 25.
“Celestial Marriage,” Liahona, Oct.1998, 25.
Lesson 19: HeritageDavid B. Haight, “Be a Strong
Link,” Liahona, Jan. 2001, 23–25.Richard G. Scott, “Removing
Barriers to Happiness,” Ensign, May1998, 85–87.
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Donald L. Hallstrom, “CultivateRighteous Traditions,” Liahona, Jan.2001, 34–35.
Lesson 20: Understanding aMissionary’s Responsibilities
L. Tom Perry, “Accept theChallenge,” Liahona, Sept. 1999,44–47.
Roger Terry, “Just One More,”Liahona, Mar. 2000, 46–48.
Laury Livsey, “I Will Go and Do,”Liahona, Feb. 1998, 8–11.
Lesson 21: Learning to Share theGospel
M. Russell Ballard, “Members Arethe Key,” Liahona, Sept. 2000, 12–21.
Mary Ellen Smoot, “We AreInstruments in the Hands of God,”Liahona, Jan. 2001, 104–7.
Shane Wise and Christie Giles,“Look and See,” Liahona, Mar. 2000,8–10.
Lesson 22: Eternal PerspectiveJeffrey R. Holland, “ ‘An High
Priest of Good Things to Come,’ ”Liahona, Jan. 2000, 42–45.
Jay E. Jensen, “Keep an EternalPerspective,” Liahona, July 2000, 32–34.
“Come, Come, Ye Saints,” Hymns,no. 30.
Lesson 23: Overcoming OppositionNeal A. Maxwell, “The Tugs and
Pulls of the World,” Liahona, Jan.2001, 43–46.
L. Aldin Porter, “ ‘But We HeededThem Not,’ ” Liahona, Apr. 1999,30–34.
“Press Forward, Saints,” Hymns,no. 81.
Lesson 24: AgencyJoseph B. Wirthlin, “It’s Your
Choice,” Liahona, Nov. 1998, 46–48.Richard G. Scott, “Do What Is
Right,” Liahona, Mar. 2001, 10–17.Sharon G. Larsen, “Agency—A
Blessing and a Burden,” Liahona, Jan.2000, 12–14.
“Choose the Right,” Hymns, no. 239.
Lesson 25: ObedienceJames E. Faust, “Obedience: The
Path to Freedom,” Liahona, July 1999,53–56.
Robert D. Hales, “The Covenant ofBaptism: To Be in the Kingdom and ofthe Kingdom,” Liahona, Jan. 2001, 6–9.
Denalee Chapman, “The ThreeQuestions,” Liahona, Nov. 2000,46–47. �
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General Auxiliary Presidencies
Elder F. Melvin HammondPresident
Elder Glenn L. PaceFirst Counselor
Elder Spencer J. CondieSecond Counselor
Elder Cecil O. Samuelson Jr.President
Elder John H. GrobergFirst Counselor
Elder Richard J. MaynesSecond Counselor
Sister Mary Ellen W. SmootPresident
Sister Virginia U. JensenFirst Counselor
Sister Sheri L. DewSecond Counselor
Sister Margaret D. NadauldPresident
Sister Carol B. ThomasFirst Counselor
Sister Sharon G. LarsenSecond Counselor
Sister Coleen K. MenlovePresident
Sister Sydney S. ReynoldsFirst Counselor
Sister Gayle M. CleggSecond Counselor
YOUNG MEN
SUNDAY SCHOOL
RELIEF SOCIETY
YOUNG WOMEN
PRIMARY
NEWS OF THE CHURCH
President James E. Faust presentsthe Church officers for a sustainingvote during the Saturday afternoonsession of conference.
Changes inSeventy, YoungMen, SundaySchool
Changes in the Presidency of theSeventy previously announced
in June 2001 were sustained byChurch members during the Saturdayafternoon session of conference. Inaddition, 9 members of the Seventywere released, 24 Area AuthoritySeventies were released, 3 new AreaAuthority Seventies were called, andthe presidencies of the Sunday Schooland Young Men were reorganized.
Elder Charles Didier and ElderCecil O. Samuelson Jr. were sus-tained as new members of thePresidency of the Seventy, replacingElder L. Aldin Porter and ElderMarlin K. Jensen. Elder Porter wasreleased and given emeritus status,and Elder Jensen was called inAugust 2001 to serve in the EuropeCentral Area Presidency.
Elder Samuelson was sustained asthe new Sunday School general presi-
dent, with Elder John H. Groberg and
Elder Richard J. Maynes as coun-selors. Elder Jensen was released asSunday School general president,with his counselors, Elder Neil L.Andersen and Elder John H. Groberg.
Elder F. Melvin Hammond of theSeventy was sustained as the newYoung Men general president, withElder Glenn L. Pace and ElderSpencer J. Condie as counselors. ElderRobert K. Dellenbach, who had beenserving as Young Men general presi-dent, was called to serve in the PacificIslands Area Presidency in August.He was released at this conference
President Gordon B. Hinckley speakTabernacle on 14 September 2001.
Kaysville Utah East Stake, were on
Church Offers ConsHumanitarian Aid aBy Barbara Jean Jones
with his counselors, Elder Hammondand Elder John M. Madsen.
Along with Elder Porter, ElderJohn K. Carmack, Elder Vaughn J.Featherstone, Elder L. LionelKendrick, and Elder Rex D. Pinegarwere released from the FirstQuorum of the Seventy and givenemeritus status.
Also released as General Au-thorities were four members of theSecond Quorum of the Seventy:Elder Richard E. Cook, Elder WayneM. Hancock, Elder Richard B.Wirthlin, and Elder Ray H. Wood. �
s during the memorial service in the
olation,fter Terrorist Attacks
Church leaders offered messagesof peace and consolation follow-
ing terrorist attacks on 11 September2001 in New York, Washington,D.C., and Pennsylvania. Five Latter-day Saints are known to have losttheir lives in the attacks.
Carolyn Meyer-Beug, age 48, amember of the Santa MonicaSecond Ward, Los Angeles Cali-fornia Santa Monica Stake, and hermother, Mary Alice Wahlstrom, age75, of the Kaysville 17th Ward,
board the first plane that struck theWorld Trade Center in New YorkCity. The two women were returninghome from taking Sister Beug’s twindaughters to college.
Ivhan Luis Carpio Bautista, age24, of the Richmond Hill ThirdBranch, Richmond Hill New YorkDistrict, was working at a restau-rant on the 107th floor of OneWorld Trade Center when theattacks occurred. He had plannedto take 11 September off because it
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was his birthday but agreed to
cover a coworker’s shift instead.Brady Howell, age 26, a member
of the Crystal City Ward, MountVernon Virginia Stake, and RhondaRasmussen, age 44, of the LakeRidge Second Ward, Mount VernonVirginia Stake, died in the attack onthe Pentagon in Washington, D.C.Brother Howell was working as acivilian employee for the UnitedStates Navy. Sister Rasmussen wasworking as a budget analyst for theDepartment of the Army. Her hus-band of 26 years was also working inthe building but was unharmed.
Shortly after hearing of theattacks, the First Presidency releaseda statement expressing “profoundsympathy to those whose loved ones,friends, and associates were lost orinjured in today’s senseless acts ofviolence. We offer our prayers inbehalf of the innocent victims ofthese vicious attacks. We ask ourHeavenly Father to guide [U.S.]President [George W.] Bush and hisadvisors as they respond to thesedevastating incidents.
“We join with others in prayersthat the Savior’s peace and love willcomfort and guide us all through thisdifficult time.”
On the evening of 11 September,President Gordon B. Hinckley spokeat a previously scheduled MormonTabernacle Choir concert that wasturned into a memorial service.“Dark as is this hour,” said theChurch President, “there is shiningthrough the heavy overcast of fearand anger the solemn and wonderfulimage of the Son of God. It is to Himthat we look in these circumstances.”
President Hinckley offered similarmessages of faith and comfort whenhe appeared both on the programLarry King Live and in a memorialservice in the Salt Lake Tabernacleon 14 September, a day declared as anational day of prayer and remem-brance by President Bush. “We can-not call back the dead,” saidPresident Hinckley, but we can “callupon our Heavenly Father to bringcomfort and solace to those who
have suffered much.” He also
Share the Gospel through New Web Site
The home page for www.mormon.org provides visitors a number ofoptions for exploring questions about the Church.
expressed hope that Heavenly Fatherwould hasten the day when menwould beat their swords into plow-shares and “learn war [no] more”(see Isa. 2:4). Also participating inthis memorial service were membersof the First Presidency and Quorumof the Twelve Apostles, other Gen-eral Authorities, and the TabernacleChoir. The service was broadcast toChurch meetinghouses throughoutthe United States.
On 20 September, PresidentHinckley and 26 other religiousleaders met with President Bush inthe White House at the UnitedStates president’s invitation. “I havenever felt stronger,” President Bushsaid, “and that strength comes fromGod.” He asked that people pray for the safety of the nation and thathe would be blessed with wisdom,strength, and clarity of thought.
When President Bush asked forinput from those assembled, PresidentHinckley stated: “I just want you toknow, Mr. President, that we arebehind you. We pray for you. We lovethis ‘nation under God.’ ”
At the request of the FirstPresidency, Church units through-out the United States held specialmemorial sacrament meetings onSunday, 16 September. Throughoutthe world, members of the Churchreached out in love and service tothose who had lost loved ones. Manymembers opened their homes andmeetinghouses to those left strandedin New York and at airports.
Humanitarian relief funds donatedto the American Red Cross by theChurch were used largely to assistwith search and rescue work, emer-gency food and shelter, and otherneeds. The Red Cross’s Salt LakeCity chapter used part of the moneyto help stranded travelers in SaltLake City obtain food and shelter.Additional assistance was also givento the families of victims in NewYork City.
On 9 October the First Presidencyapproved the distribution of blankets,hygiene kits, medical supplies, and
T
newborn kits to Afghan refugees. �
he Church has a new resource tohelp spread the gospel. An official
Church Web site, www.mormon.org,allows people to learn more about thegospel by exploring on their own withcomplete anonymity.
The site, announced on 5 Octo-ber 2001, was referred to by ElderDallin H. Oaks of the Quorum ofthe Twelve Apostles during generalconference. “In its potential, thisnew initiative is as exciting as thepublishing of written tracts in the19th century and our use of radio,television, and film in the 20th,”Elder Oaks said during conference.“. . . For members of the Church, itwill help us answer the questions offriends directly or by referring themto the site.”
Within three days of the an-nouncement of mormon.org, thesite recorded 93,433 visits, including151 requests for a copy of the Bookof Mormon and 36 requests for themissionaries to visit. Users were fromAfrica; Asia; Australia; the SouthPacific; the Caribbean; Europe; theMiddle East; and North, South, andCentral America.
Mormon.org uses a combinationof audio, visual, and textual elementsto explain basic principles of the
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Church in simple, straightforward
terms. Content is divided into fourmain categories: the Church, fami-lies, the nature of God, and the pur-pose of life.
Links for each category lead tobasic information about the topic;further links lead to related topicsand audio or video clips fromChurch videos or talks given by amember of the First Presidency orQuorum of the Twelve Apostles.Those who want to learn more canrequest a meeting with missionariesor Church literature or videos, orthey can use a meetinghouse locator(currently available for the UnitedStates and Canada) to find the con-gregation closest to their home.
Other information available atmormon.org includes responses tofrequently asked questions regardingsocial issues, theology, and Churchpolicy; resources on parenting, familyrelationships, and communication;and a search and glossary tool to helpusers understand gospel terms.
Church members can use the siteto e-mail its Web pages to a friend orto send gospel-themed electronicgreeting cards free of charge.
Mormon.org is currently avail-able only in English, but it is plannedthat the site will eventually be avail-
able in many languages. �
The Baptism of Christ, by Robert T. Barrett
“Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now:
for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him” (Matt. 3:13–15).
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ENG
LISH
“Our safety lies in the
virtue of our lives.
Our strength lies in our
righteousness. God has
made it clear that
if we will not forsake
Him, He will not
forsake us.”
—President Gordon B. Hinckley,Sunday afternoon,
7 October 2001
REPORT OF THE 171ST SEMIANNUAL GENERAL CONFERENCE
6–7 OCTOBER 2001
