At the conclusion of President Uchtdorf's remarks,
the choir will sing "Abide with Me."
They will be directed by Joseph Scholes
and accompanied by Lydia Speth.
The benediction will then be offered by Brett Thompson.
It is now my privilege to introduce tonight's speaker.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf was called
as Second Counselor in the First Presidency on February 3, 2008.
He was sustained as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on October 2,
2004.
And he has served as a General Authority since 1994.
At the time of his call as a General Authority,
he was the senior vice president of flight operations
and chief pilot at Lufthansa German Airlines.
President Uchtdorf was born in what was then Czechoslovakia.
He was raised in Zwickau, Germany, where his family
joined the Church in 1947.
President Uchtdorf married Harriet Reich in 1962.
They are the parents of two children
and have six grandchildren.
President Uchtdorf.
My dear brothers and sisters, if we
take the two hymns which we just heard, "Praise to the Lord"
and "Do What Is Right," and make them the model of our lives,
we'll be in good shape on our way
back to our Heavenly Father.
What a wonderful sight you are.
In my mind's eye, I can imagine many other beautiful faces
like yours, youthful members of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints in all the nations
throughout the world.
You may not all look exactly alike,
but you have so much in common.
I consider this a choice assignment.
And I'm grateful to President Monson
for providing me this opportunity to spend
a few minutes with you.
One of the most beloved storytellers of all time
was the Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen.
In one of his stories, "The Ugly Duckling," a mother duck
discovers that one of her newly hatched chicks
is unusually large and very ugly.
At first the mother wonders if she has hatched a turkey egg.
But the ugly child can swim as well as her other children.
And so she comes to the conclusion
that the poor thing is simply abnormal and disfigured.
The other ducklings, however, cannot leave the ugly child
alone.
They punish him mercilessly, pecking at him
and teasing him and making him miserable.
Finally, the ugly duckling decides
it would be better for everyone if he left his family.
And so he ran away.
During the bitter cold of his first winter on his own,
the poor duckling nearly freezes to death,
but somehow he survives.
In spite of his privations, he feels himself getting stronger.
And he loves spreading his wings and taking flight
even though he is alone.
Then one day, he sees flying overhead
a flock of majestic birds, white as snow,
graceful in their movements, with beautiful long necks
and wide, elegant wings.
Oh, what glorious and happy creatures!
The ugly duckling longs to fly with them.
He is afraid that they might kill him because he's so ugly.
But then he decides that would be
much better than being pecked at by the other animals forever
or freezing to death in the winter.
And so he takes flight and follows them
to a beautiful lake, where they settle into the water.
As he lands, the ugly duckling looks into the water
and sees the reflection of a magnificent swan.
Gradually, unable to believe it at first,
the ugly duckling realizes that the reflection is his own.
To his surprise, the other swans welcome him,
and they even agree that he is the most beautiful, most
majestic of all the swans.
Finally and at last, he has discovered who he really is.
Like this young swan, most of us have
felt at one time or another that we don't quite fit in.
Much of the confusion we experience in this life
comes from simply not understanding who we are.
Too many go about their lives thinking
they are of little worth, when in reality they
are elegant and eternal creatures of infinite value
with potential beyond imagination.
Discovering who we really are is part of this great adventure
called life.
Mankind's greatest minds have wrestled endlessly
with these questions.
Where did we come from?
Why are we here?
What happens after we die?
And how does all this fit together?
How does it make sense?
Once we begin to understand the answers to these questions,
not with the mind only, but with the heart and the soul,
we will begin to understand who we are.
And we will feel like the wanderer
who is finally finding home.
We feel like the young swan who has discovered
at last who he really is.
Everything finally makes sense.
The challenge is that the answers to these questions
are simply beyond man's earthly capacity
to logically determine.
Questions that reach into spiritual things
require spiritual answers.
Those who reject revelation and insist on tangible evidence
can only speculate or deny that there is life
before or after this mortal sphere.
Consequently, they may never understand who they really are
or what true purpose life has.
As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, however, we have been blessed with the answers
to these questions.
And we freely share them with all who will listen.
We know them not because of someone's educated guess
or because we found a scientific explanation.
We have the answers because heavenly messengers revealed
these mysteries to man.
That same knowledge is available to anyone on this planet
earth who is honest in heart through the power
of the Holy Spirit.
This is no small thing.
Throughout history, emperors and philosophers
would have offered a king's ransom
for what God has given freely in our time.
Because He is merciful and loves His children,
God has given again in these latter days
the truth about where we came from, why we're here,
and where we are going.
My dear young friends, this knowledge
allows you to see your own reflection in the water.
It assures you that you are not ordinary, rejected, or ugly.
You are something divine, more beautiful and glorious
than you can possibly imagine.
This knowledge changes everything.
It changes your present, it can change your future,
and it can change the world.
We are profoundly aware, my precious young friends
in the Church, wherever you may be,
that you face many challenges in your young life.
Through your leaders and contacts with you
individually, I have learned about the scope
of your concerns.
I've chosen from among the many questions
I have received just a few that I think
are among the harder and more troubling
ones affecting you young Saints all around the globe.
Today I hope to impress upon your mind and heart
how a knowledge of who you really are
can help you to successfully conquer the most
difficult issues in life.
Here's the first question, and I quote:
"I am unhappy and depressed.
Sometimes it seems like the world would be a better
place if I weren't in it.
Why should I go on living?"
End of quote.
Allow me to be clear.
Severe depression and thoughts of suicide
are not trivial matters and should be taken seriously.
I urge those who suffer from depression or thoughts
of suicide to seek help from trusted professional and Church
leaders.
If you know someone who is thinking of suicide,
be a true friend and make sure that he or she gets help.
Please know that we love you and want
you to be successful and happy in life.
That being said, most people have felt sad or inadequate
at one time or another.
It's natural to have times of self-doubt or unhappiness.
The question "Why should I go on living?"
is simply another wording of the age-old phrase penned
by William Shakespeare 400 years ago
and uttered by millions of Hamlets
the world over since that time: "To be, or not to be,
that is the question."
But Shakespeare was wrong.
He was wrong.
"To be, or not to be" is not the question at all.
There are other options beyond that simple contradiction.
For my taste, I'd have Hamlet turn to the audience
and say, "Knowing that I'm a child of God, what need I do
and be to live up to this potential?
That is the question."
I see you agree.
Now, I understand that such an edit would hopelessly
ruin one of the greatest literary masterpieces
of all time.
Nevertheless, if I were writing a script for you,
that is how I would word it.
Think of where you come from.
You're sons and daughters of the greatest,
most glorious being in the universe.
He loves you with an infinite love.
He wants the best for you.
Do you think our Father in Heaven wants
you to feel depressed and sad?
He wants no such thing.
He has provided the commandments,
which are the royal road to a life of purpose, peace,
and joy.
All we need to do is follow it.
Knowing and living God's commandments
really does lead to fulfillment and to joy.
Our destiny is greater than we can imagine.
If only we understood who we are and what is in store for us,
our hearts would overflow with such gratitude and happiness
that it would enlighten even the darkest sorrows with the light
and love of God, our Heavenly Father.
The next time you feel unhappy, remember where you came from
and where you are going.
Rather than focus on things that dampen your thoughts
with sorrow, choose to focus on those things that
fill your soul with hope.
You will realize that these things are always
connected to serving God and our fellowman.
It's always that way.
Remember that the Lord has given you His word in the scriptures.
Pray earnestly to Him.
Talk with Him daily.
Learn of Him.
And walk in His way.
Serve God and serve your fellowman.
Remember that there is a time to weep, but also a time to laugh,
a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
If your heart has been heavy for a while,
perhaps it is time to allow the light of the Son of God
into your heart.
I plead with you, just look into the water
and see your true reflection.
Realize the purpose for which you were created.
Lift your face toward the far horizon.
It is well for you to laugh.
It is well for you to be happy.
Lift up your voices and praise the Lord
with singing, with music, with dancing,
and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.
I cannot imagine a heaven filled only with somber beings who
never speak up or who do not enjoy music and visiting each
other.
That's not heaven for me.
I'm certain that you were not created
to spend the hours and days of your lives isolated
from each other in worry or despair.
You were created to have joy.
So let's celebrate the merciful blessings of a joyful
and a loving Heavenly Father.
You don't need to wait for permission
to fill your hearts with thanksgiving and happiness.
You can do this nicely on your own.
Get together as young people in your wards or branches,
but also with those in neighboring stakes
and districts.
Dance together.
Study the gospel together.
Work together.
Serve your fellowman together.
And have fun doing it.
It is my earnest prayer that the knowledge of who you are
and what you may become will fill your souls
with the peaceable love of God and that this
will ignite within you a happiness
worthy of your true heritage.
For in truth, you are princes and princesses, kings
and queens.
Now, a second question we hear from you young people is--and
again, I quote--"I'm so lonely.
Will I ever find my soul mate?"
End of quote.
You were waiting for this question, right?
I have a number of things I want to say on this subject.
But let's start with the concept of finding the one
person you were meant to be with,
the one person who is perfect for you.
There's an old story about a young woman
on an archaeological excavation who discovers
an ancient-looking lamp.
When she rubs it, a genie appears, offering her one wish.
She thinks for a moment and asks for world peace,
that people would love each other
and live in harmony forever.
The genie contemplates her request
and finally says, "What you are asking for is impossible.
The division among the peoples of the world is too deep
and has existed for way too long.
Please ask for something else, anything but that."
So the young lady thinks again and says, "Somewhere out there
is the one person I was meant to be with.
I want to find him--someone who is handsome, thoughtful,
and has a sense of humor, someone who will help around
the house, loves kids, doesn't watch sports all the time,
has a great job, thinks first about my happiness,
someone who will go shopping with me,
and someone who can get along with my family."
The genie considers her request for a moment,
sighs deeply, and then replies, "Let me see what
I can do about world peace."
I know this may be a disappointment for some of you,
but I don't believe there's only one right person for you.
I think I fell in love with my wife, Harriet,
who is here with me tonight, the first moment I saw her.
Nevertheless, had she decided to marry someone else,
I believe I would have met and fallen
in love with someone else.
I'm eternally grateful that this didn't happen,
but I don't believe she was my one chance of happiness
in this life, nor was I hers.
Another error you might easily make in dating
is expecting to find perfection in the person you are with.
The truth is, the only perfect people you might know
are those you don't know very well.
Everyone has imperfections.
Now, I'm not suggesting you lower your standards
and marry someone with whom you can't be happy.
But one of the things I've realized
as I've matured in life is that if someone
is willing to accept me, imperfect as I am, then
I should be willing to be patient with others'
imperfections as well.
Since you won't find perfection in your partner
and your partner won't find it in you,
your only chance at perfection is in creating perfection
together.
That is the secret.
There are those who do not marry because they
feel a lack of magic in relationship.
By "magic," I assume they mean sparks of attraction.
Falling in love is a wonderful feeling.
And I would never counsel you to marry someone you don't love.
Nevertheless--and here's another thing that is sometimes hard
to accept--that magic sparkle needs continuous polishing.
When the magic endures in a relationship,
it's because the couple made it happen,
not because it mystically appeared
due to some cosmic force.
Frankly, it takes even work.
For any relationship to survive, both parties
bring their own magic with them and use
that to sustain their love.
Although I have said that I do not
believe in a one and only soul mate for anyone,
I do know this.
Once you commit to being married,
your spouse becomes your soul mate.
And it is your duty and responsibility
to work every day to keep it that way.
Once you have committed, the search for a soul mate is over.
Our thoughts and actions turn from looking to creating.
But what about those who despair of ever
finding an eternal companion?
First, don't give up.
Go to activities.
Meet people.
And do all you can.
I know that dating can be rough.
Rejection is one of the most painful things
we can experience.
Trust me.
I know how this feels.
I fell in love with Harriet long before she
fell in love with me.
But this didn't stop me, not at all.
I found ways to be at the same place she was at.
When I was administering the sacrament at Church,
I arranged to pass it to her family.
I was doing the best I could to impress her,
but I think she found me just a little immature.
The sparks simply weren't there for her.
I despaired of ever convincing her
that I could be anything more than a friend.
And who wants that, right?
So I went away, joined the air force,
and then traveled half a world away
to attend pilot training in the United States.
It wasn't until I returned to Germany
having completed my training as a fighter pilot, years
after I had first met her, that this beautiful young woman
looked at me and said those magical words
I had been longing to hear.
She said, "You have matured since the last time I saw you."
When I heard this, I moved quickly.
And within a few months, I married
the woman I had loved for a long, long time.
So don't give up, brothers and sisters.
Just because you have been rejected a time or two or three
or four or a couple of hundred times, don't despair.
Brethren, the secret to finding the girl of your dreams
is to get to know many of them.
And then, when you fall in love and it feels right,
ask her to marry you.
If she says no, you continue to search
and to pray until finally you will
arrive with that young woman at the altar of the temple.
So don't give up.
Now, sisters, be gentle.
It's all right if you turn down requests for dates or proposals
for marriage.
But please do it gently.
And brethren, please start asking.
OK?
There are too many of our young women who never go on dates.
Don't suppose that certain girls would never go out with you.
Sometimes they are wondering why no one asks them out.
Just ask, and be prepared to move on if the answer is no.
But ask.
One of the trends we see in some parts of the world
is, our young people are only hanging out in large groups
rather than dating.
While there's nothing wrong with getting together often
with others of your own age, I don't
know if you can really get to know individuals
when you are always in a group.
One of the things you need to learn
is how to have a conversation with a member
of the opposite sex.
A great way to learn this is by being alone with someone,
talking without a net, so to speak.
Dates don't have to be, and in most cases
shouldn't be, expensive and overplanned affairs.
When my wife and I moved from Germany
to Salt Lake City, one of the things
that most surprised us was the elaborate and sometimes
stressful process young people had
developed of asking for and accepting dates.
We couldn't believe it.
Relax.
Find simple ways to be together.
One of my favorite things to do when I was young--and I know
this is a long time ago--and when I was looking for a date
was to walk a young lady home after a Church meeting.
Now, did you bring a date to this meeting here tonight?
No one is laughing.
I hope you did.
Or walk someone home afterwards.
Remember, your goal should not be to have a video of your date
get a million views on YouTube.
The goal is to get to know, one individual person
and learn how to develop a meaningful relationship
with the opposite sex.
Now, there are those among you fine young members
of the Church who might never marry.
Although they are worthy in every way,
they may never find someone to whom
they will be sealed at the temple of the Lord
in this life.
There's no way for those who have not
experienced this despair to truly understand the loneliness
and pain you might feel.
I know of many women who want more than anything else to be
a wife and a mother, and they cannot understand why
their prayers have never been answered.
There are many single men who, for whatever reason,
also find themselves alone.
First, let me tell you that your prayers are heard.
Your Father in Heaven knows the desires of your heart.
I cannot tell you why one's individual's prayers are
answered one way while someone else's are answered
differently.
But this I can tell you.
The righteous desires of your hearts will be fulfilled.
Sometimes it can be difficult to see anything beyond the path
immediately before you.
We are impatient and do not want to wait
for a future fulfillment of our greatest desires.
Nevertheless, the brief span of this life
is nothing in comparison with eternity.
And if only we can hope and exercise faith and joyfully
endure to the end--and I say joyfully endure
to the end--there in that great heavenly future,
we will have the fulfillment of the righteous desires
of our heart and so very much more than we can scarcely
comprehend now.
In the meantime, do not wait for someone else
to make your life complete.
Stop second-guessing yourself and wondering
if you are defective.
Instead, seek to reach your potential as a child of God.
Seek learning.
Become engaged in a meaningful career.
And seek fulfillment in service to others.
Use your time, your talents, your resources
to improve yourself and bless those around you.
All of this is part of your preparation
for having a family.
Immerse yourself in your ward or branch
and seek to magnify your callings,
no matter what they may be.
The great purpose of this mortal existence
is to learn to fully love our Heavenly Father
and our neighbor as ourselves.
If we do this with all our might, mind, and strength,
our eternal destiny will be glorious and grand
beyond our capacity to imagine.
Be faithful, and things will work out for you.
That is His eternal promise to all who love and honor Him.
Now, a third question you young people have asked,
and I quote again: "Can I remain faithful?"
There are those who have doubts about God or the Church.
Others give in to temptation that lures them away
from the safety of the straight and narrow pathway
of discipleship.
When I was a pilot, I often saw an interesting weather
phenomenon as I flew between Europe and Africa.
It is called the intertropical convergence,
a band of thunderstorms that moves north and south
across the equator, filling the horizon
with billowing, menacing columns of clouds.
I could scarcely look at these clouds
without being fascinated with their beauty and majesty.
They towered in massive black formations,
and within them lightning sparked with brilliant light
from one end to the other in an indescribable fury of fire.
What a glorious and fascinating sight that was.
But what do you think pilots do when
they approach those storms?
You're right.
They avoid them.
No matter how beautiful and intriguing
they appear, as moisture rises in these clouds,
it begins to freeze, forming hail the size of soccer balls
that can puncture metal and destroy an aircraft.
Severe turbulence and electric discharges
can cripple the airplane and its systems.
Isn't the same principle true when
you see things that could cause spiritual harm?
Temptation wouldn't be temptation
if it didn't appear attractive, fascinating, or even fun.
But like the pilot approaching a storm,
you need to learn to avoid it, no matter how
beautiful or intriguing it may appear.
Because Heavenly Father loves His children,
He has given us the commandments to keep us
at a safe distance from those harmful storms.
He does not force any of His children to walk in His way.
He allows and expects you to choose for yourselves.
But know this.
Some choices lead to disaster.
So choose the right.
I add my witness to the chorus of warnings
against the terrible problem of pornography.
Steer clear of it.
Stay away from it.
The same words we use to train our pilots regarding
thunderstorms, I say to you regarding pornography.
Avoid, avoid, avoid.
Don't assume that you can put the nose of the airplane
just a little bit inside this storm.
Do not flirt with pornography.
Remember that often the most disgusting and destructive
of things can appear attractive in the beginning.
Steer clear of those things that can endanger you.
Now, our next issue.
What about doubts and questions in principle?
How do you find out that the gospel is true?
Is it all right to have questions about the Church
or its doctrine?
My dear young friends, we are a question-asking people.
We have always been because we know
that inquiry leads to truth.
That is the way how the Church got its start, from a young man
who had questions.
In fact, I'm not sure how one can discover truth
without asking questions.
In the scriptures, you will rarely
discover a revelation that didn't
come in response to a question.
Whenever a question arose and Joseph Smith wasn't
sure of the answer, he approached the Lord,
and the result are the wonderful revelations
in the Doctrine and Covenants.
Often the knowledge Joseph received extended far
beyond the original question.
That is because not only can the Lord answer the questions we
ask, but even more importantly, He
can give us answers to questions we should have asked.
Let us listen to those answers.
The missionary effort of the Church
is founded upon honest investigators
asking heartfelt questions.
Inquiry is the birthplace of testimony.
Some might feel embarrassed or unworthy
because they have searching questions regarding the gospel.
But they needn't feel that way.
Asking questions isn't a sign of weakness.
It's a precursor of growth.
God commands us to seek answers to our questions
and asks only that we seek "with a sincere heart,
with real intent, having faith in Christ."
When we do so, the truth of all things can be manifest to us
by the power of the Holy Ghost.
Fear not.
Ask questions.
Be curious.
But doubt not.
Doubt not.
Always hold fast to faith and to the light
you have already received, because we see imperfectly
in mortality.
Not everything is going to make sense right now.
In fact, I should think that if everything did make sense
to us, it would be evidence that it had all
been made up by a mortal mind.
Remember that God has said, "My thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways. ...
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Nevertheless, you know that one of the purposes of mortality
is to become more like your Heavenly
Father in your thoughts and in your ways.
Viewed from this perspective, searching
for answers to your questions can bring you closer to God,
strengthening your testimony instead of shaking it.
It's true that faith is not a perfect knowledge.
But as you exercise your faith, applying gospel principles
every day under any circumstances,
apply those principles wherever you are.
And whenever it is, you will taste
the sweet fruits of the gospel.
And by this fruit, you will know of its truth.
Of course, there will always be voices telling you
that you are foolish to believe that you're swans,
insisting that you are but ugly ducklings
and that you can't expect to become anything else.
But you know better.
You know better.
Because of the revealed word of merciful God,
you have seen your true reflection in the water
and you have felt the eternal glory of that divine spirit
within you.
You are no ordinary beings, my beloved young friends all
around the world.
You are glorious and eternal.
No matter your circumstances or trials in life,
I urge you to remember who you are, where you came from,
and where you are going, for the answers to those questions
will truly provide confidence and direction for your life.
Your Heavenly Father lives.
He knows you.
He speaks to you in these latter days
through prophets and apostles.
President Thomas S. Monson is the Lord's prophet
on earth in our day.
The Church is directed by the Savior, even by Jesus Christ.
I know this.
He's at the head of this Church.
Today I may speak to you with imperfection and with a German
accent, but the words you feel in your heart--I promise you,
the words you feel in your heart and in your mind
and in your soul come to you through the eloquence, purity,
and power of the Holy Ghost.
And by the power of the Holy Ghost,
you can know the truth of all things.
Brothers and sisters, my dear young friends, I love you.
I love you with all my heart.
I'm grateful for you.
I'm grateful for your goodness.
As an Apostle of the Lord, as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus
Christ, our Savior, I bless you individually and collectively
that you may learn to know who you really are
and what you must do and be to live
a happy and fulfilling life.
It is my prayer and blessing that when
you look at your reflection, you will
be able to see beyond imperfections and self-doubts
and recognize who you truly are: glorious sons
and daughters of Almighty God.
In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.