My beloved brothers and sisters, how grateful
I am to be with you this beautiful Easter morning,
when our thoughts turn to the Savior of the world.
I send my love and greetings to each of you
and pray that our Heavenly Father will inspire my words.
This conference marks seven years
since I was sustained as President of the Church.
They have been busy years, filled
not only with a few challenges but also
with countless blessings.
Among the most enjoyable and sacred of these
blessings has been my opportunity
to dedicate and rededicate temples.
Most recently, this past November,
it was my privilege to dedicate the beautiful new Phoenix
Arizona Temple.
I was joined by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Elder Dallin H.
Oaks, Elder Richard J. Maynes, Elder Lynn G. Robbins,
and Elder Kent F. Richards.
On the evening prior to the dedication,
a marvelous cultural celebration was
held, where over four thousand of our youth from the temple
district performed beautifully.
The following day the temple was dedicated in three
sacred and inspiring sessions.
The building of temples is a very clear indication
of the growth of the Church.
We currently have 144 temples in operation
worldwide, with 5 being renovated
and 13 more under construction.
In addition, 13 temples, which were previously announced,
are in various stages of preparation
before construction begins.
This year we anticipate rededicating 2 temples
and dedicating 5 new temples, which
are scheduled for completion.
For the past two years, as we have concentrated
on our efforts in completing previously announced temples,
we have held in advance plans for any additional temples.
This morning, however, I'm very pleased to announce three new
temples will be built in the following locations--Abidjan,
Ivory Coast; Port-au-Prince, Haiti; and Bangkok, Thailand.
What marvelous blessings are in store for our faithful members
in these areas and indeed, wherever temples are
located throughout the world.
The process of determining needs and finding locations
for additional temples is ongoing,
for we desire that as many members as possible
have an opportunity to attend the temple
without great sacrifices of time and resources.
As we have done in the past, we will
keep you informed as decisions are made in this regard.
As I think of temples, my thoughts
turn to the many blessings we receive therein.
As we enter through the doors of the temple,
we leave behind us the distractions and confusion
of the world.
Inside this sacred sanctuary, we find beauty and order.
There is rest for our souls and a respite
from the cares of our lives.
As we attend the temple, there can come to us
a dimension of spirituality and a feeling of peace
which will transcend any other feeling which could
come into the human heart.
We will grasp the true meaning of the words of the Savior
when He said, "Peace I leave with you,
my peace I give unto you.
. . .
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
Such peace can permeate any heart--hearts that are
troubled, hearts that are burdened down with grief,
hearts that feel confusion, hearts that plead for help.
I recently learned firsthand of a young man
who attended the temple with a heart pleading for help.
Many months earlier he had received his call
to serve in a mission in South America.
However, his visa was delayed for such a lengthy period
that he was reassigned to a mission in the United States.
Although disappointed that he could not
serve in the area of his original call,
he nonetheless worked hard in his new assignment,
determined to serve to the best of his ability.
He became discouraged, however, because of negative experiences
he had with missionaries who seemed
to be more interested in having a good time
than in sharing the gospel.
A few short months later this young man
suffered a very serious health challenge
which left him partially paralyzed,
and so he was sent home on medical leave.
Some months later the young man had healed completely,
and his paralysis had disappeared.
He was informed that once again he
would be able to serve as a missionary, a blessing
for which he had prayed daily.
The only disappointing news was that he
would return to the same mission which
he had left, where he felt the behaviors
and attitudes of some missionaries
were less than they should be.
He had come to the temple to seek comfort and a confirmation
that he could have a good experience as a missionary.
His parents, also, had prayed that this temple
visit would provide the help their son needed.
As the young man entered the celestial room following
the session, he sat in a chair and began
to pray for guidance from his Heavenly Father.
Another who entered the celestial room
shortly afterward was a young man whose name is Landon.
As he walked into the room, his gaze
was immediately drawn to the young man
sitting on the chair, eyes closed and obviously praying.
Landon received an unmistakable prompting that he should
speak with the young man.
Hesitant to interrupt, however, he decided to wait.
After several minutes had gone by
and the young man was still praying,
Landon knew he could no longer postpone the prompting.
He approached the young man and gently touched his shoulder.
The young man opened his eyes, startled
that he had been disturbed.
Landon said quietly, "I felt impressed
that I need to talk with you, although I am not certain why."
As they began to converse, the young man
poured out his heart to Landon, explaining his circumstances
and ending with his desire to receive
some comfort and encouragement concerning his mission.
Landon, who had returned from a successful mission just a year
earlier, told of his own mission experiences,
the challenges and concerns he had faced,
the manner in which he turned to the Lord for help,
and the blessings he had received.
His words were comforting and reassuring,
and his enthusiasm for his mission was contagious.
Eventually, as his fears subsided, a feeling of peace
came to the young man.
He felt deep gratitude as he realized
his prayer had been answered.
The two young men prayed together,
and then Landon prepared to leave,
happy that he had listened to the inspiration which
had come to him.
As he stood to go, the young man asked
Landon, "Where did you serve your mission?" (To this point,
neither of them had mentioned to the other
the name of the mission in which he had served.)
When Landon replied with the name of his mission,
tears welled up in the eyes of the young man.
Landon had served in the very mission to which the young man
would be returning!
In a recent letter to me, Landon shared with me the young man's
parting words to him: "I had faith Heavenly Father would
bless me, but I never could have imagined
that He would send someone to help me who
had served in my own mission.
I know now that all will be well."
The humble prayer of a sincere heart
had been heard and answered.
My brothers and sisters, in our lives
we will have temptations; we will
have trials and challenges.
As we go to the temple, as we remember the covenants we make
there, we will be better able to overcome those temptations
and to bear our trials.
In the temple we can find peace.
The blessings of the temple are priceless.
One for which I am grateful every day of my life
is that which my beloved wife, Frances,
and I received as we knelt at a sacred altar
and made covenants binding us together for all eternity.
There is no blessing more precious
to me than the peace and comfort I
receive from the knowledge I have
that she and I will be together again.
May our Heavenly Father bless us that we
may have the spirit of temple worship,
that we may be obedient to His commandments,
and that we may follow carefully the steps of our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ.
I testify that He is our Redeemer.
He is the Son of God.
He it is who came forth from the grave that first Easter
morning, bringing with Him the gift of everlasting life
for all of God's children.
On this beautiful day, as we celebrate that momentous event,
may we offer prayers of gratitude
for His great and marvelous gifts to us.
That this may be so, I pray humbly, in His holy name, amen.