From the Conference Center at Temple Square in Salt Lake
City, this is the Saturday afternoon session
of the 188th Annual General Conference
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
with speakers selected from the General Authorities and General
Officers of the Church.
The music for this session is provided
by a combined choir of students attending
institutes of religion in the Salt Lake City, Utah, area.
This broadcast is furnished as a public service
by Bonneville Distribution.
Any reproduction, recording, transcription,
or other use of this program without written consent
is prohibited.
President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor
in the First Presidency of the Church,
will conduct this session.
Brothers and sisters, we welcome you
to the Saturday afternoon session of the 188th Annual
General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints.
President Russell M. Nelson, who presides at the conference,
has asked me to conduct this session.
We extend our greetings to all who
are in attendance or who are participating by other means.
The music for this session will be
provided by a combined choir of students attending institutes
of religion in the Salt Lake City, Utah,
area, under the direction of Marshall McDonald and Richard
Decker, with Bonnie Goodliffe and Linda Margetts
at the organ.
The choir will open this meeting by singing "Come,
Listen to a Prophet's Voice."
The invocation will then be offered by Elder Mark A.
Bragg of the Seventy.
[MUSIC PLAYING--"COME, LISTEN TO A PROPHET'S VOICE"]
Our kind and dear Heavenly Father,
as we bow our heads before Thee at this time
in this wonderful conference, where we have the time
and opportunity to strengthen our faith in Thee and in Thy
Son and in His Atonement, we give thanks
for this beautiful opportunity.
We're grateful to listen to the voice of a prophet.
We're grateful for President Nelson.
We love him and we sustain him.
And we pray that Thou will bless him and keep him and guide
him and his wonderful counselors and our beloved Apostles
in the Quorum of the Twelve as they guide and lead this Church
under Thy Son's direction.
We're grateful for all who have prepared
to participate in this conference,
and pray that their messages will be received
and that we will act upon those messages.
We give thanks for our marvelous missionaries
throughout the world.
Please bless them and love them; bless them with charity
and guide them with the help of the members
to find those who are willing and anxious to hear
the restored gospel.
We're grateful for the youth of this Church, their strength,
and their example.
Please bless them.
And as they hear the messages of this conference,
may they increase in faith and in their testimonies
and in their confidence to share the messages and the feelings
that they have felt this day.
Finally, we pray for a blessing upon the widows
and the widowers and those who feel the pains of loneliness,
that they might feel of Thy love and of Thy care,
but more importantly, that their family and friends will
be inspired to minister unto them in these coming days.
We love Thee.
We express our gratitude for all of our many blessings.
And we ask for these things humbly in the name
of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, amen.
We note that the Statistical Report, which
has been traditionally been presented
during this session of April general conference,
will now be published on LDS.org immediately following
this meeting and will be included in the conference
issue of the Church magazines.
I will now present some changes in Church leadership
and the General Officers and Area Seventies of the Church
for sustaining vote, after which Brother Kevin R.
Jergensen, managing director of the Church Auditing Department,
will read the Audit Report.
Given their calls to serve as new members of the Quorum
of the Twelve Apostles, it is proposed
that we release Elders Gerrit W. Gong and Ulisses
Soares from serving as members of the Presidency
of the Seventy.
In addition, we extend releases to Elders Craig C. Christensen,
Lynn G. Robbins, and Juan A. Uceda from their service
as members of the Presidency of the Seventy,
to be effective August 1, 2018.
All who wish to express appreciation
to these Brethren for their devoted service,
please so manifest.
It is proposed that we release the following
from their service as Area Seventies:
Steven R. Bangerter, Matthew L. Carpenter, Mathias Held, David
P. Homer, Kyle S. McKay, R. Scott Runia, and Juan Pablo
Villar.
Those who wish to join us in expressing appreciation
to these Brethren for their willing service
may do so with the uplifted hand.
It is proposed that we release, with heartfelt gratitude,
Sisters Bonnie L. Oscarson, Carol F. McConkie, and Neill F.
Marriott as the Young Women General Presidency.
We likewise extend releases to members of the Young Women
general board, who have served so well.
All who wish to join us in expressing appreciation
to these sisters for their remarkable service
and devotion, please manifest it.
It is proposed that we release Sister Bonnie H.
Cordon from serving as First Counselor
in the Primary General Presidency.
Those who wish to show appreciation to Sister Cordon
may do so by the uplifted hand.
It is proposed that we sustain the following
to serve as members of the Presidency of the Seventy,
effective immediately: Elders Carl B. Cook and Robert C. Gay.
The following will also serve as members
of the Presidency of the Seventy,
effective August 1, 2018: Elders Terence M. Vinson, Jose A.
Teixeira, and Carlos A. Godoy.
Those in favor, please manifest it.
Those opposed, if any.
It is proposed that we sustain the following as new General
Authority Seventies: Steven R. Bangerter, Matthew L.
Carpenter, Jack N. Gerard, Mathias Held, David P.
Homer, Kyle S. McKay, Juan Pablo Villar, and Takashi Wada.
All in favor, please manifest it.
Those opposed, by the same sign.
It is proposed that we sustain the following
as new Area Seventies: Richard K. Ahadjie, Alberto A.
Alvarez, Duane D. Bell, Glenn Burgess, Victor R.
Calderon, Ariel E. Chaparro, Daniel Cordova, John N.
Craig, Michael Cziesla, William H. Davis, Richard J.
DeVries, Kylar G. Dominguez, Sean Douglas, Michael A.
Dunn, Kenneth J. Firmage, Edgar Flores, Saulo G. Franco, Carlos
A. Genaro, Mark A. Gilmour, Sergio A. Gomez, Roberto
Gonzalez, Virgilio Gonzalez, Spencer R. Griffin, Matthew S.
Harding, David J. Harris, Kevin J. Hathaway, Richard Holzapfel,
Eustache Ilunga, Okechukwu Imo, Peter M. Johnson, Michael D.
Jones, Pungwe Kongolo, George Kenneth G. Lee, Aretemio C.
Maligon, Edgar A. Mantilla, Lincoln P. Martins, Clement M.
Matswagothata, Carl R. Maurer, Daniel S. Mehr II,
Glen D. Mella, Isaac K. Morrison, Yutaka Nagatomo,
Allistair B. Odgers, R. Jeffrey Parker, Denis E. Pineda,
Henrique S. Simplicio, Jeffrey H. Singer, Michael L. Staheli,
Djarot Subiantoro, Jeffrey K. Wetzel, Michael S. Wilstead,
Helmut Wondra, and David L. Wright.
All in favor, please manifest it.
Those opposed, if any.
It is proposed that we sustain Bonnie H. Cordon to serve
as Young Women General President,
with Michelle Lynn Craig as First Counselor
and Rebecca Lynn Craven as Second Counselor.
Those in favor may manifest it.
Any opposed may so signify.
It is proposed that we sustain Lisa Rene
Harkness to serve as First Counselor
in the Primary General Presidency.
Those in favor may manifest it.
Those opposed, if any.
It is proposed that we sustain the other General Authorities,
Area Seventies, and General Auxiliary Presidencies
as presently constituted.
All in favor, please manifest it.
Those opposed, if any.
President Nelson, the voting has been noted.
We invite those who may have opposed any of the proposals
to contact their stake presidents.
With the sustaining that has just taken place,
we now have 116 General Authorities.
Nearly 40 percent of them were born outside the United States,
in Germany, Brazil, Mexico, New Zealand, Scotland, Canada,
South Korea, Guatemala, Argentina, Italy, Zimbabwe,
Uruguay, Peru, South Africa, American Samoa, England,
Puerto Rico, Australia, Venezuela, Kenya,
the Philippines, Portugal, Fiji, China, Japan, Chile, Colombia,
and France.
Brothers and sisters, we thank you
for your continued faith and prayers in behalf
of the leaders of the Church.
We now invite the new General Authority Seventies,
the new Young Women General Presidency, and Sister Harkness
of the Primary General Presidency
to take their seats on the rostrum.
As announced, Kevin R. Jergensen will now read the Church Audit
Report for 2017.
To the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints:
Dear Brethren: As directed by revelation
in section 120 of the Doctrine and Covenants,
the Council on the Disposition of the Tithes,
composed of the First Presidency, the Quorum
of the Twelve Apostles, and the Presiding Bishopric,
authorizes the expenditure of Church funds.
Church entities disburse funds in accordance
with approved budgets, policies, and procedures.
Church Auditing, which consists of credentialed professionals
and is independent of all other Church departments,
has responsibility to perform audits
for the purpose of providing reasonable assurance regarding
contributions received, expenditures made,
and safeguarding of Church assets.
Based upon audits performed, Church Auditing
is of the opinion that in all material respects,
contributions received, expenditures made,
and assets of the Church for the year 2017
have been recorded and administered
in accordance with approved Church budgets, policies,
and accounting practices.
The Church follows the practices taught
to its members of living within a budget,
avoiding debt, and saving against a time of need.
Respectfully submitted, Church Auditing Department.
Kevin R. Jergensen, managing director.
Thank you.
The choir will now favor us with "Where Can I Turn for Peace?"
After the singing, we will be pleased to hear
from Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles.
He will be followed by Elder Taylor G. Godoy of the Seventy.
[MUSIC PLAYING--"WHERE CAN I TURN FOR PEACE?"]
I rejoice in the opportunity to sustain our Church leaders,
and I wholeheartedly welcome Elder Gong and Elder Soares
to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
The ministries of these faithful men
will bless individuals and families all over the earth.
And I am eager to serve with and learn from them.
I pray that the Holy Ghost will teach and enlighten us
as we now learn together about a vital aspect of the Savior's
divine nature that each of us should strive to emulate.
I will present several examples that highlight this Christlike
quality before identifying the specific attribute later
in my message.
Please listen to each example and consider with me
possible answers to the questions I will pose.
Example number 1: In the New Testament
we learn about a rich young man who asked Jesus,
"Good Master, what good thing shall I do,
that I may have eternal life?"
The Savior first admonished him to keep the commandments.
The Master next gave the young man
an additional requirement customized
to his specific needs and circumstances.
"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell
that thou hast, and give to the poor,
and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
"But when the young man heard that saying,
he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions."
Compare the response of the rich young man
with the experience of Amulek, as described
in the Book of Mormon.
Amulek was an industrious and prosperous man
with many kindreds and friends.
He described himself as a man who was called many times
but would not hear, a man who knew the things of God
but would not know.
A basically good man, Amulek was distracted
by worldly concerns much like the rich young man
described in the New Testament.
Even though he had previously hardened his heart,
Amulek obeyed the voice of an angel,
received the prophet Alma in his home,
and provided nourishment to him.
He was spiritually awakened during Alma's visit
and was called to preach the gospel.
Alma then forsook "all his gold, and silver,
and his precious things ...
for the word of God, [and was] rejected by
those who were once his friends and also
by his father and his kindred."
What do you think explains the difference
between the responses of the rich young man and Amulek?
Example number 2: During a perilous period
of war described in the Book of Mormon, an exchange of epistles
occurred between Moroni, the captain of the Nephite armies,
and Pahoran, the chief judge and governor of the land.
Moroni, whose army was suffering because of inadequate support
from the government, wrote to Pahoran
"by the way of condemnation" and accused
him and his fellow leaders of thoughtlessness, slothfulness,
neglect, and even being traitors.
Pahoran easily might have resented Moroni
and his inaccurate allegations, but he did not.
He responded compassionately and described a rebellion
against the government about which Moroni was not aware.
And then Pahoran declared, "Behold, I say unto you,
Moroni, that I do not joy in your great afflictions, yea,
it grieves my soul. ...
"In your epistle you have censured me,
but it mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice
in the greatness of your heart."
What do you think explains Pahoran's measured reply
to Moroni's accusations?
Example number 3: In general conference six months ago,
President Russell M. Nelson described his response
to President Thomas S. Monson's invitation
to study, ponder, and apply the truths contained
in the Book of Mormon.
He said: "I have tried to follow his counsel.
Among other things, I've made lists
of what the Book of Mormon is, what it affirms,
what it refutes, what it fulfills, what it clarifies,
and what it reveals.
Looking at the Book of Mormon through these lenses has been
...
insightful and inspiring ... !
I recommend it to each of you."
In the same conference, President Henry B. Eyring
likewise emphasized the importance
in his life of President Monson's request.
He observed: "I have read the Book of Mormon every day
for more than 50 years.
So perhaps I could have reasonably thought
that President Monson's words were for someone else.
Yet, like many of you, I felt the prophet's encouragement
and his promise invite me to make a greater effort. ...
"The happy result for me, and for many of you,
has been what the prophet promised."
What do you think explains the immediate and heartfelt
responses to President Monson's invitation
by these two leaders of the Lord's Church?
I am not suggesting that the spiritually strong responses
of Amulek, Pahoran, President Nelson, and President Eyring
are explained by only one Christlike quality.
Certainly, many interrelated attributes and experiences
led to the spiritual maturity reflected in the lives
of these four noble servants.
But the Savior and His prophets have highlighted
an essential quality that all of us
need to more fully understand and strive
to incorporate into our lives.
Please notice the characteristic the Lord
used to describe Himself in the following scripture:
"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;
for I am meek and lowly in heart:
and ye shall find rest unto your souls."
Instructively, the Savior chose to emphasize meekness
from among all the attributes and virtues He potentially
could have selected.
A similar pattern is evident in a revelation received
by the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1829.
The Lord declared, "Learn of me, and listen to my words;
walk in the meekness of my Spirit,
and you shall have peace in me."
Meekness is a defining attribute of the Redeemer
and is distinguished by righteous responsiveness,
willing submissiveness, and strong self-restraint.
This quality helps us to understand more completely
the respective reactions of Amulek, Pahoran, President
Nelson, and President Eyring.
For example, President Nelson and President Eyring
righteously and rapidly responded
to President Monson's encouragement to read and study
the Book of Mormon.
Though both men were serving in important and visible Church
positions and had studied the scriptures extensively
for decades, they demonstrated in their responses
no hesitation or sense of self-importance.
Amulek willingly submitted to God's will,
accepted a call to preach the gospel,
and left behind his comfortable circumstances
and familiar relationships.
And Pahoran was blessed with perspective
and strong self-restraint to act rather than react
as he explained to Moroni the challenges arising
from a rebellion against the government.
The Christlike quality of meekness
often is misunderstood in our contemporary world.
Meekness is strong, not weak; active,
not passive; courageous, not timid;
restrained, not excessive; modest, not self-aggrandizing;
and gracious, not brash.
A meek person is not easily provoked, pretentious,
or overbearing and readily acknowledges
the accomplishments of others.
Whereas humility denotes generally a dependence upon God
and the constant need for His guidance and support,
a distinguishing characteristic of meekness
is a particular spiritual receptivity
to learning both from the Holy Ghost and from people
who may seem less capable, experienced,
or educated, who may not hold important positions,
or who otherwise may not appear to have much to contribute.
Recall how Naaman, captain of the king's army in Syria,
overcame his pride and meekly accepted
the advice of his servants to obey Elisha
the prophet and wash in the river Jordan seven times.
Meekness is the principal protection
from the prideful blindness that often
arises from prominence, position, power, wealth,
and adulation.
Meekness is an attribute developed through desire,
the righteous exercise of moral agency,
and striving always to retain a remission of our sins.
It also is a spiritual gift for which we appropriately
can seek.
We should remember, however, the purposes for which
such a blessing is given, even to benefit and serve
the children of God.
As we come unto and follow the Savior,
we increasingly and incrementally
are enabled to become more like Him.
We are empowered by the Spirit with disciplined self-restraint
and a settled and calm demeanor.
Thus, meek is what we become as disciples of the Master and not
just something we do.
Moses "was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians,
and was mighty in words and in deeds."
Yet he "was very meek, above all the men
which were upon the face of the earth."
His knowledge and competence could
have caused him to be prideful.
Instead, the attribute and spiritual gift
of meekness with which he was blessed
attenuated arrogance in his life and magnified Moses
as an instrument to accomplish God's purposes.
The most majestic and meaningful examples of meekness
are found in the life of the Savior Himself.
The Great Redeemer, who "descended below all things"
and suffered, bled, and died "to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness," tenderly
washed the dusty feet of His disciples.
Such meekness is a hallmark characteristic
of the Lord as a servant and leader.
Jesus provides the ultimate example of righteous
responsiveness and willing submission
as He suffered intense agony in Gethsemane.
"And when he was at the place, he said unto [His disciples],
Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
"And he ...
kneeled down, and prayed,
"Saying, Father, if thou be willing,
remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will,
but thine, be done."
The Savior's meekness in this eternally
essential and excruciating experience
demonstrates for each of us the importance
of putting the wisdom of God above our own wisdom.
The consistency of the Lord's willing submission
and strong self-restraint is both awe-inspiring and
instructive for us all.
As an armed company of temple guardsmen and Roman soldiers
arrived at Gethsemane to seize and arrest Jesus,
Peter drew his sword and cut off the right ear
of the high priest's servant.
The Savior then touched the servant's ear and healed him.
Please note that He reached out and blessed
His potential captor using the same heavenly power that
could have prevented Him from being captured and crucified.
Consider also how the Master was accused and condemned
before Pilate to be crucified.
Jesus had declared during His betrayal,
"Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father,
and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions
of angels?"
Yet the "Eternal Judge of both quick and dead" paradoxically
was judged before a temporary political appointee.
"And [Jesus] answered him to never a word; insomuch
that the governor marvelled greatly."
The Savior's meekness is evidenced
in His disciplined response, strong restraint,
and unwillingness to exert His infinite power
for personal benefit.
Mormon identifies meekness as the foundation
from which all spiritual capacities and gifts arise.
"Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope;
for without faith there cannot be any hope.
"And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith
and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart.
"If so, his faith and hope is vain,
for none is acceptable before God,
save the meek and lowly in heart;
and if a man be meek and lowly in heart,
and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost
that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs
have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing;
wherefore he must needs have charity."
The Savior declared, "Blessed are the meek:
for they shall inherit the earth."
Meekness is an essential aspect of the divine nature
and can be received and developed in our lives
because of and through the Savior's Atonement.
I testify that Jesus Christ is our resurrected and living
Redeemer.
And I promise that He will guide, protect, and strengthen
us as we walk in the meekness of His spirit.
I declare my sure witness of these truths and promises
in the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.
A few years ago, my friends had a beautiful baby named Brigham.
After his birth, Brigham was diagnosed with a rare condition
called Hunter syndrome, which sadly meant that Brigham
would have a short life.
One day while Brigham and his family
were visiting the temple grounds,
Brigham pronounced a particular phrase;
twice he said, "One more day."
The very next day, Brigham passed away.
I have visited Brigham's grave a few times, and every time I do,
I contemplate the phrase "one more day."
I wonder what it would mean, what effect
it would have in my life to know that I had only one more day
to live.
How would I treat my wife, my children, and others?
How patient and polite would I be?
How would I take care of my body?
How fervently would I pray and search the scriptures?
I think that in one way or another we all, at some point,
will have a "one more day" realization--a realization that
we must use wisely the time we have.
In the Old Testament we read the story
of Hezekiah, king of Judah.
The prophet Isaiah announced to Hezekiah
that Hezekiah's life was about to end.
When he heard the prophet's words,
Hezekiah began to pray, plead, and weep sorely.
On that occasion Jehovah added 15 years to Hezekiah's life.
If we were to be told we had a short time to live,
we too may plead for more days of life
in the name of things we should have done or done differently.
Regardless of the time the Lord, in His wisdom,
determines to grant each of us, of one thing we can be sure:
we all have a "today" to live, and the key
to making our day successful is to be willing to sacrifice.
The Lord said, "Behold, now it is called today
until the coming of the Son of Man,
and verily it is a day of sacrifice."
The word sacrifice comes from the Latin words sacer,
which means sacred, and facere, which means to make--in other
words, to make things sacred, to bring honor to them.
"Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven."
In what ways will sacrifice make our days
meaningful and blessed?
First, personal sacrifice strengthens us
and gives value to the things we sacrifice for.
Some years ago on fast Sunday, an elderly sister
came to the pulpit to share her testimony.
She lived in the city called Iquitos,
which is the Peruvian Amazon.
She told us that from the time of her baptism,
she had always had the goal of receiving the ordinances
of the temple in Lima, Peru.
She faithfully paid a full tithe and saved her meager income
for years.
Her joy upon going to the temple and receiving
the sacred ordinances therein was expressed in these words:
"Today I can say that I finally feel
ready to go through the veil.
I am the happiest woman in the world; I have saved money,
you have no idea for how long, to visit the temple,
and after seven days on the river and 18 hours by bus,
I was finally in the house of the Lord.
When leaving that holy place, I said to myself,
after all the sacrifice that has been required for me to come
to the temple, I will not let anything
make me take lightly every covenant I made;
it would be a waste.
This is a very serious commitment!"
I learned from this sweet sister that personal sacrifice
is an invaluable force that drives our decisions
and our determinations.
Personal sacrifice drives our actions, our commitments,
and covenants and gives sacred things meaning.
Second, sacrifice we make for others,
and that others make for us, results in blessings for all.
When I was a student in dental school,
the financial outlook of our local economy
was not very encouraging.
Inflation dramatically decreased the value of currency
from one day to the next.
I remember the year when I was to enroll in surgery practices;
I needed to have all the necessary surgical equipment
before enrolling that semester.
My parents saved the needed funds.
But one night something dramatic happened.
We went to buy the equipment, only to discover that
the amount of money we had to buy all the equipment now was
sufficient to buy only a pair of surgical tweezers--and nothing
else.
We returned home with empty hands and with heavy hearts
at the thought of my losing a semester of college.
Suddenly, however, my mother said, "Taylor, come with me;
let's go out."
We went downtown where there were many places that
buy and sell jewelry.
When we arrived at one store, my mother took out of her purse
a small blue velvet bag containing a beautiful gold
bracelet with an inscription that read, "To my dear
daughter from your father."
It was a bracelet that my grandfather had given her
on one of her birthdays.
Then, before my eyes, she sold it.
When she received the money she told me,
"If there is one thing I am sure of,
it is that you are going to be a dentist.
Go and buy all the equipment you need."
Now, brothers and sisters, can you
imagine what kind of student I became from that moment on?
I wanted to be the best and finish my studies soon
because I knew the high cost of the sacrifice she was making.
I learned that the sacrifice our loved ones
make for us refresh us like cool water
in the middle of the desert.
Such sacrifice brings hope and motivation.
Third, any sacrifice we make is small
compared to the sacrifice of the Son of God.
What is the value of even a beloved gold
bracelet compared to the sacrifice
of the very Son of God?
How can we honor that infinite sacrifice?
Each day we can remember that we have "one more
day" to live and be faithful.
Amulek taught, "Yea, I would that ye
would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer;
for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation;
and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts,
immediately shall the great plan of redemption
be brought about unto you."
In other words, if we will offer to the Lord
the sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit,
immediately the blessings of the great plan of happiness
are manifest in our lives.
The plan of redemption is possible
thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
As He Himself described, the sacrifice "caused myself,
even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain,
and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body
and spirit--and would that I might not drink the bitter cup,
and shrink."
And it is because of this sacrifice,
after following the process of sincere repentance,
that we can feel the weight of our mistakes and sins lifted.
In fact, guilt, shame, pain, sorrow, and looking down at
ourselves are replaced with a clear conscience, happiness,
joy, and hope.
At the same time, as we honor and are
grateful for His sacrifice, we can receive in a great measure
the intense desire to be better children of God,
to stay away from sin, and to keep the covenants like never
before.
Then, like Enos after receiving the forgiveness of his sins,
we will feel the desire to sacrifice ourselves
and to seek the well-being of our brothers and sisters.
And we will be more willing every "one more day"
to follow the invitation that President Howard
Hunter extended to us when he said: "Mend a quarrel.
Seek out a forgotten friend.
Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. ...
Give a soft answer.
Encourage youth.
Manifest your loyalty in word and deed.
Keep a promise.
Forgo a grudge.
Forgive an enemy.
Apologize.
Try to understand.
Examine your demands on others.
Think first of someone else.
Be kind.
Be gentle.
Laugh a little more.
Express your gratitude.
Welcome a stranger.
Gladden the heart of a child. ...
Speak your love and then speak it again."
May we fill our days with that impulse and the strength
that personal sacrifice and the sacrifice that we make
or receive from others give us.
And in a special way, may we enjoy the peace and rejoicing
that the sacrifice of the Only Begotten offers us: yes,
that peace that is mentioned when we read that Adam fell
that men might be, and men are--you are--that you might
have joy.
That joy is real joy that only the sacrifice
and the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ can provide.
It is my prayer that we follow Him, that we believe Him,
that we love Him, and that we feel the love demonstrated
by His sacrifice every time we have the opportunity
to live one more day.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
In reading that long list of names,
I inadvertently omitted the names
of two men we also invite you to sustain as Area Seventies:
Silvio Flores, Victor Patrick.
All who can sustain them in this calling, please
indicate by raised hand.
Any opposed.
Thank you.
The congregation will now join the choir in singing "Choose
the Right."
After the singing, we will hear from Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson,
who was just released from serving as Young Women General
President.
She will be followed by Elder Taniela B.
Wakolo of the Seventy.
Brother Devin G. Durrant, First Counselor in the Sunday School
Presidency, will then address us,
and the choir will sing a medley of "As Zion's Youth in Latter
Days" and "The Iron Rod."
This is the 188th Annual General Conference
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
[MUSIC PLAYING--"CHOOSE THE RIGHT"]
A year ago, in the general priesthood session
of conference, Bishop Gerald Causse
spoke to the men of the Church, describing
how Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood
holders are inseparable partners in accomplishing
the work of salvation.
That message has been a great blessing
in helping the young men who hold the Aaronic Priesthood see
the part they play in building the kingdom of God
on this earth.
Their joint service strengthens the Church
and brings about deeper conversion and commitment
in the hearts of our young men as they
see the value of their contribution
and how magnificent this work is.
Today I would like for my remarks
to be a bookend to that message as I
talk about the young women of the Church, who
are equally needed and essential in accomplishing
the work of the Lord in their families and in the Church.
Like Bishop Causse, I lived in a small branch of the Church
during a good part of my teen years,
and I was often asked to fulfill assignments and callings that
normally would have been done by adults.
For example, those of us in the youth program
often took the lead in helping organize and run
our activities and special events.
We wrote plays, formed a singing group to entertain
at branch activities, and were full participants
in every meeting.
I was called to be the branch music leader
and led the singing in sacrament meeting each week.
It was a great experience as a 16-year-old
to stand in front of everyone in the branch each
Sunday and lead them in singing the hymns.
I felt needed and knew I had something to contribute.
People depended on me to be there,
and I loved feeling useful.
That experience helped build my testimony of Jesus Christ,
and just as it did for Bishop Causse,
it anchored my life in gospel service.
Each member should know how much he or she is needed.
Each person has something important to contribute
and has unique talents and abilities
that help move this important work along.
Our young men have Aaronic Priesthood duties
described in the Doctrine and Covenants
that are rather visible.
It may be less obvious to the young women
of the Church, their parents, and their leaders
that from the time they are baptized,
young women have covenant responsibilities "to mourn
with those that mourn; yea, and comfort
those that stand in need of comfort,
and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things,
and in all places that [they] may be in, even until death."
Young women have opportunities to fulfill
these responsibilities in their wards and branches
and when they serve in class presidencies,
on youth councils, and in other callings.
Every young woman in the Church should feel valued,
have opportunities to serve, and feel
that she has something of worth to contribute to this work.
In Handbook 2, we learn that the work of salvation
within our wards includes "member missionary work,
convert retention, activation of less-active members, temple
and family history work, and teaching the gospel."
This work is directed by our faithful bishops, who hold
priesthood keys for their ward.
For many years now our presidency
has been asking the question, "Which of these areas
mentioned should our young women not be involved in?"
The answer is that they have something to contribute
in all areas of this work.
For example, I recently met several young women
in the Las Vegas area who have been
called to serve as ward temple and family history consultants.
They were glowing with enthusiasm
about being able to teach and help members of their ward
find their ancestors.
They had valuable skills on the computer,
had learned how to use FamilySearch,
and were excited to share that knowledge with others.
It was clear that they had testimonies
and an understanding of the importance of seeking out
the names of our deceased ancestors
so that essential saving ordinances can be performed
for them in the temple.
Several months ago, I had the opportunity
to test an idea with two 14-year-old young women.
I obtained copies of two actual ward council agendas
and gave Emma and Maggie each a copy.
I asked them to read over the agendas
and see if there were any action items from the ward councils
in which they might be able to be of service.
Emma saw that a new family was moving into the ward,
and she said she thought she could help them move in
and unpack.
She thought she could befriend the children in the family
and show them around their new school.
She saw there was a ward dinner coming up
and felt there were many different ways she
could offer her services there.
Maggie saw that there were several elderly people
in the ward who needed visits and fellowshipping.
She said she would love to visit with and be
of help to these wonderful older members.
She also felt she could help teach members of the ward
how to set up and use social media accounts.
There really wasn't one thing on those agendas
with which those two young women could not help!
Do those who sit on ward councils,
or hold any calling in the ward, see the young women
as valuable resources to help fill the many needs
within our wards?
There is usually a long list of situations that require someone
to serve, and we often only think of the adults in the ward
to meet those needs.
Just as our Aaronic Priesthood holders
have been invited to labor with their fathers
and other men of the Melchizedek Priesthood,
our young women can be called upon to provide service
and minister to the needs of ward members with their mothers
or other exemplary sisters.
They are capable, eager, and willing to do so much more
than merely attend church on Sundays!
As we consider the roles that our young women will
be expected to assume in the near future,
we might ask ourselves what kind of experiences
we could provide for them now that will
help with their preparation to be missionaries, gospel
scholars, leaders in the Church auxiliaries,
temple workers, wives, mothers, mentors, examples, and friends.
They can actually begin now to fill many of those roles.
Youth are often asked to help teach lessons
on Sunday in their classes.
Opportunities are now available for our young women
to perform service in the temple previously completed
by ordinance workers or volunteers
when they attend with their youth groups
to perform baptisms for the dead.
Our Primary-age girls are now invited
to attend Temple and Priesthood Preparation meetings, which
will help them understand that they too
are important participants in priesthood-directed work.
They are learning that men, women, youth, and children are
all recipients of priesthood blessings,
and all can take an active role in moving forward
the Lord's work.
Bishops, we know your duties are often heavy,
but just as one of your highest priorities
is to preside over the Aaronic Priesthood quorums,
Handbook 2 explains that "the bishop and his counselors
provide priesthood leadership for the Young Women
organization.
They watch over and strengthen individual young women,
working closely with parents and Young Women
leaders in this effort."
It also states that "the bishop and his counselors
regularly participate in Young Women meetings, service,
and activities."
We are grateful for bishops who take the time to visit Young
Women classes and who provide opportunities for young women
to be more than mere spectators of the work.
Thank you for making sure your young women are
valued participants in meeting the needs of ward members!
These opportunities to serve in meaningful ways
bless them much more than activities in which they
are just entertained.
To you, the young women of the Church, your teenage years
can be busy and often challenging.
We have noticed that many more of you
are struggling with issues of self-worth, anxiety,
high levels of stress, and perhaps even depression.
Turning your thoughts outward, instead of
dwelling on your own problems, may not
resolve all of these issues, but service can often
lighten your burdens and make your challenges seem less hard.
One of the best ways to increase feelings of self-worth
is to show, through our concern and service to others,
that we have much of worth to contribute.
I encourage you young women to raise your hands to volunteer
and to put those hands to work when you see needs around you.
As you fulfill your covenant responsibilities
and participate in building the kingdom of God,
blessings will flow into your life
and you'll discover the deep and lasting joy of discipleship.
Brothers and sisters, our young women are amazing.
They have talents, unlimited enthusiasm, and energy,
and they are compassionate and caring.
They want to be of service.
They need to know they are valued and essential
in the work of salvation.
Just as young men prepare in the Aaronic Priesthood for greater
service as they advance into the Melchizedek Priesthood,
our young women are preparing to become members of the greatest
women's organization on the earth--the Relief Society.
Together, these beautiful, strong, faithful young women
and young men are preparing to be wives and husbands
and mothers and fathers who will raise
families worthy of the celestial kingdom of God.
I testify that the work of our Heavenly Father
is to bring about the immortality and eternal life
of His children.
Our precious young women have an important role
to play in helping to accomplish this great work.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Brothers and sisters, I rejoice with you in the gospel,
or the doctrine of Christ.
A friend once asked Elder Neil L. Andersen,
then of the Seventy, how it felt to speak
in front of 21,000 people at the Conference Center.
Elder Andersen replied, "It is not
the 21,000 people who make you nervous;
it is the 15 Brethren seated behind you."
I chuckled then, but I feel it now.
How I love and sustain these 15 men as prophets, seers,
and revelators.
The Lord told Abraham that through his seed and through
the priesthood, all the families of the earth would be blessed
with the "blessings of the Gospel, ...
even of life eternal."
These promised blessings of the gospel and the priesthood
were restored to the earth, and then in 1842
the Prophet Joseph Smith administered the endowment
to a limited number of men and women.
Mercy Fielding Thompson was one of them.
The Prophet said to her, "This [endowment]
will bring you out of darkness into marvelous light."
Today I want to focus on saving ordinances--which will bring
you and me marvelous light.
In True to the Faith we read: "An ordinance
is a sacred, formal act performed by the authority
of the priesthood.
[The] ordinances [that] are essential to our exaltation ...
are called saving ordinances.
They include baptism, confirmation,
ordination to the Melchizedek Priesthood (for men),
the temple endowment, and the marriage sealing."
Elder David A. Bednar taught, "The ordinances of salvation
and exaltation administered in the Lord's restored Church ...
constitute authorized channels through which
the blessings and powers of heaven
can flow into our individual lives."
Like two sides to a coin, all the saving ordinances
are accompanied by covenants with God.
God promised us blessings if we faithfully
honor those covenants.
The prophet Amulek declared, "This ...
is the time ...
to prepare to meet God."
How do we prepare?
By worthily receiving ordinances.
We must also, in President Russell M. Nelson's words,
"keep on the covenant path."
President Nelson continued, "Your commitment
to follow the Savior by making covenants with Him
and then keeping those covenants will
open the door to every spiritual blessing
and privilege available to men, women, and children
everywhere."
John and Bonnie Newman, like many of you,
are recipients of the spiritual blessings
President Nelson promised.
One Sunday, after attending church with her three young
children, Bonnie said to John, who was not a member
of the Church, "I cannot do this on my own.
You need to decide whether you come to my church
with us or you choose a church that we can go to together,
but the children need to know that their dad loves God too."
The following Sunday and every Sunday
after, John not only attended; he also served,
playing the piano for many wards, branches, and Primaries
over the years.
I had the privilege of meeting with John in April 2015,
and in that meeting we discussed that the best
way he could manifest his love for Bonnie
was to take her to the temple, but that could not
happen unless he was baptized.
After attending The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints for 39 years,
John was baptized in 2015.
A year later John and Bonnie were
sealed in the Memphis Tennessee Temple,
20 years after she had received her own endowment.
Their 47-year-old son, Robert, said of his dad,
"Dad has really, really blossomed since he
received the priesthood."
Bonnie added, "John has always been a happy and cheerful
person, but receiving the ordinances
and honoring his covenants has enhanced his gentleness."
Many years ago, President Boyd K. Packer warned,
"Good conduct without the ordinances of the gospel
will neither redeem nor exalt mankind."
In fact, we need not only the ordinances and covenants
to return to our Father, but we also
need His Son, Jesus Christ, and His Atonement.
King Benjamin taught that only in
and through the name of Christ can salvation come unto
the children of men.
Through His Atonement, Jesus Christ
redeemed us from the consequences
of the Fall of Adam and made possible our repentance
and eventual exaltation.
Through His life, He set the example for us to receive
saving ordinances--in which "the power of godliness is
manifest."
After the Savior received the ordinance of baptism
to "fulfil all righteousness," Satan tempted Him.
Likewise, our temptations do not end
after baptism or sealing, but receiving the sacred ordinances
and honoring the associated covenants fill us
with marvelous light and give us strength to resist and overcome
temptations.
Isaiah prophesied that in the latter days,
"the earth also is defiled ...
because they have ...
changed the ordinance."
A related warning, revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith,
was that some "draw near to [the Lord] with their lips, ...
they teach for doctrines the commandments of men,
having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof."
Paul also warned that many would have "a form of godliness,
but [deny] the power thereof: from such turn away."
I repeat, from such turn away.
The many distractions and temptations of life
are like "ravening wolves."
It is the true shepherd who will prepare, protect, and warn
the sheep in the flock when these wolves are approaching.
As undershepherds who seek to emulate
the perfect life of the Good Shepherd,
aren't we shepherds of our own soul as well as of others?
With the counsel of prophets, seers, and revelators,
whom we just sustained, and with the power and gift
of the Holy Ghost, we can see the wolves coming if we
are watchful and prepared.
In contrast, when we are a casual shepherd of our own soul
and others' souls, casualties are likely.
Casualness leads to casualties.
I invite us to each be a faithful shepherd.
The sacrament is an ordinance that helps us stay on the path,
and worthily partaking is evidence
that we are keeping the covenants associated
with all the other ordinances.
A few years ago, while my wife, Anita, and I
were serving in the Arkansas Little Rock Mission,
I went out to teach with two young missionaries.
During the lesson, the good brother we were teaching
said, "I have been to your church; why do you
have to eat bread and drink water every Sunday?
In our church, we do it twice a year, Easter and Christmas,
and that is very meaningful."
We shared with him that we are commanded to "meet together oft
to partake of bread and wine."
We read out loud Matthew 26 and 3 Nephi chapter 18.
He responded that he still did not see the necessity.
We then shared the following comparison: "Imagine you
are involved in a very serious car accident.
You have been injured and are unconscious.
Someone runs by, seeing that you are unconscious,
dials the emergency number, 911.
You are attended to and regain consciousness."
We asked this brother, "When you are
able to recognize your surroundings,
what questions will you have?"
He said, "I will want to know how I got there
and who found me.
I will want to thank him every day because he saved my life."
We shared with this good brother how the Savior saved our lives
and how we need to thank Him every day, every day,
every day!
We then asked, "Knowing that He gave His life for you and us,
how often do you want to eat the bread
and drink the water as emblems of His body and blood?"
He said, "I get it, I get it, but one more thing.
Your church is not lively like ours."
To that we responded, "What would you
do if the Savior Jesus Christ walked through that door?"
He said, "Immediately, I would go down to my knees."
We asked, "Isn't that what you feel when you walk
into Latter-day Saint chapels--reverence
for the Savior?"
He said, "I get it, I get it, I get it!"
He showed up at church that Easter Sunday
and kept returning.
I invite each of us to ask ourselves,
"What ordinances, including the sacrament,
do I need to receive, and what covenants do I
need to make, keep, and honor?"
I promise that participating in ordinances
and honoring the associated covenants
will bring you marvelous light and protection
in this ever-darkening world.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
My dear wife, Julie, and I have raised six precious children,
and we recently became empty nesters.
How I miss having our children in our home
on a full-time basis.
I miss learning from them and teaching them.
Today I direct my remarks to all parents and all
who desire to be parents.
Many of you are raising children now.
For others, that time might come soon.
And for still others, parenthood may be a future blessing.
I pray we all recognize the joyful and sacred
responsibility it is to teach a child.
As parents, we introduce our children
to Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.
We help our children say their first prayer.
We offer guidance and support as they enter the covenant path
through baptism.
We teach them to obey God's commandments.
We educate them about His plan for His children,
and we help them recognize the whisperings of the Holy Ghost.
We tell them stories of ancient prophets
and encourage them to follow living ones.
We pray for their triumphs and ache with them
during their trials.
We testify to our children of temple blessings,
and we strive to prepare them well
to serve full-time missions.
We offer loving counsel as our children become parents
themselves.
But--even then--we never stop being their parents.
We never stop being their teachers.
We are never released from these eternal callings.
Today let's contemplate a few of the wonderful opportunities we
have to teach our children in our homes.
Let's begin with family home evening,
which was a high priority in the faith-filled home where
I was raised.
I don't remember specific lessons taught at family home
evening, but I do remember that we never missed a week.
I knew what was important to my parents.
I recall one of my favorite family home evening activities.
Dad would invite one of his children to take "The Test."
He would give the child a series of instructions
like, "First, go into the kitchen
and open and close the fridge.
Then run into my bedroom and grab a pair of socks
from my dresser.
Then come back to me, jump up and down three times, and say,
'Dad, I did it!'"
I loved it when it was my turn.
I wanted to get every step just right,
and I cherished the moment when I could say, "Dad, I did it!"
This activity helped build my confidence
and made it easier for a restless boy
to pay attention when Mom or Dad taught a gospel principle.
President Gordon B. Hinckley counseled:
"If you have any doubt about the virtue of family home evening,
try it.
Gather your children about you, teach them,
bear testimony to them, read the scriptures together
and have a good time together."
There will always be opposition to holding family home evening.
Regardless, I invite you to find a way around the obstacles
and make family home evening a priority--and make fun a key
ingredient.
Family prayer is another prime opportunity to teach.
I love how President N. Eldon Tanner's father taught him
during family prayer.
President Tanner said this:
"I remember one evening when we were kneeling in family prayer,
my father said to the Lord, 'Eldon did something today he
shouldn't have done; he's sorry, and if you will forgive him,
he won't do it anymore.'
"That made me determined not to do it anymore--much more than
a trouncing would have done."
As a boy, I would sometimes get irritated with our seemingly
excessive family prayers, thinking to myself, "Didn't we
just pray a few minutes ago?"
Now, as a parent, I know we can't ever
pray too much as a family.
I've always been impressed with how
Heavenly Father introduces Jesus Christ as His Beloved Son.
I enjoy praying for my children by name
as they listen to me express to Heavenly Father how
beloved they are to me.
It seems there is no better time to communicate love
to our children than when praying with them
or blessing them.
When families gather in humble prayer,
powerful and lasting lessons are taught.
Parental teaching is like being an on-call physician.
We always need to be ready to teach our children because we
never know when the opportunity will present itself.
We are like the Savior, whose teaching often "did not happen
in a synagogue but in informal, everyday settings--while eating
a meal with His disciples, drawing water from a well,
or walking past a fig tree."
Years ago, my mother shared that her two best gospel
conversations with my older brother, Matt,
were once while she was folding laundry and another time
while driving him to the dentist.
One of the many things I admired about my mother
was her readiness to teach her children.
Her parental teaching never ended.
While I was serving as a bishop, my mom, then 78 years old,
told me I needed to get a haircut.
She knew I needed to be an example,
and she didn't hesitate to tell me so.
I love you, Mom!
As a father, I am motivated personally
to study and ponder the scriptures in order
to be able to respond when my children
or grandchildren present an on-call teaching opportunity.
"Some of the best teaching moments
start as a question or concern in the heart of a [family]
member."
Are we listening during those moments?
I love the Apostle Peter's invitation:
"Be ready always to give an answer
to every man [and I add, child] that asketh you
a reason of the hope that is in you."
When I was a teenager, my dad and I
enjoyed challenging each other to see
who had the strongest grip.
We would squeeze the other's hand
as tightly as possible in an effort
to make the other grimace in pain.
It doesn't seem like much fun now,
but somehow it was at the time.
After one such battle, Dad looked me in the eyes
and said, "You have strong hands, son.
I hope your hands always have the strength to never touch
a young lady inappropriately."
He then invited me to stay morally clean
and help others do the same.
Elder Douglas L. Callister shared this about his father:
"While traveling home from work one day Father
spontaneously said, 'I paid my tithing today.
I wrote "thank you" on the tithing check.
I am so grateful to the Lord for blessing our family.'"
Elder Callister then paid this tribute to his father-teacher:
"He taught both acts and attitudes of obedience."
I think it wise to ask ourselves occasionally,
"What will I teach, or what am I teaching,
my children by my acts and attitudes of obedience?"
Family scripture study is an ideal forum
for teaching doctrine in the home.
President Russell M. Nelson said, "Not only
are parents to cling to the word of the Lord,
but they have a divine mandate to teach it to their children."
As Julie and I raised our children,
we tried to be consistent and creative.
One year we decided to read the Book of Mormon
in Spanish as a family.
Was that why the Lord called each of our children
who served a full-time mission to a Spanish-speaking mission?
Es posible.
I was deeply touched when Brother Brian K. Ashton shared
with me that he and his father read
every page of the Book of Mormon together during his senior year
of high school.
Brother Ashton loves the scriptures.
They are written in his mind and on his heart.
His father planted that seed when Brother Ashton was
a teenager, and that seed has grown into a deep-rooted tree
of truth.
Brother Ashton has done the same with his older children.
His eight-year-old son recently asked him,
"Dad, when do I get to read the Book of Mormon with you?"
Lastly, our most impactful parental teaching
is our example.
We are counseled to be "an example of the believers,
in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith,
in purity."
During a recent trip, Julie and I
attended church and saw this verse in action.
A young man, soon to leave for his mission,
spoke in sacrament meeting.
He said, "You all think my dad is such a good man at church,
but ..."
He paused, and I anxiously wondered
what he might say next.
He continued and said, "He's a better man at home."
I thanked this young man afterward
for the inspiring tribute he had paid his father.
I then found out that his father was the bishop of the ward.
Even though this bishop was serving his ward faithfully,
his son felt that his best work was done at home.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson counsels:
"We have many avenues for teaching the ...
rising generation, and we should devote
our best thinking and effort to taking full advantage of them.
Above all, we must continue to encourage and help parents be
better and more consistent teachers ...
especially by example."
That's how the Savior teaches.
During a recent vacation with our two youngest children,
Julie suggested we do proxy baptisms in both the St. George
and San Diego Temples.
I murmured--to myself--thinking, "We attend the temple at home,
and now we're on vacation.
Why not do something more vacation-like?"
After the baptisms, Julie wanted to take pictures
outside the temple.
I silently murmured--again.
You can guess what happened next--we took pictures.
Julie wants our children to have memories
of how we helped our ancestors, and so do
I. We didn't need a formal lesson
on the importance of temples.
We were living it--thanks to a mother who loves the temple
and wants her children to share that love.
As parents cherish each other and offer righteous examples,
children are eternally blessed.
For all of you who are striving to do your best to teach
in your homes, may you find peace and joy in your efforts.
And if you feel you have room for improvement
or need greater preparation, please humbly respond
as the Spirit prompts you, and bind yourself to act.
Elder L. Tom Perry said, "The health
of any society, the happiness of its people, their prosperity,
and their peace all find common roots
in the teaching of children in the home."
Yes, my home nest is now empty, but I'm still on call,
ready and eager to find additional precious
opportunities to teach my grown children, their children,
and someday, I hope, their children.
I plead for heaven's help as we strive
to be Christlike teachers in our homes.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
[MUSIC PLAYING--"AS ZION'S YOUTH IN LATTER DAYS,"
"THE IRON ROD"]
We are grateful for all who have spoken to us this afternoon
and for the beautiful music that has been provided.
We remind the brethren of the general priesthood meeting,
which will commence in the Conference Center
this evening at 6:00 p.m.
mountain daylight time.
The nationwide Mormon Tabernacle Choir broadcast
will be tomorrow morning from 9:30 to 10:00 a.m.
mountain daylight time.
The Sunday morning session of conference
will immediately follow.
Our concluding speaker for this session
will be Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles.
Following Elder Renlund's remarks,
the choir will close this meeting
by singing "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go."
The benediction will then be offered by Elder Peter F.
Meurs of the Seventy.
Elder Renlund.
My dear brothers and sisters, family relationships
can be some of the most rewarding
yet challenging experiences we encounter.
Many of us have faced a fracture of some sort
within our families.
Such a fracture developed between two heroes
of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ
in these latter days.
Parley and Orson Pratt were brothers, early converts,
and ordained Apostles.
Each faced a trial of faith but came through
with an unshakable testimony.
Both sacrificed and contributed greatly for the cause of truth.
During the Nauvoo era, their relationship
became strained, culminating in a heated, public confrontation
in 1846.
A deep and prolonged rift developed.
Parley initially wrote to Orson to resolve the rift,
but Orson did not reply.
Parley gave up, feeling that correspondence was over forever
unless initiated by Orson.
Several years later, in March 1853,
Orson learned about a project to publish a book
on the descendants of William Pratt, the brothers' earliest
American ancestor.
Orson began to weep "like a little child"
as he glimpsed this treasure trove of family history.
His heart melted, and he determined
to repair the breach with his brother.
Orson wrote to Parley, "Now my dear brother,
there are none among all the descendants of our ancestor,
Lieut[enant] William Pratt, who have so deep an interest
in searching out his descendants as ourselves."
Orson was one of the first to understand
that Latter-day Saints have an obligation
to research and compile family histories
so that we can perform vicarious ordinances for our ancestors.
His letter continued: "We know that the God of our fathers has
had a hand in this. ...
I will beg pardon for having been so backward in writing
to you. ...
I hope you will forgive me."
Despite their unshakable testimonies,
their love for their ancestors was the catalyst
to heal a rift, mend a hurt, and seek and extend forgiveness.
When God directs us to do one thing,
He often has many purposes in mind.
Family history and temple work is not only for the dead
but blesses the living as well.
For Orson and Parley, it turned their hearts to each other.
Family history and temple work provided the power
to heal that which needed healing.
As Church members, we do have a divinely appointed
responsibility to seek out our ancestors
and compile family histories.
This is far more than an encouraged hobby,
because the ordinances of salvation
are necessary for all of God's children.
We are to identify our own ancestors who
died without receiving the ordinances of salvation.
We can perform the ordinances vicariously in temples,
and our ancestors may choose to accept the ordinances.
We are also encouraged to help ward and stake members
with their family names.
It is breathtakingly amazing that through family history
and temple work, we can help to redeem the dead.
But as we participate in family history and temple work today,
we also lay claim to "healing" blessings promised
by prophets and apostles.
These blessings are also breathtakingly amazing
because of their scope, specificity,
and consequence in mortality.
This long list includes these blessings:
increased understanding of the Savior
and His atoning sacrifice; increased
influence of the Holy Ghost to feel strength and direction
for our own lives; increased faith so that conversion
to the Savior becomes deep and abiding;
increased ability and motivation to learn
and repent because of an understanding of who we are,
where we come from, and a clearer vision of where
we are going; increased refining,
sanctifying, and moderating influences in our hearts;
increased joy through an increased ability
to feel the love of the Lord; increased family blessings,
no matter our current, past, or future family situation
or how imperfect our family tree may be;
increased love and appreciation for ancestors
and living relatives so we no longer feel alone;
increased power to discern that which needs healing and thus,
with the Lord's help, serve others;
increased protection from temptations
and the intensifying influence of the adversary;
and increased assistance to mend troubled, broken,
or anxious hearts and make the wounded whole.
If you have prayed for any of these blessings,
participate in family history and temple work.
As you do so, your prayers will be answered.
When ordinances are performed on behalf of the deceased,
God's children on earth are healed.
No wonder President Russell M. Nelson,
in his first message as President of the Church,
declared, "Your worship in the temple and your service
there for your ancestors will bless you
with increased personal revelation and peace
and will fortify your commitment to stay on the covenant path."
An earlier prophet also foresaw blessings
for both the living and the dead.
A heavenly messenger showed Ezekiel
a vision of a temple with water gushing out of it.
Ezekiel was told:
"These waters issue out ...
and go down into the desert, and go into the [dead] sea ... ,
[and] the waters shall be healed.
"And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth,
which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live:
...
for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither
the river cometh."
Two characteristics of the water are noteworthy.
First, though the small stream had no tributaries,
it grew into a mighty river, becoming wider and deeper
the farther it flowed.
Something similar happens with the blessings
that flow from the temple as individuals
are sealed as families.
Meaningful growth occurs going backward and forward
through the generations as sealing ordinances weld
families together.
Second, the river renewed everything that it touched.
The blessings of the temple likewise
have a stunning capacity to heal.
Temple blessings can heal hearts and lives and families.
Let me illustrate.
In 1999 a young man named Todd collapsed from a ruptured blood
vessel in his brain.
Although Todd and his family were members of the Church,
their activity had been sporadic,
and none had experienced the blessings of the temple.
On the last night of Todd's life,
his mother, Betty, sat at his bedside stroking his hand
and said, "Todd, if you really do have to go,
I promise I'll see to it that your temple work gets done."
The next morning, Todd was declared brain dead.
Surgeons transplanted Todd's heart
into my patient, a remarkable individual named Rod.
A few months after the transplant,
Rod learned the identity of his heart donor's family
and began to correspond with them.
About two years later, Todd's mother, Betty,
invited Rod to be present when she went to the temple
for the first time.
Rod and Betty first met in person
in the celestial room of the St. George Utah Temple.
Sometime thereafter, Todd's father--Betty's husband--died.
A couple of years later, Betty invited
Rod to vicariously represent her deceased son in receiving
his temple ordinances.
Rod gratefully did so, and the proxy work
culminated in a sealing room of the St. George Utah Temple.
Betty was sealed to her deceased husband,
kneeling across the altar from her grandson who
served as proxy.
Then, with tears streaming down her cheeks,
she beckoned for Rod to join them at the altar.
Rod knelt beside them, acting as proxy
for her son, Todd, whose heart was still
beating inside Rod's chest.
Rod's heart donor, Todd, was then sealed to his parents
for all eternity.
Todd's mother had kept the promise
she made to her dying son years before.
But the story doesn't end there.
Fifteen years after his heart transplant,
Rod became engaged to be married and asked
me to perform the sealing in the Provo Utah Temple.
On the wedding day, I met with Rod and his marvelous bride,
Kim, in a room adjacent to the sealing room,
where their families and closest friends were waiting.
After briefly visiting with Rod and Kim,
I asked if they had any questions.
Rod said, "Yes.
My donor family is here, and they would love to meet you."
I was caught off guard and asked, "You mean they're here?
Right now?"
Rod replied, "Yes."
I stepped around the corner and called the family out
of the sealing room.
Betty, her daughter, and son-in-law joined us.
Rod greeted Betty with a hug, thanked her for coming,
and then introduced me to her.
Rod said, "Betty, this is Elder Renlund.
He was the doctor who took care of your son's heart
for so many years."
She crossed the room and embraced me.
And for the next several minutes there
were hugs and tears of joy all around.
After we regained our composure, we
moved into the sealing room, where Rod and Kim were sealed
for time and all eternity.
Rod, Kim, Betty, and I can testify
that heaven was very close, that there were others
with us that day who had previously passed
through the veil of mortality.
God, in His infinite capacity, seals and heals
individuals and families despite tragedy, loss, and hardship.
We sometimes compare the feelings
we experience in temples as having
caught a glimpse of heaven.
That day in the Provo Utah Temple, this statement by C. S.
Lewis resonated with me: "[Mortals] say of some temporal
suffering, 'No future bliss can make up for it,' not knowing
that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even
that agony into a glory. ...
The Blessed will say, 'We have never lived anywhere except ...
Heaven.'"
God will strengthen, help, and uphold us,
and He will sanctify to us our deepest distress.
When we gather our family histories
and go to the temple on behalf of our ancestors,
God fulfills many of these promised blessings
simultaneously on both sides of the veil.
Similarly, we are blessed when we
help others in our wards and stakes do the same.
Members who don't live close to a temple
also receive these blessings by participating in family history
work, collecting the names of their ancestors
for temple ordinances to be performed.
President Russell M. Nelson, however,
cautioned: "We can be inspired all day long about temple
and family history experiences others have had.
But we must do something to actually
experience the joy ourselves."
He continued, "I invite you to prayerfully consider what kind
of sacrifice--preferably a sacrifice of time--you can make
[to] do more temple and family history work."
As you accept President Nelson's invitation,
you will discover, gather, and connect your family.
Additionally, blessings will flow to you and your family
like the river spoken of by Ezekiel.
You will find healing for that which needs healing.
Orson and Parley Pratt experienced
the healing and sealing effects of family history and temple
work early in this dispensation.
Betty, her family, and Rod experienced it.
You can too.
Through His atoning sacrifice, Jesus Christ
offers these blessings to all, both the dead and the living.
Because of these blessings, we will find that we,
metaphorically, "have never lived anywhere except ...
Heaven."
I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
[MUSIC PLAYING--"I'LL GO WHERE YOU WANT ME TO GO"]
Our dear Father in Heaven, we're so thankful for the feelings
that we've had during this conference session.
We're thankful for this beautiful choir
and the reminder to be what we need to be.
We rejoice this day in the opportunity
to sustain a prophet of God, President Russell M. Nelson.
We're grateful for him and the beautiful spirit
that he carries.
Give us the courage and faith and meekness to obey and follow
the things that he teaches us as he is directed by Thy Son.
We thank Thee for the First Presidency
and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, whom
we love and sustain.
We're grateful for those who have been called this day
and released.
Bless them and strengthen them.
As we gather around the world, we're
grateful for the feelings that we've had,
the promptings that we have received,
the answers we have received.
Help us to act on these.
And we're especially grateful this day
for Thy Son, Jesus Christ.
Help us to remember Him and His infinite sacrifice
on our behalf for the promise of immortality and the opportunity
through ordinances, covenants, and repentance
to receive eternal life through Him.
We ask Thee now, as we leave this session, that we
can return and listen to the words of prophets and apostles
as we continue in this great conference.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
This has been a broadcast of the 188th Annual General
Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints.
Speakers were selected from the General Authorities and General
Officers of the Church.
The music for this session was provided
by a combined choir of students attending
institutes of religion in the Salt Lake City, Utah, area.
This broadcast has been furnished as a public service
by Bonneville Distribution.
Any reproduction, recording, transcription,
or other use of this program without written consent
is prohibited.