From the Conference Center at Temple Square in Salt Lake
City, this is the Sunday morning 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.
Music for this session is provided
by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
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.
[MUSIC PLAYING--"ON THIS DAY OF JOY AND GLADNESS"]
President Russell M. Nelson will conduct this session.
Brothers and sisters, on this beautiful Easter morning,
we welcome you to the Sunday morning session
of the 188th Annual General Conference
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
It is wonderful to be gathered on this significant day
as we remember and celebrate the Atonement
and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
We extend our greetings to all who
are participating in these proceedings
throughout the world.
The music for this session will be provided by the Mormon
Tabernacle Choir under the direction of Mack Wilberg,
with Clay Christiansen and Richard Elliott at the organ.
The choir opened this meeting with "On This Day
of Joy and Gladness" and will now
favor us with "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today."
The invocation will then be offered by Elder S. Mark
Palmer of the Seventy, and the choir
will sing "He Sent His Son."
[MUSIC PLAYING--"CHRIST THE LORD IS RISEN TODAY"]
Our Father in Heaven, we gather together
on this glorious Easter Sabbath morning,
so thankful for the gift of Thy Son,
for His perfect example, for His atoning sacrifice,
and for the sure knowledge that He lives
and the hope that that gives each of us of eternal life.
We are so grateful to have been able to raise our hands
and sustain our beloved prophet, President
Nelson, and the others who serve as prophets, seers,
and revelators.
Wilt Thou bless each of them.
May they be strengthened by Thee as they
receive the revelation that is needed
to lead this great Church.
Father, we pray--how we pray--that there will be
an outpouring of Thy Spirit throughout this conference
setting, that broken hearts will be healed,
and that each of us may learn and feel what is needed to be
better disciples of Jesus Christ.
We offer this prayer now in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
[MUSIC PLAYING--"HE SENT HIS SON"]
We will next be pleased to hear from Elder Larry Y.
Wilson of the Seventy.
He will be followed by Sister Reyna Isabel
Aburto, Second Counselor in the Relief Society General
Presidency.
Elders Massimo De Feo and Claudio D. Zivic of the Seventy
will then address us.
On this Easter Sunday, our thoughts
turn to the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ
and to the empty tomb that gives every believer hope
in Christ's triumph over otherwise certain defeat.
I believe, with the Apostle Paul,
that just as God "raised up Christ from the dead [so]
shall [He] also quicken [our] mortal bodies by his Spirit
that dwelleth in [us]."
To quicken means to make alive.
Just as Christ brings our bodies back to life
after physical death through the power of His Resurrection,
so can He also quicken us, or make us alive,
from spiritual death.
In the book of Moses, we read of Adam undergoing this kind
of quickening: "[Adam] was baptized,
and the Spirit of God descended upon him,
and thus he was born of the Spirit,
and became quickened in the inner man."
What an incomparable gift comes to those who put
their faith in Jesus Christ.
That gift is the Holy Spirit giving us
what the New Testament calls "life in Christ."
But do we sometimes take for granted such a gift?
Brothers and sisters, it is an extraordinary privilege
to "have ...
the Holy Spirit for [our] guide"--as demonstrated
by the following experience.
During the Korean War, Ensign Frank Blair
served on a troop transport ship stationed in Japan.
The ship wasn't large enough to have a formal chaplain,
so the captain asked Brother Blair to be the ship's
informal chaplain, having observed that the young man was
a person of faith and principle, highly respected
by the whole crew.
Ensign Blair wrote: "Our ship was caught in a huge typhoon.
The waves were about 45 feet high.
I was on watch ...
during which time one of our three engines
stopped working and a crack in the centerline of the ship
was reported.
We had two remaining engines, one of which
was only functioning at half power.
We were in serious trouble."
Ensign Blair finished his watch and was getting into bed
when the captain knocked on his door.
He asked, "Would you please pray for this ship?"
Of course, Ensign Blair agreed to do so.
At that point, Ensign Blair could have simply
prayed, "Heavenly Father, please bless our ship
and keep us safe," and then gone to bed.
Instead, he prayed to know if there
was something he could do to help
ensure the safety of the ship.
In response to Brother Blair's prayer,
the Holy Ghost prompted him to go to the bridge,
speak with the captain, and learn more.
He found that the captain was trying
to determine how fast to run the ship's remaining engines.
Ensign Blair returned to his cabin to pray again.
He prayed, "What can I do to help address
the problem with the engines?"
In response, the Holy Ghost whispered
that he needed to walk around the ship
and observe to gather more information.
He again returned to the captain and asked for permission
to walk around the deck.
Then, with a lifeline tied around his waist,
he went out into the storm.
Standing on the stern, he observed
the giant propellers as they came out of the water
when the ship crested a wave.
Only one was working fully, and it was spinning very fast.
After these observations, Ensign Blair once again prayed.
The clear answer he received was that the remaining good engine
was under too much strain and needed to be slowed down.
So he returned to the captain and made that recommendation.
The captain was surprised, telling him that
the ship's engineer had just suggested the opposite--that
they increase the speed of the good engine in order to outrun
the storm.
Nevertheless, the captain chose to follow Ensign Blair's
suggestion and slowed the engine down.
By dawn, the ship was safely in calm waters.
Only two hours later, the good engine
stopped working altogether.
With half power in the remaining engine,
the ship was able to limp into port.
The captain said to Ensign Blair,
"If we had not slowed that engine when we did,
we would have lost it in the middle of the storm."
Without that engine, there would have been no way to steer.
The ship would have overturned and been sunk.
The captain thanked the young LDS officer
and said he believed that following Ensign Blair's
spiritual impressions had saved the crew and the ship.
Now, this story is quite dramatic.
While we may be unlikely to face such dire circumstances,
this story contains important guidelines
about how we can receive the Spirit's guidance more
frequently.
First, when it comes to revelation,
we must properly tune our receiver to heaven's frequency.
Ensign Blair was living a clean and faithful life.
Had he not been obedient, he would not
have had the spiritual confidence
necessary to pray as he did for the safety of his ship
and to receive such specific guidance.
We must each be making the effort
to align our lives with God's commandments
in order to be directed by Him.
Sometimes we can't hear heaven's signal
because we are not worthy.
Repentance and obedience are the way
to achieve clear communication again.
The Old Testament word for repent means "to turn"
or "turn around."
When you feel far from God, you need only
make the decision to turn from sin
and face the Savior, where you will find Him waiting for you,
His arms outstretched.
He is eager to guide you, and you are just one prayer away
from receiving that guidance again.
Second, Ensign Blair did not just
ask the Lord to solve his problem.
He asked what he could do to be part of the solution.
Likewise we might ask, "Lord, what do I
need to do to be part of the solution?"
Instead of just listing our problems in prayer
and asking the Lord to solve them,
we ought to be seeking more proactive
ways of receiving the Lord's help
and committing to act according to the Spirit's guidance.
There is a third important lesson in Ensign Blair's story.
Could he have prayed with such calm assurance
if he had not received guidance from the Spirit
on previous occasions?
The arrival of a typhoon is no time
to dust off the gift of the Holy Ghost
and figure out how to use it.
This young man was clearly following a pattern
he had used many times before, including
as a full-time missionary.
We need the Holy Spirit as our guide in calm waters
so His voice will be unmistakable to us
in the fiercest storm.
Some may think we shouldn't expect daily guidance
from the Spirit because "it is not
meet that [God] should command in all things,"
lest we become slothful servants.
This scripture, however, was given
to some early missionaries who asked
Joseph Smith to obtain revelation they should
have received for themselves.
In a preceding verse, the Lord told
them to come to the mission field
"as they shall counsel between themselves and me."
These missionaries wanted a specific revelation
about their travel plans.
They hadn't yet learned to seek their own direction
in personal matters.
The Lord called this attitude what it is: sloth.
Early Church members may have been
so happy to have a true prophet that they
were in danger of failing to learn how to receive revelation
themselves.
Being spiritually self-reliant is
to be able to hear the Lord's voice through His Spirit
for one's own life.
Alma advised his son to "counsel with the Lord
in all thy doings."
To live in this way--what we often call "living
by the Spirit"--is a high privilege.
It brings a sense of calm and certainty
as well as fruits of the Spirit such as love, joy, and peace.
Ensign Blair's ability to receive revelation
saved him and his shipmates from a raging storm.
Other kinds of storms are raging today.
The Book of Mormon's parable of the tree of life
provides a powerful image of how to achieve spiritual safety
in such a world.
This dream tells of sudden mists of darkness arising
to bring spiritual destruction to members of the Church
walking on the path back to God.
In contemplating this image, I see in my mind's eye throngs
of people traveling that path, some with their hands
firmly gripping the iron rod, but many others simply
following the feet of the people in front of them.
This latter approach takes little thought or effort.
You can just do and think what others are doing and thinking.
This works fine in sunny weather.
But the storms of deception and the mists of falsehood
arise without warning.
In these situations, being familiar
with the voice of the Holy Ghost is a matter
of spiritual life and death.
Nephi's powerful promise is that "whoso would hearken unto
the word of God, and ...
hold fast unto it ...
would never perish; neither could
the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary
overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away
to destruction."
Following the feet of the people ahead of you on the path
is not enough.
We cannot just do and think what others are doing and thinking;
we must live a guided life.
We must each have our own hand on the iron rod.
Then we may go to the Lord with humble
confidence, knowing that He "shall lead [us] by the hand,
and give [us] answer to [our] prayers."
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
One of the most remarkable creatures on earth
is the monarch butterfly.
On a trip to Mexico to spend Christmas with my husband's
family, we visited a butterfly sanctuary,
where millions of monarch butterflies spend the winter.
It was fascinating to see such an impressive sight
and for us to reflect on the example of unity
and obedience to divine laws that God's
creations demonstrate.
Monarch butterflies are master navigators.
They use the sun's position to find
the direction they need to go.
Every spring, they travel thousands of miles from Mexico
to Canada, and every fall, they return to the same sacred fir
forests in Mexico.
They do this year after year, one tiny wing flap at a time.
During their journey, they cluster together
at night on trees to protect themselves from the cold
and from predators.
A group of butterflies is called a kaleidoscope.
Isn't that a beautiful image?
Each butterfly in a kaleidoscope is unique and different,
yet these seemingly fragile creatures
have been designed by a loving Creator with the ability
to survive, travel, multiply, and disseminate life
as they go from one flower to the next, spreading pollen.
And although each butterfly is different,
they work together to make the world a more
beautiful and fruitful place.
Like the monarch butterflies, we are on a journey
back to our heavenly home, where we will reunite
with our Heavenly Parents.
Like the butterflies, we have been given divine attributes
that allow us to navigate through life in order
to "[fill] the measure of [our] creation."
Like them, if we knit our hearts together,
the Lord will protect us "as a hen [gathers]
her chickens under her wings" and will make us
into a beautiful kaleidoscope.
Girls and boys, young women and young men, sisters
and brothers, we are on this journey together.
In order to reach our sublime destiny, we need each other,
and we need to be unified.
The Lord has commanded us, "Be one; and if ye are not one ye
are not mine."
Jesus Christ is the ultimate example
of unity with His Father.
They are one in purpose, in love,
and in works, with "the will of the Son
being swallowed up in the will of the Father."
How can we follow the Lord's perfect example of unity
with His Father and be more unified
with Them and with each other?
An inspiring pattern is found in Acts 1:14.
We read, "[The men] all continued with one accord
in prayer and supplication, with the women."
I think it is significant that the phrase "with one accord"
appears several times in the book of Acts, where we read
about what Jesus Christ's followers did immediately
after He ascended to heaven as a resurrected being,
as well as the blessings they received
because of their efforts.
It is also significant that we find a similar pattern
among the faithful of the American continent
at the time the Lord visited and ministered to them.
"With one accord" means in agreement, in unity, and all
together.
Some of the things that the faithful Saints did in unity
in both places were that they testified of Jesus Christ,
studied the word of God, and ministered to each other
with love.
The Lord's followers were one in purpose, in love, and in works.
They knew who they were, they knew what they had to do,
and they did it with love for God and for each other.
They were part of a magnificent kaleidoscope moving forward
with one accord.
Some of the blessings they received
were that they were filled with the Holy Ghost,
miracles took place among them, the Church grew,
there was no contention among the people,
and the Lord blessed them in all things.
We can suppose that the reason why they were so united
is because they knew the Lord personally.
They had been close to Him, and they
had been witnesses of His divine mission, of the miracles
that He performed, and of His Resurrection.
They saw and touched the marks in His hands and feet.
They knew with certainty that He was the promised Messiah,
the Redeemer of the world.
They knew that "He is the source of all healing, peace,
and eternal progress."
Even though we may have not seen our Savior
with our physical eyes, we can know that He lives.
As we draw closer to Him, as we seek
to receive a personal witness through the Holy Ghost
of His divine mission, we will have a better understanding
of our purpose; the love of God will dwell in our hearts;
we will have the determination to be
one in the kaleidoscopes of our families, wards,
and communities; and we will minister to each other
"in newer, better ways."
Miracles happen when the children of God work
together guided by the Spirit to reach out to others in need.
We hear so many stories of neighborly love
shown among the people when catastrophe strikes.
For example, when the city of Houston
suffered a massive flood last year,
people forgot about their own needs and went to the rescue.
An elders quorum president sent a call for help
to the community, and a fleet of 77 boats was quickly organized.
Rescuers went around the affected neighborhoods
and transported whole families to one of our meetinghouses,
where they received refuge and much needed help.
Members and nonmembers worked together with one purpose.
In Santiago, Chile, a Relief Society president
had the desire to help immigrants in her community who
had come from Haiti.
By counseling together with her priesthood leaders,
she and other leaders came up with the idea
to offer Spanish classes to those immigrants,
helping them integrate better into their new home.
Every Saturday morning, missionaries gather together
with their eager students.
The feeling of unity in that building
is an inspiring example of people from diverse backgrounds
serving with one accord.
In Mexico, hundreds of members traveled for hours
to help the survivors of two major earthquakes.
They came with tools, machinery, and love for their neighbor.
As volunteers gathered together in one of our meetinghouses
waiting for instructions, the mayor of the city of Ixhuatan
broke down in tears as he saw such a manifestation
of "the pure love of Christ."
The Lord is now giving us the opportunity to counsel together
each month in our priesthood quorums and Relief Societies
so we can all be more active participants in our ward
or branch kaleidoscope--a place where we all fit in and where
we are all needed.
Every one of our paths is different,
yet we walk them together.
Our path is not about what we have done
or where we have been; it is about where we are going
and what we are becoming, in unity.
When we counsel together guided by the Holy Ghost,
we can see where we are and where we need to be.
The Holy Ghost gives us a vision that our natural eyes cannot
see, because "revelation is scattered among us,"
and when we put that revelation together, we can see more.
As we work in unity, our purpose should
be to look for and do the Lord's will;
our incentive should be the love we
feel for God and for our neighbor;
and our greatest desire should be to "labor diligently"
so we can prepare the way for the glorious return
of our Savior.
The only way we will be able to do so is "with one accord."
Like the monarch butterflies, let us continue on our journey
together in purpose, each of us with our own attributes
and contributions, working to make this a more beautiful
and fruitful world--one small step at a time and in harmony
with God's commandments.
Our Lord Jesus Christ has promised us
that when we are gathered together in His name,
He is in the midst of us.
I testify that He lives and that He
was resurrected on a beautiful spring morning like today.
He is the Monarch above all monarchs, "the King of kings,
[the] Lord of lords."
May we be one in the Father and in His Begotten Son,
as we are guided by the Holy Ghost,
is my humble prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
We love and miss President Monson,
and we love and sustain our dear President Nelson.
President Nelson has a special place in my heart.
When I was a young father, our little son, who was five,
came home from school one day and asked
his mother, "What kind of work does Daddy do?"
He then explained that his new classmates started debating
about their fathers' jobs.
One said that his father was the chief of the city police,
while another proudly declared that his father was
the chief of a big company.
So when asked about his father, my son simply said,
"My father works in an office on a computer."
Then, noticing that his answer did not
impress his new little friends much,
he added, "And by the way, my father
is the chief of the universe."
I guess that was the end of the conversation.
I told my wife, "It's time to teach him
some more details of the plan of salvation
and who is really in charge."
But as we taught our children the plan of salvation,
their love for Heavenly Father and for the Savior
grew as they learned that it is a plan of love.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is centered
on the love of the Father and the Savior for us
and our love for Them and for one another.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said: "The first great commandment
of all eternity is to love God with all of our heart, might,
mind, and strength--that's the first great commandment.
But the first great truth of all eternity
is that God loves us with all of His heart, might, mind,
and strength.
That love is the foundation stone of eternity,
and it should be the foundation stone of our daily life."
Being the foundation stone of our daily life,
pure love is a requirement for every true disciple
of Jesus Christ.
The prophet Mormon taught, "Wherefore,
my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father
with all the energy of heart, that ye
may be filled with this love, which
he hath bestowed upon all who are
true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ."
Love indeed is the true sign of every true disciple
of Jesus Christ.
True disciples love to serve.
They know that serving is an expression
of true love and a covenant they made at baptism.
Regardless of their callings in the Church
or their role in the community, they
feel an increasing desire to love and serve
the Lord and one another.
True disciples love to forgive.
They know that the Atonement of the Savior
covers all sins and mistakes of each one of us.
They know that the price He paid is an "all-included price."
Spiritual taxes, fees, commissions, and charges
related to sins, mistakes, or wrongdoings are all covered.
True disciples are quick to forgive
and quick to ask for forgiveness.
My dear brothers and sisters, if you
are struggling to find the strength to forgive,
don't think of what others have done to you,
but think of what the Lord has done for you,
and you will find peace in the redemptive blessings
of His Atonement.
True disciples love to submit themselves to the Lord
with peace in their heart.
They are humble and submissive because they love Him.
They have faith to fully accept His will,
not only in what He does but also in how and when.
True disciples know that the real blessings are not always
what they want but rather what the Lord wants for them.
True disciples love the Lord more than the world
and are steadfast and immovable in their faith.
They stay strong and firm in a changing and confusing world.
True disciples love to listen to the voice of the Spirit
and of the prophets and are not confused
by the voices of the world.
True disciples love to "stand in holy places"
and love to make holy the places where they stand.
Wherever they go, they bring the love of the Lord and peace
to the hearts of others.
True disciples love to obey the Lord's commandments,
and they obey because they love the Lord.
As they love and keep their covenants,
their hearts are renewed and their very nature changes.
Pure love is the true sign of every true disciple
of Jesus Christ.
I learned about pure love from my mother.
She was not a member of the Church.
One day, many years ago, I visited my mother,
who was struggling with cancer.
I knew that she was going to die,
but I was concerned that she was suffering.
I didn't say anything, but knowing me well,
she said, "I see that you are concerned."
Then to my surprise, she asked me with a feeble voice,
"Can you teach me how to pray?
I want to pray for you.
I know you start by saying, 'Dear Heavenly
Father,' but then what should I say?"
As I knelt next to her bed and she prayed for me,
I felt a love never felt before.
It was simple, true, pure love.
Although she didn't know about the plan of salvation,
she had in her heart her personal plan
of love, the plan of love of a mother for her son.
She was in pain, struggling to even find the strength to pray.
I could barely hear her voice, but I surely felt her love.
I remember thinking, "How can someone
who is in such great pain pray for someone else?
She is the one in need."
Then the answer came clearly to my mind: pure love.
She loved me so much that she forgot about herself.
In her most critical hour, she loved me more than herself.
Now, dear brothers and sisters, isn't this what the Savior did?
Of course, in an eternal and much broader perspective.
But in the midst of His greatest pain, in the garden that night,
He was the one who needed help, suffering in a way that we
cannot even imagine or comprehend.
But in the end, He forgot about Himself
and prayed for us until He paid the full price.
How was He able to do it?
Because of His pure love for the Father, who sent Him,
and for us.
He loved the Father and us more than Himself.
He paid for something that He had not done.
He paid for sins that He had not committed.
Why?
Pure love.
Having paid the full price, He was in the position
to offer us the blessings of what
He paid for if we would repent.
Why did He offer this?
Again, and always, pure love.
Pure love is the true sign of every true disciple
of Jesus Christ.
President Thomas S. Monson said: "May we begin now,
this very day, to express love to all of God's children,
whether they be our family members, our friends,
mere acquaintances, or total strangers.
As we arise each morning, let us determine
to respond with love and kindness
to whatever might come our way."
Brothers and sisters, the gospel of Jesus Christ
is a gospel of love.
The greatest commandment is about love.
For me, it's all about love--the love of the Father,
who sacrificed His Son for us; the love of the Savior,
who sacrificed all for us; the love of a mother or a father
who would give anything for their children;
the love of those who serve silently and are not known
to most of us but are well known to the Lord;
the love of those who forgive all and always;
the love of the ones who give more than they receive.
I love my Heavenly Father.
I love my Savior.
I love the gospel.
I love this Church.
I love my family.
I love this wonderful life.
For me, it's all about love.
May this day of remembrance of the Resurrection of the Savior
be a day of spiritual renewal for each one of us.
May this day be the beginning of a life
full of love, "the foundation stone of our daily life."
May our hearts be filled with the pure love
of Christ, the true sign of every true disciple of Jesus
Christ.
It is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Dear brothers and sisters, I appreciate very much
the opportunity to express to you some of my feelings.
Several years ago, my wife and I were
present at the inaugural ceremony
of the interactive children's exhibit
in the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City.
At the end of the ceremony, President Thomas S.
Monson walked toward us, and as he shook our hands he said,
"Endure, and you shall triumph"--a profound teaching
and one which truth, of course, we can all affirm.
Jesus Christ assured us that "he that shall endure unto the end,
the same shall be saved."
To endure means "to remain firm in a commitment
to be true to the commandments of God
despite temptation, opposition, or adversity."
Even those who have had powerful spiritual experiences
and have given faithful service could one day
go astray or fall into inactivity if they do not
endure to the end.
May we always and emphatically keep
in our minds and hearts the phrase
"This will not happen to me."
When Jesus Christ taught in Capernaum,
"many of his disciples went back,
and walked no more with him.
"Then Jesus said unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?"
I believe that today, Jesus Christ
asks all of us who have made sacred covenants with Him,
"Will ye also go away?"
I pray that all of us, with profound reflection about what
the eternities hold for us, may respond
as did Simon Peter: "Lord, to whom shall we go?
thou hast the words of eternal life."
Let us be faithful to what we have believed and know.
If we have not been living according to our knowledge,
let us change.
Sinners who persist in their sins
and do not repent sink deeper and deeper into filthiness
until Satan claims them for himself,
significantly jeopardizing their opportunity
to repent, to be forgiven, and to be blessed with all
the blessings of eternity.
I have heard many justifications from those
who have stopped participating actively in the Church
and have lost the correct vision of the purpose of our journey
on this earth.
I exhort them to reflect and to return,
because I believe that no one will be able to make excuses
before our Lord Jesus Christ.
When we were baptized, we made covenants--not with any man
but with the Savior, agreeing to "take upon [ourselves] the name
of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him
to the end."
Attendance at sacrament meetings is one of the key ways
we can evaluate our determination to serve Him,
our spiritual fortitude, and the growth
of our faith in Jesus Christ.
Partaking of the sacrament is the most important thing
we do on the Sabbath day.
The Lord explained this ordinance to His Apostles
just before He died.
He did the same on the American continent.
He tells us that if we participate in this ordinance,
it will be a testimony to the Father
that we always remember Him, and He
promises that, accordingly, we will
have His Spirit to be with us.
In the teachings of Alma the Younger to his son Shiblon,
we find wise counsel and warnings
that help us remain faithful to our covenants:
"See that ye are not lifted up unto pride; yea,
see that ye do not boast in your own wisdom,
nor of your much strength.
"Use boldness, but not overbearance;
and also see that ye bridle all your passions,
that ye may be filled with love; see that ye
refrain from idleness."
Several years ago, while on vacation,
I wanted to go kayaking for the first time.
I rented a kayak, and full of enthusiasm,
I launched into the sea.
After a few minutes, a wave overturned the kayak.
With a great deal of effort, holding the paddle in one hand
and the kayak in the other, I could regain my footing.
I tried again to paddle my kayak,
but just a few minutes later the kayak tipped over again.
I stubbornly kept on trying, to no avail,
until someone who understood kayaking told me that there
must be a crack in the shell and the kayak
must have filled up with water, making
it unstable and impossible to control.
I dragged the kayak to the shore and removed the plug,
and sure enough, out came a large amount of water.
I think that at times we move through life
with sins that, like the leak in my kayak,
impede our spiritual progress.
If we persist in our sins, we forget the covenants
we have made with the Lord, even though we
keep capsizing because of the imbalance
that those sins create in our lives.
Like the cracks in my kayak, the cracks in our lives
need to be dealt with.
Some sins will require more efforts than others
to repent of.
We should therefore ask ourselves:
Where are we regarding our attitude
toward the Savior and His work?
Are we in Peter's situation when he denied Jesus Christ?
Or have we advanced to the point where
we have the attitude and determination
he had after the great commission
he received from the Savior?
We must strive to obey all the commandments
and pay close attention to those that
are hardest for us to keep.
The Lord will be at our side, helping us
in times of need and weakness, and if we demonstrate a sincere
desire and act accordingly, He will make
"weak things become strong."
Obedience will give us the strength to overcome sin.
We must also understand that the trial of our faith
requires us to obey, often without knowing the results.
I suggest a formula that will help us endure to the end:
1.
Daily, pray and read the scriptures.
2.
Weekly, partake of the sacrament with a broken heart
and a contrite spirit.
3.
Pay our tithing and our monthly fast offering.
4.
Every two years--every year for the youth--renew our temple
recommends.
5.
Throughout our whole lives, serve in the work of the Lord.
May the great truths of the gospel steady our minds,
and may we keep our lives free of the cracks that
can impede our safe journey through the sea of this life.
Success in the Lord's way has a price,
and the only way to achieve it is to pay that price.
How grateful I am that our Savior endured unto the end,
completing His great atoning sacrifice.
He suffered for our sins, pains, depressions, anguish,
infirmities, and fears, and so He
knows how to help us, how to inspire us, how to comfort us,
and how to strengthen us so that we may endure and obtain
the crown that is reserved for those who are not defeated.
Life is different for each of us.
We all have a time of trials, a time for happiness,
a time for making decisions, a time for overcoming obstacles,
and a time for taking advantage of opportunities.
Whatever our personal situations may be,
I testify that our Heavenly Father is constantly
saying, "I love you.
I sustain you.
I am with you.
Do not give up.
Repent and endure in the path that I have shown you.
And I assure you that we will see each other again
in our celestial home."
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
We are grateful to Sister Aburto and Elders Wilson, De Feo,
and Zivic for their marvelous messages.
Just think of it, brothers and sisters.
These wonderful disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ--natives
of North America, Central America, South America,
and Europe--have instructed us and inspired us with one
message as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ:
keep His commandments, and we'll be all right.
Now the congregation will sing with the choir "Rejoice,
the Lord Is King!"
After the singing, we'll be pleased to hear
from President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First
Presidency.
He will be followed by President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor
in the First Presidency.
This is the 188th Annual General Conference
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
[MUSIC PLAYING--"REJOICE, THE LORD IS KING!"]
My brothers and sisters, I rejoice with you today
for the experience we have had together
in this great conference.
I am grateful for the opportunity
to speak to you on the Lord's Sabbath
in the general conference of His Church at this Easter season.
I thank our Heavenly Father for the gift
of His Beloved Son, who came voluntarily
to earth to be our Redeemer.
I am grateful to know that He atoned for our sins
and rose in the Resurrection.
Every day I am blessed to know that because of His Atonement,
I may someday be resurrected to live forever
in a loving family.
I know those things by the only way any of us can know them.
The Holy Ghost has spoken to my mind and heart that they are
true--not just once but often.
I have needed that continuing comfort.
We all experience tragedy, during which we need
the reassurance of the Spirit.
I felt it one day as I stood with my father in a hospital.
We watched my mother take a few shallow breaths--and then no
more.
As we looked on her face, she was smiling as the pain left.
After a few silent moments, my father spoke first.
He said, "A little girl has gone home."
He said it softly.
He seemed to be at peace, almost joyful.
He was reporting something he knew was true.
He quietly began to gather Mother's personal things.
He went out into the hospital hallway
to thank each of the nurses and doctors who
had ministered to her for days.
My father had the companionship of the Holy Ghost
at that moment to feel, to know, and do what he did that day.
He had received the promise as many have:
"That they may have his Spirit to be with them."
My simple hope today is to increase
your desire and your ability to receive the Holy Ghost.
Remember, He is the third member of the Godhead.
The Father and the Son are resurrected beings.
The Holy Ghost is a person of spirit.
It is your choice whether to receive Him and welcome Him
into your heart and mind.
The conditions on which we can receive that supernal blessing
are made clear in the words that are spoken every week
but perhaps do not always sink into our hearts and minds.
To have the Spirit sent to us, we
must "always remember" the Savior
and "keep his commandments."
This time of year helps us remember the Savior's sacrifice
and His rising from the tomb a resurrected being.
Many of us hold those images of those scenes in our memories.
I once stood with my wife outside a tomb in Jerusalem.
Many believe that it was the tomb
from which the crucified Savior emerged as a resurrected
and living God.
The respectful guide that day motioned with his hand
and said to us, "Come, see an empty tomb."
We stooped to enter.
We saw a stone bench against a wall.
But in my mind came another picture, as real
as what we saw that day.
It was of Mary, who was left by the Apostles at the tomb.
That is what the Spirit let me see and even hear in my mind,
as clearly as if I had been there:
"But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping:
and as she wept, she stooped down,
and looked into the sepulchre,
"And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head,
and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
"And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou?
She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord,
and I know not where they have laid him.
"And when she had thus said, she turned herself back,
and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
"Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou?
whom seekest thou?
She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir,
if thou have borne him hence, tell me
where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
"Jesus saith unto her, Mary.
She turned herself, and saith unto him,
Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
"Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not;
for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren,
and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father;
and to my God, and your God."
I have prayed to be allowed to feel something of what Mary
felt at the tomb as she recognized the Savior,
and what two other disciples felt on the road to Emmaus
as they walked with the resurrected Savior,
thinking Him a visitor to Jerusalem.
You remember the account:
"But they constrained him, saying,
Abide with us: for it is toward evening,
and the day is far spent.
And he went in to tarry with them.
"And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them,
he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
"And their eyes were opened, and they knew him;
and he vanished out of their sight.
"And they said one to another, Did
not our heart burn within us, while he talked
with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?"
Some of those words were repeated
in a sacrament meeting I attended
more than 70 years ago.
In those ancient days sacrament meetings
were held, sometimes, in the evening.
It was dark outside.
The congregation sang these familiar words.
I had heard them many times.
But my lasting memory is of a feeling on one
particular night.
It draws me closer to the Savior.
Perhaps if I recite the words, it will come to all of us
again:
"Abide with me; 'tis eventide.
The day is past and gone;
The shadows of the evening fall;
The night is coming on.
Within my heart a welcome guest,
Within my home abide.
"Abide with me; 'tis eventide.
Thy walk today with me
Has made my heart within me burn,
As I communed with thee.
Thy earnest words have filled my soul
And kept me near thy side.
"O Savior, stay this night with me;
Behold, 'tis eventide.
O Savior, stay this night with me;
Behold, 'tis eventide."
More precious than a memory or a picture of the events of that
day--more important is the memory of the Holy Ghost
touching our hearts and His continuing affirmation
of truth.
More precious than seeing with our eyes,
or remembering words spoken and read,
is recalling the feelings that accompanied
the quiet voice of the Spirit.
Rarely, I have felt it exactly as the travelers on the road
to Emmaus did--as a soft but clear burning in the heart.
More often, it is a feeling of light and quiet assurance.
We have the priceless promise of the Holy Ghost as a companion,
and we also have true directions on how to claim that gift.
These words are said by the Lord's authorized servant
with his hands on our head: "Receive the Holy Ghost."
At that moment, you and I have the assurance He will be sent.
But our obligation is to choose to open
our hearts to receive the ministration
of the Spirit over a lifetime.
The experiences of the Prophet Joseph Smith offer a guide.
He began and continued his ministry with the decision
that his own wisdom was not sufficient to know
what course he should pursue.
He chose to be humble before God.
Next, Joseph chose to ask of God.
He prayed in faith that God would answer.
The answer came when he was a young boy.
Those messages came when he needed
to know how God would have His Church established.
The Holy Ghost comforted and guided him throughout his life.
He obeyed inspiration when it was difficult.
For instance, he received direction
to send the Twelve to England when he needed them most.
He sent them.
He accepted correction and comfort from the Spirit
when he was imprisoned and the Saints were terribly oppressed.
And he obeyed when he went down the road
to Carthage even as he knew he faced mortal danger.
The Prophet Joseph set an example for us
of how to receive continual spiritual direction and comfort
through the Holy Ghost.
The first choice he made was to be humble before God.
The second was to pray with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The third was to obey exactly.
Obedience may mean to move quickly.
It may mean to prepare.
Or it may mean to wait in patience
for further inspiration.
And the fourth is to pray to know
the needs and the hearts of others
and how to help them for the Lord.
Joseph prayed for the Saints in distress when he was in prison.
It has been my opportunity to observe the prophets of God
as they pray, ask for inspiration,
receive direction, and act on it.
I have seen how often their prayers
are about the people they love and serve.
Their concern for others seems to open their hearts
to receive inspiration.
That can be true for you.
Inspiration will help us minister
to others for the Lord.
You have seen that in your own experience, as I have.
My bishop once said to me--at a time when my wife was under
great strain in her own life--he said,
"Every time I hear of someone in the ward who needs help,
when I get there to help, I find that your wife was there ahead
of me.
How does she do that?"
[LAUGHTER]
Well, she is like all who are great ministers in the Lord's
kingdom.
It seems there are two things they do.
Great ministers have qualified for the Holy Ghost
as a nearly constant companion.
And they have qualified for the gift of charity, which
is the pure love of Christ.
Those gifts have grown in them as they
have used them in serving out of love for the Lord.
The way in which prayer, inspiration, and love
of the Lord work together in our service to Him
is described for me perfectly in these words:
"If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
"If ye love me, keep my commandments.
"And I will pray the Father, and he
shall give you another Comforter,
that he may abide with you for ever;
"Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive,
because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him:
but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
"I will not leave you comfortless:
I will come to you.
"Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more;
but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
"At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father,
and ye in me, and I in you.
"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it
is that loveth me: and he that loveth
me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him,
and will manifest myself to him."
I bear my personal witness that the Father is at this moment
aware of you, your feelings, and the spiritual and temporal
needs of everyone around you.
I bear testimony that the Father and the Son
are sending the Holy Ghost to all who have that gift
and ask for that blessing and seek to be worthy of it.
Neither the Father, nor the Son, nor the Holy Ghost force
Themselves into our lives.
We are free to choose.
The Lord has said to all:
"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:
if any man hear my voice, and open the door,
I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
"To him that overcometh will I grant
to sit with me in my throne, even as I also
overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith."
I pray with all my heart that you
will hear the voice of the Spirit, which
is sent to you so generously.
And I pray that you will open your hearts always
to receive Him.
If you ask with real intent and with faith
in Jesus Christ for inspiration, you
will receive it in the Lord's way and in His time.
God did that for the young Joseph Smith.
He does it today for our living prophet, President Russell M.
Nelson.
He has placed you in the way of other children of God
to serve them for Him.
I know that not only by what I have seen with my eyes
but more powerfully by what the Spirit has
whispered to my heart.
I have felt the love of the Father and of His Beloved Son
for all the children of God in the world
and for His children in the spirit world.
I have felt the comfort and the direction of the Holy Ghost.
I pray that you may have the joy of having the Spirit with you
as your companion constantly.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
My dear brothers and sisters, like you,
I have been profoundly touched and edified and inspired
by the messages and music and the feelings of this time
together.
I'm sure I speak for you in expressing thanks
to our brothers and sisters who, as instruments
in the hands of the Lord, have given us the strengthening
effect of this time together.
I'm grateful to speak to this audience on Easter Sunday.
Today we join other Christians in celebrating the Resurrection
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, the literal Resurrection of Jesus Christ
is a pillar of our faith.
Because we believe the accounts in both the Bible and the Book
of Mormon about the literal Resurrection of Jesus Christ,
we also believe the numerous scriptural teachings
that a similar resurrection will come to all mortals who have
ever lived upon this earth.
That resurrection gives us what the Apostle Peter
called "a lively hope."
That lively hope is our conviction
that death is not the conclusion of our identity
but merely a necessary step in our Heavenly Father's
merciful plan for the salvation of His children.
That plan calls for a transition from mortality to immortality.
Central to that transition is the sunset of death
and the glorious morning made possible by the Resurrection
of our Lord and Savior that we celebrate on this Easter
Sunday.
In a great hymn whose words were written by Eliza R. Snow,
we sing:
"How great, how glorious, how complete
Redemption's grand design,
Where justice, love, and mercy meet
In harmony divine!"
In furtherance of that divine design and harmony,
we assemble in meetings, including this conference,
to teach and encourage one another.
This morning I have felt to use as my text
Alma's teaching to his son Helaman,
recorded in the Book of Mormon: "By small and simple
things are great things brought to pass."
We are taught many small and simple things
in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We need to be reminded that in total
and over a significant period of time,
these seemingly small things bring to pass great things.
There have been many talks on this subject
by General Authorities and by other respected teachers.
The subject is so important that I feel to speak of it again.
I was reminded of the power of small and simple things
over time by something I saw on a morning walk.
Here is the picture I took.
The thick and strong concrete sidewalk is cracking.
Is this the result of some large and powerful thrust?
No, this cracking is caused by the slow, small growth
of one of the roots reaching out from the adjoining tree.
Here is a similar example I saw on another street.
The thrusting power that cracked these heavy concrete sidewalks
was too small to measure on a daily or even a monthly basis,
but its effect over time was incredibly powerful.
So is the powerful effect over time
of the small and simple things we are taught in the scriptures
and by living prophets.
Consider the scripture study we've
been taught to incorporate into our daily lives.
Or consider the personal prayers and the kneeling family prayers
that are regular practices for faithful Latter-day Saints.
Consider attendance at seminary for youth or institute
classes for young adults.
Though each of these practices may
seem to be small and simple, over time
they result in powerful spiritual uplift and growth.
This occurs because each of these small and simple things
invites the companionship of the Holy Ghost, the Testifier, who
enlightens us and guides us into truth,
as President Eyring has explained.
Another source of spiritual uplift and growth
is an ongoing practice of repenting, even
of seemingly small transgressions.
Our own inspired self-evaluations
can help us see how we have fallen short
and how we can do better.
Such repentance should precede our weekly partaking
of the sacrament.
Some subjects to consider in this process
of repentance are suggested in the hymn
"Have I Done Any Good?":
"Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad and [helped] someone feel glad?
If not, I have failed indeed.
Has anyone's burden been lighter today
Because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?"
Surely these are small things, but surely they are good
examples of what Alma taught his son Helaman:
"And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great
and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord ...
bringeth about the salvation of many souls."
President Steven C. Wheelwright gave an audience
at Brigham Young University-Hawaii
this inspired description of Alma's teaching:
"Alma confirms for his son that indeed the pattern
the Lord follows when we exercise faith in Him
and follow His counsel in the small and simple things
is that he blesses us with small daily miracles, and over time,
with marvelous works."
Elder Howard W. Hunter taught that "frequently it is
the commonplace tasks ...
that have the greatest positive effect on the lives of others,
as compared with the things that the world so often
relates to greatness."
A persuasive secular teaching of this same principle
comes from former Senator Dan Coats of Indiana,
who wrote, "The only preparation for that one profound decision
which can change a life, or even a nation,
is those hundreds and thousands of half-conscious,
self-defining, seemingly insignificant decisions made
in private."
Those "seemingly insignificant" private decisions
include how we use our time, what
we view on television and the internet, what we read,
the art and music with which we surround ourselves
at work and at home, what we seek for entertainment,
and how we apply our commitment to be honest and truthful.
Another seemingly small and simple thing
is being civil and cheerful in our personal interactions.
None of these desirable small and simple things
will lift us to great things unless they are practiced
consistently and continuously.
President Brigham Young was reported
as saying, "Our lives are made up
of little, simple circumstances that amount to a great deal
when they are brought together, and sum up
the whole life of the man or woman."
We are surrounded by media influences
and cultural deteriorations that will
carry us downstream in our values
if we are not continually resisting.
To move upstream toward our eternal goal,
we must constantly keep paddling.
It helps if we are part of a team who are paddling together,
like a rowing crew in action.
To extend that example even further,
the cultural currents are so strong that if we ever
stop paddling, we will be carried downstream
toward a destination we do not seek
but which becomes inevitable if we do not constantly
try to move forward.
After reciting a seemingly small event
that had great consequences, Nephi wrote,
"And thus we see that by small means
the Lord can bring about great things."
The Old Testament includes a memorable example of this.
There we read how the Israelites were plagued by fiery serpents.
Many people died from their bites.
When Moses prayed for relief, he was
inspired to make "a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole."
Then, "if a serpent had bitten any man, when
he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived."
Such a small thing for such a miraculous result!
Yet, as Nephi explained when he taught this example to those
who were rebelling against the Lord,
even when the Lord had prepared a simple way by which they
could be healed, "because of the simpleness of the way,
or the easiness of it, there were many who perished."
That example and that teaching remind us that the simplicity
of the way or the easiness of the commanded task cannot mean
that it is unimportant to achieve our righteous desire.
Similarly, even small acts of disobedience or minor failures
to follow righteous practices can draw us down
toward an outcome we have been warned to avoid.
The Word of Wisdom provides an example of this.
Likely the effect on the body of one cigarette or one drink
of alcohol or one dose of another drug cannot be
measured.
But over time, the effect is powerful
and may be irreversible.
Remember the cracking of the sidewalk
by the gradual small expansions of the root of the tree.
One thing is certain: the terrible consequences
of partaking of anything that can become addictive,
like drugs that attack our bodies or pornographic material
that degrades our thoughts, is totally avoidable if we never
partake for the first time--even once.
Many years ago, Elder M. Russell Ballard
described to a general conference audience
"how small and simple things can be negative and destructive
to a person's salvation."
He taught: "Like weak fibers that
form a yarn, then a strand, and finally a rope,
these small things combined together
can become too strong to be broken.
We must ever be aware of the power
that the small and simple things can have in building
spirituality," he said.
"At the same time, we must be aware
that Satan will use small and simple things to lead us
into despair and misery."
President Wheelwright gave a similar caution to his
BYU-Hawaii audience: "It is in failing to do the small
and simple things that faith wavers, miracles cease,
and progress [toward] the Lord and His kingdom is first put
on hold ...
then begins to unravel as seeking
after the kingdom of God is replaced
with more temporal pursuits and worldly ambitions."
To protect against the cumulative negative effects
that are destructive to our spiritual progress,
we need to follow the spiritual pattern
of small and simple things.
Elder David A. Bednar described this principle in a BYU
Women's Conference: "We can learn much about the nature
and importance of this spiritual pattern from the technique
of ...
dripping water onto the soil at very low rates,"
in contrast to flooding or spraying
large quantities of water where it may not be needed.
He explained:
"The steady drips of water sink deep into the ground
and provide a high moisture level in the soil
wherein plants can flourish.
In like manner, if you and I are focused and frequent
in receiving consistent drops of spiritual nourishment,
then gospel roots can sink deep into our soul,
can become firmly established and grounded,
and can produce extraordinary and delicious fruit.
Continuing, he said, "The spiritual pattern
of small and simple things bringing forth great things
produces firmness and steadfastness, deepening
devotion, and more complete conversion to the [gospel of]
Jesus Christ."
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught this principle in words now
included in the Doctrine and Covenants:
"Let no man count them as [simple] things;
for there is much ...
pertaining to the saints, which depends upon these things."
In connection with the earliest attempts
to establish the Church in Missouri, the Lord counseled
patience, for "all things must come to pass in their time."
Then He gave this great teaching:
"Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing,
for ye are laying the foundation of a great work.
And out of small things proceedeth
that which is great."
I believe we all desire to follow President Russell M.
Nelson's challenge to press forward "on the covenant path."
Our commitment to do so is strengthened
by consistently following the "small things" we
are taught by the gospel of Jesus Christ
and the leaders of His Church.
I testify of Him and invoke His blessings
on all who seek to keep on His covenant path,
in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
We are grateful to President Eyring and President Oaks
for their inspired messages, and to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
for the beautiful music they have
provided this Easter morning.
It will now be my privilege to speak
to you, brothers and sisters.
Following my remarks, the choir will sing "He Is Risen."
The benediction will then be offered by Elder Joaquin
Costa of the Seventy.
What a glorious privilege it has been
to celebrate Easter with you on this Sunday
of general conference!
Nothing could be more fitting than to commemorate
the most important event that ever occurred on this earth
by worshipping the most important being who ever walked
this earth.
In this, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
we worship Him who commenced His infinite Atonement
in the Garden of Gethsemane.
He was willing to suffer for the sins and weaknesses of each
of us, which suffering caused Him "to bleed at every pore."
He was crucified on Calvary's cross
and rose the third day as the first resurrected being
of our Heavenly Father's children.
I love Him and testify that He lives!
It is He who leads and guides His Church.
Without our Redeemer's infinite Atonement, not one of us
would have hope of ever returning
to our Heavenly Father.
Without His Resurrection, death would be the end.
Our Savior's Atonement made eternal life
a possibility and immortality a reality for all.
It is because of His transcendent mission
and the peace He grants His followers that my wife, Wendy,
and I felt comfort late on January 2, 2018,
when we were awakened by a phone call telling us
that President Thomas S. Monson had stepped through the veil.
How we miss President Monson!
We honor his life and his legacy.
A spiritual giant, he left an indelible imprint
upon all who knew him and upon the Church that he loved.
On Sunday, January 14, 2018, in the upper room of the Salt Lake
Temple, the First Presidency was reorganized
in the simple yet sacred pattern established by the Lord.
Then at yesterday morning's solemn assembly,
members of the Church throughout the world
raised their hands to confirm the earlier
action taken by the Apostles.
I am humbly grateful for your sustaining support.
I am also grateful for those upon whose shoulders I stand.
It has been my privilege to serve
in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for 34 years
and to know personally 10 of the 16 previous Presidents
of the Church.
I learned much from each of them.
I also owe much to my forebears.
All eight of my great-grandparents
were converts to the Church in Europe.
Each of these stalwart souls sacrificed everything
to come to Zion.
During subsequent generations, however, not all my ancestors
remained so committed.
As a result, I was not raised in a gospel-centered home.
I adored my parents.
They meant the world to me and taught me crucial lessons.
I cannot thank them enough for the happy home life they
created for me and my siblings.
And yet, even as a boy, I knew I was missing something.
One day I jumped on the streetcar
and went to an LDS bookstore to find a book about the Church.
I loved learning about the gospel.
As I came to understand the Word of Wisdom,
I wanted my parents to live that law.
So, one day when I was very young, I went to our basement
and smashed on the concrete floor every bottle of liquor!
I expected my father to punish me, but he never said a word.
As I matured and began to understand
the magnificence of Heavenly Father's plan,
I often said to myself, "I don't want one more Christmas
present!
I just want to be sealed to my parents."
That longed-for event did not happen
until my parents were past 80, and then it did happen.
I cannot fully express the joy I felt that day.
And each day, I feel that joy of their sealing and my sealing
to them.
In 1945, while I was in medical school,
I married Dantzel White in the Salt Lake Temple.
She and I were blessed with nine splendid daughters and one
precious son.
El ultimo.
Today our ever-growing family is one of the greatest
joys of my life.
In 2005, after nearly 60 years of marriage,
my dear Dantzel was unexpectedly called home.
For a season, my grief was almost immobilizing.
But the message of Easter and the promise of resurrection
sustained me.
Then the Lord brought Wendy Watson to my side.
We were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on April 6, 2006.
How I love her!
She is an extraordinary woman--a great blessing to me,
to our family, and to the entire Church.
Each of these blessings has come as a result
of seeking and heeding the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
Said President Lorenzo Snow, "This is the grand privilege
of every Latter-day Saint ...
that it is our right to have the manifestations of the Spirit
every day of our lives."
One of the things the Spirit has repeatedly
impressed upon my mind since my new calling
as President of the Church is how willing the Lord is
to reveal His mind and will.
The privilege of receiving revelation
is one of the greatest gifts of God to His children.
Through the manifestations of the Holy Ghost,
the Lord will assist us in all our righteous pursuits.
I remember in an operating room, I have stood over
a patient--unsure about how to perform an unprecedented
procedure--and experienced the Holy Ghost diagramming
the technique in my mind.
To strengthen my proposal to Wendy, I said to her,
"I know about revelation and how to receive it."
To her credit--and, as I have come to learn,
typical of her--she had already sought and received her own
revelation about us, which gave her the courage to say yes.
As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles,
I prayed daily for revelation and gave thanks to the Lord
every time He spoke to my heart and mind.
Imagine the miracle of it!
Whatever our Church calling, we can pray to our Heavenly Father
and receive guidance and direction,
be warned about dangers and distractions,
and be enabled to accomplish things we simply
could not do on our own.
If we will truly receive the Holy Ghost
and learn to discern and understand His promptings,
we will be guided in matters large and small.
When I recently faced the daunting task
of choosing two counselors, I wondered
how I could possibly choose just two from twelve men whom I love
and respect.
Because I know that good inspiration is
based upon good information, I prayerfully met one-on-one
with each Apostle.
I then sequestered myself in a private room in the temple
and sought the Lord's will.
I testify that the Lord instructed
me to select President Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B.
Eyring to serve as my counselors in the First Presidency.
In like manner, I testify that the Lord inspired
the call of Elder Gerrit W. Gong and Elder Ulisses Soares
to be ordained as His Apostles.
I and we welcome them to this unique brotherhood of service.
When we convene as a Council of the First Presidency
and Quorum of the Twelve, our meeting rooms
become rooms of revelation.
The Spirit is palpably present.
As we wrestle with complex matters,
a thrilling process unfolds as each Apostle freely expresses
his thoughts and point of view.
Though we may differ in our initial perspectives,
the love we feel for each other is constant.
Our unity helps us to discern the Lord's will for His Church.
In our meetings, the majority never rules!
We listen prayerfully to one another
and talk with each other until we are united.
Then when we have reached complete accord,
the unifying influence of the Holy Ghost is spine-tingling!
We experience what the Prophet Joseph Smith
knew when he taught, "By union of feeling
we obtain power with God."
No member of the First Presidency
or Quorum of the Twelve would ever
leave decisions for the Lord's Church to his own best
judgment!
Brothers and sisters, how can we become the men and women--the
Christlike servants--the Lord needs us to be?
How can we find answers to questions that perplex us?
If Joseph Smith's transcendent experience in the Sacred Grove
teaches us anything, it is that the heavens are open
and that God speaks to His children.
The Prophet Joseph Smith set a pattern for us
to follow in resolving our questions.
Drawn to the promise of James that if we lack wisdom
we may ask of God, the boy Joseph
took his question directly to Heavenly Father.
He sought personal revelation, and his seeking
opened this last dispensation.
In like manner, what will your seeking open for you?
What wisdom do you lack?
What do you feel an urgent need to know or understand?
Follow the example of the Prophet Joseph.
Find a quiet place where you can regularly go.
Humble yourself before God.
Pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father.
Turn to Him for answers and for comfort.
Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns,
your fears, your weaknesses--yes,
the very longings of your heart.
And then listen!
Write the thoughts that come to your mind.
Record your feelings and follow through with actions
that you are prompted to take.
As you repeat this process day after day, month after month,
year after year, you will "grow into the principle
of revelation."
Does God really want to speak to you?
Yes!
"As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop
the Missouri river in its decreed course ...
as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down
knowledge from heaven upon the heads
of the Latter-day Saints."
You don't have to wonder about what is true.
You do not have to wonder whom you can safely trust.
Through personal revelation, you can receive your own witness
that the Book of Mormon is the word of God,
that Joseph Smith is a prophet of this dispensation,
and that this is the Lord's Church.
Regardless of what others may say or do,
no one can ever take away a witness borne to your heart
and mind about what is true.
I urge you to stretch beyond your current spiritual ability
to receive personal revelation, for the Lord has promised that
"if thou shalt [seek], thou shalt receive revelation upon
revelation, knowledge upon knowledge,
that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable
things--that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life
eternal."
There is so much more that your Father in Heaven
wants you to know.
As Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught, "To those who have eyes to see
and ears to hear, it is clear that the Father and the Son
are giving away the secrets of the universe!"
Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination
of increased purity, exact obedience,
earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ
in the Book of Mormon, and regular time
committed to temple and family history work.
To be sure, there may be times when you feel as
though the heavens are closed.
But I promise that as you continue to be obedient,
expressing gratitude for every blessing the Lord gives you,
and as you patiently honor the Lord's timetable,
you will be given the knowledge and understanding you seek.
Every blessing the Lord has for you--even miracles--will
follow.
That is what personal revelation will do for you.
I am optimistic about the future.
It will be filled with opportunities for each of us
to progress, contribute, and take the gospel
to every corner of the earth.
But I am also not naive about the days ahead.
We live in a world that is complex and increasingly
contentious.
The constant availability of social media and a 24-hour news
cycle bombard us with relentless messages.
If we are to have any hope of sifting through
the myriad of voices and the philosophies of men
that attack truth, we must learn to receive revelation.
Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ,
will perform some of His mightiest works between now
and when He comes again.
We will see miraculous indications
that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ,
preside over this earth in majesty and glory.
But in coming days, it will not be
possible to survive spiritually without
the guiding, directing, and comforting and constant
influence of the Holy Ghost.
My beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you
to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation.
Let this Easter Sunday be a defining moment in your life.
Choose to do the spiritual work required
to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost
and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently
and more clearly.
With Moroni, I exhort you on this Easter Sabbath
to "come unto Christ, and lay hold
upon every good gift," beginning with the gift
of the Holy Ghost, which gift can and will change your life.
We are followers of Jesus Christ.
The most important truth the Holy Ghost will ever
witness to you is that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of the living God.
He lives!
He is our Advocate with the Father, our Exemplar,
and our Redeemer.
On this Easter Sunday, we commemorate
His atoning sacrifice, His literal Resurrection,
and His divinity.
This is His Church, restored through the Prophet Joseph
Smith.
I so testify, with my expression of love for each of you,
in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.
[MUSIC PLAYING--"HE IS RISEN"]
Our dear and kind Heavenly Father, we love Thee, Father.
We love Thy Son, Jesus Christ, and we
thank Thee for this great opportunity
we've had to listen to Thy prophet,
to feel his love for us, to feel his big heart towards all
of us.
We thank Thee, Father, for Thy Son, Jesus Christ.
We thank Thee for Thy Church and Thy Son's Atonement.
We thank Thee, Father, and we pray
that revelation may come to us and that we
may be closer to Thee, that Thou might strengthen us,
as we ask Thee in prayer, to be closer
to Thy Son, Jesus Christ, and to Thee.
We humbly say these things 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.
Music was provided by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
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.