[MUSIC PLAYING] “How Wondrous and Great”

From the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

This is the Saturday morning session of the 193rd semiannual general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,

with speakers selected from leaders of the Church.

Music for this session is provided by The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.

♪ To nations long ♪ 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.

♪ and thy judgments Shall spread ♪ President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church, will conduct this session. ♪ thee their God. ♪

Brothers and sisters, we welcome you to the Saturday morning session of the 193rd semiannual conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

and extend our greetings to members and friends participating in the conference throughout the world, wherever you may be.

We acknowledge the general authorities and the general officers who will be in attendance throughout the conference.

We note the absence of President Russell M. Nelson and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, who are viewing the conference at home.

We likewise note the passing

of Sister Patricia Terry Holland, wife of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.

Hers was a life of goodness as she served in various capacities

and supported her husband in his many assignments.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to Elder Holland and to his family.

The music for this session will be provided by The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, joined

throughout the conference by guest choir members from Ecuador, Hong Kong,

Japan, New Zealand, Philippines, Puerto Rico, South Africa, and South Korea. The choir is under the direction of Mack Wilberg and Ryan Murphy,

and with Andrew Unsworth and Richard Elliott at the organ.

The choir opened this meeting with “How Wondrous and Great,”

and will now favor us with “How Firm a Foundation.”

The invocation will then be offered by Elder Alvin F. Meredith the Third, of the Seventy.

[MUSIC PLAYING] “How Firm a Foundation”

♪ ♪ ♪ How firm a foundation, ye Saints of the Lord, ♪

♪ Is laid for your faith in his excellent word! ♪

♪ What more can he say than to you he hath said, ♪

♪ Who unto the Savior, who unto the Savior, ♪

♪ Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled? ♪

♪ ♪

♪ In ev’ry condition in sickness, in health, ♪

♪ In poverty’s vale or abounding in wealth, ♪

♪ At home or abroad, on the land or the sea ♪

♪ As thy days may demand, as thy days may demand, ♪

♪ As thy days may demand so thy succor shall be. ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed, ♪

♪ For I am thy God and will still give thee aid. ♪

♪ I’ll strengthen thee, help thee and cause thee to stand, ♪

♪ Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous, ♪ ♪ Upheld by my righteous omnipotent hand. ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose ♪

♪ I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes; ♪

♪ That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, ♪

♪ I’ll never, no never, I’ll never, no never, ♪

♪ I’ll never, no never, no never forsake! ♪

♪ ♪

♪ I’ll never, no never, no never ♪

♪ forsake! ♪

♪ Amen! ♪

Our dear Heavenly Father,

as we commence this new season of general conference, we express sincere gratitude for the blessing of being led by prophets and apostles. We’re grateful to gather here. We’re grateful for Thy love.

We’re grateful for Thy Son, for His life, His teachings, and most importantly, His atonement.

We pray this day that that Thou will be with President Nelson and Elder Holland,

that they will have an added measure of Thy spirit and know of our love and care and concern for them.

We pray that Thy spirit will be with all of us through word and through music, that we might leave with a greater resolve to be better disciples of Thy Son, Jesus Christ.

We offer this prayer sincerely and humbly, in the name of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, amen.

We will now be pleased to hear from Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

He will be followed by Sister Amy A. Wright, who serves as first counselor in the Primary general presidency.

After Sister Wright's remarks, the choir will sing, “I Feel My Savior’s Love.”

Elder Robert M. Daines of the Seventy and Carlos E. Godoy of the Presidency of the Seventy will then address us.

I earnestly pray for the help of the Holy Ghost as I now express my love, admiration, and gratitude for the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints all around the world.

The year 1947 marked the 100th anniversary of the first Latter-day Saint pioneers arriving in the Salt Lake Valley.

Many memorable celebrations were held during that year,

and countless expressions of gratitude were offered for the devoted disciples of Jesus Christ, who blazed trails, built homes, planted crops in the barren desert, and settled communities.

President J. Rubin Clark, First Counselor in the First Presidency,

gave one of the most memorable and touching tributes to these faithful pioneers in the October 1947 General Conference.

In his message, President Clark briefly acknowledged the well-known leaders who guided the westward migration,

such as Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Wilford Woodruff, Parley P. Pratt and many others. However, his primary purpose was not to recount the accomplishments of these noteworthy individuals.

Rather, he focused his remarks on the stalwart souls whose names are neither known nor officially recorded in Church history.

The instructive title of his message is: “They of the Last Wagon.”

President Clark described in great detail the characteristics of and the challenges faced by the migrants who traveled in the last covered wagon in each of the long wagon trains that crossed the plains. He praised these anonymous and uncelebrated heroes who, day after day,

week after week, and month after month, choked on the dust stirred up by all of the wagons rolling in front of them,

and who overcame the relentless obstacles they encountered along the way. President Clark declared, They of the last wagon

pressed forward, worn and tired, footsore, sometimes almost disheartened,

borne up by their faith that God loved them.

That the restored gospel was true and that the Lord led and directed the Brethren out in front.

He concluded his message with this stirring commendation:

To these humble souls, great in faith, great in work, great in righteous living, great in fashioning our priceless heritage—

I humbly render my love, my respect, my reverent homage.

In 1990, President Howard W. Hunter,

then President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles,

delivered a message about the indispensable contributions of countless Church members who served diligently and faithfully and who receive little or no public acknowledgment or acclaim. President Hunter explained,

It was said about the young and valiant Captain Moroni,

“If all men had been and were and ever would be like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever.

Yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.”

What a compliment to a famous and powerful man.

Two verses later is a statement about Helaman and his brethren who played a less conspicuous role than Moroni that reads,

“Now behold, Helaman and his brethren were no less serviceable unto the people than was Moroni.” President Hunter continued, In other words, even though Helaman was not as noticeable or conspicuous as Moroni, he was as serviceable.

That is, he was as helpful or useful as Moroni.

President Hunter then counseled all of us to be no less serviceable. He said,

If you feel that much of what you do this year or in the years to come does not make you very famous, take heart.

Most of the best people who ever lived weren't very famous either.

Serve and grow faithfully and quietly.

I am grateful for millions of Church members who today are coming unto the Savior and pressing forward on the covenant path in the last wagons of our contemporary wagon trains

and who truly are no less serviceable.

Your strong faith in Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and your unpretentious, consecrated lives

inspire me to be a better man and disciple. I love you. I admire you.

I thank you. And I commend you.

A statement in the Book of Mormon by Samuel the Lamanite best summarizes my feelings for you:

“Behold that the more part of them are in the path of their duty

and they do walk circumspectly before God

and they do observe to keep his commandments and his statutes.

Yea, I say unto you that the more part of them are doing this and they are striving with unwearied diligence,

that they may bring the remainder of their brethren to the knowledge of the truth.” I believe the phrase “in the path of their duty” describes discerning brothers and sisters who look for and sit next to people who are alone in Church meetings and in a variety of other settings.

They consistently strive to comfort those that stand in need of comfort without expectations of acknowledgment or praise.

The phrase “in the path of their duty” describes spouses and children who support a companion, parent, or child who serves in a leadership position in the Lord's restored Church.

Their steady, quiet, and typically unrecognized sustaining influence makes possible the blessing of many individuals and families in ways that will be fully known only in eternity.

The phrase “in the path of their duty” describes individuals who,

having turned away from God humbly, are returning to him once again,

repenting of their sins and seeking the cleansing and healing power of the Savior’s Atonement. Coming unto Christ by returning to the covenant path from sinful detours into forbidden paths is spiritually essential and righteously rigorous.

As they press forward with faith and weary not in well-doing,

They are laying the foundation of a great work in their individual lives to all generations and for eternity.

The phrase “in the path of their duty” describes righteous individuals who yearn to become yoked to the Savior through the authorized covenants and ordinances of His gospel,

but may be prohibited from doing so by factors beyond their control.

I promise your personal anguish will be relieved and your obedience and faithfulness to patiently submit your will to God will be rewarded in the own due time of the Lord.

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

The phrase “in the path of their duty” describes the inspired translators and interpreters around the world who serve the Lord by helping friends and members to hear the fullness of the gospel in their own tongue and in their own language.

Their voices, signed language, and translated documents convey eternal truths.

Yet few of us know their names or ever express appreciation through the gift of tongues with which they have been blessed.

Translators and interpreters serve diligently, selflessly and most often anonymously,

to help people receive the spiritual gift of faith through reading and hearing the word of God.

The phrase “in the path of their duty” describes faithful married men and women who honor their covenant responsibility to multiply and replenish the earth and who also are blessed with the strength and stamina to wrestle with their children in sacrament meetings.

In an increasingly confused world beset with calamities and misplaced priorities,

these courageous souls heed not the secular voices extolling self-centredness.

They reverence the sanctity and importance of life in Heavenly Father's plan of happiness for His children.

Many married couples also trust in God.

When the righteous desires of their hearts are not realized,

how or when they had hoped and dreamed,

they wait upon the Lord and do not demand that He meet their mortal deadlines. For since the beginning of the world,

have not men heard nor perceived by the ear,

neither hath any eye seen, O God, besides Thee,

How great things Thou hast prepared For them that waiteth for Thee.

The phrase “in the path of their duty” describes the thousands and thousands of nursery leaders and primary teachers who love and instruct the children of the Church each Sabbath day.

Consider the eternal impact of the service rendered by these devoted disciples and the marvelous blessings promised to those who minister to children.

And Jesus took a child and set him in the midst of them.

And when He had taken him in His arms, He said unto them,

Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name receiveth me.

And whosoever shall receive me receiveth not me, but Him that sent me.

The phrase “in the path of their duty” describes dedicated children tenderly caring for aged parents, a sleep-deprived mother comforting a frightened child while standing guard as a lioness at the gate of her home.

Church members who arrive early and stay late to set up and take down chairs and inspired individuals who invite family, friends and associates to come and see, come and help, and come and stay.

I have described only a few selected examples of covenant-keeping and devoted disciples of Jesus Christ like you who are pressing forward in the path of your duty.

Millions of additional examples of Latter-day Saints who offer their whole souls unto God are found in Christ-centered homes and in Church units around the world. You love and serve.

You listen and learn, care and console, and teach and testify by the power of the Holy Ghost.

You fast and pray often, wax stronger and stronger in humility,

and grow firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ unto the filling your souls with joy and consolation.

Yea even to the purifying and the sanctification of your hearts,

which sanctification cometh because of yielding your hearts unto God.

They of the last wagon, all who are no less serviceable.

And you, who today are pressing forward in the path of your duty, are the strength of the Savior's restored Church.

And as the Lord has promised, all thrones and dominions, principalities and powers shall be revealed and set forth upon all who have endured valiantly for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I joyfully witness that Heavenly Father and His beloved Son live,

and Their promises are sure. In the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

It was a day filled with pointed and direct parables, complex questions, and profound doctrine. After delivering a scathing rebuke of those who were like whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward but are within full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness,

Jesus taught three more parables about spiritual preparedness and discipleship. One of these was the parable of the ten virgins.

Then shall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom, and five of them were wise and five were foolish.

They that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold the bridegroom cometh. Go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise,

Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out.

But the wise answered saying, not so, lest there be not enough for us and you. But go ye rather to them that sell and buy for yourselves.

And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily, I say unto you, Ye know me not.

Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh. President Dallin H. Oaks posed the following thought-provoking questions in relation to the coming of the bridegroom. What if the day of His coming were tomorrow?

If we knew that we would meet the Lord tomorrow through our premature death or through His unexpected coming, What would we do today?

I have learned from personal experience that spiritual preparation for the coming of the Lord is not only essential, but the only way to find true peace and happiness.

It was a crisp fall day when I first heard the words, “You have cancer.”

My husband and I were stunned. As we drove home in silence, processing the news, my heart turned to our three sons.

In my mind, I asked Heavenly Father, Am I going to die?

The Holy Ghost whispered, Everything is going to be okay.

Then I asked, Am I going to live? Again the answer came, Everything is going to be okay. I was confused. Why did I receive the exact same answer whether I lived or died?

Then suddenly, every fiber of my being filled with absolute peace. As I was reminded, we did not need to hurry home and teach our children how to pray.

They knew how to receive answers and comfort from prayer.

We did not need to hurry home and teach them about the scriptures or words of living prophets.

Those words were already a familiar source of strength and understanding.

We did not need to hurry home and teach them about repentance, the Resurrection, the Restoration, the plan of salvation, eternal families, or the very doctrine of Jesus Christ.

In that moment, every family home evening lesson, scripture study session, prayer of faith offered, blessing given, testimony shared, covenant made and kept, House of the Lord attended, and Sabbath day observed mattered.

Oh, how it mattered! It was too late to put oil in our lamps. We needed every single drop and we needed it right now.

Because of Jesus Christ and His restored gospel,

if I died, my family would be comforted, strengthened, and one day restored.

If I lived, I would have access to the greatest power on this earth to help succor, sustain, and heal me.

In the end, because of Jesus Christ, everything can be okay.

We learn from a careful study of the Doctrine and Covenants what okay looks like: “And

that day when I shall come in my glory shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins: for they that are wise and have received the truth and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide and have not been deceived, verily, I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day.” Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to abide the day. Abiding the day does not mean adding to an ever-increasing to-do list. Think of a magnifying glass.

Its sole purpose is not simply to make things appear bigger.

It can also gather and focus light to make it more powerful.

We need to simplify, focus our efforts, and be gatherers of the light of Jesus Christ. We need more holy and revelatory experiences.

Located in northwestern Israel is a beautiful mountain range, often referred to as the Evergreen Mountain.

Mount Carmel stays green year round largely in part to tiny amounts of dew.

Nourishment happens daily. Like the dews of Carmel, as we seek to nourish our souls with things pertaining to righteousness, small and simple things, our testimonies and the testimonies of our children will live.

Now, you may be thinking, But Sister Wright, you do not know my family.

We are really struggling and do not look anything like this.

You are correct. I do not know your family, but a God with infinite love, mercy, power, knowledge, and glory does. The questions you may be asking are questions of the heart that ache in the depths of your soul.

Similar questions are found in the holy scriptures.

Master, carest thou not that my family perish? Where is now my hope?

What shall I do that this cloud of darkness may be removed from overshadowing me? Where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?

How is it possible that I can lay hold upon every good thing?

Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?

And then ever so sweetly come the answers: Believest thou in the power of Christ unto salvation? Hath the Lord commanded any that they should not partake of His goodness?

Believe ye that He is able to do this? Believest thou the prophets?

Do you exercise faith in the redemption of Him who created you?

Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?

My dear friends, we cannot share our oil, but we can share His light.

Oil in our lamps will not only help us abide the day, but can also be the means of illuminating the path that leads those we love to the Savior, who stands ready with open arms to receive them.

Thus, saith the Lord, refrain thy voice from weeping and thine eyes from tears, for thy works shall be rewarded. And they shall come again from the land of the enemy.

And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border.

Jesus Christ is the hope in thine end.

Nothing we have or have not done is beyond the reach of his infinite and eternal sacrifice. He is the reason why it is never the end of our story. Therefore, we must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if we shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father, we shall have eternal life.

Eternal life is eternal joy.

Joy in this life right now—not despite the challenges of our day, but because of the Lord’s help to learn from and ultimately overcome them—

and immeasurable joy in the life to come.

Tears will dry up. Broken hearts will be mended. What is lost shall be found. Concern shall be resolved. Families will be restored. And all that the Father hath will be ours.

Look to Jesus Christ and live is my testimony in the sacred and holy name of the beloved Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, Jesus Christ, amen.

[MUSIC PLAYING] “I Feel My Savior’s Love”

♪ ♪

♪ I feel my Savior’s love in all the world around me. ♪

♪ His spirit warms my soul through ev’rything I see. ♪

♪ He knows I will follow Him. ♪

♪ Give all my life to Him. ♪

♪ I feel my Savior’s love, ♪ ♪ the love He freely gives me. ♪

♪ ♪

♪ I feel my savior’s love its ♪ ♪ gentleness enfold me, ♪

♪ And when I kneel to pray ♪ ♪ my heart is filled with peace. ♪

♪ He knows I will follow Him, ♪

♪ give all my life to Him. ♪

♪ I feel my Savior’s love, ♪

♪ the love he freely gives me. ♪

♪ ♪

♪ I feel my Savior’s love and know that he will bless me. ♪

♪ I offer Him my heart. My shepherd He will be. ♪

♪ He knows I will follow Him, ♪

♪ Give all my life to Him. ♪

♪ I feel my Savior’s love ♪

♪ the love He freely gives me. ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ love He freely ♪ ♪ gives me. ♪

One day in the spring of 1945, a young man awoke in a military hospital.

He was fortunate to be alive. He'd been shot just behind the ear.

But doctors had operated and he could now walk and talk normally.

Tragically, the bullet had damaged the part of his brain that recognized faces.

He now looked at his wife without a spark of recognition.

He couldn't recognize his own mother.

Even the face in the mirror was foreign to him.

He couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman.

He had become face blind, a condition that affects millions of people.

People who are severely face blind try to identify others by memorizing rules.

A rule for recognizing a daughter by the pattern of her freckles or a friend by her shuffling gait. Here's a second story closer to home.

As a young boy, I often saw my mom as the rulemaker.

She decided when I could play and when I had to go to bed or worse, pull weeds in the yard.

She obviously loved me, but too often and to my shame, I saw her only as She Who Must Be Obeyed.

Only years later did I come to see her as a real person.

I'm embarrassed that I never really noticed her sacrifice or wondered why

for years she only ever wore the same two old skirts while I got new school clothes.

Or at the end of the day,

why she was so tired and eager for me to go to bed early.

Perhaps you've noticed that these two stories are really one story.

For too many years I was, in effect, face blind.

I failed to see my mom as a real person.

I saw her rules, but I didn't see in them her love.

Now I tell you these two stories to make one point.

I suspect you know someone,

perhaps you are someone, who suffers from a kind of spiritual face blindness.

You may struggle to see God as a loving Father.

You may look heavenward and see not the face of love and mercy,

but a thicket of rules through which you must wend your way.

Perhaps you believe God rules in His heavens, speaks through His prophets and loves your sister,

but secretly wonder whether He loves you.

Perhaps you have felt the iron rod in your hand,

but not yet felt your Savior’s love to which it leads.

I suspect you know people like this, because for a long time I was someone like this.

I was spiritually face blind.

I thought my life was about following rules

and measuring up to abstract standards.

I knew God loved you perfectly, but I didn't feel it myself.

I'm afraid I thought more about getting into heaven than being with my Heavenly Father. If you, like me, can sometimes only lip sync

but not sing the song of redeeming love, what can we do?

The answer, as President Nelson reminds us, is always Jesus.

And that is very good news. There's a short verse in John that I love.

It tells of a group of outsiders who make their way to a disciple with an important request. Sir, they say, we would like to see Jesus.

That is what we all want.

We want to see Jesus for who He is and to feel His love.

This should be the reason for most of what we do in the Church and certainly of every sacrament meeting.

If you're ever wondering what kind of lesson to teach, what kind of meeting to plan, and whether to just give up on the deacons and play dodgeball,

you might take this verse as your guide.

Will this help people see and love Jesus Christ?

If not, maybe try something else.

When I realized that I was spiritually face blind,

that I saw rules but not the face of the Father’s mercy,

I knew it wasn’t the Church’s fault. It wasn’t God’s.

And it didn't mean everything was lost. It's something we all have to learn.

Even the early witnesses to the Resurrection often came face-to-face with the resurrected Lord,

but did not recognize Him.

From the garden tomb to the shores of Galilee, His first followers saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus.

They had to learn to recognize him. And so do we.

When I realized I was spiritually face blind,

I started to follow Mormon's counsel to pray with all the energy of heart to be filled with the love promised His disciples,

my love for Him, and His love for me.

And to see Him as He is and have this hope.

I prayed for years to be able to follow the first great commandment, to love God and to feel that first great truth that God loves us with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength.

I read and reread and reread the four Gospels,

this time reading not to extract rules, but to see who He is and what He loves.

And in time I was swept away by the river of love that flowed from Him.

Jesus announced at the outset that He had come to heal the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the recovery of sight to the blind.

This wasn’t just a to do list or good PR, it is the shape of His love.

Open the Gospels at random. On almost every page we see Him caring for people who suffer socially, spiritually, physically. He touches people considered polluted and unclean, and He feeds the hungry. What is your favorite story of Jesus?

I suspect it shows the Son of God reaching out to embrace or offer hope to someone on the margins: the leper, the hated Samaritan, the accused and scandalous sinner, or the national enemy. That kind of grace is amazing.

Try writing down every time He praises or heals or eats with an outsider

and you will run low on ink before you leave Luke.

As I saw this, my heart leapt in loving recognition,

and I began to feel that He might love me. As President Nelson taught,

The more you learn about the Savior,

the easier it will be to trust in His mercy and His infinite love,

and the more you will trust and love your Heavenly Father.

Elder Holland has taught us that Jesus came to show us who and what God our eternal Father is like, how completely devoted He is to His children in every age and nation.

Paul says, God is the Father of all mercies and the God of all comfort.

If you see Him differently, please keep trying.

Prophets invite us to seek His face.

I take this as a reminder that we worship our Father and not a formula.

That we’re not finished until we see Jesus as the face of our Father’s love and follow Him and not just His rules.

When prophets and apostles talk of covenants, they aren't like coaches yelling out from red velvet bleachers telling us to try harder. They want us to see our covenants are fundamentally about relationships and can be a cure for spiritual face blindness.

They’re not rules to earn His love. He already loves you perfectly.

Our challenge is to understand and shape our life to that love.

We try to see through our covenants as if through a window to the face of the Father’s mercy behind. Covenants are the shape of God’s embrace.

Finally, we learn to see Him by serving Him.

For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served.

A few years ago, I got a calling I didn't feel up to.

I awoke early, nervous, but with a phrase in mind I had not heard before that to serve in this church is to stand in the river of God’s love for His children.

This church is a work party of people with picks and shovels trying to clear the channel for the river of God’s love to reach His children at the end of the row. Whoever you are,

whatever your past, there is room for you in this church.

Grab a pick and shovel and join the team.

Help carry His love to His children. And some of it will splash on you.

Let us seek His loving face, His covenant embrace, and then join arm in arm with His children and together we will sing, Redeemer of Israel, restore, my dear Savior, the light of Thy face, Thy soul cheering comfort in part, And let the sweet longing for Thy holy place bring hope to my desolate heart.

May we seek His loving face. And then be vessels of His mercy to His children in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

A few years ago when I was serving in the South America Northwest area

and living in Peru, I had a beautiful experience that I would like to share with you.

It happened when I was returning home after a busy weekend of assignments.

After finally completing the airport immigration process,

I found a friendly taxi driver waiting for me from our usual taxi service.

He took me to his car and I sat in the back, ready to relax and enjoy a quiet trip home.

After driving a few blocks, the driver received a phone call from his supervisor, telling him I took the wrong taxi.

A different car was reserved for me and the supervisor asked him to take me back to the airport if I wanted to change cars. I told him it was not necessary and we could keep going.

After a few minutes of silence, he looked at me through the rearview mirror and asked.

You are Mormon, aren't you?

Well, after that inviting question, I knew my quiet moments were over.

I could not resist exploring where his question would take us.

I learned that his name was Omar.

His wife's name was Maria Theresa, and they had two children, Karolina, aged 14, and Rodrigo, aged 10.

Omar had been a member of the Church since he was a child.

His family was active, but at some point his parents stopped going to church. Omar became completely inactive when he was 15.

He was then 40 years old.

At that moment, I realize I did not take the wrong taxi.

It was not a coincidence.

I told him who I was and that I was in his taxi because the Lord was calling him back to His fold.

We then talked about the time he and his family were active members of the Church. He had fond memories of sweet family home evening moments and some Primary songs.

He then softly sang a few words of “I Am a Child of God.”

After getting his address, phone number, and permission to share with his bishop, I told him I will find a way to be in the chapel

on his first day back to church.

We finished our trip from the airport to my home as well as

our little trip to his past. And we went our separate ways.

A few weeks later, his bishop called me,

telling me Omar was planning to attend church on a certain Sunday.

I told him I will be there. That Sunday, Omar was there with his son.

His wife and daughter were not yet interested.

A few months later, his bishop called me again,

this time to tell me that Omar will be baptizing his wife and his two children,

and invited me to be there.

Here is the picture of that Sunday where they were confirmed members of the Church. That same Sunday, I told Omar and his family that if they were prepared, in one year, I would be honored to perform their sealing in the Lima Temple.

Here is a picture of that memorable moment for all of us taken one year later.

Why I’m sharing this experience with you: I’m sharing for two purposes.

First, to address those good members that for some reason have fallen away from the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and second,

to also address those participating members today who maybe are not being as faithful to their covenants as they should be.

In both cases, generations ahead of them are impacted in blessings and promises that were reserved for their posterity are at risk.

Let's start with the first scenario.

Good members who left the covenant path, as happened with my Peruvian friend Omar.

When I asked him why he decided to return, he said it was because he and his wife felt their children would be happier in life with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

He felt it was about time to go back to church for the sake of their children.

It is so sad when we come across inactive members or new members of the Church who at one time had the gospel within their families and lost it because of their parents’ or grandparents’ decision to take a break from the Church. Their decision could have an impact on their posterity forever.

Their children and grandchildren have been precluded from the protection and the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives.

Even more heartbreaking, they have lost the promises of eternal family which were there one day.

The decision of one has impacted a whole chain of descendants.

A legacy of faith has been broken.

However, as we know, anything broken can be mended through Jesus Christ.

For this reason, please consider this invitation from President Russell M. Nelson:

Now, if you have stepped off the path, may I invite you with all the hope of my heart to please come back?

Whatever your concerns, whatever your challenges, there is a place for you in this, the Lord’s church.

You and generations yet unborn will be blessed by your actions now to return to the covenant path.

Well, now let's address the second scenario.

Today's participating members who maybe are not being as faithful as they should be. Just as yesterday’s decisions impact today’s realities,

decisions of today will impact our future and the future of our family members.

President Oaks taught us, The restored gospel of Jesus Christ

encourages us to think about the future.

It teaches great ideas about the future to guide our actions today.

In contrast, we all know persons who are concerned only with the present.

Spend it today, enjoy it today, and take no thought for the future.

As we make current decisions, we should always be asking, Where will this lead?

Will our current decisions lead us to joy now and in eternity,

or will they lead us to sorrow and tears?

Some may think, we don’t need to attend church every Sunday,

or we will pay tithing when things get better,

or, I will not support the Church leaders in this subject,

but they say, we know the Church is true and we will never leave the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Those with thoughts like this do not realize the negative impact this lukewarm type of membership will have on their lives

and the lives of their posterity.

The parents may remain active,

but the risk of losing their children is high in this life and in eternity.

Regarding those who will not inherit celestial glory with their families the Lord says, These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus,

wherefore they obtain not a crown over the kingdom of our God.

Is that what we want for ourselves or our children?

Shouldn't we be more valiant and less lukewarm for our own sake and for the sake of our posterity?

President Ballard also addressed a similar concern: For some, Christ’s invitation to believe and remain continues to be hard.

Some disciples struggle to understand a specific Church policy or teaching.

Others find concern in our history or in the imperfections of some members and leaders past and present.

The decision to walk no more with Church members and the Lord's chosen leaders will have a long-term impact that cannot always be seen right now.

What a sad legacy to pass along, and for what reason?

Whatever it is, it isn't enough to ignore the negative spiritual impact it will create for generations ahead.

My dear brothers and sisters, if you are going through one of these two situations I mentioned in my message, please reconsider your course of action.

You know there is a plan for us in this life.

You know that families can be eternal. Why put yours at risk?

Don't be the weak link in this beautiful chain of faith you started

or you received as a legacy. Be the strong one.

It is your turn to do it, and the Lord can help you.

From the bottom of my heart, I invite you to think about it, to look ahead and evaluate where this will lead, and if it’s necessary, be valiant enough to reshape your path for the sake of your posterity. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

When directed, the congregation will join with the choir in singing “High on the Mountain Top.” We will then hear from Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

He will be followed by Elder Ian S. Arden of the Seventy.

[MUSIC PLAYING] “High on the Mountain Top”

This is the Saturday morning session of the 193rd semiannual general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

♪ ♪

♪ High on the mountain top A banner is unfurled. ♪

♪ Ye nations, now look up; It waves to all the world. ♪

♪ In Deseret’s sweet, peaceful land, ♪

♪ On Zion’s mount behold it stand! ♪

♪ For God remembers still His promise made of old ♪

♪ That he on Zion’s hill Truth’s standard would unfold! ♪

♪ Her light should there attract the gaze ♪

♪ Of all the world in latter days. ♪

♪ His house shall there be reared, His glory to display, ♪

♪ And people shall be heard In distant lands to say: ♪

♪ We’ll now go up and serve the Lord, ♪

♪ Obey his truth, and learn his word. ♪

♪ For there we shall be taught The law that will go forth, ♪

♪ With truth and wisdom fraught, To govern all the earth. ♪

♪ Forever there his ways we’ll tread, ♪

♪ And save ourselves with all our dead. ♪

It has been prophesied since at least the days of Isaiah

that in the latter days the Lord’s ancient covenant people, the House of Israel, should be gathered in from their long dispersion from the isles of the sea and from the four parts of the earth,

and restored to the lands of their inheritance.

President Russell M. Nelson has spoken often and powerfully about this gathering,

calling it the most important thing taking place on Earth today.

What is the purpose of this gathering?

By revelation to the prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord had identified one purpose as the protection of the covenant people. He said, The gathering together upon the land of Zion and upon her stakes will be for a defense and for a refuge from the storm and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth. Wrath in this context may be understood as the natural consequences of widespread disobedience to the laws and commandments of God. Most importantly, the gathering is for the purpose of bringing the blessings of salvation and exaltation to all who will receive them.

It is how the covenant promises given to Adam or Abraham are realized.

The Lord told Abraham that through his seed and priesthood,

all the families of the earth should be blessed,

even with the blessings of the gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal. President Nelson expressed it this way:

When we embrace the gospel and are baptized,

we take upon ourselves the sacred name of Jesus Christ.

Baptism is the gate that leads to becoming joint heirs to all the promises given anciently by the Lord to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their posterity.

In 1836, Moses appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple and committed the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth.

On that same occasion, Elias appeared and committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, saying that in us and our seed all generations after us should be blessed.

With this authority, we now carry the gospel of Jesus Christ,

the good news of redemption through Him, to all parts and peoples of the earth, and gather all who will into the gospel covenant.

They become the seed of Abraham and the church and kingdom and the elect of God. On that same occasion in the Kirtland Temple, there was a third heavenly messenger who appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. I speak of the Prophet Elijah and it is the authority and keys he restored that I want to speak about today.

The power to validate all priesthood ordinances and make them binding both on earth and in heaven. The sealing power is crucial for gathering and preparing a covenant people on both sides of the veil.

Years earlier, Moroni had made it clear to Joseph Smith that Elijah would bring essential priesthood authority.

I will reveal unto you the priesthood by the hand of Elijah the Prophet.

Joseph Smith later explained, Why send Elijah?

Because he holds the keys of the authority to administer in all the ordinances of the priesthood, and unless the authority is given, the ordinances could not be administered in righteousness.

That is, the ordinances would not be valid in both time and eternity.

In a teaching now canonized as scripture in the Doctrine and Covenants, the Prophet stated,

It may seem to some to be a very bold doctrine that we talk of,

a power which records or binds on earth and binds in heaven.

Nevertheless, in all ages of the world, whenever the Lord has given a dispensation of the priesthood to any man by actual revelation or any set of men,

this power has always been given.

Hence, whatsoever those men did in authority in the name of the Lord

and did it truly and faithfully and kept the proper and faithful record of the same.

It became a law on earth and in heaven

and could not be annulled according to the decrees of the great Jehovah.

We tend to think of the sealing authority as applying only to certain temple ordinances,

but that authority is necessary to make any ordinance valid and binding beyond death.

The sealing power confers a seal of legitimacy upon your baptism,

for example, so that it is recognized here and in heaven.

Ultimately, all priesthood ordinances are performed under the keys of the President of the Church.

And as President Joseph Fielding Smith explained, He, the President of the Church has given us authority. He has put the sealing power in our priesthood because he holds those keys.

There's another vital purpose in the gathering of Israel that has special meaning when we talk about sealing on earth and in heaven. That's the building and operation of temples.

As the Prophet Joseph Smith explained,

What was the object of gathering the people of God in any age of the world? The main object was to build unto the Lord a house whereby he could reveal unto His people the ordinances of His house and the glories of His kingdom and teach the people the way of salvation. For there are certain ordinances and principles that, when they're taught and practiced,

must be done in a place or house built for that purpose.

The validity that the sealing power gives to priesthood ordinances includes, of course, vicarious ordinances performed in the place designated by the Lord: His temple. Here we see the majesty and sacredness of the sealing power. It makes individual salvation and family exaltation universally available to the children of God wherever and whenever they may have lived on the earth. No other theology or philosophy or authority can match such an all-inclusive opportunity.

The sealing power is a perfect manifestation of the justice, mercy, and love of God. With access to the sealing power, our hearts naturally turn to those who've gone before.

The latter-day gathering into the covenant crosses through the veil.

In the perfect order of God, the living cannot experience eternal life in its fullness without forging enduring links to the fathers, our ancestors.

Likewise, the progress of those who are already on the other side,

or who may yet cross through the veil of death without the benefit of sealings, is incomplete until vicarious ordinances bind them to us, their descendants, and us to them in the divine order.

The commitment to aid one another across the veil can be classified as a covenant promise. Part of the new and everlasting covenant.

In Joseph Smith's words, we want to seal up our dead to come forth with us

in the First Resurrection.

The highest and holiest manifestation of the sealing power is in the eternal union of a man and a woman in marriage and the linking of humankind through all their generations.

Because the authority to officiate in these ordinances is so sacred,

the President of the Church personally oversees its delegation to others.

President Gordon Hinckley said on one occasion,

I've said many times that if nothing else came out of all the sorrow and travail and pain of the Restoration than the sealing power of the holy priesthood to bind together families forever, it would have been worth all that it has cost.

Without the sealings that create eternal families and link generations here and hereafter, we would be left in eternity with neither roots nor branches. That is, neither ancestry nor posterity.

It is this free-floating, disconnected state of individuals on the one hand,

or connections that defy the marriage and family relations God has ordained on the other hand, that would frustrate the very purpose of the earth’s creation.

Were that to become the norm, it would be tantamount to the earth being smitten with a curse or utterly wasted at the Lord's coming.

We can see why marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

At the same time, we recognize that in the imperfect present,

this is not the reality or even a realistic possibility for some.

But we have hope in Christ. While we wait upon the Lord, President M. Russell Ballard reminds us that, Scriptures and Latter-day prophets confirm that everyone who is faithful in keeping gospel covenants will have the opportunity for exaltation.

Some have experienced unhappy and unhealthy family circumstances

and feel little desire for an eternal family association.

Elder David A. Bednar made this observation: To you who have experienced the heartache of a divorce in your family or felt the agony of violated trust,

please remember that God’s pattern for families begins again with you.

One link in the chain of your generations may have been broken,

but the other righteous links and what remains of the chain are nonetheless eternally important.

You can add strength to your chain and perhaps even help restore the broken links. That work will be accomplished one by one.

In the funeral services for Sister Pat Holland, wife of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, last July, President Russell M. Nelson taught, In time, Patricia and Jeffrey will be reunited.

They will later be joined by their children and their covenant-keeping posterity to experience the fullness of joy that God has in store for His faithful children.

Knowing that, we understand that the most important date in Patricia's life was not her birth date or her death date. Her most important date was June 7th, 1963,

when she and Jeff were sealed in the Saint George temple.

Why so important? Because the very reason the earth was created was so families could be formed and sealed to each other.

Salvation is an individual matter, but exaltation is a family matter.

No one can be exalted alone. End quote.

Not long ago, my wife and I joined a dear friend in a sealing room of the Bountiful Utah temple.

I first met this friend when she was a child in Cordoba, Argentina.

My missionary companion and I were contacting people in a neighborhood just blocks away from the mission office,

and she answered the door when we came to her home.

In due time, she and her mother and siblings joined the church and they've remained faithful members. She's now a lovely woman.

And this day we were in the temple to seal her deceased parents to one another and then seal her to them.

A couple who over the years have become close friends represented her parents at the altar.

It was an emotional moment that became even sweeter when our Argentine friend was sealed to her parents.

There were just six of us present on a quiet afternoon away from the world.

And yet one of the most important things that ever takes place on the earth was happening. I was gratified that my role and association had come full circle from knocking on her door as a young missionary to now, these many years later performing the sealing ordinances that linked her to her parents and past generations.

This is a scene taking place constantly all over the world in temples.

This is the ultimate step in gathering the covenant people.

It is the highest privilege of your membership in the Church of Jesus Christ.

I promise that as you faithfully seek that privilege in time or eternity, it will surely be yours. I testify that the sealing power and authority restored to Earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith are real.

That what is thereby bound and on Earth truly is bound in heaven.

I testify that President Russell M. Nelson, as President of the Church, is the one man on Earth today that by his keys, directs the use of this supernal power.

I testify that the atonement of Jesus Christ has made immortality a verity

and the possibility of exalted family relationships a reality. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

This morning, I invite you to join with me on an African journey.

You won’t see any lions, zebras, or elephants,

but perhaps by journey's end, you will see how thousands of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are responding to Christ’s second great commandment to love thy neighbor.

Imagine for a moment the rural red dirt of Africa.

You see from the parched and barren earth that rain has not fallen in any measurable quantity for too many years.

The few cattle which cross your path are more bones than flesh

and are being driven by a blanket- covered curmudgeon herdsman who, with saddled feet, trudges on in hope of finding vegetation and water.

As you navigate the rough and rocky road,

you see several groups of beautiful children and wonder why they are not in school. The children smile and you wave.

The children smile and wave and you wave back with a tear and a smile.

92% of the youngest children you see on this journey live in food poverty.

Your heart groans with anguish.

Ahead, you see a mother carrying a carefully balanced five-gallon container of water on her head and another in her hand. She represents one of every two households in this area where women, young and old, walk more than 30 minutes each way each day to a source of water for their family. A wave of sorrow washes over you.

Two hours pass and you arrive at a secluded, shady clearing.

The meeting place is not a hall or even a tent, but rather under a few large trees providing shelter from the sweltering sun. In this place, you notice there's no running water,

no electricity, no flush toilets.

You look around and know you are amongst people who love God and you instantly feel God's love for them.

They have gathered to receive help and hope,

and you have arrived to share it.

Such was the journey of Sister Arden and I in the company of Sister Camille Johnson, our general Relief Society president, and her husband Doug, and Sister Sharon Eubank, director of the Church’s humanitarian services, as we traveled in Uganda, a country of 47 million people in central Africa.

On that day, under the shade of the trees,

we visited a community health project that is jointly funded by the Church Humanitarian Services, Unicef, and the Ministry of Health of the Ugandan government.

These are trusted organizations, carefully selected to ensure the donated humanitarian funds

from members of the Church are prudently used.

As heart wrenching as it was to see malnourished children and the effects of tuberculosis, malaria, and incessant diarrhea.

There came to each of us

an increase of hope for a better tomorrow for those we meet.

That hope came in part through the kindness of Church members from around the world who donate time and money to the Church humanitarian effort.

As I saw the sick and the afflicted being helped and lifted, I bowed my head in gratitude.

At that moment, I better understood what was meant by the King of Kings who said, Come ye blessed of my Father,

inherit the kingdom prepared for you, for I was an hungered and you gave me meat. I was thirsty and you gave me drink.

I was a stranger and you took me in.

Our Savior's plea is to let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

In that far flung corner of the earth,

your good works brighten the lives and lighten the load of a people in desperate need. And God was glorified. On that hot and dusty day,

I wished you could have heard their prayers of praise and gratitude to God.

They would have me say to you in their native Karamajong: “Alakara.”

Thank you. Our journey reminded me of the parable of the good Samaritan whose journey took him on a dusty road not unlike the one I described, a road that went from Jerusalem to Jericho.

This ministering Samaritan teaches us what it means to love thy neighbor.

He saw a certain man who fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment and wounded him and departed, leaving him half dead. The Samaritan had compassion on him.

Compassion is an attribute of Christ.

It is born of love for others and knows no boundaries.

Jesus, the Savior of the world, is the epitome of compassion.

When we read that Jesus wept, we are witnesses, as were Mary and Martha, of His compassion, which caused Him first to groan in the Spirit and be troubled. In a Book of Mormon example of Christ’s compassion,

Jesus appeared to a multitude and said,

Have you any that are lame or blind or halt or that are deaf or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you. And He did heal every one.

Despite our every effort, you and I won't heal everyone.

But each of us can be the one who can make a difference for good in the life of someone. It was just one lad,

a mere boy who offered the five loaves and the two fishes that fed the 5,000.

We may ask of our offering as Andrew the disciple did, of the loaves and fishes. What are they among so many?

I assure you it is sufficient to give or to do what you are able, and then to allow Christ to magnify your effort on this point.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland invited us, rich or poor, to do what we can when others are in need.

He then testified, as I do,

that God will help you and guide you in your compassionate acts of discipleship.

In that distant land, on that unforgettable day,

I stood then and stand now as a witness of the soul-stirring

and life-changing compassion of members of the Church, both rich and poor.

The parable of the good Samaritan continues as he bound up the man's wounds and took care of him.

Our Church humanitarian efforts find us quickly responding to natural disasters and binding up the world's widening wounds of disease, hunger, infant mortality, malnutrition, displacement, and the often unseen wounds of discouragement, disappointment, and despair.

The Samaritan then took two pence and gave them to the host,

and he said unto him, Take care of him.

As a church, we're grateful to collaborate with other hosts or organizations such as Catholic Relief Services, UNICEF,

and Red Cross and Red Crescent to assist in our humanitarian endeavors.

We are equally grateful for your two pence, or two euros, two pesos, or two shillings that are easing the burden that too many around the world are having to bear.

It is unlikely you will know the recipients of your time, dollars, and dimes. But compassion does not require us to know them. It only requires us to love them.

Thank you, President Nelson, for reminding us that when we love God with all our hearts, He turns our hearts to the well-being of others.

I testify that each of us will have an increase of joy, peace, humility, and love as we respond to President Nelson’s call to turn our hearts to the well-being of others and to Joseph Smith's plea to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, provide for the widow, dry up the tear of the orphan, and comfort the afflicted.

Whether in this church or any other, or in no church at all, wherever we find them. All those months ago,

we found the hungry and the afflicted on a dry and dusty plain,

and were witnesses to their pleading eyes for help.

In our own way, we groaned in the Spirit and were troubled. And yet those feelings were tempered as we saw the compassion of Church members at work. As the hungry were fed, the widows were provided for, and the afflicted were comforted, and their tears dried up.

May we be forever looking to the well-being of others and show in word and deed that we are willing to bear one another's burdens, to bind up the broken hearted, and to keep Christ’s second great commandment to love thy neighbor. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

We express gratitude to all who have spoken

and to The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square for the uplifting music they have provided this morning.

The choir will now favor us with “Faith in Every Footstep.”

Our concluding speaker for this session will be President Dallin H. Oaks,

First Counselor in the First Presidency.

Following his remarks, the choir will sing, “We Listen to a Prophet’s Voice.”

The benediction will then be offered by Brother Michael T. Nelson,

who serves as second counselor in the Young Men General Presidency.

[MUSIC PLAYING] “Faith in Every Footstep”

♪ A marvelous work has begun to come forth among all the children of men. ♪

♪ O ye that embark in the service of God, ♪ ♪ give heart, mind, and strength unto him: ♪

♪ For prophets have spoken and angels have come ♪ ♪ to lift the world from sin, ♪

♪ That Christ may reign over all the earth ♪ ♪ and bless his gathered kin. ♪

♪ With faith in every footstep, we ♪ ♪ follow Christ, the Lord; ♪

♪ And filled with hope through his pure love, ♪ ♪ we sing with one accord. ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Those marvelous Saints who embraced this great work ♪ ♪ and shared it in lands far and near; ♪

♪ Who gave all their heart, mind and strength to the Lord ♪ ♪ with wisdom and vision so clear; ♪

♪ Now stand as examples of virtue and faith, ♪ ♪ of souls prepared to hear. ♪

♪ Of knowledge sure, born of humble heart, ♪ ♪ and love that banished fear. ♪

♪ With faith in every footstep, ♪ ♪ we follow Christ, the Lord; ♪

♪ And filled with hope through his pure love, ♪ ♪ we sing with one accord. ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ If we now desire to assist in this work and ♪ ♪ thrust in our sickle with might; ♪

♪ If we will embark in the service of God ♪ ♪ and harvest in fields that are white: ♪

♪ Our souls may receive the salvation of God ♪ ♪ the fullness of his light. ♪

♪ That we may stand, free of sin and blame, ♪

♪ God’s glory, ♪

♪ God’s glory, ♪

♪ God’s glory in our sight. ♪

♪ With faith in every footstep, ♪ ♪ we follow Christ the Lord: ♪

♪ And filled with hope through his pure love, ♪ ♪ we sing with one accord. ♪

♪ And filled with hope through his pure love, ♪

♪ we sing with one ♪ ♪ accord. ♪

♪ ♪

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are frequently asked, How is your church different from other Christian churches?

Among the answers we give are the fullness of the doctrine of Jesus Christ.

Foremost among that doctrine is the fact that our Heavenly Father loves all His children so much that He wants us all to live in a kingdom of glory forever.

Moreover, He wants us to live with Him and His Son, Jesus Christ, eternally.

His plan gives us the teachings and the opportunity to make the choices that will assure us the destiny and the life we choose.

From modern revelation, we know that the ultimate destiny of all who live on the earth is not the inadequate idea of heaven for the righteous and the eternal sufferings of hell for the rest.

God’s loving plan for His children includes this reality taught by our Savior, Jesus Christ: “In my father’s house are many mansions.”

The revealed doctrine of the restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that all the children of God,

with exceptions too limited to consider here,

will ultimately inherit one of three kingdoms of glory,

even the least of which surpasses all understanding.

After a period in which the disobedient suffer for their sins,

which suffering prepares them for what is to follow,

all will be resurrected and proceed to the final judgment of the Lord Jesus Christ. There, our loving Savior, who we are taught glorifies the Father and saves all the works of His hands,

will send all the children of God to one of these kingdoms of glory,

according to the desires manifested through their choices.

Another unique doctrine and practice of the restored Church is the revealed commandments and covenants that offer all the children of God the sacred privilege of qualifying for the highest degree of glory in the celestial kingdom.

That highest destination—exaltation in the celestial kingdom—is the focus of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

From modern revelation, Latter-day Saints have this unique understanding of God’s plan of happiness for His children.

That plan begins with our life as spirits before we were born,

and it reveals the purpose and conditions of our chosen journey in mortality

and our desired destination thereafter.

We know from modern revelation that all kingdoms have a law given and that the kingdom of glory we receive in the final judgment is determined by the laws we choose to follow in our mortal journey. Under that loving plan, there are multiple kingdoms.

Many mansions, so that all of God’s children will inherit a kingdom of glory whose laws they can comfortably abide.

As we describe the nature and requirements of each of the three kingdoms in the Father’s plan,

we begin with the highest,

which is the focus of the divine commandments and ordinances God has revealed through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In the celestial glory, there are three levels, of which the highest is exaltation in the celestial kingdom.

This is the dwelling of those who “have received of His fullness and of His glory. Wherefore they are gods, even the sons and daughters of God,

and dwell in the presence of God and His Christ forever and ever.” End of quote.

Through revelation, God has revealed the eternal laws, ordinances, and covenants that must be observed to develop the godly attributes necessary to realize this divine potential.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints focuses on these

because the purpose of this restored Church is to prepare God’s children for salvation in the celestial glory and more particularly, for exaltation in its highest degree.

God’s plan, founded on eternal truth,

requires that exaltation can be attained only through faithfulness to the covenants of an eternal marriage between a man and a woman in the holy temple, which marriage will ultimately be available to all the faithful. That is why we teach that, quote,

Gender is an essential characteristic of individual, premortal,

mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

A uniquely valuable teaching to help us prepare for exaltation is the 1995 proclamation on the family.

Its declarations clarify the requirements that prepare us to live with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

Those who do not fully understand the Father’s loving plan for His children may consider this family proclamation no more than a changeable statement of policy.

In contrast, we affirm that the Family Proclamation, founded on irrevocable doctrine, defines the mortal family relationship,

where the most important part of our eternal development can occur.

The apostle Paul describes the three degrees of glory,

likening them to the glories of the sun, moon, and stars.

He names the highest celestial and the second terrestrial.

He does not name the lowest,

but a revelation to Joseph Smith added its name, telestial.

That revelation also describes the nature of the persons to be assigned to each of these kingdoms of glory.

Those who do not choose, quote,

to abide the law of a celestial kingdom will inherit another kingdom of glory,

lesser than the celestial, but suited to the laws they have chosen and can comfortably abide.

That word “abide,” so common in the scriptures, means “a secure placement.”

For example, those in the terrestrial kingdom,

comparable to the popular concept of heaven,

are they who receive of the presence of the Son,

but not of the fulness of the Father.

They were, quote, honorable men of the earth who were blinded by the craftiness of men, but not valiant in the testimony of Jesus.

End of quote. The revealing description of those assigned to the lowest of the kingdoms of glory, the telestial is, quote, he who cannot abide a terrestrial glory. Unquote.

That describes those who reject the Savior

and have observed no divine limits on their behavior.

This is the kingdom where the wicked abide after they have suffered for their sins. These are described in modern revelation as, quote, they who received not the gospel of Christ, neither the testimony of Jesus.

These are they who are liars and sorcerers and adulterers and whoremongers and whosoever loves and makes a lie. End of quote.

Speaking of the three kingdoms of glory with his prophetic vision,

President Russell M. Nelson recently wrote, quote,

Mortal lifetime is barely a nanosecond compared with eternity.

But what a crucial nanosecond it is. Consider carefully how it works.

During this mortal life, you get to choose which laws you are willing to obey, those of the celestial kingdom or the terrestrial or the telestial, and therefore, in which kingdom of glory you will live forever.

What a plan. It is a plan that completely honors your agency. End of quote.

The apostle Paul taught that the Lord's teachings and commandments were given

that we may all attain, quote, the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

That process requires far more than acquiring knowledge.

It is not even enough to be convinced of the gospel.

We must act so that we are converted by it.

In contrast to other preaching, which teaches us to know something,

the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.

From such teachings, we conclude that the final judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done—

it is based on the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become.

We qualify for eternal life through a process of conversion. As used here,

this word of many meanings signifies a profound change of nature.

It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions.

The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become. Because of Jesus Christ and His atonement,

when we fall short in this life, we can repent and rejoin the covenant path that leads to what our Heavenly Father desires for us.

The Book of Mormon teaches that this life is the time for us to prepare to meet God. But that challenging limitation to this life

was given a hopeful context, at least to some extent for some persons,

by what the Lord revealed to President Joseph F. Smith,

now recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants section 138.

I beheld, the prophet wrote,

that the faithful elders of this dispensation, when they depart from mortal life,

continue their labors in the preaching of the gospel of repentance and redemption through the sacrifice of the only begotten Son of God among those who are in darkness and under the bondage of sin in the great world of the spirits of the dead.

The dead who repent will be redeemed through obedience to the ordinances of the house of God. And after they have paid the penalty of their transgressions and are washed clean shall receive a reward according to their works, for they are heirs of salvation. End of quote.

In addition, we know that the millennium,

the thousand years that follow the Second Coming of the Savior will be a time to perform the required ordinances for those who have not received them in their mortal lives.

There is much we do not know about the three major periods in the plan of salvation and their relationship to one another. One, the mortal spirit world, two, mortality, and three, the next life.

But we do know these eternal truths:

Salvation is an individual matter, but exaltation is a family matter.

We have a loving Heavenly Father who will see that we receive every blessing and every advantage that our own desires and choices allow.

We also know that He will force no one into a sealing relationship against his or her will.

The blessings of a sealed relationship are assured for all who keep their covenants,

but never by forcing a sealed relationship

on another person who is unworthy or unwilling.

My dear brothers and sisters, I testify of the truth of these things.

I testify of our Lord Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.

Whose Atonement under the plan of our Father in Heaven makes it all possible.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

[MUSIC PLAYING] “We Listen to a Prophet’s Voice”

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♪ We listen to a prophet’s voice and hear the Savior too. ♪

♪ With love he bids us do the work the Lord would have us do. ♪

♪ The Savior calls his chosen seer to preach the word of God, ♪ ♪ That men might learn to find the path marked by the iron rod. ♪

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♪ In ev’ry land, in ev’ry tongue, our prophet will be heard; ♪

♪ How swiftly’round the world his voice reveals the gospel word. ♪

♪ The sacred message that he brings will witness and agree ♪ ♪ With ev’ry prophet called of God through out ♪ ♪ earth’s history. ♪

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♪ Hosanna! Let our praise ascend unto the Savior’s throne; ♪

♪ Rejoice! The prophet has declared that by him we are known. ♪

♪ Attend ye earth! The prophet speaks; come listen and obey. ♪

♪ He is the man who holds the keys of priesthood pow’r today. ♪

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♪ Come listen to a prophet’s voice, ♪

♪ and heed his word today. ♪

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Our Father in Heaven,

We bow our heads collectively as Thy children throughout the entire world

in gratitude for Thy spirit that has attended this conference this morning,

which has borne witness of the truths of the words and the music that we have heard this day.

We are grateful for the assurance of Thy Holy Ghost, which bears witness

that we indeed are led as a Church by prophets, seers, and revelators.

We are grateful for their lives.

We are grateful for their families that support them.

We are grateful for the wisdom and the preparation that they have had in their lives that allow them to lead and direct Thy Church here upon the earth.

which is a blessing to us as members. We love Thee, Father.

We are grateful for Thy love. We are grateful for the gift of Thy Son Jesus Christ, for His teachings, for His example,

and for His miraculous and wonderful Atonement

that will make all things possible for us throughout eternity.

We are grateful to be led by a living prophet, Father,

even President Russell M. Nelson.

We ask Thee to bless him, to strengthen him, to heal him,

and allow him to be gathered once again with those other leaders and the members of Thy Church.

Likewise, we ask a blessing upon Elder Jeffrey R. Holland,

to heal him and allow him also to be reunited with his brethren.

We asked Thee this day at the conclusion of this conference session that Thou wilt strengthen us

in our resolve and in our determination to live more fully,

to become true disciples of Thy Son, Jesus Christ,

and to be the means of bringing that wonderful blessing of His life

and His Atonement to the world at large.

We give Thee thanks for all blessings and recognize that they come from Thee

and say these things in the name of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, amen.

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This has been a broadcast of the Saturday morning session of the 193rd semiannual general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Speakers were selected from leaders of the Church.

Music was provided by The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.

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.