[MUSIC PLAYING] When we speak of real growth, we speak of what follows a person's baptism into the Church.

You begin to see that the Lord's course is one eternal round. I was a brand new, green missionary involved in teaching people the gospel. I'm now blessed to come back, 40 years later, and my heart just swells with gratitude for the opportunity to be able to see all of those things unfold over that relatively short period of time. Sometimes we tend just to count the growth of the Church in terms of the number of convert baptisms. But that is a very premature and incomplete view of the matter. For a certain season in life, you can stand on the testimonies of your parents, your friends, your leaders. But as soon as possible, get your own testimony. Have questions, and then move forward, find answers, and live according to the gospel. Real growth is not measured in baptisms. A conversion has to happen within the heart and soul of every individual. We can't convert a person. All we can do is invite them to come in and join, enjoy the fruits of the gospel.

What's wonderful is to see that positive trend and change, the growth. But I think even more important than the numbers and stakes where there used to be branches and that kind of thing, which we rejoice in, is the kind of feeling we felt with the people.

Now the light and truth of the gospel have reached these people. And it takes the poverty out of the people. The presence of a temple in Accra, Ghana, and in Ebonyi, Nigeria, for example, has just lifted the hopes of the people and changed the circumstances of their lives. So the temple is the great, final measure of real growth, not just the temple experience, but the making of covenants in the temple and then keeping those covenants. We have more good people in the Church now than ever. That is any given ward. And they know more about the gospel. They can move through all that's ahead of us with power and [INAUDIBLE] happiness. [MUSIC PLAYING]