Transcript
♪ Come, we that love the ♪
From the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, this is the Saturday morning session of the 194th Annual 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.
♪ Father and our... ♪
This broadcast is furnished as a public service by Bonneville Distribution. Any reproduction, recording, transcription, or other use of this program without written consent is prohibited.
President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church, will conduct this session.
Brothers and sisters, we welcome you to the Saturday morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We extend a warm welcome to members and friends participating in the conference throughout the world.
President Russell M. Nelson, who is viewing this session from home, has asked me to conduct this session.
We acknowledge the General Authorities and General Officers who will be in attendance throughout the conference.
We note the passing of our dear friend and associate, President M. Russell Ballard.
His strong leadership, loving service in the Church, and deep commitment to the Lord are legendary. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Ballard family at this tender time.
During the conference, you will note that members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have been invited to conduct three of the five sessions.
We are grateful for their assistance.
The music for this session will be provided by The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, under the direction of Mack Wilberg and Ryan Murphy,
with Brian Mathias and Andrew Unsworth at the organ.
We are pleased to have individuals from outside the United States joining the choir during the conference.
They live in Argentina, Austria, Chile, Denmark, England, France, Ghana,
Guatemala, Sweden, and South Korea. We welcome you
brothers and sisters, and appreciate your participation.
The choir opened this meeting with “Come We That Love the Lord” and will now favor us with “The Morning Breaks.”
The invocation will then be offered by Elder S. Gifford Nielsen of the Seventy.
[MUSIC PLAYING] “The Morning Breaks”
♪ The morning breaks, the shadows flee; ♪ ♪Lo, Zion’s standard is unfurled! ♪
♪ The dawning of a brighter day, ♪
♪ The dawning of a brighter day ♪ ♪ Majestic rises on the world. ♪
♪ ♪
♪ The clouds of error disappear ♪
♪ Before the rays of truth divine; ♪
♪ The glory bursting from afar, ♪
♪ The glory bursting from afar ♪ ♪ Wide o’er the nations soon will shine. ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Jehovah speaks! Let earth give ear, ♪ ♪ And Gentile nations turn and live. ♪ ♪ His mighty arm is making bare, ♪ ♪ His mighty arm is making bare ♪ ♪ His cov’nant people to receive. ♪
♪ ♪
♪ —Angels from heav’n and truth from earth ♪
♪ Have met, and both have record borne; ♪
♪ Thus Zion’s light is bursting forth, ♪
♪ Thus Zion’s light is bursting forth ♪
♪ To bring her ransomed children home. ♪
♪ ♪
♪ To bring her ransom’d ♪ ♪ children ♪ ♪ home. ♪
♪ Amen! ♪
Our Heavenly Father, with gratitude in our hearts we humbly come before Thee as we begin this beautiful general conference.
We are gathered here in the Conference Center
and throughout the world in various locations as we have a chance to be strengthened, uplifted, and edified.
We’re so grateful to serve under the leadership of our dear Prophet,
President Russell M. Nelson.
We love him. He's not with us physically,
but joining us through technology. We ask Thee to bless him
and support him and sustain him. We sustain him.
We're grateful for the other members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. So thankful for them. We will have a chance to hear them in the next two days.
We’re especially grateful at this time
that Thou hast preserved the life of the acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.
We love Elder Holland, and we're grateful that he is still with us.
May we take the counsel that we receive from them and others who have been assigned to speak to us, to deepen our testimonies.
May we listen to the words that are given and the beautiful music that will be rendered. And we invite the Holy Ghost to be with us, to be strengthened to do what we have been asked to do, and that is to invite all of Thy children
to understand the beauties of Thy plan.
Now in this session, we ask Thee to bless all those who will participate,
that they will feel the warmth of Thy loving arms around them,
and that we might all be rejoiced and edified together. We love Thee.
We’re so grateful for Thy plan of joy and happiness;
so grateful for our Savior, for His life, His ministry, and His Atonement, to help us heal and to negotiate this mortal existence.
What a privilege it is to serve Thee and to be here at this time.
In the sacred name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. Amen.
Brothers and sisters, it will now be my privilege to present the General Authorities, Area Seventies, and General Officers of the Church for your sustaining vote. Please express your support in the usual way.
If there are those who oppose any of the proposals, we ask that you contact your stake president.
It is proposed that we sustain Russell Marion Nelson as prophet, seer, and revelator, and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Dallin Harris Oaks as First Counselor in the First Presidency; and Henry Bennion Eyring as Second Counselor in the First Presidency. Those in favor may manifest it.
Those opposed, if any, may manifest it.
It is proposed that we sustain Dallin H. Oaks
as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and Jeffrey R. Holland as acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Those in favor please signify. Any opposed may manifest it.
It is proposed that we sustain the following as members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: Jeffrey R. Holland, Dieter F. Uchtdorf,
David A. Bednar, Quentin L. Cook, D. Todd Christofferson, Neil L. Andersen, Ronald A. Rasband, Gary E. Stevenson, Dale G. Renlund, Gerrit W.
Gong, Ulisses Soares, and Patrick Kearon. Those in favor, please manifest
it. Any opposed may so indicate.
It is proposed that we sustain the counselors in the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators. All in favor, please manifest it.
Contrary, if there be any, by the same sign.
The following General Authorities will be released from their assignments and given emeritus status effective August 1, 2024.
Elders Ian S. Ardern, Shayne M Bowen,
Paul V. Johnson, S. Gifford Nielsen,
Brant. H Nielson,
Adrián Ochoa, Gary B. Sabin, and Evan A. Schmutz.
Those who wish to express gratitude to these brethren and their wives for their years of dedicated service throughout the Church, may do so by the uplifted hand.
We also release Elder Carlos A. Godoy from serving as a member of the presidency of the Seventy effective August 1, 2020. Those who wish to express appreciation to Elder Godoy for his service in this capacity may do so.
We note with gratitude the Area Seventies who will complete their service and whose names can be found on the Church’s website.
Those who wish to join in expressing appreciation to these brethren and to their families for their years of selfless service may manifest it.
We extend releases to the Sunday School General Presidency
effective August 1, 2024, as follows: Mark L. Pace as President,
Milton Camargo as First Counselor, and Jan E. Newman as Second Counselor.
All who wish to join in expressing appreciation to these brothers for their devoted service may manifest it.
It is proposed that we sustain the following as members of the presidency of the Seventy: Elder Marcus B. Nash, effective immediately;
and Elders Michael T. Ringwood, Arnulfo Valenzuela,
and Edward Dube, who will begin their service on August 1, 2024. Those in favor, may manifest it.
Any opposed may manifest it. It is proposed
that we sustain the following as General Authority Seventies:
David L. Buckner, Gregorio E. Casillas,
Aroldo B. Cavalcante,
I. Raymond Egbo,
D. Martin Goury, Karl D. Hirst,
Christopher H. Kim, Sandino Roman,
Steven D Shumway, Michael B. Strong,
and Sergio R. Vargas.
All in favor, please manifest it. Those opposed by the same sign.
We note that 64 new Area Seventies were sustained during the General Conference Leadership Meetings on Thursday, April 4, and then announced on the Church’s website.
We invite you to sustain these brethren in their new assignments.
Those in favor, please manifest it. Any opposed by the same sign.
It is proposed that we sustain the following as the new Sunday School General Presidency to be effective August 1, 2024:
Paul V. Johnson as President, Chad H Webb as First Counselor,
and Gabriel W. Reid as Second Counselor. Those in favor may manifest it.
Any opposed may so signify.
We note that Brother Reid is currently serving as president of the Australia Sydney Mission,
and is therefore not in Salt Lake City for the conference.
It is proposed that we sustain the other General Authorities, Area Seventies, and General Officers as presently constituted.
All in favor may do so by the uplifted hand. Those opposed, if any.
Thank you, brothers and sisters, for your continued faith and prayers on behalf of the leadership of the Church. We now invite the new General Authorities and General Officers to take their place on the rostrum.
Brother Jared B. Larson, managing director of Church Auditing Department, will now read the Church audit report for 2023.
Following Brother Larson, the choir will sing, “Did You Think to Pray?”
We will then be blessed to hear from President Jeffrey R. Holland, acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
He will be followed by Sister
J. Anette Dennis, who serves as First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency.
Elder Alexander Dushku of the Seventy will then address us.
To the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Dear Brethren. Directed by revelation as recorded in section 120 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the council on the disposition of the tithes, composed of the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the Presiding Bishopric, authorizes the expenditure of Church funds.
Church entities disburse funds in accordance with approved budgets, policies, and procedures.
Church auditing, which consists of credentialed professionals and is independent of all other Church departments and entities, has responsibility to perform audits for the purpose of providing reasonable assurance regarding contributions received, expenditures made, and safeguarding of Church assets. Based upon audits performed,
Church auditing is of the opinion that in all material respects, contributions received, expenditures made, and assets of the Church for the year 2023 have been recorded and administered in accordance with Church-approved budgets,
accounting practices, and policies.
The Church follows the practices taught to its members of living within a budget, avoiding debt, and saving against a time of need.
Respectfully submitted, Church Auditing Department, Jared B. Larson, managing director.
♪ Ere you left your room this morning, ♪
♪ Did you think to pray? ♪
♪ In the name of Christ, our Savior, ♪
♪ Did you sue for loving favor ♪ ♪ As a shield today? ♪
♪ Oh, how praying rests the weary! ♪
♪ Prayer will change the night to day. ♪
♪ So, when life gets dark and dreary, ♪
♪ Don’t forget to pray. ♪
♪ ♪
♪ When your heart was filled with anger, ♪
♪ Did you think to pray? ♪
♪ Did you plead for grace, my brother, ♪
♪ That you might forgive another ♪ ♪ Who had crossed your way? ♪
♪ Oh, how praying rests the weary! ♪
♪ Prayer will change the night to day. ♪
♪ So, when life gets dark and dreary, ♪
♪ Don’t forget to pray. ♪
♪ ♪
♪ When sore trials came upon you, ♪
♪ Did you think to pray? ♪
♪ When your soul was full of sorrow, ♪
♪ Balm of Gilead did you borrow ♪
♪ At the gates of day? ♪
♪ Oh, how praying rests the weary! ♪
♪ Prayer will change the night to day. ♪
♪ So, when life gets dark and dreary, ♪
♪ Don’t forget to pray. ♪
♪ So, when lifes gets dark and dreary, ♪
♪ Don’t forget to pray. ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
Brothers and sisters, I’ve learned a painful lesson
since I last occupied this pulpit in October of 2022. That lesson is:
If you don't give an acceptable talk,
you can be banned for the next several conferences.
You can see I'm assigned early in the first session of this one.
What you can’t see is that I’m positioned on a trap door
with a very delicate latch.
This talk doesn’t go well, I won’t see you for another few conferences.
Actually in the spirit of that beautiful, beautiful hymn with this beautiful, beautiful choir,
I have learned some lessons recently that, with the Lord’s help, I wish to share with you today.
That will make this a very personal talk.
The most personal and painful of all has been the passing of my beloved wife, Pat. She was the greatest woman I have ever known. A perfect wife and mother,
to say nothing of her purity, her gift of expression, her spirituality.
She gave a talk once titled “Fulfilling the Measure of Your Creation.”
It seems to me that she fulfilled the measure of her creation more successfully than anyone could have dreamed possible. She was a complete daughter of God,
an exemplary woman of Christ.
I was the most fortunate of men to spend 60 years of my life with her.
Should I prove worthy, our sealing means I can spend eternity with her.
Another experience began 48 hours after my wife's burial.
At that time, I was rushed to the hospital in an acute medical crisis.
I then spent the first four weeks of a six-week stay,
in and out of intensive care and in and out of consciousness.
Virtually all my experience in the hospital during that first period is lost to my memory.
What is not lost is my memory of a journey outside the hospital,
out to what seemed the edge of eternity.
I cannot speak fully of that experience here,
but I can say that part of what I received was an admonition
to return to my ministry with more urgency, more consecration, more focus on the Savior, more faith in His word.
I couldn't help but feel I was receiving my own personal version of a revelation given to the Twelve nearly 200 years ago:
“Thou shalt bear record of my name ... [and] send forth my word unto the ends of the earth.”
“Morning by morning; and day after day let thy warning voice go forth; and when the night cometh
let not the inhabitants of the earth slumber because of thy speech.”
“Arise[,] ... take up your cross, and follow me.”
My beloved sisters and brothers, since that experience, I have tried
to take up my cross more earnestly, with more resolve to find where I can raise an apostolic voice of both warmth and warning in the morning, during the day, and into the night.
That leads me to a third truth that came in those months of loss and illness and distress.
It was a renewed witness of, and endless gratitude for, the resolute prayers of this Church—your prayers—
of which I’ve been the beneficiary.
I will be eternally grateful for the supplication of thousands of people
who, like the importuning widow, repeatedly sought heaven's intervention in my behalf.
I received priesthood blessings.
I saw my high school class fast for me,
as did several random wards across the Church.
And my name must have been on the prayer roll of virtually every temple in the Church.
In my profound gratitude for all this, I join G. K. Chesterton, who said once that “thanks are the highest form of thought; and ... gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”
With my own “happiness doubled by wonder,” I thank all of you. And thank my Father in Heaven who heard your prayers and blessed my life.
Now, brothers and sisters, I testify that God hears every prayer we offer and responds to each of them according to the path He has outlined for our perfection. I recognize that at roughly the same time so many were praying for the restoration of my health,
an equal number, including me,
were praying for the restoration of my wife's health.
And I testify that both of those prayers were heard and answered by a divinely compassionate Heavenly Father, even if the prayers for Pat were not answered the way I asked.
It’s for reasons known only to God why prayers are answered differently than we hope—
but I promise you, they are heard, and they are answered according to His unfailing love and cosmic timetable.
Now if we “ask not amiss,” there are no limits to when, where, or about what we should pray.
According to the revelations, we’re to “pray always.” We are to pray, Amulek said, for “those who are around you,” with the belief that the “fervent prayer of a righteous [people] availeth much.”
Our prayers ought to be vocal when we have the privacy to so offer them. If that is not practical, they should be carried as silent utterances in our heart.
We sing that prayers are “motion[s] of a hidden fire,”
always to be offered, according to the Savior—
according to the Savior Himself, to God the Eternal Father, in the name of His Only Begotten Son. My beloved friends, our prayers are our sweetest, our “most sincere desire,” our simplest, purest form of worship. We should pray individually, in our families, and in congregations of all sizes.
We are to employ prayer as a shield against temptation, and if there be any time we feel not to pray, we can be sure that hesitancy does not come from God,
who yearns to communicate with His children at any and all times.
Indeed, some efforts to keep us from praying come directly from the adversary. And when we don't know how or exactly for what to pray, we should begin and continue until the Holy Spirit guides us into the prayer we should be offering.
This approach may be the one we have to invoke when praying for our enemies and those who despitefully use us.
Ultimately, we can look to the Savior's example who prayed so very, very often. But it has always been intriguing to me that Jesus felt the need to pray at all. Wasn’t He perfect? About what did He need to pray?
Well, I’ve come to realize that He too, with us,
wanted to “seek [the Father’s] face, believe his word, and trust his grace.”
Time after time, He retreated from society to be alone before piercing heaven with His prayers. At other times He prayed in the company of a few companions.
Then He would seek heaven on behalf of multitudes who would cover a hillside.
Sometimes prayer glorified His clothing. Sometimes it glorified His countenance.
Sometimes He stood to pray. Sometimes He knelt.
And at least once He fell on His face in prayer.
Luke describes Jesus’s descent into His expiation as requiring Him to pray “more earnestly.”
How does one who was perfect pray more earnestly?
We assume that all of His prayers were earnest.
Yet in fulfilling His atoning sacrifice and through the pain that attended its universal reach,
He felt to pray ever more pleadingly, with the weight of His offering finally bringing blood from every pore.
Against that backdrop of Christ’s victory over death
and His recent gift to me of a few more weeks or months in mortality,
I bear solemn witness of the reality of eternal life and the need for us to be serious in our planning for it.
That serious needs to exist when Christ comes.
Because He needs to recognize us—
not as nominal members, listed on a faded baptismal record,
but as thoroughly committed, faithfully believing, covenant-keeping disciples.
This is an urgent matter for all of us,
lest we ever hear with devastating regret, “I never knew you.”
Or as Joseph Smith translated that phrase, “You never knew me.”
Fortunately, we have help for this task. Lots of help. We need to believe in angels and miracles and the promises of the holy priesthood. We need to believe in the gift of the Holy Ghost, the influence of good families and friends, and the power of the pure love of Christ. We need to believe in revelation and prophets, seers, and revelators, and President Russell M. Nelson. We need to believe that with prayer and pleading and personal righteousness,
we really can ascend to “Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all.”
Brothers and sisters, as we repent of our sins and come boldly to the “throne of grace,” leaving before Him there our alms and our heartfelt supplications,
we will find mercy and compassion and forgiveness
at the benevolent hands of our Eternal Father and His obedient, perfectly pure Son. Then, with Job and all the refined faithful,
we will behold a world too wonderful to understand.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
As my two youngest children were growing, I discovered books that were entertaining and engaging, but also used symbolism in their stories. As we read together in the evenings, I loved helping my children understand the symbolism the author was using to teach deeper principles, even gospel principles.
I knew this was sinking in one day when my younger son was in his early teens. He had started a new book and just wanted to enjoy the story, but his mind kept trying to find the deeper meaning in everything he was reading.
He was frustrated, but I was smiling inside.
Jesus taught through stories and symbols—a mustard seed to teach the power of faith, a lost sheep to teach the worth of souls,
a prodigal son to teach the character of God.
His parables were symbols through which He could teach deeper lessons to those who had “ears to hear.” But those not seeking the deeper meaning would not understand,
just as many who read those same books I read to my children never knew there were deeper meanings and so much more to get out of those stories.
When God the Father offered His Only Begotten Son as a sacrifice for us,
Jesus Christ Himself became the highest symbol of our Father in Heaven’s undying love for each of us.
Jesus Christ became the Lamb of God.
We have the privilege and blessing of being invited into a covenant relationship with God, in which our own lives can become a symbol of that covenant.
Covenants create the kind of relationship that allows God to mold and change us over time, and lift us to become more like the Savior, drawing us closer and closer to Him and our Father, and eventually preparing us to enter Their presence.
Each person on earth is a beloved son or daughter of God.
When we choose to be part of a covenant, it enhances and deepens our relationship with Him.
President Russell M. Nelson has taught that when we choose to make covenants with God, our relationship with Him can become much closer than it was before
our covenant, and it enables Him to bless us with an extra measure of His mercy and love,
a covenantal love referred to as “hesed” in the Hebrew language.
The covenant path is all about our relationship with God— our hesed relationship with Him.
Our Father wants a deeper relationship with all His sons and daughters, but it is our choice. As we choose to draw nearer to Him through a covenant relationship, it allows Him to draw nearer to us and more fully bless us. God sets the conditions and obligations of the covenants we make. When we choose to enter into that relationship, we witness to Him through the symbolic actions of each covenant that we are willing to abide by the conditions He has set.
Through honoring our covenants, we enable God to pour out the multitude of promised blessings associated with those covenants, including increased power to change and become more like our Savior.
Jesus Christ is at the center of all covenants we make, and covenant blessings are made possible because of His atoning sacrifice.
Baptism by immersion is the symbolic gate through which we enter into a covenant relationship with God.
Being immersed in the water and coming up again is symbolic of the Savior's death and resurrection to new life.
As we are baptized, we symbolically die and are born again into the family of Christ and show we are willing to take His name upon us.
We ourselves embody that covenant symbolism. In the New Testament we read, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” With our baptism, we symbolically put on Christ.
The ordinance of the sacrament also points to the Savior. The bread and water is symbolic of Christ's flesh and blood shed for us. The gift of His Atonement is symbolically offered to us each week as a priesthood holder, representing the Savior Himself, offers us the bread and water. As we perform the action of eating and drinking the emblems of His flesh and blood, Christ symbolically becomes a part of us. We again put on Christ as we make a new covenant each week.
As we make covenants with God in the house of the Lord, we further deepen our relationship with Him. Everything we do in the temple points to our Father’s plan for us, at the heart of which is the Savior and His atoning sacrifice.
The Lord will teach us, line upon line, through the symbolism of the ordinances and covenants, as we open our hearts and prayerfully seek to understand the deeper meanings.
As part of the temple endowment,
we are authorized to wear the garment of the holy priesthood. It is both a sacred obligation and a sacred privilege.
In many religious traditions, special outer clothing is worn as a symbol of a person's beliefs and commitment to God, and ceremonial clothing is often worn by those leading worship services. Those sacred vestments carry deep meaning for those who wear them. We read in scripture that in ancient times, sacred ceremonial clothing was also worn in conjunction with temple rituals.
As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, those of us who have chosen to make covenants with God in the house of the Lord wear sacred ceremonial outer clothing during temple worship, symbolic of the clothing worn in ancient temple rituals.
We also wear the garment of the holy priesthood, both during temple worship and in our everyday lives.
The garment of the holy priesthood is deeply symbolic and also points to the Savior. When Adam and Eve partook of the fruit and had to leave the Garden of Eden, they were given coats of skins as a covering for them.
It is likely that an animal was sacrificed to make those coats of skins, symbolic of the Savior's own sacrifice for us.
“Kaphar” is the basic Hebrew word for atonement, and one of its meanings is “to cover.”
Our temple garment reminds us that the Savior and the blessings of His Atonement cover us throughout our lives.
As we put on the garment of the holy priesthood each day, that beautiful symbol becomes a part of us.
In the New Testament book of Romans, we read, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armour of light. ... Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.”
I am so grateful for the privilege of wearing the garment of the holy priesthood, to remind me that the Savior and the blessings of His infinite Atonement constantly cover me throughout my mortal journey. It also reminds me that as I keep the covenants I have made with God in the house of the Lord, I have symbolically put on Christ, who Himself is an armor of light.
He will protect me from evil, give me power and increased capacity, and be my light and guide through the darkness and difficulties of this world.
There is deep and beautiful symbolic meaning in the garment of the Holy priesthood and its relationship to Christ.
I believe that my willingness to wear the holy garment becomes my symbol to Him. It is my own personal sign to God, not a sign to others.
I am so grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. His atoning sacrifice for us became the greatest symbol of His and our Father in Heaven’s infinite love for each of us, with the tangible symbols of that love and sacrifice— the marks in the Savior's hands, feet, and side—remaining even after His resurrection.
By keeping my covenants and obligations with God, including wearing the garment of the holy priesthood, my very life can become a personal symbol of my love and deep gratitude for my Savior, Jesus Christ, and my desire to have Him with me always.
If you have not yet done so, I invite you to choose a deeper relationship with God by making covenants with Him in the house of the Lord.
Study the talks of our Prophet, including the beautiful teachings in the footnotes of his talks, which most conference talks have.
He has spoken repeatedly about covenants for years and especially since becoming President of the Church.
Learn from his teachings about the beautiful blessings and increased power and capacity that can be yours through making and keeping covenants with God.
The General Handbook states that it is not required to have a mission call or be engaged to be married to make temple covenants. A person must be at least 18 years old, no longer be attending high school or the equivalent, and be a member of the Church for at least one year.
There are also standards of personal holiness required.
If you have the desire to deepen your relationship with your Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ by making sacred covenants in the house of the Lord,
I invite you to speak with your bishop or branch president and let him know of your desires.
He will help you know how to prepare to receive and honor those covenants. Through a covenant relationship with God,
our own lives can become a living symbol of our commitment and deep love for our Father in Heaven, our hesed for Him, and our desire to progress and eventually become like our Savior,
being prepared to one day enter Their presence,
I testify that the great blessings of that covenant relationship are well worth the price. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
My message is for those who worry about their testimony because they haven't had overwhelming spiritual experiences. I pray that I can provide some peace and assurance.
The Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ began with an explosion of light and truth. A teenage boy in upstate New York, with the very ordinary name of Joseph Smith, enters a grove of trees to pray.
He's worried about his soul and his standing before God.
He seeks forgiveness for his sins, and he’s confused about which church to join. He needs clarity and peace— he needs light and knowledge.
As Joseph kneels to pray and “offer up the desires of [his] heart to God,” a thick darkness envelops him. Something evil, oppressive, and very real tries to stop him— to bind his tongue so he cannot speak.
The forces of darkness get so intense that Joseph thinks he's going to die,
but he “exert[s] all [his] powers to call upon God to deliver [him] out of the power of this enemy which [has] seized upon [him].” And then, “at the very moment when [he’s] ready to sink into despair and abandon [himself to destruction],” when he doesn't know if he can hang on any longer,
a glorious brilliance fills the grove, scattering the darkness and the enemy of his soul. A “pillar of light” brighter than the sun gradually descends upon him. One personage appears, and then another.
Their “brightness and glory defy all description.” The first, our Heavenly Father, speaks his name, pointing to the other, “[Joseph!], This is My Beloved Son. Hear him!”
And with that overwhelming burst of light and truth, the Restoration has begun.
A veritable flood of divine revelation and blessings will follow. New scripture, restored priesthood keys, apostles and prophets, ordinances and covenants, and the reestablishment of the Lord’s true and living Church, which will someday fill the earth with the light and witness of Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. All that,
and much more, began with a boy’s desperate prayer and a pillar of light.
We too have our own desperate needs.
We too need freedom from spiritual confusion and worldly darkness.
We too need to know for ourselves. That is one reason President Russell M. Nelson has invited us to “immerse [ourselves] in the glorious light of the Restoration.” One of the great truths of the Restoration is that the heavens are open, that we too can receive light and knowledge from on high. I testify that is true. But we must be wary of a spiritual trap.
Sometimes faithful Church members become discouraged and even drift away because they haven’t had overwhelming spiritual experiences— because they haven't experienced, as it were, their own pillar of light. President Spencer W. Kimball warned that “Always expecting the spectacular, many will miss entirely the constant flow of revealed communication.” President Joseph F. Smith recalled “the Lord withheld marvels from me [when I was young], and showed me the truth, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little.”
That is the Lord's typical pattern, brothers and sisters. Rather than sending us a pillar of light, the Lord sends us a ray of light,
and then another, and another.
Those rays of light are continuously being poured down upon us. The scriptures teach that Jesus Christ is the “light and life of the world,” that His “Spirit giveth light to every man [and woman] that cometh into the world,” and that His light “fill[s] the immensity of space,” giving “life to all things.” The light of Christ is literally all around us. If we have received the gift of the Holy Ghost and are striving to exercise faith, repent, and honor our covenants, then we are worthy to receive these divine rays constantly. In Elder David A. Bednar’s memorable phrase, “We are living in revelation.” And yet, every one of us is different.
No two people experience God's light and truth in exactly the same way.
Take some time to think about how you experience the light and Spirit of the Lord. You may have experienced these bursts of light and testimony as “peace [spoken] to your mind concerning [a] matter” that has worried you.
Or as an impression—a still small voice—that settled “in your mind and in your heart,” and urged you to do something good, such as help someone.
Perhaps you’ve been in a class at Church—or at a youth camp— and felt a strong desire to follow Jesus Christ and stay faithful.
Maybe you even stood and shared a testimony that you hoped was true,
and then felt it was. Or maybe you've been praying and felt a joyful assurance that God loves you.
You may have heard someone bear testimony of Jesus Christ, and it touched your heart and filled you with hope.
Perhaps you were reading in the Book of Mormon and a verse spoke to your soul as if God had put it there just for you,
and then you realized that He had.
You may have felt the love of God for others as you serve them.
Or maybe you struggle to feel the Spirit in the moment because of depression or anxiety, but have the precious gift and the faith to look back and recognize past “tender mercies of the Lord.”
My point is that there are many ways to receive heavenly rays of testimony.
These are just a few, of course.
They may not be dramatic, but all of them form part of our testimonies.
Brothers and sisters, I have not seen a pillar of light,
but like you, I have experienced many divine rays. Over the years I've tried to treasure such experiences. I find that as I do, I recognize and remember even more of them.
Here are some examples from my own life.
They may not be very impressive to some, but they are precious to me.
I remember being a rowdy teenager at a baptism.
As the meeting was about to begin, I felt the Spirit urge me to sit down and be reverent.
I sat down and stayed quiet the rest of the meeting.
Before my mission, I was afraid my testimony wasn't strong enough.
No one in my family had ever served a mission,
and I didn't know if I could do it.
I remember studying and praying desperately to receive a more certain witness of Jesus Christ.
And then one day, as I pled with Heavenly Father, I felt a powerful sense of light and warmth. And I knew, I just knew.
I remember being awakened one night years later by a feeling of pure intelligence telling me I would be called to serve in the elders quorum.
Two weeks later, I was called.
I remember a general conference where a beloved member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke the exact words of testimony I had told a friend I hoped to hear. I remember kneeling with hundreds of brethren to pray for a dear friend who lay unconscious on a ventilator in a small, faraway hospital after his heart had stopped.
As we united our own hearts to plead for his life, he woke up and pulled the ventilator out of his own throat.
He serves today as a magnificent stake president.
And I remember waking up with strong spiritual feelings after a vivid dream of a dear friend and mentor who passed away far too early,
leaving an enormous hole in my life. He was smiling and joyful.
I knew he was okay. These are some of my rays.
You’ve had your own experiences, your own light-filled bursts of testimony.
As we recognize, remember, and gather these rays together in one, something wonderful and powerful begins to happen. “Light cleaveth unto light”— “truth embraceth truth.” The reality and power of one ray of testimony reinforces and combines with another, and then another and another.
Line upon line, precept upon precept, here a ray and there a ray— one small, treasured spiritual moment at a time— there grows up within us a core of light-filled spiritual experiences.
Perhaps no one ray is strong enough or bright enough to constitute a full testimony, but together they can become a light that the darkness of doubt cannot overcome. “Oh, then is not this real?” Alma asks.
“I say unto you, yea, because it is light.” “That which is of God is light,” the Lord teaches us, “and he that receiveth light and continueth in God receiveth more light, and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.”
Brothers and sisters, that means that in time and through great diligence, we too can have our own pillar of light—one ray at a time.
And in the midst of that pillar, we too will find a loving Heavenly Father
calling us by name, pointing us to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and inviting us to “Hear Him!” I bear witness of Jesus Christ, that He is the light and life of the whole world—and of your personal world and mine. I testify that He is the true and living Son of the true and living God, and that He stands at the head of His true and living Church,
guided and directed by His true and living prophets and apostles. May we recognize and receive His glorious light, and then choose Him over the darkness of the world, always and forever. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
As directed, the congregation will join the choir in singing “Press Forward, Saints.” After the singing, we will hear from Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
He will be followed by Elder Jack N. Gerard of the Seventy.
[MUSIC PLAYING] “Press Forward, Saints”
This is the Saturday morning session of the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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♪ Press forward, Saints, with steadfast faith in Christ, ♪
♪ With hope’s bright flame alight in heart and mind, ♪
♪ With love of God and love of all mankind. ♪
♪ Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! ♪
♪ Press forward, feasting on the word of Christ. ♪
♪ Receive his name, rejoicing in his might. ♪
♪ Come unto God; find everlasting light. ♪
♪ Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! ♪
♪ Press on, enduring in the ways of Christ. ♪
♪ His love proclaim thru days of mortal strife. ♪
♪ Thus saith our God: “Ye have eternal life!” ♪
♪ Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! ♪
My beloved brothers and sisters, I pray that we may be spiritually renewed by the inspired message from our leaders this weekend and rejoice in what I love to call “covenant confidence through Jesus Christ.”
This confidence is the quiet yet certain assurance of receiving the blessings that God promises for those who keep their covenants and is so needed amid the challenging circumstances of our day.
The construction of new houses of the Lord across the world,
under the inspired leadership of President Russell M. Nelson, has caused great rejoicing among Church members and serves as an important symbol of the expansion of the Lord’s Kingdom.
Reflecting on my awe experience
at the dedication of the Feather River California Temple last October,
I wondered if sometimes we get lost in the excitement of having new temples in our cities and communities and neglect the holy purpose of the sacred covenants made in the temple. Inscribed on the front of each temple is a solemn statement: “Holiness to the Lord.” These inspired words are a clear invitation that when we enter the Lord's house, we embark on a sacred journey of learning to become higher and holier disciples of Christ.
As we make covenants in holiness before God and commit to follow the Savior, we receive the power to change our hearts, renew our spirits, and deepen our relationship with Him.
Such an endeavor brings sanctification to our souls and forms a sacred bond with God and Jesus Christ, who promise that we can inherit the gift of eternal life.
The result of this sacred journey is that we obtain a holier and higher confidence for our day-to- day lives within our covenants made through Jesus Christ. Such confidence is the pinnacle of our divine connection with God, and can help us increase our devotion to and gratitude for Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice.
It fortifies our ability to love and serve others, and it strengthens our souls to live in an unholy world that is increasingly dark and discouraging.
It empowers us to overcome the seeds of doubt and despair, fear and frustration, heartache and hopelessness that the enemy tries to drive deep into our hearts, especially when life is hard,
trials are long, or circumstances are difficult.
A biblical verse offers sound advice for each of us as we lean into the stiff wind of today's worldly challenges. Quote.
“Cast not away, therefore your confidence.” Close quote.
Dear brothers and sisters, those who gain genuine confidence in the covenants made in the house of the Lord through Jesus Christ
possess one of the most powerful forces that we can access in this life.
As we have studied the Book of Mormon in Come, Follow Me this year, we have witnessed how Nephi beautifully exemplified the power of this type of covenant confidence through his faithfulness when he faced setbacks and challenges like getting the plates as commanded by the Lord.
Nephi, despite being exceedingly sorrowful for the fear and lack of faith of Laman and Lemuel, remained confident that the Lord would deliver the plates to them.
He said unto his brothers, quote, “As the Lord liveth, and as we live,
we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us.” End of quote.
Because of Nephi's confidence in the Lord's promises, he was able to accomplish what he had been commanded to do.
Later in his vision, Nephi beheld the influence of this type of confidence, writing, “I, Nephi,
beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, ... and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.”
I have seen firsthand the Lord’s loving promises and power flowing into the lives of God's children, strengthening them to face life’s circumstances.
The other day, my wife came home after her worship in the temple and told me how deeply touched she was
by what she experienced there.
As she entered the house of the Lord,
she saw a man in a wheelchair moving very slowly and a woman walking with great difficulty using a cane,
both courageously coming to worship the Lord in His house.
As my wife walked into the initiatory area, she saw a sweet sister who was missing one arm and had only part of another arm beautifully and celestially performing any tasks she was given.
As my wife and I talked about that experience,
we concluded that only pure and heartfelt confidence in the eternal promises God provides through the holy covenants made with Him in His house could cause those marvelous disciples of Christ to leave their homes on that very freezing day, despite their personal life circumstances.
My dear friends, if there is one thing we could possess and one thing we could pass on to our children and grandchildren that would help each in the tests and trials ahead, it would be the confidence in the covenants made through Jesus Christ.
Obtaining such a divine possession will help them live as the Lord promised His faithful followers:
“My disciples shall stand in holy places and shall not be moved.”
How do we gain such confidence through Jesus Christ?
It comes through humility, centering our lives on the Savior, living by the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, receiving the ordinances of salvation and exaltation, and honoring the covenants we make with God in His holy house.
In his closing remarks at the October 2019 General Conference, our dear Prophet reminded us about an important step in achieving covenant confidence, saying, quote,
“Individual worthiness to enter the Lord’s house requires much individual spiritual preparation. ...
Individual worthiness requires a total conversion of mind and heart to be more like the Lord, to be an honest citizen, to be a better example, and to be a holier person.” End of quote.
Therefore, if we change our preparation to enter the temple, we will change our experience in the temple, which will transform our lives outside of the temple.
“Then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distill upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.” A bishop I know refers to the oldest class in Primary not
as a “Primary” class but as a “temple preparation” class. In January, the bishop has the class members and their teachers come to his office, where they talk about how they will spend the entire year preparing to enter the temple.
The bishop takes time to go through the applicable temple recommend interview questions, which are then included in their Primary lessons.
He invites the children to be prepared so that when they come to the bishop’s office in one year, they will be confident—covenant confident— ready to receive a temple recommend and enter the Lord's house.
This year the bishop had four young girls who are so excited, prepared, and confident to go to the temple that they want the bishop to print their recommends on New Year’s Day at 12:01 a.m.
Preparation isn't just for those going to the temple for the first time.
We all should be perpetually preparing to go to the house of the Lord.
One stake I know has adopted the motto “home centered, Church supported, and temple bound.”
“Bound” is an interesting word in that it means focused on a direction, but it also means fastened or secured by; resolved and determined; sure.
So being temple bound secures us to the Savior, gives us proper direction and stability while ensuring we have covenant confidence through Jesus Christ.
Therefore, all of us should intentionally enhance such binding by having our next appointment scheduled with the Lord in His holy house, whether the temple is near or far away.
Our dear prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, reminds us about this vital principles by saying, quote,
“The temple lies at the center of strengthening our faith and its spiritual fortitude because the Savior and His doctrine are the very heart of the temple.
Everything taught in the temple, through instruction and through the Spirit, increases our understanding of Jesus Christ. His essential ordinances binds us to Him through sacred priesthood covenants. Then, as we keep our covenants, He endows us with His healing,
strengthening power, and oh, how we all need His power in the days ahead!” End of quote. The Savior desires that we become prepared to understand, with great clarity, exactly how to act as we make covenants with our Heavenly Father in His name.
He wants us to be prepared to experience our privileges, promises, and responsibilities; To be prepared to have the spiritual insights and awakenings that we need in this life.
I know that when the Lord sees even a spark of desire or a flicker of righteous effort in our willingness to center our lives on Him and on the ordinances and covenants we make in His house, He will bless us in His perfect way with the miracles and tender mercies we need.
The house of the Lord is where we can be transformed in higher and holier ways. So when we walk out of the temple, transformed by our hope in the promises of the covenants,
armed with the power from on high, we take the temple with us into our homes and lives.
I assure you that having the Spirit of the Lord's house in us changes us completely.
We also know from the temple that if we want the Spirit of the Lord to be unrestrained in our lives,
we simply cannot and must not have unkind feelings toward anyone. Giving place in our hearts or minds for unkind feelings or thoughts will produce unkind words and actions, whether on social media or in our homes, causing the Spirit of the Lord to withdraw from our hearts.
Therefore, please “cast not away your confidence,” but rather let your confidence wax strong.
The ongoing and accelerating building of temples will continue to excite and inspire and bless us.
Yet more important, as we change our preparation to enter the temple, we will change our experience in the temple, which will transform our lives outside of the temple.
May this transformation fill us with confidence in our holy covenants made with God through Jesus Christ. God lives. Jesus is our Savior and this is His restored Church on earth.
I reverently declare these truths in the sacred name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.
In the closing hours of the Savior’s ministry,
He went to the Mount of Olives into a garden called Gethsemane
and invited His disciples to wait. Now alone, He petitioned His Father,
“If thou be willing, remove this cup from me.” Being in agony, His suffering caused him, “even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain and to bleed at every pore, ... and would that [He] might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink.”
Yet in the moment of deep despair, the Savior did not shrink,
“but partook and finished [His] preparations unto the children of men.”
As the Only Begotten of the Father, Jesus Christ had power over death, pain, and suffering, but did not shrink.
He fulfilled the covenant He’d made with His Father, and in doing so manifest a Christlike attribute increasingly important in the world in which we live—the attribute of integrity.
He remained true to God, to each of us, and to His divine identity.
Jesus Christ is our exemplar.
Living a life of integrity requires us to be true to God, to each other, and to our divine identity.
Integrity flows from the first great commandment to love God.
Because you love God, you are true to Him at all times.
You understand that there is right and wrong and there is absolute truth, God's truth. Integrity means we do not lower our standards or behavior to impress or to be accepted by others.
You do what is right and let the consequence follow.
Recent revisions to the Preach My Gospel Missionary Manual notably added integrity as a Christlike attribute.
A number of years ago, Elder Uchtdorf was assigned to reorganize our stake.
During our interview, he asked me a question I have not forgotten:
“Has there been anything in your life that, if brought to the attention of the public, would be an embarrassment to you or the Church?”
Surprised, my mind quickly raced over my entire life, trying to recall those moments when I may have fallen short,
and asking myself if others knew everything I had done,
what would they think of me or the Church? In the moment, I thought Elder Uchtdorf was only asking about worthiness,
but I've come to understand it was really a question about integrity.
Was I true to what I professed?
Would the world see consistency between my words and my deeds?
Would others see God through my conduct? President Spencer W. Kimball taught,
“Integrity is our willingness and ability to live by our beliefs and our commitments.” A life of integrity requires us to first and foremost be true to God.
From our early childhood, we learned the story of Daniel in the lion's den.
Daniel was always true to God. His jealous peers sought to find occasion against him and contrived a decree mandating prayers to their gods alone.
Daniel knew of the decree, but went home—and with “his windows being open”— knelt and prayed three times a day to the God of Israel.
As a result, Daniel was cast into the lion's den.
On the morn, the king found Daniel's God had delivered him and issued a new decree that all should “tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God.” The king came to know God through Daniel’s integrity.
Others see God through ours—words and deeds. Just like Daniel, being true to God will increasingly set us apart from the world. The Savior reminds us that “in the world ye shall have tribulation:
but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
President Nelson counseled that “[overcoming the world] means overcoming the temptation to care more about the things of this world than the things of God. It means trusting the doctrine of Christ more than the philosophies of men.” Likewise, we must resist the temptation to walk “in [our] own way after the image of [our] own God, whose image is in the likeness of the world.”
The oppositional pull of this world is an essential part of God's plan of salvation.
How we respond to the pull is the essence of who we are,
a measure of our integrity.
The worldly pull can be as direct as to destroy fidelity in marriage, or as subtle as posting anonymous comments critical of Church doctrine or culture. Exercising integrity in our choices is an outward expression of an inner commitment to follow the Savior, Jesus Christ.
Just as integrity flows from the first great commandment to love God, being true to each other flows from the second, to love our neighbors as ourselves. A life of integrity is not a life of perfection.
It is a life in which we strive every day to foremost be true to God, and within that context, to be true to others.
President Oaks reminds us, “Our zeal to keep the second commandment must not cause us to forget the first.”
The world increasingly grapples with integrity by imposing codes of conduct or ethical rules that govern the relationships between people and institutions. While good, these rules are generally not anchored in absolute truth and tend to evolve based on cultural acceptance.
Similar to the question posed by Elder Uchtdorf,
some organizations train employees to consider what their decisions or decision-making process would look like if published online or on the front page of a major newspaper.
As the Church comes out of obscurity and darkness, we, like Daniel,
must rise above the worldly expectations and become the face of the true and living God at all times and in all places.
Saying we have integrity is insufficient if our actions are inconsistent with our words.
Likewise, Christian kindness is not a substitute for integrity.
As a covenant people and as leaders of His Church,
we must be beyond reproach and aligned with the standards the Lord has set.
Acting with integrity builds faith and trust and reassures others that we seek only to do the will of the Lord.
In our councils, we resist outside influences and follow the Lord's revealed process, seeking insights from each woman and man and acting consistent with the inspired counsel received.
Our focus is on the Savior,
and we are careful to avoid actions that may be perceived as serving our own interests, benefiting our family, or favoring someone at the expense of another.
We go out of our way to avoid any perception that our actions may be influenced by the honors of men, to receive personal recognition, generate more likes, to be quoted or published.
Finally, a life of integrity requires us to be true to our divine identity.
We know some who were not.
Of particular significance is the anti-Christ Korihor,
who led away the hearts of many appealing to their “carnal mind.”
Yet in the final moments of his life, he confessed, “I always knew that there was a God.” President Eyring has taught that lying “is contrary to the nature of our spirits,”
our divine identity. Korihor deceived himself and the truth was not in him.
In contrast, the Prophet Joseph Smith confidently proclaimed, “I knew it,
and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it.”
Joseph’s brother Hyrum was loved by the Lord “because the integrity of his heart.”
He and Joseph remained true to the end— true to their divine identity, the light and knowledge they received, and true to the person they knew they could become.
May we reconcile ourselves to the will of God and develop the Christlike attribute of integrity. May we follow our Exemplar,
the Savior of the world, and not shrink,
but live a life that is true to God, to each other, and to our divine identity.
As Job said, ’Let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity.” In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.
We express gratitude to The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square for the beautiful music they have provided this morning.
The choir will now favor us with. “I Know That My Savior Loves Me.”
Our concluding speaker for this session will be President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency.
Following his remarks, the choir will close this meeting by singing
“We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet.”
The benediction will then be offered by Elder Mark D. Eddy of the Seventy.
[MUSIC PLAYING] “I Know That My Savior Loves Me”
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♪ A long time ago in a beautiful place, ♪
♪ Children were gathered ’round Jesus. ♪
♪ He blessed and taught as they felt of His love. ♪
♪ Each saw the tears on His face. ♪
♪ The love that He felt for His little ones ♪
♪ I know He feels for me. ♪
♪ I did not touch Him or sit on His knee, ♪
♪ Yet, Jesus is real to me. ♪
♪ I know He lives! ♪
♪ I will follow faithfully. ♪
♪ My heart I give to Him. ♪
♪ I know that my Savior loves me. ♪
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♪ ♪
♪ Now I am here in a beautiful place, ♪
♪ Learning the teachings of Jesus. ♪
♪ Parents and teachers will help guide the way, ♪
♪ Lighting my path ev’ry day. ♪
♪ Wrapped in the arms of my Savior’s love, ♪
♪ I feel His gentle touch. ♪
♪ Living each day, I will follow His way, ♪
♪ Home to my Father above. ♪
♪ I know He lives!♪
♪I will follow faithfully. ♪
♪ My heart I give to Him. ♪
♪ I know that my Savior loves me. ♪
♪ I know He lives! ♪
♪ I will follow faithfully. ♪
♪ My heart I give to Him. ♪
♪ I know that my Savior loves me. ♪
♪ I know that my Savior ♪ ♪ loves me. ♪
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♪ I know He lives. ♪
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My beloved brothers and sisters, this session of general conference has been for me a sacred time.
I am grateful for the assignment to speak to the millions of Latter-day Saints and our friends across the world.
I love you. And I know the Lord loves you.
Over 50 years ago, I had the privilege to serve as the president of Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho.
On the morning of June 5, 1976, my wife, Kathy, and I drove from Rexburg to the Idaho Falls Temple to attend the sealing of a close friend.
Of course, with four young boys in our home at the time, our temple trip could be only accomplished with the help of a courageous babysitter. We left our precious children in her care and made the short 30-minute drive.
Our experience in the temple that day was wonderful, as it always was.
However, after the conclusion of the temple sealing
and as we were preparing to return home,
we noticed many temple workers and patrons nervously conversing in the lobby of the temple. Within moments, one of the temple workers told us that the newly constructed Teton Dam in eastern Idaho had collapsed.
More than 80 billion gallons of water were flowing through the dam and into the 300 square miles of neighboring valleys. Much of the city of Rexburg was under water,
with homes and vehicles carried away by floodwaters.
Two thirds of the 9,000 residents were suddenly homeless.
As you might imagine, our thoughts and concerns turned to the safety of our dear children,
hundreds of college students and faculty, and a community we loved.
We were less than 30 miles from home,
and yet, on this day, long before cell phones and text messaging,
we had no way of communicating immediately with our children.
Nor could we make the drive from Idaho Falls to Rexburg as all the roads had been closed.
Our only option was to stay the night in a local motel in Idaho Falls.
Kathy and I knelt together in our motel room and humbly pled with Heavenly Father for the safety of our dear children
and the thousands of others affected by the tragic event.
I recall Kathy pacing the floors into the early hours of the morning with worry about her children.
Despite my own concerns, I was able to put my mind at ease and fall asleep.
It wasn't long thereafter that my sweet eternal companion woke me and said, “Hal, how can you sleep at a time like this?”
These words then came clearly to my heart and mind,
and so I said to my wife, “Kathy, whatever the outcome, all will be well
because of the temple. We have made covenants with God and have been sealed
as an eternal family.”
At that moment, it was as if the Spirit of the Lord confirmed in our hearts and minds what we both knew already to be true.
The sealing ordinances found only in the house of the Lord
and administered by proper priesthood authority
had bound us together as husband and wife,
and our children had been sealed to us.
There truly, truly was no need to fear.
And we were grateful later to learn that our boys were safe.
Perhaps this statement from President Thomas S. Monson best illustrates what Kathy and I felt on that unforgettable night. Quote. “As we attend the temple
there can come to us a dimension of spirituality, a feeling of peace. ...
We will grasp the true meaning of the words of the Savior when He said:
’Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you. ...
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’” End quote.
I have been blessed to feel that peace every time I enter the sacred temple.
I recall the first day I walked into the Salt Lake Temple.
I was a young man. I looked up at a high white ceiling that made the room so light it seemed almost as if it were open to the sky.
And in that moment, the thought came into my mind in clear words,
“I have been in this lighted place before.”
But then immediately came into my mind, not in my own voice, these words. “No, you have never been here before.
You are remembering a moment before you were born.
You were in a sacred place like this where the Lord could come.”
Brothers and sisters, I humbly testify that as we attend the temple, we can be reminded of the eternal nature of our spirits,
our relationship with the Father and His Divine Son,
and our ultimate desire to return to our heavenly home.
In recent conference addresses President Russell M. Nelson taught,
“The safest place to be spiritually is living inside your temple covenants. ... Everything we believe and every promise God has made to His covenant people come together in the temple.” “Each person who makes covenants ... in temples—and keeps them—
has increased access to the power of Jesus Christ.” Close quote.
He also taught that “once we make a covenant with God, we leave neutral ground forever.
God will not abandon His relationship with those who have forged such a bond with Him. In fact, all those who have made a covenant with God
have access to a special kind of love and mercy.”
Under President Nelson's inspired leadership,
the Lord has accelerated and will continue to accelerate the building of temples across the world.
This will allow all of God's children the opportunity to receive the ordinances of salvation and exaltation,
and to make and keep sacred covenants.
Qualifying to make sacred covenants is not a one time effort,
but a lifetime pattern. The Lord has said it will take our full heart, might, mind, and strength. Frequent participation in the ordinances of the temple can create a pattern of devotion to the Lord.
When you keep your temple covenants, you remember them.
You invite the companionship of the Holy Ghost to both strengthen and purify you.
You may then experience a feeling of light and hope,
testifying that the promises are true.
You will come to know that every covenant with God is an opportunity to draw closer to Him,
which will then create a desire in your heart to keep temple covenants.
We have been promised, “Because of our covenant with God, He will never tire in His efforts to help us,
and we will never exhaust His merciful patience with us.”
It is through the sealing covenants in the temple that we can receive the assurance of loving family connections that will continue after death and last for eternity.
Honoring marriage and family covenants made in temples of God will provide protection from the evil of selfishness and pride.
Consistent care of brothers and sisters for each other will come only with persistent efforts to lead your family in the Lord's way. Give children opportunities to pray for each other.
Discern quickly the beginnings of discord
and positively recognize acts of unselfish service,
especially to one another.
When siblings pray for each other and serve each other,
hearts will be softened and turned to each other and to their parents.
In part, that is what is described by Malachi as he foretold of the coming of the prophet Elijah. Quote.
“He shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children will turn to their fathers. If it were not so
the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.”
Trials, challenges, and heartaches will surely come to all of us.
None of us are immune from “the thorns of the flesh.”
Yet as we attend the temple and remember our covenants,
we can prepare to receive personal direction from the Lord.
When Kathy and I were married and sealed in the Logan Utah Temple,
then Elder Spencer W. Kimball performed our sealing. In the few words he spoke,
he gave this counsel: “Hal and Kathy,
live so that when the call comes, you can walk away easily.”
Initially we did not understand what that counsel meant for us.
But we did our best to live our lives in such a way that we would be prepared to leave,
to serve the Lord when the call came.
After we had been married nearly 10 years,
an unanticipated call did come from the Commissioner of Church Education, Neil A. Maxwell. The loving counsel given by President Kimball in the temple to be able to walk away easily became a reality.
Kathy and I received a call to leave what seemed an idyllic family situation in California
to serve in an assignment and in a place that I knew nothing about.
However, our family was ready to leave because a prophet in a holy temple,
a place of revelation, saw a future event for which we were then prepared.
My dear brothers and sisters, I bear witness that there is nothing more important than honoring the covenants you make or may make in the temple.
No matter where you are on the covenant path,
I urge you to qualify and become eligible to attend the temple.
Visit as frequently as circumstances will allow.
Make and keep sacred covenants with God.
I can assure you of the same truth I shared with Kathy in the middle of the night nearly five decades ago in an Idaho Falls motel room.
No matter the outcome, all will be well because of the temple covenants.
I give you my sure witness that Jesus is the Christ.
He lives and leads His Church. Temples are houses of the Lord.
President Russell M. Nelson
is God’s living prophet on the earth. I love him.
And I love each of you. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.
[MUSIC PLAYING] “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet”
♪ ♪
♪ We thank thee, O God, for a prophet ♪ ♪ To guide us in these latter days. ♪
♪ We thank thee for sending the gospel ♪ ♪ To lighten our minds with its rays. ♪
♪ We thank thee for every blessing ♪
♪ Bestowed by thy bounteous hand. ♪
♪ We feel it a pleasure to serve thee ♪ ♪ And love to obey thy command. ♪
♪ ♪
♪ When dark clouds of trouble hang o’er us ♪ ♪ And threaten our peace to destroy, ♪
♪ There is hope smiling brightly before us, ♪ ♪ And we know that deliv’rance is nigh. ♪
♪ We doubt not the Lord nor his goodness. ♪ ♪ We’ve proved him in days that are past. ♪
♪ The wicked who fight against Zion ♪ ♪ Will surely be smitten at last. ♪
♪ ♪
♪ We’ll sing of his goodness and mercy. ♪ ♪ We’ll praise him by day and by night, ♪
♪ Rejoice in his glorious gospel, ♪ ♪ And bask in its life-giving light. ♪
♪ Thus on to eternal perfection ♪ ♪ The honest and faithful will go, ♪
♪ While they who reject this glad message ♪ ♪ Shall never such happiness know. ♪
[ORGAN MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ ♪
♪ We thank thee, O God, for a prophet ♪ ♪ To guide us in these latter days. ♪
♪ We thank thee for sending the gospel ♪ ♪ to lighten our minds with its rays. ♪
♪ We thank thee for every blessing ♪ ♪ Bestowed by thy bounteous hand. ♪
♪ We feel it a pleasure to serve thee, ♪ ♪ And love to obey ♪ ♪ thy command, ♪
♪ Thy command, thy command, ♪
♪ Thy command. ♪
Our dear Heavenly Father. We unite our voices
in prayer to Thee and express our love to Thee
for the rich blessings that Thou hast bestowed upon us, and for the Spirit that we have felt in this session.
We love Thee and desire to serve Thee and to do Thy will.
We thank Thee for providing a Savior for us, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
We love Him and are grateful for the example that He has shown,
and for making our return journey to Thy presence possible
through His teachings and example, His life and His atoning sacrifice.
We thank Thee, oh God, for a prophet.
For the Prophet Joseph, the Prophet of the Restoration.
And for the continuing restoration of thy gospel
through our living Prophet, President Nelson,
the First Presidency and the Twelve.
We pray that if it be according in accordance with Thy will, that Thou wilt, please preserve and bless and continue to sustain them.
We're mindful of our dear missionaries whom we love.
We pray continuously for their safety and security
and that their divine purpose might influence all that they do.
And that we might more effectively link arms with them
to assist this great latter day work to go forward.
We, as we conclude this session, pray for Thy Spirit to continue to be with us, to inspire us, and to comfort us across these two days of conference.
As we express our love to Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
This has been a broadcast of the Saturday morning session of the 194th Annual 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.