“The scriptures contain many accounts
of the Savior’s ‘healing’ the heavy laden…
“Jesus healed many from physical
diseases, but he did not withhold healing from those who sought
to be ‘made whole’ from other ailments. Matthew writes that He
healed every sickness and every disease among the people (see
Matthew 4: 23; 9: 35). Great multitudes followed him and he ‘healed
them all’ (Matthew 12: 15). Surely these healings included those
whose sicknesses were emotional, mental or spiritual. He healed
them all…
“The Savior teaches that we will
have tribulation in the world, but we should be of good cheer
because he has ‘overcome the world’ (John 16: 33). His atonement
reaches and is powerful enough not only to pay the price for sin,
but also to heal every mortal affliction…
“He knows of our anguish, and He
is there for us. Like the Good Samaritan in His parable, when
He finds us wounded at the wayside, He binds up our wounds and
cares for us (Luke 10: 34). Brothers and sisters, the healing
power of His atonement is for you, for us, for all.”
The Temple is About Families
Elder Richard H. Winkel
Of the Seventy
“When you come to the temple you
will love your family with a deeper love than you ever felt before.
The temple is about families. As my wife Karen and I have increased
our temple service, our love for each other and for our children
has increased. And it doesn’t stop there. It extends to parents,
brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, our forebears and especially
to our grandchildren!
“This is the spirit of Elijah, which
is the spirit of family history work; and when inspired by the
Holy Ghost it prompts the turning of the heart of the fathers
to the children and the heart of the children to the fathers.
Because of the priesthood husbands and wives are sealed together;
children are sealed to their parents for eternity, so the family
is eternal and will not be separated at death…
“Like you, I don’t want to lose any
of my children. I want to be together forever with all my family.
The temple gives all of us extra hope of continuing and improving
these relationships even after this life.
“Sealings bestowed in the temple
promise additional blessings.
“The Prophet Joseph Smith declared
— and he never taught a more comforting doctrine — that ‘the eternal
sealings of faithful parents and the divine promises made to them
for valiant services in the Cause of Truth, would save not only
themselves, but likewise their posterity. Though some of the
sheep may wander, the eye of the Shepherd is upon them, and sooner
of later they will feel the tentacles of Divine Providence reaching
out to them and drawing them back into the fold.
“Either in this life or the life
to come, they will return. They will have to pay their debt to
justice; they will suffer for their sins; and may tread a thorny
path; but if it leads them at last, like the penitent Prodigal,
to a loving and forgiving Father’s heart and home, the painful
experience will not have been in vain. (Orson F. Whitney quoting
the Prophet Joseph Smith in Conference Report, April 1929,
110.)
“Isn’t this statement encouraging
news for parents whose children are sealed to them?”
The First Generation
Elder Paul B. Pieper
Of the Seventy
“First generation members occupy
a special and important place in the Church and their families.
Did you know that first generation members constitute more than
half the membership of the Church? Perhaps not since the early
days of the Church has the first generation constituted such a
high percentage of total Church membership as today. Your faith
and testimonies are a great strength and blessing to other Church
members. Through you, we gain a deeper understanding of gospel
principles and our testimonies are strengthened.
“You add great strength to the Church
when you use your testimony, talents, abilities, strengths and
energy to build the kingdom in your wards and branches. You are
great examples of sharing the gospel, serving missions, sending
children on missions and welcoming new members. You reach out
in kindness to those around you, lifting and blessing them through
inspired service. So much of what is done in the Church could
not be done without your efforts.
“More importantly, as a first generation
member, you occupy an important place in your family. You are
an example to your family of a true disciple of Jesus Christ.
As you live the gospel at home, those around you feel the Savior’s
love through you. They know that you are engaged in something
good, even if they do not understand it or have enough faith to
accept it. Be patient and kind, pray each day to know how you
can serve them and the Lord will help you influence your family
for good. By being consistently good and upright, you will establish
patterns of faithfulness and righteousness. Those patterns will
shape your life, but more importantly will become a standard for
your family and posterity…
“Please never underestimate who you
are and the power you have to affect others.”
Faith, Service, Constancy
Elder David S. Baxter
“Thirty-nine years ago, two of the
Lord’s missionaries knocked on my family’s door in Glasgow, Scotland…
“…A few weeks later we were baptized
and confirmed…
“…So began a gospel journey which
has enriched and blessed every aspect of our lives, bringing a
deep, abiding, calming sense of purpose and direction. In the
hope that it may prove helpful to those new to Church membership,
I will share today just three gospel fundamentals learned along
the way.
“First, is the motivating, transforming
power of faith in Jesus Christ. Such faith is like spiritual
oxygen. As we allow faith to freely flow within us, it awakens
and enlivens our spiritual senses. It breathes life into our
very souls…
“Second, as we serve we grow. President
George Albert Smith taught, ‘It is not what we receive that enriches
our lives, it is what we give.’
“Selfless service is a wonderful
antidote to the ills that flow from the world-wide epidemic of
self-indulgence…
“Stretching our souls in service
helps us to rise above our cares, concerns and challenges. As
we focus our energies on lifting the burdens of others, something
miraculous happens. Our own burdens diminish. We become happier.
There is more substance in our lives.
“Third, discipleship does not guarantee
freedom from the storms of life. Even as we are wending our way
carefully and faithfully along the straight and narrow path, we
encounter obstacle and challenge. There are days, perhaps even
months and years when life is just hard. We experience our fair
share of adversity, heartache, loneliness, pain, grief. Sometimes,
it seems, more than our fair share…
“The truth is that our only safety,
our only security, our only hope is to hold fast to that which
is good. As the mists of darkness gather around us, we are only
lost if we choose to let go of the iron rod, which is the word
of God.”
The Power of Patience
Elder Robert C. Oaks
Of the Presidency of
the Seventy
“The Book of Mormon provides insight
into the relationship between patience and charity. Mormon, after
pointing out that if a man, ‘have not charity he is nothing; wherefore
he must needs have charity,’ goes on to name the thirteen elements
of charity, or the pure love of Christ. I find it most interesting
that four of the thirteen elements of this ‘must have’ virtue
relate to ‘patience.’ (Moroni 7: 44-45)
“First, ‘charity suffereth long.’
That is what patience is all about. ‘Charity is not easily provoked’
is another aspect of this quality, as is ‘charity beareth all
things.’ And finally, charity ‘endureth all things’ is certainly
an expression of patience. From these defining elements it is
evident that without patience gracing our soul we would be seriously
lacking with respect to a Christ-like character (Moroni 7:45)…
“The greatest scriptural examples
of patience are found in the life of Jesus Christ. His long suffering
and endurance is best demonstrated on the excruciating night in
Gethsemane as He uttered, in His atoning agony, ‘…O my Father,
if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not
as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Matthew 26: 39)
“He truly suffered, and bore, and
endured all things.
“While nailed on the cross on Calvary,
Christ continued in His perfect example of patience as He uttered
the singular words, “…Father, forgive them, for they know not
what they do.’ (Luke 23: 34)
“These examples of patience have
greater meaning for us when we consider the challenging admonition
found in 3 Nephi, ‘…Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to
be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.’ (3 Nephi 27: 27)…
“Is patience important and worthy
of our pondering and pursuit? It certainly is if we would avoid
the demeaning classification of ‘nothing’ used to label those
without charity. It is if we desire to be less a natural-man
enemy to God. It is if we would be heavenly. It is if we would
seek to become, ‘after the manner of Christ.’”
O Be Wise
Elder M. Russell Ballard
Of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles
“I have met with members of the Church
in many nations of the world. I’m impressed with the spirit and
energy of so many of our members. Hearts are being touched and
lives are being blessed. The work is moving forward in dynamic
ways, and for that I am profoundly grateful. But I see many ways
that Church members must be so very wise in all that we do…
“May I suggest six ways in which
we can serve both wisely and well?
“First, focus on people and
principles — not on programs. One of the most important things
we do through the gospel of Jesus Christ is to build people.
Properly serving others requires effort to understand them as
individuals — their personalities, their strengths, their concerns,
their hopes and dreams — so that correct help and support can
be provided…
“Second, be innovative. As
we work to magnify our callings, we should seek the inspiration
of the Spirit to solve problems in ways that will best help the
people we serve…The instruction to magnify our callings is not
a command to embellish and complicate them. To innovate does
not necessarily mean to expand; very often it means to simplify…
“Third, divide the work and
delegate responsibility. There is a difference between being
responsible for getting the work done and doing the work yourself.
For example, gone should be the days when an elders quorum president
feels he needs to personally finish the home teaching visits that
others have missed. The same is true for Relief Society presidents
with respect to visiting teaching. Not only is this unwise, it
isn’t home or visiting teaching. Home teaching isn’t about numbers
or reporting visits to a home; visits and numbers are just a measuring
stick. Home teaching is about love of people and service to and
watch care over our Heavenly Father’s children…
“Fourth, eliminate guilt.
I hope it goes without saying that guilt is not a proper motivational
technique for leaders and teachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We must always motivate through love and sincere appreciation,
not by creating guilt. I like the thought ‘catch others doing
something right.’…
“…we need to remember that Christ
came to remove guilt by forgiving those who repent (see Alma 24:
10). He came to bring peace to the troubled soul…
“Fifth, we need to thoughtfully
allocate our time, income, and energy. I would like to let you
in on a little secret. Some of you have already learned it.
If you haven’t, it’s time you knew. No matter what you family
needs are or your responsibilities in the Church, there is no
such thing as ‘done.’ There will always be more we can
do. There is always another family matter that needs attention,
another lesson to prepare, another interview to conduct, another
meeting to attend. We just need to be wise in protecting our
health and in following the counsel President Hinckley has often
given — to just ‘do the best we can.’…
“Sixth, a word to you leaders
about extending responsibilities to members, and especially to
recent converts. President Hinckley said that every new member
of the Church needs a responsibility. Whatever responsibility
may be extended should not overwhelm new members but should give
them ample opportunity to become comfortable in the Church by
learning its doctrine and by rubbing shoulders with friendly members.
It should anchor them to the restored gospel through increasing
their testimony and giving meaningfully service.”
Discipleship
President James E. Faust
Of the First Presidency
“The word for disciple and
the word for discipline both come from the same Latin root
— discipulus; which means pupil. It emphasizes practice
or exercise. Self-discipline and self-control are consistent
and permanent characteristics of the followers of Jesus, as exemplified
by Peter, James, and John, who indeed ‘forsook all, and followed
him.’
“What is discipleship? It is primarily
obedience to the Savior. Discipleship includes many things.
It is chastity. It is tithing. It is family home evening. It
is keeping all the commandments. It is forsaking anything that
is not good for us. Everything in life has a price. Considering
the Savior’s great promise for peace in this life and eternal
life in the life to come, discipleship is a price worth paying.
It is a price we cannot afford not to pay. By measure,
the requirements of discipleship are much, much less than the
promised blessings.
“The disciples of Christ receive
a call, to not only forsake the pursuit of world things, but to
carry the cross daily. To carry the cross means to follow His
commandments and to build up His church on the earth. It also
means self-mastery. As Jesus of Nazareth instructed us, ‘If any
man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross daily, and follow me.’ ‘And whosoever doth not bear his
cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.’…
“The blessings of discipleship are
readily available to all who are willing to pay the price. Discipleship
brings purpose to our lives so that rather than wandering aimlessly,
we walk steadily on that straight and narrow way that leads us
back to our Heavenly Father. Discipleship brings us comfort in
times of sorrow, peace of conscience, and joy in service, all
of which help us to be more like Jesus.”
To read talk excerpts from the
Saturday Afternoon Session, click here.
