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178th
Annual General Conference
Saturday Morning Session, April 5, 2008
Talk Excerpts
Salvation and Exaltation
Elder Russell M. Nelson
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Elder Russell M. Nelson
In Church callings, we are subject
to release. But we cannot be released as parents. From the first
days of human history, the Lord has commanded parents to teach the
gospel to their children. Moses wrote: “Thou shalt teach …
diligently thy children, and shall talk of [God’s words] when
thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and
when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deuteronomy
6:7).
In our day the Lord has added, “Bring
up your children in light and truth” (D&C 93:40). The
Church is to assist and not to replace parents in their responsibilities
to teach their children.
In this day of rampant immorality and
addictive pornography, parents have a sacred responsibility to teach
their children the importance of God in their lives. These evils,
so highly destructive of divine potential, are to be strictly shunned
by children of God.
We are also to teach our children to
honor their parents. The fifth commandment states: “Honour
thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land
which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”
How can we best teach our children?
The Lord has given us specific instruction. “No power or influence
can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only
by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and
by love unfeigned.
“By kindness, and pure knowledge,
which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy and without
guile —
“”Reproving betimes with
sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and then showing forth
afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved
lest he esteem thee to be his enemy” (D&C 121: 41-43).
When a child needs correction, you
might ask yourself, “What can I say or do that would persuade
him or her to choose a better way?” When giving necessary
correction, do it quietly, privately, lovingly, and not publicly.
If a rebuke is required, show an increase in love promptly so that
seeds of resentment may not remain. To be persuasive, your love
must be sincere and your teachings based on divine doctrine and
correct principles.
Do not try to control your children.
Instead, listen to them, help them to learn the gospel, inspire
them, and lead them toward eternal life. You are God’s agents
in the care of children He has entrusted to you. Let His divine
influence in your hearts as you teach and persuade.
Special Experiences
Elder Ronald A. Rasband
Of the Presidency of the Seventy
Elder Ronald A. Rasband
Brothers and sisters, think of the
special experiences you have been blessed with in your life that
have given you conviction and joy in your heart. Remember when you
first knew that Joseph Smith was God’s Prophet of the Restoration?
Remember when you accepted Moroni’s challenge and knew that
the Book of Mormon was indeed another testament of Jesus Christ?
Remember when you received an answer to fervent prayer and realized
that your Heavenly Father knows and loves you personally? As you
contemplate such special experiences don’t they give you a
sense of gratitude and resolve to go forward with renewed faith
and determination.
Not long ago, Sister Rasband and I
had an experience we shall never forget. I was assigned to preside
at two stake conferences in Peru. Whie there, we went to the city
of Puno, high in the Andes Mountains on Lake Titicaca. At 12,000
feet above sea level, we were amazed at this simple and beautiful
city, high on this Andean lake. We met with stake presidents in
the area and had a wonderful youth fireside with hundreds of young
people from the Puno area.
One morning, we were invited to visit
a small group of local members who lived out on the floating reed
islands of Lake Titicaca.
The people who live there are known
as the Uros Indians of Bolivia and Peru.
We were told that a few Latter-day
Saint families had joined together and built their own small, new
floating island. With excitement, we took a boat out to the island
and were greeted warmly by these wonderful members.
We held their babies wrapped in the
most beautiful, handmade, colorful blankets. We ate the fish they
caught that very day from the lake, which had been so carefully
prepared and generously shared. We saw their wares and handicrafts
and exchanged gifts with one another.
As we visited, we learned that their
children paddled by canoe 45 minutes to and from Puno for seminary
and school each day. “We were also pleased that these members
knew the scriptures well, understood them, and loved them. Eagerly
they showed us their current temple recommends, having been endowed
and sealed in the Cochabamba Bolivia Temple.
Before we were to leave, one of the
mothers asked if we would kneel with them and have a family prayer.
I remember well kneeling on the spongy reeds with these faithful
Saints. As we knelt, she asked if I would say the prayer, and using
the Melchizedek Priesthood, dedicate their new island and home …
As I consider this special experience
that the Lord blessed us with, I know a new building block has been
added to my house of faith.
Righteous Traditions
Sister Cheryl C. Lant
Primary General President
Sister Cheryl C. Lant
For as long as I can remember, my father
wore a beautiful red ruby ring on his left hand. It was passed on
to my only brother. I suppose it will become a tradition in our
family — a legacy passed from generation to generation. It
will be a good tradition, with sweet memories associated to it.
Each of us has traditions in our families.
Some of them are material. Some of them have deep meaning. The most
important traditions are connected with the way we live our lives
and will last beyond us as our children’s lives are influenced
and shaped. In the Book of Mormon, we read of the Lamanites, who
were deeply affected by the traditions of their fathers. King Benjamin
said they were a people who knew nothing about the principles of
the gospel — “or even do not believe them when they
are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which
are not correct” (Mosiah 1:5).
What kinds of traditions do we have?
Some of them may have come from our fathers and now we are passing
them along to our own children. Are they what we want them to be?
Are our traditions being created in response to the loud voices
of the world, or are they influenced by the still, small voice of
the Spirit? Are the traditions that we are creating in our families
going to make it easier for our children to follow the living prophets,
or will they make it more difficult for them?
How should we determine what our traditions
will be? The scriptures give us a great pattern. In Mosiah 5:15
it states: “Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast
and immovable, always abounding in good works.”
I love this because we know that traditions
are formed over time as we repeat the same actions over and over
again. As we are steady and unchanging from doing that which is
good, our traditions become firmly rooted in righteousness.
Restoring Faith in the Family
Elder Kenneth
Johnson
Of the First Quorum of the Seventy
Elder Kenneth Johnson
With knowledge of the great Plan of
Happiness we have the opportunity and also the responsibility to
help Restore Faith in the Family.
In many ways our commission is comparable
to those who work in the field of medicine and scientific research.
Using established laws they determine how suffering can be alleviated
and the quality of life improved.
In the realm of religious belief, men
and women of faith, using proven principles, can help to heal a
grieving heart, restoring hope and assurance to the troubled mind.
The scientist’s success has been
achieved by complying with what are often referred to as natural
laws. The great scientists of the past and present did not create
the laws associated with these naturally occurring processes, they
discovered them.
In a letter to the Cortinthians, the
Apostle Paul poses a thought-provoking question concerning the source
of man’s intellectual capacity: “For what man knoweth
the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?”
(1 Corinthians 2:11)
Through logic and learning, knowledge
is increased and understanding enhanced. Using this process, theories
and laws are identified and accepted as authentic.
One thing that becomes clear to
the enlightened mind is that there are laws that keep life and living
things in balance. Discovering the laws of physics and complying
with them brings progress, enabling man to rise to higher levels
of attainment than would otherwise be possible.
I believe that this premise also
applies to ethical standards and moral values. It is, therefore,
our responsibility to safeguard the home as a center of learning
where these virtues can be instilled in an atmosphere of love and
through the power of example.
“Concern for the One”
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
Of the Quorum of the Twelve
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
Today I would like to talk about those
who are lost — some because they are different, some because
they are weary, and some because they have strayed.
Some are lost because they are different.
They feel as though they don’t belong. Perhaps because they
are different, they find themselves slipping away from the flock.
They may look, act, think, and speak differently than those around
them and that sometimes causes them to assume they don’t fit
in. They conclude that they are not needed.
Tied to this misconception is the erroneous
belief that all members of the Church should look, talk, and be
alike. The Lord did not people the earth with a vibrant orchestra
of personalities only to value the piccolos of the world. Every
instrument is precious and adds to the complex beauty of the symphony.
All of Heavenly Father’s children are different to some degree,
yet each has his own beautiful sound that adds depth and richness
to the whole.
This variety of creation itself is
a testament of how the Lord values all His children. He does not
esteem one flesh above another but He, “inviteth them all
to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none
that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female
… all are alike unto God” (2 Nephi 26:33)
… Some are lost because they
are weary. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. With all the pressures
and demands on our time and the stress we face each day, it’s
little wonder we get tired. Many feel discouraged because they have
not measured up to their potential. Others simply feel too weak
to contribute. And so, as the flock moves ahead, gradually —
almost imperceptibly — some fall behind.
Everyone has felt tired and weary at
one time or another … Joseph Smith, Brigham Young —
even Jesus Christ knew what it meant to be tired. I do not wish
to underestimate the weight that members of the Church bear upon
their shoulders nor do I minimize the emotional and spiritual trials
they face. These can be heavy and often difficult to bear.
I do, however, have a testimony of
the renewing power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The prophet Isaiah
proclaimed that the Lord “Giveth power to the faint; and to
them that have no might He increaseth strength” (Isaiah 40:
29). When I feel tired, I remember the words of the Prophet Joseph
Smith, “Shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward
not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to victory! Let your
hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth
into singing…Let the woods and all the trees of the field
praise the Lord … and let all the sons of God shout for joy!”
(D&C 128: 22, 23)
For you members of the Church who hold
back because of feelings of inadequacy, I plead with you to step
forward, put your shoulder to the wheel and push. Even when you
feel that your strength can add little, the Church needs you. The
Lord needs you. Remember that the Lord often chooses the weak things
of the world to accomplish His purposes.
To all who are weary, let the comforting
words of the Savior console you, “Come unto me, all ye that
labour and are heavy leaden, and I will give you rest” (Matt.
11: 28)
Let us rely on that promise. The power
of God can infuse our spirits and bodies with energy and vigor.
I urge you to seek this blessing from the Lord.
Draw near to Him and He will draw near
to you for He has promised that, “They that wait upon the
Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mounts up with wings
as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk,
and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
The True and Living Church
President Henry B. Eyring
Of the First Presidency
President Henry B. Eyring
I would like to speak of some of the
reasons I see for gratitude for a true and living church. Then I
will suggest some ways in which I see the Church being prepared
for the Savior’s return. And, finally, I will bear my testimony
of how I have come to know that this is the true and living Church.
Most of all I am grateful for my experience
of the cleansing power available through the ordinances performed
by the power of priesthood. I have felt forgiveness and cleansing
through baptism by those with authority. I have felt the burning
in my bosom that is only possible because of words spoken by servants
of God: “Receive the Holy Ghost.”
My sense of gratitude stems also from
blessings to my family. It is the sealing power and our knowledge
of it which changes and transforms our family life here and our
expectations for the joy of family life in the world to come. The
thought and the hope that I can have eternal relationships carries
me through the trials of separation and the loneliness which are
part of mortal existence.
The promise to the faithful in The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that we may have
associations and an expansion of families in the eternities. That
assurance changes forever and for the better all of our associations
in families.
For example, I am at a stage in my
life when because of great distances I cannot come to know well
grandchildren and, in time, great-grandchildren. There are also
people who have never had the opportunity for marriage and parenthood
who have the same yearning as I do to somehow be close to family.
Because of the restoration of the knowledge of eternal families,
we are more hopeful and more kindly in all our family relations.
The greatest joys in this life center in families as they will in
the worlds to come. I am so grateful for the assurance I have that
if we are faithful, the same sociality which we enjoy here in this
life will be forever with us in the world to come, in eternal glory.
I can see evidence of the prophesied
perfecting of the Church. For example, as I travel and come to know
the members of the Church, I see that there is a steady improvement
in their lives. In their simple faith and obedience, the Atonement
is changing and edifying the members. Frequently, I am in meetings
with obviously humble people who are allowed to teach lessons and
give sermons which have in them power like that given to Lehi, Nephi,
and the sons of Mosiah. You remember the account:
And it came to pass that Nephi and
Lehi did preach unto the Lamanites with such great power and authority,
for they had power and authority given unto them that they might
speak, and they also had what they should speak given unto them
(Helaman 5:18).
I am confident that the repeated wish
of President Gordon B. Hinckley will be granted. He taught that
all who come into the Church might be retained in full fellowship
if they are nourished by the good word of God. I remember him saying
that the last words that he would be speaking at the end of his
service would be “retention, retention, retention.”
His words live on in the leadership of President Monson and in all
of us as we qualify to have the power of a Lehi and a Nephi to nourish
with the good word of God.
I am confident that you will continue,
as I will, to be amazed by humble Latter-day Saints who home teach,
visit teach, and speak to their nonmember friends with ever greater
power.
For years we have remembered the words
of President David O. McKay, “Every member a missionary.”
I am confident that the day is coming that through the faith of
the members we will see every increasing numbers of people invited
to hear the good word of God and who then come into the true and
living Church.
There is another improvement I am confident
will come. Families across the Church are searching for ways to
strengthen and protect their children against the evils around them.
In some causes, those parents are desperately trying to bring back
some in their family who have wandered. I am confident that there
will be, increasingly, a reward given by God for their efforts.
Those who never give up will find that God never gave up and that
He will help them. …
Another improvement I see coming in
the kingdom is a desire and a capacity to reach out to the poor
and those in need. I have seen an amazing increase among the members
of the Church in sympathy for victims of natural disasters across
the world. In obituary notices I see families asking that donations
be sent to the Perpetual Education Fund or to the Church’s
Humanitarian Fund.
The Prophet Joseph Smith saw that wonderful
development. He said that as a person becomes truly converted, he
or she will want to range across the earth caring for Heavenly Father’s
children. That is already beginning to happen among more of the
members of the Church. What is remarkable to me is that the pattern
of giving to those in need extends to those who have less themselves
and seems to be unaffected by whether we are in good or difficult
economic times. That is evidence to me tat the Atonement is working
ever more effectively among the members.
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