I am grateful to be with you tonight. I express to you the love and the gratitude of President Monson and President Uchtdorf. From its founding in 1842, the Relief Society has been blessed by the careful and loving oversight of the prophet of God. At the start in Nauvoo, Joseph Smith instructed the leaders and the assembled members.

Knowing that you have that glorious history, I felt the weight of this invitation from President Monson to speak to you. In one of those early meetings of the society, the Prophet Joseph Smith surprised Bishop Newel K. Whitney by asking him to speak in his place. Bishop Whitney said that he had arrived in happy anticipation of being taught by the Prophet. I understand his feelings of disappointmentâand perhaps yours.

And so I asked President Monson as I was preparing for this hour what he felt would be most helpful for you to hear. What he said confirmed the impressions which had already come as I studied and prayed.

I will speak to you tonight of the great legacy those who went before you in the Relief Society have passed on to you. The part of the foundation they laid for you which seems to me most important and persistent is that charity is at the heart of the society and is to come into the heart, to be part of the very nature, of every member. Charity meant to them far more than a feeling of benevolence. Charity is born of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and is an effect of His Atonement working in the hearts of the members. There are many benevolent groups of women who do great good. There are many who have overpowering feelings of sympathy for the unfortunate, the sick, and the needy. But this organization is unique and has been from its start.

In the foundation they created, those great sisters set âcharity never failethâ¹ at the center. It served them at the beginning, it served them in the great period that followed, it serves them now in a new time, and it will serve the Relief Society in all the periods ahead.

This society is composed of women whose feelings of charity spring from hearts changed by qualifying for and by keeping covenants offered only in the Lordâs true Church. Their feelings of charity come from Him through His Atonement. Their acts of charity are guided by His exampleâand come out of gratitude for His infinite gift of mercyâand by the Holy Spirit, which He sends to accompany His servants on their missions of mercy. Because of that, they have done and are able to do uncommon things for others and to find joy even when their own unmet needs are great.

The history of the Relief Society is filled with accounts of such remarkable selfless service. In the terrible days of persecution and deprivation as the faithful moved from Ohio to Missouri to Illinois and then across the deserts going west, the sisters in their poverty and sorrows cared for others. You would weep as I did if I now read to you some of the accounts in your history. You would be touched by their generosity but even more by your recognition of the faith which lifted and sustained them.

They came from a great diversity of circumstances. All faced the universal trials and heartaches of life. Their determination born of faith to serve the Lord and others seemed to take them not around the storms of life but directly into them. Some were young and some old. They were from many lands and peoples, as you are today. But they were of one heart, one mind, and with one intention. They were determined to help the Lord build His Zion, where there could be the happy existence the Book of Mormon had described so vividly for them. You remember some of the scenes from 4 Nephi which they carried in their hearts wherever the Lord led them on the journey to Zion:

 âAnd it came to pass in the thirty and sixth year, the people were all converted unto the Lord, upon all the face of the land, both Nephites and Lamanites, and there were no contentions and disputations among them, and every man did deal justly one with another.

âAnd they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift. . . . 

âAnd it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.â²

The early members of Relief Society did not enter such an idyllic time. But the love of God dwelt in their hearts. So itâand theyâendured during the journey west and in the years that followed. Because of hard circumstances, for nearly four decades the Relief Society ceased to function as a Churchwide organization. But in 1868 Brigham Young called Eliza R. Snow to assist bishops in organizing Relief Societies. She was called as the second general president of the Relief Society in 1880. The record of Relief Society shows that when the leaders approached the sisters across the Church to begin again formal Relief Society work, they found that charity in their hearts was undiminished. They had continued to reach out in mercy to those in need. For those who stayed faithful to their covenants, the gift of charity, the pure love of Christ, had endured. It was still theirs.

In the years that followed, the Relief Society grew in numbers and in power to serve those in need. Under the leadership of women of great vision and capacity, the Relief Society took the lead in starting charitable services which did not exist on the frontier for those in need. They created a small hospital. They supported women in going to the East to get medical training to staff it. That was the beginning of one of the great hospital systems in the United States.

They began programs which became over the years the worldwide LDS Family Services programs. They created a grain storage system so effective that they could respond to a request for help from the federal government in a time of war and crisis. They began what became the Primary and what became the organization for young women in the Church. They created their own magazine for women. They became one of the largest organizations for women in the world. They were also in the leadership of organizations for women in the United States.

The Relief Society was at the heart of the beginning of the Churchâs power to give humanitarian aid across the world. Leaders of nations, when they visit Utah, express awe and admiration for what the Church is doing for the poor and the victims of war and natural disaster across the world. Those remarkable gifts to the children of God are part of the enduring legacy of Relief Society.

The Prophet Joseph Smith told the Relief Society in their first meetings that such remarkable things would come from their faithful service. He said that queens would come to learn from and be part of their service.³ I have seen that prophecy fulfilled. And I can discern from the records that a scriptural promise to those who serve the Lord in His work was also granted to those Relief Society pioneers. That promise, given through the Prophet Joseph Smith, is recorded in the 88th section of the Doctrine and Covenants. It speaks of those who will be called to serve with the Lord in successive seasons:

âAnd he said unto the first: Go ye and labor in the field, and in the first hour I will come unto you, and ye shall behold the joy of my countenance.

âAnd he said unto the second: Go ye also into the field, and in the second hour I will visit you with the joy of my countenance.

âAnd also unto the third, saying: I will visit you;

âAnd unto the fourth, and so on unto the twelfth.

âAnd the lord of the field went unto the first in the first hour, and tarried with him all that hour, and he was made glad with the light of the countenance of his lord.â⁴

It is clear from the record they left that those women of the first period of Relief Society felt the joy the Lord promised. He was in the work with them. He prospered it, and they felt joy and light.

But the Prophet Joseph foresaw that another season would follow. He saw the grand works they would build in the first season. But he also said that they were to serve, bless, and care for those close to them, known personally by them.

After a joyful time of service for the Relief Society, the Lord led them into another season, away from the fields they had planted so magnificently. It was hard for the faithful men who inherited, for instance, the hospital system they had expanded on the foundation the Relief Society had built. The Lord, through His prophets, made clear that His priesthood servants could hand the trust of maintaining and building that powerful instrument for good to others. And so the Church gave away its marvelous hospital system.

I know and admire the men who had felt the joy of service in that hospital system. And I saw their recognition that the joy had come from being at work with the Lord, not from their own accomplishments. So they smiled and gave away gladly what they had built. They had faith that the Lord saw a greater need for their service elsewhere, in other fields in another season.

A precious part of your Relief Society heritage is that same faith in the hearts of the leaders and the members of the Relief Society. The Lord had known where their great talents would be needed in the next season and where they would find an even greater joy than in the wonderful, benevolent enterprises they had begun and built.

The Church grew larger and reached across the world. The services the Relief Society had created began to require massive resources and constant oversight in an expanding Church and a world with increasing turmoil. Running large and centralized programs would have lessened the opportunity of Relief Society leaders and members to feel the joy of serving individuals for and with the Lord.

For a new season, the Lord had their opportunity already in place. The only system which could provide succor and comfort across a church so large in a world so varied would be through individual servants near the people in need. The Lord had seen that coming from the beginning of Relief Society.

He set a pattern in place. Two Relief Society sisters accept their assignment to visit another as a call from the Lord. That was true from the start. Relief Society officers organized members who they knew had faith to give compassionate service when it was beyond the power of two assigned visiting teachers. It was always close to home, among acquaintances. Members teach the gospel in local meetings and bear testimony of the Savior and of the Restoration. Daughters watch over mothers. Mothers listen to, teach, and care for daughters.

The members of Relief Society have always been trusted by local priesthood shepherds. Every bishop and every branch president has a Relief Society president to depend upon. She has visiting teachers, who know the trials and the needs of every sister. She can, through them, know the hearts of individuals and families. She can meet needs and help the bishop in his call to nurture individuals and families.

A wonderful part of the heritage of Relief Society is evident in the way the priesthood has always shown respect to and received it from the Relief Society in turn. I have seen it as you have. My familyâs bishop said to me years ago, with a smile, âWhy is it that when I go to someone in the ward in need, your wife always seems to have been there ahead of me?â Every bishop and branch president with any experience at all has felt the gentle prod of inspired example from the sisters of the Relief Society. They help us remember that for all, both women and men, there will be no salvation without compassionate service.

You who are older remember President Marion G. Romney quoting this scripture when he said he was as determined as were the sisters to be faithful in providing that compassionate service. He quoted King Benjamin: âAnd now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto youâthat is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before GodâI would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants.â⁵

The reason President Romney smiled, if I remember when he did it, was he said he did really want to have his sins remitted. And so he thought he would join the sisters in every act of compassionate service he could.

Now itâs time to talk about what you must do to pass this marvelous and sacred legacy of Relief Society on to those who will follow you. It will take small and simple things. Just remember that the legacy is passed from heart to heart. Charity, the pure love of Christ, is part of the mighty change of heart which the Lord promises to His faithful disciples. So it is not hard to see what simple things you can and must do to pass the legacy along.

For instance, each time you and your companion prepare to go visiting teaching, you just need to remember what success will be. It will be more than getting in the door. It will be more than giving a message. It will be more than asking how you can help. Success will come perhaps only after many visits. And you may not in this world see the evidence that you have succeeded. But you can feel by the Spirit if you are on the way.

I talked with a Relief Society member about a visit she had made. It was to a woman who would soon lose her husband suddenly and tragically. In recent years the woman had only intermittent contact with Relief Society.

The visitor prepared by stopping at a shop to buy flowers. It was a season when the tulips were stacked for sale in many colors. She chose one color, her favorite, but then felt impressed to try another. She didnât know why she selected yellow, but she did.

When she presented the yellow tulips at the door, the woman smiled and said, âCome. See my backyard garden.â It was filled with yellow tulips in full bloom. The woman said, âI was just wondering if I should cut some for the house. But now I can leave them and enjoy them a little longer in my garden because you brought me these.â They chatted pleasantly as if they were old friends. From that impression to bring some flowers and to choose yellow tulips, that visiting teacher had evidence that she was on the Lordâs errand. When she told me, I could hear the joy in her voice.

When she spoke with me, she didnât know what the widow felt after the visit. But if the widow felt that God loved her and that He had sent an angel to her, the visiting teacher had helped her move down the road to success in the Lordâs eyes. That visitor may verify success from her faithful effort only in the world to come.

That is true for two visiting teachers who again and again brought love to another widow living nearby in a nursing home for nearly nine years. After hard trials, she passed away just weeks ago. From what I learned from a son of the widow, I am confident that those teachers succeeded. They will have the happy experience the Prophet Joseph Smithâs mother described to the sisters in a meeting of the society which she attended. She said, âWe must cherish [and] watch over one another, comfort one another and gain instruction that we may all sit down in heaven together.â⁶

You pass the heritage along as you help others receive the gift of charity in their hearts. They will then be able to pass it to others. The history of Relief Society is recorded in words and numbers, but the heritage is passed heart to heart. That is why families are such beneficiaries of Relief Society.

My mother left me a little pin with the words âCharity Never Failethâ on it. Sister Beck gave me this small one for my lapel.

The enduring legacy my mother left her family was more than the pin. It was her love and the Lordâs love, which I saw and felt in the simple things she did, giving compassion for Him. She was a Relief Society woman. My mother had no daughters, but my wife has passed the heritage to our two daughters. And they will keep it alive in the hearts of others. It will endure because charity never faileth.

I testify that charity is the pure love of Christ. He lives. As we serve others with Him, we feel His joy. By His Atonement He made it possible for us to plead for and receive the gift of charity. I know that the Father lives and answers our prayers. You are members of a society founded and set on its course by the Prophet of the Restoration, Joseph Smith. Sister Beck and her counselors were called through inspiration from God, which was given to a living prophet. I know that is true.

You have a glorious heritage. I pray to God that He will inspire you to preserve it and pass it on as a legacy to bless and bring joy to those in the generations and the seasons to come. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, whom we serve, amen.

NOTES
1. 1 Corinthians 13:8; Moroni 7:46.
2. 4 Nephi 1:2â3, 15.
3. See Relief Society, Minute Book Mar. 1842âMar. 1844, entry for Apr. 28, 1842, Church History Library, Salt Lake City, 39.
4. D&C 88:52â56; emphasis added.
5. Mosiah 4:26.
6. Lucy Mack Smith, in Relief Society, Minute Book Mar. 1842âMar. 1844, entry for Mar. 24, 1842, 18â19.

Several years ago I visited some dear friends in London, England. During this visit I traveled on the tubeâa subway system of underground trains that people use frequently to get from place to place. In each of these busy subway stations, there are warning signs about dangers that people may encounter. Lights flash on and off to notify people that a train is approaching and they need to stand back. There is also a sign to remind people that there is dangerâa gap between the train and the station platform. The sign says, âMind the Gap.â This reminds people not to let their foot get caught in the gap and not to drop anything in the gap because it will go under the train and be lost. The caution sign is needed and warns people of a very real danger. In order to be safe, people must âmind the gap.â

Many of us have gaps in our own lives. Sometimes it is the difference between what we know and what we actually do or the gap between our goals and what we actually accomplish. These gaps can be reminders of ways in which we can improve or, if ignored, can be stumbling blocks in our lives.

I want to mention a few gaps I see either in my own life or in the lives of others. The ones I will address tonight are the following:

First, the gap between believing you are a daughter of God and knowing in your heart and soul that you are a precious, beloved daughter of God.

Second, the gap between completion of the Young Women program and becoming a fully participating member of Relief Societyââthe Lordâs organization for women.â¹

Third, the gap between believing in Jesus Christ and being valiant in the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Number one, the gap between believing and knowing that you are a precious, beloved daughter of God.

Most of us who have been in the Church for more than just a few months have sung the song âI Am a Child of God.â² I have sung this song since I was a young child and have always believed it. Even though most of us believe this, it seems that at times of hardship or difficulty we have a tendency to doubt or forget this.

Some have said such things as: âIf God really loved me, He would not let this illness come upon my child.â âIf God loved me, He would help me find a worthy husband I could be married and sealed to in the holy temple.â âIf God loved me, we would have enough money to buy a house for our family.â Or, âI have sinned and so God couldnât possibly love me anymore.â

Unfortunately, we hear these types of statements all too often. You need to know that there is nothing that can âseparate [you] from the love of Christ.â The scriptures clearly tell us that no tribulation, distress, persecution, power, nor any other creature can separate us from the love of God.³

Our Heavenly Father loved us so much that He sent His Only Begotten Son to atone for our sins. The Savior not only suffered for every sin, but He also felt every pain, sorrow, discomfort, loneliness, and sadness that any of us could ever experience. Is this not great love? President Henry B. Eyring has said, âIt is the Holy Ghost that testifies of the reality of God and allows us to feel the joy of His love.â⁴

We need to accept His love, love ourselves, and love others. Remember that every soul on this earth is also a child of God. We must treat each other with the love and kindness befitting a child of God.

Most of you work very hard to perform your duty, to keep the commandments, and to obey the Lord. You need to be able to recognize the Lordâs approval. You need to know that the Lord is well pleased and has accepted your offering.⁵

Remember to mind this gap and to not let doubt and uncertainty enter into your minds. Be assured that God loves you dearly and you are His precious child.

Next, the gap between completion of the Young Women program and becoming a fully participating member of Relief Societyâthe Lordâs organization for women.

In many countries, age 18 is when a girl becomes a woman. For many, this is an exciting time when we feel that we are adults and ready to take on the world and conquer it. For young women in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this is also a time when we complete many of our Personal Progress goals, come into Relief Society, and accept callings of service in the Church. Our testimonies have been strengthened in Young Women, and we have mapped out a set of goals that will lead us to temple marriage and eternal families of our own.

Unfortunately, some of our younger sisters are taking a âleave of absenceâ from full participation in the gospel and in Relief Society. Some have the attitude that âI will pick up with Relief Society when I get married or when I am older or when I am not so busy.â

When I left high school, my goals were to attend college for at least a couple of years, get married to a handsome man, and have four perfect, beautiful children (two boys and two girls). My husband was to have a large income so I wouldnât need to work, and then I planned to do Church and community service. Thankfully, one of my goals was to be an active and faithful member of the Church.

Well, as you may know, many of my goals were not realized in the way I had hoped. I finished college, served a mission, got a job, continued on with my schooling to earn a masterâs degree, and continued working in my profession for many years. (I thought marriage was sure to happen 13 years ago when I opened a fortune cookie and read, âYou will be married in less than a year.â) But there was no handsome man, no marriage, and no children. Nothing had gone as I had planned except for one thing. I tried to be an active and faithful member of the Church. For this I am most grateful. It has made all the difference in my life.

I had the opportunity to serve many years in Young Women and felt that gave me an opportunity to teach and testify to younger women who were developing their testimonies and seeking to progress in Godâs appointed way.

I also had the opportunity to serve in Relief Society callings, which helped me to learn to serve others and increase my faith and gave me a great feeling of belonging. Even though I wasnât married and had no children, I felt my life had meaning. There were times of discouragement, and at times I questioned the plan.

One work colleague who was not a member of our Church said to me, âWhy do you continue to go to a church that puts so much emphasis on marriage and families?â My simple answer to her was, âBecause it is true!â I can be just as single and just as childless outside of the Church. But with the Church and gospel of Jesus Christ in my life, I found happiness and I knew I was on the path the Savior would have me follow. I found joy and many opportunities to serve, to love, and to grow.

Remember, itâs not just what you get out of active participation in Relief Society but what you can give and contribute as well.

My dear sisters, especially you younger single adults, I testify to you that God loves you; He is mindful of you; He has a plan for you. He needs you to serve His children. He needs you to be active and faithful and fully participating women in His Church. He needs you to âcomfort the weary and strengthen the weak.â⁶

Sister Eliza R. Snow, second Relief Society general president, spoke to a large group of sistersâboth teenage and adult womenâgathered in Ogden, Utah, in 1873. She gave the following counsel that was timely then and is still appropriate today.

Speaking to the younger women, she said: âIf you associate together [meaning older and younger women], your minds are improved, you are gaining intelligence, and you are retrenching from ignorance. The Spirit of God will impart instruction to your minds, and you will impart it to each other. I say, God bless you my young sisters. Remember that you are Saints of God; and that you have important works to perform in Zion.â

She further counseled all women: âPaul the Apostle anciently spoke of holy women. It is the duty of each one of us to be a holy woman. We shall have elevated aims, if we are holy women. We shall feel that we are called to perform important duties. No one is exempt from them. There is no sister so isolated, and her sphere so narrow but what she can do a great deal towards establishing the Kingdom of God upon the earth.â⁷

Please mind this gap, and donât let a gap of inactivity come into your life in any manner. You need the Church, and the Church needs you.

And finally, the gap between believing in Jesus Christ and being valiant in the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Many people believe in Jesus Christâthat He was born of Mary in humble circumstances in Bethlehem many years ago. Most believe that He grew to be a great teacher, a kind and noble soul. Some believe that He gave us a set of valued principles and commandments and that if we follow those teachings and keep those commandments, we will be blessed.

However, for us as Latter-day Saints, we know that we must do more than believe in Christ. We must have faith in Him, repent of our sins, be baptized in His name, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and then we must endure faithfully to the end.

We must share our testimonies with others. We must faithfully keep the covenants we have made with God. We know that all things will be revealed and given to those âwho have endured valiantly for the gospel of Jesus Christ.â⁸

When we are converted, there is a natural tendency for us to share the gospel with those we love. Lehi was converted and wanted his family to partake of the goodness of the gospel.⁹ Nephi talked of Christ, rejoiced in Christ, and preached of Christ so his children would know the source of the remission of their sins or, in other words, where they would find peace and joy.¹⁰

When Enos was converted and received a remission of his sins, he was concerned for the welfare of his brethren. He wanted them to receive the blessings he had received.¹¹

Throughout the scriptures we read of men and women who became converted and then desired to âstrengthenâ their brothers and sisters.¹²

Let your voice be heard among the faithful as you valiantly declare that He lives,¹³ that His Church has been restored, and that the plan of happiness is available to all.

As we mind these gaps by paying careful attention and removing ourselves from danger, we will begin to realize the fulness of the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives.

My dear sisters, I love you. I know the Savior lives. I know He loves each one of us. I know this is His true Church. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. Spencer W. Kimball, âRelief SocietyâIts Promise and Potential,â Ensign, Mar. 1976, 4.
2. âI Am a Child of God,â Hymns, no. 301.
3. See Romans 8:35â39.
4. Henry B. Eyring, âThe Love of God in Missionary Workâ (address given at the mission presidentsâ seminar, June 25, 2009).
5. See D&C 97:27; 124:1.
6. âAs Sisters in Zion,â Hymns, no. 309.
7. Eliza R. Snow, âAn Address,â Womanâs Exponent, Sept. 15, 1873, 62.
8. D&C 121:29.
9. See 1 Nephi 8:10â12.
10. See 2 Nephi 25:26.
11. See Enos 1:5â11.
12. See Luke 22:32.
13. See D&C 76:22.

What a joy it is to be assembled together across the world as sisters in Zion. I am grateful for this opportunity to share with you my testimony of the Savior and express my love for you.

I will speak today about why every woman needs Relief Society in her life.

Soon after the Prophet Joseph Smith organized and established the Church, he also organized the womenâs Relief Society. He said, âThe Church was never perfectly organized until the women were thus organized.â¹ The Relief Society is an essential part of the Church, and as a presidency, we hope we can help you understand why it is essential in your life.

The deepest desire of our presidency is to help each woman in the Church prepare to receive the blessings of the temple, to honor the covenants she makes, and to be engaged in the cause of Zion. The Relief Society inspires and teaches women to help them increase their faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families, and seek out and help those in need.

Speaking of our day, President Spencer W. Kimball said:

âMuch of the major growth that is coming to the Church in the last days will come because many of the good women of the world . . . will be drawn to the Church in large numbers. This will happen to the degree that the women of the Church reflect righteousness and articulateness in their lives and to the degree that the women of the Church are seen as distinct and differentâin happy waysâfrom the women of the world.

âAmong the real heroines in the world who will come into the Church are women who are more concerned with being righteous than with being selfish. These real heroines have true humility, which places a higher value on integrity than on visibility. . . . 

âThus it will be that female exemplars of the Church will be a significant force in both the numerical and the spiritual growth of the Church in the last days.â²

I believe that these prophetic words are being fulfilled. The good women of the world are embracing the gospel of Jesus Christ in large numbers across the nations. You are the real heroines he was talking about. We have met you by the thousands as we travel the world. We have seen your good works; we have heard your heartfelt testimonies; we have felt your spirits. We have seen the light of the gospel reflected in your faces. Your example and influence for good are both extraordinary and remarkable.

But we are also aware of the many women in the Church who are not fully enjoying the blessings of activity in the Church and in Relief Society. To those of you who already attend Relief Society, we extend a call. We ask you to go to the women who are not engaged in Relief Society work in your wards and branches to teach them with love what Relief Society will do for them. Testify to them that Relief Society will enrich their homes and personal lives. Offer your friendship and sisterhood. Watch over and strengthen them. Help us reverse societyâs trend of disintegrating families. Help your sisters turn to the Lord and His plan of happiness for His children. They will find guidance, comfort, peace, understanding, and inspiration. They will know Heavenly Father loves them and cares for them in ways beyond measure.

What does the Relief Society do for the women who accept the gift of activity in the organization? How does Relief Society bless families and homes?

My mother was a recent convert to the Church when she was called to be the Relief Society president in our small branch in San Salvador. She told the branch president that she was inexperienced, unprepared, and inadequate. She was in her 30s, had very little formal education, and her whole life had been devoted to the care of her husband and seven children. But the branch president called her anyway.

I watched my mother rise to the occasion. While serving, she learned leadership skills and developed new gifts such as teaching, public speaking, and planning and organizing meetings, activities, and service projects. She influenced the women in the branch. She served them and taught them to serve one another. The sisters loved and respected her. She helped other women to discover, use, and develop gifts and talents; she helped them become builders of the kingdom and of strong, spiritual families. She stayed faithful to the temple covenants she made. When she passed away, she was at peace with her Maker.

A sister who served with her as a counselor in the Relief Society wrote me a letter years later: âYour mother was the person who taught me the way to become what I am now. From her, I learned charity, kindness, honesty, and responsibility in our callings. She was my mentor and my example. I am now 80 years old, but I have stayed faithful to the Savior and His gospel. I have served a mission, and the Lord has blessed me greatly.â³

I have witnessed the same miracle in the lives of many women in different parts of the world. They embrace the gospel, and Relief Society helps them strengthen their faith and grow spiritually by giving them leadership and teaching opportunities. In their service, a new dimension is added to their lives. As they progress spiritually, their sense of belonging, identity, and self-worth increases. They realize that the whole intent of the gospel plan is to provide an opportunity for us to reach our fullest potential.

With the work of Relief Society sisters, we help build up the kingdom and strengthen the homes of Zion. No other organization in the Church can do the service Relief Society does. Thousands of families are recipients of the service provided by loving visiting teachers who extend a comforting hand, a listening ear, an encouraging word.

My daughter Norma says the following about the way Relief Society has been a blessing in her life: âWhen Darren and I were newly married and expecting our first baby, we were living in a small college town. We were both full-time students with very little income. Our nearest ward was in a town about 30 miles [48 km] away, and our only means of transportation was an old car that didnât work most of the time. When the sisters in the ward discovered our circumstances, they immediately joined together to arrange for one of them to always give us a ride to and from church on Sundays and for other Church activities. Some of the sisters lived in other towns and drove 20 or 30 miles [32 to 48 km] out of their way just to pick us up. Additionally, many of the sisters would invite us to their homes for nice family dinners after church. No one ever made us feel like a burden to them. I will never forget the true love and charity that the Relief Society sisters extended to us during that short but challenging time in our lives.â⁴

My husband is a bishop, and he says he could never do his work without the help of the Relief Society president. The Relief Society presidents throughout the world work hand in hand with their bishops and branch presidents to organize the sisters in the sacred charge of seeking out and helping those in need. Those devoted Relief Society presidents need your support and willing hands. Your attendance at Relief Society Sunday meetings will bless you, but your participation in the work of Relief Society will bless the whole Church.

Whether you are young or old, single or married, widowed or living in a family, we want you to bless your life and home with the influence and power of Relief Society. There is a great need to rally the women of the Church to move the work forward. We invite you to minister with your powerful influence for good in strengthening our families, our church, and our communities. You are a much-needed force for love, truth, and righteousness in this world. We need you to nurture families, friends, and neighbors. It is through you that Godâs perfect love for each and all of His children is made manifest.

Our presidency often receives letters from sisters whose lives have been blessed through Relief Society. Many of them list what Relief Society has done for them and their families. The list might sound something like this:

• Relief Society reassures me that Heavenly Father loves me because I am His daughter.
• It reminds me that Heavenly Father has blessed me with talents and gifts.
• I learn that temple covenants are essential for me and my family.
• I learn to find joy in motherhood.
• Relief Society lessons and activities help me learn the skills needed to be a good mother.
• I recognize my responsibility to influence the rising generation for good.
• Relief Society helps me be a better wife, to honor and respect my husband.
• I am encouraged to seek learning and personal growth.
• I learn and practice basic principles of self-reliance in meetings and activities.
• I experience joy in service through visiting teaching and compassionate service.
• I discover gifts that I didnât know I had.
• Relief Society provides me opportunities to use my talents.
• I learn that I can lift and encourage others.
• I learn that we all have something to share: love, kindness, smiles, sympathy, and more.
• I develop genuine concern for others.
• I learn to be a better neighbor and treat others with kindness.
• I learn resourcefulness and determination of purpose.
• I know that all of my Fatherâs blessings will be mine if I stay faithful and true to my covenants.

The list goes on and on, and I am sure that most of you have something you would like to add to this list. Relief Society is vital to the welfare of every home and family. Every husband and father should encourage activity in Relief Society. Every woman should come and learn the opportunities Relief Society has to offer. Every righteous woman has a significant role to play in Godâs plan and the building up of His kingdom. Relief Society needs you, and you need Relief Society.

I testify to you that Relief Society was divinely organized to assist the priesthood in the work of salvation. I know Heavenly Father lives. He knows and loves you and me. Jesus is the Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. Joseph Smith, quoted in Sarah M. Kimball, âAuto-biography,â Womanâs Exponent, Sept. 1, 1883, 51.
2. Spencer W. Kimball, âThe Role of Righteous Women,â Ensign, Nov. 1979, 103â4.
3. Personal correspondence.
4. Personal correspondence.

This is a beautiful gathering of Relief Society women. Since our last general meeting, I have been blessed to visit many of you. Thank you for your faithful lives and dedicated service. In recent general Relief Society meetings, we have been taught how strong and immovable Latter-day Saint women know and fulfill the purpose of Relief Society.¹ Tonight I hope to enlarge our testimony and understanding of Relief Society as a faith-based work. I will speak of the purpose of this work and the way we accomplish it.

We know that the purpose of Relief Society as established by the Lord is to prepare women for the blessings of eternal life by helping them:

1.  Increase their faith and personal righteousness.
2.  Strengthen their families and homes.
3.  Serve the Lord and His children.

The history, purpose, and work of Relief Society are unique among all womenâs organizations. In 1942, for the centennial of the Relief Society, the First Presidency of the Church said:

âNo other womanâs organization in all the earth has had such a birth. . . . 

âMembers [of Relief Society] should permit neither hostile nor competitive interests of any kind to detract from the duties and obligations, the privileges and honors, the opportunities and achievements of membership in this great Society.â²

If our membership in Relief Society is so important, we need to know what sets us apart from every other womanâs group or organization. Everything we do in Relief Society matters because Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, visited Joseph Smith and, through him, the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored to the earth. Relief Society is part of that restoration. The Prophet Joseph Smith defined the purpose of the Relief Society and instructed the sisters in their purpose, just as he taught priesthood leaders in Kirtland and Nauvoo their priesthood purpose and work. Ours is an organization that continues to be led today by prophets, seers, and revelators.

Relief Society is unique because it was organized after the âpattern of the priesthoodâ³ and we operate on a general and local level under the direction of priesthood leaders. We work in partnership with priesthood leaders, who hold keys which give them authority to preside in the name of the Lord. We operate in the manner of the priesthoodâwhich means that we seek, receive, and act on revelation; make decisions in councils; and concern ourselves with caring for individuals one by one. Ours is the priesthood purpose to prepare ourselves for the blessings of eternal life by making and keeping covenants. Therefore, like our brethren who hold the priesthood, ours is a work of salvation, service, and becoming a holy people.

President Boyd K. Packer has taught that âthe Relief Society has very broad responsibilities.

âAttendance at the Sunday meeting is but a small part of your duty. Some of you have not understood this and have set aside much of what Relief Society has meant over the yearsâthe sisterhood, the charitable and practical parts of it.â

He explained:

âThe Relief Society, the Prophet [Joseph] told us, is organized after the pattern of the priesthood. When a man holds the priesthood, . . . it requires full dedication and loyalty. . . . 

âMembership in the priesthood magnifies the man and the boy. Wherever he is, whatever he does, no matter with whom he associates, he is expected to honor his priesthood. . . . 

âIf you sisters follow after that pattern, . . . you will serve your organization, your causeâthe Relief Society. . . . 

âService in the Relief Society magnifies and sanctifies each individual sister. Your membership in Relief Society should be ever with you.â⁴

Working in the Lordâs Way

When our purpose is clear, it naturally follows that there is an appropriate way to carry out our responsibilities. Let us review how the faith-based work of Relief Society is to be administered. One of the most precious commodities we all have is time. Most women have many responsibilities and never have sufficient time to do everything their hearts and minds want to do. We show respect for the Lord and the sisters when we use Relief Society time in an inspired way.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught: âA wise man once distinguished between âthe noble art of getting things doneâ and âa nobler art of leaving things undone.â True âwisdom in life,â he taught, consists of âthe elimination of non-essentials.â â President Uchtdorf then asked: âWhat are the nonessential things that clutter your days and steal your time? What are the habits you may have developed that do not serve a useful purpose? What are the unfinished or unstarted things that could add vigor, meaning, and joy to your life?â⁵ We can apply his questions to all Relief Society meetings and work.

Relief Society Sunday Meetings

We hold the weekly meeting of our society on Sundays as part of our regular three-hour block of meetings. It is amazing to contemplate that every Sunday, all around the world, thousands of groups of sisters are gathering to increase their faith, strengthen their families, and coordinate their efforts to provide relief. Our Sunday meetings are only 50 minutes in length, so we begin those meetings by taking care of essential business that will help us be more unified and effective in our Relief Society work. We keep our business brief, dignified, organized, and in keeping with who we are and what we are to do.

Just as the sisters in the first Relief Society meetings received instruction from prophets and apostles, we study the words of Church leaders today. What a blessing it is to have correlated resources that teach doctrine and principles to help us live the gospel in our personal lives and homes. Because this work is based on faith, Relief Society lessons are most effective when inspired teaching takes place and â[she] that preacheth and [she] that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together.â⁶

Additional Relief Society Meetings

All of our meetings and activities are meetings of Relief Society sisters. For the past number of years, we have called additional Relief Society meetings home, family, and personal enrichment meetings. In response to concerns about the complexity of that title and the different interpretations about the purpose of those meetings, a decision has been made that the name âhome, family, and personal enrichmentâ will be discontinued effective now. In counsel with the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, it was determined that rather than give these additional Relief Society meetings a new title, all such meetings and activities will now be referred to simply as Relief Society meetings. Individual Relief Society meetings that are held during the week can be called whatever they are: Relief Society service, classes, projects, conferences, or workshops.

These additional meetings can be valuable supplements to Sunday instruction, especially for sisters who serve in Primary or Young Women or who are unable to attend Sunday meetings. These meetings also provide a wonderful place to bring our friends of other faiths and to include Relief Society sisters who do not actively participate in the Church. All Relief Society members and their friends are invited and welcome. However, sisters should not be made to feel that attendance at these meetings is mandatory.

Under the direction of the bishop, the ward Relief Society presidency can use these meetings to address spiritual and temporal needs of individuals and families in the ward and to strengthen sisterhood and unity.

When sisters meet for Relief Society meetings during the week, they have the opportunity to learn and accomplish the charitable and practical responsibilities of the Relief Society. This is where they learn and practice skills that will help them increase their faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and provide service to those in need. These meetings are meant to be instrumental in teaching the skills and responsibilities of womanhood and motherhood in the Lordâs plan. It is here that women learn and apply principles of provident living and spiritual and temporal self-reliance, and they also increase in sisterhood and unity as they teach one another and serve together.

The ward Relief Society president oversees all Relief Society meetings. As part of this responsibility, she counsels regularly with the bishop regarding how these meetings can help meet the needs of individuals and families in the ward.

The Relief Society presidency prayerfully considers how often they should hold Relief Society meetings during the week and where they should hold them. They then make a recommendation to the bishop, taking into consideration the time commitments of sisters, family circumstances, travel distance and cost, financial cost to the ward, safety, and other local circumstances.

These meetings are usually held at a time other than on Sunday or on Monday evening. They are generally held monthly, but the Relief Society presidency may recommend that the meetings be held more often or less frequently. Efforts should be made to meet at least quarterly. At least one member of the ward Relief Society presidency should be in attendance at every meeting. Under the direction of the stake presidency, the stake Relief Society presidency may plan and carry out one or two stake Relief Society meetings each year for all Relief Society sisters in the stake.⁷

Relief Society leaders prayerfully counsel together about the topics that will strengthen sisters and their families and about the best ways to teach those topics. The Relief Society president ensures that these plans are approved by the bishop. She also ensures that the plans are consistent with current policies about activities, including policies about finances. Although the Relief Society president oversees these meetings, she may ask her first or second counselor to assist her. She may also recommend another sister in the ward to be called to serve as the Relief Society meeting coordinator to help the presidency plan and carry them out.

Meetings can focus on one topic or be divided into more than one class or activity. Generally, teachers at these meetings should be members of the ward or stake. Each year, one meeting may commemorate the founding of the Relief Society and focus on its history and purposes.

In planning Relief Society meetings held during the week, leaders give priority to topics that will fulfill Relief Society purposes, such as marriage and family, homemaking, provident living and self-reliance, compassionate service, temple and family history, sharing the gospel, and other subjects requested by the bishop.⁸

When we plan, we ask what the Lord needs us to learn and become in order to be prepared for eternal life. In the wisdom of the Lord, every ward has its own unique characteristics, which no other ward shares. This can be compared to the DNA that identifies every human being as unique. Every bishop has the responsibility for his specific ward. Each ward Relief Society president has a calling to assist one bishop. Each bishop and Relief Society presidency have had hands laid on their heads to receive inspiration for their particular responsibilities and not for any other ward or group of Relief Society sisters.

If we work with this understanding, we will seek revelation and work in companionship with a bishop to fulfill the purposes of Relief Society in our own wards. As a result of operating in this way, if sisters and families need to be prepared for emergencies, the Relief Society can organize, teach, and inspire that preparation. If sisters and families need to prepare for the temple, the Relief Society can organize, teach, and inspire sisters to do that. If a bishop needs young single adult women to share the gospel and bring their friends back into activity, the Relief Society can organize, teach, and inspire that work. If mothers need to learn how to nurture and care for their children, the Relief Society can organize, teach, and inspire that work. If sisters need to learn and improve homemaking skills that will help their homes become a center of spiritual strength, then the Relief Society can organize, teach, and inspire that work. As has happened throughout our history, if priesthood leaders need to accomplish something significant, they can call upon the Relief Society to help them.

Using Relief Society meetings appropriately will increase the ability of the Relief Society to work in powerful ways with priesthood leaders in every ward. As Joseph Smith said in the Doctrine and Covenants:

âLet no man count them as small things; for there is much which lieth in futurity, pertaining to the saints, which depends upon these things.

âYou know, [sisters], that a very large ship is benefited very much by a very small helm in the time of a storm, by being kept workways with the wind and the waves.â⁹

Relief Society and priesthood leaders, this message will serve as your current official policy regarding additional Relief Society meetings. Should you have questions regarding anything we have taught here after studying this message, please counsel together in your own wards and stakes to discover the solutions you need.

Visiting Teaching

Much of the essential Relief Society work we do doesnât happen in meetings. Letâs focus now on learning about visiting teaching. Because we follow the example and teachings of Jesus Christ, we value this sacred assignment to love, know, serve, understand, teach, and minister in His behalf. This is one duty we have in the Church where we are certain to have the help of the Lord if we ask for it. This is one responsibility that is certain to increase our faith and personal righteousness and strengthen our own homes and families as we become partners with the Lord. A sister in this Church has no other responsibility outside of her family that has the potential to do as much good as does visiting teaching.

Because this is the Lordâs program of individual watchcare for His daughters, the policies regarding visiting teaching are approved by the First Presidency as outlined in the Church Handbook of Instructions. Because visiting teaching focuses on individual sisters, Relief Society leaders do not organize women into groups for the purpose of visiting teaching.

The bishop, who is the ordained shepherd of the ward, cannot possibly watch over all of the Lordâs sheep at one time. He is dependent on inspired visiting teachers to help him. We know we should each choose to be a friend to everyone in our ward, but the bishop and Relief Society president have the responsibility to receive revelation as to who should be assigned to watch over and strengthen each individual sister. Ideally, every sister should watch over and strengthen at least one other sister in her ward. It is our blessing to pray for another sister and receive inspiration as to how the Lord would have us care for one of His daughters.

Visiting teaching becomes the Lordâs work when our focus is on people rather than percentages. In reality, visiting teaching is never finished. It is more a way of life than a task. Faithfully serving as a visiting teacher is evidence of our discipleship. We demonstrate our faith and follow a pattern established by the Lord as we report on our assignment every month. If our watchcare were primarily about reporting that every sister in the ward heard the Visiting Teaching Message printed each month in the Ensign and Liahona, it would be much more efficient to read it aloud to everyone in a sacrament meeting. Our reports are most helpful to the bishop and the Relief Society president when we inform them of the spiritual and temporal well-being of sisters and how we have been able to serve and love them.

How grateful I am for all of my visiting teachers who, over the years, have demonstrated their faith as they have served, taught, strengthened, and loved me in inspired ways.

Welfare and Compassionate Service

Our compassionate service and assistance with the welfare needs of individuals and families are an outgrowth of visiting teaching. A Relief Society president learns of the needs of people in her ward through visiting teachers and her own visits to ward members. Sometimes she organizes us to help others, and at other times we serve âaccording to [our] natures,â¹⁰ following the promptings of the Holy Ghost. Many years ago I learned from Sister Camilla Kimball, wife of President Spencer W. Kimball, to ânever suppress a generous thought.â By following her counsel, we can know with certainty that our Father in Heaven knows us personally because He sends us to be His hands and heart to those in need. As we do so, our faith in Him is strengthened.

Conclusion

We live in a happy and exciting time of growth in the history of the Church, and Relief Society is part of making that history. Joseph Smith said, âLet every man, woman and child realize the importance of the work, and act as if success depended on his individual exertion alone; let all feel an interest in it, and then consider they live in a day, the contemplation of which animated the bosoms of kings, Prophets, and righteous men thousands of years agoâthe prospect of which inspired their sweetest notes, and most exalted lays, and caused them to break out in such rapturous strains as are recorded in the Scriptures.â¹¹

I rejoice to know that the Lord loves us enough to guide us in this work through prophets, seers, and revelators and that we belong to a Church that operates with continuing revelation. I feel a certainty that as each sister does her part to ensure that the purposes of Relief Society are fulfilled, angels will be our associates and we will be participants in amazing miracles. We celebrate and give thanks for the essential, sacred work we have been given, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. See Julie B. Beck, âFulfilling the Purpose of Relief Society,â Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2008, 108â11; âWhat Latter-day Saint Women Do Best: Stand Strong and Immovable,â Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2007, 109â12.
2. First Presidency, âTo the Presidency, Officers, and Members of the Relief Society,â in A Centenary of Relief Society, 1842â1942 (1942), 7.
3. Joseph Smith, quoted in Sarah M. Kimball, âAuto-biography,â Womanâs Exponent, Sept. 1, 1883, 51.
4. Boyd K. Packer, âThe Circle of Sisters,â Ensign, Nov. 1980, 109â10.
5. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, âAs You Embark upon This New Era,â in Brigham Young University 2008â2009 Speeches (2009), 2; see also Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living (1937), 162, 10.
6. D&C 50:22.
7. These meetings may include service, classes, projects, conferences, and workshops. One of them may be held in conjunction with the general Relief Society meeting. The stake Relief Society presidency may form committees to help as needed.
8. See reliefsociety.lds.org for additional guidance regarding these topics.
9. D&C 123:15â16.
10. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 451.
11. Teachings: Joseph Smith, 144.

My heart is full as we come to the close of this conference. We have been richly taught and spiritually edified as we have listened to the messages which have been presented and the testimonies which have been borne. We express thanks to each one who has participated, including those Brethren offering prayers.

Once again the music has been wonderful. I express my personal gratitude for those willing to share with us their talents, touching and inspiring us in the process. The beautiful music they produce enhances and enriches each session of conference.

We remind you that the messages we have heard during this conference will be printed in the November issues of the Ensign and Liahona magazines. As we read and study them, we will be additionally taught and inspired. May we incorporate into our daily lives the truths found therein.

We express to those Brethren who have been released during this conference our deep appreciation. They have served well and have made significant contributions to the work of the Lord. Their dedication has been complete. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts.

We live at a time when many in the world have slipped from the moorings of safety found in compliance with the commandments. It is a time of permissiveness, with society in general routinely disregarding and breaking the laws of God. We often find ourselves swimming against the current, and sometimes it seems as though the current could carry us away.

I am reminded of the words of the Lord found in the book of Ether in the Book of Mormon. Said the Lord, âYe cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come.â¹ My brothers and sisters, He has prepared us. If we heed His words and live the commandments, we will survive this time of permissiveness and wickedness---a time which can be compared with the waves and the winds and the floods that can destroy. He is ever mindful of us. He loves us and will bless us as we do what is right.

How grateful we are that the heavens are indeed open, that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored, and that the Church is founded on the rock of revelation. We are a blessed people, with apostles and prophets upon the earth today.

Now, as we leave this conference, I invoke the blessings of heaven upon each of you. May all of you return safely to your homes. As you ponder the things you have heard during this conference, may you say, with the people of King Benjamin who all cried with one voice, âWe believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us . . . that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.â² May every man and woman, boy and girl leave this conference a better person than he or she was when it began two days ago.

I love you, my brothers and sisters. I pray for you. I would ask once again that you would remember me and all the General Authorities in your prayers. We are one with you in moving forward this marvelous work. I testify to you that we are all in this together and that every man, woman, and child has a part to play. May God give us the strength and the ability and the determination to play our part well.

I bear my testimony to you that this work is true, that our Savior lives, and that He guides and directs His Church here upon the earth. I leave with you my witness and my testimony that God our Eternal Father lives and loves us. He is indeed our Father, and He is personal and real.

May God bless you. May His promised peace be with you now and always.

I bid you farewell until we meet again in six monthsâ time, and do so in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer and our Advocate with the Father, amen.

NOTES
1. Ether 2:25.
2. Mosiah 5:2.

During World War II, President James E. Faust, then a young enlisted man in the United States Army, applied for officer candidate school. He appeared before a board of inquiry composed of what he described as âhard-bitten career soldier[s].â After a while their questions turned to matters of religion. The final questions were these:

âIn times of war should not the moral code be relaxed? Does not the stress of battle justify men in doing things that they would not do when at home under normal situations?â

President Faust relates:

âI recognized that here was a chance perhaps to make some points and look broad-minded. I knew perfectly well that the men who were asking me this question did not live by the standards that I had been taught. The thought flashed through my mind that perhaps I could say that I had my own beliefs but did not wish to impose them on others. But there seemed to flash before my mind the faces of the many people to whom I had taught the law of chastity as a missionary. In the end I simply said, âI do not believe there is a double standard of morality.â

âI left the hearing resigned to the fact that [they] would not like the answers I had given . . . and would surely score me very low. A few days later when the scores were posted, to my astonishment I had passed. I was in the first group taken for officerâs candidate school! . . . 

âThis was one of the critical crossroads of my life.â¹

President Faust recognized that we all possess the God-given gift of moral agencyâthe right to make choices and the obligation to account for those choices (see D&C 101:78). He also understood and demonstrated that, for positive outcomes, moral agency must be accompanied by moral discipline.

By âmoral discipline,â I mean self-discipline based on moral standards. Moral discipline is the consistent exercise of agency to choose the right because it is right, even when it is hard. It rejects the self-absorbed life in favor of developing character worthy of respect and true greatness through Christlike service (see Mark 10:42â45). The root of the word discipline is shared by the word disciple, suggesting to the mind the fact that conformity to the example and teachings of Jesus Christ is the ideal discipline that, coupled with His grace, forms a virtuous and morally excellent person.

Jesusâs own moral discipline was rooted in His discipleship to the Father. To His disciples He explained, âMy meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his workâ (John 4:34). By this same pattern, our moral discipline is rooted in loyalty and devotion to the Father and the Son. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ that provides the moral certainty upon which moral discipline rests.

The societies in which many of us live have for more than a generation failed to foster moral discipline. They have taught that truth is relative and that everyone decides for himself or herself what is right. Concepts such as sin and wrong have been condemned as âvalue judgments.â As the Lord describes it, âEvery man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own godâ (D&C 1:16).

As a consequence, self-discipline has eroded and societies are left to try to maintain order and civility by compulsion. The lack of internal control by individuals breeds external control by governments. One columnist observed that âgentlemanly behavior [for example, once] protected women from coarse behavior. Today, we expect sexual harassment laws to restrain coarse behavior. . . . 

âPolicemen and laws can never replace customs, traditions and moral values as a means for regulating human behavior. At best, the police and criminal justice system are the last desperate line of defense for a civilized society. Our increased reliance on laws to regulate behavior is a measure of how uncivilized weâve become.â²

In most of the world, we have been experiencing an extended and devastating economic recession. It was brought on by multiple causes, but one of the major causes was widespread dishonest and unethical conduct, particularly in the U.S. housing and financial markets. Reactions have focused on enacting more and stronger regulation. Perhaps that may dissuade some from unprincipled conduct, but others will simply get more creative in their circumvention.³ There could never be enough rules so finely crafted as to anticipate and cover every situation, and even if there were, enforcement would be impossibly expensive and burdensome. This approach leads to diminished freedom for everyone. In the memorable phrase of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, âWe would not accept the yoke of Christ; so now we must tremble at the yoke of Caesar.â⁴

In the end, it is only an internal moral compass in each individual that can effectively deal with the root causes as well as the symptoms of societal decay. Societies will struggle in vain to establish the common good until sin is denounced as sin and moral discipline takes its place in the pantheon of civic virtues.⁵

Moral discipline is learned at home. While we cannot control what others may or may not do, the Latter-day Saints can certainly stand with those who demonstrate virtue in their own lives and inculcate virtue in the rising generation. Remember from Book of Mormon history the young men who were key to the Nephite victory in the long war of 66 to 60 B.C.âthe sons of the people of Ammon. Their character and discipline were described in these words:

âThey were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.

âYea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before himâ (Alma 53:20â21).

âNow they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver themâ (Alma 56:47).

âNow this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continuallyâ (Alma 57:27).

Here we find a standard for what should happen in our homes and in the Church. Our teaching should draw upon our own faith and focus first and foremost on instilling faith in God in the rising generation. We must declare the essential need to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before Him in soberness, or in other words, with reverence. Each must be persuaded that service and sacrifice for the well-being and happiness of others are far superior to making oneâs own comfort and possessions the highest priority.

This requires more than an occasional reference to one or another gospel principle. There must be constant teaching, mostly by example. President Henry B. Eyring expressed the vision we strive to attain:

âThe pure gospel of Jesus Christ must go down into the hearts of [our children] by the power of the Holy Ghost. It will not be enough for them to have had a spiritual witness of the truth and to want good things later. It will not be enough for them to hope for some future cleansing and strengthening. Our aim must be for them to become truly converted to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ while they are with us. . . . 

âThen they will have gained a strength from what they are, not only from what they know. They will become disciples of Christ.â⁶

I have heard a few parents state that they donât want to impose the gospel on their children but want them to make up their own minds about what they will believe and follow. They think that in this way they are allowing children to exercise their agency. What they forget is that the intelligent use of agency requires knowledge of the truth, of things as they really are (see D&C 93:24). Without that, young people can hardly be expected to understand and evaluate the alternatives that come before them. Parents should consider how the adversary approaches their children. He and his followers are not promoting objectivity but are vigorous, multimedia advocates of sin and selfishness.

Seeking to be neutral about the gospel is, in reality, to reject the existence of God and His authority. We must, rather, acknowledge Him and His omniscience if we want our children to see lifeâs choices clearly and be able to think for themselves. They should not have to learn by sad experience that âwickedness never was happinessâ (Alma 41:10).

I can share with you a simple example from my own life of what parents can do. When I was about five or six years old, I lived across the street from a small grocery store. One day two other boys invited me to go with them to the store. As we stood coveting the candy for sale there, the older boy grabbed a candy bar and slipped it into his pocket. He urged the other boy and me to do the same, and after some hesitation we did. Then we quickly left the store and ran off in separate directions. I found a hiding place at home and tore off the candy wrapper. My mother discovered me with the chocolate evidence smeared on my face and escorted me back to the grocery store. As we crossed the street, I was sure I was facing life imprisonment. With sobs and tears, I apologized to the owner and paid him for the candy bar with a dime that my mother had loaned me (which I had to earn later). My motherâs love and discipline put an abrupt and early end to my life of crime.

All of us experience temptations. So did the Savior, but He âgave no heed unto themâ (D&C 20:22). Similarly, we do not have to yield simply because a temptation surfaces. We may want to, but we donât have to. An incredulous female friend asked a young adult woman, committed to living the law of chastity, how it was possible that she had never âslept with anybody.â âDonât you want to?â the friend asked. The young woman thought: âThe question intrigued me, because it was so utterly beside the point. . . . Mere wanting is hardly a proper guide for moral conduct.â⁷

In some cases, temptation may have the added force of potential or actual addiction. I am grateful that for an increasing number of people the Church can provide therapeutic help of various kinds to aid them in avoiding or coping with addictions. Even so, while therapy can support a personâs will, it cannot substitute for it. Always and ever, there must be an exercise of disciplineâmoral discipline founded on faith in God the Father and the Son and what They can achieve with us through the atoning grace of Jesus Christ. In Peterâs words, âThe Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptationsâ (2 Peter 2:9).

We cannot presume that the future will resemble the pastâthat things and patterns we have relied upon economically, politically, socially will remain as they have been. Perhaps our moral discipline, if we will cultivate it, will have an influence for good and inspire others to pursue the same course. We may thereby have an impact on future trends and events. At a minimum, moral discipline will be of immense help to us as we deal with whatever stresses and challenges may come in a disintegrating society.

We have heard thoughtful and inspired messages during this conference, and in a moment President Thomas S. Monson will provide concluding words of counsel. As we prayerfully consider what we have learned and relearned, I believe that the Spirit will shed further light on those things that have particular application for each of us individually. We will be fortified in the moral discipline needed to walk uprightly before the Lord and be at one with Him and the Father.

I stand with my brethren and with you, my brothers and sisters, as a witness that God is our Father and that His Son, Jesus, is our Redeemer. Their law is immutable, Their truth is everlasting, and Their love is infinite. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. James E. Faust, Stories from My Life (2001), 2â3.
2. Walter Williams, âLaws Are a Poor Substitute for Common Decency, Moral Values,â Deseret News, Apr. 29, 2009, A15.
3. Speaking some years ago to members of the legal profession, President James E. Faust cautioned: âThere is a great risk in justifying what we do individually and professionally on the basis of what is âlegalâ rather than what is âright.â In so doing, we put our very souls at risk. The philosophy that what is legal is also right will rob us of what is highest and best in our nature. What conduct is actually legal is, in many instances, way below the standards of a civilized society and light years below the teachings of the Christ. If you accept what is legal as your standard of personal or professional conduct, you will deny yourself of that which is truly noble in your personal dignity and worthâ (âBe Healers,â Clark Memorandum, spring 2003, 3).
4. âBishop Fulton John Sheen Makes a Wartime Plea,â in William Safire, sel., Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History, rev. ed. (1997), 478.
5. Editorial writers at the Wall Street Journal once observed:
âSin isnât something that many people, including most churches, have spent much time talking about or worrying about through the years of the [sexual] revolution. But we will say this for sin: it at least offered a frame of reference for personal behavior. When the frame was dismantled, guilt wasnât the only thing that fell away; we also lost the guidewire of personal responsibility. . . . 
âThe United States has a drug problem and a high-school-sex problem and a welfare problem and an AIDS problem and a rape problem. None of this will go away until more people in positions of responsibility are willing to come forward and explain, in frankly moral terms, that some of the things that people do nowadays are wrongâ (âThe Joy of What?â Wall Street Journal, Dec. 12, 1991, A14).
6. Henry B. Eyring, in Shaun D. Stahle, âInspiring Students to Stand Strong amid Torrent of Temptation,â Church News, Aug. 18, 2001, 5.
7. Sarah E. Hinlicky, âSubversive Virginity,â First Things, Oct. 1998, 14.

A few weeks ago Elder Melvin R. Perkins, who is an Area Seventy serving in Alaska, and I stood at the pulpit in front of the congregation of the Vancouver British Columbia Stake in Canada. In a moving voice he invited the Saints to consider the image before them: a descendant of Mormon handcart pioneers and a pioneer convert of the Church from a faraway African nation serving the Lord side by side.

From humble beginnings in Fayette, New York, nearly 180 years ago, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has become a global faith. I stand here as a witness of this marvelous work. I pray that the Spirit of the Lord will be with you and with me as I share some thoughts this afternoon.

I am grateful for the keys of revelation in this last dispensation. Through the exercise of those keys by living prophets since the Restoration, Godâs children on the earth today have the opportunity to understand His plan of happiness for them more fully than at any other time.

The love of our Father in Heaven has been evident as the way has been opened for all living and dead of every nation, now and in the future, to receive exaltation in His presence, according to the exercise of their agency. The standard is the same, and the blessing is the same for all. God has reaffirmed that He is no respecter of persons.

The gospel has gone forth on the earth in a pattern that ensures that Godâs purposes to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man are fulfilled.

After the Fall our first parents, Adam and Eve, made an eternal covenant with God for their salvation.¹ As Adamâs children multiplied, two groups emerged.

One group, led by Enoch, kept the covenant so well that they could no longer be retained on the earth. So the Lord gathered them unto Himself.²

The second group was overcome in wickedness so great that they suffered the judgments of God. The Flood swallowed them up, leaving only the family of Noah,³ a righteous descendant of Enoch.⁴

God put Noah under covenant, with the additional promise that life on earth would no longer be destroyed by floods.⁵

As Noahâs family multiplied once more, many were taken up in wickedness. Driven by pride, they built the Tower of Babel. God allowed the judgments of heaven to fall upon them. Their language was confounded, and they were scattered abroad. Only a few who were obedient were preserved.⁶

Among those preserved was the brother of Jared, a man of great faith, who pleaded with the Lord on behalf of the righteous Jaredites. The Lord led them to the American continent, with the promise that if they served Him, they would âbe free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven.â⁷ The Nephites were also led to the same continent later. In the end both the Jaredite and the Nephite civilizations were destroyed, as they did not prove faithful.

Another preserved man of great faith was Abraham, a descendant of Noah, who was led to Canaan. God put Abraham under covenant, with additional promises that his posterity would increase as the stars in the heavens⁸ and that in his seed âshall all the nations of the earth be blessed.â⁹ The nations in the promise were descendants of Noah scattered from the Tower of Babel, known as Gentiles in a general sense.

God renewed the covenant with Abrahamâs son Isaac and grandson Jacob, who became Israel.

Because the descendants of Israel could not endure the conditions of the covenant, it was changed during the dispensation of Moses. A lesser covenant was introduced and continued among the children of Israel until Christ restored the fulness of the gospel during His mortal ministry.¹⁰

After His Resurrection the Savior signaled that the time for the gospel to be taken to the Gentiles had come.¹¹ Earlier, in the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, He had revealed that the gentile nations would be visited and invited one after the other. However, the blessings would be the same irrespective of the order of invitation.¹²

After the Saviorâs Ascension, the presiding Apostle, Peter, a descendant of Israel, held the keys of the priesthood, by which he gave direction to the Church. It is significant that although the Savior had already given permission, Peter baptized the first Gentile, Cornelius, only after receiving specific revelation to do so.¹³

The ministry to the Gentiles was interrupted by the martyrdom of Peter¹⁴ and the deaths of the other Apostles, after which the keys of the priesthood were taken from the earth. The long period of apostasy followed.

The keys were restored by the ancient Apostles Peter, James, and John in 1829 upon Joseph Smith just before the Church was organized. The gospel in its fulness was again coming to the earth and started to go forth among the nations of the Gentiles as the new and everlasting covenant.

Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord revealed that the determining criteria for the order in which the gentile nations are invited include the capacity to spiritually and temporally nourish the kingdom of God as it is established on the earth for the last time.¹⁵

We see that as the restored Church began to be established on the earth, the living prophets sought and followed the will of God about how the gospel should go forth among the nations.

I have lived to see the time foreseen by the prophet Zenos in the allegory of the olive tree, when the righteous from all nations of the earth would become partakers of the covenant of God with Israel.¹⁶

I have seen the good fruit of the gospel blossom in my home continent of Africa. After just 30 years, there are 300,000 Saints. In the doctrines and principles of the restored gospel, many are finding a sure anchor for their faith. Families uprooted from their rural communities in search of a better future in the towns and cities have found a new way to hold on to the strong family traditions which have come progressively under attack in this era of globalization. The Spirit of the Lord is moving powerfully among the people.

A new celestial culture is developing in homes, nurtured by the ready hearkening to the counsel of the living prophet to have daily prayer and scripture study and to meet once a week as a family in home evening. As a result, many are able to break free from the shackles of traditions that restrict the exercise of their agency.

As an illustration from personal experience, three of our children were recently married in the temple without the encumbrance of dowry, a traditional practice that drives many young men and women to live together without any legal commitment to each other. The opportunity for a temple marriage in the three temples now established in Accra, Ghana; Aba, Nigeria; and Johannesburg, South Africa, is helping to instill a fresh hope in the sanctity of marriage.

I testify of the Savior Jesus Christ, by whom we have the gospel and promise of exaltation. I testify of our living prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, through whom we have the assurance of the Saviorâs direction for continuing to extend salvation to all. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. See Moses 6:52, 57, 59.
2. See Moses 7:19â21.
3. See Genesis 6:17â22; see also Moses 7â8.
4. See D&C 84:14â15.
5. See Genesis 8:11â21; 9:8â10.
6. See Genesis 11:1â8.
7. See Ether 2:8â12; see also Ether 1:33â43; 4â6.
8. See Genesis 12â17; 22; see also Abraham 1â2.
9. Genesis 22:18.
10. See Hebrews 7:11â12, 19â22; D&C 84:24â25.
11. See Matthew 28:18â20.
12. See Matthew 20:1â16.
13. See Acts 10.
14. See Bible Dictionary, âPeter,â 749.
15. See D&C 58:1â12.
16. See Jacob 5:57â68.

Over the past several months I have been drawn repeatedly to a passage of scripture recorded in Helaman, chapter 6: âAnd thus we see that the Lord began to pour out his Spirit upon the Lamanites, because of their easiness and willingness to believe in his wordsâ (verse 36).

As I read this scripture during my personal study, it touched my heart deeply and caused me to reflect upon it for several weeks. I began to question if I found it easy to believe the word of God. And why was it easy for these Lamanite converts to believe? What happened to cause a people full of hatred and disbelief to have an easiness and willingness to believe in the word of God (see 4 Nephi 1:39)?

We learn about the cause of this change during a most remarkable year. During the 62nd year of the reign of the judges, 8,000 Lamanites in Zarahemla were converted as Nephi and Lehi taught with power and authority and had what they should teach given unto them (see Helaman 5:18â19). Three hundred others were converted through a miraculous experience in which they heard a voice that did pierce them to the very soul (see Helaman 5:30). These 300 had gone forth to kill Nephi and Lehi as they sat in prison, but the 300 found themselves calling upon God when Aminadab, who was a former Nephite and dissenter from the Church, remembered and knew they should pray till they had faith in Christ (see Helaman 5:35â41). Many more Lamanites were converted through the testimony of the 300 as they ministered unto the people, declaring what they had seen and heard (see Helaman 5:49â50).

The account of the 62nd year ends with this statement: âAll these things had happened and the Lamanites had become, the more part of them, a righteous peopleâ (Helaman 6:1).

The quality of their conversion led these Lamanites to lay down their hatred for the Nephites and their weapons of war (see Helaman 5:51); they were firm and steadfast in their faith (see Helaman 6:1); they kept the commandments and walked in truth and uprightness (see Helaman 6:34); and they grew in their knowledge of God (see Helaman 6:34).

Yet most impressive to me was their easiness and willingness to believe in the word of God. This easiness and willingness to believe brought them the Spirit in great abundance and aided them to endure in faith to the end (see Helaman 15:5â9).

Sadly, during this same period of time, the more part of the Nephites became âhardened, impenitent, and grossly wickedâ (Helaman 6:2; see also verses 31â34). The opposite of what the Lamanites were experiencing was happening to the Nephites. The hardness of their hearts led to a withdrawal of the Spirit (see Helaman 6:35), while the softness of the hearts of the Lamanites led to an outpouring of the Spirit.

As I pondered what caused this mighty change in the hearts of these Lamanites, I came to realize this easiness and willingness to believe in the word of God comes from a softness of heart. It comes from having a heart that is sensitive to the Holy Ghost. It comes from having a heart that can love. It comes from having a heart that will make and keep sacred covenants. It comes from a soft heart that can feel the power of the Atonement of Christ.

This easiness to believe comes from the example of others who have soft hearts and who model this easiness to believe, such as Nephi and Lehi. Their father, Helaman, named them Nephi and Lehi to remind them of the faith of their fathers (see Helaman 5:6). Likewise, many of us have embedded in our names a legacy of faith from ancestors who had soft hearts and found it easy to believe the word of God. Some of these were like my great-great-grandfather Ephraim K. Hanks, who, when he found out his older brother had âgone off with the Mormons,â was determined to bring him back home. Not surprisingly, Ephraim moved to Nauvoo and was baptized soon after he heard his brother bear testimony of Joseph Smith and the restored gospel (see Richard K. Hanks, âEph Hanks, Pioneer Scoutâ [masterâs thesis, Brigham Young University, 1973], 18â21).

We are blessed with others in the scriptures who teach us how we can obtain an easiness and willingness to believe. Nephi, son of Lehi, is one example. His first act when he heard his father teach about the destruction of Jerusalem was to cry unto the Lord till his heart was soft and he believed all the words spoken by his father (see 1 Nephi 2:16). The Lord spoke directly to Nephi, saying, âBlessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heartâ (1 Nephi 2:19). Nephi teaches the importance of desire and diligence in keeping commandments and calling upon God in order to have the ability to say with ease, âI will go and doâ (1 Nephi 3:7).

From Enos we learn the importance of allowing the words of God to sink deep into our hearts till we hunger for truth (see Enos 1:3â4). An easiness to believe will come when the word of God is etched into our hearts (see Jeremiah 31:33; 2 Corinthians 3:3).

From the example of Lamoniâs father, we learn the importance of a soft heart that is willing to change. Lamoniâs father was willing to give up half of his kingdom to Ammon in exchange for his life (see Alma 20:21â23). After Ammon simply requested that the king allow Lamoni to worship as he desired in his own kingdom, the generosity and greatness of Ammonâs words caused the king to be troubled in mind and heart (see Alma 20:24; 22:3). When Aaron arrived to teach the king, his heart had changed and he had an easiness to believe, as he said to Aaron, âBehold I will believeâ (Alma 22:7). He then expressed a willingness to give up all he possessed, even to forsake his kingdom, to have the joy of the Lord (see Alma 22:15). When he first prayed, he offered that which Heavenly Father wanted when he said, âI will give away all my sins to know theeâ (Alma 22:18). An easiness and willingness to believe the word of God will come from repentance and obedience.

An examination of our lives will reveal periods when we found it easier to believe the word of God. Periods of significant change, such as marriage or the birth of a child; periods of intense service from a new calling or a mission; periods in our youth with a wonderful bishop, youth leaders, and seminary teachers; periods of trials; and periods of growth from learning for the first time about the gospel are all periods of an easiness to believe. Perhaps the most significant period is childhood. As a child I found it easy to believe the word of God taught to me by valiant parents and grandparents. No wonder we are admonished to become as little children to inherit eternal life (see 3 Nephi 11:38). No wonder we are taught to âbring up [our] children in light and truthâ (D&C 93:40).

If you are like me, you will find what really brought an easiness and willingness to believe were not the circumstances but the commitment to live the gospel during these periods of life. You were found more often on your knees and immersed in the scriptures during these periods. You found it easier to gather for family home evening and family prayer. You found it easy to be in church and to worship in the temple. You found it easy to pay tithes and offerings. Indeed, the daily living of the gospel brings a softness of heart needed to have an easiness and willingness to believe the word of God.

My testimony is that the teachings from our prophet and apostles in this conference, if followed, will lead to an easiness and willingness to believe in the word of God. We have been counseled to worship in the temple; to strengthen families through consistent family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening; to serve diligently in priesthood and Church callings; to pay tithes and offerings; to have faith and to pray for guidance; and to live worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost.

Often we are like Naaman, the Syrian leper who was sent to the prophet in Israel to be cleansed. When Elisha simply sent a messenger with instructions to dip seven times in the Jordan River, Naaman went away angry. Thankfully, he had a servant who said, âIf the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?â (2 Kings 5:13).

I witness that this easiness and willingness to believe will come from doing those seemingly insignificant things taught to us repeatedly since our youth. Obedience will bring soft hearts and an easiness to believe in the word of God. I bear witness that an easiness to believe will bring an outpouring of the Spirit.

A test to measure our easiness and willingness to believe can occur each week as we attend sacrament meeting. In this meeting we renew covenants by expressing our willingness to take upon ourselves the name of Christ, to always remember Him, and to keep His commandments (see D&C 20:77). As we sit in sacrament meeting, we should find it easy to make these covenants and easy to listen and learn through the Holy Ghost.

I long to have the Spirit of the Lord poured out upon me because of my âeasiness and willingness to believe in his words.â I have felt that this scripture has awakened me to a sense of my âduty to Godââthat I should âbe submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience; . . . diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; . . . always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things [I] receiveâ (Alma 7:22â23).

May we always find it easy to believe His word. May you with easiness declare, as do I, that Jesus is the Son of God. He is our Shepherd, and those with an easiness and willingness to believe will know His voice. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

In December 1967 the first successful heart transplant was performed in Cape Town, South Africa. The dying manâs diseased heart was removed, and a healthy heart from a deceased donor was sewn in its place. Since then, over 75,000 heart transplants have been performed worldwide.

In each heart transplant recipient, the patientâs own body recognizes the new, lifesaving heart as âforeignâ and begins to attack it. Left unchecked, the bodyâs natural response will reject the new heart, and the recipient will die. Medicines can suppress this natural response, but the medications must be taken daily and with exactness. Furthermore, the condition of the new heart must be monitored. Occasional heart biopsies are performed wherein small pieces of heart tissue are removed and then examined under a microscope. When signs of rejection are found, medications are adjusted. If the rejection process is detected early enough, death can be averted.

Surprisingly, some patients become casual with their transplanted hearts. They skip their medicines here and there and obtain the needed follow-up less frequently than they should. They think that because they feel good, all is well. Too often this shortsighted attitude puts the patients at risk and shortens their lives.

A heart transplant can prolong life for years for people who would otherwise die from heart failure. But it is not âthe ultimate operation,â as Time magazine called it in 1967.¹ The ultimate operation is not a physical but a spiritual âmighty changeâ of heart.²

Through the Atonement of Christ and by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel, we undergo this ultimate operation, this spiritual change of heart. As a result of our transgressions, our spiritual hearts have become diseased and hardened, making us subject to spiritual death and separation from our Heavenly Father. The Lord explained the operation that we all need: âA new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.â³

Just as with heart transplant patients, however, this mighty change of our spiritual hearts is just the beginning. Repentance, baptism, and confirmation are necessary but not sufficient. Indeed, equal, if not greater, care must be taken with a spiritually changed heart than with a physically transplanted heart if we are to endure to the end.  Only by doing so can we be held guiltless at the time of judgment.⁴

Enduring to the end can be challenging because the tendency of the natural man is to reject the spiritually changed heart and allow it to harden. No wonder the Lord cautioned to âeven let those who are sanctified take heed.â⁵

We all know of individuals who had this mighty change of heart but subsequently yielded to the natural man. They became casual in their worship and devotion to God, their hearts became hardened, and they thereby jeopardized their eternal salvation.

The lives of the people who were converted by the preaching of the sons of Mosiah offer some insights as to how one avoids rejecting the mightily changed spiritual heart. Of them, we read that âas many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, . . . and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away.â⁶

How did they successfully endure to the end? We know that they were âdistinguished for their zeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end.â⁷

Their zeal towards God likely reflects an eagerness to please God and worship Him with fervor and passion. Their zeal towards men suggests an ardent interest in helping and serving others. Being perfectly upright and honest in all things suggests that they held their covenants firmly and did not rationalize their commitments to God or man. We further know that they taught their children the gospel in their homes. We know that they buried their weapons of war, distancing themselves from temptations.

They must have frequently assessed the condition of their spiritually changed hearts. They did not simply assume that all was well. By figuratively examining their changed hearts, they could identify any early hardening or rejection and treat it.

Alma the Younger poses a series of questions to contemporaries of the people of Ammon that figuratively biopsy spiritually changed hearts. Alma asks, âIf ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?â⁸ He further asks if they have been sufficiently humble, free of pride and envy, and kind toward their fellowman.⁹ By honestly answering questions like these, we can correct early deviations from the strait and narrow path and keep our covenants with exactness.

In 1980 we moved as a family across the street from the hospital where I trained and worked. I worked every day, including Sundays. If I finished my Sunday work by 2:00 p.m., I could join my wife and daughter and drive to church for meetings that began at 2:30.

One Sunday late in my first year of training, I knew that I would likely finish by 2:00. I realized, however, that if I stayed in the hospital just a little longer, my wife and daughter would depart without me. I could then walk home and take a needed nap. I regret to say that I did just that. I waited until 2:15, walked home slowly, and lay down on the couch, hoping to nap. But I could not fall asleep. I was disturbed and concerned. I had always loved going to church. I wondered why on this day the fire of testimony and the zeal that I had previously felt were missing.

I did not have to think long. Because of my schedule, I had become casual with my prayers and scripture study. I would get up one morning, say my prayers, and go to work. Often day blended into night and into day again before I would return home late the following evening. I would then be so tired that I would fall asleep before saying a prayer or reading the scriptures. The next morning the process began again. The problem was that I was not doing the basic things I needed to do to keep my mightily changed heart from turning to stone.

I got off the couch, got on my knees, and pleaded with God for forgiveness. I promised my Heavenly Father that I would change. The next day I brought a Book of Mormon to the hospital. On my to-do list that day, and every day since, were two items: praying at least morning and evening and reading in the scriptures. Sometimes midnight would come, and I would have to quickly find a private place to pray. Some days my scripture study was brief. I also promised Heavenly Father that I would always try to get to church, even if I missed part of the meeting. Over the course of a few weeks, the zeal returned and the fire of testimony burned fiercely again. I promised to never again fall into the spiritual death trap of being casual about these seemingly small actions and thereby jeopardizing things of an eternal nature, regardless of circumstances.

To endure to the end, we need to be eager to please God and worship Him with fervor and passion. This means that we maintain faith in Jesus Christ by praying, studying the scriptures, partaking of the sacrament each week, and having the Holy Ghost as our constant companion. We need to actively help and serve others and share the gospel with them. We need to be perfectly upright and honest in all things, never compromising our covenants with God or our commitments to men, regardless of circumstances. In our homes we need to talk of, rejoice in, and preach of Christ so that our childrenâand we ourselvesâwill desire to apply the Atonement in our lives.¹⁰ We must identify temptations that easily beset us and put them out of reachâway out of reach. Finally, we need to frequently biopsy our mightily changed hearts and reverse any signs of early rejection.

Please consider the state of your changed heart. Do you detect any rejection setting in as a result of the tendency of the natural man to become casual? If so, find a place where you too can kneel. Remember, more than mortal years on this earth are at stake. Do not risk forfeiting the fruits of the ultimate operation: eternal salvation and exaltation.

I pray that we may press forward with steadfast faith in Christ and endure joyfully to the end,¹¹ in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. âSurgery: The Ultimate Operation,â Time, Dec. 15, 1967, 64.
2. See Mosiah 5:2; Alma 5:12â14.
3. Ezekiel 36:26.
4. See 3 Nephi 27:16.
5. D&C 20:34.
6. Alma 23:6.
7. Alma 27:27.
8. Alma 5:26.
9. See Alma 5:27â30.
10. See 2 Nephi 25:26.
11. See Dieter F. Uchtdorf, âHave We Not Reason to Rejoice?â Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2007, 18â21.

As the Saviorâs earthly ministry drew to a close, He appeared as a resurrected being to His Apostles. His charge to them is the same call He extends to you of the rising generation today: âGo ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghostâ (Matthew 28:19).

On April 6, 1974, the Church sustained a new prophet, President Spencer W. Kimball. That same day I received my call to serve as a full-time missionary in Finland. I wasnât aware at the time that President Kimball had just delivered a landmark address that week to the General Authorities and regional representatives of the Church. Later I learned that in that address President Kimball prophetically outlined his vision as to how we as a church would accomplish the Saviorâs charge to âteach all nations.â In his address, President Kimball invited the members of the Church to lengthen their stride and enlarge their vision. He asked that every worthy young man prepare to serve an honorable full-time mission. He encouraged the members in each country to prepare to supply their own missionaries, and he called upon âable men to assist the Twelve [Apostles] to move out into the world and to open the doors of every nationâ (âWhen the World Will Be Converted,â Ensign, Oct. 1974, 10).

President Kimball also said in his 1974 address that there were 3.3 million members of the Church, 18,600 full-time missionaries, and 633 stakes. He challenged us to do better and asked us to change our sights and raise our vision (see Ensign, Oct. 1974, 7â8).

In response, we as members of the Church began to pray regularly in our families, in our sacrament meetings, and in our stake conferences that the hearts of the leaders of nations would be softened and the doors opened to our missionaries. The members began to see more clearly their responsibility to share the gospel. Our young men stepped up, and a great army of missionaries was gathered. We witnessed President Kimballâs vision begin to unfold.

While serving in Finland, I learned that my mission presidentâs wife, Sister Lea Mahoney, was a native of Finland. As a young girl she had grown up in the eastern portion of Finland in a city named Viipuri. As the ravages of war engulfed Finland and other countries during World War II, she and her family left their home, and Viipuri became part of the Soviet Union and was renamed Vyborg. In our zone conferences, Sister Mahoney would tell us of those left behind in Viipuri and of her desire that the gospel be taken to them. Following President Kimballâs challenge, we unitedly prayed that the hearts of the leaders of that nation would be softened so that the gospel could be taken by our missionaries into the Soviet Union.

We would go to the border between Finland and the Soviet Union and see the guard towers and the fences, and we would wonder who those brave young men and young women would be and when they would cross that border to take the gospel to the people there. I must admit, at that time it seemed like an impossible task.

Three years ago, our son Eric received a mission call to serve in the Russia St. Petersburg Mission. In his first letter home, he wrote something like this: âDear Mom and Dad, I have been assigned to my first city in Russia. Dad, you may have heard of it before. It is called Vyborg, but it was previously a Finnish city named Viipuri.â

Tears came to my eyes as I understood that Eric was in the very city we had prayed about 32 years earlier. Eric found a chapel there and a branch of faithful Saints. He was living and serving in a place that to me as a young man had seemed impossible to enter.

I did not realize those many years ago, as we prayed for the borders to open and the missionaries to go in, that I was praying for our son. Most importantly for you of the rising generation, our son Eric did not realize that he and his companions were the answer to the prayers that had been offered by thousands of faithful Saints so many years ago. You of the rising generation are the fulfillment of prophecy that in our day âthe truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is doneâ (Joseph Smith, in History of the Church, 4:540).

Since President Kimballâs prophetic instruction 35 years ago, Church membership has grown to 13.5 million members. There are now 52,000 missionaries and over 2,800 stakes of Zion. Who are the laborers in the vineyard who have assisted in bringing to pass this marvelous work and a wonder? They are certainly the prophets and apostles seated before us today. They are also the wonderful stake presidents and bishops who have served so faithfully. But they are also your parentsâthe mothers and fathersâaunts and uncles, and brothers and sisters who sit beside you, the rising generation today. Most critical, however, is the fact that as we strive to take the gospel to all nations, we have just begun to scratch the surface.

And so the torch is passed to a new generation. The Savior, through His prophet today, President Thomas S. Monson, has renewed the call as he declared:

âOur keynote was sounded by our Lord and our Savior, who stands at the head of the great army of missionaries worldwide. After His Resurrection, He appeared to His 11 disciples. He could have given them any counsel, any expression, any warning that He chose to give. But what did He say? Itâs recorded in Matthew 28:18â20. He said as follows: . . . 

â âGo ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

â âTeaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.â â

President Monson continued:

âWhat a promise! If we respond affirmatively to that sacred call, that binding authority, âI will be with you alway, even unto the end of the world.â I canât think of a greater promiseâ (âThe Five Mâs of Missionary Work,â New Era, Mar. 2007, 42).

In the Book of Mormon, Jacob, quoting Zenos, spoke of our task today in the allegory of the tame and wild olive trees:

âWherefore, go to, and call servants, that we may labor diligently with our might in the vineyard, that we may prepare the way, that I may bring forth again the natural fruit, which natural fruit is good and the most precious above all other fruit.

âWherefore, let us go to and labor with our might this last time, for behold the end draweth nigh, and this is for the last time that I shall prune my vineyardâ (Jacob 5:61â62).

The Saviorâs call is to you of the rising generation. He is asking for worthy, prepared, faithful young men and young women who will heed the prophetâs voice, who will step up and say, as the Savior Himself said, âHere am I, send meâ (Abraham 3:27). The need has never been greater. The field has never been whiter. You are called to go âthis last timeâ (Jacob 5:62). There is no greater work; there is no greater call than teaching âall nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghostâ (Matthew 28:19).

I solemnly proclaim and testify that the heavens are open, that not only has God spoken but that He speaks today. His Son, Jesus Christ, lives and is inviting you, as He invited His Apostles of old, Peter and Andrew: âFollow me, and I will make you fishers of menâ (Matthew 4:19). May you respond as they did, by leaving your nets straightway and following Him.

I pray that you of this rising generation will stand up for truth and righteousness and understand your sacred call to go and teach all nations, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

We live in perilous times when many believe we are not accountable to God and that we do not have personal responsibility or stewardship for ourselves or others. Many in the world are focused on self-gratification, put themselves first, and love pleasure more than they love righteousness. They do not believe they are their brotherâs keeper. In the Church, however, we believe that these stewardships are a sacred trust.

Recently a group of highly respected Jewish leaders and rabbis visited Church facilities in the Salt Lake Valley, including Welfare Square, the Humanitarian Center, the Family History Library, and the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple open house. At the conclusion of their visit, one of the most eminent rabbis in America expressed his feelings about what he had seen and felt.¹

He cited concepts from Jewish thinkers rooted in the Talmud² and pointed out that there are two very different reasons people engage in acts of kindness and generosity. Some people visit the sick, assist the poor, and serve their fellowmen because they believe it is the right thing to do and others will reciprocate and do the same for them when they are in need. He explained that while this is good, builds caring communities, and should be considered a noble reason, a higher motive is when we serve our fellowmen because that is what we believe God wants us to do.

He stated that as a result of his visit, he believed the Latter-day Saints undertake welfare and humanitarian efforts and the work of salvation in our temples in order to do what we believe God wants us to do.

This feeling of accountability, which is encompassed by the first great commandment to love God, has been described by some as âobedience to the unenforceable.â³ We try to do what is right because we love and want to please our Father in Heaven, not because someone is forcing us to obey.

The War in Heaven was fought after Satan said that he would force everyone to obey his ideas. That was rejected. As a result, we have our moral agency and the freedom to choose our course in this life. But we also are accountable for that agency. The Lord has said we will be âaccountable for [our] own sins in the day of judgment.â⁴ The principles of accountability and stewardship have great significance in our doctrine.⁵

In the Church, stewardship is not limited to a temporal trust or responsibility. President Spencer W. Kimball taught: âWe are stewards over our bodies, minds, families, and properties. . . . A faithful steward is one who exercises righteous dominion, cares for his own, and looks to the poor and needy.â⁶

While there are many areas of stewardship, I have chosen to address two. The first is stewardship of ourselves and our families. The second is stewardship for the poor and needy.

The Lord often used parables relating to the land in teaching accountability and stewardship. When I was a small boy, I would visit my grandparents at their ranch during the summer. There was no electrical power, running water, or indoor plumbing. There was, however, a spring of water next to their small ranch house. The spring created a little pond of clear, pure water, where several times a day I would help my grandmother carry water to the house for drinking, cooking, bathing, and washing clothes. My grandparents loved this life-giving spring and took special precautions to protect it.

Many years later my grandfather was in his early 90s and did not live on the property; he was unable to maintain or oversee it. I drove him to see the ranch which he loved. His high expectations at seeing the ranch turned to disappointment when he realized the fences that protected the spring had fallen into disrepair and cows had damaged the spring and the precious, pure springwater had been significantly polluted. He was upset with the damage and the pollution. To him, it was a violation of a trust he had observed all his working life. He felt somehow he had not protected that life-sustaining spring which had meant so much to him.

Just as the pure spring was polluted when not protected, we live in a time when virtue and chastity are not safeguarded.⁷ The eternal significance of personal morality is not respected. A loving Father in Heaven has provided us with the means to bring His spirit children into this world to fulfill the full measure of their creation. He has instructed us that the wellsprings of life are to be kept pure, just as the beautiful spring on the ranch required protection in order to sustain life. This is one of the reasons why virtue and chastity are so important in our Father in Heavenâs plan.

Because of my grandfatherâs reaction to the polluted spring, improvements and protections were undertaken which returned the spring to its original beauty and purity.

As servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is our sacred responsibility to teach His standard of morality, which is the same for all of His children. When our thoughts or our actions are impure, we violate His standard. The Lord has said, âI . . . cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.â⁸ Some attempt to rationalize away their conduct.

In a poem by John Holmes titled âTalk,â an old, deaf New England shipbuilder teaches a young man about rationalization. In describing one of the lessons he learned, the youth explains, âI wouldnât have known that however you build it, the ship must sail; you canât explain to the ocean.â⁹

It has been suggested that what happens in a certain city stays in a certain city. I like the sign posted in Sevier County, Utah, which states, âWhat happens in Sevier County . . . you can share with your friends!!!â When we realize that we are accountable to God, we see how foolish rationalizations can be. Those who rationalize remind us of little children who cover their eyes, convinced that if they canât see us, we canât see them. I would suggest that if we think about giving an accounting of our actions to the Savior, our rationalizations will be seen in their true light.

We are aware that there are those who have already engaged in conduct inconsistent with this sacred standard of morality. Please understand that through the Saviorâs Atonement, all can repent and return, like the spring of water, to a clean and pure state. It is difficult to repent; it requires a broken heart and a contrite spirit.¹⁰ But when the steps to repentance are righteously followed, the words spoken by the prophet Alma to his son Corianton, who had been involved in moral transgressions, are applicable: âAnd now, my son, I desire that ye should let these things trouble you no more, and only let your sins trouble you, with that trouble which shall bring you down unto repentance.â¹¹ The Savior has said, âBehold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.â¹²

With respect to our stewardship for our families, some have taught that when we report to the Savior and He asks us to give an account of our earthly responsibilities, two important inquiries will relate to our families. The first will be our relationship with our spouse, and the second will be about each of our children.¹³

It is easy to confuse our priorities. We have a duty to secure the physical safety and well-being of our children. However, some parents place undue priority on temporal and material possessions. Some are far less diligent in their efforts to immerse their children in the gospel of Jesus Christ.¹⁴ Remember that having religious observance in the home is as important as providing food, clothing, and shelter. Parents can also help children discover and develop their talents. We are responsible for the talents we have received. Children who are not taught that they are accountable for their time and talents are increasingly subject to the foolishness and unrighteousness that are so pervasive in the world.¹⁵ The family proclamation warns that individuals âwho fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God.â¹⁶

The second stewardship is caring for the poor and those in need, which applies to virtually all of us at one time or another. The Lordâs admonition that we are stewards for those in need contains some of the strongest language in all of scripture: âIf any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion . . . unto the poor and the needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment.â¹⁷ We are accountable as stewards over earthly blessings, which the Lord has provided.

The Jewish leaders I mentioned earlier were particularly impressed with the principle of fasting and then paying a generous fast offering. They thought it was remarkable that Church members across the world would fast monthly and then make a freewill offering for the benefit of those who are in need.

When the rabbis visited Welfare Square, they were touched to learn that even in difficult economic times, our members, concerned about the challenges experienced by many, continue to donate generously to help the poor and needy.

I can remember when I was called as a bishop, my predecessor, Bishop Russell Johnson, warned me that I would have to be careful what I asked the members to do. He said, âSome will respond to every suggestion, even at great sacrifice.â He mentioned one widow in her 80s who had cared for both a husband and a son through long illnesses before they passed away. Bishop Johnson said that despite having small resources, she would always try to respond. I found this to be true. Every time I mentioned the need for contributions or service to bless others, Sarah was often the first to respond.

One Saturday another sister called me and said, âBishop, come quick! Save Sarah!â This sister reported that 80-year-old Sarah was on top of a ladder cleaning out this neighborâs rain gutters. This sister was terrified that Sarah would fall and wanted the bishop to intervene.

I am not suggesting that everyone can or should imitate Sarah. Some feel guilty because they cannot meet every need immediately. I love the quote Elder Neal A. Maxwell often used from Anne Morrow Lindbergh: âMy life cannot implement in action the demands of all the people to whom my heart responds.â¹⁸ King Benjamin taught, âSee that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength.â¹⁹ But he added that we should be diligent.

My heart rejoices as I observe the Saints all over the Church doing everything they can to provide Christlike service wherever there is a need. Because of member contributions, the Church can quietly and quickly, without fanfare, respond to needs all over the world.²⁰ The Church is already responding to the natural disasters in the Philippines, the Pacific Islands, and Indonesia.

Last year our members responded to Hurricane Gustav. The Church worked closely with a humanitarian organization led by Martin Luther King III. Mr. King subsequently visited Salt Lake City and said: âI originally came to express my appreciation to the Church for their humanitarian support, but I quickly learned that the essence of who you are is so much deeper and profound. Between the Humanitarian Center, Welfare Square, and the temple open house, I now have a greater appreciation for why you do what you do.â

In all of our stewardship efforts, we follow Jesus Christ. We try to emulate what He has asked us to do, both by His teachings and His example. With all our hearts we express our appreciation to the membership of the Church for their generous contributions and Christlike service.

Isaiah, speaking of the fast and feeding the hungry and clothing the naked, in touching language promised, âThen shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer.â²¹ Isaiah continues: âAnd if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; . . . the Lord shall guide thee continually, . . . and thou shalt be like . . . a spring of water, whose waters fail not. . . . [And] thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations.â²²

My hope is that each of us will review individually and as families the stewardships for which we have responsibility and accountability. I pray that we will do so knowing we are ultimately accountable to God and that in this life we will be adhering to the unenforceable.

I am grateful for the counsel of a loving, faithful prophet to serve and rescue those in need. As we follow his counsel, I know we will qualify for the Lordâs promise: âAnd whoso is found a faithful, a just, and a wise steward shall enter into the joy of his Lord, and shall inherit eternal life.â²³

I bear my witness of this sacred truth in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, former president of the New York Board of Rabbis, president of the Synagogue Council of America, and chairman of the National Rabbinic Cabinet of UJA.
2. âThe Talmud is the repository of thousands of years of Jewish wisdom, and the oral law . . . finds expression thereinâ (Adin Steinsaltz, The Essential Talmud [2006], 4).
3. John Fletcher Moulton, quoted in Clayton M. Christensen, âThe Importance of Asking the Right Questionsâ (speech given at Southern New Hampshire University commencement, May 16, 2009), 3; see also Deuteronomy 6:4â7.
4. D&C 101:78.
5. See D&C 20:71. All who are accountable should repent and be baptized (see D&C 18:42). Those who die before the age of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom (see D&C 137:10; see also D&C 29:46â47, 50).
6. Spencer W. Kimball, âWelfare Services: The Gospel in Action,â Ensign, Nov. 1977, 78.
7. See Gregory Katz, âU.K. Health Bookletâs Message: Teen Sex Can Be Fun,â Deseret News, July 15, 2009, A9.
8. D&C 1:31.
9. âTalk,â in Collected Poems of John Holmes, http://hdl.handle.net/10427/14894.
10. See D&C 20:37; 2 Nephi 2:7; Alma 39; 3 Nephi 9:20. President Ezra Taft Benson defined a broken heart and a contrite spirit this way: âGodly sorrow . . . is a deep realization that our actions have offended our Father and our God. It is the sharp and keen awareness that . . . our sins caused Him [the Savior] to bleed at every pore. This very real mental and spiritual anguish is what the scriptures refer to as having a âbroken heart and a contrite spiritâ â (âA Mighty Change of Heart,â Tambuli, Mar. 1990, 5; Ensign, Oct. 1989, 4).
11. Alma 42:29.
12. D&C 58:42.
13. See Robert D. Hales, âUnderstandings of the Heart,â in Brigham Young University 1987â88 Devotional and Fireside Speeches (1988), 129; see also 2 Nephi 9:41.
14. See Joseph Fielding Smith, Take Heed to Yourselves! comp. Joseph Fielding Smith Jr. (1971), 221.
15. See Mark 7:20â23.
16. âThe Family: A Proclamation to the World,â Liahona, Oct. 2004, 49; Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102; see also Russell M. Nelson, âSet in Order Thy House,â Liahona, Jan. 2002, 80â83; Ensign, Nov. 2001, 69â71.
17. D&C 104:18.
18. Anne Morrow Lindbergh, quoted in Neal A. Maxwell, âWisdom and Order,â Liahona, Dec. 2001, 20; Ensign, June 1994, 41.
19. Mosiah 4:27.
20. Over the last 10 years, the Church has provided over U.S. $900 million in donations and material assistance for humanitarian aid and countless man- and woman-hours of service. For example, with respect to Hurricane Katrina, over 330,000 hours of hard, dedicated service were provided (report of Elder John S. Anderson, Area Seventy, who supervised the relief effort).
21. Isaiah 58:9.
22. Isaiah 58:10â12.
23. D&C 51:19; see also Matthew 25:34â46.

Prophecies regarding the last days often refer to large-scale calamities such as earthquakes or famines or floods. These in turn may be linked to widespread economic or political upheavals of one kind or another.

But there is one kind of latter-day destruction that has always sounded to me more personal than public, more individual than collectiveâa warning, perhaps more applicable inside the Church than outside it. The Savior warned that in the last days even those of the covenant, the very elect, could be deceived by the enemy of truth.¹ If we think of this as a form of spiritual destruction, it may cast light on another latter-day prophecy. Think of the heart as the figurative center of our faith, the poetic location of our loyalties and our values; then consider Jesusâs declaration that in the last days âmenâs hearts [shall fail] them.â²

The encouraging thing, of course, is that our Father in Heaven knows all of these latter-day dangers, these troubles of the heart and soul, and has given counsel and protections regarding them.

In light of that, it has always been significant to me that the Book of Mormon, one of the Lordâs powerful keystones³ in this counteroffensive against latter-day ills, begins with a great parable of life, an extended allegory of hope versus fear, of light versus darkness, of salvation versus destructionâan allegory of which Sister Ann M. Dibb spoke so movingly this morning.

In Lehiâs dream an already difficult journey gets more difficult when a mist of darkness arises, obscuring any view of the safe but narrow path his family and others are to follow. It is imperative to note that this mist of darkness descends on all the travelersâthe faithful and the determined ones (the elect, we might even say) as well as the weaker and ungrounded ones. The principal point of the story is that the successful travelers resist all distractions, including the lure of forbidden paths and jeering taunts from the vain and proud who have taken those paths. The record says that the protected âdid press their way forward, continually [and, I might add, tenaciously] holding fastâ to a rod of iron that runs unfailingly along the course of the true path.⁴ However dark the night or the day, the rod marks the way of that solitary, redeeming trail.

âI beheld,â Nephi says later, âthat the rod of iron . . . was the word of God, [leading] . . . to the tree of life; . . . a representation of the love of God.â Viewing this manifestation of Godâs love, Nephi goes on to say:

âI looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world, . . . [who] went forth ministering unto the people. . . . 

â . . . And I beheld multitudes of people who were sick, and who were afflicted with all manner of diseases, and with devils and unclean spirits; . . . and they were healed by the power of the Lamb of God; and the devils and the unclean spirits were cast out.â⁵

Love. Healing. Help. Hope. The power of Christ to counter all troubles in all timesâincluding the end of times. That is the safe harbor God wants for us in personal or public days of despair. That is the message with which the Book of Mormon begins, and that is the message with which it ends, calling all to âcome unto Christ, and be perfected in him.â⁶ That phraseâtaken from Moroniâs final lines of testimony, written 1,000 years after Lehiâs visionâis a dying manâs testimony of the only true way.

May I refer to a modern âlast daysâ testimony? When Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum started for Carthage to face what they knew would be an imminent martyrdom, Hyrum read these words to comfort the heart of his brother:

âThou hast been faithful; wherefore . . . thou shalt be made strong, even unto the sitting down in the place which I have prepared in the mansions of my Father.

âAnd now I, Moroni, bid farewell . . . until we shall meet before the judgment-seat of Christ.â⁷

A few short verses from the 12th chapter of Ether in the Book of Mormon. Before closing the book, Hyrum turned down the corner of the page from which he had read, marking it as part of the everlasting testimony for which these two brothers were about to die. I hold in my hand that book, the very copy from which Hyrum read, the same corner of the page turned down, still visible. Later, when actually incarcerated in the jail, Joseph the Prophet turned to the guards who held him captive and bore a powerful testimony of the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon.⁸ Shortly thereafter pistol and ball would take the lives of these two testators.

As one of a thousand elements of my own testimony of the divinity of the Book of Mormon, I submit this as yet one more evidence of its truthfulness. In this their greatestâand lastâhour of need, I ask you: would these men blaspheme before God by continuing to fix their lives, their honor, and their own search for eternal salvation on a book (and by implication a church and a ministry) they had fictitiously created out of whole cloth?

Never mind that their wives are about to be widows and their children fatherless. Never mind that their little band of followers will yet be âhouseless, friendless and homelessâ and that their children will leave footprints of blood across frozen rivers and an untamed prairie floor.⁹ Never mind that legions will die and other legions live declaring in the four quarters of this earth that they know the Book of Mormon and the Church which espouses it to be true. Disregard all of that, and tell me whether in this hour of death these two men would enter the presence of their Eternal Judge quoting from and finding solace in a book which, if not the very word of God, would brand them as imposters and charlatans until the end of time? They would not do that! They were willing to die rather than deny the divine origin and the eternal truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.

For 179 years this book has been examined and attacked, denied and deconstructed, targeted and torn apart like perhaps no other book in modern religious historyâperhaps like no other book in any religious history. And still it stands. Failed theories about its origins have been born and parroted and have diedâfrom Ethan Smith to Solomon Spaulding to deranged paranoid to cunning genius. None of these frankly pathetic answers for this book has ever withstood examination because there is no other answer than the one Joseph gave as its young unlearned translator. In this I stand with my own great-grandfather, who said simply enough, âNo wicked man could write such a book as this; and no good man would write it, unless it were true and he were commanded of God to do so.â¹⁰

I testify that one cannot come to full faith in this latter-day workâand thereby find the fullest measure of peace and comfort in these, our timesâuntil he or she embraces the divinity of the Book of Mormon and the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom it testifies. If anyone is foolish enough or misled enough to reject 531 pages of a heretofore unknown text teeming with literary and Semitic complexity without honestly attempting to account for the origin of those pagesâespecially without accounting for their powerful witness of Jesus Christ and the profound spiritual impact that witness has had on what is now tens of millions of readersâif that is the case, then such a person, elect or otherwise, has been deceived; and if he or she leaves this Church, it must be done by crawling over or under or around the Book of Mormon to make that exit. In that sense the book is what Christ Himself was said to be: âa stone of stumbling, . . . a rock of offence,â¹¹ a barrier in the path of one who wishes not to believe in this work. Witnesses, even witnesses who were for a time hostile to Joseph, testified to their death that they had seen an angel and had handled the plates. âThey have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not of man,â they declared. âWherefore we know of a surety that the work is true.â¹²

Now, I did not sail with the brother of Jared in crossing an ocean, settling in a new world. I did not hear King Benjamin speak his angelically delivered sermon. I did not proselyte with Alma and Amulek nor witness the fiery death of innocent believers. I was not among the Nephite crowd who touched the wounds of the resurrected Lord, nor did I weep with Mormon and Moroni over the destruction of an entire civilization. But my testimony of this record and the peace it brings to the human heart is as binding and unequivocal as was theirs. Like them, â[I] give [my name] unto the world, to witness unto the world that which [I] have seen.â And like them, â[I] lie not, God bearing witness of it.â¹³

I ask that my testimony of the Book of Mormon and all that it implies, given today under my own oath and office, be recorded by men on earth and angels in heaven. I hope I have a few years left in my âlast days,â but whether I do or do not, I want it absolutely clear when I stand before the judgment bar of God that I declared to the world, in the most straightforward language I could summon, that the Book of Mormon is true, that it came forth the way Joseph said it came forth and was given to bring happiness and hope to the faithful in the travail of the latter days.

My witness echoes that of Nephi, who wrote part of the book in his âlast daysâ:

âHearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, . . . and they teach all men that they should do good.

âAnd if they are not the words of Christ, judge yeâfor Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day.â¹⁴

Brothers and sisters, God always provides safety for the soul, and with the Book of Mormon, He has again done that in our time. Remember this declaration by Jesus Himself: âWhoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceivedâ¹⁵âand in the last days neither your heart nor your faith will fail you. Of this I earnestly testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. See Matthew 24:24; see also Joseph SmithâMatthew 1:22.
2. Luke 21:26.
3. See History of the Church, 4:461.
4. 1 Nephi 8:30.
5. 1 Nephi 11:25, 27â28, 31.
6. Moroni 10:32.
7. Ether 12:37â38; see also D&C 135:5.
8. See History of the Church, 6:600.
9. Joseph Smith, in History of the Church, 4:539.
10. George Cannon, quoted in âThe Twelve Apostles,â in Andrew Jenson, ed., The Historical Record, 6:175.
11. 1 Peter 2:8.
12. âThe Testimony of Three Witnesses,â Book of Mormon.
13. âThe Testimony of Eight Witnesses,â Book of Mormon; emphasis added.
14. 2 Nephi 33:10â11; emphasis added.
15. Joseph SmithâMatthew 1:37.

My beloved brothers and sisters, I greet you this morning with love in my heart for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for each of you. I am grateful for the privilege to stand before you, and I pray that I might effectively communicate to you that which I have felt prompted to say.

A few years ago I read an article written by Jack McConnell, MD. He grew up in the hills of southwest Virginia in the United States as one of seven children of a Methodist minister and a stay-at-home mother. Their circumstances were very humble. He recounted that during his childhood, every day as the family sat around the dinner table, his father would ask each one in turn, âAnd what did you do for someone today?â¹ The children were determined to do a good turn every day so they could report to their father that they had helped someone. Dr. McConnell calls this exercise his fatherâs most valuable legacy, for that expectation and those words inspired him and his siblings to help others throughout their lives. As they grew and matured, their motivation for providing service changed to an inner desire to help others.

Besides Dr. McConnellâs distinguished medical careerâwhere he directed the development of the tuberculosis tine test, participated in the early development of the polio vaccine, supervised the development of Tylenol, and was instrumental in developing the magnetic resonance imaging procedure, or MRIâhe created an organization he calls Volunteers in Medicine, which gives retired medical personnel a chance to volunteer at free clinics serving the working uninsured. Dr. McConnell said his leisure time since he retired has âevaporated into 60-hour weeks of unpaid work, but [his] energy level has increased and there is a satisfaction in [his] life that wasnât there before.â He made this statement: âIn one of those paradoxes of life, I have benefited more from Volunteers in Medicine than my patients have.â² There are now over 70 such clinics across the United States.

Of course, we canât all be Dr. McConnells, establishing medical clinics to help the poor; however, the needs of others are ever present, and each of us can do something to help someone.

The Apostle Paul admonished, âBy love serve one another.â³ Recall with me the familiar words of King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon: âWhen ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.â⁴

The Savior taught His disciples, âFor whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.â⁵

I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourishâand in effect save their lives.

In the October 1963 general conferenceâthe conference at which I was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve ApostlesâPresident David O. McKay made this statement: âManâs greatest happiness comes from losing himself for the good of others.â⁶

Often we live side by side but do not communicate heart to heart. There are those within the sphere of our own influence who, with outstretched hands, cry out, âIs there no balm in Gilead?â⁷

I am confident it is the intention of each member of the Church to serve and to help those in need. At baptism we covenanted to âbear one anotherâs burdens, that they may be light.â⁸ How many times has your heart been touched as you have witnessed the need of another? How often have you intended to be the one to help? And yet how often has day-to-day living interfered and youâve left it for others to help, feeling that âoh, surely someone will take care of that need.â

We become so caught up in the busyness of our lives. Were we to step back, however, and take a good look at what weâre doing, we may find that we have immersed ourselves in the âthick of thin things.â In other words, too often we spend most of our time taking care of the things which do not really matter much at all in the grand scheme of things, neglecting those more important causes.

Many years ago I heard a poem which has stayed with me, by which I have tried to guide my life. Itâs one of my favorites:

I have wept in the night
For the shortness of sight
That to somebodyâs need made me blind;
But I never have yet       
Felt a tinge of regret
For being a little too kind.⁹

My brothers and sisters, we are surrounded by those in need of our attention, our encouragement, our support, our comfort, our kindnessâbe they family members, friends, acquaintances, or strangers. We are the Lordâs hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children. He is dependent upon each of us.

You may lament: I can barely make it through each day, doing all that I need to do. How can I provide service for others? What can I possibly do?

Just over a year ago, I was interviewed by the Church News prior to my birthday. At the conclusion of the interview, the reporter asked what I would consider the ideal gift that members worldwide could give to me. I replied, âFind someone who is having a hard time or is ill or lonely, and do something for him or her.â¹⁰

I was overwhelmed when this year for my birthday I received hundreds of cards and letters from members of the Church around the world telling me how they had fulfilled that birthday wish. The acts of service ranged from assembling humanitarian kits to doing yard work.

Dozens and dozens of Primaries challenged the children to provide service, and then those acts of service were recorded and sent to me. I must say that the methods for recording them were creative. Many came in the form of pages put together into various shapes and sizes of books. Some contained cards or pictures drawn or colored by the children. One very creative Primary sent a large jar containing hundreds of what they called âwarm fuzzies,â each one representing an act of service performed during the year by one of the children in the Primary. I can only imagine the happiness these children experienced as they told of their service and then placed a âwarm fuzzyâ in the jar.

I share with you just a few of the countless notes contained in the many gifts I received. One small child wrote, âMy grandpa had a stroke, and I held his hand.â From an 8-year-old girl: âMy sister and I served my mom and family by organizing and cleaning the toy closet. It took us a few hours and we had fun. The best part was that we surprised my mom and made her happy because she didnât even ask us to do it.â An 11-year-old girl wrote: âThere was a family in my ward that did not have a lot of money. They have three little girls. The mom and dad had to go somewhere, so I offered to watch the three girls. The dad was just about to hand me a $5 bill. I said, âI canât take [it].â My service was that I watched the girls for free.â A Primary child in Mongolia wrote that he had brought in water from the well so his mother would not have to do so. From a 4-yearÂ-old boy, no doubt written by a Primary teacher: âMy dad is gone for army training for a few weeks. My special job is to give my mom hugs and kisses.â Wrote a 9-year-old girl: âI picked strawberries for my great-grandma. I felt good inside!â And another: âI played with a lonely kid.â

From an 11-year-old boy: âI went to a ladyâs house and asked her questions and sang her a song. It felt good to visit her. She was happy because she never gets visitors.â Reading this particular note reminded me of words penned long ago by Elder Richard L. Evans of the Quorum of the Twelve. Said he: âIt is difficult for those who are young to understand the loneliness that comes when life changes from a time of preparation and performance to a time of putting things away. . . . To be so long the center of a home, so much sought after, and then, almost suddenly to be on the sidelines watching the procession pass byâthis is living into loneliness. . . . We have to live a long time to learn how empty a room can be that is filled only with furniture. It takes someone . . . beyond mere hired service, beyond institutional care or professional duty, to thaw out the memories of the past and keep them warmly living in the present. . . . We cannot bring them back the morning hours of youth. But we can help them live in the warm glow of a sunset made more beautiful by our thoughtfulness . . . and unfeigned love.â¹¹

My birthday cards and notes came also from teenagers in Young Men and Young Women classes who made blankets for hospitals, served in food pantries, were baptized for the dead, and performed numerous other acts of service.

Relief Societies, where help can always be found, provided service above and beyond that which they would normally have given. Priesthood groups did the same.

My brothers and sisters, my heart has seldom been as touched and grateful as it was when Sister Monson and I literally spent hours reading of these gifts. My heart is full now as I speak of the experience and contemplate the lives which have been blessed as a result, for both the giver and the receiver.

The words from the 25th chapter of Matthew come to mind:

âCome, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

âFor I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

âNaked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

âThen shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

âWhen saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

âOr when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

âAnd the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.â¹²

My brothers and sisters, may we ask ourselves the question which greeted Dr. Jack McConnell and his brothers and sisters each evening at dinnertime: âWhat have I done for someone today?â May the words of a familiar hymn penetrate our very souls and find lodgment in our hearts:

Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?
If not, I have failed indeed.
Has anyoneâs burden been lighter today
Because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?¹³

That service to which all of us have been called is the service of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As He enlists us to His cause, He invites us to draw close to Him. He speaks to you and to me:

âCome unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

âTake my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

âFor my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.â¹⁴

If we truly listen, we may hear that voice from far away say to us, as it spoke to another, âWell done, thou good and faithful servant.â¹⁵ That each may qualify for this blessing from our Lord is my prayer, and I offer it in His name, even Jesus Christ, our Savior, amen.

NOTES
1. Jack McConnell, âAnd What Did You Do for Someone Today?â Newsweek, June 18, 2001, 13.
2. Jack McConnell, âAnd What Did You Do for Someone Today?â 13.
3. Galatians 5:13.
4. Mosiah 2:17.
5. Luke 9:24.
6. David O. McKay, in Conference Report, Oct. 1963, 8.
7. Jeremiah 8:22.
8. Mosiah 18:8.
9. Anonymous, quoted in Richard L. Evans, âThe Quality of Kindness,â Improvement Era, May 1960, 340.
10. See Gerry Avant, âProphetâs Birthday,â Church News, Aug. 23, 2008, 4.
11. Richard L. Evans, âLiving into Loneliness,â Improvement Era, July 1948, 445.
12. Matthew 25:34â40.
13. âHave I Done Any Good?â Hymns, no. 223.
14. Matthew 11:28â30.
15. Matthew 25:21.

My beloved brethren and sisters, I am very grateful for each of you. I am thankful too for the miracle of modern communication that allows this conference to reach millions of people throughout the world.

Todayâs technology also allows us to use wireless telephones to exchange information rapidly. Recently Wendy and I were on assignment on another continent when we learned that a new baby had arrived in our family. We received the good news minutes after that birth had occurred half a world away.

Even more amazing than modern technology is our opportunity to access information directly from heaven, without hardware, software, or monthly service fees. It is one of the most marvelous gifts the Lord has offered to mortals. It is His generous invitation to âask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.â¹

This timeless offer to provide personal revelation is extended to all of His children. It almost sounds too good to be true. But it is true! I have received and responded to that heavenly help. And I have learned that I always need to be ready to receive it.

Years ago, while immersed in the task of preparing a talk for general conference, I was aroused from a sound sleep with an idea impressed strongly upon my mind. Immediately I reached for pencil and paper near my bed and wrote as rapidly as I could. I went back to sleep, knowing I had captured that great impression. The next morning I looked at that piece of paper and found, much to my dismay, that my writing was totally illegible! I still keep pencil and paper at my bedside, but I write more carefully now.

To access information from heaven, one must first have a firm faith and a deep desire. One needs to âask with a sincere heart [and] real intent, having faith in [Jesus] Christ.â² âReal intentâ means that one really intends to follow the divine direction given.

The next requirement is to study the matter diligently. This concept was taught to leaders of this restored Church when they were first learning how to gain personal revelation. The Lord instructed them, âI say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.â³

Part of being prepared is to know and obey the relevant teachings of the Lord. Some of His timeless truths are applicable generally, such as the commandments not to steal, not to kill, and not to bear false witness. Other teachings or commandments are also general, such as those regarding the Sabbath, the sacrament, baptism, and confirmation.

Some revelations have been given for unique circumstances, such as Noahâs building of the ark or the necessity for prophets like Moses, Lehi, and Brigham to lead their followers in arduous travel. Godâs long-established pattern of teaching His children through prophets assures us that He will bless each prophet and that He will bless those who heed prophetic counsel.

A desire to follow the prophet requires much effort because the natural man knows very little of God and even less of His prophet. Paul wrote that âthe natural man [receives] not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.â⁴ The change from being a natural man to a devoted disciple is a mighty one.⁵

Another prophet taught that âthe natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.â⁶

Recently I observed such a mighty change in a man whom I first met about 10 years ago. He had come to a stake conference at which his son was sustained as a member of the new stake presidency. This father was not a member of the Church. After his son had been set apart, I put my arms around this father and praised him for having such a wonderful son. Then I boldly declared: âThe day will come when you will want to have this son sealed to you and your wife in a holy temple. And when that day comes, I would be honored to perform that sealing for you.â

During the subsequent decade, I did not see this man. Six weeks ago he and his wife came to my office. He greeted me warmly and recounted how startled he was with my earlier invitation. He didnât do much about it until later, when his hearing began to fail. Then he awakened to the realization that his body was changing and that his time on earth was indeed limited. In due course he ultimately lost his hearing. At the same time, he became converted and joined the Church.

During our visit he summarized his total transformation: âI had to lose my hearing before I could heed the great importance of your message. Then I realized how much I wanted my loved ones to be sealed to me. I am now worthy and prepared. Will you please perform that sealing?â⁷ This I did with a deep sense of gratitude to God.

After such a conversion takes place, even further spiritual refinement can come. Personal revelation can be honed to become spiritual discernment. To discern means to sift, to separate, or to distinguish.⁸ The gift of spiritual discernment is a supernal gift.⁹ It allows members of the Church to see things not visible and to feel things not tangible.

Bishops are entitled to that gift as they face the task of seeking out the poor and caring for the needy. With that gift, sisters may view trends in the world and detect those that, however popular, are shallow or even dangerous. Members can discern between schemes that are flashy and fleeting and those refinements that are uplifting and enduring.

Discernment was implicit in important instructions President John Taylor gave long ago.¹⁰ He taught stake presidents, bishops, and others: âIt is the right of those holding [these positions] to obtain the word of God with regard to the duties of their presidencies that they may more effectually carry out His holy purposes. None of the callings or positions in the priesthood are intended for the personal benefits, emoluments and fame of those who hold them, but are expressly given to fulfil the purposes of our Heavenly Father and build up the Kingdom of God upon the earth. . . . We . . . seek to understand the will of God, and then carry it out; and see that it is carried out by those over whom we have the charge.â¹¹

For each of you to receive revelation unique to your own needs and responsibilities, certain guidelines prevail. The Lord asks you to develop âfaith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God.â Then with your firm âfaith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, [and] diligence,â you may ask, and you will receive; you may knock, and it will be opened unto you.¹²

Revelation from God is always compatible with His eternal law. It never contradicts His doctrine. It is facilitated by proper reverence for Deity. The Master gave this instruction:

âI, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end.

âGreat shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory.

â . . . To them will I reveal all mysteries [and] my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom.â¹³

Revelation need not all come at once. It may be incremental. âSaith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more.â¹⁴ Patience and perseverance are part of our eternal progression.

Prophets have described what they felt while receiving revelation. Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery reported that âthe veil was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened.â¹⁵ President Joseph F. Smith wrote, âAs I pondered over these things which are written, the eyes of my understanding were opened, and the Spirit of the Lord rested upon me.â¹⁶

Every Latter-day Saint may merit personal revelation. The invitation to ask, seek, and knock for divine direction exists because God lives and Jesus is the living Christ. It exists because this is His living Church.¹⁷ And we are blessed today because President Thomas S. Monson is His living prophet. That we may hearken to and heed his prophetic counsel is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9; emphasis added; see also 3 Nephi 14:7; Joseph Smith Translation, Matthew 7:12, in Bible appendix.
2. Moroni 10:4.
3. D&C 9:8.
4. 1 Corinthians 2:14.
5. See Mosiah 5:2; Alma 5:12â14.
6. Mosiah 3:19.
7. Such conversions are complete. John Newton (1725â1807), for example, changed his life from that of a slave trader to a devoted disciple of the Lord, summarizing his conversion when he wrote: âAmazing grace! (how sweet the sound!) / That savâd a wretch like me! / I once was lost, but now am found; / Was blind, but now I seeâ (âAmazing Grace,â Olney Hymns [1779], no. 41).
8. Discern comes from the Latin discernere, meaning âto separate [or] distinguish between.â The Latin prefix dis means âapart,â and the suffix cernere means âto sift.â See Merriam-Websterâs Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed. (2003), âdiscern.â
9. See D&C 46:23, 26â27.
10. After the death of President Brigham Young in 1877, the affairs of the Church were directed by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The apostolic interregnum continued until 1880, when the First Presidency was reorganized. John Taylor was President of the Quorum of the Twelve when this counsel was given on February 23, 1878.
11. In James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6 vols. (1965â75), 2:307.
12. D&C 4:5â6; emphasis added; see also verse 7.
13. D&C 76:5â7.
14. 2 Nephi 28:30.
15. D&C 110:1.
16. D&C 138:11. Then followed the revelation about the preaching of the gospel to those who had died without an opportunity to hear the gospel in mortality (see verses 29â37).
17. See D&C 1:30.

A number of years ago, a one-inch article in my local newspaper caught my attention, and I have remembered it ever since: âFour people were killed and seven workers were rescued after clinging for more than an hour to the underside of a 125-foot-high [38-m] bridge in St. Catharines, Ontario, [Canada,] after the scaffolding they were working on collapsedâ (âNews Capsules,â Deseret News, June 9, 1993, A2).

I was, and I continue to be, fascinated by this brief story. Shortly after reading this account, I called a family friend who lived in St. Catharines. She explained that the workers had been painting the Garden City Skyway bridge for about a year and were two weeks short of completing the project when the accident happened. After the accident, officials were asked why these men did not have any safety equipment. The answer was simple: they had the equipment; they just chose not to wear it. After the scaffolding gave way, the survivors held on to a one-inch (2.5-cm) lip of steel girder and stood on an eight-inch (20-cm) ledge of steel for over an hour until rescue teams could reach them. One survivor related that as he clung to the bridge, he thought a lot about his family. He said, âI just thank the Lord for me being here today. . . . It was pretty scary, I tell youâ (in Rick Bogacz, âSkyway Horror,â Standard, June 9, 1993).

There are many lessons to be learned and comparisons to be made from this incident. While most of us will never face such a dramatic, life-or-death situation, many of us feel that we are going through a scary time in our personal lives.

We may feel as though we are holding on to what may seem to be a one-inch lip of steel girder. Our mortal probation is not easy, and it is not brief. We are blessed to come to this earth and gain a mortal body. This life is our opportunity to prove ourselves and exercise our agency (see Abraham 3:25). We can choose to follow Heavenly Fatherâs eternal plan of salvation (see Jarom 1:2; Alma 42:5; Moses 6:62) and redemption (see Jacob 6:8; Alma 12:25; 42:11), or we can try to find our own way. We can be obedient and keep His commandments, or we can reject them and face the consequences that will surely follow.

Because of this, we too have a hazardous job description and duty. We must deal with challenges. We may experience loneliness, strained relationships, betrayal of trust, temptations, addictions, limitations of our physical body, or the loss of much-needed employment. We may be challenged with feelings of disappointment because our righteous hopes and dreams have not been met in our personal timetable. We may question our abilities and fear the possibility of failure, even in our Church and family callings. The challenges and the dangers we live with today, including societyâs tolerance of sin, have been prophesied by ancient and living prophets. These are just as precarious and real as the threat of falling 125 feet (38 m) to certain death from a high bridge.

My life is not perfect. I deal with many of the same challenges. We all do. I know that the temptations of the adversary and the difficulties of mortality are ever present and beset each of us. I concur with the rescued workerâs expression of his dangerous experience of holding on to that steel girder: âIt [is] pretty scary, I tell you.â

It is important to note, however, that in the scriptures there are very few stories of individuals who lived in blissful happiness and experienced no opposition. We learn and grow by overcoming challenges with faith, persistence, and personal righteousness. Iâve been strengthened by President Thomas S. Monsonâs endless confidence in our Heavenly Father and in us. He has said: âRemember that you are entitled to our [Heavenly] Fatherâs blessings in this work. He did not call you to your privileged post to walk alone, without guidance, trusting to luck. On the contrary, He knows your skill, He realizes your devotion, and He will convert your supposed inadequacies to recognized strengths. He has promised: âI will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you upâ â (âSugar Beets and the Worth of a Soul,â Liahona, July 2009, 3â4; Ensign, July 2009, 5â6).

Heavenly Father has not left us alone during our mortal probation. He has already given us all the âsafety equipmentâ we will need to successfully return to Him. He has given us personal prayer, the scriptures, living prophets, and the Holy Ghost to guide us. At times, using this equipment may seem cumbersome, awkward, and horribly unfashionable. Its proper use requires our diligence, obedience, and persistence. But I, for one, choose to use it. We must all choose to use it.

In the scriptures we learn about another key piece of safety equipmentÂâa ârod of iron.â Disciples of our Savior, Jesus Christ, are invited to hold on to this rod in order to safely find their way to eternal life. I am speaking of Lehiâs vision of the tree of life found in the Book of Mormon.

Through divine personal revelation, the Book of Mormon prophet Lehi and his son Nephi were each shown a vision of our mortal probationary state and its accompanying dangers. Lehi says, âAnd it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lostâ (1 Nephi 8:23). Yet âhe [also] saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to [that] rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree,â meaning the tree of life (1 Nephi 8:30).

From Lehiâs vision we learn that we must take hold of this safety railingâthis iron rod, found alongside our individual straight and narrow pathâand hold tight until we reach our ultimate goal of eternal life with our Heavenly Father. Nephi promises that those who hold fast to the iron rod âwould never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destructionâ (1 Nephi 15:24).

I invite you to read again the full accounts of this inspired vision. Study them, ponder them, and apply them to your daily life. In modern terms we might say we are invited to âget a grip.â We must hold on tight to the iron rod and never let go.

President Harold B. Lee, the prophet when I was a teenager, taught, âIf there is any one thing most needed in this time of tumult and frustration, when men and women and youth and young adults are desperately seeking for answers to the problems which afflict mankind, it is an âiron rodâ as a safe guide along the straight path on the way to eternal life, amidst the strange and devious roadways that would eventually lead to destruction and to the ruin of all that is âvirtuous, lovely, or of good reportâ â (âThe Iron Rod,â Ensign, June 1971, 7).

This quote was relevant when I was a teenager, and it is perhaps even more relevant today. Prophetsâ words warn, teach, and encourage truth, whether theyâre spoken in 600 B.C., 1971, or 2009. I encourage you to listen to, believe in, and act upon the inspired words of those we sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators.

Holding to the iron rod is not always easy. We may let go because of peer pressure or pride, thinking we can find our own way backâlater. When we do so, we are leaving our safety equipment behind. In Lehiâs vision he saw many who let go of the iron rod. Nephi says, âAnd many were lost from his view, wandering in strange roadsâ (1 Nephi 8:32). In difficult times in our own lives, we may find we are also âwandering in strange roads.â Let me reassure you that it is always possible for us to find our way back. Through repentance, made possible by the atoning sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we can regain and recommit to a strong grip on the iron rod and feel the loving guidance of our Heavenly Father once again. The Savior has extended an open invitation to us: repent, hold on, and donât let go.

I, like Nephi, exhort you with all the energies of my soul that you will âgive heed to the word of God and remember to keep his commandments always in all thingsâ (1 Nephi 15:25). Use the safety equipment He has provided for you. Hold fast, and believe that Heavenly Father will bless you for your diligence.

I know the restored gospel is true, and I know we are led by a living prophet of God, President Thomas S. Monson. It is my great privilege and blessing to be his daughter. I love my parents dearly.

One evening I was feeling a bit discouraged and said, âOh, Dad, the blessings we experience as members of the Church and the promised blessings of the temple are so good, if we will only reach out and choose to accept them.â He responded without hesitation, âAnn, they are everything.â

May we hold on to the eternal truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ because they are literally everything is my sincere prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Thank you, Elder Pace, for that beautiful invocation, for listeners and speakers particularly.

âLet virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of Godâ (D&C 121:45).

As I neared my 12th birthday, there were several requirements to be completed before I could graduate from Primary. One was to recite the thirteen Articles of Faith in the prescribed order. The first twelve articles were relatively easy, but the thirteenth was much more difficult. It was remembering the order of the virtues that presented the challenge. Thanks to a Primary teacher who was patient and persistent, I finally completed the memorization.

Years later my wife and children and I moved into our first home. We were surprised to learn that my former Primary teacher would be our neighbor. For the 40 years we have lived in the same neighborhood, she has kept our little secret concerning my learning disability.

âWe believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of PaulâWe believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these thingsâ (Articles of Faith 1:13).

Today I wish to speak about personal traits we call virtues. Virtuous traits form the foundation of a Christian life and are the outward manifestation of the inner man. The spelling in English of many individual virtues concludes with the letters ity: integrity, humility, charity, spirituality, accountability, civility, fidelity, and the list goes on and on. Relying on literary license, I refer to the virtues ending in ity as the âityâ virtues. âItyâ is a suffix that means quality, state, or degree of being.

We need only look around us to see what is taking place in our communities to realize that personal traits of virtue are in a steep decline. Reflect on the behavior of drivers on crowded highways; road rage happens all too often. Civility is all but absent in our political discourse. As countries around the world face financial and economic challenges, fidelity and honesty seem to have been replaced with greed and graft. A visit to a high school will often subject you to crude language and immodest dress. Some athletes display poor sportsmanship and seldom show humility unless publicly exposed for legal or moral infidelities. A large segment of our population feel little personal responsibility for their own temporal well-being. Some in financial distress blame bankers and lenders for loaning sums to satisfy insatiable wants rather than affordable needs. On occasion our generosity in support of good causes wanes as our appetite to acquire more than we need prevails.

Brothers and sisters, we need not be a part of the virtue malaise that is penetrating and infecting society. If we follow the world in abandoning Christian-centered virtues, the consequences may be disastrous. Individual faith and fidelity, which have eternal consequences, will diminish. Family solidarity and spirituality will be adversely impacted. Religious influence in society will be lessened, and the rule of law will be challenged and perhaps even set aside. The seedbed for all that plagues the natural man will have been planted, to the sheer delight of Satan.

We need to stand tall and be firmly fixed in perpetuating Christlike virtues, even the âityâ virtues, in our everyday lives. Teaching virtuous traits begins in the home with parents who care and set the example. A good parental example encourages emulation; a poor example gives license to the children to disregard the parentsâ teachings and even expand the poor example. A hypocritical example destroys credibility.

Eight-year-old Megan enjoys playing the piano. Recently her piano teacher offered a reward of a doughnut for faithful daily practice. The teacher said she would be âdialing for doughnutsâ and would call Megan sometime during the week. If she had practiced that day, she would earn the reward. When Megan was called, she was not at home to give her report. At her weekly lesson, the teacher asked Megan if she had practiced, to which Megan responded that she thought she had and took the reward. When Meganâs mother saw the doughnut, she questioned Megan and helped her understand that she needed to be honest. An apologetic phone call to her teacher was made with her momâs encouragement. As teacher and student visited, it was discovered that Megan really had completed her music theory writing; hence, she fully qualified for the reward. Thanks to wise, concerned parents, valuable lessons will be remembered for a long while.

Our 15-year-old grandson, Ben, is a big-time ski enthusiast, having competed in several meets and done very well. Prior to one such competition in Idaho, his parents reminded him that his grades in school would determine whether or not he would be able to compete. A condominium in Sun Valley, Idaho, was reserved, his grandparents were planning to attend, and Ben was feverishly trying to achieve the lofty academic goals both he and his parents expected. However, at the end of the day, he fell just short of his goal. Ben missed the ski meet and lost points toward qualifying for the Junior Olympics, but Ben gained a valuable appreciation for responsibility and accountability. By remaining steadfast, parents so very often suffer and agonize more than the children they endeavor to teach.

President James E. Faust suggested that integrity is the mother of many virtues. He noted that integrity can be defined âas a firm adherence to a code of moral values.â He also suggested that âintegrity is the light that shines from a disciplined conscience. It is the strength of duty within usâ (âIntegrity, the Mother of Many Virtues,â in Speaking Out on Moral Issues [1998], 61, 62). It is difficult for a person to display virtuous traits if he or she lacks integrity. Without integrity, honesty is often forgotten. If integrity is absent, civility is impaired. If integrity is not important, spirituality is difficult to maintain. In Old Testament times, Moses counseled the children of Israel that âif a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouthâ (Numbers 30:2).

President Thomas S. Monson reminded us a few years ago that âmost people will not commit desperate acts if they have been taught that dignity, honesty and integrity are more important than revenge or rage; if they understand that respect and kindness ultimately give one a better chance at successâ (âFamily Values in a Violent Society,â Deseret News, Jan. 16, 1994, A12, as quoted in âFinding Peace,â Liahona and Ensign, Mar. 2004, 4).

You may have heard about the Lost Battalion of World War I, the ten lost tribes of Israel, or perhaps the âlost boysâ in J. M. Barrieâs play Peter Pan. You may also be acquainted with the album by Michael McLean entitled The Forgotten Carols. Virtuous traits, especially the âityâ virtues, must never be forgotten or set aside. If forgotten or set aside, they will inevitably become the âlost virtues.â If virtues are lost, families will be measurably weakened, individual faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will soften, and important eternal relationships may be jeopardized.

Traits of virtue broadly practiced can loosen Satanâs firm grip on society and derail his insidious plan to capture the hearts, minds, and spirits of mortal men.

Now is the time for us to join in rescuing and preserving that which is âvirtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy.â As we allow virtue to garnish our thoughts unceasingly and we cultivate virtuous traits in our personal lives, our communities and institutions will be improved, our children and families will be strengthened, and faith and integrity will bless individual lives.

I testify and declare that our Heavenly Father expects His children to exercise integrity, civility, fidelity, charity, generosity, morality, and all the âityâ virtues. May we have the humility to take the opportunity to act upon our responsibility to demonstrate our ability to do so, I pray in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

My wife and I had the privilege of attending the Mormon Miracle Pageant in Manti, Utah, this summer. One night, before the beginning of the pageant, we spoke to the cast members. Because of the large number of cast members, we had to speak to them in two sessions. The pageant had a cast of over 800 individuals, with 570 of them being under the age of 18. One hundred additional cast members participated this year, requiring the sisters in charge of the wardrobe to come up with additional costumesâwhich they did. It was an inspiration to see how well organized they were in taking care of every detail.

The setting of the pageant is on a beautiful hillside just below the Manti Temple. There were 15,000 people in attendance the night we watched the pageant. It was a thrill to see this army of young men and women catch the vision of the story of the Restoration as they performed their parts with such enthusiasm and spirit.

Something we love to do when we visit Manti is to attend a temple session. There is a special spirit in these older temples, which were constructed at great sacrifice by the early pioneers.

Attending a temple session in the Manti Temple was an emotional experience for me. It brought back great memories of how I remembered the Logan Utah Temple before it was remodeled and modernized. As we progressed through the temple session, I could hear in every room those early pioneers saying, âLook at what we built with our own hands. We had no power equipment. No contractors or subcontractors were involved in the construction, no fancy cranes to lift up the heavy stones. We performed this labor under our own power.â

What a glorious heritage these early Sanpete County pioneers have left to us.

Former United States president Ronald Reagan has been quoted as saying, âI do not want to go back to the past; I want to go back to the past way of facing the future.â¹ His counsel still resonates within me. There is something about reviewing the lessons of the past to prepare us to face the challenges of the future. What a glorious legacy of faith, courage, and ingenuity those noble early Mormon pioneers have left for us to build upon. My admiration for them deepens the longer I live.

Embracing the gospel resulted in a complete change of life for them. They left everything behindâtheir homes, their businesses, their farms, and even their beloved family membersâto journey into a wilderness. It must have been a real shock when Brigham Young announced, âThis is the . . . place.â² Before them was a vast desert wasteland, barren of green hills, trees, and beautiful meadows which most of those early pioneers had known. With firm faith in God and their leaders, the early pioneers went to work to create beautiful communities in the shadows of the mountains.

Many weary pioneers had just started to enjoy some of the modest comforts of life when Brigham Young called them to leave their homes again and journey to the east, to the west, to the north, and to the south to colonize the Great Basin. This is how the communities of Sanpete CountyâFairview, Ephraim, Manti, Moroni, and Mount Pleasantâwere established.

Upon my return from my visit to Sanpete County, I felt the desire to learn more about its early pioneers. I decided to spend a few hours in the new Church History Library and read a little about their history.

It was in the year 1849, just two years after they had arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, when Brigham Young, the great colonizer of the West, called a group of Saints to journey south and start building their homes and communities all over again in another desert wasteland. A short time after they had settled in Sanpete, President Heber C. Kimball, a counselor to President Brigham Young, visited the Manti community and promised them that on the hill overlooking the valley, a temple would be built using stone from the mountains to the east.

Some years passed after the visit of President Kimball, and the citizens began to be anxious that nothing was being done to construct a temple for their use. âWe must have a temple in our community,â declared one of the citizens. âWe have waited long enough for this blessing.â Another one said, âIf we are going to have a temple, we had better get busy and build it.â And that is just what they did.

The cornerstone was laid on April 14, 1879, some 30 years after they had arrived in the Sanpete Valley. There are many stories that could be told about the diligence of the workmen, who put their very best into the construction of this beautiful temple. President Gordon B. Hinckley said several years ago at the rededication of the Manti Temple, âI have been in the worldâs great buildings, and in none of these have I had the feeling I get in coming to these pioneer houses of God.â³ The Hinckley family has a very special connection with the Manti Temple. Sister Marjorie Hinckleyâs grandfather lost his life from an injury sustained in its construction.

To better understand how the past can provide a better way of facing the future, I would like to share an account from the building of the Manti Temple. Then I want to share what it has taught me about true principles.

Some fine carpenters from Norway who arrived and settled in Manti were given the assignment of building the roof for the temple. They had never built a roof structure before, but they had experience as shipbuilders. They didnât know how they would design a roof. Then the thought came to them: âWhy donât we just build a ship? Then, because a well-built ship is solid and secure, if we turn the plans upside down, weâll have a secure roof.â They set about to plan to construct a ship, and when it was completed, they turned the plan upside down and it became the plan for the roof of the Manti Temple.

In this case they used lessons from their past experienceâthe principles of shipbuildingâto help them meet the challenge. They correctly reasoned that the same principles they had applied to building a seaworthy vessel would also apply to building a solid roof. For example, both structures needed to be waterproof. The basic integrity of the structure wouldnât be affected by its orientationâwhether right side up or upside down. The most important thing was to have a working knowledge of the basic principles required to erect any structure that was built to last.

Embedded in the gospel of Jesus Christ there are eternal principles and truths that will last far longer than the principles of building ships and roofs. You and I, as members of the Lordâs true Church, have special access and insight into these eternal principles and truths, especially when we listen to the Spirit for individual guidance and hear the prophetâs voice as he declares the will of God to the members of the Church. You and I both know how important these eternal principles and truths are in our lives. Iâm not sure those early pioneers could have faced the perils and uncertainties of the future without them, and neither can we. They are the only true and eternal way to face the future, especially in these increasingly perilous and uncertain times in which we now live.

These Norwegian shipbuilders brought with them the fundamental skills of their trade, which could be turned from building ships to building temples. What caused their dramatic shift in priorities? There is only one answer that explains their willingness to sacrifice everything to become builders of the kingdom of God. They had been taught and accepted the eternal principles and truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They realized that their mission was not only to help build edifices but also to contribute to the edification of others by sharing their knowledge of the gospel. As we read in section 50 of the Doctrine and Covenants, âHe that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice togetherâ (verse 22).

When we received the special blessing of knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ and took upon ourselves the name of Christ by entering the waters of baptism, we also accepted the obligation to share the gospel with others. Recently, to accomplish more fully our shared responsibility to proclaim the gospel, the Church has turned the missionary program upside down. Some years ago we eliminated stake missions and shifted the focus of our efforts to the ward mission organization. With a ward mission plan developed by every ward council in the Church, progress is being made at an ever-increasing rate. Much of the success is being achieved by the full-time missionaries working closely with ward councils, ward mission leaders, and the members of the Church.

We have discovered that ward-based missionary work increases member involvement in finding and teaching investigators. Often investigators are invited to receive the missionary lessons in membersâ homes. Ward members become more excited to share their precious knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ when they directly experience the sweet blessings of missionary service and they receive more regular reminders from their ward leaders. Members become more inclusive as they ponder and pray about sharing the gospel with friends, neighbors, and family members of other faiths.

President Gordon B. Hinckley taught: âSo many of us look upon missionary work as simply tracting. Everyone who is familiar with this work knows there is a better way. That way is through the members of the Church. Whenever there is a member who introduces an investigator, there is an immediate support system. The member bears testimony of the truth of the work. He is anxious for the happiness of his investigator friend. He becomes excited as that friend makes progress in learning the gospel.â⁴

The full-time missionaries will continue to do most of the actual teaching of investigators, but members will have ample opportunity to answer questions and share their testimonies. We heed the prophetâs voice more fully by preparing ourselves to teach basic gospel principles. Preparation removes fear. It also simplifies and strengthens what the members do in support of the full-time missionaries. There are three basic lessons the full-time missionaries teach: the Restoration, the plan of salvation, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. How prepared are you to give witness and testimony to the truthfulness of these very basic lessons? Use the inspired missionary manual Preach My Gospel to study and prepare yourself to play that supporting role to the full-time missionaries as they teach these basic gospel discussions.

May we all learn both of the important lessons taught by the shipbuilders from Norway who constructed the roof of the Manti Temple. First is the lesson of using the principles and truths of the past to help us face the future. Second, we learn from their desire to share what they knew with others to help build the kingdom of God. This second lesson, if we learn it well, will help many others of our brothers and sisters, fellow sons and daughters of God, face an uncertain future with the same eternal assurances we have.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is true. It has been restored to bless our lives in these latter days. It contains all the truths, principles, and ordinances contained in our Father in Heavenâs great plan of happiness, which is a plan for us to return and live with Him in the eternal realms beyond. That the gospel of Jesus Christ is His divine way for us to face our glorious future is my testimony to you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. Quoted in George F. Will, âOne Manâs America,â Cato Policy Report, Sept.âOct. 2008, 11.
2. Quoted in Wilford Woodruff, âCelebration of Pioneersâ Day,â The Utah Pioneers (1880), 23.
3. Quoted in âManti Temple Rededicated,â Ensign, Aug. 1985, 73.
4. Gordon B. Hinckley, âFind the Lambs, Feed the Sheep,â Liahona, July 1999, 119; Ensign, May 1999, 105.

I feel blessed to have the opportunity to speak with you on this Sabbath day. Different as we are in circumstances and experiences, we share a desire to become better than we are. There may be a few who mistakenly feel they are good enough and a few who have given up trying to be better. But, for all, the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is that we can and must expect to become better as long as we live.

Part of that expectation is set for us in a revelation given by God to the Prophet Joseph Smith. It describes the day when we will meet the Savior, as we all will. It tells us what to do to prepare and what to expect.

It is in the book of Moroni: âWherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.â¹

That ought to help you understand why any believing Latter-day Saint is an optimist about what lies ahead for him or her, however difficult the present may be. We believe that through living the gospel of Jesus Christ we can become like the Savior, who is perfect. Considering the attributes of Jesus Christ should quash the pride of the self-satisfied person who thinks he or she has no need to improve. And even the most humble person can take hope in the invitation to become like the Savior.

How that wonderful transformation will happen is captured for me in a song written for children. I remember watching the faces of a room full of children singing it on a Sunday. Each of the children was leaning forward, almost to the front of the chair. I could see light in their eyes and determination in their faces as they sang with gusto. You may have heard the song too. I hope it will sound forever in our memories. I only hope I can give it the feeling those children had.

Iâm trying to be like Jesus; Iâm following in his ways.
Iâm trying to love as he did, in all that I do and say.
At times I am tempted to make a wrong choice,
But I try to listen as the still small voice whispers,
âLove one another as Jesus loves you.
Try to show kindness in all that you do.
Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought,
For these are the things Jesus taught.â²

It seemed to me that they were not just singing; they were declaring their determination. Jesus Christ was their example. To be like Him was their fixed goal. And their eager looks and their shining eyes convinced me that they had no doubts. They expected to succeed. They believed that the instruction of the Savior to be perfect was not a hope but a command. And they were sure He had prepared the way.

That determination and confidence can and must be in the heart of every Latter-day Saint. The Savior has prepared the way through His Atonement and His example. And even the children who sang that song knew how.

Love is the motivating principle by which the Lord leads us along the way towards becoming like Him, our perfect example. Our way of life, hour by hour, must be filled with the love of God and love for others. There is no surprise in that, since the Lord proclaimed those as the first and great commandments. It is love of God that will lead us to keep His commandments. And love of others is at the heart of our capacity to obey Him.

Just as Jesus used a child in His mortal ministry as an example for the people of the pure love they must and could have to be like Him, He has offered us the family as an example of an ideal setting in which we can learn how to love as He loves.

That is because the greatest joys and the greatest sorrows we experience are in family relationships. The joys come from putting the welfare of others above our own. That is what love is. And the sorrow comes primarily from selfishness, which is the absence of love. The ideal God holds for us is to form families in the way most likely to lead to happiness and away from sorrow. A man and a woman are to make sacred covenants that they will put the welfare and happiness of the other at the center of their lives. Children are to be born into a family where the parents hold the needs of children equal to their own in importance. And children are to love parents and each other.

That is the ideal of a loving family. In many of our homes, there are the words âOur Family Can Be Together Forever.â There is a gravestone near my home of a mother and grandmother. She and her husband were sealed in the temple of God to each other and to their posterity for time and all eternity. The inscription on the gravestone reads, âPlease, no empty chairs.â She asked for that inscription because she knew that whether the family will be together depends on the choices each family member makes. The word âpleaseâ is there because neither God nor she can compel another to choose happiness. And there is Satan, who wants misery, not happiness, in families in this life and in the next.

My hope today is to suggest some choices which may seem difficult but that would assure you that you have qualified for there to be no empty chairs in your family in the world to come.

First, I give counsel to husbands and wives. Pray for the love which allows you to see the good in your companion. Pray for the love that makes weaknesses and mistakes seem small. Pray for the love to make your companionâs joy your own. Pray for the love to want to lessen the load and soften the sorrows of your companion.

I saw this in my parentsâ marriage. In my motherâs final illness, the more uncomfortable she became, the more giving her comfort became the dominant intent of my fatherâs life. He asked that the hospital set up a bed in her room. He was determined to be there to be sure that she wanted for nothing. He walked the miles to work each morning and back to her side at night through those difficult times for her. I believe it was a gift from God to him that his power to love grew when it mattered so much to her. I think he was doing what Jesus would have done out of love.

Now I give counsel to the parents of a wandering child. The Savior is the perfect example of persisting in love. You remember His words of comfort to the people among the Nephites who had rejected His earlier invitation to come to Him. He spoke to the survivors of the destruction which came after His Crucifixion: âO ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart.â³

The story of the prodigal son gives us all hope. The prodigal remembered home, as will your children. They will feel your love drawing them back to you. Elder Orson F. Whitney, in a general conference of 1929, gave a remarkable promise, which I know is true, to the faithful parents who honor the temple sealing to their children: âThough some of the sheep may wander, the eye of the Shepherd is upon them, and sooner or later they will feel the tentacles of Divine Providence reaching out after them and drawing them back to the fold.â

Then he goes on to say: âPray for your careless and disobedient children; hold on to them with your faith. Hope on, trust on, till you see the salvation of God.â⁴ You can pray for your children, love them, and reach out to them with confidence that Jesus reaches for them with you. When you keep trying, you are doing what Jesus does.

Now, here is my counsel to children. The Lord gave you a commandment with a promise: âHonor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.â⁵ It is the only one of the Ten Commandments with a promise. You may not have parents that are living. In some cases, you may not feel that your parents are worthy of the honor and respect of their children. You may not even have ever known them. But you owe them life. And in every case, even if your life is not lengthened, its quality will be improved simply by remembering your parents with honor.

Now to those who have adopted other peopleâs families as if they were their own: I have friends who remember my childrenâs birthdays better than I do. My wife and I have had friends who seldom failed to visit or to remember a holiday with us. I often am touched when someone begins a conversation, âHow is your family?â and then waits to hear the answer with love showing in their face. They seem attentive when I go through a description of the life of each of my children. Their love helps me to feel more keenly the love of the Savior for our children. In their question, I can sense that they are feeling what Jesus feels and asking what He would ask.

For all of us it may be hard to see in our lives an increasing power to love and to see ourselves becoming more like the Savior, our perfect example. I wish to encourage you. You have had evidences that you are moving along the road to becoming more like Jesus. It will help to remember how you have felt, at times, like a little child, even in the midst of cares and trials. Think of those children singing the song. Think of the times you felt, perhaps recently, as those little children did singing, âIâm trying to be like Jesus; Iâm following in his ways.â You will remember that Jesus asked His disciples to bring the children to Him and said, âSuffer the little children to come unto me, . . . for of such is the kingdom of God.â⁶ You have felt the peace of a pure little child at times when you have tried to be like Jesus.

It may have come when you were baptized. He did not need baptism, because He was pure. But when you were baptized, you had the feeling of being washed clean, like a little child. When He was baptized, the heavens were opened, and He heard the voice of His Heavenly Father: âThis is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.â⁷ You heard no voice, but you felt the approval of Heavenly Father for having done what Jesus did.

You have felt it in your family when you asked the pardon of your spouse or forgave a child for some mistake or disobedience. These moments will come more often as you try to do the things you know Jesus would do. Because of His Atonement for you, your childlike obedience will bring a feeling of love of the Savior for you and your love for Him. That is one of the gifts that is promised to His faithful disciples. And this gift can come not only to you alone but also to the loving members of your family. The promise was given in 3 Nephi: âAnd all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.â⁸

I hope you will go out today looking for opportunities to do as He did and to love as He loves. I can promise you the peace that you felt as a child will come to you often and it will linger with you. The promise is true that He made to His disciples: âPeace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.â⁹

None of us is perfect yet. But we can have frequent assurance that we are following along the way. He leads us, and He beckons for us to follow Him.

I testify that the way lies in faith in Jesus Christ, in baptism, in receiving the Holy Ghost, and in enduring in love to keep His commandments. I testify that the Father lives and loves us. He loves His Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our perfect example. Joseph Smith was the prophet of the Restoration. He saw the Father and the Son. I know that is true. There is in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the priesthood power to offer the ordinances that allow us to become better and better and more like the Savior and our Heavenly Father. I leave you my blessing that you may feel the assurance and the approval you felt as a little child. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. Moroni 7:48.
2. âIâm Trying to Be like Jesus,â Childrenâs Songbook, 78â79.
3. 3 Nephi 10:6.
4. Orson F. Whitney, in Conference Report, Apr. 1929, 110.
5. Mosiah 13:20.
6. Mark 10:14.
7. Matthew 3:17.
8. 3 Nephi 22:13.
9. John 14:27.

Brethren, we are assembled as a mighty body of the priesthood, both here in the Conference Center and in locations throughout the world. We have heard inspired messages this evening, and I express my appreciation to those Brethren who have addressed us. I am honored, yet humbled, by the privilege to speak to you, and I pray that the inspiration of the Lord may attend me.

Recently as I watched the news on television, I realized that many of the lead stories were similar in nature in that the tragedies reported all basically traced back to one emotion: anger. The father of an infant had been arrested for physical abuse of the baby. It was alleged that the babyâs crying had so infuriated him that he had broken one of the childâs limbs and several ribs. Alarming was the report of growing gang violence, with the number of gang-related killings having risen sharply. Another story that night involved the shooting of a woman by her estranged husband, who was reportedly in a jealous rage after finding her with another man. Then, of course, there was the usual coverage of wars and conflicts throughout the world.

I thought of the words of the Psalmist: âCease from anger, and forsake wrath.â¹

Many years ago, a young couple called my office and asked if they could come in for counseling. They indicated they had suffered a tragedy in their lives and that their marriage was in serious jeopardy. An appointment was arranged.

The tension between this husband and wife was apparent as they entered my office. Their story unfolded slowly at first as the husband spoke haltingly and the wife cried quietly and participated very little in the conversation.

The young man had returned from serving a mission and was accepted to a prestigious university in the eastern part of the United States. It was there, in a university ward, that he had met his future wife. She was also a student at the university. After a year of dating, they journeyed to Utah and were married in the Salt Lake Temple, returning east shortly afterward to finish their schooling.

By the time they graduated and returned to their home state, they were expecting their first child and the husband had employment in his chosen field. The wife gave birth to a baby boy. Life was good.

When their son was about 18 months old, they decided to take a short vacation to visit family members who lived a few hundred miles away. This was at a time when car seats for children and seat belts for adults were scarcely heard of, let alone used. The three members of the family all rode in the front seat with the toddler in the middle.

Sometime during the trip, the husband and wife had a disagreement. After all these years, I cannot recall what caused it. But I do remember that their argument escalated and became so heated that they were eventually yelling at one another. Understandably, this caused their young son to begin crying, which the husband said only added to his anger. Losing total control of his temper, he picked up a toy the child had dropped on the seat and flung it in the direction of his wife.

He missed hitting his wife. Instead, the toy struck their son, with the result that he was brain damaged and would be handicapped for the rest of his life.

This was one of the most tragic situations I had ever encountered. I counseled and encouraged them. We talked of commitment and responsibility, of acceptance and forgiveness. We spoke of the affection and respect which needed to return to their family. We read words of comfort from the scriptures. We prayed together. Though I have not heard from them since that day so long ago, they were smiling through their tears as they left my office. All these years Iâve hoped they made the decision to remain together, comforted and blessed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I think of them whenever I read the words: âAnger doesnât solve anything. It builds nothing, but it can destroy everything.â²

Weâve all felt anger. It can come when things donât turn out the way we want. It might be a reaction to something which is said of us or to us. We may experience it when people donât behave the way we want them to behave. Perhaps it comes when we have to wait for something longer than we expected. We might feel angry when others canât see things from our perspective. There seem to be countless possible reasons for anger.

There are times when we can become upset at imagined hurts or perceived injustices. President Heber J. Grant, seventh President of the Church, told of a time as a young adult when he did some work for a man who then sent him a check for $500 with a letter apologizing for not being able to pay him more. Then President Grant did some work for another manâwork which he said was 10 times more difficult, involving 10 times more labor and a great deal more time. This second man sent him a check for $150. Young Heber felt he had been treated most unfairly. He was at first insulted and then incensed.

He recounted the experience to an older friend, who asked, âDid that man intend to insult you?â

President Grant replied, âNo. He told my friends he had rewarded me handsomely.â

To this the older friend replied, âA manâs a fool who takes an insult that isnât intended.â³

The Apostle Paul asks in Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 26 of the Joseph Smith Translation: âCan ye be angry, and not sin? let not the sun go down upon your wrath.â I ask, is it possible to feel the Spirit of our Heavenly Father when we are angry? I know of no instance where such would be the case.

From 3 Nephi in the Book of Mormon, we read:

âThere shall be no disputations among you. . . . 

âFor verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.

âBehold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.â⁴

To be angry is to yield to the influence of Satan. No one can make us angry. It is our choice. If we desire to have a proper spirit with us at all times, we must choose to refrain from becoming angry. I testify that such is possible.

Anger, Satanâs tool, is destructive in so many ways.

I believe most of us are familiar with the sad account of Thomas B. Marsh and his wife, Elizabeth. Brother Marsh was one of the first modern-day Apostles called after the Church was restored to the earth. He eventually became President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

While the Saints were in Far West, Missouri, Elizabeth Marsh, Thomasâs wife, and her friend Sister Harris decided they would exchange milk in order to make more cheese than they otherwise could. To be certain all was done fairly, they agreed that they should not save what were called the strippings, but that the milk and strippings should all go together. Strippings came at the end of the milking and were richer in cream.

Sister Harris was faithful to the agreement, but Sister Marsh, desiring to make some especially delicious cheese, saved a pint of strippings from each cow and sent Sister Harris the milk without the strippings. This caused the two women to quarrel. When they could not settle their differences, the matter was referred to the home teachers to settle. They found Elizabeth Marsh guilty of failure to keep her agreement. She and her husband were upset with the decision, and the matter was then referred to the bishop for a Church trial. The bishopâs court decided that the strippings were wrongfully saved and that Sister Marsh had violated her covenant with Sister Harris.

Thomas Marsh appealed to the high council, and the men comprising this council confirmed the bishopâs decision. He then appealed to the First Presidency of the Church. Joseph Smith and his counselors considered the case and upheld the decision of the high council.

Elder Thomas B. Marsh, who sided with his wife through all of this, became angrier with each successive decisionâso angry, in fact, that he went before a magistrate and swore that the Mormons were hostile toward the state of Missouri. His affidavit led toâor at least was a factor inâGovernor Lilburn Boggsâs cruel extermination order, which resulted in over 15,000 Saints being driven from their homes, with all the terrible suffering and consequent death that followed. All of this occurred because of a disagreement over the exchange of milk and cream.⁵

After 19 years of rancor and loss, Thomas B. Marsh made his way to the Salt Lake Valley and asked President Brigham Young for forgiveness. Brother Marsh also wrote to Heber C. Kimball, First Counselor in the First Presidency, of the lesson he had learned. Said Brother Marsh: âThe Lord could get along very well without me and He . . . lost nothing by my falling out of the ranks; But O what have I lost?! Riches, greater riches than all this world or many planets like this could afford.â⁶

Apropos are the words of the poet John Greenleaf Whittier: âOf all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: âIt might have been!â â⁷

My brethren, we are all susceptible to those feelings which, if left unchecked, can lead to anger. We experience displeasure or irritation or antagonism, and if we so choose, we lose our temper and become angry with others. Ironically, those others are often members of our own familiesâthe people we really love the most.

Many years ago I read the following Associated Press dispatch which appeared in the newspaper: An elderly man disclosed at the funeral of his brother, with whom he had shared, from early manhood, a small, one-room cabin near Canisteo, New York, that following a quarrel, they had divided the room in half with a chalk line, and neither had crossed the line or spoken a word to the other since that dayâ62 years before. Just think of the consequence of that anger. What a tragedy!

May we make a conscious decision, each time such a decision must be made, to refrain from anger and to leave unsaid the harsh and hurtful things we may be tempted to say.

I love the words of the hymn written by Elder Charles W. Penrose, who served in the Quorum of the Twelve and in the First Presidency during the early years of the 20th century:

School thy feelings, O my brother;
Train thy warm, impulsive soul.
Do not its emotions smother,
But let wisdomâs voice control.
School thy feelings; there is power
In the cool, collected mind.
Passion shatters reasonâs tower,
Makes the clearest vision blind.⁸

Each of us is a holder of the priesthood of God. The oath and covenant of the priesthood pertains to all of us. To those who hold the Melchizedek Priesthood, it is a declaration of our requirement to be faithful and obedient to the laws of God and to magnify the callings which come to us. To those who hold the Aaronic Priesthood, it is a pronouncement concerning future duty and responsibility, that you may prepare yourselves here and now.

This oath and covenant is set forth by the Lord in these words:

âFor whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies.

âThey become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God.

âAnd also all they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord;

âFor he that receiveth my servants receiveth me;

âAnd he that receiveth me receiveth my Father;

âAnd he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Fatherâs kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.â⁹

Brethren, great promises await us if we are true and faithful to the oath and covenant of this precious priesthood which we hold. May we be worthy sons of our Heavenly Father. May we ever be exemplary in our homes and faithful in keeping all of the commandments, that we may harbor no animosity toward any man but rather be peacemakers, ever remembering the Saviorâs admonition, âBy this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.â¹⁰ This is my plea tonight at the conclusion of this great priesthood meeting, and itâs also my humble and sincere prayer, for I love you, brethren, with all my heart and soul. And I pray our Heavenly Fatherâs blessing to attend each of you in your life, in your home, in your heart, in your soul, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. Psalm 37:8.
2. Lawrence Douglas Wilder, quoted in âEarly Hardships Shaped Candidates,â Deseret News, Dec. 7, 1991, A2.
3. See Heber J. Grant, Gospel Standards, comp. G. Homer Durham (1969), 288â89.
4. 3 Nephi 11:28â30.
5. See George A. Smith, âDiscourse,â Deseret News, Apr. 16, 1856, 44.
6. Thomas B. Marsh to Heber C. Kimball, May 5, 1857, Brigham Young Collection, Church History Library.
7. âMaud Muller,â The Complete Poetical Works of John Greenleaf Whittier (1876), 206.
8. âSchool Thy Feelings,â Hymns, no. 336.
9. D&C 84:33â38.
10. John 13:35.

Wherever I am in the day or night, there is nearby a small container of olive oil. This is the one which I keep in the middle drawer of the desk where I work. There is one in my pocket when I am working outdoors or traveling. There is also one in the kitchen cabinet in my home.

The one I hold now has a date on it. It is the day when someone exercised the power of the priesthood to consecrate the pure oil for the healing of the sick. The young men of the Aaronic Priesthood and even their fathers might think that I am a little extreme in my preparation.

But the call during the day or the knock at the door at night always comes as a surprise. Someone will say, âPlease, could you come quickly?â Once, years ago, it was a father calling from a hospital. His three-year-old daughter had been thrown 50 feet (15 m) by a speeding car as she ran across the street to join her mother. When I arrived at the hospital, the father pled that the power of the priesthood would preserve her life. The doctors and the nurses only reluctantly let us reach through a plastic barrier to place a drop of oil on the one opening in the heavy bandages which covered her head. A doctor said to me, with irritation in his voice, âHurry with whatever you are going to do. She is dying.â

He was wrong. She lived, and contrary to what the doctor had said, she not only lived, but she learned to walk again.

When the call came, I was ready. The preparation was far more than having consecrated oil close at hand. It must begin long before the crisis which requires priesthood power. Those who are prepared will be ready to answer.

The preparation begins in families, in Aaronic Priesthood quorums, and mostly in the private lives of young men. The quorums and the families must help, but the preparation that counts will be made by the young men making choices to rise to their great destiny as priesthood servants for God.

The destiny of the rising generation of priesthood holders is far more than to be ready to bring Godâs power down to heal the sick. The preparation is to be ready to go and do whatever the Lord wants done as the world is preparing for His coming. None of us knows exactly what those errands will be. But we know what it will take to be ready, so each of us can prepare.

What you will need in the dramatic moment will be built in the steady performance of obedient service. I will tell you two of the things you will need and the preparation it takes to be ready.

The first is to have faith. The priesthood is the authority to act in the name of God. It is the right to call down the powers of heaven. So you must have faith that God lives and that you have won His confidence to allow you to use His power for His purposes.

An instance from the Book of Mormon will help you see how one man made that preparation. There was a priesthood holder named Nephi who received a hard assignment from the Lord. He was sent by God to call wicked people to repentance before it was too late for them. In their wickedness and hatred, they were killing each other. Even their sorrow had not humbled them enough to repent and obey God.

Because of Nephiâs preparation, God blessed him with power to fulfill his assignment. In His loving and empowering words to Nephi, there is a guide for us:

âBlessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments.

âAnd now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.

âBehold, thou art Nephi, and I am God. Behold, I declare it unto thee in the presence of mine angels, that ye shall have power over this people, and shall smite the earth with famine, and with pestilence, and destruction, according to the wickedness of this people.

âBehold, I give unto you power, that whatsoever ye shall seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and thus shall ye have power among this people.â¹

As the account from the Book of Mormon tells us, the people did not repent. So Nephi asked God to change the seasons. He asked for a miracle to help the people choose to repent because of famine. The famine came. The people repented, and then they begged Nephi to have God send rain. He did ask God, and God honored his unshakable faith.

That faith did not come in the moment when Nephi needed it, nor did Godâs trust in Nephi. He earned that great faith and Godâs confidence by courageous and sustained labor in the Lordâs service. You young men are building that faith now for the days ahead when you will need it.

It may be so small a thing as to keep careful minutes in a deacons or a teachers quorum. There were young men years ago who kept meticulous records of what was decided and what was done by boys only months older than they were. That took faith that God called even 12-year-olds into His service who were being guided by revelation. Some of those quorum secretaries of long ago now sit in the presiding councils of the Church. They now read the minutes others prepare. And revelation flows to them now as it did to the leaders they served when they were boys like you. They had been prepared to trust that God reveals His will, even in apparently small matters, in His kingdom.

Now, the Lord said Nephi could be trusted because he would ask nothing contrary to Godâs will. To have that confidence in Nephi, the Lord had to be sure that Nephi believed in revelation, sought it, and followed it. Long experience following inspiration from God was a part of Nephiâs priesthood preparation. It must be part of yours.

I see that happening today. In recent months I have heard deacons, teachers, and priests give talks which are clearly as inspired and powerful as you will hear in this general conference. As I have felt the power being given to young holders of the priesthood, I have thought that the rising generation is rising around us, as if on an incoming tide. My prayer is that those of us in the generations which have come before will rise on the tide with them. The preparation of the Aaronic Priesthood is a blessing to us all as well as to those they will serve in their generation and the generations to follow.

Yet all is not perfect in Zion. Not all of the youth choose to prepare. That choice must be their own. They are responsible for themselves. That is the Lordâs way in His loving plan. But many young men have little or no support from those who could help as they prepare. Those of us who can help will be held accountable by the Lord. A father who neglects or interferes with a sonâs development of faith or his ability to follow inspiration will someday know sorrow. That will be true for anyone placed in a position to help these young men choose wisely and well in their days in the preparatory priesthood.

Now, the second thing they will need is confidence that they can live up to the blessings and the trust which God has offered them. Most of the influences around them drag them down to doubt the existence of God, of His love for them, and of the reality of the sometimes quiet messages they receive through the Holy Ghost and the Spirit of Christ. Their peers may urge them to choose sin. If young men choose sin, those messages from God will become more faint.

We can help them choose to prepare by loving them, warning them, and by showing confidence in them. But we can help them even more by our example of a faithful and inspired servant. In our families, in quorums, in classes, and as we associate with them in any setting, we can act as true priesthood holders who use its power as God has taught us.

For me, that instruction is most clear in the 121st section of the Doctrine and Covenants. The Lord warns us in that section to have our motives pure: âNo 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.â² As we lead and influence young men, we must never do it to gratify our pride or our ambition. We must never use compulsion in any degree of unrighteousness. That is a high standard of the example we must set for our youth.

I saw it done when I was a teacher and a priest. My bishop and those who served under him were determined not to lose even one of us. As nearly as I could see, their determination was motivated by love for the Lord and for us, not for any selfish purpose.

The bishop had a system. Every adviser of every quorum was to contact every young man he had not spoken to that Sunday. They were not to go to bed until they had either talked to the boy who had been missing, to his parents, or to a close friend. The bishop promised them that he would not turn out his light until he had heard a report about every boy. I donât think he gave them an order. He simply made it clear that he did not expect their lights to go out until they had given that report.

He and those who served under him were doing far more than watching over us. They were showing us by example what it means to care for the Lordâs sheep. No effort was too much for him or for those who served us in our quorums. By their example, they taught us what it means to be unwearying in the Lordâs service. The Lord was preparing us by example.

I have no idea whether they thought any one of us was going to be anything special. But they treated us as if they did by being willing to pay any personal price to keep us from losing faith.

I donât know how the bishop got so many people to have such high expectations. As nearly as I can tell, it was done âby persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned.â The âno lights outâ method the bishop used would not work in some places. But the example of unwavering care for every young man and reaching out quickly brought the power of heaven into our lives. It always will. It helped young men prepare for the days when God needed them in families and in His kingdom.

My father was an example for me of what the Lord teaches in the 121st section about getting heavenâs help in preparing young men. During my early years, he was sometimes disappointed by my performance. He let me know it. Hearing his voice, I could feel he thought I was better than that. But he did it in the Lordâs way: âReproving 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.â³

I knew, even after the most direct correction, that Dadâs reproof was given in love. In fact, his love seemed to increase when he used even his strongest correction, which was a disapproving and disappointed look. He was my leader and my trainer, never using compulsory means, and I am sure that the promise given in the Doctrine and Covenants will be fulfilled for him. His influence on me will flow unto him âforever and ever.â⁴

Many fathers and leaders, when they hear the words of the 121st section of the Doctrine and Covenants, will feel that they must rise higher to come up to that standard. I do. Can you remember a moment when you rebuked a child or youth with sharpness when you were moved by something other than inspiration? Can you remember a time when you told a son to do something or make a sacrifice you were not willing to do or make yourself? Those feelings of regret can spur us to repentance to become more nearly the examples we have covenanted to be.

As we meet our obligations as fathers and leaders, we will help the next generation rise to their glorious future. They will be better than we are, just as you have tried to be even better parents than your parents and better leaders than the great ones who helped you.

It is my prayer that we will be determined to do better every day to prepare the rising generation. Each time I see a bottle of consecrated oil, I will remember this night and the feeling I have now of wanting to do more to help young men prepare for their days of service and opportunity. I pray for a blessing of preparation for them. I am confident that, with the Lordâs help and ours, they will be ready.

I bear you my witness that God the Father lives and that Jesus Christ lives and leads this Church. He is the perfect exemplar of the priesthood. President Thomas S. Monson holds and exercises all the keys of the priesthood on the earth. That is true. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. Helaman 10:4â7.
2. D&C 121:41.
3. D&C 121:43.
4. D&C 121:46.

In our travels visiting Church members throughout the world and by means of established priesthood channels, we receive firsthand feedback on the conditions and challenges of our members. For years many of our members have been affected by worldwide disasters, both natural and man-made. We also understand that families have had to tighten their belts and are concerned about enduring these challenging times.

Brethren, we do feel very close to you. We love you, and we pray always for you. I have seen enough ups and downs throughout my life to know that winter will surely give way to the warmth and hope of a new spring. I am optimistic about the future. Brethren, for our part, we must remain steadfast in hope, work with all our strength, and trust in God.

Lately I have been thinking of a time in my life when the weight of worry and concern over an uncertain future seemed ever present. I was 11 years old and living with my family in the attic of a farmhouse near Frankfurt, Germany. We were refugees for the second time in a period of only a few years, and we were struggling to establish ourselves in a new place far away from our previous home. I could say that we were poor, but that would be an understatement. We all slept in one room that was so tiny there was scarcely space to walk around the beds. In the other small room, we had a few pieces of modest furniture and a stove that Mother used to cook meals on. To get from one room to the other, we had to pass through a storage area where the farmer kept his equipment and tools, along with assorted meats and sausages hanging from the rafters. The aroma always made me very hungry. We had no bathroom, but we did have an outhouseâdown the stairs and some 50 feet (15 m) away, though it seemed much farther during wintertime.

Because I was a refugee and because of my East German accent, other children often made fun of me and called me names that deeply hurt. Of all the times of my youth, I believe this may have been the most discouraging.

Now, decades later, I can look back on those days through the softening filter of experience. Even though I still remember the hurt and despair, I can see now what I was unable to see then: this was a period of great personal growth. During this time, our family bonded together. I watched and learned from my parents. I admired their determination and optimism. From them I learned that adversity, when confronted with faith, courage, and tenacity, could be overcome.

Knowing that some of you are experiencing your own periods of anxiety and despair, I wanted to speak today about two important principles that sustained me through this formative period of my life.

The First Principle: Work

To this day, I am deeply impressed by the way my family worked after having lost everything following World War II! I remember my fatherâa civil servant by education and experienceâtaking on several difficult jobs, among which were coal miner, uranium miner, mechanic, and truck driver. He left early in the morning and often returned late at night in order to support our family. My mother started a laundry and worked countless hours doing menial labor. She enlisted my sister and me in her business. With my bike I became the pickup and delivery service. It felt good to be able to help the family in a small way, and though I did not know it at the time, the physical labor turned out to be a blessing to my health as well.

It wasnât easy, but the work kept us from dwelling too much on the difficulties of our circumstances. Although our situation didnât change overnight, it did change. Thatâs the thing about work. If we simply keep at itâsteady and constantâthings certainly will improve.

How I admire men, women, and children who know how to work! How the Lord loves the laborer! He said, âIn the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread,â¹ and âThe laborer is worthy of his hire.â² He also gave a promise: âThrust in your sickle with all your soul, and your sins are forgiven you.â³ Those who are unafraid to roll up their sleeves and lose themselves in the pursuit of worthwhile goals are a blessing to their families, communities, nations, and to the Church.

The Lord doesnât expect us to work harder than we are able. He doesnât (nor should we) compare our efforts to those of others. Our Heavenly Father asks only that we do the best we canâthat we work according to our full capacity, however great or small that may be.

Work is an antidote for anxiety, an ointment for sorrow, and a doorway to possibility. Whatever our circumstances in life, my dear brethren, let us do the best we can and cultivate a reputation for excellence in all that we do. Let us set our minds and bodies to the glorious opportunity for work that each new day presents.

When our wagon gets stuck in the mud, God is much more likely to assist the man who gets out to push than the man who merely raises his voice in prayerâno matter how eloquent the oration. President Thomas S. Monson put it this way: âIt is not enough to want to make the effort and to say weâll make the effort. . . . Itâs in the doing, not just the thinking, that we accomplish our goals. If we constantly put our goals off, we will never see them fulfilled.â⁴

Work can be ennobling and fulfilling, but remember Jacobâs warning not to âspend . . . your labor for that which cannot satisfy.â⁵ If we devote ourselves to the pursuit of worldly wealth and the glitter of public recognition at the expense of our families and our spiritual growth, we will discover soon enough that we have made a foolâs bargain. The righteous work we do within the walls of our homes is most sacred; its benefits are eternal in nature. It cannot be delegated. It is the foundation of our work as priesthood holders.

Remember, we are only temporary travelers in this world. Let us not devote our God-given talents and energies solely to setting earthly anchors, but rather let us spend our days growing spiritual wings. For, as sons of the Most High God, we were created to soar unto new horizons.

Now, a word to us seasoned brethren: retirement is not part of the Lordâs plan of happiness. There is no sabbatical or retirement program from priesthood responsibilitiesâregardless of age or physical capacity. While the phrase âbeen there, done thatâ may work as an excuse to avoid skateboarding, decline the invitation for a motorbike ride, or bypass the spicy curry at the buffet, it is not an acceptable excuse for avoiding covenant responsibilities to consecrate our time, talents, and resources in the work of the kingdom of God.

There may be those who, after many years of Church service, believe they are entitled to a period of rest while others pull the weight. To put it bluntly, brethren, this sort of thinking is unworthy of a disciple of Christ. A great part of our work on this earth is to endure joyfully to the endâevery day of our life.

Now, a word also to our younger brethren of the Melchizedek Priesthood, who are pursuing the righteous goals of obtaining an education and finding an eternal spouse. These are the correct goals, my brethren, but remember: working diligently in the Lordâs vineyard will greatly upgrade your rÃsumà and increase the probability for success in both of these worthy endeavors.

Whether you are the youngest deacon or the oldest high priest, there is work to do!

The Second Principle: Learn

During the difficult economic conditions of postwar Germany, opportunities for education were not as abundant as they are today. But in spite of limited options, I always felt an eagerness to learn. I remember one day, while I was out on my bike delivering laundry, I entered the home of a classmate of mine. In one of the rooms, two small desks were nestled against the wall. What a wonderful sight that was! How fortunate those children were to have desks of their own! I could imagine them sitting with open books studying their lessons and doing their homework. It seemed to me that having a desk of my own would be the most wonderful thing in the world.

I had to wait a long time before that wish was fulfilled. Years later, I got a job at a research institution that had a large library. I remember spending much of my free time in that library. There I could finally sit at a deskâby myselfâand drink in the information and knowledge that books provide. How I loved to read and learn! In those days I understood firsthand the words of an old saying: Education is not so much the filling of a bucket as the lighting of a fire.

For members of the Church, education is not merely a good ideaâitâs a commandment. We are to learn âof things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad.â⁶

Joseph Smith loved learning even though he had few opportunities for formal education. In his journals, he spoke happily of days spent in study and often expressed his love of learning.⁷

Joseph taught the Saints that knowledge was a necessary part of our mortal journey, for âa man is saved no faster than he [gains] knowledge,â⁸ and that âwhatever principle of intelligence we attain . . . in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.â⁹ During challenging times, it is even more important to learn. The Prophet Joseph taught, âKnowledge does away with darkness, [anxiety], and doubt; for these cannot exist where knowledge is.â¹⁰

Brethren, you have a duty to learn as much as you can. Please encourage your families, your quorum members, everyone to learn and become better educated. If formal education is not available, do not allow that to prevent you from acquiring all the knowledge you can. Under such circumstances, the best books, in a sense, can become your âuniversityââa classroom that is always open and admits all who apply. Strive to increase your knowledge of all that is âvirtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy.â¹¹ Seek knowledge âby study and also by faith.â¹² Seek with a humble spirit and contrite heart.¹³ As you apply the spiritual dimension of faith to your studyâeven of temporal thingsâyou can amplify your intellectual capacity, for âif your eye be single to [Godâs] glory, your whole [body] shall be filled with light, . . . and [comprehend] all things.â¹⁴

In our learning, let us not neglect the fountain of revelation. The scriptures and the words of modern-day apostles and prophets are the sources of wisdom, divine knowledge, and personal revelation to help us find answers to all the challenges in life. Let us learn of Christ; let us seek out that knowledge which leads to peace, truth, and the sublime mysteries of eternity.¹⁵

Conclusion

Brethren, I think back on that 11-year-old boy in Frankfurt, Germany, who worried about his future and felt the lasting sting of unkind remarks. I remember this time with a sort of sad fondness. While I would not be eager to relive those days of trial and trouble, I have little doubt that the lessons I learned were a necessary preparation for future opportunity. Now, many years later, I know this for a certainty: it is often in the trial of adversity that we learn those most critical lessons that form our character and shape our destiny.

I pray that during the coming months and years we can fill our hours and days with righteous work. I pray that we will seek to learn and improve our minds and hearts by drinking deeply from the pure fountains of truth. I leave you my love and blessings in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. Genesis 3:19.
2. D&C 84:79.
3. D&C 31:5.
4. Thomas S. Monson, âA Royal Priesthood,â Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2007, 59.
5. 2 Nephi 9:51.
6. See D&C 88:79â80.
7. See Journals, Volume 1: 1832â1839, vol. 1 of the Journals series of The Joseph Smith Papers, ed. Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman (2008), 84, 135, 164.
8. Joseph Smith, in History of the Church, 4:588.
9. See D&C 130:18â19.
10. Joseph Smith, in History of the Church, 5:340.
11. Articles of Faith 1:13.
12. D&C 109:7.
13. See D&C 136:33.
14. D&C 88:67.
15. See D&C 42:61.

I would like to tell you about a group of loud young men who came into my life when I was a young bishop in Seoul, Korea, many years ago. These were boys who lived in the neighborhood. Only one or two of them were members of the Church at the time. The boys who were members were the only members in their family. They were all friends, and they came to the church to play and to be together. They liked to play Ping-Pong during the weekdays, and they liked to have fun activities on Saturdays. Most of them were not good students in school and were considered by many to be troublemakers.

I was a young father of two sons, who were seven and nine years old at the time. I did not know what I could do for these young men. They were so rowdy that once my wife, Bon-Kyoung, asked me if we could move to another ward so that our sons could see good examples from other young men. I pondered and prayed to Heavenly Father to help me to find the way to help these young men. Finally I made the decision to try and teach them how they could change their lives.

A vision came upon my mind very clearly. I felt that if they were to become missionaries, their lives would be changed. From that moment on, I became very excited, and I tried to spend as much time as possible with them, teaching them the importance of missionary service and how to prepare for a mission.

At that time, Elder Seo, a full-time missionary, was transferred to our ward. He was one who had grown up in the Church and as an Aaronic Priesthood youth had participated in a young menâs singing group with his friends. He met those boisterous boys in our ward. Elder Seo taught those who were not members the missionary discussions, and he also taught them the songs he used to sing. He made a triple quartet with those loud boys and named them the Hanaro Quartet, which means âbe as one.â They were happy to sing together, but we all needed âbigâ patience when we listened to their singing.

Our home was open to the members anytime they wanted to visit. The boys visited our home almost every weekend and even on some weekdays. We fed them and taught them. We taught them the principles of the gospel as well as the application of the gospel in their lives. We tried to give them a vision of their future life.

They sang together every time they came to our home. Their loud sound hurt our ears. But we always praised them because listening to them sing was far more enjoyable than seeing them get into trouble.

Through the years these activities continued. Most of these young men matured in the gospel, and a miracle happened. Over time, nine of the boys who were not members were baptized. They changed from loud, rowdy boys into valiant stripling warriors.¹

They served missions, met beautiful young sisters in the Church, and married in the temple. Of course, there were different challenges for each of them as they served missions, attended school, and got married, but they all stayed faithful because they wanted to obey their leaders and please the Lord. Now they have happy families with children born in the covenant.

Nine loud boys have become 45 active members in the Lordâs kingdom, including their wives and children. They are now leaders in their wards and stakes. One is a bishop, two serve in bishoprics, one is serving on the high council, and two are Young Men presidents. There is a ward mission leader, an executive secretary, and a seminary teacher. As a group, they still sing together, and the other miracleâthey actually sound good!

There are two basic principles that helped these young men become like the sons of Helaman.² Even though the boysâ mothers were not members of the Church and did not understand the words of the Lord, priesthood leaders became like their fathers, and leadersâ wives became like their mothers.

These nine boysâI call them the âBoys of the Lordââlearned that they would be blessed when they listened to the Church leaders, even though they didnât always understand why. They became like Adam, our first father, who when he made an offering to the Lord was asked by an angel, âWhy dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me.â³ They became anxious to be obedient and to serve the Lord with their whole hearts.

They also learned that attending their Church meetings was very important. President Ezra Taft Benson said in his speech entitled âTo the âYouth of the Noble Birthrightâ â: âMay I now direct your attention to the importance of attending all of your Church meetings. Faithful attendance at Church meetings brings blessings you can receive in no other way.â⁴ As they attended their Church meetings regularly, the boys felt the great love of the Lord and learned how to apply the doctrines and principles of the Church in their own daily lives. They also learned how to participate in meetings with great joy and happiness.

Now, we have three of our own sons, including our youngest, who was born during the time I served as bishop. As our sons grew, those nine boys became the leaders of the ward and the stake, and they became the teachers and leaders of our sons. They taught our boys and other boys in the same way I taught them when they were troublemakers. They loved our young boys in the same way I loved them. These loud, rowdy boys of the past became our childrenâs heroes. Our sons liked to follow their great examples of becoming wonderful missionaries and getting married to righteous companions in the temple.

These young men continue to influence our family. Two months ago our ward had a missionary activity on a Saturday evening, inviting everyone, including part-member families. Our youngest son, Sun-Yoon, had just come back from a youth camp in the afternoon of that same day. He said he was not going to the missionary activity because he was not a member of a part-member family and he was so tired. He didnât come to the activity. My wife called him on the phone to explain that everyone was invited to the activity. He said, âI know, but I am not coming today,â and hung up.

Right after the meeting started that evening, Sun-Yoon came in and sat by his mother very quietly. He whispered to her, saying, âRight after I hung up the phone, I remembered asking Dad what made the Hanaro Quartet so successful in their lives. He told me that they obeyed the words of the Church leaders and that they regularly attended the meetings of the Church. That was the key that changed their lives and made them so successful.â My son continued, âAll of a sudden, the words of my father came into my mind, and I decided to follow them because I want to have a happy family like theirs and to be successful in my life.â

Dear brethren, let us love our boysâalthough some of them are loud boys. Let us teach them to change their lives. Modern sons of Helaman come not only from our precious families within the Church but also from new and young converts who do not have parents in the gospel. You and your wives are to be their âgoodly parentsâ⁵ until they become like the sons of Helaman.

I am so pleased and happy to see your constant loving leadership for our young boys. These young men are all of our sons. As we reach out to them, lift them, and help them, we will feel like John, who said, âI have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.â⁶

Dear young men, let us obey the leaders of the Church and be like Adam, who didnât always have to know the reason why but was just happy to be obedient. And please faithfully attend your Church meetings. If you do this, you will learn how to prepare for your future, and you will be successful. To young boys who were born in the Church and also to those who have joined the Church, you are the army of the Lord. You will become wonderful missionaries and righteous fathers to your families. Heavenly Father will bless you to have a happy family. You have a bright future in the gospel, and like the sons of Helaman, you will bring eternal joy to all of us.

I love you, and I know that our Heavenly Father loves all of us, so He sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as our Redeemer. President Thomas S. Monson is our living prophet, who leads us in the right way. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. See Alma 53:20â22.
2. See Alma 56:10.
3. Moses 5:6.
4. Ezra Taft Benson, âTo the âYouth of the Noble Birthright,â â Ensign, May 1986, 44; emphasis added.
5. 1 Nephi 1:1.
6. 3 John 1:4.

Many years ago a certain group of worthy priesthood holders taught with great power and authority. One of them was so powerful that it was impossible not to believe his words.¹ These priesthood holders helped the people learn about the Savior and His doctrine and helped them find happiness. Their teachings and examples provided a means whereby the people experienced a mighty change of heart. We learn that thousands were led by them to be baptized and make covenants to endure to the end.² I am speaking about the great Book of Mormon missionaries who were powerful priesthood holders.

We can learn a great deal from these children of Lehi. By doing what they did, we can become more powerful in blessing the lives of our Heavenly Fatherâs sons and daughters, more powerful in serving others, more powerful in rescuing others, and more powerful in becoming more Christlike men.

Alma the Younger teaches us one of the things they did to become so successful: they used the records from which the Book of Mormon was taken. When he gave the record that would eventually become the Book of Mormon to his son Helaman, he taught that without these plates, âAmmon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands . . . ; yea, these records and their words brought them unto repentance.â³

God showed His power through the plates by fulfilling one purpose, âeven . . . the restoration of many thousands . . . to the knowledge of the truth.â Alma then prophesied that God would âstill show forth his power in them unto future generations.â⁴ Thus, the records were preserved, and you and I are part of those future generations. Just as in the days of old, we can be more powerful priesthood holders by using the Book of Mormon.

The process of bringing to light the Book of Mormon cannot be compared to any literary work by any author in human history. We could say that it is a book that was shepherded by the very finger of our God. During His visit to the ancient Americas, the Lord asked Nephi to bring the records that they were keeping and place them before Him. Jesus then looked at them and commanded that certain events and passages be added.⁵ âAnd [the Savior] saith: These scriptures, which ye had not with you, the Father commanded that I should give unto you; for it was wisdom in him that they should be given unto future generations.â⁶ I feel everlasting gratitude to belong to those future generations. I am a member of the Church thanks to the Book of Mormon. I will never forget my feelings when, as a young boy in Uruguay, I read this sacred book for the very first time. I did not have to read much in 1 Nephi to experience such a joy that it cannot be expressed with words. It was as if the book was permeated with the Spirit of the Lord and made me feel closer to God.

This experience added meaning to the statement made by the Prophet Joseph Smith about this book when he declared that âa man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.â⁷ I also recognize the relevance of President Thomas S. Monsonâs promise when he said that âas we read the Book of Mormon and the other standard works, as we put the teachings to the test, then we will know of the doctrine, for this is our promise; we will know whether it be of man or whether it be of God.â⁸

These promises bring us joy now and in our future. Once I received a testimony of the Book of Mormon, the natural feeling that followed was a desire to apply the teachings of the book by making covenants. I made covenants by being baptized and confirmed a member of the Church. These covenants, made through priesthood ordinances, along with knowledge gained from the Book of Mormon changed my life.

It is not surprising that when the Savior visited the ancient Americas, besides teaching doctrine, He gave Nephi and others the power to baptize.⁹ In other words, the doctrine and the ordinances stood side by side. The full application of the teachings of the Book of Mormon does require priesthood ordinances with their associated covenants.

There are books that are released to the market and quickly become best sellers. Sometimes they generate so much interest that people eagerly await their release. Such books seem to flood the market right away, and you can see people reading them everywhere. God, in His infinite wisdom, reserved the Book of Mormon for our benefit. Its purpose is not to become a best seller. Nevertheless, we can turn this sacred book into a best-read and best-applied book in our life. Let me suggest three activities that can help us turn the Book of Mormon into the best-read and best-applied book, which will empower us today to become more powerful priesthood holders, even as those in ancient times.

First, feast upon the words of Christ. We must read the Book of Mormon in order to âfeast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.â¹⁰ Feasting upon the words of Christ is a unique experience. When we read and look for principles and doctrines that will help us in our daily lives, we will have a renewed enthusiasm. For example, when the rising generation faces challenges in coping with peer pressure, we can read the book looking specifically for teachings that will help them with this kind of challenge. One of those teachings could be taken from Lemuelâs experience. Lemuel made some wrong choices because he yielded to Lamanâs pressure.¹¹ He did not do the right thing because he âknew not the dealings of that God who had created them.â¹² A principle that we can draw from this incident is that learning doctrine about how God deals with us will help us to cope with peer pressure. The Book of Mormon has more teachings and examples about this topic, and we are the generations who can benefit from the teachings of this book.

Second, apply in our lives all that we learn about Christ. Reading the Book of Mormon and looking for attributes of Christ is a great edifying experience. For instance, the brother of Jared recognized that the Lord was a God of truth; therefore, He could not lie.¹³ What great hope this attribute brings to my soul! All the promises in the Book of Mormon and the promises given by the living prophets today will be fulfilled because He is God and cannot lie. Even in these turbulent times, we know that things will be OK if we follow the teachings learned from the Book of Mormon and the living prophets. Once we learn about an attribute of Christ, such as the one recognized by the brother of Jared, we should work to implement it in our own life. This will help us to become more powerful priesthood holders.

Third, teach the doctrine and principles found in the sacred pages of the Book of Mormon. We can teach anyone from this book. Can you imagine the additional âconvincing power of Godâ¹⁴ when missionaries and family members quote, read, or repeat by heart the bookâs very words?

I remember a mission in Ecuador whose missionaries used the Book of Mormon in all their comings and goings. Because of them, thousands experienced a mighty change of heart and decided to enter into covenants through sacred priesthood ordinances. The Book of Mormon is a golden instrument in finding and converting the honest seekers of truth and in rescuing many of our brothers and sisters back into gospel activity.

I know that families will be fortified by implementing the teachings of this great book in their lives. Many of our children will be saved because they will remember, as Enos did, the words which he had often heard his father speak concerning eternal life, and because of this, he came to know that his sins were forgiven through the Atonement of Christ.¹⁵

You and I, as part of those future generations spoken about, can be more powerful priesthood holders by using the Book of Mormon and honoring our priesthood covenants. The Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus Christ, of whom I also testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. See 3 Nephi 7:18.
2. See Alma 23:5â6.
3. Alma 37:9.
4. Alma 37:19.
5. See 3 Nephi 23:6â14.
6. 3 Nephi 26:2.
7. Introduction to the Book of Mormon.
8. Thomas S. Monson, âDecisions Determine Destiny,â New Era, Nov. 1979, 5.
9. See 3 Nephi 11:18â22.
10. 2 Nephi 32:3.
11. See 1 Nephi 3:28.
12. 1 Nephi 2:12.
13. See Ether 3:12.
14. 3 Nephi 28:29.
15. See Enos 1:3â5, 10.

It is a wonderful sight to see all of you fathers sitting shoulder to shoulder with your sons to listen to the teachings of the Lord and receive counsel from the General Authorities of the Church. It is always a joy to be united with men and young men of the priesthood, but there is something special about seeing fathers and sons here together. It is a visual reminder of two of the most powerful elements of our theology: priesthood and family. The priesthood is the divine power through which families are sealed together forever. Everything in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, including the ordinances of the holy temple, is focused on the possibilities of families becoming part of the eternal family of God.

Tonight I want to talk to you fathers and sons about how you talk to each other. There is no other relationship quite like that which can and should exist between a boy and his dad. It can be one of the most nurturing, joyful relationships in life, one that can have a profound impact on who boys become and also on who dads become. Now, I understand that some of you young men do not have fathers with whom you can have these kinds of conversations. And some of you men do not have sons or have lost your sons to accident or illness. But much of what I say tonight will apply to uncles and grandfathers and priesthood leaders and other mentors who sometimes fill the gaps for these significant father-son relationships.

You see, weâre all on a journey. Dads are a little further down the road, but none of us has yet arrived at our final destination. We are all in the process of becoming who we will one day be. Fathers and sons can play a critical role in helping each other become the best that they can be.

I know that father-son relationships are never perfect, but everything I am going to suggest to you tonight is possible if you will put in the effort to make it happen.

Young men, you are your fatherâs pride and joy. In you they see a promising future and their hope for a better, improved version of themselves. Your accomplishments are a joy to them. Your worries and problems are their worries and problems.

Fathers, you are the primary model of manhood for your sons. You are their most meaningful mentor, and believe it or not, you are their hero in countless ways. Your words and your example are a great influence on them.

Tonight I want to give you young men three simple suggestions on how to take full advantage of your relationship with your dad. And then I want to give you fathers three suggestions about relating to and communicating with your sons.

To you Aaronic Priesthood holders, I believe that by doing these three simple things you can make your relationship with your father even better than it is right now.

First, trust your father. He is not perfect, but he loves you and would never do anything he didnât think was in your best interest. So talk to him. Share your thoughts and feelings, your dreams and your fears. The more he knows about your life, the better chance he has to understand your concerns and to give you good counsel. When you put your trust in your dad, he will feel the responsibility of that trust and try harder than ever to understand and to help. As your father, he is entitled to inspiration on your behalf. His advice to you will be the heartfelt expressions of someone who knows and loves you. Your dad wants more than anything for you to be happy and successful, so why would you not want to trust someone like that? Boys, trust your dad.

Second, take an interest in your fatherâs life. Ask about his job, his interests, his goals. How did he decide to do the work that he does? What was he like when he was your age? How did he meet your mother? And as you learn more about him, you may find that his experiences help you to better understand why he responds the way that he does. Watch your dad. Watch how he treats your mother. Watch how he performs his Church callings. Watch how he interacts with other people. You will be surprised what you learn about him just by watching him and listening to him. Think about what you donât know about him and find out. Your love, admiration, and understanding will increase by what you learn. Boys, be interested in your dadâs life.

And third, ask your father for advice. Letâs be honest: he is probably going to give you his advice whether you ask for it or not, but it just works so much better when you ask! Ask for his advice on Church activity, on classes, on friends, on school, on dating, on sports or other hobbies. Ask for his counsel on your Church assignments, on preparing for your mission, on decisions or choices you have to make. Nothing shows respect for another person as much as asking for his advice, because what you are really saying when you ask for advice is, âI appreciate what you know and the experiences you have had, and I value your ideas and suggestions.â Those are nice things for a father to hear from his son.

In my experience, fathers who are asked for advice try harder to give good, sound, useful counsel. By asking your father for advice, you not only receive the benefit of his input, but you also provide him with a little extra motivation to strive to be a better father and a better man. He will think more carefully about whatever it is that he advises, and he will work harder to âwalk the talk.â Young men, ask your dad for advice!

OK, fathers, now itâs your turn. Letâs talk about some things you can do to enhance your relationship with your sons. You will notice that there is some linkage between the three suggestions I am going to give you and the suggestions I just gave your sons. That isnât coincidental.

First, fathers, listen to your sonsâreally listen to them. Ask the right kind of questions, and listen to what your sons have to say each time you have a few minutes together. You need to knowânot to guess but to knowâwhat is going on in your sonâs life. Donât assume that you know how he feels just because you were young once. Your sons live in a very different world from the one in which you grew up. As they share with you whatâs going on, you will have to listen very carefully and without being judgmental in order to understand what they are thinking and experiencing.

Find your own best way to connect. Some fathers like to take their sons fishing or to a sporting event. Others like to go on a quiet drive or work side by side in the yard. Some find their sons enjoy conversations at night just before going to bed. Do whatever works best for you. A one-on-one relationship should be a routine part of your stewardship with your sons. Every father needs at least one focused, quality conversation with his sons every month during which they talk about specific things such as school, friends, feelings, video games, text messaging, worthiness, faith, and testimony. Where or when this happens isnât nearly as important as the fact that it happens.

And oh, how fathers need to listen. Remember, conversation where you do 90 percent of the talking is not a conversation. Use the word âfeelâ as often as you comfortably can in your discussions with your sons. Ask: âHow do you feel about what youâre learning in that class?â âHow do you feel about what your friend said?â âHow do you feel about your priesthood and the Church?â

Donât think you have to try to fix everything or solve everything during these visits. Most of the time, the best thing you can do is just listen. Fathers who listen more than they talk find that their sons share more about what is really going on in their lives. Dads, listen to your sons.

Second, pray with and for your sons. Give them priesthood blessings. A son who is worried about a big exam or a special event will surely benefit from a fatherâs priesthood blessing. Occasions like the start of a new school year, a birthday, or as he begins to date may be opportune times to call upon the Lord to bless your son. One-on-one prayer and the sharing of testimonies can draw you closer to each other as well as closer to the Lord.

I am mindful that many of you fathers suffer heartache over sons who have strayed and are being captured by the world, just as Alma and Mosiah worried about their sons. Continue to do all you can to maintain strong family relationships. Never give up, even when fervent prayer in their behalf is all you can do. These precious sons of yours are your sons forever! Fathers, pray with and bless your sons.

Third, dare to have the âbig talksâ with your sons. You know what I mean: talks about drugs and drinking, about the dangers of todayâs mediaâthe Internet, cyber technologies, and pornographyâand about priesthood worthiness, respect for girls, and moral cleanliness. While these should not be the only subjects you talk about with your sons, please donât shy away from them. Your boys need your counsel, guidance, and input on these subjects. As you talk about these very important matters, you will find that the trust between you will flourish.

I am especially concerned that we communicate openly and clearly with our sons about sexual matters. Your sons are growing up in a world that openly embraces and flaunts early, casual, and thoughtless promiscuity. Your sons simply cannot avoid the blatant sexual imagery, messages, and enticements that are all around them. Fathers and Church leaders need to have open and frequent discussions that teach and clarify how young men of the priesthood handle this issue. Be positive about how wonderful and beautiful physical intimacy can be when it happens within the bounds the Lord has set, including temple covenants and commitments of eternal marriage. Studies show that the biggest deterrent to casual sexual activity is a wholesome attitude that connects such personal relationships with genuine commitment and mature love. Fathers, if you have not had this âbig talkâ with your sons, please do so, and do it soon.

Now, in closing, I want to talk to all of you returned missionaries. Everything that I have said tonight also applies to you. Trust your father. You can be closer to him now than ever before regardless of what your relationship was like before your mission. During the next few years, you will make the most important decisions of your life. Along with prayer to your Heavenly Father, advice from your earthly father can help you make those decisions concerning your education, career choice, and marriage. The most important decision you will make in this life is the decision to marry the right girl in the temple! While no one should rush this significant decision, all returned missionaries should be working on it. Be where you can meet the right kind of friends. And go on dates. Hanging out is not the way, nor is it enough! Courting seems to be a lost art. Rediscover it. It really works! Ask your fathersâthey know! Do not drift to the ways of the world. Rather, maintain the dignity and the Spirit you enjoyed on your mission. The Church will need your leadership in the future.

And fathers, the three suggestions I made to you moments ago absolutely apply to your relationships with your returned missionary sons. Listen to them, and connect with them in regular, focused conversation. Talk with them in depth about their feelings and desires. Pray with them, and give them blessings as they face the important decisions in their future.

Iâm grateful for my sons and my sons-in-law, who have taught me so much, and I pray now that our Heavenly Father will bless all of us as fathers and sons that we will honor our priesthood and that we will love one another by making relationships with each other one of the great, eternal priorities of our lives. I so pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

No Father would send His children off to a distant, dangerous land for a lifetime of testing where Lucifer was known to roam free without first providing them with a personal power of protection. He would also supply them with means to communicate with Him from Father to child and from child to Father. Every child of our Father sent to earth is provided with the Spirit of Christ, or the Light of Christ.¹ We are, none of us, left here alone without hope of guidance and redemption.

The Restoration began with the prayer of a 14-year-old boy and a vision of the Father and the Son. The dispensation of the fulness of times was ushered in.

The Restoration of the gospel brought knowledge of the premortal existence. From the scriptures, we know of the Council in Heaven and the decision to send the sons and daughters of God into mortality to receive a body and to be tested.² We are children of God. We have a spirit body housed, for now, in an earthly tabernacle of flesh. The scriptures say, âKnow ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?â (1 Corinthians 3:16).

As children of God, we learn we are part of His âgreat plan of happinessâ (Alma 42:8).

We know that there was a War in Heaven and Lucifer and those who followed him were cast out without bodies:

âSatan, that old serpent, even the devil, . . . rebelled against God, and sought to take the kingdom of our God and his Christâ

âWherefore, he maketh war with the saints of God, and encompasseth them round aboutâ (D&C 76:28â29).

We were given our agency.³ We must use it wisely and remain close to the Spirit; otherwise, we foolishly find ourselves yielding to the enticements of the adversary. We know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ our mistakes can be washed clean, and our mortal body will be restored to its perfect frame.

âFor behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of Godâ (Moroni 7:16).

There is a perfect manner of communication through the Spirit, âfor the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of Godâ (1 Corinthians 2:10).

Following baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there comes a second ordinance: âLaying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghostâ (Articles of Faith 1:4).

That sweet, quiet voice of inspiration comes more as a feeling than it does as a sound. Pure intelligence can be spoken into the mind. The Holy Ghost communicates with our spirits through the mind more than through the physical senses.⁴ This guidance comes as thoughts, as feelings through promptings and impressions.⁵ We may feel the words of spiritual communication more than hear them and see with spiritual rather than with mortal eyes.⁶

I served for many years in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles with Elder LeGrand Richards. He died at the age of 96. He told us that as a boy of 12 he attended a great general conference in the Tabernacle. There he heard President Wilford Woodruff.

President Woodruff told of an experience of being prompted by the Spirit. He was sent by the First Presidency to âgather all the Saints of God in New England and Canada and bring them to Zion.â⁷

He stopped at the home of one of the brethren in Indiana and put his carriage in the yard, where he and his wife and one child went to bed while the rest of the family slept in the house. Shortly after he had retired for the night, the Spirit whispered, warning him, âGet up, and move your carriage.â He got up and moved the carriage a distance from where it had stood. As he was returning to bed, the Spirit spoke to him again: âGo and move your mules away from that oak tree.â He did this and then retired once again to bed.

Not more than 30 minutes later, a whirlwind caught the tree to which his mules had been tied and broke it off at the ground. It was carried 100 yards (90 m) through two fences. The enormous tree, which had a trunk five feet (1.5 m) in circumference, fell exactly upon the spot where his carriage had been parked. By listening to the promptings of the Spirit, Elder Woodruff had saved his life and the lives of his wife and child.⁸

That same Spirit can prompt you and protect you.

When I was first called as a General Authority nearly 50 years ago, we lived on a very small plot of ground in Utah Valley that we called our farm. We had a cow and a horse and chickens and lots of children.

One Saturday, I was to drive to the airport for a flight to a stake conference in California. But the cow was expecting a calf and in trouble. The calf was born, but the cow could not get up. We called the veterinarian, who soon came. He said the cow had swallowed a wire and would not live through the day.

I copied the telephone number of the animal by-products company so my wife could call them to come and get the cow as soon as she died.

Before I left, we had our family prayer. Our little boy said our prayer. After he had asked Heavenly Father to âbless Daddy in his travels and bless us all,â he then started an earnest plea. He said, âHeavenly Father, please bless Bossy cow so that she will get to be all right.â

In California, I told of the incident and said, âHe must learn that we do not get everything we pray for just that easily.â

There was a lesson to be learned, but it was I who learned it, not my son. When I returned Sunday night, Bossy had âgot to be all right.â

This process is not reserved for the prophets alone. The gift of the Holy Ghost operates equally with men, women, and even little children. It is within this wondrous gift and power that the spiritual remedy to any problem can be found.

âAnd now, he imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea, not only men but women also. Now this is not all; little children do have words given unto them many times, which confound the wise and the learnedâ (Alma 32:23).

The Lord has many ways of pouring knowledge into our minds to prompt us, to guide us, to teach us, to correct us, to warn us. The Lord said, âI will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heartâ (D&C 8:2).

And Enos recorded, âWhile I was thus struggling in the spirit, behold, the voice of the Lord came into my mind againâ (Enos 1:10).

You can know the things you need to know. Pray that you will learn to receive that inspiration and remain worthy to receive it. Keep that channelâyour mindâclean and free from the clutter of the world.

Elder Graham W. Doxey, who once served in the Second Quorum of the Seventy, told me of an experience. His mother, who was later a counselor in the Primary general presidency, also told me of this experience.

During World War II, he was in the navy posted to China. He and several others went by train to the city of Tientsin to look around.

Later they boarded a train to return to their base, but after more than an hour, the train turned north. They were on the wrong train! They spoke no Chinese. They pulled the emergency cord and stopped the train. They were put off somewhere in the countryside with nothing to do but walk back to the city.

After walking for some time, they found a small pump-handle car, the kind that the railroad workers use. They set it in the rails and began to pump their way along the tracks. It would coast downhill, but it had to be pushed uphill.

As they came to one steep downhill slope, they scrambled aboard the car and began to coast. Graham was the last to get aboard. The only place left for him was in the front of the car. He ran alongside and finally climbed aboard. As he did so, he slipped and fell. He was bouncing on his back with his feet against the car to keep from being run over. As the car quickly gained speed, he heard his motherâs voice say, âBud, you be careful!â

He wore heavy military boots. His foot slipped, and the thick sole of his boot caught in a gear of a wheel and stopped the car just one foot (30 cm) from his hand.

His parents, who were presiding over the East Central States Mission at the time, were sleeping in a hotel room. His mother sat up at about 2:00 in the morning and awakened her husband: âBudâs in trouble!â They knelt by the bed and prayed for the safety of their boy.

The next letter he received said, âBud, whatâs wrong? What happened to you?â

He then wrote to tell them what had happened. When they compared times, at the very time he was bouncing along that track, his parents were on their knees in the hotel room half a world away, praying for his safety.

These experiences of prompting and prayer are not uncommon in the Church. They are part of the revelation our Heavenly Father has provided for us.

One of the adversaryâs sharpest tools is to convince us that we are no longer worthy to pray. No matter who you are or what you may have done, you can always pray.

The Prophet Joseph Smith promised that âall beings who have bodies have power over those who have not.â⁹

When temptation comes, you can invent a delete key in your mindâperhaps the words from a favorite hymn. Your mind is in charge; your body is the instrument of your mind. When some unworthy thought pushes into your mind, replace it with your delete key. Worthy music is powerful and can help you control your thoughts.¹⁰

When Oliver Cowdery failed in an attempt to translate, the Lord told him:

âBehold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.

âBut, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

âBut if it be not right you shall have no such feelingsâ (D&C 9:7â9).

That principle is illustrated by the story of a little girl. She was upset with her brother, who built a trap to catch sparrows.

Unable to get help, she said to herself, âWell, Iâll pray about it.â

After her prayer, the little girl told her mother, âI know he is not going to catch any sparrows in his trap because I prayed about it. Iâm positive he wonât catch any sparrows!â

Her mother said, âHow can you be so sure?â

She said, âAfter I prayed about it, I went out and kicked that old trap all to pieces!â

Pray even if you are young and wayward like the prophet Alma or have a closed mind like Amulek, who âknew concerning these things, yet . . . would not knowâ (Alma 10:6).

Learn to pray. Pray often. Pray in your mind, in your heart. Pray on your knees. Prayer is your personal key to heaven. The lock is on your side of the veil. And I have learned to conclude all my prayers with âThy will be doneâ (Matthew 6:10; see also Luke 11:2; 3 Nephi 13:10).

Do not expect to be free entirely from trouble and disappointment and pain and discouragement, for these are the things that we were sent to earth to endure.

Someone wrote:

With thoughtless and impatient hands
We tangle up the plans
The Lord hath wrought.
And when we cry in pain He saith,
âBe quiet, man, while I untie the knot.â¹¹

The scriptures promise, âThere hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear itâ (1 Corinthians 10:13).

The Savior said, âDraw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto youâ (D&C 88:63).

We began this session of conference with the sustaining of the authorities. The first one sustained was Thomas S. Monson as President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know President Monson, I think, as well as any man on earth knows him, and I want to bear a special witness that he was âcalled of God, by prophecyâ (Articles of Faith 1:5). He needs our prayersâand his wife, Frances, and their familyâin the tremendous load that is upon him.

I pray that he will be sustained in body and in mind and in spirit and that it will be obvious to the Church, as it is obvious to those who are very close to him, that he was âcalled of God, by prophecy.â Then, âby the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereofâ (Articles of Faith 1:5), he was installed in his office.

May the Lord bless us and sustain President Monson and his family in every way that will be needful to carry on the great work that is upon his shoulders. I bear that witness and invoke that blessing as a servant of the Lord and in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. See D&C 84:46.
2. See D&C 138:56; see also Romans 8:16.
3. See D&C 101:78.
4. See 1 Corinthians 2:14; D&C 8:2; 9:8â9.
5. See D&C 11:13; 100:5.
6. See 1 Nephi 17:45.
7. See Wilford Woodruff, in Conference Report, Apr. 1898, 30; âRemarks,â Deseret Weekly, Sept. 5, 1891, 323.
8. See Wilford Woodruff, Leaves from My Journal (1881), 88.
9. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 211.
10. See D&C 25:12.
11. Author unknown, in Jack M. Lyon and others, eds., Best-Loved Poems of the LDS People (1996), 304.

My brothers and sisters, it has been six months since my call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. To now serve with men who have long been my examples and teachers remains a very humbling experience. I deeply appreciate your prayers and sustaining vote. For me, this has been a time of fervent prayer, of earnestly seeking the acceptance of the Lord. I have felt His love in sacred and unforgettable ways. I testify that He lives and that this is His holy work.

We love President Thomas S. Monson, the Lordâs prophet. I will forever remember his kindness as he extended my call last April. At the conclusion of our interview, he opened his arms to embrace me. President Monson is a tall man. As he wrapped his long arms around me and pulled me close, I felt like a little boy being held in the protective arms of a loving father.

In the months since that experience, I have thought of the Lordâs invitation to come unto Him and to spiritually be wrapped in His arms. He said, âBehold, [my arms] of mercy [are] extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.â¹

The scriptures speak of His arms being open,² extended,³ stretched out,⁴ and encircling.⁵ They are described as mighty⁶ and holy,⁷ arms of mercy,⁸ arms of safety,⁹ arms of love,¹⁰ âlengthened out all the day long.â¹¹

We have each felt to some extent these spiritual arms around us. We have felt His forgiveness, His love and comfort. The Lord has said, âI am he [who] comforteth you.â¹²

The Lordâs desire that we come unto Him and be wrapped in His arms is often an invitation to repent. âBehold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.â¹³

When we sin, we turn away from God. When we repent, we turn back toward God.

The invitation to repent is rarely a voice of chastisement but rather a loving appeal to turn around and to âre-turnâ toward God.¹⁴ It is the beckoning of a loving Father and His Only Begotten Son to be more than we are, to reach up to a higher way of life, to change, and to feel the happiness of keeping the commandments. Being disciples of Christ, we rejoice in the blessing of repenting and the joy of being forgiven. They become part of us, shaping the way we think and feel.

Among the tens of thousands listening to this conference, there are many degrees of personal worthiness and righteousness. Yet repentance is a blessing to all of us. We each need to feel the Saviorâs arms of mercy through the forgiveness of our sins.

Years ago, I was asked to meet with a man who, long before our visit, had had a period of riotous living. As a result of his bad choices, he lost his membership in the Church. He had long since returned to the Church and was faithfully keeping the commandments, but his previous actions haunted him. Meeting with him, I felt his shame and his deep remorse at having set his covenants aside. Following our interview, I placed my hands upon his head to give him a priesthood blessing. Before speaking a word, I felt an overpowering sense of the Saviorâs love and forgiveness for him. Following the blessing, we embraced and the man wept openly.

I am amazed at the Saviorâs encircling arms of mercy and love for the repentant, no matter how selfish the forsaken sin. I testify that the Savior is able and eager to forgive our sins. Except for the sins of those few who choose perdition after having known a fulness, there is no sin that cannot be forgiven.¹⁵ What a marvelous privilege for each of us to turn away from our sins and to come unto Christ. Divine forgiveness is one of the sweetest fruits of the gospel, removing guilt and pain from our hearts and replacing them with joy and peace of conscience. Jesus declares, âWill ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?â¹⁶

Some listening today may need âa mighty change [of] heartâ¹⁷ to confront serious sins. The help of a priesthood leader might be necessary. For most, repenting is quiet and quite private, daily seeking the Lordâs help to make needed changes.

For most, repentance is more a journey than a one-time event. It is not easy. To change is difficult. It requires running into the wind, swimming upstream. Jesus said, âIf any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.â¹⁸ Repentance is turning away from some things, such as dishonesty, pride, anger, and impure thoughts, and turning toward other things, such as kindness, unselfishness, patience, and spirituality. It is âre-turningâ toward God.

How do we decide where our repentance should be focused? When a loved one or friend suggests things we need to change, the natural man in us sometimes pops up his head and responds, âOh, you think I should change? Well, let me tell you about some of your problems.â A better approach is to humbly petition the Lord: âFather, what wouldst Thou have me do?â The answers come. We feel the changes we need to make. The Lord tells us in our mind and in our heart.¹⁹

We then are allowed to choose: will we repent, or will we pull the shades down over our open window into heaven?

Alma warned, âDo not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point.â²⁰ When we âpull the shades down,â we stop believing that spiritual voice inviting us to change. We pray but we listen less. Our prayers lack that faith that leads to repentance.²¹

At this very moment, someone is saying, âBrother Andersen, you donât understand. You canât feel what I have felt. It is too difficult to change.â

You are correct; I donât fully understand. But there is One who does. He knows. He has felt your pain. He has declared, âI have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.â²² The Savior is there, reaching out to each of us, bidding us: âCome unto me.â²³ We can repent. We can!

Realizing where we need to change, we sorrow for the sadness we have caused. This leads to sincere and heartfelt confession to the Lord and, when needed, to others.²⁴ When possible, we restore what we have wrongly harmed or taken.

Repentance becomes part of our daily lives. Our weekly taking of the sacrament is so importantâto come meekly, humbly before the Lord, acknowledging our dependence upon Him, asking Him to forgive and to renew us, and promising to always remember Him.

Sometimes in our repentance, in our daily efforts to become more Christlike, we find ourselves repeatedly struggling with the same difficulties. As if we were climbing a tree-covered mountain, at times we donât see our progress until we get closer to the top and look back from the high ridges. Donât be discouraged. If you are striving and working to repent, you are in the process of repenting.

As we improve, we see life more clearly and feel the Holy Ghost working more strongly within us.

Sometimes we wonder why we remember our sins long after we have forsaken them. Why does the sadness for our mistakes at times continue following our repentance?

You will remember a tender story told by President James E. Faust. âAs a small boy on the farm . . . , I remember my grandmother . . . cooking our delicious meals on a hot woodstove. When the wood box next to the stove became empty, Grandmother would silently pick up the box, go out to refill it from the pile of cedar wood outside, and bring the heavily laden box back into the house.â

President Faustâs voice then filled with emotion as he continued: âI was so insensitive . . . I sat there and let my beloved grandmother refill the kitchen wood box. I feel ashamed of myself and have regretted my [sin of] omission for all of my life. I hope someday to ask for her forgiveness.â²⁵

More than 65 years had passed. If President Faust still remembered and regretted not helping his grandmother after all those years, should we be surprised with some of the things we still remember and regret?

The scriptures do not say that we will forget our forsaken sins in mortality. Rather, they declare that the Lord will forget.²⁶

The forsaking of sins implies never returning. Forsaking requires time. To help us, the Lord at times allows the residue of our mistakes to rest in our memory.²⁷ It is a vital part of our mortal learning.

As we honestly confess our sins, restore what we can to the offended, and forsake our sins by keeping the commandments, we are in the process of receiving forgiveness. With time, we will feel the anguish of our sorrow subside, taking âaway the guilt from our heartsâ²⁸ and bringing âpeace of conscience.â²⁹

For those who are truly repentant but seem unable to feel relief: continue keeping the commandments. I promise you, relief will come in the timetable of the Lord. Healing also requires time.

If you are concerned, counsel with your bishop. A bishop has the power of discernment.³⁰ He will help you.

The scriptures warn us, âDo not procrastinate the day of your repentance.â³¹ But, in this life, it is never too late to repent.

Once I was asked to meet an older couple returning to the Church. They had been taught the gospel by their parents. After their marriage, they left the Church. Now, 50 years later, they were returning. I remember the husband coming into the office pulling an oxygen tank. They expressed regret at not having remained faithful. I told them of our happiness because of their return, assuring them of the Lordâs welcoming arms to those who repent. The elderly man responded, âWe know this, Brother Andersen. But our sadness is that our children and grandchildren do not have the blessings of the gospel. We are back, but we are back alone.â

They were not back alone. Repentance not only changes us, but it also blesses our families and those we love. With our righteous repentance, in the timetable of the Lord, the lengthened-out arms of the Savior will not only encircle us but will also extend into the lives of our children and posterity. Repentance always means that there is greater happiness ahead.

I bear witness that our Savior can deliver us from our sins. I have personally felt His redeeming power. I have unmistakably seen His healing hand upon thousands in nations throughout the world. I testify that His divine gift removes guilt from our heart and brings peace to our conscience.

He loves us. We are members of His Church. He invites each of us to repent, turn away from our sins, and come unto Him. I witness that He is there in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. 3 Nephi 9:14.
2. See Mormon 6:17.
3. See Alma 19:36.
4. See 2 Kings 17:36; Psalm 136:12.
5. See 2 Nephi 1:15.
6. See D&C 123:6.
7. See 3 Nephi 20:35.
8. See Alma 5:33.
9. See Alma 34:16.
10. See D&C 6:20.
11. 2 Nephi 28:32.
12. 2 Nephi 8:12.
13. Alma 5:33.
14. See Helaman 7:17.
15. See Boyd K. Packer, âThe Brilliant Morning of Forgiveness,â Ensign, Nov. 1995, 19.
16. 3 Nephi 9:13.
17. Alma 5:12.
18. Matthew 16:24.
19. See D&C 8:2.
20. Alma 42:30.
21. See Alma 34:17â18.
22. Isaiah 49:16.
23. 3 Nephi 9:14.
24. See D&C 58:43.
25. James E. Faust, âThe Weightier Matters of the Law: Judgment, Mercy, and Faith,â Ensign, Nov. 1997, 59.
26. See D&C 58:42â43; see also Alma 36:17â19.
27. See Dieter F. Uchtdorf, âPoint of Safe Return,â Liahona and Ensign, May 2007, 101.
28. Alma 24:10.
29. Mosiah 4:3. The scriptures link our happiness in this life and the next with peace of conscience. Note Almaâs teaching that the opposite of joy is remorse of conscience (see Alma 29:5). Other prophets tie the torment of the wicked following this life to the guilt they feel (see 2 Nephi 9:14, 46; Mosiah 2:38; 3:24â25; Mormon 9:5). Joseph Smith said: âA man is his own tormentor and his own condemner. Hence the saying, They shall go into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. The torment of disappointment in the mind of man is as exquisite as a lake burning with fire and brimstoneâ (in History of the Church, 6:314).
30. See D&C 46:27.
31. Alma 34:33.

In response to the Prophet Joseph Smithâs inquiry, the Lord instructed: âAnd no one can assist in this work except he shall be humble and full of love, having faith, hope, and charity, being temperate in all things, whatsoever shall be entrusted to his care.â¹

The instruction on being temperate in all things applies to each of us. What is temperance, and why would the Lord want us to be temperate? A narrow definition might be âexercising restraint when it comes to food and drink.â Indeed, this meaning of temperance could be a good prescription for keeping the Word of Wisdom. Sometimes temperance might be defined as ârefraining from anger or not losing oneâs temper.â These definitions, however, are a subset of the scriptural usage of the word.

In a spiritual sense, temperance is a divine attribute of Jesus Christ. He desires for each of us to develop this attribute. Learning to be temperate in all things is a spiritual gift available through the Holy Ghost.

When the Apostle Paul described certain fruits of the Spirit in his Epistle to the Galatians, he talked of âlove, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance.â²

When Paul wrote Titus, describing the attributes necessary for a bishop to assist in this work, he said a bishop must ânot [be] selfwilled, not soon angry, . . . [but] temperate.â³ Being temperate is to use moderation in all things or to exercise self-control.

When Alma the Younger taught in the land of Gideon, he said:

 âI trust that ye are not lifted up in the pride of your hearts; yea, I trust that ye have not set your hearts upon riches and the vain things of the world. . . . 

âI would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things.â⁴

In a later message, Alma instructed his son Shiblon, and by extension instructs all of us, to âsee that ye are not lifted up unto pride.â⁵ Rather, we should âbe diligent and temperate in all things.â⁶ Being temperate means to carefully examine our expectations and desires, to be diligent and patient in seeking righteous goals.

A few years ago, I was driving home from work when a large semitruck, traveling in the opposite direction, lost one of its dual tires. The tire flew over the median separating our lanes. It came bouncing down my side of the freeway. Cars were swerving in both directions, drivers not knowing which direction the tire would bounce next. I dodged left when I should have dodged right, and the tire took its final bounce right on the corner of my windshield.

A friend called my wife to inform her of the accident. She told me later that her first thought was of lacerations from shattered glass. Indeed, I was covered with beads of broken glass but did not suffer a single scratch. It was definitely not because of my driving skills; rather, it was because the windshield of my little car was made of tempered glass.

Tempered glass, like tempered steel, undergoes a well-controlled heating process which increases strength. Thus, when tempered glass is under stress, it will not easily break into jagged shards that can injure.

Likewise, a temperate soulâone who is humble and full of loveâis also a person of increased spiritual strength. With increased spiritual strength, we are able to develop self-mastery and to live with moderation. We learn to control, or temper, our anger, vanity, and pride. With increased spiritual strength, we can protect ourselves from the dangerous excesses and destructive addictions of todayâs world.

We all seek peace of mind, and we all desire security and happiness for our families. If we look for silver linings in this past yearâs economic downturn, perhaps the trials some have faced have taught us that peace of mind, security, and happiness do not come from buying a home or accumulating possessions for which the debt incurred is larger than our savings or income can afford.

We live in an impatient and intemperate world full of uncertainty and contention. It is like the community of converts to various religions where Joseph Smith lived when he was a 14-year-old boy seeking answers to his questions. Young Joseph said, âAll their good feelings one for another, if they ever had any, were entirely lost in a strife of words and a contest about opinions.â⁷

Security for our families comes from learning self-control, avoiding the excesses of this world, and being temperate in all things. Peace of mind comes from strengthened faith in Jesus Christ. Happiness comes from being diligent in keeping covenants made at baptism and in the holy temples of the Lord.

What better example do we have of temperance than our Savior, Jesus Christ?

When our hearts are stirred to anger by disputation and contention, the Savior taught that we should ârepent, and become as a little child.â⁸ We should be reconciled with our brother and come to the Savior with full purpose of heart.⁹

When others are unkind, Jesus taught that âmy kindness shall not depart from thee.â¹⁰

When we are confronted with affliction, He said: âBe patient in afflictions, revile not against those that revile. Govern your house in meekness, and be steadfast.â¹¹

When we are oppressed, we can be comforted in knowing âhe was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth.â¹² âSurely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.â¹³

When Jesus Christ, the greatest of all, suffered for us to the extent that He bled from every pore, He did not express anger or revile in suffering. With unsurpassed self-restraint, or temperance, His thoughts were not of Himself but of you and of me. And then, in humility and full of love, He said, âNevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.â¹⁴

During this past year, it has been my privilege to bear testimony of the reality of our Savior and the Restoration of the gospel to Saints and friends throughout Asia. Most are first-generation Latter-day Saints who live on the frontier of the Church. This latter-day journey in their realm is reminiscent of that experienced by the first Latter-day Saints of yesteryear.

In this marvelous world of diversity in Asia, where members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are a mere fraction of one percent of the vast population, I have gained a better appreciation for the Christlike attribute of temperance. I love and honor these Saints, who have taught me by example what it means to be humble and full of love, âbeing temperate in all things, whatsoever shall be entrusted to [their] care.â¹⁵ Through them I have come to better understand Godâs love for all of His children.

I leave my witness that our Redeemer lives and His divine gift of temperance is available to each of Godâs children, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. D&C 12:8.
2. Galatians 5:22â23.
3. Titus 1:7â8.
4. Alma 7:6, 23.
5. Alma 38:11.
6. Alma 38:10.
7. Joseph SmithâHistory 1:6.
8. 3 Nephi 11:37.
9. See 3 Nephi 12:24.
10. 3 Nephi 22:10.
11. D&C 31:9.
12. Mosiah 14:7.
13. Mosiah 14:4.
14. D&C 19:19.
15. D&C 12:8.

Suppose for a moment someone told you these three facts about a New Testament personality and nothing more: first, the Savior said of this man, âO thou of little faithâ (Matthew 14:31); second, this man, in a moment of anger, cut off an ear of the high priestâs servant; and third, this man denied knowing who the Savior was on three occasions, even though he had walked with Him daily. If that is all you knew or focused upon, you might have thought this man a scoundrel or a no-good, but in the process you would have failed to come to know one of the greatest men who ever walked the earth: Peter the Apostle.

Similarly, attempts have been made by some to focus upon or magnify some minor weaknesses of the Prophet Joseph Smith, but in that process they too have missed the mark, the man, and his mission. Joseph Smith was the Lordâs anointed to restore Christâs Church to the earth. When he emerged from the grove of trees, he eventually learned four fundamental truths not then taught by the majority of the contemporary Christian world.

First, he learned that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, are two separate, distinct beings. The Bible confirms Joseph Smithâs discovery. It tells us that the Son submitted His will to the Father (see Matthew 26:42). We are moved by the Saviorâs submission and find strength in His example to do likewise, but what would have been the depth and passion of Christâs submission or the motivational power of that example if the Father and the Son were the same being and in reality the Son was merely following His own will under a different name?

The scriptures give further evidence of this great truth: âFor God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Sonâ (John 3:16). A father offering up his only son is the supreme demonstration of love that the human mind and heart can conceive and feel. It is symbolized by the touching story of Abraham and Isaac (see Genesis 22). But if the Father is the same being as the Son, then this sacrifice of all sacrifices is lost, and Abraham is no longer offering up IsaacâAbraham is now offering up Abraham.

The second great truth Joseph Smith discovered was that the Father and the Son have glorified bodies of flesh and bones. Following the Saviorâs Resurrection, He appeared to His disciples and said, âHandle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me haveâ (Luke 24:39). Some have suggested this was a temporary physical manifestation and that when He ascended to heaven He shed His body and returned to His spirit form. But the scriptures tell us this was not possible. Paul taught, âKnowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over himâ (Romans 6:9). In other words, once Christ was resurrected, His body could never again be separated from His spirit; otherwise He would suffer death, the very consequence Paul said was no longer possible after His Resurrection.

The third truth that Joseph Smith learned was that God still speaks to man todayâthat the heavens are not closed. One need but ask three questions, once proposed by President Hugh B. Brown, to arrive at that conclusion (see âThe Profile of a Prophet,â Liahona, June 2006, 13; Ensign, June 2006, 37). First, does God love us as much today as He loved the people to whom He spoke in New Testament times? Second, does God have the same power today as He did then? And third, do we need Him as much today as they needed Him anciently? If the answers to those questions are yes and if God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, as the scriptures so declare (see Mormon 9:9), then there is little doubt: God does speak to man today exactly as Joseph Smith testified.

The fourth truth that Joseph Smith learned was that the full and complete Church of Jesus Christ was not then upon the earth. Of course there were good people and some components of the truth, but the Apostle Paul had anciently prophesied that the Second Coming of Christ would not come âexcept there come a falling away firstâ (2 Thessalonians 2:3).

Following Joseph Smithâs First Vision, the Restoration of Christâs Church commenced âline upon line, precept upon preceptâ (D&C 98:12).

Through Joseph Smith was restored the doctrine of the gospel being preached to the dead in the spirit world to those who did not have a fair chance on earth to hear it (see D&C 128:5â22; see also D&C 138:30â34). This was not the invention of a creative mind; it was the restoration of a biblical truth. Peter had long ago taught, âFor this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spiritâ (1 Peter 4:6). Frederic W. Farrar, the well-known Church of England author and theologian, made the following observation about this teaching of Peter: âEvery effort has been made to explain away the plain meaning of this passage. It is one of the most precious passages of Scripture, and it involves no ambiguity. . . . For if language have any meaning, this language means that Christ, when His Spirit descended into the lower world, proclaimed the message of salvation to the once impenitent deadâ (The Early Days of Christianity [1883], 78).

Many teach that there is one heaven and one hell. Joseph Smith restored the truth that there are multiple heavens. Paul spoke of a man who was caught up into the third heaven (see 2 Corinthians 12:2). Could there be a third heaven if there was no second heaven or first heaven?

In many ways the gospel of Jesus Christ is like a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. When Joseph Smith came on the scene, perhaps 100 pieces were in place. Then Joseph Smith came along and put many of the other 900 pieces in place so that people could say, âOh, now I understand where I came from, why I am here, and where I am going.â As for Joseph Smithâs role in the Restoration, the Lord defined it clearly: âThis generation shall have my word through youâ (D&C 5:10).

In spite of this flood of restored biblical truths, some honest searchers have commented: âI can accept these doctrines, but what about all those angels and visions Joseph Smith claimed to have? It seems so hard to believe in modern times.â

To those honest searchers, we lovingly respond: âWere there not angels and visions in Christâs Church in New Testament times? Did not an angel appear to Mary and to Joseph? Did not angels appear to Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration? Did not an angel rescue Peter and John from prison? Did not an angel appear to Cornelius, then to Paul before he was shipwrecked and to John on the Isle of Patmos? Did not Peter have a vision of the gospel going to the Gentiles, Paul a vision of the third heaven, John a vision of the latter days, and Stephen a vision of the Father and Son?â

Yes, Joseph Smith did see angels and visionsâbecause he was the instrument in Godâs hands to restore the same Church of Jesus Christ as existed in primitive timesâall of its powers as well as all of its doctrines.

Yet sorrowfully, on occasion, some are willing to set aside the precious gospel truths restored by Joseph Smith because they get diverted on some historical issue or some scientific hypothesis not central to their exaltation, and in so doing they trade their spiritual birthright for a mess of pottage. They exchange the absolute certainty of the Restoration for a doubt, and in that process they fall into the trap of losing faith in the many things they do know because of a few things they do not know. There will always be some seemingly intellectual crisis looming on the horizon as long as faith is required and our minds are finite, but likewise there will always be the sure and solid doctrines of the Restoration to cling to, which will provide the rock foundation upon which our testimonies may be built.

When many of Christâs followers turned from Him, He asked His Apostles, âWill ye also go away?â

Peter then responded with an answer that should be engraved on every heart: âTo whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal lifeâ (John 6:66â68).

If someone turns from these restored doctrines, where will he go to learn the true nature of God as taught in the grove of trees? Where will he go to find the doctrines of the premortal existence, baptism for the dead, and eternal marriage? And where will he go to find the sealing powers that can bind husbands and wives and children beyond the grave?

Through Joseph Smith have been restored all the powers, keys, teachings, and ordinances necessary for salvation and exaltation. You cannot go anywhere else in the world and get that. It is not to be found in any other church. It is not to be found in any philosophy of man or scientific digest or individual pilgrimage, however intellectual it may seem. Salvation is to be found in one place alone, as so designated by the Lord Himself when He said that this is âthe only true and living church upon the face of the whole earthâ (D&C 1:30).

I bear my witness that Joseph Smith was the prophet of the Restoration, just as he claimed to be. I echo the strains of that stirring hymn: âPraise to the man who communed with Jehovah!â (âPraise to the Man,â Hymns, no. 27). In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

When the twelve disciples were called in the Americas, the Lord Jesus Christ commanded them: âTherefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.â¹ The Savior had recently finalized His successful, selfless, and transcendental mission on earth. This allowed Him to declare with authority that He and His Father, our Father, are the models to be followed by each one of us.

From a purely human point of view, at first this seems to be an impossible task. However, it begins to appear possible upon understanding that in order to achieve it, we are not alone. The most marvelous and powerful helps for which a human being may seek are always available. First is the generous and loving hand of the Eternal Father, who desires that we return to His presence forever. As our Father, He is always willing and desirous to forgive our errors and weaknesses and the sins we commit, subject only to total and sincere repentance. And as a complement to thatâand as the maximum manifestation of His immense love for each one of His childrenâHe provides us with the consequences of the singular work wrought by the Savior, namely the Atonement, brought about by an obedient Son always willing to do the Fatherâs will in benefit to each one of us.

The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith the following: âAnd, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.â² This divine promise is possible to achieve. Eternal life is to live with our Father and with our families forevermore.³ Should not this promise be the greatest incentive to do the best within our reach and give the best of ourselves in pursuit of what has been promised to us?

At the dawning of the Restoration, when this marvelous work was about to appear among the children of men, the Lord said, âTherefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.â⁴ With all our heart, with all our might, with all our mind, and with all our strengthâthat is to say, with all our being.

President David O. McKay said that the rich rewards come only to the strenuous strugglers.⁵These rewards will be for those who nurture faith in Jesus Christ and comply with His will to work, sacrifice, and give all they have received to strengthen and build the kingdom of God.

The fulfillment of the divine promise to have eternal life, to achieve perfection, and to be happy forevermore in the family unit is subject to the sincere demonstration of our faith in Jesus Christ, obedience to the commandments, perseverance, and diligence throughout our lives.

The Lord does not expect that we do what we cannot achieve. The command to become perfect, as He is, encourages us to achieve the best of ourselves, to discover and develop the talents and attributes with which we are blessed by a loving Eternal Father, who invites us to realize our potential as children of God. He knows us; He knows of our capacities and our limitations. The invitation and challenge to become perfect, to achieve eternal life is for all mankind.

Immediately after teaching that âit is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength,â King Benjamin indicated that âit is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize.â⁶ God will not require more than the best we can give because that would not be just, but neither can He accept less than that because that would not be just either. Therefore, let us always give the best we can in the service of God and our fellowmen. Let us serve in our families and in our callings in the Church in the best manner possible. Let us do the best we can and each day be a little better.

Salvation and eternal life would not be possible if it were not for the Atonement, brought about by our Savior, to whom we owe everything. But in order for these supreme blessings to be effective in our lives, we should first do our part, âfor we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.â⁷ Let us with faith, enthusiasm, dedication, responsibility, and love do all that is within our reach, and we will be doing all that is possible to achieve the impossibleâthat is, to achieve what for the human mind is impossible but with the divine intervention of our loving Father and the infinite sacrifice brought about by our Savior becomes the greatest gift, the most glorious of realities, to live forever with God and with our families.

I pray that each one of us will remember and permanently renew, by partaking worthily of the sacrament, the commitment we made with our Heavenly Father the moment we entered the waters of baptism and when we received each one of the ordinances of the restored gospel. I pray that we will do the best we can in our roles as spouses, parents, children, brothers and sisters; in our callings; in sharing the gospel; in rescuing those who have drifted; in working for the salvation of our ancestors; in our work; and in our daily lives.

I pray that our lives allow us to declare, as the Apostle Paul, âI have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.â⁸

As we do so, we will be fulfilling the requirements defined by our Father in Heaven to bless us more than ever before, in this life as much as in life in the eternities. He yearns to give us all that He has, even make us participants of His greatest gift, which is eternal life.

Even when, from a purely human perspective, perfection can appear an impossible challenge to achieve, I testify that our Father and our Savior have made known to us that it is possible to achieve the impossible. Yes, it is possible to achieve eternal life. Yes, it is possible to be happy now and forever.

The author of the perfect plan that contains these glorious promises is our Father in Heaven, and He lives. His Son, Jesus Christ, took upon Himself the weight of our sins and the injustices that are committed in the world to the end that we can be free from the consequences. I know our Lord Jesus Christ lives. The gospel and the priesthood have been restored to the earth for the last time, through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Today we have the enormous blessing of apostles and prophets called by God to direct us on the road to return to our Father. President Thomas S. Monson has been called to lead this great work in these days. He is a prophet of God. Of that I testify in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. 3 Nephi 12:48.
2. D&C 14:7.
3. See Guide to the Scriptures, âEternal Life,â scriptures.lds.org.
4. D&C 4:2.
5. See The Teachings of David O. McKay, comp. Mary Jane Woodger (2004), 300.
6. Mosiah 4:27.
7. 2 Nephi 25:23.
8. 2 Timothy 4:7.

My brothers and sisters, I express gratitude for the witnesses of God, our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, given by living prophets during this conference and for the teachings of the Holy Ghost.

As prophesied, we live in a time when the darkness of secularism is deepening around us. Belief in God is widely questioned and even attacked in the name of political, social, and even religious causes. Atheism, or the doctrine that there is no God, is fast spreading across the world.

Even so, as members of the restored Church of Jesus Christ, we declare that âwe believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.â¹

Some wonder, why is belief in God so important? Why did the Savior say, âAnd this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sentâ?²

Without God, life would end at the grave and our mortal experiences would have no purpose. Growth and progress would be temporary, accomplishment without value, challenges without meaning. There would be no ultimate right and wrong and no moral responsibility to care for one another as fellow children of God. Indeed, without God, there would be no mortal or eternal life.

If you or someone you love is seeking purpose in life or a deeper conviction of Godâs presence in our lives, I offer, as a friend and as an Apostle, my witness. He lives!

Some may ask, how can I know this for myself? We know He lives because we believe the testimonies of His ancient and living prophets, and we have felt Godâs Spirit confirm that the testimonies of these prophets are true.

From their testimonies, recorded in holy scripture, we know that â[God] created man, male and female, after his own image and in his own likeness.â³ Some people may be surprised to learn that we look like God. One prominent religious scholar has even taught that imagining God in the form of man is creating a graven image and is idolatrous and blasphemous.⁴ But God Himself said, âLet us make man in our image, after our likeness.â⁵

The use of the words us and our in this scripture also teaches us about the relationship between the Father and the Son. God further taught, âBy mine Only Begotten [Son] I created these things.â⁶ The Father and the Son are separate and distinct individualsâas any father and son always are. This may be one reason the name of God in Hebrew, Elohim, is not singular but plural.

From the New Testament we know that Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, have a physical presence. They stand in one place at one time, as the New Testament disciple Stephen testified: âBehold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.â⁷

We also know that the Father and the Son have voices. As recorded in Genesis and the book of Moses, Adam and Eve âheard the voice of the Lord God, as they were walking in the garden, in the cool of the day.â⁸

We know that the Father and the Son have faces, that They stand, and that They converse. The prophet Enoch declared, âI saw the Lord; and he stood before my face, and he talked with me, even as a man talketh one with another.â⁹

We know that God and His Son have bodies, in form and parts like ours. From the book of Ether in the Book of Mormon, we read, âAnd the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood.â¹⁰ Later the Lord revealed Himself, saying, âBehold, this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and . . . I [will] appear unto my people in the flesh.â¹¹

We know that the Father and the Son have feelings for us. The book of Moses records, âAnd it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept.â¹²

And we know that God and His Son, Jesus Christ, are immortal, glorified, and perfected beings. Of the Savior Jesus Christ, the Prophet Joseph Smith recounts, âHis eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters.â¹³

No testimony is more significant to us in our time than the witness of Joseph Smith. He was the prophet chosen to restore the ancient Church of Christ in this, the last time when the gospel will be on the earth before the return of Jesus Christ. Like all the prophets who opened the work of God in their dispensations, Joseph was given especially clear and powerful prophetic experiences to prepare the world for the Saviorâs Second Coming.

As a 14-year-old boy, he sought to know which church he should join. Then, after pondering on the matter, he turned to the Bible, where he read:

âIf any of you lack wisdom, let him [or her] ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally . . . ; and it shall be given him.

âBut let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.â¹⁴

Believing those prophetic words and with unwavering, childlike faith, Joseph went to a grove of trees near his home and there knelt and prayed. Later he recorded:

âI saw a pillar of light exactly over my head. . . . 

â . . . When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air.â¹⁵

Looking up at these two beings, even Joseph could not have known who They wereâfor he had not yet witnessed and learned the true nature of God and Christ. But then, he records, âone of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the otherâThis is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!â¹⁶

From that singular experience and others, the Prophet Joseph bore witness, âThe Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as manâs; the Son also.â¹⁷

Prophets throughout the ages have shared witnesses like this one and continue to do so in this very conference. But each of us has agency to choose. As the eleventh article of faith states, âWe claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.â¹⁸

In matters of personal belief, how do we know what really is true?

I testify that the way to know the truth about God is through the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost, the third member of the Godhead, is a personage of spirit. His work is to âtestify of [God]â¹⁹ and to âteach [us] all things.â²⁰

However, we must be careful not to constrain His influence. When we do not do what is right or when our outlook is dominated by skepticism, cynicism, criticism, and irreverence toward others and their beliefs, the Spirit cannot be with us. We then act in a way that the prophets describe as the natural man.

âThe natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.â²¹ This ânatural man is an enemy to God, . . . and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, . . . and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, [and] full of love.â²²

If we do not yield to the gentle influence of the Holy Ghost, we stand in jeopardy of becoming like Korihor, an anti-Christ in the Book of Mormon. Not only did Korihor disbelieve in God, but he also ridiculed the Savior, the Atonement, and the spirit of prophecy, falsely teaching that there is no God and no Christ.²³

Korihor was not content merely to reject God and quietly go his own way. He mocked the believers and demanded that the prophet Alma convince him with a sign of Godâs existence and power. Almaâs response is as meaningful today as it was then: âThou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.â²⁴

Eventually Korihor was given a sign. He was struck dumb. âAnd Korihor put forth his hand and wrote, saying: . . . I know that nothing save it were the power of God could bring this upon me; yea, and I always knew that there was a God.â²⁵

Brothers and sisters, you may already know, deep in your soul, that God lives. You may not know all about Him yet and do not understand all His ways, but the light of belief is within you, waiting to be awakened and intensified by the Spirit of God and the Light of Christ, which you are born with.

So come. Believe the testimonies of the prophets. Learn of God and Christ. The pattern to do so is clearly taught by prophets of old and prophets today.

Cultivate a diligent desire to know that God lives.

This desire leads us to ponder on the things of heavenâto let the evidence of God all around us touch our hearts.

With softened hearts we are prepared to heed the Saviorâs call to âsearch the scripturesâ²⁶ and to humbly learn from them.

We are then ready to ask our Heavenly Father sincerely, in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, if the things we have learned are true. Most of us will not see God, as the prophets have, but the still, small promptings of the Spiritâthe thoughts and feelings that the Holy Ghost brings into our minds and heartsâwill give us an undeniable knowledge that He lives and that He loves us.

Gaining this knowledge is ultimately the quest of all Godâs children on the earth. If you cannot remember believing in God or if you have ceased to believe or if you believe but without real conviction, I invite you to seek a testimony of God now. Do not be afraid of ridicule. The strength and peace that come from knowing God and having the comforting companionship of His Spirit will make your efforts eternally worthwhile.

Even more, with your own testimony of God, you will be able to bless your family, your posterity, your friends, your own lifeâall those you love. Your personal knowledge of God is not only the greatest gift you will ever give, but it will bring you the greatest joy you will ever have.

As a special witness of the Only Begotten Son of our loving Heavenly Father, even Jesus Christ, I testify that God lives. I know He lives. I promise that if you and those you love will seek Him in all humility, sincerity, and diligence, you will know with a surety too. Your witness will come. And the blessings of knowing God will be yours and your familyâs forever. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. Articles of Faith 1:1.
2. John 17:3; emphasis added.
3. D&C 20:18; see also Genesis 1:27; Moses 2:27.
4.  See Krister Stendahl, "To Speak About God," Harvard Divinity Bulletin, vol. 36, no. 2 (spring 2008): 8â9.
5. Genesis 1:26; Moses 2:26; emphasis added.
6. Moses 2:1.
7. Acts 7:56.
8. Moses 4:14; see also Genesis 3:8.
9. Moses 7:4.
10. Ether 3:6.
11. Ether 3:16.
12. Moses 7:28.
13. D&C 110:3.
14. James 1:5â6.
15. Joseph SmithâHistory 1:16â17.
16. Joseph SmithâHistory 1:17.
17. D&C 130:22.
18. Articles of Faith 1:11; emphasis added.
19. John 15:26.
20. John 14:26.
21. 1 Corinthians 2:14.
22. Mosiah 3:19.
23. See Alma 30.
24. Alma 30:44.
25. Alma 30:52.
26. John 5:39.

I have been impressed to speak about Godâs love and Godâs commandments. My message is that Godâs universal and perfect love is shown in all the blessings of His gospel plan, including the fact that His choicest blessings are reserved for those who obey His laws.¹ These are eternal principles that should guide parents in their love and teaching of their children.

I.
I begin with four examples which illustrate some mortal confusion between love and law.

• A young adult in a cohabitation relationship tells grieving parents, âIf you really loved me, you would accept me and my partner just like you accept your married children.â
• A youth reacts to parental commands or pressure by declaring, âIf you really loved me, you wouldnât force me.â

In these examples a person violating commandments asserts that parental love should override the commandments of divine law and the teachings of parents.

The next two examples show mortal confusion about the effect of Godâs love.

• A person rejects the doctrine that a couple must be married for eternity to enjoy family relationships in the next life, declaring, âIf God really loved us, I canât believe He would separate husbands and wives in this way.â
• Another person says his faith has been destroyed by the suffering God allows to be inflicted on a person or a race, concluding, âIf there was a God who loved us, He wouldnât let this happen.â

These persons disbelieve eternal laws which they consider contrary to their concept of the effect of Godâs love. Persons who take this position do not understand the nature of Godâs love or the purpose of His laws and commandments. The love of God does not supersede His laws and His commandments, and the effect of Godâs laws and commandments does not diminish the purpose and effect of His love. The same should be true of parental love and rules.

II.
First, consider the love of God, described so meaningfully this morning by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf. âWho shall separate us from the love of Christ?â the Apostle Paul asked. Not tribulation, not persecution, not peril or the sword (see Romans 8:35). âFor I am persuaded,â he concluded, âthat neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, . . . nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of Godâ (verses 38â39).

There is no greater evidence of the infinite power and perfection of Godâs love than is declared by the Apostle John: âFor God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Sonâ (John 3:16). Another Apostle wrote that God âspared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us allâ (Romans 8:32). Think how it must have grieved our Heavenly Father to send His Son to endure incomprehensible suffering for our sins. That is the greatest evidence of His love for each of us!

Godâs love for His children is an eternal reality, but why does He love us so much, and why do we desire that love? The answer is found in the relationship between Godâs love and His laws.

Some seem to value Godâs love because of their hope that His love is so great and so unconditional that it will mercifully excuse them from obeying His laws. In contrast, those who understand Godâs plan for His children know that Godâs laws are invariable, which is another great evidence of His love for His children. Mercy cannot rob justice,² and those who obtain mercy are âthey who have kept the covenant and observed the commandmentâ (D&C 54:6).

We read again and again in the Bible and in modern scriptures of Godâs anger with the wicked³ and of His acting in His wrath⁴ against those who violate His laws. How are anger and wrath evidence of His love? Joseph Smith taught that God âinstitute[d] laws whereby [the spirits that He would send into the world] could have a privilege to advance like himself.â⁵ Godâs love is so perfect that He lovingly requires us to obey His commandments because He knows that only through obedience to His laws can we become perfect, as He is. For this reason, Godâs anger and His wrath are not a contradiction of His love but an evidence of His love. Every parent knows that you can love a child totally and completely while still being creatively angry and disappointed at that childâs self-defeating behavior.

The love of God is so universal that His perfect plan bestows many gifts on all of His children, even those who disobey His laws. Mortality is one such gift, bestowed on all who qualified in the War in Heaven.⁶ Another unconditional gift is the universal resurrection: âFor as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made aliveâ (1 Corinthians 15:22). Many other mortal gifts are not tied to our personal obedience to law. As Jesus taught, our Heavenly Father âmaketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjustâ (Matthew 5:45).

If only we will listen, we can know of Godâs love and feel it, even when we are disobedient. A woman recently returned to Church activity gave this description in a sacrament meeting talk: âHe has always been there for me, even when I rejected Him. He has always guided me and comforted me with His tender mercies all around me, but I [was] too angry to see and accept incidents and feelings as such.â⁷

III.
Godâs choicest blessings are clearly contingent upon obedience to Godâs laws and commandments. The key teaching is from modern revelation:

âThere is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicatedâ

âAnd when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicatedâ (D&C 130:20â21).

This great principle helps us understand the why of many things, like justice and mercy balanced by the Atonement. It also explains why God will not forestall the exercise of agency by His children. Agencyâour power to chooseâis fundamental to the gospel plan that brings us to earth. God does not intervene to forestall the consequences of some personsâ choices in order to protect the well-being of other personsâeven when they kill, injure, or oppress one anotherâfor this would destroy His plan for our eternal progress.⁸ He will bless us to endure the consequences of othersâ choices, but He will not prevent those choices.⁹

If a person understands the teachings of Jesus, he or she cannot reasonably conclude that our loving Heavenly Father or His divine Son believes that Their love supersedes Their commandments. Consider these examples.

When Jesus began His ministry, His first message was repentance.¹⁰

When He exercised loving mercy by not condemning the woman taken in adultery, He nevertheless told her, âGo, and sin no moreâ (John 8:11).

Jesus taught, âNot every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heavenâ (Matthew 7:21).

The effect of Godâs commandments and laws is not changed to accommodate popular behavior or desires. If anyone thinks that godly or parental love for an individual grants the loved one license to disobey the law, he or she does not understand either love or law. The Lord declared: âThat which breaketh a law, and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, and willeth to abide in sin, and altogether abideth in sin, cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice, nor judgment. Therefore, they must remain filthy stillâ (D&C 88:35).

We read in modern revelation, âAll kingdoms have a law givenâ (D&C 88:36). For example:

âHe who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory.

âAnd he who cannot abide the law of a terrestrial kingdom cannot abide a terrestrial glory.

âAnd he who cannot abide the law of a telestial kingdom cannot abide a telestial gloryâ (D&C 88:22â24).

In other words, the kingdom of glory to which the Final Judgment assigns us is not determined by love but by the law that God has invoked in His plan to qualify us for eternal life, âthe greatest of all the gifts of Godâ (D&C 14:7).

IV.
In teaching and reacting to their children, parents have many opportunities to apply these principles. One such opportunity has to do with the gifts parents bestow on their children. Just as God has bestowed some gifts on all of His mortal children without requiring their personal obedience to His laws, parents provide many benefits like housing and food even if their children are not in total harmony with all parental requirements. But, following the example of an all-wise and loving Heavenly Father who has given laws and commandments for the benefit of His children, wise parents condition some parental gifts on obedience.

If parents have a wayward childâsuch as a teenager indulging in alcohol or drugsâthey face a serious question. Does parental love require that these substances or their consumption be allowed in the home, or do the requirements of civil law or the seriousness of the conduct or the interests of other children in the home require that this be forbidden?

To pose an even more serious question, if an adult child is living in cohabitation, does the seriousness of sexual relations outside the bonds of marriage require that this child feel the full weight of family disapproval by being excluded from any family contacts, or does parental love require that the fact of cohabitation be ignored? I have seen both of these extremes, and I believe that both are inappropriate.

Where do parents draw the line? That is a matter for parental wisdom, guided by the inspiration of the Lord. There is no area of parental action that is more needful of heavenly guidance or more likely to receive it than the decisions of parents in raising their children and governing their families. This is the work of eternity.

As parents grapple with these problems, they should remember the Lordâs teaching that we leave the ninety and nine and go out into the wilderness to rescue the lost sheep.¹¹ President Thomas S. Monson has called for a loving crusade to rescue our brothers and sisters who are wandering in the wilderness of apathy or ignorance.¹² These teachings require continued loving concern, which surely requires continued loving associations.

Parents should also remember the Lordâs frequent teaching that âwhom the Lord loveth he chastenethâ (Hebrews 12:6).¹³ In his conference talk on tolerance and love, Elder Russell M. Nelson taught that âreal love for the sinner may compel courageous confrontationânot acquiescence! Real love does not support self-destructing behavior.â¹⁴

Wherever the line is drawn between the power of love and the force of law, the breaking of commandments is certain to impact loving family relationships. Jesus taught:

âSuppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

âFor from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

âThe father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the motherâ (Luke 12:51â53).

This sobering teaching reminds us that when family members are not united in striving to keep the commandments of God, there will be divisions. We do all that we can to avoid impairing loving relationships, but sometimes it happens after all we can do.

In the midst of such stress, we must endure the reality that the straying of our loved ones will detract from our happiness, but it should not detract from our love for one another or our patient efforts to be united in understanding Godâs love and Godâs laws.

I testify of the truth of these things, which are part of the plan of salvation and the doctrine of Christ, of whom I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. See Russell M. Nelson, âDivine Love,â Liahona, Feb. 2003, 12; Ensign, Feb. 2003, 20.
2. See Alma 42:25.
3. See, for example, Judges 2:12â14; Psalm 7:11; D&C 5:8; 63:32.
4. See, for example, 2 Kings 23:26â27; Ephesians 5:6; 1 Nephi 22:16â17; Alma 12:35â36; D&C 84:24.
5. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007),210.
6. See Revelation 12:7â8.
7. Letter of Dec. 6, 2005, in authorâs possession.
8. Compare Alma 42:8.
9. Compare Mosiah 24:14â15.
10. See Matthew 4:17.
11. See Luke 15:3â7.
12. See Thomas S. Monson, âLost Battalions,â Liahona, Sept. 1987, 3; Ensign, Apr. 1987, 3.
13. See also Proverbs 3:12; Revelation 3:19; D&C 95:1.
14. Russell M. Nelson, âTeach Us Tolerance and Love,â Ensign, May 1994, 71.

It is proposed that we sustain Thomas Spencer Monson as prophet, seer, and revelator and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Henry Bennion Eyring as First Counselor in the First Presidency; and Dieter Friedrich Uchtdorf 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 Boyd Kenneth Packer as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the following as members of that quorum: Boyd K. Packer, L. Tom Perry, Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks, M. Russell Ballard, Richard G. Scott, Robert D. Hales, Jeffrey R. Holland, David A. Bednar, Quentin L. Cook, D. Todd Christofferson, and Neil L. Andersen.

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 Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators.

All in favor, please manifest it.

Contrary, if there be any, by the same sign.

It is proposed that we release Elders Charles Didier, John M. Madsen, Lynn A. Mickelsen, and Dennis B. Neuenschwander as members of the First Quorum of the Seventy and designate them as emeritus General Authorities.

It is also proposed that we release Elders Douglas L. Callister, Shirley D. Christensen, James M. Dunn, Daryl H. Garn, Clate W. Mask Jr., Robert C. Oaks, William W. Parmley, W. Douglas Shumway, and Robert S. Wood as members of the Second Quorum of the Seventy. Those who wish to join us in expressing gratitude to these Brethren for their excellent service, please manifest it.

It is proposed that we sustain the other General Authorities, Area Seventies, and general auxiliary presidencies as presently constituted.

Those in favor, please manifest it.

Any opposed may manifest it.

President Monson, insofar as I have been able to observe, the voting in the Conference Center has been unanimous.

Thank you, brothers and sisters, for your sustaining vote, your faith, devotion, and prayers.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is continually growing and becoming better known throughout the world. Although there will always be those who stereotype the Church and its members in a negative way, most people think of us as honest, helpful, and hardworking. Some have images of clean-cut missionaries, loving families, and friendly neighbors who donât smoke or drink. We might also be known as a people who attend church every Sunday for three hours, in a place where everyone is a brother or a sister, where the children sing songs about streams that talk, trees that produce popcorn, and children who want to become sunbeams.

Brothers and sisters, of all the things we want to be known for, are there attributes above all others that should define us as members of His Church, even as disciples of Jesus Christ? Since our last general conference six months ago, I have pondered this and similar questions. Today I would like to share with you some thoughts and impressions that have come as a result of that inquiry. The first question is:

How Do We Become True Disciples of Jesus Christ?

The Savior Himself provided the answer with this profound declaration: âIf ye love me, keep my commandments.â¹ This is the essence of what it means to be a true disciple: those who receive Christ Jesus walk with Him.²

But this may present a problem for some because there are so many âshouldsâ and âshould notsâ that merely keeping track of them can be a challenge. Sometimes, well-meaning amplifications of divine principlesâmany coming from uninspired sourcesâcomplicate matters further, diluting the purity of divine truth with man-made addenda. One personâs good ideaâsomething that may work for him or herâtakes root and becomes an expectation. And gradually, eternal principles can get lost within the labyrinth of âgood ideas.â

This was one of the Saviorâs criticisms of the religious âexpertsâ of His day, whom He chastised for attending to the hundreds of minor details of the law while neglecting the weightier matters.³

So how do we stay aligned with these weightier matters? Is there a constant compass that can help us prioritize our lives, thoughts, and actions?

Once again the Savior revealed the way. When asked to name the greatest commandment, He did not hesitate. âThou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,â He said. âThis is the first and great commandment.â⁴ Coupled with the second great commandmentâto love our neighbor as ourselves⁵âwe have a compass that provides direction not only for our lives but also for the Lordâs Church on both sides of the veil.

Because love is the great commandment, it ought to be at the center of all and everything we do in our own family, in our Church callings, and in our livelihood. Love is the healing balm that repairs rifts in personal and family relationships. It is the bond that unites families, communities, and nations. Love is the power that initiates friendship, tolerance, civility, and respect. It is the source that overcomes divisiveness and hate. Love is the fire that warms our lives with unparalleled joy and divine hope. Love should be our walk and our talk.

When we truly understand what it means to love as Jesus Christ loves us, the confusion clears and our priorities align. Our walk as disciples of Christ becomes more joyful. Our lives take on new meaning. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father becomes more profound. Obedience becomes a joy rather than a burden.

Why Should We Love God?

God the Eternal Father did not give that first great commandment because He needs us to love Him. His power and glory are not diminished should we disregard, deny, or even defile His name. His influence and dominion extend through time and space independent of our acceptance, approval, or admiration.

No, God does not need us to love Him. But oh, how we need to love God!

For what we love determines what we seek.

What we seek determines what we think and do.

What we think and do determines who we areâand who we will become.

We are created in the image of our heavenly parents; we are Godâs spirit children. Therefore, we have a vast capacity for loveâit is part of our spiritual heritage. What and how we love not only defines us as individuals; it also defines us as a church. Love is the defining characteristic of a disciple of Christ.

Since the beginning of time, love has been the source of both the highest bliss and the heaviest burdens. At the heart of misery from the days of Adam until today, you will find the love of wrong things. And at the heart of joy, you will find the love of good things.

And the greatest of all good things is God.

Our Father in Heaven has given us, His children, much more than any mortal mind can comprehend. Under His direction the Great Jehovah created this wondrous world we live in. God the Father watches over us, fills our hearts with breathtaking joy, brightens our darkest hours with blessed peace, distills upon our minds precious truths, shepherds us through times of distress, rejoices when we rejoice, and answers our righteous petitions.

He offers to His children the promise of a glorious and infinite existence and has provided a way for us to progress in knowledge and glory until we receive a fulness of joy. He has promised us all that He has.

If all that is not enough reason to love our Heavenly Father, perhaps we can learn from the words of the Apostle John, who said, âWe love him, because he first loved us.â⁶

Why Does Heavenly Father Love Us?

Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine. Now multiply that love by an infinite amountâthat is the measure of Godâs love for you.⁷

God does not look on the outward appearance.⁸ I believe that He doesnât care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, Godâs love encompasses us completely.

He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our rÃsumà but because we are His children. He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken. Godâs love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked.

What this means is that, regardless of our current state, there is hope for us. No matter our distress, no matter our sorrow, no matter our mistakes, our infinitely compassionate Heavenly Father desires that we draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us.⁹

How Can We Increase Our Love of God?

Since âGod is love,â¹⁰ the closer we approach Him, the more profoundly we experience love.¹¹ But because a veil separates this mortality from our heavenly home, we must seek in the Spirit that which is imperceptible to mortal eyes.

Heaven may seem distant at times, but the scriptures offer hope: âYe shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.â¹²

However, seeking God with all our hearts implies much more than simply offering a prayer or pronouncing a few words inviting God into our lives. âFor this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.â¹³ We can make a great production of saying that we know God. We can proclaim publicly that we love Him. Nevertheless, if we donât obey Him, all is in vain, for âhe that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.â¹⁴

We increase our love for our Heavenly Father and demonstrate that love by aligning our thoughts and actions with Godâs word. His pure love directs and encourages us to become more pure and holy. It inspires us to walk in righteousnessânot out of fear or obligation but out of an earnest desire to become even more like Him because we love Him. By doing so, we can become âborn again . . . [and] cleansed by blood, even the blood of [the] Only Begotten; that [we] might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory.â¹⁵

My dear brothers and sisters, donât get discouraged if you stumble at times. Donât feel downcast or despair if you donât feel worthy to be a disciple of Christ at all times. The first step to walking in righteousness is simply to try. We must try to believe. Try to learn of God: read the scriptures; study the words of His latter-day prophets; choose to listen to the Father, and do the things He asks of us. Try and keep on trying until that which seems difficult becomes possibleâand that which seems only possible becomes habit and a real part of you.

How Can We Hear the Fatherâs Voice?

As you reach out to your Heavenly Father, as you pray to Him in the name of Christ, He will answer you. He speaks to us everywhere.

As you read Godâs word recorded in the scriptures, listen for His voice.

During this general conference and later as you study the words spoken here, listen for His voice.

As you visit the temple and attend Church meetings, listen for His voice.

Listen for the voice of the Father in the bounties and beauties of nature, in the gentle whisperings of the Spirit.

In your daily interactions with others, in the words of a hymn, in the laughter of a child, listen for His voice.

If you listen for the voice of the Father, He will lead you on a course that will allow you to experience the pure love of Christ.

As we draw near to Heavenly Father, we become more holy. And as we become more holy, we will overcome disbelief and our souls will be filled with His blessed light. As we align our lives with this supernal light, it leads us out of darkness and toward greater light. This greater light leads to the unspeakable ministerings of the Holy Spirit, and the veil between heaven and earth can become thin.

Why Is Love the Great Commandment?

Heavenly Fatherâs love for His children is the core message of the plan of happiness, which plan is made active through the Atonement of Jesus Christâthe greatest expression of love the world has ever known.¹⁶

How clearly the Savior spoke when He said that every other commandment hangs upon the principle of love.¹⁷ If we do not neglect the great lawsâif we truly learn to love our Heavenly Father and our fellowman with all our heart, soul, and mindâall else will fall into place.

The divine love of God turns ordinary acts into extraordinary service. Divine love is the motive that transports simple words into sacred scripture. Divine love is the factor that transforms reluctant compliance with Godâs commandments into blessed dedication and consecration.

Love is the guiding light that illuminates the discipleâs path and fills our daily walk with life, meaning, and wonder.

Love is the measure of our faith, the inspiration for our obedience, and the true altitude of our discipleship.

Love is the way of the disciple.

I testify that God is in His heaven. He lives. He knows and loves you. He is mindful of you. He hears your prayers and knows the desires of your heart. He is filled with infinite love for you.

Let me conclude as I began, my dear brothers and sisters: what attribute should define us as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

Let us be known as a people who love God with all our heart, soul, and mind and who love our neighbor as ourselves. When we understand and practice these two great commandments in our families, in our wards and branches, in our nations, and in our daily lives, we will begin to understand what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus the Christ. Of this I testify in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. John 14:15.
2. See Colossians 2:6.
3. See Matthew 23:23.
4. Matthew 22:37, 38.
5. See Matthew 22:39.
6. 1 John 4:19.
7. See Isaiah 54:10; Jeremiah 31:3.
8. See 1 Samuel 16:7.
9. See D&C 88:63.
10. 1 John 4:8.
11. See Romans 5:5; 1 John 4:7, 16.
12. Jeremiah 29:13.
13. 1 John 5:3; see also 2 John 1:6.
14. 1 John 2:4; see also Isaiah 29:13.
15. Moses 6:59.
16. See John 15:13.
17. See Matthew 22:40.

In 1833 the Prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation that contained a strong rebuke to several leading brethren of the Church to set their families in order (see D&C 93:40â50). A specific phrase from this revelation provides the theme for my messageââmore diligent and concerned at homeâ (verse 50). I want to suggest three ways each of us can become more diligent and concerned in our homes. I invite you to listen both with ears that hear and with hearts that feel, and I pray for the Spirit of the Lord to be with all of us.

Suggestion Number One: Express Loveâand Show It

We can begin to become more diligent and concerned at home by telling the people we love that we love them. Such expressions do not need to be flowery or lengthy. We simply should sincerely and frequently express love.

Brethren and sisters, when was the last time you took your eternal companion in your arms and said, âI love youâ?  Parents, when was the last time you sincerely expressed love to your children? Children, when was the last time you told your parents that you love them?

Each of us already knows we should tell the people we love that we love them. But what we know is not always reflected in what we do. We may feel unsure, awkward, or even perhaps a bit embarrassed.

As disciples of the Savior, we are not merely striving to know more; rather, we need to consistently do more of what we know is right and become better.

We should remember that saying âI love youâ is only a beginning. We need to say it, we need to mean it, and most importantly we need consistently to show it. We need to both express and demonstrate love.

President Thomas S. Monson recently counseled: âOften we assume that [the people around us] must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. . . . We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to usâ (âFinding Joy in the Journey,â Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2008, 86).

Sometimes in a sacrament meeting talk or testimony, we hear a statement like this: âI know I do not tell my spouse often enough how much I love her. Today I want her, my children, and all of you to know that I love her.â

Such an expression of love may be appropriate. But when I hear a statement like this, I squirm and silently exclaim that the spouse and children should not be hearing this apparently rare and private communication in public at church! Hopefully the children hear love expressed and see love demonstrated between their parents in the regular routine of daily living. If, however, the public statement of love at church is a bit surprising to the spouse or the children, then indeed there is a need to be more diligent and concerned at home.

The relationship between love and appropriate action is demonstrated repeatedly in the scriptures and is highlighted by the Saviorâs instruction to His Apostles: âIf ye love me, keep my commandmentsâ (John 14:15). Just as our love of and for the Lord is evidenced by walking ever in His ways (see Deuteronomy 19:9), so our love for spouse, parents, and children is reflected most powerfully in our thoughts, our words, and our deeds (see Mosiah 4:30).

Feeling the security and constancy of love from a spouse, a parent, or a child is a rich blessing. Such love nurtures and sustains faith in God. Such love is a source of strength and casts out fear (see 1 John 4:18). Such love is the desire of every human soul.

We can become more diligent and concerned at home as we express loveâand consistently show it.

Suggestion Number Two: Bear Testimonyâand Live It

We also can become more diligent and concerned at home by bearing testimony to those whom we love about the things we know to be true by the witness of the Holy Ghost. The bearing of testimony need not be lengthy or eloquent. And we do not need to wait until the first Sunday of the month to declare our witness of things that are true. Within the walls of our own homes, we can and should bear pure testimony of the divinity and reality of the Father and the Son, of the great plan of happiness, and of the Restoration.

Brethren and sisters, when was the last time you bore testimony to your eternal companion? Parents, when was the last time you declared your witness to your children about the things you know to be true? And children, when was the last time you shared your testimony with your parents and family?

Each of us already knows we should bear testimony to the people we love the most. But what we know is not always reflected in what we do. We may feel unsure, awkward, or even perhaps a bit embarrassed.

As disciples of the Savior, we are not merely striving to know more; rather, we need to consistently do more of what we know is right and become better.

We should remember that bearing a heartfelt testimony is only a beginning. We need to bear testimony, we need to mean it, and most importantly we need consistently to live it. We need to both declare and live our testimonies.

The relationship between testimony and appropriate action is emphasized in the Saviorâs instruction to the Saints in Kirtland: âThat which the Spirit testifies unto you even so I would that ye should doâ (D&C 46:7). Our testimony of gospel truth should be reflected both in our words and in our deeds. And our testimonies are proclaimed and lived most powerfully in our own homes. Spouses, parents, and children should strive to overcome any hesitancy, reluctance, or embarrassment about bearing testimony. We should both create and look for opportunities to bear testimony of gospel truthsâand live them.

A testimony is what we know to be true in our minds and in our hearts by the witness of the Holy Ghost (see D&C 8:2). As we profess truth rather than admonish, exhort, or simply share interesting experiences, we invite the Holy Ghost to confirm the verity of our words. The power of pure testimony (see Alma 4:19) does not come from sophisticated language or effective presentation; rather, it is the result of revelation conveyed by the third member of the Godhead, even the Holy Ghost.

Feeling the power, the edification, and the constancy of testimony from a spouse, a parent, or a child is a rich blessing. Such testimony fortifies faith and provides direction. Such testimony generates light in a world that grows increasingly dark. Such testimony is the source of an eternal perspective and of enduring peace.

We can become more diligent and concerned at home as we bear testimonyâand consistently live it.

Suggestion Number Three: Be Consistent

As our sons were growing up, our family did what you have done and what you now do. We had regular family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening. Now, I am sure what I am about to describe has never occurred in your home, but it did in ours.

Sometimes Sister Bednar and I wondered if our efforts to do these spiritually essential things were worthwhile. Now and then verses of scripture were read amid outbursts such as âHeâs touching me!â âMake him stop looking at me!â âMom, heâs breathing my air!â Sincere prayers occasionally were interrupted with giggling and poking. And with active, rambunctious boys, family home evening lessons did not always produce high levels of edification. At times Sister Bednar and I were exasperated because the righteous habits we worked so hard to foster did not seem to yield immediately the spiritual results we wanted and expected.

Today if you could ask our adult sons what they remember about family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening, I believe I know how they would answer. They likely would not identify a particular prayer or a specific instance of scripture study or an especially meaningful family home evening lesson as the defining moment in their spiritual development. What they would say they remember is that as a family we were consistent.

Sister Bednar and I thought helping our sons understand the content of a particular lesson or a specific scripture was the ultimate outcome. But such a result does not occur each time we study or pray or learn together. The consistency of our intent and work was perhaps the greatest lessonâa lesson we did not fully appreciate at the time.

In my office is a beautiful painting of a wheat field. The painting is a vast collection of individual brushstrokesânone of which in isolation is very interesting or impressive. In fact, if you stand close to the canvas, all you can see is a mass of seemingly unrelated and unattractive streaks of yellow and gold and brown paint. However, as you gradually move away from the canvas, all of the individual brushstrokes combine together and produce a magnificent landscape of a wheat field. Many ordinary, individual brushstrokes work together to create a captivating and beautiful painting.

Each family prayer, each episode of family scripture study, and each family home evening is a brushstroke on the canvas of our souls. No one event may appear to be very impressive or memorable. But just as the yellow and gold and brown strokes of paint complement each other and produce an impressive masterpiece, so our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results. âWherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is greatâ (D&C 64:33). Consistency is a key principle as we lay the foundation of a great work in our individual lives and as we become more diligent and concerned in our own homes.

Being consistent in our homes is important for another reason. Many of the Saviorâs harshest rebukes were directed to hypocrites. Jesus warned His disciples concerning the scribes and Pharisees: âDo not ye after their works: for they say, and do notâ (Matthew 23:3). This strong admonition is sobering given the counsel to âexpress loveâand show it,â to âbear testimonyâand live it,â and to âbe consistent.â

The hypocrisy in our lives is most readily discerned and causes the greatest destruction within our own homes. And children often are the most alert and sensitive when it comes to recognizing hypocrisy.

A public statement of love when the private actions of love are absent at home is hypocrisyâand weakens the foundation of a great work. Publicly declaring testimony when faithfulness and obedience are missing within our own homes is hypocrisyâand undermines the foundation of a great work. The commandment âThou shalt not bear false witnessâ (Exodus 20:16) applies most pointedly to the hypocrite in each of us. We need to be and become more consistent. âBut be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purityâ (1 Timothy 4:12).

As we seek the Lordâs help and in His strength, we can gradually reduce the disparity between what we say and what we do, between expressing love and consistently showing it, and between bearing testimony and steadfastly living it. We can become more diligent and concerned at home as we are more faithful in learning, living, and loving the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

Testimony

âMarriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and . . . the family is central to the Creatorâs plan for the eternal destiny of His childrenâ (âThe Family: A Proclamation to the World,â Liahona, Oct. 2004, 49; Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102). For these and other eternally important reasons, we should be more diligent and concerned at home.

May every spouse, every child, and every parent be blessed to communicate and receive love, to bear and be edified by strong testimony, and to become more consistent in the seemingly small things that matter so much.

In these important pursuits we will never be left alone. Our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son live. They love us and know our circumstances, and They will help us to become more diligent and concerned at home. Of these truths I testify in the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

One day while serving as a mission president, I was talking on the phone to our oldest son. He was on his way to the hospital where he worked as a physician. When he arrived at the hospital, he said, âNice talking to you, Dad, but now Iâve got to get out of my car and go save some lives.â

Our son treats children with life-threatening illnesses. When he is able to diagnose a disease properly and give the right treatment, he can save a childâs life. I told our missionaries that their work is also to help save livesâthe spiritual lives of those they teach.

President Joseph F. Smith said: âWhen [we receive] the truth [we] will be saved by it. [We] will not be saved merely because someone taught it to [us], but because [we] received and acted upon itâ (in Conference Report, Apr. 1902, 86; see also Teaching, No Greater Call [1999], 49; 1 Timothy 4:16).

Our son saves lives by sharing his knowledge of medicine; missionaries and teachers in the Church help save lives by sharing their knowledge of the gospel. When missionaries and teachers draw upon the Spirit, they teach the appropriate principle, invite their learners to live that principle, and bear witness of the promised blessings that will certainly follow. Elder David A. Bednar shared these three simple elements of effective teaching in a recent training meeting: (1) key doctrine, (2) invitation to action, and (3) promised blessings.

The guide Preach My Gospel helps missionaries teach key doctrine, invite those they teach to take action, and receive promised blessings. The guide Teaching, No Greater Call helps parents and teachers do the same. It is to gospel teaching what Preach My Gospel is to missionary work. We use them to prepare to teach, and then we draw upon the Spirit as we teach.

President Thomas S. Monson tells of a Sunday School teacher from his youth, Lucy Gertsch. One Sunday, partway through a lesson about selfless service, Sister Gertsch invited her students to give their class party fund to the family of one of their classmates whose mother had passed away. President Monson said that in giving that invitation to action, Sister Gertsch had âclosed the manual and opened our eyes and our ears and our hearts to the glory of Godâ (âExamples of Great Teachersâ [worldwide leadership training meeting, Feb. 10, 2007], Liahona, June 2007, 76; Ensign, June 2007, 108). Sister Gertsch had clearly used the manual to prepare her lesson, but when inspiration came, she closed the manual and invited her students to live the gospel principle she was teaching.

As President Monson has taught: âThe goal of gospel teaching . . . is not to âpour informationâ into the minds of class members. . . . The aim is to inspire the individual to think about, feel about, and then do something about living gospel principlesâ (in Conference Report, Oct. 1970, 107).

When Moroni appeared to the Prophet Joseph, he not only taught him key doctrines of the Restoration, but he also told him that âGod had a work for [him] to doâ and promised him that his name would be known throughout the world (see Joseph SmithâHistory 1:33). All parents and gospel teachers are messengers from God. Not all of us teach future prophets, as did Sister Gertsch and Moroni, but we are all teaching future leaders of the Church. So we teach key doctrine, invite learners to do the work God has for them, and then promise that blessings will surely come.

I remember as a young boy feeling carefree as I walked to the church for a Primary meeting. When I arrived, I was surprised to see all of the parents there for a special program. Then it hit me. I had a part in this program, and I had forgotten to memorize my lines. When my turn came to say my part, I stood in front of my chair, but not one word came from my mouth. I could remember nothing. So I just stood there and then finally sat down and stared at the floor.

After that experience, I made a firm resolve never to speak in any Church meeting again. And I held to that resolve for some time. Then one Sunday, Sister Lydia Stillman, a Primary leader, knelt down at my side and asked me to give a short talk the following week. I said, âI donât give talks.â She responded, âI know, but you can give this one because Iâll help you.â I continued to resist, but she expressed so much confidence in me that her invitation was hard to refuse. I gave the talk.

That good woman was a messenger from God, who had a work for me to do. She taught me that when a call comes, you accept it, no matter how inadequate you might feel. As Moroni did with Joseph, she made certain that I was prepared when the time came to give that talk. That inspired teacher helped save my life.

When I was in my teens, a recently returned missionary named Brother Peterson taught our Sunday School class. Every week he would draw a large arrow from the lower left-hand corner of the blackboard pointing to the upper right-hand corner. Then he would write at the top of the blackboard, âAim High.â

Whatever doctrine he was teaching, he would ask us to stretch ourselves, to reach a little higher than we thought was possible. The arrow and those two words, aim high, were a constant invitation throughout the lesson. Brother Peterson made me want to serve a good mission, to do better in school, to set my sights higher for my career.

Brother Peterson had a work for us to do. His goal was to help us âthink about, feel about, and then do something about living gospel principles.â His teaching helped save my life.

At the age of 19, I was called to serve a mission in Tahiti, where I had to learn two foreign languagesâFrench and Tahitian. Early in my mission, I became very discouraged at my lack of progress in either language. Every time I tried to speak French, people responded in Tahitian. When I tried to speak Tahitian, they answered in French. I was on the verge of giving up.

Then one day, as I was walking past the laundry room at the mission home, I heard a voice calling me. I turned around and saw a gray-haired Tahitian woman standing in the doorway motioning for me to come back. Her name was Tuputeata Moo. She spoke only Tahitian. And I spoke only English. I missed much of what she was trying to tell me, but I did understand that she wanted me to return to the laundry room every day so she could help me learn Tahitian.

I stopped by daily to practice with her while she ironed clothes. At first I wondered if our meetings would be of any help, but gradually I began to understand her. Each time we met, she communicated to me her complete confidence that I could learn both languages.

Sister Moo helped me learn Tahitian. But she helped me learn much more than that. She was really teaching me the first principle of the gospelâfaith in the Lord Jesus Christ. She taught me that if I relied on the Lord, He would help me do something I thought was impossible. She not only helped save my missionâshe helped save my life.

Sister Stillman, Brother Peterson, and Sister Moo taught âby persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; by kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soulâ (D&C 121:41â42). They taught with virtue garnishing their thoughts, and because of that, the Holy Ghost was their constant companion (see D&C 121:45â46).

These great teachers have inspired me to ask questions about my own teaching:

1. As a teacher, do I view myself as a messenger from God?
2. Do I prepare and then teach in ways that can help save lives?
3. Do I focus on a key doctrine of the Restoration?
4. Can those I teach feel the love I have for them and for my Heavenly Father and the Savior?
5. When inspiration comes, do I close the manual and open their eyes and their ears and their hearts to the glory of God?
6. Do I invite them to do the work that God has for them to do?
7. Do I express so much confidence in them that they find the invitation hard to refuse?
8. Do I help them recognize promised blessings that come from living the doctrine I am teaching?

Learning and teaching are not optional activities in the kingdom of God. They are the very means by which the gospel has been restored to the earth and by which we will gain eternal life. They provide the pathway to personal testimony. No one can be âsaved in ignoranceâ (D&C 131:6).

I know that God lives. I testify that Jesus is the Christ. I bear witness that the Prophet Joseph opened this dispensation by learning truth and then teaching it. Joseph asked one question after another, received divine answers, and then taught what he had learned to Godâs children. I know that President Monson is the Lordâs mouthpiece on the earth today and that he continues to learn and to teach us as Joseph did because teaching helps save lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Many years ago I walked at dawn through the narrow cobblestone streets of Cusco, Peru, high in the Andes Mountains. I saw a man from a local indigenous group walking down one of the streets. He was not a big man physically, but he carried an immense load of firewood in a huge burlap sack on his back. The sack seemed to be as big as he was. The load must have weighed as much as he did. He steadied it with a rope that looped under the bottom of the sack and circled up around his forehead. He gripped the rope tightly on both sides of his head. He kept a rag on his forehead underneath the rope to keep it from cutting into his skin. He leaned forward under his burden and walked with deliberate, difficult steps.

The man was carrying the firewood to the marketplace, where it would be sold. In an average day he might make just two or three round-trips across the town to deliver similarly awkward, heavy loads.

The memory of him bent forward, struggling down the street has become increasingly meaningful for me with the passage of years. How long could he continue to carry such burdens?

Life presses all kinds of burdens on each of us, some light but others relentless and heavy. People struggle every day under burdens that tax their souls. Many of us struggle under such burdens. They can be emotionally or physically ponderous. They can be worrisome, oppressive, and exhausting. And they can continue for years.

In a general sense, our burdens come from three sources. Some burdens are the natural product of the conditions of the world in which we live. Illness, physical disability, hurricanes, and earthquakes come from time to time through no fault of our own. We can prepare for these risks and sometimes we can predict them, but in the natural pattern of life we will all confront some of these challenges.

Other burdens are imposed on us by the misconduct of others. Abuse and addictions can make home anything but a heaven on earth for innocent family members. Sin, incorrect traditions, repression, and crime scatter burdened victims along the pathways of life. Even less-serious misdeeds such as gossip and unkindness can cause others genuine suffering.

Our own mistakes and shortcomings produce many of our problems and can place heavy burdens on our own shoulders. The most onerous burden we impose upon ourselves is the burden of sin. We have all known the remorse and pain which inevitably follow our failure to keep the commandments.

No matter the burdens we face in life as a consequence of natural conditions, the misconduct of others, or our own mistakes and shortcomings, we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father, who sent us to earth as part of His eternal plan for our growth and progress. Our unique individual experiences can help us prepare to return to Him. The adversity and afflictions that are ours, however difficult to bear, last, from heavenâs perspective, for âbut a small moment; and then, if [we] endure it well, God shall exalt [us] on high.â¹ We must do everything we can to bear our burdens âwellâ for however long our âsmall momentâ carrying them lasts.

Burdens provide opportunities to practice virtues that contribute to eventual perfection. They invite us to yield âto the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and [put] off the natural man and [become] a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and [become] as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us], even as a child doth submit to his father.â² Thus burdens become blessings, though often such blessings are well disguised and may require time, effort, and faith to accept and understand. Four examples may help explain this:

• First, Adam was told, âCursed shall be the ground for thy sake,â which meant for his benefit, and âby the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread.â³ Work is a continual burden, but it is also a continual blessing âfor [our] sake,â for it teaches lessons we can learn only âby the sweat of [our] face.â
  
  
• Second, Alma observed that the poverty and âafflictions [of the poor among the Zoramites] had truly humbled them, and that they were in a preparation to hear the word.â⁴ He added, âBecause ye are compelled to be humble blessed are ye.â⁵ Our economic challenges may help prepare us to hear the word of the Lord.
  
  
• Third, because of the âexceedingly great length of [their] war,â many Nephites and Lamanites âwere softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depth of humility.â⁶ Political unrest, social disorder, and, in some areas of the world, modern Gadianton robbers may humble us and motivate us to seek heavenly shelter from societal storms.
  
  
• Fourth, Joseph Smith was told that the terrible things he suffered for years at the hands of his enemies would âgive [him] experience, and . . . be for [his] good.â⁷ The suffering we experience through the offenses of others is a valuable, though painful, school for improving our own behavior.

Further, bearing up under our own burdens can help us develop a reservoir of empathy for the problems others face. The Apostle Paul taught that we should âbear . . . one anotherâs burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.â⁸ Accordingly, our baptismal covenants require that we should be âwilling to bear one anotherâs burdens, that they may be light; yea, and [be] willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort.â⁹

Keeping our baptismal covenants helps relieve our own burdens as well as those of burdened souls we serve.¹⁰ Those who offer such assistance to others stand on holy ground. In explaining this, the Savior taught:

âWhen saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

âWhen saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

âOr when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

âAnd the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.â¹¹

Through it all, the Savior offers us sustaining strength and support, and in His own time and way, He offers deliverance. When Alma and his followers escaped from the armies of King Noah, they established a community named Helam. They began to till the ground, build buildings, and prosper.¹² Without warning, an army of the Lamanites brought them into bondage, and ânone could deliver them but the Lord their God.â¹³ That deliverance, however, did not come immediately.

Their enemies began to âput tasks upon them, and put taskmasters over them.â¹⁴ Although they were threatened with death for praying,¹⁵ Alma and his people âdid pour out their hearts to [God]; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts.â¹⁶ Because of their goodness and their obedience to their baptismal covenants,¹⁷ they were delivered in stages. The Lord said to them:

âI will . . . ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that . . . you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

âAnd now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

âAnd it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage.â¹⁸

Mercifully, the Son of God offers us deliverance from the bondage of our sins, which are among the heaviest of all the burdens we bear. During His Atonement He suffered âaccording to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance.â¹⁹ Christ âsuffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent.â²⁰ When we repent and keep the commandments, forgiveness and relief from our burdened conscience come with the help that only the Savior offers, for âsurely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy.â²¹

I remember that man in Peru, hunched over and struggling to carry that enormous sack of firewood on his back. For me, he is an image of us all as we struggle with the burdens of life. I know that as we keep the commandments of God and our covenants, He helps us with our burdens. He strengthens us. When we repent, He forgives us and blesses us with peace of conscience and joy.²² May we then submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. D&C 121:7â8.
2. Mosiah 3:19.
3. Moses 4:23, 25.
4. Alma 32:6.
5. Alma 32:13.
6. Alma 62:41.
7. D&C 122:7.
8. Galatians 6:2.
9. Mosiah 18:8â9.
10. See Matthew 10:39; 11:28â30; Mosiah 2:22.
11. See Matthew 25:35â40.
12. See Mosiah 23:5, 19â20.
13. See Mosiah 23:23â26.
14. Mosiah 24:9.
15. See Mosiah 24:10â11.
16. Mosiah 24:12.
17. See Mosiah 18:8â10; 24:13.
18. Mosiah 24:14â16.
19. Alma 7:13.
20. D&C 19:16.
21. Alma 32:13.
22. See Mosiah 4:3; Alma 36:19â21.

At the end of the day, a pair of missionaries starts toward home when one suddenly turns to the other and says, âI feel we need to stop at this one last place.â A home teacher is prompted to call one of the families he visited just a few days before. A young woman plans on attending a school friendâs party yet feels impressed to stay home this time.

How did the missionaries know to knock on the door of someone who had been praying for them? or the home teacher to call a family that was in desperate need? or the young woman to stay away from a situation where her values could be compromised? In each of these situations they were guided by the influence of the Holy Ghost.

Similar experiences happen repeatedly to members throughout the world on a regular basis, and there are those who desire to feel the Spirit guiding them daily in their lives. While each person can learn to recognize the whisperings of the Spirit, that learning process can be facilitated as others help us understand about the Holy Ghost, share their personal testimonies, and provide an environment where the Spirit can be felt.

Understanding the Doctrine

The importance of helping others understand is described in the Doctrine and Covenants. Parents âin Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organizedâ are told to help their children âunderstand the doctrine.â¹

Whether we are in a classroom, a missionary discussion, or a family home evening, teaching the doctrine regarding the Holy Ghost can help others understand this important gift. We learn that while âthe Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil,â² the right to the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost comes as members are given that gift by the laying on of hands by those who have the proper authority.³

This companionship can continue to be ours if we are worthy. We are told that âthe Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy templesâ⁴ and that as we âlet virtue garnish [our] thoughts unceasingly; then . . . the Holy Ghost shall be [our] constant companion.â⁵

The scriptures and the prophets teach what this constant companionship feels like. The Lord tells us, âI will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.â⁶ Enos stated, âWhile I was . . . struggling in the spirit, behold, the voice of the Lord came into my mind.â⁷ Joseph Smith said, âWhen you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas.â⁸ President Henry B. Eyring described the influence of the Holy Ghost as âpeace, hope, and joy.â He added, âAlmost always I have also felt a sensation of light.â⁹

My favorite description, though, comes from an eight-year-old boy who had just received the Holy Ghost. He said, âIt felt like sunshine.â

Share Personal Testimony

However, it is not always easy to discern these âsunshineâ moments at first. The Book of Mormon tells us of some faithful Lamanites who âwere baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.â¹⁰

We can help others become more familiar with the promptings of the Spirit when we share our testimony of the influence of the Holy Ghost in our lives. Remember that some experiences are too sacred to relate. However, by sharing testimony of the Spirit in our lives, those who are unfamiliar with these promptings are more likely to recognize when they have similar feelings.

I was the first member of my family to join the Church. As an eight-year-old, I waited to feel somehow different because of my baptism. To be honest, the only thing I felt when I was brought out of the water was . . . well, dripping wet. I thought something more profound would happen when I was confirmed. However, after receiving the Holy Ghost, again I felt happy but certainly no different than I had just a few minutes before.

It wasnât until the following day at fast and testimony meeting that I experienced what I now recognize as the influence of the Holy Ghost. A brother stood to bear his testimony and tell about the blessings of his membership in the Church. I felt a flood of warmth sweep over me. Even as an eight-year-old, I recognized that this was something different. I felt a peace descend on me, and I had the distinct feeling that Heavenly Father was pleased with me.

Provide an Environment Where the Spirit Can Be Felt

There are places where it is easier to feel the Spirit. Testimony meetings and general conference are some of those places. Certainly temples are another. The challenge for each of us is in providing an environment where the Spirit can be felt daily in our homes and weekly at church.

One reason we are encouraged to pray and read the scriptures every single day is that both of these activities invite the Spirit into our homes and into the lives of our family members.

Because the Spirit is often described as a still, small voice,¹¹ it is also important to have a time of quiet in our lives as well. The Lord has counseled us to âbe still, and know that I am God.â¹² If we provide a still and quiet time each day when we are not bombarded by television, computer, video games, or personal electronic devices, we allow that still, small voice an opportunity to provide personal revelation and to whisper sweet guidance, reassurance, and comfort to us.

Similarly, we can provide an environment at church that allows the Spirit to give divine confirmation to what is being taught. Teachers and leaders do more than teach lessons or conduct meetings. They facilitate the whisperings of the Spirit to each member. Elder Richard G. Scott has said, âIf you accomplish nothing else in your relationship with your students than to help them recognize and follow the promptings of the Spirit, you will bless their lives immeasurably and eternally.â¹³

A Sunbeam teacher wrapped each of her class members one by one in a blanket to teach them how the Spirit feels like the comfort and security of that covering. A visiting mother also heard the lesson.

Many months later the mother thanked the teacher. She told how she had been less active when she accompanied her young daughter to Primary. Several weeks after the lesson, the mother suffered a miscarriage. She was overcome with grief when suddenly she felt a great warmth and peace. It felt like someone had covered her with a warm blanket. She recognized the reassurance of the Spirit and knew that Heavenly Father was aware of her and that He loved her.

When we come to understand the whisperings of the Spirit, we will be able to hear Him teach us âthe peaceable things of the kingdomâ¹⁴ and âall things what [we] should do.â¹⁵ We will recognize answers to our prayers and know how to live the gospel more fully each day. We will be guided and protected. And we can cultivate this gift in our lives as we follow those spiritual promptings. Most importantly, we will feel Him witness to us of the Father and of the Son.¹⁶

As a young woman attending youth conference, I felt the Spirit bear witness to me of the truthfulness of the restored gospel. In preparation for a testimony meeting, we sang âThe Spirit of God.â Now, I had sung that hymn many times before in sacrament meetings. But on this occasion, from nearly the opening note, I felt the Spirit. By the time we sang âThe latter-day glory begins to come forth,â¹⁷ I knew that these were more than nice lyrics; they were beautiful truths.

The Holy Ghost has confirmed to me that God the Father lives. He loves each of us. He knows us individually and personally. He hears the pleadings of our hearts, and He answers those sincere prayers.

Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. He came to earth in the meridian of time to atone for our sins. And He will come again. These and all other aspects of the gospel that make up my testimony are firm in my heart because of the influence of the Holy Ghost. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. D&C 68:25.
2. Moroni 7:16.
3. See True to the Faith (2004), 83.
4. Helaman 4:24.
5. D&C 121:45â46.
6. D&C 8:2.
7. Enos 1:10.
8. Joseph Smith, in History of the Church, 3:381.
9. Henry B. Eyring, âGifts of the Spirit for Hard Times,â Ensign, June 2007, 18.
10. 3 Nephi 9:20.
11. See 1 Kings 19:12; 1 Nephi 17:45; D&C 85:6.
12. Psalm 46:10; see also D&C 101:16.
13. Richard G. Scott, "Helping Others to Be Spiritually Led" (address to religious educators, Aug. 11, 1998), 3; in Teaching, No Greater Call (1999), 48.
14. D&C 36:2.
15. See 2 Nephi 32:1â5.
16. See 2 Nephi 31:18.
17. âThe Spirit of God,â Hymns, no. 2.

Throughout the ages, many have obtained guidance helpful to resolve challenges in their lives by following the example of respected individuals who resolved similar problems. Today, world conditions change so rapidly that such a course of action is often not available to us.

Personally, I rejoice in that reality because it creates a condition where we, of necessity, are more dependent upon the Spirit to guide us through the vicissitudes of life. Therefore, we are led to seek personal inspiration in lifeâs important decisions.

What can you do to enhance your capacity to be led to correct decisions in your life? What are the principles upon which spiritual communication depends? What are the potential barriers to such communication that you need to avoid?

President John Taylor wrote: âJoseph Smith, upwards of forty years ago, said to me: âBrother Taylor, you have received the Holy Ghost. Now follow the influence of that Spirit, and it will lead you into all truth, until by and by, it will become in you a principle of revelation.â Then he told me never to arise in the morning without bowing before the Lord, and dedicating myself to him during that day.â¹

Father in Heaven knew that you would face challenges and be required to make some decisions that would be beyond your own ability to decide correctly. In His plan of happiness, He included a provision for you to receive help with such challenges and decisions during your mortal life. That assistance will come to you through the Holy Ghost as spiritual guidance. It is a power, beyond your own capability, that a loving Heavenly Father wants you to use consistently for your peace and happiness.

I am convinced that there is no simple formula or technique that would immediately allow you to master the ability to be guided by the voice of the Spirit. Our Father expects you to learn how to obtain that divine help by exercising faith in Him and His Holy Son, Jesus Christ. Were you to receive inspired guidance just for the asking, you would become weak and ever more dependent on Them. They know that essential personal growth will come as you struggle to learn how to be led by the Spirit.

What may appear initially to be a daunting task will be much easier to manage over time as you consistently strive to recognize and follow feelings prompted by the Spirit. Your confidence in the direction you receive from the Holy Ghost will also become stronger. I witness that as you gain experience and success in being guided by the Spirit, your confidence in the impressions you feel can become more certain than your dependence on what you see or hear.

Spirituality yields two fruits. The first is inspiration to know what to do. The second is power, or the capacity to do it. These two capacities come together. Thatâs why Nephi could say, âI will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded.â² He knew the spiritual laws upon which inspiration and power are based. Yes, God answers prayer and gives us spiritual direction when we live obediently and exercise the required faith in Him.

Now I share an experience that taught me a way to gain spiritual guidance. One Sunday I attended the priesthood meeting of a Spanish branch in Mexico City. I vividly recall how a humble Mexican priesthood leader struggled to communicate the truths of the gospel in his lesson material. I noted the intense desire he had to share those principles he strongly valued with his quorum members. He recognized that they were of great worth to the brethren present. In his manner, there was an evidence of a pure love of the Savior and love of those he taught.

His sincerity, purity of intent, and love permitted a spiritual strength to envelop the room. I was deeply touched. Then I began to receive personal impressions as an extension of the principles taught by that humble instructor. They were personal and related to my assignments in the area. They came in answer to my prolonged, prayerful efforts to learn.

As each impression came, I carefully wrote it down. In the process, I was given precious truths that I greatly needed in order to be a more effective servant of the Lord. The details of the communication are sacred and, like a patriarchal blessing, were for my individual benefit. I was given specific directions, instructions, and conditioned promises that have beneficially altered the course of my life.

Subsequently, I visited the Sunday School class in our ward, where a very well-educated teacher presented his lesson. That experience was in striking contrast to the one enjoyed in the priesthood meeting. It seemed to me that the instructor had purposely chosen obscure references and unusual examples to illustrate the principles of the lesson. I had the distinct impression that this instructor was using the teaching opportunity to impress the class with his vast store of knowledge. At any rate, he certainly did not seem as intent on communicating principles as had the humble priesthood leader.

In that environment, strong impressions began to flow to me again. I wrote them down. The message included specific counsel on how to become more effective as an instrument in the hands of the Lord. I received such an outpouring of impressions that were so personal that I felt it was not appropriate to record them in the midst of a Sunday School class. I sought a more private location, where I continued to write the feelings that flooded into my mind and heart as faithfully as possible. After each powerful impression was recorded, I pondered the feelings I had received to determine if I had accurately expressed them in writing. As a result, I made a few minor changes to what had been written. Then I studied their meaning and application in my own life.

Subsequently I prayed, reviewing with the Lord what I thought I had been taught by the Spirit. When a feeling of peace came, I thanked Him for the guidance given. I was then impressed to ask, âWas there yet more to be given?â I received further impressions, and the process of writing down the impressions, pondering, and praying for confirmation was repeated. Again I was prompted to ask, âIs there more I should know?â And there was. When that last, most sacred experience was concluded, I had received some of the most precious, specific, personal direction one could hope to obtain in this life. Had I not responded to the first impressions and recorded them, I would not have received the last, most precious guidance.

What I have described is not an isolated experience. It embodies several true principles regarding communication from the Lord to His children here on earth. I believe that you can leave the most precious, personal direction of the Spirit unheard because you do not respond to, record, and apply the first promptings that come to you.

Impressions of the Spirit can come in response to urgent prayer or unsolicited when needed. Sometimes the Lord reveals truth to you when you are not actively seeking it, such as when you are in danger and do not know it. However, the Lord will not force you to learn. You must exercise your agency to authorize the Spirit to teach you. As you make this a practice in your life, you will be more perceptive to the feelings that come with spiritual guidance. Then, when that guidance comes, sometimes when you least expect it, you will recognize it more easily.

The inspiring influence of the Holy Spirit can be overcome or masked by strong emotions, such as anger, hate, passion, fear, or pride. When such influences are present, it is like trying to savor the delicate flavor of a grape while eating a jalapeÃo pepper. Both flavors are present, but one completely overpowers the other. In like manner, strong emotions overcome the delicate promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Sin is addictive; self-degenerating; conducive to other strains of corruption; deadening to spirituality, conscience, and reason; blinding to reality; contagious; destructive to mind, body, and spirit. Sin is spiritually corrosive. Unrestrained it becomes all-consuming. It is overcome by repentance and righteousness.

I share a warning. Satan is extremely good at blocking spiritual communication by inducing individuals, through temptation, to violate the laws upon which spiritual communication is founded. With some, he is able to convince them that they are not able to receive such guidance from the Lord.

Satan has become a master at using the addictive power of pornography to limit individual capacity to be led by the Spirit. The onslaught of pornography in all of its vicious, corroding, destructive forms has caused great grief, suffering, heartache, and destroyed marriages. It is one of the most damning influences on earth. Whether it be through the printed page, movies, television, obscene lyrics, vulgarities on the telephone, or flickering personal computer screen, pornography is overpoweringly addictive and severely damaging. This potent tool of Lucifer degrades the mind and the heart and the soul of any who use it. All who are caught in its seductive, tantalizing web and remain so will become addicted to its immoral, destructive influence. For many, that addiction cannot be overcome without help. The tragic pattern is so familiar. It begins with curiosity that is fueled by its stimulation and is justified by the false premise that when done privately, it does no harm to anyone else. For those lulled by this lie, the experimentation goes deeper, with more powerful stimulations, until the trap closes and a terribly immoral, addictive habit exercises its vicious control.

Participation in pornography in any of its lurid forms is a manifestation of unbridled selfishness. How can a man, particularly a priesthood bearer, not think of the emotional and spiritual damage caused to women, especially his wife, by such abhorrent activity?

Well did inspired Nephi declare, âAnd [the devil] will . . . pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, . . . and thus [he] cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.â³

If you are ensnarled in pornography, make a total commitment to overcome it now. Find a quiet place; pray urgently for help and support. Be patient and obedient. Donât give up.

Parents, be aware that the addiction of pornography can begin with youth at a very early age. Take preventative action to avoid that tragedy. Stake presidents and bishops, warn of this evil. Invite anyone you consider captured by it to come to you for help.

An individual with foundation standards and an enduring commitment to obey them is not easily led astray. Someone who is increasingly repulsed by grievous sin and who exercises self-restraint outside human influence has character. Repentance will be more efficacious for such an individual. A feeling of remorse after a mistake is a fertile soil wherein repentance can flower.

Have patience as you are perfecting your ability to be led by the Spirit. By careful practice, through the application of correct principles, and by being sensitive to the feelings that come, you will gain spiritual guidance. I bear witness that the Lord, through the Holy Ghost, can speak to your mind and heart. Sometimes the impressions are just general feelings. Sometimes the direction comes so clearly and so unmistakably that it can be written down like spiritual dictation.⁴

I bear solemn witness that as you pray with all the fervor of your soul with humility and gratitude, you can learn to be consistently guided by the Holy Spirit in all aspects of your life. I have confirmed the truthfulness of that principle in the crucible of my own life. I testify that you can personally learn to master the principles of being guided by the Spirit. That way, the Savior can guide you to resolve challenges of life and enjoy great peace and happiness. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTES
1. John Taylor, The Gospel Kingdom, ed. G. Homer Durham (1943), 43â44.
2. 1 Nephi 3:7.
3. 2 Nephi 28:21.
4. See D&C 8:2.

My beloved brothers and sisters, I extend my greetings to all of you as we commence this, the 179th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

How grateful I am for the age in which we liveâan age of such advanced technology that we are able to address you across the world. As the General Authorities and auxiliary leaders stand here in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, our voices will be reaching you by various means, including radio, television, satellite transmission, and the Internet. Although we will be speaking to you in English, you will be hearing us in some 92 languages.

Since last we met in April of this year, we have dedicated the beautiful Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple in South Jordan, Utah. Sandwiched between the Draper Utah Temple dedication in March and this most recent dedication of the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple in August, a spectacular two-night cultural event was held, featuring youth from both temple districts. The productions retraced the rich legacy of Utah through song and dance. All told, approximately 14,000 youth participated over the two nights.

We continue to build temples. We desire that as many members as possible have an opportunity to attend the temple without having to travel inordinate distances. Worldwide, 83 percent of our members live within 200 miles (320 km) of a temple. That percentage will continue to increase as we construct new temples around the world. Currently there are 130 temples in operation, with 16 announced or under construction. This morning I am pleased to announce 5 additional temples for which sites are being acquired and which, in coming months and years, will be built in the following locations: Brigham City, Utah; ConcepciÃn, Chile; Fortaleza, Brazil; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Sapporo, Japan.

Millions of ordinances are performed in the temples each year in behalf of our deceased loved ones. May we continue to be faithful in performing such ordinances for those who are unable to do so for themselves. I love the words of President Joseph F. Smith as he spoke of temple service and of the spirit world beyond mortality. Said he, âThrough our efforts in their behalf their chains of bondage will fall from them, and the darkness surrounding them will clear away, that light may shine upon them and they shall hear in the spirit world of the work that has been done for them by their [people] here, and will rejoice with you in your performance of these duties.â¹

Brothers and sisters, the Church continues to grow, as it has since being organized over 179 years ago. It is changing the lives of more and more people every year and is spreading far and wide over the earth as our missionary force seeks out those who are looking for the truths which are found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We call upon all members of the Church to befriend the new converts, to reach out to them, to surround them with love, and to help them feel at home.

I would ask that your faith and prayers continue to be offered in behalf of those areas where our influence is limited and where we are not allowed to share the gospel freely at this time. Miracles can occur as we do so.

Now, my brothers and sisters, we are anxious to listen to the messages which will be presented to us during the next two days. Those who will address us have sought heavenâs help and direction as they have prepared their messages. They have been impressed concerning that which they will share with us. That we may be filled with the Spirit of the Lord as we listen and learn is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NOTE
1. Joseph F. Smith, in Conference Report, Oct. 1916, 6.

By Kimberly Bowen, Church Magazines

â Preach My Gospel Continues to Help Members and Missionaries Alike,â Ensign, Oct. 2009, 76â77

Five years and nearly two million copies after it was first published, Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service continues helping missionaries and members in their missionary efforts.

While it was written as a full-time missionary reference tool, from the beginning Church leaders have encouraged members to become familiar with the manual as they learn to serve as member missionaries and as they prepare others to learn about the gospel.1

âOur own study of Preach My Gospel will not only help us to develop a greater understanding and appreciation for our missionaries, but it will help us in our own day-to-day life,â2 said Elder Erich W. Kopischke of the Seventy.

A Missionaryâs Resource

The manual, which the Church announced on October 15, 2004, in a mission presidentsâ training meeting, teaches basic gospel doctrine as well as the principles of missionary service. The First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, other General Authorities, and a team from the Missionary Department oversaw the creation of the manual.

As a missionary resource, Preach My Gospel has ârevolutionized missionary work,â3 said Elder Kopischke.

âMissionaries throughout the world now get into their minds and hearts the message of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the plan of salvation, essential commandments, and the laws and ordinances of the gospel,â said Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. âThese lessons are then given in their own words as guided by the Spirit. This focus has dramatically improved the effectiveness of missionaries that use it.â4

The president of the Japan Kobe Mission, William A. McIntyre Jr., said that as the missionaries in his mission have focused on Preach My Gospel, it has helped them to be happier and to be more effective, motivated missionaries because they learned how to be missionaries as well as how to do missionary work.

How the Manual Can Help You

However, unlike previous missionary resources, Preach My Gospel was intended for broad distribution to the general Church membership. âMissionaries are not alone in benefiting from Preach My Gospel,â said Elder Scott.

Elder Scott invited members to find out how the manual could help them as âa parent preparing a child for a mission, a Church leader helping a new convert, a member sharing the gospel, or an individual getting ready to serve.â5

âI feel the manual was intended to help all members of the Church, regardless of their understanding of gospel principles,â said Timothy L. Fry, president of the Ukraine Donetsk Mission. âIt makes a wonderful and inspiring study guide. It helps [members of the Church] improve their knowledge and testimony of our Savior.â

Within the 13 chapters of the manual are essential gospel principles, such as how to better recognize and understand the Spirit, the role of the Book of Mormon in conversion, scripture study techniques, how to overcome addictive behavior, and how to find opportunities to share the gospel. The manual also has study pages and application ideas.

The manual states: âStudy the chapters. â Apply what you learn. Evaluate your work. Missionaries who strive to prepare themselves daily and seek to improve regularly will receive direction from the Holy Ghost and see blessings in their lives.â6

Uniting Members and Missionaries

Elder Kopischke taught that Preach My Gospel has the potential to unify members and missionaries in moving missionary work forward.

âAs the missionaries become immersed in Preach My Gospel, they learn and apply important doctrines and principles which make them more capable in their important service,â he said. âDespite this, they still need all of our help and support. â Preach My Gospel is full of powerful ideas and insights. We learn how we can help the missionaries find people to teach and how we as members can work hand in hand with the missionaries.â7

Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: âThe Church has over 50,000 full-time missionaries serving around the world. Preach My Gospel has helped make them the best teachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ we have ever had in the history of the Church. â If you and I did more of the finding for the full-time missionaries and freed them up to spend more time teaching the people we find, great things would begin to happen.â8

Editorâs Note: For examples of members using Preach My Gospel, see âThe Member-Missionary Effectâ  on page 16 of this issue and at ensign.lds.org.

How to Get Preach My Gospel

Preach My Gospel is available free online in 43 languages at PreachMyGospel.lds.org in PDF and MP3 file formats. It is also available at Church distribution centers for U.S. $6.00 for an individual copy and U.S. $88.00 for a case of 22.

Preach My Gospel has sold nearly two million copies since it was introduced five years ago.

The 2010 Liahona: New Approach, Same Goal

By Heather Whittle, Church Magazines

Heather Whittle, âThe 2010 Liahona: New Approach, Same Goal,â Ensign, Oct. 2009, 77â78

In January 2010, readers will say tot ziens (Dutch), au revoir (French), and tofa (Samoan)âgood-byeâto the old Liahona and welcome to the new.

While readers in 51 languages will continue to receive inspired counsel from Church leaders and inspiring stories about members of the Church from around the world, a host of changes are intended to make the magazine more useful for members of all ages and all levels of gospel experience.

Changed from Time to Time

Nephi explained that the writing on the original Liahona, a ball or compass found by his father, Lehi, gave them âunderstanding concerning the ways of the Lord,â but that it âchanged from time to timeâ (1 Nephi 16:29).

One of the goals of the Liahona magazine has always been to help provide readers with an understanding concerning the ways of the Lord, according to Val Johnson, managing editor of the Liahona. He says that wonât change with the new Liahona in 2010.

However, a number of other changes are planned.

The first thing readers will likely notice is the new look and the improved organization of the magazine, intended to make the content easier to find and easier to use.

Sections of the magazine will be written and designed specifically for certain key audiences, including young adults, youth, and children. Each section will be color-coded to make it easy to identify.

The childrenâs section will be integrated into the magazine with other content for specific age groups, and the News of the Church section will now appear in color at the back of the magazine.

In many areas and countries, a section written specifically by local members for local members will appear in each issue. This section may contain messages from Area Presidencies; news and events from the area; testimonies, faith-promoting experiences, and other inspiring contributions from local members; and other important information.

The Lord Prepared It

While teaching his son about the original Liahona, Alma stated that âthe Lord prepared itâ (Alma 37:38). Members of the team that helped build the new magazine wanted to be able to say the same thing.

âComing up with the innovations and new design has been a revelatory process,â said Jenifer Greenwood, assistant managing editor of the Liahona. âWe have seen the Lordâs hand in it all along the way.â

The project began in July 2008 after Elder Jay E. Jensen, then Executive Director of the Curriculum Department and editor of Church magazines, approved the creation of a team to create a prototype for a new Liahona that would better meet the needs of its diverse readership.

Six months of brainstorming, writing, designing, and testing produced a proposal that was approved by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in January 2009.

With the Liahona normally planned one year in advance, the newly approved changes were implemented immediately in order to unveil the changes with the January 2010 issue.

âWe can testify of those moments when we had a âstupor of thoughtâ (D&C 9:9) and then those flashes of insight that definitely didnât come from us,â Brother Johnson said. âThe Lord really helped us.â

The Words of Christ

Nephi said the writing on the Liahona âwas plain to be readâ and gave them âunderstanding concerning the ways of the Lordâ (1 Nephi 16:29). Alma explained that just as following the Liahona led Nephiâs family to the promised land, âthe words of Christ, if we follow their course, [shall] carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promiseâ (Alma 37:45).

Beginning with the First Presidency Messageâthe words of Christ as given through His servantsâand ending with a new department, Words of Christ, on the inside of the back cover, the intent of the Liahona is to help lead its readers to Christ.

âThereâs a lot about the Liahona that has changed,â said Brother Johnson, âbut the goal is still the same. We hope to bring people to Christ.â

âThe Liahona will continue to amplify the prophetic voice of the Brethren to the Saints around the world,â said Elder Spencer J. Condie, editor of the Church magazines. âWe hope that the Liahona will be found in every Latter-day Saint home throughout the earth.â

Beginning in 2010, Liahona readers will notice a lot of changes meant to make the magazine more useful for members of all ages and backgrounds.

Photograph by John Luke

Orchestra Celebrates 10 Years on Temple Square

âOrchestra Celebrates 10 Years on Temple Square,â Ensign, Oct. 2009, 78â79

The nationally recognized Orchestra at Temple Square, officially organized on October 16, 1999, marked its 10th anniversary year in late March with two spring concerts.

The orchestra, originally envisioned by President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910â2008), comprises more than 100 musicians of diverse ages and backgrounds. Church leaders created the orchestra to enhance the musical organizations within the Church.

Mac Christensen, president of the Tabernacle Choir, said: âI call it President Hinckleyâs orchestra. He had the vision; he brought it together; he knew what it could be. â I think it is the finest volunteer orchestra in the world.â

While some orchestra members make their living with music outside of the orchestra, other volunteers are employed as university faculty, engineers, dentists, attorneys, physicians, and in many other professions. There are also âlots of moms,â explained Kathy Anderson, violist, who plays in the orchestra with her cardiologist husband, Jeff.

The orchestra performs frequently in both concerts and recordings with the Tabernacle Choir, including during the weekly television and radio broadcasts of Music and the Spoken Word. It also accompanies the Temple Square Chorale and performs on its own as a concert orchestra.

On November 12, 2003, the orchestra and the Tabernacle Choir received the National Medal of Arts from President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush. The orchestra and choir were also nominated for Grammy Awards in 2008.

The Orchestra at Temple Square, shown here performing with the Tabernacle Choir, celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2009.

Church Sends Aid After Typhoons in Asia

âChurch Sends Aid After Typhoons Kill Hundreds in Asia,â Ensign, Oct. 2009, 79

No members or missionaries were harmed during August 2009 when a pair of typhoons swept across eastern Asia.

Typhoon Morakot dumped a record 80 inches (2 meters) of rain on Taiwan in a single weekend. Confirmed dead number at least 136, with nearly 400 missing and feared to be buried beneath massive mudslides.

Church leaders mobilized to assist in cleanup efforts and to help supply food, water, and other necessary items.

Morakot claimed another 22 lives in the Philippines. Local priesthood leaders assisted 30 members who lost their homes.

Typhoon Etau killed at least 13 in Japan. Two earthquakes also shook the island. The first was a magnitude 7.1 earthquake, and the second was a magnitude 6.5 earthquake that triggered a small tsunami.

President Monson, U.S. President Meet

âPresident Monson, U.S. President Meet,â Ensign, Oct. 2009, 79

In July, President Thomas S. Monson met with United States President Barack Obama, presenting him with five large leather-bound volumes of his family history covering hundreds of years.

President Monson was accompanied by Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, who is also a member of the Church.

âPresident Obamaâs heritage is rich with examples of leadership, sacrifice, and service,â President Monson said at the event. âWe were very pleased to research his family history and are honored to present it to him today.â

President Obama and Elder Oaks, a former justice of the Utah Supreme Court, also had an opportunity to discuss their shared passion for the law.

President Obama said he enjoyed the meeting. âIâm grateful for the genealogical records that they brought with them and am looking forward to reading through the materials with my daughters,â he said. âItâs something our family will treasure for years to come.â

The Church has also presented family histories to other U.S. presidents, including Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

President Barack Obama (second from right) meets with (from left) Senator Harry Reid; Joshua DuBois, director of the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships; President Thomas S. Monson; and Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the Oval Office.

World Briefs

âWorld Briefs,â Ensign, Oct. 2009, 80

Church Participates in Kazakhstan Congress

In July 2009, Elder Paul B. Pieper of the Seventy, then President of the Europe East Area, represented the Church at the Third Congress of Traditional and World Religions held in Astana, Kazakhstan. About 75 delegations from different religion attended to find ways to bless mankind.

Temple Square a Popular Destination

Temple Square was recently recognized by Forbes magazine as the 16th most-visited attraction in America, ahead of Universal Studios Hollywood in California. The area draws visitors from all over the world to its renowned research libraries, cultural activities, and historic buildings.

Conference Promotes Technology Use

In July 2009, participants in Brigham Young Universityâs 41st annual Conference on Family History and Genealogy were encouraged to embrace changes in technology. The conference featured more than 100 classes and the latest computer programs and products for genealogical researchers.

Comment

âComment,â Ensign, Oct. 2009, 80

Hopeful

The article âHope: The Misunderstood Sisterâ  by Larry Hiller (June 2009, 8) deeply affected me. This is a topic I have struggled with for some time. I have faith, and Iâm working on charity, but I struggle with hope. The way Brother Hiller personified hope made the concept very accessible. Thank you for the beautiful article, poem, and illustrations.

Anna L. Mortimer

Utah, USA

Just Browsing?

I canât tell you how much your recent article, âJust a Game?â  (August 2009, 46) has helped me. Although not addicted to gaming I did have an addiction to surfing the Internet. Somehow the problem seemed indecipherable to me. I thought perhaps I was struggling with laziness, a lack of motivation, or an attention problem. This article helped me understand that Satan was using distraction to involve me in wasting my time and resources in things that led me away from improving my life and developing my talents. My faith in the power of the Atonement, priesthood blessings, and prayer is being strengthened as I work toward restoring balance to my life. I wanted to thank you for this.

Craig Estep

Utah, USA

The Gameâs Up

The article âJust a Game?â  hit close to home for me. A few years ago my spouse and I began playing a popular online game. Over the next year it came to consume more and more of our time. After about a year we realized that we had skipped Church meetings, wasted weekends, and distanced ourselves from our familyâall to play the game. After discussing it together, we decided to cancel our accounts. We now see that we had become addicted to this game. Luckily, we were able to walk away before too much harm was done.

Anonymous

Fortified

While traveling I showed my five young children the illustrations from the article âJust a Game?â  The way technology was depicted made a positive impact in our family. One example: when deciding what to play, our six-year-old was overheard advising a younger sibling, âLetâs go play out in the fort so the TV wonât suck us in!â Thank you for helping us fortify our homes and fulfill our divine roles as parents.

LeOni Winegar

Idaho, USA

Picture Perfect

While reading the May 2009 general conference issue I was struck once again by the beauty of the photographs that are interspersed with the text of the conference talks. The photos capture such striking views of Latter-day Saints attending conference and seem to help me place myself more intimately in the milieu of these gatherings. I appreciate also the recent addition of shots from various locations around the world that remind us of the many members who cannot be on Temple Square but participate nonetheless.

Steven D. Kohlert

Utah, USA

Melsida Hakobyan, Armenia

Melsida Hakobyan, âGrabbing the Strong Roots,â Ensign, Oct. 2009, 72â73

When I was a schoolgirl in Russia, I read a scary story about two boys who encountered a bear in a forest. Years later, after I had become a teacher, some friends asked me to join them on a trip to collect mushrooms. The forest still scared me, but I agreed to go with them.

Entering the forest, I grabbed a wooden stick so I could defend myself in case I ran into a bear. My friends soon found the brown mushrooms they were looking for. I, on the other hand, was looking for mushrooms with bright red tops, so I started off in a different direction. Before I knew it, I was alone.

While I was searching, I slipped and fell. My mushroom basket flew into the air, but I held tight to my stick. When I tried to get up, I noticed that the ground was muddy and sticky. To my horror, I realized that I had wandered into a swamp! My rubber boots quickly filled with water, and I began to sink. I tried to move my legs, but instead of freeing myself, I was pulled deeper. When the mud reached my waist, deep fear engulfed me.

I cried out to my friends, but the only answer I heard came from buzzing dragonflies and croaking frogs. As I began to weep, I suddenly remembered my mother. Whenever she was in a bad situation, she prayed. She often invited me to pray, but I always refused, answering, âThere is no God.â

But in my watery soon-to-be grave, there was nothing else I could do but pray and call upon God for help. âIf You live, please help me!â I cried.

Almost immediately I heard a kind voice tell me, âBelieve and be not afraid. Grab the strong tree root.â

As I looked around, I saw a big tree root behind me. Using my stick, I was able to latch onto it. Something then gave me the power to pull myself out of the swamp.

Covered with mud, I fell to the ground and thanked God for answering my prayer. I now believed that He lived. I had felt His presence and heard His voice, and He had given me power to pull myself free.

A short time later, when the full-time missionaries taught me that the Prophet Joseph Smith had received an answer to his prayer in the Sacred Grove, I believed them. After all, God had answered my prayer in a forest. I latched onto the strong roots of the gospel, was baptized soon thereafter, and serve today in the Gyumri Branch in Armenia.

I know Heavenly Father loves all of His children, and Iâm grateful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Iâm also grateful for the many other blessings I have received from Heavenly Father, especially for His answer to an atheistâs prayer in the forest many years ago.

Weâre Here to See the Temple

Rees Bandley, Utah, USA

Rees Bandley, âWeâre Here to See the Temple,â Ensign, Oct. 2009, 73â74

One autumn day during my shift as a worker in the Salt Lake Temple, a young man and his friends, clearly not dressed for temple worship, arrived.

âWeâre here to see the temple,â the young man said.

âDo you have a recommend?â I asked.

The young man thought for a moment. Then he said, âYes. My mother has a Mormon friend in Minnesota. She recommended that we come see the temple.â

I felt impressed to pull the young people aside and talk to them. The young manâs name was Lars. I explained to him that not only could he come to the temple but also that Heavenly Father wanted him to come. I told Lars that he first had to prepare, and I explained how.

At the time, I had been active in the Church only a short while. I had served a mission but later left the Church after getting caught up in the entertainment industry and using drugs and alcohol. I thought my family would be impressed with my career and wealth, but my mother didnât care about any of that. Instead, she always put my name on the temple prayer roll, which angered me.

The woman I married had also left the Church. By the time our eight-year-old daughter, Tori, began asking questions about Jesus Christ, we had bottomed out spiritually. Despite my missionary service, I couldnât remember anything about the Savior.

âThere are people who are qualified to teach you about Jesus,â I told Tori. âWhy donât you talk to them?â

A few days later, two sister missionaries knocked on our door. Tori invited them in and began taking the discussions. Eavesdropping from another room, I heard the sisters teaching doctrines that I recognized to be true.

âWould you like to be baptized?â one of the sisters asked Tori after the third discussion.

âYes,â she replied.

âWill your dad baptize you?â

I had not been to church for 20 years, but I knew my life was about to change. I sat in on the last few discussions, we started attending church, and my wife and I met with the bishop. As I repented, I decided that I must do everything possible to compensate for the years I had lost. I changed careers, magnified my Church callings, was sealed to my wife and daughter, and became a temple worker. Thatâs how I knew that a curious group of young people could become temple worthy.

The following spring, Lars wrote me a letter, thanking me for explaining the real meaning of a temple recommend. âI did learn more about a temple recommend,â he wrote. âActually, I was baptized and received a recommend of my own last January!â My eyes filled with tears as I looked at the photograph he had enclosed of himself in his white baptismal clothes and of the missionaries who had taught him.

My journey back to the temple was remarkable, and learning of Larsâs journey was a wonderful blessing that reminded me how we can all touch lives for good.

Grandmaâs Baptism

Marilena Kretly Pretel Busto, SÃo Paulo, Brazil

Marilena Kretly Pretel Busto, âGrandmaâs Baptism,â Ensign, Oct. 2009, 74

On June 30, 2001, I was making a birthday cake for my daughter when the phone rang. It was my sister in Brazil, informing me that our grandmother had passed away.

The news was sad, but I was not sad. After all, my dear grandmother had lived to be nearly 102. I was happy that she was free of her aged, mortal body and had gone to the spirit world.

Then I started thinking about the coincidence of her death occurring on my daughterâs birthday, and I wondered if there was some significance in the timing. As the days passed, I discovered what it was: it would be easy for me to remember to be baptized for my grandmother a year after her passing. I assumed this responsibility, knowing that I had to wait just until my daughterâs next birthday.

The year passed quickly. I did not have the opportunity to go to the temple on the exact anniversary of my grandmotherâs death, however, because I lived in Portugal and attended the Madrid Spain Temple. But hardly a day went by that I did not think about my responsibility to be baptized for Grandma Josefina.

It was not until October 2002 that we were able to go to the temple. My husband and I went along with our son, Mathew, who was going to receive his endowment in preparation for his mission. I was happy to be going to the temple, and I thought I might feel something special when I was baptized in behalf of my grandmother.

My husband performed the baptism, but I didnât feel anything. My son performed the confirmation, but again, nothing. My anxiety over not feeling anything passed, and I was just glad that the ordinances had been performed for my grandmother.

After the endowment, we went to the sealing room to have Grandma sealed to her parents. When we knelt across the altar to perform the ordinance and the sealer began to speak, I felt as if a shock had started at my head and passed through my body. It is difficult to describe, but at that burning moment, I was certain that Grandma Josefina rejoiced in being sealed to her parents.

Lifting Others and Myself

Cathy Whitaker Marshall, Washington, USA

Cathy Whitaker Marshall, âLifting Others and Myself,â Ensign, Oct. 2009, 75

It was Thanksgiving of 1990. I had just gone through a difficult divorce, and I was a first-year law student in an unfamiliar city. My children were going to be at their fatherâs house for the holiday, and for the first time in my life, I would be alone on Thanksgiving.

At first I wanted to feel sorry for myself and have a good cry. But then I began to count my blessings. I had two beautiful children, a nice house, an opportunity to gain knowledge, and the gospel of Jesus Christ to guide my life. I truly had been blessed with many things.

As Thanksgiving approached, I discovered that a group of law students had planned to go to a local mission to help serve an early Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless. I decided that helping at the mission would be better than sitting at home feeling lonely and bitter, so I joined my fellow students.

A few days later I found myself placing hot mashed potatoes on the plates of hungry, grateful, life-tossed people. The tears that welled up in my eyes were not for the sadness I felt for myself; rather, they were tears of love for all of Godâs children, no matter their circumstances.

Thanksgiving wouldnât have been Thanksgiving without a turkey in the oven. But a 14-pound (6-kg) turkey would be too much for me, so I invited several students who were from other countries and faraway states to join me. I wanted to share a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner, but I invited them to contribute. I asked each to bring a favorite dish from home. Our Thanksgiving dinner turned out to be a delightful and memorable mealâegg rolls and all.

King Benjamin declared, âBehold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your Godâ (Mosiah 2:17).

I learned wisdom that Thanksgiving Day. By offering service when it was easier to sit around and mope, I found joy. Service is the key to happiness not only during the holidays, when it is easy to get caught up in what is missing from our lives, but also during any season. No matter what our situation, we can always find someone to help. By lifting our brothers and sisters, we also lift ourselves.

Miriam Blackham Een, Nevada, USA

Miriam Blackham Een, âAdequate Nutrition during an Emergency,â Ensign, Oct. 2009, 70â71

If you have a three-day emergency supplies kit, does it contain nutrient-dense foods? During perilous times, your body would especially need adequate nutrition. As a registered dietitian with a masterâs degree in nutrition, I have developed a simple, healthy emergency meal plan for our family. The items should be rotated regularly for best results.

My minimum calorie goal for the three daily meals is 1,200 to 1,500, with 60 to 72 grams of protein and approximately 40 grams of fat, a combination that enhances satiety. The ingredients for each meal plan are simple:

Meal replacements and supplements. Include shelf-stable protein drinks, instant powdered breakfast drinks, powdered milk, and energy bars. You may want to use more than one type. Each should provide 250 calories or more. Look carefully at the labels; snack or cereal bars are not as high in calories and protein.

Dried fruit. Raisins and other dried fruits are good.

Peanut butter. This is a great shelf-stable source of protein. If you have peanut allergies, you could substitute it with another nut butter or small bag of nuts. Or find other shelf-stable protein foods.

Crackers. Include soda crackers or other crackers, preferably whole grain. You could also include granola if you wonât be using peanut butter to spread on crackers.

Drinking water. Ideally you should have about two quarts or almost two liters of water for each person to consume each day. Store what you can comfortably carry in your emergency bag, and add a portable water purifier so you can use available water sources.

Utensils. Include one cup with a lid (to be used as a shaker for mixing powdered meal replacements) and a butter knife.

A sample meal plan for one person for three days would include nine meal replacements plus 1Â cups or a 12-ounce bag of dried fruit, peanut butter to provide at least six two-tablespoon servings, and about 40 saltine crackers or another cracker equivalent.

Calculate the food amounts needed for your family and round to the nearest convenient product size that is commercially available, taking care not to round down too much.

These emergency kits are easy to assemble with readily available items. The meal replacements are nutrient dense and fortified with vitamins and minerals so you can reach or approach nutritional adequacy and meet special dietary needs. They donât need to be heated, and you can easily store everything in a moderate-size duffle bag or backpack. Best of all is the peace of mind in knowing youâve prepared for your nutritional needs should an emergency evacuation ever occur.

Pillow Packets

Judy M. DalPonte, Utah, USA

Judy M. DalPonte, âPillow Packets,â Ensign, Oct. 2009, 71

Pillow packets have helped me emphasize the love I have for my grandchildren when they come to visit. I have made the packets using legal-size paper envelopes fastened to the pillows on their guest beds. Inside, I tucked small messages and gifts that conveyed my love for them individually. Soon I discovered that sharing carefully chosen quotes from conference was a perfect addition to the packets. Not only do these mini-messages uplift my grandchildren, but they also bless me when I review each conference talk with them in mind. For me, the Church leadersâ words of encouragement for our youth, in particular, give me greater hope for our world and future.

Come to My Baptism

Peter and Susan Vousden, England

Peter and Susan Vousden, âCome to My Baptism,â Ensign, Oct. 2009, 71

Is your child getting baptized? Family and friends in the Church will likely come to witness the special occasion. Why not invite nonmember friends as well?

Our four children each invited nonmember friends and their parents, as well as school teachers and other important people in their lives, to their baptisms. In all, we extended 50 invitations, handwritten with directions to the meetinghouse.

Nobody seemed to be offended by our invitation. In fact, we saw many positive results. Our sonâs school teacher accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon, and another family agreed to join us for a family home evening. Two mothers commented on how touched they were by the baptismal service, and several children asked their parents about going to church. One little girl, after seeing our daughterâs baptism, said sheâd like to do the same. And another mother defended the Church in a conversation with a teacher at the local high school.

To our knowledge, none of our nonmember baptism guests have chosen to join the Church. But we know they appreciate our friendship and our desire to share a beautiful, spiritual experience with them.

Where Do We Keep the â ?

Angela Smith, Maryland, USA

Angela Smith, âWhere Do We Keep the â?,â Ensign, Oct. 2009, 71

After having an almost-empty house for a few years, my parents welcomed the return of their children who had completed missions or college semesters. During the first busy days with a full house again, my mother spent a lot of time answering the question: âWhere do you keep the â ?â Extra toiletries, cleaning supplies, and the like all seemed to be in new places since weâd lived at home.

Finally, my mother decided to answer everyone at onceâwith a tour of our home. At family home evening, she showed my brothers and sisters where she kept things in the closets, storage areas, and the garage. To make sure everyone had paid attention, she ended the tour with a written quizâand some prizes! Now it was her turn to ask, âWhere are the flashlights?â âWhere do we keep the laundry supplies and towels?â The quiz was thorough, and everyone had fun reacquainting themselves with Momâs housekeeping routine.

With my own young family, we have modified this activity as a scavenger hunt. Our small children love trying to remember where we keep things, especially infrequently used items. I feel safer knowing that they can find important items such as our phone lists and emergency kits. We take care to store medications and other potentially harmful supplies safely out of their reach. But we do encourage our children to achieve as much independence at home as they can. And for them, this is a fun game.

As I unloaded the food from the car, I realized I had not had breakfast, and my stomach was now telling me so. Once the bags were on my table, I began to open them. The sight of the fresh grapes was so inviting. I took them to the sink and rinsed them and put several in my mouth. They tasted so good!

As I emptied the contents of the other sacks from the bishopâs storehouse, I was so grateful to have fresh fruit and vegetables in our home again. Because of the expense, we had not had a lot of fresh produce in our home in recent months. I grabbed an apple and took a bite. It tasted wonderful. Tears of gratitude began to stream down my face. A few months earlier my heart had not been as humble.

It was late spring. My husband had only worked for five weeks since the first of the year. The lumber industry is unpredictable. Although he had been with the same company for 12 years, the sawmill shut down and Darin was without work. At that time, none of our extended family were in a position to help us. Our friends were gracious and offered odd jobs that needed completingâa fence to be repaired, a house to be painted, etc. Darin worked hard and received money for his efforts. But the money coming in no longer covered our bills and obligations. We had always tried to live within our means and had paid our tithes and offerings faithfully, but we soon found ourselves falling behind.

As we began pulling food from our storage, the shelves of excess canned goods and other items we had purchased when they were on sale began to look empty. My first realization that we may need assistance came when we were making spaghetti one evening. I went to grab a can of tomato sauce and there was none. We always had extra cans of tomato sauce! We borrowed one from our neighbor. Then I went to put spaghetti noodles in the boiling water and there were no noodles. I couldnât believe it. I always planned our menus and shopped from a list and we ate pretty nourishing meals. Now, we bought less and less from the store. Our money wasnât going as far.

One night my husband came home and suggested that we request food from the bishopâs storehouse. âNo,â was my reply. âWe will get by. We really donât need it.â A few weeks later, I realized we had no choice. We had two young children to feed. We reluctantly went to the bishop.

When the Relief Society president came to visit and to evaluate our needs, it was difficult for me to tell her because I was quite emotional. It was not easy for me to admit we needed Church assistance. She was kind and tactful and definitely not judgmental. But my voice was quavering, and I tried to hide my tears. We had always been self-reliant. This new situation was hard for me to accept.

We received two food orders, and I was grateful that my children were being fed a little better, but I still resisted the assistance. My husband went back to work, and we felt our troubles were over. However, he only worked three weeks and the mill shut down again. With no other job prospects in sight, we knew we would continue to need help from the Church.

Reassurance in the Temple

Needing to ponder our circumstances, we found a babysitter for the children and went to the temple. It was so peaceful to be in the house of the Lord. As I was sitting there considering the weight of our concerns, I felt the impression that I would be called as the next Primary president. The impression came so clearly that I looked around to see if someone was talking to me. My inward response was, âMy husband is out of work and we have no money. How can I be Primary president?â The truth is, I had felt that because we needed assistance, we had somehow become of less value in the kingdom. The impression came again forcefully. âYou will be called as the next Primary president.â

When we got home from the temple, I kept these things to myself. But my heart began to soften. I became teachable. My husbandâs lack of work did not define us. That experience in the temple taught me that our service in the kingdom of God was of value. I needed to go forward in faith. I looked at my strengths and weaknesses and made a resolve to improve.

Two months later my husband and I were invited to meet with the bishopric. The bishop called me to be the Primary president, and I accepted. I was asked to take a few days and decide who my counselors should be. I smiled and asked if he wanted the names right now. The bishopric looked a little puzzled, so I shared my experience in the temple. They smiled and extended the other calls that day. It strengthened my testimony to know that Heavenly Father does love us, and even when we are frustrated with lifeâs daily endeavors, He reaches out and talks with us and lets us know He cares.

Declaration of Dependence

When Darin finally went back to work the first of June, we thought our financial problems were all behind us. But even after paying bills with our first full paycheck since Christmas, there were still several bills left unpaid. What more could we do? My husband (who had recently been called into the bishopric) simply said we were doing the best we could and we needed to be patient. He called the bishop, and the bishop agreed that it would be best for the Church to supply commodities so we could apply our money to our bills.

When I came home that June day with more food from the bishopâs storehouse, my heart was full of gratitude to a Heavenly Father who had provided a way for our needs to be met. Before, we had always been on the giving end, paying fast offerings and serving in the bishopâs storehouse when asked. But we cannot always expect life to be as we want it. We found ourselves on the receiving end, blessed by the sacrifices and offerings of others.

Now we are back on our feet and self-reliant again, but with a difference. We recognize more than ever before how dependent we are on the Lord and on one another. We have a greater appreciation for the Lordâs welfare system. Our experience has made us want to be more generous with our own offerings and to give service cheerfully and often. We see the wisdom in Jacobâs counsel to âthink of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substanceâ (Jacob 2:17). And weâve learned that a grateful and humble heart is also an acceptable offering.

Some of the greatest battles in my life havenât been literal battles but struggles in my own heart and mind against feelings of self-doubt, hopelessness, and fear. President Ezra Taft Benson (1899â1994) taught that this would be the case in the latter days: âSatan is increasingly striving to overcome the Saints with despair, discouragement, despondency, and depression.â1

One way that Satan attempts to overcome us with such feelings is by telling us lies about our worth and about Godâs feelings toward us. These lies may originate as simple thoughts that, repeated many times in our minds, can develop into entrenched habits of belief. These falsehoods are then reinforced by the media, things other people say, or even by misinterpretation of the scriptures. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, has warned that âSatan might even misuse words from the scriptures that emphasize the justice of God, in order to imply that there is no mercy.â2 Whatever their source, Satanâs lies can take root in our minds and develop into feelings of depression, low self-worth, and inadequacy.

To combat such false beliefs that have negatively affected my attitudes and actions, I have tried to consciously identify my own damaging thoughts and replace them with gospel truths. In so doing, I have developed an increased ability to fight off Satanâs tools of âdespair, discouragement, despondency, and depression.â What follows are examples of the lies that I have found myself entertaining, and the truths taught by prophets, apostles, and other Church leaders that have helped me correct my thinking.

LIE: Because of my weaknesses and failings, God is continually disappointed in, frustrated with, and even angry with me. TRUTH: God loves me and rejoices in me because I am His child.

During a difficult time while serving as a missionary, I started to believe that despite my obedience to mission rules and hard work, I was a constant disappointment to God because of my weaknesses. In dark moments when I was viewing God as a harsh judge, I would think about my earthly father and how deeply he loves me. I knew that I could always turn to him for love and comfort. But then I realized that it is impossible for my mortal father to love me more than my Heavenly Father does. As Nephi learned when he saw the vision of the tree of life, the love of God is âthe most desirable above all things â and the most joyous to the soulâ (1 Nephi 11:22â23). Godâs love can be more joyous to my soul than anyone elseâs love because He has the capacity to love me more than anyone else possibly could. In my case, the person who helped me gain this realization was my father, but anyone from whom we feel abundant loveâa friend, teacher, sibling, or spouseâcan teach us about the magnitude of Godâs love. Understanding the magnitude of that love means I have someone I can turn to for love when I feel weak, not hide from in shame.

LIE: Iâm not as righteous, spiritual, attractive, or kind as that other person; therefore, God must love that person more than He loves me. TRUTH: God knows my individual potential and progress intimately. He does not compare or rank me with His other children.

The world often assesses people according to how their performance compares to someone elseâs performance. Popular TV shows host competitions to rank people according to their talent and skill. However, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles teaches that God does not work that way:

âHe does not mercilessly measure [His children] against their neighbors. He doesnât even compare them with each other. His gestures of compassion toward one do not require a withdrawal or denial of love for the other. â I testify that no one of us is less treasured or cherished of God than another. I testify that He loves each of usâinsecurities, anxieties, self-image, and all. He doesnât measure our talents or our looks; He doesnât measure our professions or our possessions.â3

These truths can help us resist Satanâs whisperings that we will never be as good as someone else. A full acceptance of this truth will allow us to find greater joy even in the midst of our current âinsecurities, anxieties, [and] self-image. This knowledge will also increase our ability to rejoice in the blessings and successes of others.â

LIE: I need to prove that Iâm worth loving by being perfect. Only when Iâm perfect will I be able to experience love from God and from others. TRUTH: Even though Iâm not perfect now, I can have constant access to divine love.

While I was growing up, I felt an intense drive to do everything perfectlyâfrom grades at school to supposed spiritual checklists. I had already bought into the lie that flawless performance would increase my worth and make me more lovable. But such an attitude of perfectionism prevented me from consistently rejoicing in the Lordâs love for me because every time I failed to do something perfectly, I felt unlovable. Sister Bonnie D. Parkin, former Relief Society general president, asked, âDo we frequently reject the Lordâs love that He pours out upon us in much more abundance than we are willing to receive? Do we think we have to be perfect in order to deserve His love? When we allow ourselves to feel âencircled about eternally in the arms of his loveâ (2 Nephi 1:15), we feel safe, and we realize that we donât need to be immediately perfect.â4 Sister Parkin describes Godâs love as something we can choose to either reject or allow ourselves to feel. Although we can make choices that enable us to experience a heightened or a lesser degree of Godâs love,5 we can and should be partaking of Godâs love now, evenâand especiallyâin our imperfect state. We are worth loving because Christ thought that we were of enough worth to atone for us individually.

LIE: Iâm a terrible failure. Iâll never be good enough because I keep making the same mistakes over and over again. TRUTH: Iâm not perfect, but the desires of my heart are good. I can feel inspired to progress.

While guilt or âgodly sorrowâ (2 Corinthians 7:10) can be a gift from God that inspires us to change and improve, Satan can also use guilt to demoralize us. Some people may not easily give in to large temptations, but if Satan can depress and immobilize those Saints through a false perception of their own unworthiness or inadequacies, then they become neutralized in the fight against evil. Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve (1926â2004) offered this comfort to those plagued by feelings of failure and excessive guilt:

âMay I speak, not to the slackers in the Kingdom, but to those who carry their own load and more; not to those lulled into false security, but to those buffeted by false insecurity, who, though laboring devotedly in the Kingdom, have recurring feelings of falling forever short. â There is a difference â between being âanxiously engagedâ and being over-anxious and thus underengaged. â We can distinguish more clearly between divine discontent and the devilâs dissonance, between dissatisfaction with self and disdain for self. We need the first and must shun the second, remembering that when conscience calls to us from the next ridge, it is not solely to scold but also to beckon.â6

As we honestly discern where we stand with God, we can eliminate the thoughts that would plague and depress us. Instead, we can replace those with thoughts that beckon and encourage us onward.

LIE: I have too many issues, hang-ups, and past mistakes to be blessed and happy. TRUTH: No mistake, no personal challenge, no past circumstance is outside of the healing and redemptive power of the Atonement.

The anti-Christs in the Book of Mormon tried to convince people to renounce their faith in Christ. Even though we may profess belief in Christ, when we tell ourselves that we are outside the redemptive power of the Atonement, we are falling prey to a common deception of the greatest anti-Christ, Satan. In contrast, President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve teaches that âsave for those few who defect to perdition after having known a fulness, there is no habit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no offense exempted from the promise of complete forgiveness. â Restoring what you cannot restore, healing the wound you cannot heal, fixing that which you broke and you cannot fix is the very purpose of the atonement of Christ.â7

Discerning the Truth about Ourselves

Sometimes these truths about ourselves and about God seem so wonderful that they can be difficult to accept. If we do not âresist the spirit of truthâ (Alma 30:46) but instead allow the truths about ourselves and about our relationship with God to fill our souls, we will experience an increase of joy.

When a stray thought enters our mind, we can use the Spirit to help us discern whether it is a true thought from God or possibly a lie planted there by Satan because âthe Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will beâ (Jacob 4:13). We can tell a true thought because it will carry with it the sweet fruits of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22).

When we feel ourselves slipping into the âdespair, discouragement, despondency, and depressionâ that President Benson described, we can ask ourselves if we may be holding onto a lie about ourselves or about God. We can seek out the truth in the words of the scriptures and the living prophets. We can pray for the ability to discern between truth and error. Empowered by the truth, we will find the strength to keep Satan at bay and experience the joy of having âthe truth of all thingsâ abide in us (Moses 6:61).

When we feel weighed down by feelings of inadequacy, truths from modern-day prophets and apostles can help us discard the burdensomeâand sometimes inaccurateâmessages we tell ourselves.

Empowered by truth, we can discard inaccurate messages with thoughts that beckon and encourage us onward.

I never knew much about my father except that he had been a soldier in the British Army in World War II, and he had been a prisoner of war for several years.

In the autumn of 2006, I posted the following on the Internet about my father: âRobert Otterson was buried in the summer of 1949. Rifle shots were fired over the grave and a Union Jack draped the coffin. Later, his older brother would say of the funeral wake that it was a particularly silent affair. The usual attempt to cheer up the mourners with stories and even a little humor were absent.â

Such was the stunned reaction to the death of a man who, at 37 as a professional soldier, had spent more years away from home and family than he had ever wished. Three of those years had seen him incarcerated as a prisoner of war, first in North Africa, then in Italy, and finally in Germany.

After the war, as he walked up the narrow street of a village in Surrey, England, in the late spring of 1945 to be reunited with his family again, he described his feelings as âon top of the world.â

Only four years later he was deadânot the glorious battlefield death of a soldier, but a common road accident that threw him from his motorbike on to a Welsh country road.

For me, his son, it meant growing up without a father. I was nine months old when he died, and I have no memory of him. I felt no particular deprivation during my boyhood, due, no doubt, to a devoted mother and two caring older sisters. But as I grew older, I began to sense the loss. I missed the experience of talking to a father. I missed the things I imagined he would have taught me. I missed his wisdom.

Soon these feelings of loss became the stimulus for me to learn all I could about my fatherâs life. Over the years, I have re-created, from interviews, letters, and journals, the things I could not learn firsthand. I share it now with his children, 10 grandchildren, and 23 great-grandchildren, with the hope that they will come to know and appreciate this remarkable man.

Retracing Steps in Germany

I never knew whether there was any trace of the German prison camp where my father spent the last months of World War II. During the summer of 2006, however, my wife and I, with a daughter and son-in-law, found the huge flat field where the camp used to stand in what used to be East Germany, near Muhlberg on the Elbe River.

The camp was eventually liberated by the Russians, but Russian military authorities still wouldnât let the Allied soldiers leave. So my father and a friend slipped out of camp, trekking across fields and streams toward the American lines 25 miles (40 kilometers) to the west.

Using my dadâs prison camp journal, we learned that my dad and his friend had spent that night in a barn with German refugees to avoid the Russian patrols. Finally they reached the bridge over the Mulde river. The American front lines were on the other side. My father described his feelings as he walked over that bridge and shook hands with the American soldiers. He wrote that for the first time in years, he felt âreally free.â

We traced the route he took as closely as we could, and I walked across that same bridge over the Mulde, trying to imagine how he felt in 1945. I sent our American son-in-law ahead so I could shake hands with an American on the other side as my father had done. Then I stood on the bank of the river with the bridge in the background and read from my fatherâs journal as my daughter recorded it on a digital video recorder. That is now posted on our family Web site in the hope that it will help turn the hearts of my children and grandchildren to their fathers.

Finding More Online

What if I hadnât been able to travel to Germany? I would still have had the power of the Internet available to me.

From the Web site for the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands, I found a picture of the gates to the camp known as Stalag IV Bâthe German prison camp where my father finished out the war.

From an Italian naval Web site, I found a picture of the Ugo Foscoloâthe prison ship that carried my father across the Mediterranean from North Africa to Italy for three miserable days. Many of the men had dysentery. There was no proper sanitation. They slept below decks on metal floorsâwretched, hungry souls who didnât know if they would survive. My father described his place on the ship, below the aft hatch. When I found a site online for model shipbuilding that had a model of the Ugo Foscolo, I could clearly see in the picture of the model the hatch my dad described.

When the prisoners finally disembarked, they faced a three-mile (five-kilometer) marchâan eternity it seemed to some of themâto their new camp near Bari on the Adriatic coast.

My father wrote of their arrival: âAs we passed through the city, the doors and windows of every house were filled with curious spectators. There were giggling girls, mocking youths, grave-faced men, and an old lady, who watched while tears ran down her furrowed cheeks. Truly, our appearance was more to be pitied than laughed at, but ragged, unkempt, dirty, and half-starved as we were, we held our heads erect, got into step, and gazed defiantly back at the mocking faces, while the war songs of 25 years ago burst from our lips and echoed through the streets.â

Why Should Our Hearts Turn to Our Fathers?

So why is this important? Because when we stand in the baptismal font of a temple, as I did in New Zealand in 1970 for my father, the experience is immeasurably richer. This is also true as I complete any temple work for someone whose life I have studied. And even if all I can find on the Internet is a description of the time and place in which an ancestor livedâand that is the case for most of themâit still helps me make a connection. Family history for me now is not just names and dates, but flesh and blood experiences to be passed onâstories to bind and strengthen families. Could the Lord also have had this in mind when he said the hearts of the children would be turned to their fathers?

May your hearts truly turn to those whose sacrifices have helped you become who you are. May you feel the reality of the Spirit of Elijah. May you use your natural gifts, talents and experience to help capture the stories that make your families special, and that will help bind your children and your childrenâs children through those common experiences.

All Done?

Some say, âMy family history is all done.â Others say, âUncle Fred is doing it all.â

Thatâs a bit like saying, âI donât go to Church, but thatâs okay because Uncle Fred goes for me.â

The fact is that we need to be personally engaged in family history so our hearts will be turned to our fathers. Then we will forge that welding link between our ancestors and us that is so important to the Lord.

Think about it. We each have four grandparents and that doubles each generation. In 10 generations we have 512 âgrandparentsâânot counting the thousands of other family members they bore. In 16 generations, we have nearly 33,000 direct ancestors. Our family history hasnât all been doneâI guarantee it.

What Young Adults Can Do

I doubt there are many young adults who arenât familiar with how to use a computer. The same isnât true for many of their parents or grandparents. So I want to encourage you as young adults to do three things next time you are in their home.

1. Download. If your parents or grandparents have a computer with an Internet connection but donât have an electronic family history program on their hard drive, go to www.familysearch.org and download a free copy of Personal Ancestral File (PAF) or other family history software for them. It will take you only a few minutes.

2. Tutor. If they have never done any family history work, sit down with them and get them to enter their own names into the software. Enter husband, wife, and childrenâno more for the momentâand just add the names, birth dates and places, marriage dates and places, and death dates and places. That will take about 20 minutes.

Then encourage and help your parents or grandparents to gather up any written family history information from shoeboxes, scraps of paper, and pedigree charts and to begin entering it into the computer. In the weeks to come, help them with this goal. Once information is in an electronic format, you will be able to access the power of the Internet and amazing things can begin to happen as you search for your family history. If you do not know how to access this information from the Internet, a Church family history specialist should be able to help you.

3. Interview. If you can, use a digital recorder or digital video camera and ask your parents about their early lives and what they remember of their parents and grandparents. Do this in multiple sittings, but get it while you still have the blessing of living parents and grandparents. If you donât have that opportunity, then try to gather this information from aunts and uncles or anyone of the previous generations. If you donât do it, those memories will pass out of existence.

Becoming involved in family history as young adults will turn your hearts toward your ancestors, enrich your temple experiences, and help to unite your family together forever.

Above: The authorâs Web site, which retraces the life history of his father. Inset: Robert Ottersonâs British World War II medals. Left to right: Muhlberg, Germany; sign pointing the direction to a German war cemetery and Stalag IV B; the author with his daughter in Germany in 2006; map showing location of Stalag IV B; the river Mulde, which Robert Otterson and his friend crossed as they escaped from Germany to the American front lines.

When the rest of the Elizabethtown Ward members arrived at the Louisville Kentucky Temple in August 2008, Steve and Julia Park were already there. Not even the hour-long drive through torrential Kentucky rains kept these new converts from arriving on time. In fact, the Parks, a retired couple who had been sealed only a year before, had arrived well before the rest of the ward members so they could perform work for some ancestors.

That night, the Parks were joined by priesthood leaders, youth, youth leaders, family history consultants, young single adults, and others with recommends. More than 40 members, including four new converts attending for the first time, had set aside half a day to attend. They had caught the vision of a unified and devoted effort of worshipping the Lord through temple service, and by the end of the evening it showed in their countenances.

Creating a Ward Vision

Although the ward is energized now, it hasnât always been successful in encouraging family history work and temple work on a broad scale. Several years ago, Elizabethtown Ward leaders, under the direction of Bishop Kirk Chadwick, recognized that the ward could do more. The family history center, which later would play an important part in helping ward members prepare their family names for temple work, frequently lacked patrons. And though converts were being strengthened by attending the temple, the ward as a whole still needed a functioning plan.

The ward council began to capture that vision more fully when Leslie Bower, director of the family history center, brought several ideas to a ward council meeting. The plan was simple: ward leaders, assisted by the high priest group leader, would help members by teaching and reminding them frequently about temple covenants, the sacred nature of saving ordinances, and saving their kindred dead.

Leslie helped explain the potential impact of the plan by expanding on the symbolism of a family tree. As ward members would work to find and prepare family names for temple work and then participate in the ordinancesâeither directly themselves or indirectly by asking others to perform the ordinances for themâthey could grow together. Although many worked individually, ward members would assist each other to do the research and preparation for the ordinance work. The ward could represent the family tree as the trunk, with every family being a branch, and individuals and their family names being the leaves. The whole enterprise would be rooted in gospel teachings about salvation. Members would feel connected to their families and to each other through the great effort of temple work.

As Leslie finished her presentation, ward council members excitedly discussed ideas about how they could implement this plan with their respective groupsâsuch as youth trips to the local cemetery for family research and name preservation, temple trips, and convert retention.

Bishop Chadwick relates that âthe Spirit bore witness that this is what we needed to do. So we talked about the youth and the genealogy merit badge for Scouts, temple preparation classes, and folks going to the temple for the first time. We immediately sustained the plan and moved forward. It really had a great impact.â

Implementing the Vision

Leslie credits Gaye Hill, one of the family history consultants, with being at the heart of many of the successes. For example, when the Church building was undergoing renovation, Gaye suggested they improve the family history center by removing unneeded partitions and adding a whiteboard. The changes fit within the building budget, and the bishop approved them. As finances permitted, they also added computers. All of this contributed to a friendlier, more functional environment for patrons.

Under the direction of the bishop and the high priests group leader, the plan has nearly everyone from the priesthood to the Primary talking about family history. As Leslie says, the plan âhas resulted in new members going to the temple more quickly than they ever did before. It has had this snowball effect through the ward where we are seeing more and more activity in temple and family history work.â

The ward saw many other results. For example, most of the youth in the ward participated in a trip to an unregistered cemetery to record names for the National Registry of Cemeteries. The Scouts began working on the genealogy merit badge. The ward saw a sharp increase in volunteers willing to index U.S. census records at www.familysearch.org. Primary leaders engaged the children in family history activities. There was wide participation in family home evenings, where the focus was family history group records. Also, many of the members began helping others do their family history work.

As Leslieâs husband, Dave, the high priests group leader, puts it, âBasically, we implemented family history in every aspect of the ward.â Family history, yes, but at its heart the ward focused on service that led to the temple itself.

Soon the family history center was busy. âWe used to be this broom closet at the end of the hall,â Leslie says. âAnd now itâs a packed house of members who want to get their family to the temple.â

Built on a Foundation of Love

In many ways, implementing the plan was easy for members in the Elizabethtown Ward, for they have long had a sense of unity and fellowship that moves them to reach out to each other. For example, Gary and Becky Giewald felt a warmth and tenderness from the time they started investigating the Church in 2004.

After the Giewalds were baptized, several couples in the ward provided sincere, supportive friendships that encouraged participation in faith-promoting activities. In addition, ward leaders followed counsel from the stake president, Lyle Stucki, to have new converts engage in family history and attend the temple to do baptisms for the dead within 90 days of their own baptism.

âMy first calling was in the family history center,â says Gary. âI began working on my family history almost immediately.â Three months after being baptized, the Giewalds were ready to attend the temple to perform baptisms for their ancestors. Gary smiles fondly as he recalls that âthe first time we went to the temple I took my family file cards. I basically got my four generations finished.â

As exciting as doing their family research was, being in the temple itself touched the Giewalds even more. âWhen we did the baptisms,â Becky recalls, âI was overwhelmed with the spirit of the people I was being baptized forâmy grandmothers, my aunts. Every time I heard their names read I felt like they wanted us to do this, that they were glad we finally did it. And when we each received our own endowment about a year later, I was overwhelmed. I know we were doing what we were supposed to be doing.â

When Steve and Julia Park were baptized in 2006, the Giewalds invited them over for socializing at home and took them on temple trips, repeating this pattern of caring. Soon the Parks were attending the temple at least quarterly on the youth temple trips, and sometimes as often as twice a month. As they have attended, their knowledge, faith, and testimonies have grown. Ward members continue the pattern of caring and shepherding with each new convert who joins the Church in their ward.

A Contagious Fire

âWe try to plan our activities around that focus and keep the temple at the center of what weâre striving for and everything we do,â says Rob Brown, the Young Men president. âItâs a contagious movement through the ward to make it to the temple and do family history work. Itâs just a contagious fire.â

The adult leaders have certainly felt that fire, and so have the youth. Megan Robinson, age 13, attended the temple for the second time and participated in ordinances for five family names. âI loved it. I felt something inside meâthe Spirit.â Because of her example, her brother, Braxton, age 10, canât wait until his turn comes to perform baptisms and confirmations.

Other youth had similar experiences. One young man, Ethan Westover, age 18, commented that he hadnât attended the temple on a youth trip before moving to the ward a year earlier. Now he attends every youth trip the ward takes because he feels so excited to go.

Chris Coleman, age 14, says, âI love the Church. I love going to the temple.â Chris feels particularly grateful that he can receive answers to prayers in the temple.

As Rob explains, much of the success comes from activities planned to teach principles that strengthen testimonies and at the same time provide an enjoyable experience. As a result, when the ward plans temple trips, the youth donât see them as onerousâthey want to go, and so they make the sacrifice. âThey make the temple a priority,â he says.

Activities and instruction follow this same principle at all levels, from the Primary children to the youth to new converts. Ward efforts culminate in quarterly temple trips that include the youth, adults, and new adult converts. As they participate together, ward members develop strength, faith, and unity both individually and collectively.

Consider Will Chadwick. Having grown up in a family that honored the temple and having been a part of the ward as the plan to energize temple attendance developed, he gained a love for the temple and a greater perspective of his eternal significance. As he was preparing to enter his freshman year at Brigham Young University in Provo in the fall of 2008, he explained that in the temple âI feel peaceful, I feel loved. My part in the plan of salvation is better known to me.â

Through their combined efforts, members of the Elizabethtown Ward have dramatically increased family history work and temple worship. As they have done so they have increased their faith and found the joy that comes through dedicating oneâs life to the service of the Lord.

Havens of Peace

âTemples will bless all who attend them and who sacrifice for their completion. The light of Christ will shine on allâeven those who have gone beyond.â

President Thomas S. Monson, âFor I Was Blind, But Now I See,â Ensign, May 1999, 56.

Four New Converts Attend the Temple

Four young single adult converts, accompanied by their Young Single Adult (YSA) representative and other friends, attended the temple for the first time on August 13, 2008, to perform baptisms for the dead. Three of them, Bridjette MacDonald, Alan Howard, and Shanice Drumgold, had been members of the Church for about four months. Another new member, Justin Perez, had been a member for two years.

For Shanice, age 20, this temple trip made a huge impact on her life. âGoing to the temple was the greatest experience that I could have had.â It strengthened her faithâsomething she was grateful for because her family members were not supportive of her decision to be baptized. âIâm glad I went when I did,â she says.

Bridjette, age 21, felt humbled by the experience. âLater that evening I realized it was amazing to think that we were doing Godâs work and that I am worthy to do that, and it made me feel so good.â

Each of these new converts felt inspired by the beauty and Spirit in the Lordâs house. âWhen you walk in itâs just an overwhelming feeling you get that you are in the house of the Lord,â explains Alan, age 24. âPeople off the street canât just walk in there. It is a temple of the Lord.â

Noting how important it is to pay attention in the temple, Justin, age 23, says, âI didnât feel the Spirit overwhelming me at first. But when I focused and closed my eyes, it was there.â

One thing that particularly touched these new converts was the experience of performing vicarious work for others. Alan relates, âWhen I went in to change I had this overwhelming feeling of happinessânot for myself but for the people I was being baptized for. Itâs just a great feeling to know that someone was pleased.â

Youth Cemetery Trip

In July 2008 the Elizabethtown Ward youth went to an old local cemetery to collect names for data preservation. They tried the traditional method of rubbing charcoal across paper placed against the stones, but weathering had made them unreadable. Then Sister Leslie Bower felt inspired to rub a light dirt film on the stones, and suddenly the names and dates of most stones appeared. Afterwards, they cleaned the dirt off the stones. The youth were as excited as everyone, and the activity was a great success.

Above: Elizabethtown Ward members at the Louisville Kentucky Temple. Above right: The Louisville Kentucky Temple. Left: Family history consultant Gaye Hill and family history center director Leslie Bower helped members catch the vision of family history work.

For Gary and Becky Giewald (above), the temple is a place of strength and refuge. Center image: Ward members place their names on the leaves and acorns of this tree as they complete their family history and temple goals. It has inspired and united them.

As Scouts earned the genealogy merit badge, Rob Brown helped them focus on the temple.

To get to the temple, MarÃa must travel an hour and a half on four separate buses from her home in Cabo de Santo Agostinho, south of Recife, on Brazilâs northeast coast. But before she can leave, she prepares food and other necessities for a blind cousin she cares for in her home.

âMarÃa is a good example of serving others,â says Cleto P. Oliveira, temple recorder. âSince the temple was dedicated in December 2000, she has volunteered to serve here every day the temple has been open. She even comes on holidays.â

From 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. every Tuesday through Saturday, MarÃa works in the temple cafeteria, washing dishes and making salads. She would work longer, she says, but with a long bus ride home, she must leave early enough to return before dark.

Brother Oliveira tells MarÃa she doesnât need to come to the temple every day, but he admits that he would need two people to replace her. âShe just smiles and says she has dedicated her life to the Lord,â he says.

For MarÃa, serving in the temple daily is a great privilege.

âMy Father in Heaven has blessed me with good health, and my goal is to continue to come every day as long as my health permits,â she says. âI have made a covenant to dedicate all of my talents and abilities to serve the Lord. When I arrive home after serving in the temple, I donât feel tired. The Lord has blessed me in that way.â

Previously, while serving for six years in her wardâs family history center, MarÃa researched her family line. Then, on numerous Saturday mornings before going to work in the temple cafeteria, she completed vicarious temple work for four generations of her female ancestors. She also had the work completed for four generations of male ancestors.

When she began researching her family history, MarÃa felt that the task was impossibleâespecially when she was unable to determine the names of two great-grandparents. But one night their complete names were revealed to her in a dream. At first she wondered whether the names could be correct, but as she searched among her motherâs records, she found the names and was able to make family connections that had eluded her. She believes the dream came as a blessing for her efforts to serve the Lord and His children.

âThe temple is my life,â MarÃa says. âPeople who donât come to the temple are missing out on a great opportunity and blessing. By serving in the temple, we come to understand the real meaning and power of the temple.â

MarÃa Josà de AraÃjo, who volunteers daily in the Recife Brazil Temple, âis a good example of serving others,â says temple recorder Cleto P. Oliveira, pictured at right with MarÃa.

âPeople who donât come to the temple are missing out on a great opportunity and blessing,â says MarÃa Josà de AraÃjo.

The temple endowment blessings are as essential for each of us as was our baptism. For this reason we are to prepare ourselves that we may be clean to enter the temple of God.

The opportunity to enter the temple and to take upon ourselves the sacred covenants therein is one of the greatest blessings available to us in mortality. Then, after we take upon us those covenants, our obedience in living them daily stands as a demonstration of our faith, love, devotion, and spiritual commitment to honor our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Our obedience also prepares us to live with Them in the eternities. The templeâs saving ordinances are essential toâand even the central focus ofâthe eternal plan of happiness.

The Temple Doctrine

The temple is truly a place where you are âin the world and not of the world.â When you are troubled and have crucial decisions that weigh heavily on your mind and soul, you can take your cares to the temple and receive spiritual guidance.

We need to acquire a testimony and a reverent feeling of the temple being the house of the Lord. To preserve the sanctity of the temple and to invite the Spirit to bless those who enter the holy temple for their ordinances and covenants, we are taught that no unclean thing should enter the temple. Reverence in the temple is a vital element in inviting the Spirit to reside within it every hour of every day.

When I was a boy, my father brought me from Long Island, New York, to walk on the Salt Lake Temple grounds, to touch the temple, and to discuss the importance of the temple in my life. It was on that occasion that I made up my mind that someday I would return to receive the ordinances of the temple.

Throughout history, in every dispensation, the Lord has commanded prophets that temples should be built so that His people could receive temple ordinances. Moses and the Israelites were blessed with a portable temple, the tabernacle, where the sacred ordinance work under the law of Moses was performedâand where, on occasion, the Lord came to converse with Moses. King Solomon completed a beautiful temple in Jerusalem, which was later destroyed. Then, during Christâs ministry, another temple in Jerusalem was being built.

We learn from the Book of Mormon that Nephi built a temple âafter the manner of the temple of Solomonâ (2 Nephi 5:16). Other Nephite prophets, including Jacob and King Benjamin, taught the people at the temple (see Jacob 1:17; Mosiah 1:18).

Significantly, when the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ appeared to the Nephites in a.d. 34, He came to the temple (see 3 Nephi 11:1â11).

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, âThe Church is not fully organized, in its proper order, and cannot be, until the Temple is completed, where places will be provided for the administration of the ordinances of the Priesthood.â1

The Kirtland Temple was the first temple in these latter days, and it played an important role in the restoration of priesthood keys. Joseph Smith, as a result of a prayer, was visited by Jesus in the Kirtland Temple on April 3, 1836 (see D&C 110). The Savior appeared in glory and accepted the Kirtland Temple as His house. On that occasion Moses, Elias, and Elijah also appeared in order to commit the priesthood keys they held. Elijah restored the keys of the sealing power, as promised by Malachi, so that we could enjoy the fulness of the blessings of the temple in our lives.

Our pioneer ancestors completed the Nauvoo Temple and performed sacred ordinances therein. The Nauvoo Temple was the first temple in which endowments and sealings were performed, which proved a great strength to the pioneers as they endured the hardships crossing the plains to Zion in the Salt Lake Valley. They had been endowed with power in the holy temple. Husband and wife were sealed to each other. Children were sealed to their parents. Many of them lost family members to death along the way, but they knew that wasnât the end for them. They had been sealed in the temple for all eternity. Later, through revelation received by President Brigham Young, the Saints built more temples in the West.

Today there are 130 functioning temples, allowing faithful members of the Church around the earth to go to the house of the Lord to receive their temple ordinances and make covenants with Him.

The Temple Ordinances

The primary purpose of the temple is to provide the ordinances necessary for our exaltation in the celestial kingdom. Temple ordinances guide us to our Savior and give us the blessings that come to us through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Temples are the greatest university of learning known to man, giving us knowledge and wisdom about the Creation of the world. Endowment instructions give guidance as to how we should conduct our lives here in mortality. The meaning of the word endowment is âgift.â The ordinance consists of a series of instructions on how we should live and covenants we make to live righteously by following our Savior.

Another important ordinance is being sealed for eternity in celestial marriage. This covenant of marriage allows children to be sealed to their parents and children born in the covenant to become part of an eternal family.

The Doctrine and Covenants teaches us: âWhatsoever you seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever you bind on earth, in my name and by my word, saith the Lord, it shall be eternally bound in the heavensâ (D&C 132:46).

When a couple is kneeling at the altar, as a sealer I am aware of my role as a representative of the Lord. I know that what is sealed on earth is literally sealed in heavenânever to be broken if those being sealed remain faithful and endure to the end.

I have observed over the years many couples who have been able to maintain strong and vital marriages as they remain true to the covenants they take upon themselves in the temple. These successful couples have several things in common.

First, these couples know individually who they areâsons and daughters of God. They set eternal goals to once again live with our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. They strive to leave the ways of the natural man behind (see Mosiah 3:19).

Second, they know the doctrine and the importance of the saving temple ordinances and temple covenants and their necessity in achieving eternal goals.

Third, they choose to obtain the eternal blessings of the kingdom of God rather than the temporary possessions of the world.

Fourth, these couples realize that when they are sealed for time and all eternity, they have chosen an eternal companionâtheir days for courting others are over! There is no need to look any further!

Fifth, these couples think of one another before themselves. Selfishness suffocates spiritual senses. Communicating with the Lord in prayer, they grow together and not apart. They converse with each other, thereby never letting little things become big things. They talk early about the âlittle hurtsâ with little fear of offending. In this way, when the pressure in the kettle builds and the whistle goes off, there is no explosion of bitter feelings. It is so much better to let off a little steam before the top blows off the pressure cooker. They are willing to apologize and ask forgiveness if they have hurt the one they love. They express their love for each other and become closer. They lift and strengthen one another.

The Temple Blessings

The temple is a sacred edifice, a holy place, where essential saving ceremonies and ordinances are performed to prepare us for exaltation. It is important that we gain a sure knowledge that our preparation to enter the holy house and that our participation in these ceremonies and covenants are some of the most significant events we will experience in our mortal lives.

We voluntarily came from the presence of God the Father to this mortal probation with agency, knowing we would have âopposition in all thingsâ (2 Nephi 2:11). Our objective is to take upon us the whole armor of God and withstand âthe fiery darts of the wickedâ with the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit (see D&C 27:15â18), to endure to the end, and to be worthy to stand and live in the presence of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, for all eternityâto achieve what is called eternal life.

âA people can be no greater than its stories,â said Elder Marlin K. Jensen of the Seventy, Church Historian and Recorder. The Church now has a brand-new resource to help tell its story better than ever before. The Church History Library, dedicated in June, is a significant upgrade from the previous Church History Library, which was located in the east wing of the Church Office Building in downtown Salt Lake City.

âOur previous facility wasnât designed as an archival storage space,â said Brent Thompson, director of records preservation for the Church History Department. âIt didnât have fire protection; it didnât have seismic protection; and it didnât have adequate temperature, humidity, and air quality control. We had outgrown the space, both from a staff perspective and, more importantly, from a records perspective. This new building provides solutions to these problems.â

With almost 230,000 square feet of operating space, the library houses expanded research facilities, temperature- and humidity-controlled storage spaces, and state-of-the-art preservation systems. It is also home to nearly 25 miles of shelves containing books, journals, documents, photographs, microfilm, and other preserved media.

Ample space inside the library also allows its 125 employees and nearly 200 full-time and Church-service missionaries to work effectively. These staff members provide valuable research, preservation, development, and administrative services in managing the libraryâs collections and assisting patrons who visit the facility.

The building provides more than just extra space and updated preservation technology. âOur new library is designed to provide an open and welcoming atmosphere for all to interact with Church history,â said Patrick Dunshee, manager of marketing and communications for the Church History Department. âOur desire is to help patrons increase their faith as they connect to their past.â

The building was designed to visually complement the Conference Center, which is across the street to the west. Together the two buildings present a reminder of the great strength of the members of the Church; while hundreds of thousands fill the Conference Center each year to participate in general conference and other events, the Church History Library houses the records of great faith and service from Saints all over the world.

The library is a short walk from the Churchâs other historical and research facilities on Temple Square. Its close proximity to the Family History Library and Church History Museum allows patrons convenient access to many of the Churchâs historical treasures.

Elder Jensen said, âThe primary purpose of Church history is to help Church members build faith in Jesus Christ and keep their sacred covenants.â The new Church History Library, with updated resources and advanced facilities, will help collect, record, and preserve the stories of the Church and its members better than ever before, protecting sacred resources for many generations to come.

Common Questions about the Church History Library

• 1. How can I access the information in the library? Patrons can walk in or fax, phone, or e-mail service requests to the library. Contact information and an âAsk a Librarianâ feature can be found at www.churchhistorylibrary.org.

• 2. Is there open access to all records? Patrons will have access to thousands of titles, including books, periodicals, manuscripts, photographs, audiovisual materials, and diaries and journals. As in all library and collecting institutions, access to records that contain private or confidential information is limited. The library also adheres to all copyright laws.

• 3. What are the hours of operation? The Church History Library will be open MondayâWednesday and Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. MDT.

• 4. What technology is available for patrons? Patrons can search library catalogs and indexes on our library computer terminals. Terminals also offer access to more than 2,000 photographic images housed in the library, as well as information from the Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel Database. Patrons will be able to access library materials wirelessly as well.

• 5. How do volunteers help? Volunteers help patrons in various ways, including training, orientation, general guidance, and service requests.

• 6. Where are patrons allowed to work? Patrons have access to the lobby, main library area, and reading room.

The Church History Library preserves many precious artifacts. Shown here is President Wilford Woodruffâs diary, which he personalized with hand-drawn art and by recording the baptisms of his family members.

Above: Every item in the library was given a bar code and scanned as it was transported to the new building. This process will help with maintenance and facilitates research. Right: A page from Martha Spence Heywoodâs Autograph book with autographs and paintings of Joseph and Hyrum Smith.

Above: More than 3.5 million patriarchal blessings are preserved in the libraryâs vaults. Right: A banknote from the Kirtland Safety Society, signed by Joseph Smith.

Under the right conditions, including low temperatures and humidity controls, artifacts can be preserved safely for many, many years. Some records are stored at 55 degrees F (13 degrees C). The most sensitive materials (shown at left) are stored in a vault at -4 degrees F (-20 degrees C, cooled by the equipment shown above.

Opposite page: President Joseph F. Smith (1838â1918) as a young man; the libraryâs lobby. Top: The buildingâs inner reading room. Above: In the early 1900s, Emmeline B. Wells, fifth general president of the Relief Society, is assisted by her counselors, followed by the general board.

Left: Daguerreotype of early Church Historian George A. Smith, about 1850. Above: A carved Maori cremonial house with members and missionaries, about 1886. At the time, the LDS population of New Zealand was 90 percent Maori.

Opposite page: Patrons have access to a wide selection of books in the open stacks. Bottom left and above right: Employees in the Conservation Lab expend great effort to repair damanged documents. Tapeâone of the more destructive home remedies for repairâmust be removed to ensure longevity. Center: Wilford Woodruffâs copy of the Book of Commandments. Left: LDS University, 1908. The Relief Society Building and the Church Office Building and plaza now occupy the same location.

The exemplary ministry of President Thomas S. Monson is well-known among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For more than six decades he has reached out to those in need, giving comfort and peace to countless individuals and personally ministering to the sick and afflicted.1

âToday there are hearts to gladden, there are deeds to be doneâeven precious souls to save,â President Monson has declared. âThe sick, the weary, the hungry, the cold, the injured, the lonely, the aged, the wanderer, all cry out for our help.â2

In his personal ministry, President Monson has shown the difference between administering and ministering. Church members administer programs and ordinances, but they minister to individuals, loving them and coming to their relief. In reaching out to others, President Monson has emulated the Savior, who âcame not to be ministered unto, but to ministerâ (Mark 10:45).

As the following four accounts illustrate, Latter-day Saints who âgo, and do â likewiseâ (Luke 10:37) bless others, the Church, and themselves.

Samaritan with Pancake Batter

My recovery following minor surgery was not as easy as I had been led to expect. But as ward Relief Society president, I felt that I should be giving help to others, not asking for it. On Monday morning, three days after my surgery, I had to get seven children up and ready for school. I wondered if I would have to keep my oldest daughter home to help with the baby.

As these thoughts went through my head, the doorbell rang. Vickie Woodard, my first counselor and a good friend, had come to help. She announced that she was there to make pancakes. She had a bowl of batter in her arms and asked where she could find a frying pan. The children were delighted.

After breakfast, Vickie got the children off to school, cleaned up, and took the baby home until his noon nap time. Later, when I asked who was caring for her own young children, she told me that her husband had taken a couple of hours off work so she could help me.

Vickieâs and her husbandâs service that day allowed me to gather my strength and contributed to my recovery.

Beverly Ashcroft, Arizona, USA

Unto the Least of These

One day when I was home alone with my youngest son, I slipped on a step and fell. Resulting abdominal pain persisted for several days, so I went to see a doctor.

I was pregnant at the time, and tests indicated that my placenta had become detached. This condition required complete rest, or I could lose the baby.

I was worried because we had three little children and could not afford to pay for help. The sisters in my branch, however, found out about my condition and, without being asked, came to my aid. They organized themselves into three groups that helped me in the morning, afternoon, and evening.

They came to wash, iron, cook, clean, and help my children with their homework. A sister named Rute, who was baptized into the Church while I was confined to bed, became well-known in our home. Rute, a nurse, helped at night and administered necessary injections.

I didnât need to ask for anything; these sisters anticipated my needs and took care of everything. When they had more help than they needed, one sister would sit and visit with me. They did this for three months.

These sisters gave me strength, love, and dedication. They gave of their time and talents. They made sacrifices to be there. They never asked for anything in return. They loved and they served, following the example of the Lord, who taught us, âVerily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto meâ (Matthew 25:40).

Enilze do Rocio Ferreira da Silva, ParanÃ, Brazil

Just Bring Their Clothes

While my husband, Brandon, was in Orlando, Florida, on business, he woke up one night with a high fever and difficulty breathing. He called for an ambulance to take him to the hospital, where he learned that he had a serious case of pneumonia.

Because Brandon and I have toddler-age sons, I couldnât immediately travel from our home in Pennsylvania to Florida. I called Brandon daily, hoping for his improvement so that he could return to us.

However, Brandonâs condition worsened. When a nurse at the hospital urged me to come to the hospital as soon as possible, I started thinking about who might be able to take care of our boys.

My mother agreed to take time off from work and said she would come as soon as she could, but the flight I needed to take left before she would arrive. I called a few friends to see if they could watch the boys until my mother arrived. A friend from Relief Society, Jackie Olds, said sheâd be happy to watch them.

âJust bring their clothes and diapers,â she said, âand Iâll keep them for however many days you need to be gone.â

I started to refuse because this sister, with three children of her own, had a busy life, but she insisted. When I dropped our boys off a short while later, she comforted me by saying, âDonât worry about them. Worry about getting Brandon better and getting him home. Iâve taken care of toddlers before.â

I knew then that the boys would be safe, happy, and well taken care of, which they were. I was able to be with my husband, who was seriously ill by the time I arrived at the hospital. But after a few days, he was well enough to return home.

I am grateful for a good friend who respondedâfar beyond what I would have asked of herâand ministered to us in a time of need.

Kelly Parks, Pennsylvania, USA

Service at a Bedside

Brother Anderson, the dynamic 35-year-old ward Young Men president, was the kind of youth leader everyone admired: returned missionary, father of five, business owner, young at heart. But now he had leukemia. After receiving this news from the bishop, Ryan Hill, the priests quorum first assistant, swung into action, calling each active and less-active priest in his quorum.

âWeâre going to the hospital to see Brother Anderson. We need everyone. Can you come?â he repeated during each call.

âIâm not sure I can make it,â one priest said. âI may need to work.â

âThen we will wait until you get off work,â Ryan responded. âThis is something we must do together.â

âOK,â the quorum member said. âI will see if I can switch shifts with someone else.â

All 11 priests went to the hospital. Those who were less active and those who never missed a Sunday meeting were there. Together, they laughed and cried and prayed and made future plans. In the ensuing months, they scheduled times to rub Brother Andersonâs feet when his circulation was difficult, took turns donating blood platelets during two-hour sessions so he would get only their blood, and even drove 20 miles (32 km) on prom night with their dates (including two young women who were not members of the Church) to his hospital bedside so he could share in their high school experiences.

In his final days, Brother Anderson asked them to serve missions, marry in the temple, and keep track of each other. More than a dozen years later, home from their missions, married in the temple, and starting families of their own, they still recall these watershed spiritual experiences of service together with their beloved leader.

Norman Hill, Texas, USA

One of the practices that distinguishes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that of having lay shepherds. We have no paid clergy in the wards, branches, stakes, and districts of the Church; rather, the members themselves minister to each other.

Every member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a calling to be a shepherd in Israel. Member-shepherds serve in bishoprics and branch presidencies, as priesthood and auxiliary leaders, as clerks and secretaries, as teachers of every kindâincluding home and visiting teachersâand in countless other capacities.

Lay shepherds have several things in common. Each has sheep to nourish, encourage, and serve. Each is called by the Lord through His appointed servants. Each is accountable to the Lord for his or her stewardship as a shepherd.

Seeking the Lost Sheep

Joseph Serge Merilus left his native Haiti at the age of 19 and moved to the Dominican Republic in 1980 in search of work. Eighteen months later he went back to Haiti, fell in love, and returned to the Dominican Republic with his new bride, Marie Reymonde Esterlin.

As they began their married life together in their newly adopted country, Joseph experienced a spiritual hunger. He and Marie visited several churches seeking to satisfy that hunger, but as Haitian Creole speakers in a Spanish-speaking country, they had difficulty understanding and being understood. Eventually they ran into two Latter-day Saint missionaries, who invited them to church. After Joseph and Marie had attended several meetings, the missionaries patiently taught them the discussions in Spanish, and they were baptized in September 1997.

Joseph was called to serve in the Sunday School presidency, then as a counselor in the branch presidency, and later as branch president. But because of a series of misunderstandings and hurt feelings, much of it resulting from miscommunication, Joseph, Marie, and their five children fell into in-activity and were largely forgotten by local Church members.

During the next seven years, the couple had four more children and welcomed a nephew and a niece from Haiti into their home. Through much effort Joseph became fluent in Spanish and English and began teaching English and Haitian Creole for a local company.

In August 2007 two priesthood leaders, in the process of seeking out the Lordâs lost sheep, appeared on the familyâs doorstep. They discovered that Joseph and Marie still had testimonies of the gospel, even though they had not attended meetings for seven years. The leaders invited the family to return to church, which they did the very next dayâall 13 of them. They have been attending ever since.

Today Joseph is a branch mission leader in Barahona, located in the southwestern part of the Dominican Republic. His two eldest sons also serve in branch leadership, and his nephew, a newly ordained elder, is the Young Men president. Recently the family traveled to the temple, where they were sealed as an eternal family.

Just think of it, 13 lost sheep are now found because two member-shepherds were willing to search for, nourish, and bring this family back to the Lordâs fold. They were led to this home just as you and I will be led as we seek out the lost sheep who are our responsibility.

I have been a witness of and a participant in thousands of shepherding visits. I testify to the marvelous outpouring of the Spirit that accompanies them. I have seen many lost sheep return and have felt the joy that comes as they are welcomed back into the fold. I have seen hearts touched, blessings pronounced, tears shed, testimonies borne, prayers offered and answered, and love expressed. I have seen lives changed.

Feeding the Flocks

Sometime between 592 and 570 b.c., God spoke to His prophet Ezekiel regarding negligent shepherds. Because of their negligence, the flock had been scattered. Of those shepherds, the Lord said:

âSon of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds[:] â should not the shepherds feed the flocks? â

âThe diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost. â

ââ Yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.

âThus saith the Lord God; â I will require my flock at their handâ (Ezekiel 34:2, 4, 6, 10).

In many respects, we have become a chapel-based church. We go to great effort to provide spiritual and emotional nourishment for those who come to church, but what of those who have lost their way to the chapel?

If I have received a calling to serve in the Church, then I have sheep to whom I have a divine obligation to minister and to serve. For example, as a teacher I am a shepherd not only to those who show up for my class but also to those who do not attend. I have the responsibility to find them, become acquainted with them, be their friend, minister to their needs, and bring them back to the fold.

Leading Them Back

As member-shepherds we would do well to remember and ponder the teachings in Luke 15. In that chapter the Lord taught the parables of the lost sheep, the lost piece of silver, and the prodigal son. All three relate to âthat which was lostâ and then found again. In the parable of the lost sheep, the Lord asks:

âWhat man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

âAnd when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

âAnd when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

âI say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentanceâ (Luke 15:4â7).

In the parable, only one sheep strayed and was lost, but such is seldom the case in our wards and branches. The parableâs application remains the same, however, regardless of the number of sheep who have strayed from the fold.

The parable does not indicate how long the recovery process took. In our shepherding efforts, some sheep will return after a single visit, while others will require years of constant and gentle encouragement.

During the process of recovering our brothers and sisters, let us not forget that the sheep we are âbringing â back to the foldâ are âdear to the heart of the Shepherd.â1 He knows each one of them individually. He loves each one of them with a perfect love. Because they are His, He will guide us, direct us, and inspire us in what to say if we will ask and then listen to the voice of the Spirit. Through the power of the Holy Ghost, many will respond positively as we sincerely and humbly reach out.

May we remember our responsibilities as shepherds so that we can give a good accounting to the Lord regarding our stewardship over the sheep He has assigned to each of us.

Watching Over the Sheep

âWe are shepherds watching over Israel. The hungry sheep look up, ready to be fed the bread of life. â Our task is to reach out to those who, for whatever reason, are in need of our help.â

President Thomas S. Monson, âTrue to Our Priesthood Trust,â Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2006, 57â58.

Detail from The Road to Bethlehem, by Joseph Brickey; right: detail from Cain and Abel, by Robert T. Barrett

Lost No More, by Greg K. Olsen, may not be copied; photo illustration by Laureni Fochetto

In the office of President Thomas S. Monson hangs a painting of the Savior by artist Heinrich Hofmann. The prophet says that this painting reminds him to do what the Savior would have him do. Pictures can have a powerful influence on each of us, just as this painting does on President Monson.

Out of a desire to provide affordable pictures for members to use in Church classes and in our homes, the Church has made available the Gospel Art Book with 137 paintings and photographs. These pictures can complement lessons taught anywhere from Gospel Doctrine to Primary sharing time. They can also be used in family home evening, personal scripture study, missionary work, and home or visiting teaching.

Each illustration in this book invites a teaching momentâthe opportunity to tell a scripture story and teach a principle. To aid us, the Gospel Art Book includes a list linking pictures to their accounts in the scriptures. Searching these scriptures will deepen our understanding of the events and gospel principles depicted in each picture.

Following are three ways the Gospel Art Book might be used in teaching a lesson:

• 1 Consider inviting individuals to search the scriptures linked to a particular picture. Ask them to read the scripture aloud or to summarize it as you discuss the picture together.

• 2 Consider asking individuals to describe what they see in a picture. What gospel principles does the picture teach? How can we apply those principles in our lives today?

• 3 After teaching a particular gospel principle, invite others to search the Gospel Art Book, looking for pictures illustrating that principle. Ask individuals how they feel when they look at the picture now that they have discussed its meaning.

In all our learning and teaching of the gospel, let us prayerfully seek inspiration (see D&C 42:14â17). As we do, the Holy Ghost will bring other ideas into our minds tailored to meet the needs of those we are teaching. The new Gospel Art Book is an important tool that can help us help one another come unto Christ and receive the blessings of eternal life.

Power in Visual Aids

âTeachers who desire to increase learnersâ ability to understand and learn will also use visuals. Most people will learn better and remember longer when you present ideas by using pictures, maps, word groupings, or other visuals rather than merely speaking.â

Teaching, No Greater Call (1999), 182.

How Can I Access the Gospel Art Book?

• 1. You can find an online version at gospelart.lds.org.

• 2. You can purchase the Gospel Art Book (item no. 06048) at your distribution center.

• 3. In the United States and Canada, you can order the book online at ldscatalog.com/gospelartbook or by calling 1-800-537-5971.

After years of harboring bitterness and anger, Derick Fitch of Indiana felt as though he had hit a dead end. He decided he had enough and wanted to change. That decision led him to do something he had never done before: search for God.

So Derick did what he typically did when he wanted to find information: he went to the Internet. Not only would that give him quick, easy access to information, it would also allow him to conduct his search privately, without making any commitments. Derick decided to begin his Internet search by looking for information on âthe Mormon Churchâ because of a television commercial he remembered from his teenage years.

âMy search led me to an LDS-related site that had exactly what I was looking forâa message board where I could confidentially post questions about the Church,â Derick says. He took a deep breath and registered with the site.

Using the siteâs message board, Derick received answers to his questions from Latter-day Saints and learned that he could read the Book of Mormon online by clicking on a link at www.mormon.org. âThe words in 1 Nephi penetrated the cold, hard shell around my heart,â he says. âI started to think about my life and my relationship with God.â

Soon Derick obtained a printed copy of the Book of Mormon from the local missionaries and agreed to attend church services. Less than four months after Derick had decided to search online for information about religion, he was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

âI am so thankful that I was able to start reading the Book of Mormon online,â he says. âI am thankful that I was able to find LDS Web sites, ask questions about the Church, and receive wonderful answers.â

For Derick and many others who have questions about the Church, the natural place to turn is the Internet. There, Derick received answers to his questions from everyday Latter-day Saintsâand those answers touched his heart.

Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has encouraged members to join in the ongoing conversation around the world about the Church.

âWe cannot stand on the sidelines while others, including our critics, attempt to define what the Church teaches,â1 Elder Ballard said in a 2007 commencement speech delivered at Brigham Young UniversityâHawaii.

Just like the members who answered Derickâs questions, many members across the world are entering the online discussion and realizing they can make a difference, one conversation at a time.

Blogging about the Church in Everyday Life

One method of entering the conversation is through personal Web logs, or blogs. (For tips about blogging safely and courteously, please see âBetter Bloggingâ on page 27.) Lisa Caress of California has always used her blog as a journal and family history record, but she has also begun using it as a method to join the conversation by talking about what the Church means in her day-to-day life. One night at a meeting at her childrenâs school, she and several other women were assembling baskets for a school event when their conversation turned to Lisaâs blog.

âOne of the women mentioned how much she loved reading my blog because it gave her so many insights about our church,â Lisa says. âThree other women chimed in and started practically quoting passages from my blog. They were all fascinated by my post about the April 2008 general conference. I froze in my tracks as I quickly tried to recall what I had written. They asked me about how new prophets were chosen and what a Solemn Assembly was. They wanted to know about Elder Jeffrey R. Hollandâs talk2 and continuing revelation and about Elder M. Russell Ballardâs talk3 and the Churchâs views on women.â

Lisa was surprised by the effect of her small effort, but what surprised her even more, she says, is how respectful and gracious the women were. âThey acted like I was doing them a favor by answering their questions.â From this experience, Lisa learned the effect that sharing her testimony and her day-to-day experiences as a member of the Church can have. This opened the door for her to answer further questions and share her testimony at the request of her friends. âYou never know who is reading,â Lisa says. âBut truth and sincerity will win the day.â

Using Language Skills and Developing Computer Skills

After hearing Elder Ballardâs BYUâHawaii commencement speech, Neil Birch of Utah decided to create a blog where he could discuss gospel principles using the Book of Mormon. Although Neil had never blogged before, he did not let that stop him. With the help of a friend, he set up not just one but three blogs, each in one of the languages he speaks. Neil realized that doing so was easier than he thought. He says, âIâm 77, and I didnât grow up with computers. But you donât have to have been born in the computer era to learn how to use them. Anyone can do it!â

Neil is enthusiastic about the possibilities, and he loves contributing to the online conversation about the Church. âI have received a growing number of responses to my blogs, which have been read in 49 countries,â he says. âI am determined to continue writing and posting.â

Creating Blogs about Full-time Missionaries

Like Neil, Kevin Miller and his son Richard have also created blogs. The Millers create blogs for the families of the full-time missionaries serving from their stake in Las Vegas, Nevada, prior to the missionariesâ departure. The families then maintain those blogs throughout the rest of their missionaryâs service. Some of these blogs include short videos of the missionary sharing his or her testimony recorded prior to entering the Missionary Training Center, photos, excerpts from the missionaryâs e-mails from the mission field, journal entries, and other things the family deems appropriate. (Of course, e-mails and other communication should comply with guidelines for missionaries.)

Kevin says these blogs âprovide a great tool for families to share the blessings of serving a mission with their friends, neighbors, co-workers, and others. Missionary blogs maintained by families allow those who are not of our faith to gain a greater understanding of the love, sacrifice, and blessings that accompany full-time missionary service.â

Using Other Online Forums

Blogs are not the only way that members are sharing the gospel online. Sheryl McGlochlin of Utah created a Web site where she organizes outdoor adventures, enabling her to connect with people who share her love of the outdoors.

âI love the Internet!â Sheryl exclaims. âIt has enabled me to reach hundreds of people from all parts of the world. Itâs been wonderful to connect and form relationships with others. Iâm extremely grateful to the Lord that I can help and serve others in this way.â

Sheryl makes safety a priority both in her online interaction and in her in-person group meetings. When sheâs corresponding with a group member, for instance, she makes sure that her tone is professional. She often asks her husband to review her e-mails for a second opinion to help prevent possible misunderstandings with those she corresponds with. When sheâs meeting people for an event, she makes a point of including a core of people she already knows, meeting in public places, and never being alone with just one other group participant. Practical, sensible safety precautions like these help keep Sherylâand others she meetsâsafe so that they can focus on their common interests.

Sheryl has found that as she and her new friends engage in outdoor activities, she has opportunities to bear her testimony. âIâve shared with them what Iâve learned in general conference, in Relief Society, and in sacrament meeting,â she says. âAs I spend time with them, Iâve been able to share my knowledge and feelings about the temple, food storage, forgiving others, the Book of Mormon, the importance of family, the power of prayer, the blessings of living the Word of Wisdom, missionary work, keeping the Sabbath Day holy, and much more.â

A Strong Medium for Sharing Testimony

Members of the Church like Lisa, Neil, Kevin, Richard, and Sheryl are discovering the power of the Internet in sharing testimony and answering questions other people have about the Church. And in doing so theyâre discovering that itâs not as difficult as they might imagine to respond to Elder Ballardâs challenge to âjoin the conversation by participating on the Internet to share the gospel and to explain in simple and clear terms the message of the Restoration.â4

Of course, blogging is just one way to share the gospel; there are many others. Some may wonder how one Web site or one blog can make a difference, but as Elder Ballard reminds us, âWhile some conversations have audiences in the thousands or even millions, most are much, much smaller. But all conversations have an impact on those who participate in them. Perceptions of the Church are established one conversation at a time.â5

And just as it did for Derick Fitch, one conversation can make all the difference.

It is common for people to search for things online. Why not religion?

Some may wonder âWhat can I do?â But many Latter-day Saints are finding that simple conversations make a powerful difference.

Illustrations by Steve Kropp

Be a Blogging Missionary

By Delores DeVictoria

Delores DeVictoria, âBe a Blogging Missionary,â Ensign, Oct. 2009, 24

With increasing interest in the Internet, opportunities for missionary work have also increased. Here are some suggestions that I have found helpful in being a blogging missionary:

• â Remember that youâre speaking as an individual sharing personal perspectives. Donât leave an impression that you are speaking officially for the Church. Itâs your own experiences that will be insightful and interesting.

• â When you write a post, keep it relatively short. Most people who surf blogs are looking for posts that are easy to read. In addition, remember the old adage, âmilk before meat.â Donât delve into the mysteries. Rather, write about subjects that are basic such as faith, repentance, Jesus Christ, the Book of Mormon, and so forth.

• â Tell how you feel about a gospel principle. People may be able to argue a principle, but itâs more difficult to argue how you feel about it.

• â Check out other blogs and read what others have to say. When you find an interesting blog, comment and let the author know what you think. Usually when I have commented on someoneâs blog, they have come to check out my blog and have left a comment. This has helped me get acquainted with new people.

• â When you read other blogs, read the comments too. Then check out the blogs of others who are leaving comments. This is a great way to find interesting information and make new Internet contacts.

• â Know when to walk away. Elder Ballard reminds us that âevery disciple of Christ will be most effective and do the most good by adopting a demeanor worthy of a follower of the Savior. Discussions focused on questioning, debating, and doubting gospel principles do little to build the kingdom of God. â There is no need to argue or contend with others regarding our beliefs. There is no need to become defensive or belligerent. Our position is solid; the Church is true,â (âSharing the Gospel Using the Internet,â Ensign, July 2008, 63).

Because the Internet doesnât force the same commitment as meeting in person, it can be viewed as a safe haven for those who are questioning but arenât ready to invite the missionaries into their home. If they can find answers and have the Spirit touch their hearts, they may be more willing to accept the missionaries later.

We have entered a new age of technology, so we have new avenues of missionary work open to us. With a little creativity and boldness, we can help others to learn more about the gospel.

Additional helps can be found online at http://newsroom.lds.org/onlineguidelines.

Better Blogging

Do you want to start a blog? You can keep in touch with friends and family or share the gospel by blogging. (Remember that you are speaking only for yourself and not the Church.)

âBetter Blogging: Tips for Safety and Courtesy,â Ensign, Oct. 2009, 27

Blog Safety

Avoid Specifics

Chelsea Belton, who blogs to keep in touch with family and friends, never posts personal information online. She avoids mentioning addresses, birth dates, anniversaries, and other details that would make it easy to locate her family. Some bloggers also use partial or fictional names or general phrases like âmy sonâ or âour friendâ when referring to individuals in blog posts.

Moderate Comments

David Habben, who maintains both personal and business blogs, says that reviewing comments is an important part of safe blogging. While an authorâs original post may be harmless, comments from readers may be less innocent. Some entities also use blog commenting to advertise or disseminate unwanted information. David uses a security feature that informs him by e-mail when someone wants to make a comment. He can then review each comment and delete those that are inappropriate or unwanted before they appear online.

Selectively Post Pictures

âOnce I posted [a photo of] a birthday party invitation I had made [for my son],â says Rachel Davis, creator of a group blog for LDS women. âI used photo editing software to blur out the location of the party because I just didnât want [to take a] chance. It was a small thing to do, but it made me feel safe.â Be aware of information you may be giving inadvertently in the photos you display on your blog. Wisely screening photos will allow you to share ideas while protecting yourself and your family.

Blog Courtesy

Think before You Post

Search engines are the âconscienceâ of the Internet. They can call up almost any Web site from any period of time. So assume that what you post on your blog is permanent. The pictures of your children doing silly things as little kids may be funny or cute right now, but imagine those same pictures appearing when your children are 12 or 45. Carefully consider the pictures you post and the things you write.

Be Positive

âI have been surprised when â ward members or even old friends from high school read my blog,â says Kacy Faulconer, who writes personal and group blogs. Blogs should not be a âforum to complain or criticize people behind their backs,â she says. Instead, keep your comments positive. You never know who may be reading.

Respect Othersâ Work

Sue Anderson, who began a blog because she loved reading her daughter-in-lawâs, says itâs important to respect other bloggersâ work. Instead of copying and pasting something from a blog you like, âsend friends a link to the blog itself.â She also recommends that âif you want to use something on your blog from someone elseâs, [including photos], ask them first.â This protects othersâ work and keeps you honest.

Members in some South Texas stakes are learning two important things about missionary work: it is much easier than they thought, and they enjoy it.

Raquel Taylor, for example, was surprised at how quickly her stake presidentâs promise about missionary work came true. Sister Taylor was the sign language interpreter for a conference of the McAllen Texas Stake in February 2008 when the then-stake president, Marco Araya, made members a promise that focused their attention instantly on their missionary responsibility: if they would properly prepare themselves to share the gospel, âpeople will come to you to ask you to teach them.â After the meeting ended, Sister Taylor went to greet a group of friends who are deaf or hearing impaired. A young man visiting with them asked if missionaries could teach himâbeginning immediately.

The McAllen Texas Stake was divided in September 2008, at least partly because of member involvement in missionary work. Baptisms have increased in the neighboring Harlingen Texas Stake as well. And Texas McAllen Mission president Gary F. Miller reports that efforts by members to share the gospel have also been increasing in the Corpus Christi Texas Stake, about 150 miles northeast on the Gulf Coast.

Preparation and a Promise

Sister Taylor interpreted for the missionaries as they began to teach Dario Gaytan, the young man who had approached her. After a couple of lessons, Elder Wayne Fletcher, who is fluent in sign language, was transferred into the area and began to help with teaching Dario, but Sister Taylor remained involved in the fellowshipping. Dario was not the only person touched by the missionary lessons. He had been living with the family of a friend who was a member but not active in the Church. That family was activated as Dario was being taught, and Darioâs friend baptized him.

Elder Fletcher helped activate other members who are deaf or hearing impaired, and Sister Taylor began teaching classes in sign language.

Raquel Taylor learned that she had also been teaching by example. An old friend called her, asking for counsel about marriage. The friend wanted to know how to apply in her life the principles that Sister Taylor and her husband live by in their marriage. The friend also needed help teaching the children in her church, so she bought the full range of Primary materials from the LDS bookstore that Sister Taylor owns with her husband, Nephi.

Josà and Esthela Rodriguez have also learned that how they live the gospel affects those around them. JosÃ, bishop of the Spanish-speaking La Joya Ward, McAllen Texas West Stake, was baptized in 2000 after he had met Esthela and she had introduced him to the gospel. The Rodriguezes have lived next door to a young unmarried couple. That couple has watched how Bishop and Sister Rodriguez treat each other and treat their children, and the woman has inquired about the principles that guide the lives of the Rodriguez family. The man has begun to court his partner, hoping to persuade her to marry him.

Bishop Rodriguez, with his counselors, has developed a ward mission plan. It includes having husband and wife pairs go out with the missionaries. âRight now,â he says, âthe missionary work is a bit difficult in our area.â But the examples of individual members and families continue to draw attention to the Church.

The Memberâs Role

Robert Lyle does not wait for people to come to him to ask about the gospel. He seeks opportunities to share, tailoring his approach to what he knows of each individual. It may be an interest they have in common. On the Gulf Coast, for example, he has many opportunities to go fishing. His conversations with other fishermen often turn to conversations about families and the gospel. Over the past few years, about two dozen people have responded by accepting the gospel and being baptized.

Brother Lyle, formerly a counselor in the presidency of the Harlingen Texas Stake, now serves as the Young Men president in the McAllen stake. (His ward was moved with the stake division.) But regardless of where he serves, he has taught the same approach to missionary work. âThe memberâs responsibility is to go out and identify those who are potentially interested in the gospel by giving them a chance to say yes or no. The main thing members can do that theyâre not doing now is open their mouthsânot be afraid but ask anyone and everyone if they might have interest in some principle of the gospel.â Members need to know gospel principles well enough, he emphasizes, to pique peopleâs interest and prepare them to meet the missionaries.

Jenny Chamberlain, a member of the McAllen stakeâs Weslaco Ward, takes this same kind of bold approach. A transplant from Southern Utah, she came to Texas as a teacher. Eventually, she developed a schedule for inviting some of the families she had met in the community to her home for dinner on Monday nights. A returned missionary, she introduces them to the gospel plan as explained in the Book of Mormon, pointing out that Moroni 10:5 teaches how they can know the truth of all things about God. âI try to present it as a giftâsomething I know and they can find out for themselves.â She keeps stacks of the Book of Mormon in her home, in several languages, to share with her guests and others. So far, no one has turned down one of her dinner invitations, and several people have been baptized.

âSharing the gospel is an incredibly powerful experience.â She says that sometimes members are fearful, thinking, ââThis is scary!â But itâs so easy! The Lord blesses us.â

Missionaries serving in the area say that many times people have approached them and asked to learn about the gospel. Sister Danielle Loftus recalls that on the street one day, a girl of about 10 ran up to her and her companion saying, âHi. I know you.â The sisters realized they must have knocked on the familyâs door about a week earlier. As a result of that conversation in the street, they were able to teach the girl, her grandmother, and her brother.

Sister Andrea Roberts says the spirit of missionary work seems to be strong among members because many are converts who still remember what it was like to discover the gospel. âAs they pray in the morning, âHeavenly Father, please help me be a missionary,â He is going to help them recognize missionary opportunities they havenât seen before.â

The Field Is White

Some members in McAllen remember a visit by President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, a few years ago when he was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. After his visit, missionaries shared with the members something Elder Eyring had told them: he was impressed that many people he saw in the area were prepared to receive the gospel and eager to know its truths. Remembering his words, many local members have set personal goals; they want to find all those people who are ready to receive gospel truths.

President L. Brice Chandler of the new McAllen West stake says that in addition to planning and coordinating missionary work, leaders frequently retell member missionary success stories to help everyone feel they can be part of the work. âWeâre trying to make [missionary work] something members can get excited about.â When members pray for the Lord to send people to them and those people are baptized, he explains, new converts will likely stay active because they already have a friend in the Church.

Presidents of both McAllen stakes say member retention has improved. President Larry B. Wilson of the McAllen stake says, âIâm focusing on retention.â

Federico and Francisca BeltrÃn of the McAllen stakeâs Edinburg Ward are among those members who have long enjoyed missionary work. Their ward has averaged about five baptisms per month, partly because of several families like the BeltrÃns who are active in fellowshipping and ready to work closely with the missionaries. Brother BeltrÃn was formerly ward mission leader. He says that each Sunday in the wardâs missionary coordination meeting, there was instruction from the Churchâs missionary guide, Preach My Gospel, as well as practice in role-playing and in giving new-member discussions.

Why are the BeltrÃns so involved in missionary work? âWe have five children,â Sister BeltrÃn explains. âWe want to set an example for them.â

The Lord frequently leads missionaries to families prepared to hear the gospelâpeople like Erasmo Esparza and his wife and children.

Sister Esparza was a member but not active when the missionaries knocked on their door. Brother Esparza explained to the missionaries that she was ill and that the house needed cleaning, so he could not let them in. They asked if they could return later. They did, and he is grateful now that the missionaries offered a blessing to his wife. She accepted, and the missionaries began teaching the family.

The Esparzas faced opposition from extended family members and friends who urged them not to abandon their religious tradition. But in the end, Brother Esparza says, he decided he had to do what the Holy Ghost told him was right. Jeffrey, the Esparzasâ oldest son, also faced opposition from friends at school who argued about doctrine. âBut I shrugged it off,â he says. âI knew what was right.â He quotes the words of Paul: âFor I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christâ (Romans 1:16).

When Jeffrey and his father were baptized in 2007, Sister Esparza began going to church again. (The Esparzasâ youngest son, Joseph, was not yet eight.) âEven after we were baptized, we were still hit with a lot of opposition,â Brother Esparza recalls. But they persevered in the gospel and were sealed as a family in the San Antonio Texas Temple in July 2008. Brother Esparza points out that every Latter-day Saint is familiar with James 1:5, the scripture that motivated Joseph Smith to walk into the Sacred Grove and ask God about truth, but there is great comfort in the rest of that chapter of scripture, which teaches about patience and perseverance amid trials.

Sharing the Joy

Many new members look immediately for ways to share the joy they have found in the gospel. Ramiro Guerra is one of those. He is well known in the city of Hidalgo, where travelers cross the international bridge into Mexico. Brother Guerra was one of the organizers of BorderFest, an annual celebration that draws thousands of visitors to Hidalgo for entertainment, cultural events, and ethnic food from many nations. After he was baptized in 2007, he conceived the idea of a similar family festival in the ward meetinghouse.

Brother Guerra had made a promise to God as a boy that if he could be helped with a physical disability (difficulty in speaking), he would dedicate his life to his Fatherâs service. He received the help he requested, and he set about to fulfill his promise. As an adult, he studied to qualify for an important lay position in his church, but after completing his studies, he never sought the formal appointment; he could not feel the doctrine of his church was true. He had been acquainted with LDS missionaries for many years and had even received personal help from them. When he finally agreed to let them teach him, he found what he had always been looking for in religious faith. âThey had answers to all my questions.â He read, studied, and prayed to understand. Among other things, he learned this: âGod speaks to us through the Book of Mormon.â

In May 2008 the FamilyFest he had envisioned after his baptism was held in the Hidalgo Ward meetinghouse. More than 1,500 people attended, about half of them members of other faiths. Brother Guerra mingled with and greeted guests and personally gathered some 200 referrals for the missionaries.

Aleida Rodriguez is another new member who felt compelled to share the joy of the gospel with those she loved. Because she shared, her mother and her brother are now members. So too are her father, stepmother, and their children.

Sister Rodriguez had been planning to serve as a missionary for another church. In the course of her employment distributing items door to door, she felt impressed to knock on the door of the LDS missionaries. The name of Jesus Christ on their name tags seemed to draw her to hear what they said. She wanted to learn about Him and His teachings because her church did not focus on His mission. âI couldnât reject the missionaries because of what I felt.â

She found spiritual reassurance in the fact that they did not teach of a reformation but of a restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ, and that this restored church was directed by a living prophet. She was impressed that missionaries and members were able to answer her doctrinal questions from the Bible, and when she read the Book of Mormon, she came to understand that both books are testaments of Jesus Christ and His work.

Aleida had long wanted to know Jesus Christ. Now, Sister Rodriguez is testifying of Him as a missionary in the Chile ConcepciÃn Mission. As the missionaries taught her, she found something that she and so many others have sought as they tried to understand the meaning of mortality; she learned about the possibility of celestial life. This has given new purpose to her own day-to-day livingâa purpose that can be a lifelong guide. âOur goal,â she says, âshould be the celestial.â

Relying on Preach My Gospel

Two missionaries who worked extensively with local priesthood leadership in the Texas McAllen Mission report that member participation is a key to missionary success. Elder Jordan Driscoll says that wards where members are excited about missionary work âare progressing in everything.â Elder Richard Perry notes that when members are familiar with Preach My Gospel (item no. 36617000), the missionary guide, missionaries and members work together much more effectively.

By their assessment, Jeff Merwin would be a missionaryâs dream.

Jeff and Michelle Merwin of the McAllen Third Ward have been missionaries all of their adult lives. Both share the gospel freely, and both have been instrumental in bringing others into the gospel. But Jeff Merwin says that Preach My Gospel changed his life. When one missionary reviewed with him what is written about personal prayer in the missionary guide, Brother Merwin found himself reevaluating his own prayers. After pondering how to make them more effective, he changed his expressions of gratitude and his petitions so they come more fully and consistently from his heart.

He also made a commitment to go out with the missionaries once a week. He wrote his own personal missionary plan in his copy of Preach My Gospel where he can review it regularly. He frequently uses Preach My Gospel as a scripture study guide, emphasizing how the scriptures prepare him better to share the gospel.

As a young missionary, he learned to love this opportunity to share. âI always made the statement that as a full-time missionary you donât appreciate what youâve got until you donât have it anymore.â But since he has focused on using Preach My Gospel, he reflects, âI have gotten it back.â

âWhen we engage ourselves with others and help and assist in bringing them unto Christ, we experience joy that is almost immeasurableâsome of the greatest joy we can feel in this life.â

Jenny Chamberlain (left) introduces friends to the gospel with a giftâthe Book of Mormon. Above: Leaders in the Mission Second Ward plan missionary efforts. Bishop L. Brice Chandler, right, was later called as president of the new McAllen Texas West Stake. Top: Tropical flowers cultivated in the Rio Grande Valley.

Missionaries in the Texas McAllen Mission have benefited from the efforts of local members in sharing the gospel.

Jeff and Michelle Merwin are dedicated member-missionaries. Brother Merwin has found Preach My Gospel valuable also in personal study. (See âRelying on Preach My Gospel,â page 21.)

Bishop Josà Rodriguez and his wife, Esthela, of the McAllen West stakeâs La Joya Ward learned that personal example helps others want to learn about the gospel.

The Esparzasâ faith carried them through opposition to their conversion and activity in the Church. They were sealed in the temple in July 2008.

Francisca and Federico BeltrÃn enjoy sharing the gospel with others and hope their family will learn to love missionary work as they do.

After her baptism, Sister Aleida Rodriguez shared the gospel first with those she loved mostâher family. Now she is sharing the gospel as a missionary in Chile.

Gary and Jennifer Tucker had a dream. They both wanted an eternal family. But Jennifer had almost lost hope. The path to achieving that dream leads through the temple, something for which Gary wasnât ready.

Then their bishop was inspired with an idea that would help the Tuckersâas well as many others in the Three Forks Ward, Bozeman Montana Stakeâachieve the dream of an eternal family. A few years ago Bishop Aaron Baczuk was in a meeting for bishops and new converts in the stake. The Area Seventy who was presiding asked a new member, âHave you been to the temple to perform baptisms for the dead?â He had.

Bishop Baczuk had never considered taking unendowed adults to the temple. The following week he made an appointment with the Billings Montana Temple for adults in his ward to perform baptisms for the dead. The visit to the temple was a success, and in the months that followed, elders and high priests in the ward accompanied more unendowed adults to the temple. âIt proved to be a very spiritual experience for them, compounding their desire and commitment to receive their endowments,â says Bishop Baczuk.

Preparing

To prepare, adult members work with the bishop to become worthy to attend the temple. Then they take the temple-preparation class. Their interest in the class really peaks after they perform baptisms for the dead. They find that talking about the temple in class is one thing, but actually feeling the Lordâs Spirit in the temple is another.

âHaving the option to take someone to the temple who may not be prepared for additional covenants but can still have an experience participating in ordinances is huge,â says Bishop Baczuk. âI think it fits with the sentiment the Church is trying to convey in its temple-preparation booklet: âCome to the temple!ââ1

Three Forks Ward elders quorum president David Boyd says attending the temple to perform baptisms makes a goal tangible: âThey begin to see the possibility that they can receive their own endowments. Many of them have not even stepped foot on temple grounds before, so these adult baptism trips give members that opportunity.â

Many recently activated members in the ward perform baptisms for the dead before receiving their own endowments. âIt was never a question of worthiness,â says Bishop Baczuk. âIt was a question of preparedness. Some were worthy and prepared to do baptisms but were not prepared mentally or spiritually to take on the covenants of the endowment.â For the men, itâs also a time to prepare to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood.

Family history also propels the temple work. Ward members, such as Larry and Carolyn Isom, work in the wardâs family history center to provide hundreds of family names. These three effortsâthe temple-preparation class, family history, and worshipping in the templeâwork together. Those doing family history get excited to provide names for those going to the temple. Members going to the temple are excited to do temple work for their own ancestors and for those of their fellow ward members. And being in the temple motivates the members to prepare to return to the temple.

In the past few years, 22 members of the Three Forks Ward have taken the temple-preparation class, and 14 of them began attending the temple regularly to perform baptisms for the dead. Then, upon finishing the class, 13 of those 14 received their own endowments. Some of them were single or widowed, but others, like Gary and Jennifer Tucker, were sealed as a family.

Fellowshipping

Gary joined the Church in 1992, a couple of months before he and Jennifer were married. She was already a member. But working long hours and associating with the wrong friends made it hard for Gary to stay active in the Church, even with his wifeâs support. He says he spent many years âchewinâ and cussin.ââ

When their daughter, Cody, was born, Sister Tucker tried to raise her in the gospel by taking her to church, even though Brother Tucker didnât want any Church materials at home. Although he encouraged his family to attend church, he didnât attend. When Cody turned eight, she was baptized by a missionary, not by her father. Brother Tucker says, âIâm very happy I was there, but thatâs a huge regretâwatching instead of participating in it.â

In the following years, fellowshipping helped Gary return to Church activity. Jennifer would invite ward members or the missionaries over for dinner, knowing that would give them a chance to talk with Gary. He is grateful to those members and missionaries for being a good influence on him.

Dale Price, for example, home taught Jenniferâs mother and got to know Gary and Jennifer that way. When Brother Price visited with Brother Tucker, they didnât talk about the gospel at first. They talked about a common interest: hunting. The Prices also sat with the Tuckers at ward activities, brought them food from their food storage when Brother Tucker was out of work, and gave them honey produced by their own honeybees. Honey is the Tuckersâ favorite topping on toast. That little gift, as Brother Price describes it, was âto sweeten the relationship.â

Doing Small and Simple Things

Counsel from their stake president also helped the Tuckers. President David Heap asked stake members to do âseven small and simple thingsâ: (1) Read the scriptures personally every day; (2) read the scriptures at least five days a week as a family; (3) have personal prayer every morning and night; (4) have family prayer every morning and night; (5) attend church every Sunday as a family; (6) hold family home evening every Monday night; and (7) attend the temple every month.

Gary could see that these things would help his family be closerâsomething he very much desiredâso the Tuckers began having family prayer, scripture study, and home evening. These efforts helped prepare Gary to be receptive to his bishopâs invitation to prepare to go to the temple.

In January 2006 the Tuckers were attending a fireside at the bishopâs home. Bishop Baczuk pulled Gary aside and talked to him about the temple. Right there, Gary gave the bishop his can of chewing tobacco so it wouldnât continue to be a temptation to him. He had many questions for the bishop then and in subsequent interviews. The bishop emphasized living the covenants that Gary had made at baptism so he could be worthy of the Spirit.

The Tuckers began taking the temple-preparation class, and Jennifer began attending the temple with her ward each month to perform baptisms for the dead. Gary was working on becoming worthy to go. Their daughter, Cody, who was 11 then, was excited to be able to go to the temple soon to perform baptisms. By the time she turned 12, Gary was able to go to the temple with her. It was the first time either of them had been in the temple.

Cody says, âIt was wonderful. Itâs very peaceful there. My dad went, so that was even a bigger deal.â Gary says he felt âunbelievable peace and joy that first time.â

The next Sunday in the temple-preparation class, Gary was a different person. âA light had gone on,â says Sister Elna Scoffield, who has taught the class for several years. Gary stayed after class to ask questions. He had felt the Spirit at the temple and wanted to returnânot just to perform baptisms but to receive his endowment and to have his family sealed to him.

The next month the Tuckers again attended the temple with the bishop and other ward members.

Overcoming Trials

In the weeks before Brother and Sister Tucker received their endowments and were sealed, they felt the adversaryâs opposition. Gary was making progress, but he still had doubts about his worthiness to be in the temple. Their dream of an eternal family was close, but it felt just out of reach. The Tuckers knew they had to pray together more often, asking for strength. âWe always received it in the form of calming peace and reassurance that all things are in the Lordâs hands,â says Sister Tucker. âEven up to the time we walked inside the temple, His calming Spirit was with our whole family.â

After Gary and Jennifer received their endowments, they knelt in the sealing room with their children, Cody and Garrett, dressed in white. When six-year-old Garrett saw his mom crying, he reached up to wipe the tears from her cheeks. Gary and Cody were crying for joy too. Even the sealer was emotional.

The Tuckers say their family now enjoys stronger relationships and better communication. Gary says, âWe are happier. My wife and I are closer, and our children see that.â Gary feels like heâs a better example to his family members who are not members of the Church, and he hopes that other families in his ward will want the same blessings that the Lord has given the Tuckers through the temple.

We Will Be a Better People

Photograph by Drake Busath, Â Busath Photography

âI hope that everyone gets to the temple on a regular basis. I hope your children over 12 years of age have the opportunity of going to the temple to be baptized for the dead. If we are a temple-going people, we will be a better people, we will be better fathers and husbands, we will be better wives and mothers. I know your lives are busy. I know that you have much to do. But I make you a promise that if you will go to the house of the Lord, you will be blessed, life will be better for you.â

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910â2008), âExcerpts from Recent Addresses of President Gordon B. Hinckley,â Ensign, July 1997, 73.

Happy to be at the Billings Montana Temple on the day of their sealing are Gary, Jennifer, Cody, and Garrett Tucker.

Photograph courtesy of the Tuckers

Members of the Three Forks Ward regularly drive two-and-a-half hours to serve in the Billings Montana Temple. Several who attend are adults who perform baptisms for the dead as they and their spouses prepare to receive their endowments and be sealed.

In March 2006 my wife and I sat in the office of President Thomas S. Monson. He kindly told us the Brethren felt inspired to call us to serve in Moscow, Russia. Sensing some possible apprehension, he assured us that he knew the area well and told us that if we had any problems we could always call him. Sister Gibbons quickly responded, âWhatâs your phone number?â

In reality the prevailing feeling in his office that day was not one of apprehension but one of quiet calm. We knew the Lordâs inspiration was present and that wherever we were called by the Lordâs servants would be the Lordâs will. Such assurance made it easy to say, âYes, we will go.â Matters such as geography, climate, food, separation from children and grandchildren, and concern about our ability to measure up became much less daunting.

In matters large and small, the divine guidance that comes to modern-day apostles and prophets is a magnificent blessing. Revelation moves the Church in accordance with Godâs will. Moreover, each individual may enjoy the privilege of having the Holy Ghost testify that this guidance comes from heaven and not from man.

A wonderful example of this occurred in 1978. Francis Gibbons, a relative of mine, was serving as secretary to the First Presidency. At a family gathering he related that he was present the day President Spencer W. Kimball (1895â1985) announced to his counselors that he had received a revelation that the priesthood was to be given to all worthy males in the Church (see Official Declaration 2). Francis described how clearly and powerfully the Holy Ghost bore witness to him of the truth of the revelation. When President Kimball told the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the revelation, Francis said, the Holy Ghost again bore the same clear witness to him that the revelation was from God. Then, when President Kimball told all of the General Authorities, the powerful witness came a third time.

In May 1978, before this revelation was announced to the Church, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles met in the Salt Lake Temple. At the conclusion of the meeting, Elder LeGrand Richards (1886â1983) asked if he might say a few words. He told the Brethren that during the meeting he had seen a personage sitting in an armchair above the organ. He said the personage was President Wilford Woodruff (1807â1898) and suggested that perhaps he had seen President Woodruff because he was the only one who would recognize him.1 Elder Richards, who was six years old when he saw President Woodruff dedicate the Salt Lake Temple, was the only one in the room who had seen him alive.

Isnât it interesting that this former prophet, who himself had announced a significant revelation related to Church policy, appeared as a witness of the truth and importance of this new revelation about to be announced?

Uninterrupted Communication

Of course, revelation is not reserved for high-profile issues or matters of Church policy or doctrine. On a continuous basis the Lord speaks through His apostles and prophets to help us in our families and with our day-to-day lives. In 1977 President Kimball said in general conference:

âExpecting the spectacular, one may not be fully alerted to the constant flow of revealed communication. I say, in the deepest of humility, but also by the power and force of a burning testimony in my soul, that from the prophet of the Restoration to the prophet of our own year, the communication line is unbroken, the authority is continuous, and light, brilliant and penetrating, continues to shine. The sound of the voice of the Lord is a continuous melody and a thunderous appeal. For nearly a century and a half there has been no interruption.â2

Recently, a blessing came to our family through obedience to counsel given by the prophet. My sister and her husband have a son who had been estranged from them for several years. When President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910â2008) counseled Church members to read the Book of Mormon in 2005,3 this son followed that counsel. As a result his heart was softened, and he sought out his parents. Differences were mended, and the family became whole and united again.

This experience shows that we too may receive revelation to guide our individual actions. In fact, we have both the opportunity and the responsibility to do so. (See D&C 14:8; 41:5; 42:61; and 76:5â10.)

Follow the Prophet

We can gauge our willingness to receive modern revelation by asking ourselves the following questions:

1. Do I read and study the conference addresses of the apostles and prophets and make them my guide for the next six months?

2. When I raise my hand to sustain the General Authorities, do I think about what I am doing and silently pledge to pray for them and uphold them in every way?

3. Am I willing to follow the counsel of the prophet even when doing so might be difficult?

4. Do I value the words of the living prophets just as I value the words of the scriptures?

5. Do I seek a confirming witness from the Holy Ghost when the prophet speaks?

On January 14, 1847, at Winter Quarters, the Lord gave President Brigham Young (1801â1877) the following instructions: âLet all the people of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints â be organized â under the direction of the Twelve Apostlesâ (D&C 136:2â3).

In your own journey to Zion, is your life organized under the direction of the apostles and prophets?

All of us are acutely aware that we live in perilous times. The forces of evil are attacking our homes, our communities, and our standards. How can we withstand the attack? The Lord has said:

âWherefore, â thou shalt give heed unto all [the prophetâs] words and commandments. â

âFor his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.

âFor by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against youâ (D&C 21:4â6).

What a wonderful promise of protection for our homes and families. I know that the Lordâs blessings have come in abundance in my life when I have listened to and followed the counsel of those called in our day to speak for Him. May we all listen more intently and follow counsel more fully.

Teach these scriptures and quotations or, if needed, another principle that will bless the sisters you visit. Bear testimony of the doctrine. Invite those you visit to share what they have felt and learned.

D&C 123:11: âIt is an imperative duty that we owe to all the rising generation.â

What Is My Responsibility to the Rising Generation?

Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926â2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: âReserved by the Lord for this time, [the rising generation] must now be preserved â and prepared for their special moment in human history! They have been held back to come forth at this time, but now they need to be pushed forward to meet their rendezvous. â

âYouth are not unlike prospective converts. There are those critical moments when their souls begin to tiltâtoward the Lord or away from Him. These moments of decision cannot always be created, but when they occur, they must not be wasted. More often than not, these moments will occur in quiet and reverent conversation with parents, grandparents, a bishop, an adult leader, or a righteous peerâ (âUnto the Rising Generation,â Ensign, Apr. 1985, 8, 10).

Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Presidency of the Seventy: âOur rising generation is worthy of our best efforts to support and strengthen them in their journey to adulthood. â In every action we take, in every place we go, with every Latter-day Saint young person we meet, we need to have an increased awareness of the need for strengthening, nurturing, and being an influence for good in their livesâ (âOur Rising Generation,â Liahona and Ensign, May 2006, 47).

How Can I Nurture the Rising Generation?

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910â2008): âNever forget that these little ones are the sons and daughters of God and that yours is a custodial relationship to them, that He was a parent before you were parents and that He has not relinquished His parental rights or interest in these His little ones. â Rear your children in love, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Take care of your little ones. Welcome them into your homes, and nurture and love them with all of your hearts. They may do, in the years that come, some things you would not want them to do, but be patient, be patient. You have not failed as long as you have triedâ (âWords of the Living Prophet,â Liahona, May 1998, 26â27; âExcerpts from Recent Addresses of President Gordon B. Hinckley,â Ensign, July 1997, 73).

Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president: âTo nurture means to cultivate, care for, and make grow. â Nurturing requires organization, patience, love, and work. Helping growth occur through nurturing is truly a powerful and influential role bestowed on womenâ (âMothers Who Know,â Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2007, 76, 77).

Barbara Thompson, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency: âAs Relief Society sisters we can help one another to strengthen families. We are given opportunities to serve in many capacities. We constantly come in contact with children and youth who may need just what we can offer. You older sisters have much good advice and experience to share with younger mothers. Sometimes a Young Women leader or a Primary teacher says or does just the thing that is needed to reinforce what a parent is trying to teach. And obviously we donât need any particular calling to reach out to a friend or neighborâ (âI Will Strengthen Thee; I Will Help Thee,â Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2007, 117).

In our world today, the accent is on youth. Everyone wants to look young, feel young, and be young. Indeed, vast sums of money are expended each year for products that people hope will restore the youthful look. Well might we ask ourselves, âIs the search for youth new to our day, to our generation?â We need but to thumb the pages of history to find our answer.

Centuries ago, in the great age of exploration, expeditions were outfitted and ships containing confident and adventurous crews set sail on uncharted seas in search of a literal fountain of youth. The legend of the day promised that somewhere in the âgreat out thereâ was a magical fountain containing the purest of water, and all one had to do to regain the vibrancy of youth and to perpetuate this vigor was to drink deeply of the flowing water from this fountain.

Ponce de LeÃn, who sailed with Columbus, made subsequent voyages of exploration, searching in the Bahamas and other Caribbean areas in full trust of the legend that this elixir of youth could be found. His efforts, like those of many others, yielded no such discovery, for in the divine plan of our God, we enter mortal existence to taste of youth but once.

The Fountain of Truth

Although there is no fountain of youth that we may wisely seek, there is another fountain containing more precious water, even the waters of eternal life. This is the fountain of truth.

The poet captured the real significance of the search for truth when he wrote these immortal lines:

Yes, say, what is truth? âTis the brightest prize
To which mortals or Gods can aspire.
Go search in the depths where it glittering lies,
Or ascend in pursuit to the loftiest skies:
âTis an aim for the noblest desire. â

Then say, what is truth? âTis the last and the first,
For the limits of time it steps oâer.
Tho the heavens depart and the earthâs fountains burst,
Truth, the sum of existence, will weather the worst,
Eternal, unchanged, evermore.1

In a revelation given through the Prophet Joseph Smith at Kirtland, Ohio, in May of 1833, the Lord declared:

âTruth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come; â

âThe Spirit of truth is of God. â He [Jesus] received a fulness of truth â;

âAnd no man receiveth a fulness unless he keepeth his commandments.

âHe that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things.â2

There is no need for you or me in this enlightened age, when the fulness of the gospel has been restored, to sail uncharted seas or travel unmarked roads in search of the fountain of truth. For a loving Heavenly Father has plotted our course and provided an unfailing mapâobedience!

His revealed word vividly describes the blessings that obedience brings and the inevitable heartache and despair that accompany the traveler who detours along the forbidden pathways of sin and error. To a generation steeped in the tradition of animal sacrifice, Samuel boldly declared, âTo obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.â3

The prophets, ancient and modern, have known the strength that comes through obedience. Think of Nephi: âI will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded.â4 Or Mormonâs beautiful description of the strength possessed by the sons of Mosiah:

âThey had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.

âBut this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God.â5

Keep the Commandments

President David O. McKay (1873â1970), in one of his opening messages to the membership of the Church at a general conference, gave us direction for our time very simply and yet very powerfully: âKeep the commandments of God.â6

Such was the burden of our Saviorâs message when He declared, âFor all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as were instituted from before the foundation of the world.â7

The Masterâs very actions give credence to His words. He demonstrated genuine love of God by living the perfect life, by honoring the sacred mission that was His. Never was He haughty. Never was He puffed up with pride. Never was He disloyal. Ever was He humble. Ever was He sincere. Ever was He true.

Though He was tempted by that master of deceit, even the devil; though He was physically weakened from fasting 40 days and 40 nights and âwas afterward an hungredâ; yet when the evil one proffered Jesus the most alluring and tempting proposals, He gave to us a divine example of obedience by refusing to deviate from what He knew was right.8

When He was faced with the agony of Gethsemane, where He endured such pain that His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground, He exemplified the obedient Son by saying, âFather, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.â9

To Peter at Galilee, Jesus said, âFollow me.â To Philip came the same instruction, âFollow me.â And to the publican Levi, who was sitting at receipt of customs, came the beckoning call, âFollow me.â Even to one who came running after him, one who had great possessions, came the words, âFollow me.â10 And to you and to me that same voice, this same Jesus, says, âFollow me.â Are we willing to obey?

Obedience is a hallmark of prophets, but it should be realized that this source of strength is available to us today.

A Modern Example

One who had learned well the lesson of obedience, who had found the fountain of truth, was a kind and sincere man of humble means and circumstances. He had joined the Church in Europe and, by diligently saving and sacrificing, had immigrated to North Americaâto a new land, a strange language, different customs, but the same Church under the leadership of the same Lord, whom he trusted and obeyed. He became the branch president of a little flock of struggling Saints in a somewhat unfriendly city. He followed the program of the Church, although members were few and tasks were many. He set an example for his branch membership that was truly Christlike, and they responded with a love rarely seen.

He earned a living with his hands as a tradesman. His means were limited, but he always paid a full tithing and donated more. He started a missionary fund in his little branch, and for months at a time, he was the only contributor. When there were missionaries in his city, he fed them, and they never left his house without some tangible donation to their work and welfare. Church members from far away who passed through his city and visited his branch always received his hospitality and the warmth of his spirit and went on their way knowing they had met an unusual man, one of the Lordâs obedient servants.

Those who presided over him received his profound respect and his extra-special care. To him they were emissaries of the Lord; he ministered to their physical comforts and was especially solicitous in his prayersâwhich were frequentâfor their welfare. One Sabbath day some leaders visiting his branch participated with him in no fewer than a dozen prayers in various meetings and in visits to members. The leaders left him at the dayâs end with a feeling of exhilaration and spiritual uplift which kept them joyous throughout a four-hour drive in wintry weather and which now, after many years, warms the spirit and quickens the heart as that day is remembered.

Men of learning, men of experience sought out this humble, unlettered man of God and counted themselves fortunate if they could spend an hour with him. His appearance was ordinary; his English was halting and somewhat difficult to understand; his home was unpretentious. He didnât own a car or a television. He wrote no books and preached no polished sermons and did none of the things to which the world usually pays attention. Yet the faithful beat a path to his door. Why? Because they wished to drink at his fountain of truth. They appreciated not so much what he said as what he did, not the substance of the sermons he preached but the strength of the life he led.

To know that a poor man consistently and cheerfully gave at least twice a tenth to the Lord gave one a clearer insight into the true meaning of tithing. To see him minister to the hungered and take in the stranger made one know that he did it as he would do to the Master. To pray with him and partake of his confidence of divine intercession was to experience a new medium of communication.

Well could it be said that he kept the first and great commandment and the second which is like unto it,11 that his bowels were full of charity toward all men, that virtue garnished his thoughts unceasingly and, consequently, his confidence waxed strong in the presence of God.12

This man had the glow of goodness and the radiance of righteousness. His strength came from obedience.

The strength which we earnestly seek today to meet the challenges of a complex and changing world can be ours when, with fortitude and resolute courage, we stand and declare with Joshua, âAs for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.â13

Ideas for Home Teachers

After prayerfully studying this message, share it using a method that encourages the participation of those you teach. Following are some examples:

• 1. Consider bringing a container of water to use as a visual aid. Share the story of Ponce de LeÃn, and explain that âthere is another fountain containing more precious water, even the waters of eternal life. This is the fountain of truth.â Discuss with the family where and how to find truth and what President Monson says we need to do to reach the âfountain of truth.â Share your testimony of how being obedient has blessed your life.

• 2. Read from the section âKeep the Commandments,â and discuss President Monsonâs question âAre we willing to obey?â Share the story at the end of the article of the humble man. How did his obedience and willingness to follow the Savior bless others? Invite the family to ponder and do those things that show they are willing to serve the Lord.

âLeaders Visit, Inspire European Saints,â Ensign, Sept. 2009, 76â77

âReach out to others,â President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, told thousands of members of the Church gathered in meetinghouses across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland as part of a satellite broadcast on June 6 and 7.

President Uchtdorf and Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, along with other Church leaders, visited the United Kingdom to conclude a trip that took them to congregations throughout Ukraine, Russia, and England.

For many British Saints, this was a unique opportunity to hear a member of the First Presidency and an Apostle in person.

President Uchtdorf was accompanied by his wife, Harriet; Elder Andersen and his wife, Kathy; Cheryl C. Lant, Primary general president; and Ann M. Dibb, second counselor in the Young Women general presidency.

Speaking to a packed Hyde Park Chapel in the heart of London, President Uchtdorf encouraged British and Irish members to âreach out to everyone in kindness and in love,â adding, âthat is the power of the gospelâpracticing what we preach.â

He acknowledged the pioneering foundation laid by Church members from Britain and Ireland and paid tribute to the membersâ continued dedication. âYou are a tremendous and a marvelous people,â he said.

President Uchtdorf identified problems facing society and urged Church members to be spiritually resilient. âAt a time [when] economic or moral challenges in the world like to take their toll in individual lives, we have to remember that God is with us and we do not have to fear. We do not have the spirit of fear, but of hope and of power,â he said.

Elder Andersen said members must lose their lives in the service of others. âItâs not about us,â he cautioned. âReach out to others; be as Christ is.â

Church members had eagerly awaited the visits of the Apostles. Marquitta Leavitt, from Londonâs Hyde Park stake, said, âWhat I get out of it is motivationâthereâs just something very inspiring about being in the presence of General Authorities and especially a member of the First Presidency.â

There are currently 182,000 Church members in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Thousands of members in Ukraine, Russia, and throughout Eastern Europe traveled to welcome President Uchtdorf and Elder Andersen during their travels through Europe. During their stay in Eastern Europe, the two leaders spoke to several large congregations in Kyiv, Ukraine; and Samara, Yekaterinburg, and Moscow, Russia.

âI was so excited I canceled everything so I could be here,â said Anna Chigir, a Church member from Ukraine. â[They are] Apostles and servants of God, and we donât see Apostles in our country very often.â

Members came with high expectations, hoping to be strengthened and encouraged, and they were not disappointed. Pavel and Tatyana Kulakovy drove with their children eight hours from Ufa, Russia, to hear President Uchtdorf and Elder Andersen. âI knew this would be a great opportunity, and I was determined I wouldnât miss out,â Brother Kulakovy said.

In recent years the Church has grown significantly in Eastern Europe. In the last few decades the Church has grown from just a few members to nearly 20,000 in Russia and some 10,000 in Ukraine.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, and Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles visit Londonâs Houses of Parliament.

 2009 Intellectual Reserve, Inc.; all rights reserved

Church Publishes LDS Edition of the Holy Bible in Spanish

âChurch Publishes LDS Edition of the Holy Bible in Spanish,â Ensign, Sept. 2009, 77â78

The LDS edition of the Holy Bible in Spanish will be available in September in print, electronic, and audio formats. The First Presidency has invited Spanish-speaking members of the Church to view a special 25-minute orientation about the new edition of the Bible. The orientation will be broadcast via satellite between the morning and afternoon sessions on both Saturday and Sunday of the upcoming October general conference.

More than 800,000 copies of the new edition of the Bible are being printed at the Churchâs printing center in Salt Lake City and will be sent to Church distribution centers all over the world. The printed versions are available in paperback, hardcover, and bonded leather as well as in Braille and an oversized print format. A quadruple combination is not available at this time.

The electronic text of this new edition, including the study helps, will be available at Escrituras.lds.org, allowing members with Internet access to perform keyword searches. The audio recordings of the Bible and the triple combination are available on CD through Church distribution centers or as MP3 files at Escrituras.lds.org.

Under the direction of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a team of translators prepared and reviewed the new edition. They were aided by General Authorities, Area Seventies, professional linguists, and Church members. The LDS edition of the Holy Bible in Spanish is based on the 1909 Reina-Valera edition of the Bible, an earlier version of what Spanish-speaking members have used until now.

The dignified language of the 1909 Reina-Valera Spanish Bible, comparable to that of the King James Bible, has been conservatively modernized by replacing some of the outdated grammatical constructions and vocabulary whose meaning and acceptability have shifted.

New chapter headings, footnotes, cross-references to all the standard works of the Church, maps, and other study aids included in the back pages of the publication will make the scriptures more helpful to Spanish-speaking Saints. The new edition will be titled âSanta Biblia: Reina-Valera 2009.â

It is expected that the 2009 LDS edition of the Holy Bible in Spanish with its study aids will make the scriptures more accessible to Spanish-speaking members of the Church in the same way that the 1979 LDS edition of the King James Bible did for English-speaking members.

âWe encourage members to obtain their own copies of this new edition of the Bible and to use it in regular personal and family study and in Church meetings and assignments,â a letter from the First Presidency reads. âAs members prayerfully learn and teach from the scriptures, their testimonies will grow and they will receive greater direction in their daily lives.â

Additional information is available in Spanish and English at SantaBiblia.lds.org.

The new LDS edition of the Holy Bible in Spanish will be available in September.

LDS Family Services Launches New Web Site

By Kimberly Bowen, Church Magazines

Kimberly Bowen, âLDS Family Services Launches New Web Site,â Ensign, Sept. 2009, 78

ItsAboutLove.org, LDS Family Servicesâ newly redesigned pregnancy counseling and adoption services Web site, launched in June 2009. In part, the Web site helps expectant parents consider all options for their unborn child.

âIt is about connecting people with what they need,â said Valerie Mechling, a birth mother who placed her baby for adoption through LDS Family Services three years ago. âThis new Web site really does a good job of that.â

LDS Family Services redesigned the site to add more in-depth information and resources, as well as to improve its aesthetic appeal and organization. They segmented the Web site to reach four key audiences: expectant parents and their families, couples who are hoping to adopt a child, professionals, and Church leaders.

The Web site has information on single parenting, marriage, abortion, and adoption. It gives information about the pregnancy trimesters, answers frequently asked questions about pregnancy, dispels several myths, and facilitates meetings of prospective parents with counselors and birth mothers.

In one new segment, birth mothers talk about why they chose adoption for their babies. According to Shanna Bake, LDS Family Services program specialist, the 16 video clips of birth mothers telling their stories, along with the responses to questions from actual birth parents, birth grandparents, and professionals, may be the best part of the Web site.

Tamra Hyde, who is one of the featured birth mothers, placed her child for adoption in 1996 through LDS Family Services. She said that when she was contemplating adoption, she did not know anyone who had placed a child for adoption.

âI think it will be beneficial for people to see that good people make this choice; people who would make good parents even make this choice,â she said.

If an adoption plan is made, the Web site also has an internal search engine that allows expectant parents to find a family that fits their desires for their baby. The search capacities on the Web site can help connect expectant parents with more than 800 couples. These couples can make online profiles with a letter to the expectant parents, a photo album of their family, and information about themselves.

âThe irony about adoption is that from both sides it can start in tragedy, reallyâan unplanned pregnancy or inability to have children,â Sister Hyde said. âBut both sides at the end of the story and in hindsight will call themselves blessed.â

ItsAboutLove.org is LDS Family Servicesâ new pregnancy counseling and adoption services Web site.

Around the Church

Sister Cook, Sister Dibb Visit West Africa

âSister Cook, Sister Dibb Visit West Africa,â Ensign, Sept. 2009, 79

Mary N. Cook, first counselor in the Young Women general presidency, and Ann M. Dibb, second counselor, spent 10 days visiting members in Nigeria and Ghana in February and March 2009.

During their three-day visit to Lagos and Abeokuta, Nigeria, they met with full-time sister missionaries, attended a seminary class, visited a school attended by young women, visited with priesthood and Young Women leaders, and spoke at a multistake Young Women fireside attended by 120 people.

During their seven-day visit in Ghana they attended a seminary class, held several meetings with local Young Women leaders, made home visits to young women and their leaders, spoke at a multistake fireside for seminary students attended by 620 people, visited a boarding school, met with full-time sister missionaries, spoke at a fireside meeting with youth and parents, and spoke at another fireside meeting for all Church members. These visits took place in the Accra metropolitan area, Cape Coast area, and the Assin Foso District.

Mary N. Cook

Ann M. Dibb

Photographs by Busath Photography

Missionaries in Uganda Aid Congolese Refugees

âMissionaries in Uganda Aid Congolese Refugees,â Ensign, Sept. 2009, 79

Missionaries in the Uganda Kampala Mission gathered in the Kololo meetinghouse in Kampala to help assemble emergency supply kits for Congolese refugees in need.

More than 35,000 refugees, mostly women and children, have sought safety in Uganda after being forced to flee their homes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a result of rebel activity.

Thus far, the Church has delivered more than 7,000 pounds of food, as well as blankets, cooking pots, and farming tools, to the refugee camps in Nakivale and Kanungu in southwestern Uganda. The contents of a shipping container from the Humanitarian Center in Salt Lake City will also be distributed in the camp in Nakivale.

Upon arrival in Kampala, many refugees lack the basic essentials of life. To help meet these needs, full-time missionaries assembled emergency supply kits for distribution to local branches. The kits contained blankets, cooking pots, rice, sugar, salt, cooking oil, soap, and mosquito nets.

Elder Mehluli Dube, from Zimbabwe, said, âI feel blessed to be able to bring some measure of happiness and comfort to people who have been through so much suffering in their lives.â

Some of the kits will be provided to Musa Ecweru, Ugandaâs Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness, for displaced refugees who seek assistance from his office.

âOur good friends, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, go about quietly, without a lot of publicity, helping the needy people of Uganda,â Minister Ecweru said. âThe purpose of humanitarian service is to reduce pain and deliver hope.â

Colombia Aid Blesses Many

âColombia Aid Blesses Many,â Ensign, Sept. 2009, 80

The Church teamed up with government officials in the city of Neiva, Colombia, to help those in the nearby town of La Plata who were affected by rainy season storms.

In La Plata, the Church and government representatives distributed clothing for men, women, and children; 300 light mattresses and blankets; and other supplies to those left homeless by the powerful seasonal gales.

In addition to providing aid for those affected by the storms, representatives of Church welfare in the South America Northwest Area have worked closely over the past few months with the mayor of Neiva, the capital of the department of Huila, to distribute nearly two dozen wheelchairs to elderly citizens and disabled youth, provide reading glasses to some of the 4,000 elderly residents most in need, and deliver more than 140 bicycles to children living in rural areas who must travel significant distances to attend school.

Welfare manager Josà Luis CÃrdenas and the first lady of Neiva, Sara Peralta (far right), inspect bicycles donated by the Church to help children in rural areas of this part of Colombia get to school.

Photograph by S. Cristobal Garcia Adum

People

Elder Wickman Honored for Service to Youth

âElder Wickman Honored for Service to Youth,â Ensign, Sept. 2009, 80

In May 2009 Elder Lance B. Wickman of the Seventy joined 10 others receiving the Boy Scouts of Americaâs highest honor for extraordinary service to the nationâs youth, the Silver Buffalo Award.

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) serves more than four million young people between the ages of 7 and 20 throughout the United States and its territories.

Elder Wickman has been affiliated with Scouting for more than six decades. He earned the Eagle Scout Award and has served in various leadership positions. He previously received the Silver Beaver Award, also for distinguished service to young people.

Much of his effort in Scouting has been spent strengthening the BSAâs relationship with the Church.

âLance has dedicated his life to serving young people through the Boy Scouts at both the local and national levels,â said Robert Mazzuca, Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America. âThe Silver Buffalo Award recognizes the immeasurable impact he has made on generations of young people in Utah.â

Sister Answers Call to Action

âSister Answers Call to Action,â Ensign, Sept. 2009, 80

After listening to the April 2006 general conference, Lenna Jacobson of the Logan 13th Ward, Logan Utah South Stake, felt she needed to do more to serve others. She was 87 years old when she began an effort that has touched perhaps 1,000 lives.

During the conference, Presiding Bishop H. David Burton had spoken of the Latter-day Saintsâ commitment to serve their fellow man after disasters.

âThis modern-day humanitarian effort is a wonderful manifestation of the charity that burns within the souls of those whose hearts are tender and whose hands are ready to help,â he said. âThis selfless service truly demonstrates the pure love of Christâ (âTender Hearts and Helping Hands,â Liahona and Ensign, May 2009, 6).

With the help of Jeanette Hobbs, the Relief Society president of the Logan 13th Ward, Sister Jacobson began a ward quilt-making project. Three years later, more than 1,000 quilts have been tied and donated to Humanitarian Services.

Bishop Burton, bringing words of love and appreciation from President Thomas S. Monson as well as his own heartfelt thanks, helped tie the 1,000th quilt.

Diego Ortiz Segura, Costa Rica

Diego Ortiz Segura, âThe Church or My Girlfriend?,â Ensign, Sept. 2009, 72â73

My maternal grandmother joined the Church in 1962. Her children were also baptized, but over time they all became less active. Years later, one of them, my aunt, moved from Costa Rica to the United States and became active in the Church there.

As a teenager I went to visit my aunt in 1991. During my stay she introduced me to the full-time missionaries, and I met with them a few times in my auntâs home. They asked me if I wanted to learn more about the gospel, but I told them I wasnât interested.

I returned home to Costa Rica, only to have missionaries visit me there. (My aunt had given them my address.) I still didnât have any interest in their message, so I asked them to leave.

Four years passed. I was dating a woman with whom I had been friends for many years, and our relationship progressed to engagement. As I thought about our future together, my heart turned to things of a spiritual nature, and I told my fiancÃe that I wanted to know God. We decided that I would attend church with her to learn about Him. In the meantime I prayed privately to God for opportunities to come to know Him.

During this period of searching, missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint again knocked on my door. Frustrated that they had returned, I told them to go away, and then I shut the door. But at that very moment, a thought struck me: âYouâve been praying to know God. What if these men have some answers for you?â

I opened the door again and called after the elders. I invited them to come in and teach me.

I quickly discovered the power of the truths they taught, and I embraced the restored gospel. Three weeks later, on March 12, 1995, I was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

My girlfriend was not pleased with my decision. One night about three months later, she told me that I had to choose between her and the Church. What a painful decision! After a lot of pondering and deliberating, I chose the Church.

I felt that I had made the right decision, but the months following our breakup were a dark time in my life. Nevertheless, I found hope in living my newfound religion, especially in coming to know my Heavenly Father, as I had prayed to do.

A year after my baptism, I left for a full-time mission in Nicaragua. My service there brought me great joy, and my knowledge of and love for my Heavenly Father grew. Several months after I returned from Nicaragua, I met Lili, the woman who would later become my wife.

Making the gospel a priority in our lives isnât always easy. The decisions I made were difficult ones. But I learned thenâand have continued to learn sinceâthat whenever we make sacrifices to know our Heavenly Father, He will reveal His will for us and our lives. The happiness that comes from following His plan and His commandments is always worth the effort.

Of Greatest Worth

Ray Taylor, Utah, USA

Ray Taylor, âOf Greatest Worth,â Ensign, Sept. 2009, 73â74

When I selected the painting of the Savior, a couple of my brothers and sisters snickered. Items that they thought were more valuable still remained among the things that had belonged to Mom and Dad.

We were gathered at our childhood home, where Mom had been living when she died a few weeks earlier. Dad had passed away five years before, in 2001. Now it was time to divide up their belongings. We drew numbers and selected items, the person with the lowest number making the first pick.

The bedroom set went first, followed by the refrigerator, dining room table and chairs, and late-model car. I selected the piano, even though I donât play. We had enjoyed music in our home when I was growing up. Dad often served as ward music director, and both my parents sang well. My father, who was a big man with a powerful voice, never turned down an opportunity to sing. The piano meant a lot to me, as did the painting of the Savior.

When I chose the painting, which was framed alongside a copy of âThe Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles,â1 it was hanging on the wall of the family room, where we were sitting.

At such a time I couldnât help but think about the Savior, the plan of salvation, and how much my parents meant to me. And I couldnât help but feel gratitude for the way they had raised us, the gospel they had taught us, and the example they had set for us, including their willingness to serve.

When Dad was called as bishop, he reminded the stake president that he was 70 years old. âI think youâve got the wrong guy,â he had said.

âHow old do you think the Brethren are up in Salt Lake City?â the stake president had asked in reply. âYou werenât our first pick. You werenât even our second pick. You were the Lordâs pick.â

Dad knew that he had been called of God, and he became a good bishop. There was nothing flashy about him. He was not an expert on the scriptures. He was just a down-to-earth man who showed a lot of empathy for ward members.

While Dad served as bishop, I served as a counselor in another bishopric in our stake. As we attended leadership meetings together, our relationship became focused on Christ, and I got to know his spiritual side.

When Dad was called as bishop in 1994, he was suffering from health problems. âDoes this calling guarantee me five more years of life?â he jokingly asked the stake president. Two years after Dad was released, he passed away.

These thoughts crowded upon my mind as we finished dividing up my parentsâ belongings. After returning home, I looked for the right place to hang the painting of the Savior. As I flipped it over, to my surprise I saw that it had been dedicated to my father: âWe will always remember Bishop Taylor as a big man with a heart to match.â It was signed by our stake presidency: âPresident Cory, President Carter, President Stubbs.â

Suddenly the painting became even more valuable to me. Today it hangs on a wall in my home above my parentsâ piano. There are still some things at our old home that I selected but havenât picked up. It doesnât matter. I have the things of greatest worth.

I Finally Took the Challenge

Jennifer Garrett, California, USA

Jennifer Garrett, âI Finally Took the Challenge,â Ensign, Sept. 2009, 74

âHow are you coming on reading the Book of Mormon?â the bishop asked our family during tithing settlement in 2005.

We had just finished talking about my many responsibilities at church and at home with two toddler boys. I stammered something about how hard it was to read a whole chapter every day, but in my heart I knew I was making excuses. The simple fact was that though I had done many good things the past few months, I had not attempted to read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover as President Gordon B. Hinckley had challenged.1

As the new year began, the Spirit pricked my soul. I felt like the leper Naaman, who at first refused to undertake the simple task of washing himself in the waters of Jordan, as requested by the prophet Elisha (see 2 Kings 5:1â14). Reading the Book of Mormon is also a simple task.

The next fast Sunday, several brothers and sisters bore testimony of how the prophetâs promises were realized in their lives. I knew I had missed out on those blessings because I had not listened to his voice. I resolved to read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover in 2006âand the next year and the next yearâso that, like President Hinckley, I could gain a love for it.

As the year drew to a close, I reflected on my goal, knowing that I would finish the book by the end of the year. I realized that I had gained insights that I could not have gained from any other source. I had grown closer to my Heavenly Father and my Savior. I had found more opportunities to share the gospel throughout the year because I had read the Book of Mormon and could testify of its truthfulness.

I wish I had taken President Hinckleyâs challenge in 2005. Just like Naaman, who finally washed himself in the waters of Jordan, I could have enjoyed the blessings of the Book of Mormon much sooner than I did.

I am grateful that I have learned the importance of taking even simple challenges from the prophet. I look forward to a new year full of blessings from reading the Book of Mormonâagain.

Look Out!

Mark H. Soelberg, Utah, USA

Mark H. Soelberg, âLook Out!,â Ensign, Sept. 2009, 74â75

On the evening of July 23, 1991, Elder Charles Larsen and I were returning home from the Auckland International Airport after dropping off a missionary who had completed his mission. It was winter in New Zealand, and it had been raining for several days.

I was driving our car toward the large Harbour Bridge, which connects Auckland to Takapuna. As we approached a turn on the lower portion of the bridge, a small car passed us going very fast. As the speeding car started to make the turn, the driver lost control on the wet surface. The car fishtailed to the left and then went hard right, hitting a cement barricade, which kept it from falling off the bridge and into the harbor.

Bouncing violently off the wall, the car rolled and slid to a stop. Shocked by what we had just seen, I immediately pulled into the median and put on our hazard lights. Instinctively, Elder Larsen and I both jumped out to see if we could help. Before we could get to the car, a man climbed out of a broken window and made his way off the bridge and down to the waterâs edge, where he disappeared in the dark. We called out to him, but he didnât respond.

I made my way to the small wrecked car, which was lying on its side with the passenger door facing up. The window was missing, so I climbed partway in to see if there was anyone else inside. Suddenly I heard a loud and distinct voice say, âLook out!â Startled by the voice, I quickly jumped back. Almost instantly, another car traveling at high speed came around the corner and hit the wrecked car I had just been leaning in.

Because of the turn in the road and the tall cement barricade, oncoming drivers couldnât see the wreckage ahead. Several other cars added to the pileup. Elder Larsen and I quickly ran around the turn, waving our arms to stop other drivers. The police soon arrived, and we learned that the first car had been stolen.

As we returned home, I was thinking about my close call and thanked Elder Larsen for warning me of the oncoming car. He looked at me with surprise and said, âElder Soelberg, I didnât say anything. I wasnât close to you and didnât even see that car coming around the corner.â

We sat there for a moment, feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude. That night we knelt and thanked our Heavenly Father for the warning that had literally saved my life. Since that experience, I have shared my testimony many times of the importance of being receptive to the Lordâs Spirit and listening for His voice.

Stacilee Oakes Whiting, Utah, USA

Stacilee Whiting, âOur Sabbath âCan-Doâ Box,â Ensign, Sept. 2009, 70

Our family has a âcan-doâ box thatâs brimming with appropriate activities for Sabbath worship. Over time, weâve added or rotated many things, but we started with just a few dress-up items. It all began when we saw a Sunday dress-up box that one of our ward members had. The children absolutely loved it because they could reenact scripture stories in costume. Simple props like a bathrobe; an old dress; a childâs plastic sword, shield, and armor; and many other inexpensive or recycled items are possibilities.

We also wanted to encourage letter writing, so we added a container of writing supplies. We included addressed envelopes, stickers, and colored markers and pens. Even our youngest child loved sending letters to ward missionaries and family members.

Of course, we had to have a variety of wholesome games, including word searches and crossword puzzles. We even recycled leftover Primary lesson materials and old singing time props. The children were delighted to play with these appealing teaching materials.

Be creative and customize your Sunday box with a variety of things. Church magazines, audiovisual materials, wholesome booksâthereâs so much to enjoy. If everyone in the family is invited to contribute something, your âcan-doâ box will be filled with wonderful activities for a Sabbath day.

Help Them Prepare

Brian and Darlene Barrington, Virginia, USA

Brian and Darlene Barrington, âHelp Them Prepare,â Ensign, Sept. 2009, 70

Our family enjoys sharing information about the Church with neighbors and friends. Since we live in an area where hurricanes occur, preparing for a natural disaster is essential. Our ward held an emergency preparedness fair and invited the public to the event. After the fair, our family decided to personally deliver the information to nonmember friends in the area who didnât attend. We collected extra pamphlets and handouts at the fair, added a few tips on food preservation from www.providentliving.org, and slipped everything into individual folders.

They were easy to deliver. We explained that we had just attended an emergency preparedness fair and had some helpful information to share. Usually a good discussion followed and our neighbors were touched that we cared enough to include them.

Family Proclamation Scrapbook

Ann Kerr, California, USA

Ann Kerr, âFamily Proclamation Scrapbook,â Ensign, Sept. 2009, 71

While attending general conference, my husband and I went through a visitors center on Temple Square in Salt Lake City. One of the exhibits in particular caught my eye. There on the wall was The Family: A Proclamation to the World, illustrated with a few pictures.

Being a photo-taking mother of four and grandmother of 14, I thought to myself, âI have enough pictures to illustrate every line in the proclamation.â When I returned home, I shared the idea with one of my daughters. From our vast supply of photos, we selected enough to make 31 digital scrapbook pages. The first page showed pictures of our family and the First Presidency. We illustrated the first sentence of the proclamation that says, in part, âthe family is central to the Creatorâs plan for the eternal destiny of His childrenâ (Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102). We found an online company that printed and bound our pages in 12-by-12-inch books. We ordered multiple copies to give as Christmas gifts.

We look at and share our albums with others. Even friends of other faiths have wanted to make similar albums.

We know it is important for those with traditional family values to see themselves as part of this inspired proclamation.

Our Weekly Planning Meeting

Brad Peterson, Utah, USA

Brad Peterson, âOur Weekly Planning Meeting,â Ensign, Sept. 2009, 71

My wife and I have found it helpful to have a weekly planning meeting each Sunday night after the children have gone to bed. We begin with a prayer to invite the Spirit to guide us in our planning. Then we express appreciation for the positive things weâve noticed about each other during the past week. With our meeting off to a good start, we review or update the family schedule for that week and month. We note any areas of concern the family might have and consider possible solutions. When we consult together and feel the Spirit with us, good ideas and solutions to our challenges occur more readily.

Family Home Evening Helps

Evening of Family History

Evelyn Repman, Utah, USA

Evelyn Repman, âEvening of Family History,â Ensign, Sept. 2009, 71

We recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of our Family History Evening. Every third Sunday, our family gathers to play with a purpose.

We try to include everyone as we learn about our ancestors or record personal history for our posterity. We offer rewards to the children if they write in their journals. Sometimes we venture out to the family history library, or we work online. We share research successes as well as stories about our ancestors. We have created family history organizers for everyoneâs accumulated information.

But we donât just gather information; we teach it. We share lessons, show pictures or heirlooms, and invite the children to reenact stories of our ancestors. Over the years, weâve created family history games and puzzles, celebrated special occasions of long ago, and helped with school projects pertaining to our family tree. Those who can, attend the temple, keeping us focused on the purpose of our time together.

We enjoy socializing with one another, and sometimes we donât make much progress in an evening. And even after 10 years, we still consider ourselves to be family history novices. But we have a lot of fun together and are building commitment to this sacred work.

When Ron Shifletâs wedding was about a month away, he received some unexpected advice from his bishop, who encouraged him to begin storing food. The bishop explained that there was a simple and inexpensive way for his small family to succeed in home storageâeven as poor college students.

âHe told me to watch what was on sale each week. When we went shopping, we were to buy a couple of extra cans of food,â Ron explains. âHe said the expense was so small that we would not notice it, â but that over time our food storage would add up.â

Following their wedding, Ron shared the advice he had received with his wife, Lorene, and the couple decided to give it a try. On their first shopping trip together, they purchased their regular groceries and two cans of corn, which they stored in the closet of their one-room apartment. âThose two cans became a good source of humor for us,â Ron says. âEach week the joke continued as we added two more cans.â

They soon discovered that their home storage was not a laughing matter, when six months later, Ron found himself without a jobâand without money for food. He and Lorene relied on the supply in the closet to sustain them, and they immediately recognized the blessings of the principle of preparation.

Now, more than 20 years later, Ron says itâs a principle that has blessed his family in numerous ways. âI am thankful for an inspired bishop who counseled us from the beginning to save foodâand who showed us how to do it even with little money,â he recalls. âIt has protected us many times.â

Beginning Now

For many young couples, home storage falls at the bottom of a long to-do list, behind the demands of work, education, finances, church assignments, and more. For some, it may seem too time-consuming and expensive. Some assume that food storage is something they will get to later in their married life. Others may not see it as necessary at all. But like the Shiflets, couples can enjoy the blessings of choosing to obey the counsel of Church leaders and doing what they can to begin a home storage program now.

In the pamphlet All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage (Item 04008000, available in the U.S. and Canada from Distribution Services) couples can find simplified guidelines on how to prepare for adversity by having a supply of food and water and money in savings. The First Presidency encourages all Church members to follow these guidelines, even those on a limited budget. âWe realize that some of you may not have financial resources or space for such storage,â the First Presidency says. âWe encourage you to store as much as circumstances allow.â1

Starting Small

Members should begin their home storage by gradually building a short-term food supply of basic foods that are part of their normal, daily diet. By regularly purchasing a few extra items they would normally eat, couples can rotate their home storage into meals so that nothing is wasted. They should also store some water that is safe to drink. Purchasing bottled water or washing and filling used plastic beverage bottles with clean water will help members have a supply of drinking water should water supplies be disrupted or polluted.

Carly Dunlop and her husband, Anthony, were married in 2006, and they have obeyed the counsel of gradually building a supply of food and water ever since. By purchasing a few extra items while grocery shopping each week, they have already experienced the blessings that come from home storage.

âThere have been several times when something comes upâsuch as our car breaking downâwhen it becomes financially difficult to buy food,â Carly says. âWe have never needed to worry, though, because our shelves always have at least a few canned goods or something to make meals out of.â

By taking small steps to follow the First Presidencyâs counsel, Carly and Anthony have experienced the blessings of home storage. âWe donât need to get overwhelmed and feel like we need to have a large supply of food in our pantries,â she says.

Using Your Space

Like many young married couples, Daniel and Julie Tucker live in a small, rented basement with barely enough space for the living essentials. So when Daniel took an institute class focused on provident living and decided to start gathering home storage, he and his wife were not sure where to store the extra food they purchased.

âI learned from the class that we needed to at least make an effort to store what we physically could,â Daniel says. âAnyone can do it; itâs simply a matter of taking the counsel of our prophets to heart.â After discussing their options, Daniel and Julie bought a storage cabinet that fit in their small kitchen to create more space for food. Additionally, they raised their bed and began storing items under it.

Other couples have discovered that if they look at their living situation and use a little creativity, they can find the space necessary for home storage. Food can be stored under furniture or in closets. Items can even be boxed up and covered with a tablecloth and used as furniture for a television, radio, or other household appliances. Bookcases or shelves can be placed in the kitchen or other rooms and used for storage.

Saving More than Just Food

The First Presidency encourages Church members to build a financial reserve, along with a supply of food and water, as part of their home storage efforts. Like storing food, saving money is a gradual process. Couples can begin building their reserve by paying their tithes, giving a generous fast offering, and setting aside a small amount of money each week (or month) for savings. Doing so demonstrates faith in the Lord and His ability to bless His children. By saving a little money on a consistent basis, couples will be amazed at how quickly their reserve grows.

After Natalie and Robbie Bartlett were married, they decided to begin saving money gradually by spending less on material items and they made paying tithing and fast offerings a priority. âPaying tithing and fast offerings helps me understand how to manage my money,â she said. âI learned a lot from my parentsâ example, and it has blessed my life with my husband.â Natalie believes that any increase is from the Lord, and she can see that obedience to the counsel of the prophets helps her and her husband grow closer by working together. âI have saved money my whole life by not going out to eat and putting that money into my savings account instead,â Natalie explains. âNow that I am married, my husband and I save money by cutting back in other ways, like buying clothes and groceries on sale or at discount stores.â As couples find ways to cut spending and save money, they will discover the blessings of building a financial reserve.

Increasing Your Supply

After preparing a short-term food supply, having some drinking water on hand, and having a financial reserve, couples can increase their home storage by gradually building a longer-term supply of basic foods such as wheat, white rice, beans, and other staples that will keep them alive in case they do not have anything else to eat. Most of these items can be stored up to 30 years when packaged and stored properly.2

Increasing home storage may take some time, so couples should not become discouraged or try to do everything at once. Instead, they can make a goal to gradually build a longer-term food supply, depending on their needs and circumstances. They can take advantage of the resources the Church offers, including the welfare Web site, providentliving.org. Ward or stake home storage specialists can also be great resources.

Gaining a Testimony

As a young wife, Kolene Mills struggled with the principle of home storage. Although she wanted to obey the counsel of Church leaders, she was overwhelmed by the task and lacked motivation to learn how to store food.

One day during her scripture study she was reading in 3 Nephi. The Nephite people were being persecuted by the Gadianton robbers, who threatened to wage war against them if they did not surrender themselves and their land to the robbers. Humbled by this threat, the Nephites obeyed specific instructions from their leaders.

â[They] reserved for themselves provisions, and horses and cattle, and flocks of every kind, that they might subsist for the space of seven years, in the which time they did hope to destroy the robbers from off the face of the land ââ (3 Nephi 4:4). Kolene was amazed as she realized that the Nephites had been commanded to prepare home storage.

âWhile reading these verses, the Spirit bore witness to me that it was important for me to prepare my family against whatever challenges might be ahead,â Kolene says. âI felt a bond with the Nephites, who had righteously listened to the counsel of their leaders in preparing themselves, and my desire to follow their example was strengthened.â

Like Kolene, some Church members may think it might be difficult to apply the principle of preparing for adversity by establishing a home storage supply. But as she found, obedience to the commandments can bring great blessings to families and individuals.

The First Presidency has said that our Heavenly Fatherâs purpose is âto provide for our needs as we walk in faith and obedience. He has lovingly commanded us to âprepare every needful thingâ (see D&C 109:8) so that, should adversity come, we may care for ourselves and our neighbors and support bishops as they care for others.â3

Couples will be blessed as they prayerfully study the guidelines outlined in All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage, ask the Lord to help them to apply the principles, and then do whatever they can to obey the counsel. What may begin with a few cans in the closet or under the bed can result in blessings of peace and security now and throughout their lives.

For more information on how to get started on your home storage, visit www.providentliving.org.

Helps for Home Evening

Individuals learn through participation (see Teaching, No Greater Call, 161, 187). As you prepare a lesson on home storage, think of ways the whole family could be involved in learning the principles of provident living, such as showing your children food that you have stored, visiting areas in your home where you could store food and supplies, or planning ways to save money as a family. Consider a simple plan of action to begin storing food, like putting two cans of food in a closet or under a bed as suggested in the article.

It doesnât matter if you start small. The important thing is to start.

Look at your living space with a little imagination and you can find the space necessary for home storage.

I was the first member of our immediate family in whom my sister, Leigh (name has been changed), confided. For the next few years, I would be the only one who knew about her same-sex attraction. Though Leigh had gone out with men previously, I vividly remember the night she sat in my living room and broke the news to me that she was moving to Oregon with her. I was not an active or believing Latter-day Saint at the time, and having no sense of the present or eternal implications of my sisterâs choice, I really did not react much to the news except for feeling how deeply I would miss her after she moved.

Since that time, as I have come back into the Church with a strengthened testimony of gospel truthsâincluding doctrines about the familyâI have wondered about what they mean for my sister and for my relationship with her. I have learned that although there are many things I donât know, I can rely on what I do know for guidance.

Leigh and I had always been close. We are just a little more than a year apart in age, and we had common friends in high school. We shared music collections and enjoyed traveling to concerts together. She understood my jokes. She had been my hero in many waysâwhatever she was, I wanted to be. I always introduced her to my friends with a great sense of pride. She was everything a big sister was supposed to be, and I loved her for it. After I learned about her attraction to other women, our relationship continued to be a strong and close one.

Though Leigh and I share a history that is rich and deep, the story of where we are today really starts late one fall, five years after she told me about her same-sex attraction. By that time, I had not been active in the Church for nearly 10 years, but I had started to feel increasingly strong and frequent promptings to get my life in order and return to Church activity. Through countless experiences, both cherished and sacred, I knew the Lord was leading me back.

It wasnât until that year that I found myself considering the unfamiliar and confusing ramifications of reconciling deep and tender feelings about my sister with an increasing testimony of and devotion to the Lordâs commandments. Was it possible to make room for mutual devotion and loyalty, and if so, was I supposed to do it?

I soon began preparing for a mission. When I left to preach the gospel, however, my relationship with my sister really suffered.

As a missionary, I searched the scriptures and studied modern revelation and teachings on the topic of same-sex attraction. I pondered the doctrines explained in âThe Family: A Proclamation to the Worldâ1 and agonized over my sisterâs eternal welfare. I grappled with profound questions about our relationship. I wanted to be like the Savior and to love her as He did, but I didnât know how.

Even now there are days when I think about what to tell my future children when they ask about their aunt and her âfriendâ or the times when she comes to visit with her partner. In spite of many heartfelt prayers and discussions with ecclesiastical leaders, I admit I have countless questions still unanswered. I am learning, however, to focus on the things I know rather than on the things I donât.

Every family memberâimmediate and extendedânow knows about Leighâs relationships with women. We have responded to the reality of same-sex attraction in our family in diverse ways. Some of us are good at dealing with it. Some of us are not. Some of us talk to her every week. Some of us do not. Although as a family we are anything but reconciled to the situation, there are a few things I can now say that I know for certain.

I know the best thing I can do to have a close relationship with my sister is to have a close relationship with Heavenly Father and His Son. Leigh recently commented that it has been through the way our family has loved her that she has felt what she understood to be Godâs love. Iâve finally learned that it isnât a matter of sacrificing one or the other after all. Could it be that it is not only possible but also expedient to have a simultaneous devotion to Jesus Christ and to Leigh, but not to her lifestyle? Could my devotion to one fuel my devotion to the other? As the Mediator, Jesus Christ intercedes to bring us to God. But I have come to realize that He also intercedes to bring us to ourselves, as the prodigal son experienced (see Luke 15:17), and then to our families.

I know that the Father of my soul is the Father of Leighâs soul too. I know that as deeply as He knows me, He knows her, and that as He has prepared a way for my return to Him through repentance, so has He prepared a way for hers. I know that the Atonement, being infinite, cannot by nature or design exclude my sister or my family from its effects as we learn how to be a family that hopes for eternity together. I know that Leigh is not the only one in our family in need of the Saviorâs mercy and help and love. I know I need it too.

I know that my duty as Leighâs sister is not to condemn her but to love her. My task is to try to follow the Savior. The rest is simply out of my hands, and my sister still needs the friend she once had in me. If the gospel has taught me anything, it is how to be a friend.

I know that only by abiding by the precepts and doctrines as taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can we find the kind of happiness that is lasting and eternal. Just as the Spirit witnessed it to me so personally and so unexpectedly 10 years ago, the Spirit can witness it to Leigh according to the Lordâs grand design.

I know Jesus Christ is the Son of God, a Savior to my sister, my family, and me. I know He nurtures and loves us through the ups and downs and between all of our questions. I know He has made this adversity less of a burden for me as I have turned more fully to Him and to a commitment to try to love as He loves. I know He makes impossible things possible. I know charity never fails, even though I sometimes do (see 1 Corinthians 13:8; Moroni 7:46).

While I may never know in mortality how to love Leigh in a way that has power to change her involvement in same-sex relationships, I can learn to love her without condoning her lifestyle, and I can reach out to her in a way that she needs. After all, it is the Saviorâs role, not mine, to heal her.

I believe that the Lord wants us to âbe believingâ (Mormon 9:27; D&C 90:24) and that He wants us not to give up on Him or His timing or His ways. I know that this kind of faithâthis kind of loveâwill guide my family and me as we work together to be an eternal family.

How Can I Better Understand and Live the Gospel?

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (1917â2008) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: âFaithful members of the Church should be like oak trees and should extend deep roots into the fertile soil of the fundamental principles of the gospel. We should understand and live by the simple, basic truths and not complicate them. Our foundations should be solid and deep-rooted so we can withstand the winds of temptation, false doctrine, adversity, and the onslaught of the adversary without being swayed or uprooted. â

âSpiritual nourishment is just as important as a balanced diet to keep us strong and healthy. We nourish ourselves spiritually by partaking of the sacrament weekly, reading the scriptures daily, praying daily in personal and family prayer, and performing temple work regularly. Our spiritual strengths are like batteries; they need to be charged and frequently rechargedâ (âDeep Roots,â Ensign, Nov. 1994, 75).

Barbara Thompson, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency: âSisters, now more than ever, we need women to step up and be strong. We need women who declare the truth with strength, faith, and boldness. We need women to set an example of righteousness. We need women to be âanxiously engaged in a good cause.â We need to live so that our lives bear witness that we love our Heavenly Father and the Savior Jesus Christ and that we will do what They have asked us to doâ (âNow Let Us Rejoice,â Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2008, 116).

2 Nephi 31:12: âFollow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do.â

How Does Understanding and Living the Gospel Bless Lives?

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency: âAs we strive to understand, internalize, and live correct gospel principles, we will become more spiritually self-reliant. â I testify as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ that He lives, that the gospel is true, and that it offers the answers to all personal and collective challenges the children of God have on this earth todayâ (âChristlike Attributesâthe Wind beneath Our Wings,â Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2005, 100, 101).

Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: âThe plan of happiness is available to all of his children. If the world would embrace and live it, peace, joy, and plenty would abound on the earth. Much of the suffering we know today would be eliminated if people throughout the world would understand and live the gospelâ (âAnswers to Lifeâs Questions,â Ensign, May 1995, 23).

Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: âWe must live the gospel in such a way that we will have the Spirit to ever be with us. If we live worthily, the Spirit will always be with us. We can then teach by the Spirit. â The reason we pray, study the scriptures, have good friends, and live the gospel through obedience to the commandments is so that whenânot if, but whenâthe trials come, we are readyâ (âTeaching by Faith,â Liahona, Sept. 2003, 10, 14â15; Ensign, Sept. 2003, 20, 24â25).

On February 8, 1835, Joseph Smith announced to Brigham and Joseph Young that he would organize the Twelve Apostles and the Seventy in accordance with a vision he had received (see D&C 107).

The Prophet then said: ââI wish you to notify all the brethren living in the branches, within a reasonable distance from this place, to meet at a general conference on Saturday next. I shall then and there appoint twelve Special Witnesses, to open the door of the Gospel to foreign nations, and you,â said he (speaking to Brother Brigham), âwill be one of them.â â He then turned to Elder Joseph Young with quite an earnestness, as though the vision of his mind was extended still further, and addressing him, said, âBrother Joseph, the Lord has made you President of the Seventies.ââ

Although the Youngs knew of the existence of these priesthood offices in the Bible, still the Prophetâs words âcaused these brethren to marvel.â1

On the following Saturday, February 14, members of the Twelve were appointed and ordained, and two weeks later members of the First Quorum of the Seventy were also appointed and ordained.

Two things that stand out in my mind as particularly important about the history of the Seventy are evident in this first calling of the Seventy in our dispensation: (1) the office of Seventy is doctrinally based in the scriptures and (2) the role of the Seventy is inextricably connected to the mission of the Twelve. As we study these two essential points, a thirdâequally if not more important pointâbecomes evident: the Lord reveals His will line upon line, making the history of the latter-day Seventy a pattern of revelation for the Church and for individuals.

1. The Office of Seventy Is Doctrinally Based in the Scriptures

The first mention of the Seventy is the Old Testament instruction to Moses and âseventy of the elders of Israelâ (Exodus 24:1).

The Lord told Moses to use the Seventy so that he need not bear his burdens alone: âGather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel â that they may stand there with theeâ (Numbers 11:16).

To properly empower the Seventy, the Lord took the âspiritâ that was upon Moses and gave it also to the Seventy. âWhen the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not ceaseâ (Numbers 11:25).

The New Testament Church likewise included the office of Seventy. The Savior Himself called and instructed the Seventy (see Luke 10) in a manner similar to the instructions He gave the Twelve (see Matthew 10). He sent out the Seventy, explaining that âhe that heareth you heareth meâ (Luke 10:16; see also verses 1â15).

The effectiveness of the Seventy was evident as they reported on their commission, âsaying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy nameâ (Luke 10:17).

2. The Role of the Seventy Is Connected to the Mission of the Twelve

The Seventiesâ role in relation to the Twelve becomes particularly evident following the Saviorâs Resurrection. The Church had grown so that the Twelve alone were not able to meet all the needs of the people. When some began to murmur that the widows were being neglected in the daily ministration, the calling of Seventies answered the challenges of growth. The Seventy bore some burdens so the Twelve need not neglect the assignments they alone could fulfill:

âWherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

âBut we [the Twelve] will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the wordâ (Acts 6:3â4).

This pattern was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith, and the office of Seventy in relation to the office of the Twelve became clearly defined in modern revelation:

• â âThe Seventy are also called to preach the gospel, and to be especial witnesses unto the Gentiles and in all the worldâ (D&C 107:25).

• â âThe Seventy are to act in the name of the Lord, under the direction of the Twelve or the traveling high council, in building up the church and regulating all the affairs of the same in all nationsâ (D&C 107:34).

• â The Twelve are âto call upon the Seventy, when they need assistance, to fill the several calls for preaching and administering the gospel, instead of any othersâ (D&C 107:38).

• â The Seventy are âinstituted for traveling elders to bear record of my name in all the world, wherever the traveling high council, mine apostles, shall send them to prepare a way before my faceâ (D&C 124:139).

I am confident that each Seventy today considers it a great privilege to support the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. And again Seventies help provide an answer to the challenges of Church growth. While there will generally be only 3 members of the First Presidency and 12 members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, there is flexibility in the ranks and numbers of the Seventy.

3. The Lord Reveals His Will Line upon Line

When they arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, the early Saints, including Seventies, were dispersed to various settlements. The Seventies had been organized into approximately 30 quorums. Lack of proximity made it difficult, if not impossible, for the members and leaders of the Seventy to meet in their original quorums.

As a result of this difficulty, in 1883 the First Presidency prayerfully prepared a written recommendation on how and in what manner the Seventy should be organized.

On April 14, 1883, the Lord accepted the recommendation and revealed: âWhat ye have written is my will, and is acceptable unto me: and furthermore â let not your hearts be troubled, neither be ye concerned about the management and organization of my Church and Priesthood and the accomplishment of my work. Fear me and observe my laws and I will reveal unto you, from time to time, through the channels that I have appointed, everything that shall be necessary for the future development and perfection of my Church, for the adjustment and rolling forth of my kingdom, and for the building up and the establishment of my Zion.â2

This âtime to timeâ revelatory pattern is evident through a study of the history of the Seventyâa study that demonstrates how the calling, duties, and responsibilities of the Seventy have developed line upon line in accordance with the doctrinal foundation of the scriptures. President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, has said that the unfolding events in the organization of the Seventy âwill prove to have been a great Godsend and a pattern of revelation itself.â3

Let us review just a few of the significant developments in this history to illustrate this line-upon-line pattern.

Organization of the Seventy. In February 1835, when the Prophet Joseph called the first Seventies of this dispensation, all of them had been members of Zionâs Camp, the group that marched from Ohio to Missouri in 1834 to aid the Saints.

Elder B. H. Roberts (1842â1933) of the Seventy noted that this service indicates âthat the character of men who attain unto this high station in the Priesthood of God should be men who have made sacrifices for the work of God, or who are perfectly willing to make such sacrifices, even to laying down their lives for the cause.â4

Growth in Nauvoo. While the Saints lived in Nauvoo, âthe number of the Seventy was greatly increased. â By the first of January, 1845, the number of quorums had increased to fourteen.â A year later the number of quorums had increased to 30.5

Dispersal in Utah. The dispersal of Seventies after the Saintsâ arrival in Utah led to the recommendation of the First Presidency in 1883, which provided that the members of the Seventy associate themselves with a quorum located in the area where they resided.

As mentioned, the Lord accepted the recommendation of the First Presidency and promised that from time to time, He would continue to reveal necessary adjustments. It seems the saga of revelation was only beginning!

Seventies Quorums in Stakes and Missions. In April 1953, when the number of quorums was approximately 500, the First Presidency, concerned about some Seventies not affiliated with a quorum, announced that a quorum of the Seventy, presided over by seven presidents, should be organized in each stake or mission where there were 36 or more Seventies.6

In each stake or mission having fewer than 36 Seventies, a unit, rather than a quorum, would be presided over by a president and two counselors. The units and quorums were then organized in consecutive numbers to avoid confusion. In 1974 Seventies units were discontinued, and each stake was to have a quorum. The presidencies of the stake quorums served as the stake mission presidency.7

Previously, in March 1936, missionary work had been organized with a mission in each stake. These stake missions were supervised by the First Council of the Seventy, working through stake presidents.8

Reestablishing the First Quorum of the Seventy. October 1975 general conference brought a major milestone in the continuing saga of revelation. President Spencer W. Kimball (1895â1985) announced the reconstitution of the First Quorum of the Seventy. This quorum of General Authorities would gradually be organized with 70 members and Seven Presidents.9

One year later, at the October 1976 general conference, the First Quorum of the Seventy was expanded by the addition of the First Council of the Seventy and the Assistants to the Twelve. All members of the First Quorum were ordained to the office of high priest as well as to the office of Seventy.

President Kimball explained: âWith this move, the three governing quorums of the Church defined by revelationsâthe First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the First Quorum of the Seventyâhave been set in their places as revealed by the Lord. This will make it possible to handle efficiently the present heavy workload and to prepare for the increasing expansion and acceleration of the work, anticipating the day when the Lord will return to take direct charge of His church and kingdom.â10

Discontinuation of Stake Quorums. On October 4, 1986, all stake quorums of the Seventy were discontinued, and Seventies at the stake level became members of elders quorums or were ordained to the office of high priest. The office of Seventy was thus reserved for General Authorities of the Church.11

Establishment of the Second Quorum. On April 1, 1989, the Second Quorum of the Seventy was created.12 This began to put in place two Quorums of the Seventy: the First as General Authorities who would become emeritus at age 70 and the Second as five-year General Authorities.

Calling of Area Authorities. At the April 1995 general conference, all regional representatives of the Twelve were released effective in August of that year, and the office of Area Authority was announced. (Regional representative was a Church calling established in 1967 to train stake and ward leaders.)

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910â2008) said of Area Authorities: âThese will be high priests chosen from among past and present experienced Church leaders. They will continue with their current employment, reside in their own homes, and serve on a Church-service basis. The term of their call will be flexible, generally, for a period of approximately six years. They will be closely tied to the area presidencies.â13

Calling of Area Seventies. Two years later, in April 1997, President Hinckley announced that the Area Authorities would be ordained Seventies and would be known as Area Authority Seventies (now called Area Seventies). This was the beginning of a significant increase in the number of Seventies and in their responsibilities.

President Hinckley explained, âAs Seventies they are called to preach the gospel and to be especial witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ as set forth in the revelations.â14

President Hinckley explained that these Brethren would have a quorum relationship. He organized the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Quorums of the Seventy geographically.

Thereafter, Area Seventies began to preside at member-missionary coordinating councils (consisting of a mission president and all stake presidents in the mission). Later this meeting was renamed as a coordinating council meeting, and the agenda was expanded to include most Church programs and various multistake concerns.

Expanded Duties of the Presidency of the Seventy. In April 2004 members of the Presidency of the Seventy were released as Executive Directors of major headquarters departments, and other Seventies were assigned to these positions. Several months later, in August 2004, the Presidency of the Seventy began to supervise all 11 Church areas in North America and to assist the Twelve in supervising all international areas.

The Presidency of the Seventy commenced meeting with the full Twelve each Tuesday. The Twelve are able to rely on the Presidency of the Seventy as the presidency is to âchoose other seventy [and] to preside over themâ (D&C 107:95).

The Seventy Today

The saga of revelation in the organization and duties of the Seventy continues today. The First Presidency has recently consolidated international Church areas and given more administrative responsibilities to Seventies serving in Area Presidencies.15

How could Joseph Smith have understood when he ordained the first Seventies that this office would grow to include, at this time, 315 Seventies in eight quorums throughout the world? I testify that Joseph didnât have to know because the Lord knew and what Joseph established was a latter-day foundation based upon the doctrines of the scriptures and a âvision showing the order of the Seventyâ (D&C 107:93).

The Lordâs hand has been over the unfolding history of the Seventy from the beginning and in each subsequent development that moved the office of the Seventy to comply with its scriptural charter. Why study this unfolding history? As President Packer explained, it is âa pattern of revelation itself.â Line upon line, the Lord has revealed His will for the Seventy, and I know that He will continue to do so for the Seventyâand for you and me as individual members of His Church.

Unfolding Events

• February 1835: The Prophet Joseph Smith announced the establishment of the office of Seventy and organized the First Quorum of the Seventy.

• March 1835: The Prophet Joseph Smith received instructions regarding the calling and role of the Seventy (see D&C 107).

• January 1836: The Presidency of the Seventy received their anointings and blessings in the Kirtland Temple. Later the same month, members of the Seventy were anointed and blessed in the Kirtland Temple.

• February 1836: Joseph Smith met with some of the Brethren to choose the Second Quorum of the Seventy.

• April 1837: The Presidents of the Seventy were reorganized.

• January 1841: Duties of the Seventy were outlined (see D&C 124:138â39).

• December 1844: The Seventiesâ Hall was dedicated in Nauvoo.

• 1846: When the Saints left Nauvoo, the number of Seventies quorums had increased to approximately 30.

• April 1883: The Lord told the First Presidency that He would reveal His will from âtime to timeâ regarding the rolling forth of His kingdom.

• 1899: Seventies began to participate in a missionary training program at Church schools.

• 1904: The number of Seventies quorums had increased to 146.

• March 1936: Each stake began to have a stake mission, supervised by the First Council of the Seventy.

• 1953: Seventies quorums or units were organized in each stake.

• June 1961: Four members of the First Council of the Seventy were ordained high priests, and members of the First Council of the Seventy were authorized to organize and reorganize stake presidencies.

• January 1964: Members of the First Council of the Seventy were given the sealing power.

• 1967: Sixty-nine brethren were called as regional representatives of the Twelve.

• March 1974: The First Presidency authorized stake presidents to ordain Seventies provided they had been approved by the First Council of the Seventy.

• October 1974: Units of Seventies were discontinued, and each stake was authorized to have a quorum.

• 1975: Assistants to the Quorum of the Twelve were assigned outside North America as General Authority area supervisors.

• October 1975: The First Quorum of the Seventy was reconstituted as a General Authority quorum.

• April 1976: The First Presidency authorized that the Presidents of the First Quorum of the Seventy would be rotated from time to time.

• October 1976: Assistants to the Twelve and members of the First Council of the Seventy were released, then called to the First Quorum of the Seventy.

• October 1976: Authorization for ordination of stake Seventies no longer required approval from the First Quorum of the Seventy.

• September 1978: Certain General Authorities would be given emeritus status.

• February 1980: Seventies serving as Executive Directors of Church headquarters departments were called to the Presidency of the Seventy.

• April 1984: Six new members of the First Quorum of the Seventy were called to serve for a period of three to five years, establishing a new precedent for General Authority tenure.

• July 1984: Members of the First Quorum of the Seventy were called as Area Presidencies to administer areas under the direction of the Twelve.

• October 1986: Seventies quorums in stakes were discontinued.

• April 1989: The Second Quorum of the Seventy was organized, made up of men who would serve for five years.

• November 1991: Policy was established for members of the First Quorum to serve until age 70 and members of the Second Quorum to be released after five years.

• April 1995: President Gordon B. Hinckley announced the release of regional representatives and the calling of Area Authorities effective in August 1995.

• April 1997: The Third, Fourth, and Fifth Quorums of the Seventy were organized, made up of Area Authority Seventies.

• June 1997: Under the direction of Area Presidencies, Area Authority Seventies began to preside at member-missionary coordinating councils, consisting of stake and mission presidents.

• May 2001 and September 2002: Member-missionary coordinating councils were expanded to include most Church programs and various multistake concerns.

• April 2004: The Fifth Quorum of the Seventy was divided to create the Sixth Quorum of the Seventy.

• August 2004: Under the direction of the Twelve, the Presidency of the Seventy began to be responsible for all Church areas. Members of the Presidency of the Seventy no longer served as Executive Directors of major headquarters departments. The Seven Presidents were assigned to supervise all 11 areas in North America.

• April 2005: The Seventh Quorum of the Seventy was created from the Fourth Quorum. The Third Quorum was divided to create the Eighth Quorum.

• June 2008: The First Presidency announced an increase in the responsibilities of Area Presidencies.

What Was the First Council of the Seventy?

The Prophet Joseph organized the First Council of the Seventy when he organized the First Quorum of the Seventy on February 28, 1835. The First Council was made up of the Seven Presidents of the First Quorum. This council existed in some form until 1976, when its members (front: Elders S. Dilworth Young, A. Theodore Tuttle, and Paul H. Dunn; back: Elders Hartman Rector Jr., Loren C. Dunn, Rex D. Pinegar, and Gene R. Cook) were called into the reconstituted First Quorum of the Seventy as General Authorities.

The roles and duties of the First Council changed over the years as revelation unfolded, but their unchanging responsibility was to preside over other Seventies and to administer the work presently given to the Seventies.

Latter-day Saints in the military often face unique challenges, but they are blessed, as are all members, with the gift of the Holy Ghost. This gift âis the right to have, whenever one is worthy, the companionship of the Holy Ghost.â1

Through His promptings, âthe Holy Ghost â will show unto [us] all things what [we] should doâ (2 Nephi 32:5).

Steve Merrill, an army chaplain who served in Kuwait, knows what it feels like to âtrust in that Spirit which leadeth to do goodâ (D&C 11:12).

âI felt impressed to start teaching a Book of Mormon study class, though I wasnât sure why,â he says. âHowever, I have a firm belief that our Heavenly Father is better at directing our lives than we are, so I obeyed the prompting.â

Soon the name of a recent convert came to his mind. âJohn* had started falling back into his old habits after his baptism, so I invited him to the class,â says Chaplain Merrill. âJohn wanted to know why he didnât feel the Spirit all the time. I told him it was because he wasnât holding fast to the iron rod. John asked, âWhatâs the iron rod?â I said, âRead the Book of Mormon and youâll find out.â John started taking his Book of Mormon out on post with him and reading it every day. Soon he was holding fast to the iron rod. He even brought others to church with him.â

Though Bill* was a lifelong member of the Church, he had been less active for seven years and had never read the Book of Mormon. âSoon he became a serious student of the Book of Mormon,â says Chaplain Merrill, âand he found a love in his heart for the Savior that he hadnât felt before.â

Both John and Bill became stalwarts in the Book of Mormon class. Their lives were changed and so was Chaplain Merrillâs. He says, âBeing in Kuwait gave me the opportunity to help save others from spiritual disaster. I have a testimony that the worth of a soul is great. The Lord knew that John and Bill needed me. I am grateful for the promptings I received and humbled to have been an instrument in His hands.â

I Immediately Got Up

Arden R. Thorum, who previously had served in the army, and his wife, JoAnn, served as senior missionaries at Camp Pendleton, near San Diego, California. âOur primary responsibility was to provide spiritual and emotional support to the approximately 40 part-member, less-active, and active military families assigned to us,â he says. âWe received inspiration many times as we sought to fulfill our calling.â

One such experience involved Sara* and David.* Just before David, a marine, was to be deployed, the Thorums visited with them, and Elder Thorum gave each of them a blessing. âDuring the blessing for Sara, I said that while her husband was gone we would look after her and the two children,â says Elder Thorum. âMy wife and I knew from being involved with these military families that blessings came to them and to us as a result of our service.â

About two weeks later, Sara took her four-year-old son to Primary and then came to Sunday School carrying her 18-month-old daughter. Elder Thorum says of that morning, âAs soon as Sara sat down, her little girl began to fuss, and Sara quickly took her out of the room. Almost immediately, the Spirit gave me the impression that I should help her, so I got up from my seat to do so.

âSaraâs desire to come to church that Sunday was exemplified by the fact that it was the weekend of the change to daylight saving time. She had to get the children and herself ready an hour earlier than usual, as well as travel 15 miles to make an 8:30 a.m. meeting.

âI was glad I had listened to the prompting of the Spirit and felt that the purpose of the prompting had been fulfilled. Later that evening, however, my wife and I received an e-mail from Sara, and it became clear that the prompting had been a blessing to her also. Sara wrote that she had been feeling discouraged, and the fact that we had helped her reassured her that there were those who cared about her and her family.â

Invite Him In

Hans-Wilhelm Kelling, now of Utah, previously served as a mission president in the Germany Munich Mission. Among his responsibilities was the opportunity to interview Church members who wanted to receive a patriarchal blessing. He tells of a time when he strongly felt the promptings of the Holy Ghost and obeyed, resulting in the blessing of not one life but two.

âOne afternoon a young woman who desired a patriarchal blessing came into my office. She was worthy in every respect. After the formal interview, I became better acquainted with her. I discovered she was married to an American serviceman who was not a member of the Church. When I found out he was waiting outside, this prompting came: âGo outside and invite him in.â I followed the admonition of the still, small voice.

âAll three of us chatted briefly about his duties, and then the Holy Ghost took charge. Under inspiration I complimented the soldier for his choice in a spouse and explained what a patriarchal blessing is. He told me his unit was leaving the next day, and he would be gone for four weeks. I told him his wife was a worthy member of the Church who upheld the sacred principles taught by Christ. I assured him she would be faithful to him while he was gone and that she would receive him with open arms when he returned. He listened attentively, and before he left I offered a prayer asking the Lord to bless both of them and to protect him and bring him back safely.

âSeveral months later at a district conference, the same serviceman approached me and said, âDuring those long nights on maneuver, when I was sitting in my foxhole, I thought about my wife and recalled what you had said to me about her that afternoon. When I returned, I invited the missionaries to teach me. I have been baptized and ordained a priest.â

âI embraced him and silently thanked the Lord for sending the Holy Ghost that afternoon.â

Listen to Promptings

Elder M. Russell Ballard said on April 27, 2008: âOn behalf of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, I express appreciation and love for members of the military and assure them they are remembered in the prayers of the Brethren.

âListen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. â Youâll have a prompting to say something or to do something in relationship to those that you serve with or in your neighborhood or so forth. Do it! Trust the Lord.â

âBeware of Apathy,â Greg Hill and Ian Houstan, Church News, week ending May 3, 2008, 15.

The children of Eulogia Diaz and Delio Cosme Sanchez remember this about their motherâs service as branch Primary president: Back when Primary was held on weekday afternoons, Eulogia would shepherd a large group of children from her neighborhoodââour little band,â one of her daughters recallsâon the long walk to church each week. It didnât matter whether or not they were members; if they wanted to be there and their parents allowed it, Eulogia would bring them along. She wanted as many children as possible to enjoy the blessings of Primary.

The children of Eulogia and Delio remember this of their fatherâs service as branch president: He was always first at the meetinghouse on Sunday morning and last to leave later in the day, after he had made sure everything was in order. He continued that same dedication as the first president of the Paraguay District, back when it was part of the Uruguay-Paraguay Mission.

The Sanchez children, now middle-aged, some with grandchildren of their own, remember this too: For their parents, there was never a good reason to miss Church meetings. The family made that long walk to the meetinghouse rain or shine. And in those early years when there were fewer members in the branch, family members took on many roles from teaching or leading music to helping clean the building.

The Church has since made great strides in Paraguay. Now there are 10 stakes and 11 districts, with approximately 66,000 members. The country has two missions. Paraguay hosts one of only four Beehive Clothing plants, producing temple clothing and garments, outside the United States.

The historic meetinghouse everyone loved, the first Church-built meetinghouse in the countryâthe one that everyone called âthe Moroni chapelâ because that was the name of a ward housed thereâis gone. A temple now stands in its place. The AsunciÃn Paraguay Temple is the centerpiece of âla Manzana Mormonaââroughly translated, the Temple Square of Paraguay.

Paraguayan members feel greatly blessed because of the progress. But older members have not forgotten the sacrifices that were necessary to build the foundations of todayâs Church in their country.

Building a Heritage

Eulogia Diaz de Sanchez was baptized in October 1960. A parish priest tried to persuade her to renounce the Church and return to the parish, but she was too sure of the testimony she had gained to be dissuaded.

Her mother, Castorina, was baptized the following month, along with Eulogiaâs daughter, Liduvina. Another daughter, Lina, wanted to be baptized, but her new husband opposed it.

Eulogiaâs husband, Delio, joined the Church in January 1961. A mechanic, Delio told his business partner he would no longer be able to work on Sunday. His partner accepted that easily because he valued hard-working Delio and his contribution to the business. The partner would never regret his decision.

The story of Delio and Eulogia Sanchez and their descendants underscores the enduring power of example.

âI believe my parentsâ love and patience helped us live our lives sharing the gospel,â Lina says. Even though she was not able to be baptized at first, she served in the Church as faithfully as anyone could who was not a member. Eventually, in 1986, when her husbandâs opposition had softened because of the example of his wife and children, Lina joyfully entered the waters of baptism.

Her sister, Liduvina, recalls that their parents were constantly involved in sharing the gospel. For a time in the 1970s, the family home, where the aged Eulogia still lives, served also as a meetinghouse on Sundays. In addition to the more than 60 descendants of Delio and Eulogia in the Church, there are more than two dozen other people who joined because of their example of Christlike living. Liduvina says her parents were also examples of honesty, teaching their children never to do anything of which they would later be ashamed.

Delio and Eulogia were known for their kindness. Liduvina recalls that when the family was ready to eat a meal, their father might say, thinking of someone nearby, âI wonder if so-and-so has a plate of food right now.â He would ask a family member to take a plate of food to that person before the family ate.

Lina and her family lived next door to her parents for many years. Linaâs son, Enrique Ojeda, says of Delio, âMy grandfather was always an example of the priesthoodâthose qualities mentioned in Doctrine and Covenants section 121 [verses 41â45].â Enrique says his grandmother Eulogia âis a valiant womanâvaliant in her faith and valiant in her testimony.â Many people who were not members of the Church came to live in his grandparentsâ home for a time (when Delio and Eulogia generously offered needed help) and left as members of the Church because of their example.

The children of Delio and Eulogia followed parental example as they grew into adulthood and started families of their own. They too have served in many Church callings. Liduvina served a mission and worked for the Church for many years in Uruguay before returning to her native Paraguay. Delio and Eulogiaâs son Silvio needed some time before parental example also helped bring him into the Church, but he too followed his parentsâ pattern of service. He later helped establish a branch in Argentina, where he lived for a time.

New Generations

Enrique was born the year his grandfather Delio was baptized into the Church. Growing up, he frequently spent time with his grandparents next door or with his aunts, all of whom were active in the Church. (He calls Liduvina his second mother.) Though his father and mother were not members in his early years, âmy brothers and sisters and I grew up in the Church.â

His father, Vicente, he recalls, wanted nothing to do with the Churchâdid not even want to talk about it. When Vicenteâs children tried to give him a Book of Mormon, he literally tossed it back at them. But, Enrique says, âit was the example of his children that eventually changed my father.â Enriqueâs patriarchal blessing promised that his father would join the Church because of the example of his children. Enrique and the rest of the family clung to that promise.

In 1986, while Enriqueâs younger brother was serving a mission, their fatherâs opposition to the Church had softened enough for him to give consent for his wife to be baptized. After 25 years of attending and serving as she could, Lina was finally a member. Her husband, however, was far from ready to take that step. Family life went on for several more years with everyone but Vicente as a member of the Church. Then one Sunday morning in 2002, Vicente got up and dressed in his suit, ready to go to churchâready to be taught. He was baptized shortly afterward, and he and his wife were sealed in the temple in 2003.

Now Enriqueâs generation has children who are growing up in the Church, following in their own parentsâ footsteps. Eulogia and Delioâs descendants in the Church include 6 children, 18 grandchildren (4 of whom served missions), and 23 great-grandchildrenâso far. The choices that these great-grandchildren make are shaped by the teachings they receive in their homes.

Enriqueâs 19-year-old daughter, Adriana, says that of course there will always be temptations to face in life. When she and her siblings and cousins face them, she says, âWe make the choices we make because of our testimonies.â Her 18-year-old sister, Vivian, adds that when friends or acquaintances wonder why they do not smoke or drink or take part in some of the other practices that their friends have adopted, the opportunity to explain their standards is an opportunity to be a missionary.

William Da Silva, 19, is another of Eulogiaâs great-grandchildren; he is a son of Linaâs daughter, Mercedes Ojeda de Da Silva. Like his mother, William was baptized at age eight and grew up in the Church. His older sister and brother have served missions, and now he is serving in the Uruguay Montevideo West Mission. William says that because of the teachings they have received in their homes, he, his brother and sister, and his cousins who are active in the Church operate from a different, stronger spiritual foundation than many of their friends. âItâs interesting how much our friends or their parents have confidence in us,â he comments. Parents of his friends, he explains, often tell their sons or daughters that if William or someone like Adriana or Vivian is attending an event, âthen you can go too, because I know nothing bad will be going on.â

Maintaining Their Standards

Adriana wears a long skirt that has been altered by the insertion of a panel in the side seam to close up what would have been a high slit. Her mother, Lydia (Enriqueâs wife), and her aunt Mercedes point out that it is often difficult for Paraguayan women to find modest clothing in stores, so the Sanchez descendants have done what others are often forced to doâmake their own alterations or sew their own clothing. Lina, Mercedesâ mother and Lydiaâs mother-in-law, has served as family seamstress, but now the younger women are also learning sewing skills.

Mercedes de Da Silva says life was not particularly hard for her while she was growing up as one of a few Latter-day Saints in her neighborhood. âMy friends all knew I was a member of the Church,â she explains. âThey respected my beliefs.â She says she was fortunate also to attend a Latter-day Saint school that existed in Paraguay for a time. âFor my children, this stage of life is much more difficult than it was for me.â The standards of society are now far more permissive. Mercedes says she and her husband, Ernesto Da Silva, have maintained high standards in their home, including a curfew even for their older children. âWe talk a lot with them about the gospel, and we have family home evenings,â she says. âItâs a great strength for our children, and they know that.â President Ernesto Da Silva was released as an Area Seventy in April of this year and is now serving as president of the Uruguay Montevideo Mission.

The Da Silvasâ son and daughter who served missions, Christian and Karen, wrote home, in fact, to thank their parents for the high standards they were taught and for strong parental examples. Karen Da Silva, who returned from the Argentina CÃrdoba Mission in 2008, explains: âSince I was small, my grandparents and my parents have taught me not only by their words but also by their actions. They really lived what they taught.â What she had learned in her home, she says, helped her as a missionary to teach of the blessings that come through obedience.

Christian, who recently returned from the California San Bernardino Mission, echoes his sisterâs comments about the importance of parental example in his life and adds, âMy own testimony of the gospel grew as I applied the teachings of my parents and grandparents in my life.â This happened in the way Alma described. Christian explains that he made a place in his heart for the seed to be sown, his parents taught him the truth, and he saw in their lives that the fruit of the seed was good (see Alma 32:27â43). âI hope to go on nurturing with faith, nurturing the treeâmy testimonyâso it will take root, grow, and go on producing fruit.â

Mercedes de Da Silva recalls that as a young girl, when she saw the effect of gospel living on her parentsâ and grandparents lives, âI always thought, âWhen I grow up, I will do the same.ââ

Her brother Enrique says gospel living offers certain keys to rearing children in faith. âThree things: teach them the word, teach them by example, and help them learn the gospel as a way of life.â

Through the gospel, he says, his and his wifeâs children, along with others reared in Latter-day Saint homes in Paraguay, can put down spiritual roots that many other young people do not have. âTheir lives have a pathâa purpose,â Enrique says. Their goals are eternal, and with the help of faithful, obedient parents, they are learning how to achieve them.

Members of the extended Sanchez family gather for a family party. Opposite page: The AsunciÃn Paraguay Temple.

Eulogia Diaz de Sanchez (center) led the way into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for her family in 1960. Daughters Liduvina (left) and Lina learned of serving in the Church by watching their parentsâ examples, and they in turn have passed this heritage of service on to their descendants.

Three great-grandchildren of Eulogia Diaz de Sanchez take part in family home evening. From left: Eduardo, Adriana, and Vivian Ojeda. They are children of Eulogiaâs grandson Enrique and his wife, Lydia.

Walking into the exhibit of the Eighth International Art Competition is like walking into a testimony meeting of colors and shapes from 44 countries. In Doctrine and Covenants 115:5 we read, âArise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations,â and the work of these Latter-day Saint artists is doing just that.

This triennial contestâs entries include paintings and handcrafted designs that reflect the theme, âRemembering the Great Things of God.â Our earthly home, the restored gospel, and the precious Atonement of our Savior are some of the subjects the artists have magnified. Out of 1,089 submissions, nearly 200 were selected, including 20 merit awards and 18 purchase awards. The exhibit will be open to the public in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, until October 11, 2009. It offers a chance to be spiritually strengthened by these tangible testimonies.

The exhibit can also be seen online by following the links at www.lds.org/churchhistory/museum.

Far right: âWhereas I Was Blind, Now I Seeâ (John 9:25), by Tyson Snow, Oil on canvas.

Brother Snow says, âI wanted to express the lasting effect of being touched by Christ in some way.â

Below: Windows of Heaven, by Emily McPhie, Oil on canvas, Purchase Award.

âLooking at my little girl took my breath away and brought tears to my eyes. It was as if the windows of heaven opened through her eyes and poured out love and light,â says Sister McPhie.

Left: Resurrection, by Ruth Bradfield, Ceramic.

âI am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he liveâ (John 11:25).

Above: No Greater Love, by Gregory K. Olsen, Oil on linen.

âSomehow, Jesus took upon Himself all of the suffering and frailties of the entire human race,â Brother Olsen says. âThe Atonement was an act of infinite transcendent love for each one of us. This act stands as the most glorious event of all time!â

Right: âHer Sins Are Forgiven, for She Loved Muchâ (Luke 7:47), by Robert Cushing, Oil painting.

Brother Cushing says, âThe womanâs faith and repentance led her to seek the Lordâs forgiveness. Through the Lordâs redeeming love, hope was born in her.â

Left: The Hundredth Sheep, by Claudemir Bonfim, Oil on canvas.

âWhat man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine and go into the wilderness after that which is lost, until he find it?â (Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 15:4).

Left: King of Kings (Pilateâs Lament), by Benjamin McPherson, Oil on canvas.

âThen Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. â And saith â Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in himâ (John 19:1, 4).

Above: The Greatest in the Kingdom, by J. Kirk Richards, Oil on canvas, Merit Award.

âAnd there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. â But he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serveâ (Luke 22:24, 26).

Left: Tree of Life II, by Carol Byington Johnson, Quilted fabric.

Sister Johnson says, âMy artwork depicts the love of God as described in 1 Nephi 11:25, where the tree of life is described as a representation of the love of God.â

Below: The Child, by Kathleen Bateman Peterson, Oil painting, Merit Award.

Of her work, Sister Peterson says, âThis is a painting about Godâs greatest gift to usâlife itself.â

Right: We Thank Thee, O God, for Our Prophets, by Aldo Alejandro del Bosque Hernandez, Wood and mosaic sculpture.

âIn this work,â says the artist, âthe radio chassis represents the love and devotion of President Gordon B. Hinckley and the work he did to advance the Church through the media.â

Right: âI Returned to My Father in the Fieldsâ (Joseph SmithâHistory 1:50), by Howard Post, Oil painting.

âAfter recovering from the effects of the four appearances of Moroni,â says Brother Post, âJoseph recounted his experience to his father.â

Above: Lehiâs Dream, by Larry Ogan, Oil on wood.

Brother Ogan says, âLehi tasted the fruit of the tree and was filled with the gospel of Jesus Christ. â Eternal life was now within his reach.â

Right: Steady Course (see 1 Nephi 8), by Jon Helaman Saline, Carved silver maple wood.

Of his work, Brother Saline says, âThis platter is a representation of Lehiâs dream and the freedom each of us has to take hold of the iron rod or to let go and become lost in unknown paths.â

Along the bottom of pages 41â45, you will see small details of a sampling of images from the art competition. For the complete catalog of images, go online and follow the links at www.lds.org/churchhistory/museum.

One of the things that impressed me most as I studied the scriptures when I was young was the story of the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, who, after they had repented of their sins, buried their weapons of war.

âAnd this they did, it being in their view a testimony to God, and also to men, that they never would use weapons again for the shedding of manâs blood; and this they did, vouching and covenanting with God, that rather than shed the blood of their brethren they would give up their own livesâ (Alma 24:18).

When the Lamanites later came to destroy them, they âprostrated themselves before them to the earth, and began to call on the name of the Lord; and thus they were in this attitude when the Lamanites began to fall upon them, and began to slay them with the swordâ (Alma 24:21).

On that day 1,005 of the people of Ammon, as they came to be known, allowed themselves to be killed. Their powerful testimony and sacrifice helped change the hearts of many of the Lamanites, who in turn were brought to repentance:

âAnd it came to pass that the people of God were joined that day by more than the number who had been slain; and those who had been slain were righteous people, therefore we have no reason to doubt but what they were savedâ (Alma 24:26).

The people of Ammon who survived were forced to leave their lands in search of security. When I read this account, I felt I needed to investigate the law of sacrifice. From Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915â85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, I learned:

âSacrifice is the crowning test of the gospel. Men are tried and tested in this mortal probation to see if they will put first in their lives the things of the kingdom of God. â

âJoseph Smith taught the law of sacrifice in these words: â

â âA religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary [to lead] unto life and salvation; for, from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things. It was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life.ââ1

Many of the blessings we have received in the latter days, especially the building of temples, are the product of the sacrifice of the faithful Saints who preceded us. They passed through great afflictions, even death, to establish the kingdom of God on earth. The Lord, who recognizes the sacrifices of the faithful, has said, âNevertheless, ye are blessed, for the testimony which ye have borne is recorded in heaven for the angels to look upon; and they rejoice over you, and your sins are forgiven youâ (D&C 62:3).

Worth the Sacrifice

Thankfully, few Latter-day-Saints today are called upon to make life-and-death sacrifices for the gospel. But sacrifice, nonetheless, remains central to membership in the Church. As Godâs children embrace the gospel, many must sacrifice prestige, reputation, tradition, financial security, or, in some cases, family ties.

Alejandro Gallegos was 21 in 1995 when he was invited to attend a class at an institute of religion in northern Mexico. When his father found out that his son was studying with los mormones, he was not happy. Nevertheless, Alejandro says, âWithin my heart, a testimony of the gospel had begun to blossom.â When the missionaries invited him to be baptized a short time later, he adds, âI accepted wholeheartedly.â

As his testimony grew, so did his desire to serve a full-time mission. âBut I couldnât count on support from my parents, nor did I have the economic means to support myself on a mission,â he says.

With his bishop, he set goals to prepare spiritually and financially. Achieving those goals meant that Alejandro, a junior, had to put his university studies in electrical engineering on hold. At age 25, when most young men are starting a family, he accepted a mission call, serving honorably until his release in 2001.

âAfter I returned home, I was not able to resume my studies,â Alejandro says. âThe public university I had been attending refused to let me continue.â

He transferred to a private university, which accepted only one year of his three years of university credits. Alejandro, who finished his degree and later married in the Mexico City Mexico Temple, says the sacrifice was worth it because he had realized his goal of serving the Lord as a full-time missionaryâa blessing for which he will always be grateful.

The Gift of Eternal Life

As I have studied sacrifice, I have noted three things that inspire Godâs children to give up temporal blessings in order to obtain the greater gift of eternal life, which comes only through the atoning sacrifice of the Savior:

• 1. Knowledge of the plan of salvation.

• 2. Knowledge of the Resurrection.

• 3. Sacred covenants they have made in the temple.

I came to understand as a young man why Abraham was willing to sacrifice his beloved Isaac, why the people of Ammon willingly sacrificed their lives, how the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum could willingly go to Carthage, and how Latter-day Saint pioneers could lose loved ones on the way to the Salt Lake Valley but still hold firm to their faith to help establish Zion.

The first leaders of every dispensation, as well as those who have been pioneer Latter-day Saints in their respective nations throughout the world, have paid a great price to establish the Church.

We would all benefit from searching and knowing the stories of the local pioneers from the part of the world in which we live. May we be grateful for their sacrifices, and may we willingly follow their example of faith and obedience to the commandments of God.

Helps for Home Evening

âJesus Christ, the Master Teacher, often asked questions to encourage people to ponder and apply the principles He taught. His questions prompted thought, soul-searching, and commitmentâ (Teaching, No Greater Call, 68). Consider creating and asking several questions to help family members understand and apply the truths taught in the article. For example, you could ask: âWhat sacrifices have you been asked to make to live the gospel?â and âWhat blessings have come to you and others as a result of these sacrifices?â Encourage family members to ponder their answers before responding to them.

Good Things Do Come

Shortly after my husband received his masterâs degree, he considered returning to school for a Ph.D. This prospect daunted us since earning his masterâs degree had been so difficult. We had two small children and longed to have a good job and maybe even a house.

That October conference, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared some of his experiences related to moving his young family to Connecticut for graduate school. We had also moved to Connecticut for graduate school. Then he described how he and his family had fit all of their possessions into their little carâwe had done the same. He explained that when the trip began, his car had overheated and broken down not once but twice! Our vehicle also broke down twice.

Finally, he described a more recent experience of driving a reliable car by the spot where his car had broken down 30 years earlier. In his mindâs eye, he saw himself as a young father and said these words: âDonât give up, boy. Donât you quit. â There is help and happiness aheadâa lot of it. â You keep your chin up. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come.â1 Elder Hollandâs experience helped me feel understood and loved. His example gave me the courage to seek the spiritual witness that more education for my husband was the will of the Lord for our family. Five years and two babies later, my husband finished his dissertation. School was definitely challenging, but we were happy. We had followed the Lordâs will, and He had blessed us physically, spiritually, and financially.

Since that conference, I have often thought of Elder Hollandâs talk. I have learned that as I strive to trust God through obeying the counsel of His prophets and apostles, good things really do come.

Melinda McLaughlin, Maryland, USA

I Came to Appreciate Grandma

As a child, I enjoyed writing to my grandmother. She lived across the country, so I rarely saw her more than once a year. But as a teenager, I gradually became too busy to write, and our relationship slowly faded. When Grandma would come to visit for a few days, I would occasionally ask her a question or make a comment, but our conversations were seldom genuine or heartfelt. By the time I turned 16, I barely knew her, and I didnât know how to talk to her.

On the last day of one of her visits, I was alone in the kitchen preparing dinner when she came in and sat down. I greeted her, but afterward I found myself at a loss for words. I could tell that she wanted to talk to me and had probably been seeking an opportunity for some time, but how was I supposed to strike up a conversation with a 75-year-old woman with whom I thought I had nothing in common?

I commented on what I was cooking, but that subject didnât last long. Finally, I asked Grandma about what her life was like at my age. She told me stories about work and social activities, then talked about meeting my grandfather and falling in love. I realized that her life and desires as a teenager werenât that different from my own.

A few months later, President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, spoke about grandparents in general conference. In his talk, âThe Golden Years,â he spoke of the wisdom and guidance older members of the Church can provide. His theme made me reflect on my relationship with my grandmother, and I realized I was missing out on a valuable friendship.

I decided to write to Grandma again. I still wasnât quite sure what to say, so I just wrote about work, friends, family, and what I was doing. She responded to each of my letters and told me about other relatives, her garden, and her day-to-day activities. The next time we were together, talking to her was easy.

Iâm grateful for the conference talk that came at a time when I was ready and willing to get to know my grandmother again. Through President Packerâs words, I realized that I had overlooked the âpriceless resource of experience, wisdom, and inspirationâ2 that my grandmother really is. Now I have come to appreciate this wonderful woman and have been blessed by her example and friendship.

Laura A. Austin, Utah, USA

I Learned for Myself

I confess that when I left on my mission, my testimony was limited to knowledge about the plan of salvation and the Book of Mormon. I recognized that my testimony lacked the depth I wanted it to have, and as a result, I felt inadequate as a missionary.

Like most French members of the Church at the time, I had never attended a broadcast of general conference. We had always attended rebroadcasts, where we listened to conference in French through an interpreter. Now, as a missionary serving in Wales and speaking English, I was going to hear the voice of the prophet, President Ezra Taft Benson (1899â1994), firsthand.

When the session started, the local congregation sang with the members present in the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City. I also sang and was quickly taken aback by an overwhelming feeling of joy and belonging. These feelings testified that I was a member of Jesus Christâs Church.

While I was sitting there, an idea came to mind: âWhat if I asked the Lord to confirm to me that President Benson is His prophet?â

I knew that I could âask Godâ (Moroni 10:4), but I was afraid that somehow I would offend Him with my questions. After a minute of reflection, I decided to try anyway. I bowed my head and asked the Lord to testify to me that the man who was going to speak was His prophet, seer, and revelator. Before long an intense feeling of peace and happiness entered my heart. I raised my head, opened my eyes, and listened to President Benson testify of the Book of Mormon.

From that moment on, I knew for myself that the Lord leads the Church through a chosen prophet. As a result of that testimony, I left conference with new goals, and I knew that it was up to me to reach them. I changed the focus of my mission and looked forward to attending future general conferences. I also eagerly awaited the arrival of the Church magazines so that I could read the sacred words of the Lordâs servants.

Thierry Hotz, France

Tell Them You Love Them

In the October 2007 general conference, Elder Claudio R. M. Costa of the Presidency of the Seventy talked about not waiting until tomorrow to do the things we can do today, especially when it comes to our families.3 At the end of his talk, he shared some lines based on a poem by Norma Cornett Marek. Elder Costaâs message and the words of that poem touched me deeply and encouraged me to start regularly expressing my love to my parents, my sisters, and my friends.

Of course I loved my family and friends before I heard that conference talk, but I was not in the habit of telling them that I loved them, at least not every day. Maybe they did need to hear those special words from me more regularly. I wasnât sure at first how they would take it, but when I received a positive reaction, I decided to continue this practice. Over the next several months, I saw that my relationships were strengthened in part because I had heeded Elder Costaâs words.

Now I am serving as a full-time missionary thousands of miles from my home in Costa Rica. I miss my family, but itâs OK. I know they love me, and I also know that they know I love them. I feel peace because I took (and still take) opportunities to express my love.

I am grateful that we have the opportunity to regularly listen to leaders called by God. I know that as we follow them, our lives and the lives of those we love will be blessed.

Elder Hugo Lino Rivera Mena, Idaho Boise Mission

Make Conference a Priority

âDecide now to make general conference a priority in your life. Decide to listen carefully and follow the teachings that are given. Listen to or read the talks more than once to better understand and follow the counsel. By doing these things, the gates of hell will not prevail against you, [and] the powers of darkness will be dispersed from before you [see D&C 21:6].â

Elder Paul V. Johnson of the Seventy, âThe Blessings of General Conference,â Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2005, 52.

The Prophet in Liberty Jail

One of the most trying times in the history of the Church, both in terms of its impact on the Church generally and in the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith personally, occurred during the winter of 1838â39. The Prophet, who bore the brunt of the persecution in that period, had been imprisoned in the ironically named Liberty Jail. Until his martyrdom five and a half years later, there was no more burdensome time in Josephâs life than this cruel, illegal, and unjustified incarceration.

Liberty Jail, one of the more forbidding structures in that region, was considered escape proof, and it probably was. Surrounded by stone walls four feet thick, the floor-to-ceiling height in the dungeon was barely six feet. Inasmuch as some of the men, including the Prophet Joseph, were over six feet tall, this meant that when standing they were constantly in a stooped position. When they lay down, it was mostly upon the rough, bare stones of the prison floor covered here and there by a bit of loose, dirty straw or an occasional dirty straw mat.

The food given to the prisoners was coarse and sometimes contaminated, so filthy that one of them said they âcould not eat it until [they] were driven to it by hunger.â1 On as many as four occasions poison was administered to them in their food, making them so violently ill that for days they alternated between vomiting and a kind of delirium, not really caring whether they lived or died.

In the Prophet Josephâs letters, he spoke of the jail being a âhell, surrounded with demons â where we are compelled to hear nothing but blasphemous oaths, and witness a scene of blasphemy, and drunkenness and hypocrisy, and debaucheries of every description.â2 âWe have â not blankets sufficient to keep us warm; and when we have a fire, we are obliged to have almost a constant smoke,â he said.3 âOur souls have been bowed downâ4 and âmy nerve trembles from long confinement,â Joseph wrote.5 âPen, or tongue, or angels,â could not adequately describe âthe malice of hellâ that he suffered there.6 All of this occurred during what, by some accounts, was considered the coldest winter on record in the state of Missouri.

A Prison-Temple Experience

Most of us, most of the time, speak of the facility at Liberty as a âjailâ or a âprisonââand certainly it was that. But Elder Brigham H. Roberts (1857â1933) of the First Council of the Seventy, in recording the history of the Church, spoke of the facility as a temple, or, more accurately, a âprison-temple.â7 Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926â2004) used the same phrasing in some of his writings. Certainly this prison-temple lacked the purity, beauty, comfort, and cleanliness of our modern temples. The speech and behavior of the guards and criminals who came there were anything but temple-like. In fact, the restricting brutality and injustice of this experience at Liberty would make it seem the very antithesis of the liberating, merciful spirit of our temples and the ordinances performed in them.

So in what sense could Liberty Jail be called a âtemple,â and what does such a title tell us about Godâs love and teachings, including where and when that love and those teachings are made manifest? In precisely this sense: that you can have sacred, revelatory, profoundly instructive experiences with the Lord in any situation you are in. Indeed, you can have sacred, revelatory, profoundly instructive experiences with the Lord in the most miserable experiences of your lifeâin the worst settings, while enduring the most painful injustices, when facing the most insurmountable odds and opposition you have ever faced.

In one way or another, great or small, dramatic or incidental, every one of us is going to spend a little time in Liberty Jailâspiritually speaking. We will face things we do not want to face for reasons that may not be our fault. Indeed, we may face difficult circumstances for reasons that were absolutely right and proper, reasons that came because we were trying to keep the commandments of the Lord. We may face persecution, we may endure heartache and separation from loved ones, we may be hungry and cold and forlorn. Yes, before our lives are over we may all be given a little taste of what the prophets faced often in their lives.

But the lessons of the winter of 1838â39 teach us that every experience can become a redemptive experience if we remain bonded to our Father in Heaven through it. These difficult lessons teach us that manâs extremity is Godâs opportunity, and if we will be humble and faithful, if we will be believing and not curse God for our problems, He can turn the unfair and inhumane and debilitating prisons of our lives into templesâor at least into a circumstance that can bring comfort and revelation, divine companionship and peace.

Lessons from Liberty Jail

The truths Joseph received while in Liberty Jail reveal that God was not only teaching Joseph Smith in that prison circumstance, but He was also teaching all of us, for generations yet to come. How empty our lives as Latter-day Saints would be if we did not have sections 121, 122, and 123 of the Doctrine and Covenants! They are contained in a mere six pages of text, but those six pages touch our hearts with their beauty and their power. And they remind us that God often âmoves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform.â8 He certainly turned adversity into blessing in giving us those sacred writings and reflectionsâso pure, noble, and Christian in both tone and content, yet produced in such an impure, ignoble, and unchristian setting.

1. Everyone Faces Trying Times

The first lesson from Liberty Jail is inherent in what Iâve already mentionedâthat everyone, including, and perhaps especially, the righteous, will be called upon to face trying times. When that happens we can sometimes fear that God has abandoned us, and we might be left, at least for a time, to wonder when our troubles will ever end. As individuals, as families, as communities, and as nations, probably everyone has had or will have an occasion to feel as Joseph Smith felt when he cried from the depth and discouragement of his confinement: âO God, where art thou? â How long shall thy hand be stayed â ? Yea, O Lord, how long shall [thy people] suffer â before â thy bowels be moved with compassion toward them?â (D&C 121:1â3).

Whenever these moments of our extremity come, we must not succumb to the fear that God has abandoned us or that He does not hear our prayers. He does hear us. He does see us. He does love us. When we are in dire circumstances and want to cry, âWhere art Thou?â it is imperative that we remember He is right there with usâwhere He has always been! We must continue to believe, continue to have faith, continue to pray and plead with heaven, even if we feel for a time our prayers are not heard and that God has somehow gone away. He is there. Our prayers are heard. And when we weep He and the angels of heaven weep with us.

When lonely, cold, hard times come, we have to endure, we have to continue, we have to persist. That was the Saviorâs message in the parable of the importuning widow (see Luke 18:1â8; see also Luke 11:5â10). Keep knocking on that door. Keep pleading. In the meantime, know that God hears your cries and knows your distress. He is your Father, and you are His child.

When what has to be has been and when what lessons to be learned have been learned, it will be for us as it was for the Prophet Joseph. Just at the time he felt most alone and distant from heavenâs ear was the very time he received the wonderful ministration of the Spirit and the glorious answers that came from his Father in Heaven:

âMy son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

âAnd then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foesâ (D&C 121:7â8).

Even though seemingly unjust circumstances may be heaped upon us, and even though unkind and unmerited things may be done to usâperhaps by those we consider enemies but also, in some cases, by those whom we thought were friendsânevertheless, through it all, God is with us.

We are not alone in our little prisons here. When suffering, we may in fact be nearer to God than weâve ever been in our entire lives. That knowledge can turn every such situation into a would-be temple.

Regarding our earthly journey, the Lord has promised, âI will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you upâ (D&C 84:88). That is an everlasting declaration of Godâs love and care for us, includingâand perhaps especiallyâin times of trouble.

2. Even the Worthy Will Suffer

Second, we need to realize that just because difficult things happen, it does not mean that we are unrighteous or that we are unworthy of blessings or that God is disappointed in us. Of course, sinfulness does bring suffering, and the only answer to that behavior is repentance. But sometimes suffering comes to the righteous too. You will recall that from the depths of Liberty Jail when Joseph was reminded that he had indeed been âcast â into trouble,â had passed through tribulation and been falsely accused, had been torn away from his family and cast into a pit and into the hands of murderers, nevertheless, he was to remember that the same thing had happened to the Savior of the world, and because He was triumphant, so shall we be (see D&C 122:4â7). In giving us this sober reminder of what the Savior went through, the revelation from Liberty Jail records, âThe Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?â (D&C 122:8).

No, Joseph was not greater than the Savior, and neither are we. And when we promise to follow the Savior, to walk in His footsteps, and be His disciples, we are promising to go where that divine path leads us. And the path of salvation has always led one way or another through Gethsemane. So if the Savior faced such injustices and discouragements, such persecutions, unrighteousness, and suffering, we cannot expect that we are not going to face some of that if we still intend to call ourselves His true disciples and faithful followers.

In fact, it ought to be a matter of great doctrinal consolation to us that Jesus, in the course of the Atonement, experienced all of the heartache and sorrow, all of the disappointments and injustices that the entire family of man had experienced and would experience from Adam and Eve to the end of the world in order that we would not have to face them so severely or so deeply. However heavy our load might be, it would be a lot heavier if the Savior had not gone that way before us and carried that burden with us and for us.

Very early in the Prophet Josephâs ministry, the Savior taught him this doctrine. After speaking of sufferings so exquisite to feel and so hard to bear, Jesus said, âI, God, have suffered these things for all, that they [and that means you and I and everyone] might not suffer if they would repentâ (D&C 19:16). In our moments of pain and trial, I guess we would shudder to think it could be worse, but without the Atonement it not only could be worse, it would be worse. Only through our faith and repentance and obedience to the gospel that provided the sacred Atonement is it kept from being worse.

Furthermore, we note that not only has the Savior suffered, in His case entirely innocently, but so have most of the prophets and other great men and women recorded in the scriptures. The point is this: if you are having a bad day, youâve got a lot of companyâvery, very good company. The best company that has ever lived.

Now, donât misunderstand. We donât have to look for sorrow. We donât have to seek to be martyrs. Trouble has a way of finding us even without our looking for it. But when it is obvious that a little time in Liberty Jail waits before you (spiritually speaking), remember that God has not forgotten you and that the Savior has been where you have been, allowing Him to provide for your deliverance and your comfort.

3. Remain Calm, Patient, Charitable, and Forgiving

Third, remember that in the midst of these difficult feelings when one could justifiably be angry or reactionary or vengeful, wanting to demand an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, the Lord reminds us from the Liberty Jail prison-temple that âthe rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only [or âexceptâ] upon the principles of righteousnessâ (D&C 121:36). Therefore, even when we face such distressing circumstances in our life and there is something in us that wants to strike out at God or man or friend or foe, we must remember that âno power or influence can or ought to be maintained â [except] by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; â without hypocrisy, and without guileâ (D&C 121:41â42; emphasis added).

It has always been a wonderful testimony to me of the Prophet Josephâs greatness and the greatness of all of our prophets, including and especially the Savior of the world in His magnificence, that in the midst of such distress and difficulty they could remain calm and patient, charitable and forgivingâthat they could even talk that way, let alone live that way. But they could, and they did. They remembered their covenants, they disciplined themselves, and they knew that we must live the gospel at all times, not just when it is convenient and not just when things are going well. Indeed, they knew that the real test of our faith and our Christian discipleship is when things are not going smoothly. That is when we get to see what weâre made of and how strong our commitment to the gospel really is.

Surely the classic example of this is that in the most painful hours of the Crucifixion the Savior could say, âFather, forgive them; for they know not what they doâ (Luke 23:34). That is a hard thing to ask when weâre hurting or have been offended, are tired or stressed out or suffering innocently. But that is when Christian behavior may matter the most. As Joseph was taught in his prison-temple, even in distress and sorrow we must âlet [our] bowels â be full of charity towards all men â ; then [and only then] shall [our] confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and â the Holy Ghost shall be [our] constant companionâ (D&C 121:45â46).

Remaining true to our Christian principles is the only way divine influence can help us. The Spirit has a near impossible task to get through to a heart that is filled with hate or anger or vengeance or self-pity. Those are all antithetical to the Spirit of the Lord. On the other hand, the Spirit finds instant access to a heart striving to be charitable and forgiving, long-suffering, and kindâprinciples of true discipleship. What a testimony that if we strive to remain faithful, the triumph of a Christian life can never be vanquished, no matter how grim the circumstance might be. How I love the majesty of these elegant, celestial teachings taught, ironically, in such a despicable setting and time.

Do All Things Cheerfully

As a valedictory to the lessons from Liberty Jail, I refer to the last verse of section 123: âTherefore â let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealedâ (D&C 123:17; emphasis added).

What a tremendously optimistic and faithful concluding declaration to be issued from a prison-temple! When he wrote those lines, Joseph did not know when he would be released or if he would ever be released. There was every indication that his enemies were still planning to take his life.

Furthermore, his wife and children were alone, frightened, often hungry, wondering how they would fend for themselves without their husband and father. The Saints, too, were without homes and without their prophet. They were leaving Missouri, heading for Illinois, but who knew what tragedies were awaiting them there? Surely, to say it again, it was the bleakest and darkest of times.

Yet in these cold, lonely hours, Joseph says let us do all we can and do it cheerfully. And then we can justifiably turn to the Lord, wait upon His mercy, and see His arm revealed in our behalf.

What a magnificent attitude to maintain in good times or bad, in sorrow or in joy!

I testify that the Father and the Son live and that They are close, perhaps even closest via the Holy Spirit, when we are experiencing difficult times. I testify that heavenâs kindness will never depart from you, regardless of what happens (see Isaiah 54:7â10; see also 3 Nephi 22:7â10). I testify that bad days come to an end, that faith always triumphs, and that heavenly promises are always kept. God is our Father, Jesus is the Christ, and this is the true and living gospelâfound in this, the true and living Church. I testify that President Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God, our prophet for this hour and this day. I love him and sustain him as I know you do. In the words of the Liberty Jail prison-temple experience, âHold on thy way. â Fear not â , for God shall be with you forever and everâ (D&C 122:9).

A favorite hymn that we often sing in priesthood meeting is âYe Elders of Israel,â with lyrics by Cyrus H. Wheelock. The third verse reads:

Weâll go to the poor, like our Captain of old,
And visit the weary, the hungry, and cold;
Weâll cheer up their hearts with the news that he bore
And point them to Zion and life evermore.1

On the Saturday before general conference in October 1856, Elder Franklin D. Richards and a handful of returning missionaries arrived in the Salt Lake Valley. They reported to President Brigham Young that hundreds of pioneer men, women, and children were scattered over the long trail to the valley, facing the early onset of winter. The people were hungry, and many carts and wagons were breaking down. People and animals were dying. All of them would perish unless they were rescued.

Sunday morning President Young assigned all those who would speak that day and during the conference that followed to address the pioneersâ plight. In his address he said:

âThat is my religion; that is the dictation of the Holy Ghost that I possess. It is to save the people. â

âI will tell you that your faith, religion, and profession of religion, will never save one soul of you in the Celestial Kingdom of our God, unless you carry out just such principles as I am now teaching you. Go and bring in those people now on the plains.â2

Cyrus H. Wheelock sat in those meetings. He became a member of the first rescue party that left Salt Lake City on October 7 to search for the Saints scattered on the plains.

Later, George D. Grant, who headed the rescue party, reported to President Young: âIt is not of much use for me to attempt to give a description of the situation of these people, for this you will learn from [others] â ; but you can imagine between five and six hundred men, women and children, worn down by drawing hand carts through snow and mud; fainting by the wayside; falling, chilled by the cold; children crying, their limbs stiffened by cold, their feet bleeding and some of them bare to snow and frost. The sight is almost too much for the stoutest of us; but we go on doing all we can, not doubting nor despairing.â3

The text of âYe Elders of Israelâ may have been on Brother Wheelockâs mind during those difficult days of 1856. The rescuers literally reached out to the weary, hungry, and cold. They cheered them up and showed them the way to Zion in the Salt Lake Valley.

Saving People

In our time of jet planes, when it takes less than a day to travel from Europe to the Salt Lake Valley, settings and conditions have changed drastically. But President Youngâs statement has not changedâit is still our religion to save people. As members of the Lordâs Church, we will always be under an obligation to rescue those in spiritual and physical need. As the Lord stated to the elders of the early restored Church: âRemember in all things the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted, for he that doeth not these things, the same is not my discipleâ (D&C 52:40).

We want to be true disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. We declare that we love God and want to follow His commandments. Every Sunday we renew our baptismal covenants, worship God in our meetings, and praise Him for the many blessings He extends to us. King Benjaminâs reminder is still true: âWhen ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your Godâ (Mosiah 2:17).

When the Lord wants to bless someoneâs life or help someone in need, He often sends a neighbor, friend, or family member. This is one way He brings support and salvation to others. By doing so, He helps us understand the great commandment, âThou shalt love thy neighbour as thyselfâ (Matthew 22:39).

Is it any wonder that we are often the greatest beneficiaries of our reaching out to others? The Lord has promised, âHe that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soulâ (D&C 4:4). Bringing salvation to others brings salvation to our own soul.

Keeping Our Eyes Open

There are many ways we can reach out to others and help those with physical and spiritual needs. If we walk through life with open eyes, the Lord will show us opportunities that will bless others and ourselves.

Recently I attended a conference of Church humanitarian missionaries in Jordan. As I met with them, I saw two sisters knitting. They told me they were knitting little caps for newborns. In the northern part of the capital city of Amman is a hospital that delivers 50 babies a day. The people there are very poor. After delivery, mothers and babies are sent back to their homes, where there is no heating. Many of these babies suffer from disease and die because of a loss of body heat. I asked for two samples of their knitting.

After I returned home, my wife took the samples to Relief Society. As a result, a miracle beganâjust as it so often begins in many of our Relief Society meetings around the world. During the Christmas season many sisters from our surrounding wards started to knit and sew baby caps. They did it alone, with friends, at home, or at Church activities.

One day I asked a friend how he was doing. With a twinkle in his eye, he replied, âI am a âvictimâ of baby caps. We are talking baby caps night and day. We are surrounded by them.â One sister called and asked me, âIsnât it warm in the Middle East?â When I assured her that the caps were needed, she went to work.

When I returned to Jordan, I had more than 800 baby caps in my suitcases. As we turned them over to the senior consultant of the hospitalâs baby station, he thought they were a godsend. Jordan had just experienced the coldest winter in 16 years, with temperatures well below freezing.

Reaching Out to Others

Reaching out and helping is not limited by age, health, time, skills, or financial resources. Everybody who has the desire can help others in need. We can participate in organized welfare projects. We can give a generous fast offering. We can visit and comfort a friend who is sick. We can invite someone facing problems into our home. We can faithfully visit the families we home teach and the sisters we visit teach. We can invite a friend struggling with adversity to our Sunday meetings. We can accompany the full-time missionaries. We can do family history work and serve in the temple often. We can listen to our children and grandchildren, teach them, and encourage them to walk in the light.

Sometimes reaching out is as easy as offering a sincere prayer, making a phone call, or writing a short note. If we are too busy to reach out to someone in need, then we are too busy. When we go about doing good, we act upon the invitation of the Savior:

âI give unto you to be the light of this people. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

âBehold, do men light a candle and put it under a bushel? Nay, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house;

âTherefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heavenâ (3 Nephi 12:14â16).

Pointing Others to Zion and Life Evermore

Reaching out to others is simply caring for people. We do not care about numbers or statistics but about the well-being of the people around us. If we do good, reach out, and provide spiritual and physical help according to our strength and ability, we automatically point others to Zion. They will be attracted by what we are and what we represent. They will be blessed by what they see and feel. Their testimonies will be established or strengthened. Then the assurance of the Lord will reverberate in our souls:

âBe faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.

âAnd if thou art faithful unto the end thou shalt have a crown of immortality, and eternal life in the mansions which I have prepared in the house of my Fatherâ (D&C 81:5â6).

Truly, our religion is to rescue and save souls.

A Mission of Saving

âAll about us there are many who are in need of help and who are deserving of rescue. Our mission in life, as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, must be a mission of saving.â

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910â2008), âOur Mission of Saving,â Ensign, Nov. 1991, 59.

What was the best marriage advice you ever received?

âQuestions and Answers,â Ensign, Sep 2009, 17â21

Shortly after my wife, Merry, and I were married in 1971, she and I were at a party. In telling what I thought was a humorous story, I sarcastically said something negative about my wife, and everyone laughed. When we got home that evening, Merry told me that I had hurt her feelings. I responded that I was only trying to be funny. She suggested we make it a practice to never say anything negative about each other in public. After some discussion, I agreed to do this.

There were a few slip-ups over the next few months, but after gentle reminders of our agreement, I developed the habit of never saying anything negative about Merry to others. She has done the same when she talks about me.

Overall, this has had a wonderful effect on our marriage. Focusing on the positive things about each other in both our public and private conversations has resulted in our building each other up rather than tearing each other down.

Bob Heiner, Tennessee, USA

I donât recall any of the advice given on my wedding day, but fortunately I had received plenty of good advice on marriage through 20 years of observing my parents. As my mom watched science fiction movies with my dad (even though she preferred musicals), I learned about putting my spouseâs wants before my own. Watching my dad consistently open doors for my mom taught me to always treat my spouse with consideration and respect. In seeing my parents go on datesâwalking together or simply talking somewhere away from childrenâI learned that continued courtship is important, even if time and money are short. And as they fulfilled their callings willingly and took eight sometimes cantankerous children to church each week, I learned that the surest way to enjoy an eternal marriage is for both partners to stay close to the Savior.

Crystal Sexton Taggart, Washington, USA

A stake president gave me two admonitions that have served me very well:

• â Never let a day go by without telling your spouse, âI love you.â

• â Never let a day go by without praying together.

My wife and I implemented his advice right after we were married, and it didnât take us long to see its emotional and spiritual benefits. We know that at least once every day we will have a point of balance and unification when we are tuned into each other and into the Lord.

My wife and I have adhered to this counsel and have been happily married for nearly 17 years.

Jon Fullmer, Utah, USA

The best marriage advice I ever received was from my dad, Richard Hopkins, who told me that an accomplishment for one person in a marriage is a victory for both. My husband, Mark, and I have made this one of the rules we live by.

For example, if one spouse graduates from college, it brings honor to the family and should be celebrated as a joint accomplishment. (After all, for one spouse to graduate, the other had to support the effort by sacrificing time and perhaps by contributing financially or helping more than usual with childcare.) And now the whole family is better off because of it.

The same concept applies to other accomplishmentsâserving well at Church, doing well at music or sports or other talents, getting a promotion at work, and so forth.

This advice has worked so well in our 25 years of marriage that we decided to apply it to our six children as well. The accomplishment of any child is a victory for the whole family. Other children should not feel pressured to accomplish something similar, nor should they resent the success of their sibling; instead, we celebrate what one has done to bring honor to everyone.

Linley Baker, France

The best marriage advice I ever received came from my father, who says that the key to a successful marriage is to âput the other person first.â Itâs simple advice, but I have found that if both husband and wife commit to putting the otherâs needs and wants ahead of their own, selfishness is taken out of the equation. As I apply this counsel in my own marriage, there is less conflict and fewer arguments, which leads to more understanding and an increase in the Spirit, love, and cooperation.

For instance, when my husband was in school studying to be a civil engineer, he wanted to participate in a steel bridge-building competition. He thought it would be a good academic and career opportunity, but it would mean spending long hours at schoolâand away from home. I realized that this would require sacrifice on my part, but I remembered my dadâs advice and decided that if participation on this team was important to my husband, I could put his preferences ahead of my own.

The months that my husband spent preparing for the competition ended up being a good experience not only for my husband and his team (some of whom have become good friends to our family), but also for me. In the beginning, it took a conscious effort to remind myself to think about my husband first, but the more I supported him and saw the results that came from doing so, the easier it became. My husband has in turnâmany timesâgiven me opportunities to pursue things that are important to me.

For being so simple, my fatherâs counsel has had a huge impact.

Suzanne Affleck, Nevada, USA

The best advice I received was not to discuss important issues after 10 p.m. When the hour is late and one or both spouses are tired, discussions can more easily become heated.

When my wife and I are talking at night and notice that the discussion is not progressing, we look to the clock. If itâs after 10 p.m., we end the discussion for the night.

The next morning, both of us are more agreeable and are typically more willing to come to a compromise.

Clark Hatch, California, USA

The night before my wedding, I stayed up until 3:00 a.m. talking with my dad. Since he and my mom had been married for 50 years, I asked him if he had any marital advice for me. He suggested that I complete common household tasks with my spouse and then gave examples like making the bed, cooking, and washing the dishes.

Several months later, my husband and I were working in the backyard of our new home, him in one section and me in another. We were both content doing our different tasks, but then I remembered Dadâs counsel. I shared it with my husband, and he came to assist me in the flower bed, digging holes in which I could plant mums. This turned out to be a great arrangement, as the soil had not been tilled for some time and was quite hard. The job would have been much more difficult for one of us to do on our own than it was for us to do together.

This kind of cooperation became a ritual for all our yard projects, from watering the lawn to making plans for the garden. Not only do we enjoy a great-looking yard, we have also gained from spending time together, planning together, and talking together.

My husband and I have discovered that love grows in a similar way to flowers and plants. The more cultivation and work we put into our relationship, the more beauty and bounty we get in return.

Elizabeth Bliss, South Carolina, USA

During an interview with our stake president shortly before my wife and I were married, he gave us several pieces of counsel. One of them was to attend the temple as often as possible. Doing so has helped us remember our covenants with the Lord and with each other. Putting those covenants at the forefront of our minds through regular temple attendance helps us remember the things that matter most, even amid the distractions of everyday life. It has reminded us of the plan of salvation and the eternal nature of families. And it has helped us center our lives on the eternal, not the temporal.

Relatively speaking, my wife and I are still newlyweds (weâve been married almost two years), but we feel that abiding by this counsel has given our marriage a wonderful start.

Kent A. Burton, Arizona, USA

My sister and brother-in-law were married in the Washington D.C. Temple, and after the ceremony, I heard their bishop give the couple this counsel: âWhen you can either be right or have peace, choose peace.â His advice has helped me keep the right perspective with my own eternal companion. Of course, this bishop wasnât encouraging unnecessary submission; rather, he was pointing out that when spouses exercise humility to seek the greater good, both are blessed. It taught me that even when my husband and I disagree about important things, we can do so in a respectful, peaceful, and loving way.

JoLynne Dougherty, Pennsylvania, USA

The best marriage advice I ever received was from my father. He told me, âMarriage is like rowing a boat. If both of you pull the same way, you will go somewhere.â That made sense to me because I remembered being in a boat with a friend, going around in circles and not making any distance because we were pulling our oars in opposite directions.

My husband, Emmitt, and I have been married for more than 50 years, and we can testify that my fatherâs advice is sound. We set a goal to be sealed in the Washington D.C. Temple and then pulled together to reach that goal. What a wonderful blessing that is!

These two stepsâsetting goals and pulling together to achieve themâare important in building a happy, successful marriage.

Shirley Napier, North Carolina, USA

The day my husband, Alan, and I were married is somewhat a blur to me, but I clearly recall the ordinance worker who sealed us counseling us to keep our marriage within our marriage. Those words did not hold significance for me right away, but in the time that has passed since, they have become a cherished motto for my husband and me.

Alan and I share a high level of trust. Both of us know that weâll say only positive things about each other to outside parties.

Like other couples, we have experienced uncertainty and sorrow as well as joy and great blessings. There have been times when we could have easily turned from one another or turned to our parents before turning to each other. But by keeping our marriage within our marriage, we find that we want to share our ups and downs with each other. By turning to each other and then together, turning to the Lord, our marriage has become stronger, we have more easily faced our trials, and the precious moments we share have become far more meaningful.

Nicole Larkin, Kentucky, USA

As I have been deployed with the military far from home, I have had plenty of time to reflect on my marriage and on what I can do to improve it. My deployment has created challenges for our family as well as for me personally. There are many temptations, and some commonly justify temptations by rationalizing that we are so far from home nobody will ever know what we do or donât do.

But some advice I received from a priesthood leader early in my marriage has helped me resist such temptations. He counseled me, âBe the kind of person your wife and family think that you are.â That advice I received years ago has given me the strength to be the husband and father I know I need to beâthe husband and father my family thinks I am. It has motivated me to live in such a way that I know that my reunion with my family will be one of joy, not of regret.

I believe that personal worthiness is key in having a successful marriage. I am grateful for the advice of my priesthood leader in helping me strive for that.

Erik Richardson, New Mexico, USA

My husband, Ron, and I had been happily married about three years when we had a little fight. I cannot remember any of the details except that I called my mother and asked if the children and I could come âhomeâ to her for a little while.

I shall never forget the excitement in her voice as she said, âOh, yesâif you bring Ron with you!â

We never went, but that is the best marriage advice I ever received. Ron and I have now been married 55 years.

Maxine Rodgers, Canada

Giving and Receiving Happiness

âThe marriage that is based upon selfishness is almost certain to fail. The one who marries for wealth or the one who marries for prestige or social plane is certain to be disappointed. The one who marries to satisfy vanity and pride or who marries to spite or to show up another person is fooling only himself. But the one who marries to give happiness as well as receive it, to give service as well as to receive it, and who looks after the interests of the two and then the family as it comes will have a good chance that the marriage will be a happy one.â

Spencer W. Kimball, âOneness in Marriage,â Ensign, Oct. 2002, 43.

Share Your Ideas

An upcoming Q&A feature will focus on the following topic:

I often feel overwhelmed because I donât feel I measure up to all thatâs expected of me in living the gospel. How can I learn to rejoice in the gospel when I feel like I may never be able to become or do all that the Lord requires of me?

If you would like to share your ideas, please label your submission âJoy in the Gospelâ and follow the guidelines under âDo You Have a Story to Tell?â on page 2. Please limit responses to 500 words and submit them by October 16.