"They Call for New Light"
President Hugh B. Brown
- First Counselor in the First Presidency
📅 0
📖 general conference
The author discusses the Church's belief in a personal and real God, countering the abstract essence concept, and reaffirms the Church's conviction in the personal nature of God.
For ourselves, we reaffirm our conviction that God is real and personal, that Jesus the Christ is his Only Begotten Son. We rejoice to proclaim to the world that he is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. Our answer, then, to the Bishop of Woolwich is that God is real and personal, and we are not concerned as he seems to be as to whether he is "up there" or "out there" or whether this is a three-storied universe. We know that he lives, that he can and does appear to men.
Forgiveness
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"They Taught and Did Minister One to Another"
Elder James M. Paramore
- Of the First Quorum of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
A stake president shares the story of a reactivated member who expressed his gratitude for the gospel and his commitment to spend his life ministering to others.
A few years ago while I was serving as stake president, I had some special, spiritual experiences, one of which I"™d like to share with you today. One time in a stake conference, one of my great friends and reactivated brothers stood and bore his testimony of the power that had come into his life because of the teachings of Jesus Christ and of those who had ministered unto him. His heart was full, his eyes overflowed, as he stood before the audience with his arms around his two sons. He said, ... (continued)
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"They Taught and Did Minister One to Another"
Elder James M. Paramore
- Of the First Quorum of the Seventy
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📖 general conference
The reactivated member, now a home teacher, persistently ministers to families who were less active in the Church, relating to their initial resistance as he once did the same.
And minister and serve he did, with love, unending effort, and great personal concern. As a home teacher, he was assigned to some special, great families who, as he had once been, were away from the Church and had challenges"”some almost overwhelming. He began his work in earnest, going to them as a friend and servant"”a true minister. He visited and visited and served them in every way that he could. At first (just as he had been), they didn"™t want to talk to him or hear his message, and ... (continued)
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"They Taught and Did Minister One to Another"
Elder James M. Paramore
- Of the First Quorum of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
A reactivated bishop shares his journey back to the Church, highlighting the nonjudgmental acceptance and friendship he received from other members.
He understood how they felt, expressed as follows by a reactivated man who is currently a bishop in the Church: "Because I wasn"™t living a righteous life, I looked down my nose at others. When you lose the Spirit of the Lord, you don"™t judge things properly. You look to judge negatively and to find fault. You wrap yourself in your own cocoon, so to speak, and you rationalize. But when I started working with these men, I found some of these fellows like to do the things that I like to do. I ... (continued)
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"They Taught and Did Minister One to Another"
Elder James M. Paramore
- Of the First Quorum of the Seventy
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📖 general conference
The home teacher helps an alcoholic father overcome his addiction through prayer and divine intervention.
One of the fathers he was teaching had what was thought to be an incurable alcohol problem. Every day after work for twenty years, he bought alcohol and consumed it until he could hardly find his way home. He received friendship and encouragement to pray to heaven for help. One day after his work, while he was driving into the countryside with his bottle, a voice came into his heart to stop his car, walk out into the field, and pray to Father in Heaven for help. His simple prayer was heard by hi ... (continued)
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"They Taught and Did Minister One to Another"
Elder James M. Paramore
- Of the First Quorum of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
President Spencer W. Kimball's insights on the Savior's ministry emphasize the pure, selfless nature of Christ's gifts and service.
President Spencer W. Kimball gave these insights about the ministry of the Savior: "Never did the Savior give in expectation. I know of no case in his life in which there was an exchange. He was always the giver, seldom the recipient. Never did he give shoes, hose, or a vehicle; never did he give perfume, a shirt, or a fur wrap. His gifts were of such a nature that the recipient could hardly exchange or return the value. His gifts were rare ones: eyes to the blind, ears to the deaf, and legs to ... (continued)
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"They Taught and Did Minister One to Another"
Elder James M. Paramore
- Of the First Quorum of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The story of Ammon from the Book of Mormon illustrates his dedication to serving and teaching the Lamanites, leading to miraculous events and the establishment of the Church among them.
One of the great stories on ministering to others comes from Alma in the Book of Mormon. (SeeAlma 17Alma 18andAlma 19Ammon, one of the sons of Mosiah, truly gave himself to teaching and ministering unto the people for over fourteen years. He had waxed strong in the knowledge of truth by searching the scriptures diligently, by much prayer and fasting, and he received the spirit of prophecy and revelation and taught with power and authority from God. He prayed that he might be an instrument in the ... (continued)
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"They"™re Not Really Happy"
Bishop Glenn L. Pace
- Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts how his children would question why they couldn't participate in recreational activities like waterskiing or snow skiing on Sundays, and how he struggled to explain the value of church attendance over these activities.
When our children were younger and we would be on our way to Sunday church meetings, occasionally we would pass a car pulling a boat. My children would become silent and press their noses against the windows and ask, “Dad, why can’t we go waterskiing today instead of to church?â€
Sometimes I would take the easy but cowardly way out and answer, “It’s simple; we don’t have a boat.†However, on my more conscientious days, I would muster up all the logic a ... (continued)
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"They"™re Not Really Happy"
Bishop Glenn L. Pace
- Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker shares a personal story from his junior high school days about envying his cat's ability to stay warm at home while he had to go out into the cold for school, but later realizing the value of his human experiences.
When I was in junior high school, I would get out of bed on cold winter mornings and head for the heat vent to get warm. The family cat would always beat me there, so I would gently shoo her away and sit down. Soon my mother would tell me it was time to leave for school. I would look out at the icicles on the house and dread going out into the cold, let alone begin another day of school.
As I kissed my mother good-bye and went out the door, I would look longingly at my comfortable spot in front ... (continued)
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"They"™re Not Really Happy"
Bishop Glenn L. Pace
- Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker encourages young men to resist the temptations of the world, symbolized by a great and spacious building, and to follow the commandments for true happiness.
To those of you who are inching your way closer and closer to that great and spacious building, let me make it completely clear that the people in that building have absolutely nothing to offer except instant, short-term gratification inescapably connected to long-term sorrow and suffering. The commandments you observe were not given by a dispassionate God to prevent you from having fun, but by a loving Father in Heaven who wants you to be happy while you are living on this earth as well as in t ... (continued)
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"They"™re Not Really Happy"
Bishop Glenn L. Pace
- Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker emphasizes the importance of staying true to one's beliefs despite societal pressures, using the example of churches changing doctrines to fit members' lifestyles.
The members of many churches in the world have been putting pressure on their leaders to change doctrine to fit the changing life-style of the members. Many have been successful, and more and more we see churches made up of the doctrines of men. There are absolute truths of eternity. They do not change as a society drifts from them. No popular vote can change an absolute, eternal truth. Legalizing an act does not make it moral. Don’t be fooled by the argument “Everybody’s doi ... (continued)
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"They"™re Not Really Happy"
Bishop Glenn L. Pace
- Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker offers hope and a promise of celestial joy to those who may feel trapped by the temptations of the world, assuring them that through Jesus Christ, they can find a way to escape and return to the love and comfort of their earthly and heavenly homes.
To those of you who are struggling and losing ground, you who have been lured into that building through one of its many doors and now find no doors going out, you who feel trapped and defeated, we assure you there is hope, and all is not lost. Through his atonement, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has provided a way for you to escape that awful place. He knows you intimately. He knows your name, and he knows your pain. If you will approach your Father in Heaven with a broken heart and contrite ... (continued)
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"Think, then Act Safely"
Elder Mark E. Petersen
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker concludes by praying for everyone to use their intelligence, think, act safely, and live their religion.
Oh, youth of the Church, oh, parents, oh, bishops, who have charge of the youth, and you MIA workers and Sunday School and Primary, you Relief Society mothers, will you all use the intelligence God has given you, will you think, act safely, and live your religion?
That is my humble prayer for us all, in Jesus' name. Amen.
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"Think, then Act Safely"
Elder Mark E. Petersen
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker reflects on a safety sign he saw at a paper mill and connects it to the need for parents and church leaders to think and act safely regarding young people moving to larger cities.
I was recently touring one of the large paper mills in the Pacific Northwest, and as I stood by one of the tremendous paper making machines, watching those whirring wheels and the fast-moving belts and feeling the tremendous heat that comes from those baking ovens, I marveled at the remarkable safety record of that great mill. Then I was told, and my eyes afterwards confirmed, that a wonderful safety program was carried on in that big mill, so that very, very few personal injuries were sustained ... (continued)
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"Think, then Act Safely"
Elder Mark E. Petersen
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker worries about the dangers young people face when they move to larger cities with little money and no support, and how they might fall into bad company and make harmful decisions.
I thought, too, of these young people. Many of them had no idea what they were getting into when they left home and came to the larger centers. They had absolutely no idea. Some of them came with only three or four dollars in their pockets and thought of course the minute they landed here they would get a job and the three or four dollars"”in one case a girl had six"”the three or four to six dollars would last until they got their first payday, and then they would be on easy street, and ever ... (continued)
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"Think, then Act Safely"
Elder Mark E. Petersen
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker calls on church leaders and parents to be more proactive in protecting young people who move to larger cities and to work with church programs designed to help them.
My mind went to the bishops, to the stake presidents. I still wondered why we have not responded more readily to the appeal of the First Presidency of the Church that you bishops, you counselors in bishoprics, you members of stake presidencies, and you parents cooperate with the program instituted by the Presidency and headed by Elder Kimball in an effort to protect your young people as they come to these larger cities. Will you not cooperate, will you not help? If you parents cannot control you ... (continued)
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"Think, then Act Safely"
Elder Mark E. Petersen
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker expresses concern about young people wanting to break away from their homes and the Church, and the potential negative consequences of such actions.
One of the big fears I have in connection with these young people coming to the larger centers is that so many of them actually want to break away from home, cut the apron strings, so to speak. They feel that they are self-sufficient; they know it all; Mother and Dad are old-fashioned. This is a modern world, and they want to be modern; they want to live in a modern way.
I ask the youth of the Church, do you really want that? Do you really want to cut loose from the protection of home? Think of ... (continued)
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"Think, then Act Safely"
Elder Mark E. Petersen
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker warns of the consequences of choosing the wrong crowd, which may lead to smoking, drinking, and immoral behavior, and urges young people to think carefully before making such choices.
One of the big difficulties about the young people who come on their own and have cut loose, escaped the apron strings, is that they then feel so free and in such a new life, they want also to cut loose from the Church. They do not go to the meetings any more. They go to other places and meet other people, and instead of Church friends, clean, fine Latter-day Saint friends, they pick up friends of the other side, of the lower element.
A question was asked in a full page newspaper advertisement ... (continued)
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"This Do in Remembrance of Me"
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The story recounts the biblical account of the Last Supper, where Jesus Christ, as part of the Passover celebration, institutes the sacrament by blessing bread and wine and sharing it with his Apostles as symbols of his body and blood to be offered in the Atonement.
As a final and specially prepared Passover supper was ending, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to his Apostles, saying, "Take, eat"Matt. 26:26"This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me"Luke 22:19In a similar manner he took the cup of wine, traditionally diluted with water, said a blessing of thanks for it, and passed it to those gathered about him, saying: "This cup is the new testament in my blood," "which is shed "¦ for the remission of sins ... (continued)
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"This Do in Remembrance of Me"
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The story describes the Savior's physical and spiritual suffering, including his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and his crucifixion, which were endured for the salvation of humanity.
With a crust of bread, always broken, blessed, and offered first, we remember his bruised body and broken heart, his physical suffering on the cross where he cried, "I thirst," and finally, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"John 19:28Matt. 27:46
With a small cup of water we remember the shedding of Christ"™s blood and the depth of his spiritual suffering, anguish which began in the Garden of Gethsemane. There he said, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death"Matt. 26:3 ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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