"To Kick Against the Pricks"
Elder Spencer W. Kimball
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
A young Indian boy expresses his pride in being a Navajo, a Mormon, and holding the priesthood.
A young Indian lad in my presence recently bore his testimony, and he said: "I am proud that I am a Navajo. I am proud, more proud, that I am a Mormon, and I am still more proud that I hold the priesthood," and that is the way I feel today in this great assembly on this anniversary.
Forgiveness
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"To Kick Against the Pricks"
Elder Spencer W. Kimball
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
A neighbor injures himself by kicking a chair in anger after stubbing his toe.
I well remember in my youth a neighbor who moved about some days on crutches. He was evasive when asked the cause of his misfortune, but an ear witness told me, as he chuckled: "John stubbed his toe on a chair in the night and in his quick, fierce anger, he kicked the chair and broke his toe." The rocking chair rocked on and on, and perhaps smiled at the stupidity of man.
Forgiveness
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"To Kick Against the Pricks"
Elder Spencer W. Kimball
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
A man rebels against Brigham Young's call to settle in southern valleys, taking his family out of the Church.
There is the man who rebelled against the call of Brigham Young to go to southern valleys, saying: "Nobody is going to tell me where to go and what to do." Through his personal rebellion, he took his entire family out of the Church. How little he retarded the colonization program! The valleys were settled in spite of him. How little his disaffection injured the Church! It has grown steadily without him. But how he has suffered in his eternal progression.
Forgiveness
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"To Kick Against the Pricks"
Elder Spencer W. Kimball
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
A man resists being released from a Church position, leading to estrangement and affecting his descendants.
There is the man who resisted release from positions in the Church. He knew positions were temporary trusts, but he criticized the presiding leader who had released him, complaining that proper recognition had not been given; the time had not been propitious; it had been a reflection upon his effectiveness. He bitterly built up a case for himself, absented himself from his meetings, and justified himself in his resultant estrangement. His children partook of his frustrations, and his children's ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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"To Kick Against the Pricks"
Elder Spencer W. Kimball
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
A family resists a young bishop's decision to deny them a temple recommend, leading to inactivity and lost opportunities for their children.
Eight lovely children had blessed the temple marriage of a man and woman who in later years were denied a temple recommend. They would not be so dealt with by this young bishop. Why should they be deprived and humiliated? Were they less worthy than others? They argued that this boy-bishop was too strict, too orthodox. Never would they be active, nor enter the door of that Church as long as that bishop presided. They would show him. The history of this family is tragic. The four younger ones were ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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"To Kick Against the Pricks"
Elder Spencer W. Kimball
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
Oliver Cowdery returns to the Church after years of estrangement, dying happily after reconciling.
In a page from the journal of the Prophet Joseph, we find this: "At 3:30 pm. I met with Brigham Young [and others whom he named] in my office." And then this: "Write to Oliver Cowdery and ask him if he has not eaten husks long enough? If he is not almost ready to return, be clothed with robes of righteousness, and go up to Jerusalem? Orson Hyde hath need of him" (History of the Church, Vol. 5, pp. 366, 368). This is likely reminiscent of the prodigal son whose sad fate brought him to the eating ... (continued)
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"To My Son"”Seek Ye the Lord"
Elder Oscar A. Kirkham
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts a sacrament service on a ship with 627 American youth going to a world jamboree of Scouts, where a stranger was deeply impressed by the young men holding the priesthood and performing their sacred duties.
How happy I was last summer on shipboard with 627 American youth going to Austria to a world jamboree of Scouts. When the Sabbath day came, we were having a sacrament service. Two of our young men took care of this sacred ordinance of the Lord. A stranger was standing in the door watching the ceremony. He was listening carefully to what was going on, and after these boys, holding the priesthood of God had humbly performed their sacred duty, he walked across the dining room and said to me, 'I wan ... (continued)
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"To My Son"”Seek Ye the Lord"
Elder Oscar A. Kirkham
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker shares a story about Benjamin Franklin asking a friend to bless his son, emphasizing the importance of 'God and liberty' for Christian citizenship.
Not long ago I read a story of Benjamin Franklin. On one occasion he went to visit a friend. He took with him his seventeen-year-old son. When he came to the home of his friend, he said to him, 'I wish you would bless my boy.' The aged man put his hands upon the head of this youth, and said to him, 'My son, God and liberty. God and liberty"”remember these two words.' So I say to my son, and your son, to every mother's son throughout the land, as you exercise the glorious right and privilege of ... (continued)
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"To My Son"”Seek Ye the Lord"
Elder Oscar A. Kirkham
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker tells of a friend whose son was killed in Japan during the war and left a note requesting that his insurance money be used to educate a Japanese boy in America to help promote democracy.
I have a friend whose son was killed in Japan. When his effects were sent home, the parents found a note in his uniform. The note read: 'If I happen to die in this war, here is something I want you to do. I have a ten-thousand-dollar insurance policy, and I want you to take that money, and when the war is over, bring to America a Japanese boy and educate him, so that when he may go back to that enemy land, it will help him that he may build his life in the spirit of our democracy.' There is Chri ... (continued)
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"To My Son"”Seek Ye the Lord"
Elder Oscar A. Kirkham
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker expresses his wish for his sons to serve missions, sharing the experience of touring the Canadian Mission and the missionaries' desire for humility.
I would love to have my son fill a worthy and honorable mission, yes, humbly and worthily. I just returned from touring the Canadian Mission. When I asked the young missionary men what is their greatest spiritual need, nearly all of them would answer, 'To be humble, that's my need. To seek the Lord, to know the strength which comes when he is near.' What a glorious experience it is for a young man to have the privilege of going on a mission, as a servant of the Lord, and I appeal to this great a ... (continued)
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"To My Son"”Seek Ye the Lord"
Elder Oscar A. Kirkham
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker describes the joyous occasions of nineteen couples from California getting married in the Salt Lake City temple, and eleven young ladies from an Ogden stake sharing a wedding dress for their temple marriages.
What a lovely thing it was one year at M. I. A. time when nineteen couples came from California and were married in the temple here at Salt Lake City. How charming! What a delightful excursion that was! How eyes were filled with tears of rejoicing as they stood before the altar of the Lord and were married for eternity. What a beautiful experience when eleven young ladies of one of the Ogden stakes made a dress, a wedding gown, together, and in their turn, as opportunity came, each one of them w ... (continued)
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"To My Son"”Seek Ye the Lord"
Elder Oscar A. Kirkham
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts the story of Brother Johnson and his wife from Prescott, Arizona, who sacrificed to send their seven children on missions, and later, the children saved to send their parents on a mission as well.
There are no more beautiful experiences than these. What a grand expression of love and appreciation it was in Prescott, Arizona, for a Brother Johnson and his good wife to sacrifice and save and plod along through the years until their seven boys and girls had had the privilege of going on a mission. Then one happy wedding anniversary time, the boys and girls had saved quietly and the bishop had spoken to them about their father and mother, and they also were privileged to go on a mission. What ... (continued)
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"To Walk Humbly with Thy God"
Elder Marlin K. Jensen
- Of the Presidency of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker's wife humorously challenges him to gain humility in a few days after he considers speaking on the topic.
When I suggested to my wife several weeks ago that because of President Hinckley"™s talk I was considering humility as a possible topic for my remarks today, she paused and, with a twinkle in her eye, teasingly replied, "That leaves you only a few days to gain some!" Being thus encouraged, I have reflected on what might be involved in obeying President Hinckley"™s injunction to "be humble."
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"To Walk Humbly with Thy God"
Elder Marlin K. Jensen
- Of the Presidency of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
A colleague in the Seventy comments on the paradox of trying to consciously acquire humility.
Consciously trying to acquire humility is also problematic. I remember once hearing one of my colleagues in the Seventy say about humility that "if you think you have it, you don"™t." He suggested we should try to develop humility and be sure we didn"™t know when we got it, and then we would have it. But if we ever thought we had it, we wouldn"™t.
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"To Walk Humbly with Thy God"
Elder Marlin K. Jensen
- Of the Presidency of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
C. S. Lewis, in 'The Screwtape Letters,' illustrates a devil's concern over a man becoming humble.
This is one of the lessons C. S. Lewis teaches in his well-knownScrewtape Letters.In letter XIV, a good man who is being recruited by a devil and his apprentice to their side is growing humble, and the devil remarks that "this is very bad." With great insight, Lewis has the devil say to his associate, "Your patient has become humble; have you drawn his attention to the fact?"
Forgiveness
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"To Walk Humbly with Thy God"
Elder Marlin K. Jensen
- Of the Presidency of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker's father apologizes to him after overreacting to a mistake made during farming.
Once my father, in the heat and frustration of a humid July afternoon, overreacted to my youthful farming blunders and administered punishment which I felt was in excess of the crime. Later he approached me with an apology and a much-appreciated expression of confidence in my abilities. That humble expression has remained in my memory for more than 40 years.
Forgiveness
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"To Walk Humbly with Thy God"
Elder Marlin K. Jensen
- Of the Presidency of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
Brigham Young humbly responds to a stern rebuke from the Prophet Joseph Smith.
A story contained in the family lore of Brigham Young"™s descendants illustrates the submissive nature of humility. It recounts that in a public meeting the Prophet Joseph, possibly as a test, sternly rebuked Brigham Young for something he had done or something he was supposed to have done but hadn"™t"”the detail is unclear. When Joseph finished the rebuke, everyone in the room waited for Brigham Young"™s response. This powerful man, later known as the Lion of the Lord, in a voice everyo ... (continued)
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"To Your Tents, O Israel!"
Elder Hugh B. Brown
- Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker compares himself and Bishop Carl Buehner to two boys relieved after a dentist visit, pitying those waiting for their turn, as a metaphor for being the first to speak at the conference.
My dear brothers and sisters: Bishop Carl Buehner and I, being first to speak in this conference, are perhaps somewhat like two boys just coming out of the dentist's chair. We look through our tears pityingly at those in the outer office who are waiting for their turn.
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"To Your Tents, O Israel!"
Elder Hugh B. Brown
- Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts the alarming divorce rate in the United States, mentioning that 'one thousand times every day' a divorce is granted, and even temple marriages are not immune to this issue.
In the last issue [October 1954] of theReader's Digest, the startling statement is made that 'one thousand times every day in the United States a judge's gavel falls and with two words, 'divorce granted,' somebody's love story comes to an end.' And may I add, some home becomes a casualty. One thousand of them a day in the United States, 365,000 in a year! May I say, regretfully, that the Intermountain States in this list are above the average in the number of divorces granted. May I also say ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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"To Your Tents, O Israel!"
Elder Hugh B. Brown
- Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker shares a story about a middle-aged couple who had a quarrel and later discussed their ability to get along while driving to town, humorously suggesting that having one tongue between them might solve their issues.
A middle-aged couple on the farm had a violent quarrel at breakfast time. Later in the day they started for town in the buggy, with a fine team of horses to sell their vegetables and eggs. As the horses trotted along, Mary said, 'John, why can't we travel together like these horses do? They don't quarrel and fight.' John said, 'Mary, we could if there was only one tongue between us.'
Forgiveness
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