A Message to the Elders of the Church
Elder Stephen L Richards
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
A young elders' quorum presidency visited an inactive member who had become successful in business and expressed disinterest in the Church, but due to their persistence and his wife's encouragement, he eventually returned to activity and held a responsible office in the Church.
I remember years ago hearing of a young elders' quorum presidency setting out to visit all the members of their quorum. They came to the home of one, a man of maturity who had had considerable business success, and knocked at his door. He came to the door. They told him who they were, that his name was on the record of members, and that they had come to visit him. He said, these were the words he used: "Well, gentlemen, you may come in if you wish, but I must tell you in advance that I have long ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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A Message to the Rising Generation
President Ezra Taft Benson
- Of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
A young woman writes a letter from a broken heart, warning others not to partake in the bitterness of sin that has brought sorrow and ruin to her life.
Consider this letter from one lovely young woman: 'I’m writing this,' she said, 'from the depths of a broken heart, in the hope that it may be a warning to other girls never to partake of the bitterness that has come to me. I would give all that I have or ever hope to have if I could go back to those happy, carefree days before the first little taint of sin came upon my heart. I scarcely realized I was slipping into something that could bring such sorrow and ruin into a person’s li ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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A Message to the Rising Generation
President Ezra Taft Benson
- Of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
A young insurance salesman meets an old farmer and learns a lesson about the value of experience and wisdom.
A young man, a few months out of college, got a job with an insurance company. He was full of enthusiasm and vigor—determined to sell insurance to all he met, including the farmers. He walked into a farmyard one lovely autumn morning and noticed an old farmer across the yard, somewhat stooped and bent, looking out over his field of grain. The salesman briskly walked over to the farmer and said, 'Look up my good man, there’s much to live for.' The elderly farmer straightened up the ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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A Message to the Rising Generation
President Ezra Taft Benson
- Of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
A young man with mixed-up thoughts and worries seeks a blessing and is advised to ask his somewhat inactive father to give it, leading to a sweet and bonding experience.
Some time ago, a young man came to my office requesting a blessing. He was about eighteen years of age and had some problems. There were no serious moral problems, but he was mixed up in his thinking and worried. He requested a blessing. I said to him, 'Have you ever asked your father to give you a blessing? Your father is a member of the Church, I assume?' He said, 'Yes, he is an elder, a rather inactive elder.' When I asked, 'Do you love your father?' he replied, 'Yes, Brother Benson, he is a ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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A Message to the World
President Ezra Taft Benson
- President of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
The Council of the Twelve Apostles made a proclamation to the world after the martyrdom of Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum, declaring the restoration of the gospel and the kingdom of God on earth.
In the spirit of this divine direction, on the sixth day of April 1845, and shortly after the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum had mingled their blood with that of the other martyrs of true religion, the Council of the Twelve made such a proclamation. They address it:
"To all the Kings of the World;
To the President of the United States of America;
To the Governors of the several States;
And to the Rulers and People of all Nations:"
In it they said:
"Know ye:
"That the kingdom of God ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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A Message to the World
President Ezra Taft Benson
- President of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker reaffirms the truths of the 1845 proclamation and reiterates the call for repentance and unity with God's kingdom to prepare for Christ's second coming.
It seems fitting and proper to me that we should reaffirm the great truths pronounced in this declaration and that we should proclaim them anew to the world.
To the rulers and peoples of all nations, we solemnly declare again that the God of heaven has established his latter-day kingdom upon the earth in fulfillment of prophecies. Holy angels have again communed with men on the earth. God has again revealed himself from heaven and restored to the earth his holy priesthood with power to administe ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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A Message to the World
President Ezra Taft Benson
- President of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
The apostles of 1845 and the current apostles bear testimony of the restored gospel, the priesthood, and the commandments of God, warning of the consequences of not repenting.
When the voice of warning goes forth it is always attended by testimony. In the great declaration issued by the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ in 1845, this is the testimony which was borne, and we who are the apostles today renew it as our witness:
"We say, then, in life or in death, in bonds or free, that the great God has spoken in this age."”And we know it.
"He has given us the Holy Priesthood and Apostleship, and the keys of the kingdom of God, to bring about the restoration of all thi ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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A Message to the World
President Ezra Taft Benson
- President of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker shares his personal testimony of God's existence, Jesus Christ's divine role, the restoration of the Church, and the importance of receiving the work to be saved.
Now there remains but one thing more for me to do today, and that is to bear my personal testimony.
I know that God lives, that he is a personal being, the Father of our spirits, and that he loves his children and hears and answers their righteous prayers. I know that it is his will that his children be happy. It is his desire to bless us all. I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, our Elder Brother, the very Creator and Redeemer of the world. I know that God has again established his kingd ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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A Mighty Change of Heart
Elder Spencer J. Condie
- Of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
Elder Condie is mistaken for President Hinckley by two different sisters and later confesses the impersonation to President Hinckley himself.
A few years ago, as Sister Condie and I exited the Tabernacle, a lovely sister approached us and said with a very cheerful voice, "Good morning, President Hinckley." I replied, "I"™m sorry to disappoint you, my dear, but I"™m Elder Condie of the Seventy." Her cheerful countenance was crestfallen. Not more than a minute later, we met another sister who greeted us with the same salutation: "Good morning, President Hinckley." Not wishing to cause her the same disappointment I caused the p ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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A Mighty Change of Heart
Elder Spencer J. Condie
- Of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
A friend of Elder Condie overcomes alcohol addiction through prayer and later serves as a bishop.
I have a longtime friend who owned a very successful business. Occasionally, to find relief from the stress of his responsibilities, he would partake of substances forbidden by the Word of Wisdom. As the stress in his life increased, so did his consumption of alcohol. Indeed, he was becoming a prisoner to alcohol. One afternoon he felt the enticings of the Spirit prompting him to overcome this addiction, which had begun to impair his moral agency. He left his office for several hours and drove t ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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A Mighty Change of Heart
Elder Spencer J. Condie
- Of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
A man introduced to homosexuality finds hope and change through reading the Book of Mormon and later marries and serves in the Church.
I know another good man who was reared in a family without the blessings of the gospel. Through a series of unfortunate events in his early youth, he was introduced to homosexuality, and gradually he became a prisoner of this addictive behavior. One day two young missionaries knocked on his door and asked if he would be interested in learning of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. In his heart of hearts he wanted to be freed from his prison of uncleanness, but feeling unable to change the direc ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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A Mighty Change of Heart
Elder Spencer J. Condie
- Of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
A woman contemplating divorce experiences a change of heart and works on her own flaws, leading to a transformation in her marriage.
Sometimes people not only become prisoners to addictive behaviors, but they may also begin to feel like prisoners within a marriage relationship. A few years ago my wife, Dorothea, and I were walking across the grounds of a temple in a foreign land when we met a very radiant, cheerful, silver-haired sister. Her cheerful, Christlike countenance seemed to set her apart from those around her, and I felt inclined to ask her to explain why she looked so happy and content with life. "Well," she said ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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A Mighty Change of Heart
Elder Spencer J. Condie
- Of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
Murray Ling saves dozens of lives by warning drivers of a collapsed bridge in Tasmania.
In January of 1975, on a dark, rainy night in Tasmania, a 7,300-ton barge smashed into two piers of the Tasman Bridge, which connects Hobart, Tasmania, with its eastern suburbs across the bay. Three spans of the bridge collapsed. An Australian family by the name of Ling were driving across the bridge when suddenly the bridge lights went out. Just then a speeding car passed them and disappeared before their very eyes. Murray Ling "slammed on his brakes and skidded to a stop, one yard from the edg ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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A Mighty Change of Heart:
By Elder Eduardo Gavarret
- Of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The ship La Girona from the Spanish Armada capsized, and a castaway struggled to survive wearing a ring given by his wife inscribed with 'I have nothing more to give you.'
On Friday, October 28, 1588, having lost its rudder to being governed solely by oar, the ship La Girona, belonging to the great Spanish Armada, collided with the rocks of Lacada Point in Northern Ireland. The ship capsized. One of the castaways struggling to survive wore a gold ring given to him a few months earlier by his wife with the inscription, 'I have nothing more to give you.' 'I have nothing more to give you'—a phrase and a ring with the design of a hand holding a heart, an expres ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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A Mighty Change of Heart:
By Elder Eduardo Gavarret
- Of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
At 12 years old, the speaker decided to stay with his non-member father on a Sunday instead of going to church, but ended up playing soccer with his friends. He was later asked by his deacons quorum adviser to teach a lesson, which led to a mighty change of heart.
Let me share with you an experience I had when I was 12 years old, the effect of which lasts to this day. My mother said, 'Eduardo, hurry up. We are late for the Church meetings.' 'Mom, I’m going to stay with Dad today,' I replied. 'Are you sure? You have to attend your priesthood quorum meeting,' she said. I replied, 'Poor Dad! He is going to be left alone. I’m going to stay with him today.' Dad was not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My mother and sis ... (continued)
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A Mighty Force for Righteousness
President Ardeth G. Kapp
- Recently Released as Young Women General President
📅 0
📖 general conference
A young fifteen-year-old from Zaire, Africa, expresses her knowledge of Heavenly Father's love by stating she has asked and received confirmation.
A young fifteen-year-old from Zaire, Africa, wrote, 'I know my Heavenly Father loves me because I have asked.'
Forgiveness
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A Mighty Force for Righteousness
President Ardeth G. Kapp
- Recently Released as Young Women General President
📅 0
📖 general conference
A nearly fourteen-year-old girl writes to inquire if it is acceptable to attend school dances, showing her desire to obey and make the right choices.
Another young woman wrote: 'I am almost fourteen. I want to know if you think it is all right to go to the school dances. If you don’t answer my letter in time for the Halloween dance, I won’t go. I don’t want to disobey.'
Forgiveness
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A Mighty Force for Righteousness
President Ardeth G. Kapp
- Recently Released as Young Women General President
📅 0
📖 general conference
A twelve-year-old girl recites the Young Women Theme from memory at a missionary fireside, impressing the audience with her conviction.
A few weeks ago I was speaking at a missionary fireside where members had brought their nonmember friends. I noticed a young girl sitting by her mother on the front row. I learned later that she was only twelve years old. I asked her if she would come up. She could hardly see over the pulpit. Unrehearsed, this young girl, with great feeling and conviction in her tender yet clear voice, repeated from memory, 'We are daughters of our Heavenly Father who loves us, and we love him. We will ‘st ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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A Mighty Force for Righteousness
President Ardeth G. Kapp
- Recently Released as Young Women General President
📅 0
📖 general conference
A fourteen-year-old girl in the Philippines listens as her father explains the family's plan to save and sell everything they own to go to the temple and be sealed as a family forever.
I had the privilege of visiting with a faithful family of Latter-day Saints in a small nipa hut in the Philippines. In this humble setting a beautiful young woman, fourteen years old, listened intently while her father explained that by saving all the money they could and selling everything they owned, the family would one day have enough to go to the temple where they could be sealed as a family forever.
Forgiveness
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A Missionary and His Message
Elder Hugh B. Brown
- Of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts a time as a missionary in England when he felt prompted to visit a house repeatedly despite being rejected and warned not to return. On his final attempt, he persistently knocked until the lady of the house came out, and he delivered a message he believed was from the Lord.
Many things have been said about missionaries and missionary work. That has been the first love of my life, and I have been reminded of several things that happened sixty-eight years ago when I went to England. One I should like to relate.
I had gone to a certain house several times and had been rejected and warned not to come back again, but I was prompted to go again and again. And then as I was attempting to walk past that house, I was prompted to go in and try again to make contact. I used t ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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