A People of Culture
Elder Levi Edgar Young
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker welcomes friends from the Episcopal Church in New York who are attending the General Conference and expresses respect for their religious beliefs.
May my words express a love for God and mankind while I speak to you, my brethren and sisters. A few friends of mine from New York, members of the Episcopal Church, are in attendance at these services. At home they attend their services at the church of St. John the Divine, one of the most beautiful places of worship ever erected in America. We bid you welcome. We are glad to have you hear something of our beliefs, something of the great truths of the Living God. We respect you in your worship a ... (continued)
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A People of Culture
Elder Levi Edgar Young
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts the journey of the Latter-day Saints as they left Nauvoo and traveled westward, highlighting their spiritual richness and cultural pursuits during a time of hardship.
When the Latter day Saints crossed the Mississippi River in the winter of 1846 and began their journey to the far west, they left the city of Nauvoo, a city of beauty and high religious and civic life. It had been built within a short period of time, but it came to be, under the direction of the Prophet of God, the greatest city, morally, in America. There was a civic consciousness that can well become the model of the cities of our country today. The people were rich in the Spirit of God, and t ... (continued)
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A People of Culture
Elder Levi Edgar Young
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker shares insights into the traditions and artistic expressions of the American Indians, and presents a poem by a Tewa Indian to illustrate the beauty of their thoughts.
We have heard some of the brethren speak of the American Indians in this conference. We are carrying the gospel to all the tribes of America, and we have become particularly interested in the traditions of these people. The Night Chant of the Navajo and the Hako of the Pawnees have been translated into English. They are mysterious but beautiful dramas. The Indians, if understood, developed fine artistic feeling; and it has been said that their traditions will yet become the foundation for the ri ... (continued)
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A People of Culture
Elder Levi Edgar Young
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker reflects on the high regard for youth and the desire for homes influenced by the Spirit of God, and recalls the emotional and spiritual connection the Mormon pioneers had with their work and buildings, such as the Tabernacle.
We Latter-day Saints have a high regard for the youth of the world. It is our desire to have our homes influenced by the Spirit of God, that our children may grow in a knowledge of what true religion is. I think we are all agreed that one great need of the hour is to bring back the fine concept of the faith in God which our forefathers had. Yesterday Bishop Isaacson in his address referred with feeling to this Tabernacle. In the early days of this state, the Mormon pioneers built many public bui ... (continued)
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A People of Culture
Elder Levi Edgar Young
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker describes the unique architectural and spiritual significance of the Mormon Tabernacle, emphasizing its reflection of the character and religious idealism of the Latter-day Saints.
This Mormon Tabernacle expresses something of the strength of character and religious idealism of the Latter day Saints. The only building of its kind in the world, it is unique in the history of American architecture. While its massiveness suggests a people strong in spirit, conviction, and purpose, its lines indicate a splendid adoption of scientific principles in architecture. It is a plain, oval-shaped building, studded with heavy entrance doors all the way around; there is no attempt at orn ... (continued)
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A People of Culture
Elder Levi Edgar Young
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker tells the dramatic story of the construction of the world-famed organ in the Mormon Tabernacle by Joseph Ridges and his associates, highlighting the collective effort and the use of local resources.
The building of this world-famed organ is a dramatic story. It is inseparably connected with the name of Joseph Ridges, a native of England, who went to Australia as a youth and later emigrated to America. In Australia he worked in an organ factory: while in Sydney, Elder Ridges constructed a small pipe organ, and having joined the Church, he was advised to take his instrument to Utah. He immigrated to Utah, and shipped his little organ, in tin cases, to San Pedro in California; he afterwards br ... (continued)
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A People of Culture
Elder Levi Edgar Young
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker shares an anecdote about the sculptor Cyrus Dallin, creator of the Angel Moroni statue, and his belief in angels and connection to God.
Casting your eye to the pinnacle of the center tower of the temple, you see Cyrus Dallin's statue of the Angel Moroni, a beautiful creation by that noted sculptor, who was a native of Springville, Utah, and who died recently in Boston. I had the honor of his acquaintance. He was one of the noblest men I ever knew. One time in discussing his work, he said: To believe in angels marks one who lives near to his God. It is one of the most beautiful concepts a man can have. I am glad I came to believe ... (continued)
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A People of Culture
Elder Levi Edgar Young
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker highlights the early pioneers' dedication to the fine arts, particularly music and drama, and the success of their theater which attracted renowned actors.
The ideals and daily lives of a people are judged by their standards of amusements. Among the fine arts encouraged by the pioneers of Utah were music and the drama, and hardly had the colonizers planted their fields of grain and begun building their homes when they built a theater in this wilderness"”a theater that in pioneer days noted actors visited, among whom was Sir George Pauncefort of Drury Lane Theatre in London. He playedHamlet, and from that time on great artists graced the stage of ... (continued)
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A People of Culture
Elder Levi Edgar Young
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts the accomplishments of the Mormon pioneers in building Nauvoo, their educational and cultural pursuits, and the high regard for their city by a visiting Methodist minister.
Wherever you go, you will find the buildings of pioneer days always great structures with artistic features. The State of Utah had its beginning over one hundred years ago when the pioneers arrived in this valley, and it was in 1850 that the Territory of Utah was organized. The people brought with them their ideals which they had developed at Nauvoo. That city had a university and public schools. The people built a 'Seventy's Hall of Science,' which was to have a great library. This is what a Me ... (continued)
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A People of Culture
Elder Levi Edgar Young
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker narrates the journey of three missionaries from Salt Lake City to the Missouri River and their cultural engagement, including recitations from Shakespeare, during their travels.
Even when the early-day Missionaries went to England"”and this as early as 1837"”they went with open minds to learn everything they could that would be conducive of the ways of God. Let me here recite to you an example of love for beauty and truth when three missionaries from Salt Lake City in 1857 wended their way to the Missouri River, called as they were on missions to England. Seymour B. Young, Phillip Margetts, and David Wilkins pulled their handcart from Salt Lake City to the Missouri ... (continued)
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A Perfect Brightness of Hope
By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
Sister Holland and the speaker imagined themselves in the early 1800s, considering what religious beliefs were missing at the time and what they would have hoped for in terms of a more accurate understanding of God and Jesus Christ.
Last October, President Russell M. Nelson invited us to lookaheadto this April 2020 conference by each of us in our own way lookingbackto see the majesty of Godâs hand in restoring the gospel of Jesus Christ. Sister Holland and I took that prophetic invitation seriously. We imagined ourselves living in the early 1800s, looking at the religious beliefs of that day. In that imagined setting, we asked ourselves, âWhatâs missing here? What do we wish we had? What do wehopeGod will prov ... (continued)
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A Perfect Brightness of Hope
By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker reflects on the hopes they would have had in 1820 for the restoration of priesthood authority, the establishment of temples, and the ability to have eternal marriages and perform saving ordinances for the dead.
Observing the Christian world in that day, we would have hoped to find someone authorized by God with true priesthood authority who could baptize us, bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost, and administer all gospel ordinances necessary for exaltation. In 1820, we would have hoped to see fulfilled the eloquent promises of Isaiah, Micah, and other ancient prophets regarding the return of the majestic house of the Lord.5[SeeIsaiah 2:1â3Ezekiel 37:26Micah 4:1â3Malachi 3:1We would have thrilled to ... (continued)
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A Perfect Brightness of Hope
By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker expresses hope for the future, even amidst the challenges of COVID-19, and emphasizes the importance of continuing to strive for a better world through love, kindness, and adherence to God's commandments.
Thus our look back at 200 years of Godâs goodness to the world. But what of our look ahead? We still have hopes that havenotyet been fulfilled. Even as we speak, we are waging an âall hands on deckâ war with COVID-19, a solemn reminder that a virus9[See Na Zhu and others, âA Novel Coronavirus from Patients with Pneumonia in China, 2019,âNew England Journal of Medicine,Feb. 20, 2020, 727â33.]1,000 times smaller than a grain of sand10[See âExamination and Description of S ... (continued)
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A Perfect Brightness of Hope
By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker encourages maintaining hope in the face of adversity, drawing on the example of Abraham's faith and the belief that righteous desires can be fulfilled by God.
In addition to having these global desires, many in this audience today have deeply personal hopes: hope for a marriage to improve, or sometimes just hope for a marriage; hope for an addiction to be conquered; hope for a wayward child to come back; hope for physical and emotional pain of a hundred kinds to cease. Because the Restoration reaffirmed the foundational truth that God does work in this world, wecanhope, weshouldhope, even when facing the most insurmountable odds. That is what the scri ... (continued)
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A Personal Commitment
Elder James M. Paramore
- Of the First Quorum of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
A man's good deeds and lifestyle led to over fifty people joining the Church because of his influence.
In a stake conference a number of speakers mentioned a certain man. After the session the General Authority met the man. He learned from others that more than fifty people had joined the Church because of him. The way he kept his yard, his home, his happiness, his good deeds to his neighbors all brought him opportunities to tell others how the gospel had blessed his life.
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A Personal Commitment
Elder James M. Paramore
- Of the First Quorum of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker attended a dinner honoring a friend who had shown total commitment to a group of people, giving his time, home, money, and skills to help them.
A short time ago I attended a very special dinner meeting. It was to honor a friend who had given many years of total commitment to a special group of people. I watched group after group bring gifts, embrace, and thank him for what he had done for them. As I saw him stand before the hundreds gathered that night, I thought: "How could anyone so young have done so much in such a short time?"
Then I reflected on the thousands of selfless acts he had done for these people; his encouragement in the ... (continued)
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A Personal Commitment
Elder James M. Paramore
- Of the First Quorum of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recalls a day of commitment in the life of Jesus Christ, where despite suffering, he stood before his accusers and acknowledged his divine mission.
As I think of commitment I recall one of many solemn days of commitment in the life of the Savior. Jesus had just touched the ear of a servant of one of the high priests and healed him. Only moments before, his ear had been severed by a sword. And then Jesus was taken into the high priest"™s house where he was mocked, bound, blindfolded, and spat upon. The next day he was taken again before the council and was again scourged and berated. He might have saved himself. Instead, he stood majestica ... (continued)
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A Personal Commitment
Elder James M. Paramore
- Of the First Quorum of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker observed a missionary who, despite not being skilled in language, was successful in teaching and baptizing due to his commitment, happiness, and love for others.
While I was in the mission field a few years ago, I observed one of the missionaries who always had people to teach and baptize. Wherever he went, he went with such commitment, happiness, and love for others that he was accepted. It was said of him that when he would come back into an area, many of the people would peek through their windows just to get a glimpse of this unusual young man. Though he was not particularly gifted in language skills, he succeeded in bearing a strong testimony to tho ... (continued)
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A Personal Commitment
Elder James M. Paramore
- Of the First Quorum of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
A father and businessman committed to giving several nights each week and part of every Saturday to his family, despite his busy schedule.
A busy father, businessman, and Church leader told me a few years ago that he loved his family so much that he made this commitment: he would give several nights each week and part of every Saturday to them. They were programmed into his schedule. The gospel helped him to understand the importance of this priority. Then, though fatigue, business, Church and other requirements pressed him every day, he followed this commitment. For him, it was an irrevocable obligation, a looked-for pleasure to b ... (continued)
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A Personal Commitment
Elder James M. Paramore
- Of the First Quorum of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
A man who committed himself to sharing the gospel helped a colleague with a stapled finger, explaining that as a Mormon, he was prepared to help others.
One man who had committed himself to do everything he could to share the gospel with others walked out of his office one day and saw a man running down the hall. He learned this man had stapled his finger. He reached into his big pocket, pulled out Merthiolate and a Band-Aid, and dressed the wound. The shocked individual asked in amazement why he did this. He responded: "I am a Mormon, and Mormons do these things." This man was prepared to help another whenever possible.
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