The Importance of Genealogical and Temple Work
Elder George F. Richards
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 1942
📖 general conference
Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery experienced a series of divine manifestations in the Kirtland Temple, where they were visited by the Lord, Moses, Elias, and Elijah, each conferring keys and blessings upon them.
The first temple built in this gospel dispensation was dedicated on the 27th of March, 1836, in Kirtland, Ohio. The Sunday following, on the 3rd of April, while the Prophet Joseph and Oliver Cowdery were in the temple they had a wonderful manifestationD&C 110:1-16The Lord appeared to them; the veil was taken from their eyes; they saw Him and heard Him. Among other things, He accepted of the dedication of that house and the sacrifices made by the people who in their poverty had in a very short ti ... (continued)
Jesus Christ
Repentence
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The Importance of Genealogical and Temple Work
Elder George F. Richards
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 1942
📖 general conference
Around the time of the Kirtland Temple manifestations, the spirit of Elijah seemed to influence people worldwide, leading to the establishment of records essential for genealogical research, which is necessary for temple work for the dead.
About the time of this manifestation "” which was on the 3rd of April, 1836 "” the spirit of Elijah seemed to be abroad among the people of this world. I am told that the Parliament of Great Britain in that very year made provision for the keeping of certain records throughout the empire. Those records were to have the information that would identify the various individuals, just such information as we need in our temple work and in our genealogical research work "” records of birth, of ba ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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The Importance of Genealogical and Temple Work
Elder George F. Richards
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 1942
📖 general conference
The speaker shares a personal experience about how the Lord moved upon the hearts of Church members to gather necessary information for temple work for their kindred dead.
I could tell you an experience of my own family, showing how the Lord moves upon the hearts of men and women in this Church to obtain the information that is necessary in order to do our duty to our kindred dead. And be it known, brethren, that not only has God laid this responsibility upon us, but it is one that is inherited. We will have to account to Him for the way we have done or neglected to do this important work in this Church. We will meet our kindred dead, and we will have to account t ... (continued)
Jesus Christ
Repentence
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The Light of Truth
Elder Levi Edgar Young
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 April 1942
📖 general conference
The historian wishes for Americans to respect ancient truths, history, and the Word of God, emphasizing the need for a spiritual awakening and a return to strong moral standards.
A noted American historian has recently written: "I wish that people, particularly the American people, would have more respect for ancient truths, the lessons of history, and the Word of God." What America needs besides fifty thousand planes is a spiritual awakening, and one deep enough to remove the notion from society that a man is doing well spiritually when he manages to listen to a sermon once a month over the radio. We need a return to the old-time standards of character that make it easy ... (continued)
Faith
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The Light of Truth
Elder Levi Edgar Young
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 April 1942
📖 general conference
The speaker expresses happiness in returning to work with the First Council of the Seventy and anticipates stronger unity with stake presidents, while acknowledging the guidance of spiritually endowed men in a troubled world.
Having been absent for many months in the New England Mission, I feel happy in renewing my work with the First Council of the Seventy. As I have come in contact with many of you stake presidents during the past few days, I feel that we are going to establish a stronger unity between you and the quorums of seventy throughout the Church. We are grateful to you stake presidents for your cooperation in the past, and for the renewed hope and faith that the gospel will be preached to all the people of ... (continued)
Baptism
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The Light of Truth
Elder Levi Edgar Young
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 April 1942
📖 general conference
Thomas Masaryk, while teaching and before becoming the president of Czechoslovakia, emphasized the importance of truth, democracy, unity by an ideal, and cooperation among religions to create a friendly world.
I want to call your attention to what Thomas Masaryk once wrote while he was teaching. You recall that Dr. Masaryk was the president of Czechoslovakia. He taught that a good leader does not need to be master, but a good leader is one who knows how to serve and feels he himself is guided and needs to be guided. He believed in living a clean, good life, and he was tolerant, and believed that all religions should work together to make a friendly world. These are some of the things he taught:
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Charity
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Unity for the Welfare of the Church and the Nation
Elder Harold B. Lee
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 1942
📖 general conference
The speaker describes how farmers in the Church have been setting goals to become self-sufficient and debt-free, which has been a focus of economic study within the Church.
We have been delighted to observe throughout the Church an attempt to study the basic reasons for our economic difficulties, and in farming communities we have noticed that farmers have set their goals to two prime objectives, namely, first to produce all they can on their own farms, for their own living; and second, to make an all-out war on debt.
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Repentence
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Unity for the Welfare of the Church and the Nation
Elder Harold B. Lee
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 1942
📖 general conference
President Grant testified to the divine calling of Church leaders at the opening session, setting the tone for the conference and emphasizing the importance of testimony in leadership.
President Grant, at the opening session of this conference, bore testimony to the divine calling of those who have presided over the Church in this dispensation. In his testimony he has given us the key by which we may be safely guided in our own presidency and leadership responsibility, and he sounded the keynote that has carried through this entire conference. I am persuaded that any presiding officer who does not have such a testimony is not qualified to preside as an officer in the Church.
Charity
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Unity for the Welfare of the Church and the Nation
Elder Harold B. Lee
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 1942
📖 general conference
The speaker reflects on the history of prophets warning people, comparing the ridicule they faced to similar attitudes in the present day.
From the beginning of time, as recorded in sacred scripture, the prophets of the Lord have sounded the warning note to the world and to the membership of the Church. There have always been those with apostate leanings who have ridiculed, and have stood on the side-lines and made light of the efforts of those who sought to follow that counsel. It was so in the days of Noah, and that history is repeating itself at the present time.
Jesus Christ
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Unity for the Welfare of the Church and the Nation
Elder Harold B. Lee
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 1942
📖 general conference
The Church Welfare plan, launched six years prior to the conference, has provided opportunities for spiritual growth and unity among priesthood quorums.
This conference has convened on the sixth anniversary of the launching of what we have styled the Church Welfare plan which was given to the Church by our leaders as they were inspired by the Lord. The activities of the Welfare plan have provided the greatest opportunities for spiritualizing this Church that perhaps have ever been given this people in our generation and as we have watched it unfold and its purposes be more fully revealed, we have come to see therein a building for not only the t ... (continued)
Charity
Forgiveness
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Unity for the Welfare of the Church and the Nation
Elder Harold B. Lee
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 1942
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts how regional priesthood groups effectively responded to a flood disaster in southern Arizona, demonstrating the power of united effort.
We have had many evidences of the power manifesting itself from the united team work of Priesthood quorums. We have witnessed that wherever stake welfare groups have followed the counsel of the leaders, and have banded together as regional organizations, when there was a disaster or an emergency as was the case in southern Arizona during a serious flood situation, we have discovered to our delight that the way was provided by which true brotherhood was fostered.
Baptism
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Unity for the Welfare of the Church and the Nation
Elder Harold B. Lee
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 1942
📖 general conference
The speaker emphasizes the importance of ward and stake welfare committees in carrying out the Church's welfare work, noting that objections come from those who have not participated in the organization or surveys.
The general Church Welfare committee would have me say to you, that from the standpoint of organization there is no other way to carry forward this work except by the Ward Welfare committees properly supervised by the stake Welfare committees. It cant be done without an intelligent analysis of problems as revealed in the survey that you have been asked to make. The only ones who are objecting to the carrying forward of that survey, or to the organization as now set up, are those who have never o ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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Unity for the Welfare of the Church and the Nation
Elder Harold B. Lee
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 1942
📖 general conference
The speaker refers to a prophecy by Joseph Smith about the Latter-day Saints saving the United States Constitution and emphasizes the Church's role in maintaining the nation's freedom by serving Jesus Christ.
But beyond all that, the Latter-day Saints have a responsibility, that may be better understood when we recall the prophecy of Joseph Smith who declared that "the time would come when (the destiny and) the Constitution of these United States would hang as it were by a thread, and that this people, the sons of Zion, would rise up and save it from threatened destruction" (Journal of Discourses, 7:15).
Jesus Christ
Repentence
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Untitled
Elder Marion G. Romney
- Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 1942
📖 general conference
Thomas B. Marsh left the Church in 1839 due to jealousy of the Prophet Joseph Smith, but later returned and advised others to stand by the authorities.
Thomas B. Marsh, who left the Church in 1839 because he became jealous of the Prophet, found his way in 1857 to Salt Lake City, and in addressing the Saints, said:
If there are any among this people who should ever apostatize and do as I have done, prepare your backs for a good whipping if you are such as the Lord loves.But if you will take my advice, you will stand by the authorities.
Baptism
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Untitled
Elder Marion G. Romney
- Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 1942
📖 general conference
Contrasting responses to the same conference were given by an ex-bishop who likened it to a political convention and another man who said his following the leaders' counsel would depend on the subject.
In another outlying stake, an ex-bishop said to me that the conference was nothing but a political convention. In another a man said that whether he would follow the counsel of the leaders depended upon what subject they discussed.
Charity
Forgiveness
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Untitled
Elder Marion G. Romney
- Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 1942
📖 general conference
Thomas B. Marsh left the Church in 1839 due to jealousy of the Prophet Joseph Smith, but later returned and advised others to stand by the authorities.
Thomas B. Marsh, who left the Church in 1839 because he became jealous of the Prophet, found his way in 1857 to Salt Lake City, and in addressing the Saints, said:
If there are any among this people who should ever apostatize and do as I have done, prepare your backs for a good whipping if you are such as the Lord loves.But if you will take my advice, you will stand by the authorities.
Baptism
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Untitled
Elder Marion G. Romney
- Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 1942
📖 general conference
Contrasting responses to the same conference were given by an ex-bishop who likened it to a political convention and another man who said his following the leaders' counsel would depend on the subject.
In another outlying stake, an ex-bishop said to me that the conference was nothing but a political convention. In another a man said that whether he would follow the counsel of the leaders depended upon what subject they discussed.
Charity
Forgiveness
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Untitled
Elder Marion G. Romney
- Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 1942
📖 general conference
Brigham Young defended Joseph Smith as a prophet and criticized those who opposed him, emphasizing the inability to draw a line between spiritual and temporal affairs within the Kingdom of God.
At the time of the attack on the Prophet in Kirtland, Brigham Young was present, and when the criticism was expressed he arose and in plain and forceful language said that Joseph was a Prophet and he knew it, "and that they might rail and slander him as much as they pleased, they could but destroy their own authority and cut the thread that bound them to the Prophet of God and sink themselves to hell:" Later he said:
Some of the leading men at Kirtland were much opposed to the Prophet meddling w ... (continued)
Charity
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Untitled
Elder Marion G. Romney
- Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 1942
📖 general conference
During an outlying stake conference, one bishop expressed a wish for every member of his ward to attend a general conference, while another was moved to tears by the experience, and a third was impressed by President Grant's blessings.
Last October, I attended an outlying stake's conference. A number of the speakers had just attended for the first time a general conference. Their reports were soul stirring. One bishop wished that every member of his ward might attend just one conference in the tabernacle. Another, when he stood with the vast congregation for the first time, was so moved that tears ran down his cheeks, and his voice so choked that he could not join in the singing. A third was impressed with President Grant's cl ... (continued)
Jesus Christ
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Untitled
Elder Marion G. Romney
- Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 April 1942
📖 general conference
Jesus Christ exemplified loyalty to His Father's will during the atonement, praying for the cup to pass from Him but ultimately submitting to God's will.
The Savior Himself gave us the great example on this point. As He labored and suffered under the weight of the sins of this world in the accomplishment of the great atonement, He cried out in the agony of His soul, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt"Matt. 26:39And so saying, He subjected Himself to the will of His Father in the consummation of His supreme mission. Who will say that in so doing He surrendered His free agency?
Baptism
Faith
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