"Hunger for Religion"
Elder Stephen L Richards
- First Counselor in the First Presidency
📅 0
📖 general conference
The author recounts how he was called to become a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, which changed the course of his life and led him to abandon his professional career for a life of ministry.
One day while sitting in my office I received a telephone call. I was advised that the President of the Church wished to see me immediately. I went as requested to a meeting in the temple, where the President of the Church, his Counselors, and the Council of the Twelve Apostles were in attendance. I was told by the President of the Church that I had been selected to become a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and then asked if I would accept this position. Obeying my concepts and convi ... (continued)
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"Hunger for Religion"
Elder Stephen L Richards
- First Counselor in the First Presidency
📅 0
📖 general conference
The author affirms his belief in the testimony of credible witnesses who have seen Jesus Christ in modern times, specifically mentioning his appearance to the prophet Joseph Smith and in a temple.
Christ has been seen in modern times. There are creditable witnesses whose testimony has never been successfully refuted to two such appearances—first, when he appeared to the young prophet, Joseph Smith, in answer to prayer, accompanying his Father, the Eternal God. This heavenly vision, without argument, brought to the world an irrefutable and true concept of the Father and the Son. Then he appeared to this same prophet with an associate when he was more mature in a temple which had bee ... (continued)
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"I Am an Adult Now"
Elder Marvin J. Ashton
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
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📖 general conference
The speaker was asked to mediate a discussion between a mother, father, and their teenage daughter, which was filled with conflict and accusations.
Some weeks ago a man holding a high office in the Church asked a special favor of me. "Would you be good enough to take the time to listen while a mother, father, and their teenage daughter, special friends of mine, try to talk to each other?" As the four of us sat together, it immediately became obvious that all channels of communication were jammed with prejudice, threats, accusations, and resentment. As the verbal storms developed with bitter intensity, I found myself the only listener. Eve ... (continued)
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"I Am an Adult Now"
Elder Marvin J. Ashton
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker reflects on the behavior of Jesus Christ when He stood before Pilate, showing perfect character and maturity by remaining silent in the face of accusations.
For many years I have had a very vivid picture in my mind of Jesus Christ standing before Pilate. While Jesus stood in front of an angry mob, who sneered and condemned, Pilate tried to get Him to respond and retaliate. He tried to get Him to declare himself a king. Jesus was silent. His life was his sermon. He was perfect in character, a worthy son, the Only Begotten of the Father. His maturity, if you please, would speak for itself. "And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked h ... (continued)
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"I Am an Adult Now"
Elder Marvin J. Ashton
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
A teenager expresses gratitude for her Young Women's teacher who taught her and her peers about good grooming, the importance of individuality, and resolving differences through discussion.
There are many opportunities to acquire mature behavior in the organizations in the Church. The other day a charming teenager paid a deserving tribute to her Young Women"™s teacher. She said, "From her example and good lessons, we learned the importance of good grooming. We learned that though each of us is different, each is equally important. She taught us to solve our differences by discussion, not by shouting."
Forgiveness
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"I Am an Adult Now"
Elder Marvin J. Ashton
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts the parable of the Prodigal Son, emphasizing the maturity gained by both the son and his father during their separation.
"A certain man had two sons: "And the younger "¦ said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me [I am an adult now]. And he divided unto them his living"Luke 15:11"“12 The prodigal son parable is well known to all of us. He left and wasted his substance with riotous living. "When he came to himself, he said, "¦ "I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, "And am no more worthy to be called thy ... (continued)
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"I Am an Adult Now"
Elder Marvin J. Ashton
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker uses the example of Laman and Lemuel's treatment of Nephi to illustrate a misguided sense of adulthood and maturity.
There is no doubt in my mind that one of the primary reasons Laman and Lemuel murmured and spoke harsh words to their brother Nephi and did smite him with a rod was because they were older and more adult than Nephi, so they supposed. Can"™t you just hear Laman saying, "Nephi, you can"™t treat me like that. I am an adult now." Nephi displayed real maturity when he declared, "I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord gi ... (continued)
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"I Am Clean"
President Gordon B. Hinckley
📅 0
📖 general conference
President Joseph F. Smith, as a young boy, experienced the trauma of learning about his father Hyrum's death and later, as a 15-year-old, embarked on a mission to Hawaii where he had a transformative dream involving Prophet Joseph Smith.
Joseph F. Smith was the son of Hyrum Smith, who was the brother of the Prophet Joseph and was martyred with him in Carthage. Joseph F. was born at Far West, Missouri, on November 13, 1838. He came out of Missouri as an infant. As a lad not yet six years of age, he heard a knock on the window of his mother"™s home in Nauvoo. It was a man who had hurriedly ridden from Carthage and who told Sister Smith that her husband had been killed that afternoon.
When he was 9, he drove an ox team with his m ... (continued)
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"I Am not Ashamed of the Gospel of Christ"
Elder Mark E. Petersen
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
A young man who had lost his faith visited the speaker due to his mother's request, expressing his disbelief in God, the Savior, and the resurrection.
Occasionally, however, there are some of our young people who go off on a tangent and do not keep the faith. One day I had a young man come in to visit with me. He had lost his faith. He came to me not because he thought I could do him any good, but because his mother had asked him to come to one of the brethren and see if some different picture might be given to him whereby his faith might be restored. As he came into the office and sat down and opened the subject, he told me he had lost his f ... (continued)
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"I Am not Ashamed of the Gospel of Christ"
Elder Mark E. Petersen
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts a conversation with the young man, using modern scientific achievements to challenge his disbelief in biblical and Book of Mormon accounts.
As he told me about his difficulty, he said that he could not believe in God anymore because who could believe in a Creator or suppose that there was some being who could create an earth like this. He did not believe in the Savior nor that the Savior ever wrought out an atonement that would do us any good. How could the death of a man on a cross two thousand years ago benefit a person now in this modern, enlightened time? And who could believe in a resurrection? It was all just incredible. [. ... (continued)
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"I Am not Ashamed of the Gospel of Christ"
Elder Mark E. Petersen
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker shares insights from Cressy Morrison's book 'Man Does Not Stand Alone' to argue against the idea that the earth and life could have been created by chance.
Then I took from my bookcase a little book called, Man Does Not Stand Alone, by Cressy Morrison. [...] I read this: Suppose you take ten pennies and mark them from one to ten. [...] Then Morrison goes on to say: [...] Then he makes this startling statement: [...] Then he asked the question whether it is really incredible to believe what the Bible says about everything having been formed originally to bring forth after its own kind: [...] With regard to the story of creation, he again asks whethe ... (continued)
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"I Am not Ashamed of the Gospel of Christ"
Elder Mark E. Petersen
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker concludes by affirming his own testimony of God, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, and the Book of Mormon, and encourages faithfulness to the gospel.
I testify to you, and I testify to all men, that God has made known to me that he lives, and I know it as well as I know that I live. He has given me a testimony that Jesus of Nazareth was his literal Son in the flesh, and that he is our Savior, and our Redeemer. And he has given to me a testimony that Joseph Smith truly knelt in prayer and in answer received the glorious visitation in which he talked face to face with the Father and the SonJS"”H 1:17 And he has given me a personal testimony ... (continued)
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"I am the Life, the Light, the Way, and the Truth; and the Law"
President J. Reuben Clark, Jr.
- First Counselor in the First Presidency
📅 0
📖 general conference
President Clark recalls a championship fight between Sullivan and Kilrain in New Orleans from his childhood, where after many rounds, the message came back that 'Kilrain is slightly disfigured, but still in the ring.'
As President Clark turned to leave the pulpit, he said,
"Let me tell a story. I remember when Sullivan and Kilrain were
fighting a championship down in New Orleans, I believe it was, when I was a kid, in the 76th
round, or thereabouts, word came back, as I remember, 'Kilrain is slightly disfigured, but still
in the ring.'"
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"I Am the Light Which Ye Shall Hold Up"
Susan W. Tanner
- Young Women General President
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📖 general conference
The speaker recalls cross-stitching a sampler as a young girl, questioning the meaning of bringing the light of the gospel into her home, and embarking on a lifelong quest to do so through Christlike acts.
I remember a simple sampler that I cross-stitched as a young Primary girl. It said, "I will bring the light of the gospel into my home." I wondered, "What is that light?" Jesus Christ Himself explained it best when He was teaching the Nephites. He said, "Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world." Then He explained, "I am the light which ye shall hold up"”that which ye have seen me do" (3 Ne. 18:24, emphasis added). What had the Nephites seen Him do, and could I po ... (continued)
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"I Am the Light Which Ye Shall Hold Up"
Susan W. Tanner
- Young Women General President
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker reflects on a personal experience of being unkind to her family but polite to others, feeling remorse, and calling her mother to apologize and express love and appreciation.
Homes are also private places, so unfortunately, we often let down. In our homes and with our families we sometimes become our worst selves with the people who matter the most in our lives. I distinctly remember one morning when I was 14 years old. Before I left for school, I was cross and unkind with my parents and my brothers. After I left the house, I was polite with the bus driver and friendly to my peers. I felt the discrepancy of my actions, and a huge feeling of remorse came over me. I as ... (continued)
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"I Am the Light Which Ye Shall Hold Up"
Susan W. Tanner
- Young Women General President
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker tells the story of Raluca, a 17-year-old Romanian girl whose Christlike behavior in her home during a difficult period led to her entire family joining the Church.
In Romania I met Raluca, a 17-year-old young woman who had recently joined the Church. Her baptism was a happy event because, among other things, her whole family attended. Her mother and sister felt the Spirit there and wanted to have the missionary discussions too. This concerned the father, for he felt he was losing all of his family to this unfamiliar church. So he did not allow it, and for a time there was a feeling of discord in their family. However, Raluca remembered that she had made a ... (continued)
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"I Confer the Priesthood of Aaron"
Elder L. Tom Perry
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker's grandson, Terry, received the Aaronic Priesthood and was ordained a deacon, an event the speaker felt privileged to witness.
I have invited a special young man to assist me with my presentation tonight. I would like to introduce Terry Haws, my oldest grandson. Terry, how old are you? Terry: Twelve. What special event has happened in your life this year? Terry: I received the Aaronic Priesthood and was ordained a deacon. Terry, again I would like to congratulate you on the preparation you have made in your life to be worthy of receiving this great gift. As I stood in the circle on that special occasion and listened to ... (continued)
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"I Confer the Priesthood of Aaron"
Elder L. Tom Perry
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
Daniel, a young Israelite, was taken to Babylon and faced a test regarding the king's food, which he refused due to his religious principles, and after a ten-day trial, was found healthier than those who ate the king's food.
One of the heroes I have always enjoyed reading about is Daniel in the Old Testament. During the period of time in which he lived, Israel was not faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord. Because of this she lost her power and was not able to defend herself against her enemies. Strategically, she was in an awkward position. The powerful nations of Egypt and Syria bordered her on the south and on the north. Instead of doing battle on their own lands, these two nations took turns overrunni ... (continued)
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"I Confer the Priesthood of Aaron"
Elder L. Tom Perry
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
Daniel, now a wise man, did not attend the new Babylonian king's grand party, which was filled with worldly excesses, and later interpreted the writing on the wall that foretold the king's demise.
The third challenge which came to Daniel resulted from a change in administration. Nebuchadnezzar died, and a new king came to rule Babylon. The new king was drunk with his wealth and power. After he was crowned king, he held a grand party and invited the heads of state from the lands round about to be his guests. It was a very worldly affair with much drinking, dancing girls, rich foods, and other attractions of the world. In his drunken state the king sent for the sacred vessels which had been ... (continued)
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"I Confer the Priesthood of Aaron"
Elder L. Tom Perry
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
Daniel remained faithful to his prayer practice despite a law against it, was sentenced to the lions' den, and was miraculously protected by God, leading the king to acknowledge Daniel's God as the living God.
The fourth challenge which came to Daniel was far, far more important to him than life itself. The king had selected 120 princes to preside over his entire kingdom. Over the princes he placed three presidents to be their leaders. Daniel was selected to be the first president. You see, he did not have to go along with their riotous, unrighteous living to be recognized and sought after as a person of great worth. The other princes and presidents were envious of the power given to Daniel, and they ... (continued)
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