"My Servant Joseph"
Elder Neal A. Maxwell
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
Joseph Smith knew more than he could reveal and felt constrained by the people's inability to receive more knowledge.
Even with all he revealed, however, the Prophet Joseph knew much more than he could tell. President John Taylor observed that Joseph "felt fettered and bound." (Journal of Discourses,10:147"“48.) Heber C. Kimball confirmed that Joseph sometimes felt "as though he were enclosed "¦ , there was no room for him to expand, "¦ no room in the hearts of the people to receive." (InJournal of Discourses,10:233.)
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"My Servant Joseph"
Elder Neal A. Maxwell
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
Joseph Smith was promised that his suffering would lead to an enlarged heart, and he reflected on how his trials made him more tender.
Concerning his personal suffering, Joseph was promised, "Thy heart shall be enlarged." An enlarged Joseph wrote from Liberty Jail, "It seems to me that my heart will always be more tender after this than ever it was before. "¦ I think I never could have felt as I now do if I had not suffered." (The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith,ed. Dean C. Jessee, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1984, pp. 387.)
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"My Servant Joseph"
Elder Neal A. Maxwell
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
Joseph Smith, as a young boy, courageously endured a painful surgery without anesthesia to treat his infected leg, asking his mother to leave the room to spare her from witnessing his suffering.
Courage is one of Joseph Smith"™s special qualities. Without it, he would have shrunk from carrying out his remarkable role. At about age seven, he had a gravely infected leg. Amputation seemed inevitable. He refused alcoholic anesthetics when his leg bones were surgically and painfully treated in a new technique. By the way, that thoughtful little boy asked his mother to leave the room so she wouldn"™t have to witness his suffering.
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"My Servant Joseph"
Elder Neal A. Maxwell
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
Joseph Smith displayed courage by rescuing a person from a mob, carrying them on his shoulders through a swamp to safety.
Joseph often displayed courage, as one beneficiary later reported: "Sickness and fright had robbed me of strength. Joseph had to decide w[he]ther to leave me to be captured by the mob or endanger himself by rendering aid. Choosing the latter course, he lifted me upon his own broad shoulders and bore me with occasional rests through the swamp and darkness. Several hours later we emerged upon the lonely road and soon reached safety. Joseph"™s "¦ strength permitted him to "¦ [save] my life." ... (continued)
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"My Servant Joseph"
Elder Neal A. Maxwell
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
Joseph Smith made a prophecy about Brigham Young presiding over the Church, which Brigham Young later confirmed with great enthusiasm.
When they first met, Joseph also prophesied that Brigham Young would one day preside over the Church. (SeeMillennial Star,25:139.) Brigham Young was not easily impressed by anybody, yet he said he felt like shouting "Hallelujah!" all the time that he ever knew Joseph Smith! (SeeJournal of Discourses,3:51.) And dying Brigham"™s last words were, "Joseph! Joseph! Joseph!" He was about to be with his beloved Joseph once again! (Leonard J. Arrington,Brigham Young: American Moses,New York: Alfre ... (continued)
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"My Sheep Hear My Voice"
Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi
- Of the First Quorum of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker references the biblical account of God speaking from heaven during Jesus Christ's baptism.
I know that the same Father spoke to the Jewish people in the eastern hemisphere. When our Lord Jesus Christ was baptized, the Bible testifies, "And, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
"And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."Matt. 3:16"“17
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"My Sheep Hear My Voice"
Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi
- Of the First Quorum of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts the Book of Mormon story where the Father introduces Jesus Christ to the people on the American continent with a voice from heaven.
The Book of Mormon testifies: "They heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard; and it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn.
"And again ... (continued)
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"My Sheep Hear My Voice"
Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi
- Of the First Quorum of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker tells the story of Joseph Smith's First Vision where God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him.
I know that early one morning in the spring of 1820, in the state of New York, the Father and the Son appeared to the boy Joseph Smith.Joseph Smith testified: "I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.
""¦ When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the othe ... (continued)
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"My Sheep Hear My Voice"
Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi
- Of the First Quorum of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
A woman in Japan writes to the speaker about her experience at her son's baptism, leading to her own desire to be baptized.
Shortly before coming to this conference, I received a beautiful letter from a woman who had lost her husband thirteen years ago. I will read it to you. She said: "I was left alone to raise my two sons. As I was attending the baptismal service of my eldest son, who is attending senior high school, I could not help but feel the beautiful atmosphere that surrounded me. I was so impressed by the sweet spirit of the Saints; how exuberant and humble I felt. I observed my son, dressed in white, going ... (continued)
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"My Sheep Hear My Voice"
Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi
- Of the First Quorum of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
A Korean man named Brother Choi is converted to the gospel after his estranged family joins the Church and his daughter sends him a Book of Mormon with a heartfelt message.
May I give you an example of a Korean brother who heard the Savior"™s voice? Brother Choi had left his wife, two children, and his mother for nine months. One day our missionaries were tracting in the city of Kwang Ju, Korea. They found his family. The family began to study with the missionaries and were baptized shortly.
The missionaries started the family home evening program with this family.
One day the seven-year-old daughter purchased a Book of Mormon from a missionary and sent it with h ... (continued)
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"My Soul Delighteth in the Scriptures"
Bishop J. Richard Clarke
- Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts his time in the navy where he was the only Mormon and struggled to answer questions about his faith, leading him to realize his limited knowledge of the gospel.
However, until I enlisted in the navy, I had not experienced the shock of meeting so many people who had never seen a Mormon or who had never heard of Mormonism. I soon realized how limited was my knowledge of the gospel. I was asked some pretty tough questions about the Church that I had difficulty answering. I was the only Mormon in our outfit and so there was no one with whom I could counsel. The only scripture I had was a small military copy of the Book of Mormon. I am ashamed to confess tha ... (continued)
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"My Soul Delighteth in the Scriptures"
Bishop J. Richard Clarke
- Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker shares how a prolonged voyage due to ship damage led to a transformative study of the gospel with his companion, Roy Stevens, which greatly increased his knowledge and testimony.
An unusual quirk of fate changed my whole life as we sailed toward Cape Town. It was to be a twenty-eight-day voyage, but our ship developed boiler problems crossing the equator. Limping into the port of Recife, Brazil, we hit the rocks, gashing the ship’s hull. A tugboat rescued us; but before we finally arrived in Cape Town, we had spent eighty-four days on board ship. I was fortunate enough to share quarters with a fine companion, Roy Stevens, who was a dedicated student of the gospel. ... (continued)
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"My Soul Delighteth in the Scriptures"
Bishop J. Richard Clarke
- Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric
📅 0
📖 general conference
Spencer W. Kimball, at about fourteen, was inspired by a talk to read the Bible through, and despite not always understanding, he completed it within a year, setting a pattern for his life.
Another young man, Spencer W. Kimball, was about fourteen when Susa Gates spoke at their stake conference. He recalls: 'She gave a rousing talk on the reading of the scriptures; … then she stopped … to ask … us, ‘How many of you have read the Bible through?’ … My accusing heart said to me, ‘You, Spencer Kimball, you have never read that holy book. Why?’ I looked around me … to see if I was alone in my failure to read the sacred book. Of the ... (continued)
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"My Soul Delighteth in the Scriptures"
Bishop J. Richard Clarke
- Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric
📅 0
📖 general conference
Mark McConkie developed his love for the scriptures from his mother's teachings during her ironing and by listening to scripture recordings, aspiring to know the scriptures like his father.
I am convinced that families, even young children, can learn to love the scriptures. A few years ago when I was in Colorado Springs for a conference, I called on Mark McConkie, son of Elder and Sister Bruce R. McConkie, to address the question: 'How did you develop a love for the scriptures?' As I recall, he said: 'I first developed a love for the scriptures from my mother. I remember she would teach me while she did her ironing. I felt how she loved the scriptures by the way she would speak abo ... (continued)
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"My Soul Delighteth in the Scriptures"
Bishop J. Richard Clarke
- Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric
📅 0
📖 general conference
President Romney shared a tender experience of reading the Book of Mormon with his young son, who felt the spirit so strongly that it brought him to tears.
You may remember the sweet experience shared by President Romney, who had been reading the Book of Mormon with his son. He related: 'I remember reading it with one of my lads when he was very young. … We were each reading aloud alternate paragraphs of those last three marvelous chapters of Second Nephi. I heard his voice breaking and thought he had a cold, but we went on to the end of the three chapters. As we finished he said to me, ‘Daddy, do you ever cry when you read the Book of ... (continued)
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"My Soul Delighteth in the Scriptures"
Bishop J. Richard Clarke
- Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recalls deciding to read the standard works with his son Brandon after being inspired by President Romney's story, leading to a cherished experience.
Some time later, I was reading a Jack London book with our youngest son Brandon, before going to bed. I recalled President Romney’s story and thought, What an experience we’re missing by not reading the standard works together. Before he leaves on his mission, I want him to become intimately acquainted with the great heroes of sacred literature and to pattern his life after them. We began to read just fifteen minutes or one chapter each day. What a choice experience! I commend it t ... (continued)
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"My Specialty Is Mercy"
Elder Marion D. Hanks
- Of the First Quorum of the Seventy
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📖 general conference
The speaker recounts a visit to a man who demanded public punishment for a young missionary's minor error, but the speaker advocated for mercy instead.
As a new mission president years ago I visited, by somewhat imperious invitation, the home of a good and strongly opinionated man who wanted to discuss with me an error of judgment made by a young missionary. The harmless action involved was the result of a misunderstanding for which the young man had sincerely apologized. I was fully satisfied with the resolution. My friend was not. He insisted on some form of punishment, public punishment, that assured humiliation. The young man must pay, and ... (continued)
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"My Specialty Is Mercy"
Elder Marion D. Hanks
- Of the First Quorum of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker shares the transformation of a man who embraced the gospel, changed his life, and declared that his specialty is mercy.
Then recently, half a world away, I sat with another good man. He had brought light and warmth and good humor into the room with him, and I was listening with deep interest as he told his "before and after" story. The "before" involved his life as a nominal but nonpracticing Christian employed in a stressful occupation with rough associates and with a tendency to follow the crowd in all their bad habits. He was not attentive to his wife and children, was worried about his family, suffered fr ... (continued)
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"My Specialty Is Mercy"
Elder Marion D. Hanks
- Of the First Quorum of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker tells of a young former schoolteacher in a refugee camp who had stopped speaking due to trauma but found her voice again through the compassionate care of Church representatives.
In a refugee camp in Asia was a young former schoolteacher who with her mother had escaped their country after having watched the brutal murder of others in their family. She had been viciously violated to the point where she had vowed never to speak again in this depraved world. It was her way of protesting against the wickedness imposed upon her and countless others. For more than five years she spoke not a word. Then one day she came into the influence of some of our Church representatives wh ... (continued)
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"Neither Boast of Faith Nor of Mighty Works"
Elder Marvin J. Ashton
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker reminisces about the story of King Arthur, where Queen Guinevere advises Lancelot to let the world proclaim his worthiness rather than proclaiming it himself.
When I was a boy, I liked to hear about King Arthur. In the story of King Arthur, Queen Guinevere gives this advice to Lancelot, the bravest of the Knights of the Round Table: "For I would not have you declare yourself to the world until you have proved your worthiness. Wherefore do not yourself proclaim your name, but wait until the world proclaimeth it."
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