Who Is Jesus?
Elder Eldred G. Smith
- Patriarch to the Church
📅 0
📖 general conference
The story recounts the moment when Peter declares Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, and Jesus confirms the revelation comes from the Father.
"When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? "And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias: and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. "He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. "And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee ... (continued)
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Who Is Jesus?
Elder Eldred G. Smith
- Patriarch to the Church
📅 0
📖 general conference
The story highlights Jesus's power over elements, animals, and life itself, as demonstrated by his miracles such as calming the storm, feeding thousands, and raising Lazarus from the dead.
Is it any wonder then that he, the Son of God, the great Creator, had power over the elements of this earth, even to violate the law of gravity by walking on the water? I suppose it was quite simple for him, the Creator, when obligated to provide wine at the wedding feast to change the water to wine. Nor was it a trick of the imagination when he fed five thousand plus the women and children with a few loaves and fishes, and on another occasion, four thousand plus the women and children. (See Mat ... (continued)
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Who Is Jesus?
Elder Eldred G. Smith
- Patriarch to the Church
📅 0
📖 general conference
The story concludes with Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon's testimony of seeing Jesus on the right hand of God after a revelation, affirming his divine role and the creation.
And after a marvelous revelation given to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, they testified, "And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! "For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father"” "That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters u ... (continued)
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Who Shall Lead Them?
Elder Paul H. Dunn
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recalls being separated from his friend during a heavy artillery barrage in Okinawa, and later finding him mortally wounded, where the friend asks the speaker to convey his gratitude to his parents and to share a message with the youth of the world.
On Battle Grounds of Okinawa
My mind immediately was called back to a day about twenty years ago when, as a young
soldier participating in the activity of this country during World War II, I found myself on the
island of Okinawa, somewhere in my nineteenth year. In that serious mortal conflict, while
trying to do what we could to preserve these very freedoms that have been discussed today,
by chance I fell into the good graces of another young man who had fine ideals and high
standards. Almost a ... (continued)
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Who Shall Lead Them?
Elder Paul H. Dunn
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker shares a letter from a young person who, upon moving away from home, has come to appreciate the love, communication, and spiritual guidance provided by their parents, which has given them strength and a sense of stability.
Let me share briefly with you a letter, one of many that I receive from some of these young
people. I think he expresses so well the importance of these qualities:
"Dear Brother Dunn:
"Since having the chance to visit with you last month, I've done a lot of thinking about the
things we discussed"”the meaning of life, my goals for the future, my homesickness, and my
efforts to adjust to being on my own, and I've felt impressed to write and tell you some of
these things. Here I am hundreds of mi ... (continued)
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Who Then Can Be Saved?
Bishop John H. Vandenberg
- Presiding Bishop of the Church
📅 0
📖 general conference
A rich young man asked Jesus how to achieve eternal life, and despite having kept the commandments, he was unable to give up his wealth to follow Jesus.
For instance, a certain young man made this inquiry of the Savior: "Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
"And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
"He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
"Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy ... (continued)
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Who Then Can Be Saved?
Bishop John H. Vandenberg
- Presiding Bishop of the Church
📅 0
📖 general conference
Matthias Baldwin, a successful locomotive builder, was known for his generosity and trust in God's promises, often giving personal notes when he didn't have cash to give.
"When Matthias Baldwin, who built the first American locomotive, had made good and had accumulated a fortune, he was wont to distribute liberal gifts freely among those who had been less prosperous than he. So generous, indeed, was he that when he had not the cash by him he would give personal notes instead. 'Nobody hesitates to sign promises to pay in the future in order to get capital for business,' he would say. 'Are we to trust the Lord to take care of our affairs, and not His own?' Sometime ... (continued)
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Who Then Can Be Saved?
Bishop John H. Vandenberg
- Presiding Bishop of the Church
📅 0
📖 general conference
J. C. Penney, at age 56, found himself broke and ill in a sanitarium, but a spiritual experience with a gospel hymn transformed his life and taught him to rely on God.
"A few days ago theDeseret Newscarried an article about Mr. J. C. Penney. In part it said:
'One night, for example, at age 56, I [Mr. Penney] was broke, discouraged, ill in a sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan. I felt that I would never see the dawn of another day,' said Mr. Penney. 'I got up and wrote farewell letters to my wife and to my oldest son. I sealed the letters. If I did sleep, it was not a sound sleep. I rose early, went down to the mezzanine floor, and found the dining room was no ... (continued)
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Who Was the Great White God?
Elder Mark E. Petersen
- Of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker describes the efforts of the Latter-day Saints in providing aid, especially in education, to the American Indian population.
We are thankful that the Latter-day Saints have taken an active part over the years in providing extensive aid to them. Particularly have we given assistance in the educational field. This year daily seminary classes are being provided for more than 15,000 Indian students, and through the efforts of the Church an additional 5,000 are receiving full-time elementary and high school education at no cost to themselves.
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Who Was the Great White God?
Elder Mark E. Petersen
- Of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts a gathering of Mexican residents in Salt Lake City expressing pride in their Indian ancestry, which leads to a discussion of the achievements of the ancient Mayan civilization.
Recently we attended a gathering of Mexican residents of Salt Lake City and heard them express great pride in their Indian ancestry, and well they may, for the more we learn about the early inhabitants of Mexico, the more we realize that indeed they were truly a great race.
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Who Was the Great White God?
Elder Mark E. Petersen
- Of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker identifies Jesus Christ as the Great White God who visited the early Americans after his resurrection, as recorded in the Book of Mormon.
Jesus of Nazareth was this White God! After his resurrection in the Holy Land he did in reality visit the early Americans. How do we know? In the western hemisphere, as in ancient Palestine, prophets ministered among the people, giving them inspired direction. As did the prophets in the Holy Land, they also compiled records of all important events.
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Who Was the Great White God?
Elder Mark E. Petersen
- Of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker tells of various historical accounts and scholarly works that praise the advanced civilization of the ancient Mayans and their achievements.
This conclusion was reached also by Dr. Alfred V. Kidder, one of the leading authorities on Mayan culture. In his book A Guide to Quirigua, this eminent scholar said: 'The great cities of the old Mayan Empire were built during the first part of the Christian era. For nearly 600 years these gifted people were leaders in art and architecture, mathematics and astronomy. They evolved a calendar in some ways more accurate than ours . . . The growth of the Indian civilizations, although differing in d ... (continued)
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Who Was the Great White God?
Elder Mark E. Petersen
- Of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker narrates the account of a divine personage who visited the ancestors of the American Indians nearly 2,000 years ago, teaching them religion, healing the sick, and establishing a government of peace.
But more impressive than any of these facts about the early Americans is their account of a visitation among their ancestors nearly 2,000 years ago, of a divine personage who remained among them for many days, teaching and blessing them. These highly intelligent and skillful early Americans affirmed that this personage taught them a divine religion, healed their sick, raised some of the dead, taught new and more productive agricultural methods, and established a government of equity and peace.
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Who Was the Great White God?
Elder Mark E. Petersen
- Of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker explains how the tradition of a divine visitation was preserved among the Indians from Chile to Alaska and among the Polynesians, leading to the conclusion that there was a visitation by a heavenly being nearly 2,000 years ago.
The account of his appearance was preserved through generations of Indians from Chile to Alaska, and interestingly enough, it is likewise well known among the Polynesians from Hawaii to New Zealand, giving one more evidence of the close relationship between the Polynesians and the early inhabitants of the Americas. In the main all such accounts agree. They differ in name and minor details from island to island and from country to country, but the overall conclusion is the same—there was a ... (continued)
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Who Was the Great White God?
Elder Mark E. Petersen
- Of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker describes the confusion and tragedy that ensued when the Spaniards, led by Cortez, arrived in Mexico and were mistakenly believed to be the return of the divine personage, Quetzalcoatl, by the native king Montezuma.
This faith led to disaster on two occasions, however, when the Spaniards came to America and when Captain Cook sailed to the Hawaiian Islands. But these tragedies served only to reinforce the truth of the tradition. When Cortez came to Mexico and the coastal natives saw him, they observed that he was a large white man. They hurried to their king, Montezuma, and announced that the Great White God had finally returned.
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Who Was the Great White God?
Elder Mark E. Petersen
- Of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts how Captain James Cook was mistakenly received as a deity by the Polynesians during their Makahiki Festival, which ultimately led to his death.
A similar situation occurred when Captain James Cook, the British explorer, came to Hawaii. Peculiarly enough, he landed there when the natives were celebrating their Makahiki Festival, which kept alive the tradition of the White God among the Polynesians. Cook also was received as Deity and taken to the sacred temple of Lono. But his men were far less than angelic, and their depredations brought down the wrath of the natives upon the entire landing party. In the battle which ensued, Cook lost h ... (continued)
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Who Was the Great White God?
Elder Mark E. Petersen
- Of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker explains the origin of the Book of Mormon, its role as a new volume of scripture, and how it fulfills the prophecies of Isaiah.
As we mention, the many prophets who lived in ancient America wrote their histories and revelations as did the prophets in Palestine. They made many volumes. Finally these records were abridged and compiled into one by a prophet named Mormon, who lived about 400 years after Christ, here in America. Because he was the compiler, the book was called after him—the Book of Mormon. It was brought forth in a miraculous manner in our day and identifies the Christ as the White God of ancient times ... (continued)
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Who Will Forfeit the Harvest?
Elder Marvin J. Ashton
- Of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker tells of an elder who returned to activity in the Church due to the persistent love and visits from his elders quorum president, exemplifying obedience to leadership.
I was very impressed a few days ago when I heard an eager, reactivated elder say, "I"™m back in the Church and active today because my elders quorum president came to see me when I didn"™t want to be seen, and loved me when I didn"™t want to be loved." Here is an elders quorum president obediently doing his job as it should be done.
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Who Will Forfeit the Harvest?
Elder Marvin J. Ashton
- Of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts the parable of the sower from Matthew 13, where seeds fall on different types of ground, symbolizing the reception of the word of God and the resulting spiritual fruitfulness.
In the thirteenth chapter of Matthew, by use of the parable of the sower, the Savior points out conditions that cause crop failure. He answers the question, "Who will forfeit the harvest?" His warnings and observations are worthy. The same stony places are with us now; and unless we are mindful, our personal harvest can be lost.
"Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
"And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side and the fowls came and devoured them up:
"Some fell upon stony places, where th ... (continued)
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Who Will Forfeit the Harvest?
Elder Marvin J. Ashton
- Of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker tells of a young mother who was reluctant to accept a new calling as stake president of the Young Women but later found it to be a period of growth and rewarding service.
Some years ago a young mother of my acquaintance shared this event in her life. She had been active in youth activities in the ward for several years and was at the time president of the young women. The stake president called one day and asked her to meet with the stake presidency the following Sunday afternoon. With anxiety in her voice and tears close to the surface, she went to her husband and said, I"™m afraid they want me for a stake job. I don"™t want a stake job. I love the ward. I l ... (continued)
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