"That All Men Might Repent"
Elder Hugh B. Brown
- Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker shares his personal prayer of gratitude for President David O. McKay's leadership and influence on the Church.
I should like to offer a prayer that has been in my heart for years, a prayer which I believe is in the heart of every Latter-day Saint throughout the world. 'We thank thee, O God, for the Prophet, David O. McKay, to guide us in these later-latter days. We thank thee that through thy blessings he has had the vitality, the vigor, and the health to carry the message of the gospel to the four corners of the earth. We thank thee that his influence and his presence have revitalized the Saints whereve ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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"That All Men Might Repent"
Elder Hugh B. Brown
- Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker warns young people against believing the lie that a single mistake makes them irredeemable, emphasizing God's enduring love and forgiveness.
I should like to add another word to the young people. One of the most lethal weapons which the Adversary has devised to destroy the young people of the Church and of the world is to persuade them that if they have made a mistake they are lost, there is no hope. According to that doctrine, if a young person, in a weak moment, becomes guilty of some misdemeanor, he might as well go on to juvenile delinquency and crime and felony because he is lost anyway. So the devil would have them believe and ... (continued)
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"That I Might Draw All Men unto Me"
Elder Dale G. Renlund
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker sought advice from Elder Andersen on helping Saints in poverty in Africa, learning that proximity to the giver affects the receiver's sense of entitlement.
My dear brothers and sisters, while living in Africa, I sought advice from Elder Wilford W. Andersen of the Seventy about helping Saints who live in poverty. Among the remarkable insights he shared with me was this: "The greater the distance between the giver and the receiver, the more the receiver develops a sense of entitlement."
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"That I Might Draw All Men unto Me"
Elder Dale G. Renlund
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker contrasts Nephi's closeness to God and willingness to accept challenges with Laman and Lemuel's murmuring and sense of entitlement.
The difference made by our proximity to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ is illustrated in the Book of Mormon in the stark contrast between Nephi and his older brothers Laman and Lemuel: Nephi had "great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, [he] did cry unto the Lord," and his heart was softened.21Â Nephi 2:16 On the other hand, Laman and Lemuel were distant from God"”they did not know Him. Nephi accepted challenging assignments without complaint, but Laman and Lemuel "did ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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"That I Might Draw All Men unto Me"
Elder Dale G. Renlund
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
Diane, a new convert in South Africa, missed receiving the sacrament due to an oversight, but a priesthood holder administered it to her individually, helping her feel the Savior's love and sacrifice.
A friend of ours in South Africa shared how she came to this realization. When Diane was a new convert, she attended a branch outside of Johannesburg. One Sunday, as she sat in the congregation, the layout of the chapel made it so that the deacon did not see her as the sacrament was passed. Diane was disappointed but said nothing. Another member noted the omission and mentioned it to the branch president after the meeting. As Sunday School began, Diane was invited to an empty classroom. A priest ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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"That I Might Draw All Men unto Me"
Elder Dale G. Renlund
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
Two disciples traveling to Emmaus didn't recognize the risen Lord until He broke bread with them, which helped them truly know Him.
On the day of the Savior"™s Resurrection, two disciples traveled to a village called Emmaus. Unrecognized, the risen Lord joined them on the journey. As they traveled, He taught them from the scriptures. When they reached their destination, they invited Him to dine with them. "And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. "And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. "And they said one to anot ... (continued)
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"That Spirit Which Leadeth to Do Good"
Elder L. Tom Perry
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The Mormon pioneers faced significant challenges in establishing settlements in the Salt Lake Valley, leading to spiritual lethargy among some, which concerned Church leaders.
After arriving in the Salt Lake Valley, the Mormon pioneers found establishing settlements in the desert to be a real challenge. Daily they encountered trials and hardships that kept reminding them that their new life was very different from the one to which they had been accustomed. There were homes to build, land to develop, irrigation ditches to dig, gardens to plant, wood to chop, and cattle to herd. Also there were constant immigrations into Utah, drought, and the grasshopper plague, all ma ... (continued)
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"That Spirit Which Leadeth to Do Good"
Elder L. Tom Perry
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
In 1856, the First Presidency initiated a reform movement, sending block teachers to ask the Saints probing questions about their adherence to commandments and encouraging repentance.
In 1856 the First Presidency commenced a reform movement. Church leaders traveled throughout the territory crying repentance to the Saints. They sent the block teachers out with a list of questions to ask the families. Some of these questions were:
Have you betrayed your brethren or sisters in anything?
Have you committed adultery?
Have you taken the name of Deity in vain?
Have you been intoxicated with strong drink?
Have you paid your debts?
Do you teach your family the gospel of salvation?
Do ... (continued)
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"That Spirit Which Leadeth to Do Good"
Elder L. Tom Perry
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker reflects on how the challenges of the early pioneers are similar to those of 1997, with modern temptations and the need to live righteously despite worldly influences.
In 1997 we have many of the same concerns, although our world is very different. All these questions would still be very appropriate if asked today. Moreover, the list could probably be expanded due to new sources of temptation that the early pioneers could not have anticipated. Increasingly, the balance between living in the world and not being of the world is becoming more delicate. Publications, radio, television, and the Internet have surrounded us with worldliness. Some of the television pr ... (continued)
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"That Spirit Which Leadeth to Do Good"
Elder L. Tom Perry
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts the Last Supper, where Jesus comforted His disciples with the promise of His return and the gift of the Holy Ghost, which would be given to those baptized and numbered among His Saints.
In that special, sacred hour when the Savior realized that His earthly ministry was about at an end, He gathered His Twelve together in what we call the Last Supper. He gave them hope that they would not be left alone after He had departed from them. He comforted them with these words:
"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
"In my Father"™s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
"And if I go and prepa ... (continued)
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"That Spirit Which Leadeth to Do Good"
Elder L. Tom Perry
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
Joseph Smith was prepared to reestablish God's Church, receiving priesthood authority and revelations, and on April 6, 1830, the Church was organized with Joseph and Oliver ordaining each other and administering the sacrament and the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Light returned to the world through Joseph Smith when he received the First Vision in 1820. For a decade, the Prophet Joseph Smith was carefully prepared to reestablish God"™s Church. He received priesthood authority"”first the Aaronic Priesthood from John the Baptist, then the Melchizedek Priesthood from Peter, James, and John. Revelations were given to Joseph, as God"™s voice was heard from the heavens. A communication link between God and His prophet was restored.
As a small congregatio ... (continued)
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"That Spirit Which Leadeth to Do Good"
Elder L. Tom Perry
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
Elder LeGrand Richards emphasized the importance of the Holy Ghost to the Church, likening it to sunshine and water to plants.
Elder LeGrand Richards, describing the gift of the Holy Ghost, said:
"To me, the gift of the Holy Ghost is as important to man as sunshine and water are to the plants. You take them away, and the plants would die. You take the Holy Ghost out of this Church, and this Church would not be any different than any other church. And it is manifest in so many ways in the lives and the devotion of the members of the Church" ("The Gift of the Holy Ghost,"Ensign,Nov. 1979, 76).
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"That Spirit Which Leadeth to Do Good"
Elder L. Tom Perry
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
Parley P. Pratt described the profound and enriching effects of the Holy Ghost on a person's intellectual, emotional, and physical well-being.
Parley P. Pratt gave us a vision of what the gift of the Holy Ghost could mean to us when he said:
"The gift of the Holy Ghost "¦ quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections; and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings, and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tende ... (continued)
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"That Spirit Which Leadeth to Do Good"
Elder L. Tom Perry
- Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker shares a personal story about a difficult time in his life when he followed the Holy Ghost's guidance, which led to rejecting a job offer in California, staying in Boston, and eventually receiving a call to join the General Authorities.
I remember a critical time in my life and how grateful I was when a still, small voice gave me direction to make an important decision. I had been with a retail firm for a number of years. We had enjoyed extraordinary success. We wanted to expand the business but needed a great deal of capital. In an attempt to raise the money, we contacted the best financial advisers we could find. They encouraged us to merge with a larger firm. The merger was successfully completed, and I was asked to sign a f ... (continued)
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"That the World through Him Might be Saved"
Elder Harold B. Lee
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
A father called the speaker about his son's reluctance to serve a mission due to a fear of condemning those who might reject his message.
Several weeks ago I had a telephone call from an anxious father about his nineteen-year-old son, who, having read certain scriptures, was resisting the idea of going on a mission lest he would do an injustice to those who would reject his message, thus placing them under condemnation as he had construed certain scriptures, which he had read, to mean.
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"That the World through Him Might be Saved"
Elder Harold B. Lee
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker paraphrases a conversation with the young man, explaining the purpose of missionary work is not to condemn, but to save through the teachings of Jesus Christ.
I then paraphrased to my young missionary friend: 'So our missionaries go not out into the world to condemn the world, but that the world, through their teachings, might be saved.'
Forgiveness
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"That the World through Him Might be Saved"
Elder Harold B. Lee
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts his conversation with a young man who was concerned about the implications of preaching the gospel and potentially condemning those who do not accept it.
As I sat with this young man, at the request of the father, I found that he had two particular scriptures in mind. The first was the injunction of the Master to his disciples when he said, 'Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned' Mark 16:15-16 And then in our day one somewhat similar: 'Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath bee ... (continued)
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"That the World through Him Might be Saved"
Elder Harold B. Lee
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
Jacob and Joseph, consecrated as priests and teachers, felt responsible for the sins of the people if they did not teach them diligently.
For I, Jacob, and my brother Joseph had been consecrated priests and teachers of this people, by the hand of Nephi. And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day.
Forgiveness
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"That the World through Him Might be Saved"
Elder Harold B. Lee
- Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles
📅 0
📖 general conference
The sons of Mosiah, who had been with Alma when an angel appeared to him, returned from their missions strong in knowledge and teaching with the power and authority of God.
The sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel first appeared unto him, and when he saw them returning from their missionary journeys, the record says, he rejoiced exceedingly 'to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy they were still his brethren in the Lord, yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding, and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God. But this is not all, they h ... (continued)
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"That You May Know the Truth"
Elder Eldred G. Smith
- Patriarch to the Church
📅 0
📖 general conference
A woman with terminal cancer was healed after being administered to by Mormon missionaries, despite being advised to ignore them by a neighbor.
For instance, just recently a woman told me of her experience. She became very ill. It had been determined that she had cancer. She had gone through surgery on numerous occasions, until she had come to a point where the doctors had given her up and told her that she did not have months to live, but only weeks. There was no hope for her. She was living at home with a nurse to take care of her. A neighbor called one day. She had a phone near her bed so she could answer it, and the neighbor said to ... (continued)
Forgiveness
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