Young People Away from Home
Elder S. Dilworth Young
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker shares various reports about how the church's program has helped integrate young members into their new wards, providing them with support and community.
May I read from some of the reports which have come into the office of these two good brethren on matters concerning children. This is about Mary. The names, of course, are fictitious. 'After several attempts to make contact with Mary by my counselors, my wife and I visited her Friday. Then we brought her to MIA last Tuesday. We have assigned a Gleaner Girl to visit her and to take her to stake M Man and Gleaner functions, and we have assigned the ward teachers to call. We will keep our eye on h ... (continued)
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Young People"”Learn Wisdom in Thy Youth
President Paul H. Dunn
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker shares a humorous verse his father once said about the odds of being caught in sin.
I suppose as a church we have reduced those odds considerably. I can"™t resist one other. My father said on one occasion:
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Young People"”Learn Wisdom in Thy Youth
President Paul H. Dunn
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts a conversation with an investigator who humorously suggests that the secret to the righteousness of church members is that they attend so many meetings they don't have time to commit sin.
Yesterday as I came over to one of the sessions, one of my returned missionaries was kind enough to introduce me to an investigator. We had a wonderful chat and in the course of the conversation the investigator said, "I finally think I have found out the secret to your success as wonderful, righteous people." I said, "What"™s that?" She said, "You attend so many meetings you don"™t have time to commit a sin."
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Young People"”Learn Wisdom in Thy Youth
President Paul H. Dunn
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recalls asking his mother how it felt to have all his sins placed upon her head, to which she replied that she had transferred them back to him because she had taught him the doctrines of the kingdom.
I once asked my mother, "How does it feel, Mom, to have all my sins placed upon your head?" She said, "Oh, but you forgot one thing, Paul. I have transferred them back to you because I have taught you the doctrines of the kingdom." In a sense that is what we are trying to do, young people: to prepare you to live a happy and full life both now and in the future, and true joy and happiness comes in knowing and living the commandments of our Father in heaven.
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Young People"”Learn Wisdom in Thy Youth
President Paul H. Dunn
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker shares a story titled 'The World's Meanest Mom,' where a mother's strict and caring upbringing leads her children to become educated, honest adults, and the speaker expresses gratitude for his own parents' application of the gospel of love.
A young mother recently shared with me a story called "The World"™s Meanest Mom," and I would like to share it with you here. She said: "I had the meanest mother in the whole world. While other kids had no breakfast, I had to have cereal, eggs, and toast. When others had pop and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. My mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. You"™d think we were on a chain gang. She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing. She insisted th ... (continued)
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Young People"”Learn Wisdom in Thy Youth
President Paul H. Dunn
- Of the First Council of the Seventy
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker relates an experience of observing a house under construction that was abandoned, drawing a parallel to the teachings of Jesus about counting the cost before building a tower, and applies it to the importance of planning and preparing for eternal life.
Not long ago when I was residing in Southern California, I made a trip from our home in Downey to the University of Southern California, where I was working. One morning as I traveled down a street in order to find a new route to work, I took a road where a beautiful house was under construction, and it caught my eye because it was quite similar to one my wife hoped we would build one day, although it was somewhat out of our financial reach. I took great personal interest in this house because o ... (continued)
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Young Women in the Work
Bonnie L. Oscarson
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts their teenage years in a small branch of the Church where they led music in sacrament meetings and felt needed and useful, which helped build their testimony.
Like Bishop Caussé, I lived in a small branch of the Church during a good part of my teen years, and I was often asked to fulfill assignments and callings that would normally have been done by adults. For example, those of us in the youth program often took the lead in helping organize and run our activities and special events. We wrote plays, formed a singing group to entertain at branch activities, and were full participants in every meeting. I was called to be the branch music lea ... (continued)
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Young Women in the Work
Bonnie L. Oscarson
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker met young women in the Las Vegas area who were enthusiastic about serving as ward temple and family history consultants, teaching others to use FamilySearch.
For example, I recently met several young women in the Las Vegas area who have been called to serve as ward temple and family history consultants. They were glowing with enthusiasm about being able to teach and help members of their ward find their ancestors. They had valuable skills on the computer, had learned how to use FamilySearch, and were excited to share that knowledge with others. It was clear that they had testimonies and an understanding of the importance of seeking out the names of o ... (continued)
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Young Women in the Work
Bonnie L. Oscarson
📅 0
📖 general conference
Emma and Maggie, two 14-year-old young women, reviewed ward council agendas and identified ways they could serve, such as helping a new family move in and visiting elderly ward members.
Several months ago, I had the opportunity to test an idea with two 14-year-old young women. I obtained copies of two actual ward council agendas and gave Emma and Maggie each a copy. I asked them to read over the agendas and see if there were any action items from the ward councils in which they might be able to be of service. Emma saw that a new family was moving into the ward, and she said she could help them move in and unpack. She thought she could befriend the children in the family and sho ... (continued)
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Young Women Striving Together
Ardeth G. Kapp
- Young Women General President
📅 0
📖 general conference
Susan Kent, at sixteen, chose her faith over her engagement, leading to a profound coma from heartache, but she eventually recovered and joined the Church with her family.
"Almost a century and a half ago, the Book of Mormon was brought into the home of Susan Kent when she was sixteen years of age. After studying the Book of Mormon, Susan gained a testimony of the truth of the book that was so strong she could not reject it, although to accept it meant a great sacrifice for her. She was at the time engaged to a young man and felt she could not endure being separated from him, but he would have nothing to do with anyone who would join the Mormons. She did not count ... (continued)
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Young Women Striving Together
Ardeth G. Kapp
- Young Women General President
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recalls feeling humiliated when her father came to pick her up from a party after curfew, but later appreciated his care when he rescued her and her friends from a blizzard.
I remember one evening years ago, while attending a Sunday School party, I looked at the clock, and it was past the time I was told to be home. Just then a knock came on the door. I was horrified"”my dad had come after me. I felt humiliated in front of my friends. I thought I wanted to die. I was not pleasant with my dad; disobedience never makes one pleasant.
A few years later, my friends and I were driving home from a dance across an Indian reservation, ten miles from any shelter. It was 40 ... (continued)
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Young Women Striving Together
Ardeth G. Kapp
- Young Women General President
📅 0
📖 general conference
A young girl named Amy came to the speaker to vent her frustrations about her mother, but through conversation, she rediscovered her love for her mother and desired to work together with her.
Some time ago a young girl came into my office. There was anger in her voice and hurt in her eyes. She came to tell me all the things she didn"™t like about her mom. I listened and listened until she got it all out. It was a long list. There was silence. Then I asked, "Is there anything good about your mom?" I waited. I think she had refused to let her mind think in that direction until that moment. I asked, "Amy, howdoyou feel about your mom?"
She raised her head, tears streaming down her ... (continued)
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Young Women Striving Together
Ardeth G. Kapp
- Young Women General President
📅 0
📖 general conference
Julie, a teenage girl, responds to her father's job loss with compassion and takes on extra work to support her family, including buying her brother pants for camp.
I know a family with a dad who has had to move from job to job. In his kind of work, everyone is getting laid off. One day his turn came. He might have come home and called his wife into the other room and said, "My dear, we don"™t have enough money to pay the bills, and I know how much Julie wants that expensive sweater. I told her we would try to get it for her. I don"™t want to disappoint her. What am I going to do?" There might be some teenage daughters who would have said, "But all of ... (continued)
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Young Women"”Real Guardians
Elder David B. Haight
- Of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker references a quote by Edmund Burke about the influence of young men's prevailing sentiments on the next generation.
Nearly 200 years ago the British statesman Edmund Burke wrote: 'Tell me what are the prevailing sentiments that occupy the minds of your young men, and I will tell you what is to be the character of the next generation.' (In Emerson Roy West, Vital Quotations, Bookcraft, 1948, p. 427.)
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Young Women"”Real Guardians
Elder David B. Haight
- Of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker describes the growth of the Church through missionary work, where a Church family brings another family into the Church, leading to the development of branches, wards, and stakes.
A Church family in a city or a town anywhere in the world will bring another family into the Church. Soon missionaries are involved. A small branch develops, then wards and a stake. The process goes on and on in a miraculous way with local Saints and missionaries bringing the good tidings and new hope to people everywhere. The Church missionary force will continue to grow. The 25,000 young men now serving will become 35,000, then 50,000. No hand can stop the work.
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Young Women"”Real Guardians
Elder David B. Haight
- Of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker recounts a personal experience as a mission president, where he helped a missionary who was struggling with guilt and difficulty in his calling by talking it out during a drive in the hills.
While serving as a mission president I asked a missionary who was having difficulty developing the spirit of his calling to go for a drive. We drove far up into the hills. No one was near. After several hours he finally revealed the problem he had been hiding and his feeling of guilt. He was ashamed of what he had done. I listened. We talked it out. Then we watched a missionary virtually come to life with the spirit of his calling.
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Young Women"”Real Guardians
Elder David B. Haight
- Of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker shares thoughts from young women named Wanda and Beverly from a New Era article, who discuss their sense of duty and how they can encourage boys to go on missions.
In an article in the October 1977 New Era entitled 'Treat Everyone As If He Were a Mormon' (pp. 42–43), a group of young people talk about their sense of duty, their excitement, and their ideas concerning sharing the gospel. One of the questions directed to the young ladies was, 'Girls, what’s your obligation?' Wanda replied: 'Every member is supposed to be a missionary. I have lots of friends who have questions about the Church, and I can probably answer many of them. We should tr ... (continued)
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Young Women"”Real Guardians
Elder David B. Haight
- Of the Council of the Twelve
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker quotes a passage from Maxwell Anderson's play about Joan of Arc, emphasizing the importance of living for one's beliefs.
In Maxwell Anderson’s play about the youthful Joan of Arc, she says, 'Every woman gives her life for what she believes. Sometimes people believe in little or nothing, nevertheless, they give up their lives to that little or nothing. One life is all we have, and we live it as we believe in living it, and then it’s gone. But to surrender what you are, and live without belief—that’s more terrible than dying—more terrible than dying young.' (Maxwell Anderson, 'Joan ... (continued)
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Young Women"”Titles of Liberty
Sharon G. Larsen
- Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency
📅 0
📖 general conference
The speaker's daughter, Shelly, is welcomed home from her mission with a red carpet leading to the front door, symbolizing love and celebration.
For example, when our daughter Shelly was returning from her mission, I didn"™t raise my coat on a pole, but I found a piece of red carpet long and narrow. When Shelly returned home, she walked onto a red carpet leading to the front door.
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Young Women"”Titles of Liberty
Sharon G. Larsen
- Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency
📅 0
📖 general conference
Lindsey surprises her mother by cleaning the house while her mother naps, demonstrating love through service.
Service expresses love. Lindsey was holding her banner high when she served her mother. She wrote: "My mom took a nap. I had cleaned the house. When she got up, she was surprised." Now listen to what Lindsey said: "I had a good feeling inside." How do you think her mother felt? How do you think Heavenly Father felt about what she did?
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