From the Conference Center at Temple Square in Salt Lake
City, this is the Sunday afternoon session
of the 188th Semiannual General Conference
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
with speakers selected from the General Authorities and General
Officers of the Church.
Music for this session is provided by the Tabernacle
Choir at Temple Square.
This broadcast is furnished as a public service
by Bonneville Distribution.
Any reproduction, recording, transcription,
or other use of this program without written consent
is prohibited.
President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor
in the First Presidency of the Church,
will conduct this session.
Brothers and sisters, we welcome you
to the concluding session of the 188th Semiannual General
Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints.
President Russell M. Nelson, who presides at the conference,
has asked me to conduct this session.
We extend our greetings to members
of the Church and friends everywhere
who are participating in these proceedings
by radio, television, the internet, or satellite
transmission.
The music for this session will be provided by the Tabernacle
Choir at Temple Square under the direction of Mack
Wilberg and Ryan Murphy, with Andrew Unsworth
and Brian Mathias at the organ.
The choir will open this meeting by singing
"In Hymns of Praise."
The invocation will then be offered by Elder Gary B.
Sabin of the Seventy.
[MUSIC PLAYING - "IN HYMNS OF PRAISE"]
Our dear Father in Heaven, we are
grateful for the opportunity to be here assembled
for this concluding session of this general conference.
We're so thankful, Father, for the inspiring music
and messages that we have heard and felt
during this revelatory and historic conference weekend.
We pray that our hearts will be opened
and our minds open to the messages that
have been so thoughtfully and prayerfully prepared,
that we might act upon the impressions we feel
to become closer to Thee and better disciples of Thy Beloved
Son.
We are mindful, Father, of many assembled here
and throughout the world who are carrying
heavy burdens, who feel alone or afraid or confused.
We pray that the hope and the comfort
and the clarity of the gospel will
provide the help that they seek and the answers they seek.
We are deeply grateful, Father, for Thy love,
for Thy Beloved Son, for the plan,
and for the opportunity to be here,
to be led by living prophets, seers, and revelators.
We pray that we might minister one to another as our dear
prophet has taught us so well, that we
might help each other along the covenant path back home
to Thee.
And we do so in the most worthy and sacred name
of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, amen.
The choir will now favor us with "I Believe in Christ."
We will then be pleased to hear from President Henry B.
Eyring, who serves as Second Counselor in the First
Presidency.
He will be followed by Brother Brian K. Ashton, who
serves as Second Counselor in the Sunday School General
Presidency.
Elder Robert C. Gay of the Presidency of the Seventy
will then address us, and he will
be followed by Elder Matthew L. Carpenter of the Seventy.
[MUSIC PLAYING - "I BELIEVE IN CHRIST"]
My dear brothers and sisters, I am grateful for the opportunity
to speak with you.
This conference has been uplifting and edifying for me.
The music sung and the words spoken
have been carried to our hearts by the Holy Ghost.
I pray that what I say will be conveyed
to you by that same Spirit.
Many years ago, I was first counselor
to a district president in the eastern United States.
More than once, as we were driving to our little branches
of the Church, he said to me, "Hal, when we meet someone,
treat them as if they were in serious trouble,
and you will be right more than half the time."
Not only was he right, but I have learned over the years
that he was too low in his estimate.
Today I wish to encourage you in the troubles you face.
Our mortal life is designed by a loving God
to be a test and source of growth for each of us.
You remember God's words regarding His children
at the Creation of the world: "And we
will prove them herewith, to see if they
will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall
command them."
Since the beginning, the tests have not been easy.
We face trials that come from having mortal bodies.
All of us live in a world where Satan's war against truth
and against our personal happiness
is becoming more intense.
The world and your life can seem to you
to be in increasing commotion.
My reassurance is this, simply: the loving God
who allowed these tests for you also designed a sure way
to pass through them.
Heavenly Father so loved the world
that He sent His Beloved Son to help us.
His Son, Jesus Christ, gave His life for us.
Jesus Christ bore in Gethsemane and on the cross
the weight of all our sins.
He experienced all the sorrows, the pains,
the effects of our sins so that He
could comfort us and strengthen us through every test in life.
You remember the Lord said to His servants:
"The Father and I are one.
I am in the Father and the Father in me;
and inasmuch as ye have received me, ye are in me and I in you.
"Wherefore, I am in your midst, ...
I am the good shepherd, and the stone of Israel.
He that buildeth upon this rock shall never fall."
Our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson,
has also given that same assurance.
Moreover, he described a way we might build upon that rock
and put the Lord's name upon our hearts
to guide us through our trials.
He said: "You ...
may be momentarily disheartened, remember,
life is not meant to be easy.
Trials must be borne and grief endured along the way.
As you remember that 'with God nothing shall be
impossible,' know that He is your Father.
You are a son or daughter created in His image, entitled
through your worthiness to receive revelation to help
with your righteous endeavors.
You may take upon you the holy name of the Lord.
You can qualify to speak in the sacred name of God."
President Nelson's words remind us
of the promise found in the sacramental prayer, a promise
our Heavenly Father fulfills as we do what we in turn
promise to do.
Listen to the words: "O God, the Eternal Father, we
ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless
and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those
who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance
of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O
God, the Eternal Father, that they
are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son,
and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has
given them; that they may always have his Spirit
to be with them.
Amen."
Each time we say the word amen when that prayer is offered
on our behalf, we pledge that by partaking of the bread,
we are willing to take upon us the holy name of Jesus Christ,
always remember Him, and keep His commandments.
In turn, we are promised that we may always
have His Spirit to be with us.
Because of these promises, the Savior
is the rock upon which we can stand safely
and without fear in every storm we face.
As I have pondered the covenant words
and corresponding blessings promised,
I have wondered what it means to be
willing to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ.
President Dallin H. Oaks explains: "It is significant
that when we partake of the sacrament
we do not witness that we take upon us
the name of Jesus Christ.
We witness that we are willing to do so.
The fact that we only witness to our willingness
suggests that something else must happen before we actually
take that sacred name upon us in the most important sense."
The statement that we are "willing to take upon [us]"
His name tells us that while we first take the Savior's name
when we were baptized, taking His name
is not finished at baptism.
We must work continually to take His name throughout our lives,
including when we renew covenants
at the sacrament table and make covenants
in the Lord's holy temples.
So two crucial questions for each of us
become "What must I be doing to take His name upon me?"
and "How will I know when I am making progress?"
The statement of President Nelson
suggests one helpful answer.
He said that we could take the name of the Savior upon us
and that we could speak for Him.
When we speak for Him, we serve Him.
Remember the quotation: "For how knoweth a man the master whom
he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him,
and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?"
Speaking for Him requires a prayer of faith.
It takes fervent prayer to Heavenly Father
to learn what words we could speak
to help the Savior in His work.
We must qualify for the promise: "Whether by mine own voice
or by the voice of my servants, it is the same."
Yet it takes more than speaking for Him
to take His name upon us.
There are feelings in our hearts we must have
to qualify as His servants.
The prophet Mormon described the feelings
that qualify us and enable us to take His name upon us.
These feelings include faith, hope, and charity, which
is the pure love of Christ.
Mormon explained to people just like you:
"For I judge that ye have faith in Christ because
of your meekness; for if ye have not faith in him
then ye are not fit to be numbered
among the people of his church.
"And again, my beloved brethren [and sisters],
I would speak unto you concerning hope.
How is it that ye can attain unto faith,
save ye shall have hope?
"And what is it that ye shall hope for?
Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope
through the atonement of Christ and the power
of his resurrection, to be raised unto life
eternal, and this because of your faith
in him according to the promise.
"Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope;
for without faith there cannot be any hope.
"And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith
and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart.
"If so, his faith and hope is vain,
for none is acceptable before God,
save the meek and lowly in heart;
and if a man be meek and lowly in heart,
and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost
that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs
have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing;
wherefore he must needs have charity."
After describing charity, Mormon goes on to say:
"But charity is the pure love of Christ,
and it endureth forever; and whoso
is found possessed of it at the last day,
it shall be well with him.
"Wherefore, my beloved brethren [and sisters],
[I] pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart,
that ye may be filled with this love,
which he hath bestowed upon all [those] who are true followers
of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God;
that when he shall appear we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope;
that we may be purified even as he is pure.
Amen."
My testimony is that the Savior is putting His name
in your hearts.
For many of you, your faith in Him is increasing.
You are feeling more hope and optimism.
And you are feeling the pure love of Christ
for others and for yourself.
I see it in our missionaries serving all over the world.
I see it in members who are speaking
to their friends and family members
about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Men, women, young people, and even children
are ministering out of love for the Savior
and for their neighbors.
At the first report of disasters across the world, which are now
so frequent, members make plans to go to the rescue, sometimes
across oceans, without being asked.
They sometimes find it hard to wait until the devastated areas
can receive them.
I realize that some of you listening today
may feel that your faith and hope are being
overcome by your troubles.
And you may yearn to feel love.
Brothers and sisters, the Lord has opportunities near you
to feel and to share His love.
You can pray with confidence for the Lord
to lead you to someone for Him.
He answers the prayers of meek volunteers like you.
You will feel the love of God for you and for the person
you serve for Him.
As you help children of God in their troubles,
your own troubles will seem lighter.
Your faith and your hope will be strengthened.
I am an eyewitness of that truth.
Over a lifetime, my wife has spoken for the Lord
and served people for Him in many places.
As I've mentioned before, one of our bishops once said to me,
"Brother Eyring, I'm amazed.
Every time I hear of a person in the ward who is in trouble,
I hurry to help.
Yet by the time I arrive, it seems that your wife
has already been there."
That has been true in all the places
we have lived for 56 years.
Now she can speak only a few words a day.
She is visited by people she loved for the Lord.
Every night and morning I sing hymns with her and we pray.
I have to be voice in the prayers and in the songs.
Sometimes I can see her mouthing the words of the hymns.
She prefers children's songs.
The sentiment she seems to like best is summarized in the song
"I'm Trying to Be like Jesus."
The other day, after singing the words of the chorus:
"Love one another as Jesus loves you.
Try to show kindness in all that you do,"
she said softly but clearly, "Try, try, try."
I think she will find, when she sees Him,
that our Savior has put His name into her heart
and that she has become like Him.
He is carrying her through her troubles
now, as He will carry you through yours.
I bear you my witness that the Savior knows and loves you.
He knows your name as you know His.
He knows your troubles.
He has experienced them.
By His Atonement, He has overcome the world.
By your being willing to take His name upon you,
you will lift the burdens of countless others.
And you will find in time that you know the Savior better
and that you love Him more.
His name will be in your heart and fixed in your memory.
it is the name by which you will be called.
I so witness, with gratitude for His loving-kindness
to me, to my loved ones, and to you,
in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
For her entire life, my wife, Melinda,
has tried with all her heart to be a faithful disciple of Jesus
Christ.
Yet, beginning in her youth, she felt
unworthy of Heavenly Father's love and blessings
because she misunderstood His nature.
Fortunately, Melinda continued to keep the commandments
in spite of the sadness she felt. A few years ago,
she had a series of experiences that
helped her better understand God's nature, including
His love for His children and His gratitude
for our even-imperfect efforts to do His work.
She explains how this has influenced her:
"I now feel sure that the Father's plan works,
that He is personally invested in our success,
and that He provides us with the lessons
and experiences we need to return to His presence.
I see myself and others more as God sees us.
I am able to parent, teach, and serve
with more love and less fear.
I feel peace and confidence rather than
anxiety and insecurity.
Instead of feeling judged, I feel supported.
My faith is more certain.
I feel my Father's love more often and more deeply."
Having "a correct idea of [Heavenly Father's] character,
perfections, and attributes" is essential to exercising
faith sufficient to obtain exaltation.
A correct understanding of Heavenly Father's character
can change how we see ourselves and others
and help us to understand God's tremendous love
for His children and His great desire
to help us become like Him.
An incorrect view of His nature can
leave us feeling as if we are incapable of ever making it
back to His presence.
My objective today is to teach key doctrinal points
about the Father that will allow each of us,
but especially those who wonder if God loves them, to better
understand His true character and to exercise greater faith
in Him, His Son, and His plan for us.
In the premortal world, we were born as spirits
to Heavenly Parents and lived with Them as a family.
They knew us, taught us, and loved us.
We wanted very much to be like our Heavenly Father.
However, to do so, we recognized that we would have to:
1.
Obtain glorified, immortal, physical bodies;
2.
Be married and form families by the sealing power
of the priesthood; and
3.
Acquire all knowledge, power, and divine attributes.
Consequently, the Father created a plan
that would allow us, upon certain conditions,
to obtain physical bodies that would become
immortal and glorified in the Resurrection; marry and form
families in mortality or, for the faithful who did not have
this opportunity, after mortality;
progress towards perfection; and ultimately
return to our Heavenly Parents and live with Them
and our families in a state of exaltation
and eternal happiness.
The scriptures call this the plan of salvation.
We were so grateful for this plan
that when it was presented to us, we shouted for joy.
Each of us accepted the conditions of the plan,
including the experiences and challenges of mortality
that would help us develop divine attributes.
During mortality, Heavenly Father
provides us with the conditions we need
to progress within His plan.
The Father begot Jesus Christ in the flesh
and provided Him with divine help
to fulfill His mortal mission.
Heavenly Father will likewise help each of us
if we will strive to keep His commandments.
The Father gives us agency.
Our lives are in His hands, and our "days
are known" and "shall not be numbered less."
And He ensures that eventually all things
work for the good of those who love Him.
It is Heavenly Father who gives us our daily bread, which
includes both the food we eat and the strength we
need to keep His commandments.
The Father gives good gifts.
He hears and answers our prayers.
Heavenly Father delivers us from evil when we let Him.
He weeps for us when we suffer.
Ultimately, all of our blessings come from the Father.
Heavenly Father guides us and gives us
the experiences we need based on our strengths, weaknesses,
and choices so that we might bear good fruit.
The Father chastens us when necessary because He loves us.
He is a "Man of Counsel," who will counsel with us if we ask.
It is Heavenly Father who sends both the influence
and the gift of the Holy Ghost into our lives.
Through the gift of the Holy Ghost,
the glory--or intelligence, light,
and power--of the Father can dwell in us.
If we will strive to increase in light and truth until our eyes
become single to God's glory, Heavenly Father will send
the Holy Spirit of Promise to seal us up unto eternal life
and reveal His face unto us--either in this life
or the next.
In the postmortal spirit world, Heavenly Father
continues to shed forth the Holy Ghost
and send missionaries to those who need the gospel.
He answers prayers and helps those
who lack them receive vicarious saving ordinances.
The Father raised up Jesus Christ
and gave Him power to bring to pass the Resurrection, which
is the means by which we obtain immortal bodies.
The Savior's Redemption and Resurrection
bring us back into the presence of the Father,
where we will be judged by Jesus Christ.
Those who rely upon "the merits, and mercy, and grace
of the Holy Messiah" will receive glorified bodies
like the Father and dwell with Him
"in a state of never-ending happiness."
There, the Father will wipe away all our tears
and help us continue on our journey to become like Him.
As you can see, Heavenly Father is always there for us.
To become like the Father, we must
develop His character traits.
Heavenly Father's perfections and attributes
include the following:
The Father is "Endless and Eternal."
He is perfectly just, merciful, kind, long-suffering,
and wants only what is best for us.
Heavenly Father is love.
He keeps His covenants.
He does not change.
He cannot lie.
The Father is no respecter of persons.
He knows all things--past, present,
and future--from the beginning.
Heavenly Father is more intelligent than us all.
The Father has all power and does
all that He takes into His heart to do.
Brothers and sisters, we can trust in
and rely upon the Father.
Because He has an eternal perspective,
Heavenly Father can see things we cannot.
His joy, work, and glory are to bring to pass our immortality
and exaltation.
Everything He does is for our benefit.
He "wants [our] eternal happiness
even more than [we] do."
And He "would not require [us] to experience
a moment more of difficulty than is absolutely needed
for [our] benefit or for that of those [we] love."
As a result, He focuses on helping us to progress,
not on judging and condemning us.
As spirit sons and daughters of God, each of us
has the potential to become like the Father.
To do so, we must worship the Father in the name of the Son.
We do this by striving to be obedient to the will
of the Father, as the Savior was,
and by continually repenting.
As we do these things, we "receive grace for grace"
until we receive of the Father's fulness
and are endowed with "his character,
perfections, and attributes."
Given the distance between what we are as mortals
and what Heavenly Father has become,
it is not surprising that some feel
that becoming like the Father is unattainable.
Nevertheless, the scriptures are clear.
If we will cleave in faith to Christ,
repent, and seek God's grace through obedience,
eventually we will become like the Father.
I take great comfort in the fact that those
who strive to be obedient will "receive grace for grace"
and ultimately "receive of his fulness."
In other words, we won't become like the Father on our own.
Rather, it will come through gifts of grace,
some big but mostly small, that build upon one another
until we have a fulness.
But brothers and sisters, it will come!
I invite you to trust that Heavenly Father knows how
to exalt you; seek His daily, sustaining help;
and press forward with faith in Christ even when you cannot
feel God's love.
There is much we do not understand
about becoming like the Father.
But I can testify with certainty that striving
to become like the Father is worth every sacrifice.
The sacrifices we make here in mortality, no matter how great,
are simply incomparable to the immeasurable joy, happiness,
and love we will feel in God's presence.
If you are struggling to believe it is worth the sacrifices you
are asked to make, the Savior calls to you, saying,
"Ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father
hath ... prepared for you; ... ye cannot bear all things now;
nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along."
I testify that your Heavenly Father loves you and wants
you to live with Him again.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
My fellow brothers and sisters, recently,
as I was pondering President Nelson's charge
to call the Church by its revealed name,
I turned to where the Savior instructed the Nephites
about the name of the Church.
As I read the Savior's words, I was
struck by how He also told the people that "ye must take
upon you the name of Christ."
This caused me to look at myself and ask, "Am I
taking upon myself the Savior's name
as He would have me do so?"
Today I would like to share some of the impressions
I have received in answer to my question.
First, to take upon ourselves the name of Christ
means we faithfully strive to see as God sees.
How does God see?
Joseph Smith said, "While one portion of the human race
is judging and condemning the other without mercy,
the Great Parent of the universe looks
upon the whole of the human family
with a fatherly care and a paternal regard,"
for "His love [is] unfathomable."
A few years ago my older sister passed away.
She had had a challenging life.
She struggled with the gospel and was never really active.
Her husband abandoned their marriage
and left her with four young children to raise.
On the evening of her passing, in a room
with her children present, I gave her a blessing
to peacefully return home.
At that moment I realized I had too often
defined my sister's life in terms
of her trials and inactivity.
As I placed my hands on her head that evening,
I received a severe rebuke from the Spirit.
I was made acutely aware of her goodness and allowed to see her
as God saw her--not as someone who struggled with the gospel
and life, but as someone who had to deal with difficult issues I
did not have.
I saw her as a magnificent mother
who, despite great obstacles, had raised four
beautiful, amazing children.
I saw her as the friend to our mother
who took time to watch over and be a companion to her
after our father passed away.
During that final evening with my sister,
I believe God was asking me, "Can't you
see that everyone around you is a sacred being?"
Brigham Young taught:
"I wish to urge upon the Saints ...
to understand men and women as they are,
and not understand them as you are."
"How often it is said--'Such a person has done wrong,
and he cannot be a Saint.'
...
We hear some swear and lie ... [or] break the Sabbath.
...
Do not judge such persons, for you do not know the design
of the Lord concerning them. ...
[Rather,] bear with them."
Can any one of you imagine our Savior
letting you and your burdens go unnoticed by Him?
The Savior looked upon the Samaritan, the adulterer,
the tax collector, the leper, the mentally ill,
and the sinner with the same eyes.
All were children of His Father; all were redeemable.
Can you imagine Him turning away from someone
with doubts about their place in God's kingdom
or from anyone afflicted in any manner?
I cannot.
In the eyes of Christ, each soul is of infinite worth.
No one is preordained to fail.
Eternal life is possible for all.
From the Spirit's rebuke at my sister's bedside,
I learned a great lesson: that as we see as He sees,
ours will be a double victory--redemption of those we
touch and redemption of ourselves.
Second, to take upon ourselves the name of Christ,
we must not only see as God sees, but we must do His work
and serve as He served.
We live the two great commandments,
submit to God's will, gather Israel, and let
our light "shine before men."
We receive and live the covenants and ordinances
of His restored Church.
As we do this, God endows us with power
to bless ourselves, our families,
and the lives of others.
Ask yourself, "Do I know anyone who
does not need the powers of heaven in their lives?"
God will work wonders among us as we sanctify ourselves.
We sanctify ourselves by purifying our hearts.
We purify our hearts as we hear Him, repent of our sins,
become converted, and love as He loves.
The Savior asked us, "For if ye love them which love you,
what reward have ye?"
I recently learned about an experience
in the life of Elder James E. Talmage that caused me to pause
and consider how I love and serve those around me.
As a young professor, before he ever
became an Apostle and in the height of the deadly diphtheria
epidemic of 1892, Elder Talmage discovered a family
of strangers, not members of the Church, who lived near him
that were stricken by the disease.
No one wanted to put themselves at risk
by going inside the infected home.
Elder Talmage, however, immediately proceeded
to the home.
He found four children: a 2-and-1/2-year-old dead
on the floor, a 5-year-old and 10-year-old in great pain,
and a weakened 13-year-old.
The parents were suffering with grief and fatigue.
Elder Talmage dressed the dead and the living,
swept the rooms, carried out the soiled clothing,
and burned filthy rags covered with the disease.
He worked all day and then returned the next morning.
The 10-year-old died during the night.
He lifted and held the 5-year-old.
She coughed bloody mucus all over his face and clothes.
He wrote, "I could not put her from me,"
and he held her until she died in his arms.
He helped bury all three children
and arranged for food and clean clothing
for the grieving family.
Upon returning home, Brother Talmage disposed
of his clothes, bathed in a zinc solution,
quarantined himself from his family,
and suffered through a mild attack of the disease.
So many lives around us are at stake.
Saints take the Savior's name upon themselves by becoming
holy and ministering to all, regardless of where or how they
stand--lives are saved as we do so.
Finally, I believe that to take upon ourselves His name,
we must trust Him.
At a meeting I attended one Sunday, a young woman asked
something like the following: "My boyfriend
and I recently broke up, and he chose to leave the Church.
He tells me he has never been happier.
How can this be?"
The Savior answered this question when
He said to the Nephites, "But if [your life is]
not built upon my gospel, and is built upon the works of men,
or upon the works of the devil, verily I
say unto you [you will] have joy in [your] works for a season,
and by and by the end cometh."
There simply is no enduring joy outside the gospel
of Jesus Christ.
At that meeting, however, I thought
about the many good people I know
who struggle with great burdens and commandments that
are daunting at best for them.
I asked myself, "What else might the Savior say to them?"
I believe He would ask, "Do you trust me?"
To the woman with the issue of blood, He said,
"Thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace."
One of my favorite scriptures is John 4:4, which reads,
"And he must needs go through Samaria."
Why do I love that scripture?
Because Jesus did not need to go to Samaria.
The Jews of His day despised the Samaritans
and traveled a road around Samaria.
But Jesus chose to go there to declare
before all people for the first time
that He was the promised Messiah.
For this message He not only chose an outcast group,
but also a woman--and not just any woman but a woman living
in sin--someone considered at that time to be the least
of the least.
I believe Jesus did this so that each of us
may always understand that His love is greater than our fears,
our wounds, our addictions, our doubts, our temptations,
our sins, our broken families, our depression and anxieties,
our chronic illness, our poverty, our abuse,
our despair, and our loneliness.
He wants all to know there is nothing
and no one He is unable to heal and deliver to enduring joy.
His grace is sufficient.
He alone descended below all things.
The power of His Atonement is the power
to overcome any burden in our life.
The message of the woman at the well
is that He knows our life situations
and that we can always walk with Him no matter where we stand.
To her and to each of us He says, "Whosoever drinketh
of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst;
but [shall have] a well of water springing up
into everlasting life."
In any of life's travels, why would you ever turn away
from the only Savior who has all power to heal and deliver you?
Whatever the price you must pay to trust Him, it's worth it.
My brothers and sisters, let us choose
to increase our faith in Heavenly Father and our Savior,
Jesus Christ.
From the very depths of my soul, I
bear testimony that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints is the Savior's Church, directed by the living
Christ through a true prophet.
My prayer is that we will faithfully take upon ourselves
the name of Jesus Christ--by seeing as He sees,
by serving as He served, and by trusting that His grace is
sufficient to deliver us home and to enduring joy.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
A few months into his mission, our youngest son
and his missionary companion were completing their study
when our son felt a dull pain in his head.
He felt very strange; at first he
lost control of his left arm; then his tongue went numb.
The left side of his face began to droop.
He had difficulty speaking.
He knew something was wrong.
What he didn't know was that he was
in the middle of a massive stroke in three
areas of his brain.
Fear began to set in as he became partially paralyzed.
How quickly a stroke victim receives care
can have a dramatic effect on the extent of his healing.
His faithful missionary companion acted decisively.
After calling 911, he gave him a blessing.
Miraculously, the ambulance was only five minutes away.
After our son was rushed to the hospital,
the medical personnel quickly assessed the situation
and determined they should administer a medicine
to our son that could potentially
reverse the stroke's paralyzing effects over time.
However, if our son was not having a stroke,
the medicine could have severe consequences,
such as bleeding in the brain.
Our son had to choose.
He chose to accept the medication.
While full recovery required more operations
and many months, our son eventually
returned and completed his mission
after the effects of the stroke were substantially reversed.
Our Heavenly Father is all-powerful and all-knowing.
He knows our physical struggles.
He is aware of our physical pains
due to illness, disease, aging, accidents, or birth disorders.
He is aware of emotional struggles associated
with anxiety, loneliness, depression, or mental illness.
He knows each person who has suffered injustice
or who has been abused.
He knows our weaknesses and the propensities
and temptations we struggle with.
During mortality we are tested to see if we
will choose good over evil.
For those who keep His commandments,
they will live with Him in a state
of never-ending happiness.
To help us in our progression to become like Him,
Heavenly Father has given all power and knowledge
to His Son, Jesus Christ.
There is no physical, emotional, or spiritual ailment that
Christ cannot heal.
During the mortal ministry of the Savior,
the scriptures recount many miraculous events
where Jesus Christ used His divine power to heal
those who suffered physically.
The Gospel of John recounts the story
of a certain man who had endured a debilitating
infirmity for 38 years.
"When Jesus saw him lie, and knew
that he had been now a long time in that case,
he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?"
The impotent man responded that no one
was around to help him when he needed it most.
"Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed and walk.
"And immediately the man was made whole,
and took up his bed, and walked."
Please note the juxtaposition of how long this man suffered
on his own--38 years--and how quickly the healing came once
the Savior became involved.
The healing was immediate.
In another instance, a woman with an issue of blood 12
years, who "had spent all [of] her living upon physicians, ...
came behind him, and touched the border of his garment:
and immediately her issue of blood [ceased].
...
"And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me:
for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.
And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she ...
declared unto him before all the people ...
how she was healed immediately."
Through His ministry, Christ taught
that He had power over the physical body.
We cannot control the timing of when Christ's healing
of our physical ailments will occur.
Healing occurs according to His will and wisdom.
In the scriptures, some suffered for decades; others,
their entire mortal lives.
Mortal infirmities can refine us and deepen our reliance
upon God.
But when we allow Christ to be involved,
He will always strengthen us spiritually so
we can have greater capacity to endure our burdens.
Ultimately, we know that every physical ailment, malady,
or imperfection will be healed in the Resurrection.
That is a gift to all mankind through the Atonement
of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ can heal more than just our physical bodies.
He can heal our spirits as well.
Throughout scripture we learn how
Christ helped those whose spirits were weak
and made them whole.
As we ponder these experiences, our hope and faith
in the Savior's power to bless our lives increases.
Jesus Christ can change our hearts,
heal us from the effects of injustice or abuse
we may experience, and strengthen our capacity
to bear loss and heartache, bringing us
peace to help us endure the trials of our lives,
healing us emotionally.
Christ can also heal us when we sin.
We sin when we knowingly break one of God's laws.
When we sin, our soul becomes unclean.
No unclean thing can dwell in God's presence.
Becoming clean from sin is to be healed spiritually.
God the Father knows we will sin,
but He has prepared a way for us to be redeemed.
Elder Lynn G. Robbins taught: "Repentance
isn't [God's] backup plan in the event we might fail.
Repentance is His plan, knowing that we will."
When we sin, we have the opportunity
to choose the good from the evil.
We choose the good when we repent after we have sinned.
Through Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice,
we can be redeemed from our sins and brought back
to the presence of God the Father--if we repent.
Spiritual healing is not one-sided;
it requires the Savior's redemptive power and sincere
repentance on the part of the sinner.
For those who choose not to repent,
they are rejecting the healing Christ offers.
For them, it is as though no redemption was made.
As I have counseled with others seeking to repent,
I have marveled that people who were living in sin
had difficulty making correct decisions.
The Holy Ghost would leave them, and they often
struggled to make choices that would bring them closer to God.
They would wrestle for months or even years,
embarrassed or frightened of the consequences of their sins.
Often they felt that they could never change or be forgiven.
I have often heard them share their fear that if their loved
ones knew what they had done, they would stop loving them
or leave them.
When they followed this line of thinking,
they resolved to just keep quiet and delay their repentance.
They incorrectly felt that it was better
not to repent now so that they would not further
hurt those they loved.
In their minds it was better to suffer after this life
than go through the repentance process now.
Brothers and sisters, it is never
a good idea to procrastinate your repentance.
The adversary often uses fear to prevent us
from acting immediately upon our faith in Jesus Christ.
When loved ones are confronted with the truth
about sinful behavior, while they may feel deeply wounded,
they often want to help the sincerely repentant
sinner to change and to reconcile with God.
Indeed, spiritual healing accelerates
when the sinner confesses and is surrounded
by those who love them and help them to forsake their sins.
Please remember that Jesus Christ
is mighty in how He also heals the innocent victims of sin who
turn to Him.
Elder Boyd K. Packer stated: "Our spirits
are damaged when we make mistakes and commit sins.
But unlike the case of our mortal bodies,
when the repentance process is complete,
no scars remain because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
The promise is: 'Behold, he who has repented of his sins,
the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.'"
When we repent "with full purpose of heart,"
"immediately shall the great plan of redemption
be brought about" in our lives.
The Savior will heal us.
The missionary companion and the medical professionals
who helped our stroke-afflicted son in the mission field
acted quickly.
Our son chose to receive the stroke-reversing medicine.
The paralyzing effects of his stroke
that could have followed him for the remainder
of his mortal life were reversed.
Likewise, the faster we repent and bring
the Atonement of Jesus Christ into our lives,
the sooner we can be healed from the effects of sin.
President Russell M. Nelson offered this invitation:
"If you have stepped off the path, ...
I invite you ... to please come back.
Whatever your concerns, whatever your challenges,
there is a place for you in this, the Lord's Church.
You and generations yet unborn will be blessed by your actions
now to return to the covenant path."
Our spiritual healing requires us
to submit ourselves to the conditions
our Savior has outlined.
We must not delay!
We must act today!
Act now so that spiritual paralysis
does not prevent your eternal progression.
While I have been speaking, if you have felt the need
to ask forgiveness of someone you have wronged,
I invite you to act.
Tell them what you have done.
Ask for their forgiveness.
If you have committed a sin that impacts your temple worthiness,
I invite you to counsel with your bishop--today.
Do not delay.
My brothers and sisters, God is our loving Father in Heaven.
He has given all power and knowledge
to His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
Because of Him, all mankind will one day
be healed of every physical ailment forever.
Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ,
if we choose to repent and turn our hearts fully to the Savior,
He will heal us spiritually.
That healing can begin immediately.
The choice is ours.
Will we be made whole?
I testify that Jesus Christ paid the price
so that we can be made whole.
But we must choose to take that healing medicine He offers.
Take it today.
Do not delay.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
The congregation will now join the choir
in singing "Glory to God on High."
After the singing, we will hear from Elder Dale G.
Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
He will be followed by Elder Jack N. Gerard of the Seventy.
Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
will then address us.
[MUSIC PLAYING - "GLORY TO GOD ON HIGH"]
The fictional character Mary Poppins is a typical English
nanny--who happens to be magical.
She blows in on the east wind to help the troubled Banks
family of Number 17, Cherry Tree Lane, in Edwardian London.
She is given charge of the children, Jane and Michael.
In a firm but kind manner, she begins
to teach them valuable lessons with an enchanting touch.
Jane and Michael make considerable progress,
but Mary decides that it is time for her to move on.
In the stage production, Mary's chimney sweep friend, Bert,
tries to dissuade her from leaving.
He argues, "But they're good kids, Mary."
Mary replies, "Would I be bothering with them if they
weren't?
But I can't help them if they won't let me,
and there's no one so hard to teach as the child who
knows everything."
Bert asks, "So?"
Mary answers, "So they've got to do the next bit on their own."
Brothers and sisters, like Jane and Michael Banks,
we are "good kids" who are worth bothering about.
Our Heavenly Father wants to help and bless us,
but we do not always let Him.
Sometimes we even act as if we already know everything.
And we too need to do "the next bit" on our own.
That is why we came to earth from
a premortal, heavenly home.
Our "bit" involves making choices.
Our Heavenly Father's goal in parenting
is not to have His children do what is right;
it is to have His children choose to do what is right
and ultimately become like Him.
If He simply wanted us to be obedient,
He would use immediate rewards and punishments
to influence our behaviors.
But God is not interested in His children
just becoming trained and obedient "pets"
who won't chew on His slippers in the celestial living room.
No, God wants His children to grow up spiritually
and join Him in the family business.
God established a plan whereby we can become heirs
in His kingdom, a covenant path that
leads us to become like Him, have the kind of life He has,
and live forever as families in His presence.
Personal choice was--and is--vital to this plan,
which we learned about in our premortal existence.
We accepted the plan and chose to come to earth.
To ensure that we would exercise faith and learn
to use our agency properly, a veil of forgetfulness
was drawn over our minds so we would not remember God's plan.
Without that veil, God's purposes
would not be achieved because we could not progress and become
the trusted inheritors He wants us to be.
The prophet Lehi said: "Wherefore, the Lord God
gave unto man that he should act for himself.
Wherefore, man could not act for himself
save it should be that he was enticed
by the one or the other."
At a fundamental level, one option
is represented by Jesus Christ, the Firstborn of the Father.
The other option is represented by Satan, Lucifer,
who wants to destroy agency and usurp power.
In Jesus Christ "we have an advocate with the Father."
After completing His atoning sacrifice,
Jesus "ascended into heaven ... to claim of the Father his
rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men."
And, having claimed the rights of mercy,
"he advocateth the cause of the children of men."
Christ's advocacy with the Father in our behalf
is not adversarial.
Jesus Christ, who allowed His will
to be swallowed up in the will of the Father,
would not champion anything other
than what the Father has wanted all along.
Heavenly Father undoubtedly cheers for
and applauds our successes.
Christ's advocacy is, at least in part,
to remind us that He has paid for our sins
and that no one is excluded from the reach of God's mercy.
For those who believe in Jesus Christ,
repent and are baptized, and endure to the end--a process
that leads to reconciliation--the Savior
forgives, heals, and advocates.
He is our helper, consoler, and intercessor--attesting
to and vouching for our reconciliation with God.
In stark contrast, Lucifer is an accuser or prosecutor.
John the Revelator described Lucifer's ultimate defeat:
"And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now
is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God,
and the power of his Christ."
Why?
Because "the accuser of our brethren is cast down,
which accused them before our God day and night.
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb,
and by the word of their testimony."
Lucifer is this accuser.
He spoke against us in the premortal existence,
and he continues to denounce us in this life.
He seeks to drag us down.
He wants us to experience endless woe.
He is the one who tells us we are not adequate,
the one who tells us we are not good enough,
the one who tells us there is no recovery from a mistake.
He is the ultimate bully, the one
who kicks us when we are down.
If Lucifer were teaching a child to walk and the child stumbled,
he would scream at the child, punish him,
and tell him to quit trying.
Lucifer's ways bring discouragement
and despair--eventually and always.
This father of lies is the ultimate purveyor
of falsehood and cunningly works to deceive and distract us,
"for he seeketh that all men might be
miserable like unto himself."
If Christ were teaching a child to walk and the child stumbled,
He would help the child get up and encourage the next steps.
Christ is the helper and consoler.
His ways bring joy and hope--eventually and always.
God's plan includes directions for us,
referred to in the scriptures as commandments.
These commandments are neither a whimsical set nor an arbitrary
collection of imposed rules meant only
to train us to be obedient.
They are linked to our developing
the attributes of godliness, returning to our Heavenly
Father, and receiving enduring joy.
Obedience to His commandments is not blind;
we knowingly choose God and His pathway home.
The pattern for us is the same as it was for Adam and Eve,
wherein "God gave unto them commandments,
after having made known unto them the plan of redemption."
Though God wants us to be on the covenant path,
He gives us the dignity of choosing.
Indeed, God desires, expects, and directs
that each of His children choose for himself or herself.
He will not force us.
Through the gift of agency, God permits His children
to "to act for themselves and not to be acted upon."
Agency allows us to choose to get on the path, or not.
It allows us to get off, or not.
Just as we cannot be forced to obey,
we cannot be forced to disobey.
No one can, without our cooperation,
take us off the path.
Now, this is not to be confused with those
whose agency is violated.
They are not off the path; they are victims.
They receive God's understanding, love,
and compassion.
But when we get off the path, God
is saddened because He knows this eventually but invariably
leads to diminished happiness and forfeited blessings.
In the scriptures, getting off the path is referred to as sin,
and the resultant decrease in happiness and forfeited
blessings is called punishment.
In this sense, God is not punishing us;
punishment is a consequence of our own choices, not His.
When we discover that we are off the path, we can stay off,
or because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ,
we can choose to reverse our steps and get back on.
In the scriptures, the process of deciding
to change and return to the path is referred to as repentance.
Failure to repent means that we choose
to disqualify ourselves from the blessings God desires to give.
If we are "not willing to enjoy that which [we] might have
received," we will "return ... to [our] own place,
to enjoy that which [we] are willing to receive"--our
choice, not God's.
No matter how long we have been off the path
or how far away we have wandered, the moment we decide
to change, God helps us return.
From God's perspective, through sincere repentance and pressing
forward with a steadfastness in Christ, once back on the path,
it will be as if we were never off.
The Savior pays for our sins and frees us
from the looming decrease in happiness and blessings.
This is referred to in the scriptures as forgiveness.
After baptism, all members slip off the path--some of us even
dive off.
Therefore, exercising faith in Jesus Christ,
repenting, receiving help from Him, and being forgiven
are not onetime events but lifelong processes, processes
that are repetitive and iterative.
This is how we "endure to the end."
We need to choose whom we will serve.
The magnitude of our eternal blessings
depends on choosing the living God
and joining Him in His work.
As we strive to "do the next bit" on our own,
we practice using our agency correctly.
As two former Relief Society General Presidents said,
we should not be "babies that need petting and correction all
the time."
No, God wants us to become mature adults who
govern ourselves.
Choosing to follow the Father's plan
is the only way we can become inheritors in His kingdom;
only then can He trust us to not even
ask for that which is contrary to His will.
But we need to remember that "there's
no one so hard to teach as the child who knows everything."
So we need to be willing to be tutored in the Lord's way
by the Lord and His servants.
We can trust that we are beloved children of Heavenly Parents
and worth "bothering about" and be assured that "on our own"
will never mean "alone."
As the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob said, I say with him:
"Therefore, cheer up your hearts,
and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves--to choose
the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life.
"Wherefore, my beloved brethren [and sisters],
reconcile yourselves to the will of God,
and not to the will of the devil ...; and remember,
after ye are reconciled unto God,
that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are
saved."
So choose faith in Christ; choose repentance;
choose to be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost;
choose to conscientiously prepare for
and worthily partake of the sacrament;
choose to make covenants in the temple;
and choose to serve the living God and His children.
Our choices determine who we are and who we will become.
I conclude with the rest of Jacob's blessing: "Wherefore,
may God raise you from ... everlasting death by the power
of the atonement, that ye may be received into the eternal
kingdom of God."
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Several years ago, while preparing for a business trip,
I began to experience chest pain.
Out of concern, my wife decided to accompany me.
On the first leg of our flight, the pain
intensified to the point that it was difficult for me
to breathe.
When we landed, we left the airport
and went to the local hospital, where after multiple tests
the attending physician declared us safe to continue our travel.
We returned to the airport and boarded a flight
to our final destination.
As we were descending, the pilot came on the intercom
and asked me to identify myself.
The flight attendant approached, said
they had just received an emergency call,
and told me there was an ambulance waiting
at the airport to take me to the hospital.
We boarded the ambulance and were rushed
to the local emergency room.
There we were met by two anxious doctors who
explained that I had been misdiagnosed
and actually had a serious pulmonary embolism,
or blood clot in my lung, which required
immediate medical attention.
The doctors informed us that many patients do not
survive this condition.
Knowing we were far from home and not
sure if we were prepared for such life-altering events,
the doctors said that if there was anything in our lives
that we needed to consider, now was the time.
I remember well how almost instantaneously,
in that anxious moment, my entire perspective changed.
What seemed so important just moments earlier
was now of little interest.
My mind raced away from the comfort and cares of this life
to an eternal perspective--thoughts
of family, children, my wife, and ultimately an assessment
of my own life.
How were we doing as a family and individually?
Were we living our lives consistent with the covenants
we had made and the Lord's expectations,
or had we perhaps unintentionally allowed
the cares of the world to distract us
from those things which matter most?
I would invite you to consider an important lesson learned
from this experience: to step back from the world
and to assess your life.
Or in the words of the doctor, if there
is anything in your life you need to consider,
now is the time.
We live in a world of information overload,
dominated by ever-increasing distractions that
make it more and more difficult to sort
through the commotion of this life
and focus on things of eternal worth.
Our daily lives are bombarded with
attention-grabbing headlines served up
by rapidly changing technologies.
Unless we take the time to reflect,
we may not realize the impact of this fast-paced environment
on our daily lives and the choices we make.
We may find our lives consumed with bursts
of information packaged in memes, videos, and glaring
headlines.
Although interesting and entertaining, most of these
have little to do with our eternal progress,
and yet they shape the way we view our mortal experience.
These worldly distractions could be likened
to those in Lehi's dream.
As we progress down the covenant path with our hand firmly
affixed on the iron rod, we hear and see
those "mocking and pointing their fingers"
from the great and spacious building.
We may not consciously intend to do so,
but sometimes we pause and shift our gaze
to see what all the commotion is.
Some of us may even let go of the iron rod
and move closer for a better view.
Others may fall away entirely "because of those
that were scoffing at them."
The Savior cautioned us to "take heed ...
lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with ...
cares of this life."
Modern revelation reminds us that many are called,
but few are chosen.
They are not chosen "because their hearts are set ...
upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors
of men."
Assessing our lives gives us an opportunity
to step back from the world, reflect on
where we stand on the covenant path, and, if necessary,
make adjustments to ensure a firm grip and a forward gaze.
Recently, in a worldwide youth devotional,
President Russell M. Nelson invited the youth
to step back from the world, disengaging from social media
by holding a seven-day fast, and just last evening also
invited the sisters as part of the women's conference.
He then asked them--asked the youth--to notice any
differences in how they feel, what they think,
or even how they think.
He then invited them "to do a thorough life assessment with
the Lord ... to ensure that your feet are firmly planted
on the covenant path."
He encouraged them that if there were things in their lives
that needed changing, "today is the perfect time to change."
In assessing things in our lives that need to change,
we might ask ourselves a practical question:
How do we rise above the distractions of this world
and stay fixed on the vision of eternity before us?
In a 2007 conference address entitled "Good, Better, Best,"
President Dallin H. Oaks taught how
to prioritize choices among our many conflicting worldly
demands.
He counseled, "We have to forego some good things in order
to choose others that are better or best because they develop
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families."
May I suggest that the best things in this life
are centered on Jesus Christ and understanding
the eternal truths of who He is and who we are
in our relationship with Him.
As we seek to know the Savior, we
should not overlook the fundamental truth of who we are
and why we are here.
Amulek reminds us that "this life is the time ...
to prepare to meet God," the time "which is given us
to prepare for eternity."
As the well-known axiom reminds us,
"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience.
We are spiritual beings having a human experience."
Understanding our divine origins is
essential to our eternal progress
and can free us from the distractions of this life.
The Savior taught:
"If ye continue in my word, then [ye are] my disciples indeed;
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth
[will] make you free."
President Joseph F. Smith proclaimed, "The greatest
achievement mankind can make in this world is
to familiarize themselves with divine truth,
so thoroughly, so perfectly, that the example
or conduct of no creature living in the world
can ever turn them away from the knowledge
that they have obtained."
In the world today, the debate over truth
has reached a fevered pitch, with all sides claiming truth
as if it were a relative concept open
to individual interpretation.
The young boy Joseph Smith found that "so great were
the confusion and strife" in his life that "it was impossible
... to come to any certain conclusion who was right
and who was wrong."
It was "in the midst of this war of words and tumult
of opinions" that he sought divine guidance
by seeking truth.
In April conference, President Nelson
taught, "If we are to have any hope of sifting through
the myriad of voices and the philosophies of men
that attack truth, we must learn to receive revelation."
We must learn to rely on the Spirit of Truth,
which "the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not,
neither knoweth him."
As this world moves swiftly to alternative realities,
we must remember the words of Jacob
that "the Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not.
Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really
are, and of things as they really will be;
wherefore, these things are manifested unto us plainly,
for the salvation of our souls."
As we step back from the world and assess our lives,
now is the time to consider what changes we need to make.
We can take great hope in knowing
that our exemplar, Jesus Christ, has once again led the way.
Prior to His death and Resurrection,
as He was laboring to help those around Him
understand His divine role, He reminded them "that in me ye
might have peace.
In the world ye shall have tribulation:
but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
Of Him I bear witness in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
In a recent conversation with a friend of mine,
he told me that when he was a young, newly baptized member
of the Church, he suddenly felt like somehow he did not
fit in anymore in his ward.
The missionaries who had taught him had been transferred away,
and he felt like he was on the periphery.
Without friends in the ward, he found his old friends,
and with them engaged in activities that took him away
from participating at church--so much so that he began to stray
from the flock.
With tears in his eyes, he described how deeply grateful
he was when a fellow ward member extended a ministering
hand to him and invited him to return
in a warm and inclusive way.
Within months, he was back in the safety of the flock,
strengthening others as well as himself.
Aren't we grateful for the shepherd in Brazil who
sought after this young man, Elder Carlos A. Godoy,
who now sits behind me as a member of the Presidency
of the Seventy?
Isn't it remarkable how such small efforts
can have eternal consequences?
This truth is at the heart of the Church's ministering
efforts.
Heavenly Father can take our simple daily efforts
and turn them into something miraculous.
It has only been six months since President Russell M.
Nelson announced that "the Lord has made important adjustments
in the way we care for each other,"
explaining, "We will implement a newer,
holier approach to caring for and ministering to others.
We will refer to these efforts simply as 'ministering.'"
President Nelson also explained: "A hallmark of the Lord's true
and living Church will always be an organized,
directed effort to minister to individual children of God
and ... families.
Because it is His Church, we as His servants
will minister to the one, just as He did.
We will minister in His name, with His power and authority,
and with His loving-kindness."
Well, since that announcement, your response
has been incredible!
We have received reports of great success
in implementing these changes in nearly every stake in the world
as directed by our living prophet.
For example, ministering brothers and sisters have been
assigned to families, companionships--including young
men and young women--have been organized,
and ministering interviews are taking place.
I don't think it's a coincidence that six months prior
to the revelatory announcement of yesterday,
"a new balance between gospel instruction in the home
and in the church," the revelatory announcement
on "ministering" was given.
Beginning January, as we spend one less hour in our church
worship, all that we have learned in ministering
will help us rebalance that void in a higher
and holier home-centered Sabbath day experience with family
and loved ones.
With these organizational structures in place,
we might ask, how do we know we are
ministering in the Lord's way?
Are we assisting the Good Shepherd in the way He intends?
In a recent discussion with President Henry B. Eyring,
he commended the Saints in adjusting
to these notable changes but also expressed his sincere hope
that members recognize that ministering
is more than "just being nice."
That is not to say that being nice is inconsequential,
but those who understand the true spirit of ministering
realize that it goes far beyond merely being nice.
Done in the Lord's way, ministering
can have a far-reaching influence
for good that ripples throughout all eternity,
as it has for Elder Godoy.
"The Savior showed by example what it means to minister as He
served out of love. ...
He ... taught, prayed for, comforted,
and blessed those around Him, inviting all to follow Him. ...
As Church members minister [in a higher and holier way],
they prayerfully seek to serve as He would--to ...
'watch over the church always, and be with and strengthen
them,' to 'visit the house of each member,' and help each
become a true disciple of ...
Christ."
Continuing the thread introduced by Sister Cordon this morning,
a true shepherd loves his sheep, knows each one by name,
and "has personal interest in" them.
My friend of many years spent his life as a rancher,
doing the hard work of raising cattle and sheep
in the rugged Rocky Mountains.
He once shared with me the challenges and hazards
associated with raising sheep.
He described that in early spring, when
snow on the expansive mountain range had mostly melted,
he placed the family herd of approximately 2,000 sheep
in the mountains for the summer.
There, he watched over the sheep until late fall,
when they were moved from the summer range
to a winter range in the desert.
He described how tending a large flock of sheep was difficult,
requiring early days and late nights--waking well before
sunrise and finishing long after dark.
He could not possibly do it alone.
Others helped tend the flock, including
a mix of experienced ranch hands assisted by younger hands who
were benefiting from the wisdom of their companions.
He also relied on two old horses, two colts in training,
two old sheepdogs, and two or three sheepdog pups.
Over the course of the summer, my friend and his sheep
faced wind and rainstorms, sickness, injuries, drought,
and just about every other hardship one can imagine.
Some years they had to haul water all summer
just to keep the sheep alive.
Then every year in late fall, when winter weather threatened
and the sheep were taken off the mountain and counted,
there were usually more than 200 that were lost.
The flock of 2,000 sheep placed in the mountains
in early spring was reduced to less than 1,800.
Most of the missing sheep were not
lost to sickness or natural death
but to predators such as mountain lions or coyotes.
These predators usually found the lambs
that had strayed from the safety of the flock,
withdrawing themselves from the protection of their shepherd.
Would you consider for a moment what I have just described,
in a spiritual context?
Who is the shepherd?
Who is the flock?
Who are those who assist the shepherd?
The Lord Jesus Christ Himself said, "I am the good shepherd,
and know my sheep, ... and I lay down my life for the sheep."
The prophet Nephi likewise taught
that Jesus "shall feed his sheep,
and in him they shall find pasture."
I find abiding peace in knowing that "the Lord is my shepherd"
and that each of us is known by Him and under His care.
When we confront life's wind and rainstorms, sickness, injuries,
and drought, the Lord--our Shepherd--will minister to us.
He will restore our souls.
In the same way that my friend tended his sheep
with the assistance of young and old ranch hands, horses,
and sheepdogs, the Lord also requires assistance
in the challenging labor of caring
for the sheep in His flock.
As children of a loving Heavenly Father
and as sheep in His flock, we enjoy the blessings
of being individually ministered to by Jesus Christ.
Simultaneously, we have a responsibility
to provide ministering assistance to others around us
as shepherds ourselves.
We heed the words of the Lord to "serve me and go forth
in my name, and ... gather together my sheep."
Who is the shepherd?
Every man, woman, and child in the kingdom of God
is a shepherd.
No calling is required.
From the moment we emerge from the waters of baptism,
we are commissioned to this work.
We reach out in love to others because it is what
our Savior commanded us to do.
Alma emphasized, "For what shepherd ...
having many sheep doth not watch over them,
that the wolves [may not enter] and devour his flock?
...
Doth [not he] drive him out?"
Whenever our neighbors are in distress temporally
or spiritually, we run to their aid.
We bear one another's burdens that they may be light.
We mourn with those who mourn.
We comfort those that stand in need of comfort.
The Lord lovingly expects this of us.
And the day will come when we will be held accountable
for the care we take in ministering to His flock.
My shepherd friend shared another important element
in the watchcare of sheep on the range.
He described that lost sheep were
particularly vulnerable to the dangers of predators.
In fact, up to 15 percent of his and his team's total time
was devoted to finding lost sheep.
The sooner they found lost sheep,
before the sheep drifted too far from the flock, the less likely
the sheep were to be harmed.
Recovering lost sheep required much patience and discipline.
Some years ago I found an article
in a local newspaper so intriguing that I saved it.
The front-page headline read, "Determined Dog
Won't Abandon Lost Sheep."
This article describes a small number
of sheep belonging to an operation
not far from my friend's property that were somehow left
behind in their summer range.
Two or three months later, they became stranded and snowbound
in the mountains.
When the sheep were left behind, the sheepdog
stayed with them, for it was his duty
to look after and protect the sheep.
He would not go off watch!
There he remained--circling about the lost sheep for months
in the cold and snowy weather, serving as a protection against
coyotes, mountain lions, or any other predator that would harm
the sheep.
He stayed there until he was able to lead or herd
the sheep back to the safety of the shepherd and the flock.
The image captured on the front page of this article
allows one to see character in the eyes
and demeanor of this sheepdog.
In the New Testament, we find a parable and instruction
from the Savior that provides further insight pertaining
to our responsibility as shepherds, ministering sisters
and brothers of lost sheep:
"What man of you, having an hundred sheep,
if he lose one ..., doth not leave the ninety and nine
in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost,
until he find it?
"And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders,
rejoicing.
"And when he comes home, he calleth together his friends
and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me;
for I have found my sheep which was lost."
As we summarize the lesson taught in the parable,
we find this valuable counsel:
First, we are to identify the lost sheep.
Second, we search after them until they are found.
Third, when they are found, we may
have to lay them on our shoulders to bring them home.
Finally, we surround them with friends upon their return.
Brothers and sisters, our greatest challenges
and our greatest rewards may come as we
minister to lost sheep.
The members of the Church in the Book of Mormon "watch[ed] over
their people, and did nourish them with things pertaining
to righteousness."
We can follow their examples and remember that ministering is
to be "led by the Spirit, ... flexible, and ...
customized to the needs of each member."
It is also critical that we "seek to help individuals
and families prepare for their next ordinance,
keep [their] covenants ..., and become self-reliant."
Every soul is precious to our Heavenly Father.
His personal invitation to minister
is of greatest value and importance
to Him, for it is His work and glory.
It is quite literally the work of eternity.
Each one of His children has immeasurable potential
in His sight.
He loves you with a love you cannot even begin
to comprehend.
Like the devoted sheepdog, the Lord
will stay on the mountain to protect you
through the wind, rainstorms, snow, and more.
President Russell M. Nelson taught
us last conference: "Our message to the world
[and may I add, to our ministering flock]
is simple and sincere: we invite all of God's children
on both sides of the veil to come unto their Savior,
receive the blessings of the holy temple, have enduring joy,
and qualify for eternal life."
May we raise our sights to this prophetic vision
so we can shepherd souls to the temple
and ultimately to our Savior, Jesus Christ.
He does not expect us to perform miracles.
He only asks that we bring our brothers and sisters unto Him,
for He has the power to redeem souls.
As we do so, we can and will secure this promise:
"And when the chief Shepherd shall appear,
ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away."
Of this I testify, and of Jesus Christ
as our Savior and our Redeemer, in the name of Jesus Christ,
amen.
At the conclusion of the conference,
we express sincere appreciation to all
who have worked so diligently to prepare for these services.
We thank those who have spoken and those
who have provided the uplifting music.
The concluding speaker for this session
will be our beloved prophet, President Russell M. Nelson.
Following his remarks, the choir will close the meeting
by singing "Our Prayer to Thee."
The benediction will then be offered by Michael John U.
Teh of the Seventy, and the conference
will be adjourned for six months.
This has been an inspirational and historic conference.
We look to the future with enthusiasm.
We have been motivated to do better and to be better.
The marvelous messages delivered from this pulpit
by our General Authorities and General Officers
and the music have been sublime!
I urge you to study these messages, commencing this week.
They express the mind and the will of the Lord for His people
today.
The new home-centered, Church-supported
integrated curriculum has the potential
to unleash the power of families as each family follows
through conscientiously and carefully
to transform their home into a sanctuary of faith.
I promise that as you diligently work
to remodel your home into a center of gospel learning,
over time your Sabbath days will truly be a delight.
Your children will be excited to learn and to live the Savior's
teachings, and the influence of the adversary in your life
and in your home will decrease.
Changes in your family will be dramatic and sustaining.
During this conference we have strengthened our resolve
to execute the essential effort to honor the Lord Jesus
Christ every time we refer to His Church.
I promise you that our rigorous attention
to use the correct name of the Savior's Church
and its members will lead to increased faith and access
to greater spiritual power for members of His Church.
Now let's turn to the topic of temples.
We know that our time in the temple
is crucial to our salvation and exaltation
and to that of our families.
After we receive our own temple ordinances
and make sacred covenants with God, each one of us
needs the ongoing spiritual strengthening and tutoring
that is only possible in the house of the Lord.
And our ancestors need us to serve as proxy for them.
Consider the great mercy and fairness
of God, who, before the foundation of the world,
provided a way to give temple blessings to those
who died without a knowledge of the gospel.
These sacred temple rites are ancient.
To me that antiquity is thrilling and another evidence
of their authenticity.
My dear brothers and sisters, the assaults of the adversary
are increasing exponentially in intensity and in variety.
Our need to be in the temple on a regular basis
has never been greater.
I plead with you to take a prayerful look
at how you spend your time.
Invest time in your future and in that of your family.
If you have reasonable access to a temple,
I urge you to find a way to make an appointment regularly with
the Lord--to be in His holy house--and then keep that
appointment with exactness and joy.
I promise you that the Lord will bring
the miracles He knows you need as you make sacrifices to serve
and worship in His temples.
Currently we have 159 dedicated temples.
The proper care and maintenance of those temples
is very important to us.
With the passage of time, temples
are inevitably in need of refreshing and renewal.
To that end, plans are now being made to renovate and update
the Salt Lake Temple and other pioneer-generation temples.
Details on these projects will be
shared as they are developed.
Today we are pleased to announce plans
to construct 12 more temples.
Those temples will be built in the following locations:
Mendoza, Argentina; Salvador, Brazil; Yuba City, California;
Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Praia, Cape Verde;
Yigo, Guam; Puebla, Mexico; Auckland, New Zealand;
Lagos, Nigeria; Davao, Philippines; San Juan, Puerto
Rico; Washington County, Utah.
[LAUGHTER]
Building and maintaining temples may not change your life,
but spending your time in the temple surely will.
To those who have long been absent from the temple,
I encourage you to prepare and return as soon as possible.
Then I invite you to worship in the temple and pray
to feel deeply the Savior's infinite love for you,
that each of you may gain your own testimony that He directs
this sacred and ageless work.
Brothers and sisters, I thank you
for your faith and sustaining efforts.
I leave my love and blessing upon you,
that you may feast upon the word of the Lord
and apply His teachings in your personal lives.
I assure you that revelation continues in the Church
and will continue until "the purposes of God
shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah
shall say the work is done."
I bless you with increased faith in Him and in His holy work,
with faith and patience to endure your personal challenges
in life.
I bless you to become exemplary Latter-day Saints.
I so bless you and bear my testimony that God lives!
Jesus is the Christ!
This is His Church.
We are His people.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
[MUSIC PLAYING - "OUR PRAYER TO THEE"]
Our loving Father in Heaven, we come before Thee now
in gratitude at the conclusion of yet
another historic and revelatory general conference weekend.
We thank Thee, Father, for a living prophet on the earth
today, even President Russell M. Nelson,
and the 14 other men whom we sustain as prophets, seers,
and revelators.
We pray for a blessing upon them.
Bless them with health and safety
as they circle the globe to declare Thy word.
We are truly grateful for the revelation, counsel,
and guidance that we have received from Thee through them
at this time.
May we now be able to take these things,
take it back to our lives, to our homes, to our friends,
and may we be wise, that we'll truly seek confirmation
from Thee and further revelation,
personal revelation, on how these things can bless
us and bless Thy children.
We are truly grateful for the new temples that
have been announced, that will be a blessing
to Thy faithful children who are scattered around the globe.
Thank Thee, Father, thank Thee for thy generosity and kindness
and for always reaching out to all Thy children
throughout the world.
At this time we pray for safety as we
depart from the Conference Center,
that our minds and our hearts will continue to look forward
and have a vision of what we can be,
that our conversion will truly deepen
and our faith in Heavenly Father, in Thee
and Thy Son, Jesus Christ, will be strengthened.
We again remember Thy servant President M. Russell
Ballard, our brother, our fellow servant, and our leader.
Bless him and comfort him and his family in this tender time
as Sister Ballard has been called upon
to continue her work beyond the veil.
Father, we love Thee, and we say these things
in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
This has been a broadcast of the 188th Semiannual General
Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints.
Speakers were selected from the General Authorities and General
Officers of the Church.
Music was provided by the Tabernacle Choir
at Temple Square.
This broadcast has been furnished as a public service
by Bonneville Distribution.
Any reproduction, recording, transcription,
or other use of this program without written consent
is prohibited.