September 12, 2008
The Plan of Salvation – God has a plan for your life
In the scriptures God’s plan is called the plan of salvation, the plan of redemption, the plan of happiness. The plan is centered on the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Throughout time, people have often pondered questions such as “Where did I come from?” “What is my purpose in life?” and “Where will I go after this life?” God has a plan for the happiness of His children: the plan of salvation, which is centered on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. As you follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, you will find answers to these questions, gain lasting inner peace in this life, and earn eternal joy after death.
Before you began your life on Earth, you lived with your Heavenly Father as one of His spirit children. Although it was a joyful existence, God knew that you could not continue to progress unless you left Him for a time.
He allowed you to come to Earth, where you would gain a physical body and would have experiences that would help you to learn and grow, fulfilling the purpose of the plan of salvation: to help you become more like your Heavenly Father.
According to the plan, you could not continue to progress continually without the opportunity to enter mortality and receive a physical body. Here on earth you would have experiences that would help you learn and grow, and you would be proven to see if [you would] do all things whatsoever the Lord would command ( Abraham 3:25). The purpose of the plan is to help you become more like your Heavenly Father. The fact that you are living on Earth means that you accepted Heavenly Father’s plan and came here wanting to do all you could to receive all He has to offer.
Knowing that we would commit sin in mortality, your loving Heavenly Father provided a Savior, Jesus Christ, who by His sacrifice would make it possible for all people who would comply with His gospel teachings to be forgiven through repentance and return to live with Him. Having a divine nature as a child of God, you can with the assistance and power of Christ, progress to become one day even as He is.
Understanding this eternal perspective can help you find happiness in your life, even amid trials and challenges. As a child of a loving Heavenly Father, you can view your struggles as stepping-stones bringing you closer to Him. As you ask for help and strength in earnest prayer, you can have the assurance that you are not alone. God loves you and will help you as you turn to Him.
God has blessed us with gifts to help us navigate our lives. One of the most precious gifts He has given everyone is the ability and power to make choices. Your Heavenly Father respects your freedom to choose and will never force you to choose what is right, nor will He stop you from being able to make poor choices. He will however, invite and endeavor to entice you ‘to do good continually’ (The Book of Mormon, Moroni 7:13).
He knows that whatever your choice, you are also choosing a consequence. Consequences may appear immediately or may come much later. But choosing good eventually leads to happiness, and wrong choices eventually lead to unhappiness. Heavenly Father allows you to make choices and experience their consequences so you may learn the difference between good and evil. In learning to choose good, you are creating a pattern that will help you become more like your Heavenly Father.
Taken from (www.mormon.org)
February 14, 2008
The Restoration of the Gospel
In 1820, as He had done throughout history, Father in Heaven again chose a prophet to restore the gospel and the priesthood to the earth. He called a young man named Joseph Smith, and through him, the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored to the earth.
Joseph Smith lived in the United States, which was perhaps the only country to enjoy religious freedom at the time. It was at a time of great religious excitement in the eastern United States, and Joseph Smith’s family members were deeply religious and constantly sought for truth. The Holy Bible taught that there was “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5), but many ministers claimed to have the true gospel. Joseph attended different churches, but he was confused about which church he should join and desired “to know which of all the sects was right” (Joseph Smith—History 1:18). He later wrote:
“So great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was . . . to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong. . . . In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?” (Joseph Smith—History 1:8, 10).
As Joseph sought truth among the different faiths, he turned to the Bible for guidance. He read, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). Because of this passage, Joseph decided to ask God what he should do. In the spring of 1820 he went to a nearby grove of trees and knelt in prayer. He described his experience: “I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. . . . When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (Joseph Smith—History 1:16–17). In this vision God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith. The Savior told Joseph not to join any of the churches, for they “were all wrong.” The Savior stated, “They draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof” (Joseph Smith—History 1:19).
Although many good people believed in Christ and tried to understand and teach His gospel, they did not have the fulness of truth or the priesthood authority to baptize and perform other saving ordinances at that time. They had inherited a state of apostasy, as each generation was influenced by what the previous one passed on, including changes in the doctrines and in ordinances, such as baptism.
Joseph Smith’s First Vision marked the beginning of the Restoration of Jesus Christ’s Church to the earth. In subsequent years, Christ restored His priesthood and reorganized His Church. He has continued to reveal truths to His prophets and to restore the blessings that were taken from the earth for a time.
The Apostle Peter prophesied of the “restitution of all things” before Christ’s Second Coming (Acts 3:19–21). The Restoration of Christ’s Church on the earth has made available the opportunity for all to once again receive all of the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Taken from www.mormon.org
The Great Apostasy
Following the death of Jesus Christ, wicked people persecuted and killed many Church members, and other Church members drifted from the principles taught by Jesus Christ and His Apostles. The Apostles were killed and the priesthood authority—including the keys to direct and receive revelation for the Church—was taken from the earth (2 Thessalonians 2:1–3). Because the Church was no longer led by priesthood authority and revelation, error crept into Church teachings. Good people and much truth remained, but the gospel as established by Jesus Christ was lost, resulting in a period called the Great Apostasy.
This apostasy led to the formation of many churches with conflicting teachings. Without the full gospel or the priesthood authority, people relied on human wisdom to interpret the scriptures and the principles and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ. False ideas were taught as truth, and much of the knowledge of the true character and nature of God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost was lost. The doctrines of faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost became distorted or forgotten. Each generation inherited a state of apostasy, as people were influenced by what previous generations passed on, including changes to Christ’s gospel. Some inspired people, such as Martin Luther and John Calvin, recognized that practices and doctrines had been changed or lost and tried to reform the churches to which they belonged. Without the priesthood authority, however, Christ’s gospel could not be returned to its original form.
After centuries of spiritual darkness, a restoration of truth was needed. Under the Direction of our Heavenly Father, the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored on the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith. God has promised it will never be taken from His children again.
Taken from www.mormon.org
February 6, 2008
Christlike Attributes—the Wind beneath Our Wings
Talk given in the October 2005 General Conference of the Church by Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, newly called as second counselour of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
My dear brothers and sisters, my dear friends:
During my professional life as an airline pilot, I sometimes had passengers visit the cockpit of my Boeing 747. They asked about the many switches, instruments, systems, and procedures and how all this technical equipment would help such a huge and beautiful airplane fly.
As with all pilots, I enjoyed the fact that they were impressed by the apparent complexity of this plane and that they wondered what kind of magnificent and brilliant person it takes to operate it! At this point of my story, my wife and children would kindly interrupt and say with a twinkling in their eyes, “Pilots are born with a great measure of natural humility!”
To the visitors in my cockpit, I would explain that it takes a great aerodynamic design, many auxiliary systems and programs, and powerful engines to make this flying machine equal to the task of bringing comfort and safety to those joining the flight.
To simplify my explanation by focusing on the basics, I would add that all you really need is a strong forward thrust, a powerful upward lift, and the right aircraft attitude, and the laws of nature will carry the 747 and its passengers safely across continents and oceans, over high mountains and dangerous thunderstorms to its destination.
In recent years, I have often contemplated that being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints invites us to ask similar questions. What are the basics, the fundamental principles of our membership in the kingdom of God on earth? After all is said and done, what will really carry us at times of greatest need to our desired eternal destination?
The Church, with all its organizational structure and programs, offers many important activities for its members aimed at helping families and individuals to serve God and each other. Sometimes, however, it can appear that these programs and activities are closer to the center of our heart and soul than the core doctrines and principles of the gospel. Procedures, programs, policies, and patterns of organization are helpful for our spiritual progress here on earth, but let’s not forget that they are subject to change.
In contrast, the core of the gospel—the doctrine and the principles—will never change. Living according to the basic gospel principles will bring power, strength, and spiritual self-reliance into the lives of all Latter-day Saints.
Faith is such a principle of power. We need this source of power in our lives. God works by power, but this power is usually exercised in response to our faith. “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). God works according to the faith of His children.
The Prophet Joseph Smith explained, “I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves” (quoted by John Taylor, in “The Organization of the Church,” Millennial Star, Nov. 15, 1851, 339). To me, this teaching is beautifully straightforward. As we strive to understand, internalize, and live correct gospel principles, we will become more spiritually self-reliant. The principle of spiritual self-reliance grows out of a fundamental doctrine of the Church that God has granted us—agency. I believe that moral agency is one of the greatest gifts of God unto His children, next to life itself.
When I study and ponder moral agency and its eternal consequences, I realize that we are truly spirit children of God and therefore should act accordingly. This understanding also reminds me that as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are part of a great worldwide family of Saints.
The organizational structure of the Church allows great flexibility according to the size, growth pattern, and needs of our congregations. There is the basic unit program with a very simple organizational structure and fewer meetings. We also have large wards with great organizational resources to serve one another. All are established within the inspired programs of the Church to help members “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him” (Book of Mormon, Moroni 10:32).
All these varied options are equal in divine value because the doctrine of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is the same in each unit. I testify as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ that He lives, that the gospel is true, and that it offers the answers to all personal and collective challenges the children of God have on this earth today.
This summer my wife and I visited with members of the Church in many countries throughout Europe. In some parts of Europe, the Church has been present for many years, even since 1837. There is a great heritage of faithful members in Europe. Currently, we have more than 400,000 members in Europe. As we look at all the generations who have emigrated from Europe to America during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, that total number could easily be multiplied a few times.
Why did so many faithful members leave their home countries in those early days of the Church? Many reasons can be named: to escape persecution, to help build the Church in America, to improve their economic circumstances, the desire to be close to a temple, and many more.
Europe still feels the consequence of this exodus. But the strength that comes from several faithful generations of Church members is now becoming more apparent. We see more young men and women and more senior couples serve missions for the Lord; we see more temple marriages; we see more confidence and courage by the members to share the restored gospel. Among the peoples of Europe and many other parts of the world, there is a spiritual vacuum of Christ’s true teachings. This vacuum must, can, and will be filled with the message of the restored gospel as our wonderful members live and proclaim this gospel with greater courage and faith.
With the expansion of the Church in Europe, there are now countries where the Church has been for less than 15 years. I spoke with a mission president serving in his homeland of Russia who has been a member for only seven years. He told me, “The same month I was baptized I was called as a branch president.” Did he feel overwhelmed at times? Absolutely! Did he try to implement the full range of Church programs? Fortunately not! How did he grow so strong in such a small congregation, in such a short time? He explained, “I knew with all my soul the Church was true. The doctrine of the gospel filled my mind and my heart. As we joined the Church, we felt part of a family. We felt warmth, trust, and love. We were only few, but we all tried to follow the Savior.”
They supported each other, they did the best they could, and they knew the Church was true. It was not the organization that had attracted him, but the light of the gospel, and this light strengthened those good members.
In many countries the Church is still in its beginnings, and the organizational circumstances are sometimes far from perfect. However, the members may have a perfect testimony of the truth in their hearts. As the members will stay in their countries and build the Church, despite economic challenges and hardships, future generations will be grateful to those courageous modern-day pioneers. They abide by the loving invitation of the First Presidency given in 1999:
“In our day, the Lord has seen fit to provide the blessings of the gospel, including an increased number of temples, in many parts of the world. Therefore, we wish to reiterate the long-standing counsel to members of the Church to remain in their homelands rather than immigrate to the United States. . . .
“As members throughout the world remain in their homelands, working to build the Church in their native countries, great blessings will come to them personally and to the Church collectively” (First Presidency letter, Dec. 1, 1999).
May I add a word of caution to those of us who live in large wards and stakes. We have to be careful that the center of our testimony is not located in the social dimension of the Church community or the wonderful activities, programs, and organizations of our wards and stakes. All of these things are important and valuable to have—but they are not enough. Even friendship is not enough.
We recognize that we are living in a time of turmoil, disaster, and war. We and many others feel strongly the great need for a “defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth” (Doctrine & Covenants 115:6). How do we find such a place of safety? The prophet of God, even President Hinckley, has taught: “Our safety lies in the virtue of our lives. Our strength lies in our righteousness” (“Till We Meet Again,” Liahona, Jan. 2002, 105; Ensign, Nov. 2001, 90).
Recall with me how Jesus Christ instructed His Apostles, clearly and directly, at the beginning of His mortal ministry, “[Come,] follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). This was also the beginning of the ministry of the Twelve Apostles, and I suspect that they had a feeling of inadequacy, as I deeply have, being one who has also been called to this sacred work. May I suggest that the Savior Himself teaches us here a lesson about core doctrine and priorities in life. Individually, we need to first “follow Him,” and as we do this, the Savior will bless us beyond our own capacity to become what He wants us to be.
To follow Christ is to become more like Him. It is to learn from His character. As spirit children of our Heavenly Father, we do have the potential to incorporate Christlike attributes into our life and character. The Savior invites us to learn His gospel by living His teachings. To follow Him is to apply correct principles and then witness for ourselves the blessings that follow. This process is very complex and very simple at the same time. Ancient and modern prophets described it with three words: “Keep the commandments”—nothing more, nothing less.
Developing Christlike attributes in our lives is not an easy task, especially when we move away from generalities and abstractions and begin to deal with real life. The test comes in practicing what we proclaim. The reality check comes when Christlike attributes need to become visible in our lives—as husband or wife, as father or mother, as son or daughter, in our friendships, in our employment, in our business, and in our recreation. We can recognize our growth, as can those around us, as we gradually increase our capacity to “act in all holiness before [Him]” (Doctrine & Covenants 43:9).
The scriptures describe a number of Christlike attributes we need to develop during the course of our lives. They include knowledge and humility, charity and love, obedience and diligence, faith and hope. These personal character qualities stand independent of the organizational status of our Church unit, our economic circumstances, our family situation, culture, race, or language. Christlike attributes are gifts from God. They cannot be developed without His help. The one help we all need is given to us freely through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Having faith in Jesus Christ and in His Atonement means relying completely on Him—trusting in His infinite power, intelligence, and love. Christlike attributes come into our lives as we exercise our agency righteously. Faith in Jesus Christ leads to action. When we have faith in Christ, we trust the Lord enough to follow His commandments—even when we do not completely understand the reasons for them. In seeking to become more like the Savior, we need to reevaluate our lives regularly and rely, through the path of true repentance, upon the merits of Jesus Christ and the blessings of His Atonement.
Developing Christlike attributes can be a painful process. We need to be ready to accept direction and correction from the Lord and His servants. This worldwide conference with its music and spoken word offers spiritual power, direction, and blessings “from on high” (Doctrine & Covenants 43:16). It is a time when the voice of personal inspiration and revelation will bring peace to our souls and will teach us how to become more Christlike. This voice will be as sweet as the voice of a dear friend, and it will fill our souls when our hearts are sufficiently contrite.
By becoming more like the Savior, we will grow in our ability to “abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost” (Romans 15:13). We will “lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better” (Doctirne & Covenants 25:10).
This leads me back to my aerodynamic analogy from the beginning. I spoke of focusing on the basics. Christlike attributes are the basics. They are the fundamental principles that will create “the wind beneath our wings.” As we develop Christlike attributes in our own lives, step-by-step, they will “bear [us] up as on eagles’ wings” (Doctrine & Covenants 124:18). Our faith in Jesus Christ will provide power and a strong forward thrust; our unwavering and active hope will provide a powerful upward lift. Both faith and hope will carry us across oceans of temptations, over mountains of afflictions, and bring us safely back to our eternal home and destination.
Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
February 1, 2008
Tribute to President and Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley
For anyone who would like to watch the funeral services for President Hinckley, who passed away on the evening of January 27, they will be broadcast Febraury 2nd at 11:00am MST via BYUTV (see www.byubroadcasting.org) and the Internet (see www.lds.org/broadcast).
Gordon B. Hinckley was not only a Prophet, and the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but he was also just an amazing man. He served every day of his life to its fullness. He was an example to all those around him. I love him and I have a testimony that he was a prophet of God, and he will be greatly missed.
January 29, 2008
Life’s Greatest Decisions
Talk given be Thomas S. Monson, now President of the Church, in a CES (Church Educational System) Fireside for Young Adults on 7 September 2003
As I look into the audience this evening assembled here in the Conference Center, particularly you young ladies, I think of the words of the poet:
Backward, turn backward, oh time in thy flight,
Make me a boy again just for tonight.
(See Florence Percy, “Rock Me to Sleep, Mother” [ballad, 1861].)
This morning I was speaking to an audience much older than you. It was at one of the care centers in Salt Lake City. As they all came in in their wheelchairs, it was a joy to greet each one and to pass a word of cheer to each. When a young lady played a number on the piano, there was silence, as those sweet women and men who have grown old could think back of their girlhood and their boyhood, and tears came to their eyes. The young lady said she has never played better. And I said, “No, you never will. It’s the audience that brought forth your talent.” Those thoughts are in my heart today.
What a joy to be with you choice young people tonight in this magnificent Conference Center and with all those assembled in other locations who are receiving the proceedings through satellite transmission. I want you to know that there is nowhere in the world I would rather be at this moment than right here. I love the statement from the poet:
How far is heaven?
It’s not very far.
With people like you,
It’s right where you are.
One day during the personal ministry of our Savior, He took Peter, James, and John “up into an high mountain . . . ,
“And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
“And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
“Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here” (Matthew 17:1–4).
I echo that sentiment in behalf of everyone within the sound of my voice: “Lord, it is good for us to be here.”
Young people, you live in tumultuous times. You have choices to make—choices with eternal consequences. But you are not left unaided in your decisions, however small or however large they may be.
It has been said that history turns on small hinges, and so do people’s lives. Decisions determine destiny. That is why it is worthwhile to look ahead, to set a course, to be at least partly ready when the moment of decision comes.
I would like to direct my remarks to three of the most significant decisions you will ever have to make. They are these: What will be my faith? Whom shall I marry? and What will be my life’s work?
What Will Be My Faith?
First, What will be my faith? Each one of us has the responsibility to find out for himself or herself that this gospel of Jesus Christ is true. If we study the scriptures and put the teachings to the test, then we shall know the truthfulness of the doctrine, for this is our promise.
Once we have such knowledge, it is up to us to decide what we will do with it. King Benjamin admonishes:
“Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth. . . .
“. . . Believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; . . . and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them” (Book of Mormon, Mosiah 4:9–10).
Always be active in the Church. I will give you a formula which will guarantee to a large extent your success in fulfilling that commitment. It is simple. It consists of just three words: Pay your tithing. Every bishop could tell you from his personal experience that when the members of the Church pay tithing, honestly, faithfully, they have little difficulty keeping the other commandments of God. I call it a benchmark commandment.
Lasting happiness is found only when we live the teachings of the gospel. As we do so, we shall receive the promise recorded in Isaiah: “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever” (Isaiah 32:17).
Little children can give us interesting examples of faith and devotion. When our children were young, I was a young bishop, twenty-two and a half, presiding over a ward of a thousand and eighty members, eighty-seven widows. My hands were full. Sister Monson and I were praying for a particular sister in the ward who was afflicted with cancer. Her name was Margaret Lister. Each night we would kneel by the side of our bed and pray for Sister Lister. On one occasion we invited our little first grade son to offer the prayer. He recalled the prayers we had offered and became a little confused by our wording. In his prayer he said, “Heavenly Father, bless Mother and Father and Sister Lister and Henny Penny and Turkey Lurkey and Chicken Licken and all the rest of the animals.” Sister Monson and I could barely refrain from bursting out laughing. But a strange thing happened—Sister Lister had a remarkable recovery and lived many years after that particular prayer. I’m not drawing any conclusions, but I’m simple enough to think that her recovery may well have been assisted by the pleading of a first grade student venturing to call upon his Heavenly Father in prayer.
Let me relate another example of stalwart faith. At the funeral service of a noble General Authority, H. Verlan Andersen, a tribute was expressed by a son. He related that years earlier he had a special school date on a Saturday night. Does that sound familiar? He borrowed the family car from his father. As he obtained the car keys and headed for the door, his father said, “Remember, tomorrow is Sunday. The car will need more gas before then. Be sure to fill the tank before coming home.”
Elder Andersen’s son then described how wonderful that evening’s activity was. Friends met, refreshments were served, and everyone had a good time. In his exuberance, however, he failed to follow his father’s instruction to add fuel to the car’s tank before returning home. He simply forgot.
Sunday morning dawned. As Elder Andersen prepared to drive to church, he discovered the gas gauge showed empty. The son saw his father return to the house and place the car keys on the table. In the Andersen family the Sabbath day was a day for worship and thanksgiving and not for purchases.
As the funeral message continued, Elder Andersen’s son declared, “I saw my father put on his coat, bid us goodbye, and walk the long distance to the chapel, that he might attend an early meeting.” Duty called. Truth was not held hostage to expedience.
In concluding his funeral message, Elder Andersen’s son said: “No son ever was taught more effectively by his father than I was on that occasion. My father not only knew the truth, but he also taught the truth and lived the truth.”
I ask the question, “What will be your faith?” Decide to ever follow the admonition of King Benjamin: “If you believe all these things see that ye do them” (Book of Mormon, Mosiah 4:10).
Whom Shall I Marry?
The second decision for us to consider is this: Whom shall I marry? Now we’re getting close to that which is in your mind and heart. Some of you, of course, have already made this decision. For most of you, however, it is still a matter to be decided.
For a moment let me take you with me back to my college days. I was a student at the University of Utah. I was attending a dance on campus in the old union building. I was dancing with my date, a girl from West High School, when a young lady from East High School danced by with her partner. Her name was Frances Johnson, although I didn’t know it at the time. I just took one look and decided that there was a young lady I wanted to meet. But she danced away. I might never have seen her again.
About two months later I did. One day while waiting for the streetcar at 13th East and 2nd South in Salt Lake City, I looked across the way and couldn’t believe my eyes. There was the young lady I had seen dancing across the floor. She was standing with another young lady and a young man whom I remembered from grade school days. Unfortunately, I couldn’t remember his name. I had a decision to make. What should I do? I found in my heart an appreciation of the phrase: “When the time for decision arrives, the time for preparation is past.” I squared my shoulders and plunged toward my opportunity. I walked up to that young man and said, “Hello, my old friend from grade school days.”
He looked at me blankly and said, “I can’t quite remember your name.” I told him my name. He told me his name, and then he introduced me to the girl who later became my wife. That day I made a note in my student directory to call on Frances Beverly Johnson, and I did. That decision, I believe, was perhaps the most important that I have ever made.
You young people have the responsibility to make that same decision. You have an important responsibility in choosing not only whom you will date but also whom you will marry. President Gordon B. Hinckley admonished young people, “Your chances for a happy and lasting marriage will be far greater if you will date those who are active and faithful in the Church” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1981, 58; or Ensign, Nov. 1981, 41).
Elder Bruce R. McConkie counseled, “The most important single thing that any Latter-day Saint ever does in this world is to marry the right person, in the right place, by the right authority” (“Agency or Inspiration?” New Era, Jan. 1975, 38; or Eternal Marriage Student Manual [religion 234–235, 2003], 193).
It is essential that you become well acquainted with the person whom you plan to marry, that you can make certain that you are looking down the same pathway, with the same objectives in mind. It is ever so significant that you do this.
I should like to dispel one rumor that is very hard to put to rest. I know of no mission president in all the world who has ever told a missionary that he had the responsibility to marry within six months after his mission. I think that rumor was commenced by a returned missionary, and if not by a returned missionary, by the girlfriend of a returned missionary.
In making the momentous decision concerning whom you will marry—and in making other decisions throughout your life—you have a formula, a guide, to assist you. It is found in the ninth section of the Doctrine and Covenants, verses 8–9:
“You must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.
“But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought.”
That counsel from the ninth section of the Doctrine and Covenants has guided me, and it will guide you.
Once you make the decision, may you have the courage to move forward. After a stake conference in Tokyo many years ago, a young Japanese convert, perhaps twenty-six years of age, drove Sister Monson and me to the hotel where we were to stay. He was extremely neat and meticulous in all that he did. The car was polished to a brightness seldom seen. He even wore white gloves. I engaged him in conversation and as a result learned that he had a girlfriend who was a member and whom he had dated for some time. I asked him if he loved her. He replied, “Oh, yes, Brother Monson.”
My next question was obvious: “Does she love you?”
“Oh, yes, Brother Monson.”
I then suggested, “Why don’t you ask her to marry you?”
“Oh, I am too shy to ask.”
I then recited, for his benefit, the words of the hymn, “Come, Come, Ye Saints,” with emphasis on the phrase, “Fresh courage take. Our God will never us forsake” (Hymns, no. 30).
Some months later I received a lovely letter from my Japanese friend and his new bride. They sent the wedding announcement. They thanked me for my urging and added: “Our favorite hymn is ‘Come, Come, Ye Saints.’ We took fresh courage. God did not forsake us. Thank you.”
Those are some of the things we must remember. He will bless you and guide you in those momentous decisions.
I remember when I first dated Sister Monson. I came from a home where everybody was open. I had a beautiful sister older than I, and we would size up the boyfriends and tell her which one we liked the best, and all that sort of thing. But when I went to her home, everyone was dressed up. I was ushered into the living room, and she introduced me to her father. He said, “Monson. That’s a Swedish name, isn’t it?” I responded, “Yes, it is.” He said, “Good.” He went into the other room and brought out a picture from the bureau and asked, “Are you related to this Monson?” I looked at the photograph and said, “Oh, yes, that’s Elias Monson, my grandfather’s brother.” And her father wept. He said, “He is one of the missionaries that brought the gospel to my mother and father and all of us children many years ago in Sweden.” And then he kissed me on the cheek. Now I’ve dated many girls, but I’ve never had the father kiss me on the cheek. And then Frances’s mother was crying too. They both came from Sweden, and she spoke less English than her husband. She kissed me on the cheek. I’ve never had that before either. Then I looked for Frances. She said, “I’ll go get my coat.” Well, that was the beginning of a rather extended courtship.
What Will Be My Life’s Work?
Now may I move to the last decision: What will be my life’s work? I have counseled many returning missionaries who have asked this question. I interviewed seventeen hundred missionaries one year all over the world. My advice to them, and to each one of you young people here this evening and elsewhere throughout the world, is that you should study and prepare for your life’s work in a field that you enjoy, because you are going to spend a good share of your life in that field. It should be one which will challenge your intellect and which will make maximum utilization of your talents and your capabilities. Finally, it should be a field that will supply sufficient remuneration to provide adequately for your companion and your children. Now that’s a big order. But I bear testimony that these criteria are very important in choosing your life’s work.
While this counsel would apply to young men, it also has relevance to young women. There are situations in life which we cannot predict which will require employable skills. In speaking to the Young Women of the Church two years ago, President Hinckley said: “In this day and time, a girl needs an education. She needs the means and skills by which to earn a living should she find herself in a situation where it becomes necessary to do so” (“How Can I Become the Woman of Whom I Dream,” Ensign, May 2001, 95).
Have discipline in your preparations. Have checkpoints where you can determine if you’re on course.
I hope that you are not afraid of tough classes. I never did have a “cinch” class. I hope that you are not afraid of lengthy periods of preparation. Burn the midnight oil. Don’t procrastinate like my older sister, who after a late date rationalized, “I have a test tomorrow, but I am weary. What is more important, my health or my test? Aha, my health! I need my sleep.” So she slept. I won’t say what happened to the test.
You simply have to apply yourself. I hope that you want to be so well equipped that you can compete in this competitive world. I hope that you will learn to take responsibility for your decisions, whether they be in your courses of study which you elect to take, or whether they be in the direction of the academic attainments which you strive to achieve.
Should you become discouraged or feel burdened down, remember that others have passed this same way; they have endured and then have achieved. When we have done all that we are able to do, we can then rely on God’s promised help.
You have access to the lighthouse of the Lord. There is no fog so dense, no night so dark, no mariner so lost, no gale so strong as to render useless the lighthouse of the Lord. It beckons through the storms of life. It seems to call to you and me: “This way to safety; this way to home.”
There are all sorts of people who are willing to alibi or to make excuse for a failure. During World War II, a vital decision was made by one of the great leaders of the Allied military, Viscount Slim from Great Britain. He made this statement after a defeat occurred in a battle for Khartoum in 1940 against the Italians: “I could find plenty of excuses for failure, but only one reason—myself. When two courses of action were open to me I had not chosen, as a good commander should, the bolder. I had taken counsel of my fears” (William Slim, Unofficial History [1959], 148).
My young brothers and sisters, don’t take counsel of your fears. Don’t say to yourselves, “I’m not wise enough, or I can’t apply myself sufficiently well to study this difficult subject or in this difficult field, so I shall choose the easier way.” I plead with you to tax your talent, and our Heavenly Father will make you equal to those decisions.
In this life, where we have opportunities to strive and to achieve, I bear witness that on occasion we need to make a second effort—and a third effort, and a fourth effort, and as many degrees of effort as may be required to accomplish what we strive to achieve.
There is much importance attached to our three questions: What will be my faith? Whom shall I marry? What will be my life’s work? I am so grateful that we need not make those decisions without eternal help. We can have the guidance and the direction of our Heavenly Father if we strive to receive it.
Some years ago I had the privilege of visiting Tahiti—a land and a people I dearly love. While there, I spoke to the mission president at that time, President Raymond Baudin, about the Tahitian people. They are known as some of the greatest seafaring people in all the world. Brother Baudin, who then spoke French, of course, but little English, was trying to describe to me the secret of the success of the Tahitian sea captains. He said: “They are amazing. The weather may be terrible, the vessels may be leaky, there may be no navigational aids except their inner feelings and the stars in the heavens, but they pray and they go.” He repeated it three times: “They pray and they go. They pray and they go. They pray and they go.” There is a lesson in that statement. We need to pray and then we need to act. Both are important.
Follow the Prophets
I add this: Follow the prophets of God. When you follow the prophets, you will be in safe territory. I know that the Lord inspires His prophets, His seers, and His revelators.
Tonight you sang that great song:
Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah!
Jesus anointed that Prophet and Seer.
Blessed to open the last dispensation,
Kings shall extol him, and nations revere.
(“Praise to the Man,” Hymns, no. 27.)
I cannot forget that song. When I was a new member of the Council of the Twelve, forty years ago next month, Elder Harold B. Lee sat at the organ in our council room on the fourth floor of the temple. He announced, “President McKay, today we will sing as our opening song Brother Monson’s favorite, ‘Praise to the Man Who Communed with Jehovah.’” He had simply seen me in the hall and in the dressing room and had asked, “What is one of your favorite songs?” I responded, “Well, I like the old priesthood songs, like ‘Praise to the Man.’” That’s all he said. Then, as I mentioned, he announced it as my favorite hymn and we were going to sing it, and we did. I’ll not forget that early introduction to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles meeting with the First Presidency and the Twelve.
As I indicated, forty years ago President David O. McKay invited me to his office and extended my call as a member of the Council of the Twelve. At my first meeting, as we sat around the table having our lunch in the temple, he turned to me and said, “Brother Monson, do you believe that William Shakespeare, the Bard on Avon, truly wrote the sonnets attributed to him?” I was a business major. I said, “Yes, I do, President McKay.” “Wonderful, so do I.” He wouldn’t let me go.
He said, “Do you read Shakespeare?” I said, “Occasionally.” “What is your favorite work of Shakespeare?” I said, “Henry the VIII.” He said, “What is your favorite passage from Henry the VIII?” You think I didn’t pray? I said, “I am awfully fond of that great statement in Henry the VIII of Cardinal Wolsey who sold out his religious persuasions to please the monarch of the land, and in his fallen state he declared: ‘Had I but serv’d my God with half the zeal I serv’d my King, he would not in mine age have left me naked to mine enemies.’” And President McKay said, “Oh, I love that passage.”
I’ll give you another one since you are of that age. As President McKay sat with me, he said, “Brother Monson, how long have you been married?” I told him, “We were married October 7, 1948.” And then he said, “What have you learned in the years of your marriage?” I said, “I’ve learned the truth of the counsel given to my wife and me when we sat in the holy temple, and President Benjamin L. Bowring, a sealer in the temple, counseled us before we knelt at the sacred altar. He said to us, ‘Young people, I’ll give you a formula, which if you follow, you shall never have a misunderstanding that will last longer than one day. Every night kneel down by the side of your bed, and one night, Brother Monson, you offer the prayer aloud on bended knee. The next night, Sister Monson, you offer the prayer aloud on bended knee. And you shall never have a misunderstanding that will last longer than one day. You can’t pray together and still have a misunderstanding of any kind.’” I told him that, and with a great big smile he said to me, “The same formula has worked for Sister McKay and me all of our married lives.” With that big Scottish smile, he remarked, “I thought we had an exclusive on it!” And then he acknowledged that that counsel was prophetic.
As I speak of following the prophets, I shall share with you a very intimate experience that I had and provide a conclusion to my remarks here tonight. When I desire to achieve, I desire to achieve with all my heart, whether it be in athletics, in school, in business, or anything else. I served in the United States navy toward the end of World War II. I was what is called a seaman, the lowest possible rank in the navy. Then I qualified to be Seaman First Class; then I qualified to be Yeoman Third Class. You see, I took shorthand. Why did I take shorthand? I’ll give you men about one minute to figure out why. There were only three boys in the whole shorthand class at West High School. And I surely did use it all through my time in the navy. The war ended, and I was later discharged. But I made a decision that if ever I went back into the military, I wanted to serve as a commissioned officer. Now if you haven’t been in the military, I won’t take the time to tell you the difference between the apprentice seaman and the commissioned officer. One can only learn that by experience, but once learned one never forgets. I thought no more mess kitchens for me, no more scrubbing of the decks, if I can avoid it, and I worked like a slave to qualify for that commission.
I’d been discharged. I joined the United States Naval Reserve. I went to drill every Monday night at Fort Douglas. I studied hard that I might qualify academically. I took every kind of examination imaginable: mental, physical, and emotional. Finally, there came from Denver, Colorado, the beautiful news, “You have been accepted to receive the commission of an ensign in the United States naval reserve.” I gleefully showed it to Frances and said, “I made it! I made it!” She hugged me and said, “You’ve worked hard enough to achieve it.”
But then something happened. I was called to be a counselor in my ward bishopric. The bishop’s council meeting was on the same evening as my navy drill meeting. I knew there was a terrible conflict. I knew that I didn’t have the time to pursue the naval reserve and my bishopric duties. What was I to do? A decision had to be made.
I prayed about it. And then I went to see my former stake president when I was a boy, Elder Harold B. Lee. I sat down across the table from him. I told him how much I valued that commission. In fact I showed him the copy of the letter of appointment I had received. And then he said to me, after pondering: “Here’s what you should do, Brother Monson. You write a letter to the Bureau of Naval Affairs and tell them that because of your call as a member of the bishopric, you can’t accept that commission in the United States naval reserve.” My heart sank. Then he said, “Then write to the commandant of the Twelfth Naval District in San Francisco and tell them that you would like to be discharged from the reserve.” I don’t know how I survived that interview.
I said, “Brother Lee, you don’t understand the military. Of course they will decline to give me that commission if I refuse to accept it, but the Twelfth Naval District isn’t going to let me off. A noncommissioned officer will surely be called up, with a war brewing in Korea. If they are called back, I would rather go back as a commissioned officer, but I won’t if I don’t accept this commission. Are you sure this is the counsel you want me to receive?” Those who know Brother Lee know that I was on dangerous ground in questioning him twice. He put his hand on my shoulder and in a fatherly way said, “Brother Monson, have more faith. The military is not for you.”
I went to my home. I placed a tear-stained commission back in its envelope with its accompanying letter and declined to accept it. I then wrote a letter to the Twelfth Naval District and requested a discharge from the naval reserve.
My discharge from the naval reserve was in the last group processed before the outbreak of the Korean War. My headquarters outfit was activated. Six weeks after I had been called to be a counselor in the bishopric, I was called to be the bishop of my ward. I would not be standing before you this evening had I not followed the counsel of a prophet, had I not prayed about a decision, had I not come to an appreciation of the important truth: “The wisdom of God ofttimes appears as foolishness to men. But the greatest single lesson we can learn in mortality is that when God speaks and a man obeys, that man will always be right.”
My dear brothers and sisters, I pray with all the strength and all the fervor of my conviction that our Heavenly Father will guide and bless you in these important decisions, which each one of you will be called upon to make. If you want to see the light of heaven, if you want to feel the inspiration of Almighty God, if you want to have that feeling within your bosom that your Heavenly Father is guiding you to the left or guiding you to the right, instructions from this passage will help you: “Stand ye in holy places, and be not moved” (Doctrine & Covenants 87:8), and then the Spirit of our Heavenly Father will be yours. I bear this testimony to you. I invoke upon you the promise of the Lord when He said:
“I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end.
“Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory” (Doctrine & Covenants 76:5–6).
That each of you may qualify for that great reward, that eternal glory, is my sincere prayer as I bear witness that we are led by a prophet of God, even President Gordon B. Hinckley, and that Jesus Christ is our Lord and our Savior and our Elder Brother. This testimony I leave with you, my beloved young friends, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.
Taken from www.lds.org
January 28, 2008
President Gordon B. Hinckley’s Testimony
Now it becomes my opportunity to say a few words, my brothers and sisters. I am overwhelmed with feelings of thanksgiving this morning. I feel so richly blessed of the Lord. As I look into the faces of the thousands upon thousands who are gathered in this new and beautiful hall and then think of the hundreds of thousands who are assembled across the world listening to this conference, I am almost overcome with feelings of gratitude for the great unity that exists among us. If I may speak personally for a little while, I think no man has been blessed so richly as I have been blessed. I cannot understand it. I so much appreciate your many expressions of kindness and love.
Through the great goodness of others I have traveled far and wide across the earth in the interest of this Church. I have had remarkable opportunities to speak to the world through the generosity of the media. I have lifted my voice in testimony in the great halls of this nation, from Madison Square Garden in New York to the Astrodome in Houston. Men and women of high station have received me and spoken with great respect concerning our work.
On the other hand, during these years I have come to know of the mean and contemptuous ways of our critics. I think the Lord had them in mind when He declared:
“Cursed are all those that shall lift up the heel against mine anointed, saith the Lord, and cry they have sinned when they have not sinned before me, … but have done that which was meet in mine eyes, and which I commanded them.
“… Those who cry transgression do it because they are the servants of sin, and are the children of disobedience themselves. …
“Their basket shall not be full, their houses and their barns shall perish, and they themselves shall be despised by those that flattered them” (Doctrine & Covenants 121:16–17, 19–20).
We leave to Him, whose right it is, judgments that may come to those who oppose His work.
I return to my expressions of gratitude. Thank you, brothers and sisters, for your prayers. Thank you for your support in the great work we are all trying to accomplish. Thank you for your obedience to the commandments of God. He is pleased and loves you. Thank you for your faithfulness in carrying forward the great responsibilities which you have. Thank you for your ready response to every call which is made upon you. Thank you for bringing up your children in the way of light and truth. Thank you for the unfailing testimonies which you carry in your hearts concerning God our Eternal Father and His Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
I am so grateful for the youth of the Church. There is so much of evil everywhere. Temptation, with all its titillating influences, is about us everywhere. We lose some to these destructive forces, unfortunately. We sorrow over every one that is lost. We reach out to help them, to save them, but in too many cases our entreaties are spurned. Tragic is the course they are following. It is the way which leads down to destruction.
But there are so many, many hundreds of thousands of our young people who are faithful and true, who are straight as an arrow and as strong as a great wave of the sea in following the course they have mapped out for themselves. It is a course of righteousness and goodness, a course of accomplishment and achievement. They are making something of their lives, and the world will be so much the better for them.
I am profoundly grateful for this wonderful season of history in which we live. There has never been another like it. We, of all people who have walked the earth, are so richly and abundantly blessed.
But of all the things for which I feel grateful this morning, one stands out preeminently. That is a living testimony of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Almighty God, the Prince of Peace, the Holy One.
On one occasion at a missionary meeting in Europe, an elder raised his hand and said, “Give us your testimony and tell us how you gained it.”
I feel I might try saying a few words this morning on the evolution of my testimony. This is a personal area, of course. I hope you will excuse that.
The earliest instance of which I have recollection of spiritual feelings was when I was about five years of age, a very small boy. I was crying from the pain of an earache. There were no wonder drugs at the time. That was 85 years ago. My mother prepared a bag of table salt and put it on the stove to warm. My father softly put his hands upon my head and gave me a blessing, rebuking the pain and the illness by authority of the holy priesthood and in the name of Jesus Christ. He then took me tenderly in his arms and placed the bag of warm salt at my ear. The pain subsided and left. I fell asleep in my father’s secure embrace. As I was falling asleep, the words of his administration floated through my mind. That is the earliest remembrance I have of the exercise of the authority of the priesthood in the name of the Lord.
Later in my youth, my brother and I slept in an unheated bedroom in the winter. People thought that was good for you. Before falling into a warm bed, we knelt to say our prayers. There were expressions of simple gratitude. They concluded in the name of Jesus. The distinctive title of Christ was not used very much when we prayed in those days.
I recall jumping into my bed after I had said amen, pulling the covers up around my neck, and thinking of what I had just done in speaking to my Father in Heaven in the name of His Son. I did not have great knowledge of the gospel. But there was some kind of lingering peace and security in communing with the heavens in and through the Lord Jesus.
When I went on a mission to the British Isles, that testimony quickened. Each morning, my companion and I read the Gospel of John together, commenting on each verse. It was a wonderful, illuminating experience. That marvelous testament opens with a declaration of the divinity of the Son of God. It states:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
“The same was in the beginning with God.
“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. …
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:1–3, 14).
I thought of that declaration much then, and I have thought of it much since. It leaves no doubt concerning the individuality of the Father and the Son. To the Son the Father gave the great responsibility of creating the earth, “and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
I have seen much of ugliness in this world. Most of it is the work of man. But I think I have seen much more of beauty. I marvel at the majestic works of the Creator. How magnificent they are. And they are all the work of the Son of God.
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” He, the Son of the Father, came to earth. He condescended to leave His royal courts on high—where He stood as Prince, the Firstborn of the Father—to take upon Himself mortality, to be born in a manger, the humblest of all places, in a vassal state ruled by the centurions of Rome.
How could He have condescended further?
He was baptized of John in Jordan “to fulfil all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15). His earthly ministry was preceded by the clever temptations of the adversary. He withstood, saying, “Get thee behind me, Satan” (see Luke 4:8).
He went about Galilee, Samaria, and Judea preaching the gospel of salvation, causing the blind to see, the lame to walk, the dead to rise to life again. And then, to fulfil His Father’s plan of happiness for His children, He gave His life as a price for the sins of each of us.
That testimony grew in my heart as a missionary when I read the New Testament and the Book of Mormon, which further bore witness of Him. That knowledge became the foundation of my life, standing on the footings of the answered prayers of my childhood.
Since then my faith has grown much further. I have become His Apostle, appointed to do His will and teach His word. I have become His witness to the world. I repeat that witness of faith to you and to all who hear my voice this Sabbath morning.
Jesus is my friend. None other has given me so much. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). He gave His life for me. He opened the way to eternal life. Only a God could do this. I hope that I am deemed worthy of being a friend to Him.
He is my exemplar. His way of life, His absolutely selfless conduct, His outreach to those in need, His final sacrifice all stand as an example to me. I cannot measure up entirely, but I can try.
He marked the path and led the way,
And ev’ry point defines
To light and life and endless day
Where God’s full presence shines.
(“How Great the Wisdom and the Love,” Hymns, no. 195)
He is my teacher. No other voice ever spoke such wondrous language as that of the Beatitudes:
“And seeing the multitudes, … he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:1–10).
No other teacher has ever offered the matchless counsel given the multitude on the mount.
He is my healer. I stand in awe at His wondrous miracles. And yet I know they happened. I accept the truth of these things because I know that He is the Master of life and death. The miracles of His ministry bespeak compassion, love, and a sense of humanity wonderful to behold.
He is my leader. I am honored to be one in the long cavalcade of those who love Him and who have followed Him during the two millennia that have passed since His birth.
Onward, Christian soldiers!
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.
Christ, the royal Master,
Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
See his banners go!
(“Onward, Christian Soldiers,” Hymns, no. 246)
He is my Savior and my Redeemer. Through giving His life in pain and unspeakable suffering, He has reached down to lift me and each of us and all the sons and daughters of God from the abyss of eternal darkness following death. He has provided something better—a sphere of light and understanding, growth and beauty where we may go forward on the road that leads to eternal life. My gratitude knows no bounds. My thanks to my Lord has no conclusion.
He is my God and my King. From everlasting to everlasting, He will reign and rule as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. To His dominion there will be no end. To His glory there will be no night.
None other can take His place. None other ever will. Unblemished and without fault of any kind, He is the Lamb of God, to whom I bow and through whom I approach my Father in Heaven.
Isaiah foretold of His coming:
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6).
Those who walked with Him in Palestine bore witness of His divinity. The centurion who watched Him die declared in solemnity, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Matt. 27:54).
Thomas, on seeing His resurrected body, cried out in wonder, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).
Those in this hemisphere to whom He appeared heard the voice of the Father introduce Him: “Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name” (Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 11:7).
And the Prophet Joseph, speaking in this dispensation, declared:
“And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!
“For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father” (Doctrine & Covenants 76:22–23).
To which I add my own witness that He is “the way, the truth, and the life” and that “no man cometh unto the Father, but by [Him]” (John 14:6).
Gratefully, and with love undiminished, I bear witness of these things in His Holy name, even the name of Jesus the Christ, amen.
From the April 2000 General Conference. Taken from www.lds.org
January 25, 2008
My Gospel Standards
“My Gospel Standards” are used in the Primary (the children’s oganization) of our Church. They are taught to the children as standards they should believe in and strive to live by.
My Gospel Standards
I will remember my baptismal covenants and listen to the Holy Ghost.
I will be honest with Heavenly Father, others, and myself.
I will seek good friends and treat others kindly.
I will dress modestly to show respect for Heavenly Father and myself.
I will only read and watch things that are pleasing to Heavenly Father.
I will only listen to music that is pleasing to Heavenly Father.
I will use the names of Heavenly Father and Jesus reverently. I will not swear or use crude words.
I will keep my mind and body sacred and pure, and I will not partake of things that are harmful to me.
I will do those things on the Sabbath that will help me feel close to Heavenly Father.
I will choose the right. I know I can repent when I make a mistake.
I will live now to be worthy to go to the temple and serve a mission. I will follow Heavenly Father’s plan for me.
I know Heavenly Father loves me, and I love him.
I can pray to Heavenly Father anytime, anywhere.
Taken from www.lds.org
Myths and Reality Video
Although uploaded from YouTube, this video is taken from www.newsroom.lds.org. This 10-minute video, originally produced for the large number of journalists visiting Salt Lake City for the 2002 Winter Olympics, has been updated and posted on Newsroom today to help counter persistent myths about the Church
We Believe... 