;;;Ensign
May 2008
Volume 38 Number 5
An official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

;;;Contents
2	Conference Summary for the 178th Annual General Conference
Saturday Morning Session
4	The Sustaining of Church Officers: President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
7	Salvation and Exaltation: Elder Russell M. Nelson
11	Special Experiences: Elder Ronald A. Rasband
13	Righteous Traditions: Cheryl C. Lant
15	Restoring Faith in the Family: Elder Kenneth Johnson
17	Concern for the One: Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
20	The True and Living Church: President Henry B. Eyring
Saturday Afternoon Session
24	Church Auditing Department Report, 2007: Robert W. Cantwell
25	Statistical Report, 2007: Elder F. Michael Watson
6	Testimony: Elder Dallin H. Oaks
29	Gaining a Testimony of God the Father; His Son, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost: Elder Robert D. Hales
32	Opening Our Hearts: Elder Gerald N. Lund
35	Service, a Divine Quality: Elder Carlos H. Amado
37	Three Presiding High Priests: Elder William R. Walker
40	To Heal the Shattering Consequences of Abuse: Elder Richard G. Scott
44	The Gospel of Jesus Christ: Elder L. Tom Perry
Priesthood Session
47	Give Heed unto the Prophets' Words: Elder Quentin L. Cook
51	And Who Is My Neighbor?: Bishop H. David Burton
53	Do You Know Who You Are?: Dean R. Burgess
55	A 12-Year-Old Deacon: Elder John M. Madsen
57	A Matter of a Few Degrees: President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
61	Faith and the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood: President Henry B. Eyring
65	Examples of Righteousness: President Thomas S. Monson
Sunday Morning Session 
68	Faith of Our Father: President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
76	Born Again: Elder D. Todd Christofferson
79	The Best Investment: Elder Sheldon F. Child
81	My Soul Delighteth in the Things of the Lord: Susan W. Tanner
83	The Twelve: President Boyd K. Packer
87	Looking Back and Moving Forward: President Thomas S. Monson
Sunday Afternoon Session
91	"My Words ... Never Cease": Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
94	Ask in Faith: Elder David A. Bednar
97	We Will Not Yield, We Cannot Yield: Elder W. Craig Zwick
99	The Power of Light and Truth: Elder Robert R. Steuer
101	One among the Crowd: Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander
103	Today: Elder Lance B. Wickman
105	A Book with a Promise: Elder Craig C. Christensen
108	Daughters of God: Elder M. Russell Ballard
111	Abundantly Blessed: President Thomas S. Monson
General Young Women Meeting
113	Stand as a Witness: Susan W. Tanner
116	At All Times, in All Things, and in All Places: Elaine S. Dalton
118	Video Presentation
120	Anchors of Testimony: Mary N. Cook
123	Walk in the Light: President Henry B. Eyring
72	General Authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
126	Conference Story Index
127	Teachings for Our Time
127	Aaronic Priesthood and Young Women Resource Guides
130	General Auxiliary Presidencies
130	News of the Church
143	Conference Experiences

;;;Conference Summary for the 178th Annual General Conference
Saturday Morning, April 5, 2008, General Session: Presiding: President Thomas S. Monson. Conducting: President Thomas S. Monson. Invocation: Elder Lynn A. Mickelsen. Benediction: Elder Ulisses Soares. Music by the Tabernacle Choir; Mack Wilberg, director; Clay Christiansen and Richard Elliott, organists: "How Wondrous and Great," Hymns, no. 267; "Lead, Kindly Light," Hymns, no. 97, arr. Wilberg, pub. Deseret Book; "Praise to the Man," Hymns, no. 27, arr. Wilberg, unpublished; "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet," Hymns, no. 19; "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go," Hymns, no. 270, arr. Wilberg, unpublished; "Come, Follow Me," Hymns, no. 116, arr. Manookin, pub. Sonos.
Saturday Afternoon, April 5, 2008, General Session: Presiding: President Thomas S. Monson. Conducting: President Dieter F. Uchtdorf. Invocation: Elder Gary J. Coleman. Benediction: Elder Stanley G. Ellis. Music by a combined choir from Brigham Young University; Ronald Staheli and Rosalind Hall, directors; Bonnie Goodliffe, organist: "The Morning Breaks," Hymns, no. 1, arr. Staheli, unpublished; "Lean on My Ample Arm," Hymns, no. 120; "Redeemer of Israel," Hymns, no. 6; "Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me," Hymns, no. 104, arr. Manookin, pub. Sonos.
Saturday Evening, April 5, 2008, Priesthood Session: Presiding: President Thomas S. Monson. Conducting: President Thomas S. Monson. Invocation: Elder Mervyn B. Arnold. Benediction: Elder Larry W. Gibbons. Music by a priesthood choir from the Logan and Ogden institutes; J. Nyles Salmond, Lynn Hopkins, and Jerald F. Simon, directors; Andrew Unsworth, organist: "Rise Up, O Men of God," Hymns (1948), no. 332; "An Angel from on High," Hymns, no. 328, arr. Unsworth, unpublished; "Ye Elders of Israel," Hymns, no. 319; "Know This, That Every Soul Is Free," Hymns, no. 240, arr. Unsworth, unpublished.
Sunday Morning, April 6, 2008, General Session: Presiding: President Thomas S. Monson. Conducting: President Thomas S. Monson. Invocation: Elder Anthony D. Perkins. Benediction: Elder Benjamín De Hoyos. Music by the Tabernacle Choir; Mack Wilberg, director; Richard Elliott and Andrew Unsworth, organists: "Rejoice, the Lord Is King!" Hymns, no. 66; "Joseph Smith's First Prayer," Hymns, no. 26; "He Sent His Son," Children's Songbook, 34-35, arr. Hofheins, unpublished; "How Firm a Foundation," Hymns, no. 85; "If You Could Hie to Kolob," Hymns (1948), no. 257, arr. Wilberg, unpublished; "High on the Mountain Top," Hymns, no. 5, arr. Wilberg, unpublished.
Sunday Afternoon, April 6, 2008, General Session: Presiding: President Thomas S. Monson. Conducting: President Dieter F. Uchtdorf. Invocation: Elder C. Scott Grow. Benediction: Elder Bruce C. Hafen. Music by the Tabernacle Choir; Mack Wilberg, director; Linda Margetts and Bonnie Goodliffe, organists: "For the Beauty of the Earth," Hymns, no. 92, arr. Wilberg, unpublished; "Called to Serve," Hymns, no. 249, arr. Wilberg, unpublished; "Guide Us, O Thou Great Jehovah," Hymns, no. 83; "God Bless Our Prophet Dear," Hymns, no. 24, arr. Wilberg, unpublished.
Saturday Evening, March 29, 2008, General Young Women Meeting: Presiding: President Thomas S. Monson. Conducting: Susan W. Tanner. Invocation: Miranda Kuhni. Benediction: Jennifer Thorup. Music by a Young Women choir from Cache Valley in the Utah North Area; Merrilee Webb, director; Bonnie Goodliffe, organist: "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty," Hymns, no. 72, arr. Webb, unpublished; "I'm Trying to Be like Jesus," Children's Songbook, 78-79, arr. Christofferson, unpublished (flute: Helen McGarr); "How Firm a Foundation," Hymns, no. 85, arr. Kasen, pub. Jackman; "Press Forward, Saints," Hymns, no. 81, descant arr. Webb, unpublished.

Conference Recordings Available: Recordings of conference sessions are available at www.lds.org. Generally within two months following conference, recordings are also available at distribution centers. Recordings for individuals who are deaf are available at www.lds.org/asl and generally within two months following conference from distribution centers (three DVDs with a signing inset). For more information, call 1-800-537-5971 or log on to www.ldscatalog.com.
Conference Talks on the Internet: To access general conference talks on the Internet in many languages, visit www.lds .org. Click on Gospel Library and General Conference. Then select a language.
Home and Visiting Teaching Messages: For home and visiting teaching messages, please select an address that best meets the needs of those you visit.
ON THE COVER: Front: Photograph by John Luke. Back: Photograph by Craig Dimond.
CONFERENCE PHOTOGRAPHY: Scenes of general conference in Salt Lake City were taken by Craig Dimond, Welden C. Andersen, John Luke, Christina Smith, Les Nilsson, Emily Beus, Scott Davis, Rod Boam, Cody Bell, Lindsay Briggs, and Hillary Holbrook; in Argentina by Javier Coronati; in Australia by Colin Legertwood; in Belize by Colin Howard Blair; in Brazil by Israel Antunes and Laureni Fochetto; in Idaho, USA, by John Snyder; in Korea by Hyun-Gyu Lee; in Madagascar by Sean Peterson; and in Wales by Ellen Jones.

Speakers Listed in Alphabetical Order:
Amado, Carlos H., 35
Ballard, M. Russell, 108
Bednar, David A., 94
Burgess, Dean R., 53
Burton, H. David, 51
Child, Sheldon F., 79
Christensen, Craig C., 105
Christofferson, D. Todd, 76
Cook, Mary N., 120
Cook, Quentin L., 47
Dalton, Elaine S., 116
Eyring, Henry B., 20, 61, 123
Hales, Robert D., 29
Holland, Jeffrey R., 91
Johnson, Kenneth, 15
Lant, Cheryl C., 13
Lund, Gerald N., 32
Madsen, John M., 55
Monson, Thomas S., 65, 87, 111
Nelson, Russell M., 7
Neuenschwander, Dennis B., 101
Oaks, Dallin H., 26
Packer, Boyd K., 83
Perry, L. Tom, 44
Rasband, Ronald A., 11
Scott, Richard G., 40
Steuer, Robert R., 99
Tanner, Susan W., 81, 113
Uchtdorf, Dieter F., 4, 57, 68
Walker, William R., 37
Wickman, Lance B., 103
Wirthlin, Joseph B., 17
Zwick, W. Craig, 97

Topic Index
Aaronic Priesthood, 53, 55
Abuse, 40
Adversity, 111
Apostles, 83
Atonement, 35, 40, 103
Authority, 83
Baptism, 44
Blessings, 79
Book of Mormon, 105
Callings, 68
Chastity, 81
Choice and accountability, 123
Conversion, 13
Courage, 65, 97, 101, 116
Covenants, 53, 61
Differences, 17
Divine nature, 53
Enduring, 44
Error, 57
Eternal life, 44
Exaltation, 7
Example, 15, 65
Experience, 11
Faith, 11, 15, 20, 68, 94, 101, 116
Family, 7, 13, 15, 47, 61, 81, 108, 111
First Presidency, 37
Generosity, 51
Godhead, 29
Gospel, 68
Gratitude, 20
Healing, 40
Heritage, 68, 87
Holy Ghost, 26, 32, 57, 91, 99, 113, 123
Humanitarian aid, 51
Individuals, 17, 101
Jesus Christ, 29, 35, 55, 76, 101, 113, 116
Joy, 81
Kindness, 17
Knowledge, 26
Leadership, 37, 87
Light of Christ, 99, 123
Love, 111
Mercy, 103
Missionary work, 105
Modesty, 118, 120
Motherhood, 108
Obedience, 15, 79, 94, 116, 120
Potential, 55
Prayer, 94, 118
Priesthood, 65, 83
Prophets, 47, 57, 87
Purity, 32
Repentance, 17, 44, 57, 76, 103
Revelation, 32, 91, 118
Salvation, 7
Scripture, 91, 118
Service, 35, 51, 61, 65
Smith, Joseph, 105
Spiritual rebirth, 76
Standards, 97
Succession, 37, 87
Sustaining, 20
Temptation, 97
Testimony, 11, 26, 29, 87, 99, 120
Tithing, 79
Traditions, 13
Truth, 20, 99
Unity, 87
Witness, 113
Womanhood, 81, 108
Word of Wisdom, 47

;;;Saturday Morning Session
April 5, 2008
;;;The Sustaining of Church Officers
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Second Counselor in the First Presidency
Brothers and sisters, President Monson has requested that I now handle the business of the solemn assembly for which we are met. This is an occasion of great significance for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout the world.
Dating from October 10, 1880, when John Taylor was sustained to succeed Brigham Young as prophet, seer, and revelator and President of the Church, each of these occasions has been designated a formal solemn assembly of the body of the Church to express the voice of the Church.
We shall vote by quorums and groups. Wherever you are, you are invited to stand when requested and express by your uplifted hand whether you choose to sustain those whose names will be presented. You should vote only when asked to stand.
The General Authorities assigned to the Tabernacle and to the Assembly Hall on Temple Square will observe the voting in those gatherings. In stake centers, a member of the stake presidency will observe the voting. Should there be any contrary votes, we ask that we be so advised. We shall now proceed with the business of this solemn assembly.
The First Presidency will please arise.
It is proposed that the First Presidency sustain Thomas Spencer Monson as prophet, seer, and revelator and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Those in favor, please manifest it.
It is proposed that the First Presidency sustain Henry Bennion Eyring as First Counselor and Dieter Friedrich Uchtdorf as Second Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church.
Those in favor may manifest it.
It is proposed that the First Presidency sustain Boyd Kenneth Packer as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Those in favor may manifest it.
It is proposed that the First Presidency sustain as members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: Boyd K. Packer, L. Tom Perry, Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks, M. Russell Ballard, Joseph B. Wirthlin, Richard G. Scott, Robert D. Hales, Jeffrey R. Holland, David A. Bednar, Quentin L. Cook, and D. Todd Christofferson.
Those in favor, please manifest it.
It is proposed that the First Presidency sustain the counselors in the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators.
Please manifest it.
The First Presidency will be seated.
We invite Elder Christofferson to now take his place with the Quorum of the Twelve.
The members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, please arise.
It is proposed that the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles sustain Thomas Spencer Monson as prophet, seer, and revelator and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, together with his counselors and members of the Quorum of the Twelve as they have been presented and voted upon by the First Presidency.
All in favor, please manifest it.
You may be seated.
The members of the First and Second Quorums of the Seventy and the Presiding Bishopric will please arise.
It is proposed that the members of the Quorums of the Seventy and the Presiding Bishopric sustain Thomas Spencer Monson as prophet, seer, and revelator and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, together with his counselors and members of the Quorum of the Twelve as they have been presented and voted upon by the First Presidency.
All in favor, please manifest it.
You may be seated.
The following will please arise wherever you may be participating around the world: all Area Seventies, ordained patriarchs, and all members of high priests and elders quorums.
It is proposed that Thomas Spencer Monson be sustained as prophet, seer, and revelator and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, together with his counselors and members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as they have been presented and voted upon.
All in favor, please manifest it.
Any opposed may manifest it.
Please be seated.
Will all of the Aaronic Priesthood please arise--that is, all ordained priests, teachers, and deacons. It is proposed that Thomas Spencer Monson be sustained as prophet, seer, and revelator and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, together with his counselors and members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as previously presented and voted upon.
All in favor may please indicate by the uplifted hand.
Any opposed may so indicate.
You may be seated.
Will all members of the Relief Society--that is, all women 18 years of age and older--please arise.
It is proposed that Thomas Spencer Monson be sustained as prophet, seer, and revelator and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, together with his counselors and members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as previously presented and voted upon.
All in favor, please indicate by the uplifted hand.
Any opposed may so indicate it.
You may be seated.
Will the young women--that is, all young women ages 12 to 18--please arise.
It is proposed that Thomas Spencer Monson be sustained as prophet, seer, and revelator and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, together with his counselors and members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as previously presented and voted upon.
All in favor, please indicate by the uplifted hand.
Any opposed may so indicate it.
You may be seated.
Now, will the entire membership, wherever assembled, including all of those who have stood previously, please arise. It is proposed that we sustain Thomas Spencer Monson as prophet, seer, and revelator and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, together with his counselors and members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as they have been presented and voted upon.
All in favor, please indicate by the uplifted hand.
Any opposed may so indicate.
You may all be seated.
We shall now remain seated as we release and sustain other General Authorities, Area Seventies, and general auxiliary presidencies of the Church.
It is proposed that we release Elder D. Todd Christofferson as a member of the Presidency of the Quorums of the Seventy.
Those who can join with us in a vote of appreciation, please manifest it.
It is proposed that we release the following as Area Seventies effective May 1, 2008: A. Venâncio Caleira, Marco A. Cardenas, José A. Castro, Gérald Caussé, Luis G. Chaverri, Timothy J. Dyches, Jaime Ferreira, José A. García, Francisco I. Gímenez, Carlos A. Godoy, James J. Hamula, Frederick C. Ihesiene, Glen O. Jenson, Robert Koch, Kuen (Tony) Ling, Richard D. May, Ross H. McEachran, Yasuo Niiyama, Timothy M. Olson, Fernando D. Ortega, Luigi S. Peloni, Rafael E. Pino, Gelson Pizzirani, Alejandro M. Robles, Gerold Roth, M. Gonzalo Sepúlveda, Su Kiong Tan, Anthony R. Temple, Larry Y. Wilson, Tsung Ting (Jared) Yang, Willy F. Zuzunaga.
Those who wish to join us in expressing our gratitude for their excellent service, please manifest it.
It is proposed that we release Sisters Susan W. Tanner, Elaine S. Dalton, and Mary N. Cook as the Young Women general presidency. We also release all members of the Young Women general board.
All who wish to join us in expressing appreciation for their excellent service and devotion, please manifest it.
It is proposed that we sustain Elder L. Whitney Clayton as a member of the Presidency of the Quorums of the Seventy.
All in favor, please manifest it.
Those opposed, if any, may manifest this too.
It is proposed that we sustain as new members of the First Quorum of the Seventy William R. Walker, Craig C. Christensen, Marcos A. Aidukaitis, Gérald Caussé, Lawrence E. Corbridge, Eduardo Gavarret, Carlos A. Godoy, James J. Hamula, Allan F. Packer, Kevin W. Pearson, Rafael E. Pino, Gary E. Stevenson, José A. Teixeira, F. Michael Watson, and Jorge F. Zeballos and as new members of the Second Quorum of the Seventy Tad R. Callister and Kent D. Watson.
All in favor, please manifest it.
If there be any contrary, by the same sign, please.
It is proposed that we sustain the following as new Area Seventies: Pedro E. Abularach, Koichi Aoyagi, Juan C. Barros, Colin H. Bricknell, Victor Kah Keng Chen, Kuo Chiang Chung, J. Devn Cornish, Wynn R. Dewsnup, Matthew J. Eyring, G. Guillermo Garcia, Robert C. Gay, Alfredo L. Gessati, James B. Gibson, Julio C. González, Paulo H. Itinose, Douglas W. Jessop, Faustino López, Declan O. Madu, Per G. Malm, Fernando Maluenda, James B. Martino, Sergiy N. Mikulin, Abelardo Morales, W. T. David Murray, Satoshi Nishihara, Norbert K. Ounleu, Michael D. Pickerd, Anatoly K. Reshetnikov, William F. Reynolds, Michael A. Roberts, Fernando A. R. Da Rocha, A. Ricardo Sant'Ana, Robert B. Smith, Ysrael A. Tolentino, Ruben D. Torres, J. Romeo Villarreal, Louis Weidmann, Chi Hong (Sam) Wong.
All in favor, please signify.
Any opposed.
It is proposed that we sustain Elaine S. Dalton as the new general president of the Young Women with Mary N. Cook as first counselor and Ann M. Dibb as second counselor.
Those in favor may manifest it.
Any opposed may so signify.
It is proposed that we sustain the other General Authorities, Area Seventies, and general auxiliary presidencies as presently constituted.
Those in favor, please manifest it.
Any opposed may manifest it.
President Monson, insofar as I have been able to observe, the voting in the Conference Center has been unanimous in favor of the proposals made.
Thank you, brothers and sisters, for your sustaining vote, your faith, devotion, and prayers.
We invite the newly called members of the Seventy and the Young Women general presidency to come forward and take their places on the stand.

;;;Salvation and Exaltation
Elder Russell M. Nelson
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
In God's eternal plan, salvation is an individual matter; exaltation is a family matter.
Gratefully we welcome Elder D. Todd Christofferson to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Wholeheartedly we sustain this wonderful First Presidency and all who have been called.
Brethren and sisters, when we received the news that President Gordon B. Hinckley had passed away, each of us immediately felt a deep sense of loss. Knowing that his destiny was in the hands of the Lord, however, we have felt our mood shift from grief to gratitude. We are very grateful for what we have learned from this great prophet of God.
Today, at this solemn assembly, we have complied with the will of the Lord, who said that "it shall not be given to any one to go forth to preach my gospel, or to build up my church, except he be ordained by ... one who has authority, and it is known to the church that he has authority and has been regularly ordained by the heads of the church." *1 This law of common consent *2 has been invoked, and the Church will move forward on its prescribed course.
Members throughout the world sustain President Thomas S. Monson and his able counselors. We are "no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
"And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." *3
The Lord revealed why "he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets." It is "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
"Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God." *4
Thus the ministry of the Apostles--the First Presidency and the Twelve--is to bring about that unity of the faith and to proclaim our knowledge of the Master. Our ministry is to bless the lives of all who will learn and follow the "more excellent way" of the Lord. *5 And we are to help people prepare for their potential salvation and exaltation.
The third article of faith declares that "through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel."
To be saved--or to gain salvation--means to be saved from physical and spiritual death. Because of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, all people will be resurrected and saved from physical death. People may also be saved from individual spiritual death through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, by their faith in Him, by living in obedience to the laws and ordinances of His gospel, and by serving Him.
To be exalted--or to gain exaltation--refers to the highest state of happiness and glory in the celestial realm. These blessings can come to us after we leave this frail and mortal existence. The time to prepare for our eventual salvation and exaltation is now. *6
As part of that preparation, one must first hear and understand the gospel. For this reason the gospel of Jesus Christ is being taken to "every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people." *7
Individual Responsibility
Some years ago I met with a tribal king in Africa. When he realized that he was being taught by an Apostle of the Lord, he was deeply moved. He said that throngs of his people would be baptized if he were to give them such a mandate. I thanked him for his kindness but explained that the Lord does not work in that way.
The development of faith in the Lord is an individual matter. Repentance is also an individual matter. Only as an individual can one be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. Each of us is born individually; likewise, each of us is "born again" *8 individually. Salvation is an individual matter.
Family Responsibilities
Individual progression is fostered in the family, which is "central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children." *9 The home is to be God's laboratory of love and service. There a husband is to love his wife, a wife is to love her husband, and parents and children are to love one another.
Throughout the world, the family is increasingly under attack. If families fail, many of our political, economic, and social systems will also fail. And if families fail, their glorious eternal potential cannot be realized.
Our Heavenly Father wants husbands and wives to be faithful to each other and to esteem and treat their children as an heritage from the Lord. *10 In such a family we study the scriptures and pray together. And we fix our focus on the temple. There we receive the highest blessings that God has in store for His faithful children.
Thanks to God's great plan of happiness, *11 families can be together forever--as exalted beings. Our Heavenly Father declared, "This is my work and my glory--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." *12 Both of His objectives were enabled by the Atonement of His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. His Atonement made resurrection a reality and eternal life a possibility for all who would ever live.
Resurrection, or immortality, comes to every man and every woman as an unconditional gift.
Eternal life, or celestial glory or exaltation, is a conditional gift. Conditions of this gift have been established by the Lord, who said, "If you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God." *13 Those qualifying conditions include faith in the Lord, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and remaining faithful to the ordinances and covenants of the temple.
No man in this Church can obtain the highest degree of celestial glory without a worthy woman who is sealed to him. *14 This temple ordinance enables eventual exaltation for both of them.
In Church callings we are subject to release. But we cannot be released as parents. From the first days of human history, the Lord has commanded parents to teach the gospel to their children. *15 Moses wrote, "Thou shalt teach ... diligently ... thy children, and shalt talk of [God's words] when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." *16
In our day the Lord has added, "Bring up your children in light and truth." *17 The Church is to assist and not to replace parents in their responsibilities to teach their children.
In this day of rampant immorality and addictive pornography, parents have a sacred responsibility to teach their children the importance of God in their lives. *18 Those evils, so highly destructive of divine potential, are to be strictly shunned by children of God.
We are also to teach our children to honor their parents. The fifth commandment states, "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." *19
How can we best teach our children? The Lord has given us specific instruction:
"No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;
"By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile--
"Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy." *20
When a child needs correction, you might ask yourself, "What can I say or do that would persuade him or her to choose a better way?" When giving necessary correction, do it quietly, privately, lovingly, and not publicly. If a rebuke is required, show an increase of love promptly so that seeds of resentment may not remain. To be persuasive, your love must be sincere and your teachings based on divine doctrine and correct principles.
Do not try to control your children. Instead, listen to them, help them to learn the gospel, inspire them, and lead them toward eternal life. You are God's agents in the care of children He has entrusted to you. Let His divine influence remain in your hearts as you teach and persuade.
Ancestors
Any discussion of family responsibilities to prepare for exaltation would be incomplete if we included only mother, father, and children. What about grandparents and other ancestors? The Lord has revealed that we cannot become perfect without them; neither can they without us be made perfect. *21 Sealing ordinances are essential to exaltation. A wife needs to be sealed to her husband; children need to be sealed to their parents; and we all need to be connected with our ancestors. *22
What about those who are not able to marry in this life or those who cannot be sealed to their parents in this life? We know that the Lord will judge each of us according to the desires of our hearts, as well as our works, *23 and that the blessings of exaltation will be given to all who are worthy. *24
We as children of the covenant are highly favored. In our hearts have been planted the promises made to Fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Lord has said:
"Ye are lawful heirs, according to the flesh, and have been hid from the world with Christ in God ....
"Therefore, blessed are ye if ye continue in my goodness, a light unto the Gentiles, and through this priesthood, a savior unto my people Israel." *25
This life is the time to prepare for salvation and exaltation. *26 In God's eternal plan, salvation is an individual matter; exaltation is a family matter.
As children of the covenant, we have met in this morning's solemn assembly. Attention has been focused upon the sacred titles of prophets and apostles. But the final responsibility to prepare for salvation and exaltation rests upon each person, accountable for individual agency, acting in one's own family, bearing another sacred title of mother, father, daughter, son, grandmother, or grandfather.
In those responsible roles, may we go forward in faith, led by Jesus Christ, whose Church this is, and by His prophet, through whom He speaks, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
NOTES
1.	D&C 42:11; emphasis added.
2.	See D&C 26:2; 28:13.
3.	Ephesians 2:19-20.
4.	Ephesians 4:11-13.
5.	1 Corinthians 12:31; Ether 12:11.
6.	See Alma 34:32-33.
7.	Revelation 14:6.
8.	John 3:3, 7; Mosiah 27:25; Alma 5:49; 7:14; Moses 6:59.
9.	"The Family: A Proclamation to the World," Liahona, Oct. 2004, 49; Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102.
10.	See Psalm 127:3.
11.	See Alma 42:8.
12.	Moses 1:39.
13.	D&C 14:7; see also 3 Nephi 15:9. The Book of Mormon further explains the conditional nature of this great gift. It states that "ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life" (2 Nephi 31:20; emphasis added).
14.	See D&C 131:1-3.
15.	See Moses 6:57-58. Also note the teaching of King Benjamin: "Ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin .... But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another" (Mosiah 4:14-15).
16.	Deuteronomy 6:7.
17.	D&C 93:40. The Lord also said, "Teach [your] children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord" (D&C 68:28).
18.	So taught Paul to Timothy: "Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them .... From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:14-15).
19.	Exodus 20:12. Remember that parental proverb: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).
20.	D&C 121:41-43.
21.	See D&C 128:15.
22.	See D&C 128:18.
23.	See D&C 137:9.
24.	See D&C 130:20-21; see also Rudger Clawson, in Conference Report, Oct. 1917, 29; Joseph F. Smith, in Deseret News, May 1, 1878, 2; Richard G. Scott, "The Joy of Living the Great Plan of Happiness," Ensign, Nov. 1996, 75.
25.	D&C 86:9, 11.
26.	See Alma 12:24.

;;;Special Experiences
Elder Ronald A. Rasband
Of the Presidency of the Seventy
Our personal journey through life provides us with many special experiences that become building blocks of faith and testimony.
I would like to add my testimony and witness on this special day that President Thomas S. Monson is the Lord's prophet on the earth. I am grateful to have this privilege to speak in general conference.
I am grateful, as you are, for the experience we have in this historic conference as we sustain, in an orderly and patterned way, our new prophet, First Presidency, and other leaders of the Church.
This kind of experience fortifies our testimonies and increases our faith in the knowledge that this is indeed the Lord's true and living Church.
Our personal journey through life provides us with many special experiences that become building blocks of faith and testimony. These experiences come to us in vastly different ways and at unpredictable times. They can be powerful spiritual events or small enlightening moments. Some experiences will come as serious challenges and heavy trials that test our ability to cope with them. No matter what the experience may be, each gives us a chance for personal growth, greater wisdom, and, in many cases, service to others with more empathy and love. As the Lord stated to the Prophet Joseph Smith in a reassuring way during one of his most significant trials at Liberty Jail, "All these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good" (D&C 122:7).
As experiences accumulate in our lives, they add strength and support to each other. Just as the building blocks of our homes support the rest of the structure, so too do our personal life experiences become building blocks for our testimonies and add to our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
This very conference session illustrates the value of a life full of experiences. As we follow the wise counsel of our leaders and marvel at their teachings and spirit, is it any wonder that the Lord chooses His senior Apostle, after years of preparation, to become His chosen prophet?
My patriarchal blessing indicates that I would be given special experiences that would strengthen my own testimony. Brothers and sisters, think of the special experiences you have been blessed with in your life that have given you conviction and joy in your heart. Remember when you first knew that Joseph Smith was God's prophet of the Restoration? Remember when you accepted Moroni's challenge and knew that the Book of Mormon was indeed another testament of Jesus Christ? Remember when you received an answer to fervent prayer and realized that your Heavenly Father knows and loves you personally? As you contemplate such special experiences, don't they give you a sense of gratitude and resolve to go forward with renewed faith and determination?
Not long ago Sister Rasband and I had an experience we shall never forget. I was assigned to preside at two stake conferences in Peru. While there, we went to the city of Puno, high in the Andes Mountains, on Lake Titicaca. At 12,000 feet (3,660 m) above sea level, we were amazed at this simple and beautiful city, high on this Andean lake. We met with stake presidents in the area and had a wonderful youth fireside with hundreds of young people from the Puno area.
One morning we were invited to visit a small group of local members who lived out on the floating reed islands of Lake Titicaca. The people who live there are known as the Uros Indians of Bolivia and Peru.
We were told that a few Latter-day Saint families had joined together and built their own small, new floating island. With excitement, we took a boat out to the island and were greeted warmly by these wonderful members.
We held their babies wrapped in the most beautiful, colorful handmade blankets. We ate the fish they caught that very day from the lake, which had been so carefully prepared and generously shared. We saw their wares and handicrafts and exchanged gifts with one another.
As we visited, we learned that their children paddled by canoe 45 minutes to and from Puno for seminary and school each day. We were also pleased that these members knew the scriptures well, understood them, and loved them. Eagerly they showed us their current temple recommends, having been endowed and sealed in the Cochabamba Bolivia Temple.
Before we were to leave, one of the mothers asked if we would kneel with them and have a family prayer. I remember well kneeling on the spongy reeds with these faithful Saints. As we knelt, she asked if I would say the prayer and, using the Melchizedek Priesthood, dedicate their new island and home.
I was deeply humbled that, there on the floating islands of Lake Titicaca, these faithful Latter-day Saint families would ask me to pray for the little island of Apu Inti and ask the Lord to bless the homes and families of the Lujanos and Jallahuis.
As I consider this special experience that the Lord blessed us with, I know a new building block has been added to my house of faith. I often think of that experience in Puno as another reminder of the fulfillment of my own patriarchal blessing.
From the preface of the Doctrine and Covenants, written in 1831, foretelling the expansion of the Lord's work in our day, the Lord revealed:
"But that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world;
"That faith also might increase in the earth;
"That mine everlasting covenant might be established;
"That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world" (D&C 1:20-23).
Brothers and sisters, the weak and the simple members of the Church, like you and me, are taking the gospel to the ends of the earth, to Puno, Peru, and other far-off places. Faith is increasing among God's covenant people, and I believe it is through having a personal treasury of such valued experiences that an increase of faith can happen for each of us.
President Monson said: "[The Lord] commands. And to those who obey Him, whether they be wise or simple, He will reveal Himself in the toils, the conflicts, the sufferings which they shall pass through in His fellowship, and ... they shall learn in their own experience Who He is" (in "The Way of the Master," Liahona and Ensign, Jan. 2003, 7; quoting Albert Schweitzer, The Quest of the Historical Jesus [1948], 401; emphasis added).
In these days of worldly intrusions into our lives, when trials and difficulties may seem to engulf us, let us remember our own special spiritual experiences. These building blocks of faith will bring us conviction and reassurance of a caring, loving Father in Heaven, of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and of Their restored true and living Church. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

;;;Righteous Traditions
Cheryl C. Lant
Primary General President
Are the traditions that we are creating in our families going to make it easier for our children to follow the living prophets?
For as long as I can remember, my father wore a beautiful red ruby ring on his left hand. It was passed on to my only brother. I suppose it will become a tradition in our family--a legacy passed from generation to generation. It will be a good tradition, with sweet memories associated with it.
Each of us has traditions in our families. Some of them are material. Some of them have deep meaning. The most important traditions are connected with the way we live our lives and will last beyond us as our children's lives are influenced and shaped. In the Book of Mormon, we read of the Lamanites who were deeply affected by the traditions of their fathers. King Benjamin said they were a people who knew nothing about the principles of the gospel "or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not correct" (Mosiah 1:5).
What kinds of traditions do we have? Some of them may have come from our fathers, and now we are passing them along to our own children. Are they what we want them to be? Are they based on actions of righteousness and faith? Are they mostly material in nature, or are they eternal? Are we consciously creating righteous traditions, or is life just happening to us? Are our traditions being created in response to the loud voices of the world, or are they influenced by the still, small voice of the Spirit? Are the traditions that we are creating in our families going to make it easier for our children to follow the living prophets, or will they make it difficult for them?
How should we determine what our traditions will be? The scriptures give us a great pattern. In Mosiah 5:15 it states, "Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works."
I love this because we know that traditions are formed over time as we repeat the same actions over and over again. As we are steady and unchanging in doing that which is good, our traditions become firmly rooted in righteousness. But I have a question. How do we determine what is good or, more importantly, what is good enough? Another scripture that gives us a little more information is found in 3 Nephi 6:14. It speaks of people "who were converted unto the true faith; and they would not depart from it, for they were firm, and steadfast, and immovable, willing with all diligence to keep the commandments of the Lord."
We learn that our conversion to the "true faith" precedes our ability to remain firm, steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments. This conversion is a firm belief in Jesus Christ as our Redeemer. A witness of this is found in the Book of Mormon, which is another witness of Jesus Christ. It goes hand in hand with the Bible in proclaiming the divinity and mission of Jesus Christ as well as the reality of a living Father in Heaven. Every prophet recorded in these sacred books gives his personal witness of these things, as well as teachings on how we need to live our lives in order to partake of the Atonement and find personal peace and happiness.
There is only one way to become personally converted. It is through a witness of the Spirit as we study these very scriptures that testify of Jesus Christ. It comes as we pray and as we fast. It comes only when we have a deep desire to know the truth. Our motivation must be to openly seek truth rather than justify our actions by finding fault with the scriptures, the teachings of the prophets, or the Church itself. Our effort must be toward hearing the interpretations of the Spirit rather than the understandings of the world. We must be willing to open our hearts and minds, accept the Lord's way, and, if need be, change our lives. Our personal conversion comes as we begin to live the way the Lord wants us to live--steadfast and immovable in keeping all of the commandments, not just those that are convenient. This then becomes a process of refinement as we strive to make each day a little better than the last. Thus our traditions become traditions of righteousness.
I would invite all of us to take a moment to reflect on the traditions in our lives and how they might be affecting our families. Our traditions of Sabbath day observance, family prayer, family scripture study, service and activity in the Church, as well as patterns of respect and loyalty in the home, will have a great effect on our children and on their future. If our parenting is based on the teachings of the scriptures and of the latter-day prophets, we cannot go wrong. If every time there is a challenge our hearts turn first and always to our Father in Heaven for direction, we will be in a safe place. If our children know where we stand and we always stand on the Lord's side, we know we are where we need to be.
Now, the important thing is that we consistently work to do these things. We will not be perfect at it, and our families will not always respond positively, but we will be building a strong foundation of righteous traditions that our children can depend on. They can hold to that foundation when things get difficult, and they can return to that foundation if they should stray for a period of time.
At the end of my father's life, he passed much more on to us, his children, than a red ruby ring. His body was spent, but in reality he stood as a pillar of strength, an example of righ-teousness and truth. His very life held the traditions that strengthen us today, even though he is no longer with us. He was "steadfast, and immovable, willing with all diligence to keep the commandments of the Lord."
Can we do this for our children? What is the legacy we are giving them today? What will it be tomorrow? It can start with us. Will their hearts and lives be full of traditions that make it easy for them to accept and follow the Lord and the latter-day prophets? Will we as families be able to claim the blessings promised, "that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life" (Mosiah 5:15)?
Brothers and sisters, I know that we can! I know that God loves us and is waiting to help us come unto Him. Each of us can know that these things are true. I know that they are! I know that God lives; Jesus Christ is His Son and our Redeemer. The gospel of Jesus Christ is true; the scriptures contain it and testify of it. And we have a true and living prophet today--President Thomas S. Monson. He has been prepared and brought forth in this day to lead the Lord's Church.
As we become "steadfast and immovable" in keeping the commandments of the Lord, we will secure the blessings of heaven for ourselves and for our families.
I pray that we will feel this deep in our hearts and in our lives, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

;;;Restoring Faith in the Family
Elder Kenneth Johnson
Of the Seventy
Stable families provide the fabric that holds society together, benefiting all mankind.
With knowledge of the "great plan of happiness," *1 we have the opportunity and also the responsibility to help restore faith in the family.
In many ways our commission is comparable to those who work in the field of medicine and scientific research. Using established laws, they determine how suffering can be alleviated and the quality of life improved.
In the realm of religious belief, men and women of faith, using proven principles, *2 can help to heal a grieving heart, restoring hope and assurance to the troubled mind.
The scientist's success has been achieved by complying with what are often referred to as natural laws. The great scientists of the past and present did not create the laws associated with these naturally occurring processes; they discovered them.
In a letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul poses a thought-provoking question concerning the source of man's intellectual capacity: "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?" *3
Through logic and learning, knowledge is increased and understanding enhanced. Using this process, theories and laws are identified and accepted as authentic.
One thing that becomes clear to the enlightened mind is that there are laws that keep life and living things in balance. Discovering the laws of physics and complying with them brings progress, enabling man to rise to higher levels of attainment than would otherwise be possible.
I believe that this premise also applies to ethical standards and moral values. It is, therefore, our responsibility to safeguard the home as a center of learning where these virtues can be instilled in an atmosphere of love and through the power of example. *4
President Thomas S. Monson has taught, "Youth need fewer critics and more models." *5
Reflecting on my own life, I realize how I gained an appreciation for the core values that are necessary for the development of a sound character. Where did I learn loyalty, integrity, and dependability? I learned these qualities in the home from the example of my parents. How did I gain an appreciation for the value of selfless service? I did so by observing and enjoying my mother's devotion to her family. Where did I learn honor and respect for daughters of God? I learned from the example of my father.
It was in the home that I learned principles of provident living and the dignity of work. I can still visualize my mother spending numerous nights at home, using a foot treadle sewing machine to stitch shoes for a local shoe factory. This was not to enable her to purchase anything for herself but to help to provide financial support so that my brother and I could attend college. She later expressed how this act of service was a source of satisfaction for her.
My father was a wise, industrious man. He taught me how to cut timber using a handsaw, how to replace or attach a plug to a power cord of a domestic appliance, and many other practical skills.
All of these lessons carried a common theme: never be satisfied with anything less than your best efforts.
I developed the ability to make important decisions by talking with my parents and learning from their counsel. Add to the aforementioned accountability, consideration for others, and encouragement to pursue educational opportunities, and the list would still be incomplete.
I was introduced to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in my teenage years by Pamela, who later became my wife. She has helped make of my life a soaring symphony from a simple melody. *6
I have enjoyed 67 years of happiness in marriage and family life--21 as a son in the home of my parents and 46 as a husband, culminating in the joy of being a father and grandfather. What more could one hope for? Simply stated, that these same opportunities would be enjoyed by everyone.
Returning to the teachings of Paul recorded in Corinthians, we find these words:
"Even so the things of God knoweth no man [except he has] the Spirit of God ....
"But the natural man receiveth not the things of ... God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." *7
Scientists gain their knowledge mainly through research, conducting experiments, and the application of intellect.
Disciples of Christ receive their witness by studying His words, observing His works, putting gospel principles into practice, and receiving the spirit of inspiration. *8
"There is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding." *9
Although spiritual truths may appear less tangible, to the humble heart their impact is undeniable. It is important to understand that natural laws were not determined on the basis of popularity. They were established and rest on the rock of reality.
There are also moral verities that did not originate with man. *10 They are central to a divine plan which, when discovered and applied, brings great happiness and hope on our mortal journey. *11
For example, I believe, as stated in "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" *12 and defined in divine revelation, that marriage and family are ordained of God. The scriptures declare, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." *13
Wise men have provided a legacy of learning from the past. We must hand down to future generations a foundation of faith in the family, as defined by Deity. *14
We should never forget that freedom and happiness in all aspects of life come by understanding and living in harmony with eternal gospel principles. They provide a sure foundation upon which to build a productive and happy life. *15
Following the pattern prescribed through the plan of the Father has enabled me to experience what it means to live "after the manner of happiness" *16 and "with joy ... draw water out of the wells of salvation." *17
The Savior taught, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." *18
Our outlook or attitude can sometimes restrict our ability to enjoy life's greatest opportunities.
The question could be asked, "What of those who have not experienced a positive family environment?"
Stable families provide the fabric that holds society together, benefiting all mankind, even those who may feel they live in less-favorable circumstances.
For those who faithfully live *19 and patiently pray for such sociality, *20 I share the simple, soothing words of Helen Steiner Rice:
When God makes a promise,
It remains forever true,
For everything God promises
He unalterably will do.
When you're disillusioned
And every hope is blighted
Recall the promises of God
And your faith will be relighted. *21
It is my prayer that we can stand together, with courage and conviction, as guardians of the God-given gift of family. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
NOTES
1.	Alma 42:8; see also Alma 24:14.
2.	See Guide to the Scriptures, "Principle," 200.
3.	1 Corinthians 2:11.
4.	See Proverbs 22:6.
5.	"Anxiously Engaged," Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2004, 57.
6.	See D&C 128:19.
7.	1 Corinthians 2:11, 14.
8.	See John 7:16-17; Jacob 4:8.
9.	Job 32:8.
10.	See D&C 130:20-21.
11.	Like a compass, principles provide points of reference on life's journey.
12.	See Liahona, Oct. 2004, 49; Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102.
13.	Genesis 2:24.
14.	See D&C 49:15-17.
15.	See D&C 68:25-28.
16.	2 Nephi 5:27.
17.	2 Nephi 22:3.
18.	John 10:10.
19.	See D&C 82:10.
20.	See D&C 130:2.
21.	From Expressions of Comfort (Uhrichsville, Ohio: Barbour Publishing, 2007), 187-88. Used by permission.

;;;Concern for the One
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Jesus Christ is our greatest example. He was surrounded by multitudes and spoke to thousands, yet He always had concern for the one.
I am grateful for the opportunity to be with you today in this magnificent Conference Center. As vast as this congregation is, it's humbling to realize that it is merely a fraction of the millions who will see, hear, and read the words spoken at this great conference.
Of course, we will miss our beloved President Gordon B. Hinckley. We are all better people, however, because of his influence. The Church is stronger because of his guidance. Indeed, the world is a better place because there was such a leader as President Gordon B. Hinckley.
I would like to say a few words about our new First Presidency.
I have known President Monson for a long time. He is a mighty man of Israel who was foreordained to preside over this Church. He is wellknown for his captivating stories and parables, but we who know him best understand that his life is a practical and exemplary model of the application of those stories. While it is a compliment to him that many of the great and mighty of this world know and honor him, perhaps it is an even greater tribute that many of the lowly call him friend.
To his core, President Monson is kind and compassionate. His words and deeds exemplify his concern for the one.
President Eyring is a wise, learned, and spiritual man. He is known and respected not only in the Church but by those not of our faith. He is the kind of man who, when he speaks, everyone listens. He has added stature to the name Eyring.
I knew President Uchtdorf when I was serving as Area President in Europe. From the moment I met him, I recognized in him a man of immense spiritual depth and tremendous capability. I knew the Lord was mindful of him. Twenty-three years ago, I had the honor of extending to him the Lord's calling to serve as a stake president in Frankfurt, Germany. As I have watched over the years, I have noticed that everything under his direction has succeeded. The Lord is with him. When I think of President Uchtdorf, two words come to mind: Alles wohl--that's German for "All is well."
True disciples of Jesus Christ have always been concerned for the one. Jesus Christ is our greatest example. He was surrounded by multitudes and spoke to thousands, yet He always had concern for the one. "For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost," *1 He said. "What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?" *2
This instruction applies to all who follow Him. We are commanded to seek out those who are lost. We are to be our brother's keeper. We cannot neglect this commission given by our Savior. We must be concerned for the one.
Today I would like to talk about those who are lost--some because they are different, some because they are weary, and some because they have strayed.
Some are lost because they are different. They feel as though they don't belong. Perhaps because they are different, they find themselves slipping away from the flock. They may look, act, think, and speak differently than those around them and that sometimes causes them to assume they don't fit in. They conclude that they are not needed.
Tied to this misconception is the erroneous belief that all members of the Church should look, talk, and be alike. The Lord did not people the earth with a vibrant orchestra of personalities only to value the piccolos of the world. Every instrument is precious and adds to the complex beauty of the symphony. All of Heavenly Father's children are different in some degree, yet each has his own beautiful sound that adds depth and richness to the whole.
This variety of creation itself is a testament of how the Lord values all His children. He does not esteem one flesh above another, but He "inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; ... all are alike unto God." *3
I remember when I was young, there was an older boy who was physically and mentally disabled. He had a speech impediment and walked with difficulty. The boys used to make fun of him. They teased and taunted him until sometimes he would cry.
I can still hear his voice: "You're not kind to me," he said. And still they would ridicule him, push him, and make jokes about him.
One day I could bear it no longer. Although I was only seven years old, the Lord gave me the courage to stand up to my friends.
"Don't touch him," I said to them. "Stop teasing him. Be kind. He is a child of God!"
My friends stepped back and turned away.
I wondered at the time if my boldness would jeopardize my relationship with them. But the opposite happened. From that day onward, my friends and I became closer. They showed increased compassion for the boy. They became better human beings. To my knowledge, they never taunted him again.
Brothers and sisters, if only we had more compassion for those who are different from us, it would lighten many of the problems and sorrows in the world today. It would certainly make our families and the Church a more hallowed and heavenly place.
Some are lost because they are weary. It's easy to feel overwhelmed. With all the pressures and demands on our time and the stress we face each day, it's little wonder we get tired. Many feel discouraged because they have not measured up to their potential. Others simply feel too weak to contribute. And so, as the flock moves on, gradually, almost imperceptibly, some fall behind.
Everyone has felt tired and weary at one time or another. I seem to feel more so now than I did when I was younger. Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, even Jesus Christ knew what it meant to be tired. I do not wish to underestimate the weight that members of the Church bear upon their shoulders, nor do I minimize the emotional and spiritual trials they face. These can be heavy and often difficult to bear.
I do, however, have a testimony of the renewing power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The prophet Isaiah proclaimed that the Lord "giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength." *4 When I feel tired, I remember the words of the Prophet Joseph Smith:
"Shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing ....
"... Let the woods and all the trees of the field praise the Lord; ... and let all the sons of God shout for joy!" *5
For you members of the Church who hold back because of feelings of inadequacy, I plead with you to step forward, put your shoulder to the wheel, and push. Even when you feel that your strength can add little, the Church needs you. The Lord needs you. Remember that the Lord often chooses "the weak things of the world" to accomplish His purposes. *6
To all who are weary, let the comforting words of the Savior console you: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." *7 Let us rely on that promise. The power of God can infuse our spirits and bodies with energy and vigor. I urge you to seek this blessing from the Lord.
Draw near to Him, and He will draw near to you, for He has promised that "they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." *8
When we show concern for those who are weary, we "succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees." *9 Caring Church leaders are mindful of individual limitations yet eager to utilize members to the extent of their strength and abilities. Leaders teach and support but do not bring pressure to "run faster or labor more than" strength allows. *10
Remember, sometimes those who start out the slowest end up going the farthest.
Some are lost because they have strayed. Except for the Lord, we have all made mistakes. The question is not whether we will trip and fall but, rather, how will we respond? Some, after making mistakes, stray from the fold. This is unfortunate. Do you not know that the Church is a place for imperfect people to gather together--even with all their mortal frailties--and become better? Every Sunday in every meetinghouse throughout the world, we find mortal, imperfect men, women, and children who meet together in brotherhood and charity, striving to become better people, to learn of the Spirit, and to lend encouragement and support to others. I am not aware of any sign on the door of our meetinghouses that reads "Restricted Entrance--Perfect People Only."
Because of our imperfections, we need the Lord's Church. It is there that His redemptive doctrines are taught and His saving ordinances are administered. The Church encourages and motivates us to be a better and happier people. It is also a place where we can lose ourselves in the service of others.
The Lord knows we will make mistakes. That is why He suffered for our sins. He wants us to get back on our feet and strive to do better. There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
To you who have strayed because you have been offended, can you not set your hurt and anger aside? Can you not fill your hearts with love? There is a place for you here. Come, join the fold, consecrate your abilities, talents, and skills. You will be better for it, and others will be blessed by your example.
To those who have strayed because of doctrinal concerns, we cannot apologize for the truth. We cannot deny doctrine given to us by the Lord Himself. On this principle we cannot compromise.
I understand that sometimes people disagree with doctrine. They even go so far as to call it foolish. But I echo words of the Apostle Paul, who said that sometimes spiritual things can appear as foolishness to men. Nevertheless, "the foolishness of God is wiser than men." *11
In truth, things of the Spirit are revealed by the Spirit. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." *12
We testify that the gospel of Jesus Christ is here upon the earth today. He taught of His Father's doctrine, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." *13
I know that each of you bears a concern for a loved one. Give encouragement, service, and support to them. Love them. Be kind to them. In some cases, they will return. In others, they will not. But in all cases, let us ever be worthy of the name we take upon ourselves, even that of Jesus Christ.
To all who inhabit this beautiful earth, I raise my voice and bear solemn witness that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ, our Savior and King! He restored His truth and His gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith. He speaks to His prophets and apostles. President Thomas S. Monson is the Lord's anointed and guides His Church today. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
NOTES
1.	Matthew 18:11.
2.	Luke 15:4.
3.	2 Nephi 26:33.
4.	Isaiah 40:29.
5.	D&C 128:22-23.
6.	D&C 1:19.
7.	Matthew 11:28.
8.	Isaiah 40:31.
9.	D&C 81:5.
10.	D&C 10:4.
11.	1 Corinthians 1:25; see also v. 18.
12.	1 Corinthians 2:14.
13.	John 7:17.

;;;The True and Living Church
President Henry B. Eyring
First Counselor in the First Presidency
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, and it lives on.
As we sustain Thomas Spencer Monson as prophet, seer, and revelator and President of the Church, and D. Todd Christofferson as an Apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, we have seen and felt evidence that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is both true and living. The Lord spoke to those through whom He restored the Church in the latter days. He said of them that they "might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually--
"For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance;
"Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven;
"And he that repents not, from him shall be taken even the light which he has received; for my Spirit shall not always strive with man, saith the Lord of Hosts." *1
This is the true Church, the only true Church, because in it are the keys of the priesthood. Only in this Church has the Lord lodged the power to seal on earth and to seal in heaven as He did in the time of the Apostle Peter. Those keys were restored to Joseph Smith, who then was authorized to confer them upon the members of the Quorum of the Twelve.
When the Prophet Joseph was murdered, the enemies of the Church thought that the Church would die. They thought it was the creation of a mortal man and therefore would perish with him. But their hopes were dashed. It was the true Church, and it also had the power to live on, even when those chosen for a time to lead it died.
We have seen today a demonstration that this is the true and living Church. The keys of the priesthood are held by mortals, but the way has been prepared by the Lord for the keys to remain functioning on the earth so long as the people exercise faith both that the keys are on the earth and that they have been passed on by the will of God to His chosen servants.
God's people have not always been worthy of the marvelous experience we have shared today. The Apostles, after the Ascension of Christ, continued to exercise the keys He left with them. But because of disobedience and loss of faith by the members, the Apostles died without the keys being passed on to successors. We call that tragic episode "the Apostasy." Had the members of the Church in those days had the opportunity and the will to exercise faith as you have today, the Lord would not have taken the keys of the priesthood from the earth. So this is a day of historical significance and of eternal importance in the history of the world and to the children of our Heavenly Father.
Now our obligation is to remain worthy of the faith necessary for us to fulfill our promise to sustain those who have been called. The Lord was well pleased with the Church at the beginning of the Restoration, as He is today. But He cautioned the members then, as He does now, that He cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance. For us to sustain those who have been called today, we must examine our lives, repent as necessary, pledge to keep the Lord's commandments, and follow His servants. The Lord warns us that if we do not do those things, the Holy Ghost will be withdrawn, we will lose the light which we have received, and we will not be able to keep the pledge we have made today to sustain the Lord's servants in His true Church.
Each of us must make an individual evaluation. First, we need to measure the depth of our gratitude for membership in the true Church of Jesus Christ. Second, we need to know by the power of the Holy Ghost in what ways we can do better in keeping the commandments.
We know from prophecy that not only will the true and living Church not be taken from the earth again, but it will become better. Our lives will be transformed for the better as we exercise faith unto repentance, always remember the Savior, and try ever harder to keep His commandments. The scriptures contain promises that when the Lord comes again to His Church, He will find it spiritually prepared for Him. That should make us both determined and optimistic. We must do better. We can. And we will.
On this day especially it would be wise to determine to sustain with our faith and our prayers all those who serve us in the kingdom. I am personally aware of the power of the faith of members of the Church to sustain those who have been called. In the last few weeks I have felt in powerful ways the prayers and the faith of people whom I do not know and who know me only as someone called to serve through the keys of the priesthood. President Thomas S. Monson will be blessed by your sustaining faith. His family will likewise have blessings poured out upon them because of your faith and your prayers. All those who were sustained by you today will be sustained by God because of their faith and yours.
Every member will have opportunities to sustain through service given in the name of God. The Church is a powerful force for the blessing of its members and all people across the earth. For instance, the Church has done remarkable humanitarian work across the earth. All of that is possible because of the faith of members and of friends that God lives and that the Lord wishes to succor all of those in need whom He can reach through His faithful disciples.
Additionally, it is through the Church and the ordinances which are in it that the blessings of the sealing power reach into the spirit world. This is a true and living Church, reaching even to those who are no longer living. As you have the faith to find the names of your ancestors, as you go to the house of the Lord to offer them vicarious ordinances, you sustain this great work, whose purpose is to offer salvation to all of Heavenly Father's children who come into this world.
I would like to speak of some of the reasons I see for gratitude for a true and living Church. Then I will suggest some ways in which I see the Church being prepared for the Savior's return. And finally, I will bear my testimony of how I have come to know that this is the true and living Church.
Most of all I am grateful for my experience of the cleansing power available through the ordinances performed by the power of priesthood. I have felt forgiveness and cleansing through baptism by those with authority. I have felt the burning in my bosom that is only possible because of words spoken by servants of God: "Receive the Holy Ghost."
My sense of gratitude stems also from blessings to my family. It is the sealing power and our knowledge of it which changes and transforms our family life here and our expectations for the joy of family life in the world to come. The thought and the hope that I can have eternal relationships carries me through the trials of separation and the loneliness which are part of mortal existence. The promise to the faithful in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that we may have associations and an expansion of families in the eternities. That assurance changes forever and for the better all of our associations in families.
For example, I am at a stage in my life when, because of great distances, I cannot come to know well grandchildren and, in time, great-grandchildren. There are also people who have never had the opportunity for marriage and parenthood who have the same yearning as I do to somehow be close to family. Because of the restoration of the knowledge of eternal families, we are more hopeful and more kindly in all our family relations. The greatest joys in this life center in families, as they will in the worlds to come. I am so grateful for the assurance I have that if we are faithful, the same sociality which we enjoy here in this life will be forever with us in the world to come, in eternal glory. *2
I can see evidence of the prophesied perfecting of the Church. For example, as I travel and come to know the members of the Church, I see that there is a steady improvement in their lives. In their simple faith and obedience, the Atonement is changing and edifying the members. Frequently I am in meetings with obviously humble people who are allowed to teach lessons and give sermons which have in them power like that given to Lehi and Nephi, the sons of Helaman. You remember the account:
"And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi did preach unto the Lamanites with such great power and authority, for they had power and authority given unto them that they might speak, and they also had what they should speak given unto them." *3
I am confident that the repeated wish of President Gordon B. Hinckley will be granted. He taught that all who come into the Church might be retained in full fellowship if they are nourished by the good word of God. I remember him saying that the last words that he might speak at the end of his service would be "retention, retention, retention." His words live on in the leadership of President Monson and in all of us as we qualify to have the power of a Lehi and a Nephi to nourish with the good word of God. I am confident that you will continue, as I will, to be amazed by humble Latter-day Saints who home teach, visit teach, and speak to their nonmember friends with ever greater power.
For years we have remembered the words of President David O. McKay: "Every member a missionary." I am confident that the day is coming that through the faith of the members we will see increasing numbers of people invited to hear the word of God who will then come into the true and living Church.
There is another improvement I am confident will come. Families across the Church are searching for ways to strengthen and protect their children against the evils around them. In some cases those parents are desperately trying to bring back some in their family who have wandered. I am confident that there will be, increasingly, a reward given by God for their efforts. Those who never give up will find that God never gave up and that He will help them.
Much of that help will come from those called to serve in the Church. The spirit of reaching out will increase so that many will be as the young Bishop Thomas Monson was, inspired with practical ways to invite and encourage those who may, for a time, not recognize the blessings God has in store for them. President Monson to this day remembers people he labored to rescue when he was their bishop. My hope would be that all of us would have the confidence that God will guide us in reaching out, and back, to those God would have us bring with us as we go home to Him.
Another improvement I see coming in the kingdom is a desire and a capacity to reach out to the poor and those in need. I have seen an amazing increase among the members of the Church in sympathy for victims of natural disasters across the world. In obituary notices I see families asking that donations be sent to the Perpetual Education Fund or to the Church's Humanitarian Fund.
The Prophet Joseph Smith saw that wonderful development. He said that as a person becomes truly converted, he or she will want to range across the earth caring for Heavenly Father's children. *4 That is already beginning to happen among more of the members of the Church. What is remarkable to me is that the pattern of giving to those in need extends to those who have less themselves and seems to be unaffected by whether we are in good or difficult economic times. That is evidence to me that the Atonement is working ever more effectively among the members.
My testimony that this is the true and living Church began in my childhood. One of my earliest memories is of a conference meeting held not in some place like this but in a rented room of a hotel. A man was speaking whom I did not know, nor do I know his name today. I knew only that he was someone sent to our little district in the mission field by someone who held the priesthood. I do not know what he said. But I received a powerful, certain witness before I was eight, even before I was baptized, that I was hearing a servant of God in the true Church of Jesus Christ. It was not the rental room nor the size of the congregation, which was small, but it was a witness that I had been blessed at that moment to be in a meeting of the true Church.
When I moved with my family to the organized stakes of the Church in my teen years, for the first time I felt the power of priesthood quorums and of a loving bishop. I still remember and can feel the assurances that came when I sat in a priests quorum next to a bishop and knew that he had the keys of a true judge in Israel.
That same witness came early in my life on two Sundays, one in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the other in Boston, Massachusetts. In each case I was present on the day that a stake was organized from a district. Seemingly ordinary men
whom I knew well were called as stake presidents. I raised my hand on those days as you did today and had a witness come to me that God had called His servants and that I would be blessed by their service and for sustaining them. I have now felt that same miracle countless times across the Church.
I saw in the days and months that followed their being sustained that those stake presidents were lifted up to their callings. I have seen the same miracle in the service of President Monson as he received the call to preside as the prophet and President of the Church and to exercise all the keys of the priesthood in the earth. Revelation and inspiration have come to him in my presence, which confirms to me that God is honoring those keys. I am an eyewitness. They are keys of a priesthood which is, in the Lord's words, "without beginning or end." *5
I bear you my solemn witness that this is the true and living Church of Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father will answer your fervent prayers to know that for yourself. You can have a witness that the calls which you sustained today were from God. Even more, you can know that within this Church, ordinances are performed which can cleanse souls and bind on earth and in heaven, as they were in the days of Peter, James, and John. Those keys and ordinances are now restored in their fulness through the Prophet Joseph Smith and have been passed on through his successors. Jesus is the Christ. He lives. I know that. I testify that Thomas S. Monson is His living prophet. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, and it lives on. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
NOTES
1.	D&C 1:30-33.
2.	See D&C 130:2.
3.	Helaman 5:18.
4.	See History of the Church, 4:227.
5.	Alma 13:8.

;;;Saturday Afternoon Session
April 5, 2008
;;;Church Auditing Department Report, 2007
Presented by Robert W. Cantwell
Managing Director, Church Auditing Department
To the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Dear Brethren: As prescribed by revelation in section 120 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Council on the Disposition of the Tithes authorizes the expenditure of Church funds. This council is composed of the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the Presiding Bishopric. This council approves budgets for Church departments and operations. After receiving the council's authorization, Church departments are to expend funds consistent with approved budgets and in accordance with Church policies and procedures.
The Church Auditing Department has been granted access to all records and systems necessary to evaluate the adequacy of controls over receipts of funds, expenditures, and safeguarding of Church assets. The Church Auditing Department is independent of all other Church departments and operations, and the staff consists of certified public accountants, certified internal auditors, certified information systems auditors, and other credentialed professionals.
Based upon audits performed, the Church Auditing Department is of the opinion that, in all material respects, contributions received, expenditures made, and assets of the Church for the year 2007 have been recorded and administered in accordance with appropriate accounting practices, approved budgets, and Church policies and procedures.
Respectfully submitted,
Church Auditing Department
Robert W. Cantwell
Managing Director

;;;Statistical Report, 2007
Presented by Elder F. Michael Watson
Of the Seventy
Brothers and sisters, the First Presidency has issued the following report concerning the growth and activity of the Church as of December 31, 2007.
Church Units
Stakes--2,790
Missions--348
Districts--618
Wards and Branches--27,827
Church Membership
Total Church Membership--13,193,999
Increase in Children of Record--93,698
Converts Baptized--279,218
Missionaries
Full-Time Missionaries--52,686
Temples
Temples Rededicated--1
(Nuku'alofa Tonga)
Number of Temples Currently in Operation--124
Prominent Church Members Who Have Passed Away since Last April
President Gordon B. Hinckley, 15th President of the Church, at age 97, on January 27, 2008; President James E. Faust, counselor in the First Presidency and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Sister Inis Bernice Egan Hunter, widow of President Howard W. Hunter, former President of the Church; Sister Ruth W. Faust, widow of President James E. Faust, former counselor in the First Presidency; Sister LeAnn C. Neuenschwander, wife of Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander of the Seventy; Sister Eunice N. Kay, widow of Elder F. Arthur Kay, former member of the Seventy; Sister Janath R. Cannon, former counselor in the Relief Society general presidency; Brother Richard L. Warner, former counselor in the Sunday School general presidency.

;;;Testimony
Elder Dallin H. Oaks
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Knowledge encourages obedience, and obedience enhances knowledge.
A testimony of the gospel is a personal witness borne to our souls by the Holy Ghost that certain facts of eternal significance are true and that we know them to be true. Such facts include the nature of the Godhead and our relationship to its three members, the effectiveness of the Atonement, and the reality of the Restoration.
A testimony of the gospel is not a travelogue, a health log, or an expression of love for family members. It is not a sermon. President Kimball taught that the moment we begin preaching to others, our testimony is ended. *1
I.
Various questions arise as we hear others bear testimony or as we consider bearing testimony ourselves.
1. In a testimony meeting a member says, "I know that the Father and the Son appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith." A visitor wonders, "What does he mean when he says he knows that?"
2. A young man preparing for a mission wonders whether his testimony is strong enough that he can serve as a missionary.
3. A young person hears the testimony of a parent or teacher. How does such a testimony help a person who hears it?
II.
What do we mean when we testify and say that we know the gospel is true? Contrast that kind of knowledge with "I know it is cold outside" or "I know I love my wife." These are three different kinds of knowledge, each learned in a different way. Knowledge of outside temperature can be verified by scientific proof. Knowledge that we love our spouse is personal and subjective. While not capable of scientific proof, it is still important. The idea that all important knowledge is based on scientific evidence is simply untrue.
While there are some "evidences" for gospel truths (for example, see Psalm 19:1; Helaman 8:24), scientific methods will not yield spiritual knowledge. This is what Jesus taught in response to Simon Peter's testimony that He was the Christ: "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 16:17). The Apostle Paul explained this. In a letter to the Corinthian Saints, he said, "The things of God knoweth no man, but [by] the Spirit of God" (1 Corinthians 2:11; see also John 14:17).
In contrast, we know the things of man by the ways of man, but "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14).
The Book of Mormon teaches that God will manifest the truth of spiritual things unto us by the power of the Holy Ghost (see Moroni 10:4-5). In modern revelation God promises us that we will receive "knowledge" by His telling us in our mind and in our heart "by the Holy Ghost" (D&C 8:1-2).
One of the greatest things about our Heavenly Father's plan for His children is that each of us can know the truth of that plan for ourselves. That revealed knowledge does not come from books, from scientific proof, or from intellectual pondering. As with the Apostle Peter, we can receive that knowledge directly from our Heavenly Father through the witness of the Holy Ghost.
When we know spiritual truths by spiritual means, we can be just as sure of that knowledge as scholars and scientists are of the different kinds of knowledge they have acquired by different methods.
The Prophet Joseph Smith provided a wonderful example of this. When he was persecuted for telling people about his vision, he likened his circumstance to the Apostle Paul, who was ridiculed and reviled as he made his defense before King Agrippa (see Acts 26). "But all this did not destroy the reality of his vision," Joseph said. "He had seen a vision, he knew he had, and all the persecution under heaven could not make it otherwise .... So it was with me," Joseph continued. "I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me .... I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I" (Joseph Smith--History 1:24-25).
III.
That was Joseph Smith's testimony. What about ours? How can we come to know and testify that what he said was true? How does one gain what we call a testimony?
The first step in gaining any kind of knowledge is to really desire to know. In the case of spiritual knowledge, the next step is to ask God in sincere prayer. As we read in modern revelation, "If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things--that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal" (D&C 42:61).
Here is what Alma wrote about what he did: "Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit" (Alma 5:46).
As we desire and seek, we should remember that acquiring a testimony is not a passive thing but a process in which we are expected to do something. Jesus taught, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself" (John 7:17).
Another way to seek a testimony seems astonishing when compared with the methods of obtaining other knowledge. We gain or strengthen a testimony by bearing it. Someone even suggested that some testimonies are better gained on the feet bearing them than on the knees praying for them.
A personal testimony is fundamental to our faith. Consequently, the things we must do to acquire, strengthen, and retain a testimony are vital to our spiritual life. In addition to those already stated, we need to partake of the sacrament each week (see D&C 59:9) to qualify for the precious promise that we will "always have his Spirit to be with [us]" (D&C 20:77). Of course, that Spirit is the source of our testimonies.
IV.
Those who have a testimony of the restored gospel also have a duty to share it. The Book of Mormon teaches that we should "stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be in" (Mosiah 18:9).
One of the most impressive teachings on the relationship between the gift of a testimony and the duty to bear it is in the 46th section of the Doctrine and Covenants. In describing different kinds of spiritual gifts, this revelation states:
"To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.
"To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful" (vv. 13-14; see also John 20:29).
Those who have the gift to know have an obvious duty to bear their witness so that those who have the gift to believe on their words might also have eternal life.
There has never been a greater need for us to profess our faith, privately and publicly (see D&C 60:2). Though some profess atheism, there are many who are open to additional truths about God. To these sincere seekers, we need to affirm the existence of God the Eternal Father, the divine mission of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and the reality of the Restoration. We must be valiant in our testimony of Jesus. Each of us has many opportunities to proclaim our spiritual convictions to friends and neighbors, to fellow workers, and to casual acquaintances. We should use these opportunities to express our love for our Savior, our witness of His divine mission, and our determination to serve Him. *2 Our children should also hear us bear our testimonies frequently. We should also strengthen our children by encouraging them to define themselves by their growing testimonies, not just by their recognitions in scholarship, sports, or other school activities.
V.
We live in a time when some misrepresent the beliefs of those they call Mormons and even revile us because of them. When we encounter such misrepresentations, we have a duty to speak out to clarify our doctrine and what we believe. We should be the ones to state our beliefs rather than allowing others the final word in misrepresenting them. This calls for testimony, which can be expressed privately to an acquaintance or publicly in a small or large meeting. As we testify of the truth we know, we should faithfully follow the caution to speak "in mildness and in meekness" (D&C 38:41). We should never be overbearing, shrill, or reviling. As the Apostle Paul taught, we should speak the truth in love (see Ephesians 4:15). Anyone can disagree with our personal testimony, but no one can refute it.
VI.
In closing, I refer to the relationship between obedience and knowledge. Members who have a testimony and who act upon it under the direction of their Church leaders are sometimes accused of blind obedience.
Of course, we have leaders, and of course, we are subject to their decisions and directions in the operation of the Church and in the performance of needed priesthood ordinances. But when it comes to learning and knowing the truth of the gospel--our personal testimonies--we each have a direct relationship with God, our Eternal Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, through the powerful witness of the Holy Ghost. This is what our critics fail to understand. It puzzles them that we can be united in following our leaders and yet independent in knowing for ourselves.
Perhaps the puzzle some feel can be explained by the reality that each of us has two different channels to God. We have a channel of governance through our prophet and other leaders. This channel, which has to do with doctrine, ordinances, and commandments, results in obedience. We also have a channel of personal testimony, which is direct to God. This has to do with His existence, our relationship to Him, and the truth of His restored gospel. This channel results in knowledge. These two channels are mutually reinforcing: knowledge encourages obedience (see Deuteronomy 5:27; Moses 5:11), and obedience enhances knowledge (see John 7:17; D&C 93:1).
We all act upon or give obedience to knowledge. Whether in science or religion, our obedience is not blind when we act upon knowledge suited to the subject of our action. A scientist receives and acts upon a trusted certification of the content or conditions of a particular experiment. In matters of religion, a believer's source of knowledge is spiritual, but the principle is the same. In the case of Latter-day Saints, when the Holy Ghost gives our souls a witness of the truth of the restored gospel and the calling of a modern prophet, our choice to follow those teachings is not blind obedience.
In all of our testifying we must avoid arrogance and pride. We should remember the Book of Mormon rebuke to a people who had such pride in the greater things God had given them that they afflicted their neighbors (see Jacob 2:20). Jacob said this was "abominable unto him who created all flesh" because "the one being is as precious in his sight as the other" (Jacob 2:21). Later, Alma cautioned that "ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another" (Mosiah 23:7).
I close with my testimony. I know that we have a Heavenly Father, whose plan brings us to earth and provides the conditions and destiny of our eternal journey. I know that we have a Savior, Jesus Christ, whose teachings define the plan and whose Atonement gives the assurance of immortality and the opportunity for eternal life. I know that the Father and the Son appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith to restore the fulness of the gospel in these latter days. And I know that we are led today by a prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, who holds the keys to authorize priesthood holders to perform the ordinances prescribed for our progress toward eternal life. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
NOTES
1.	See The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball (1982), 138.
2.	For example, see Jeanne Newman, "With the Sound of a Trump," Tambuli, Aug.-Sept. 1985, 21-23; New Era, Aug. 1985, 9-11.

;;;Gaining a Testimony of God the Father; His Son, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost
Elder Robert D. Hales
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
What has been told to me ... can be told to you by the Holy Spirit ... according to your obedience and desires.
Like you, I appreciated the participation in the solemn assembly. But I thought I might give one point of doctrine and help. When we raised our hands to the square in the solemn assembly, it was not just a vote in that we gave of ourselves a private and personal commitment, even a covenant, to sustain and to uphold the laws, ordinances, commandments, and the prophet of God, President Thomas S. Monson. I so appreciated participating with you and raising my right hand to the square.
My brothers and sisters, over the past few months I have had a humbling experience which has given me the opportunity to reflect with gratitude on the gift of life. In the course of this experience, I have continually pondered my testimony of God our Eternal Father and His eldest Son, our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and how I gained my testimony of the Father and the Son.
People all over the world, of every creed and persuasion, search and struggle to know, Who is God? What is His relationship to Jesus Christ? And what is our relationship with Them?
I know with surety that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live. The Atonement is real. God the Father and Jesus Christ are distinct, separate, immortal beings. They know us as individuals, and They hear and answer our sincere prayers. The Savior testified to the inhabitants of the New World, "I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me." *1 The Holy Ghost has testified to me that these things are true.
I began to gain my testimony in my youth when I reflected on 13 prophetic statements called the Articles of Faith, written by Joseph Smith. It was in Primary that we memorized them. They describe the basic beliefs of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. The first of these statements reads, "We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." *2
Joseph Smith knew the nature of the three members of the Godhead by personal experience. As a 14-year-old boy he wanted to know which of the many Christian churches he should join. In the Bible, in the book of James of the New Testament, he read, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God." *3 Obediently he knelt in prayer and was visited by God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. He described Them as "two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above [Joseph] in the air. One of them [God the Father] spake unto [him], calling [him] by name and said, pointing to the other--This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" *4
Since my own boyhood, Joseph Smith's experience has been a guide to me--and can be for all of us. The young prophet learned the truth about our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, because he sought to know from the scriptures his Heavenly Father's will and then he faithfully obeyed.
This pattern was set and perfectly exemplified by the Savior as recorded in the Bible. When Jesus was a 12-year-old boy, His mother, Mary, and His earthly father, Joseph, found Him teaching in the temple. Jesus asked them, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" *5 But Jesus was not speaking of Joseph's business. He was speaking of the business of His literal and Eternal Father in Heaven.
The manner by which God the Father introduced His Son on several occasions is significant: "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water .... And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." *6 And again, on the Mount of Transfiguration, "there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him." *7
When Jesus appeared on the American continent, He was introduced in the same way by His Father: "Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name--hear ye him." *8 And then nearly two millennia later, the same words were spoken to the young Joseph Smith: "This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" *9
It is of special significance that whenever Heavenly Father wants to introduce His Son to us, He commands us to listen--to "hear" the words of Jesus.
Who is this Jesus? He participated with His Father in the Creation of the world and was responsible, under the direction of His Father, to create all things on the face of the earth. "And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten." *10 Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. He is our Mediator with the Father. He is the Savior who laid down His life for us and pleads our cause with the Father. Therefore, we pray to Heavenly Father in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus, the Son, is not the same being as His Father, but He is like His Father. He too is a glorified being of power and authority.
It is very enlightening and touching to me to consider how Jesus talks to His Father. In His great Intercessory Prayer, which is found in the Bible in the book of John, it is unmistakably clear that Jesus acknowledges He is the Son. Listen to His words as He reports the obedient completion of His earthly mission to His Father in Heaven:
"I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do ....
"For I have given unto them [the disciples] the words which thou gavest me ..., and they have believed that thou didst send me ....
"As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world ....
"And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one." *11
Through the course of the Savior's ministry, the disciples did indeed become one but not in their physical bodies. They became one in unity of purpose and love. This is the oneness of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, spoken of in the scriptures. They too are distinct beings, but They are united in purpose, in Their love for us, and in the work They are doing on our behalf.
The Savior also prayed:
"O Father, glorify thou me ... with the glory which I had with thee before the world was ....
"... That the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
"... For thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." *12
Oh, how Jesus wanted us to know the Father as He did. He prayed:
"O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these [the disciples] have known that thou hast sent me.
"And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them." *13
Jesus showed His great love for those who choose to follow Him as He prayed for their protection: "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil." *14 He was praying for us, brothers and sisters.
And then our Savior tenderly asks that they, meaning us, may be with Him again: "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am." *15
In preparation for the atoning sacrifice, Jesus prayed to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane as He took upon Himself the sins, sorrows, and sufferings of all mankind. In those hours alone, He again made it clear that He was not performing His own work. He prayed, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." *16 In this most crucial moment for Him and for all of us, He was not talking to Himself or relying on His own strength. He was calling upon His Father, God Omnipotent, to sustain Him and allow Him to do His Father's will; and His Father sent an angel "from heaven, strengthening him." *17 I so love the love that the Father has for His Son and for all of us.
From before the foundation of the world to the final moments on the cross, the Savior had been about His Father's business. He completed the work He had been sent to do. Therefore, we do not wonder to whom He was talking when, upon the cross, "he said, It is finished," *18 and "cried with a loud voice, ... Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost." *19 We know He was praying to His Heavenly Father.
I testify that our Savior lives. He is the Only Begotten of the Father, and He will come again on this earth to reign. He is Jesus Christ, the Holy One of Israel, "full of grace, and mercy, and truth .... It is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world, yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name." *20 He is the literal Son of God, who rose from the dead on the third day, bringing the reality of resurrection to all who will come to earth. I also testify that God our Eternal Father lives and loves each of us, for we are His children. So great is His love that He sent His Only Begotten Son into the world "that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." *21
As an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, I testify of the truth of what is in the scriptures and what has been told to me and can be told to you by the Holy Spirit. It will be revealed according to your obedience and desires. The Savior taught us during His mortal ministry this great truth that applies to all of us: "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you." *22 I testify that I do know these things, and I know with surety that these things which I have spoken of are true. That you may seek for that same surety is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
NOTES
1.	3 Nephi 11:32.
2.	Articles of Faith 1:1.
3.	James 1:5.
4.	Joseph Smith--History 1:17.
5.	Luke 2:49.
6.	Matthew 3:16-17.
7.	Luke 9:35.
8.	3 Nephi 11:7.
9.	Joseph Smith--History 1:17.
10.	Moses 1:33.
11.	John 17:4, 8, 18, 22.
12.	John 17:5, 23-24.
13.	John 17:25-26.
14.	John 17:15.
15.	John 17:24.
16.	Matthew 26:39.
17.	Luke 22:43.
18.	John 19:30.
19.	Luke 23:46.
20.	Alma 5:48.
21.	John 3:16.
22.	3 Nephi 18:20.


;;;Opening Our Hearts
Elder Gerald N. Lund
Of the Seventy
Let us make it a part of our everyday striving to open our hearts to the Spirit.
Today I should like to speak on the importance of opening our hearts to the Holy Spirit.
After baptism we are confirmed and given the Holy Ghost. This is a supernal gift. The Holy Ghost comforts, teaches, warns, enlightens, and inspires us. Nephi put it very simply: "If ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do." *1 We need the help of the Holy Ghost if we are to make our way safely through what the Apostle Paul called the "perilous times" *2 in which we now live.
The Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit, which allows Him to dwell in our hearts and communicate directly with our spirits. *3 The voice of the Spirit is described as still and small and one that whispers. *4 How can a voice be still? Why is it likened to a whisper? Because the Spirit almost always speaks to our minds and to our hearts *5 rather than to our ears. President Boyd K. Packer has said, "The Holy Ghost speaks with a voice that you feel more than you hear." *6
We feel things in our hearts. In the scriptures, the prophets teach that personal revelation is closely linked to the heart. For example:
Mormon taught, "Because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost." *7
Alma said, "He that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word." *8
Mormon wrote of the Nephites, "[Their souls were filled] with joy and consolation ... because of their yielding their hearts unto God." *9
And then the Psalmist simply wrote, "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart." *10
Isn't that something we all seek, brothers and sisters--to be visited by the Holy Ghost, to have the Lord draw closer to us, to find joy and consolation in our lives? If so, then carefully assessing the condition of our hearts is one of the most essential things we can do in this life.
The heart is a tender place. It is sensitive to many influences, both positive and negative. It can be hurt by others. It can be deadened by sin. It can be softened by love. Early in our lives, we learn to guard our hearts. It is like we erect a fence around our hearts with a gate in it. No one can enter that gate unless we allow him or her to.
In some cases the fence we erect around our hearts could be likened to a small picket fence with a Welcome sign on the gate. Other hearts have been so hurt or so deadened by sin that they have an eight-foot (2.5-m) chain-link fence topped with razor wire around them. The gate is padlocked and has a large No Trespassing sign on it.
Let us apply the idea of a gateway to the heart to receiving personal revelation. Nephi taught, "When a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men." *11 Elder David A. Bednar noted the use of the word unto: "Please notice how the power of the Spirit carries the message unto but not necessarily into the heart .... Ultimately, ... the content of a message and the witness of the Holy Ghost penetrate into the heart only if a receiver allows them to enter." *12
Why just unto the heart? Individual agency is so sacred that Heavenly Father will never force the human heart, even with all His infinite power. Man may try to do so, but God does not. To put it another way, God allows us to be the guardians, or the gatekeepers, of our own hearts. We must, of our own free will, open our hearts to the Spirit, for He will not force Himself upon us.
So how do we open our hearts?
In the Sermon on the Mount, the Savior said, "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." *13 If something is pure, it is not polluted or tainted by things which do not belong to it. Purity of heart is certainly one of the most important qualifications for receiving inspiration from God. While none of our hearts are perfect, the more diligently we strive to eliminate impurity, or push out things which do not belong there, the more we open our hearts to the Holy Spirit. Note this sweet promise of the prophet Jacob: "O all ye that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love." *14
While in Liberty Jail, the Prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation that describes a condition of some hearts:
"Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?
"Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men." *15
Many in the world now live in prosperous and peaceful circumstances. In the Book of Mormon, prosperity often led the people away from the Lord. Mormon warned, "We may see at the very time when he doth prosper his people, yea, in the increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold, and in silver, and in all manner of precious things of every kind and art ..., then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God." *16
The Lord noted three natural consequences of having one's heart set on the things of the world: First, we seek to hide our sins instead of repenting of them. Next, we seek to gratify our pride and vain ambitions rather than seeking the things of God. Finally, we begin to exercise unrighteous dominion over others. *17
Note that pride is a natural consequence of setting our hearts on the things of the world. Pride quickly desensitizes our hearts to spiritual promptings. For example, the Lord said, "I, the Lord, am not pleased with my servant Sidney Rigdon; he exalted himself in his heart, and received not counsel, but grieved the Spirit." *18 Compare that to this promise: "Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers." *19
In the Liberty Jail revelation, the Lord described the effect of a worldly heart: "Behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and ... behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself." *20 Brothers and sisters, in these very "perilous times," we cannot afford to grieve the Spirit and be left to ourselves.
I say again, the condition of our hearts directly affects our sensitivity to spiritual things. Let us make it a part of our everyday striving to open our hearts to the Spirit. Since we are the guardians of our hearts, we can choose to do so. We choose what we let in or hold out. Fortunately the Lord is anxious to help us choose wisely.
I close in testimony with two of the promises He has made to those who seek to come unto Him: "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with [His] love, ... that we may be purified even as he is pure." *21
And finally this stirring declaration of Paul the Apostle: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." *22
May we ever ask Christ to strengthen our hearts and fill them with His love is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
NOTES
1.	2 Nephi 32:5.
2.	2 Timothy 3:1.
3.	See D&C 8:2.
4.	See D&C 85:6.
5.	See D&C 8:2.
6.	"Personal Revelation: The Gift, the Test, and the Promise," Liahona, June 1997, 10; Ensign, Nov. 1994, 60.
7.	Moroni 8:26.
8.	Alma 12:10.
9.	Helaman 3:35.
10.	Psalm 34:18.
11.	2 Nephi 33:1; emphasis added.
12.	"Seek Learning by Faith," Liahona, Sept. 2007, 17; Ensign, Sept. 2007, 61.
13.	Matthew 5:8.
14.	Jacob 3:2.
15.	D&C 121:34-35.
16.	Helaman 12:2.
17.	See D&C 121:36-37.
18.	D&C 63:55.
19.	D&C 112:10.
20.	D&C 121:37-38.
21.	Moroni 7:48.
22.	Philippians 4:13.


;;;Service, a Divine Quality
Elder Carlos H. Amado
Of the Seventy
Those who serve will strive to ennoble, build, and lift their fellowmen.
All the things that Christ did for our salvation are unique. He was able to perform His redeeming work in approximately three years of ministry. Today I would like to highlight three purposes for the Savior's life on earth.
1. His Atoning Sacrifice
The first and greatest purpose was the unrivaled and amazing assignment that He received from His Father: to carry out an infinite and eternal sacrifice for all humanity.
As Heavenly Father's Only Begotten Son in the flesh, He inherited all of His Father's divine qualities, and from His earthly mother, Mary, He inherited mortal characteristics.
Only His sacrifice could rescue us from our mortal and fallen state (see Alma 34:8-14). He came to the world with the specific purpose to give His life, since only His life could give us eternal life.
No other mortal being, in the past, present, or future of the existence of the earth, has lived or will live to carry out the Atonement for our sins. He is our Savior and Redeemer (see John 3:16).
He will return again to govern and rule among us with great power and glory.
2. His Doctrine
The second purpose for His having dwelt among us was to teach the doctrine that He learned from His Father, which includes the ordinances and covenants of salvation and exaltation (see Mark 1:27; John 7:16).
His doctrine is one of love, forgiveness, and mercy. It is the way to live in peace and harmony among men and the way to return to live with God.
3. His Service to the Children of God
His third purpose was to build the kingdom by serving others. This was a different type of leadership. Service is a characteristic of His followers--a divine quality.
"Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
"If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
"For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you" (John 13:13-15).
He lived to preach the gospel of the kingdom and to heal all manner of sickness (see Matthew 4:23-24). To teach His doctrine and to serve our fellowmen are two responsibilities that we accepted when we were baptized. This converts us into true servants of Christ.
On one occasion after teaching His doctrine, He had compassion on the people and performed the miracle of multiplying the loaves of bread and fish and feeding the multitude, revealing to us His character of compassion and service. The next day the multitude was even greater because of the food that they had received. He taught them with determination and with eternal vision:
"Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
"Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you" (John 6:26-27).
As a Church we should feed the hungry, relieve the sick, clothe the naked, and give shelter to the destitute. With fast offerings we alleviate the basic and immediate needs of the members, and with the welfare plan we help meet their long-term needs. When there are natural disasters, through humanitarian service we provide assistance for our brothers and sisters who are not of our faith.
Without neglecting these temporal needs, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by commandment of the Lord, maintains the most sublime and lofty labor of service, which is to bless all men by teaching them the doctrine of Christ and inviting them to receive the saving ordinances so that they might gain "immortality and eternal life" (Moses 1:39).
A Change of Thought and Attitude
I know that God loves us. He allows us to exercise our moral agency even when we misuse it. He permits us to make our own decisions.
Christ cannot help us if we do not trust Him; He cannot teach us if we do not serve Him. He will not force us to do what's right, but He will show us the way only when we decide to serve Him. Certainly, for us to serve in His kingdom, Christ requires that we experience a change of thought and attitude.
"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?" (Mosiah 5:13).
Blessings of Service
I testify that through serving our fellowmen we come to know the Lord.
Service makes us strong in our faith and useful in His kingdom. Service gives us purpose and courage in life. It brings us closer to God and helps us refine our divine nature. It teaches us to love and understand our fellowmen, and it helps us forget about our personal desires, eliminating selfishness, pride, and ingratitude. It teaches us to think of the needs of others, which allows us to develop the virtues that the Savior possesses.
Kindness, love, patience, understanding, and unity will increase as we serve, while intolerance, jealousy, envy, greed, and selfishness decrease or disappear. The more we give of ourselves, the more our capacity to serve, understand, and love will grow.
Those who serve will always seek to please God and live in harmony with Him. They will be full of peace; they will have a cheerful countenance and a spirit of kindness.
Those who serve will strive to ennoble, build, and lift their fellowmen; therefore, they will find the good in others, and they will not find reason or have time to become offended. They develop the virtue of praying for those who criticize. They don't expect recognition or reward. They possess the love of Christ.
Those who serve will always be willing to share what they possess and what they know at all times, in all places, and with all people.
Those who serve even in adversity will maintain a living hope of a better future. They will continue to be firm in the midst of a crisis because their hope is in Christ.
Those who serve will accept their assignments with humility, recognizing their limitations but convinced that two people can do all things they propose to do as long as one of the two people is God.
With divine inspiration, King Benjamin declared, "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God" (Mosiah 2:17). Those who serve will have greater understanding of the personality and attributes of God.
Those who serve with devotion, even when things don't turn out the way they would like, are not easily discouraged, fatigued, or frustrated because the promise of peace of mind and the companionship of the Holy Spirit will never abandon them.
Worldwide and Local Service
In the Church there are tens of thousands of members who selflessly serve in more than 170 nations in a great diversity of tongues and languages. They give unselfish service through leadership, teaching, and care of others, without salary or material reward, without applause or worldly recognition. They give of their time, their talents, and their resources; they sacrifice all that they have and serve efficiently and marvelously well. After a certain time they are released to give the opportunity of service to others.
Because of His doctrine and His service, the restored Church of Jesus Christ is constantly blessing the lives of its members. We thank God for all of you faithful Saints who have felt the joy of service, who feel it now, and who will feel this joy as you serve others. We pray that God always will bless you for it. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

;;;Three Presiding High Priests
Elder William R. Walker
Of the Seventy
Wisdom and strength will come to us as we look to the First Presidency as our ideal and our pattern of leadership.
What a blessing and privilege it is for us to sustain President Thomas S. Monson, President Henry B. Eyring, and President Dieter F. Uchtdorf as the new First Presidency of the Lord's Church.
I first learned the importance of the First Presidency as a boy growing up in Western Canada. When I would go to Grandma and Grandpa Walker's home, I was greeted in the entry by a framed photo of the First Presidency of the Church. I remember it well. It seemed that they stood as sentinels, greeting all who entered.
The beautiful color photo was of President George Albert Smith with his counselors J. Reuben Clark Jr. and David O. McKay. The photo showed them standing together by a large world globe. I loved the picture. They were such handsome and dignified men; I knew them as the prophet of God and his counselors.
That picture hanging in the front foyer of my grandparents' home had a powerful influence on me. I lived in the small prairie town of Raymond, where my grandparents lived. I could walk to their home, so I visited often. I remember frequently standing quietly alone in the foyer, reverently looking at that picture of the First Presidency. I remember thinking about why my grandparents thought it was so important to honor the First Presidency and have that picture prominently displayed in their home. All who entered would see it. Perhaps most importantly, for their children and grandchildren it was a constant reminder of what was deeply important in the hearts and lives of Grandma and Grandpa.
Years later I concluded that displaying the picture of the First Presidency was equivalent to Joshua's beautiful expression: "Choose you this day whom ye will serve; ... as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).
All who entered the home of James and Fannye Walker knew that written upon their hearts were the words "As for us and our house, we will serve the Lord." As their grandson, I knew it, and I have never forgotten it.
As a boy I didn't understand so well the significance of there being three in the First Presidency rather than having one President. I knew, of course, that Jesus had selected Peter, James, and John, not just Peter. I knew that my father was one of three men in the bishopric, serving as a counselor to Bishop J. O. Hicken. I knew my grandfather was the stake president and that he had two counselors who stood beside him (President John Allen and President Leslie Palmer).
In every case--a presidency--not just consisting of one man as the leader but as three who led together.
In Primary I had learned the Articles of Faith and grew to love them. The Articles of Faith give our youth comfort and confidence as they learn the fundamental doctrines of the Church. I then knew that "a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof" (Articles of Faith 1:5).
In 1835 the Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith the proper order of presidencies in the Church:
"Of necessity there are presidents, or presiding officers ....
"Of the Melchizedek Priesthood, three Presiding High Priests, chosen by the body, appointed and ordained to that office, and upheld by the confidence, faith, and prayer of the church, form a quorum of the Presidency of the Church" (D&C 107:21-22).
"A quorum of three presidents" (D&C 107:29)--not a president and two vice presidents but three presiding high priests. A quorum of three presidents--the First Presidency of the Lord's Church.
The world does not organize itself this way, but this is how the Lord organized and structured His Church.
It brings to mind the scripture:
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9).
At about the time of my seventh birthday, I learned a little about succession in the Presidency when President George Albert Smith passed away. Sometime later the picture in Grandma and Grandpa's foyer was replaced by a beautiful picture of President David O. McKay and his counselors Stephen L Richards and J. Reuben Clark Jr.
As a boy I certainly didn't understand the deep significance or the process of succession in the Presidency--but I knew that the prophet had died and that we were led by a new prophet of God, with two counselors at his side.
At age 13 I was called into Bishop Murray Holt's office, and he extended a call to me to serve as the president of the deacons quorum. He told me I needed to go home and pray about who my counselors should be. He taught me that the Lord would help me decide. He did. I then learned about counselors, and I began to see why the Lord has His Church directed by presidencies, not just presidents. I loved my counselors in the deacons quorum, and we prayed and worked hard to help the boys in our quorum. Bishop Holt taught me the pattern of presidencies and taught me how a presidency should operate and function in the Lord's Church.
When I later served as president of other quorums, I already knew the importance of counselors, and I knew that the Lord would help me choose them--just as my bishop had taught me.
As a deacons quorum president and later as a bishop and stake president, I knew that whatever wisdom, understanding, or capacity I had, it would be magnified considerably when I included my counselors in any decision that needed to be made. I learned that the benefits of serving together as a presidency were magnificent and magnifying.
I came to understand why the Lord appointed that His Church should be led by three presiding high priests and why that form of leadership would be prescribed throughout most of the Church.
The Lord said, "I will give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived" (D&C 52:14). He has given us the pattern of leadership. President Gordon B. Hinckley taught: "Every organization in the Church is presided over by a presidency of three, except the Seventies [and the Twelve]" (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [1997], 94).
Additionally, the auxiliaries at all levels are led by a president and two counselors. All the blessings and benefits of serving together as a presidency apply to auxiliaries as well as to the priesthood quorums.
Every one of us who serve in presidencies anywhere in the Church should look to the First Presidency as our pattern and the example that we seek to follow as we carry out our stewardships. We should strive to be like them and to work together in love and harmony as they do.
President Gordon B. Hinckley often spoke of the importance of counselors. He said, "The Lord put [counselors] there for a purpose" (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, 94).
President Hinckley further instructed us: "Every morning except Monday, the First Presidency meets, when we are in town. I call on President Faust to present his business and we discuss it and make a decision. Then I call on President Monson to present his business and we discuss it and make a decision. Then I present the items which I wish to present and we discuss them and make a decision. We work together .... You can't be a one-man operation in a presidency. Counselors--what a wonderful thing are counselors. They save you from doing the wrong things, they help you to do the right things" (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, 95; see also "In ... Counsellors There Is Safety," Ensign, Nov. 1990, 48-51).
A counselor to President Joseph F. Smith once described how the First Presidency deliberated: "When a case came before [the President of the Church] to judge, he and his counselors would talk it over and give it their careful consideration until they came to the same conclusion" (Anthon H. Lund, in Conference Report, June 1919, 19; emphasis added).
That should be our pattern in presidencies.
The revelations teach us to make our decisions in quorums and presidencies "in all righteousness, in holiness, and lowliness of heart, meekness and long suffering, and in faith, and virtue, and knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity" (D&C 107:30).
The Lord has given us the pattern.
We have sustained today the new First Presidency of the Church. They will teach us and show us the pattern that we should follow. Wisdom and strength will come to us as we look to the First Presidency as our ideal and our pattern of leadership.
Great blessings will come to our families as we teach our children and grandchildren to love and sustain the leaders of the Church. As a young boy standing in my grandparents' home, I knew that we were led by men of God, whom the Lord had placed there to guide us.
And I know it now. I bear witness that this is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ and that we are led by His apostles and prophets. I bear witness that the senior apostle, President Thomas S. Monson, has been called of God and that with his two noble couns