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| This picture was taken backstage at my first-ever General Conference, exactly six years ago! Do I look much different? |
During the days leading to this upcoming General Conference weekend, I followed tradition (which I initiated last Conference) by revisiting every talk from last autumn's sessions, in the chronological order in which they were given. I tweeted out a favorite quote from each. I now compile them all into one blog post, as follows:
SATURDAY MORNING
"The adversary is increasing his attacks on faith and upon us and our families at an exponential rate. To survive spiritually, we need counterstrategies and proactive plans."
President Russell M. Nelson
("Opening Remarks")
"World conditions increasingly require deepening individual conversion to and strengthening faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and His Atonement."
Elder Quentin L. Cook
("Deep and Lasting Conversion to Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ")
"Frequently, our first reaction to hard things is 'Why me?' Asking why, however, never takes away the hard thing. The Lord requires that we overcome challenges, and He has indicated 'that all these things shall give [us] experience, and shall be for [our] good.'"
Brother M. Joseph Brough
("Lift Up Your Head and Rejoice")
"In the spirit that accompanies these efforts, our children become protected from the fiery darts of the adversary so embedded in the worldly culture of our day."
Elder Steven R. Bangerter
"Frequently, our first reaction to hard things is 'Why me?' Asking why, however, never takes away the hard thing. The Lord requires that we overcome challenges, and He has indicated 'that all these things shall give [us] experience, and shall be for [our] good.'"
Brother M. Joseph Brough
("Lift Up Your Head and Rejoice")
"In the spirit that accompanies these efforts, our children become protected from the fiery darts of the adversary so embedded in the worldly culture of our day."
Elder Steven R. Bangerter
("Laying the Foundation of a Great Work")
"Love what the Lord loves—which includes His commandments, His holy houses, our sacred covenants with Him, the sacrament each Sabbath day, our communication through prayer—and you will not be troubled."
Elder Ronald A. Rasband
("Be Not Troubled")
"I believe that the sequence and timing of these actions over many decades can help us to see one united and comprehensive work and not just a series of independent and discrete initiatives."
Elder David A. Bednar
("Gather Together in One All Things in Christ")
"But 'scientific truth' is not the whole of life. Those who do not learn 'by study and also by faith' limit their understanding of truth to what they can verify by scientific means. That puts artificial limits on their pursuit of truth."
President Dallin H. Oaks
("Truth and the Plan")
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
"Without God, these dark experiences tend to despondency, despair, and even bitterness. With God, comfort replaces pain, peace replaces turmoil, and hope replaces sorrow. Remaining firm in the faith of Christ will bring His sustaining grace and support."
Elder D. Todd Christofferson
("Firm and Steadfast in the Faith of Christ")
"In reflecting upon this experience, I am humbled by the realization that while Brother Williams and I possessed formal education and years of experience in real estate and temple design, President Hinckley had no such formal training, but he had something far greater—the gift of prophetic seership. He was able to envision where God's temple should stand." (I just really loved this story that Bishop Davies told about the Vancouver British Columbia Temple.)
Bishop Dean M. Davies
("Come, Listen to a Prophet's Voice")
"Be careful not to let your Church assignments get in the way of welcoming new friends at Church meetings and activities. After all, these souls are precious before the eyes of God and are much more important than programs and activities."
Elder Ulisses Soares
("One in Christ")
"Each of us strays and falls short. We may, for a time, lose our way. God lovingly assures us, no matter where we are or what we have done, there is no point of no return. He waits ready to embrace us."
Elder Gerrit W. Gong
("Our Campfire of Faith")
"Our Heavenly Father wants to make it absolutely clear that the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, is not simply one name among many. The Savior's name has singular and essential power. It is the only name by which salvation is possible."
Elder Paul B. Pieper
("All Must Take upon Them the Name Given of the Father")
"Even when you think that you are not lovable, He reaches out to you.... This very day—every day—He reaches out to you, desiring to heal you, to lift you up, and to replace the emptiness in your heart with an abiding joy."
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
("Believe, Love, Do")
GENERAL WOMEN'S SESSION
"When we focus on all that God has done for us, our service flows from a heart of gratitude. As we become less concerned about our service magnifying us, we realize instead that the focus of our service will be on putting God first."
Sister Joy D. Jones
("For Him")
"The truth is that each of us is one generation away from Deity—each is a child of God. And just as He has done with both prophets and ordinary men and women through the ages, so Heavenly Father intends to transform us."
Sister Michelle D. Craig
("Divine Discontent")
"....are we giving our all to the Lord without reservation? Are we sacrificing of our time and talents so the rising generation can learn to love the Lord and keep His commandments?"
Sister Cristina B. Franco
("The Joy of Unselfish Service")
"If you pray with real intent, a name or a face will come to your mind. If you pray to know what to do or what to say, you will feel an answer. Each time you obey, your power to nurture will grow. You will be preparing for the day when you will nurture your own children."
President Henry B. Eyring
("Women and Gospel Learning in the Home")
"....if you participate in any meanness or pettiness....resolve now to change and encourage others to change. That is my counsel, and I give it to you as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ because His Spirit has prompted me to speak to you about this important subject."
President Dallin H. Oaks
("Parents and Children")
"Please note that anytime I use the word mother, I am not talking only about women who have given birth or adopted children in this life. I am speaking about all of our Heavenly Parents' adult daughters. Every woman is a mother by virtue of her eternal divine destiny."
President Russell M. Nelson
("Sisters' Participation in the Gathering of Israel")
SUNDAY MORNING
"And so it was on October 3, 1918, having experienced intense sorrow over the millions who had died in the world through war and disease as well as the deaths of his own family members.... [he] received the heavenly revelation known as 'the vision of the redemption of the dead.'" (Regarding President Joseph F. Smith)
President M. Russell Ballard
("The Vision of the Redemption of the Dead")
"As we pray and seek to understand their hearts, I testify that Heavenly Father will direct us and His Spirit will go with us. We have the opportunity to be the 'angels round about' them as He goes before their face."
Sister Bonnie H. Cordon
("Becoming a Shepherd")
"My beloved friends, in our shared ministry of reconciliation, I ask us to be peacemakers—to love peace, to seek peace, to create peace, to cherish peace. I make that appeal in the name of the Prince of Peace, who knows everything about being 'wounded in the house of [His] friends' but who still found the strength to forgive and forget—and to heal—and be happy. For that I pray, for you and for me, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen."
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
("The Ministry of Reconciliation")
"....let us be known as those who have taken Moroni's promise to heart, prayed and received an answer to know that the Book of Mormon is true, and then shared that knowledge with others in word and, most important, in deed."
Elder Shayne M. Bowen
("The Role of the Book of Mormon in Conversion")
"Look backward, remembering that you proved your worthiness in your premortal state. You are a valiant child of God, and with His help, you can triumph in the battles of this fallen world. You have done it before, and you can do it again."
Elder Neil L. Andersen
("Wounded")
"To remove the Lord's name from the Lord's Church is a major victory for Satan. When we discard the Savior's name, we are subtly disregarding all that Jesus Christ did for us—even His Atonement."
President Russell M. Nelson
("The Correct Name of the Church")
SUNDAY AFTERNOON
"Brothers and sisters, the Lord has opportunities near you to feel and to share His love. You can pray with confidence for the Lord to lead you to love someone for Him. He answers the prayers of meek volunteers like you."
President Henry B. Eyring
("Try, Try, Try")
"....I can testify with certainty that striving to become like the Father is worth every sacrifice. The sacrifices we make here in mortality, no matter how great, are simply incomparable to the immeasurable joy, happiness, and love we will feel in God's presence."
Brother Brian K. Ashton
("The Father")
"....His love is greater than our fears, our wounds, our addictions, our doubts, our temptations, our sins, our broken families, our depression and anxieties, our chronic illness, our poverty, our abuse, our despair, and our loneliness. He wants all to know there is nothing and no one He is unable to heal and deliver to enduring joy."
Elder Robert C. Gay
("Taking upon Ourselves the Name of Jesus Christ")
"Spiritual healing is not one-sided—it requires the Savior's redemptive power and sincere repentance on the part of the sinner. For those who choose not to repent, they are rejecting the healing Christ offers. For them, it is as though no redemption was made."
Elder Matthew L. Carpenter
("Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?")
"In the scriptures, getting off the path is referred to as sin, and the resultant decrease in happiness and forfeited blessings is called punishment. In this sense, God is not punishing us; punishment is a consequence of our own choices, not His."
Elder Dale G. Renlund
("Choose You This Day")
"Understanding our divine origins is essential to our eternal progress and can free us from the distractions of this life."
Elder Jack N. Gerard
("Now Is the Time")
"He does not expect us to perform miracles. He asks only that we bring our brothers and sisters unto Him, for He has the power to redeem souls."
Elder Gary E. Stevenson
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
("Believe, Love, Do")
GENERAL WOMEN'S SESSION
"When we focus on all that God has done for us, our service flows from a heart of gratitude. As we become less concerned about our service magnifying us, we realize instead that the focus of our service will be on putting God first."
Sister Joy D. Jones
("For Him")
"The truth is that each of us is one generation away from Deity—each is a child of God. And just as He has done with both prophets and ordinary men and women through the ages, so Heavenly Father intends to transform us."
Sister Michelle D. Craig
("Divine Discontent")
"....are we giving our all to the Lord without reservation? Are we sacrificing of our time and talents so the rising generation can learn to love the Lord and keep His commandments?"
Sister Cristina B. Franco
("The Joy of Unselfish Service")
"If you pray with real intent, a name or a face will come to your mind. If you pray to know what to do or what to say, you will feel an answer. Each time you obey, your power to nurture will grow. You will be preparing for the day when you will nurture your own children."
President Henry B. Eyring
("Women and Gospel Learning in the Home")
"....if you participate in any meanness or pettiness....resolve now to change and encourage others to change. That is my counsel, and I give it to you as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ because His Spirit has prompted me to speak to you about this important subject."
President Dallin H. Oaks
("Parents and Children")
"Please note that anytime I use the word mother, I am not talking only about women who have given birth or adopted children in this life. I am speaking about all of our Heavenly Parents' adult daughters. Every woman is a mother by virtue of her eternal divine destiny."
President Russell M. Nelson
("Sisters' Participation in the Gathering of Israel")
SUNDAY MORNING
"And so it was on October 3, 1918, having experienced intense sorrow over the millions who had died in the world through war and disease as well as the deaths of his own family members.... [he] received the heavenly revelation known as 'the vision of the redemption of the dead.'" (Regarding President Joseph F. Smith)
President M. Russell Ballard
("The Vision of the Redemption of the Dead")
"As we pray and seek to understand their hearts, I testify that Heavenly Father will direct us and His Spirit will go with us. We have the opportunity to be the 'angels round about' them as He goes before their face."
Sister Bonnie H. Cordon
("Becoming a Shepherd")
"My beloved friends, in our shared ministry of reconciliation, I ask us to be peacemakers—to love peace, to seek peace, to create peace, to cherish peace. I make that appeal in the name of the Prince of Peace, who knows everything about being 'wounded in the house of [His] friends' but who still found the strength to forgive and forget—and to heal—and be happy. For that I pray, for you and for me, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen."
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
("The Ministry of Reconciliation")
"....let us be known as those who have taken Moroni's promise to heart, prayed and received an answer to know that the Book of Mormon is true, and then shared that knowledge with others in word and, most important, in deed."
Elder Shayne M. Bowen
("The Role of the Book of Mormon in Conversion")
"Look backward, remembering that you proved your worthiness in your premortal state. You are a valiant child of God, and with His help, you can triumph in the battles of this fallen world. You have done it before, and you can do it again."
Elder Neil L. Andersen
("Wounded")
"To remove the Lord's name from the Lord's Church is a major victory for Satan. When we discard the Savior's name, we are subtly disregarding all that Jesus Christ did for us—even His Atonement."
President Russell M. Nelson
("The Correct Name of the Church")
SUNDAY AFTERNOON
"Brothers and sisters, the Lord has opportunities near you to feel and to share His love. You can pray with confidence for the Lord to lead you to love someone for Him. He answers the prayers of meek volunteers like you."
President Henry B. Eyring
("Try, Try, Try")
"....I can testify with certainty that striving to become like the Father is worth every sacrifice. The sacrifices we make here in mortality, no matter how great, are simply incomparable to the immeasurable joy, happiness, and love we will feel in God's presence."
Brother Brian K. Ashton
("The Father")
"....His love is greater than our fears, our wounds, our addictions, our doubts, our temptations, our sins, our broken families, our depression and anxieties, our chronic illness, our poverty, our abuse, our despair, and our loneliness. He wants all to know there is nothing and no one He is unable to heal and deliver to enduring joy."
Elder Robert C. Gay
("Taking upon Ourselves the Name of Jesus Christ")
"Spiritual healing is not one-sided—it requires the Savior's redemptive power and sincere repentance on the part of the sinner. For those who choose not to repent, they are rejecting the healing Christ offers. For them, it is as though no redemption was made."
Elder Matthew L. Carpenter
("Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?")
"In the scriptures, getting off the path is referred to as sin, and the resultant decrease in happiness and forfeited blessings is called punishment. In this sense, God is not punishing us; punishment is a consequence of our own choices, not His."
Elder Dale G. Renlund
("Choose You This Day")
"Understanding our divine origins is essential to our eternal progress and can free us from the distractions of this life."
Elder Jack N. Gerard
("Now Is the Time")
"He does not expect us to perform miracles. He asks only that we bring our brothers and sisters unto Him, for He has the power to redeem souls."
Elder Gary E. Stevenson
("Shepherding Souls")
"....make an appointment regularly with the Lord—to be in His holy house—then keep that appointment with exactness and joy. I promise you that the Lord will bring the miracles He knows you need as you make sacrifices to serve and worship in His temples."
President Russell M. Nelson
("Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints")
