President Thomas S. Monson: Welcome to Conference

How grateful I am for the age in which we live—an age of such advanced technology that we are able to address you across the world. As the General Authorities and auxiliary leaders stand here in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, our voices will be reaching you by various means, including radio, television, satellite transmission, and the Internet. Although we will be speaking to you in English, you will be hearing us in some 92 languages.


President Monson starts off on a positive note with the blessings of technology - which is a blessing when it is used appropriately. I was also impressed that the conference sessions were also being translated into over 90 languages.

Since last we met in April of this year, we have dedicated the beautiful Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple in South Jordan, Utah. We continue to build temples. We desire that as many members as possible have an opportunity to attend the temple without having to travel inordinate distances. Worldwide, 83 percent of our members live within 200 miles (320 km) of a temple. That percentage will continue to increase as we construct new temples around the world. Currently there are 130 temples in operation, with 16 announced or under construction. This morning I am pleased to announce 5 additional temples for which sites are being acquired and which, in coming months and years, will be built in the following locations: Brigham City, Utah; Concepción, Chile; Fortaleza, Brazil; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Sapporo, Japan.

Equally impressive is the growing number of temples and how close most members are to a temple. Before the Portland temple was constructed, we would have still been in that 200 mile radius of a temple. We are very blessed to have one just ten miles from our home. And now, new temples in the United States, Chile, Brazil, and Japan. The second in Florida! and another in Utah. We will be able to see the Brigham City Temple soon after passing through Tremonton on our way down the Wasatch Front. Soon our trips to Utah will involve passing temples in Boise, Twin Falls, Brigham City, Ogden, Bountiful, Salt Lake, Jordan River, Oquirrh Mountain, American Fork, and Provo. Eleven total if you count Portland. That's amazing!

I would ask that your faith and prayers continue to be offered in behalf of those areas where our influence is limited and where we are not allowed to share the gospel freely at this time. Miracles can occur as we do so.

This is similar to the request President Monson made one year ago, and similar to the one made by President Kimball - to pray for doors to be open around the world.

He concludes with this fitting introduction to the conference and a reminder to pay attention to the counsel that the Lord has for us at this conference.

Now, my brothers and sisters, we are anxious to listen to the messages which will be presented to us during the next two days. Those who will address us have sought heaven’s help and direction as they have prepared their messages. They have been impressed concerning that which they will share with us. That we may be filled with the Spirit of the Lord as we listen and learn is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Richard G. Scott: To Acquire Spiritual Guidance

This was one of the best talks of the entire conference.

Elder Scott starts by asking three questions that outline what he will be talking about:

What can you do to enhance you capacity to be led to correct decisions in your life? What are the principles upon which spiritual communication depends? What are the potential barriers to such communication that you need to avoid?

He quoted President John Taylor being told by the prophet Joseph Smith, "never to arise in the morning without bowing before the Lord, and dedicating myself to him during the day."


The Holy Ghost, he explains, is "a power, beyond your own capability, that a loving Heavenly Father wants you to use consistently for your peace and happiness." Elder Scott then adds this important counsel:

I am convinced that there is no simple formula or technique that would immediately allow you to master the ability to be guided by the voice of the Spirit. Our Father expects you to learn how to obtain that divine help by exercising faith in Him and His Son, Jesus Christ. Were you to receive inspired guidance just for the asking, you would become weak and ever more dependent on Them. They know that essential personal growth will come as you struggle to learn how to be led by the Spirit.

Then he delivered this promise powerful promise:

I witness that as you gain experience and success in being guided by the Spirit, your confidence in the impressions you feel can become more certain than your dependence on what you see or hear.


He then said:

Spirituality yields two fruits. The first is inspiration to know what to do. The second is power, or the capacity to do it.


Elder Scott then related two very powerful experiences he had. The first occurred at a priesthood meeting in Mexico City where a humble Mexican priesthood leader taught a lesson that was especially noteworthy for the love that the leader showed for the Savior and for those the leader taught. This was contrasted with a Sunday School lesson in Elder Scott's home ward where the teacher seemed to be "using the teaching opportunity to impress the class with his vast store of knowledge" by choosing "obscure references and unusual examples to illustrate the principles of the lesson"


It was "in the environment" of the second lesson that Elder Scott illustrated another point. He talked about distinct impressions he received and specific counsel. After the class he found a quiet place to record his impressions. He then pondered them to see if he accurately recorded them. He made some changes, then studied them. Then he prayed about what he had been taught by the Spirit. He gave thanks. Then he was impressed to ask, "Was there yet more to be given?" He said he received more impressions, so he followed the same process, at the end asking again, "Is there more I should know?" There was and he received another sacred experience that he recorded and would not have received if he did not ask if there was more. 

Elder Scott then gives a caution and another promise:

However, the Lord will not force you to learn. You must exercise your agency to authorize the Spirit to teach you. As you make this a practice in your life, you will be more perceptive to the feelings that come with spiritual guidance. Then, when that guidance comes, sometimes when you least expect it, you will recognize it more easily.


The second half of Elder Scott's talk is about things that block the Spirit. He talks about sin in general and pornography in specific.

I share a warning. Satan is extremely good at blocking spiritual communication by inducing individuals, through temptation, to violate the laws upon which spiritual communication is founded. With some, he is able to convince them that they are not able to receive such guidance from the Lord.


Note: That is one of the most damaging things about sin -- causing one to "violate the laws upon which spiritual communication is founded."

Elder Scott addresses the excuse that pornography "does no harm to anyone else." He says:

Participation in pornography in any of its lurid forms is a manifestation of unbridled selfishness. How can a man, particularly a priesthood bearer, not think of the emotional and spiritual damage caused to women, especially his wife, by such abhorrent activity?


Elder Scott then gives this excellent counsel as a standard that would be good to emulate:

An individual with foundation standards and an enduring commitment to obey them is not easily led astray. Someone who is increasingly repulsed by grievous sin and who exercises self-restraint outside human influence has character.


Finally, he counsels patience in developing our ability to be led by the Spirit. The keys, he says, are

By careful practice, through the application of correct principles, and by being sensitive to the feelings that come, you will gain spiritual guidance.


This was a great talk. It would be wise to re-read this talk every month or so to check and see how you are doing in your ability to 1) be sensitive to the Spirit, and 2) resist the temptations of Satan.

Sister Vicki F. Matsumori: Helping Others Recognize the Whispering of the Spirt.

Sister Matsumori counsels:
There are places where it is easier to feel the Spirit. Testimony meetings and general conference are some of those places. Certainly temples are another. The challenge for each of us is in providing an environment where the Spirit can be felt daily in our homes and weekly at church.


One reason we are encouraged to pray and read the scriptures every single day is that both of these activities invite the Spirit into our homes and into the lives of our family members.


This is one of the reasons we have tried to be more diligent about having family scripture study every morning (at 6:25 am!) and family prayer at night -- to invite the Spirit into our home. Also, if you it seems like you haven't felt the Spirit for a while, check to make sure you are doing these basic things.

She also said:
Because the Spirit is often described as a still, small voice, it is also important to have a time of quiet in our lives as well. The Lord has counseled us to "be still, and know that I am God." If we provide a still and quiet time each day when we are not bombarded by television, computer, video games, or personal electronic devices, we allow that still, small voice an opportunity to provide personal revelation and to whisper sweet guidance, reassurance, and comfort to us.


These are great promises. I think that one of the keys is that we need to seek and find time in our day. It will not find us! There are just too many things going on. We need to make time for the Spirit to comfort us and to play a role in our lives.

Finally, some wonderful promises related to listening for and understanding the Spirit:
When we come to understand the whisperings of the Spirit, we will be able to hear Him teach us "the peaceable things of the kingdom" and "all things what [we] should do." We will recognize answers to our prayers and know how to live the gospel more fully each day. We will be guided and protected. And we can cultivate this gift in our lives as we follow those spiritual promptings. Most importantly, we will feel Him witness to us of the Father and of the Son.

Elder L. Whitney Clayton: That Your Burdens May Be Light

Elder Clayton starts off with a story of a man in Peru carrying a large burlap bag of firewood on his back - the bag was bigger than he was. It was his burden.

Elder Clayton talked about burdens coming from three sources:

• A natural product of the conditions of the world we live in. Things like illness, physical disability, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. These are not fault of our own. We can prepare for them, but and we will all confront them at one time or another
• Another source is from the misconduct of others. These could include abuse, addictions, sin, incorrect traditions, repression, crime, gossip, and unkindness.
• The third type of burdens are those made by our own mistakes and shortcomings.

Burdens come to us all, but we are allowed to experience them for our benefit and growth. I like these three points that he makes about why and how burdens are for our benefit.


Our unique individual experiences can help us prepare to return to Him. The adversity and afflictions that are ours, however difficult to bear, last, from heaven's perspective, for "but a mall moment; and then, if [we] endure it well, God shall exalt [us] on high." We must do everything we can to bear our burdens "well" for however long our "small moment" carrying them lasts.


Burdens provide opportunities to practice virtues that contribute to eventual perfection. They invite us to yield "to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and [put] off the natural man and [become] a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and [become] as a child . . . "


Thus burdens become blessings, though often such blessings are well disguised and may require time, effort, and faith to accept and understand. 


Elder Clayton gave four examples of burdens becoming blessings.

• Adam: Work is a continual burden, but it is also a continual blessing "for [our] sake." for it teaches lessons we can learn only "by the sweat of [our] face."
• Alma: Our economic challenges may help prepare us to hear the word of the Lord. (Or to set proper priorities.)
• The Nephites and Lamanites during the time of the Gadianton Robbers: Political unrest, social disorder . . . may humble us and motivate us to see heavenly shelter from societal storms.
• Joseph Smith: The suffering we experience through the offenses of others is a valuable, though painful, school for improving our own behavior.

He also adds: Bearing up under our own burdens can help us develop a reservoir of empathy for the problems others face. 


Keeping our baptismal covenants helps relieve our own burdens as well as those burdened souls we serve. Those who offer such assistance to others stand on holy ground. [Remember] "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."


Elder Clayton reminds us that our burdens may be lifted through repentance: When we repent and keep the commandments, forgiveness and relief from our burdened conscience come with the help that only the Savior offers, for "surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy."

Brother Russell T. Osguthorpe: Teaching Helps Save Lives

When missionaries and teachers draw upon the Spirit, they teach the appropriate principle, invite their learners to live that principle, and bear witness of the promised blessings that will follow. Elder David A Bednar shared these three simple elements of effective teaching in a recent training meeting: (1) key doctrine, (2) invitation to action, and (3) promised blessings.


This is great instruction for teaching any church class at any age-level. It will also work for any church talk. Make sure that these three components are at the core of your lesson or talk:

• teach the appropriate gospel principle in your lesson.
• invite your students to live that principle.
• bear witness of the promised blessings they will receive for following that principle.

The guide Preach My Gospel helps missionaries teach key doctrine, invite those they teach to take action, and receive promised blessings. The guide Teaching, No Greater Call helps parents and teachers do the same.  It is to gospel teaching what Preach My Gospel is to missionary work.

This is a very profound statement. It really raises the importance of Teaching, No Greater Call. If it is that important (and I agree that it is), then I think that we should make it the focus of our family scripture study after we finish Preach My Gospel.

As President Monson has taught: "The goal of gospel teaching . . . is not to 'pour information' into the minds of class members . . . The aim is to inspire the individual to think about, feel about, and then do something about living gospel principles."

Again, this counsel can be applied to teaching a class or giving a talk.

Elder Osguthorpe related a story from his young adult years where a teacher impressed him to . . . "think about, feel about, and then do something about living gospel principles." Then he added, "His teaching helped save my life."

Questions we should ask about our own teaching:

1. As a teacher, do I view myself as a messenger from God?
2. Do I prepare and then teach in ways that can help save lives?
3. Do I focus on a key doctrine of the Restoration?
4. Can those I teach feel the love I have for them and for my Heavenly Father and the Savior?
5. When inspiration comes, do I close the manual and open their eyes and their ears and their hearts to the glory of God?
6. Do I invite them to do the work that God has for them to do?
7. Do I express so much confidence in them that they find the invitation hard to refuse?
8. Do I help them recognize promised blessings that come from living the doctrine I am teaching?

Learning and teaching are not optional activities in the kingdom of God. They are the very means by which the gospel has been restored to the earth and by which we will gain eternal life. They provide the pathway to personal testimony. No one can be "saved in ignorance" (D&C 131:6).

Elder David A. Bednar: More Diligent and Concerned at Home

I want to suggest three ways each of us can become more diligent and concerned in our homes.


Elder Bednar has my attention here. An apostle is going to give advice on what we can do to have successful homes.

Suggestion Number One: Express Love-and Show it.
We can begin to become more diligent and concerned at home by telling the people we love that we love them.
As disciples of the Savior, we are not merely striving to know more; rather, we need to consistently do more of what we know is right and become better.


It is not enough to know, we must also do. This is a very important principle that translates our knowledge and faith into action.

We need to both express and demonstrate love.


Elder Bednar then quotes President Monson. This is such important counsel that I am including it to:

"Often we assume that [the people around us] must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know . . . We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us."


From the scriptures: The relationship between love and appropriate action . . . "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15)


Feeling the security and constancy of love from a spouse, a parent, or a child is a rich blessing. Such love nurtures and sustains faith in God. Such love is a source of strength and casts out fear. Such love is the desire of every human soul.


We should frequently review our relationships with those closest to us to make sure that we are showing love and that the love is having the above mentioned effects.

Suggestion Number Two: Bear Testimony-and Live it.
We also can become more diligent and concerned at home by bearing testimony to those whom we love about the things we know to be true by witness of the Holy Ghost.


We should remember that bearing a heartfelt testimony is only a beginning. We need to bear testimony, we need to mean it, and most importantly we need to consistently live it. We need to both declare and live our testimonies.


So, bearing testimony should be more than a missionary teaching technique or a Fast and Testimony Meeting event. We need to share our testimony with our family members and then live it, because they are closest to us and are always watching.

Suggestion Number Three: Be Consistent


Elder Bednar related some experiences from his family about Family Home Evening. I really enjoyed that. It showed me that even future apostles (and their families) had trials and that things like FHE did not always go smoothly. I could really relate to his examples and it gave me hope!

The consistency of our intent and work was perhaps the greatest lesson-a lesson we did not fully appreciate at the time.


Each family prayer, each episode of family scripture study, and each family home evening is a brushstroke on the canvas of our souls. No one event may appear to be very impressive or memorable. But just as the yellow and gold and brown strokes of paint complement each other and produce an impressive masterpiece, so our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results.


Consistency is a key principle as we lay the foundation of a great work in our individual lives and as we become more diligent and concerned in our homes. 


We were creating family goals tonight (Jan 4th) in Family Home Evening. Many of our goals were these small "brushstrokes": weekly FHE, family prayer night and day, family scripture study on the weekdays, a family game night once a month, Mom & Dad going to the temple twice a month. We set those goals (and others) because we believe, and know from past experience, that they do help create (as much, or more, than anything else) a strong home.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf: The Love of God

This is a great talk. I don't know how many comments I will have. I mostly just have one big question at the beginning: How do I develop love for God and others in my life. By the time I get to the end of the highlights from the talk, I hope to have some guidance.

How Do We Become True Disciples of Jesus Christ? "If you love me, keep my commandments."
But this may present a problem for some because there are so many "shoulds" and "should nots" that merely keeping track of them can be a challenge. Sometimes, well-meaning amplifications of divine principles-many coming from uninspired sources-complicate matters further diluting the purity of divine truth with man-made addenda. One person's good idea-something that may work for him or her-takes root and becomes an expectation. And gradually, eternal principles can get lost within the labyrinth of "good ideas."


I really like that part. "Well-meaning amplifications of divine principles." What an interesting way to put it. "One person's good idea . . . becomes an expectation." We need to guard against that. Continuing

This was one of the Savior's criticisms of the religious "experts" of His day, whom He chastised for attending to the hundreds of minor details of the law while neglecting the weightier matters.


So how do we stay aligned with these weightier matters? Is there a constant compass that can help us prioritize our lives, thoughts, and actions?


Once again the Savior revealed the way. When asked to name the greatest commandment, He did not hesitate. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." He said, "This is the first and great commandment." Coupled with the second great commandment-to love our neighbor as ourselves-we have a compass that provides direction not only for our lives but also for the Lord's Church on both sides of the veil.


So there is a "constant compass" to help us prioritize our lives, thoughts, and actions. That is the two great commandments.

When we truly understand what it means to love as Jesus Christ loves us, the confusion clears and our priorities align. Our was as disciples of Christ becomes more joyful. Our lives take on new meaning. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father becomes more profound. Obedience becomes a joy rather than a burden.


I feel like I still have a long ways to go before I "understand what it means to love as Jesus Christ loves us" but the promises are worth the trouble and trial of learning. I like that last sentence. It would make a good measuring stick for how well I am loving as Jesus loves: when "obedience becomes a joy rather than a burden."

God does not need us to love Him. But oh, how we need to love God!
For what we love determines what we seek.
What we seek determines what we think and do.
What we think and do determines who we are-and who we will become.


Love is the defining characteristic of a disciple of Christ.


At the heart of misery from the days of Adam until today, you will find the love of wrong things. And at the heart of joy, you will find the love of good things.

Regardless of our current state, there is hope for us. No matter our distress, no matter our sorrow, no matter our mistakes, our infinitely compassionate Heavenly Father desires that we draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us.


Since "God is love," the closer we approach Him, the more profoundly we experience love.


We increase our love for our Heavenly Father and demonstrate that love by aligning our thoughts and actions with God's word. His pure love directs and encourages us to become more pure and holy. It inspires us to walk in righteousness-not out of fear or obligation but out of an earnest desire to become even more like Him because we love Him.


Here are some of the solid answers I am looking for: increase and demonstrate our love by aligning our thoughts and actions with God's word. I like the result, doing what's right not out of fear or obligation but out of a desire to be more like Him. That is another good gauge of how I can be doing.

My dear brothers and sisters, don't get discouraged if you stumble at times. Don't feel downcast or despair if you don't feel worthy to be a disciple of Christ at all times. The first step to walking in righteousness is simply to try. We must try to believe. Try to learn of God: read the scriptures; study the words of His latter-day prophets; choose to listen to the Father, and do the things He asks of us. Try and keep on trying until that which seems difficult becomes possible-and that which becomes possible-and that which seems only possible becomes habit and a real part of you.


Great counsel for getting started and persevering during trials to finally make love a habit and part of me.

If you listen for the voice of the Father, He will lead you on a course that will allow you to experience the pure love of Christ.


If we do not neglect the great laws-if we truly learn to love our Heavenly Father and our fellowman with all our heart, soul, and mind-all else will fall into place.


Love is the guiding light that illuminates the disciples path and fills our daily walk with life, meaning, and wonder.


Let us be known as a people who love God with all our heart, soul, and mind and who love our neighbor as ourselves. When we understand and practice these two great commandments in our families, in our wards and branches, in our nations, and in our daily lives, we will begin to understand what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus the Christ.


I do have a better idea of the answer to my original question. No it is time to get to work!

President Henry B. Eyring: The Sustaining of Church Officers

Besides the usual sustaining of the Prophet, First Pesidency, and Quorum of the Twelve, I found it noteworthy that Elder Charles Didier was released as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy and given emeritus General Authority status. Elder Didier was called as a General Authority to the Seventy in the 1970s. He is from Belgium and I had a chance to attend a few conferences where he presided when I was a missionary there. I had a chance to meet and work with his sons when I was on my mission. Missionaries were often fearful of a "Didier Conference" when he was there and would put missionaries on the spot. I never saw that.

Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander was also released and given emeritus status. I'm pretty sure that he is Gary Neuenschwander's uncle.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks: Love and Law

This was an interesting talk because you could see Elder Oaks judicial background. He was very logical in presenting his arguments. He tried to balance love and law, but I think the law part was more forceful. In the morning session, President Uchtdorf also talked about love. I think the love part was more evident in his talk.

Nevertheless, Elder Oaks raised some very good points. A the beginning he stated:

My message is that God's universal and perfect love is shown in all the blessings of His gospel plan, including the fact that His choicest blessings are reserved for those who obey His law. I will begin with four examples which illustrate some mortal confusion between love and law. 


Those examples dealt primarily with children desiring parental love over eternal law. One dealt with the issue of how God could let bad things happen to good people. The answer lies with the principle of agency. Elder Oaks stated:

. . . God will not forestall the exercise of agency by His children. Agency - our power to choose - is fundamental to the gospel plan that brings us to earth. God does not intervene to forestall the consequences of some persons' choices in order to protect the well-being of other persons - even when they kill, injure, or oppress one another - for this would destroy His plan for eternal progress. He will bless us to endure the consequences of other's choices, but He will not prevent those choices.


Elder Russell M. Nelson taught that "real love does not support self-destructing behavior."


Elder Oaks concludes with this thought that caught my attention:

. . . When family members are not united in striving to keep the commandments of God, there will be divisions.


I'm glad that our family members are striving to keep the commandments.

Elder Robert D. Hales: Seeking to Know God, Our Heavenly Father, and His Son Jesus Christ

Part of Elder Hales' talk was about all the things we know about God that are from the scriptures (modern and ancient):

• Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, have a physical presence (Acts 7:56)
• The Father and the Son have voices (Moses 4:14 and Genesis 3:8)
• The Father and the Son have faces, They stand, and They converse (Moses 7:4)
• God and His Son have bodies, in form and parts like ours (Ether 3:6 & 3:16)
• The Father and the Son have feelings for us (Moses 7:28)
• God and His Son, Jesus Christ, are immortal, glorified, and perfected beings (D&C 110:3)

Towards the end of his talk, Elder Hales reminds us of the importance of "knowing God."

The strength and peace that come from knowing God and having the comforting companionship of His Spirit will make your efforts eternally worthwhile.

Elder Jorge F. Zeballos: Attempting the Impossible

Attempting the Impossible seems to be about fulfilling Jesus Christ's command to "be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect." (3 Nephi 12:48)  Elder Zeballos offers some counsel concerning this daunting task.

Eternal life is to live with our Father and with our families forevermore. Should not this promise be the greatest incentive to do the best within our reach and give the best of ourselves in pursuit of what has been promised to us?


President David O. McKay said that  the rich rewards come only to the strenuous strugglers.


The command to become perfect, as He is, encourages us to

• achieve the best of ourselves,
• to discover and develop the talents and attributes with which we are blessed by a loving Eternal Father, who invites us to 
• realize our potential as children of God.

The next paragraph got me thinking about our marriage fireside topic of "Keeping All of the Balls in the Air":

Immediately after teaching that "it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength," King Benjamin indicated that "it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize." God will not require more than the best we can give because that would not be just, but neither can He accept less than that because that would not be just either. Therefore, let us always give the best we can in the service of God and our fellowmen.

Elder Tad R. Callister: Joseph Smith-Prophet of the Restoration

This seemed like a basic talk about the importance of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the restoration of the gospel. I liked some of the points that Elder Callister made.

He started out with an excellent example of the problems of judging someone using incomplete and fragmentary information. He used the apostle Peter and some incidents from his ministry and then related them to Joseph Smith. Then He listed "four fundamental truths" we learn from the First Vision.

I like the imagery of what the Prophet Joseph restored: In many ways the gospel of Jesus Christ is like a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. When Joseph Smith came on the scene, perhaps 100 pieces were in place. Then Joseph Smith came along and put many of the other 900 pieces in place . . .


Addressing those who would focus on a few "problems" in Joseph's life and not the big picture (which must be a problem in Utah since a few talks and some newspaper articles have dealt with it), Elder Callister said:

Some are willing to set aside the precious gospel truths restored by Joseph Smith because they get diverted on some historical issue or some scientific hypothesis not central to their exaltation, and in so doing they trade their birthright for a mess of pottage. They exchange the absolute certainty of the Restoration for a doubt, and in that process they fall into the trap of losing faith in the many things they do know because of a few things they do not know.


He then relates the response of Peter when the Savior asked if the apostles would abandon Him. I feel the same way.

"To whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life." (John 6:66-68)


Elder Callister then wraps up by saying, "You cannot go anywhere else in the world and get that (the restored powers, keys, teachings and ordinances necessary for salvation and exaltation.

Elder Kent D. Watson: Being Temperate in All Things

This was a very interesting talk about being "temperate." That is a word I have seen used before in various forms, but have not really thought about its meaning. I mostly associate it with the temperance movement (anti-drinking) of the 19th- and 20th-century. Elder Watson gives some very good insights and definitions:

What is temperance, and why would the Lord want us to be temperate? A narrow definition might be "exercise restraint when it comes to food and drink."


Sometimes temperance might be defined as "refraining from anger or not losing one's temper."


In a spiritual sense, temperance is a divine attribute of Jesus Christ. 


Learning to be temperate in all things is a spiritual gift available through the Holy Ghost.


Being temperate is to use moderation in all things or to exercise self-control.


Being temperate means to carefully examine our expectations and desires, to be diligent and patient in seeking righteous goals.


Elder Watson related an experience where a stray tire on the freeway smashed into his car windshield. The windshield shattered but he was not injured because the windshield was made of tempered glass.

Tempered glass, like tempered steel, undergoes a well-controlled heating process which increases strength. Thus, when tempered glass is under stress, it will not easily burst into jagged shards that can injure.


Likewise, a temperate soul-one who is humble and full of love-is also a person of increased spiritual strength. With increased spiritual strength, we are able to develop self-mastery and to live with moderation. We learn to control, or temper, our anger, vanity, and pride. With increased spiritual strength, we can protect ourselves from the dangerous excesses and destructive addictions of today's world.


Security for our families comes from learning self-control, avoiding the excesses of this world, and being temperate in all things. Peace of mind comes from strengthened faith in Jesus Christ. Happiness comes from being diligent in keeping covenants made at baptism and in the holy temples of the Lord.

Elder Neil L. Andersen: "Repent . . . That I May Heal You"

Some thoughts on the Repentance, Forgiveness, and the Atonement  by Elder Anderson:

I am amazed at the Savior's encircling arms of mercy and love for the repentant, no matter how selfish the forsaken sin. I testify that our Savior is able and eager to forgive our sins.


For most, repentance is more a journey than a one-time event.  Repentance is turning away from some things, such as dishonesty, pride, anger, and impure thoughts, and turning toward other things, such as kindness, unselfishness, patience, and spirituality. It is "re-turning" toward God.


I like that point that repentance is not just "turning away" from wrong, but it is also "turning toward" Godly things. Too often we forget that second part and that is why we don't completely heal. We need to do both parts.

President Boyd K. Packer: Prayer and Promptings

President Packer gives great hope and encouragement in this talk.

We are, none of us, left here alone without hope of guidance and redemption.


The Holy Ghost communicates with our spirits through the mind more than through the physical senses. This guidance comes as thoughts, as feelings through promptings and impressions. We may feel the words of spiritual communication more than hear them and see with spiritual rather than with mortal eyes.


This is a very good reminder of how the Spirit works and why we need to keep our minds functioning well.

You can know the things you need to know. Pray that you will learn to receive that inspiration and remain worthy to receive it. Keep that channel - your mind - clean and free from the clutter of the world.

Elder M. Russell Ballard: Fathers and Sons: A Remarkable Relationship

I really enjoyed this talk, especially since this was my first general priesthood meeting with Taylor.

Elder Ballard started his talk by saying how much he enjoyed seeing fathers and sons together at this priesthood meeting. Then he said:

It is a visual reminder of two of the most powerful elements of our theology: priesthood and family.  Everything in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, including the ordinances of the holy temple, is focused on the possibilities of families becoming part of the eternal family of God.


We're all on a journey. Dads are a little further down the road, but none of us has yet arrived at our final destination. We are all in the process of becoming who we will one day be. [I really like that quote, "We are all in the process of becoming who we will one day be."] Fathers and sons can play a critical role in helping each other become the best that they can be.


Fathers, you are the primary model of manhood for your sons. You are their most meaningful mentor, and believe it or not, you are their hero in countless ways. Your words and your example are a great influence on them.


Tonight I want to give you young men three simple suggestions on how to take full advantage of your relationship with your dad. And then I want to give you fathers three suggestions about relating to and communication with your sons.


First, trust your father.  Your dad wants more than anything for you to be happy and successful, so why would you not want to trust someone like that?


Second, take an interest in your father's life. Ask about his job, his interests, his goals. How did he decide to do the work he does? What was he like when he was your age? How did he meet your mother? 


Third, ask your father for advice. Let's be honest: he is probably going to give you his advice whether you ask for it or not, but it just works so much better when you ask!  Ask for his advice on Church activity, on classes, on friends, on school, on dating, on sports or other hobbies. Ask for his counsel on your Church assignments, on preparing for your mission, on decisions or choices you have to make.


OK, fathers, now it's your turn.


First, fathers, listen to your sons - really listen to them. Ask the right kinds of questions, and listen to what your sons have to say each time you have a few minutes together. you need to know - not to guess but to know - what is going on in your son's life. Don't assume that you know how he feels just because you were young once. Your sons live in a very different world from the one in which you grew up.  A one-on-one relationship should be a routine part of your stewardship with your sons.


Don't think you have to try to fix everything or solve everything during these visits. Most of the time, the best thing you can do is just listen.


Second, pray with an for your sons. Give them priesthood blessings.


Third, dare to have the "big talks" with your sons. You know what I mean: talks about drugs and drinking, about the dangers of today's media - the Internet, cyber technologies, and pornography - and about priesthood worthiness, respect for girls, and moral cleanliness. While these should not be the only subjects you talk about with your sons, please don't shy away from them.  I am especially concerned that we communicate openly and clearly with our sons about sexual matters.


This was a lot of copying on my part, but this talk is a pretty good manual for fathers. I am grateful for it.

Elder Walter F. Gonzalez: Becoming More Powerful Priesthood Holders

Let me suggest three activities that can help us turn the Book of Mormon into the best-read and best-applied book, which will empower us today to become more powerful priesthood leaders, even as those in ancient times.


First, feast upon the words of Christ. When we read and look for principles and doctrines that will help us in our daily lives, we will have a renewed enthusiasm.


Second, apply in our lives all that we learn about Christ.  Once we learn about an attribute of Christ, such as the one recognized by the brother of Jared, we should work to implement it in our own life.


Third, teach the doctrine and principles found in the sacred pages of the Book of Mormon.


You and I, as part of those future generations spoken about [in the Book of Mormon], can be more powerful priesthood holders by using the Book of Mormon and honoring our priesthood covenants.

Elder Yoon Hwan Choi: I Love Loud Boys

Elder Yoon used, as the basis of his talk, the story of a group of "loud boys" who lived in his neighborhood and came to church with a couple of their member friends.

There are two basic principles that helped these young men become like the sons of Helaman.  Even though the boys' mothers were not members of the Church and did not understand the words of the Lord, priesthood leaders became like their fathers, and leaders' wives became like their mothers. 


These nine boys - I call them the "Boys of the Lord" - learned that they would be blessed when they listened to the Church leaders, even though they didn't always understand why.


He then goes on to talk about how successful the boys became - as men in general and as leaders in the church.

Modern sons of Helaman come not only from our precious families within the Church but also from new and young converts who do not have parents in the gospel. You and your wives are to be their "goodly parents" until they become like the sons of Helaman.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf: Two Principles for Any Economy

This was a very good talk to give us hope in these economically troubling times.

I have seen enough ups and downs throughout my life to know that winter will surely give way to the warmth and hope of a new spring. I am optimistic about the future.  This is why it is great that we have "seasoned" leaders at the head of the church.

He talked about a time when he was 11 years old and was a refugee (with his family) living in Frankfurt. He had an Eastern German accent and that led to ridicule from his peers. But even with that, he learned valuable lessons from how his parents handled adversity.

I admired their determination and optimism. from them I learned that adversity, when confronted with faith, courage, and tenacity, could be overcome.


Knowing that some of you are experiencing your own periods of anxiety and despair, I wanted to speak today about two important principles that sustained me through this formative period of my life.


The First Principle: Work
It wasn't easy, but the work kept us from dwelling too much on the difficulties of our circumstances. Although our situation didn't change overnight, it did change. That's the thing about work. If we simple keep at it - steady and constant - things certainly will improve.   How the Lord loves the laborer!


Those who are unafraid to roll up their sleeves and lose themselves in the pursuit of worthwhile goals are a blessing to their families, communities, nations, and to the Church.


The Lord doesn't expect us to work harder than we are able. He doesn't (nor should we) compare our efforts to those of others. Our Heavenly Father asks only that we do the best we can - that we work according to our full capacity, however great or small that my be.  Work is an antidote for anxiety, an ointment for sorrow and a doorway to possibility.


When our wagon gets stuck in the mud, God is much more likely to assist the man who gets out to push than the man who merely raises his voice in prayer - no matter how eloquent the oration.  President Thomas S. Monson put it this way: "It is not enough to want to make the effort and to say we'll make the effort. . . . It's in the doing, not just the thinking, that we accomplish our goals. If we constantly put our goals off, we will never see them fulfilled."


Remember, we are only temporary travelers in this world. Let us not devote our God-given talents and energies solely to setting earthly anchors, but rather let us spend our days growing spiritual wings.  This is a great quote, I really like the way we are told to look beyond what the world is enticing us to spend our time on and towards eternal pursuits.

Now a word to us seasoned brethren: retirement is not part of the Lord's plan of happiness. There may be those who, after many years of Church service, believe they are entitled to a period of rest while others pull the weight. To put it bluntly, brethren, this sort of thinking is unworthy of a disciple of Christ. A great part of our work on earth is to endure joyfully to the end - every day of our life.  Whether you are the youngest deacon or the oldest high priest, there is work to do!


The Second Principle: Learn
Education is not so much the filling of a bucket as the lighting of a fire.  For members of the Church, education is not merely a good idea - it's a commandment.


The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, "Knowledge does away with darkness, [anxiety], and doubt; for these cannot exist where knowledge is."


In our learning, let us not neglect the fountain of revelation.


I know this for a certainty: it is often in the trial of adversity that we learn those most critical lessons that form our character and shape our destiny. (Another great quote)

I pray that during the coming months and years we can fill our hours and days with righteous work. That sounds like a good challenge for the next six months!

President Henry B. Eyring: Be Ready

President Eyring started out with a story about being prepared to use the priesthood to bless (literally) others:

When the call came, I was ready. The preparation was far more than having consecrated oil close at hand. It must begin long before the crisis which requires priesthood power. Those who are prepared will be ready to answer.


The preparation begins in families, in Aaronic Priesthood quorums, and mostly in the private lives of young men. The quorums and the families must help, but the preparation that counts will be made by the young men making choices to rise to their great destiny as priesthood servants of God.


The destiny of the rising generation of priesthood holders is far more than to be ready to bring God's power down to heal the sick. The preparation is to be ready to go and do whatever the Lord wants done as the world is preparing for His coming. None of us know exactly what those errands will be. But we know what it will take to be ready, so each of us can prepare.


He then talked about "two of the things you will need and the preparation it takes to be ready."

The first is to have faith. So you must have faith that God lives and that you have won the confidence to allow you to use the power for His purposes.


He also added a caution: Not all of the youth choose to prepare.  That choice must be their own. They are responsible for themselves. That is the Lord's way in His loving plan. But many young men have little or no support from those who could help as they prepare. Those of us who can help will be held accountable by the Lord.


The second thing they will need is confidence that they can live up to the blessings and the trust which God has offered them.


Young men need to listen to the Spirit, even when their peers and others around them are suggesting they choose sin: If young men choose sin, those messages  from God will become more faint. We can help them even more by our example of a faithful and inspired servant.


President Eyring then talked about his bishop and how he watched out for President Eyring and the other young men in their ward:

The bishop had a system. Every adviser of every quorum was to contact every young man he had not spoken to that Sunday. They were not to go to bed until they had either talked to the boy who had been missing, to his parents, or to a close friend. The bishop promised them that he would not turn out his light until he had heard a report about every boy. I don't think he gave them an order. He simple made it clear that he did not expect their lights to go out until they had given that report.


He and those who served under him were doing far more than watching over us. They were showing us by example what it means to care for the Lord's sheep.  I have no idea whether they thought any one of us was going to be anything special. But they treated us as if they did by being willing to pay any personal price to keep us from losing faith.

President Thomas S. Monson: School Thy Feelings, Oh My Brother

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President Henry B. Eyring: Our Perfect Example

I was assigned this talk as the 4th Sunday lesson in High Priest's Group for January. It is a great talk with a number of very good quotes.

For all, the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is that we can and must expect to become better as long as we live.


If we think of "getting better" as, improving on a long checklist of commandments, then that counsel can get pretty discouraging. Fortunately, the message of this talk, and one of the themes of this conference is "Love." It can all be summed up in that quality. So, "we can and must expect to become better" at love, "as long as we live."

If we work on following Christ's example of love, we will accomplish many of the things President Erying mentioned early in the talk (from Moroni 7:48)

"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen."


Any believing Latter-day Saint is an optimist about what lies ahead for him or her, however difficult the present may be. We believe that through living the gospel of Jesus Christ we can become like the Savior, who is perfect.


President Eyring talked about attending a Primary class where the children sang "I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus" and how they sang like they really believed it, and that they expected to be able to do it. For the lesson I played the song as sung by some children from tthe Sunset Hills Ward Primary for the Cedar Mill Stake Primary Program in 2007.

One of the key statements from the whole talk was this:
It is love of God that will lead us to keep His commandments. And love of others is at the heart of our capacity to obey.


President Eyring then talked about how we can practice love:
He has offered us the family as an example of an ideal setting in which we can learn how to love as He loves. [the family is a sort of laboratory for practicing love, because] The greatest joys and the greatest sorrows we experience are in family relationships. The joys come from putting the welfare of others above our own. That is what love is. And the sorrow comes primarily from selfishness, which is the absence of love.


The ideal God holds for us is to form families in the way most likely to lead to happiness and away from sorrow. That is very profound. That is one reason we have families and the main thing we are to do with them.

He then gave counsel to three groups: husbands and wives; parents of a wandering child; and children.

He concludes with this advice and counsel:

I hope you will go out today looking for opportunities to do as He did and to love as He loves. I can promise you the peace that you felt as a child will come to you often and it will linger with you.


None of us is perfect yet. But we can have frequent assurance that we are following along the way. He leads us, and He beckons for us to follow Him.

Elder L. Tom Perry: The Past Way of Facing the Future

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Bishop H. David Burton: Let Virtue Garnish Your Thoughts

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Sister Ann M. Dibb: Hold On

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Elder Russell M. Nelson: Ask, Seek, Knock

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President Thomas S. Monson: What Have I done for Someone Today?

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Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: Safety for the Soul

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Elder Quentin L. Cook: Stewardship-a Sacred Trust

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Elder Brent H. Nielson: A Call to the Rising Generation

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Elder Dale G. Renlund: Preserving the Heart's Mighty Change

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Elder Michael T. Ringwood: An Easiness and WIllingness to Believe

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Elder Joseph W. Sitati

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Elder D. Todd Christofferson: Moral Discipline

President Thomas S. Monson: Closing Remarks

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