Saturday Morning Session | October 2021 General Conference | ASL

[Music] from the conference center in salt lake city utah this is the saturday morning session of the 191st semi-annual general conference of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints with speakers selected from leaders of the church music for this session is provided by the tabernacle choir at temple square this broadcast is furnished as a public service by bonneville distribution any reproduction recording transcription or other use of this program without written consent is prohibited president henry b eyring second counselor in the first presidency of the church will conduct this session brothers and sisters we welcome you most warmly to the saturday morning session of the 191st semiannual general conference of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints we gratefully acknowledge members and friends participating in the conference throughout the world wherever you may be president russell m nelson who presides at the conference has asked me to conduct this session we are pleased to again meet in the conference center although small in numbers due to the continued constraints associated with covet 19. we acknowledge the general authorities and the general officers who will be in attendance throughout the conference and recognize the limited number seated on the stand we gratefully acknowledged the service of elder dean m davies our friend and associate who passed away on august 31st 2021 elder davies was a remarkable man who served nine years in the presiding bishopric and was most recently serving as a general authority seventy we extend our heartfelt condolences to sister darla davies and to their children and grandchildren the music for this session will be provided by the tabernacle choir at temple square under the direction of mack wilberg and ryan murphy with andrew unsworth and jessica peeples at the organ we note the reduced number of choir members in order to provide a measure of social distancing safe medical practices were also followed at rehearsals all participating have been fully vaccinated against coveting and were recently tested to ensure that they are not infected with the virus the choir opened this meeting with from all that dwell below the skies and will now favor us with come ye children of the lord the invocation will then be offered by elder jeremy r yagi of the seventy after which the choir will sing jesus the very thought of thee [Music] [Applause] [Music] let [Music] us raise [Music] amen [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] me [Music] oh [Music] [Music] is [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] heavenly father we come as thy children together from across the world and give thee thanks for the opportunity to gather we thank thee for thy wondrous plan of happiness for each of us we thank thee for the savior jesus christ who makes it possible for us to overcome our sins death and our burdens we thank thee oh god for a living prophet to guide us in these latter days we ask the heavenly father that we may be thy hands to leave suffering to lift the downtrodden we pray for those who are suffering that they may have strength that we may provide strength and comfort we ask the heavenly father to bless those who will speak that they may be strengthened that they may be edified that we all may rejoice together in the spirit that he may teach us all things and bring all things to our remembrance in the name of jesus christ amen [Music] jesus [Music] is oh [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] oh [Music] [Music] jesus [Music] [Applause] is [Music] so we will now be pleased to hear from president russell m nelson he will be followed by elder jeffrey r holland of the quorum of the twelve apostles following elder holland's remarks we will hear from sister bonnie h corden who serves as young women general president and elder ulysses suarez of the quorum of the twelve apostles my dear brothers and sisters welcome to general conference what a joy it is to be with you you've been on my mind almost constantly during the past six months i have prayed about you and for you during recent weeks i have prayed intently that this conference would be a time of revelation and reflection for all who seek those blessings we are delighted to be speaking to you from the conference center once again most of the seats remain empty but the presence of some members of the tabernacle choir is a wonderful step forward we welcome you all to this largely virtual conference wherever you are we are still dealing with the ravages of coven 19 and its variants we thank you for following our counsel and the advice of medical experts and government officials in your own communities we convene each general conference as directed by the lord the format has varied over the years when i was much younger conference lasted three or four days later conference was reduced to two days every message then and now is the result of earnest prayer and much spiritual preparation the general authorities and general officers of the church who speak will focus their messages on our savior jesus christ his mercy and his infinite redeeming power there has never been a time in the history of the world where knowledge of our savior is more personally vital and relevant to every human soul imagine how quickly the devastating conflicts throughout the world and those in our individual lives would be resolved if we all chose to follow jesus christ and heed his teachings in that spirit i invite you to listen for three things during this conference pure truth the pure doctrine of christ and pure revelation contrary to the doubts of some there really is such a thing as right and wrong there really is absolute truth eternal truth one of the plagues of our day is that too few people know where to turn for truth i can assure you that what you will hear today and tomorrow constitutes pure truth the pure doctrine of christ is powerful it changes the life of everyone who understands it and seeks to implement it in his or her life the doctrine of christ helps us find and stay on the covenant path staying on that narrow but well-defined path will ultimately qualify us to receive all that god has nothing could be worth more than all our father has finally pure revelation for the questions in your heart will make this conference rewarding and unforgettable if you have not yet sought for the ministering of the holy ghost to help you hear what the lord would have you hear during these two days i invite you to do so now please make this conference a time of feasting on messages from the lord through his servants learn how to apply them in your life this is the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints we are his covenant people the lord declared that he would hasten his work in his time and he is doing so at an ever increasing pace we are privileged to participate in his holy work i invoke a blessing upon all who are seeking greater light knowledge and truth i express my love for each of you in the sacred name of jesus christ amen thank you president nelson we love and sustain you thank you for that marvelous introduction to this conference the scriptures speak of a rich young ruler who ran to jesus knelt at his feet and with genuine sincerity asked the master what shall i do that i may inherit eternal life after reviewing a long list of commandments this fellow had faithfully kept jesus told the man to sell all his belongings give the proceedings to the poor take up his cross and follow him the boldness of this directive caused the young ruler in spite of his expensive sandals to get cold feet and he went away sorrowing because the scripture says he had great possessions obviously this is an important cautionary tale about the uses of wealth and the needs of the poor but ultimately it is a story about wholehearted unreserved devotion to divine responsibility with or without riches each of us is to come to christ with the same uncompromised commitment to his gospel that was expected of this young man in the vernacular of today's youth we are to declare ourselves all in in his characteristically memorable prose c.s lewis imagines the lord saying to us something like this i don't want your time or your money or your work as much as i just want you that tree you were pruning i don't want to cut off a branch here and a branch there i want the whole thing down and that tooth i don't want to drill it or crown it or fill it i want to have it out in fact i want to hand you over i want you to hand over to me your whole natural self and i'll give you a new self instead in fact i'll give you myself my will shall become your will well all who speak in this general conference will be saying one way or another what christ said to this rich young man come unto your savior come completely and wholeheartedly take up your cross however heavy it may be and follow him they will say this knowing that in the kingdom of god there can be no halfway measures no starting and stopping no turning back to those who requested permission to bury a deceased parent or to at least say goodbye to other family members jesus's reply was demanding and unequivocal leave that to others he said no man having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of god when difficult things are asked of us even things contrary to the longings of our heart remember that loyalty we pledge to the cause of christ is to be the supreme devotion of our lives although isaiah reassures us it is available without money and without price and it is we must be prepared using t s eliot's line to have it cost not less than everything of course we all have some habits or flaws or personal history that could keep us from complete spiritual immersion in this work but god is our father and is exceptionally good at forgiving and forgetting sins we have forsaken perhaps because we give him so much practice in doing so in any case there is divine help for every one of us at any hour that we feel to make a change in our behavior god gave saul another heart ezekiel called on all of ancient israel to cast off her past and make a new heart and a new spirit alma called for a mighty change that would cause the soul to expand and jesus himself taught that except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of god clearly the possibility of change and living at a more elevated level has always been one of the gifts of god to those who seek it friends in our present moment we find all manner of divisions and subdivisions sets and subsets digital tribes and political identities with more than enough hostility to go around might we ask ourselves if a higher and holier life to use president nelson's phrase is something we could seek when doing so we would do well to remember that stunning period in the book of mormon in which those people asked and answered that question so affirmatively i quote and it came to pass that there was no contention among all the people in all the land because of the love of god which did dwell in the hearts of the people and there were no envyings no strifes nor any manner of lasciviousness and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who'd been created by the hand of god there were no robbers no murderers neither were there lamanites nor any manner of its but they were in one the children of christ and heirs of the kingdom of god and how blessed were they close quote well what is the key to this breakthrough in contented happy living it is embedded there in the text in one sentence the love of god did dwell in the hearts of the people now when the love of god sets the tone for our own lives our own relationships to each other and ultimately for our feeling for all mankind then old distinctions limiting labels and artificial divisions begin to pass away and peace increases that is precisely what happened in our book of mormon example no longer were there lamanites or jacobites or josephites or zoramites there were no ites at all the people had taken on just one transcendent identity they were all it says to be known as the children of christ of course we're speaking here of the first great commandment given to the human family to love god wholeheartedly without reservation or compromise that is with all our heart might mind and strength this love of god is the first great commandment in the universe but the first great truth in the universe is that god loves us exactly that way now wholeheartedly without reservation or compromise with all of his heart might mind and strength and when those majestic forces from his heart and ours meet without restraint there is a veritable explosion of spiritual moral power then estellar de chardin wrote for the second time in the history of the world man will have discovered fire it is then and really only then that we can effectively keep the second great commandment in ways that are not superficial or trivial if we love god enough to try to be fully faithful to him he will give us the ability the capacity the will and the way to love our neighbor and ourselves perhaps then we will be able to say once again there could not be a happier people among all the people who've been created by the hand of god brothers and sisters i pray we will succeed where that rich young man failed that we will take up the cross of christ however demanding it may be regardless of the issue and regardless of the cost i bear witness that when we pledge to follow him the path will one way or another pass by way of a crown of thorns and a stark roman cross no matter how wealthy our young ruler was he wasn't wealthy enough to buy his way out of a rendezvous with those symbols and neither can we for the blessing of receiving the greatest of all possessions the gift of eternal life it is little enough that we are asked to stay the course in following the high priest of our profession our day star advocate and king i testify with obscure amaleki of old that each of us is to offer our whole souls as an offering unto him of such determined steadfast devotion we sing praise the mount i'm fixed upon it mount of thy redeeming love here's my heart oh take and seal it seal it for the courts above in the sacred name of jesus christ amen i recently received a letter from an inquisitive young woman she wrote i'm stuck i'm not sure who i am but i feel i'm here for something grand have you ever had that searching feeling wondering if heavenly father knows who you are and if he needs you my dear youth and to all i testify the answer is yes the lord has a plan for you he has prepared you for this day right now to be a strength and a force for good in his mighty work we need you it simply will not be as grand without you under sacred circumstances our beloved prophet president russell m nelson once reminded me of two simple truths that are foundational to our grand and glorious work sitting on the couch with my husband our prophet pulled his chair over almost knee to knee with us and looked at me with his piercing blue eyes i wasn't sure if my heart was racing or had completely stopped as he called me to serve as the young woman general president he asked a question that still echoes in my heart bonnie what's the most important thing the youth need to know i pondered for a moment and said they need to know who they are yes he exclaimed and they need to know their purpose you are a cherished beloved child of heavenly father he loves you so perfectly that he sent his son jesus christ to atone for you and for me the savior's love for us is unfailing even when we fail nothing can separate us from the love of god remembering this love can help you push back the confusion of the world that tries to weaken your confidence in your divine identity and blind you of your potential at an fsy conference i met two young women who had been struggling both young women mentioned turning to a patriarchal blessing to rediscover the lord's love and guidance for her personally find your patriarchal blessing blow off the dust if you must but study it often if you don't have one get one soon don't delay finding what the lord wants to tell you now about who you are president nelson's second truth spoken to us that day is to know our purpose this is a grand and noble charge many years ago my son tanner was about five years old when he played his first soccer game he was thrilled when we arrived at the game we realized his team was using a regulation side soccer goal not some little pop-up goal but a very large net that seemed way too big for five-year-olds the game took on mythic proportions as i saw tanner take the goalie position i was so surprised did he really understand his purpose in guarding the net the whistle blew and we became so caught up in the game we forgot all about tanner suddenly one of the opposing team members got the ball and dribbled swiftly towards him i looked in tanner's direction to make certain he was ready to stand his ground and defend the goal i saw something i was not expecting at some point in the game tanner had become distracted and began weaving his left arm through the various holes in the net then he did the same with his right arm next his left foot and finally his right foot tanner was fully entangled in the net he had forgotten his purpose and what he had been entrusted to do while tanner's soccer career didn't last long his lesson to me that day will never fade we occasionally get distracted from why we are here and divert our energies somewhere else one of satan's most powerful weapons is to distract us with good and better causes which in times of need may blind and bind us away from the best cause the very work that called us into this world our eternal purpose is to come unto christ and to actively join him in his great work it's as simple as president nelson taught anytime we do anything that helps anyone make and keep their covenants with god we are helping to gather israel when we do his work together with him we come to know and love him more we continually seek to draw closer to the savior through faith cherished repentance and keeping the commandments as we bind ourselves to him through covenants and ordinances our lives are filled with confidence protection and deep and lasting joy as we come to him we see others through his eyes come unto christ come now but don't come alone the gospel of jesus christ is not just nice it is essential for all there is no other way or means whereby we can be saved only in and through christ the world needs jesus christ we need jesus christ remember the best way for you to improve the world is to prepare the world for christ by inviting all to follow him there is a story in the book of mormon that speaks powerfully of the resurrected savior spending time with the nephites can you imagine what that would have been like as christ announced that he must return to the father he cast his eyes round about again seeing tears in the people's eyes he knew their hearts were longing for him to linger he asked have you any sick among you bring them hither have you any lame or blind deaf or that are afflicted in any manner bring them hither and i will heal them having great compassion he set no limits and he called for all that are afflicted in any manner i love that nothing is too big or too small for jesus christ to heal he knows our suffering as well and he calls bring forth the anxious and depressed the weary the prideful and misunderstood the lonely or those who are afflicted in any manner and all did go forth and he did heal them every one both they who had been healed and they who were whole bowed down at his feet and did worship him every time i read this i asked myself who will i bring to christ who will you bring can we look around again as jesus did to make sure no one is missed and everyone is invited to come to know him let me share an example of how simple it can be my 15 year old friend peyton had a goal to read five verses of scripture at breakfast each day but she didn't do it alone looking again peyton invited her parents and siblings even her five-year-old brother this seemingly small act is what christ was teaching when he invited bring them hither this imitation from the lord is still extended today young women and young men start now in your own home will you pray and ask heavenly father how you can support your parents as they continue to come unto christ they need you just as much as you need them then look again at your siblings your friends and neighbors who will you bring to christ our savior declared behold i am the light i have set an example for you we will feel the love and peace of the savior as we join him in saving god's family for he has promised he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have light of life what a glorious time to be engaged in the cause of christ yes you are here for something grand i joined with president nelson who said the lord needs you to change the world as you accept and follow his will for you you will find yourself accomplishing the impossible i boldly testify that the lord knows you and he loves you together we will advance his purpose until the great day when christ himself returns to the earth and shall call each of us to come hither we will joyfully gather together for we are those who come unto christ and we do not come alone in the name of jesus christ amen one of the most striking principles taught by the savior during his earthly ministry was treating others with compassion let us reflect on this principle and its practical application by considering the account of jesus visit to the home of simon the pharisee the gospel of luke relates that a certain woman considered a sinner entered simon's home while jesus was there in humble contrition the woman approached jesus washed his feet with her tears wiped them with her hair and then kissed and anointed them with a special ointment the proud host who considered himself morally superior to the woman thought to himself with reproach and arrogance this man if you were a prophet would have known who and what manner of woman this is that touched him for she is a sinner the pharisee's holier-than-thou attitude led him to judge injustly both jesus and the woman but in his omniscience the savior knew simon's mind and and in great wisdom challenges simon's condescending attitude as well as admonished him for his lack of courtesy in receiving a special guest like the savior into his home in fact jesus direct rebuke of the pharisee served as a witness that jesus indeed possessed the gift of prophecy and that this woman with a humble and contrite heart was repentant and forgiven for her sins as do many other events during jesus earthly ministry this account demonstrates once more that the savior acted compassionately toward all who would come unto him without distinction and most especially toward those who most needed his help the contrition and reverent love shown to jesus by the woman were evidence of her sincere repentance and desire to receive a remission of her sins however simon's superiority complex coupled with his hardened heart prevented him from showing empathy for that repentant soul and he referred even to the savior of the world with indifference and contempt his attitude revealed that his way of life was nothing more than a strict and hollow observance of rules an outward manifestations of his convictions through self-aggrandizement and false holiness the compassionate and personalized ministering of jesus in this account demonstrates a perfect model of how we should interact with our neighbor the scriptures have countless examples of how the savior moved by his deep and abiding compassion interacted with people of his day and helped those who were suffering and those who had fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd he extended his merciful hand to those who needed relief from their burdens both physically and spiritually the compassionate attitude of jesus is rooted in charity namely in his pure and pure love and perfect love which is the excess essence of his atoning sacrifice compassion is a fundamental characteristic of those who strive for sanctification and this divine quality intertwines with other christian traits such as mourning with those who mourn and having empathy mercy and kindness the expression of compassion for others is in fact the essence of the gospel of jesus christ and the market evidence of our spiritual and emotional closeness to the savior furthermore it shows the level of influence he has on our way of life and demonstrates the magnitude of our spirits it is meaningful to observe that jesus compassionate acts were not occasional or mandated manifestations based on a list of tasks to be completed but everyday expressions of the reality of his pure love for god and his children and his abiding desire to help them jesus was able to identify people's needs even at a distance thus it's not surprising for example that immediately after healing a certain centurion's servant jesus traveled from capernaum to the city called name it was there that jesus performed one of the most tender miracles of his earthly ministry when he commanded a dead young man the only son of a weeded mother to rise and live jesus sensed not only the intense suffering of that poor mother but the difficult circumstances of her life and he was moved by genuine compassion for her just like the sinful woman and the widow of name many people within our circle of influence are seeking comfort attention inclusion and any help that we can offer them we all can be instruments in the lord's hands and act compassionately toward those in need just as jesus did i know a little girl who was born with very serious cleft lips and cleft palate she had to have the first of a series of many surgeries on the second day of her life moved by a genuine compassion for those who experienced this same challenge this girl and her parents seek to give support understanding and emotional assistance to others who face this difficult reality they wrote to me recently and shared through our daughter's challenge we had the opportunity to meet wonderful people who needed comfort support and encouragement some time ago our daughter who is 11 years old now talked with the parents of a baby with the same challenge during this conversation our daughter momentarily took off the mask she was wearing due to the pandemic so the parents could see that there is hope even though that baby still has a long way to go in the next few years to fix the problem we feel very grateful for the opportunity to extend our empathy to those who suffer as the savior does for us we feel we ease our pain every time we relieve someone else's pain my dear friends as we intentionally strive to incorporate a compassionate attitude into our way of life as is amplified by the savior we'll become more sensitive to people's needs with that increased sensitivity feelings of genuine interest and love will permeate our every action the lord will recognize our efforts and will surely be blessed with opportunities to be instruments in his hands in softening hearts and in bringing relief to those who hanged who hands hanged down jesus admonition to simon to simon the pharisee also made it clear that we should never make harsh and cruel judgment of our neighbor because we are all in need of understanding and mercy for our imperfections from our loving heavenly father wasn't this exactly that the savior taught on another occasion when he said and why behold this doubt the mote that is in thy brother's eye but considers not the being that isn't dying on eye we need to consider that is not easy to understand all the circumstances that contribute to someone's attitude or reaction appearances can be deceit deceptive and oftentimes do not represent an accurate measurement of someone's behavior unlike you and me christ is capable of clearly seeing all facets of a given situation even knowing all our weaknesses as he does the savior does not racially condemn us but continues to work with us compassionately over time helping us to remove the beam from our eye jesus always looks on the heart and not on the appearance he himself declared judge not according to the appearance now consider the savior's wise counsel to the twelve nephi to disciples regarding this question know ye that ye shall be judged of this people according to the judgment which i shall give unto you which shall be just therefore what manner of men ought ye to be verily i say unto you even as i am therefore i would that ye should be perfect even as i or your father who is in heaven is perfect in this context the lord fixes judgment upon those who take it upon themselves to judge the supposed shortcomings of others unrighteously in order to qualify ourselves to make righteous judgments we must strive to become like the savior and look at the imperfections of individuals compassionately even through his eyes considering we still have a long way to go to reach perfection perhaps it would be better if we sit at jesus feet and plead for mercy for our own imperfections as did the repentant woman in the pharisees house and not spend so much time and energy fixating on the perceived imperfections of others my dear friends i testify that as we strive to incorporate the savior's compassionate example into our lives our capacity to complement the virtues of our neighbors will increase and our natural instinct to judge their imperfections will decrease our communion with god will grow and certainly our lives will become sweeter our feelings more tender and we'll find a never-ending source of happiness will be known as peacemakers whose words are as gentle as the dew of a springy morning i pray that we'll become more longsuffering and understanding of others and that the lord's mercy will imperfect meekness sooth our impatience with their imperfections this is the savior's invitation to us i testify that he lives he is the perfect model of merciful and patient discipleship i bear my testimony of these truths in the holy name of the savior jesus christ amen the congregation will now join the choir in singing let us all press on after the singing we will hear from elder d todd christopherson of the quorum of the twelve apostles he will be followed by elders clark g gilbert and patricio m jufra of the 70. [Music] this is the saturday morning session of the 191st semi-annual general conference of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints [Music] is [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] is [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] oh [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Applause] our heavenly father loves us profoundly and perfectly in his love he created a plan a plan of redemption and happiness to open to us all the opportunities and joys we're willing to receive up to and including all that he has and is to achieve this he was even willing to offer his beloved son jesus christ as our redeemer for god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life his is a father's pure love universal to all yet personal to each jesus christ shares with the father this same perfect love when the father first elaborated his great plan of happiness he called for one to act as a savior to redeem us an essential part of that plan jesus volunteered here am i send me the savior doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world for he loveth the world even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him wherefore he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation this divine love should give us abundant comfort and confidence as we pray to the father in the name of christ not one of us is a stranger to them we need not hesitate to call upon god even when we feel unworthy we can rely on the mercy and merits of jesus christ to be heard as we abide in god's love we depend less and less on the approval of others to guide us because god's love is all-embracing some speak of it as unconditional and in their minds they may project that thought to mean that god's blessings are unconditional and that salvation is unconditional they're not summer want to say the savior loves me just as i am and that is certainly true but he cannot take any of us into his kingdom just as we are for no unclean thing can dwell there or dwell in his presence our sins must first be resolved professor hugh nibley once noted that the kingdom of god cannot endure if it indulges even the smallest sin quote the slightest taint of corruption means that the other world would be neither incorruptible nor eternal the tiniest flaw in a building institution code or character will inevitably prove fatal in the long run of eternity end quote the commandments of god are strict because his kingdom and its citizens can stand only if they consistently reject evil and choose good without exception elder jeffrey r holland observed jesus clearly understood what many in our modern culture seem to forget that there is a crucial difference between the commandment to forgive sin which he had an infinite capacity to do and the warning against condoning it which he never did even once despite our present imperfections however we can still hope to attain a name and standing a place in his church and in the celestial world after making it clear that he cannot excuse or wink at sin the lord assures us nevertheless he that repents and does the commandments of god shall be forgiven and as often as my people repent will i forgive them their trespasses against me repentance and divine grace resolve the dilemma remember also the words which amulek speak and spake unto zezram in the city of ammonia for he said unto him that the lord surely would come to redeem his people but that he should not come to redeem them in their sins but to redeem them from their sins and he hath power given unto him from the father to redeem them from their sins because of repentance therefore he has sent his angels to declare the tidings of the conditions of repentance which bringeth unto the power of the redeemer unto the salvation of their souls with the condition of repentance the lord can extend mercy without robbing justice and god ceaseth not to be god the way of the world as you know is antichrist or anything but christ our day is a replay of book of mormon history in which charismatic figures pursue unrighteous dominion over others celebrate sexual license and promote accumulating wealth as the object of our existence their philosophies justify in committing a little sin or even a lot of sin but none can offer redemption that comes only through the blood of the lamb the best the anything but christ or anything but repentance crowd can offer is the unfounded claim that sin does not exist or that if it exists it ultimately has no consequences i can't see that argument getting much traction at the final judgment we don't have to attempt the impossible in trying to rationalize our sins away and on the other hand we don't have to attempt the impossible in erasing the effects of sin by our own merit alone ours is not a religion of rationalization nor a religion of perfectionism but a religion of redemption redemption through jesus christ if we're among the penitent with his atonement our sins are nailed to his cross and with his stripes we are healed i've long been impressed by and have also felt the yearning love of the prophets of god in their warnings against sin they're not motivated by a desire to condemn their true desire mirrors the love of god and in fact it is the love of god they love those to whom they are sent whoever and whatever they may be like just as the lord his servants do not want anyone to suffer the pains of sin and poor choices alma was sent to declare the message of repentance and redemption to a hate-filled people who were willing to persecute torture even kill christian believers including alma himself yet he loved them and yearned for their salvation after declaring the atonement of christ to the people of ammonia alma pleaded and now my brethren i wish from the inmost part of my heart yea with great anxiety even unto pain that you would hearken unto my words and cast off your sins that she may be lifted up at the last day and enter into god's rest in president russell m nelson's words it is precisely because we do care deeply about all of god's children that we proclaim his truth the love of the father and the son is freely given but also includes hope and expectations again quoting president nelson god's laws are motivated entirely by his infinite love for us and his desire for us to become all we can become because they love you they do not want to leave you just as you are because they love you they want you to have joy and success because they love you they want you to repent because that is a path to happiness but it is your choice they honor your agency you must choose to love them to serve them to keep their commandments then they can more abundantly bless you as well as love you their principle expectation of us is that we also love he that loveth not knoweth not god for god is love as john wrote beloved if god so loved us we ought also to love one another former primary general president joy d jones recalled that as a young couple she and her husband were called to visit and minister to a family who hadn't been to church for many years it was immediately clear in their first visit they were not wanted after the frustration of additional failed attempts and after much sincere prayer and pondering brother and sister jones received an answer to the why of their service in this verse from the doctrine and covenants thou shalt love the lord thy god with all thy heart with all thy might mind and strength and in the name of jesus christ thou shalt serve him sister jones said we realize that we were sincerely striving to serve this family and to serve our bishop but we had to ask ourselves if we were really serving out of love for the lord we began looking forward to our visits with this dear family because of our love for the lord we were doing it for him he made the struggle no longer a struggle after many months of our standing on the doorstep the family began letting us in eventually we had regular prayer and tender gospel discussions together a long-lasting friendship developed we were worshiping and loving him by loving his children in acknowledging that god loves us perfectly we might each ask how well do i love god can he rely on my love as i rely on his would it not be a worthy aspiration to live so that god can love us not just in spite of our failings but also because of what we are becoming all that he could say of you and me as he said of hiram smith for example i the lord love him because of the integrity of his heart let us remember john's kind admonition for this is the love of god that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous in his deed his commandments are not grievous just the opposite they mark the path of healing happiness peace and joy our father and redeemer have blessed us with commandments and in obeying their commandments we feel their perfect love more fully and more profoundly here is the solution for our incessantly quarrelsome times love of god as elder holland observed just a moment ago in the golden age of book of mormon history following the savior's ministry it's reported that there was no contention in the land because of the love of god which did well in the hearts of the people as we strive towards zion remember the promise in revelation blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the holy city i bear witness of the reality of our heavenly father and our redeemer jesus christ and of their constant undying love in the name of jesus christ amen as a young boya had great aspirations one day after school i asked mom what should i be when i grow up a professional basketball player or a rock star unfortunately clark the toothless wonder showed no signs of future athletic or musical glory and despite multiple efforts i was repeatedly denied admission to my school's advanced academic program my teachers suggested i should just stick to the standard classroom over time i developed compensating study habits but it wasn't until my mission to japan that i felt my intellectual and spiritual possibilities begin to emerge i continued to work hard but for the first time in my life i systematically involved the lord in my development and it made all the difference brothers and sisters in this church we believe in the divine potential of all of god's children and in our ability to become something more in christ in the lord's timing it is not where we start but where we are headed that matters most to demonstrate this principle i will draw on some basic math now don't panic at hearing the word math in general conference our byu idaho math faculty assure me that even the beginner will grasp this central concept it starts with the formula for a line the intercept for our purposes is the beginning of our line the intercept can have either a high or a low starting point the slope of the line can then be positively or negatively inclined we all have different intercepts in life we start in different places with different life endowments some are born with high intercepts full of opportunity others face beginning circumstances that are challenging and seem unfair we then progress along a slope of personal progress our future will be determined far less by our starting point and much more by our slope jesus christ sees divine potential no matter where we start he saw it in the beggar the sinner the infirm he saw it in the fishermen tax collector and even the zealot no matter where we start christ considers what we do with what we are given while the world focuses on our intercept god focuses on our slope in the lord's calculus he will do everything he can to help us turn our slopes toward heaven this principle should give comfort to those who struggle and pause to those who seem to have every advantage let me start by addressing individuals with difficult starting circumstances including poverty access to education and challenging family situations others face physical challenges mental health constraints or strong genetic predispositions for any struggling with difficult starting points please recognize that the savior knows our struggles he took upon him our infirmities that his bowels might be filled with mercy that he might know how to sucker us according to our infirmities let me share two areas of encouragement for those with difficult starting circumstances first focus on where you were headed not where you began it would be wrong to ignore your circumstances they are real and need to be addressed but over focusing on a difficult starting point can cause it to define you and even constrain your ability to choose years ago i served with a group of inner city youth in boston massachusetts who were largely new to the gospel and to the expectations of this church it was tempting to confuse my empathy and concern for their situation with the desire to lower god's standards i eventually realized that the most powerful way to show my love was to never lower my expectations with everything i knew to do we focused together on their potential and each of them began to elevate their slopes their growth in the gospel was gradual but steady today they have served missions graduated from college married in the temple and are leading remarkable personal and professional lives second involve the lord in the process of lifting your slope while serving as the president of byu pathway worldwide i remember sitting in a large devotional in lima peru where elder carlos a godoy was the speaker he looked out over the congregation and he seemed overwhelmed observing so many faithful first generation university students perhaps reflecting on his own path through such difficult circumstances elder godoy stated emotionally the lord will help you more than you can help yourself so involve the lord in this process the prophet nephi taught that it is by grace we are saved after all we can do we must do our best which includes repentance but it is only through his grace that we can realize our divine potential finally let me share two areas of counsel for those with elevated starting points first can we show some humility for the circumstances we may not have created ourselves as former byu president rexy lee quoted to his students we have all drunk from wells we did not dig and warmed ourselves by fires we did not build he then called on his students to give back and replenish the educational wells that earlier pioneers had built failure to reseed the fields planted by others can be the equivalent of returning a talent without increase second focusing on a high starting point can often trap us into feeling that we are thriving when in fact our inner slope may be quite stagnant professor clayton m christensen taught that the most successful people are the humblest because they are confident enough to be corrected and learn from anyone elder d todd christopherson counseled us to willingly find ways to accept and even seek correction even when things appear to be going well we must seek out opportunities to improve through prayerful petition regardless of whether we start in abundant or difficult circumstances realizing our ultimate potential will only happen when we make god our partner i recently had a conversation with a nationally prominent educator who was inquiring about the success of byu pathway he was bright and his inquiry was sincere but he clearly wanted a secular response i shared with him our retention programs and mentoring efforts but i concluded by saying these are all good practices but the real reason our students are progressing is because we teach them their divine potential imagine if your whole life you were told you could never succeed then consider the impact of being taught that you are an actual son or daughter of god with divine possibility he paused then replied simply that's powerful brothers and sisters one of the miracles of this the lord's church is that each of us can become something more in christ i know of no other organization that lifts its members and gives them more opportunities to serve give back repent and become better people when we start in abundant or difficult circumstances let us keep our sights and our slopes pointed heavenward as we do christ will lift us to a higher place in the name of jesus christ amen beginning in 1846 thousands of pioneers men women and children had as well word to zion their great faith steered the abundant courage for some that trip was never finished as they died along the way others faith in adversity pressed forward in faith because of them generations later my family enjoyed the blessing of the true gospel of jesus christ much like another young man who i will mention later i was 14 when i started question religion and my faith i attended to the church of another denomination close to my house but i felt the desire to visit many different churches one afternoon i noticed two young men in dark suits and white shirts enter into my neighbor's home those young men look special the next day i asked my next neighbor leonardo lopez and asked her about those two men leonore explained to me that they were missionaries of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints she joyfully told me that her family was baptized in the church a year earlier seeing my interest leonardo invited me to meet the missionaries and learn about the church two days later i joined the lopez family to meet the missionaries they introduced themselves as john messelli from ogden utah and christopher osorio from guanace california i will never forget them since i was only 14 at the messily insisted we go next door to my home so my mother could know what they were teaching me there he kindly explained that they came to share a message about jesus christ and asked for her permission to teach me mother agreed and even joined us while they taught me the missionaries first asked leonard to offer a prayer this touched me very deeply because her prayer was not a repetition of memorized word but an expression of her heart i felt she was really talking to her heavenly father the missionaries then taught us about jesus christ they showed a picture of him that impressed me because it was the picture of the resurrected living christ they continued teaching us of how jesus established his church in ancient times with him and the head joined by 12 apostles they taught us about apostasy how truth and christ's authority have been taken from the earth after his apostle died they told us of a young 14 year old boy named joseph smith who during the early 1800s visited different churches searching for truth as time went on joseph mead became even more confused after reading in the bible that god can ask that we can ask of god for wisdom joseph acting in faith retire to a global tree and pray which church he should join one of the missionaries read joseph's mid account what happened as he prayed i saw a pillar of light exactly over my head about brightness of the sun which descended gradually until it fell upon me when the light rested upon me i soaked two percentages whose brightness and glory defied all description standing about me in the air one of them spake unto me calling me by my name and said pointing to the other this is my beloved son hear him during that lesson the spirit confirmed to me several truths first god listen to all children's sincere prayers and ever heaven is open to all not just a few second god the father jesus christ and the holy ghost are three separate beings united in their purpose to bring to pass thy mortality and eternal life of man third we are created in god's image our heavenly father and his son jesus christ has bodies of flesh and bone like us but they are glorified and perfected and the holy ghost is a person of the spirit fourth through joseph smith jesus christ restored the gospel and through church to the earth the priesthood authority conferred on christ's apostle 2 000 years ago is the same priesthood authority conferred upon jose's mean an oliver calgary by peter james and john finally we learn about another testament of jesus christ in the book of mormon written by ancient prophets it tells of the people who live in the americas before during and after the birth of jesus from it we learn of how they knew love and worship christ who appeared to them as they read as a resurrected savior that's put in me the spirit moved me profoundly as i learned of the savior's declaration to them behold i am jesus christ whom the prophet testified shall come into the world the missionaries gave our us our own copy of the book of mormon we read and accepted the invitation found at the end of the book of mormon which reads and when ye shall receive these things i would exhort you that ye would ask god the eternal father in the name of christ if these things are not true and if you shall receive ask with a sincere heart with real intent having faith in cry he will manifest the truth of it unto you by the power of the holy ghost and by the power of the holy ghost ye may know the truth of all things it has been almost 45 years since my mother and i first learned the joy and power of having faith in christ it was because of their faith in christ that the lopez family shared their new faith with me it was because of their faith in christ that these two missionaries left their homes in the united states to fund my mother and me it was the face of all those dear friends that planted a master seed in our faith of faith in the in us that has grown into a mighty tree of eternal blessings during these blessed years we have known as president nelson rason nelson declared everything good in life every potential blessing of eternal significance begins with faith allowing god to prevail in our lives begins with faith that he is willing to guide us to repentance begins with faith that jesus christ has the power to cleanse heal and strengthen us i'd invite all us all to continue to increase our faith in christ who has changed the life of my beloved mother and me and continue to change the life of all those who seek him i know that joseph smith is the prophet of the restoration the president nelson is our prophet today that jesus is our living christ and our redeemer and that heavenly father lives and answered all his children prayer i testifies of this truth in the sacred name of jesus christ amen we express gratitude to the tabernacle choir at temple square for the beautiful music they have provided this morning the choir will now favor us with i will follow god's plan our concluding speaker for this session will be president don h oaks first counselor in the first presidency following president oaks the choir will close this meeting by singing my redeemer lives the benediction will then be offered by sister amy a wright who serves as second counselor in the primary general presidency [Music] is my choice was to come to this lovely home [Music] i will follow god's plan for me fast in his word and is [Music] i will follow god's plan for me [Music] i will always and i will be happy on earth [Music] many years ago elder marky peterson a member of the quorum of the twelve apostles began a talk with this hypothetical example quote kenneth and his wife lucille are good people honest and upright they don't go to church though and they feel they can be good enough without it they teach their children honesty and virtue and they tell themselves that is about all the church would do for them and anyway they insist that they need their weekends for family recreation and church going would really get in their way end of quote today my message concerns such good and religious minded people who have stopped attending or participating in their churches when i say churches i include synagogues mosques or other religious organizations we are concerned that attendance in all of these is down significantly nationwide if we cease valuing our churches for any reason we threaten our personal spiritual life and significant numbers separating themselves from god reduces his blessings to our nations attendance and activity in the church help us become better people and better influences on the lives of others in church we are taught how to apply religious principles we learn from one another persuasive example is more powerful than a sermon we are strengthened by associating with others of like minds in church attendance and participation our hearts are as the bible says knit together in love the scriptures god has given christians in the bible and in modern revelation clearly teach the need for a church both show that jesus christ organized the church and contemplated that a church would carry on his work after him he called twelve apostles and gave them authority and keys to direct it the bible teaches that christ is the head of the church and that its officers were given for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of christ surely the bible is clear on the origin of the church and the need for it now some say that attending church meetings is not helping them some say i didn't learn anything today or no one was friendly to me or i was offended personal disappointment should never keep us from the doctrine of christ who taught us to serve not to be served with this in mind another member described the focus of his church attendance quote years ago i changed my attitude about going to church no longer do i go to church for my sake but to think of others i make a point of saying hello to people who sit alone to welcome visitors to volunteer for an assignment in short i go to church each week with the intent of being active not passive and making a positive difference in people's lives end of quote president spencer w kimball taught that quote we do not go to sabbath meetings to be entertained or even simply to be instructed we go to worship the lord it is an individual responsibility if the service is a failure to you you have failed no one can worship for you you must do your own waiting upon the lord end of quote church attendance can open our hearts and sanctify our souls in a church we don't just serve alone or at our own choice or convenience we usually serve in a team in service we find heaven-sent opportunities to rise above the individualism of our age church-directed service helps us overcome the personal selfishness that can our spiritual growth there are other important advantages to mention even briefly in church we associate with wonderful people striving to serve god this reminds us that we are not alone in our religious activities we all need associations with others and church associations are some of the best we can experience for us and our companions and children without those associations especially between children and faithful parents research shows increasing difficulty for parents to raise children in their faith so far i've spoken about churches generally now i address the special reasons for membership attendance and participation in the savior's restored church of jesus christ of latter-day saints we of course affirm that the scriptures ancient and modern clearly teach the origin and need for a church directed by and with the authority of our lord jesus christ we also testify that the restored church of jesus christ has been established to teach the fullness of his doctrine and to officiate with his priesthood authority to perform the ordinances necessary to enter the kingdom of god members who forego church attendance and rely only on individual spirituality separate themselves from these gospel essentials the power and blessings of the priesthood the fullness of restored doctrine and the motivations and opportunities to apply that doctrine they forfeit their opportunity to qualify to perpetuate their family for eternity another great advantage of the restored church is that it helps us grow spiritually growth means change in spiritual terms this means repenting and seeking to draw nearer to the lord in the restored church we have doctrine procedures and inspired helpers that assist us to repent their purpose even in membership councils is not punishment like the outcome of a criminal court church membership counsels lovingly seek to help us qualify for the mercy of forgiveness made possible through the atonement of jesus christ individual spirituality can seldom provide the motivation and structure for unselfish service provided by the restored church great examples of this are the young men and women and seniors who put aside their schooling or retirement activities to accept missionary callings they work as missionaries to strangers in unfamiliar places they have not chosen the same is true of faithful members who participate in the unselfish service we call temple work none of such service would be possible without the church that sponsors it organizes it and directs it our members religious faith and church service have taught them how to work in cooperative efforts to benefit the larger community that kind of experience and development does not happen in the individualism so prevalent in the practices of our current society in the geographic organization of our local wards we associate and work with persons we might not otherwise have chosen persons who teach us and test us in addition to helping us learn spiritual qualities like love compassion forgiveness and patience this gives us the opportunities to learn how to work with persons of very different backgrounds and preferences this advantage has helped members many of our members and many organizations are blessed by their participation latter-day saints are renowned for their ability to lead and unite in cooperative efforts that tradition originated with our courageous pioneers who colonized the intermountain west and established our valued tradition of unselfish cooperation for the common good most humanitarian and charitable efforts need to be accomplished by pooling and managing individual resources on a large scale the restored church does this with its enormous humanitarian efforts worldwide these include educational and medical supplies feeding the hungry caring for refugees helping to reverse the effects of addictions and a host of others our church members are renowned for their helping hands projects in natural disasters church membership allows us to be part of such large-scale efforts members also pay fast offerings to help the poor in their own midst in addition to feeling peace and joy through the companionship of the spirit our church attending members enjoy the fruits of gospel living such as the blessing blessings of living the word of wisdom and the material and spiritual prosperity promised for living the law of tithing we also have the blessing of counsel from inspired leaders crowning all of this are the authoritative priesthood ordinances necessary for eternity including the sacrament we receive each sabbath day the culminating ordinance in the restored church is the everlasting covenant of marriage which makes possible the perpetuation of glorious family relationships president nelson taught this principle in a memorable way he said we cannot wish our way into the presence of god we are to obey the laws upon which that blessing is predicated one of those laws is to worship in church each sabbath day our worship and application of eternal principles draw us closer to god and magnify our capacity to love parley p pratt one of the original apostles of this dispensation described how he felt when the prophet joseph smith explained these principles quote i felt that god was my heavenly father indeed that jesus was my brother and that the wife of my bosom was an immortal eternal companion a kind ministering angel given to me as a comfort and a crown of glory forever and ever in short i could now love with the spirit and with understanding also end of quote in closing i remind all that we do not believe that good can only be accomplished through a church independent of the church we see millions of people supporting and carrying out innumerable good works individually latter-day saints participate in many of them we see these works as a manifestation of the eternal truth that quote the spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world end of quote despite the good works that can be accomplished without a church the fullness of doctrine and its saving and exalting ordinances are available only in the restored church in addition church attendance gives us strength and enhancement of faith that comes from associating with other believers and worshipping together with those who are also striving to stay on the covenant path and be better disciples of christ i pray that we will all be steadfast in these church experiences as we seek eternal life the greatest of all the gifts of god in the name of jesus christ amen [Music] oh [Music] is [Music] is [Music] me [Music] oh [Music] is [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] our dear heavenly father as we bow our heads together today we do so with much love and gratitude in our hearts for thee and the matchless gift of thy son jesus christ we are grateful for his infinite and eternal atonement and the personal application it has in each one of our lives heavenly father we are grateful for the sacred privilege of serving in various capacities throughout thy vineyard and pray that as we teach and testify of the pure doctrine of christ that all within our realm of influence will walk away thinking less about us and more of jesus christ this we pray in the sacred and holy name of our truest and most constant friend jesus christ amen so [Music] this has been a broadcast of the saturday morning session of the 191st semi-annual general conference of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints speakers were selected from leaders of the church music was provided by the tabernacle choir at temple square [Music] this broadcast has been furnished as a public service by bonneville distribution any reproduction recording transcription or other use of this program without written consent is prohibited [Music] you

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Published: Sat Oct 02 2021