General Conference Odyssey: Sunday afternoon session, October 7, 2007
Personal Revelation: The Teachings and Examples of the Prophets
Robert D. Hales, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
The Sunday afternoon session of the October 2007 conference featured nine talks, all of which ranged from good to excellent. Elder Hales started off by talking about revelation and how he has seen it received. One of those experiences happened as a regional representative when he accompanied Marion G. Romney to reorganize a stake presidency.
“During the long, quiet ride to the conference, our conversation turned to the spiritual dimensions of our assignment. Elder Romney taught me about how the Lord blesses us with revelation. ‘Robert,’ he said, ‘I have learned that when we are on the Lord’s errand, we have His blessings to accomplish whatever we are asked to do.’ Elder Romney further explained that we would arrive in the distant city, kneel in prayer, interview priesthood holders, kneel in prayer again, and the Holy Ghost would reveal to us the person whom the Lord had chosen to be the new stake president. He promised me it would be one of the great spiritual experiences of my life, and it was.”
With another little story, he reminds us,
“Revelation comes on the Lord’s timetable, which often means we must move forward in faith, even though we haven’t received all the answers we desire. As a General Authority, I was assigned to help reorganize a stake presidency under the direction of Elder Ezra Taft Benson. After praying, interviewing, studying, and praying again, Elder Benson asked if I knew who the new president would be. I said I had not received that inspiration yet. He looked at me for a long time and replied he hadn’t either. However, we were inspired to ask three worthy priesthood holders to speak in the Saturday evening session of conference. Moments after the third speaker began, the Spirit prompted me that he should be the new stake president. I looked over at President Benson and saw tears streaming down his face. Revelation had been given to both of us-but only by continuing to seek our Heavenly Father’s will as we moved forward in faith.”
And there was this experience, while accompanying Harold B. Lee:
“Elder Lee asked me, as a newly sustained bishop, if I would join him at a press conference. There, an intense young reporter challenged Elder Lee. He said to him, ‘You call yourself a prophet. When was the last time you had revelation, and what was it about?’ Elder Lee paused, looked directly at him, and responded in a sweet way, ‘It was yesterday afternoon about three o’clock. We were praying about who should be called as the president of the new stake, and it was made known to us who that individual should be.’ The reporter’s heart changed. I will never forget the Spirit that came into that room as Elder Lee bore his powerful witness of revelation that can be received by those faithfully seeking to do the Lord’s will.”
Revelations come in all sizes, including statements directly from God that get canonized in scripture, the inspiration needed when calling someone to a position of responsibility in the Church, or the simple assurance to individual people that God loves them and that things they’ve already learned are indeed true. “By design, most miracles are spiritual demonstrations of God’s power-tender mercies gently bestowed through impressions, ideas, feelings of assurance, solutions to problems, strength to meet challenges, and comfort to bear disappointments and sorrow.”
We’re also promised that as we receive revelation and learn to recognize it as such, we can receive more. “While we are commanded not to seek after signs, we are commanded to ‘seek ... earnestly the best gifts.’ These gifts include the Holy Ghost and personal revelation. That revelation will come ‘line upon line, precept upon precept,’ as the Savior said, and ‘unto him that receiveth [the Lord] will give more.’”
Truth: The Foundation of Correct Decisions
Richard G. Scott, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Elder Scott spoke in a similar vein, talking about how we can discover truth, and the two approaches to truth he knew best: the scientific approach, and through revelation.
“The scientific method is a valuable way of seeking truth. However, it has two limitations. First, we never can be sure we have identified absolute truth, though we often draw nearer and nearer to it. Second, sometimes, no matter how earnestly we apply the method, we can get the wrong answer.
“The best way of finding truth is simply to go to the origin of all truth and ask or respond to inspiration. For success, two ingredients are essential: first, unwavering faith in the source of all truth; second, a willingness to keep God’s commandments to keep open spiritual communication with Him.”
As a Church leader he didn’t speak much about his prior profession as a nuclear engineer, but that scientific background came through in this talk as he reviewed a few areas at the fringes of scientific knowledge and how little we really know about the physical world. As a sampling,
“In the last 70 years much has been learned about the structure of matter. A Standard Model of Fundamental Particles and Interactions has been developed. It is based on experimentation that has established the existence of fundamental particles designated as quarks and others called leptons. This model explains the patterns of nuclear binding and decay of matter, but it does not yet provide a successful explanation for the forces of gravity. Also, some feel that even more powerful tools than those used to acquire our current understanding of matter might reveal additional fundamental particles. So there are yet more of Father in Heaven’s creations to be understood by the scientific method.”
He also cautions, “A knowledge of truth is of little value unless we apply it in making correct decisions.” I submit that correct decisions are more easily reached through revelation than through the scientific method, which is mostly concerned with how things work instead of how much moral or ethical value things have. And, one of the effects of making correct decisions and recognizing revelation comes in the development of character.
“Worthy character will strengthen your capacity to respond obediently to the direction of the Spirit as you make vital decisions. Righteous character is what you are becoming. It is more important than what you own, what you have learned, or what goals you have accomplished. It allows you to be trusted. Righteous character provides the foundation of spiritual strength. It enables you in times of trial and testing to make difficult, extremely important decisions correctly even when they seem overpowering.
“I testify that neither Satan nor any other power can weaken or destroy your growing character. Only you can do that through disobedience.
“Understand and apply this vital principle to your life: Your exercise of faith builds character. Fortified character expands your capacity to exercise greater faith. Thus, your confidence in making correct decisions is enhanced. And the strengthening cycle continues. The more your character is fortified, the more enabled you are to exercise the power of faith for yet stronger character.”
Nourished by the Good Word of God
Daniel K Judd, First Counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency
Brother Judd told of when he was young and raising horses, and how they would come for food if he rattled some grain in a bucket. He then tried tricking them by shaking some dirt in the bucket, and while it initially fooled them they soon became less responsive, even if they were hearing grain in the bucket. Comparing food to teaching, he then asked, “What can we as teachers and leaders in the Church do to provide increased doctrinal and spiritual nourishment for those we serve?”
“Just as I learned as a young man that grain was more appealing to our horses than a dirt-filled bucket, I also learned that grain was more nourishing than hay, that hay was more nourishing than straw, and that it was possible to feed a horse without nourishing him. As teachers and leaders, it is vital that we nourish those we teach and lead by focusing on the fundamental doctrines, principles, and applications emphasized in the scriptures and the words of our latter-day prophets instead of spending precious time on subjects and sources of lesser importance.
“As a teacher I have learned that a class discussion focused on the Atonement of Jesus Christ is infinitely more important than discussing topics such as the precise location of the ancient city of Zarahemla in today’s geography. As a leader I have learned that leadership meetings are more meaningful if our highest priority is an integrated effort to build faith in Christ and strengthen families, and not simply a correlated calendar.”
Teaching nourishing doctrine also presupposes that a teacher is guided by inspiration:
“Several months ago I attended a training meeting where a number of General Authorities had spoken. After commenting on the excellent instruction that had been given, Elder David A. Bednar asked the following question: ‘What are we learning that has not been said?’ He then explained that in addition to receiving the counsel that had been given by those who had spoken or who would yet speak, we should also carefully listen for and record the unspoken impressions given by the Holy Ghost.”
The Power of Godliness Is Manifested in the Temples of God
Octaviano Tenorio, Quorum of the Seventy
Elder Tenorio then spoke of things relating to the plan of salvation, and how temple blessings prepare us for the challenges within that plan, stating, “Many times we don’t comprehend the meaning of the ordinances of the temple in their fulness until after we have known affliction or passed through experiences that could have been extremely sad without the knowledge of the plan of salvation.”
He illustrated this by speaking of his daughter’s birth and how he celebrated that event by handing out chocolates to everyone at work. While he was doing that, he got a phone call informing him that their newborn daughter had just died. After talking to his wife about it, he reports,
“We knew that one day we would be reunited with our daughter because we were sealed by the power of the priesthood in the temple. We ended the telephone call, and I resumed giving out the chocolates in my office building.
“Seeing me do this, one of my co-workers was surprised and asked me how I could do this after such terrible news. I answered, ‘If you have three hours, I can explain to you why I am not feeling too sad and about my knowledge of what happens after death.’ He didn’t have three hours at that moment but did later. We ended up talking for four hours. He accepted the gospel and, together with his mother and brother, was baptized into the Church after receiving the discussions.”
It’s all of those gospel things-faith in Jesus, hope, love, gospel ordinances, and knowledge of God’s plan-that enable us to see sadness and disappointments for what they are, and go forward with hope without being completely devastated by those disappointments.
After All We Can Do
Claudio D. Zivic, Quorum of the Seventy
Elder Zivic spoke of inspiration he found from a long-forgotten author while serving in the Argentinian Army, who wrote, “I choose not to be an ordinary man; it is my right to be someone out of the ordinary, if I am able.”
Commenting on this, he said, “My feelings were and are that we, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ, have chosen not to be ordinary men and women. The last words, ‘if I am able,’ made me think that it is not enough to go through the motions of being baptized and confirmed, but rather we have to fulfill and honor the commitment that we made with the Lord on that memorable day.”
Knowing That We Know
Douglas L. Callister, Quorum of the Seventy
Testimony has long been a favorite gospel subject of mine, and Elder Callister spoke on the value of testimony by reminding us,
“In the genius of the gospel plan, there ultimately only has to be one witness, but that witness must be you. The testimony of others may initiate and nourish the desire for faith and testimony, but eventually every individual must find out for himself. None can permanently endure on borrowed light.
“The restored gospel is not truer today than when a solitary boy walked out of the Sacred Grove in 1820. Truth has never been dependent on the number who embrace it. When Joseph left the grove, there was only one man on earth who knew the truth about God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. It is necessary, however, that each find out for himself and carry that burning testimony into the next life.”
The words testimony and witness have some overlapping meanings, and while there’s much value in hearing from other witnesses, we need to become witnesses in our own right. “If you want to know that you know that you know, a price must be paid. And you alone must pay that price. There are proxies for ordinances, but none for the acquisition of a testimony.”
Then there was this great and intriguing thought:
“Early Church leaders paid a great price to establish this dispensation. Perhaps we will meet them in the next life and listen to their witness. When we are called upon to testify, what will we say? There will be spiritual infants and spiritual giants in the next life. Eternity is a long time to live without light, especially if our spouses and our descendants also live in darkness because there was no light within us, and others, therefore, could not light their lamps.”
We all are the beneficiaries of a spiritual heritage, and it’s up to each of us to turn that heritage into a legacy that will benefit our descendants and all who hear our witness of the gospel.
Service
Steven E. Snow, Presidency of the Seventy
Elder Snow introduced his topic, service, by speaking of his mother’s death and his final conversation with her.
“Mom had fine taste and liked nice things. She also longed to travel, but our family lived on a modest budget, and these dreams were not quite realized. Knowing this, I asked her if she had any regrets. I fully expected to hear she had always wanted a larger, more beautiful home or perhaps an expression of sadness and disappointment over never having traveled. She pondered my question for a few moments and replied simply, ‘I wish I had served more.’”
Knowing what she had wanted and what she liked, this answer surprised him. He brought up her desires for travel and nice things, and how she had already been an example of service to others. “When I reminded her of all this, she was undeterred. ‘I could have done more’ was all she said.... Now, I have no doubt my mother’s earthly sacrifice has been accepted by the Lord and that she has been welcomed by Him. But why was it foremost in her mind just days before her passing? What is service, and why is it so important in the gospel of Jesus Christ?”
There was also this quote from President Hinckley: “No man can be a true Latter-day Saint who is unneighborly, who does not reach out to assist and help others. It is inherent in the very nature of the gospel that we do so. My brothers and sisters, we cannot live unto ourselves.”
He also added a lesson from his grandfather, who said, “The public service we render is the rent we pay for our place on earth.”
Good, Better, Best
Dallin H. Oaks, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Among the talks Elder Oaks has given, this is one I’ve seen referenced perhaps the most of all, and the title alone gives a good idea of what he was teaching. “The number of good things we can do far exceeds the time available to accomplish them. Some things are better than good, and these are the things that should command priority attention in our lives.” And, of course, the best things should command the most priority of our time and efforts.
There was also this interesting mention of reduced time for Church meetings a dozen years before it happened, among other things:
“Suppose Church leaders reduce the time required by Church meetings and activities in order to increase the time available for families to be together. This will not achieve its intended purpose unless individual family members-especially parents-vigorously act to increase family togetherness and one-on-one time. Team sports and technology toys like video games and the Internet are already winning away the time of our children and youth. Surfing the Internet is not better than serving the Lord or strengthening the family. Some young men and women are skipping Church youth activities or cutting family time in order to participate in soccer leagues or to pursue various entertainments. Some young people are amusing themselves to death-spiritual death.”
Then, speaking directly of Church meetings he said it is “good to hold a meeting, better to teach a principle, but best to actually improve lives as a result of the meeting.”
I’ve noticed Elder Oaks spoke of upcoming curriculum manuals more than most other Church leaders, particularly when Teachings of Presidents of the Church were being presented in Melchizedek Priesthood quorums and Relief Society classes. He did so again here.
“In the past, some teachers have given a chapter of the Teachings manuals no more than a brief mention and then substituted a lesson of their own choice. It may have been a good lesson, but this is not an acceptable practice. A gospel teacher is called to teach the subject specified from the inspired materials provided. The best thing a teacher can do with Teachings: Joseph Smith is to select and quote from the words of the Prophet on principles specially suited to the needs of class members and then direct a class discussion on how to apply those principles in the circumstances of their lives.”
I taught most of that particular manual for the following two years in my ward’s elders quorum, and while I did not remember this particular counsel during that time, I’m pleased to report, all these years later, that I was successful at teaching the specified subject matter instead of my own thing-thanks in part to a previous conference talk Elder Oaks had given on the matter.
Closing Remarks
Gordon B. Hinckley, President of the Church
As I indicated last week, this was President Hinckley’s last conference, and his talk in the Sunday morning session could be considered his final testimony to the Church. But unlike some of the previous prophets of this dispensation who were too frail to speak at the final conference sessions of their presidencies, President Hinckley had been blessed with enough health and vigor to stand and speak until the very end of his life.
He was determined to speak and conduct things to the end, and he did, offering some closing remarks that constituted four paragraphs, 173 words, spoken in one minute and 51 seconds. With no further ado, here’s the full talk:
“My beloved brothers and sisters, we now conclude a great conference. We have been edified, uplifted. We have been inspired and lifted to a higher appreciation of this wonderful gospel. The music, the spoken word, and the prayers have all been magnificent.
“We now return to our homes. If we are driving, let us be careful. Let no tragedy mar the experience we have enjoyed.
“All of the proceedings of this conference will appear in a subsequent issue of the Ensign and Liahona. We encourage you again to read the talks in your family home evenings and discuss them together as families. They are the products of much prayer and meditation and are well worthy of careful consideration.
“Now the conference is adjourned for six months. We look forward to seeing you again next April. I’m 97, but I hope I’m going to make it. May the blessings of heaven attend you in the meantime is our humble and sincere prayer in the name of our Redeemer, even the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.”
Robert D. Hales, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
The Sunday afternoon session of the October 2007 conference featured nine talks, all of which ranged from good to excellent. Elder Hales started off by talking about revelation and how he has seen it received. One of those experiences happened as a regional representative when he accompanied Marion G. Romney to reorganize a stake presidency.
“During the long, quiet ride to the conference, our conversation turned to the spiritual dimensions of our assignment. Elder Romney taught me about how the Lord blesses us with revelation. ‘Robert,’ he said, ‘I have learned that when we are on the Lord’s errand, we have His blessings to accomplish whatever we are asked to do.’ Elder Romney further explained that we would arrive in the distant city, kneel in prayer, interview priesthood holders, kneel in prayer again, and the Holy Ghost would reveal to us the person whom the Lord had chosen to be the new stake president. He promised me it would be one of the great spiritual experiences of my life, and it was.”
With another little story, he reminds us,
“Revelation comes on the Lord’s timetable, which often means we must move forward in faith, even though we haven’t received all the answers we desire. As a General Authority, I was assigned to help reorganize a stake presidency under the direction of Elder Ezra Taft Benson. After praying, interviewing, studying, and praying again, Elder Benson asked if I knew who the new president would be. I said I had not received that inspiration yet. He looked at me for a long time and replied he hadn’t either. However, we were inspired to ask three worthy priesthood holders to speak in the Saturday evening session of conference. Moments after the third speaker began, the Spirit prompted me that he should be the new stake president. I looked over at President Benson and saw tears streaming down his face. Revelation had been given to both of us-but only by continuing to seek our Heavenly Father’s will as we moved forward in faith.”
And there was this experience, while accompanying Harold B. Lee:
“Elder Lee asked me, as a newly sustained bishop, if I would join him at a press conference. There, an intense young reporter challenged Elder Lee. He said to him, ‘You call yourself a prophet. When was the last time you had revelation, and what was it about?’ Elder Lee paused, looked directly at him, and responded in a sweet way, ‘It was yesterday afternoon about three o’clock. We were praying about who should be called as the president of the new stake, and it was made known to us who that individual should be.’ The reporter’s heart changed. I will never forget the Spirit that came into that room as Elder Lee bore his powerful witness of revelation that can be received by those faithfully seeking to do the Lord’s will.”
Revelations come in all sizes, including statements directly from God that get canonized in scripture, the inspiration needed when calling someone to a position of responsibility in the Church, or the simple assurance to individual people that God loves them and that things they’ve already learned are indeed true. “By design, most miracles are spiritual demonstrations of God’s power-tender mercies gently bestowed through impressions, ideas, feelings of assurance, solutions to problems, strength to meet challenges, and comfort to bear disappointments and sorrow.”
We’re also promised that as we receive revelation and learn to recognize it as such, we can receive more. “While we are commanded not to seek after signs, we are commanded to ‘seek ... earnestly the best gifts.’ These gifts include the Holy Ghost and personal revelation. That revelation will come ‘line upon line, precept upon precept,’ as the Savior said, and ‘unto him that receiveth [the Lord] will give more.’”
Truth: The Foundation of Correct Decisions
Richard G. Scott, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Elder Scott spoke in a similar vein, talking about how we can discover truth, and the two approaches to truth he knew best: the scientific approach, and through revelation.
“The scientific method is a valuable way of seeking truth. However, it has two limitations. First, we never can be sure we have identified absolute truth, though we often draw nearer and nearer to it. Second, sometimes, no matter how earnestly we apply the method, we can get the wrong answer.
“The best way of finding truth is simply to go to the origin of all truth and ask or respond to inspiration. For success, two ingredients are essential: first, unwavering faith in the source of all truth; second, a willingness to keep God’s commandments to keep open spiritual communication with Him.”
As a Church leader he didn’t speak much about his prior profession as a nuclear engineer, but that scientific background came through in this talk as he reviewed a few areas at the fringes of scientific knowledge and how little we really know about the physical world. As a sampling,
“In the last 70 years much has been learned about the structure of matter. A Standard Model of Fundamental Particles and Interactions has been developed. It is based on experimentation that has established the existence of fundamental particles designated as quarks and others called leptons. This model explains the patterns of nuclear binding and decay of matter, but it does not yet provide a successful explanation for the forces of gravity. Also, some feel that even more powerful tools than those used to acquire our current understanding of matter might reveal additional fundamental particles. So there are yet more of Father in Heaven’s creations to be understood by the scientific method.”
He also cautions, “A knowledge of truth is of little value unless we apply it in making correct decisions.” I submit that correct decisions are more easily reached through revelation than through the scientific method, which is mostly concerned with how things work instead of how much moral or ethical value things have. And, one of the effects of making correct decisions and recognizing revelation comes in the development of character.
“Worthy character will strengthen your capacity to respond obediently to the direction of the Spirit as you make vital decisions. Righteous character is what you are becoming. It is more important than what you own, what you have learned, or what goals you have accomplished. It allows you to be trusted. Righteous character provides the foundation of spiritual strength. It enables you in times of trial and testing to make difficult, extremely important decisions correctly even when they seem overpowering.
“I testify that neither Satan nor any other power can weaken or destroy your growing character. Only you can do that through disobedience.
“Understand and apply this vital principle to your life: Your exercise of faith builds character. Fortified character expands your capacity to exercise greater faith. Thus, your confidence in making correct decisions is enhanced. And the strengthening cycle continues. The more your character is fortified, the more enabled you are to exercise the power of faith for yet stronger character.”
Nourished by the Good Word of God
Daniel K Judd, First Counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency
Brother Judd told of when he was young and raising horses, and how they would come for food if he rattled some grain in a bucket. He then tried tricking them by shaking some dirt in the bucket, and while it initially fooled them they soon became less responsive, even if they were hearing grain in the bucket. Comparing food to teaching, he then asked, “What can we as teachers and leaders in the Church do to provide increased doctrinal and spiritual nourishment for those we serve?”
“Just as I learned as a young man that grain was more appealing to our horses than a dirt-filled bucket, I also learned that grain was more nourishing than hay, that hay was more nourishing than straw, and that it was possible to feed a horse without nourishing him. As teachers and leaders, it is vital that we nourish those we teach and lead by focusing on the fundamental doctrines, principles, and applications emphasized in the scriptures and the words of our latter-day prophets instead of spending precious time on subjects and sources of lesser importance.
“As a teacher I have learned that a class discussion focused on the Atonement of Jesus Christ is infinitely more important than discussing topics such as the precise location of the ancient city of Zarahemla in today’s geography. As a leader I have learned that leadership meetings are more meaningful if our highest priority is an integrated effort to build faith in Christ and strengthen families, and not simply a correlated calendar.”
Teaching nourishing doctrine also presupposes that a teacher is guided by inspiration:
“Several months ago I attended a training meeting where a number of General Authorities had spoken. After commenting on the excellent instruction that had been given, Elder David A. Bednar asked the following question: ‘What are we learning that has not been said?’ He then explained that in addition to receiving the counsel that had been given by those who had spoken or who would yet speak, we should also carefully listen for and record the unspoken impressions given by the Holy Ghost.”
The Power of Godliness Is Manifested in the Temples of God
Octaviano Tenorio, Quorum of the Seventy
Elder Tenorio then spoke of things relating to the plan of salvation, and how temple blessings prepare us for the challenges within that plan, stating, “Many times we don’t comprehend the meaning of the ordinances of the temple in their fulness until after we have known affliction or passed through experiences that could have been extremely sad without the knowledge of the plan of salvation.”
He illustrated this by speaking of his daughter’s birth and how he celebrated that event by handing out chocolates to everyone at work. While he was doing that, he got a phone call informing him that their newborn daughter had just died. After talking to his wife about it, he reports,
“We knew that one day we would be reunited with our daughter because we were sealed by the power of the priesthood in the temple. We ended the telephone call, and I resumed giving out the chocolates in my office building.
“Seeing me do this, one of my co-workers was surprised and asked me how I could do this after such terrible news. I answered, ‘If you have three hours, I can explain to you why I am not feeling too sad and about my knowledge of what happens after death.’ He didn’t have three hours at that moment but did later. We ended up talking for four hours. He accepted the gospel and, together with his mother and brother, was baptized into the Church after receiving the discussions.”
It’s all of those gospel things-faith in Jesus, hope, love, gospel ordinances, and knowledge of God’s plan-that enable us to see sadness and disappointments for what they are, and go forward with hope without being completely devastated by those disappointments.
After All We Can Do
Claudio D. Zivic, Quorum of the Seventy
Elder Zivic spoke of inspiration he found from a long-forgotten author while serving in the Argentinian Army, who wrote, “I choose not to be an ordinary man; it is my right to be someone out of the ordinary, if I am able.”
Commenting on this, he said, “My feelings were and are that we, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ, have chosen not to be ordinary men and women. The last words, ‘if I am able,’ made me think that it is not enough to go through the motions of being baptized and confirmed, but rather we have to fulfill and honor the commitment that we made with the Lord on that memorable day.”
Knowing That We Know
Douglas L. Callister, Quorum of the Seventy
Testimony has long been a favorite gospel subject of mine, and Elder Callister spoke on the value of testimony by reminding us,
“In the genius of the gospel plan, there ultimately only has to be one witness, but that witness must be you. The testimony of others may initiate and nourish the desire for faith and testimony, but eventually every individual must find out for himself. None can permanently endure on borrowed light.
“The restored gospel is not truer today than when a solitary boy walked out of the Sacred Grove in 1820. Truth has never been dependent on the number who embrace it. When Joseph left the grove, there was only one man on earth who knew the truth about God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. It is necessary, however, that each find out for himself and carry that burning testimony into the next life.”
The words testimony and witness have some overlapping meanings, and while there’s much value in hearing from other witnesses, we need to become witnesses in our own right. “If you want to know that you know that you know, a price must be paid. And you alone must pay that price. There are proxies for ordinances, but none for the acquisition of a testimony.”
Then there was this great and intriguing thought:
“Early Church leaders paid a great price to establish this dispensation. Perhaps we will meet them in the next life and listen to their witness. When we are called upon to testify, what will we say? There will be spiritual infants and spiritual giants in the next life. Eternity is a long time to live without light, especially if our spouses and our descendants also live in darkness because there was no light within us, and others, therefore, could not light their lamps.”
We all are the beneficiaries of a spiritual heritage, and it’s up to each of us to turn that heritage into a legacy that will benefit our descendants and all who hear our witness of the gospel.
Service
Steven E. Snow, Presidency of the Seventy
Elder Snow introduced his topic, service, by speaking of his mother’s death and his final conversation with her.
“Mom had fine taste and liked nice things. She also longed to travel, but our family lived on a modest budget, and these dreams were not quite realized. Knowing this, I asked her if she had any regrets. I fully expected to hear she had always wanted a larger, more beautiful home or perhaps an expression of sadness and disappointment over never having traveled. She pondered my question for a few moments and replied simply, ‘I wish I had served more.’”
Knowing what she had wanted and what she liked, this answer surprised him. He brought up her desires for travel and nice things, and how she had already been an example of service to others. “When I reminded her of all this, she was undeterred. ‘I could have done more’ was all she said.... Now, I have no doubt my mother’s earthly sacrifice has been accepted by the Lord and that she has been welcomed by Him. But why was it foremost in her mind just days before her passing? What is service, and why is it so important in the gospel of Jesus Christ?”
There was also this quote from President Hinckley: “No man can be a true Latter-day Saint who is unneighborly, who does not reach out to assist and help others. It is inherent in the very nature of the gospel that we do so. My brothers and sisters, we cannot live unto ourselves.”
He also added a lesson from his grandfather, who said, “The public service we render is the rent we pay for our place on earth.”
Good, Better, Best
Dallin H. Oaks, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Among the talks Elder Oaks has given, this is one I’ve seen referenced perhaps the most of all, and the title alone gives a good idea of what he was teaching. “The number of good things we can do far exceeds the time available to accomplish them. Some things are better than good, and these are the things that should command priority attention in our lives.” And, of course, the best things should command the most priority of our time and efforts.
There was also this interesting mention of reduced time for Church meetings a dozen years before it happened, among other things:
“Suppose Church leaders reduce the time required by Church meetings and activities in order to increase the time available for families to be together. This will not achieve its intended purpose unless individual family members-especially parents-vigorously act to increase family togetherness and one-on-one time. Team sports and technology toys like video games and the Internet are already winning away the time of our children and youth. Surfing the Internet is not better than serving the Lord or strengthening the family. Some young men and women are skipping Church youth activities or cutting family time in order to participate in soccer leagues or to pursue various entertainments. Some young people are amusing themselves to death-spiritual death.”
Then, speaking directly of Church meetings he said it is “good to hold a meeting, better to teach a principle, but best to actually improve lives as a result of the meeting.”
I’ve noticed Elder Oaks spoke of upcoming curriculum manuals more than most other Church leaders, particularly when Teachings of Presidents of the Church were being presented in Melchizedek Priesthood quorums and Relief Society classes. He did so again here.
“In the past, some teachers have given a chapter of the Teachings manuals no more than a brief mention and then substituted a lesson of their own choice. It may have been a good lesson, but this is not an acceptable practice. A gospel teacher is called to teach the subject specified from the inspired materials provided. The best thing a teacher can do with Teachings: Joseph Smith is to select and quote from the words of the Prophet on principles specially suited to the needs of class members and then direct a class discussion on how to apply those principles in the circumstances of their lives.”
I taught most of that particular manual for the following two years in my ward’s elders quorum, and while I did not remember this particular counsel during that time, I’m pleased to report, all these years later, that I was successful at teaching the specified subject matter instead of my own thing-thanks in part to a previous conference talk Elder Oaks had given on the matter.
Closing Remarks
Gordon B. Hinckley, President of the Church
As I indicated last week, this was President Hinckley’s last conference, and his talk in the Sunday morning session could be considered his final testimony to the Church. But unlike some of the previous prophets of this dispensation who were too frail to speak at the final conference sessions of their presidencies, President Hinckley had been blessed with enough health and vigor to stand and speak until the very end of his life.
He was determined to speak and conduct things to the end, and he did, offering some closing remarks that constituted four paragraphs, 173 words, spoken in one minute and 51 seconds. With no further ado, here’s the full talk:
“My beloved brothers and sisters, we now conclude a great conference. We have been edified, uplifted. We have been inspired and lifted to a higher appreciation of this wonderful gospel. The music, the spoken word, and the prayers have all been magnificent.
“We now return to our homes. If we are driving, let us be careful. Let no tragedy mar the experience we have enjoyed.
“All of the proceedings of this conference will appear in a subsequent issue of the Ensign and Liahona. We encourage you again to read the talks in your family home evenings and discuss them together as families. They are the products of much prayer and meditation and are well worthy of careful consideration.
“Now the conference is adjourned for six months. We look forward to seeing you again next April. I’m 97, but I hope I’m going to make it. May the blessings of heaven attend you in the meantime is our humble and sincere prayer in the name of our Redeemer, even the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.”