General Conference Odyssey: Saturday morning session, April 5, 2008
The Sustaining of Church Officers
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency
The April 2008 conference began with a solemn assembly to sustain President Monson as the prophet and 16th president of the Church. Dieter F. Uchtdorf filled the vacancy in the First Presidency caused by President Hinckley’s death and by President Monson’s advancement from counselor to prophet, and the resulting vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve was filled by D. Todd Christofferson. I had first become aware of Elder Christofferson when I heard him speak to prospective missionaries at BYU in late 1997, and had regarded him with an above-average level of attention for a seventy since then. His call to the Twelve was not a surprise.
For me, one of the best things about President Monson’s leadership was having President Uchtdorf in the First Presidency, giving us more opportunities to hear from him. He has been a favorite apostle of mine from the moment I learned of his call to that responsibility, and some of my favorite talks from him came from the time when he served as a counselor to President Monson.
One interesting thing about President Monson’s counselors is that both of them were called to the apostleship under President Hinckley’s leadership, and both were added to the First Presidency while they were among the more junior members of the Twelve. They would not be junior members by the time of President Monson’s death almost ten years later, and were able to provide continuous support to their president for the entirety of his administration.
Looking at this event from our end-of-2024 perspective, notable other Church leaders called during this conference included one Gary E. Stevenson, who was called to the Seventy.
Salvation and Exaltation
Russell M. Nelson, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the first speaker, following the first Church-wide sustaining vote for President Monson, would be his successor as the prophet, Elder Nelson. I never gave much thought about who would be the next prophet during the first few years of President Monson’s leadership, but with Elder Nelson being three years older I wouldn’t have guessed that prophet to be him.
Speaking about such matters as sustaining new leaders, Elder Nelson reminded us that “the ministry of the Apostles-the First Presidency and the Twelve-is to bring about that unity of the faith and to proclaim our knowledge of the Master. Our ministry is to bless the lives of all who will learn and follow the ‘more excellent way’ of the Lord. And we are to help people prepare for their potential salvation and exaltation.”
As significant as the authority of an apostle is, what matters more is how we respond to the gospel they teach and the covenants they administer. And, as we would learn in this talk and elsewhere, the way we respond to the gospel is done more at home than at church.
“The home is to be God’s laboratory of love and service. There a husband is to love his wife, a wife is to love her husband, and parents and children are to love one another.
“Throughout the world, the family is increasingly under attack. If families fail, many of our political, economic, and social systems will also fail. And if families fail, their glorious eternal potential cannot be realized.”
Elder Nelson further taught, “The Church is to assist and not to replace parents in their responsibilities to teach their children.” Hindsight shows us how important that statement was, as the home-centered and church-supported worship that began development under President Monson and saw implementation under President Nelson was first set into motion.
We were taught in this talk that “salvation is an individual matter; exaltation is a family matter.”
“As children of the covenant, we have met in this morning’s solemn assembly. Attention has been focused upon the sacred titles of prophets and apostles. But the final responsibility to prepare for salvation and exaltation rests upon each person, accountable for individual agency, acting in one’s own family, bearing another sacred title of mother, father, daughter, son, grandmother, or grandfather.”
Special Experiences
Ronald A. Rasband, Presidency of the Seventy
Referring to President Monson, Elder Rasband said, “This very conference session illustrates the value of a life full of experiences. As we follow the wise counsel of our leaders and marvel at their teachings and spirit, is it any wonder that the Lord chooses His senior Apostle, after years of preparation, to become His chosen prophet?”
One thing that stood out was when he said,
“My patriarchal blessing indicates that I would be given special experiences that would strengthen my own testimony. Brothers and sisters, think of the special experiences you have been blessed with in your life that have given you conviction and joy in your heart.... As you contemplate such special experiences, don’t they give you a sense of gratitude and resolve to go forward with renewed faith and determination?”
One such special experience he described came when he and his wife traveled to Peru to preside at two stake conferences, and they visited some of the humble members there who live on floating reed islands on Lake Titicaca. The children there travel 45 minutes by canoe to attend seminary, and the families had been sealed together after traveling to the nearest temple in Bolivia. “Faith is increasing among God’s covenant people, and I believe it is through having a personal treasury of such valued experiences that an increase of faith can happen for each of us.”
Righteous Traditions
Cheryl C. Lant, Primary General President
President Lant’s talk included a series of questions:
“What kinds of traditions do we have? Some of them may have come from our fathers, and now we are passing them along to our own children. Are they what we want them to be? Are they based on actions of righteousness and faith? Are they mostly material in nature, or are they eternal? Are we consciously creating righteous traditions, or is life just happening to us? Are our traditions being created in response to the loud voices of the world, or are they influenced by the still, small voice of the Spirit? Are the traditions that we are creating in our families going to make it easier for our children to follow the living prophets, or will they make it difficult for them?”
As the Book of Mormon points out repeatedly, traditions can have a great positive or negative effect on how both individuals and families can behave. Even when we’re not aware of traditions or habits that we follow, it’s worth it to see such things for what they are and decide whether such things are worth perpetuating.
Traditions can help us become more converted to the gospel, and they’re often a major obstacle that prevents conversion. The most effective way to short-circuit bad traditions is through the Holy Ghost, which is also the only way to realize true conversion. President Lant cautions us, “Our motivation must be to openly seek truth rather than justify our actions by finding fault with the scriptures, the teachings of the prophets, or the Church itself. Our effort must be toward hearing the interpretations of the Spirit rather than the understandings of the world.” In many instances, those worldly understandings are based on nothing more than traditions.
Restoring Faith in the Family
Kenneth Johnson, Quorum of the Seventy
Speaking on matters of worldly learning and spiritual learning, Elder Johnson said,
“One thing that becomes clear to the enlightened mind is that there are laws that keep life and living things in balance. Discovering the laws of physics and complying with them brings progress, enabling man to rise to higher levels of attainment than would otherwise be possible.
“I believe that this premise also applies to ethical standards and moral values. It is, therefore, our responsibility to safeguard the home as a center of learning where these virtues can be instilled in an atmosphere of love and through the power of example.”
The process of obtaining a testimony of spiritual things has a lot of similarities with the scientific method of experimentation and evaluating results against the inputs provided-something too many people ignore because they lack the faith to test certain things or the patience to wait for results.
“It is important to understand that natural laws were not determined on the basis of popularity. They were established and rest on the rock of reality.
“There are also moral verities that did not originate with man. They are central to a divine plan which, when discovered and applied, brings great happiness and hope on our mortal journey.”
Concern for the One
Joseph B. Wirthlin, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Speaking from his chair, Elder Wirthlin spoke of President Monson with the following description:
“I have known President Monson for a long time. He is a mighty man of Israel who was foreordained to preside over this Church. He is well-known for his captivating stories and parables, but we who know him best understand that his life is a practical and exemplary model of the application of those stories. While it is a compliment to him that many of the great and mighty of this world know and honor him, perhaps it is an even greater tribute that many of the lowly call him friend.”
He then spoke about many of those who would be considered lowly by the world’s standards, and by themselves for becoming lost from the covenant path: those who consider themselves too different from the typical Latter-day Saint, those who have grown weary of well-doing, or who have gone astray through worldly temptations.
Regarding the different, Elder Wirthlin said,
“The Lord did not people the earth with a vibrant orchestra of personalities only to value the piccolos of the world. Every instrument is precious and adds to the complex beauty of the symphony. All of Heavenly Father’s children are different in some degree, yet each has his own beautiful sound that adds depth and richness to the whole.”
To the weary, he said,
“For you members of the Church who hold back because of feelings of inadequacy, I plead with you to step forward, put your shoulder to the wheel, and push. Even when you feel that your strength can add little, the Church needs you. The Lord needs you. Remember that the Lord often chooses ‘the weak things of the world’ to accomplish His purposes.
“To all who are weary, let the comforting words of the Savior console you: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ Let us rely on that promise. The power of God can infuse our spirits and bodies with energy and vigor. I urge you to seek this blessing from the Lord.”
He also counseled,
“Caring Church leaders are mindful of individual limitations yet eager to utilize members to the extent of their strength and abilities. Leaders teach and support but do not bring pressure to ‘run faster or labor more than’ strength allows.
“Remember, sometimes those who start out the slowest end up going the farthest.”
Then, to those who are lost because they had strayed from the strait and narrow, Elder Wirthlin said, “The question is not whether we will trip and fall but, rather, how will we respond?”
“I am not aware of any sign on the door of our meetinghouses that reads ‘Restricted Entrance-Perfect People Only.’
Because of our imperfections, we need the Lord’s Church. It is there that His redemptive doctrines are taught and His saving ordinances are administered. The Church encourages and motivates us to be a better and happier people....
“To those who have strayed because of doctrinal concerns, we cannot apologize for the truth. We cannot deny doctrine given to us by the Lord Himself. On this principle we cannot compromise.
I understand that sometimes people disagree with doctrine. They even go so far as to call it foolish. But I echo words of the Apostle Paul, who said that sometimes spiritual things can appear as foolishness to men. Nevertheless, ‘the foolishness of God is wiser than men.’”
I submit that those who disagree with the Church because of its doctrine either don’t understand the doctrine, or can’t separate it from other things such as policy, culture, or the people who teach it.
The True and Living Church
Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency
The final speaker of this session was President Eyring, who said, “We have seen today a demonstration that this is the true and living Church. The keys of the priesthood are held by mortals, but the way has been prepared by the Lord for the keys to remain functioning on the earth so long as the people exercise faith both that the keys are on the earth and that they have been passed on by the will of God to His chosen servants.”
The Lord’s preface to Doctrine and Covenants (also known as Section 1) states that this is the “only true and living church,” and events where new leaders are sustained, such as the solemn assembly of this session, are instances that show how the Church is “living.” President Eyring continued,
“We know from prophecy that not only will the true and living Church not be taken from the earth again, but it will become better. Our lives will be transformed for the better as we exercise faith unto repentance, always remember the Savior, and try ever harder to keep His commandments. The scriptures contain promises that when the Lord comes again to His Church, He will find it spiritually prepared for Him. That should make us both determined and optimistic. We must do better. We can. And we will.”
The Church’s truthfulness is also evident through the ordinances it administers, beginning with baptism and culminating in families being sealed together-husbands to wives and parents to children, never to be separated in the eternities to come.
“It is the sealing power and our knowledge of it which changes and transforms our family life here and our expectations for the joy of family life in the world to come. The thought and the hope that I can have eternal relationships carries me through the trials of separation and the loneliness which are part of mortal existence. The promise to the faithful in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that we may have associations and an expansion of families in the eternities. That assurance changes forever and for the better all of our associations in families.”
Latter-day prophets have repeatedly taught that this dispensation of the gospel will not end in apostasy before Jesus returns to begin His millennial reign on the earth, as was the case with every previous dispensation. A key reason for that, as President Eyring explained, is because of the faith of so many Saints in these days. “Frequently I am in meetings with obviously humble people who are allowed to teach lessons and give sermons which have in them power like that given to Lehi and Nephi, the sons of Helaman.”
He also said, regarding President Hinckley, “I remember him saying that the last words that he might speak at the end of his service would be ‘retention, retention, retention.’ His words live on in the leadership of President Monson and in all of us as we qualify to have the power of a Lehi and a Nephi to nourish with the good word of God.”
Among the many things that defined President Hinckley’s leadership was an emphasis on retaining new converts, and that emphasis continued with President Monson, who also exemplified in his life’s work the reactivation of those who had wandered from the covenant path of discipleship. To me, retaining new converts and reactivating old multigenerational members are one and the same-both part of the Church’s mission to perfect the Saints. I don’t believe the Saints will be fully perfected until after the Church’s other objectives (proclaiming the gospel, caring for the poor and needy, and redeeming the dead) have all been accomplished.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency
The April 2008 conference began with a solemn assembly to sustain President Monson as the prophet and 16th president of the Church. Dieter F. Uchtdorf filled the vacancy in the First Presidency caused by President Hinckley’s death and by President Monson’s advancement from counselor to prophet, and the resulting vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve was filled by D. Todd Christofferson. I had first become aware of Elder Christofferson when I heard him speak to prospective missionaries at BYU in late 1997, and had regarded him with an above-average level of attention for a seventy since then. His call to the Twelve was not a surprise.
For me, one of the best things about President Monson’s leadership was having President Uchtdorf in the First Presidency, giving us more opportunities to hear from him. He has been a favorite apostle of mine from the moment I learned of his call to that responsibility, and some of my favorite talks from him came from the time when he served as a counselor to President Monson.
One interesting thing about President Monson’s counselors is that both of them were called to the apostleship under President Hinckley’s leadership, and both were added to the First Presidency while they were among the more junior members of the Twelve. They would not be junior members by the time of President Monson’s death almost ten years later, and were able to provide continuous support to their president for the entirety of his administration.
Looking at this event from our end-of-2024 perspective, notable other Church leaders called during this conference included one Gary E. Stevenson, who was called to the Seventy.
Salvation and Exaltation
Russell M. Nelson, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the first speaker, following the first Church-wide sustaining vote for President Monson, would be his successor as the prophet, Elder Nelson. I never gave much thought about who would be the next prophet during the first few years of President Monson’s leadership, but with Elder Nelson being three years older I wouldn’t have guessed that prophet to be him.
Speaking about such matters as sustaining new leaders, Elder Nelson reminded us that “the ministry of the Apostles-the First Presidency and the Twelve-is to bring about that unity of the faith and to proclaim our knowledge of the Master. Our ministry is to bless the lives of all who will learn and follow the ‘more excellent way’ of the Lord. And we are to help people prepare for their potential salvation and exaltation.”
As significant as the authority of an apostle is, what matters more is how we respond to the gospel they teach and the covenants they administer. And, as we would learn in this talk and elsewhere, the way we respond to the gospel is done more at home than at church.
“The home is to be God’s laboratory of love and service. There a husband is to love his wife, a wife is to love her husband, and parents and children are to love one another.
“Throughout the world, the family is increasingly under attack. If families fail, many of our political, economic, and social systems will also fail. And if families fail, their glorious eternal potential cannot be realized.”
Elder Nelson further taught, “The Church is to assist and not to replace parents in their responsibilities to teach their children.” Hindsight shows us how important that statement was, as the home-centered and church-supported worship that began development under President Monson and saw implementation under President Nelson was first set into motion.
We were taught in this talk that “salvation is an individual matter; exaltation is a family matter.”
“As children of the covenant, we have met in this morning’s solemn assembly. Attention has been focused upon the sacred titles of prophets and apostles. But the final responsibility to prepare for salvation and exaltation rests upon each person, accountable for individual agency, acting in one’s own family, bearing another sacred title of mother, father, daughter, son, grandmother, or grandfather.”
Special Experiences
Ronald A. Rasband, Presidency of the Seventy
Referring to President Monson, Elder Rasband said, “This very conference session illustrates the value of a life full of experiences. As we follow the wise counsel of our leaders and marvel at their teachings and spirit, is it any wonder that the Lord chooses His senior Apostle, after years of preparation, to become His chosen prophet?”
One thing that stood out was when he said,
“My patriarchal blessing indicates that I would be given special experiences that would strengthen my own testimony. Brothers and sisters, think of the special experiences you have been blessed with in your life that have given you conviction and joy in your heart.... As you contemplate such special experiences, don’t they give you a sense of gratitude and resolve to go forward with renewed faith and determination?”
One such special experience he described came when he and his wife traveled to Peru to preside at two stake conferences, and they visited some of the humble members there who live on floating reed islands on Lake Titicaca. The children there travel 45 minutes by canoe to attend seminary, and the families had been sealed together after traveling to the nearest temple in Bolivia. “Faith is increasing among God’s covenant people, and I believe it is through having a personal treasury of such valued experiences that an increase of faith can happen for each of us.”
Righteous Traditions
Cheryl C. Lant, Primary General President
President Lant’s talk included a series of questions:
“What kinds of traditions do we have? Some of them may have come from our fathers, and now we are passing them along to our own children. Are they what we want them to be? Are they based on actions of righteousness and faith? Are they mostly material in nature, or are they eternal? Are we consciously creating righteous traditions, or is life just happening to us? Are our traditions being created in response to the loud voices of the world, or are they influenced by the still, small voice of the Spirit? Are the traditions that we are creating in our families going to make it easier for our children to follow the living prophets, or will they make it difficult for them?”
As the Book of Mormon points out repeatedly, traditions can have a great positive or negative effect on how both individuals and families can behave. Even when we’re not aware of traditions or habits that we follow, it’s worth it to see such things for what they are and decide whether such things are worth perpetuating.
Traditions can help us become more converted to the gospel, and they’re often a major obstacle that prevents conversion. The most effective way to short-circuit bad traditions is through the Holy Ghost, which is also the only way to realize true conversion. President Lant cautions us, “Our motivation must be to openly seek truth rather than justify our actions by finding fault with the scriptures, the teachings of the prophets, or the Church itself. Our effort must be toward hearing the interpretations of the Spirit rather than the understandings of the world.” In many instances, those worldly understandings are based on nothing more than traditions.
Restoring Faith in the Family
Kenneth Johnson, Quorum of the Seventy
Speaking on matters of worldly learning and spiritual learning, Elder Johnson said,
“One thing that becomes clear to the enlightened mind is that there are laws that keep life and living things in balance. Discovering the laws of physics and complying with them brings progress, enabling man to rise to higher levels of attainment than would otherwise be possible.
“I believe that this premise also applies to ethical standards and moral values. It is, therefore, our responsibility to safeguard the home as a center of learning where these virtues can be instilled in an atmosphere of love and through the power of example.”
The process of obtaining a testimony of spiritual things has a lot of similarities with the scientific method of experimentation and evaluating results against the inputs provided-something too many people ignore because they lack the faith to test certain things or the patience to wait for results.
“It is important to understand that natural laws were not determined on the basis of popularity. They were established and rest on the rock of reality.
“There are also moral verities that did not originate with man. They are central to a divine plan which, when discovered and applied, brings great happiness and hope on our mortal journey.”
Concern for the One
Joseph B. Wirthlin, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Speaking from his chair, Elder Wirthlin spoke of President Monson with the following description:
“I have known President Monson for a long time. He is a mighty man of Israel who was foreordained to preside over this Church. He is well-known for his captivating stories and parables, but we who know him best understand that his life is a practical and exemplary model of the application of those stories. While it is a compliment to him that many of the great and mighty of this world know and honor him, perhaps it is an even greater tribute that many of the lowly call him friend.”
He then spoke about many of those who would be considered lowly by the world’s standards, and by themselves for becoming lost from the covenant path: those who consider themselves too different from the typical Latter-day Saint, those who have grown weary of well-doing, or who have gone astray through worldly temptations.
Regarding the different, Elder Wirthlin said,
“The Lord did not people the earth with a vibrant orchestra of personalities only to value the piccolos of the world. Every instrument is precious and adds to the complex beauty of the symphony. All of Heavenly Father’s children are different in some degree, yet each has his own beautiful sound that adds depth and richness to the whole.”
To the weary, he said,
“For you members of the Church who hold back because of feelings of inadequacy, I plead with you to step forward, put your shoulder to the wheel, and push. Even when you feel that your strength can add little, the Church needs you. The Lord needs you. Remember that the Lord often chooses ‘the weak things of the world’ to accomplish His purposes.
“To all who are weary, let the comforting words of the Savior console you: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ Let us rely on that promise. The power of God can infuse our spirits and bodies with energy and vigor. I urge you to seek this blessing from the Lord.”
He also counseled,
“Caring Church leaders are mindful of individual limitations yet eager to utilize members to the extent of their strength and abilities. Leaders teach and support but do not bring pressure to ‘run faster or labor more than’ strength allows.
“Remember, sometimes those who start out the slowest end up going the farthest.”
Then, to those who are lost because they had strayed from the strait and narrow, Elder Wirthlin said, “The question is not whether we will trip and fall but, rather, how will we respond?”
“I am not aware of any sign on the door of our meetinghouses that reads ‘Restricted Entrance-Perfect People Only.’
Because of our imperfections, we need the Lord’s Church. It is there that His redemptive doctrines are taught and His saving ordinances are administered. The Church encourages and motivates us to be a better and happier people....
“To those who have strayed because of doctrinal concerns, we cannot apologize for the truth. We cannot deny doctrine given to us by the Lord Himself. On this principle we cannot compromise.
I understand that sometimes people disagree with doctrine. They even go so far as to call it foolish. But I echo words of the Apostle Paul, who said that sometimes spiritual things can appear as foolishness to men. Nevertheless, ‘the foolishness of God is wiser than men.’”
I submit that those who disagree with the Church because of its doctrine either don’t understand the doctrine, or can’t separate it from other things such as policy, culture, or the people who teach it.
The True and Living Church
Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency
The final speaker of this session was President Eyring, who said, “We have seen today a demonstration that this is the true and living Church. The keys of the priesthood are held by mortals, but the way has been prepared by the Lord for the keys to remain functioning on the earth so long as the people exercise faith both that the keys are on the earth and that they have been passed on by the will of God to His chosen servants.”
The Lord’s preface to Doctrine and Covenants (also known as Section 1) states that this is the “only true and living church,” and events where new leaders are sustained, such as the solemn assembly of this session, are instances that show how the Church is “living.” President Eyring continued,
“We know from prophecy that not only will the true and living Church not be taken from the earth again, but it will become better. Our lives will be transformed for the better as we exercise faith unto repentance, always remember the Savior, and try ever harder to keep His commandments. The scriptures contain promises that when the Lord comes again to His Church, He will find it spiritually prepared for Him. That should make us both determined and optimistic. We must do better. We can. And we will.”
The Church’s truthfulness is also evident through the ordinances it administers, beginning with baptism and culminating in families being sealed together-husbands to wives and parents to children, never to be separated in the eternities to come.
“It is the sealing power and our knowledge of it which changes and transforms our family life here and our expectations for the joy of family life in the world to come. The thought and the hope that I can have eternal relationships carries me through the trials of separation and the loneliness which are part of mortal existence. The promise to the faithful in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that we may have associations and an expansion of families in the eternities. That assurance changes forever and for the better all of our associations in families.”
Latter-day prophets have repeatedly taught that this dispensation of the gospel will not end in apostasy before Jesus returns to begin His millennial reign on the earth, as was the case with every previous dispensation. A key reason for that, as President Eyring explained, is because of the faith of so many Saints in these days. “Frequently I am in meetings with obviously humble people who are allowed to teach lessons and give sermons which have in them power like that given to Lehi and Nephi, the sons of Helaman.”
He also said, regarding President Hinckley, “I remember him saying that the last words that he might speak at the end of his service would be ‘retention, retention, retention.’ His words live on in the leadership of President Monson and in all of us as we qualify to have the power of a Lehi and a Nephi to nourish with the good word of God.”
Among the many things that defined President Hinckley’s leadership was an emphasis on retaining new converts, and that emphasis continued with President Monson, who also exemplified in his life’s work the reactivation of those who had wandered from the covenant path of discipleship. To me, retaining new converts and reactivating old multigenerational members are one and the same-both part of the Church’s mission to perfect the Saints. I don’t believe the Saints will be fully perfected until after the Church’s other objectives (proclaiming the gospel, caring for the poor and needy, and redeeming the dead) have all been accomplished.