General Conference: Sunday afternoon

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf conducting

Choir: Sweet is the Work

[ prayer ]

Choir: I Stand All Amazed
[ watching closely to see our friend Christian! Superb job singing! ]

President Boyd K. Packer
Times of uncertainty focus our attention on things that matter
At last, I knew for myself. I knew for a certainty.
If such a thing came to me, it could come to anyone
Like most things of great worth, knowledge which is of eternal value comes only through personal prayer and pondering
God lives, He is our father, we are His children
Of all other titles God could have used, He chose to be called Father
Parenthood is a sacred privilege, and, depending on faithfulness, can be an eternal blessing
A family can be happy at home
The promise is eternal increase, and it will not be denied.
All things essential to our salvation will eventually be given
The Holy Ghost is real
Each son or daughter of our Heavenly Father can come to know the reality of Moroni’s promise by the power of the Holy Ghost
Underpinning all that we do is the Lord’s name, which is the authority by which we act in the church
Every prayer ends in His name, every ordinance, every ordination, every blessing done in the name of Jesus Christ
[ still waking up from a nap with a bad headache ]
Jesus Christ is the Son of God; He is our advocate with the Father
Share our testimony with our family and others
Remember, there is an adversary who personally seeks to disrupt the work of the Lord
We must choose who to follow
Decide individually to follow the Savior, so we faithfully remain on His side
The Savior lives. I know the Lord; I am His witness.

Elder William R. Walker
Live true to the faith. Commit now!
Learn the conversion stories of your forefathers
The Mormon pioneer heritage of faith and sacrifice is your heritage
ex: Wilford Woodruff, the United Brethren
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
Early saints stayed true to the faith even after Joseph Smith’s martyrdom
ex: Mormon Battalion – “My faith is so strong as ever, and when I think of the things Brigham Young told us, I believe it about the same as if the Lord God told me.”
They knew they were led by a prophet of God
[ headache caused by lack of food. Time to eat ]

Elder L. Tom Perry
Eternal nature of the family unit
The driver knows best; horses must be obedient
Follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost
Out of respect for our agency, it is never a strong, forceful tug
If you veer off course, allow the Spirit to guide you back
Even with the slightest tug from the Master, we must be willing to completely alter our course
Today’s complexity demands greater simplicity
At its best, obedience is an emblem of our faith in the wisdom and power of the highest authority, even Almighty God
Our faithfulness, through obedience, will ultimately rescue us
Obedience is a choice between our own limited knowledge and power, and God’s unlimited wisdom and omnipotence
It is a choice to sense the spiritual bit in our mouths and follow the driver’s lead

Choir & congregation: Hark All Ye Nations

Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally”
Must ask God or ever remain in darkness and conversion
Joseph Smith, in his haste to know, is not hasty. This is a special prayer. He prepares
The church has spread throughout the world; opposition, criticism, and antagonism are companions to the truth
There will always be a force to oppose good
The Son of God, the Savior of all mankind – why did they not leave Him alone? Because He is the truth, and the truth will always be opposed
1. God is a personal, exalted being, an eternal father
2. God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are separate beings
3. You may become like God if you have faith, repent, receive ordinances, endure to the end
4. The Church of Jesus Christ today is fundamentally the same church he organized during his mortal ministry
5. Revelation has not ceased, the heavens have not closed, God speaks to prophets and He will speak to you
6. Those who live and die without the gospel are not lost. All mankind may be saved
7. You lived before earthly birth in the presence of God
8. Marriage and family are not conventions of men; they are intended to be eternal
9. The family is the pattern of heaven
These revelations are not the inventions of Joseph Smith
There is no dispute about what Joseph Smith accomplished, only how he did what he did and why
He was either pretender or prophet. He did it alone, or he had help from heaven
Do ask young Joseph and ask God – the pattern to know the truth of all things

Elder Michael John U. Teh
ex: natural disasters in Philippines
“We’re ok!” Their faith in Christ gave them hope that everything would work out eventually
Material things don’t matter in times of disaster and calamity
How much can we live without?
Most of us are involved in earning money and acquiring some of the world’s goods; it requires much of our time and attention
It is critical that we learn to recognize when we have enough
There is a strong inclination to obtain more and more
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth . . . but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven”
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”
Pres. Uchtdorf: “Our Heavenly Father sees our real potential . . . why, then, do we devote so much of our time and energy to things that are so fleeting, so inconsequential, and so trivial?”
I will focus on things that will constitute our treasures in heaven
1. Acquire the Christlike attributes of faith, hope, humility, and charity
Put off the natural man and become as a child
Strive to be perfect like Him
2. Put more quality time and effort in strengthening family relationships
It is the most important unit in time and eternity
3. Serving others is a hallmark of a true follower of Christ
4. Understanding the doctrine of Christ and building our testimony
Consistently study the words of Christ and of living prophets
“I treasure my temple recommend and keep it under my pillow. I pay a full tithe on my meager income. No matter what happens, I will always pay tithing.”
Our priorities will have a direct bearing on our next estate

Elder Marcos A. Aidukaitis
How can we recognize truth in a world that is increasingly blunt in its attack on the things of God?
1. Know the truth by recognizing its fruits
Improvement in the lives of those who follow the teachings of Christ
2. Experiment on the word ourselves
We are invited to test the word, given parameters, and told the outcome if we follow the instructions
Giving place for the word in our hearts and cultivating it like a seed
3. Personal revelation
Revelation is knowledge of whatsoever things we ask in faith
“I will tell it in your mind and in your heart by the Holy Ghost”
Can be obtained by asking in faith with an honest heart
“Without faith you can do nothing; therefore, ask in faith”
Requires work studying it out, then asking in prayer if it is right
“He that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word””
Believe that we will receive revelation and have hope in God’s promises
It requires more effort than just searching the internet, but it is worth it

Elder D. Todd Christofferson
The declaration that Christ had risen from the dead was at first incomprehensible
The tomb was empty – John writes that he saw and believed
Angels tenderly asked Mary, “Why weepest thou?”
“Whom seekest thou?” Mary assumes he is the gardener
The voice, the tone, the tender accent she had heard and loved in the earlier days lifted her from the despairing depths to which she had sunk
“Ye shall be witnesses unto me”
Christ’s resurrection shows that His existence is independent and everlasting
Both as Jehovah and Messiah, He is the great I Am. He simply is, and ever will be.
We can have ultimate confidence and trust in His power to overcome all else and grant us everlasting life
“Even so in Christ shall all be made alive”
“Christ’s victory in death ended the human predicament. Now there are only personal predicaments.”
He is a perfect merciful God, thus He makes all things right. No injustice in life is permanent, not even death
Having redeemed us from the Fall, our lives are, in reality, His
Resurrection resolves the true identity of Jesus of Nazareth
If He was in fact literally resurrected, it follows that He is a divine being
Because He was resurrected, He cannot have been only a carpenter, a teacher, a rabbi, or a prophet. He had to have been a God
Therefore, what he taught is true – God does not lie
He will come again and reign personally upon the earth
There is a final judgment and a resurrection for all
Doubts about the meaning and purpose of life are unfounded
The grace of Christ is real, affording both forgiveness and cleansing to the repentant sinner
Repentance of any violation of the commandments is both possible and urgent
Given the reality of the resurrection of Christ, death is not our end
The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the apostles and prophets of Jesus Christ

President Thomas S. Monson
We’ve been fed spiritually, the music has been superb, the messages have been prepared and delivered under the promptings of the Holy Spirit
Take time to read the conference messages
Be kind and loving to those who do not share our beliefs and standards
We face many serious challenges, but our Heavenly Father is mindful of us. He will guide and bless us as we put our faith and trust in Him
Constantly nourish our testimonies of the gospel
May we ever be found doing the work of the Lord
Realize how much our Father in Heaven loves us

Choir: Come, Let Us Anew

[ prayer ]