Saturday Afternoon Session

Conducting: President Dallin H. Oaks – 1st Counselor in the 1st Presidency

Hymn: (Hymn) – O Thou Rock of Our Salvation

Invocation: Elder Moises Villanueva of the 70

The Sustaining of the Church Officers: President Henry B. Eyring – 2nd Counselor in the 1st Presidency

• Released
  • Elder Henry J. Eyring – Area 70
  • Elder Youngioon Kwon – Area 70 
• Called 
  • Elder Rogerio Boschi – Area 70
  • Elder Kirt L. Hodges – Area 70 
  • Elder Alexander Dushku – General Authority 70

Hymn: (Hymn) – Jesus Once of Humble Birth (#196)

[how long have they allowed men to have beards while singing in conference? – I hope this becomes more common and accepted. — Maybe Pres. Nelson and Elder Holland will come back from their absences with beards. ] 😅

Talk: Elder Neal L. Andersen – Quorum of the 12

Opening the Windows of Heaven

•   Concerns about disasters in Venezuala – sharing food from bakery. 
  • Grateful to Heavenly Father for protecting their bakery. 
  • Son shared they were protected because they pay their tithes.
  •  Knelt in prayer for the miracle of protection.
•  All that we have and are comes from God. 
  • With all He gives, He has asked that we return to Him 10% of our increase. 
  • As we are honest in our tithes, He will open the windows of heaven such that there will not be room to receive it and we will be protected from evil. 
  • “Prove me now herewith.” (Malachi 3:10) 
• Trust in the Lord’s timing, 
  • The protection comes in many ways, but the blessings will come.
•   $54M US in relief donated along with thousands helped through fast offerings. 
•  The only permanent solution to the poverty of this world is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
•  If we show our willingness to put the Lord above our own interests, as we trust in the Lord, the blessings of heaven will follow.
• The World speaks of Tithing in the terms of money, but it is a matter of faith.
• Jesus instructed the Nephites to write into their record the blessings of Malachi. 
• All that we are and all that we have comes from God

• • Sacred funds do NOT belong to the leaders of the church but the Lord. 
    • His servants are aware of the sacred nature of their stewardship. 
    • What the leaders do with it is not our concern.
  •  God has asked us to return to Him 10 percent of our increase.

• This raises a question I had asked many times: If one is on Social Security Disability, would that person have to pay tithing on it or no?

• I think it’s a matter of the heart. If it is increase, give thanks and gratitude and be blessed by paying on your increase. 😄

• Pres Hinckley: My obligation is to pay tithes.  
  • When I do it is no longer more. 
  • What the authorities do with it is no longer my concern.  
•  More than $1B US was used to bless those in need. 
  • We have more than 71K serving in 414 missions. 
  • Because of tithes/offerings, missionaries (regardless of financial situation) are able to serve.
• Temples 
  • 177 are in operation with 59 under construction/renovation and 79 are in planning/design. 
  • Your tithes allow those blessings to be in places only the Lord can foresee.
• Wards – missed # 49 or 47K?
• 5 Institutions of higher learning, 135k Students. 110K classes taught weekly via seminary/institute
• Spiritual Power is not measured by the amount of money contributed. 
  • It comes from placing our trust in the Lord.
• All is known by the Lord, and in time we will see all His sacred purposes fulfilled.
• The added abundance of the Lord conveyed through your generous tithes has strengthened the reserves of the Church, providing opportunities to advance the Lord’s work beyond anything we have yet experienced
• Temporal and spiritual blessings come from paying tithing. 
  • When we pay, we want for nothing.
  • As I live it, I continue to be abundantly blessed.
•  There will be those who cheer us forward and those who will not.
• You and I are part of God’s important work on the earth, preparing the way for the Savior’s return. 
• Between now and His return, He will bestow countless privileges, blessings and miracles upon the faithful.  
• “With all the Lord gives to us, He has asked us to return to Him and His kingdom on earth 10% of our increase. 
  • He has promised us that as we are honest in our tithes, He will ‘open … the windows of heaven, and pour … out a blessing’” (Malachi 3:10). 
• The windows of heaven can open both temporally and spiritually. 
  • Some blessings are subtle and easy to overlook. Trust in the Lord’s timing; the blessings always come.
• The world speaks of tithing in terms of money, but it is principally a matter of faith. 
  • “Being honest in our tithes is one way we show our willingness to put the Lord first in our lives, above our own cares and interest.” 
• These sacred funds do not belong to the leaders of the Church, but to the Lord. 
  • “His servants are painstakingly aware of the sacred nature of their stewardship.”
• In the last year, generous tithes and offerings were used to bless those in need, send missionaries throughout the world, build and maintain temples and meetinghouses, and sponsor five institutions of higher learning. 
  • “These blessings and so many more come in large measure from the young and old of every economic circumstance who pay an honest tithe.”
• The only permanent solution to the poverty of this world is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• The spiritual power of the divine law of tithing is not measured by the amount of money contributed, for both the prosperous and the poor are commanded by the Lord to contribute 10% of their income. 
  • The power comes from placing our trust in the Lord.
• The added abundance of the Lord conveyed through your generous tithes has strengthened the reserves of the Church, providing opportunities to advance the Lord’s work beyond anything we have yet experienced. 
  • All is known by the Lord, and in time, we will see His sacred purposes fulfilled.

Talk: Jan E Newman – 2nd Counselor of the Sunday School Presidency

Preserving the Voice of the Covenant People in the Rising Generation

•  “Behold your little ones.” 
  • Thinking of this experience must have melted hearts. 
  • They saw, heard, and knew Him. 
  • After this sacred event, the children established peace, prosperity and Christ-like love that lasted generations.
•  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our own children had a similar experience that would bind their hearts to Him? 
  • We can through the scriptures, building their foundations on Him.
•  As the wise man built his house on the rock, he dug deep. 
  • We remove anything sandy or superfluous and keep digging until we find Him. 
  • We teach our children the same through covenants as the storms come, there will be little affect upon them. 
•  This doesn’t just happen. EACH person must dig deep to find the rock (Mosiah – King Benjamin). 
  • “The spirit has wrought a mighty change on us.”
  • The covenant made with parents didn’t gain traction and those children didn’t believe in the tradition of their fathers. 
  • They would not be baptized and were a separate people in the faith.
•  For the rising generation, it’s not enough for faith in Jesus Christ to be a tradition of their fathers but must rise in faith themselves.
• We can ensure the voice of the covenant people is not silent in the rising generation and it is not a Sunday-only topic.

• Daily immersion in the word of God is crucial for spiritual survival. As we feast on the words daily, we will learn how to face difficulties we never imagined we would face.
• Jesus Christ needs to be a constant presence in our daily lives and our family conversations.
• We must make an ongoing effort to teach our children of Christ. 
  • It must not be a Sunday only effort.
• As the covenant people of God, how can we instill within the hearts of our children a desire to make and keep covenants with Him? 
• For the rising generation, it is not enough for faith in Christ to be the tradition of their fathers
• They need to own that faith themselves.
• The accumulation of small, simple efforts over time can be …. Just be consistent in your efforts. (rats, that was good – sorry I missed)
• We cannot allow our covenant voice to be muted or silent when it comes to Him.
• You may feel inadequate, but you should never feel alone.
• You are doing much better than you think. 
  • Your children are watching, listening, and learning. 
  • They may forget the Savior for a season, but I promise you He will never forget them. 
• When the Savior appeared to the Nephites in the Book of Mormon, He invited them to bring their children so He could pray for and bless them. 
  • Similarly, He invites parents to bring their children to Him. 
  • We can help them know their Savior and Redeemer the way these children did.
• Like the wise man who built his house upon a rock, individuals must “dig deep” to build their lives on the Rock of the Redeemer, Jesus Christ. 
  • We remove anything that is sandy or superfluous in our lives. 
  • We keep digging until we find Him.
• The rising generation must own faith in Christ for themselves. 
• Like Nephi, parents must preach of and rejoice in Christ. 
  • We can ensure that the voice of the covenant people is not silent in the ears of the rising generation and that Jesus is not a Sunday-only topic.
• The voice of the covenant people is found in words of testimony by parents, living prophets and in the scriptures. 
  • It is there they will learn for themselves the doctrine of Christ. 
  • It is there they will find hope. 
  • This will prepare them for a lifetime of seeking truth and living on the covenant path.”
• One of our most sacred responsibilities is to help our children come to know deeply and specifically that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, their personal Savior and Redeemer, who stands at the head of His Church.
• We cannot allow our covenant voice to become muted or silent when it comes to Him.
• Let us accept the Savior’s invitation and bring our children to Him. 
  • As we do so, they will see Him. 
  • They will feel Him. 
  • They will know Him. 
  • He will teach them. 
  • He will bless them. 
  • And oh how He will love them.

Talk: Joaquin E. Costa – General Authority 70

The Power of Jesus Christ in Our Lives Every Day

• Use the correct name of the church often so we remember whose church it is and whose teachings we follow. 
• We see it in the widow, the single parent of a differently abled child, through divorce, those in natural disasters. 
  • What gives us the extra layer of strength when everything seems lost? 
    • Faith in Jesus Christ. 
• It may seem impossible or unattainable to come unto Christ and we can’t find the energy to do it all. 
  • But faith in Jesus Christ is what gives us the energy to begin the journey.
• We come to Jesus to fix our life through Him. 
  • We come to Him because we are flawed and through Him become perfect. 
  •  Remember Him when I face problems and conflict – I have a desire to change and repent, the energy to keep my covenants…and can endure to the end, even if it’s just the end of the day. [endure to the end (of the day)]
• Although imperfect at remembering Him, He never fails to remember us. 
• We may think the covenants we make are transactional–I obey and He protects me; I pay tithing and my house is safe. 
• But when it doesn’t go as we expect, we turn to Him and wonder what we did wrong. 
• That is not the case.
• When our pain–or the pain of someone we love–is so much we cannot bear it, come unto Him to ease our pain.
• Instead of asking “why me?” I ask “What for?”
•  Are we faithless?  
  • We will not perish because He is in the ship with us.
• We cannot avoid the storms in our lives, but we can find peace while the tempest is raging by focusing on the Master.
  • You don’t need to worry about perishing in a storm as long as you’re in the boat with Christ. 
• What gives Church members the power to go through hard things? 
  • What gives them an extra layer of strength to go on when everything seems lost?
• “I have found that the source of strength is faith in Jesus Christ as we intentionally seek to come unto Him each day.”
• Some may feel that having faith in Jesus Christ is almost impossible or unattainable. 
  • They may think that coming unto Christ requires a strength and power beyond their capacity. 
  • “What I have learned from people is that faith in Jesus Christ is what gives us the energy to begin the journey.”
• Each morning, instead of looking at a phone, say a simple prayer and read a scripture to renew your weekly covenant to “always remember Him.” 
• “Although we are imperfect at remembering Him, our loving Heavenly Father never fails to remember us.”
• When our pain or the pain of someone we love feels overwhelming, remembering Jesus Christ and coming unto Him can lighten the burden, soften the heart and ease the pain. 
• “Faith in Jesus Christ is the feeling of peace to withstand the storm, knowing that we will not perish because He is in the ship with us.
• We don’t come to Jesus because we are perfect. 
  • We come to Him because we are flawed and in Him we can ‘be perfected.’
• Our covenants are not merely transactional; they are transformational.
• Trusting God and keeping our covenants with Him brings power to our weaknesses and comfort to our grief. 
• We are not alone in the boat.
• Trusting God, gives power 

Hymn: There is Sunshine In My Soul Today – Hymn (#227)

Talk: Elder Gary E Stevenson – Quorum of the 12

Promptings of the Spirit

•  Women’s world cup – demonstrating grit, talent, athleticism as they compete for the sports’ highest honor. 
• Speaking of God-given talents or gifts in multiple areas. 
  • These make gifted people. 
•  Covenant-keeping people include the gift of the testimony of JC, the HG, faith to heal, receiving miracles and the gifts of wisdom and knowledge. 
  • The Lord Invites us to earnestly seek the best spiritual gifts, used to help us and bless others.
• Gift of performers: the gift alone does not a master make, but through pain-staking effort to refine their craft to achieve the highest levels of artistry. 
•  “Some assembly required” – spiritual gifts are no different requiring spiritual exercise. 
  • Spiritual work includes fervent prayer and scripture study, keeping commandments, worthily partaking of sacrament.
•  What is the fruit of spiritual gifts? 
  • Promptings from the spirit to leads us, blessings of peace and comfort. 
  • As we listen to promptings, the HG expands our abilities and these gifts help us in every aspect of our life.
• How important is the gift of the HG? 
  • Pres Nelson: “In coming days it won’t be possible to survive spiritually without the…guiding, directing and constant influence of the HG.”
•  How do invite and recognize the promptings of the HG? 
  • They are personal and come in different ways. 
  • Prophets give us valuable insight. 
  • 4 guiding principles:
    • 1) Stand in holy places – 
      • if you hope to feel the spirit, be in the place where the spirit can easily dwell 
        • Most sacred
          • temples
          • homes 
        • Others: 
          • meetinghouses
          • institute/seminary
          • historic places
    • 2.) Stand with holy people – 
      • the spirit cannot be restrained from attending a gathering of holy people. 
        • Be with people where the spirit can easily dwell. (For where 2-3 people are gathered in my name, there I dwell with them?)
          •  Quorums and Classes
          • FSY
          • seminary
          • ward choirs.
        • Find your strength in numbers. 
        • Find and be a good friend 
    • 3.) Testify of the holy truths as often as you can – 
      • the spirit bears witness of the speaker and listener alike.
      • As you seek and take opportunities to share your testimony, you will create moments to recognize the spirit for yourself.
    • 4.) Listen to the holy spirit. 
      • He can be our constant companion but speaks in subtle, quiet tones.
        • It is a still small voice
        • It is not a voice of thunder but one of perfect mildness as a whisper, but can pierce the very soul.
        • If we are preoccupied, we may not hear the spirit. 
        • Find a quiet place, a holy place to listen. 
• As you consider the principles, think of the words of caution: impressions from the spirit will align with the scriptures and living prophets. 
  • Be sure the words are consistent with your assignment. 
  • They aren’t given for you to counsel or correct others. 
  • They cannot be forced, but create an environment, but do not dictate how or when inspiration comes.
  •  Be patient and trust you will receive it when the time is right. 
  • Use your own best judgment. 
  • God wants us to use our god given intelligence and act with our best understanding.
  •  He leaves many decisions for our personal choices.
  • Study things out in our minds and pray for guidance and act upon it. 
  • If we don’t receive guidance, we should use our best judgment. 
•  Latter-day Saints should be gifted, covenant-keeping people.
  •  Exercise and invite the Holy Spirit. 
• Your ability to recognize will develop a step at a time. 
  • Becoming more attune to the spirit is like learning another language is a gradual process that takes diligent effort.
• As Latter-day Saints, you are gifted! 
• Invitation: I invite the youth especially–pause as you look at yourself in the mirror. 
  • Think or say aloud,
    • Look at me! 
    • I’m amazing! 
    • I’m a child of God. 
    • He knows me.
    • He loves me. 
    • I’m gifted with the Holy Ghost as my constant companion!”
• Latter-day Saints should be gifted, covenant-keeping people. Each one should seek to exercise spiritual gifts and then invite and learn to recognize promptings of the Spirit. Four guiding principles to assist in this spiritual endeavor are: 
  • 1.) Stand in holy places. 
  • 2.) Stand with holy people. 
  • 3.) Testify of holy truths. 
    • Listen to the Holy Spirit. 
    • Holy places include temples, homes, meetinghouses, seminary buildings and institutes, Church history sites and visitor centers.
    • Consider gatherings of holy people, quorums and classes, FSY and seminary, ward and stake activities, even ward choirs.
• 3.) Testify of holy truths often. “As you seek and take opportunities to share your testimony with others, you will create moments to recognize the Spirit for yourself.”
  • 4.) Listen carefully to the Spirit, which speaks in subtle, quiet tones. 
    • Being attuned to the language of the Spirit requires diligent, patient effort. 
    • Exercising spiritual gifts requires spiritual exercise.
• Spiritual impressions will align with scriptures and living prophets’ teachings. 
  • They will be consistent with each assignment but cannot be forced. 
    • Nor are they necessary in every thing.
• When people look in the mirror, they can remind themselves of their divine identity and that they are gifted with the gift of the Holy Ghost. 
• If you hope to feel the Spirit, be in a place where the Spirit can easily dwell.
• The Spirit cannot be restrained from attending a gathering of holy people.
• As we listen and act on spiritual promptings, the Holy Ghost magnifies our abilities and capacities, to far exceed what we can do on our own.

Talk: Elder Yoon Hwan Choi – General Authority 70

Do You Want To Be Happy?

•  Do you want to be happy? Follow these steps
•  1) What is the covenant path? 
  • We renew covenants every time we take the sacrament, beginning with our baptism.
  • Are you on the covenant path?
    • Sometimes when we make covenants, we fail to keep them.
  • How do you return to the covenant path? 
    • Have a desire and be obedient. 
    • You may ask for peace, but the answer may be different than you anticipate. 
    • The Lord may give a customized answer for you. 
•  When God speaks and we obey, we will always be right!
•  When we keep the commandments, we will be happier and our lives will be less complicated.
•  When we think it’s not the right time to serve in a calling, it may be just the right time.
• Many things distract us from the covenant path, but it is never too late to turn our heart to Heavenly Father for help. 
• When we follow Satan, we give him power.   
  • When we follow the Savior, He gives us power.  
  •   3) How can keeping covenants with God keep you happy? 
    • As we yoke ourselves to Him, we can do things we couldn’t do on our own because He can do the things we couldn’t do for ourselves.
    • Making and keeping covenants yokes us to the Savior
    • “The Savior is beckoning us to rely on Him.” (Elder Bednar)
    • Yoking ourselves to the Savior gives us heavenly power. 
    • Keeping covenants makes life easier. 
• As we yoke ourselves to Him, we can do things we couldn’t do on our own because He can do the things we cannot do for ourselves.
• If you want to be happy, stay on the covenant path. 
  • Your life will be easier, happier, and you will be filled with joy.
• Being happy is really quite simple: Just stay on the covenant path.
• Sometimes, however, people who make covenants fail to keep them. 
  • When that happens, it’s important to return to the covenant path by obeying the commandments.
• Additionally, sometimes an individual prays for peace, but the answer is different than what they expect. 
  • But as long as someone is seeking to know the Savior and praying to Heavenly Father, they will receive answers customized to their needs.
• “There are many other things that distract us from staying on the covenant path. No matter what it is, it is never too late to turn our hearts to Heavenly Father for help.”
• Being called as a bishop in his early 30s was overwhelming, but through this experience, Elder Choi learned that, ”As we yoke ourselves to [the Savior], we can do things we couldn’t do on our own because He can do the things we cannot do for ourselves. 
• My dear brothers and sisters, do you want to be happy? 
  • Stay on the covenant path. 
  • Your life will be easier, happier and filled with joy.”
• There are many other things that distract us from staying on the covenant path. 
  • No matter what it is, it is never too late to turn our hearts to Heavenly Father for help.
• As we yoke ourselves to Him, we can do things we couldn’t do on our own because He can do the things we cannot do for ourselves.
• My dear brothers and sisters, do you want to be happy? 
  • Stay on the covenant path. 
  • Your life will be easier, happier and filled with joy.

Talk:  Elder Alan T. Phillips – General Authority 70

God Knows and Loves You

• Story: Son left at service station, 2 police with Jasper. “I will never forget the joy we felt in being reunited with him.”
•  Many of the Lord’s teachings focus on gathering. Among these are lost sheep, lost coin, lost son. 
•  Reflected on divine identity, redemptive power of JC, and power of HF who knows you and me.
• Religion is derived from the Latin word religare, which means “to bind again” or “to reconnect”
  •  1 – Children of God.
    • Many feel alone, isolated, and exhausted, thinking we’ve fallen behind. Knowing we are part of His eternal family gives us a sense of belonging and purpose. 
    • You are and have always been a son or daughter of God. Understanding this truth is life changing. 
    • Do not misunderstand or devalue your importance. 
    • You are not an accidental by-product of nature. 
    • Where there is design, there is a designer. 
    • Your life has meaning and purpose. 
    • The ongoing restoration brings understanding to your divine identity. 
    • You are the subject matter of all these parables and teachings and He loves us so much that He sent His Son to heal you.
    • Love God and love your neighbor are the foundation. One of our responsibilities is to care for those in need. We bear with those, mourn with those, comfort those.
    • Religion is not just our relationship with God, but with each other. 
    • True religion is the tie that binds us to God and each other.
    • How we treat each other truly matters. 
    • His true disciples lift and inspire. 
    • We do not need to look far to see those suffering. 
    • Start with those that we know, family neighborhood or congregation. 
    • Seek to relieve the burden of 700M in extreme poverty or 100M forcibly displaced. 
    • His work is OUR work.
    • Are we passively attending church or actively participating?
    • When things are difficult, we may feel that we have wandered or fallen behind. 
      • Knowing that we are all children of God and members of His eternal family will restore a sense of belonging and purpose” 
  •  2 – Redemptive power of Jesus Christ
    • Christ our rescuer and healer of our souls
    • As we exercise faith, He helps us press forward through hardships. 
    • Take my Yoke upon your
    • The metaphor of the yoke is powerful. 
      • It is a device that allows the strength of another animal to be linked to that of the first animal, 
      • sharing the labor of the overwhelming or impossible burden for one to bear could be equitably shared by two, bound together by a common yoke. 
      • You are pulling your load yoked to the Savior 
      • We are not and never need be alone! 
        • To anyone burdened, lost, confused, you do not have to do it alone. 
        • Through the atonement, you can be yoked or bound to Him. 
        • He will provide strength and healing for the journey ahead.
        • He is the refuge from the storms
        • We come unto Christ to be yoked with Christ’s power. 
    • 3 – Heavenly Father’s love
    • His son, Jasper, is not only rambunctious, but he is MY son. 
      • I love him more than he will know. 
      • If an imperfect earthly father feels this for his son, can you imagine how a perfect, glorified Heavenly Father feels about you?
    • Gen Z, Alpha, …. Faith is challenging and requires choices, but prayers are answered and can be felt. Some of the most real things aren’t seen but felt, known, and experience. 
      • They TOO are real.
    • JC wants you to have a know and have a relationship with his FH. 
      • You are HIS child. 
• If you feel lost or have questions, struggling with circumstance or spiritual disonance, turn to Him. 
• Turn to Him and pray for comfort, love, answers, direction. 
• Whatever the need and wherever you are, pour out your heart and ask if He is really there. If He knows you. 
• Ask How He feels about you. 
  • And then listen.
• Know your FH. 
  • He is perfect and loving. 
• Know who JC is. 
  • Bind yourself to Him. 
• Know your true identity. 
  • God’s plan of happiness is all about you. 
• Knowing Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and true divine identity as a child of God are three foundational truths.
• “You are not an accidental byproduct of nature, a cosmic orphan, or the result of matter plus time plus chance. 
  • Where there is design there is a designer.”
• Each individual is known by God and loved by Him and by the Savior, who gave all of Heavenly Father’s children the means to return to Him and to be succored on earth — both through the Holy Ghost and through others in mortality. 
• How we treat one another truly matters.
• Jesus Christ is the perfect example of caring for those in need — the hungry, the stranger, the sick, the poor, the imprisoned. 
• His work is our work.”
• Those who feel lost are not alone on their journeys. 
  • Ordinances and covenants help yoke everyone to the Savior to build faith in Him and gain strength to overcome their challenges.
• “To my dear friends of the rising generation, Gen Z and Gen Alpha: Please know faith requires work. … 
  • Some of the most real things in life are not seen; they are felt, known and experienced. 
  • They too are real.”
• You are not an accidental byproduct of nature, a cosmic orphan, or the result of matter plus time plus chance. 
  • Where there is design there is a designer.
• How we treat one another truly matters.
  • Jesus Christ is the perfect example of caring for those in need — the hungry, the stranger, the sick, the poor, the imprisoned. 
  • His work is our work.
• To my dear friends of the rising generation, Gen Z and Gen Alpha: Please know faith requires work.
• Some of the most real things in life are not seen; they are felt, known and experienced. 
• They too are real.

Talk: Elder Ronald A Rasband – Quorum of 12

(Title)

• Gathering of Israel – the most important thing happening on earth today.
• The ultimate recognition that the worth of souls is great.
• To gather Israel, we need missionaries, more than are currently serving. 
  • This is addressed to the seniors who could serve. 
    • We need you! 
• President Nelson: Couples should get on their knees and ask if the time is right to serve. 
  • All you need is a desire! (Pres. Nelson)
    • Desire may be the most important
• If ye have desires to serve God, you are called to the work.
• Both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. (John)
• Shared experiences from his parents’ service in Ft. Lauderdale. 
  • Asked Rebecca and family to read BOM – (she read in 5 days) 
  • After 4 months she insisted on being baptized, knowing in every fiber of her soul that it was true. 
  • In 1979, her family was baptized with his dad as a witness. 
• Every member a missionary. 
  • We need senior missionaries.
•  What are you doing at this stage of your life? 
  • There are so many things seniors can do that no one else can, seasoned in the church and poised to rescue God’s children. 
• We miss family, grandchildren, pets, milestones, etc. are common reasons for not serving.
• “I want my grandchildren to know your father and I served in the mission field. 
  • We wanted to be an example and we were blessed.” (Sister Rasband)
• For some, hopefully thousands, full-time service will be just right. 
  • For others, church service at home may be preferable. 
  • Due to health issues, some may be unable to serve. 
  • It is my hope you can support those who are serving. 
  • Mission areas around the world are pleading for help.
• Fount this on Twitter: “The Chiefs had Taylor Swift in the house, the Conference Center has Donny Osmond in the house.” 🙂 
• Teach institute, provide humanitarian, employment centers, church farms, etc. 

• https://seniormissionary.churchofjesuschrist.org/srsite/. Talk to bishop or branch president.

• [Looks like the website crashed. People are taking him up on the call]

• I know I have been thinking about service missionary work, as I am disabled and proselyting mission work would not work for me

• A mission might be the greatest chapter in a couple’s life
  • “My Lord will have need of me.” 
  • On unfamiliar ground, the Spirit will make you feel right at home.
• Field = world
• The mountains, hills, fields, and trees can be likened to anyone who seeks the truth but does not know where to find it. 
• “I ask as an apostle to serve as a missionary in the gathering of Israel and even serve again. 
  • We need you. 
  • We need you.
• Take your know-how coupled with your time-honored testimonies and go on a mission. 
• I promise as you serve you will feel the love of the Lord in your life. 
  • You will know Him and He will know you. 
  • How great shall be your joy. 
  • It will inspire your family, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and will be multiplied for years to come.
• Serve a mission, perhaps even serve again. 
  • We need you. 
  • The Lord needs you

Hymn: (Hymn) – Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (#)

Benediction: Sister Andrea M. Spanos

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Saturday Morning Session

Opening Hymn: (Hymn) – Hymn (#)
Conducting: President Henry B Eyring 

Talk: David A Bednar – Quorum of the 12

In the Path of Their Duty

•  1947 was the 100 year anniversary of the Latter-day Saint pioneers entering Utah
• In October 1947 J. Rueben Clark honored the stalwart souls, neither known or recorded in church history, in a talk titled They of the Last Wagon.
• If all  Men had been, were, and ever would be like Moroni, the Powers of Hell would have been shaken. 
• The devil would never have had power over men
• Be no less serviceable. The most righteous people in this world were equally not as famous as you.
• Even though you’re not as noticeable or conspicuous as more famous people, you can be as helpful and as useful.
• Serve and grow faithfully and quietly.
• In the path of their duty” describes church members who consistently strive to comfort those who stand in need of comfort with expectation of praise.
• Observe to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord.
•  grateful for millions of Church members who today are coming unto the Savior and pressing forward on the covenant path in the last wagons of our contemporary wagon trains — and who truly are no less serviceable.
• Behold that the more part of them are in the path of their duty, and they do walk circumspectly before God, and they do observe to keep His commandments and His statutes
• They of the last wagon; all who are no less serviceable, and you who today are pressing forward in the path of your duty are the strength of the Savior’s restored Church
• If you feel that much of what you do this year or in years to come doesn’t make much of a difference, take heart. 
• Each of our contributions no matter how seemingly small is seen by our Savior and Father. 
• The Lord has prepared great things for they that wait for Himo unnoticed by them
• Your personal anguish will be relieved and your obedience and faithfulness to patiently submit your will to God will be rewarded in the due time of the Lord
• Your personal anguish will be relieved as you stay in the path of your duty
• The Lord has prepared great things for they that wait for Him
• They of the last wagon, all who are no less serviceable, and you who today are pressing forward in the path of your duty are the strength of the Savior’s restored Church.
• You love and serve, listen and learn, care and console, and teach and testify by the power of the Holy Ghost.
• Millions of Latter-day Saints are coming unto the Savior and pressing forward on the covenant path in “the last wagons” of their contemporary wagon trains. 
• “Behold that the more part of them are in the path of their duty, and they do walk circumspectly before God, and they do observe to keep his commandments and his statutes” (Helaman 15:5).
• The phrase “in the path of their duty” could describe those who sit next to people who are alone; those who support a companion, parent or child who serves in a Church leadership position; those who are humbly returning to God; and those who yearn to become yoked to the Savior through covenants and ordinances but may be prohibited by factors beyond their control. 
• It could also include translators and interpreters, married couples having children, married couples trusting God when righteous desires are not realized, Nursery leaders and Primary teachers, children caring for aged parents, Church members who arrive early and stay late to set up, and individuals who share the gospel.
• Your strong faith in Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and your unpretentious, consecrated lives inspire me to be a better man and disciple.
• I promise your personal anguish will be relieved and your obedience and faithfulness to patiently submit your will to God will be rewarded in ‘the own due time of the Lord.’
• They of the last wagon, all who are no less serviceable, and you who today are pressing forward in the path of your duty are the strength of the Savior’s restored Church
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Talk: Amy A. Wright – 1st Counselor of the Primary Presidency

Abide the Day in Christ

• Jesus taught parables about spiritual preparedness
• Spiritual preparation for the coming of the Lord is not only essential, but the only way to find true peace and happiness.
• As we seek to nourish our souls with things pertaining to righteousness, small and simple things, our testimonies and the testimonies of our children will live 
• In the end, because of Jesus Christ, everything can be okay… Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to “abide the day.” 
• Because of Jesus Christ and His restored gospel, if I died, my family would be comforted, strengthened, and one day restored. If I lived, I would have access to the greatest power on this earth to help succor, sustain, and heal me.
• A God with infinite love, mercy, power, knowledge and glory knows you and your family
• There is hope in thine end that your children shall come again to their own border.
• Christ is the hope in our end. 
• He is the reason why it is never the end of our story.
• There are no minor players, or b-list individuals in the Lord’s plan.
• Every member of the Body of Christ is necessary. (see 1 Corinthians 12:18–31)
• Jesus Christ is the hope in the end. 
• Eternal life is eternal joy. 
• Tears will dry up.  
• Families will be restored
• We cannot share our oil, but we can share His light.
• Whatever we face in life, in Christ we have a better hope that sees us through.
• In Christ, ultimately we always have the victory.
• In the end, everything can be OK because of Jesus Christ. 
• What does OK look like? 
• “For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived — verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day” (Doctrine and Covenants 45:57).
• Jesus Christ makes it possible to “abide the day.” 
• Abiding the day means simplifying, focusing one’s efforts and being gatherers of the Savior’s light. 
• It means more holy and revelatory experiences and daily spiritual nourishment.
• “My dear friends, we cannot share our oil, but we can share His light. 
• Oil in our lamps will not only help us ‘abide the day’ but can also be the means of illuminating the path that leads those we love to the Savior, who stands ready ‘with open arms to receive’ them.
•  He is the reason why it is never the end of our story. …
• “Eternal life is eternal joy. Joy in this life, right now — not despite the challenges of our day but because of the Lord’s help to learn from and ultimately overcome them — and immeasurable joy in the life to come.”
• I have learned from personal experience that spiritual preparation for the coming of the Lord is not only essential but the only way to find true peace and happiness.
• I do not know your family. 
• But a God with infinite love, mercy, power, knowledge and glory does.
• Jesus Christ is the ‘hope in thine end.’ 
• Nothing we have, or have not done, is beyond the reach of His infinite and eternal sacrifice. He is the reason why it is never the end of our story.
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Talk: Robert M Daines – of the 70

Sir, We Would Like To See Jesus

Story of one who is face-blind

•  The answer to dealing with our problems is Jesus
• We want to see people as Jesus sees them
• We all have a favorite story of Jesus
• God is the Father of asll mercies
• God is the Father of all comfort
• Open the gospels at random; on almost every page we see Him caring for people who suffer.
• Covenants are the shape of God’s embrace
• we want to see Jesus for who He is and to feel His love. 
• This should be the reason for most of what we do in church
• “Follow Him and not just His rules.”
• “Covenants are about relationships.”
• To serve in this church is to stand in the river of God’s love for His children
• Help carry His love to His children and some of it will splash on you.
• Jesus announced at the outset that He had come to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind. 
• This wasn’t just a to-do list or good PR – it is the shape of his love.
• Spiritual face-blindness — or struggling “to see God as a loving Father,” but seeing “a thicket of rules” — may cause Heavenly Father’s children to doubt His love.
• However, Latter-day Saints can seek the Savior as did outsiders in the New Testament, who said, “Sir, we would [like to] see Jesus” (John 12:21).
• “We want to see Jesus for who He is and to feel His love. 
• This should be the reason for most of what we do in the Church and certainly in every Sacrament meeting.”
• The Savior’s first followers “had to learn to recognize Him, and so do we.” 
• This can be done in three ways:
• 1.) Prayer: “Pray ‘with all the energy of heart’ (Moroni 7:48) to be filled with the love promised His disciples.”
• 2.) Reading the Gospels: “Open the Gospels at random; on almost every page, we see Him caring for people who suffer.”
• 3.) Seeking Jesus: “We’re not finished until we see Jesus as the face of our Father’s love and follow Him and not just His rules.”
• These allow Saints to more effectively minister. 
• “To serve in this Church is to stand in the river of God’s love. … Help carry His love to His children, and some of it will splash on you.”
• We want to see Jesus for who He is and to feel His love. 
• This should be the reason for most of what we do in the Church and certainly in every sacrament meeting.
• Paul says God is the ‘Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort’ (2 Corinthians 1:3). 
• If you see Him differently, please keep trying.
• When prophets and apostles talk of covenants, … they want us to see our covenants are fundamentally about relationships and can be a cure for spiritual face-blindness.
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Talk:  Carlos A. Godoy – Presidency of the 70

For the Sake of Your Posterity

•  The decision of one can influence generations.
• A decision of one has impacted a whole chain of descendants. 
• Anything that is broken can be mended by Jesus Christ
• You are never in the “wrong taxi” when you are striving to be on the gospel path. 
• God will put you where you are needed.
• Thinking that you will be faithful later impacts your present. 
• Shouldn’t we be more valiant for our own sake and for the sake of our posterity?
• Eternal life is eternal joy. 
• Joy in this life, right now — not despite the challenges of our day but because of the Lord’s help to learn from and ultimately overcome them — and immeasurable joy in the life to come.
• Families can be eternal
• After getting in the wrong taxi in Lima, Peru, Elder Godoy learned that the taxi driver, Omar, had been a Church member since he was a child, but his parents had stopped attending. 
• “At that moment I realized I did not take the wrong taxi. … I told him who I was and that I was in his taxi because the Lord was calling him back to His fold.”
• Omar began attending again, and baptized his wife and children. 
• Later, they were sealed in the temple.
• This experience was shared to address members who have fallen away from the gospel and members who may not be as faithful to their covenants as they should be. 
• In both cases, their children and descendants are impacted and at risk.
• Even those who have a lukewarm approach to membership could create a negative spiritual impact for generations ahead.
• “I invite you to think about it, to look ahead and evaluate ‘where this will lead’ and, if necessary, to be valiant enough to reshape your path for the sake of your posterity.”
• Will our current decisions lead us to joy now and in eternity, or will they lead us to sorrow and tears?
• Shouldn’t we be more valiant and less lukewarm for our own sake and the sake of our posterity?
• You know there is a plan for us in this life. 
• You know that families can be eternal. 
• Why put yours at risk?
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Hymn: High on the Mountain Top – Hymn 5

Talk: Elder D Todd Christoferson – Quorum of the 12

The Sealing Power

•  Sealing Power conferred upon this dispensation through the visitation of Elisha to Joseph Smith and the Presidency in the Kirtland temple.
•  Baptism is the gate to becoming joint-heirs with God and Jesus Christ
  • While we usually think of temple ordinances relevant to sealing power, it applies at Baptism, too.
• To seal is to protect, preserve, legitimize, and join together.
• With this authority, we now carry the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news of redemption through Him, to all parts and peoples of the Earth. And gather all who will, into the Gospel covenant.
• The gathering is for the purpose of bringing the blessings of salvation and exaltation to all who will receive them. It is how the covenant promises given to Abraham are realized.
• The power to validate all priesthood ordinances and make them binding both on earth and in heaven — the sealing power — is crucial for gathering and preparing a covenant people on both sides of the veil.
• Elijah holds all the keys of time and eternity 
• There is another vital purpose in the gathering of Israel that has special meaning when we talk about sealing on earth and in heaven; that’s the building and operation of temples.
• The sealing power makes all ordinances legitimate.
• What is the purpose of the gathering of Israel? 
• Perhaps the most important reason for the gathering is to bring the blessings of salvation and exaltation to all who will receive them. “It is how the covenant promises given to Abraham are realized.”
• The prophet Elijah made this possible when he restored the authority and keys to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple in 1836.
• “The power to validate all priesthood ordinances and make them binding on earth and in heaven — the sealing power — is crucial for gathering and preparing a covenant people on both sides of the veil.”
• Another vital purpose in the gathering of Israel that has special meaning in terms of the sealing power is that of building and operating temples. 
• In temples, the sealing power makes individual salvation and family exaltation universally available to the children of God wherever and whenever they may have lived on the earth. 
• “With access to the sealing power, our hearts naturally turn to those who have gone before.”
• The highest and holiest manifestation of the sealing power is in the eternal union of a man and woman in marriage. 
• “This is the ultimate step in gathering the covenant people.”
• We tend to think of the sealing authority as applying only to certain temple ordinances, but that authority is necessary to make any ordinance valid and binding beyond death.
• This sealing power is a perfect manifestation of the justice, mercy and love of God.
• Without the sealings that create eternal families and link generations here and hereafter, we would be left in eternity with neither roots nor branches, that is, neither ancestry nor posterity.
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Talk: Ian S Ardern – Quorum of the 70

Love Thy Neighbor

• •  Saints responding in Africa to the second great commandment to Love Thy Neighbor. As you imagine yourself journeying with Elder Ardern in Africa, you notice over 90% of children suffer from food insecurity, and many women that must travel over 30 minutes each day to access a source of water. This journey occurred for Elder Ardern in Uganda.

• I sometimes hate that I live in such luxury but yet feel so unable to have a meaningful impact on those that live in poverty. Yes, I pay a generous fast offering, but I wish I could do more directly.

• May we be forever looking to the well being of others and show in word & deed that we are willing to bear one another’s burdens Mosiah 18:8  
• The hope of the Saints was bolstered by the faithful contributions of Saints around the world. Elder Holland has asked us (rich or poor) to do what we can when there are those in need.
• Christ heals, but we can make a difference in the life of somebody. 
• Turn our hearts to the well-being of others and we will be blessed with peace and joy.
• It is unlikely you will know the recipients of your time, dollars, and dimes, but compassion does not require us to know them. It only requires us to love them.
• Elder Ardern and his wife, Sister Paula Ardern, recently traveled to Uganda with several Church leaders. While there, they observed poverty, hunger, lack of running water and other prevalent needs.
• But as they worked with various humanitarian organizations, “there came to each of us an increase of hope for a better tomorrow for those we met. That hope came, in part, through the kindness of Church members from around the world who donate time and money to the Church humanitarian effort.”
• Additionally, compassion is an attribute of Jesus Christ, is born of love for others and knows no boundaries. Jesus, the Savior of the world, is the epitome of compassion.
• “Despite our every effort, you and I won’t heal everyone, but each of us can be the one who can make a difference for good in the life of someone. … It is unlikely you will know the recipients of your time, dollars and dimes, but compassion does not require us to know them, it only requires us to love them.”
• There came to each of us an increase of hope for a better tomorrow for those we met. That hope came, in part, through the kindness of Church members from around the world who donate time and money to the Church humanitarian effort.
• Despite our every effort, you and I won’t heal everyone, but each of us can be the one who can make a difference for good in the life of someone.
• It is unlikely you will know the recipients of your time, dollars and dimes, but compassion does not require us to know them, it only requires us to love them.
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Hymn: With Faith In Every Footstep

Talk: President Dallin H. Oaks – 1st Counselor in the 1st Presidency

(Title)

• We have the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
• All will receive one of 3 degrees of glory, according to desire manifested by their actions. 
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that all of God’s children (with very few exceptions) will receive a kingdom of glory. 
• Our Heavenly Father loves all His children so much that He wants us all to live in a kingdom of glory forever. 
• Moreover, He wants us to live with Him and His Son Jesus Christ eternally.
• Exaltation in the celestial kingdom is the focus of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• The kingdom of glory we receive in the final judgment is determined by the laws we choose to follow in our mortal journey, based on our desires.
•  All kingdoms have a law given and the kingdom of glory that we receive in the final judgment is determined by the laws we follow in our mortal journey according to our desires. 
• All will be resurrected and proceed to the Final Judgment of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
• There our loving Savior … will send all the children of God to one of these kingdoms of glory according to the desires manifested through their choices.
• To serve in this church is to stand in the river of God’s love for His children
• Help carry His love to His children and some of it will splash on you.
• It is not enough for anyone to just go through the motions. 
• The commandments are not a list of deposits that need to be made in a heavenly account. 
• The commandments are designed to help us become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become
• We affirm that the Family Proclamation – founded on irrevocable doctrine – defines the mortal family relationship where the most important part of our eternal development can occur.
• The 1995 Proclamation on the Family teaches God’s plan for families and individuals.
• God’s plan founded on eternal truth requires that exhalation can be obtained only through faithfulness to the covenants of an eternal marriage between a man and a woman. 
• That is why we teach that gender is an essential characteristic.
• The purpose of this church is to prepare God’s children for exaltation of the highest degree.
• The challenge of Jesus Christ is for us to become something rather than just know something.
• Each of us can be the one who can make a difference for good in the life of someone’ 
• Salvation is an individual matter, but exaltation is a family matter.
• This life is the time to prepare to meet God
• The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become
• You cannot just do the actions, know the process. 
• You must BECOME something. 
• We are BECOMING exalted beings. 
• Be CONVERTED.
• The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts — what we have done.
•  It is based on the final effect of our acts and thoughts — what we have become.
• It’s the plan showing us how to become more like Him.
• It is not even enough to be convinced of the gospel. 
• We must act and think so that we are converted by it. 
• In contrast to other preaching, which teaches us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.
• During this mortal life we get to choose which laws we are willing to obey.
• The gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.
• We qualify for eternal life through a process of conversion. 
• As used here, this word of many meanings signifies a profound change of nature. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions.
• God will never force a sealing relationship on those who are unworthy or unwilling

Hymn: We Listen To A Prophet’s Voice – Hymn (#)

Benediction: Michael T. Nelson

Saturday Evening Session

Conducting: President Dallin H. Oaks – 1st Counselor in the 1st Presidency

Hymn: Let Zion In Her Beauty Rise – Hymn #41

Invocation: Clark G. Gilbert – General Authority 70

Hymn: Lead, Kindly Light – Hymn #97

Notes: President Nelson is watching from home due to a fall several weeks ago. Elder Holland is also absent due to health concerns.

Talk: Elder Gary B. Sabin – General Authority 70

Hallmarks of Happiness

• Hallmarks of happiness 
  • First, building upon the sure foundation of Jesus Christ is essential to finding happiness. 
    • Doing so prepares us for the challenges of life, come what may.
    • This is a sure foundation. 
    • Doing so prepares us for the challenges of life–come what may.
    • Christ is a sure foundation; whereon if men build they will not fai
    • Story about son with physical challenges that was able to get archery merit badge by putting in best effort and a merciful instructor
  • Second, remember that we are sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father. 
    • Knowing and trusting this reality changes everything. 
    • In God’s eyes, kindness is synonymous with greatness
  • Third Always remember the worth of a soul
    • We will never regret being too kind. 
    • Story about kicking a skunk
      • Went to the theater after getting sprayed by a skunk. 
    • What if our sins had an odor
    • We would be more considerate with others as we work to correct those sins. 
    • Many things are interesting, few are truly important.
  •  Fourth Maintain an eternal perspective 
    • Seeing life from an eternal vantage point provides clarity, comfort, courage and hope.
    • We are surrounded by numerous blessings that we can take for granted if we are not careful.
  • Fifth: You will never be happier than you are grateful
    • Gratitude gives birth to a multitude of other virtues.
• Living the principles of the gospel can help Latter-day Saints find the kind of true happiness that seems to elude so many in the world. Here are five principles to remember. 
• First, building upon the sure foundation of Jesus Christ is essential to finding happiness. 
  • Doing so prepares us for the challenges of life, come what may.
• Second, remember that we are sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father. 
  • Knowing and trusting this reality changes everything.
• Third, remember the worth of a soul. 
  • We will never regret being too kind.
• Fourth, maintain an eternal perspective. 
  • Seeing life from an eternal vantage point provides clarity, comfort, courage and hope.
• Fifth, a person will never be happier than he or she is grateful. 
  • Gratitude gives birth to a multitude of other virtues.
• Life will still have challenges, but living by these eternal truths will help us face each trial with greater purpose and peace.
• The greatest blessings of mortality will be found in whom we have become through God’s grace as we make and keep sacred covenants with Him. 
  • Our Savior will polish and refine us through the merits of His atoning sacrifice.
• In God’s eyes, kindness is synonymous with greatness. 
  • Part of being kind is being forgiving and non judgemental.
• We are surrounded by innumerable blessings that we can easily take for granted if we are not mindful.
  • Conversely, when nothing is expected and everything is appreciated, life becomes magical.
• How our awareness would change if every morning we awoke with only the blessings we were grateful for the night before. 

Talk: Elder Joni L. Koch – General Authority 70

Humble to Accept and Follow

• Have we been sufficiently humble?
• Humility is a mandatory requirement for returning to the presence of God. 
• We all like to think we are sufficiently humble, but some experiences in life make us realize that the natural prideful man often is very much alive within us.
• Story: trying to enter business with no ID
  • When we choose not to be humble, we end up being humiliated. 
• Humble is not
  • Being Poor
    • You can be poor and prideful
    • You can be rich and humble
  • Shy 
    • Can still be full of pride
• We greatly depend on heavenly Father’s benevolence and the atonement of Jesus Christ
• Willingness to submit to the Will of the Lord.  
  • Being Teachable. 
• Are we humble?
  • Do we mention the full name of the church in all our interactions?
  • Do we abandon actions of prejudice? 
  • Are we peacemakers?
• Example of the brass serpent
  • Many would not look and live
• During this conference we’ve heard and will yet hear the unfailing counsel of our Prophets and Apostles. 
  • It’s a perfect occasion to develop humility and let our strong opinions be swallowed by an even stronger conviction that the Lord does speak through these chosen leaders. 
• In developing humility, we must also understand and accept that we are not able to overcome our challenges or to achieve our full potential through our own efforts only. 
• Without humility, we cannot be receptive to the Spirit and learn. 
• We should let our pride be swallowed up by a stronger conviction that the Lord does speak through His chosen leaders
• It’s so important to make and keep covenants with God, as doing so will give us full access to the healing, enabling and perfecting power of Jesus Christ through His Atonement
• Above all, in developing humility, we must also understand and accept that we are not able to overcome our challenges or achieve our full potential through our own efforts only 
•  Be thou humble and the Lord will lead thee by thy hand. 
•  Humility is a mandatory requirement for returning to the presence of God. 
  • We all like to think we are sufficiently humble, but some experiences in life make us realize that the natural prideful man often is very much alive within us.
• Someone can be poor and prideful just as someone can be rich and humble. Others with an outward appearance of humility may be inwardly prideful.
• During this conference, we have heard and will yet hear the unfailing counsel of our prophets and apostles. 
  • It’s a perfect occasion to develop humility and let our strong opinions be swallowed by an even stronger conviction that the Lord does speak through these chosen leaders.
• Individuals can’t overcome challenges or achieve their full potential on their own. 
  • Instead of trusting in the arm of flesh, trust in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
• That’s why it’s so important to make and keep covenants with God, as doing so will give us full access to the healing, enabling and perfecting power of Jesus Christ through His Atonement. 
  • That will invite Their power into our lives to help us through all our problems and ultimately fulfill the measure of our creation.
• We all like to think we are sufficiently humble, but some experiences in life make us realize that the natural prideful man often is very much alive within us.
• During this conference, we’ve heard and will yet hear the unfailing counsel of our prophets and apostles. 
  • It’s a perfect occasion to develop humility and let our strong opinions be swallowed by an even stronger conviction that the Lord does speak through these chosen leaders.
• That’s why it’s so important to make and keep covenants with God, as doing so will give us full access to the healing, enabling and perfecting power of Jesus Christ through His Atonement. 
  • That will invite Their power into our lives to help us through all our problems and ultimately fulfill the measure of our creation.
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Hymn: (Hymn) – I Believe in Christ (#)

Talk: Tamara W. Runia, 1st counselor Young Women Presidency

Seeing God’s Family Through the Overview Lens

• • Zoom out and look at a different perspective… An eternal perspective. 

• This reminds me of something I hear about in my daily research group – the 30,000 foot view. (Almost Uchtdorfesque!)

• Because of Christ, it all works out. 
• Look with an eye of faith 
•  Worry feels a lot like love, but it is not the same. 
• Dad became her cheerleader
  • He knew you don’t chase after loved ones who are lost. 
  • You beckon them from the tree.  
  • Eating the fruit is a good thing. 
• Let’s choose hope. 
• With our adult children, throw away the list. 
  • Focus on the positive things they are doing. 
  • Ask: Is what I am about to do or say helpful or hurtful?
• Families are a God given laboratory where we are figuring things out. 
• Each difficult interaction is an opportunity to learn how to love at a deeper level – a Godlike level.
• In a fallen world, there is no way to be a perfect father, mother, son, daughter, etc.   
  • But there are millions of ways to be a good one. 
• Thankfully, the God we worship is not bound by time. He sees who our loved ones really are, and who we really are. So He’s patient with us, hoping we’ll be patient with each other.
• Be good people living in a wicked world. 
• Our direction is more important than our speed. 
• Others need our love more than our judgment  
•  While humans have an earthbound point of view, God sees the grand overview of the universe. 
  • Through the eye of faith, individuals can zoom out and view themselves and their families with hope and joy. 
  • Amid their worries, they can feel that everything is going to be OK — now. 
  • They can choose hope in Christ and in one another.
• “Families are a God-given laboratory where we’re figuring things out, so missteps and miscalculations are not just possible but probable.
  • Let’s zoom out to view family relationships as the powerful vehicle to teach us the lessons we came here to learn.”
• The adversary does not want individuals and their loved ones to return home together, and he tries to perpetuate a sense of panic. 
  • When zoomed in, it can be hard to see that direction matters more than speed. God is not bound by time and sees who His children really are.
• “While our families aren’t perfect, we can perfect our love for others until it becomes a constant, unchanging, no-matter-what kind of love — the type of love that supports change and allows for growth and return. 
  • In earthly families, we’re simply doing what God has done with us — pointing the way and hoping our loved ones will go in that direction, knowing the path they travel is theirs to choose.”
• ‘In these last days, perhaps our greatest work will be with our loved ones — good people living in a hopeful world.’
• It is my witness that the Savior has the ability, because of His Atonement, to turn any nightmare you are going through into a blessing.
• It’s the Savior’s work to bring our loved ones back. 
  • It’s His work and His timing. 
  • It is our work to provide the hope and a heart they can come home to.

Talk: Elder Ulisses Soares – Quorum of the 12

(Title)

• Abandon prejudice
• President Nelson: I call upon our members everywhere to lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice…I plead with you to promote respect for all of God’s children.
• Following this invitation from our prophet [to lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice] is a vital pre-requisite for building the Savior’s kingdom in every nation of the world
• As disciples of Christ, we are invited to increase our faith in, and love for, our spiritual brother and sisterhood by genuinely knitting our hearts together in unity and love, regardless of our difference
• Increase our love for each other. 
  • We need unity and respect for all sons and daughters of God.
• We all have divine heritage and potential. 
• Jesus and the Samaritan woman
  • Christ was not afraid to love all… regardless of race
• We are living in perilous days leading to the 2nd coming of the Savior
• We are all fellow travelers as God’s children, equal in our imperfect state and in our ability to grow.
  • We should be kind and show mercy to each other. 
  • We are invited to walk together, peaceably, with our hearts filled with love toward God and all men
• We wear white clothing in the Temple to show we are all alike unto God
• There is no place for prejudiced thoughts or actions in the community of Saints.
• May we align ourselves with the knowledge and testimony that we are all equal before God with the same eternal potential and inheritance
• Following President Russell M. Nelson’s invitation to “lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice” is “a vital prerequisite for building the Savior’s kingdom in every nation of the world.” 
  • The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches that all are sons and daughters of God, created in His image and likeness, and equal before Him.
• The world is polarized by strong divisions that can influence an individual’s way of thinking, acting and speaking of other cultures, races and ethnicities as inferior, generating attitudes of contempt, indifference, disrespect and prejudice. 
  • There is no place for prejudiced thoughts or actions in the community of Saints.
• May we align our hearts and minds with the knowledge and testimony that we are all equal before God, that we are all fully endowed with the same eternal potential and inheritance. 
  • May we enjoy more the spiritual kinship that exists between us and value the different attributes and varied gifts we all have.   
• If we do so, I promise you that we will flow in our own way, as does the water of the Iguazu Falls, without losing our divine connection that identifies us as a peculiar people, the children of Christ and heirs of the kingdom of God.
• As disciples of Christ, we are invited to increase our faith in, and love for, our spiritual brother and sisterhood by genuinely knitting our hearts together in unity and love, regardless of our differences, thereby increasing our ability to promote respect for the dignity of all the sons and daughters of God.
• My dear friends, I can assure you that the light of a new day shines brighter in our lives when we see and treat our fellow beings with respect and dignity and as true brothers and sisters in Christ.
• We are all fellow travelers as God’s children, equal in our imperfect state and in our ability to grow. 
  • We are invited to walk together, peaceably, with our hearts filled with love toward God and all men.

Hymn: (Hymn) – Hymn (#)

Benediction: Juan Pablo Villar – General Authority 70

THOUGHTS:

•  Again with the truncated Evening session! Was this supposed to have been Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s time?

• I think a 1st presidency member normally talks in this session. They’re probably also still figuring out what they want this session to be.

• So possibly President Nelson was to speak here, then?

• It will only be truncated by 15 minutes or so by the time it is done. It was scheduled to go to 7:30pm. But I guess that is enough time that President Nelson might have spoken at the end.

A first presidency member spoke when the session was priesthood/women; I’m not sure if that was still the case after they changed to a general session.