 From the Conference Center at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, this is the Saturday morning session of the 189th Semiannual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with speakers selected from the General Authorities and General Officers of the Church. Music for this session is provided by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. Members and Officers of the Church gather from all areas of the world to receive counsel and instruction from their Church leaders. This broadcast is furnished as a public service by Bonneville Distribution. Any reproduction, recording, transcription, or other use of this program without written consent is prohibited. President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church, will conduct this session. Brothers and sisters, we welcome you to the Saturday morning session of the 189th Semiannual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and extend a warm welcome to members and friends participating in the conference throughout the world. President Russell M. Nelson, who presides at the conference, has asked that I conduct this session. The music for this session will be by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square under the direction of Mac Wilberg and Ryan Murphy with Andrew Unsworth at the organ. The choir opened this meeting with the morning breaks and will now favor us with From All That Dwell Below the Skies. The invocation will then be offered by Elder Larry Y. Wilson of the Seventy, after which the choir will sing as I search the Holy Scriptures. As disciples of Christ, we gather in this conference to learn more of Him and to be able to live His gospel more fully. We thank Thee for His Word as we have it in the Scriptures for His atoning sacrifice and resurrection and for the restored Church which we enjoy on the earth today. We are grateful, Heavenly Father, for every faithful member of this Church, for every valiant missionary and for wonderful leaders, especially including prophets and apostles to lead and guide us in our day. We are grateful to be part of the body of Christ to be able to serve Thee as we serve one another. Please help us to receive the light and love from Thee that will be conveyed through the messages and music of this conference. Help us to carry that light and love into all the world wherever we may be, that there may be greater faith and goodness and holiness in our homes and communities. We pray especially for any who are in distress who may be suffering in any way. Pour out Thy comfort, hope, healing, and blessing upon them. Finally, we express gratitude for Thy plan by which we may return to Thee. Help us as we strive to walk the covenant path day by day that we might be able to do so. We pray in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen. Brother Stephen W. Owen, Young Men General President, will then address us. Brothers and sisters, this is Sammy Ho-Ching, seven months old, watching General Conference on Television in his home last April. As time approached to sustain President Nelson and the other General Authorities, Sammy's arms were busy holding his bottle, so he did the next best thing. Sammy gives entirely new meaning to the concept of voting with your feet. Welcome to this semiannual conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to set the stage for a discussion of the meaning of these twice-a-year gatherings. I invoke this scene from Luke's New Testament account. It came to pass that as Jesus was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside begging. Hearing a multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. They told him that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by, and he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. Startled at his boldness, the crowd tried to silence the man, but he cried so much the more, it says. As a result of his persistence, he was brought to Jesus, who heard his faith-filled plea for the restoration of his sight, and he healed him. I'm moved by this vivid little vignette every time I read it. We can sense the man's distress. We can almost hear him shouting for the Savior's attention. We smile at his refusal to be silent. Indeed, his determination to turn the volume up when everyone else was telling him to turn it down. It is in and of itself a sweet story of very determined faith. But as with all Scripture, the more we read it, the more we find in it. One thought that struck me only recently is the good sense this man had in having spiritually sensitive people around him. The entire significance of this story hinges on a handful of anonymous women and men who, when asked by their colleague, what does this commotion mean, had the vision, if you will, to identify Christ as the reason for the clamor. He was meaning personified. There's a lesson in this little exchange for all of us. In matters of faith and conviction, it helps to direct your inquiry toward those who actually have some. Can the blind lead the blind, Jesus once asked? If so, shall they not both fall into the ditch? Such a quest for faith and conviction is our purpose in these conferences. And by joining with us today, you'll realize that this search is a broadly shared endeavor. Look around you. Here on these grounds, you see families of all sizes coming from every direction. Old friends embrace in joyful reunion. A marvelous choir is warming up, and protesters shout from their favorite soapbox. Missionaries of an earlier day look for former companions while recently returned missionaries look for entirely new companions if you know what I mean and more power to you. And photos, heaven help us. With cell phones in every hand, we have morphed from every member of missionary to every member of photographer. In the midst of all this delightful commotion, one could justifiably ask, what does it all mean? As in our New Testament story, those blessed with sight will recognize that in spite of everything else this conference tradition may offer us, it will mean little or nothing unless we find Jesus at the center of it all. To grasp the vision we are seeking, the healing that he promises, the significance we somehow know is here, we must cut through the commotion, joyful as it is, and fix our attention on him. The prayer of every speaker, the hope of all who sing, the reverence of every guest, we are all dedicated to inviting the spirit of him whose Church this is, the living Christ, the Lamb of God, the Prince of Peace. But we don't have to be in a conference center to find him. When a child reads the Book of Mormon for the first time and is enamored with a benediced courage or the march of 2,000 stripling warriors, we can gently add that Jesus is the omnipresent central figure in this marvelous chronicle standing like a colossus over virtually every page of it and providing the link to all the other faith-promoting figures in it. Likewise, when a friend is learning about our faith, she or he can be a bit overwhelmed by some of the unique elements and unfamiliar vocabulary of our religious practice, dietary restrictions, self-reliance supplies, pioneer treks, digitized family trees, with an untold number of stake centers where some have undoubtedly expected to be served to find charbroiled sirloin medium rare. So, as our new friends experience the multitude of new sights and sounds, we must point past the hustle and bustle and concentrate them on the meaning of it all, on the beating heart of the eternal gospel, the love of Heavenly Parents, the atoning gift of a divine Son, the comforting guidance of the Holy Ghost, the latter-day restoration of all these truths, and so much more. When one goes to the Holy Temple for the first time, he or she may be somewhat awestruck by that experience. Our job is to ensure that the sacred symbols and revealed rituals, the ceremonial clothing and the visual presentations, never distract but rather point toward the Savior, when we are there to worship. The temple is his house, and he should be uppermost in our minds and hearts. The majestic doctrine of Christ pervading our very being as it pervades the temple ordinances. From the time we read the inscription over the front door to the very last moment we spend in the building, amid all the wonder we encounter, we are to see, above all else, the meaning of Jesus in the temple. Consider the swirl of bold initiatives and new announcements in the Church in these recent months as we minister to one another or refine our Sabbath experience or embrace a new program for children and youth. We will miss the real reason for these revelatory adjustments if we see them as disparate, unrelated elements rather than an interrelated effort to help us build more firmly on the rock of our salvation. Surely this is what President Russell M. Nelson intends in having us use the revealed name of the Church. If Jesus, His name, His doctrine, His example, His divinity, if He can be at the center of our worship, we will be reinforcing the great truth Alma once taught. There be many things to come, but behold, there is one thing which is of more importance than they all, the Redeemer who liveth and cometh among his people. One concluding thought, Joseph Smith's 19th-century frontier environment was a flame with competing crowds of Christian witnesses, but in the tumult they created these exuberant revivalists that were, ironically, obscuring the very Savior young Joseph so earnestly sought. Battling what he called darkness and confusion, he retreated to the solitude of a grove of trees where he saw and heard a more glorious witness of the Savior's centrality to the gospel than anything we have mentioned here this morning. As a gift of sight unimagined and unanticipated, Joseph beheld in vision his Heavenly Father, the great God of the universe, and Jesus Christ, His perfect, only begotten Son. Then the Father set the example we've been applauding this morning. Joseph, saying, This is my beloved Son, hear him. No greater expression of Jesus' divine identity, his primacy in the plan of salvation, and his standing in the eyes of God could ever exceed that short seven-word declaration. Confusion and crowds, even contention, there's plenty of all that in our world. Indeed, skeptics and the faithful still contend over this vision and virtually all else I have referred to today. In case you may be striving to see more clearly to find meaning in the midst of a multitude of opinions, I point you toward that same Jesus and bear apostolic witness of Joseph Smith's experience, coming as it did some 1,800 years after our blind friend received his sight on the ancient Jericho Road. I testify with these two and a host of others down through time that surely the most thrilling sight and sound in life is that of Jesus not only passing by, but His coming to us, stopping beside us, and making His abode with us. Sisters and brothers, through the incessant din and drumbeat of our day, may we strive to see Christ at the center of our lives, of our faith and of our service. That is where true meaning lies. And if some days our vision is limited or our confidence has waned or our belief is being tested and refined as surely it will be, may we cry out then the louder, Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. I promise with apostolic fervor and prophetic conviction that He will hear you and will say soon or late, receive thy sight, thy faith hath saved thee. Welcome to General Conference. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Somewhat hidden in the Old Testament book of Haggai is a description of a group of people who could have used Elder Holland's counsel. They got it wrong by not placing Christ at the center of their lives and their service. Haggai paints some thought-provoking word pictures as he reprimands these people for staying in their comfortable houses instead of building the Lord's temple. Quote, is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your sealed houses and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, consider your ways. Ye have sown much and bring in little. Ye eat, but ye have not enough. Ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink. Ye clothe you, but there is none warm. And he that earneth wages, earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, consider your ways. Don't you love those descriptions of the futility of prioritizing things of no eternal consequence above the things of God? In a recent sacrament meeting, I attended a return missionary quoted a father who summed up this idea perfectly when he said to his children, what we need here is less Wi-Fi and more Nephi. Having lived in West Africa for five years, I saw plenty of examples of people prioritizing the gospel naturally and unashamedly. One such example is the name of a tire repair and wheel balancing business in Ghana. The owner has named it Thy Will Alignment. We can feel enduring joy when our Savior and His gospel become the framework around which we build our lives. However, it's so easy for that framework to become instead the things of the world where the gospel sits as an optional extra or a simply attending church for two hours on Sundays. When this is the case, it's tantamount to putting our wages into a bag with holes. Hey guys, telling us to be committed, to be, as we say in Australia, fair dinkum about living in the gospel. People are fair dinkum when they are what they say they are. I learned a little about being fair dinkum and being committed by playing rugby. I learned that when I played my hardest, when I gave my all, my enjoyment of the game was greatest. My favorite year of rugby was the year after high school, the team of which I was a member was both talented and committed. We were the champion team that year. However, one day we were to play a lowly ranked team and after the game we all had dates to take to the big annual college dance. I thought that because this would be an easy game, I should try to protect myself from injury so I'd be able to enjoy the dance fully. In that game, we were not as committed in the hard contacts as we might have been and we lost. To make things worse, I ended the match with a very swollen fat lip that did not enhance my appearance, my big date. Perhaps I needed to learn something. A very different experience occurred in a later game in which I was totally committed. At one point I ran with real intent into a contact. Immediately I felt some pain in my face. Having been taught by my father that I should never let the opposition know if I was hurt, I continued to play out the game. That night, while trying to eat, I found that I couldn't bite. The next morning I went to the hospital where an x-ray confirmed that my jaw was broken. My mouth was wide shut for the next six weeks. Lessons were learned from this parable of the fat lip and the broken jaw. Despite my memories of unsatisfied cravings for solid food during the six weeks when I could ingest only liquids, I feel no regrets about my broken jaw because it resulted from my giving my all, but I do have regrets about the fat lip because it symbolized my holding back. Giving our all doesn't mean that we'll be continually enveloped in blessings or always have success, but it does mean that we will have joy. Joy is not fleeting pleasure or even temporary happiness. Joy is enduring and is founded on our efforts being accepted by the Lord. An example of such acceptance is a story of Oliver Granger. As President Boyd K. Packer stated, when the saints were driven from Kirtland, Oliver was left behind to sell their properties for what little he could. There was not much chance that he could succeed and really he did not succeed. He'd been commissioned by the First Presidency to do a task that was difficult, if not impossible, but the Lord commended him for his apparently unsuccessful efforts in these words. I remember my servant Oliver Granger. Behold, verily I say unto him that his name shall be had in sacred remembrance from generation to generation, forever and ever, saith the Lord. Therefore, let him contend earnestly for the redemption of the First Presidency of my Church. And when he falls, he shall rise again, for his sacrifice shall be more sacred unto me than his increase, saith the Lord. That may be true of all of us. It's not our successes, but rather our sacrifice and efforts that matter to the Lord. Another example of a true disciple of Jesus Christ is a dear friend of ours in Côte d'Ivoire in West Africa. This wonderful, faithful sister suffered terrible emotional and even some physical abuse from her husband over a sustained period of time, and eventually they divorced. She never wavered in her faith and goodness, but because of his cruelty to her, she was deeply hurt for a long time. In her own words, she describes what happened. Quote, though I said I forgave him, I always slept with a wound. I spent my days with that wound. It was like a burn in my heart. Many times I prayed to the Lord to take it away from me, but it hurt so bad that I strongly believed I was going to spend the rest of my life with it. It hurt more than when I lost my mama to young age. It hurt more than when I lost my dad and even my son. It seemed to expand and cover my heart, giving me the impression I was going to even die at any time. Some other times I asked myself what the Savior would have done in my situation, and I'd rather say this is too much, Lord. Then one morning I looked for the pain that comes from all this in my heart and went deeper, looking for it in my soul. It was nowhere to be found. My mind quickly passed to review all the reasons I had to feel hurt, but I did not feel the pain. I waited the whole day to see if I was going to feel the pain in my heart. I did not feel it. Then I knelt down and thanked God for making the atoning sacrifice of the Lord work for me. Close quote. This sister is now happily sealed to a wonderful faithful man who loves her deeply. So what should our attitude be if we are true disciples of Christ? And what's the gospel worth to us when we do consider our ways, as Haggai suggested? I love the example shown by King Lamona's father. You'll remember his initial anger at finding his son being accompanied by Ammon, a Nephite, a people whom Lamanites hated. He drew his sword to contend with Ammon and soon found Ammon's sword at his own throat. Now the king fearing he should lose his life said, if thou wilt spare me, I will grant unto thee whatsoever thou wilt ask, even to half of the kingdom. Note his offer, half his kingdom for his life. But later, after understanding the gospel, he made another offer. The king said, what shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yet what shall I do that I may be born of God having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast and receive his spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold said he, I will give up all that I possess. Yea, I will forsake my kingdom that I may receive this great joy. This time he was prepared to give up all his kingdom because the gospel was worth more than all he had. He was fair dinkum about the gospel. So the question for each of us is, are we also fair dinkum about the gospel? Because being half-hearted is not being fair dinkum. And God is not known for showering praise on the lukewarm. There is no treasure, nor any hobby, nor any status, nor any social media, nor any video games, nor any sport, nor any association with a celebrity, nor anything on earth. That is more precious than eternal life. So the Lord's counsel to every person is, consider your ways. My feelings are best expressed in the words of Nephi. I glory in plainness, I glory in truth, I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell. Are we true followers of him who gave his all for us? He who is our redeemer and our advocate with the Father, he who was himself absolutely committed in his atoning sacrifice and is so now in his love, his mercy, and his desire for us to have eternal joy. I plead with all who hear and read these words. Please, please, don't put your total commitment off until you get around to it at some non-existent future time. Get fair to income now and feel the joy in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Not long ago, I woke up and prepared to study the scriptures. I picked up my smartphone and sat in a chair next to my bed with the intention of opening the Gospel Library app. I unlocked my phone and was just about to begin studying when I saw a half dozen notifications for text messages and emails that had come during the night. I thought, I'll quickly check those messages and then I'll get right to the scriptures. Well, two hours later, I was sitting, reading text messages, emails, news briefs, and social media posts. When I realized what time it was, I frantically rushed to get ready for the day. That morning, I missed my scripture study and consequently, I didn't get the spiritual nourishment I was hoping for. I'm sure many of you can relate. Modern technologies bless us in many ways. They can connect us with friends and family, with information, and with news about current events around the world. However, they can also distract us from the most important connection, our connection with heaven. I repeat what our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, has said. We live in a world that is complex and increasingly contentious. The constant availability of social media and a 24-hour news cycle bombard us with relentless messages. If we are to have any hope of sifting through the myriad of voices and the philosophies of men that attack truth, we must learn to receive revelation. President Nelson went on to warn that in coming days it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost. Years ago, President Boyd K. Packer told of a herd of deer that because of heavy snowfall, was trapped outside its natural habitat and faced possible starvation. Some well-meaning people in an effort to save the deer dumped truckloads of hay around the area. It wasn't what deer would normally eat, but they hoped it would at least get the deer through the winter. Sadly, most of the deer were later found dead. They had eaten the hay, but it did not nourish them and they starved to death with their stomachs full. Many of the messages that bombard us in the information age are the spiritual equivalent of feeding hay to deer. We can eat it all day long, but it will not nourish us. Where do we find true spiritual nourishment? Most often it is not trending on social media. We find it when we press our way forward on the covenant path, continually holding fast to the rod of iron and partake of the fruit of the tree of life. This means that we must deliberately take time each day to disconnect from the world and connect with heaven. In his dream, Lehi saw people who partook of the fruit but then abandoned it because of the influence of the great and spacious building, the pride of the world. It is possible for young people to be raised in a Latter-day Saint home, attend all the right church meetings and classes, even participate in ordinances in the temple, and then walk away into forbidden paths and become lost. Why does this happen? In many cases it is because while they may have been going through the motions of spirituality, they were not truly converted. They were fed but not nourished. In contrast, I have met many of you young Latter-day Saints who are bright, strong, and faithful. You know that you are sons and daughters of God and that he has a work for you to do. You love God with all your heart, might, mind, and strength. You keep your covenants and serve others beginning at home. You exercise faith, repent, and improve each day, and this brings you enduring joy. You are preparing for temple blessings and other opportunities you will have as true followers of the Savior. And you are helping prepare the world for the second coming, inviting all to come unto Christ and receive the blessings of His Atonement. You are connected with heaven. Yes, you face challenges, but so does every generation. These are our days, and we need to be faithful, not faithless. I testify that the Lord knows about our challenges, and through the leadership of President Nelson, he is preparing us to meet them. I believe that the Prophet's recent call for a home-centered church supported by what we do in our buildings is designed to help us survive, even thrive in this day of spiritual malnutrition. What does it mean to be a home-centered church? Homes can look very different across the world. You may belong to a family who has been in the church for many generations, or you may be the only member of the church in your family. You may be married or single, with or without children at home. Regardless of your circumstances, you can make your home the center of gospel, learning, and living. It simply means taking personal responsibility for your conversion and spiritual growth. It means following President Nelson's counsel to remodel your home into a sanctuary of faith. The adversary will try to persuade you that spiritual nourishment isn't necessary, or more cunningly, that it can wait. He is the master of distraction and author of procrastination. He will bring things to your attention that seem urgent, but in reality, aren't that important. He would have you become so troubled about many things that you neglect the one thing that is needful. How grateful I am for my goodly parents who raise their family in a home of constant spiritual nourishment, loving relationships, and wholesome recreational activities. The teachings they provided in my youth have held me in good stead. Parents, please build strong relationships with your children. They need more of your time, not less. As you do, the church is there to support you. Our experience as a church can reinforce the spiritual nourishment that happens at home. So far, we have seen this kind of church support in Sunday school and primary, and we will see more of it in ironic priesthood and young women meetings too. Starting this January, the curriculum for these meetings will be adjusted slightly. It will still focus on gospel topics, but those topics will be aligned with come follow me for individuals and families. This is a small change, but it can make a big impact on the spiritual nourishment of the youth. What other kinds of support does the church provide? At church, we partake of the sacrament, which helps us re-establish our commitment to the Savior each week. And at church, we gather with other believers who have made that same commitment. The loving relationships we develop with fellow disciples of Jesus Christ can be a powerful support to our home-centered discipleship. When I was 14, my family moved to a new neighborhood. Now, this may not seem like a terrible tragedy to you, but in my mind at that time, it was devastating. It meant being surrounded by people I didn't know. It meant that all the other young men in my ward would be attending a different school than I was, and in my 14-year-old mind, I thought, how could my parents do this to me? I felt as if my life had been ruined. However, through our young men' activities, I was able to build relationships with the other members of my quorum, and they became my friends. In addition, members of the Bishop, Rick, and Aaronic priesthood advisors began to take a special interest in my life. They attended my athletic events. They wrote me encouraging notes that I have kept to this day. They continued to keep in touch with me after I went to college and when I left for a mission. One of them was even at the airport when I came home. I will be forever grateful for these good brothers and their combination of high love and high expectations. They pointed me heavenward, and life became bright, happy, and joyful. How do we, as parents and leaders, help the youth know they are not alone as they walk the covenant path? In addition to building personal relationships, we invite them to gatherings, large and small, from FSY conferences and youth camps to weekly quorum and class activities. Never underestimate the strength that comes from gathering with others who are also trying to be strong. Bishops and other leaders, please focus on nourishing the children and youth in your ward. They need more of your time, not less. Whether you are a leader, a neighbor, a quorum member, or simply a fellow saint, if you have the opportunity to touch the life of a young person, help him or her connect with heaven. Your influence might be exactly the church support that young person needs. Brothers and sisters, I testify that Jesus Christ is at the head of this church. He is inspiring our leaders, guiding us to the spiritual nourishment we need to survive and thrive in the latter days. That spiritual nourishment will help us be faithful and not faithless. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. The congregation will now join the choir in singing How Firm of Foundation. After the singing, we will hear from Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He will be followed by Sister Michelle Craig, First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency. Elder Dale G. Renland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will then address us. This is the 189th Semiannual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Prophet Enos, Lehi's grandson, wrote of a singular experience that happened earlier in his life. While hunting alone in the forest, Enos began pondering on the teachings of his father Jacob. He related, The words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life and the joy of the Saints sunk deep into my heart. In the spiritual hunger of his soul, Enos knelt in prayer, a remarkable prayer that lasted through the day and into the night, a prayer that brought him crucial revelations, assurances, and promises. There's much to be learned from Enos's experience, but today what stands out in my mind is Enos's memory of his father speaking often of the joy of the Saints. In this conference three years ago, President Russell M. Nelson spoke of joy. Among other things, he said, The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives. When the focus of our lives is on God's plan of salvation and Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening or not happening in our lives. Joy comes from and because of Him. For Latter-day Saints, Jesus Christ is joy." Saints are those who have entered into the gospel covenant through baptism and are striving to follow Christ as His disciples. Thus, the joy of the Saints denotes the joy of becoming Christlike. I would like to speak of the joy that comes from keeping His commandments, the joy that arises from overcoming sorrow and weakness through Him, and the joy inherent in serving as He served. The joy of keeping Christ's commandments. We live in a hedonistic age when many question the importance of the Lord's commandments or simply ignore them, not infrequently people who flout divine directives, such as the law of chastity, the standard of honesty, the holiness of the Sabbath, seem to prosper and enjoy the good things of life, at times even more so than those who are striving to be obedient. Some begin to wonder if the effort and sacrifices are worth it. The ancient people of Israel once complained, It is vain to serve God, and what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance and walked that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the proud happy, yea, they that work wickedness are set up, yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. Just wait, said the Lord, until that day when I make up my jewels, then shall ye discern between the righteous and the wicked, between Him that serveeth God and Him that serveeth Him not. The wicked may have joy in their works for a season, but it is always temporary. The joy of the saints is enduring. God sees things in their true perspective, and He shares that perspective with us through His commandments, effectively guiding us around the pitfalls and potholes of mortality toward eternal joy. The prophet Joseph Smith explained, when His commandments teach us it is in view of eternity, for we're looked upon by God as though we were in eternity. God dwells in eternity and does not view things as we do. I haven't met anyone who found the gospel later in life that didn't wish it could have been earlier. All the poor choices, the mistakes I could have avoided, they will say. The Lord's commandments are our guide to better choices and happier outcomes, how we ought to rejoice and thank Him for showing us this more excellent way. As a teenager, Sister Colombo Rosette Camuña from the DR Congo, now serving in the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West Mission, fastened and prayed for three days to find the direction God wanted her to take. In a remarkable night vision, she was shown two buildings, a chapel, and what she now realizes was a temple. She began to search and soon found the chapel she had seen in her dream. The church, or the sign said, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sister Camuña was baptized and then her mother and her six brothers. Sister Camuña said, when I received the gospel, I felt like a captured bird that had been liberated. My heart was filled with joy. I had the assurance that God loves me. Keeping the Lord's commandments enables us more fully and more easily to feel His love. The straight and narrow path of the commandments leads directly to the tree of life and the tree and its fruit, the sweetest and most desirable above all things, are a representation of the love of God and fill the soul with exceedingly great joy. Said the Savior, if ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full. Second, the joy of overcoming through Christ. Even when we are found faithfully keeping the commandments, there are trials and tragedies that could interrupt our joy. But as we strive to overcome these challenges with the Savior's help, it preserves both the joy we feel now and the joy we anticipate. Christ reassured His disciples, in the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer I have overcome the world. It is in turning to Him, obeying Him, binding ourselves to Him, that trial and sorrow are turned to joy. I mention one example. In 1989, Jack Rushton was serving as president of the Irvine California Steak in the United States. During a family vacation on the California coast, Jack was body surfing when a wave swept him into a submerged rock, breaking his neck and severely injuring his spinal cord. Jack said later, the instant I hit, I knew I was paralyzed. He could no longer talk or even breathe on his own. Family, friends, and steak members rallied around, Brother Rushton and his wife Joanne, and among other things remodeled a section of their home to accommodate Jack's wheelchair. Joanne became Jack's principal caregiver for the next 23 years, referring to Book of Mormon accounts of how the Lord visited his people in their afflictions and made their burdens light. Joanne said, I'm often amazed at the lightness of heart I feel in caring for my husband. An alteration to his respiration system restored Jack's ability to speak. And within a year, Jack was called his gospel doctrine teacher and steak patriarch. When he would give a patriarchal blessing, another priesthood holder placed Brother Rushton's hand on the head of the person receiving the blessing and supported his hand and arm during the blessing. Jack passed away on Christmas Day, 2012, after 22 years of devoted service. Once in an interview, Jack observed, problems will come into all our lives. It's just part of being here on this earth. And some people think that religion or having faith in God will protect you from bad things. I don't think that's the point. I think the point is that if our faith is strong, that when bad things happen, which they will, we'll be able to deal with them. My faith never wavered, but that didn't mean that I didn't have depressions. I think for the first time in my life, I was pushed to the limit and literally there was nowhere to turn, and so I turned to the Lord. And to this day, I feel a spontaneity of joy. This is a day of sometimes merciless attacks in social media and in person, against those who seek to uphold the Lord's standard in dress, entertainment, and sexual purity. It's often the youth and young adults among the saints, as well as women and mothers who bear this cross of mocking and persecution. It's not easy to rise above such abuse, but remember the words of Peter. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye for the glory, for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you. On their part, he is evil spoken of, but on your part, he is glorified. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery. Now, as accountable beings, we find joy in overcoming misery in whatever form, whether it be sin, trial, weakness, or any other obstacle to happiness. This is the joy of sensing progress in the path of discipleship, the joy of having received a remission of sins and having peace of conscience, the joy of feeling one's soul expand and grow through the grace of Christ. Finally, the joy of serving as Christ. The Savior finds joy in bringing to pass our immortality and eternal life. In speaking of the Savior's Atonement, President Russell M. Nelson said, "'As in all things, Jesus Christ is our ultimate exemplar, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.'" Think of that. In order for him to endure the most excruciating experience ever endured on earth, our Savior focused on joy. And what was the joy that was set before him? Surely it included the joy of cleansing and healing and strengthening us, the joy of paying for the sins of all who would repent, the joy of making it possible for you and me to return home clean and worthy to live with our heavenly parents and families. End quote. Similarly, the joy set before us is the joy of assisting the Savior in His work of redemption. As the seed and children of Abraham, we participate in blessing all the families of the earth with the blessings of the gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal. The words of Alma come to mind. This is my glory that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance, and this is my joy. And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent and coming to the Lord their God, that is my soul filled with joy. But I do not joy in my own success alone. My joy is more full because of the success of my brethren who have been up to the land of Nephi. Now when I think of the success of these my brethren, my soul is carried away even to the separation of it from the body as it were, so great is my joy. The fruits of our service to one another in the Church are part of the joy set before us. Even in times of discouragement or stress, we can minister patiently if we're focused on the joy of pleasing God and bringing light, relief, and happiness to His children, our brothers and sisters. When in Haiti last month for the dedication of the Port of France temple, Elder David and Sister Susan Bednar met with the young sister whose husband had been killed a few days earlier in a tragic accident, they wept together with her. Yet on Sunday, this dear woman was in her place as an usher at the dedication services with a soft, welcoming smile for all who entered the temple. I believe that the ultimate joy of the Saints comes in knowing that the Savior pleads their cause, and no one can conceive of the joy which will fill our souls as we hear Jesus pray for us under the Father. With President Russell M. Nelson, I testify that joy is a gift for faithful Saints who have endured the crosses of the world and who are intentionally trying to live a righteous life as taught by Jesus Christ. May your joy be full, I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. As I was leaving a young woman camp this summer, a sweet young woman handed me a note. In it, she asked, how can I tell when God is trying to tell him something? I love her question. Our souls long for a connection with our heavenly home. We want to feel needed and useful. But at times we struggle to distinguish between our own thoughts and the gentle impressions of the Spirit. Prophets ancient and modern have taught that if something invites and entices to do good, it comes from Christ. President Russell M. Nelson has extended a simple, powerful invitation. My beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation. Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly. My desire this morning is to speak to you from my heart about four ways to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation. Number one, be intentional about creating time and space to hear God's voice. As you use your agency to carve out time every day to draw close to God's voice, especially in the Book of Mormon, over time His voice will become clearer and more familiar to you. In contrast, the distractions and noise that fill the world and our homes and our lives can make it more difficult to hear His voice. These distractions can so occupy our minds and hearts that we leave no room for the gentle promptings of the Holy Ghost. The prophet Joseph Smith taught that most often God reveals Himself to individuals in private, in their chamber, in the wilderness or fields, and that generally without noise or tumult. Satan wants to separate us from God's voice by keeping us out of those quiet places. If God speaks in a still small voice, you and I need to draw close to hear Him. Just imagine what would happen if we were as intent on staying connected with heaven as we are on staying connected to Wi-Fi. Pick a time and place and listen for God's voice every day and keep this sacred appointment with exactness for so very much depends on it. Number two, act without delay. When you receive promptings and then act with intention, the Lord can use you. The more you act, the more familiar the voice of the Spirit becomes. You will increasingly recognize God's guidance and that He is willing to reveal His mind and will. If you delay, you might forget the prompting or miss the chance to help someone for God. Number three, get your errand from the Lord. The prayer Heavenly Father seems eager to answer is our plea to be led to someone who needs our help. President Eyring has taught us to seek revelation by asking God who we can help for Him. Quote, if you ask questions like that, the Holy Ghost will come and you'll feel nudges about things you can do for other people. When you go and do those things, you're on the Lord's errand. And when you're on the Lord's errand, you qualify for the gift of the Holy Ghost. End quote. You can pray and ask the Lord for an errand. As you do, He can use your ordinary skills to accomplish His extra-ordinary work. My grandfather, Fritz Jammar Lundgren, immigrated from Sweden when he was 19 years old. He arrived in America alone with a suitcase and six years of formal schooling. Unable to speak any English, he made his way to Oregon and worked there as a lumberjack. And then later, with my grandmother and mother, joined the Church. He never presided over a ward, but as a faithful home teacher, he brought more than 50 different families into Church activity. How did he do that? Well, after Grandpa's death, I was going through a box of his papers. And I came across a letter written by a man who had come back to Church because of Grandpa's love. The letter read, Brother Fritz's secret, I believe, is that he is always on an errand for Heavenly Father. That letter was from Brother Wayne Simonus. Grandpa visited him and got to know each member of the family. In time, Grandpa told them that they were needed and invited them to attend church. But that Sunday, Brother Simonus awoke with a dilemma. He had not finished re-roofing his house, and rain was expected that week. He decided that he'd go to church, shake hands with Grandpa, and then leave and go home and finish the roof. His family could attend sacrament meeting without him. Well, his plan was working just fine. Until on the roof, he heard someone climbing the ladder. In his words, when I looked up, standing at the top of the ladder was Brother Fritz. He just gave me that big smile. At first, I was embarrassed and felt like a little kid getting caught for skipping school. Then I felt anger, but Brother Fritz just took off his suitcoat and hung it on the ladder. As he rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt, he turned to me and said, Brother Simonus, do you have another hammer? This work must be very important or you wouldn't have left your family. And if it's that important, I want to help you. As I looked into his eyes, I saw only kindness and Christ-like love. My anger left. I laid my tools down that Sunday and followed my good friend down the ladder and back to the chapel. Grandpa had obtained his errand from the Lord and he knew he was to seek out lost sheep. Just as the four men who carried their friend with palsy onto a roof and then let him down to be healed by Jesus Christ, so too did Grandpa's errand to take him to a rooftop. The Lord sends revelation to those seeking to help others. And for, believe, and trust. Recently, I read in the scriptures about another great missionary who obtained his errand from the Lord. Aaron was teaching the King of the Lamanites who wondered why Aaron's brother, Ammon, had not also come to teach him. And Aaron said into the King, behold, the spirit of the Lord has called him another way. The spirit spoke to my heart. Each of us has a different mission to perform and at times the spirit may call us in another way. There are many ways to build the kingdom of God as covenant-making, covenant-keeping disciples of Jesus Christ. As his faithful disciple, you can receive personal inspiration and revelation consistent with his commandments that is tailored to you. You have unique missions and roles to perform in life and will be given unique guidance to fulfill them. Nephi, the brother of Jared, and even Moses all had a large body of water to cross and each did it differently. Nephi worked timbers of curious workmanship. The brother of Jared built barges that were tight like into a dish and Moses walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea. They each received personalized direction, tailored to them, and each trusted and acted. The Lord is mindful of those who obey, and in the words of Nephi, will prepare a way for us to accomplish the thing which he commanded. Note that Nephi says a way, not the way. Do we miss or dismiss personal errands from the Lord because he has prepared a way different than the one we expect? My grandpa was led to an unusual place, in a suit, on a rooftop, on a Sunday. Trust God to lead you, even if that way looks different than you expected or is different from others. Latter-day Saints come in many shapes and sizes, but all are alike unto God, black and white, bond and free, male and female, single and married, rich and poor, young and old, lifelong member and recent convert. No matter who you are or what you're dealing with, you are invited to the Lord's table. As seeking and doing the will of the Father becomes the cadence of your daily life, you will, of course, be led to change and repent. Well, the Church's new program for children and youth is built upon the foundation of learning to seek revelation, discovering what the Lord would have us do and then acting on that direction. Each one of us, regardless of age or circumstance, can strive to seek, receive, and act. As you follow this eternal pattern ordained for our day, you will draw near to Jesus Christ, His love, His light, His direction, His peace, His healing and enabling power, and you will increase your spiritual capacity to become an everyday instrument of His hands in accomplishing His great work. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Last April, I had the privilege of dedicating the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple. Words can't express the joy the faithful Congolese and I felt to see a temple dedicated in their land. Individuals who enter the Kinshasa Temple see an original painting entitled Congo Falls. It uniquely reminds temple-goers of the unwavering commitment required to anchor themselves to Jesus Christ and to follow the covenant path of our Heavenly Father's plan. The waterfalls depicted in the painting call to mind a practice that was common more than a century ago among early converts to Christianity and Congo. Before their conversion, they worshiped inanimate objects, believing that the items possessed supernatural powers. After conversion, many made a pilgrimage to one of the countless waterfalls along the Congo River, such as the Enzongo Falls. These converts threw their previously idolized objects into the waterfalls as a symbol to God and others that they had discarded their old traditions and accepted Jesus Christ. They intentionally didn't throw their objects into calm, shallow waters. They threw them into the churning waters of a massive waterfall where the items would become unrecoverable. These actions were a token of a new but unwavering commitment to Jesus Christ. People in other ages and places demonstrated their commitment to Jesus Christ in similar ways. The Book of Mormon people, known as the Antiniphi Lehi's, laid down the weapons of their rebellion, bearing them deep in the earth as a testimony to God that they never would use their weapons again. In doing so, they promised to follow God's teachings and never go back on their commitment. This action was the beginning of being converted unto the Lord and never falling away. Being converted unto the Lord means leaving one course of action directed by an old belief system and adopting a new one based on faith in Heavenly Father's plan and in Jesus Christ and His atonement. This change is more than an intellectual acceptance of gospel teachings. It shapes our identity, transforms our understanding of life's meaning, and leads to unchanging fidelity to God, personal desires that are contrary to being anchored to the Savior and to following the covenant path fade away and are replaced by determination to submit to the will of Heavenly Father. Being converted unto the Lord starts with an unwavering commitment to God, followed by making that commitment part of who we are. Internalizing such a commitment is a lifelong process that requires patience and ongoing repentance. Eventually, this commitment becomes part of who we are, embedded in our sense of self and ever present in our lives. Just as we never forget our own name, no matter at what else we're thinking about, we never forget a commitment that's etched in our hearts. God invites us to cast our old ways completely out of reach and begin a new life in Christ. This happens as we develop faith in the Savior, which begins by hearing the testimony of those who have faith. Thereafter, faith deepens as we act in ways that anchor us more firmly to Him. Now, it'd be nice if increased faith were transmitted like the flu or the common cold. Then a simple spiritual sneeze would build faith in others, but it doesn't work that way. The only way faith grows is for an individual to act in faith. These actions are often prompted by invitations extended by others, but we cannot grow someone else's faith or rely solely on others to bolster our own. For our faith to grow, we must choose faith-building actions, such as praying, scripture study, partaking of the sacrament, keeping the commandments, and serving others. As our faith in Jesus Christ grows, God invites us to make promises with Him. These covenants, as such promises are known, are manifestations of our conversion. Covenants also create a sure foundation for spiritual progression. As we choose to be baptized, we begin to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ and choose to identify ourselves with Him. We pledge to become like Him and to develop His attributes. Covenants anchor us to the Savior and propel us along the path that leads to our heavenly home. The power of covenants helps us maintain the mighty change of heart, deepen our conversion to the Lord, and receive Christ's image more fully in our countenance. But a half-hearted commitment to our covenants will not guarantee us anything. We may be tempted to equivocate, throw our old ways in calm water, or bury our weapons of rebellion with the handle sticking out. But an ambivalent commitment to our covenants will not open the door to the sanctifying power of Heavenly Father in Jesus Christ. Our commitment to keep our covenants should not be conditional or vary with changing circumstances in our lives. Our constancy to God should be like the dependable Congo River that flows near the Kinshasa Temple. This river, unlike most rivers in the world, has constant flow all year and pours nearly 11 millions of gallons of water per second into the Atlantic Ocean. The Savior invited His disciples to be this dependable and steadfast. He said, "'Wherefore settle this in your hearts "'that ye will do the things which I shall teach "'and command you.'" A settled determination to keep our covenants allows for the full realization of God's promise of enduring joy. Many faithful Latter-day Saints have demonstrated that they are settled in keeping their covenants with God and are forever changed. Let me tell you about three such individuals. Brother Bonza Muchoko, Sister Bonza Regine, and Brother Mbuing Kitabungi. In 1977, the Bonzas lived in Kinshasa in the country of Zaire, now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They were highly respected in their Protestant Church community. Because of their talents, their Church arranged for their young family to go to Switzerland to study and provide at the university scholarship. While in Geneva, on the bus route to school, Brother Bonza frequently saw a small meeting house with the name The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He wondered, does Jesus Christ have saints now in the latter days? He eventually decided to go and seek. Brother and Sister Bonza were greeted warmly at the branch. They asked some of the persistent questions they had about the nature of God, such as, if God is a spirit like the wind, how could we be created in His likeness? How could He sit on a throne? They never received a satisfactory answer until the missionaries explained restored doctrine in a brief lesson. When the missionaries left, the Bonzas looked at each other and said, isn't this the truth that we have heard? They continued coming to church and meeting with the missionaries. They knew that baptism in the restored Church of Jesus Christ would have consequences. They would be stripped of their scholarships, their visas would be revoked, and they and their two young children would be required to leave Switzerland. They chose to be baptized and confirmed in October 1979. Two weeks after their baptism, Brother and Sister Bonza returned to Kinshasa as the first and second members of the Church in their country. The members of the Geneva branch stayed in contact with them and helped them connect with Church leaders. The Bonzas were encouraged to faithfully await the promised time when God would establish His Church in Zaire. Meanwhile, another exchange student from Zaire, Brother Mbuy, was studying in Belgium. He was baptized in 1980 in the Brussels Ward. Soon thereafter, he served a full-time mission to England, and God worked His miracles. Brother Mbuy returned to Zaire as the third member of the Church in his country. With parental permission, Church meetings were held in his family home. In February 1986, a petition was made for official government recognition of the Church. The signatures of three citizens of Zaire were required. The three happy signatories of the petition were Brother Bonza, Sister Bonza, and Brother Mbuy. These stalwart members knew the truth when they heard it. They made a covenant at baptism that anchored them to the Savior. They metaphorically threw their old ways into a churning waterfall with no intention of retrieving them. The covenant path was never easy. Political turmoil, infrequent contact with Church leaders, and challenges inherent in building a community of saints might have deterred less committed individuals. But Brother and Sister Bonza and Brother Mbuy persevered in their faith. They were present at the dedication of the Kinshasa Temple 33 years after they signed the petition that led to official recognition of the Church in Zaire. The Bonzas are here in the conference center today. They're accompanied by their two sons, Junior and Phil, and daughters-in-law Annie and Yuyu. In 1986, Junior and Phil were the first two individuals baptized into the Church in Zaire. Brother Mbuy is watching these proceedings from Kinshasa with his wife Maggie and their five children. These pioneers understand the meaning and consequences of covenants through which they have been brought to the knowledge of the Lord their God and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer. How do we anchor ourselves to the Savior and remain faithful like these and many tens of thousands of Congolese saints who followed them and millions of others throughout the world? The Savior taught us how. Each week, we partake of the sacrament and make a covenant with our Heavenly Father. We promise to link our identity with the Savior by pledging our willingness to take upon us His name, to always remember Him and to keep His commandments. Conscientiously preparing for and worthily making these covenants each week anchors us to the Savior, helps us internalize our commitment and powerfully propels us along the covenant path. I invite you to commit to a lifelong process of discipleship, make and keep covenants, throw your old ways into deep churning waterfalls, completely bury your weapons of rebellion with no handles sticking out. Because of the atonement of Jesus Christ, making covenants with a real intent to reliably honor them will bless your life forever. You will become more like the Savior as you always remember Him, follow Him, and adore Him. I testify that He is the firm foundation. He is dependable, and His promises are sure. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. We thank all who have participated and expressed gratitude to the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square for the beautiful music they have provided this morning. The choir will now favor us with the primary song entitled, Faith. Our concluding speaker for this session will be President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency. Following his remarks, the choir will close the meeting by singing, Now Let Us Rejoice. The benediction will then be offered by Elder Stephen R. Bangeter of the Seventy. I received some time ago, introduces the subject of my talk. The writer was contemplating a temple marriage to a man whose eternal companion had died. She would be a second wife. She asked this question, would she be able to have her own house in the next life, or would she have to live with her husband and his first wife? I just told her to trust the Lord. I continue with an experience I heard from a trusted associate, which I share with his permission. After the death of a beloved wife and mother of his children, a father remarried. Some grown children strongly objected to the remarriage and sought the counsel of a close relative who was a respected Church leader. After hearing the reasons for their objections, which focused on conditions and relationships in the spirit world or in the kingdoms of glory that follow the final judgment, this leader said, quote, you are worried about the wrong things. You should be worried about whether you will get to those places. Concentrate on that. If you get there, all of it will be more wonderful than you can imagine, end of quote. What a comforting teaching. Trust the Lord. From letters I've received, I know that others are troubled by questions about the spirit world we will inhabit after we die and before we are resurrected. Some assume that the spirit world will continue many of the temporal circumstances and issues we experience in this mortal life. What do we really know about conditions in the spirit world? I believe a BYU religion professor's article on this subject had it right. He wrote, when we ask ourselves what we know about the spirit world from the standard works, the answer is not as much as we often think, end of quote. Of course, we know from the scriptures that after our bodies die, we continue to live as spirits in the spirit world. The scriptures also teach that this spirit world is divided between those who have been righteous or just during life and those who have been wicked. They also describe how some faithful spirits teach the gospel to those who have been wicked or rebellious. Most important, modern revelation reveals that the work of salvation goes forward in the spirit world, and although we are urged not to procrastinate our repentance during mortality, we are taught that some repentance is possible there. The work of salvation in the spirit world consists of freeing spirits from what the scriptures frequently describe as bondage. All in the spirit world are under some form of bondage. President Joseph F. Smith's great revelation, canonized in section 138 of the Doctrine and Covenants, states that the righteous dead, who were in a state of peace as they anticipated the resurrection, had looked upon the long absence of their spirits from their bodies as a bondage, end of quote. The wicked also suffer an additional bondage. Because of unrepentant sins, they are in what the Apostle Peter referred to as spirit prison. These spirits are described as bound or as captives or as cast into outer darkness with weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth as they await resurrection and judgment. Resurrection for all in the spirit world is assured by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, though it occurs at different times for different groups. Until that appointed time, what the scriptures tell us about activity in the spirit world principally concerns the work of salvation. Little else is revealed. The gospel is preached to the ignorant, the unrepentant and the rebellious, so they can be freed from their bondage and go forward to the blessings a loving Heavenly Father has in store for them. The spirit world bondage that applies to righteous converted souls is their need to await and perhaps even to be allowed to prompt the performance of their proxy ordinances on earth so they can be baptized and enjoy the blessings of the Holy Ghost. These mortal proxy ordinances also empower them to go forward under priesthood authority to enlarge the hosts of the righteous who can preach the gospel to the spirits in prison. Beyond these basics, our canon of scripture contains very little about the spirit world that follows death and precedes the final judgment. So what else do we know about the spirit world? Many members of the church have had visions or other inspirations to inform them about how things operate or are organized in the spirit world. But these personal spiritual experiences are not to be understood or taught as the official doctrine of the Church. And of course, there is abundant speculation by members and others in published sources like books on near-death experiences. As to all of these, the wise cautions of Elders D. Todd Christofferson and Neal L. Anderson in earlier General Conference messages are important to remember. Elder Christofferson taught, quote, It should be remembered that not every statement made by a church leader past or present necessarily constitutes doctrine. It is commonly understood in the Church that a statement made by one leader on a single occasion often represents a personal, though well-considered opinion not meant to be official or binding for the whole Church, end of quote. In the following conference, Elder Anderson taught this principle, quote, The doctrine is taught by all 15 members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. It is not hidden in an obscure paragraph of one talk, end of quote. The family proclamation signed by all 15 prophets, seers, and revelators is a wonderful illustration of that principle. Beyond something as formal as the family proclamation, the prophetic teachings of the Presidents of the Church, affirmed by other prophets and apostles, are also an example of this. As to circumstances in the spirit world, the Prophet Joseph Smith gave two teachings near the close of his ministry that have been frequently taught by his successors. One of these is his teaching in the King Follett Sermon that family members who were righteous will be together in the world of spirits. Another is this statement at a funeral in the last year of his life, quote, The spirits of the just are exalted to a greater and more glorious work in the world of spirits. They are not far from us and know and understand our thoughts, feelings, and emotions and are often pained therewith, end of quote. So what about a question like I mentioned earlier about where spirits live? If that question seems strange or trivial to you, consider many of your own questions or even those you've been tempted to answer on the basis of something you heard from another person sometime in the past. For all questions about the spirit world, I suggest two answers. First, remember that God loves his children and will surely do what is best for each of us. Second, remember this familiar Bible teaching, which has been most helpful to me on a multitude of unanswered questions. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths. Similarly, Nephi concluded his great psalm with these words, "'O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh.'" We can all wonder privately about circumstances in the spirit world or even discuss these or other unanswered questions in family or other intimate settings. But let us not teach or use as official doctrine on what does not meet the standards of official doctrine. To do so does not further the work of the Lord and may even discourage individuals from seeking their own comfort or edification through the personal revelation the Lord's plan provides for each of us. Excessive reliance on personal teachings or speculations may even draw us aside from concentrating on learning and efforts that will further our understanding and help us go forward on the covenant path. Trust in the Lord is a familiar and true teaching in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That was Joseph Smith's teaching when the early Saints experienced severe persecutions and seemingly insurmountable obstacles. That is still the best principle we can use when our efforts to learn or our attempts to find comfort encounter obstacles in matters not yet revealed or not adopted as the official doctrine of the Church. That same principle applies to unanswered questions about ceilings in the next life or desired readjustments because of events or transgressions in mortality. There is so much we do not know that our only sure reliance is to trust in the Lord and His love for His children. In conclusion, what we do know about the spirit world is that the Father's and the Son's work of salvation continues there. Our Savior initiated the work of declaring liberty to the captives, and that work continues as worthy and qualified messengers continue to preach the gospel, including repentance, to those who still need its cleansing effect. The object of all of that is described in the official doctrine of the Church given in modern revelation, quote, "'The dead who repent will be redeemed through obedience to the ordinances of the house of God. And after they have paid the penalty of their transgressions and are washed clean shall receive a reward according to their works, for they are heirs of salvation." End of quote. The duty of each of us is to teach the doctrine of the restored gospel, keep the commandments, love and help one another, and do the work of salvation in the holy temples. I testify of the truth of what I have said here and of the truths taught and to be taught in this conference. This is all made possible because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. As we know from modern revelation, He glorifies the Father and saves all the works of His hands. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. We bow our heads before the conclusion of this great session of general conference and give thee thanks with all of our hearts for thy holy spirit that has been felt. We are grateful, dear Father, for the words of inspiration that have filled our souls this day. We are so very thankful to have received guidance and counsel from thy chosen servants. Dear Father, we unite together as thy children across this beautiful earth. In our supplication unto thee that thy holy spirit may be felt within the hearts and the minds of thy children upon this earth, that our youth and our children may fill within them the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by thy Son, our beloved Savior and Redeemer. We give thee thanks, dear Father, for our Savior, for His sacred birth, for His perfect life. We are so deeply grateful for His atoning sacrifice and we joy in His resurrection and continuing guidance of this His Church upon the earth. We are thankful for His continuing participation, for the call of prophets and apostles, and we are thankful for our beloved prophet, President Russell M. Nelson. We'll thus sustain him and strengthen him. Dear Father, we thank thee for all of these blessings and do so in the name of thy Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. This has been a broadcast of the 189th Semiannual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Speakers were selected from the general authorities and general officers of the Church. Music was provided by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. This broadcast has been furnished as a public service by Bonneville Distribution. Any reproduction, recording, transcription, or other use of this program without written consent is prohibited.