
Chronological Bibliography
2000 — 2009
Search the General Conference Bibliography
Advanced Search of theGeneral Conference Bibliography
This form allows you to perform an advanced search. You only need to fill in one field below. This can be any field. If you select "not" as your match criteria, you must select at least one other field.
See the icons used for the links to the available media types for an article
170th Annual Conference April 2000
In this great hall … the voices of prophets will go out to all the world in testimony of the Redeemer of mankind.
In every language, the Spirit of God—the Holy Ghost—guides, or can guide, every member of the Church.
I pray that you young people will develop a reverence for sacred things, a respect for your elders, and a willingness to keep the commandments. I pray that you will learn to know of the Savior.
The Savior, Jesus Christ, showed us the way to happiness and told us everything we need to do to be happy.
Resurrection is much more than merely reuniting a spirit to a body. … The resurrection is a restoration that brings back “carnal for carnal” and “good for that which is good” (Alma 41:13).
Never before in the history of the world has the need for faith in God been greater.
The continued expansion of technology will only bring the messages to us. … [But it is] the challenge of each individual and family … to internalize the messages of the gospel.
It has been inspiring to see the Lord’s hand in bringing the forces together which will lead to an inevitable victory. There will be a temple in West Africa.
If we can help people first understand the plan, they will find a deeper and more permanent motivation to keep the commandments.
I have learned from the scriptures and the living prophets that this life is the time to prepare ourselves to meet God and one day enjoy eternal life with Him.
The most important thing every one of us can do is to examine our own commitment and devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ.
I hope that we have grateful hearts for the knowledge that we have and the testimonies we have and for the feelings we have.
Each of us absolutely must help each daughter of God we can to realize what sacred characteristics Father in Heaven has given her.
Priesthood isn’t something we take off during the week and put on for Sunday. It is a 24-7 privilege and blessing—that is, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The Holy Ghost has the power to bring light and understanding to our lives, but we must pay the price to seek and win His companionship.
Self-mastery … is the ultimate test of our character.
Let us consider our callings, let us reflect on our responsibilities, let us determine our duty, and let us follow Jesus Christ our Lord.
Stake presidents have been called under the same inspiration under which the General Authorities were called. I pray for these, my beloved brethren, that the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon them.
In a very real sense, we are builders of eternal houses. We are apprentices to the trade—not skilled craftsmen. We need divine help if we are to build successfully.
In our own storms in life the Savior is our solace and our sanctuary. If we seek peace, we must come unto Him.
The Lord loves widows. … [We] should care for and assist the widows within our family, home, ward, and neighborhood.
Create homes filled with love and serenity. Relieve suffering. Create enduring testimonies of eternal truths in ourselves and others.
The Savior will let you feel the love He feels for those you serve. The call is an invitation to become like Him.
Of all the things for which I feel grateful … , one stands out preeminently. That is a living testimony of Jesus Christ.
Life’s necessary defining moments come within our allotments. … Our responses are what matter. Sufficient unto each life are the tests thereof!
May we do as much with the blessings we have been given as [our ancestors] did out of the deprivations so many of them faced. In such abundance may we never “forget the Lord.”
I know that your Heavenly Father has a special plan for you and your family to return to live with Him. Let’s go home.
A father succeeds when he steps forward and accepts his commitment as a father, always loving, praying for and doing what he can for his family, and never giving up.
We declare that the great restoration that the ancient prophets spoke of began in 1820 when the Lord called a young man named Joseph Smith to reestablish the Church.
Grand as it is, planet Earth is part of something even grander—that great plan of God. Simply summarized, the earth was created that families might be.
Let us take a little time to meditate, to think of what we can do to improve our lives and to become better examples of what a Latter-day Saint should be.
What does it mean to stand as a witness of God? It means we will not bow down or give in or be persuaded to do anything contrary to God’s will.
Integrity makes you whole and complete.
You have all you need to stand strong and firm and true because you have the Lord on your side.
170th Semi-Annual Conference October 2000
171st Annual Conference April 2001
Let us be good people. Let us be friendly people. Let us be neighborly people. Let us be what members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ought to be.
Do the best you can while on earth to have an ideal family. To help you do that, ponder and apply the principles in the proclamation on the family.
True humility will inevitably lead us to say to God, “Thy will be done.”
I believe that all of us can bear witness to these small miracles.
For those who find it difficult to initiate missionary conversations—and many do—the Church’s newly produced pass-along cards are a lovely, effortless way to let others know some of your basic beliefs and how they may learn more.
We have no way of knowing when our privilege to extend a helping hand will unfold before us.
We all make mistakes. … It is then in our nature to feel guilt and humiliation and suffering, which we alone cannot cure. That is when the healing power of the Atonement will help.
It is proper for a mature sister or couple to let their priesthood leaders know that they are willing and able to serve a mission. I urge you to do so.
Given some exposure, our young brothers and young sisters come quite naturally … to a deep love for Jesus and for our prophets.
A spiritual witness of the Nephite scripture will always bring the certainty of the Savior’s existence.
Those who enter the temple are also to bear the attribute of holiness. … We can acquire holiness only by enduring and persistent personal effort.
In any community of Saints, we all work to serve each other in the best way we know how. Our work has a higher purpose because it is work to bless others and to build the kingdom of God.
As you watch over His sheep, your love for Him will grow. And that will increase your confidence and your courage.
Pornography, though billed by Satan as entertainment, is a deeply poisonous, deceptive snake that lies coiled up in magazines, the Internet, and the television.
While the power of the priesthood is unlimited, our individual power in the priesthood is limited by our degree of righteousness or purity.
Honor four sacred principles in your lives: reverence for Deity; respecting and honoring family relationships; reverence for and obedience to the ordinances and covenants of the holy priesthood; respect for yourself as a son of God.
Brethren, the world is in need of your help. There are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspire, and souls to save.
Where there is widespread poverty among our people, we must do all we can to help them to lift themselves, to establish their lives upon a foundation of self-reliance that can come of training. Education is the key to opportunity.
The full benefit of forgiveness of sin through the Savior’s Atonement begins with repentance and baptism and then expands upon receiving the Holy Ghost.
By utilizing the Atonement, we access the gifts of the Holy Ghost, which “filleth with hope and perfect love” (Moro. 8:26).
Just being a member of this Church is not enough. Nor is merely going through the motions of membership sufficient.
Sacrifice is an amazing principle. … It can develop within us a profound love for each other and our Savior, Jesus Christ.
It is no small thing, my brothers and sisters, to have a prophet of God in our midst. Great and wonderful are the blessings that come into our lives as we listen to the word of the Lord given to us through him.
Faith is the basis of testimony. Faith underlies loyalty to the Church. Faith represents sacrifice, gladly given in moving forward the work of the Lord.
May you have a burning feeling in your heart. May you feel as I do on this day that this work is true and that it is meant for us to help bring about the eternal plan of salvation and exaltation.
Fasting, coupled with mighty prayer, is powerful. It can fill our minds with the revelations of the Spirit. It can strengthen us against times of temptation.
Church members are unified in Christ through love and testimony. This dispensation’s pathway to our Savior is through Joseph and the Book of Mormon.
There is a difference in just attending the temple and having a rich spiritual experience.
From its earliest days, the Lord’s Church has been built up by ordinary people who magnified their callings in humility and devotion.
Available information wisely used is far more valuable than multiplied information allowed to lie fallow.
These conferences are held … to strengthen our testimonies of this work, to fortify us against temptation and sin, to lift our sights, to receive instruction.
When you pray often and seek to know the Lord’s will like Nephi did, the Lord will show you the way.
Spirituality is learning how to listen to the Spirit and then letting it govern our lives.
By the gift and power of the Holy Ghost, you can be guided in your trip through life.
171st Semi-Annual Conference October 2001
The most effective missionaries, member and full-time, always act out of love. … If we lack this love for others, we should pray for it.
Our mortal life is the time for men to meet God by building a bridge of faith, opening the door into immortality and eternal life.
No marriage or family, no ward or stake is likely to reach its full potential until husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, men and women work together in unity of purpose.
With … faith, we will be able to pray for what we want and appreciate whatever we get. Only with that faith will we pray with the diligence God requires.
Our salvation depends on believing in and accepting the Atonement. Such acceptance requires a continual effort to understand it more fully.
What we need is the faith of Brigham Young and the faith of Gordon B. Hinckley and the faith of people who are our prophets and leaders.
We don’t have to be perfect today. We don’t have to be better than someone else. All we have to do is to be the very best we can.
We promote the process of strengthening our faith when we do what is right—increased faith always follows.
[Our Heavenly] Father’s desire is to provide all of us with the opportunity to receive a fulness of joy, even the fulness that He possesses.
Knowledge alone is not enough. We must take time to apply the principles in our lives.
We should pay [tithes and offerings] as a personal expression of love to a generous and merciful Father in Heaven.
If we are truly disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we will reach out with love and understanding to all of our neighbors at all times.
I promise you that your achievement of the Duty to God Award will provide you with a living testimony that will sustain you throughout your life.
Holding the priesthood and doing your duty to God is not only a very serious responsibility but also a remarkable privilege.
Gratitude may be increased by constantly reflecting on our blessings and giving thanks for them in our daily prayers.
When we serve righteously … , we are strengthening our priesthood link and connecting it ever more securely to those who have preceded and who will follow us.
May we all be faithful in doing the day-to-day, ordinary things that prove our worthiness, for they will lead us to and qualify us for great things.
All of us have a solemn duty to honor the priesthood and labor to bring many precious souls unto the Lord.
Let us open our hearts, let us reach down and lift up, let us open our purses, let us show a greater love for our fellowmen.
May we live so that when that final summons is heard, we may have no serious regrets, no unfinished business.
The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ has the nourishing power to heal starving spirits of the world.
Jesus Christ is our perfect example of one who always stood tall. He is the one who personifies integrity, strength, and courage.
We are not alone in this sacred trust of parenting, loving, and leading. There is no greater joy. It is worth every sacrifice.
Our family is the focus of our greatest work and joy in this life; so will it be throughout all eternity.
Our safety lies in repentance. Our strength comes of obedience to the commandments of God.
What we need is a royal army of returned missionaries reenlisted into service.
The keeping of the seventh commandment is such a vital shield! By lowering or losing that shield, the much-needed blessings of heaven are lost.
In most encounters we can determine the kind of experience we are going to have by how we respond.
Obedience is essential to realize the blessings of the Lord.
Your personal security and happiness depend upon the strength of your testimony, for it will guide your actions in times of trial or uncertainty.
Our safety lies in the virtue of our lives. Our strength lies in our righteousness. God has made it clear that if we will not forsake Him, He will not forsake us.
We cannot abandon our faith when challenges comes our way. We will not turn away; we will not retreat; we will not become discouraged.
Let us never forget that we are building a foundation for and with our family upon the rock of our Redeemer.
Motherhood is more than bearing children. … It is the essence of who we are as women.
172nd Annual Conference April 2002
No other church to come out of the soil of America has grown so fast nor spread so widely. … It is a phenomenon without precedent.
There is in what we believe, there is in what we teach, counsel, commandments, even warnings that we are to protect, to love, to care for, and to “teach [children] to walk in the ways of truth.”
The Lord has established the law of tithing as the law of revenue of His Church. … It is also a law by which we show our loyalty to the Lord.
How do you and I become so converted to the truth, so full of faith, so dependent on God that we are able to meet trials and even be strengthened by them?
Those who, in faith, leave their nets and follow the Savior will experience happiness beyond their ability to comprehend.
Let’s not pass to future generations the grievances, the anger of our time. Let’s remove any hidden wedges that can do nothing but destroy.
Your happiness now and forever is conditioned on your degree of conversion and the transformation that it brings to your life.
All of us will be tested. And all of us need true friends to love us, to listen to us, to show us the way, and to testify of truth to us.
“Faith obedience” is a matter of trust. The question is simple: Do we trust our Heavenly Father? Do we trust our prophets?
By being teachable, we activate the full force and blessings of the Atonement in our lives.
He has given us His Atonement, His gospel, and His Church, a sacred combination that gives us the assurance of immortality and the opportunity for eternal life.
In pondering and pursuing consecration, understandably we tremble inwardly at what may be required. Yet the Lord has said consolingly, “My grace is sufficient for you” (Du0026C 17:8).
The Lord is bound by solemn covenant to bless our lives according to our faithfulness. Only He can turn us into men in whom the Spirit of God, namely the Holy Ghost, is.
As you stay on the right path, the reward at the end of life’s journey is well worth the moments of adversity you experience along the way.
I pray that you wonderful young men will not only be worthy to receive ministering angels, but that you … will become a ministering angel in the lives of others.
Your future may not hold fame or fortune, but it can be something far more lasting and fulfilling. Remember that what we do in life echoes in eternity.
Let us, as a mighty body of priesthood, be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Let us pray, then let us go and do.
Our behavior in public must be above reproach. Our behavior in private is even more important. It must clear the standard set by the Lord.
Each of us has problems that we cannot solve and weaknesses that we cannot conquer without reaching out through prayer to a higher source of strength.
No one of us is less treasured or cherished of God than another. I testify that He loves each of us—insecurities, anxieties, self-image, and all.
Out of our adversity we might seek our greatest triumphs, and the day may well come that from our challenges we will understand the familiar words “for thy good.”
Every child needs regular reports affirming, “You are known. You are valued. You have potential. You are good.”
The emblems of the Savior’s Atonement remind us that we need not stumble in darkness. We can have His light with us always.
We reach toward the unknown, but faith lights the way. If we will cultivate that faith, we shall never walk in darkness.
The foundation of one’s individual faith, if anchored firmly to eternal truth, allows each of us to reach upward with an eternal perspective.
To know the Lord Jesus Christ, we and all mankind must receive Him. And to receive Him, we must receive His servants.
Conversion is a personal and spiritual process. Every individual must examine these principles for himself.
As we increasingly think and act like Him, the attributes of the natural man will slip away to be replaced by the heart and the mind of Christ.
If I could have one thing happen for every woman in this Church, it would be that they would feel the love of the Lord in their lives.
I know how deeply He loves us and how perfectly compelling His love is for us.
I love Him. I want to do all that I can to serve as He would have me serve.
Peace—real peace, whole-souled to the very core of your being—comes only in and through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Like the polar star in the heavens, … there stands the Redeemer of the world, the Son of God, certain and sure as the anchor of our immortal lives.
Standing in holy places is all about being in good company, whether you are alone or with others.
Three principles that will help you strengthen your home and family are nurturing, sacrifice, and prayer.
Develop the divinity that is within you. Don’t dull the brightness of the spirit you came with from heaven. The Lord needs your goodness and your influence in this world.
172nd Semi-Annual Conference October 2002
I urge you … to utilize the temples of the Church. Go there and carry forward the great and marvelous work which the God of heaven has outlined for us.
We have been given the great power of the priesthood. It blesses us individually and provides blessings for our family.
Let us listen to the prophets of our days as they help us to focus on the things that are central to the Creator’s plan.
This is our charge, this is our opportunity, to diligently teach and testify to our children of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Perplexing things will still happen, but, like Nephi, we can still know that God loves us, a … fact which can and will sustain us through so much!
Taking up one’s cross and following the Savior means overcoming selfishness; it is a commitment to serve others.
If we’re ever going to show gratitude properly to our Heavenly Father, we should do it with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength.
Pay your tithing. Unlock the windows of heaven. You will be abundantly blessed for your obedience and faithfulness to the Lord’s laws and commandments.
Mortality’s supreme test is to face the “why” and then let it go, trusting humbly in the Lord’s promise that “all things must come to pass in their time.”
If we are caring, if we are charitable, if we are obedient to God and follow His prophets, our sacrifices will bring forth the blessings of heaven.
To raise our families and serve faithfully in the Church, all without running faster than we have strength, require wisdom, judgment, divine help—and inevitably some sacrifice.
Peace is a prime priority that pleads for our pursuit.
The Lord has a special interest in the patriarch, who holds a unique position in the Church.
We call upon you, our young brethren of the Aaronic Priesthood, to rise up, to measure up, and to be fully prepared to serve the Lord.
While we are not all equal in experience, aptitude, and strength, … we will all be accountable for the use of the gifts and opportunities given to us.
His words in holy writ are sufficient: “Be still, and know that I am God.”
You men who hold this precious priesthood, bind it to your very souls. Be worthy of it at all times and in all circumstances.
All of us living in the world today need points of reference—even models to follow.
The full measure of [our] conversion to men and women of God happens best through our labors in His vineyard.
We will not be one with God and Christ until we make Their will and interest our greatest desire.
A woman of faith trusts God. … She knows of His interest in her life. She knows that He knows her. She loves His words and drinks deeply of that living water.
The Lord will guide you by revelation just as He called you. You must ask in faith for revelation to know what you are to do.
God be thanked for His marvelous bestowal of testimony, authority, and doctrine associated with this, the restored Church of Jesus Christ.
Only when our faith is aligned with the will of our Heavenly Father will we be empowered to receive the blessings we seek.
You must trust that the Savior has given His life so that you can make the required changes in your life, changes that will bring peace.
Stirrings within us originate from a divine source and, when followed, will help to keep us on course, thus protecting us from harmful influences and dangerous detours.
We can feel happiness every day in our lives through little things we do, and we are fully happy as we keep the commandments of a loving God.
Principles of love, work, self-reliance, and consecration are God given. Those who embrace them and govern themselves accordingly become pure in heart.
Do your sons ever wonder if you are asleep when it comes to the things that are most important to them?
There is room for improvement in every life. … Regardless of our circumstances, we can improve ourselves and while so doing have an effect on the lives of those about us.
Every time we reach out with love, patience, kindness, generosity, we honor our covenants by saying, “Here am I; send me.”
If we keep our covenants, the promises we receive in return are great.
As covenant women, … we can alter the face of the earth one family and one home at a time through charity, our small and simple acts of pure love.
173rd Annual Conference April 2003
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the way of peace. To the extent we follow it and incorporate it in our lives … will we be blessed and prospered.
We should pray in accord with the will of our Heavenly Father. He wants to test us, to strengthen us, and to help us achieve our full potential.
Living water heals. It nourishes and sustains. It brings peace and joy.
However dark conditions may seem in this world today, whatever the storms we are facing personally, … joy can be ours now.
Learn from the past, prepare for the future, live in the present.
If [we] would open [our] hearts to the refining influence of this unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost, a glorious new spiritual dimension would come to light.
The Lord trusts His true disciples. He sends prepared people to His prepared servants.
As we engage our faith and commit our energy to draw closer to Jesus Christ, we begin to understand more fully who He really is.
Successfully working our way through life, while keeping our eye on life’s true purposes, blesses us both here and hereafter.
We must prepare ourselves to assist the missionaries in finding those of our Heavenly Father’s children who will embrace the message of the Restoration.
Priesthood is the power and authority delegated to man by our Heavenly Father. The authority and majesty of it are beyond our comprehension.
How important it is for fathers and sons to work together on the basics in preparing for a mission.
We need to achieve and maintain standards in order to participate in the important spiritual events of life.
Please help us push back the world. We must stand against the wind. Sometimes we must be unpopular and simply say, “This is not right.”
May we reach out and rescue those who have fallen by the wayside, that not one precious soul will be lost.
Be loyal to the best that is in you. Be faithful and true to the covenants that are associated with the priesthood of God.
To those brokenhearted parents who have been righteous, diligent, and prayerful in the teaching of their disobedient children, we say to you, the Good Shepherd is watching over them.
Our ability to seek, recognize, and reverence the holy above the profane, and the sacred above the secular, defines our spirituality.
In the eternal scheme of things, the most crucial and fulfilling thing you will do is to build a holy home and rear a strong family in love.
Faith in God and in His guidance through the Holy Spirit will sustain you in an increasingly more challenging world.
I hope that the Lord’s people may be at peace one with another during times of trouble, regardless of what loyalties they may have to different governments or parties.
Value the old folks for what they are, not just what they can do.
As parents we can hold life together … with love and faith, passed on to the next generation, one child at a time.
Our loving Heavenly Father, … knowing that you and I would all sin and become unclean, provided a cleansing process from sin that … actually does work.
As you open your mind and heart to feel the Spirit, the Lord in His own time and in His own way will give you the instructions which will bless your life.
If you want something to last forever, you treat it differently. … It becomes special because you have made it so.
When we give thanks in all things, we see hardships and adversities in the context of the purpose of life.
I offer a plea that each of us will seek to live closer to the Lord and to commune with Him more frequently and with increased faith.
To be steadfast in Christ implies keeping covenants. … When we do these things, … our spirits are lifted and our hearts are filled with love.
You can wake up every day … with hope smiling brightly before you because you have a Savior.
You can press forward with vision. The Holy Ghost will help you remain steadfast, and your testimony of the Savior will help you proceed with a perfect brightness of hope.
I encourage you to strengthen the virtues you have already acquired and resolve to develop many others.
This feeling of light that we feel in church is just like the feeling of love and safety I felt when my mother turned on the light in the basement.
I know that I can pray to Heavenly Father anytime, anywhere. I know He hears me.
This year we celebrate the 125th year since Primary was organized. It was organized by a prophet of God to help children learn and live the gospel of Jesus Christ with joy.
173rd Semi-Annual Conference October 2003
This is only the beginning. We have scarcely scratched the surface. We are engaged in a work for the souls of men and women everywhere.
Our testimonies … must be built on a sure foundation, deeply rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The promise of the Lord is that He will cleanse our garments with His blood. … He can redeem us from our personal fall.
Faith, the spiritual ability to be persuaded of promises that are seen “afar off” … , is a sure measure of those who truly believe.
Let us speak out and encourage a more uplifting, inspiring, and acceptable media.
Sustaining faith can be the ultimate comfort in life. All of us must find our own testimonies.
However out of step we may seem, however much the standards are belittled, however much others yield, we will not yield, we cannot yield.
Follow the example of Joseph Smith and the pattern of the Restoration. Turn to the scriptures. Kneel in prayer. Ask in faith. Listen to the Holy Ghost.
Prophets and apostles stand at the head of this work today as it goes forth to all the world.
If we will … walk hand in hand with Him in His paths, we will go forward with faith and never feel alone.
Repenting means giving up all of our practices—personal, family, ethnic, and national—that are contrary to the commandments of God.
With all my capacity I encourage you to discover who you really are. … I urge you to discern through the Spirit your divinely given capacities.
When ordained to an office in the priesthood, you are granted authority. But power comes from exercising that authority in righteousness.
We need young men to stand up in their calling, knowing of their ordained right to act in the office to which they are appointed.
It is expected that worthy holders of the Melchizedek Priesthood will use the power delegated to them to bless others, starting with their own families.
Begin to unlock the knowledge of who you really are by learning more about your forebears.
We can, with the Lord’s help, reach out and rescue those for whom we have responsibility.
I thank the Lord for good bishops in this Church. … May you know that peace which comes alone from God to those who serve Him.
Jesus Christ … has built the bridges over which we must cross if we are to reach our heavenly home.
In word and in deed Jesus was trying to reveal and make personal to us the true nature of His Father, our Father in Heaven.
The message of the Restoration is [an] invitation to know why the gospel of Jesus Christ and His true Church have been restored by a prophet in modern times.
The Lord … knows who we are and where we are, and He knows who needs our help.
I would like to offer my own self-improvement program. It consists of three steps that have been useful to me.
If we are to [be] an ensign to the nations and a light to the world, we must take on more of the luster of the life of Christ.
God continues to reveal His will to mankind, as He has in all periods of time when He has had authorized servants upon the earth.
The Prophet Joseph is an example and a teacher of enduring well in faith. … I thank and love him as the Lord’s prophet of the Restoration.
The admonition to “Come, follow me” and the question “What would Jesus do?” provide powerful guidelines for living.
If we are to be Saints in our day, we need to separate ourselves from evil conduct and destructive pursuits that are prevalent in the world.
The strength of the Church is in the millions of humble members striving every day to do the will of the Savior.
If Joseph Smith had been the conduit for only one such divine revelation, it would be, standing alone, sufficient to ensure his prophetic greatness.
What a tremendous work you are doing, you faithful Latter-day Saints all across the world, who carry in your hearts a firm and unswerving testimony.
I invite you to not only love each other more but love each other better.
Our sisterhood includes all ages and backgrounds; we are connected by the covenants we have made.
When a woman chooses to have Christ at the center of her own heart, … she brings the Lord into the core of her home and family.
174th Annual Conference April 2004
There is much more yet to be done, but what has been accomplished is truly phenomenal.
The gospel is true. I know it; I’m a witness of it.
We need to make … spiritual preparation for the events prophesied at the time of the Second Coming.
Plead with God in the name of Christ to write the gospel in your mind that you may have understanding and in your heart that you may love to do His will.
We have to keep writing, keep walking, keep serving and accepting new challenges to the end of our own story.
We need strength beyond ourselves to keep the commandments in whatever circumstance life brings to us.
As we follow that Man of Galilee—even the Lord Jesus Christ—our personal influence will be felt for good wherever we are, whatever our callings.
Simply summarized, life’s greatest blessings will come to us if our love of Jesus Christ is rooted deeply in our hearts.
For the fruit of the gospel to blossom and bless our lives, we must be firmly attached to Him, the Savior of us all.
Jesus, the very thought of Thee fills my heart with inexpressible joy. It controls every part of my being.
Let us in faith take the words of Christ into our minds and into our hearts.
The plain and simple principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ … should be firmly established in our homes to ensure happiness in family life.
We have earthly debts and heavenly debts. Let us be wise in dealing with each of them.
There are clusters of memories embedded in each of your lives. And these can help us to “remember how merciful the Lord hath been.”
May each quorum and each one of us individually … follow the example of our Lord and Savior to “take … him that is weak, … that he may become strong also.”
The standards of the Church are firm and true. They are for your safety and eternal security.
Tomorrow’s blessings and opportunities depend on the choices we make today.
Let us have the courage to defy the consensus, the courage to stand for principle. Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God’s approval.
Wherever want has been created by whatever cause, representatives of the Church have been there. … I have been a firsthand witness to the effectiveness of our humanitarian efforts.
We should keep our lives in order so that when we receive a … message telling us what the Lord wants us to do we will be able to respond.
May we heed the voice of the prophets, who, from the beginning of time, have warned us about the importance of fathers in the home.
Men accomplish marvelous things by trusting in the Lord and keeping His commandments—by exercising faith even when they don’t know how the Lord is shaping them.
By developing a mother heart, each girl and woman prepares for her divine, eternal mission of motherhood.
The moral values upon which civilization itself must depend spiral downward at an ever-increasing pace. Nevertheless, I do not fear the future.
What a glorious season it has been and now is. A new day has come in the work of the Almighty.
If we could truly understand the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, we would realize how precious is one son or daughter of God.
No matter how evil the world becomes, our families can be at peace. If we do what’s right, we will be guided and protected.
Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can all stand spotless, pure, and white before the Lord.
In a society where marriage is often shunned, parenthood avoided, and families degraded, we have the responsibility to honor our marriages, nurture our children, and fortify our families.
When the Savior’s all and our all come together, we will find not only forgiveness of sin, … “we shall be like him.”
As you continue to center your mind and heart in [the Lord], He will help you have a rich and full life no matter what happens in the world around you.
May our testimonies of the great foundation principles of this work … shine forth from our lives and our actions.
As we search, pray, and believe, we will recognize miracles in our lives and become miracle workers in the lives of others.
If you have not already developed the habit of daily scripture study, start now and keep studying.
Believe in yourselves. Believe that you are never alone. Believe that you will always be guided.
174th Semi-Annual Conference October 2004
I believe the Church is in better condition than it has been at any time in its entire history.
The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve are commissioned by God and sustained … as prophets, seers, and revelators.
Filled with His love, we can endure pain, quell fear, forgive freely, avoid contention, renew strength, and bless and help others.
As conversion matures and is sustained through the workings of the Holy Ghost, peace and healing come to the soul.
For many, relief and happiness can come by understanding the relationship between peace of conscience and peace of mind.
To find happiness and joy, no matter what comes, we must make our stand unequivocally with the Lord.
One of the greatest blessings one can receive from being a bearer of the priesthood … is belonging to a priesthood quorum.
We have to know by inspiration that the priesthood keys are held by those who lead and serve us. That requires the witness of the Spirit.
We all have a great responsibility … that includes searching out those that are not with us and extending to them our love and fellowship.
I invite you to … do whatever it takes to earnestly seek truth, to know God the Eternal Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.
Because Relief Society is divinely designed, it blesses not only women but the family and the Church.
Frequently reading, pondering, and applying the lessons of the scriptures, combined with prayer, become an irreplaceable part of gaining and sustaining a strong, vibrant testimony.
Testimony—real testimony, born of the Spirit and confirmed by the Holy Ghost—changes lives.
The Holy Ghost will protect us against being deceived, but to realize that wonderful blessing we must always do the things necessary to retain that Spirit.
I fear … that too many of us are either not fasting on fast day or we are doing so in a lackadaisical manner.
How grateful I am, in these perilous times, for the protection and guidance given to us by the sacred assurance that Jesus Christ lives today.
The key of the knowledge of God, administered by those who keep the oath and covenant of the Melchizedek Priesthood, will enable us to come off as the sons of God.
There are quorum members and those who should be our quorum members who require our help.
[Pornography] is like a raging storm, destroying individuals and families, utterly ruining what was once wholesome and beautiful.
The choices we make determine our destiny.
Only faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement can bring us peace, hope, and understanding.
With … tender feelings of gratitude for all who have influenced my life in past years, I commit myself to the future.
In the strength of the Lord we can do and endure and overcome all things.
I express gratitude for our senior missionaries. They are young in spirit, wise, and willing to work.
Let no one underestimate the power of faith in the ordinary Latter-day Saints.
Temple work is the work that we have been prepared to do. It is a work for every generation, including and especially the youth.
The most important thing we can do in this life is to keep the promises or covenants we have made with the Lord.
The Book of Mormon can and does change lives.
It is important for families and individuals to aggressively seek more of the virtues which go beyond this mortal life.
There is one thing the Lord expects of us no matter our difficulties and sorrows: He expects us to press on.
I would hope that we might go to the house of the Lord a little more frequently.
I testify that you do fit, that you do belong to Relief Society—the Good Shepherd’s fold for women.
We must not become weary of doing good, and we must not become impatient; the changes we seek will come about “in their time.”
Connections forged among covenant women in Relief Society can … enlighten, enliven, and enrich the journey of life.
175th Annual Conference April 2005
Our burden in going forward is tremendous. But our opportunity is glorious.
The Book of Mormon is an endless treasure of wisdom and inspiration, of counsel and correction.
It is a still, small voice and a throbbing heart that testifies of the miracle of the Restoration.
Children need to know that having faith in the Savior and following Him will help them receive peace in this troubled world.
Now is the time to prepare to meet God. Tomorrow may be too late.
We, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, must stand up to the dangers which surround us and our families.
Kindness is the essence of a celestial life. Kindness is how a Christlike person treats others.
I encourage you to find out how this extraordinary resource can help in your missionary efforts.
When we see the effect one person can have … , it perhaps is no wonder that the Lord reminded us, “Remember the worth of souls.”
Genuine sacrifice has been a hallmark of the faithful from the beginning.
I count Joseph Smith among those whose testimony of Christ helped me to develop my own testimony of the Savior.
Your Heavenly Father needs you. His work, under the direction of our Savior Jesus Christ, needs what you are uniquely prepared to give.
The priesthood of God … is as indispensable to the true Church of God as it is unique to it.
As we increase our understanding and love for the Savior, His light will illuminate everything around us. We will then see evil for what it is.
The Lord needs to know on whom He can rely.
Perseverance is demonstrated by those who keep going when the going gets tough, who don’t give up even when others say, “It can’t be done.”
The performance of one’s duty brings a sense of happiness and peace.
If you have never been involved in poker games or other forms of gambling, don’t start. If you are involved, then quit now while you can do so.
I encourage our Saints all over the world, wherever possible, to strive to stand more often in holy places.
We need more hardworking, testimony-enriched missionaries in order to reach more of our Heavenly Father’s children.
Remember that faith and obedience are still the answers—even when things go wrong, perhaps especially when things go wrong.
God knows the needs of His children, and He often works through us, prompting us to help one another.
When you were baptized, your ancestors looked down on you with hope. … They rejoiced to see one of their descendants make a covenant to find them.
On the solid foundation of the Prophet Joseph’s divine calling and the revelations of God, which came through him, we go forward.
Honest seekers of truth are finding answers to their questions—they are finding the Lord through His restored Church.
Let us all improve our personal behavior and redouble our efforts to protect our loved ones and our environment from the onslaught of pornography.
You must do what our Savior and His prophets … have always taught: serve, strengthen the faith, and nurture those who need your love and blessing.
The gospel of Jesus Christ gives us the strength and the eternal perspective to face what is coming with good cheer.
May we have added insights into and greater appreciation for the power of testimony, especially as it is borne by those [who are bowed in years].
Surely the Lord is blessing us as a people, and we must reach out to bless His needy wherever they may be.
You and I can not only survive but prevail, as did Moroni, in our efforts to stand for truth in perilous times.
The Lord sent an angel to Joseph Smith to tell him that he had a work to do. That work continues today in us.
You may not have heard the Lord call you by name, but He knows each one of you and He knows your name.
You can share your testimony in many ways—by the words you speak, by the example you set, by the manner in which you live your life.
175th Semi-Annual Conference October 2005
The growth of the Church from its infancy to its present stature is phenomenal, and we have only scratched the surface.
Now it is up to us to study the Book of Mormon and learn of its principles and apply them in our lives.
Tragedies never triumph where personal righteousness prevails.
The Lord wants us to be made over—but in His image, not in the image of the world, by receiving His image in our countenances.
We are faced with a choice. We can trust in our own strength, or we can journey to higher ground and come unto Christ.
A sacred light comes to our eyes and countenances when we have a personal bond with our loving Heavenly Father and His Son.
There are many similarities and some differences in the way priesthood authority functions in the family and in the Church.
Be a woman of Christ. Cherish your esteemed place in the sight of God. He needs you. This Church needs you. The world needs you.
Happiness is a condition of the soul. This joyous state comes as a result of righteous living.
Jesus Christ gave us the Book of Mormon as the instrument to gather scattered Israel.
Our Savior Jesus Christ teaches us the importance of seeking after the one who is lost.
The great test of life is to see whether we will hearken to and obey God’s commands in the midst of the storms of life.
As your leaders, we call upon members of the Church everywhere to put family first and to identify specific ways to strengthen their individual families.
You and I, today and always, are to bear witness of Jesus Christ and declare the message of the Restoration. … Missionary work is a manifestation of our spiritual identity and heritage.
Following the Lord’s pattern to hear and give heed to divine truth will help you build a personal spiritual foundation and determine what you will become.
Decide now to make general conference a priority in your life. Decide to listen carefully and follow the teachings that are given.
Those called, sustained, and set apart are entitled to our sustaining support.
The priesthood is not really so much a gift as it is a commission to serve, a privilege to lift, and an opportunity to bless the lives of others.
We can so live that we can call upon the Lord for His protection and guidance. … We cannot expect His help if we are unwilling to keep His commandments.
May we incorporate into our own lives the divine principles which [Joseph Smith] so beautifully taught—by example—that we, ourselves, might live more completely the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Every soul who willingly affiliates with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and seeks to abide by its principles and ordinances is standing “on Zion’s hill.”
The restored gospel of Jesus Christ is a pattern for all. … It is the good news—the timeless doctrine and atoning powers of the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is absolutely nothing more important we can do for our families than to strengthen them in the scriptures.
The Father’s plan of salvation and happiness … will help you overcome every challenge in life.
Somehow forgiveness, with love and tolerance, accomplishes miracles that can happen in no other way.
Faith, repentance, baptism, a testimony, and enduring conversion lead to the healing power of the Lord.
[The Lord’s] hand has been over the work of the Restoration from before the foundation of this world and will continue until His Second Coming.
I pray that we will all become Saints willing to sacrifice and become eligible for the Lord’s special blessings.
By keeping the covenants of the gospel, all of the momentary trials of life can be transcended.
Prophets and apostles through the ages are our compass from the Lord. His direction through them is plain.
People are most receptive to our influence when they feel that we truly love them, and not only because we have a calling to fulfill.
Living according to the basic gospel principles will bring power, strength, and spiritual self-reliance into the lives of all Latter-day Saints.
God our Eternal Father lives. … Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer of mankind. They have restored Their work in this last and final dispensation through the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph.
If we are seeking the Lord and His guidance, if our direction is to return to our Father in Heaven, the sweet moments will come.
When we become instruments in the hands of God, we are used by Him to do His work.
May the Lord bless each of you in your personal quest to know His will for you and to submit your will to His.
176th Annual Conference April 2006
Agency used righteously allows light to dispel the darkness and enables us to live with joy and happiness.
To each of you whose tender hearts and helping hands have eased the burdens of so many, please accept my heartfelt gratitude.
All faithful members are equally blessed by the outpouring of blessings they receive through priesthood ordinances.
Our natures must be changed to become as a child to gain the strength we must have to be safe in the times of moral peril.
Let us resolve here and now to follow that straight path which leads home to the Father of us all.
Through the Father’s redeeming plan, those who may stumble and fall “are not cast off forever.”
We should endeavor to discern when we “withdraw [ourselves] from the Spirit of the Lord” … [and] attend to and learn from the choices and influences that separate us from the Holy Spirit.
Come and be part of the greatest generation of missionaries the world has ever known.
As we obey our Heavenly Father’s commandments, our faith increases, we grow in wisdom and spiritual strength, and it becomes easier for us to make right choices.
Marriages would be happier if nurtured more carefully.
Partaking of the sacrament provides us with a sacred moment in a holy place.
If you trust the Lord and obey Him, … He will help you achieve the great potential He sees in you.
Our rising generation is worthy of our best efforts to support and strengthen them in their journey to adulthood.
Repentance … is not a harsh principle. … It is kind and merciful.
While holding the priesthood brings great blessings, the priesthood also carries with it great obligations.
The priesthood is not really so much a gift as it is a commission to serve, a privilege to lift, and an opportunity to bless the lives of others.
Why do any of us have to be so mean and unkind to others? Why can’t all of us reach out in friendship to everyone about us?
We believe The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a restoration of the original Church established by Jesus Christ.
When He says to the poor in spirit, “Come unto me,” He means He knows the way out and He knows the way up.
Through the infinite Atonement, God has provided a means whereby we can both overcome our sins and become completely clean again.
Determined service to others, even in difficult circumstances, is required of those who truly desire “to grow up unto the Lord.”
Again and again the Book of Mormon teaches that the gospel of Jesus Christ is universal in its promise and effect.
I hope that all of you will remember that on this Sabbath day you heard me bear my witness that this is God’s holy work.
Creating a gospel-sharing home is the easiest and most effective way that we can share the gospel.
Exciting fields of labor the world over allow the inspiration of the Lord to call young men and women and devoted couples to challenging assignments.
We do not need to adopt the standards, the mores, and the morals of Babylon. We can create Zion in the midst of Babylon.
Have we who have taken upon us the name of Christ slipped unknowingly into patterns of slander, evil speaking, and bitter stereotyping?
Heavenly Father will hear our humble prayer and will give us the comfort and guidance we seek.
The abundant life is within our reach if only we will drink deeply of living water, fill our hearts with love, and create of our lives a masterpiece.
May we remember and constantly express in our lives the counsel we have received.
Each of our [Christlike] deeds may share only a pinpoint of light, but added together they begin to make a significant difference.
You can learn more about your life and mission on earth by preparing to receive and then studying your patriarchal blessing.
You reflect His light. Your example will have a powerful effect for good on the earth.
176th Semi-Annual Conference October 2006
The Lord is richly blessing His Church, and our duty is to do all we can to move it forward.
The healing power of the Lord Jesus Christ … is available for every affliction in mortality.
When you come to the temple you will love your family with a deeper love than you have ever felt before.
By being the first in your family to accept the gospel, you become the first generation, a chosen generation through which generations past, present, and future may be blessed.
As we cultivate our faith, grow through service, and stay constant and true come what may, so we feel the Savior’s love.
Patience may well be thought of as a gateway virtue, contributing to the growth and strength of its fellow virtues of forgiveness, tolerance, and faith.
May we focus on the simple ways we can serve in the kingdom of God, always striving to change lives, including our own.
One of the greatest blessings of life and eternity is to be counted as one of the devoted disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sacred records bear testimony of the Savior and lead us to Him.
Do you understand why it is so important to remain clean and pure?
The Atonement of J