Sunday, April 15, 2007

Sunday April 1, 2007 - Afternoon Session of General Conference

Elder L. Tom Perry - Apostle (Audio, Text)
The Message of the Restoration
The restoration of the gospel cleared up many misconceptions and points of contention among religious sects. One of them being the nature of God. When God and Jesus appeared to Joseph Smith this event revealed that God the Father and Jesus Christ were two separate beings and they each had "a body of flesh and bones that is glorified and perfected".

Elder Perry quoted from the Doctrine and Covenants about the bring forth of the Book of Mormon, "Proving to the world that the holy scriptures are true, and that God does inspire men and call them to his holy work in this age and generation, as well as in generations of old" (D&C 20:7–11).
Elder Henry B. Eyring - Apostle (Audio, Text)
This Day
Someday means not today. "Someday I will repent." "Someday I will forgive him." "Someday I will speak to my friend about the Church." "Someday I will start to pay tithing." "Someday I will return to the temple." "Someday. . . . "

He talked of the purpose of creation was for us to prove ourselves. When we lived with God before we were born we chose to come here. "Hard as we knew the test would be, we felt joy because we had confidence that we could pass it. Our confidence came from knowing that Jesus Christ would come into the world as our Savior. He would overcome death. He would make it possible for us to be cleansed of our sins by qualifying for the effects of His Atonement."

Elder Gary J. Coleman - Seventy (Audio, Text)
"Mom, Are We Christians?"
He starts off his talk with the story of a girl that is scoffed at in school by those claiming that Latter-day Saints are not Christians.

Elder Coleman did not get into this in his talk, but I get to thinking about this every so often. So many lash out at the Church and most time at the members of the Church because some leader in the their church has told them that we are not Christians. It is interesting how they pick and choose who they label. Within protestantism there are churches that believe that God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost are the same person. There are other protestant churches that believe that they are individuals with a single purpose. One of these doctrines would have to be non biblical, yet I rarely hear protestants calling other protestants or protestant churches out as being a cult or nonChristian. On the other hand, I have heard it frequently from others that I am not a Christian. Not because my actions don't represent what a follower of Christ would do, but because I am a Latter-day Saint.

The definition of a Christian has become so blurred that I sometimes wonder if that is even a title that I should try to claim. Does Christian mean follower of Christ or does it just mean someone that only uses parts of the New and Old Testaments in their sermons?
Charles W. Dahlquist II - Young Men General President (Audio, Text)
Who's on the Lord's side?
He quoted the words of a young pioneer which is now part of one of our hymns:
Who's on the Lord's side? Who?
Now is the time to show.
We ask it fearlessly:
Who's on the Lord's side? Who?

("Who’s on the Lord's Side?" Hymns, no. 260)

He talked of David fighting Goliath and his response contrasted with the other young men of Israel. "Their response to the question "Who's on the Lord side?" was not "I am!" but rather "Who me?""

He also gave some good thoughts on resisting temptations and becoming stronger people.

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf - Apostle (Audio, Text)
Point of Safe Return
Elder Uchtdorf often pulls from his experience as a pilot to relate that to the gospel. He did so again this time. He talked of how in piloting there is a point of safe return sometimes referred to as the point of no return. Before this point you have enough fuel to return safely to where you started. He said that Satan tries to convince us that we are pasted the point of safe return. He does this in our individual lives, our marriages, our families, and in our sorrows.

Elder Russell M. Nelson - Apostle (Audio, Text)
Repentance and Conversion
His talk seemed to build on the points Elder Uchtdorf made on there being hope. Elder Nelson went on to describe the steps of repentance and the urgency of doing so.
President Gordon B. Hinckley - Prophet (Audio, Text)
Closing Remarks
He summarized the conference and dismissed everyone. He cautioned everyone to be safe when leaving the conference. He counseled that we should use the May Ensign magazine, which will contain this weekends proceedings, in our family home evening to teach our families. He closed with telling wife's and husbands to be decent and supportive of each other and to their children.

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