Saturday March 31, 2007 - Priesthood Session of General Conference

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin - Apostle (Text)
Life's Lessons Learned
Early like experiences made him who he is. Without them he would've been a different person. They shaped his character.

Act with honor and never take your eye off the ball.
"Priesthood means service; bearing the priesthood, I will serve."

Elder Robert D. Hales - Apostle (Text)
To the Aaronic Priesthood: Preparing for the Decade of Decision
His chose not to prepare on the flight simulator and died in a fighter crash. The copilot had prepared and parachuted to safety. "For behold, this ^alife is the time for men to ^bprepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of ^cthis life is the day for men to perform their ^dlabors." (Alma 34: 32)

What type of friends do you want? Are you that type of friend? What type of spouse do you want? Are you that type of person?

Our 20s are the decade of decision.

Bishop Keith B. McMullin - 2nd Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric (Text)
Lay Up in Store
"if ye are prepared ye shall not fear." (D&C 38:30)

Bishop McMullin quoted Paul and then each of the first presidency:

"A cardinal principle of the gospel is to prepare for the day of scarcity. Work, industry, frugality are part of the royal order of life. Remember these words from Paul: "If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."¹³

"Seated before us are the three presiding high priests who constitute the First Presidency of the Church.

"From President James E. Faust, Second Counselor, we hear: "Every father and mother are the family's storekeepers. They should store whatever their own family would like to have in the case of an emergency . . . [and] God will sustain us through our trials."¹⁴

"From President Thomas S. Monson, First Counselor, we hear: "Many more people could ride out the storm-tossed waves in their economic lives if they had their year's supply of food . . . and were debt-free. Today we find that many have followed this counsel in reverse: they have at least a year's supply of debt and are food-free."¹⁵

"From President Gordon B. Hinckley, the Lord's prophet, we hear:

""The best place to have some food set aside is within our homes. . . .

""We can begin ever so modestly. We can begin with a one week's food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months. . . . I fear that so many feel that a long-term food supply is so far beyond their reach that they make no effort at all.

""Begin in a small way, . . . and gradually build toward a reasonable objective."^16"

President James E. Faust - 2nd Counselor to the prophet (Text)
Message to My Grandsons
"Priesthood is the authority delegated to man to minister in the name of God. It is a power that no one can assume on his own initiative. As Paul said, "No man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron." (Hebrews 5:4.) It is an authority beyond all human power to create."

"All you young men who hold the priesthood have the duty to respect womanhood. As you date the lovely young women of the Church, you have a duty to protect their physical safety and virtue. "

President Thomas S. Monson - 1st Counselor to the prophet (Text)
The Priesthood—a Sacred Gift
"My brethren, the priesthood is a gift which brings with it not only special blessings but also solemn responsibilities. It is our responsibility to conduct our lives so that we are ever worthy of the priesthood we bear. We live in a time when we are surrounded by much that is intended to entice us into paths which may lead to our destruction. To avoid such paths requires determination and courage."

President Gordon B. Hinckley - Prophet (Text)
"I Am Clean"
"I regret that I am so old at a time when life is increasingly exciting."

He recounted statistics of things that have happened since he was called as a general authority.

"In a world that wallows in filth, be clean—in language, in thought, in body, in dress.

"To each of you I say, be clean in your language. There is so much of filthy, sleazy talk these days"

Saturday March 31, 2007 - Morning Session of General Conference

General Conference
News Story from Deseret News
Morning Session
F. Michael Watson (Audio, Text ) gave the statistical report. A hundred thousand or so short of 13 million. Just under 300,000 convert baptisms this year.

Elder Richard G. Scott - Apostle (Audio, Text)
Prayer
The most powerful being in the universe encourages us to have audience with him on a daily basis. This is extended to everyone no matter of worldly status. The audience can be for as long as we want.

Prayers could be improved by:
1. Trying to ask for what he wants for us and not what we want for ourselves.
2. When we don't feel like praying or don't feel worthy of prayer is when we need to pray the most.
3. Don't wait until we encounter a totally over powering problem to go to God in prayer.
4. Do your part to study the problem and work on a solution yourself while waiting on the Lord.

Answers don't necessarily come while you are praying. They come as we exercise faith through our obedience.

Elder Jay E. Jensen - Seventy(Audio, Text)
Music in our meetings should not be a performance. Music becomes a performance when it draws attention to itself.

Music has great power. We can prepare ourselves to receive the messages of church meetings by coming early and listening to the prelude music.

Sing hymns as lullabies for our children.

Inappropriate music drives the Spirit from us.

Elder John B. Dickson - Seventy(Audio, Text)
Directed to the youth of the church.
Word of Wisdom
He said that we are less tempted by things we haven't partaken of. That is a different that what some say about trying something to find out you won't like it or the teaching that one should take time to "sow their wild oats" before they settle down.

Choose before you have to choose. Choose now that vulgar words and jokes will never fall from your lips. Choose now that you will never lie or cheat.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland - Apostle(Audio, Text)
He talked of James counseling us that he that bridals his tongue control the entire body is a perfect man. A horse can be controlled with a bit in his mouth. A boat is controlled with a comparably small rudder. The savior said, "Not that which goeth into the mouth ^adefileth a man; but that which cometh out of the ^bmouth, this defileth a man." (Matt. 15: 11)

He condemned abuse (verbal, physical, emotional, sexual, or any kind) and also gossip and backbiting. He said to speak positively about everyone including ourselves. "The stroke of the whip maketh marks in the flesh, but the stroke of the tongue breaketh the bones."—Apocrypha., Ecclesiasticus 28:17 He noted that verbal abuse knows no gender.

One should never call their children names. We should also be careful when comparing children. When we say that one child is smart and one is pretty. All the children here is that one of not smart and one is not pretty.

He said that we should be cheerful. No misfortune is so bad that whining can't make it worse. There was undoubtedly someone in the golden age of society who complained that everything was too yellow.

Elder David A. Bednar - Apostle (Audio, Text)
He talked of how a pickle is created by a specific process. If you alter that process it does not become a pickle. You must prepare the cucumber by cleaning it properly and submerse it in salt brine for a certain time. If you just sprinkle it with salt or just occasionally dunk it in the brine you will not get a pickle.

We must be prepared and follow the process to become born again. Just occasionally reading our scripture, praying, going to church, giving service, performing any of the other parts of the gospel of Jesus Christ does not make us born again. We must be totally immersed in the gospel. Also, the process takes time. It does not happen immediately. One must keep immersed and keep at it.

President Thomas S. Monson - 1st Counselor to the Prophet (Audio, Text)
He shared some thoughts on the hope we have after death. Death is not like some imagine. It is much like going into another room.

He quoted from Acts 7 to talk about the resurrection. "55 But he, being full of the ^aHoly Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the ^bglory of ^cGod, and ^dJesus ^estanding on the ^fright hand of God," We see here the distinct beings, God the Father and His son Jesus Christ.