Saturday Afternoon Session Review

President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
'The key to spiritual protection'



The scriptures remain a key to one's spiritual protection, declared President Boyd K. Packer, president of the Quorum of the Twelve.

In his Saturday afternoon conference address, President Packer said that happiness depends upon living the standards established by the Savior and set forth in His scriptures.

"Parents today wonder if there is a safe place to raise children," he said. "There is a safe place. It is in a gospel-centered home. We focus on the family in the Church and we counsel parents everywhere to raise their children in righteousness."

The prophets have warned that the last days will be fraught with peril, he said. By reading the scriptures, individuals can recognize dangerous patterns to avoid and remain watchful and diligent.
Even though the prophetic visions of the present day can be disturbing, President Packer said he views the future "with feelings of positive optimism."

"The scriptures hold the keys to spiritual protection," he added. "They contain the doctrines and laws and ordinances that will bring each child of God to a testimony of Jesus Christ and their Savior and Redeemer."

Enormous efforts have been made to produce the scriptures in many languages with footnotes and cross references. "We seek to make them available to all who wish to learn. They teach us where to go and what to do. They offer hope and knowledge."

President Packer counseled members to make scripture reading a regular routine. Blessings will follow, he promised.

"There is in the scriptures a voice of warning, but there is also great nourishment. If the language of the scriptures at first seems strange to you, keep reading. Soon you will come to recognize the beauty and power found on those pages."

It was Paul who taught that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16).

Today's members live in dangerous times, acknowledged President Packer. "Nevertheless, we can find hope and peace for ourselves and for our families. Those living in sorrow, despairing at the possibility of a child being rescued from where the world has taken them, must never give up."
Children who are taught an understanding of the scriptures early in life will come to know the path they should walk and will be more inclined to remain on that path, he said, and those who stray will have to ability to return.

"If you are set on a course of faith and activity in the Church, stay on course and keep your covenants," he counseled. "Continue forward until the time when the Lord's blessings will come to you and the Holy Ghost will be revealed as a moving force in your life."

For those who have strayed, there is a way back, he said. "Jesus Christ has prescribed a very clear method for us to repent and find healing in our lives."

President Packer said it is the gospel that teaches people to be happy, to have faith rather than fear, to find hope and overcome despair and to leave darkness and turn toward everlasting light.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
'The moral force of women'



In his Saturday afternoon conference address, Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve expressed gratitude for the "influence of good women" before offering a plea to women "to cultivate the innate moral power" found within them.

"Women bring with them into the world a certain virtue, a divine gift that makes them adept at instilling such qualities as faith, courage, empathy and refinement in relationships and in cultures," he said.

The apostle spoke of the many women — including his mother and his wife — who have blessed and influenced his life. It was his grandmother, Adena Warnick Swenson, who taught him to be conscientious in priesthood service.

"Observing how she sustained my grandfather, a stake patriarch, engendered in me a reverence for sacred things. Grandma Swenson never learned how to drive a car, but she knew how to help become priesthood men."

A woman's moral influence is nowhere more powerful or important than in the home, he noted. "There is no better setting for rearing the rising generation than the traditional family where a father and a mother work in harmony to provide for, teach and nurture their children. Where this ideal does not exist, people strive to duplicate its benefits as best they can in their particular circumstances."

Through a mother's example, a son learns to respect womanhood and incorporate high moral standards in his life; a daughter cultivates virtue and learns to stand up for what is right, he observed.
Most sacred, he added, is a woman's role in the creation of life. "As grandmothers, mothers and role models, women have been the guardians of the wellspring of life, teaching each generation the importance of sexual purity — of chastity before marriage and fidelity within marriage."

Elder Christofferson spoke of the "pernicious philosophy" that undermines a woman's moral influence by devaluing marriage and motherhood and homemaking as a career.

"We do not diminish the value of what women or men achieve in any worthy endeavor or career -- we all benefit from their achievements -- but still recognize that there is not a higher good than motherhood and fatherhood in marriage. There is no superior career, and no amount of money, authority or public acclaim can exceed the ultimate rewards of family."

Attitudes toward human sexuality also threaten the moral authority of women, he said. Sexual immorality and revealing dress not only debase women but reinforces the lie that a woman is defined by her sexuality, he said.

The apostle also addressed those who, in the name of equality, want to erase all differences between the masculine and the feminine. The distinct, complementary gifts of men and women that produce a greater whole are being blurred.

He pleaded with women and girls to protect the moral force within them.

"Preserve that innate virtue and unique gifts you bring with you into the world. Your intuition is to do good and to be good, and as you follow the Holy Spirit, your moral authority and influence will grow.

To the young women I say, don't lose that moral force even before you have it in full measure."
He counseled young women to use clean language, dress modestly and live pure lives.

Elder S. Gifford Nielsen, First Quorum of the Seventy
'Hastening the Lord's game plan'



“We need to be engaged as never before,” Elder S. Gifford Nielsen of the Seventy said during the Saturday afternoon session of general conference.

“President Thomas S. Monson, once again this morning, has called each one of us to a very important work. He said, ‘Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together, to work together, to labor in the Lord’s vineyard to bring souls unto Him.’ Have we been listening?” Elder Nielsen asked.

All over the world stakes, districts and missions are experiencing a new level of energy, he said. Members have an important role in that energy, helping to fulfill the Savior’s declaration to Joseph Smith in 1832 when he said, “Behold, I will hasten my work in its time” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:72-73).

“When I played football I thought in terms of game plans,” Elder Nielsen said. “There was no question going into a contest that if our team was prepared with the right plays, we were going to be successful. …

“Since we are all on the Lord’s team, do we each have our own winning game plan? Are we ready to play? If we as members really loved our family, friends, and associates, wouldn’t we want to share our testimony of the restored gospel with them?”

Church members need to be engaged as never before to match the excitement of leaders and committed full-time missionaries.

“This work is not going to move forward in the Lord’s intended way without us!” he said.

Elder Nielsen shared three points to consider when putting together a personal “game plan.”

First, specifically pray to bring someone closer to the Savior and His gospel every day. “You can do this by seeing everyone as sons and daughters of God helping each other on their journey home,” he said. “Think of the new friends you would make.”

Second, pray for the missionaries serving in local areas and their investigators by name every day. “The only way to do this is to greet them, look at their badge, call them by name and ask them who they are teaching.”

Third, invite a friend to an activity in or to your home. “Wherever you go or whatever you do, ponder who would enjoy the occasion and then listen to the Spirit as He directs you,” Elder Nielsen said.
It is through developing and carrying out a personal "game plan" that members will be able to serve with enthusiasm and answer the prophet’s call to bring souls unto the Lord.

Elder Arnulfo Valenzuela, First Quorum of the Seventy
'Small and Simple Things'



In the Saturday afternoon session of general conference, Elder Arnulfo Valenzuela of the Seventy reflected on the words of Alma from the Book of Mormon, "Now ye may suppose that his is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise."

Elder Valenzuela said, "As members of the Church, we are able, through our own small and simple things, to 'convince many of the error of their ways' and help 'bring them to the knowledge of their God unto the salvation of their souls" (Alma 37:8).

As an example, Elder Valenzuela recalled a visit he made with others to a less active Church member. They taught him in a very simple way the blessings of the Sabbath and expressed their love. The man said all he needed was for someone to come and give him a hug. "I immediately stood up and embraced him," said Elder Valenzuela. "The next day was Sunday. This same brother came to sacrament meeting with his entire family."

Elder Valenzuela spoke about Martha, a member of his ward. Elder Valenzuela's wife was her visiting teacher and during a visit, Martha told her and her companion never to come back. She had decided to stop coming to Church.

One of the visiting teachers asked if they could sing a hymn before they left. Martha agreed. "Little by little, the Spirit began to fill the room," said Elder Valenzuela. "Each of them felt it. Martha's heart began to soften." She began to attend church with her daughter and eventually her husband joined them. She later served as the ward Relief Society president. "All this began with the singing of a hymn, a small and simple thing, that touched Martha's heart," he said.

"I testify that any of those who need our help are there waiting for us all to go forth and rescue our brothers and sisters to reach out to them, and rescue them through small and simple means," said Elder Valenzuela. "I have personally spent many hours visiting less active members of the Church, whose hearts have already been softened by the Lord, who are now ready to receive our testimonies and our sincere expressions of love. When we reach out and invite them, they will return to the Church without hesitation."

Elder Timothy J. Dyches, First Quorum of the Seventy
'Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?



Speaking to members during the Saturday afternoon session of general conference, Elder Timothy J. Dyches of the Seventy focused his message on the Savior's power to make a person whole.

Sharing a story from the New Testament about the Savior's visit to the sick at the Pool of Bethesda, Elder Dyches taught that Jesus approached a man under a temporary canopy who had suffered infirmity 38 years. He said, "As the Savior raises the edge of cloth with one hand, he beckons with the other and asks a penetrating question, 'Wilt thou be made whole?'"

"Do you remember when your faith and joy were full to the brim?" asked Elder Dyches. "If that time seems lost, it can be found again."

He said as people draw near to Jesus Christ, they realize that mortality is meant to be difficult.
"Opposition in all things" is not a flaw in the plan of salvation, he observed. Opposition is an indispensable element of mortality and strengthens one's will and refines one's choices. It engraves His image upon people's countenance as they yield their hearts to Him.

Elder Dyches said that the ordinance of sacrament invites the power of the Atonement in members' lives. "We are healed by 'cleansing the inner vessel' and by abandoning the habits and lifestyles that harden heart and stiffen necks," he said.

"As we repent and become converted to the Lord, we are healed and our guilt is swept away," said Elder Dyches. "We may wonder, as did Enos, 'How is it done?' The Lord answers, 'Because of thy faith in Christ. Wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole.'"

He told members if they are feeling unclean, unloved, unhappy, unworthy, unwhole or incomplete, to remember "all that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ." He quoted President Monson, who said, "There is one life that sustains those who are troubled or beset with sorrow and grief, even the Lord Jesus Christ."

"Be assured, the Savior still seeks to heal our hearts," said Elder Dyches. "He waits at the door and knocks. Let us answer Him. Let us pray, repent, forgive and forget. Let us love God and serve our neighbor and stand in holy places with a life made clean. His grace is sufficient and you will not walk alone ...Wilt thou be made whole? Rise and walk."

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
'Like a Broken Vessel'



While those dealing with a mental illness or an emotional disorder may feel like a “broken vessel,” they must remember the “vessel is in the hands of the divine potter,” said Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve.

“Broken minds can be healed just the way broken bones and broken hearts are healed,” he said.

Speaking Saturday afternoon, Elder Holland directed his remarks to "those who suffer from some form of mental illness or emotional disorder, whether those afflictions be slight or severe, of brief duration or persistent over a lifetime."

These afflictions, he said, are some of the realities of mortal life.

"In striving for some peace and understanding in these difficult matters, it is crucial to remember that we are living — and chose to live — in a fallen world where for divine purposes our pursuit of Godliness will be tested and tried again and again.

“Of greatest assurance in such a plan is that a Savior was promised, a Redeemer, who through our faith in Him would lift us triumphantly over those tests and trials, even though the cost to do so would be unfathomable for both the Father who sent Him and the Son who came. It is only an appreciation of this divine love that will make our own lesser suffering first bearable, then understandable, and finally redemptive.”

Elder Holland then concentrated his remarks on depression — “an affliction so severe that it significantly restricts a person’s ability to function fully.”

This “dark night of the mind and spirit is more than mere discouragement,” he said. “I have seen it come to an absolutely angelic man when his beloved spouse of 50 years passed away. …. And I have seen it in young fathers trying provide for their families.”

Once, Elder Holland said, he saw it in himself. “At one point in our married life when financial fears collided with staggering fatigue, I took a psychic blow that was as unanticipated as it was real. …
With the grace of God and the love of my family I kept functioning and kept working, but even after all these years I continue to feel a deep sympathy for others more chronically or more deeply afflicted with such gloom than I was.”

He said many have dealt with depression, including Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill and George Albert Smith, the latter of whom became the eighth president of the Church.

“So how do you respond when mental or emotional challenges confront you or those you love?
Above all never lose faith in your Father in Heaven who loves you more than you can comprehend.
…. Faithfully pursue the time-tested devotional practices that bring the Spirit of the Lord into your life. Seek the counsel of those who hold keys for your spiritual well being. Ask for and cherish priesthood blessings. Take the sacrament every week and hold fast to the perfecting promises of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Believe in miracles.”

If things continue to be debilitating, seek the advice of reputable people with certified training, professional skills and good values, Elder Holland counseled. “Our Father in Heaven expects us to use all of the marvelous gifts He has provided in this glorious dispensation.”

If you are the one afflicted or a caregiver of such, try not to be overwhelmed, he added. “For caregivers, in your devoted effort to assist with another’s health, do not destroy your own.”

Through any illness or difficult challenge, there is much in life to be hopeful about and grateful for, he said. “Whatever your struggle — mental or emotional or physical or otherwise — don’t vote against the preciousness of life by ending it. Trust in God. Hold on to His love. Know that one day the dawn will break brightly and all shadows of mortality will flee.”