:: Being Mormon ::

Elder David R. Stone
==============
How many of  our standards and morals are manipulated by our culture? Are we puppets to Hollywood and other popular media and cultural factors?
We must recognize the distinction between cultural norms and moral laws, and not confuse one for the other. Society would tell us how to dress, work, and live. Society would actually love to dictate every aspect of our lives. But we must give preference to the instructions that come from the Lord.

Elder Robert S. Wood
==============
Emotional reactions rather than thoughtful responses seem to be the norm today. Giving and taking offense appear to be deliberate acts. As church members — members of a covenant with Jesus Christ — we must rise above the casual darkness that can pervade much of interaction with others.

We must search for common ground and strive to build positive relationships with even those with whom we disagree. We need to “elevate our guns a little lower.” We must not make charicatures of the beliefs or values of others. Straw man arguments are unjust and unworthy of any church member.

Mockery and contempt are the tools of those who reside in the ‘great and spacious building’ — they should never be tools of a true seeker of truth. Cynicism allows us to dismiss an entire argument by finding a single flaw in it; this too leads us to reject truth and cause more hurt.

Political differences never justify hatred or ill will. Never allow differences in loyalties to lead to personal antagonism.

Elder H.Bruce Stucki
============
Ask in faith. Prayer is a real vehicle for communication with God.

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
============
Snowman, the jumping horse, was old and broken-down when he was finally purchased by someone who recognized his potential. Entered into a competition, the horse was laughed at by other jockeys and owners. He was ugly and funny-looking. But Snowman could jump. And win.

Within a year, he was recognized as a true champion.

People are similar — we often have tremendous potential, but we don’t often recognize it. Happiness comes from recognizing our interal potential and character. From finding the qualities that turn ordinary life into a joyful, rich existence.

1.Drink deeply from living water — the Gospel is given to us to make us happy, not fill our lives with mourning and sorrow; we are to be filled with purpose and drive and to take full advantage of the great opportunities that are around us

2. Fill your heart with love — give service motivated by love, share blessings abundantly, avoid selfishness and give frequently, maintain connections with others
3. With the help of Heavenly Father, make a masterpiece of your life — live up to the potential and plans that God has for you

President Gordon B. Hinckley
============
“May heaven’s blessings rest upon you, I pray.”

The end. Ten hours of Conference. That’s like a Lord of the Rings marathon!

To Moses, the Lord presented a pretty straightforward set of rules. “Thou shalt not…”

But does the Lord operate that way himself? Deontology, or rules-based ethics, is often coupled with religion. Many have suggested that religion is about following arbitrary rules handed down by an unresponsive God.

The Book of Mormon contains several interesting examples of the Lord reasoning with people. The book opens with the story of Nephi and his family leaving Jerusalem. Nephi is instructed to go back and get the brass plates — their history and scriptures — which are held by a powerful man named Laban. Nephi asks Laban for the plates, then offers to buy them. Both offers are rebuked, and Laban sends men to kill Nephi and his family.

Finally, Nephi heads into town a third time, to try somehow and get these plates.

7 Nevertheless I went forth, and as I came near unto the house of Laban I beheld a man, and he had fallen to the earth before me, for he was drunken with wine.

8 And when I came to him I found that it was Laban.

9 And I beheld his sword, and I drew it forth from the sheath thereof; and the hilt thereof was of pure gold, and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine, and I saw that the blade thereof was of the most precious steel.

10 And it came to pass that I was constrained by the Spirit that I should kill Laban; but I said in my heart: Never at any time have I shed the blood of man. And I shrunk and would that I might not slay him.

11 And the Spirit said unto me again: Behold the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands. Yea, and I also knew that he had sought to take away mine own life; yea, and he would not hearken unto the commandments of the Lord; and he also had taken away our property.

12 And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me again: Slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands;

13 Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief.

14 And now, when I, Nephi, had heard these words, I remembered the words of the Lord which he spake unto me in the wilderness, saying that: Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise.

15 Yea, and I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the Lord according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law.

16 And I also knew that the law was engraven upon the plates of brass.

17 And again, I knew that the Lord had delivered Laban into my hands for this cause—that I might obtain the records according to his commandments.

18 Therefore I did obey the voice of the Spirit, and took Laban by the hair of the head, and I smote off his head with his own sword.

There are two possible conclusions from this:

1. Thou shalt not kill, unless the Lord gives you some pretty good reasons to do it.

2. The Lord may override standing directives with specific instructions in special cases that would require a system of rules too complex for us to use or understand.

Either case suggests that the Lord doesn’t reveal to us the ultimate, absolute set of laws that we must live by. That’s why the Holy Ghost and the idea of continuous revelation is so important to Mormons.

Elder M. Russell Ballard:

“Some of you may feel guilty about not doing all you can to assist in missionary work. I invite you today to relax.”

Elder Ballard said that we should focus instead on our love of the Savior and our love for our families and neighbors. That will lead naturally into the formation of a ‘gospel-sharing’ home.

“Creating a gospel-sharing home is the easiest and most effective way we can share the gospel with others.”

This is, to me, the best talk I’ve ever heard about missionary work. When we force people into the activity of missionary work, they are more likely to make awkward mistakes that can push people away from the gospel. We may make insincere offers in sharing the gospel and give the impression that we are reaching for numbers rather than simply sharing something that we care about. When we focus instead on the end purpose of missionary work, our love of the Savior, we will foster an environment where truth-seeking people feel welcome. We will be able to bring gospel subjects into our conversations more easily, with “very little chance of being misunderstood.”

“Gospel-centered homes are not defined by whether or not people join the church as a result of our activities.” Instead, we create a loving, gospel-centered atmosphere and show Christlike love for our neighbors and others who enter our home. We are more open to bringing people into our homes. And more good things will happen in our homes.

What is the secret of your success? A woman, asked this in France, replied, “I share my joy!”  Talk about church. Tell people what we’re doing in church. Pray for opportunities to share aspects of the gospel. Not for forced, embarrassing conversations with strangers, but for comfortable opportunities to mention to an acquaintance (or a stranger, in line at a grocery store) some of the joy that comes from being a member of the church.

President Faust
============
A history of apostasy and restoration.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
============
A message to the broken-hearted and despairing. Meaningful and personal connections with Jesus are the key to inner peace. No matter what your problems, come first to the gospel of Jesus Christ. He has engraven us upon his hands.
Elder Earl C. Tingey
============
“Is there any happiness in death?”

The Book of Mormon answers this with five truths from the Great Plan of Happiness.

1. There is a God, and he has a son, Jesus Christ. They both have physical bodies and lived once.

2. Knowing the identity of God and Jesus Christ allows us to know that we were sent here to gain bodies and live.

3. Through the atonement, we can escape the eternal consequences of our sins and return to God.

4. The fall of Adam and Eve brought about physical and spiritual death. All mankind will suffer both kinds, but both can be overcome as well. The resurrection of Jesus Christ ensured that all mankind will also be resurrected. Overcoming spiritual death is available to us through the atonement.

5. Christ inherited mortality from his mother, Mary, and immortality from his father, God. This dual nature allowed him to perform the infinite atonement that alone allows us to repent.

Sister Ann Pingree
=============
Service helps us get through difficult circumstances — not just receiving service, but giving it. As we serve, we move beyond ourselves and appreciate our own blessings better. A firm determination to serve, even through personal difficulty, will result in tremendous success.

Dallin H. Oaks
=============
When we follow a commandment from the prophet, we will always receive the blessings of obedience. Additional blessings will depend on our own attitude toward our actions. The recent counsel to read the Book of Mormon is a good example of this — what we get from the book is determined largely by how we read it and what we are looking for.

The Book of Mormon teaches us of the reality of Christ’s mission and humanity. The message of the gospel is spreading internationally through the book.

President Gordon B. Hinckley
=============
The life of the Prophet belongs to the entire church. President Hinckley shares reflections on his life and some journal entries from the 1950’s, before he was called to be a General Authority.
“My shadow on this land is worth more than the labor of all of you.” (A father to his sons, after they’d been managing the farm for a while during his illness.)

“A man must get his satisfaction from his work each day; must recognize that his family will remember him, and he will get his final reward from the Lord.”

“The nations of the earth shall hear thy voice and be brought to a knowledge of the truth by the wonderful testimony which thou shalt bear.” (From President Hinckley’s patriarchal blessing.)

This talk continues the theme of this conference, that President Hinckley is not going to be here much longer. (”I hope you will not view this as an obituary!”)
“I apologize again for speaking in a personal vein.”

Testimony of Joseph Smith’s first vision.