General Conference Sunday Afternoon Session, 4-1-12

4-1-12 General Conference Sunday Afternoon Session

Unedited notes:

Elder Perry

The Book of Mormon is the keystone to our religion. A man can get closer to God by presiding by its precepts. The Book of Mormon is a tender mercy of the Lord in these latter days. It teaches the doctrine of Christ. There are many stories of deliverance. The theme of deliverance is evident throughout the book.

The Lord was slow to hear their cries; yet He did hear them; but he chose not to deliver them immediately. He was slow to hear their cries because of their iniquities.

Lift up your hearts and be of good comfort, because I know of the covenant which you made with me, and I will covenant with you and deliver you.

His atonement provides us with an escape from physical death, and, if we repent, and escape from spiritual death.

1 Nephi 13: These last records shall establish the truth of the first. The Book of Mormon will let the world know the truth of the testimonies of the Apostles of Jesus Christ as found in the Bible. Both books are necessary for us to understand the complete doctrine of Christ. They are important for our salvation and exaltation, and to confound false doctrine. They work harmoniously together.

Abraham’s tent door was most likely facing the altar that he built. They people of Nephi had their doors facing the tower from which King Benjamin spoke.

The Book of Mormon is a great book because of its harmony with the Holy Bible.

Elder Ballard

The Liahona was a ball of curious workmanship. So is a GPS unit. We have available to us a tool even more remarkable than the best GPS. We have the availability of the promptings of the Holy Ghost; and, we have the atonement of the Savior to lead us home.

There is no happiness without service. The home is what needs reforming. (More than half of the births of children of women under 30 are to those not married.) There is a growing gap between rich and poor and between those who are trying to preserve family values and those who are giving up. Prosperity and education seem to be connected to preserving family values. When people make the family and commitment to gospel principles, they do better in everything else.

The most important cause of our lifetime is our families. The spiritual divide gets even wider as the perceptions of right and wrong are distorted. The church is a mooring, an anchor, and a beacon in today’s world. A standard of heart-turning. Life is better and much happier as hearts turn towards families, and as families live the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Do things in the right order: marriage first and then family. Remove fear with faith. Trust power of God to guide you. No career can bring you as much fulfillment as rearing a family. Use the family resources of the church. The church is the scaffolding with which we build eternal families. None of us will ever be so lost that we cannot find our way again through the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Elder Haleck

If we are to prosper, rather than perish, we must gain a vision of whom the Savior wants us to become. We come to know how to handle the challenges in our lives through fasting and prayer. Focus our attention on the Savior and on His teachings. We are a people with a history of vision, and courage, and faith to act.

Elder Wilson

What gives you the right to tell me how to drive? Because I am your husband, and I hold the priesthood. That was not the right response. That was the only time I made that mistake. Compulsion builds resentment. Wise parents prepare their children to get along without them. Help our children establish their own connection to heaven. Of all the help we can give young people, they need to feel our confidence in them and their abilities to choose the right.

Elder Evans

Letters from home are not just quick emails. Letters from home are something tangible which can be held. We all have the blessing and responsibility to share the gospel. Our missionary experiences have to be current. We need to naturally and normally share the gospel.

If we pray to know who we can help and how we can help, the Lord will give us the opportunities to help.

Elder Pieper

Let the Holy Spirit Guide. Seek answers from God; the Still Small Voice whispers to our spirit. As we record our spiritual experiences we preserve them for ourselves and our posterity, and we show our gratitude for the gift we’ve received. Struggle between the sacred and secular. Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?

Elder Anderson

Does my life reflect the love and devotion I feel for the Savior? What think ye of Jesus Christ? What thinks Jesus Christ of me? In this turbulent environment, we rejoice in being disciples of Jesus Christ. Discipleship is not a competition at all; it is an invitation to all. If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Let us have faith in the Son of God who said, “All things are possible to him that believeth.” True disciples lift others from sorrow to great, abiding hope.
What would Jesus do? Be not afraid, only believe. Discipleship is believing Him in seasons of peace and in seasons of difficulty. Miracles are not always immediate. As we trust in the Savior, promised miracles will occur. Whether in this life or the next, all will be made right.

President Monson

We are blessed to have the restored gospel in our hearts and in our lives.
Blessing: may your homes be filled with love and courtesy and the Spirit of the Lord. Settle disputations and grievances now. He invoked the blessings of heaven upon all of us.

Endnote:

I’m thankful for the chance to listen to the conference messages and for all the reminders of what I need to be doing. For me, becoming more Christ-like does not mean accepting all that is worldly, but trying to rise above it. It is only through the atonement of Jesus Christ that I will eventually be able to do so.