Sunday Morning General Conference, 4-7-13

3-7-13 Sunday Morning General Conference

Unrevised notes:

From Music and the Spoken Word:

When a task seems too hard; when we just don’t know what to do, we should just start; we should just get our feet wet. God will help us from there.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Even though we may feel lost in the midst of our current circumstance, God offers us hope in His Light.

Story of Jane, who was abused. In order to protect herself, she learned to stop feeling. There was no light in her world, so she accepted the darkness. At 18, she discovered the church. She accepted the invitation to be baptized. For the first time, Light entered her life. She attended school far away from her abuser. After her abuser died, profound sadness and anger let darkness enter back into her life. She sought conselling and medical help. She learned to accept that darkness exists, but not to dwell there. She learned that light also exists, and that is where she chose to dwell. She held fast to the hope that with God’s help, she could be healed. She left the past behind and stepped into her glorious bright future. Now she helps her students know that they have worth, that they are important. She inspires everyone around her. Healing comes when we move away from the darkness and walk towards the light. God’s light is real; it is available to all.

Spiritual light rarely comes to those who merrily sit in the darkness and wait for someone to switch on the light.

1. Start where you are.

2. Turn your heart to the Lord.

3. Walk in the light.

With Christ, darkness cannot succeed. Darkness cannot stand before the brilliant light of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Elder Neal L. Anderson

Mortal life of Jesus filled with miracles. The greatest miracle of all: His glorious resurrection.

Go ye therefore and teach all nations….Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

This Jesus, God has raised up, and we all are witnesses. Signs of miracles and faith were following the believers.

The voice of warning shall be to all people, all the world, the uttermost parts of the world. The commission was to the Lord’s disciples at the time of His resurrection, to His disciples at the time of the restoration, and to His disciples today.

We are few in number, but at the same time, you and I are witnesses of Daniel’s prophetic verse: the stone without hands is filling the whole earth. . .

We are witnessing the miracles of the Lord as His gospel is spreading across the world. You, too, are an important part of this unfolding miracle. All of us have a contribution to make for this miracle.

We must pray to be able to do this work. The Lord will bless us with our very own miracles.

“Come, and see.” Not only where I live, but how I live. Invite others to come and see, and you will feel the approval with the Lord; and with that approval, the ability and faith to invite others.

“This is not missionary work; this is missionary fun.”

We needed to decide whether to choose the traditions of our fathers, or to follow Jesus Christ.

Pray to your Heavenly Father; this is His sacred work; He will guide you. Voice of warning to all people through His disciples, and none shall stay them.

Sister Rosemary M. Wixom

Comfort from a second grade teacher. She taught me to love being a child. Okay to try, stretch, dream. Okay to be a child. Everyone has the power to increase a child’s confidence in Himself and his faith in the Lord.

The voice from heaven was one of perfect mildness. We can learn from that.

Children come to this earth ready to listen.

To speak to a child’s heart, we must know a child’s needs.

Choose a time each day to disconnect with technology, and reconnect with each other.

These things are important: temple marriage, missions, college.

We can help our children with the words we speak and the words we write.

Elder L. Whitney Clayton

Watch and learn. Principles I have learned from watching and learning from good marriages.

In the happiest marriages, both the husband and wife consider their marriage to be a pearl beyond price.

Successful eternal marriages are built upon Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is the foundation of every virtue that strengthens marriage. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation of eternal, happy marriages.

Humility is the essence of repentance.

Mutual quest is to be obedient and good.

Respect. Equal partners make decisions together.

Dinner hour becomes the center of their day. Read to children every night; retire to bed together.

Transparency. No secrets on relative matters.

Love.

Elder L. Tom Perry

Gift of first president to service men.

Secularism begins to be the norm.

Obedience to law is liberty. In the universe, too, where God is in command, there is law. Observe God’s law. You can add to these priceless freedoms, freedom from sin.; Obedience to law is liberty.

Satan wanted to liberate men with the destruction of agency. Satan wants to prove that we are not worthy of God’s gift of agency. Never underestimate Satan’s determination to succeed.

Each decision that we make is a test to our liberty. Free to choose liberty and life or captivity and death. Satan seeks all men to be miserable like unto himself.

Four of the ten commandments are still taken seriously. But as a larger society, we routinely disdain the other six commandments.

There is a law irrevocably decreed..blessings are predicated on obedience to law.

President Thomas S. Monson

D&C 1:39

The spirit of truth is of God. No man receiveth a fullness unless he keeps God’s commandments. He that keepeth His commandments, receiveth truth and light, until he knows all things.

Obedience is an unfailing guide. A knowledge of truth comes to us as we are obedient to the commandments of God.

Danny and Tommy lit the field on fire to get rid of the weeds. Soon all available men and women were trying to extinguish the flames. Danny and I learned several, but difficult lessons that day. Especially, the importance of obedience: for physical and spiritual safety. So that we might navigate successfully our mortal existence and return to our Heavenly Father.

To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

The Lord requires the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of Zion in these latter days.

Abraham’s obedience was tried and tested. For his faithfulness and obedience, the Lord gave him this glorious promise: in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Obedience is the first law of heaven.

The happiness, peace, progress, and prosperity of the Latter-day Saints lie in walking obedience to the counsel of God.

Obedience is the hallmark of prophets. We are all entitled to this source of strength and knowledge. It is readily available through obedience.

Walter Krauser saved his tithing for 10 years, not knowing when or if he’d have the privilege of paying it.

The great test of this life is obedience. We will prove them….All who shall have a blessing at my hands, shall abide….

No greater example of obedience exists than that of our Savior. “Thou He were a son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered…”

Ever was He humble; ever was He sincere; ever was he obedient.

He instructs you and me, “Follow Thou Me.”