October 1990 General Conference Sunday Morning

There's just something about reading Conference Talks (or highlights of them) that helps to bring a small bit of comfort in an otherwise not so good day.....

Gordon B. Hinckley -Mormon Should Mean "More Good"

• I suppose that regardless of our efforts, we may never convert the world to general use of the full and correct name of the Church. Because of the shortness of the word Mormon and the ease with which it is spoken and written, they will continue to call us the Mormons, the Mormon church, and so forth.
• "Look, if there is any name that is totally honorable in its derivation, it is the name Mormon. And so, when someone asks me about it and what it means, I quietly say--'Mormon means more good.'"
• We may not be able to change the nickname, but we can make it shine with added luster.
• And so, while I sometimes regret that people do not call this church by its proper name, I am happy that the nickname they use is one of great honor made so by a remarkable man and a book which gives an unmatched testimony concerning the Redeemer of the world.
• Mormon is not a word of disrepute, but that it represents the greatest good--that good which is of God

David B. Haight -Temples and Work Therein

• Without revelation, temples can neither be built nor properly used.
• We should be acquainted with the truth that knowledge of the premortal life was restored that we might fulfill our responsibilities as children of God.
• We agreed, right then and there, to be not only saviors for ourselves but ... saviors for the whole human family.
• The least of us, the humblest, is in partnership with the Almighty in achieving the purpose of the eternal plan of salvation.
• That places us in a very responsible attitude towards the human race.
• "The history of Temples teaches us that the people of God have been strong, or weak, in proportion to the faithfulness with which they have attended to their sanctuaries."
• "And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come."

James M. Paramore -The Many Witnesses of Jesus Christ and His Work

• "If only I could know who I am, what is my destiny, who is God, and why am I here."
• My friend, the world waited for the Savior, not knowing fully what He would do. And then came that long-awaited day when He came to the earth.
• "...And surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.
• "[And all of this] because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people."

Joseph B. Wirthlin -The Straight and Narrow Way

• That experience traveling on this mountain road is so like life. If we stay within the lines that God has marked, he will protect us, and we can arrive safely at our destination.
• We get sidetracked by submitting to temptations that divert us past the bounds of safety.
• Sin may result from activities that begin innocently or that are perfectly legitimate in moderation, but in excess they can cause us to veer from the straight and narrow path to our destruction.
• We need to nourish ourselves spiritually even more than physically. Are we giving adequate emphasis to our spiritual health?
• "Do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy."
• Pride and vanity, the opposites of humility, can destroy our spiritual health as surely as a debilitating disease can destroy our physical health.
• "You cannot do wrong and feel right."
• The spark of an evil thought can enter our mind that could ignite and destroy the moral fiber of our soul.
• "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
• God's word, then, is the light for our path, the iron rod or railing to which we can cling. It provides the limiting lines that we must not cross if we are to reach our destination.
• As you pray, occasionally take a personal inventory to see how you measure up in your righteousness, in meeting the standards of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We each can know for ourselves, as the Lord knows, where we need to improve. We must hold to the standards. If we have advanced in material, outward things, how are we doing inwardly? Are our lives acceptable to the Lord? Are we willing to acknowledge our sins and then make the effort to forsake them, repent, and make the course correction that will return us to the straight and narrow path?
• May we be filled with charity, the pure love of Christ, and may that love be reflected in our actions. We then will observe the "weightier matters" of God's law while not leaving the rest undone.

Thomas S. Monson -Days Never to Be Forgotten

• One visitor described the temple's beauty with the words, "This is a center of serenity."
• Your families are well; they are in mine hands.
• "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
• "I like to visit the Wacker home. I come away refreshed in spirit and determined to ever live close to the Lord."

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi