October 1997 General Conference Saturday Morning

Gordon B. Hinckley -Drawing Nearer to the Lord

• At this time I wish only to invite the Spirit of the Lord to be with us as we go forward with another great conference. May all who speak be inspired in their remarks. May the prayers lift our thoughts to high and sacred levels. May the music bring beauty and spiritual nourishment to each of us.

Boyd K. Packer -Called to Serve

• I see two kinds of service: one, the service we render when we are called to serve in the Church; the other, the service we willingly give to those around us because we are taught to care.
• An unselfish spirit is essential to happiness.
• Leaders should be very sure that a call to serve in the Church will not weaken the family.
• We serve where we are called. It does not matter what the calling may be.
• In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one takes the place to which one is duly called, which place one neither seeks nor declines.
• The spirit of service does not come by assignment. it is a feeling that accompanies a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Richard B. Wirthlin -Four Absolute Truths Provide an Unfailing Moral Compass

• The stresses and strains that assault us cannot be attributed to a lack of knowledge.
• But unfortunately, the explosive increase in information has not led to a parallel increase in true wisdom.
• Many have referred to the current era as the information age. But it is ironic that, in an information-rich era, the biggest threat to our world's societies, rich or poor, and to each of us personally is the absence of moral clarity and purpose.
• The first absolute truth is that there is a loving Father in Heaven, and His Son, Jesus Christ, is our personal Savior--a more certain truth than any worldly fact.
• The second absolute truth is that there is an adversary, Satan, the tempter, who would lead us away from God and His infinite peace.
• Satan, "the father of lies," increasingly uses various devices, ancient and modern, to confuse us. He would convince us that joy is not where it is. And contrarily, he would have us believe that joy is where it is not. One of Satan's most spiritually damaging lies which undermines our sense of self-worth and hope is that we cannot be forgiven of our sins.
• The third absolute truth is that all of us choose our own course, endowed by agency.
• "Sow a thought, and you reap an act; sow an act, and you reap a habit; sow a habit, and you reap a character; sow a character, and you reap a destiny.
• Given your agency, we are therefore individually responsible for our ideas, acts, habits, character, and, yes, even our destiny.
• The fourth absolute truth is that the temptations of the devil can always be overcome by renewed faith in God and by repentance.
• Life will bring to each of us challenges and setbacks-both dark days and better ones.

Carl B. Pratt- Care for New Converts

• No one culture, people, or country has a corner on love, warmth, or kindness.
• Brothers and sisters, we have the richest blessings that God can give to His children. We have the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We ought to be the most open, friendly, happy, kind, considerate, thoughtful, loving people in the whole world.
• When we detect a halting step or a stumble as they begin their journey on the gospel path, let us be there to lift an support with words of kindness and concern. let us be available to give gentle, loving counsel that will strengthen and sustain.

Mary Ellen Smoot -Pioneer Shoes through the Ages

• "I'm so excited! Just give me my marching orders. I'm ready to go."
• My desire is to plead with our sisters to stop worrying about a phone call or a quarterly or monthly visit, and whether that will do, and concentrate instead on nurturing tender souls. Our responsibility is to see that the gospel flame continues to burn brightly. Our charge is to find the lost sheep and help them feel our Savior's love.
• Seek for 'the things of a better."
• "No matter if a tree grows to more than a thousand feet in height, each leaf, each day, must return to its roots for nourishment."
• Pioneer women did not have time to wallow in discouragement. They were too busy working their way toward Zion.
• "I have not the most distant idea [of returning], neither has Nathan ... , our cause is just and must be onward. ... I did not embrace this work hastily; I came into it understandingly. I weighed the subject, I counted the cost, I knew the consequence of every step I took."

Russell M. Nelson -Spiritual Capacity

• We must never lose sight of the Savior's enduring standard as the ultimate for each of us.
• Nothing is too hard for the Lord.
• Love of learning is catalyzed by curiosity.
• Learn from others.
• "I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind ... [and] fill your soul with joy."
• Make choices that will "give us growth and joy in this life and eternal life in the world to come."
• "Yes, this work requires sacrifice," he said. "It requires effort, it means courage to speak out and faith to try. ... It needs men and women of solemn purpose." "We know that there are some limits on what you can do, but we know also that there need be no limits on enthusiasm, planning, thoughtful consideration, and effort."

Thomas S. Monson -Teach the Children

•  The parent who procrastinates the pursuit of his responsibility as a teacher may,  in years to come, gain bitter insight into Whittier's expression: "Of all sad words of tongue or pen, / The saddest are these: 'It might have been!'"
• "The newborn child is almost an exact duplicate of an empty computer, although superior to such a computer in almost every way. ... What is placed in the child's brain during the first eight years of his life is probably there to stay. If you put misinformation into his brain during this period, it is extremely  difficult to erase it.
• Children learn through gentle direction and persuasive teaching. They search for models to imitate, knowledge to acquire, things to do, and teachers to please.
• First, teach prayer.
• Next, inspire faith.
• Third, live truth.
• Finally, honor God.
• Children now bless our lives, kindle our love, and prompt good deeds.
• "Despite all new inventions and modern designs, fads and fetishes, no one has yet invented, or will ever invent, a satisfying substitute for one's own family."
• Sadness and sorrow at times come to all, including children. But children are resilient. They bear up beautifully to shoulder the burden they may be called upon to endure. Perhaps the lovely psalm describes this virtue: "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."
• "There are angels among us." These angels are quite frequently the precious little ones God, our Father, has entrusted to our earthly care.

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

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Dream

I was at work, trying to get something done before Reth figured out I hadn't done it, and it was difficult to get from the back room to the front as we were already opened without the customers realizing it. I came across a blonde girl I'd known from high school. She was...boring. Which was surprising because if you'd seen her in high school, you would have thought she'd been rich and famous. But due to an event at a party, she ended up on a path to marry the most boring guy ever, and because of that she 'lost herself' and became so boring you could hardly recognize her. I (as the main character from Radio Rebel) ended up going back in time to help her end up on the path that she was actually meant to be on, with the help of my crush, our family enemy's  son. We had a feud going on between them but I don't know why. In the end, he and I found this magic ball of string, and when with each knot we tied, something magical happened. The first, the girl found the guy she wanted, another was to end the feud between our families, and we used the last knot...to make my reddish hair straight.

Then the unholy tones of daylight pulled me away....
and I became myself again. :)

-S.N.D