October 2002 General Conference Saturday Morning

Gordon B. Hinckley -"O That I Were an Angel, and Could Have the Wish of Mine Heart"

• I urge you, my brethren and sisters, to utilize the temples of the Church.
• Go there and carry forward the great and marvelous work which the God of heaven has outlined for us.

L. Tom Perry -Called of God

• "Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children.
• We live in a world that is crying for righteous leadership based on trustworthy principles.
• "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring froth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."
• A priesthood quorum is three things: "first, a class; second, a fraternity; and third, a service unit.
• Second only to the importance of being eternal companions is being an earthly parent.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf -The Global Church Blessed by the Voice of the Prophets

• Whatever our challenges in life may be, our burdens may become light if we not only believe in Christ, but also in His ability and His power to cleanse and console our lives, and accept His peace.
• "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
• "Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord."
• God is speaking to us in a consistent voice. God will deal with all the human family equally.
• "There is no need to fear. We can have peace in our hearts and peace in our homes. We can be an influence for good in this world, every one of us."

Coleen K. Menlove -A Voice of Gladness for Our Children

• We can hear a voice of gladness that brings exclamations of hope and joy into our lives. The joy of our testimonies of the Savior can punctuate every aspect of our lives as we seek to come unto Christ.
• Where will children learn the gospel and standards such as chastity, integrity, and honesty if not at home?
• As we listen to our children, they can also teach us.
• President Hinckley reassures us: "Of all the joys of life, none equals that of happy parenthood. Of all the responsibilities with which we struggle, none other is so serious. To rear children in an atmosphere of love, security, and faith is the most rewarding of all challenges."

Neal A. Maxwell -Encircled in the Arms of His Love

• God will give us priceless, personal assurances through the Holy Ghost. Whether in tranquil or turbulent times, our best source of comfort is the Comforter.
• Regarding trials, including of our faith and patience, there are no exemptions--only variations. These calisthenics are designed to increase our capacity for happiness and service. Yet the faithful will not be totally immune from the events on this planet.
• As to remedying our personal mistakes, we face no hindering traffic jams on the road of repentance. It is a toll road, not a freeway, and applying Christ's Atonement will speed us along.
• Recall the new star that announced the birth at Bethlehem? It was in its precise orbit long before it so shone. We are likewise placed in human orbits to illuminate. Divine correlation functions not only in the cosmos but on this planet, too. After all, the Book of Mormon plates were not buried in Belgium, only to have Joseph Smith born centuries later in distant Bombay.
• God is in the details!
• We do not comprehend all that God comprehends.
• Ignoring the revelations about God's astounding capacity is like playing aimlessly and contentedly with wooden blocks featuring the letters of the alphabet, without realizing Shakespearean sonnets were created using that same alphabet.
• "Believe in order to understand," rather than "understand [in order to] believe."
• Too often our possibilities have been muted by the mundane.

James E. Faust -What's in It for Me?

• Taking up one's cross and following the Savior means overcoming selfishness; it is a commitment to serve others. Selfishness is one of the baser human traits, which must be subdued and overcome. We torture our souls when we focus on getting rather than giving.
• I have learned that selfishness has more to do with how we feel about our possessions than how much we have.
• "Of all influences that cause men to choose wrong, selfishness is undoubtedly the strongest. Where there is selfishness, the Spirit of the Lord is absent. Talents go unshared, the needs of the poor unfulfilled, the weak unstrengthened, the ignorant untaught, and the lost unrecovered."
• It is so easy for some to become obsessed with what they possess and to lose eternal perspective.

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

-Sarnic Dirchi