April 2007 General Conference Sunday Afternoon

L. Tom Perry -The Message of the Restoration

• "After many generations had walked the earth--so many of them in conflict, hatred, darkness, and evil--there arrived the great, new day of the Restoration. This glorious gospel was ushered in with the appearance of the Father and the Son to the boy Joseph. The dawn of the dispensation of the fullness of times rose upon the world. All of the good, the beautiful, the divine of all previous dispensations was restored in this most remarkable season."

Henry B. Eyring -This Day

• The thought "Someday I will" can be a thief of the opportunities of time and the blessings of eternity.
• On many days, doing what matters most will not be easy. It is not supposed to be. God's purpose in creation was to let us prove ourselves.
• For most of us the temptation to delay will come from one or both of two feelings. They are polar opposites: one is to be complacent about what we have already done, and the other is to feel overwhelmed by the need to do more.
• In the hardest trials, as long as you have the power to pray, you can ask a loving God: "Please let me serve, this day. It doesn't matter to me how few things I may be able to do. Just let me know what I can do. I will obey this day. I know that I can, with Thy help."
• Hard as things seem today, they will be better in the next day if you choose to serve the Lord this day with your whole heart. Your circumstances may not be improved in all the ways which you desire. But you will have been given new strength to carry your burdens and new confidence that when your burdens become too heavy, the Lord, whom you have served, will carry what you cannot.

Gary J. Coleman -"Mom, Are We Christians?"

• I know that God is our Heavenly Father. His Son, Jesus Christ, is my Savior. The Holy Ghost testifies of the Father, and the Son.
• The Savior lives; He has been seen; He has spoken; He directs the work of His Church through apostles and prophets today. What magnificent truths He has taught as the Good Shepherd who continues to look after His sheep.

Charles W. Dahlquist II -Who's on the Lord's Side?

• Not a day goes by that we are not asked, in one form or another, "Who's on the Lord's side? Who?"
• First, never forget who you are.
• As you exercise your agency, remember, you are not alone.
• My second suggestion: learn to control your thoughts.
• If you will remain on the Lord's side of the line, the adversary cannot come there to tempt you. ... But ... if you cross onto the devil's side of the line, you are in his territory ... and he will work on you to get you just as far from that line as he possibly can, knowing that he can only succeed in destroying you by keeping you away from the where there is safety.

Yoshihiko Kikuchi -Will a Man Rob God?

• "While tithing is paid with money, more importantly it is paid with faith."
• "This is not so much a matter of money as it is a matter of faith. ... I urge you, ... every one of you, to take the Lord at His word in this important matter."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf -Point of Safe Return

• Satan wants us to think that when we have sinned we have gone past a "point of no return" --that it is too late to change our course. In our beautiful but also troubled world, it is a sad reality that this attitude is the source of great sorrow, grief, and distress to families, marriages, and individual lives.
• Satan tries to counterfeit the work of God, and by doing this he may deceive many. To make us lose hope, feel miserable like himself, and believe that we are beyond forgiveness, Satan might even misuse words from the scriptures that emphasize the justice of God, in order to imply that there is no mercy.
• If we have taken a wrong course, the Atonement of Jesus Christ can give us the assurance that sin is not a point of no return.
• Satan will try to make us believe that our sins are not forgiven because we can remember them. Satan is a liar; he tries to blur our vision and lead us away for the path of repentance and forgiveness. God did not promise that we would not remember our sins. Remembering will help us avoid making the same mistakes again. But if we stay true and faithful, the memory of our sins will be softened over time. This will be part of the needed healing and sanctification process.
• Wherever you find yourselves on this journey through life, whatever trials you may face, there is always a point of safe return; there is always hope. You are the captain of your life.

Russell M. Nelson -Repentance and Conversion

• The doctrine of repentance is much broader than a dictionary's definition. When Jesus said "repent," His disciples recorded that command in the Greek language with the verb metanoeo. This powerful word has great significance. In this word, the prefix meta means "change." The suffix relates to four important Greek terms: nous, meaning "the mind;" gnosis, meaning "knowledge;" pneuma, meaning "spirit:" and pnoe, meaning "breath."
• Thus, when Jesus said "repent," He asked us to change--to change our mind, knowledge, and spirit--even our breath. A prophet explained that such a change in one's breath is to breathe with grateful acknowledgment of Him who grants each breath.
• Repentance is conversion! A repentant soul is a converted soul, and a converted soul is a repentant soul.

Gordon B. Hinckley -Closing Remarks

• May there be peace and harmony in your homes. Husbands, love and treasure your wives. They are your most precious possessions. Wives, encourage and pray for your husbands. They need all the help they can get. Parents, treat your children with great kindness. They are the coming generation who will bring honor to your name.

General YW Conference

Susan W. Tanner -Daughters of Heavenly Father

• You are second to none. You are daughters of God.
• "It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship. ... There are no ordinary people. ... Your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your sense."
• Modesty is not about the climate. It's about the heart.

Julie B. Beck -Remembering, Repenting, and Changing

• "Life brings some hard lessons. The sturdiest plants are not grown under glass, and strength of character is not derived from the avoidance of problems. "
• "The Kingdom of God or nothing!"
• The first lesson is that everyone makes mistakes.
• I often hear about the chosen, royal generation of this dispensation, but I have never heard it called the perfect generation. Teenagers are especially vulnerable because the power of Satan is real, and they are making their first big, independent choices. Consequently, they are also making their first big mistakes.
• My second lesson is that repentance isn't optional.
• We must not let one little cup of coffee, one bad habit, one bad choice, one wrong decision derail us for a lifetime.
• It is Satan who puts hopeless thoughts into the hearts of those who have made mistakes. The Lord Jesus Christ always gives us hope.
• "But remember, God is merciful; therefore, repent of that which thou hast done which is contrary to the commandment which I gave you, and thou art still chosen, and art again called to the work."
• Lesson three is that we don't do it alone.
• My last lesson is that we can change.
• "The cultivation of Christlike qualities is a demanding and relentless task--it is not for the seasonal worker or for those who will not stretch themselves, again and again."

Elaine S. Dalton -Stay on the Path

• Sometimes as we walk life's paths, we want to loiter in dangerous places, thinking that it is fun and thrilling and that we are in control. Sometimes we think we can live on the edge and still maintain our virtue. But that is a risky place to be.
• As you climb the mountains of life, stay on the path of virtue. There will be others to help you--your parents, family members, bishops, advisers, and righteous friends of all ages. And if you are weary or take a wrong turn, change your direction and get back on the path of virtue. Always remember that the Savior is there for you. He will enable you to repent, strengthen you, lighten your burdens, dry your tears, comfort you, and continue to help you stay on the path.

Gordon B. Hinckley -Let Virtue Garnish Thy Thoughts Unceasingly

• If you will take control of your lives, the future is filled with opportunity and gladness. You cannot afford to waste your talents or your time. Great opportunities lie ahead of you.
• 1. pray, 2. study, 3. pay your tithing, and 4. attend your meetings.
• Education will be of great benefit to you. Don't just drift along, letting the days come and go without improvement in your lives.
• While tithing is paid with money, more importantly it is paid with faith. I have never met an individual who paid an honest tithe who complained about it. Rather, he put his trust in the Lord, and the Lord never failed him.

Until you next read these words;

I'll be watching the leaves.

Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi