President Monson conducted the Sunday morning session, featuring talks by President Eyring, Elder Perry, Elder Burton, Sister Dibb, Elder Nelson, and President Monson. Direct quotations (based on our notes) are given in quotes; phrases without quotes are our summary of the remarks given.
President Eyring of the First Presidency, on becoming better:
- “We share a desire to become better than we are…The message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is that we can and must expect to become better as long as we live.”
- “We are optimists!”
- “And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord.”
- “We can have frequent assurance that we are following The Way.”
- The purpose of the Gospel is to help us become as Jesus Christ (Moroni 7: 48) andthe Savior has prepared the way through his atonement and his example. Love is the motivating principle by which the Lord leads us and “He has offered us the family as an example of an ideal setting in which we can learn how to love as he loves. That is because the greatest joys and the greatest sorrows come from the family experience.”
- “Pray for the love that allows you to see the good in your companion. Pray for the love that makes weaknesses and mistakes seem small. Pray for the love to make your companion’s joy your own. Pray for the love to want to lessen the load and soften the sorrows of your companion.”
Elder L. Tom Perry of the Twelve, on member missionary work:
- Elder Perry spoke of the early pioneers who dedicated much to become builders of the temples of God. This effort was motivated by the principles of the gospel and its purpose was to do more than to merely build edifices, but to edify the children of God.
- No more stake missionaries. It is now a ward-based missionary program, which increases member involvement.
- “How prepared are you to bear witness and give testimony?”
Elder H. David Burton, Presiding Bishop, on the virtues:
- “Virtue traits form the foundation of the Christian life and are the outward manifestation of the inner man.”
- “We don’t have to be part of the virtue malaise that is besetting society.”
- “Integrity is the light that shows through a disciplined conscience.”
- “Traits of virtue broadly practiced can loosen Satan’s firm grip on society and derail his insidious plan to capture the hearts and minds and spirits of mortal men.”
Sister Ann M. Dibb of the Young Women General Presidency, on holding on to the eternal truths of the Gospel:
- The challenges and the dangers that we live with today, including society’s tolerance of sin, are just as real as the danger of falling prey to a physical accident. We should be just as vigilant in protecting ourselves from these challenges and dangers.
- “We learn and grow by overcoming challenges by faith, by persistence, and by personal righteousness…. Heavenly Father has not left us alone during our mortal probation. He has already given us all the safety equipment we will need to successfully return to him. He has given us personal prayer, the scriptures, living prophets, and the Holy Ghost to guide us. At times using this equipment may seem cumbersome, awkward, and horribly unfashionable. It’s proper use requires our diligence, obedience and persistence…. We must all choose to use it.”
Russell M. Nelson of the Twelve, on personal revelation:
- “Even more amazing than modern technology, is our opportunity to access information directly from heaven without hardware, software or monthly service fees…. This timeless offer to provide personal revelation is extended to all of His children.”
- “To access information from heaven, one must first have a firm faith and a deep desire. One needs to ask with a sincere heart and real intent, having faith in Jesus Christ. Real intent means that one really intends to follow the divine direction given. The next requirement is to study the matter diligently.”
- “For each of you to receive revelation unique to your own needs and responsibilities, certain guidelines prevail. The Lord asks you to develop faith, hope charity and love, with an eye single toe he glory of God.”
- “Revelation need not come all at once, it may be incremental.”
President Thomas S. Monson, on service:
- “Unless we lose ourselves in the service of others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and, figuratively, lose their life, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish, and in effect save their life.”
- “We become so caught up in the business of our lives, were we to step backward, however, and take a good look at what we are doing, we may find that we have immersed ourselves in the thick of thin things.”
- “We are surrounded by those in need of our attention, our encouragement, our support, our comfort and our kindness, be they family members, friends, acquaintances or strangers. We are the Lord’s hands here upon the earth with mandate to serve and lift his children.”