Marion G. Romney

Marion G. Romney

First Counselor in the First Presidency (December 2, 1982 – November 5, 1985)

Second Counselor in the First Presidency (July 7, 1972 – December 2, 1982)

President of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles (November 10, 1985 – May 20, 1988)

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (October 4, 1951 – May 20, 1988)

Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (April 6, 1941 – October 4, 1951)

General Conference Addresses

April 1983 General Conference
- Unity
  - “Some members assume that one can be in full harmony with the spirit of the gospel, enjoy full fellowship in the Church, and at the same time be out of harmony with the leaders of the Church and the counsel and direction they give. Such a position is wholly inconsistent, because the guidance of this Church comes not alone from the written word but also from continuous revelation, and the Lord gives that revelation to the Church through his chosen prophet. It follows, therefore, that those who profess to accept the gospel and who at the same time criticize and refuse to follow the counsel of the prophet are assuming an indefensible position. Such a spirit leads to apostasy. It is not new. It was prevalent in the days of Jesus and in the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith.”
  - “There is but one way that we can be united, and that way is to seek the Lord and his righteousness. Unity comes by following the light from above. It does not come out of the confusions below.”
  - “We of this Church can come to a unity and a oneness which will give us strength beyond anything we have yet enjoyed if we will obtain a sounder understanding of the principles of the gospel and come to a unity in our interpretations of present world conditions and trends. This we can do by prayerful study of the Lord’s word, including that given to us through the living prophet.”
October 1982 General Conference
- The Celestial Nature of Self-reliance
  - “Since the beginning of time man has been counseled to earn his own way, thereby becoming self-reliant. It is easy to understand the reason why the Lord places so much emphasis on this principle when we come to understand that it is tied very closely to freedom itself.”
  - “Money to assist the needy cannot come from an empty purse. Support and understanding cannot come from the emotionally starved. Teaching cannot come from the unlearned. And most important of all, spiritual guidance cannot come from the spiritually weak.”
- Gratitude and Thanksgiving
  - “Great men have always recognized the greatness of God and their dependence upon him, and they have with regularity rendered to him gratitude and thanksgiving.”
  - “To thank the Lord in all things is not merely a courtesy, it is a commandment as binding upon us as any other commandment.”
- The Power of the Priesthood
  - “It’s a great thing to hold the priesthood of God, and that is what this is tonight—a priesthood meeting. The priesthood of God is power. It’s an endowment, which the Lord has given to us who hold the priesthood, to perform sacred ordinances that have effect in this world and in the world to come. It’s the greatest power in the world—the priesthood—and I am very happy that I have had the privilege through the years to bear the priesthood and to receive offices in the priesthood from deacon up to the offices of the Melchizedek Priesthood which I have had assignments to work in. I know that it’s the priesthood that will save this world. It is not a man-made organization; it is not a man-prepared organization—it embodies a power revealed from heaven and sent here to us to help us prepare our lives for eternal life in the presence of our Father in Heaven.”
April 1982 General Conference
- Work and Welfare: A Historical Perspective
  - “I believe the attention many of us pay to gospel principles fluctuates as our circumstances in life change. However, the principles remain constant and are true, whether or not we live up to them. The consequences of not living these principles also remain constant.”
- Priesthood
  - “Well, the priesthood, as I have come to understand it through studying, is power. It’s the power that God used in the Creation. It is the power that he used to feed the people in the days of Moses. It is a power which we can exercise by means of our priesthood if we have the faith and learn to follow the inspiration of heaven.”
- The Resurrection of Jesus
  - “Thus, on this eventful day, did his former associates behold his glorious resurrected body. Not only did they see him, but they heard his voice and felt the wounds in his hands, feet, and side. In their presence he handled food and ate of it. They knew of a surety that he had taken up the body which they themselves had placed in the tomb. Their sorrow was turned to joy by the knowledge that he lived, an immortal soul.”
October 1981 General Conference
- Living Welfare Principles
  - “No, the Lord doesn’t really need us to take care of the poor, but we need this experience; for it is only through our learning how to take care of each other that we develop within us the Christlike love and disposition necessary to qualify us to return to his presence.”
- The Perfect Law of Liberty
  - “I invite your attention to a few illustrations in support of the thesis that, while political independence, economic freedom, and free agency may contribute to liberty of the soul, they do not guarantee it.”
  - “Free agency, however, precious as it is, is not of itself the perfect liberty we seek, nor does it necessarily lead thereto. As a matter of fact, through the exercise of their agency more people have come to political, economic, and personal bondage than to liberty.”
- “Except a Man Be Born Again”
  - “Millions of people who read and study the Bible do not understand it. Millions do not understand what Jesus said in the prayer recorded in the seventeenth chapter of John from which our theme is taken. The reason they do not understand it is that their understanding has not been enlightened by the power of the Holy Ghost. They have not received a personal witness.”
  - “To know God our Eternal Father and Jesus Christ, whom he sent, one must, as did the Apostles of old, learn of them through the process of divine revelation.”
April 1981 General Conference
- The Basic Principles of Church Welfare
  - “Security, true security, comes only by living the principles of the gospel. Security is the fruit of righteous living.”
  - “May I emphasize here that the point so easily forgotten is that the Lord is interested in everything we do in our lives: our families, our work, and our personal development. He has given eternal truths to guide us in these matters.”
- Gospel Covenants
  - “The sacrament prayers—dictated by the Lord himself—should keep us constantly reminded of the gospel covenants we have entered into with the Lord.”
  - “Observing the gospel covenants we make with the Lord qualifies us to enter the temple and there receive the ordinances and covenants essential to exaltation, including the new and everlasting covenant of celestial marriage.”
- The Restoration of Israel to the Lands of Their Inheritance
  - “These predictions by the Book of Mormon prophets make it perfectly clear that the restoration of the house of Israel to the lands of their inheritance will signal their acceptance of Jesus Christ as their Redeemer.”
October 1980 General Conference
- Welfare Services: The Savior’s Program
  - “When discipleship is seen in light of this understanding of the gospel, we may, perhaps, understand something which I have believed for a long time: The living of the principles upon which the welfare program is built will be the final step, the capstone, of a Christian life. Living its principles leads one to the fulness of the stature of Christ.”
- Repentance
  - “True repentance, followed by baptism and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, brings forgiveness. Such repentance is impossible without faith in the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
  - “We are to confess all our sins to the Lord. For transgressions which are wholly personal, affecting none but ourselves and the Lord, confession to ourselves and him would seem to be sufficient.”
- The Oath and Covenant Which Belongeth to the Priesthood
  - “These blessings, as has already been indicated, do not come by ordination alone. Ordination to the priesthood is a prerequisite to receiving them, but it does not guarantee them. For a man to actually obtain them he must faithfully discharge the obligation which is placed upon him when he received the priesthood. That is, he must magnify his calling.”
  - “Learning the gospel from books, however, is not enough. It must be lived by one who would magnify his calling in the priesthood. As a matter of fact, getting a knowledge of the gospel and living it are interdependent. They go hand in hand. One cannot fully learn the gospel without living it. A knowledge of the gospel comes by degrees. One learns a little, obeys what he learns, learns a little more, obeys that, and repeats this cycle in an endless round. Such is the pattern by which one can move on to a full knowledge of the gospel.”
April 1980 General Conference
- Church Welfare—Temporal Service in a Spiritual Setting
  - “In the Church, serving and helping one’s neighbor is not done only through spontaneous kindly deeds to our immediate families and next-door neighbors; it is also accomplished through the Church welfare program, which is based upon modern revelation through prophets of this dispensation. Its principles are eternal.”
- The Book of Mormon
  - “It is, of course, obvious that unless we read, study, and learn the principles which are in the Book of Mormon, we cannot comply with this direction to teach them.”
  - “The great overall struggle in the world today is, as it has always been, for the souls of men. Every soul is personally engaged in the struggle, and he makes his fight with what is in his mind. In the final analysis the battleground is, for each individual, within himself. Inevitably he gravitates toward the subjects of his thoughts.”
  - “If we would escape the lusts of the flesh and build for ourselves and our children great and noble characters, we must keep in our minds and in their minds true and righteous principles for our thoughts and their thoughts to dwell upon.”
  - “We must not permit our minds to become surfeited with the interests, things, and practices of the world about us. To do so is tantamount to adopting and going along with them.”
  - “If we would avoid adopting the evils of the world, we must pursue a course which will daily feed our minds with and call them back to the things of the Spirit. I know of no better way to do this than by daily reading the Book of Mormon.”
- Seek the Spirit
  - “I want to leave you my testimony and express my desire to remain faithful all the days of my life. I pray to the Lord for discernment that I can enjoy the promptings of the Spirit.”
  - “Pray for the spirit of discernment that you may hear the promptings of the Spirit and understand them and then pray for courage to do them, to follow the guidance of the Spirit.”
  - “Our responsibility is to live lives that will preach the gospel, as well as to quote the scriptures as we are taught. We must live so that men seeing us will know that we are living by the principles of eternal life.”
October 1979 General Conference
- The Role of a Bishop in the Church Welfare Program
  - “I shall first direct my remarks to the general charges given in the modern revelations and by modern prophets concerning caring for the poor; second, to how bishops should administer to the poor; and third, to what Church members can and should do to assist the bishop in caring for the poor.”
- Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
  - “The gospel plan or program, presented to and approved by a two-thirds majority of the then assembled hosts of God’s spirit children, anticipated everything that has occurred or that will occur in heaven or on earth concerning those spirits.”
  - “Without the services of Jesus Christ, which he proffered in the great heavenly council and which he has since performed, there would have been no hope for us to receive the blessings provided by the gospel.”
- Maintaining Spirituality
  - “Being in tune with God is being spiritual. Man himself is naturally spiritual. His spirit is a child of God.”
  - “One who has the companionship of the Holy Ghost is in harmony with God. He is, therefore, spiritual. Spirituality is sustained by so living as to keep that companionship.”
April 1979 General Conference
- Fundamental Welfare Services
  - “Stake presidents and bishops have long had the major responsibility in teaching basic welfare principles and implementing them in their wards and stakes. Their work should be greatly enhanced through the new organizational structure introduced here this morning. From your bishops particularly, we look for great strides in this work in the months and years ahead.”
- We, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
  - “Such is the name and such are the basic doctrines taught by the Church sometimes referred to as the Mormon Church.”
- Trust in the Lord
  - “Now, my beloved brethren, in view of this revealed knowledge and understanding which the Lord has given concerning what is transpiring about us, is it not a glorious thing to have the assurance that if we will clothe ourselves with bodies purified through observance of the Word of Wisdom, these destroying angels will pass us by, as they did the children of Israel, and not slay us? Well, this is one of the blessings to follow observance of the Word of Wisdom.”
  - “Believe in and live for the promises of the Lord by keeping his commandments. If you will do this, even though you do not now have full confidence in these promises, I assure you that that confidence will come.”
October 1978 General Conference
- Caring for the Poor—A Covenantal Obligation
  - “I suppose I’ve said enough to establish the fact that caring for the poor is a covenantal obligation. It follows, then, that we look after our poor and distressed not only because it is convenient, or exciting, or socially acceptable; we should do it first and foremost in fulfillment of our covenant with the Lord that we will do so.”
- A Disciple of Christ
  - “There is a cost to be paid in becoming a disciple of Christ, a very real cost. But the cost is a performance cost, not a money price.”
  - “Jesus was not looking for, or calling, men to do lip service only. He a wanted them to realize that following him meant effort and sacrifice.”
  - “The true discipleship of the priesthood of God will determine how fast we move toward that great consummation as we, through living the gospel, fight the debauchery and the wickedness that’s going on in this world.”
- The Worth of Souls
  - “Man is a dual being—a living soul—composed of a body of spirit and a physical body. His spirit existed as an individual personal entity in a premortal life long before the earth was created. As a matter of fact, this earth was expressly created as a place for the spirits of men to take on mortality.”
April 1978 General Conference
- The Royal Law of Love
  - “The caring for the poor and the handicapped and those who need our help is a main purpose and an absolute requirement in fulfilling the royal law of loving our neighbors as ourselves.”
- Prayer and Revelation
  - “Frequently, prayers are requests for specific blessings. They may, however, and should, include expressions of thanksgiving, praise, worship, and adoration.”
  - “The purpose of prayer, however, is not to appease a vindictive Deity; nor is it to court favors from an indulgent Father. It is to attune oneself with the spirit or light which “proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space.” In that light is to be found sure answers to all our needs.”
- Priesthood Responsibilities
  - “At birth, each of you was enlightened by the Spirit of Christ. This Spirit, sometimes called conscience, gave you a sense of right and wrong even before you were eight years old. When you were baptized and confirmed, you were given the gift of the Holy Ghost to help you.”
October 1977 General Conference
- The Role of Bishops in Welfare Services
  - “The effective bishop will be adequately informed on the condition of his ward members, physically, emotionally, economically, and spiritually.”
  - “In addition to knowing their needs, the bishop should determine to what extent individuals and families can solve their own problems. That this be done is fundamental to Welfare Services work.”
- Trust in the Lord
  - “Brethren, you young men particularly, I bear to you my testimony that I know that the Lord rewards those who put their trust in Him. May we learn that when we’re young, and practice it through our lives so that we can testify as these experiences testify.”
- The Tragic Cycle
  - “There is but one way these impending calamities can be avoided, and that way is repentance. You know and I know that the inhabitants of the earth are steeped in sin and iniquity and that they are sinking deeper into the mire every day. But—and this is the glorious message—the Lord not only gave the warnings; He also revealed anew the means by which the ominous calamities may be averted.”
April 1977 General Conference
- The Purpose of Church Welfare Services
  - “I hope we all understand how our consecrations to the Lord—whether in time, work, or money—unite to relieve suffering while sanctifying both the giver and the receiver.”
- A Silver Lining
  - “He knew from widespread experience how we would have to conduct ourselves in order to avoid the calamities which have repeatedly vexed and devastated the inhabitants of the earth.”
- The Light of Christ
  - “The gift of the Holy Ghost confers upon one, as long as he is worthy, the right to receive light and truth.”
  - “One is born again by actually receiving and experiencing the light and power inherent in the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
October 1976 General Conference
- “In Mine Own Way”
  - “We Latter-day Saints know that all men are brothers and sisters—“begotten sons and daughters unto God”—that we are responsible for the welfare of one another. These concepts are inherent in all the doctrines of the gospel.”
  - “We know that the ills of this troubled world have come about because men have failed to do what the Lord has commanded them. This applies to economic problems as well as to all other ills. We know also that the only cure for them is to do all things whatsoever the Lord our God commands us.”
  - “The truth is that we are saved by grace only after all we ourselves can do. There will be no government dole which can get us through the pearly gates. Nor will anybody go into the celestial kingdom who wants to go there on the works of someone else. Every man must go through on his own merits. We might just as well learn this here and now.”
- Your Gift from God
  - “As I have thought about this incident, I have asked myself the question which I now put to you: How much of a storm does it take to drive you in? How much of a storm does it take to drive me in? My observations tell me that many of us priesthood bearers need to stir up the gifts of God which have been conferred upon us by the laying on of hands. One way for us to do this is to constantly sharpen and deepen our understanding of the gospel through self-disciplined study.”
- “We Believe in Being Honest”
  - “Lying was initiated on this earth in the Garden of Eden when Satan told Eve that she would not die in consequence of partaking of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”
  - “The vices of cheating and stealing are no less common, nor are they less reprehensible than lying. They are condemned in the scriptures with equal emphasis.”
April 1976 General Conference
- Church Welfare Services’ Basic Principles
  - “I have in mind to discuss with you two basic, fundamental principles upon which the Church Welfare Services are founded which we should never forget. They are: first, love—love of God and neighbor—and second, work.”
  - “When we love the Lord our God with all our hearts, might, and strength, we will love our brothers as ourselves, and we will voluntarily, in the exercise of our free agency, impart of our substance for their support.”
- The Way of Life
  - “It thus became clear to him, as it is to all of us, that we came to earth for two purposes: one, to obtain physical bodies of flesh and bone in the likeness of our Heavenly Father; and two, to be proved—to see if we “will do all things whatsoever the Lord” our God commands us.”
October 1975 General Conference
- America’s Destiny
  - “Now my beloved brethren and sisters everywhere, both members of the Church and nonmembers, I bear you my personal witness that I know that the things I have presented to you today are true—both those pertaining to past events and those pertaining to events yet to come. The issue we face is clear and well defined. The choice is ours. The question is: Shall we of this dispensation repent and obey the laws of the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, or shall we continue to defy them until we ripen in iniquity?”
- According to the Covenants
  - “As used in the scriptures, converted generally implies not merely mental acceptance of Jesus and his teachings, but also a motivating faith in him and in his gospel, a faith which works a transformation, an actual change in one’s understanding of life’s meaning and in one’s allegiance to God—in interest, in thought, and in conduct.”
  - “In one who is wholly converted, desire for things inimical to the gospel of Jesus Christ has actually died, and substituted therefor is a love of God, with a fixed and controlling determination to keep his commandments.”
  - “No man who comprehends, believes, and lives according to gospel covenants will be inactive in the Church.”
- Welfare Services
  - “The Presidency in their message made it crystal clear that their purpose in setting up the welfare program was two-fold: first, to see that no worthy member of the Church suffers for want of the necessities of life; and second, that everyone who can work is given work to do.”
April 1975 General Conference
- We Need Men of Courage
  - “We all have a conscience, and a conscience is the root of moral courage. A truly brave person will always obey his conscience. To know what is right and not do it is cowardice.”
- Easter Thoughts
  - “Immortality denotes length of life—deathless. Eternal life denotes quality of life—the quality of life God enjoys.”
- Welfare Principles
  - “The basic principle upon which the welfare production program was based was that each bishop was to produce within his ward everything he could to take care of his people; that he would produce a Uttle more than he needed of the things he could produce to exchange with neighboring bishops for things which they could produce in surplus.”
October 1974 General Conference
- How Men Are Saved
  - “The Church believes the scriptural doctrine that Jesus Christ through his victory over death opened the grave for himself not only but for all mankind. It believes that the resurrection is an indispensable step on the way to salvation.”
- Integrity
  - “Our individual exaltation depends upon our proving to the Lord that we will at all hazards and under all circumstances faithfully discharge the trust he has placed in us.”
- Welfare Basics
  - “If you want to give the Lord a good meal, you know how to do it. I suppose I need not say more about the responsibility each of us has to give liberally for the care of the poor.”
April 1974 General Conference
- Be Ye Clean That Bear the Vessels of the Lord
  - “As I ponder the terms of the “oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood,” which each one of us has entered into, I am awed by the superlative promised blessings. At the same time I am subdued as I consider the requirements upon which the receipt of those blessings is conditioned.”
  - “In this, our day, the Lord has put great emphasis on observance of the Sabbath day. When the Saints first went to Independence, Missouri, he gave them a list of standards which must be observed by those who are to build up and live in that Zion. One of them upon which he put great emphasis was observance of the Sabbath day.”
  - “If we are really intent on magnifying our callings in the priesthood, we will on the Sabbath day live within the framework of the instructions given by the Lord in that section of the Doctrine and Covenants.”
  - “Priesthood bearers intent on magnifying their callings will shun as the plague the filth in our permissive society wherever it is—in literature, on the stage or screen, in recreational centers, or elsewhere. God will not countenance an unclean priesthood.”
  - “Notwithstanding the fact that in this generation’s corrupt permissiveness its violation is tolerated with impunity, under God’s divine law it is as it has always been, a soul-destroying sin. Its self-executing penalty is spiritual death. No unforgiven adulterer is magnifying his calling in the priesthood; and, as President Clark used to say, the Lord has made no “fine distinctions … between fornication and adultery” (Conference Report, Oct. 1949, p. 194). Nor, may I add, between adultery and sex perversion.”
- The Holy Ghost
  - “As a member of the Godhead, and being one with the Father and the Son, the Holy Ghost is, as are the Father and the Son, omniscient.”
  - “Every person who knows or has ever known that Jesus is the Christ has received that witness from the Holy Ghost.”
- Welfare Program
  - “We need not listen to the false doctrine that we must limit the population of this earth. The earth was made by the Lord and he made plenty for all. What we, his children, need is to follow his direction in using it.”
  - “No man has self-respect when he is the recipient of a dole. If there is anything that he can do, he wants to do it.”
October 1973 General Conference
- Jesus Christ, Our Redeemer
  - “The prophets who preceded Jesus into mortality bore witness to the fact that he had been so chosen and that he would come to earth and fulfill his mission.”
- Church Welfare—Some Fundamentals
  - “Although each of us is under divine command to work and sustain ourselves and our families, the varied circumstances under which we live make it impossible for all Church members and families to be at all times self-sustaining.”
April 1973 General Conference
- Magnifying One’s Calling in the Priesthood
  - “In order to magnify our callings in the priesthood, three things at least are necessary: One is that we have a motivating desire to do so. Another is that we search and ponder the words of eternal life. And a third is that we pray.”
  - “Desiring, searching, and pondering over “the words of eternal life,” all three of them together, as important as they are, would be inadequate without prayer.”
- Man—A Child of God
  - “The truth I desire to emphasize today is that we mortals are in very deed the literal offspring of God. If men understood, believed, and accepted this truth and lived by it, our sick and dying society would be reformed and redeemed, and men would have peace here and now and eternal joy in the hereafter.”
October 1972 General Conference
- Why The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
  - “Indispensable elements of the gospel, which they lacked, included: The truth concerning the personality of God and man’s relationship to him, A knowledge of its saving principles and ordinances, The priesthood of God, and Continuing revelation.”
  - “Without this gift, the Church would be as dead and impotent as an electric powerhouse without electricity.”
- Caring for the Poor and Needy
  - “Since these brethren, in their extremity, could not qualify as his disciples without remembering “the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted,” what will be our plight, brethren, if in our affluence we fail to remember them?”
  - “In this modern world plagued with counterfeits for the Lord’s plan, we must not be misled into supposing that we can discharge our obligations to the poor and the needy by shifting the responsibility to some governmental or other public agency.”
April 1972 General Conference
- The Covenant of the Priesthood
  - “I believe that is true. I think that men and boys who magnify their callings in the priesthood have a change wrought in their bodies.”
  - “Now, I do not think this means that all who fail to magnify their callings in the priesthood will have committed the unpardonable sin, but I do think that priesthood bearers who have entered into the covenants that we enter into—in the waters of baptism, in connection with the law of tithing, the Word of Wisdom, and the many other covenants we make—and then refuse to live up to these covenants will stand in jeopardy of losing the promise of eternal life.”
October 1971 General Conference
- The Light Shineth
  - “The large majority to whom the gospel has been taken reject it. It is because of this rejection, and not because there is no guiding light, that this generation has been and, unless it reverses its course, will continue to be unable to avoid the calamities foreseen and foretold by Jesus.”
April 1971 General Conference
- Satan—The Great Deceiver
  - “A corollary to the pernicious falsehood that God is dead is the equally pernicious doctrine that there is no devil. Satan himself is the father of both of these lies. To believe them is to surrender to him. Such surrender has always led, is leading now, and will continue to lead men to destruction.”
  - “We Latter-day Saints need not be, and we must not be, deceived by the sophistries of men concerning the reality of Satan. There is a personal devil, and we had better believe it. He and a countless host of followers, seen and unseen, are exercising a controlling influence upon men and their affairs in our world today.”
October 1970 General Conference
- The Keystone of Our Religion
  - “I bear you my witness that I have obtained for myself a personal knowledge that the Book of Mormon is all the Prophet Joseph said it is; that from it radiates the spirit of prophecy and revelation; that it teaches in plain simplicity the great doctrines of salvation and the principles of righteous conduct calculated to bring men to Christ; that familiarity with its spirit and obedience to its teachings will move every contrite soul to fervently pray with David, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.””
April 1970 General Conference
- The Key to Peace
  - “Peace among men and nations will be the natural sequence when enough individuals have peace in their hearts.”
  - “When men correctly understand and have faith in the true and living God, they strive to develop within themselves his virtues. He becomes the lodestar of their lives.”
October 1969 General Conference
- The Crucible of Adversity and Affliction
  - “Not only have I been impressed by the testimonies of others; I have been eyewitness to the operation of these principles in the lives of my own acquaintances. I have seen the remorse and despair in the lives of men who, in the hour of trial, have cursed God and died spiritually. And I have seen people rise to great heights from what seemed to be unbearable burdens.”
  - “I have sought the Lord in my own extremities and learned for myself that my soul has made its greatest growth as I have been driven to my knees by adversity and affliction.”
April 1969 General Conference
- Home Teaching and Family Home Evening
  - “Because no one can be saved without a knowledge of the gospel, the Lord himself set the pattern as to how it should be taught in order that everyone can be taught. He himself came to his son Adam and taught him the gospel, and directed him to teach his children.”
October 1968 General Conference
- Decisions and Free Agency
  - “In this year of decisions, we shall have opportunity to exercise our voting franchise. There seems to be no end to the advice available as to how we should do this. Out of the din of confusion comes the contention that the way to exercise it and really demonstrate that we have it is to help make Utah a wide-open state by voting for liquor by the drink. With all right-minded people we reject this fallacious contention. By the same token, we join with all right-minded men in defense of every man’s right to make his own choice.”
  - “Latter-day Saints not only believe that freedom to make one’s own choices is an inalienable divine right; they also know that the exercise of it is essential to man’s growth and development. Deprived of it, men would be but puppets in the hands of fate.”
  - “The preservation of free agency is more important than the preservation of life itself. As a matter of fact, without it, there would be no existence.”
  - “Neither the Church, its officers, nor any of its responsible representatives ever seek to abridge one’s freedom to make his own decisions—be it in the voting booth or elsewhere. Representations to the contrary are either ignorantly or maliciously made. Usually such representations are calculated to influence people in the exercise of their agency—the very objective they impute to and so condemn in others. Only Satan and wicked men seek to abridge men’s agency. The Lord never does. Neither do his servants. The divine gift of free agency, however, is not a self-perpetuating endowment.”
  - “Every choice one makes either expands or contracts the area in which he can make and implement future decisions. When one makes a choice, he irrevocably binds himself to accept the consequences of that choice.”
  - [Discussing 1 Samuel 8] “The Lord here followed his uniform course. He refused to interfere with Israel’s right of choice, even though their choice was to reject him. Israel, having been warned by both their God and his prophet Samuel, exercised their agency, contrary to the advice of both. They got their king, and they suffered the consequences. In due time their kingdom was divided, they were taken captive, and ultimately they became slaves.”
  - “Let us he ever conscious of the fact that our characters are fashioned by the decisions we make. Free agency does not guarantee freedom and liberty. Freedom and liberty and peace are the products of right decisions made in the exercise of free agency.”
  - “By the making of proper decisions, Jesus Christ became the Son of God and our Redeemer. By making wrong decisions, Lucifer, “son of the morning,” became Satan.”
April 1968 General Conference
- The Lord’s Way to Temporal Salvation
  - “We have been industrious. We have become wealthy. We are going through a period of corruption and decay. Around the corner we shall encounter ruin if we continue our present course.”
  - “Professing is not enough. Men must accept him for what he in fact is—the very Son of God, man’s Redeemer. They must have sufficient faith in him to take upon themselves his name in the manner he prescribed.”
October 1967 General Conference
- God Reveals Himself
  - “God has, from the beginning, seen fit to place a knowledge of himself within the reach of all men. We who are his present witnesses are but discharging our responsibility when we bring these testimonies of the prophets and our own testimonies as to the form and nature of God to your attention.”
April 1967 General Conference
- Peace in This World
  - “These illustrations are but samples of the many to be found in the scriptures. But each of them, as do the others, evidences the truth of our text that peace in this world always comes after the receiver has done the works of righteousness. Enos, the subjects of King Benjamin, and the people of Alma had all demonstrated, by good works, their faith in Christ before the reward came. This is the way peace comes in this world. It can be obtained in no other way. The promised peace of our text emanates from Christ. He is the source of it. His spirit is the essence of it.”
October 1966 General Conference
- Be Not Troubled
  - “Now, the basis for the hope and courage that will keep us from being troubled does not lie in the expectation that enough people will accept and obey the restored gospel to turn aside the oncoming calamities. Nor does it depend upon any such contingency. As already indicated, it lies in the assurance that everyone who will accept and obey the restored gospel of Jesus Christ shall reap the promised rewards, and this regardless of what others do. And certain it is that those who receive the blessings will have to prevail against great opposition, for the world in general is not improving. It is ripening in iniquity.”
April 1966 General Conference
- Socialism and the United Order Compared
  - “What prohibits us from giving as much in fast offerings as we would have given in surpluses under the United Order? Nothing but our own limitations.”
October 1965 General Conference
- Making Our Calling and Election Sure
  - “I give you my own witness. I know that God our Father lives, that we are as Paul said, his offspring. I know that we dwelt in his presence in pre-earth life and that we shall continue to live beyond the grave. I know that we may return into his presence, if we meet his terms. I know that while we are here in mortality there is a means of communication between him and us. I know it is possible for men to so live that they may hear his voice and know his words and that to receive “the Holy Spirit of promise” while here in mortality is possible.”
April 1965 General Conference
- The Way to Peace Revealed
  - “Such, in brief and inadequate outline, is the message which we, the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are under divine charge to declare to the world. For as the Lord told his prophets in dispensations past, so he told his modern Prophet, Joseph Smith, that the revelations which had been given to him were not for the sake of himself and his associates only, but were for the sake of the whole world.”
April 1964 General Conference
- Revelation
  - “The principle of revelation is the key which opens the mind and spirit of man to an understanding of the gospel. There is no other key to such knowledge. Thinkers have philosophized; poets have dreamed; and scientists have experimented; but only God speaks with a sure knowledge of all truth.”
October 1963 General Conference
- Conversion
  - “While conversion may be accomplished in stages, one is not really converted in the full sense of the term unless and until he is at heart a new person.”
  - “Conversion is effected by divine forgiveness, which remits sins. The sequence is something like this. An honest seeker hears the message. He asks the Lord in prayer if it is true. The Holy Spirit gives him a witness. This is a testimony. If one’s testimony is strong enough, he repents and obeys the commandments. By such obedience he receives divine forgiveness which remits sin. Thus he is converted to a newness of life. His spirit is healed.”
  - “Always the remittance of sins which attends divine forgiveness heals the spirit.”
  - “Somebody recently asked how one could know when he is converted. The answer is simple. He may be assured of it when by the power of the Holy Spirit his soul is healed.”
  - “Getting people’s spirits healed through conversion is the only way they can be healed. I know this is an unpopular doctrine and a slow way to solve the problems of men and nations. As a matter of fact, I am convinced that relatively few among the billions of earth’s inhabitants will be converted. Nevertheless, I know and solemnly witness that there is no other means by which the sin-sick souls of men can be healed or for a troubled world to find peace. I know that the unbelieving will reject this divine way. But this is nothing new.”
April 1963 General Conference
- And the Lamanites Shall Blossom as the Rose
  - “For more than a hundred years the record of their fathers, the Book of Mormon, has been going to the Lamanites by way of the gentiles. And it is now being carried to them with increased tempo.”
October 1962 General Conference
- Report from the Correlation Committee
  - “Now, priesthood correlation, as we are using the term here, contemplates all that is now being done in ward teaching and much more. It unites under one undertaking many activities. It requires that attention be given to every member of every family, particularly to those who need special encouragement to live the gospel. It means much more than a perfunctory visit once a month.”
- Look to God and Live
  - “The world crisis we now face is upon us precisely because men have been and now are seeking the abundant life, for men, and peace among nations—the fruits of looking to God—by preaching the doctrine of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man without actually believing them.”
April 1962 General Conference
- The Oath and Covenant Which Belongeth to the Priesthood
  - “In the covenant of the priesthood the parties are the Father and the receiver of the priesthood. Each party to the covenant undertakes certain obligations. The receiver undertakes to magnify his calling in the priesthood. The Father, by oath and covenant, promises the receiver that if he does so magnify his priesthood he will be sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of his body.”
  - “But learning the gospel from books is not enough. It must be lived by one who would magnify his calling in the priesthood. As a matter of fact, getting a knowledge of the gospel and living it are interdependent. They go hand in hand. One cannot fully learn the gospel without living it. A knowledge of the gospel comes by degrees. One learns a little, obeys what he learns; learns a little more, obeys that; and repeats this cycle in an endless round. Such is the pattern by which one can move on to a full knowledge of the gospel.”
October 1961 General Conference
- Seek the Spirit
  - “I am convinced that if we have the peace in our hearts the brethren have been talking about, we must learn how to preserve it in our hearts in the midst of trouble and trial. I know that if we lived the gospel, we would not have war. We would have peace if enough people lived the gospel, but for my single self I do not expect them to do so. I do not expect enough people to repent to spare the world from serious trouble, and I think the scriptures sustain this conclusion.”
  - “Now I know, brothers and sisters that we can be guided by the Spirit. I counsel you to seek more diligently through earnest prayer the guidance of the Spirit. Learn to live your lives by the guidance of the Spirit.”
April 1961 General Conference
- My Church Shall Be Called in My Name
  - “The person who knows the Book of Mormon is true has passed the point of no return, so far as conversion is concerned. He has come out of darkness into the glorious light of truth. He has, in effect, accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
October 1960 General Conference
- Give Diligent Heed to the Words of Eternal Life
  - “The Prophet Joseph Smith used to repeatedly urge the brethren to make their calling and election sure. There is no way to do this except by receiving the Priesthood and magnifying it.”
  - “So far as Satan’s war against the priesthood is concerned, he is making no exception in this last dispensation. His objective is still to deceive every one of us he can and to drive the Priesthood from the earth. Satan is very real. His power is very real. His influence is felt everywhere. He literally stalks the earth.”
  - “We who hold the Priesthood must beware concerning ourselves, that we do not fall into the traps he lays to rob us of our freedom. We must be careful that we are not led to accept or support in any way any organization, cause, or measure which, in its remotest effect, would jeopardize free agency, whether it be in politics, government, religion, employment, education, or any other field. It is not enough for us to be sincere in what we support. We must be right!”
  - “The situation now is that although great numbers of people confess Christ, most of them, judged by their beliefs and practices, deny him.”
  - “Even Jesus himself did not purport to originate gospel doctrine. One cannot arrive at truth by reason alone.”
  - “We never need to be deceived by the learning of the world. We can always with safety reject those doctrines which are rounded in the wisdom of men.”
  - “We need not be led astray, my brethren. The safest way to avoid being led astray is to magnify our Priesthood. We should go on our knees, each one of us, morning and evening, and plead with Almighty God to keep us in the way of magnifying our callings in this great Priesthood. We should live righteously. We should resist every temptation of lust. When we harbor lustful thoughts and participate in lustful practices, we cannot see these great principles clearly, and we get into the dark.”
April 1960 General Conference
- Drink Deeply from the Divine Fountain
  - “For me there could be no more impelling reason for reading the Book of Mormon than this statement of the Lord that we shall be judged by what is written in it.”
  - “The great over-all struggle in the world today is, as it has always been, for the souls of men. Every soul is personally engaged in the struggle, and he makes the fight with what is in his mind. In the final analysis the battleground is, for each individual, within himself.”
April 1959 General Conference
- If Ye Believe Not that I Am He, Ye Shall Die in Your Sins
  - “I repeat that in our peculiar beliefs and faith in Jesus Christ, comprising the foregoing and other revealed truths concerning him, we greatly differ from other people of the earth.”
  - “The fruits of the teachings of Jesus Christ cannot be had by accepting some of his teachings, rejecting the rest, and denying his divinity.”
  - “Wholehearted obedience to these purifying and sanctifying principles and ordinances works in the life of the true believer a far-reaching miracle. For one thing, it confers upon him membership in the literal kingdom of God, identifying him as a sheep of the true Shepherd.”
  - “Forgiveness of sins is prerequisite to a full fellowship in the Church of Jesus Christ. It is a prerequisite to enjoying the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
October 1958 General Conference
- The Restoration
  - “In like manner every child of God if he will but do the work as Jesus said, may know of the divinity of the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith and that President David O. McKay is now his legal successor; he may likewise know that the gospel as restored through the Prophet Joseph is the gospel of Jesus Christ, that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the repository of that gospel, that the Church possesses the priesthood of God and the gifts of the Holy Spirit of God and that to the Church God has given the commission and the power to preach the gospel and administer all the ordinances necessary to the salvation and exaltation of us, his children.”
April 1958 General Conference
- The Church in Mexico
  - “Understanding and applying these truths, men and nations may determine for themselves the cycle of their own lives, whether it shall terminate in the shadow or in the light.”
April 1957 General Conference
- The Voice of the Spirit
  - “Since God has revealed all things essential for man’s guidance through mortality to his glorious destiny, and has provided that men individually by the “Voice of the Spirit” may receive personal revelation to enlighten their understandings and confirm to them the truth of God’s revealed word, the all-important question arises, “How can we individually attune our ears to that Voice, so indispensable to our comprehension and appreciation of these things so vital to our eternal lives?””
  - “No principle of the Gospel is more clearly taught than that God will reward the sincere seeker.”
October 1956 General Conference
- For the Perfecting of the Saints
  - “We have reason, therefore, to take courage and strive for still better records. And as we do so, may I suggest that we keep in mind always that neither statistics nor Church averages guarantee perfection. Important as these are in stirring us to activity and keeping us aware of our progress, the fact remains that attaining the perfection commanded by the Savior and alluded to by Paul is an individual matter.”
  - “Each individual who observes one or more of these laws shall receive the blessings predicated thereon, and each Church member who will, with all the energy of his soul, diligently strive to live them all, shall receive the blessings predicated upon such striving.”
  - “With complete surrender to the spirit of the gospel let us, honestly and without guile, search our own souls and find the weakness which presently impedes our upward climb to eternal life.”
April 1956 General Conference
- Gifts of the Spirit
  - “I know that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are in the Church today. Every faithful Latter-day Saint knows that they are. As Sister Romney and I left this building at the close of one of the conference meetings yesterday, a faithful sister was waiting at the door for us. She called our attention to an administration received by her some three years ago at a stake conference in California. She, with cancer, and her family, all fasting, sought for her a blessing. She reported yesterday that she was well. No evidence of her former affliction remains. Presently she is a stake missionary.”
  - “It appears that there are some apparently supernatural manifestations which are not worked by the power of the Holy Ghost. The truth is there are many which are not. The world today is full of counterfeits. It has always been so.”
  - “It appears that there are some apparently supernatural manifestations which are not worked by the power of the Holy Ghost. The truth is there are many which are not. The world today is full of counterfeits. It has always been so.”
  - “Third, find out whether the worker of the purported miracle has himself received the gift of the Holy Ghost through the prescribed ordinances. If he has not, then his works, whatever they may be, are not the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. This is a key test because, as we have already pointed out, the gifts of the spirit are given by the power of the Holy Ghost. Without the gift of the Holy Ghost, the manifestations of his gifts may not be enjoyed.”
  - “One who has never received the gift of the Holy Ghost cannot possibly work miracles by his power.”
  - “Now, righteous men, bearing the holy priesthood of the living God and endowed with the gift of the Holy Ghost, who are magnifying their callings—and such are the only men upon the earth with the right to receive and exercise the gifts of the spirit—will do so circumspectly and in all humility. They will not spectacularly advertise their divine power nor boast about it. Neither will they display it for money. Of this you may be sure.”
October 1955 General Conference
- Repentance Worketh Salvation
  - “Forgiveness is as wide as repentance. Every person will be forgiven for all the transgression of which he truly repents.”
  - “I would assume that we are to confess all our sins unto the Lord. For transgressions which are wholly personal, affecting none but ourselves and the Lord, such confession would seem to be sufficient.”
  - “For misconduct which offends another, confession should also be made to the offended one, and his forgiveness sought.”
April 1955 General Conference
- Ears to Hear the Living Prophets
  - “The things the peoples of the world need today are ears to hear the living prophet, because we already have one.”
  - “Now, all men who believe in Jesus and want to be his followers will have to accept those four verities. They will also have to obey the commandment. When the commandment is obeyed, they will receive the witness of the Holy Ghost. Surely they will receive it. It comes to every man who will live for it.”
October 1954 General Conference
- The Royal Law According to the Scriptures
  - “It occurs to me that if these brethren in their poverty could not qualify as disciples of the Lord without remembering the poor and the needy, the sick and afflicted, it will be most difficult for us to so qualify should we neglect them, enjoying, as we do in such abundance, the bounties of the earth.”
  - “The Lord has made it plain that Zion cannot be built up until the Saints become united according to the “union required by the laws of the celestial kingdom,” which laws, he explains, require us to impart of our substance “as becometh saints, to the poor and afflicted” among us.”
April 1954 General Conference
- Labor Today
  - “It would seem to be most unwise to rely upon the doctrine of the so-called second chance and wait until after death to perform our good works.”
  - “I have never found anything in the scriptures nor in the teachings of the prophets which encourages me to believe, that those who have the gospel taught to them here will be able to make up their loss if they choose to wait for the next life to obey it. I would not advise anyone to take that chance. As I understand the scriptures, taking such a hazard would be fatal.”
October 1953 General Conference
- The Atonement of the Savior
  - “We have in the Church an ordinance which I have explained. It is the sacrament. The Lord has commanded us to partake of the sacrament regularly. Members of his Church are by him directed to go on the Sabbath day to the sacrament meeting, and there partake of the sacrament. And what are we to do when we partake of the sacrament? We are to think of all these things above mentioned, and many more. If I can remember one of the prayers, I will conclude with it. This is what we go to the sacrament meeting for; this is what we ought to do when we are there.”
April 1953 General Conference
- Nurture a Testimony
  - “If, however, there are some things in the strata of the earth indicating there were men before Adam, they were not the ancestors of Adam.”
  - “Now I tell you that a man in his position is on the way to apostasy. He is forfeiting his chances for eternal life. So is everyone who cannot follow the living prophet of God.”
October 1952 General Conference
- Trust in the Lord
  - “I plead with you to determine now, in your youth, to trust in the Lord and live for his promises. For there are promised blessings which follow, as the night the day, obedience to each of the Lord’s commands.”
  - “I have always considered tithing to be the law of inheritance in the land of Zion, for the Lord said when he gave the law that all those who gathered to Zion should observe it or they should not be worthy to abide among the inhabitants of that land.”
April 1952 General Conference
- In God We Trust
  - “All men who, “under God,” have advanced the cause of righteousness in America have been praying men.”
  - “Why should we not put to test the one untried plan of self-disciplined conformance to the plain and simple commands of the God in whom we profess to trust. Doing this, turning not to the right hand or to the left, we shall become strong and of a good courage.”
October 1951 General Conference
- A Testimony of the Redeemer
  - “Now I would just like to say I am grateful for my heritage. Both my families are of long-standing in the Church, the Redds and the Romneys. I am claimed by both of them. The Redds claim I am a Romney, and the Romneys claim I am a Redd, but I am proud of them both. I am very grateful for my father, the late George S. Romney, and my sainted mother who sits here today in tears. I am grateful for the righteous home they reared me in—Mother, I tell you I am grateful.”
April 1951 General Conference
- A Message of Hope and Courage
  - “We Latter-day Saints must not let ourselves be so engulfed with forebodings that we fail to obtain and enjoy such hope and courage as is within our reach—the hope and courage born of faith in the power of righteousness to ultimately triumph. I have boundless confidence in that power. I am persuaded beyond all doubt that the destiny of men and nations is in the hands of the Almighty, who has respect for righteousness, and not in the hands of conniving politicians whose wisdom has perished, whose understanding has come to naught and who have no respect for righteousness. If it were not so, I should be in utter despair. I believe that the record and the word of God justify us in so placing our hope.”
  - “We will have our souls tested before we reach these glories of the future, but if we have them in view and live righteously, we shall thereby be sustained for the trials we must endure.”
October 1950 General Conference
- Perfecting the Welfare Plan
  - “Truth, sufficient to guide us through our lives and back into the very presence of God, was revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith during the early years of this last dispensation.”
  - “We desire to encourage throughout the Church the principle of the fast—abstaining from the eating of two meals on fast day and giving the equivalent thereof to the bishop. A minimum fast offering is the equivalent of the two meals and a maximum fast offering may be measured by the greatness of one’s heart. God bless you that you may continue in this great program with all the energy of your souls.”
April 1950 General Conference
- Hearken…and Obey
  - “Many sober and earnest people are recognizing the need for men to repent of their sinful ways and are advocating that they turn to God. This is good as far as it goes, but the only people who can call the inhabitants of the earth to true repentance are the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The reason this rather sweeping statement is true is because such a call to repentance cannot be made without a divine commission.”
  - “Ours is the responsibility of officially declaring repentance unto all the inhabitants of the earth. None are exempt. We must discharge this responsibility, regardless of the manner in which our message is received.”
  - “There is nothing vindictive in the message of repentance which we bear. It is a message of salvation and hope, and not of condemnation. It is our purpose to declare it to our fellow men in charity and love, but we are in no sense apologetic for it. We know it is of God. We bear it at his command and, we trust, in the power of his spirit.”
October 1949 General Conference
- Fruits of the Gospel
  - “When earth life is over and things appear in their true perspective, we shall more clearly see and realize what the Lord and his prophets have repeatedly told us, that the fruits of the gospel are the only objectives worthy of life’s full efforts. Their possessor obtains true wealth—wealth in the Lord’s view of values. We need constantly to deepen our understandings and sharpen our realization of what the fruits of the gospel are.”
April 1949 General Conference
- The Book of Mormon
  - “A few years ago as I began to practice law, members of my family were a little uneasy. They were afraid I would lose my faith. I wanted to practice law, but I had an even greater desire to keep my testimony, and so I decided upon a little procedure which I recommend to you. For thirty minutes each morning before I began the day’s work I read from the Book of Mormon—I read also from all the other standard works of the Church, but I am talking now about the Book of Mormon—and in just a few minutes a day I read the Book of Mormon through, every year, for nine years. I know that it kept me in harmony, so far as I did keep in harmony, with the Spirit of the Lord.”
October 1948 General Conference
- And Ye Shall Bear Record
  - “This declaration that Jesus is the Son of the Living God, that he was, that he is, and that he is to come, is, I think, the core of the gospel of Jesus Christ. A testimony of its truthfulness constitutes the only motive that I have ever been able to find which is strong enough to change the hearts of men from hate and wickedness to peace and righteousness.”
April 1948 General Conference
- Testimony
  - “I have something for you which no other person in this world can give to you. It is my personal testimony. You have your testimony, and you can give that, but I have mine, and while you are not bound by my testimony, I am bound by it, and I would like to bear it to you if the Lord will give me strength.”
October 1947 General Conference
- Principles of Truth
  - “No man can preside over any organized division of the Church without the consent of those over whom he is to preside. That is a power which God has vested in the membership of this Church. Sometimes I think when we raise our hands to sustain the General Authorities, we are not actively alive to that great principle. No one of us, I feel, has a right to raise our hand to sustain any man or woman in a position in the Church if we know that that man or woman is unworthy of the position for which he or she is named.”
  - “The authority and the power to propose men and women for office in the Church resides in the presiding authority. The power of approval resides in the membership of the Church.”
  - “I think we cannot explain the teachings of Jesus, as they are recorded in the New Testament, in the absence of the light of what the Redeemer himself has said about those teachings in the modern revelations, and I think we need to hold close to these eternal principles. We must learn what they are. If we would spend just a portion of the time we spend reading uninspired writings of men in studying the gospel of Jesus Christ as it is written in the revelations, we would not be deceived as we sometimes are.”
April 1947 General Conference
- The Welfare Plan
  - “For my single self, I am persuaded from all I see and hear in the world of today, and such inspiration as I enjoy bears to me the same witness, that a continuation of our way of life is contingent upon a triumph in the lives of men of the principles of thought and action implemented by the welfare plan. I feel no doubt about the ultimate outcome. To me the unknowns in the equation are the time it will take and how much suffering will be required to bring us to obedience.”
October 1946 General Conference
- Obedience
  - “We are no better than the rest of the world, let me say, except to the degree to which we accept the commandments of the Lord and obey them.”
  - “We must render obedience because we love righteousness and have a testimony of the truth in our hearts, and because we want to go back to our Father in heaven and help take all his children with us.”
April 1946 General Conference
- Sacrament Meetings
  - “There are two sources, and as far as I know only two sources, from which we may expect to gain guidance that will safely bring us through. One source is through our righteous living, so that we can have the dictates of the Holy Spirit, and the other source is from the words spoken by the men whom we shall sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators here in this conference.”
  - “In the absence of compelling circumstances, I feel that proper observance of the Sabbath day requires attendance at sacrament meetings.”
October 1945 General Conference
- The Welfare Program
  - “I believe I have made a rather complete study, and I now testify to you that I do know beyond any doubt, by the same power that Peter knew that Jesus was the Christ, that the Church welfare plan in its inception was and now is inspired of the Lord; and that the great principles implemented by it are eternal truths, which the Saints of God must abide if they are to purify and perfect themselves as the Lord has commanded.”
  - “Who but the Lord himself could devise a way by which the members of his Church, rich and poor alike, can be so motivated that by the exercise of their own free agency they will administer to each other’s needs in such a spirit of love as to move toward these great objectives? No one.”
April 1945 General Conference
- Obedience Brings Peace
  - “To seek to know the Father’s will and to comply therewith does not mean abject submission to an arbitrary superior force, but rather bringing ourselves into harmony with the laws and principles prevailing in an orderly universe.”
  - “The happiest and most successful people in the earth are those who, knowing the will of the Father, are living in harmony therewith. On the other hand, the most contentious, distressed, and miserable people on the earth are those who know his will and who do not live in harmony with it.”
  - “Now, my brethren and sisters, it is not the desire of the Church nor of any man or woman in the Church who has the spirit of the gospel, to discomfort or embarrass or drive away from the purifying and sanctifying influences of the gospel, any person, be he in or out of the Church. Rather, it is their desire to take every person where he now is and build him up, lead him step by step along the straight and narrow path of conforming with gospel standards, until he finds peace and happiness in doing the will of the Father.”
  - “This, however, cannot be done by condoning noncompliance with the rules of conduct which the Lord has prescribed, nor by presuming to change them. The words of Jesus were, “Take my yoke upon you.” He did not say come on your own terms, but— “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; . . . and ye shall find rest unto your souls.””
  - “The Lord has never revealed a way whereby we can enjoy that rest unto our souls without taking his yoke upon us.”
  - “This is a day of great conflict between truth and error. Satan is having a field day with the souls of men. Anti-christs stalk the earth in all lands, including our own. False philosophies and doctrines emanating from the prince of darkness are being presented in such appealing manner as almost to deceive the very elect. There is only one sure way to divine the truth from the error. That is to learn what the mind and will of the Father is on these matters, and then do it. You will find it declared on many issues in the messages of the First Presidency given in the general conferences.”
October 1944 General Conference
- Prayer
  - “One of our greatest needs today is to turn to God in true prayer, that we may conquer Satan and escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work.”
  - “Intelligent beings will not pray fervently to a God they do not know. Such praying will be done only by people who believe that their prayers can be heard and answered by an understanding, sympathetic parent.”
  - “His will concerning us and our affairs cannot be other than for our advancement toward immortality and eternal life. Submitting to his will in every instance will be for our own good.”
  - “As there is no limitation as to when we should pray, so there seems to be no limitation as to where we should pray or what we should pray about.”
April 1944 General Conference
- Having the Spirit of the Lord
  - “Now, it is very important, my brethren, that we each live so that we can have this spirit of the Lord. Its importance did not cease with the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith.”
  - “It is a terrible calamity for men or nations to become laws unto themselves.”
  - “If we are to be led just right, through these perilous times in which we live, we must keep our minds open and have the spirit of the Lord. The gift of the Holy Ghost must be operative in us.”
October 1943 General Conference
- Unity
  - “It is my conviction that since we are engaged in the Lord’s work, we can accomplish everything He wants us to do if we will but be united.”
  - “Unity never comes while each man charts his own course and walks in his own way.”
  - “The only path to unity is to find out the will of the Lord, and then follow it. The way to find it out is, first, to be humble. We must not be hard of heart. We must assume our proper relationship to our Father in heaven, recognizing that in His infinite wisdom He knows what ought to be done. Therefore, we should be willing to subject our personal opinions and actions to His will.”
April 1943 General Conference
- Welfare
  - “Our primary purpose was to set up, insofar as it might be possible, a system under which the curse of idleness would be done away with, the evils of the dole abolished, and independence, industry, thrift and self-respect be once more established amongst our people. Work is to be re-enthroned as the ruling principle of the lives of our Church members. . . The Church aims to help provide for the care and sustenance of those on direct relief—federal, state, and county, as also for those for whom the Church has heretofore cared.”
  - “There is still a tendency amongst us to place our hope and confidence for economic security in governmental and other welfare agencies rather than in our own industry. We have no business being carried away by the false panaceas of the world. We are the members of the Church of Christ. The Church and its members are to be leaders—not leaners—in the solution of the problems which confront us.”
  - “We often do for our children that which they should do for themselves, rather than spend the time and effort, and exercise the patience necessary to teach them how, and induce them to do it. But to what end? To the ruin of our children in many cases.”
October 1942 General Conference
- Faithful in the Priesthood
  - “As we labor in the Church, two observations force themselves upon us. One is that there is great strength and devotion among the membership of the Church. No one can visit among the branches, wards, and stakes and see the amount of work that is done and the time freely given to service in the activities of the Priesthood quorums and auxiliaries without being impressed with this strength and devotion. It makes one, with the spirit of this latter-day work, thrill to be a part of it.”
  - “The other observation is of quite a different nature. It comes when the individual records of members are examined. They show that in nearly every Priesthood quorum in the Church there is a large percentage of our brethren who count the high honor of being ordained to the Priesthood as a thing of naught; who enjoy not its blessings because they magnify not their callings. If they continue in their course, they stand in jeopardy of losing their right to the Priesthood.”
April 1942 General Conference
- Loyalty
  - “I raise my voice on this matter to warn and counsel you to be on your guard against criticism. I have heard some myself and have been told about more. It comes, in part, from those who hold, or have held, prominent positions. Ostensibly, they are in good standing in the Church. In expressing their feelings, they frequently say, “We are members of the Church, too, you know, and our feelings should be considered.””
  - “They assume that one can be in full harmony with the spirit of the gospel, enjoy full fellowship in the Church, and at the same time be out of harmony with the leaders of the Church and the counsel and directions they give. Such a position is wholly inconsistent, because the guidance of this Church comes, not alone from the written word, but also from continuous revelation, and the Lord gives that revelation to the Church through His chosen leaders and none else. It follows, therefore, that those who profess to accept the gospel and who at the same time criticize and refuse to follow the counsel of the leaders, are assuming an indefensible position.”
  - “Such a spirit leads to apostasy. It is not new.”
  - “Surely there can be nothing of more importance than to be always and everlastingly on the side with truth as we meet the complex problems of our lives.”
  - “If we are to be on the side of truth, we must have the Spirit of the Lord. To the obtaining of that spirit, prayer is an indispensable prerequisite.”
  - “By praying I do not mean, however, just saying prayers. Prayers may be said in a perfunctory manner. Access to the Spirit of God, which is a directing power, cannot be so obtained. The divine injunction to pray is not to be satisfied in a casual manner nor by an effort to obtain divine approval of a predetermined course. A firm resolve to comply with the will of God must accompany the petition foreknowledge as to what His will is. When one brings himself to the position that he will pursue the truth wherever it may lead, even though it may require a reversal of his former position, he can, without hypocrisy, go before the Lord in prayer. Then, when he prays with all the energy of his soul, he is entitled to and he will receive guidance. The mind and will of the Lord as to the course he should take will be made known unto him.”
October 1941 General Conference
- Steadfastness in the Gospel
  - “No person whose soul is illuminated by the burning Spirit of God can in this world of sin and dense darkness remain passive. He is driven by an irresistible urge to fit himself to be an active agent of God in furthering righteousness and in freeing the lives and minds of men from the bondage of sin.”
  - “Not only must we all have the experience which first makes us brethren and sisters in the Lord, but having obtained this we must continue day by day through the years to maintain, and build upon it, as did Alma and the sons of Mosiah. They did it by studying the scriptures and by prayer and fasting.”
April 1941 General Conference
- Response to a New Call
  - “I respond to this call as I have responded to all calls that have come to me in the Church, although I do not know just what I shall be asked to do. You who were here this morning had the same notice that I had and know just as much about what the call is as I do.”
  - “I accept them and always have accepted them as prophets of the living God. I have never been very particular to determine when they were speaking as prophets of God and when they were speaking as men. It has never occurred to me that I had the ability to determine that. It has been the rule of my life to find out if I could, by listening closely to what they said and by asking the Lord to help me interpret it, what they had in mind for the Latter-day Saints to do and then do it. I am happy to say, not boastfully but gratefully, that I have never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life. I am very grateful now that I may have some opportunity to associate more closely with them.”

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Marion G. Romney

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