Rex D. Pinegar

Presidency of the Seventy (September 30, 1989 – August 15, 1995)
First Quorum of the Seventy (October 6, 1972 – October 6, 2001)

General Conference Addresses

• October 1994 General Conference
  • The Simple Things
    • “President Hunter’s reference to home teachers that day is in harmony with his focus now on the simple messages of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The great work of the Lord is primarily accomplished through small, kind acts that exemplify the basic teachings of His gospel. Obedience in doing the simple things has always been the means of obtaining the blessings of the Lord.”
    • “Focusing our attention on teaching and living the simple messages of the Savior in our homes will strengthen our families, perfect the society in which we live, and improve ourselves. It will enable us to successfully combat the erosion of the family, which President Hunter has said is the greatest challenge in the world today. Our first line of defense in a world of spiritual and moral decay is and will continue to be the family.”
    • “We have received simple instructions which we can all follow to strengthen our families, to heal our spiritual afflictions, and to become followers of Jesus Christ in thought and action. Parents have been counseled to set aside one night each week to teach fundamental gospel principles to their children.”
    • “Brothers and sisters, we must not fail to do the simple and easy things that the gospel requires and thereby deny ourselves and our families the great blessings that the Lord has promised.”
• April 1993 General Conference
  • Peace through Prayer
    • “The peace God speaks to our minds will let us know when decisions we have made are right, when our course is true.”
    • “Often the purpose of prayer is to give us strength to do what needs to be done, wisdom to see the way to solve our own problems, and ability to do our best in our tasks.”
    • “May we always seek to obtain the Lord’s miraculous gift of peace through prayer. May we not forget to pray.”
• October 1991 General Conference
  • Follow Christ in Word and Deed
    • “Do we live as Christians in word and deed? This is especially important for us because as bearers of the priesthood we have had bestowed upon us authority and power to officially act in the name of Jesus Christ. We have the sacred obligation and privilege to bear His name with dignity. Of all men on the earth, we are to keep His influence foremost in our lives, to bring a consistency in what we preach and in our conduct. As we do so, we will become converted and strengthen each other, and His teachings and all that His life represents will have their rightful influence and honor among mankind.”
    • “Perhaps the greatest of Christian acts are those we never hear about. They are deeds done quietly, spontaneously, anonymously, without expectation of recognition or compensation. Christian acts begin with Christlike thoughts in our hearts. Then, Christ’s teachings and His characteristics will be reflected naturally in our actions. Soon, there will be more friendly smiles, more kindly words, more courteous responses from us—all seemingly small, insignificant acts, yet they can have a great impact in all our lives.”
    • “Niceness and kindness represent one level of Christlike service, but there are other levels. Sometimes we are asked to give more than we feel we are capable of giving or more than we really want to give. We may feel burdened with expectations and responsibilities. It is then we learn that following Christ also requires sacrifice, commitment, and courage.”
• April 1990 General Conference
  • “Home First”
    • “Our Heavenly Father has organized us into families for the purpose of helping us successfully meet the trials and challenges of life. The home also exists to bless us with the joys and privileges of family associations. Our family is our safety place, our support network, our sanctuary, and our salvation.”
    • “Today, evil forces are challenging the home as never before. If our homes are to endure, parents and children must dedicate themselves to the gospel ideals that ensure preservation of home and family.”
    • “Only when parents and children work together for the same high objective—to put home and family first—can the home be preserved as God intended.”
• October 1985 General Conference
  • The Gospel Lifeline
    • “A lifeline must be anchored to an immovable object which can withstand the pressure and strain of opposing forces and remain firmly in place.”
    • “The fullness of God’s blessings and promises in the lives of our wives and children is dependent upon our worthiness and righteous leadership.”
    • “We have learned that there are two factors which exert the greatest influence on whether young men desire to be morally clean, serve a mission, and marry in the temple. These are (1) religious activity in the home (such as family prayer, family home evening, family scripture study) and (2) agreement with parents on values and on goals for the future. These two influences were found to have a greater impact than all other factors combined in creating these essential desires.”
    • “Priesthood bearers, let us hold firmly to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let us anchor ourselves to the Lord’s lifeline by accepting him as our Savior and extending His lifeline to others—our families, our friends, and those we have been called to serve. It is our eternal lifeline to support us not only in times of emergency and crisis, but to provide us with guidance and direction in meeting daily decisions and challenges.”
• October 1982 General Conference
  • Faith—The Force of Life
    • “Life is hard. It is a challenge. At every age life presents trials to bear and difficulties to overcome. Growing up is hard. There are often the heartaches of feeling wronged or rejected. Pursuing an education can press us to our financial, emotional, and intellectual limits. Serving a mission is not easy. It requires total dedication, spiritually and physically. The problems accompanying marriage, rearing a family, earning a living, or coping with illness, old age, and death are realities of life which we are required to meet, but with which we may be unprepared or unwilling to deal.”
    • “Perhaps some of us feel about life the way the young prince in this fable did. We may feel that life is cruel and unfair to us, that we would like to retreat into our own shelter and never have to venture forth into the world. To do so, however, would be to deny ourselves the opportunities for growth which life and its experiences are designed to bring to us.”
    • “Tolstoy found that one can possess about all one could desire of worldly pleasure and acclaim; but without faith in God, life will burden the heart, the mind, and even the soul.”
    • “Not all challenges are related to the presence of a physical or material need. Yet the source of strength to meet all challenges remains the same: faith in God and remaining true at all times. Believing in God and seeking to live His law provides the power to successfully overcome the testing such challenges bring.”
• October 1980 General Conference
  • Decide to Decide
    • “You can do it, my young brethren. You can become the men of righteousness and stature that your dreams and ambitions hold up before you. To accomplish this objective, you need to make some important decisions now, early in your life. This is the time to decide to decide!”
    • “Work is a principle with a blessing. Work builds us physically and spiritually. It increases both our strength of body and our strength of character.”
    • “Decide to make decisions about certain things once—those things will push from you that might otherwise destroy you—and decide about other things that you will incorporate into your life, things that will bring you eternal happiness.”
• October 1978 General Conference
  • The Gift of Love
    • “It is because we love the Lord and our neighbor that we are willing to go to any length, sacrifice at any price, to share the message that has brought joy and happiness into our own lives. For Latter-day Saints declare that God lives. He loves all men. He will lead all who will repent and follow him to everlasting joy and happines”
• October 1976 General Conference
  • The Living Prophet
    • “President Kimball, like the Prophet Joseph Smith, is a man of courageous action. He is sensitive to the Spirit, a doer of the work. I have seen him on planes, on buses, in waiting rooms, in hotels, and in chapels, and he is in constant motion—reading, preparing, listening, teaching by precept and by example. His is an inspired and inspiring, warm personal approach as he applies the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people he serves. He seems never too busy nor too tired to attend to the needs of the individual as he encourages each of us to a higher, more excellent personal performance in living.”
    • “We must follow the prophet’s lead and become “living examples” of Christ—bearers—living carriers of His message of salvation to those about us.”
• October 1975 General Conference
  • A Call to Arms
    • “The Lord opens the way to serve for anyone who is obedient, faithful, and willing to sacrifice to cause his work to move forward.”
• October 1974 General Conference
  • We Need to Continue in Righteousness
    • “To continue means more than to endure or to tolerate something. It means to maintain a steady course of action with unshaken faith in Christ. It means to be a true follower of Christ.”
    • “To continue in righteousness takes personal courage and strength of commitment. We must recognize that there is an opposing force to that which is right. Sometimes hardships come our way or fatigue dims our vision in decision making. It may be a selfish motive or a carnal desire that needs to be overcome before we can continue. In every situation, however, the answer which leads to happiness is to press forward.”
• April 1974 General Conference
  • The Family—A Divine Blessing
    • “Today she is the wife of such a man, a happy mother of a lovely family born in the covenant of an eternal marriage. Oh, how blessed is the influence of a righteous father!”
• October 1973 General Conference
  • Become Rich toward God
    • “I am grateful to the Lord for you members of the Church who desire to share the wealth of the gospel of Jesus Christ with your family and friends. Not only are you becoming rich toward God, but you are making other lives rich also. You are giving them the true Christian religion.”
• April 1973 General Conference
  • Share the Unsearchable Riches of Christ
    • “Fulfilling this sacred assignment to “warn our neighbors” brings unspeakable joys to both the receiver and the giver of the gift. Many families throughout the Church are experiencing the joys of doing this most important work. Not only are they “laying up in store that they perish not,” but they are helping our nonmember brothers and sisters to become eligible for these same blessings. They are finding that missionary work is not a task, but a glorious opportunity to assist the Lord in his greatest work—saving the souls of men.”
    • “We have the truth, the authority and power. Now it is our individual and family responsibility and our joy to share these blessings with others.”

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