Coleen K. Menlove

General President of the Primary  (April 3, 1999 – April 2, 2005)

General Conference Addresses

• April 2005 General Conference
  • All Thy Children Shall Be Taught
    • “Children need the peace that comes from knowing they have a loving Heavenly Father, who sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to bring light and hope into the world. It is up to us as adults to direct children to that peace and light.”
    • “Children need to know that having faith in the Savior and following Him will help them receive peace in this troubled world.”
    • “Children who have the gospel tucked into their hearts recognize the hand of the Lord in their lives.”
• April 2003 General Primary Broadcast
  • Show You Know
    • “Every time you keep the Sabbath day holy, you show you know.”
    • “I had decided when I was very young that I would never smoke. This decision made it easier to say no. Show you know by obeying the Word of Wisdom.”
    • “The Savior taught us to love and do good to one another—even those who have different standards. These differences are no excuse for avoiding others or being unkind.”
• October 2002 General Conference
  • A Voice of Gladness for Our Children
    • “Yes, life can be fast-paced for parents and is becoming so for children. It would be easy to say there is not enough time to fit everything in. Looking back at a time that passed all too quickly, I can now see that each day was filled with precious little moments full of opportunity to help our children hear the “voice of gladness” in the gospel. Children are always learning from us. They are learning what is important by what we choose to do as well as what we choose not to do. Casual, infrequent family prayers, scripture study, and family home evenings will not be enough to fortify our children. Where will children learn the gospel and standards such as chastity, integrity, and honesty if not at home? These values can be reinforced at church, but parents are the most capable and most effective in teaching them to their children.”
    • “The key to accomplishing effective gospel teaching in the home is to invite the Spirit of the Lord to be with us. Some of the best counsel my husband and I received during some turbulent times of raising our children was to do all that is possible to invite and keep the Spirit in our home. Children cannot learn spiritual things and have spiritual feelings without the guidance of the Spirit.”
    • “I know—with an exclamation mark—that children can receive a witness by the Spirit that brings conviction and commitment to their hearts!”
• April 2000 General Conference
  • Living Happily Ever After
    • “Happiness is not only simple, but it is here for us to experience each day. Happiness is all around us. It can be as immediate as now.”
    • “It is knowing and feeling the pure love of Christ that brings exquisite joy to our souls. It is knowing that forgiveness for our mistakes is possible. It is through the Atonement of the Savior, who satisfied the demands of justice and offers us mercy, that hope and joy are possible. As we draw near to the Savior, we are free from doubt and confusion.”
    • “As we come to understand the great plan of happiness, we will radiate, for all the world to see, a glad heart and a cheerful countenance.”

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