John H. Groberg

Presidency of the Seventy (April 3, 2004 – August 15, 2005)

First Quorum of the Seventy (April 3, 1976 – October 1, 2005)

General Conference Addresses

• October 2004 General Conference
  • The Power of God’s Love
    • “The more we obey God, the more we desire to help others. The more we help others, the more we love God and on and on. Conversely, the more we disobey God and the more selfish we are, the less love we feel.”
    • “Trying to find lasting love without obeying God is like trying to quench thirst by drinking from an empty cup—you can go through the motions, but the thirst remains.”
    • “I learned that just as rockets must overcome the pull of gravity to roar into space, so we must overcome the pull of the world to soar into the eternal realms of understanding and love.”
    • “When filled with God’s love, we can do and see and understand things that we could not otherwise do or see or understand. Filled with His love, we can endure pain, quell fear, forgive freely, avoid contention, renew strength, and bless and help others in ways surprising even to us.”
• April 2001 General Conference
  • Priesthood Power
    • “Just as clean wires, properly connected, are required to carry electrical power, so clean hands and pure hearts are required to carry priesthood power. Filth and grime slow or prevent the flow of electrical power. Unclean thoughts and actions interfere with individual priesthood power. When we are humble, clean, and pure of hand, heart, and mind, nothing righteous is impossible.”
    • “I hope you understand and feel these truths. This was a tiny island in the midst of a huge ocean—with no electricity, no hospital, no doctors—but none of that mattered. For in addition to great love and faith, there was a branch president who held the Melchizedek Priesthood, who understood the importance of cleanliness of hand and heart and its outward expression in cleanliness of body and dress, who exercised the priesthood in righteousness and purity according to the will of God. That day his individual power in the priesthood was sufficient to connect with the unlimited power of the priesthood over earthly life.”
    • “Only purity of hand, heart, and mind will allow us to tap into the ultimate power of the priesthood to truly bless others and eventually be able to build eternal mansions more beautiful and lasting than we can presently imagine.”
• October 1993 General Conference
  • The Lord’s Wind
    • “Thus, repentance, baptism, and all other principles and ordinances are not entirely separate but are actually extensions of our faith in Christ. Without faith in Him, we do little of eternal value. With faith in Him, our lives become focused on doing things of eternal value.”
    • “It takes deep and abiding faith in Christ to endure faithfully to the end of our mortal lives. Sometimes we pray for the strength to endure yet resist the very things that would give us that strength. Too often we seek the easy way, forgetting that strength comes from overcoming things that require us to put forth more effort than we normally would be inclined to do.”
    • “How often do we not do more because we pray for wind and none comes? We pray for good things and they don’t seem to happen, so we sit and wait and do no more. We should always pray for help, but we should always listen for inspiration and impressions to proceed in ways different from those we may have thought of. On the boat, five men prayed, but only one heard and acted. God does hear our prayers. God knows more than we do. He has infinitely greater experience than we have. We should never stop moving because we think our way is barred or the only door we can go through is closed.”
• April 1989 General Conference
  • The Beauty and Importance of the Sacrament
    • “This invitation of the Savior to come unto him is issued regularly and is universal. Everyone is included—men, women, and children. Old and young alike participate. None are barred except by themselves.”
    • “If we desire to improve (which is to repent) and are not under priesthood restriction, then, in my opinion, we are worthy. If, however, we have no desire to improve, if we have no intention of following the guidance of the Spirit, we must ask: Are we worthy to partake, or are we making a mockery of the very purpose of the sacrament, which is to act as a catalyst for personal repentance and improvement? If we remember the Savior and all he has done and will do for us, we will improve our actions and thus come closer to him, which keeps us on the road to eternal life.”
    • “If, however, we refuse to repent and improve, if we do not remember him and keep his commandments, then we have stopped our growth, and that is damnation to our souls.”
    • “All life as we know it comes about through the joining of two separate elements—each necessary. The Savior, through his infinite atonement, provides that vital element for us. He asks us to provide the other element—even a broken heart and a contrite spirit—for he will not force us.”
• October 1984 General Conference
  • The Power of Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy
    • “There is power in keeping the Sabbath day holy. I testify that God lives, that we are his children, that he loves us, and that he gives us commandments so he can bless us as we keep them and thereby have joy. As we keep the Sabbath day holy he will bless us, and we will achieve a quiet power for good as individuals, as families, and as nations, that we cannot obtain in any other way.”
    • “There is a direct correlation between the proper observance of the Sabbath and true reverence for God, which includes obedience to his other commandments.”
    • “Oh, my dear brothers and sisters, there is power in keeping the Sabbath day holy—power to help others as well as ourselves. If we would have God’s blessings and protection as individuals, as families, as communities, and as nations, we must keep His Sabbath day holy.”
• April 1982 General Conference
  • The Power of Family Prayer
    • “We come to this earth charged with a mission: to learn to love and serve one another. To best help us accomplish this, God has placed us in families, for he knows that is where we can best learn to overcome selfishness and pride and to sacrifice for others and to make happiness and helpfulness and humility and love the very essence of our character.”
    • “If we truly love our families we will constantly pray for them and with them.”
    • “Family prayer is fully effective, then, only as we rise from our knees and, with increased love and understanding, take better care of each other.”
    • “Brothers and sisters, I testify that there is great power in loving, consistent, fervent family prayer. Don’t deny your families this blessing. Don’t allow the strength that comes from family prayer to slip away from you and your loved ones through neglect.”
• April 1980 General Conference
  • Writing Your Personal and Family History
    • “Also, by writing personal and family histories, we are helped immeasurably in gaining a true, eternal perspective of life. Writing our histories with the proper blend of fact and feeling (and so often, feelings in spiritual things are the real facts) gives us a deep spiritual insight into the meaning and purpose of our lives.”
    • “I have a strong feeling that when this life is over, our personal and family histories and the influence they wield will be of much greater importance than we now think.”
• October 1978 General Conference
  • Come Home, Felila
    • “One of the greatest needs of mankind generally and of all of us individually is to have more and stronger faith in our Creator. To know that he is literally our Father and that he is kind and just and understands us and knows our needs is one of the greatest treasures we can possess. This treasure is obtained by faith—strong faith.”
    • “In order to have our faith strengthened, it must be stretched and tried and tested.”
    • “We believe the scriptures, but when it happens to our loved one or our friend, the question of why still rings.”
    • “God’s dealings with man have no tinge of partiality or of favoritism or of capriciousness or of anything less than complete consistency and balance and perfectness.”
    • “Do not be discouraged; do not attempt to counsel the Lord. He determines, not you. He knows hearts and souls and needs. He measures intents and knows spirits.”
• October 1976 General Conference
  • There Is the Light
    • “There are those who, through years of experience and training, and by virtue of special divine callings, can see farther and better and more clearly—and can and will save us in those situations where serious injury or death—both spiritual and physical—would be upon us before we ourselves could see.”
• April 1976 General Conference
  • On Accepting the Call
    • “I want to ask for your help. I recognize that am weak and I need your help. As I have done some deep soul-searching over the last few days, I have come to the inescapable conclusion that many, if not most, of my so-called “accomplishments” have been much more the result of the efforts of others than they have of my own efforts.”

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