F. Melvin Hammond

First Quorum of the Seventy (April 3, 1993 – October 1, 2005)

Second Quorum of the Seventy (March 31, 1989 – April 3, 1993)

General Conference Addresses

• October 2002 General Conference
  • Dad, Are You Awake?
    • “Every father in the Church should function as the patriarch of his home. He should take the lead in spiritually guiding the family. He ought not to delegate nor abrogate his responsibilities to the mother. He should call for family prayer, family home evening, scripture reading, and occasional father interviews. He is the protector, the defender, and the kindly source of discipline. It is the father who should lead, unify, and solidify the family unit by accepting the priesthood of God and responding to the calls and privileges associated with priesthood authority. His relationship with God and His Son, Jesus Christ, is one of the beacons which will lead his sons and daughters through the stormy shoals of life.”
    • “The Spirit of the Lord cannot be expected to bless our lives if we persist in being angry, callous, and cruel to our mates. We cannot expect our sons to develop respect and gentleness toward their mothers if we do not provide the proper example.”
• April 1994 General Conference
  • Trying to Be Like Jesus
    • “The faithful Apostles continued vigorously with their ministry. But with their passing came a rapid decline of spirituality. The sacred ordinances were changed, priesthood authority was lost, and spiritual darkness enveloped the earth. Mankind had ceased to know God.”
    • “Now, during these last few minutes we have focused on Christ’s love. Did we feel His Spirit burn within us? Have we felt a greater love for Him? Are we really trying to be like Jesus? If so, may I ask each one of us to think of the following questions as they relate to our love for Him. First, do we love Jesus Christ enough to follow His chosen prophets and Apostles, giving heed to their counsel and guidance as if it came from His own mouth? (see D&C 1:38.) Second, do we love the Savior enough to forsake our lovely home, our precious family, and accept a call to proclaim His gospel in any part of the world? Third, do we love Christ sufficiently that we will be true to our mates, casting out all our unclean thoughts and never betraying their sweet love for us?”
• April 1990 General Conference
  • The Resurrection
    • “As we contemplate the events leading to the death of Jesus Christ, we tend to grieve for the awful sufferings which He experienced at the hands of wicked men—the terrible rending by the lash, the dreadful nails placed in His hands and feet, the prolonged agony of the cross, and finally His tender heart breaking for the sins of all men. But stop! He is not dead! He is risen! He is the first fruit of the resurrection. Without Him, life for all men would end at death. All would be consigned to the grave, their bodies to molder in the dust forever. But because of Him, our Savior, even Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, we, every one of us, will live again—freed from the everlasting chains of death.”
    • “To you sweet parents who have placed the mortal body of a dear son or a beautiful daughter in the grave, or to all who have lost a mother or father, husband or wife, to the relentless hand of death, I say, have hope. For if we ourselves are faithful to the end, they will not be lost to us save for a moment. And then, oh the sweetness of that joyous reunion, for the tender mercy of the Lord will bring them forth triumphant from the grave.”

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