Loren C. Dunn – Gospel Study

Loren C. Dunn

First Quorum of the Seventy (April 6, 1968 – October 7, 2000)

General Conference Addresses

October 2000 General Conference
- Testimony
  - “While every temple is important and offers the same ordinances necessary for eternal life, this dedication was, in many ways, historic. This is the first temple in a city recognized as the birthplace of freedom in what was then the New World, and also it is recognized as the early home of many of the first leaders and members of the Church. The dedication seemed to represent the coming together of the great heritage of America and the sacred roots of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.”
April 2000 General Conference
- “Because My Father Sent Me”
  - “I have had the honor of working with the missionaries of the Church for over three decades, and I know that a great many of them were able to get through those first shaky minutes and hours and days of their mission because of their fathers or mothers. I remember one experience of a fine young man who spent his life on the ranch, just as his own father did. When the boy got into the mission field, it was all strange: too many people, not enough open spaces. He wanted badly to go home. Finally, the mission president had the young missionary call his father. The father listened patiently as his son said how homesick he was, and then the father spoke in terms that his son could understand, and as I heard about this, it brought a smile to my face. He said with firmness but love, “Son, you’re just going to have to ‘cowboy up.’” The boy knew exactly what that meant, and he is hanging on as the spirit of his mission begins to come. He knows his father will not give up on him.”
  - “Now there are some exceptions, such as death and other serious circumstances, but what is needed today is for fathers to commit to being fathers, whatever that might take—to assume the responsibility and to live by it, that you may become an anchor to all who come after you. If the example has not been set in your life, then reach out and try to help establish it, and resolve that that example will begin with you, if there is no one else. If all is not perfect in your home, then let it begin with you.”
October 1995 General Conference
- Witnesses
  - “The first duty of a witness is to testify. A person who can testify to the truths of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is speaking of things he or she knows to be true. With the Lord and his true witnesses there is truth that reaches beyond worldly understanding.”
  - “When partaking of the sacrament, that person renews that witness to take the Savior’s name, keep his commandments, and remember him. A person so moved by the Spirit not only knows these things himself, but the Spirit carries them into the hearts of others.”
  - “The witness of the Holy Ghost is even more compelling than the witness of sight. As members of the Church, we become witnesses of the Savior and the truthfulness of this work not only in word but also in keeping our covenants and in how we treat others and in how we live our everyday lives.”
April 1991 General Conference
- Before I Build a Wall
  - “This quality of respect for others, no matter what their belief or religious affiliation, seems to have been a part of the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith. He stood for truth and the restored gospel to his dying day, and he had no patience with those who were deliberately wicked or who tried to exercise unrighteous dominion over the Latter-day Saints or, for that matter, anyone else. Still he showed a respect and brotherly concern for others, no matter what their beliefs or their backgrounds, which, in many ways, was remarkable, when one considers the persecution that both he and the early Saints underwent.”
  - “People will always have opposing views, and I suppose there will always be conflict and even misunderstanding; but the principle of mutual respect mixed with charity and forgiveness can lay the foundation for the resolving of differences and the solving of problems.”
October 1985 General Conference
- The Gospel of Love
  - “There are those who wish to know us better, to understand us better as a religion, as a church. There are those who write about us and study us. But may I suggest that until they take into account this spirit of love, they will never really understand. At the heart of it all is a genuine love of God and of fellowman.”
  - “No one professes to be perfect, but there is a spirit in this work and among this people that makes them better than they would otherwise be. It is the spirit of love borne on the wings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. It comes from a God of love. It causes the Church to reach out to the lives of men and women everywhere.”
April 1983 General Conference
- Receiving a Prophet
  - “It’s not the program, it’s not the activities, but in the final analysis it is our loyalty to him whom God has called and the offering of our prayers on his behalf.”
  - “I have seen those blessings in the life of my father because of his loyalty. I would like those blessings for my family and myself, and I would like to see those blessings in the life of every Latter-day Saint.”
April 1981 General Conference
- Building Bridges to Faith
  - “Faith, then, is the realization that the Lord can help us with all things.”
  - “Number two: Faith is the ability to do what we are prompted to do, and when we are prompted to do it.”
  - “Number three: Faith is the ability to live the laws of God that control the blessings we are in need of. While we should not keep the commandments just to receive blessings, nevertheless, the blessings are there.”
  - “Number four: Faith is the ability to act “as if.””
  - “Number five: Faith is the ability to be charitable and to believe in people.”
  - “Number six: Faith is the ability to allow ourselves to be guided by the priesthood.”
  - “It is not enough to seek the direction of those whom God has called to lead us—but we must come with a willingness to follow the counsel of inspired leaders in order to develop our faith.”
April 1979 General Conference
- The Spirit Giveth Life
  - “He has a sanctifying and cleansing influence upon the souls of men and is the source of spiritual gifts.”
  - “We keep the commandments and teachings of the gospel in order to condition us spiritually. It is not a matter of how many laws we keep and how many we do not keep. We keep the commandments because they are the laws that govern the Spirit. The Spirit in turn will sanctify us, condition us spiritually, and eventually prepare us to live in the kingdom where God is.”
  - “Loyalty to the prophets and prayerful obedience to the word of God will bring the power of the Spirit.”
April 1977 General Conference
- Did Not Our Heart Burn Within Us?
  - “This tells us that there is a more certain way of knowing than actually seeing with our eyes; for there were many who saw Jesus Christ but knew him not as the Son of God. Those that did know him knew him because it was revealed to them by our Father in heaven.”
  - “I, too, have felt that Spirit; I, too, know that God lives and that Jesus the Christ is his Son. This is not my philosophy; this is not my belief. This is a knowledge borne by the Spirit. This Church is true. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. Spencer W. Kimball is a prophet of God today. We are in the Lord’s service.”
April 1976 General Conference
- A Living Prophet
  - “Thank God for the scriptures which help us to grow in the gospel of Jesus Christ and to understand the nature of the Lord and the will of the Lord. But most of all, thank God for a living oracle, a legal administrator, so that we can know what the Lord wants us to do today. Under his direction we have the legal right to act in the name of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ is a living, viable influence built on current revelation.”
April 1975 General Conference
- The Price of the Gospel
  - “A price has been paid for the establishment of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the land of Samoa. It is interesting to note that much of that price was paid by little children. I suspect that there are many obscure cemeteries in many of the nations of the world similar to that little plot in Samoa. They are a mute witness to the trials and suffering that went into the beginnings of missionary work in this dispensation.”
October 1974 General Conference
- Our Precious Families
  - “Although we live in an era of transition and change, I believe parents are as anxious and concerned about their children as they have ever been. If the family, then, is the foundation unit in society, perhaps there is need to reaffirm some basic principles.”
  - “If parents will influence and direct and persevere with love, then members of the family will also make that principle a part of all they do.”
April 1974 General Conference
- Hanging On
  - “I should like to spend the few minutes I stand before you today to salute a group of people who have developed what I believe to be a Christlike characteristic, and that is the ability to “hang on.” At this very moment, there is a man, a good member of the Church, who hovers between life and death in a nearby hospital. In the last few weeks he has withstood crisis after crisis; and yet to the amazement of all, he still hangs on. I know not whether the Lord will ordain that he should ultimately live or die at this time, but I do know there is something noble about his tenacious fight for life and the desire to hang on. In the lives of each of us come these trials—trials of all kinds which shake us to the very core and cause us to explore to the very depths our ability to hang on.”
  - “I see in many people this same kind of beauty. Adversity and trial have driven the roots of faith and testimony deep in order to tap the reservoir of spiritual strength that comes from such experiences. By nature they know how to stand and fight and hang on.”
  - “I believe that only through such experiences can a person develop true charity. And I mean by charity the pure love of Christ.”
April 1973 General Conference
- A Second Witness for Christ
  - “The highlight of this great record was when the resurrected Savior appeared to these people and taught them the same gospel and the principles of salvation that he had presented to those who were his disciples in the Holy Land. It was only a matter of three generations from that time, however, when the people had almost entirely rejected the teachings of Jesus Christ. They had become warlike and even rejected the prophets.”
  - “We believe that the Savior literally leads his church through direct and continuous revelation to its leaders. We believe too that all mankind are the sons and daughters of God and that if they will prayerfully and honestly seek him, he will bless them with a realization of the truthfulness of these things. We believe that Jesus Christ will come again to the earth, and when he does, he will reign as King of kings, as the resurrected Lord and as the Prince of Peace.”
October 1972 General Conference
- How to Gain a Testimony
  - “No matter what position a person holds in this church, there is one thing to which he is entitled, and that is a testimony of its truthfulness.”
  - “True strength, true peace of mind, true purpose in life comes when the individual, aside from what others may know, puts himself in a position so that the Lord can reveal to him the absolute truth of these things.”
  - “And now to those who by heritage find themselves members of the Church but perhaps are not sure of their own testimony—to you I would suggest that it is no sin to admit to yourself that you do not know if, in fact, you don’t know. The error might be, however, in coming to the realization that you don’t know and then doing nothing about it. Any person, either member or nonmember, who wants to know can know. If at present you live by the faith and testimony of your parents and those around you, that is certainly all right. But seek to reach out and gain your own testimony so you can stand on the strength of your own personal relationship with the Lord. It will help you in solving many of your problems and bring peace to your heart.”
April 1972 General Conference
- We Are Called of God
  - “If we are to take that same principle and apply it at the ward level, we can see that the bishop, who is considered the father of his ward and who leads his ward with judiciousness and love and patience and kindness, is nonetheless not answerable to the members of his ward, but instead is answerable to the Lord and to those priesthood leaders who preside over him. The bishop is answerable for the members of his ward but not necessarily answerable to the members of his ward.”
  - “The church of Jesus Christ, then, is organized from the top down.”
  - “In contrast, the usual man-made organizations are organized from the bottom up.”
  - “A calling in the Church is both a personal and a sacred matter, and everyone is entitled to know he or she has been called to act in the name of God in that particular position. Every person in this church has the right to know that he has been called of God. If he does not have that assurance, then I would suggest he give his calling serious, prayerful consideration so that he can receive what he has a right to receive.”
  - “Also, if a priesthood leader realizes that there are those under him who may not have this clear understanding, there is something he can do. He cannot call them again, but he can bring them in and reassure them of the divine nature of their callings.”
October 1971 General Conference
- This Is My Beloved Son
  - “I mention here the relationship of a father to his children—not to demean in any way the tremendous role of the mother, but having never been a mother, I feel that I am not qualified to speak from that point of view. Not only that, but I firmly believe that, generally speaking, the mothers of the Church are in need of a little more help from the fathers of the Church in building those special ties between parents and children that tend to make the family organization a little bit of heaven on earth.”
  - “I am impressed by the fact that the plan of redemption and salvation for all mankind was worked out between a father and his son, even God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ.”
  - “This conflict of ideals and standards between what a young person is taught to do by the Church and what is expected by the world creates tremendous frustration, and certainly a father is in the best position to begin to bring these things into perspective, to help his son or daughter understand what is, and is not, important in life, to be there to reassure and to love and to make his children feel important, and to help them to be themselves and to stay close to their standards.”
  - “In reflecting back to see what he did to keep us close to him, even though he had virtually no time to spend with us, I believe it was his ability to build us into his life. Even on the run, he knew what we were doing and was vitally interested and cared. The questions he would ask and the comments he would make let us know that he was proud of us and interested in us and followed us although he could not always be with us.”
  - “Although the amount of time we spend is important, probably the more important thing is the ability to build our children into our lives. If we can express sincere interest in them and let them know that we know what is going on, even if we have to do it on the run sometimes, this seems to be far more important than a parent who has more time but somehow does not convey this interest.”
April 1971 General Conference
- Drink of the Pure Water
  - “We live in a complex and challenging world. Young and old seem to be going to and fro and in their own way drinking from different wells, searching for that water that will begin to feed their souls, that will quench some inner thirst.”
  - “And so to those who have tasted the water at many wells only to find that the unquenching thirst of the soul drives them on in search of that which will bring peace and nourishment to the heart—to you, whoever you are, member or nonmember—will you come and drink from this well, and taste and experiment and see if you have not found the waters of life where you can drink to your soul and thirst no more but be full with the joy of the true knowledge of Jesus Christ and his teachings and the purpose of your own life?”
October 1970 General Conference
- Can They Count on Us?
  - “What I am talking about is the temptation of parents to give up on their children, especially when those children seem to flaunt and disregard the laws of morality and conduct, which the parents hold dear and which govern the home, and when the children seem to rebel against every effort parents make to correct their behavior or show them a better way.”
  - “No matter what the difficulty, may we never desert our children in some dark and dangerous thoroughfare of life, no matter what prompted them to get there. When they reach the point—and for some it may be a painfully long time—when they reach the point that they need us, I pray that we might not let them down.”
April 1970 General Conference
- A Prophet’s Story
  - “I bear my witness to you that Joseph Smith is a prophet of the living God. I bear sacred witness that the power and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ remain in this church. I bear sacred witness that Joseph Fielding Smith is a prophet of God today. The Lord has spoken, and we have a new prophet, seer, and revelator. I bear witness that the Church of Jesus Christ is led by Jesus Christ. I bear sacred witness that God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ live. I know they live.”
October 1969 General Conference
- Time is on Your Side
  - “Many times we see people around us who violate the patterns of living and the rules that we have been taught to live by, and they seem to do it without any ill effects. On the surface it would seem that it may not make any difference whether we live these rules or not, because those who violate them appear to suffer no consequences. In all ages, it seems, there have been challenges to those who believe in virtue, honesty, and high moral standards — challenges to those who accept these standards as God-given and that they ultimately will carry their own reward.”
  - “There are those who expound the socalled new morality and say that it matters not if a person participates in free love, nor does the marriage contract mean that husband and wife should be faithful to each other. But those who believe this are wrong, and time, which is running out on them if they don’t change, will prove them wrong.”
  - “To recommend the use of marijuana by linking it to alcohol is like approving of a hepatitis epidemic on the basis that it probably won’t be any more damaging than tuberculosis.”
  - “To you who are challenged by others because you believe in the law of chastity, because you believe that drugs are not the answer, because you believe in such God-given axioms as “Thou shalt not steal” and “Thou shalt not lie,” or because you have a simple and basic faith in God the Father and in his Son Jesus Christ and in your own eternal worth, just remember that time is on your side. Be patient, and the same people who challenge you, if they do not change, will ultimately prove to you, by their lives, that they don’t have the answers—either for you or for themselves.”
  - “Perhaps it would do no damage to occasionally dwell on the awful nature of sin rather than relying continually on the redeeming qualities of repentance.”
  - “This is not to say that the Lord hasn’t forgiven them, but as they begin to understand the full meaning, the full significance of that which they once did, they may find it unfortunately difficult to forgive themselves. And perhaps this is ultimately the hardest part of repentance, being able to forgive one’s self in light of the seriousness of the trangression. Certainly in this, as in all other things, we need the help of the Lord.”
  - “It is my testimony that the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ are for the purpose of saving all mankind from the remorse of wrongdoing; that time is on the side of those who hold to these principles and is working against those who do otherwise.”
April 1969 General Conference
- The Growing Problem of Drug Abuse
  - “If there are love and unity at home, and if children feel comfort there, they will know what to do when this problem presents itself. But if there are bitterness and disharmony and mistrust, then it is possible that they will seek escape through any form of vice available.”
  - “It’s a simple step for a young person to go from faith and love and confidence in an earthly father to faith and love and confidence in our Heavenly Father, and what better heritage can we give him than the ability to communicate with God.”
  - “The responsibility of communication is not alone on the shoulders of parents. The youth also have a responsibility to contribute love and strength to the family organization.”
October 1968 General Conference
- This is His Church
  - “I had a relatively easy time learning how to pray to God, because I thought of him as having the same principles and qualities embodied in my own parents.”
  - “Quite often this is the pattern of young people today. You hear the words of your parents and Church teachers. Sometimes these words are not of personal value until you reach the point of wanting to know for yourself, or until such time as these words are challenged, or there is some other experience that prompts you to action.”
  - “But different was the recent experience of a college student who had also heard all the familiar words from his teachers and others as he was growing up. He had not discovered if these things were true prior to the time he engaged in a particular course of study that challenged his faith in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He subsequently rejected the words without ever finding out if they were true. And, in a sense, he became inactive in the Church without ever having been in the Church—or at least without ever having experienced the spiritual blessings of the Church, a principle of which is a testimony of its truthfulness.”

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