W. Eugene Hansen

Presidency of the Seventy (August 15, 1993 – August 15, 1998)
First Quorum of the Seventy (April 1, 1989 – October 3, 1998)

General Conference Addresses

• April 1998 General Conference
  • Children and the Family
    • “In desperation, society turns to the secular. Social programs are spawned. Government agencies are enlisted to provide public funding and programs in an attempt to change the destructive trends. While some spotty successes are observed, general trends remain alarming. I submit that if real and lasting change is to occur, it will come only as we return to our spiritual moorings. We need to be listening to the counsel of the prophets.”
    • “As we ponder these inspired words of modern revelation, I acknowledge the blessing of being raised in a good home, a home where parents were more concerned about the children God gave them than acquiring worldly fame or possessions.”
    • “Even with the constant financial challenge, we still had a good life. There was love in the home. Home was the place where we wanted to be. And it was good for us to have had the experience of forgoing some of our wants that others in the family would be able to have their needs fulfilled.”
    • “I thank the Lord for loving parents who taught values both spiritual and moral and who wisely made it clear that there were certain nonnegotiables—among them, attendance at Church meetings, payment of tithing, reading of scriptures, and respect for parents and Church leaders. And most significantly, they taught by what they did, not just by what they said.”
• April 1996 General Conference
  • Spiritual Shepherds
    • “A humble boy’s prayer was the beginning of this dispensation as the Father and the Son appeared to the Prophet Joseph and vested in him the divine commission to assist in ushering in this special period of time.”
    • “A genuine friend who has another’s best interest at heart may often be the one who encourages or provides the strength in a weak moment to prevent that person from making a serious mistake. In so doing, he or she helps prevent the sorrow and sadness, the embarrassment, and loss of self-respect that nearly always accompany sin. But unfortunately, so many times there are situations where peer influence has a definite negative effect.”
    • “Don’t be deceived. Don’t be influenced with this kind of enticement. Keep your eyes above the crowd. Be your own person. You have been taught correct principles. Stick with those principles.”
• October 1993 General Conference
  • The Search for Happiness
    • “I readily concede that it’s important to have sufficient money for our needs, but beyond that, money has little to do with true happiness. Often it is the work and sacrifice one experiences in obtaining money for a worthwhile purpose that produces the most satisfaction.”
    • “One of the most critical challenges mankind faces today is to recognize the difference between happiness and mere pleasure. Satan and his forces have become extremely effective in their effort to convince people that pleasure should be the most sought-after objective. He slyly promises that wherever found, pleasure will bring happiness.”
• October 1989 General Conference
  • Love
    • “First, be considerate. Be sensitive to the thoughts and feelings of others, always careful not to demean or belittle by either word or act. Be encouraging, uplifting, careful not to break down a person’s confidence. It was my experience even in the legal profession—combative as it can sometimes be—that there was still much room to show consideration and respect.”
    • “Second, be complimentary. Look for attributes and acts of others that you can be genuinely complimentary of. Everyone is lifted by sincere and deserved commendation.”
    • “Fourth, be grateful. If we would show our love to our Heavenly Father, we would be grateful. We would show our gratitude by the way we live, not just by what we say or profess.”
    • “It has been said that the sin of ingratitude is more serious than the sin of revenge. With revenge, we return evil for evil, but with ingratitude, we return evil for good.”

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