Ted E. Brewerton

First Quorum of the Seventy (October 30, 1978 – September 30, 1995)

General Conference Addresses

• October 1995 General Conference
  • The Book of Mormon: A Sacred Ancient Record
    • “The Book of Mormon gives an accurate account of the coming of the Lord to ancient America.”
    • “What would be more perilous to us, eternally, than to say the Book of Mormon is holy scripture if it were not? Those who have questions or concerns about the Church may cling in security to this firm anchor that is immutable and tangible evidence of the truthfulness of the Church.”
    • “The sun rises rather quietly, and at times we think that the Lord’s voice is that quiet, but his voice is audible if we will only pray, meditate, and listen as he places clear thoughts in our minds.”
• October 1991 General Conference
  • Light
    • “Light persuades us to do good; it leads us to Christ. It led my family as it has led yours, and it can and will lead all to him.”
    • “The light of the gospel illuminates the path of life to eternity that otherwise would be dark and nondirecting.”
• October 1986 General Conference
  • My Son and Yours—Each a Remarkable One
    • “You, Michael, are God’s son, hence heir to all he has. His purpose and goal is to bring to pass your immortality and eternal life. You are the most important thing that exists—his most important creation. So we must be master of our beings and control ourselves, and not be controlled by some habit or by someone else. We must be lifters and not leaners. Reach for the stars.”
    • “With the exception of the few years when the Savior graced the earth, this, Mike, is the most exciting time to live. We have the gospel in its fulness, so many scriptures are being fulfilled, and so much history is being made. You are an important part of it.”
• April 1983 General Conference
  • Profanity and Swearing
    • “We reveal ourselves with our speech.”
    • “Politeness achieves much more than answering rudeness with rudeness.”
    • “If we are not most careful with our thoughts and speech, the words we use will use us. Language has its own ethics, and one who communicates truth is like a bright light in the darkness. We must nurture language like that.”
    • “Church leaders do not spend time pulling down people or other institutions. They proclaim their own truths and allow others to express themselves.”
• April 1981 General Conference
  • Obedience—Full Obedience
    • “Why obey? Because there is a living God who loves us and desires to bless us.”
    • “What is the sealing power for? It is to enable the family to be together after this life. Who wants the family unit to end at death? Our happiness and joy is in our families. But how do we get this major blessing? Obedience—obedience to the requirements of the restored church of Jesus Christ.”
    • “Today President Kimball is the Lord’s mouthpiece on the earth, and when he says we should do certain things, even small things, what is our answer? For example, if he says clean up your yard—do it. If he says paint your fence—do it. If he says one more endowment per person per year—do it. If he says at least one more couple per ward in the mission field—do it. If he says to avoid commercial purchases whenever possible on Sunday—do it. What blessings we must impede through lack of full obedience!”
• October 1978 General Conference
  • The Gospel Makes People Happy
    • “The gospel of Jesus Christ, as we know it, and as it has been restored to the earth, makes people happy. I was speaking to a prominent lawyer from New York a short time ago. He looked at me in my circumstances and said, “What more could you ever want in life?” I agreed with him, and I analyzed it: I looked into my past, into my present, and of course, realized once again the great blessings we enjoy as a family unit. I love my wife. The Lord gave her to me. I love the gospel. I know it’s true. I told President Kimball two days ago when I met him that for sometime now—for some two to four years—every time I look at his picture, every time I see him at a distance, every time I shake his hand, I know who he is. He is the representative of the Lord on this earth. I know this is true.”

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