O. Leslie Stone

First Quorum of the Seventy (October 1, 1976 – October 4, 1980)
Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (October 6, 1972 – October 1, 1976)

General Conference Addresses

• October 1979 General Conference
  • Commandments to Live By
    • “He set up a new code for living—to love one another, even one’s enemies. He enjoined us to judge not, to forgive, and to give all men a second chance.”
    • “We have often heard people say, “Well, I will forgive, but I won’t forget,” which, of course, means they do not forgive.”
    • “With all of these statements, it should be perfectly clear to everyone that the Lord desires us to love and forgive one another. It behooves all of us to conquer our pride and make every effort to settle all differences with our fellowmen.”
• April 1978 General Conference
  • Making Your Marriage Successful
    • “Nowhere else are happiness and success more important than in your marriage.”
    • “The foundation for a happy and successful marriage is a marriage solemnized in the temple. To you who were married for time only, let me urge you to thoroughly investigate the blessings available to you by going to the temple and having your family sealed to you for time and all eternity. Participating in these sacred ordinances should be your most important objective for achieving a successful marriage.”
    • “When our Heavenly Father permitted us to come to this earth, He gave us our free agency, allowing us to make our own decisions. He also furnished us with guidelines to help us live righteously.”
    • “We should, therefore, look at problems in marriage as opportunities for growth and development. As we meet the challenges successfully, we will enjoy peace, love, and tranquility in our marriage and in our home.”
    • “Those with whom you associate will contribute to your success or your failure, and their actions and ideals will have a profound influence on life and your actions, either for good or evil. Learn to walk in the company of good people; shun evil by staying out of the devil’s territory.”
    • “Our Heavenly Father always answers our prayers. Sometimes His answers are not what we expect or ask for, but I promise you His answers are always for our good. He knows better than we how our prayers should be answered.”
• October 1976 General Conference
  • Parenthood
    • “Thus it is made clear to all of us that it is the solemn obligation of every Latter-day Saint parent to do everything within his or her power to instill in his or her children a knowledge of the gospel and the true purpose of life.”
    • “The home is where we learn what is right, what is good, and what is kind. It is the first school and the first church.”
• October 1975 General Conference
  • The Importance of Reputation
    • “We should focus, not on serving ourselves, but on serving our fellowmen, thereby losing ourselves in the service of our Heavenly Father, his work and his glory. In order to be most effective in our service, we need to put our own lives in order. Then, as we live the gospel, our lives will reflect righteousness and virtue, and we will be a powerful influence for good in the lives of others. This is why it is not enough to be righteous for the sake of our own salvation. We must let our goodness radiate to others, that through our example and reputation they will lift their lives and have the desire to follow the Savior’s pattern of living.”
    • “I like to think of reputation as a window, clearly exhibiting the integrity of one’s soul. It is through this integrity of thought and integrity of conduct that we become pure and holy before the Lord. It is in this state that we can be most effective in serving our fellowmen.”
• April 1975 General Conference
  • Testimony
    • “As we seek to develop and strengthen these testimonies, we must always rely on the Lord and place our highest priority on spiritual values. We must not forget, however, that a testimony does not, in and of itself, guarantee that we will inherit the celestial kingdom. We might know the gospel is true, but unless we are valiant, live righteous lives, and work to build the kingdom here on earth, we will not inherit celestial glory.”
    • “Moreover, we need to be concerned not only with strengthening our own testimonies, but also with supporting those around us. One of the greatest of such responsibilities is that of parents. Parents need to exemplify the principles of the gospel in their own lives, and they need to teach those principles to their children.”
• October 1974 General Conference
  • The Beatitudes
    • “What is meant by “poor in spirit”? Is it not humility, which renders us teachable and eager to learn? They who feel themselves spiritually poor approach God, asking him to supply their needs. They who have faith in him, learn his laws and try diligently to obey him. They thus become eligible for the great blessings he has promised, including salvation, exaltation, and eternal life, which are the greatest of all the gifts of God.”
    • “We must not allow ourselves to become embittered in times of mourning and sorrow. We must keep faith and seek comfort from the Lord through prayer. We have his promise that we shall be blessed. Those who are burdened shall be made happy when they learn the real comfort of the gospel through their faith and through their works.”
• October 1973 General Conference
  • Love and Forgive One Another
    • “He made them very important—so important that all other laws and commandments rest upon them.”
    • “Let us ask another question. Can a man live the first and great commandment if he does not live the second? In other words, can he love God with all his heart if he does not love his neighbor?”
    • “This means if we are to gain salvation, exaltation, and eternal life we must live in accordance with the principles of the gospel. We must love and forgive all men and keep the commandments of God.”
• April 1973 General Conference
  • The Constant Exercise of Our Faith
    • “We cannot have faith without belief, but we can believe without having faith. Belief is the foundation of faith. Faith is trusting in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
    • “Earnest prayer is essential to increasing one’s faith. Prayer is vocalized faith.”
    • “Right living is the greatest of all faith builders. Sin is the greatest of all faith destroyers.”
• October 1972 General Conference
  • To Serve the Master
    • “I would like to testify to you that the greatest happiness that has come into our lives has been when we have been living the gospel and serving the Master.”

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