Carol B. Thomas

First Counselor in the General Presidency of the Young Women (October 4, 1997 – October 2, 2002)

General Conference Addresses

• April 2001 General Conference
  • Sacrifice: An Eternal Investment
    • “Beginning with Adam, all Old Testament prophets have kept the law of sacrifice. Sacrifice is integral to the celestial law, pointing us to the most glorious sacrifice of all: our Savior Jesus Christ.”
    • “We must avoid saturating our children with material things. We may deprive a child of enjoyment when we give him too much. If we never allow him to want something, he will never enjoy the pleasure of receiving it.”
    • “Sacrifice is an amazing principle. As we willingly give our time and talents and all that we possess, it becomes one of our truest forms of worship.”
• April 1999 General Conference
  • Preparing Our Families for the Temple
    • “One of my favorite times was when my children were in bed at night. Occasionally I would lie on their bed and tell them of spiritual things. There in the peace and the quiet, the sweet Spirit can bear testimony to their heart and soul that the things you are saying are true.”

Other Talks

• March 2002 General Young Women’s Meeting
  • Strengthen Home and Family
    • “The Young Women program can provide a wonderful training ground to help each of you reach your goals, and the Young Women theme is a constant reminder that we are not alone in the competition. We are on the Lord’s team, and He will always be there for us to help us bring home the gold.”
    • “As you gather together in your family, you can do so much to invite a spirit of unity. When was the last time you put your arms around your mom or dad and thanked them for all they do? Parents do most of the nurturing, but they need to be nurtured too.”
    • “Heavenly Father wants us to create a righteous family. Becoming a wife and mother may limit your career opportunities, but it can be so rewarding.”
• March 2001 General Young Women’s Meeting
  • Developing Our Talent for Spirituality
    • “So how do we learn to listen to the Spirit? Well, first of all, we need to understand what the Spirit is.”
    • “It’s OK if we’re weak, as long as we don’t stay weak, as long as we do something about it.”
    • “We bear testimony every single day by our example.”
• March 2000 General Young Women’s Meeting
  • Integrity
    • “We know that throughout His life, He consistently made right choices. He had the moral courage to make His actions consistent with His knowledge of right and wrong.”
    • “Make a decision tonight that you will read your scriptures and say your prayers every day for the rest of your life. You see, scriptures and prayer go together like peanut butter and jelly. They will help you stay close to the Church and close to the Lord.”
• March 1999 General Young Women’s Meeting
  • Spiritual Power of Our Baptism
    • “Baptism is our spiritual rebirth. It cleanses us from head to toe and allows us the companionship of the Savior through the gift of the Holy Ghost. He will accompany each of us along the road of life.”
    • “We have talked about the spiritual power of our baptism. We can renew that power every week as we worthily partake of the sacrament. “There is no more eloquent expression in the English language than the sacramental prayers. We invite you to learn by heart the covenants and promises in the prayers on the bread and water” (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, notes in author’s possession). Ponder their meaning that they may bless your life.”
• March 1998 General Young Women’s Meeting
  • Understanding Our True Identity
    • “It was my father who taught me about the premortal life.”
    • “We all come from many different kinds of families. Some of you are doing hard things, and you are doing them so very well. Some of you may worry about your relationships with your mother or father as you learn together how to live in families. You are learning that sometimes the Savior calms the storm. Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms you.”
    • “As each one of you practices being a homemaker, you are doing exactly what the Lord wants you to do. In every young woman’s heart is a deep yearning to someday be a wife and a mother. These feelings were nurtured in your soul long before you came to this earth.”

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