Victor L. Brown – Gospel Study

Victor L. Brown

First Quorum of the Seventy (April 6, 1985 – September 30, 1989)
Presiding Bishop (April 6, 1972 – April 6, 1985)
Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric (September 30, 1961 – April 6, 1972)

General Conference Addresses

October 1989 General Conference
- A Lifetime of Learning
  - “Each of these five Presidents under whom I have served as a General Authority has had his own personality and style; yet I testify each is a prophet of God. Through my association with them, I have come to understand why we sustain them as prophets, seers, and revelators.”
  - “When we go to the temple because we want to go and not because it is an obligation; when we go with an attitude of worship and a reverence for God and for His son Jesus Christ, and with gratitude for the Savior’s sacrifice, when we spend sufficient time to leave the cares of the world outside, wonderful things happen which cannot be described. The Spirit of the Lord distills upon one’s soul in these holy houses, truly the most sacred places on earth.”
  - “The Lord invites all to come unto Christ through the ordinances and covenants of the temple, that we might receive the greatest of all God’s gifts to His children, the blessing of eternal life and exaltation.”
April 1985 General Conference
- Agency and Accountability
  - “The closer I get to the time of departure from this life, the more concern I feel about what I will take with me.”
  - “Thus we see that free agency goes hand in hand with responsibility, and that consequences, good or bad, are the result of our personal decisions resulting from the exercise of free agency.”
  - “The Lord, understanding our frailty as human beings and recognizing the influence that Satan would exert, gave us standards by which we can live our lives and know good from evil. These standards are found in the holy scriptures.”
October 1984 General Conference
- The Banner of the Lord
  - “I feel sometimes we consider the preparation and handling of the sacrament and the collecting of fast offerings and so forth as almost the sum and substance of the Aaronic Priesthood responsibility. This is not true. These activities, of course, are very important, but there is so much more. As a preparatory priesthood it is preparing you ultimately, of course, for eternal life and exaltation.”
April 1983 General Conference
- Finding One’s Identity
  - “Finding one’s own, intimate identity can be a great blessing in the life of every human being. Everyone can obtain it if he realizes it comes only through the light of truth or, as explained by the Savior, the light of life.”
October 1982 General Conference
- Preparation for Tomorrow
  - “Walking uprightly before the Lord includes becoming a responsible individual in all aspects of life.”
  - “Spiritual preparedness follows the same steady course we have been alluding to: we can only build tomorrow on that which we attain today. Yet we need not wait until tomorrow to enjoy the fruits of our current spiritual development.”
April 1982 General Conference
- Priesthood Activation
  - “If we just had the capacity to understand the full meaning of the holding of the keys of the ministering of angels and of the gospel of repentance and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, I believe every young man who has gone into the waters of baptism would look forward to receiving the Aaronic Priesthood with all his heart and would do everything in his power to become worthy of it. I am confident there are some who feel this way, but there are many who do not.”
April 1981 General Conference
- Fast Offerings: Fulfilling Our Responsibility to Others
  - “Clearly we are preparing for the day when the higher law, that of consecration, will again become the financial law of the Church through which we will properly take care of the poor. Until that time, it is our responsibility and blessing—as a matter of fact, our covenant—to give generously from our surplus to bless the poor.”
October 1980 General Conference
- “Prepare Every Needful Thing”
  - “I do not want to leave the impression that nothing has been done. There are those faithful Saints who have their year’s supply and are taking care of themselves. They know of that peace which comes from being obedient and being prepared. From letters we receive, we know that many other families are planting gardens and working toward their year’s supply of food, clothing, and other necessities. Some parents are striving to get the whole family involved in temporal welfare.”
April 1980 General Conference
- Welfare Services: Past, Present, and Future
  - “Administering to the relief of our neighbor is born of pure love or charity.”
  - “Since welfare services are the gospel in action, we know that these divine principles are unchanging. They are eternal.”
October 1979 General Conference
- Blessing the One
  - “It is my prayer, my brothers and sisters, that each of us as leaders and parents will constantly strive to lift, ennoble, and bless the one through the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
April 1979 General Conference
- Developing Temporal Plans and Priorities
  - “The First Presidency has counseled priesthood leaders to carefully and prayerfully develop a plan that will foster the local self-sufficiency of the Church. This is important in light of changing needs, rapid Church growth, the uncertainty of modern times, the obligation of the Church to care for its members in need, and the Lord’s commandment to be independent. However, this must be done in an orderly way and on a timely basis.”
October 1978 General Conference
- The Remarkable Example of the Bermejillo, Mexico, Branch
  - “The principles of love, service, work, self-reliance, consecration, and stewardship are all evident in the accomplishments of the branch in Bermejillo. Indeed, these members are well on their way to establishing the ideal of Zion.”
April 1978 General Conference
- A Haven of Love
  - “We recognize there will be many areas of the Church where limited membership would make it impractical to introduce the program at the present time. It is not, however, inappropriate to use all of your ingenuity in blessing the people with the principles we have discussed, even before it is possible to have the full program.”
October 1977 General Conference
- A Vision of the Law of the Fast
  - “The one who consecrates his fast by a generous offering is in fact providing food, clothing, and shelter for the poor and is sanctified by his sacrifice.”
  - “Fasting and prayer is a positive experience. It is a form of worship especially commended by the Lord. As we fast with prayer, we demonstrate our deep purpose, commit that we will do all in our power, and consign the outcome to the Lord.”
  - “Commitment to act is the key to exercising any gospel principle. We must actually do what the principles require.”
April 1977 General Conference
- Rendering Assistance in the Lord’s Way
  - “Recognizing these basic criteria, in the Church today we have an organization which is designed to minister in the Lord’s own way to those who have needs. This system consists of six elements: first, the bishops storehouse system; second, production projects; third, local welfare services resource personnel; fourth, LDS Social Services; fifth, Deseret Industries; and finally, the Church Employment System. These resources are referred to as Church preparedness.”
- Follow the Living Prophet
  - “Since I last addressed the priesthood of the Church, some very basic changes in the responsibility of the Presiding Bishopric have taken place. The First Presidency has announced that the responsibility for all youth programs rests with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and has given much of the temporal responsibility of the Church to the Presiding Bishopric. We as a Bishopric have enjoyed greatly our association with youth throughout the world, as well as with our associates in the Aaronic Priesthood and Young Women at headquarters. The fact that this change has taken place does not lessen our interest in or love for youth. We continue to feel that the youth of today are a royal generation with a great destiny and pray for the well-being and success of young people everywhere.”
October 1976 General Conference
- Welfare Services Essentials: The Bishops Storehouse
  - “My dear brothers and sisters, I would like to discuss with you this morning some of the essentials in Church welfare services, giving particular attention to the bishop’s responsibilities and the role of the storehouse in carrying out these responsibilities.”
  - “I fear that the welfare services effort often appears to many to be temporal only in nature; it is in fact also spiritual. If this were not so, it would be merely an organization of men and would have all the weaknesses of man-made organizations. The spiritual nature of the work sets it apart from the world. The Lord said it must needs be done in mine own way. The spiritual nature of our work is absolutely essential to its success.”
April 1976 General Conference
- The Church and the Family in Welfare Services
  - “We need to address ourselves constantly to the following question: What is the responsibility of the individual, the family, and the Church in seeing to the needs of our people? There is much evidence that there are those who still do not understand or at least do not take seriously the counsel that has been given for many years. It appears that some have the notion that the Church will care for them regardless of what they have done for themselves.”
October 1975 General Conference
- The Vision of the Aaronic Priesthood
  - “There is a far better approach. We must focus on the priesthood quorum and how it accomplishes the work the Lord has given it.”
  - “If doing the work of the priesthood is the aim of an Aaronic Priesthood quorum, its members will become active and remain active.”
- An Overview of Church Welfare Services
  - “Brothers and sisters, may I suggest that the oil which the wise virgins carried was the oil of consecration. The only complete welfare services program is based upon the eternal law of selfless Christian consecration within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
October 1974 General Conference
- Is There Not a Cause?
  - “In this optimism there is also realism. We are taught there must needs be opposition in all things, hence, the need for good and evil, the one led by the Savior and the other by Satan. Satan is just as real as is the Savior. He is clever. He is strongly motivated. In his battle to enslave he will resort to any lie, any trickery, any means to accomplish his end. Perhaps his most pernicious lie is in teaching that there is no God. It is at this point I again declare to the youth of the Church there is a cause, and that cause should motivate all youth to firmly grasp the banner of the gospel of Jesus Christ and carry it to all the world, declaring to all that he does live, that the heavens are open, that there is a prophet on the earth today.”
  - “There is but one real battlefront, and that is with each individual. The only real attack comes upon you and me individually; and, of course, that is where the only effective defense will be made.”
April 1974 General Conference
- Aaronic Priesthood Stewardship
  - “In all we and our associates, the general presidencies and their boards, are doing, we are merely trying to teach correct principles, adding a few suggestions and letting you stake presidencies, bishoprics, branch presidencies, and Aaronic Priesthood quorum presidencies govern yourselves.”
  - “The wise adult leader will be where he should be when he should be there so he can take advantage of teaching opportunities. This, of course, will require great patience, and much of the time he will be in the background.”
October 1973 General Conference
- Our Youth: Modern Sons of Helaman
  - “At the present time, there are wars and rumors of wars. Yet, may I suggest that there is another war currently going on in the world—a war more destructive than any armed conflict—yes, a war between good and evil, between freedom and slavery, between the Savior and Satan. Satan’s legions are many. In their battle to enslave mankind, they use weapons such as selfishness; dishonesty; corruption; sexual impurity, be it adultery, fornication, or homosexuality; pornography; permissiveness; drugs; and many others. I believe Satan’s ultimate goal is to destroy the family, because if he would destroy the family, he will not just have won the battle; he will have won the war.”
April 1973 General Conference
- The Aaronic Priesthood MIA
  - “Never has the Lord blessed the earth with a finer generation of youth, nor has there ever been a time when Satan has been more active in influencing the lives of our people. I pray the stake presidencies, bishoprics, and all leaders of youth will sense the urgency of the needs and the lateness of the hour, that we may be magnified and made equal to our responsibilities, that through our love of youth and dedicated leadership, all young men and women in our stakes, wards, and branches may taste the sweetness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and draw close to him in this life so they will be worthy to be with him in the life to come.”
October 1972 General Conference
- “By Love, Serve One Another”
  - “These lofty goals still remain as the motivating force of all who are involved in this great work. And now, with the approval of the First Presidency, the temporal or financial, health, and social services functions are brought together in the welfare services organization of the Church concerned with the well-being of the whole man.”
April 1972 General Conference
- The Aaronic Priesthood—A Sure Foundation
  - “I also know I have been called by the Lord through his prophets, as President Smith announced, and that if I will repent of my sins, He will bless me and strengthen me for the tasks ahead. If I did not know these things to be true, I would not have the courage nor the temerity to accept such a call. Even knowing this, it is frightening to contemplate assuming such a sacred trust.”
  - “The first responsibility rests with the parents. The position of the Church is to aid the parents and the family, not to replace them.”
October 1971 General Conference
- “I Was in Prison, and Ye Came Unto Me”
  - “There are many who find themselves in circumstances similar to those of Jim and Ed—not necessarily confined to a correctional institution, but nevertheless in prison, a prison from which legal authorities cannot release them, a prison of personal habits such as alcohol, drugs, immorality, selfishness, dishonesty, laziness, aimlessness; yes, these can be more confining and damning than any state prison. Yet there is a way to escape to a freedom that surpasses anything designed by man—the kind of freedom Jim and Ed have found.”
April 1971 General Conference
- The Meaning of Morality
  - “The Lord defined some very basic differences between men and women. He gave the male what we call masculine traits and the female feminine traits. He did not intend either of the sexes to adopt the other’s traits but, rather, that men should look and act like men and that women should look and act like women. When these differences are ignored, an unwholesome relationship develops, which, if not checked, can lead to the reprehensible, tragic sin of homosexuality. In other words, we have a responsibility as priesthood bearers to be examples of true manhood.”
  - “Infidelity and promiscuous sex activity destroy the basic, vital institution of the family, which in turn destroys all that is good in life. If we as priesthood holders are to bring honor to that priesthood, we will refrain from any sexual activity outside the bonds of matrimony. Otherwise, we bring disgrace to ourselves and to the priesthood we bear.”
  - “Morality, however, is not limited to the question of sex or drugs. It is much broader in its scope.”
  - “If they honor their priesthood, they will be honest in all their dealings. They will be men of integrity, totally dependable. If they do this, they will bring honor to themselves, their families, their church, and their God. Certainly their Father in heaven will be proud to acknowledge them as his sons.”
October 1970 General Conference
- Upon You My Fellow Servants
  - “Many of our young men understand in great depth their responsibilities as holders of the priesthood and are living lives that bring honor to it. Of course, there are those who do not take advantage of these blessings. I am convinced the reason for this lack of interest, or casual attitude, is largely due to a lack of understanding.”
  - “In today’s world of confusion and conflict, the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth stand alone as the certain solution to man’s problems. No greater opportunity or blessing can come into the life of a young man than to be called and ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood, thus being authorized to act for him who gave his life on Calvary.”
April 1970 General Conference
- Wanted: Parents With Courage
  - “Throughout the Church I hear the comment from stake presidents and bishops, “If we did not have problems with parents, we would not have them with the young people.” As a people, we accept today standards of conduct that would have been totally unacceptable yesterday.”
  - “We need parents with courage, who will stand up and speak up for the right, who are actively involved in government of all levels; parents who are modest in dress, speech, and conduct; parents who are not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ; parents who teach their children that we do have a Father in heaven, that we are his spirit children, that he has placed us here on earth for a great and glorious purpose, that he loves us, that he has given us commandments along with our free agency, that we will receive rewards and judgments based on our own actions; parents who accept all of the commandments as having come from God, to be obeyed for that reason if for no other; parents who have no other gods before the Lord, who do not commit adultery, who do not steal, who do not covet their neighbor’s wife or husband, who do not bear false witness against their neighbor; parents who love the Lord their God with all their heart, and with all their soul, and with all their mind, and who love their neighbor as themselves.”
October 1969 General Conference
- That Ye May Have Eternal Life
  - “The plan of life and salvation had affected them and many of the other students in a similar manner. It was interesting to note that these young people were thrilled with the knowledge that they had existed as intelligences and then as spirit children of their Heavenly Father before they were born into this life. They expressed a great relief to know that there were rewards and blessings resulting from righteous living that would last far beyond this life into the eternities. To them this gave real meaning and purpose to the establishment of personal goals in life. This knowledge seemed to startle them into a realization that their individual conduct would have a significant effect on what happened to them not only in this life but in the life after death.”
April 1969 General Conference
- Tithing
  - “As President Smith tells us, the burden of responsibility as to whether or not we are full, honest tithepayers rests squarely on our shoulders. If it were not so, how could the Lord really know of our true character and love for him?”
October 1968 General Conference
- Vietnam
  - “This, then, is the testimony of a young LDS marine in South Vietnam. This is some of the spirit of our servicemen in war. After Saturday’s meeting I witnessed five servicemen sharing this same spirit with five other servicemen as they took them into the waters of baptism in the South China Sea.”
April 1968 General Conference
- The Bishop
  - “The first principle is that we as members of the Church are expected to be self-reliant and independent. We are taught to have a year’s supply in reserve in case of serious difficulty. Should circumstances, such as a serious accident or illness, result in our needing help, we should look to our families. If they cannot help, only then do we look to the bishop.”
  - “The bishop is unalterably opposed to sin in any guise; at the same time, he has great understanding and forgiveness for the sinner. He recognizes many problems of life and is anxious to lend a helping hand, particularly when the going is difficult. He can help you in many ways if you will just let him. Anything you disclose to your bishop is expected to be kept as a sacred trust. May I encourage you to let your bishop bless you with his wisdom. Get close to him. He will never be too busy to help you.”
October 1967 General Conference
- Train Up a Child
  - “There probably is not a parent in the Church but who would be offended if accused of not loving his or her children, and yet, when looking at parent-child relationships through the eyes of a teenager, many questions arise.”
  - “His father was a good man, active in the Church. I am sure he loved his son, but did he really? Was his love unselfish? Was it the kind of love that gave nourishment and encouragement to those less able than he, or was it the kind that demanded perfection to satisfy himself?”
  - “Our homes must be a bulwark against the confusion and trials of the world.”
April 1967 General Conference
- And the Gospel Must First Be Published
  - “All of this work is being accomplished under the direction of the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve. It is possible today because of the great correlation program that is in the Church. I think it would be almost impossible without correlation.”
  - “Our associates, both at home and abroad, are motivated by the desire to be anxiously engaged in this great cause as we contemplate the 90th section of the Doctrine and Covenants, 11th verse, we realize the Lord is speaking of our day. He says: “For it shall come to pass in that day, that every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language.””
  - “We feel this work is a literal fulfillment of prophecy. We are deeply grateful for the great privilege of being a small part in making it possible for many thousands to hear the fullness of the gospel in their own language. If I interpret the scriptures correctly, all of this is to the end “that his kingdom may go forth upon the earth, that the inhabitants thereof may receive it and be prepared for the days to come, in the which the Son of Man shall come down in heaven, clothed in the brightness of his glory, to meet the kingdom of God which is set up on the earth.””
October 1966 General Conference
- Rearing Children Wisely
  - “Notwithstanding the disappointment at his disobedience, which resulted in his breaking the law, my heart swelled with pride that he had the courage to voluntarily tell us of the trouble he had been in. There was no desire to deceive or mislead us.”
  - “As parents, we share the responsibility for the actions of our children, whether their actions be for good or ill.”
  - “There are those parents who will effect abandon a child in trouble. Perhaps they have been rebellious and unruly and have caused many heartaches. When do they need a greater measure of love and reassurance that all is not lost? Certainly when they are in difficulty, particularly if it is serious.”
April 1966 General Conference
- Repentance—the Blessing of Hope
  - “Many times the principle of repentance is not fully understood. It is the blessing of hope that offers each of us forgiveness.”
October 1965 General Conference
- Teaching Children
  - “If the parents had accepted their responsibility, the school’s problem would have been infinitely easier. All too often parents look to others to carry out responsibilities that rightfully belong to the parents. They sometimes even use worthwhile activities such as church or civic work as the excuse to absolve themselves of some of their responsibilities in the home. Too many parents blame others for the problems their children experience when in reality the basic responsibility is on their own doorstep. Until we, as parents, accept the full responsibility for training our children to be honest, to be moral, to exercise self-discipline, to have integrity and other basic virtues, we cannot say we have shouldered our full responsibility.”
  - “To me, if this wonderful boy, whom I love very dearly, is not taught that he cannot be just partly honest, that he is either an honest person or he is not, if he is not taught that on small things he must face up to the consequences and answer for his actions, how can he possibly know later in life that he must answer for his actions when more serious things are involved?”
  - “If we, as parents, will teach our children to have a sense of responsibility, a willingness to answer for their actions, we will be a blessing to them, and they in turn will be a blessing and a delight to all with whom they associate.”
April 1965 General Conference
- Teaching Children
  - “It is a very dangerous thing for a father-in-law to instruct his daughters-in-law in the rearing of their children. I have never ventured into this field, and I suppose this will be the last time. Nevertheless, I would like to make one or two suggestions.”
  - “Love can be misunderstood. Sometimes love becomes possessive, sometimes selfish. Of course, neither is true love. True love is always unselfish.”
  - “You cannot teach them to be truthful unless you are truthful.”
October 1964 General Conference
- Devotion
  - “Anyone can build a palace rather than a hovel if he is willing to work hard enough.”
April 1964 General Conference
- Attitude Test
  - “There are many who could tell just such stories, many whose attitude has carried them and their loved ones through dark pathways into the sunlight. To each of them I express gratitude. They are in very deed an inspiration.”
October 1963 General Conference
- Herself—A Light!
  - “There is such a desperate need in the world today for this kind of love, for each mother to want her children, to want them so badly that her love transcends all else. A mother’s love is one of the basic instincts God has implanted in a woman’s heart. It is so basic that it exists in all animals that bear offspring, and yet there are those who fail to use this love wisely.”
  - “Mothers, you most of all have the destiny of this generation in your hands. Surely, we fathers have a part as do we leaders of youth, but nothing we can do will compare with a mother’s love if it is wisely placed.”
  - “Now, may I just mention a group of mothers. I think there are about four thousand of them. These mothers have a special place in my heart. They are the mothers whose husbands are bishops in this great Church. The other day a lovely young mother, the wife of a bishop, wrote me a sweet letter. She expressed, among other things, a need for encouragement so she would always be an inspiration to her husband, so that she would have the strength to suppress the normal feelings of loneliness and discouragement, of being left alone so much of the time, of having to shoulder a great share of the responsibility of rearing her children than would otherwise be the case, and of being the last one to know what is going on in the ward. I suppose this runs contrary to the basic nature of most women.”
April 1963 General Conference
- The Word of Wisdom
  - “Now, my young friends, don’t think for one moment that these problems came on this man and this woman overnight. They found themselves in these situations after many weeks, months, and even years of merely being “one of the gang,” of succumbing to the pressures of their neighbors, friends, and associates, of not wanting to be different. In all of my experience, I have never seen anyone more in bondage, with less freedom than these two individuals.”
  - “You don’t give up your freedom all at once—this kind of freedom at any rate. You give it up a little at a time, and all it takes is a start. If there is never a start, there is no concern about giving it up.”
  - “Freedom of choice is a basic principle of the gospel. This was true even before the earth was created. Each one of us has the divinely granted right to choose for himself. In choosing, we have the responsibility to use our intellect, which also has been given to us by our Heavenly Father. He has shown us the way; now it is our responsibility to choose which way we will go.”
October 1962 General Conference
- Willingness to Serve
  - “I testify to you with all my heart that a prophet of God asked me to serve. As far as I know, that is the only qualification I have, but this is enough for me.”
  - “I am grateful for my heritage, for my parents and their righteous lives, and for all of my forebears. I thank my Heavenly Father for all of these blessings. I know that he lives, and that he is directing the affairs of his Church today just as surely as he did in days of old.”
April 1962 General Conference
- Goals for Youth
  - “As important as these duties are, it is not my intention to elaborate on them, but rather to discuss the personal and intimate responsibilities which each of us has with our Heavenly Father, the responsibility of being the kind of person he would like us to be. Someone has said that character is what you are when you are alone with yourself in the dark.”
  - “Truthfulness is in very deed one of the foundation stones of true character. Without it, a holder of the priesthood not only breaks his trust with the Lord, but he deceives himself and his fellow men.”
  - “Now, I ask you young priesthood bearers. Can you in any way be dishonest without breaking this great trust the Lord has placed in you? The answer is obviously no.”
  - “Now, as to integrity: Integrity is that great quality of the soul that embodies both honesty and truthfulness.”
  - “Add to truthfulness, honesty and integrity—dependability—that quality where one’s word is as good as his bond. What a wonderful thing it would be for every young man to say to his bishop that he would do something for him and then do it. The man who is not dependable is of little worth, no matter what his talents might be.”

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