ElRay L. Christiansen

Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (October 6, 1951 – December 2, 1975)

General Conference Addresses

• April 1975 General Conference
  • The Laws of God Are Blessings
    • “Observance of law brings harmony, peace, order; while without observance of law there is found confusion, and sorrow, remorse, failure—whether it be the laws of God or the laws of man, or whether it be nations or whether it be individuals, it is the same.”
    • “Wise parents often find it best to deny a child his wishes or to instruct him to act in a certain way, even though it is contrary to what the child desires. This is done because of parental love and is done in the interest of the child’s welfare. If he responds as he should, it results in lasting benefits and satisfaction for both.”
• October 1974 General Conference
  • Power Over Satan
    • “No doubt one of the most infamous snares set out by the adversary is that of unchastity. The power to bring children into the world is God-given, and if that power is guarded and held sacred, it will result in happiness and blessings beyond measure. But if it is desecrated and polluted through illicit use, it will bring sorrow, misery, and self-condemnation.”
    • “How, then, may we resist the evil one? In all his evil doings, the adversary can go no further than the transgressor permits him to go, and we can gain complete power to resist the evils caused by Satan through adherence to the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
• April 1974 General Conference
  • Three Important Questions
    • “There are different ways of doing things, but surely, in anything we do, there’s no better way than the right way—and the Lord’s way is the right way.”
    • “Seldom is the problem one of knowing what to do; it’s a matter rather of having the wisdom and the will to do what we know is right.”
• October 1973 General Conference
  • There Is Need for Repentance
    • “Because sin is such a devastating, destructive force, the great principle of repentance was provided by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to extricate ourselves from the clutches of sin. Without the blessed privilege of repentance, we would have but little incentive to improve our lives.”
    • “Repentance is not a negative teaching, but rather it is a positive process of building good character.”
    • “Repentance could become a remedy for most spiritual ills. However, it is not a mere superficial, shallow-rooted expression of regret.”
    • “To repent isn’t exactly popular these days. Yet the Lord expects each of us to repent, to improve, and to conscientiously reform our lives.”
    • “You can’t repent too soon because you don’t know how soon it will be too late.”
• October 1972 General Conference
  • We Have Made Covenants with the Lord
    • “Just as any father would direct (or even restrict) his children if it would be a blessing to the children, so our Father in heaven gives us commandments, laws, and covenants, not for the sole purpose of restricting us or burdening us, but rather that we may, through obedience to correct principles, find peace and success.”
    • “Actually, we do not have to do what the Lord commands us, but we cannot obtain the rewards and blessings he has promised unless we do.”
• April 1972 General Conference
  • Successful Parenthood—A Noteworthy Accomplishment
    • “One of the most rewarding of all human undertakings is that of making a success of marriage and of rearing children in a manner acceptable to the Lord. It calls for the best in all of us.”
    • “A home approved of God is not merely a place where children are born, but where their coming is received with joy and gladness by parents who strive with all their abilities to help their children develop.”
    • “Another essential in successful parenthood is for fathers and mothers to avoid disputations. Such situations may seem harmless to the parents, but in the eyes of their children, the two most important people in the world are in conflict, and from their limited perspective, the whole world is in trouble.”
• October 1971 General Conference
  • The Sifting
    • “All men have the right to direct the course of their own lives, and the Lord will not deny that right.”
    • “He has given us the ingredients for successful living: his gospel as a perfect plan for happiness and success for all who live it, the Church with inspired leaders, and the promptings of the Holy Ghost to guide us and warn us.”
• April 1971 General Conference
  • Be Slow to Anger
    • “Individual spiritual development cannot be realized without self-discipline.”
    • “To become upset and infuriated over trivial matters gives evidence of childishness and immaturity in a person.”
    • “Seldom, if ever, is any good accomplished while persons are in a rage. Anger does not contribute to good. It is a destroyer, not a builder.”
    • “Even in our families, situations may arise that could cause irritations. It is then that parents must be calm and exemplary. The man with an uncontrolled temper is like an undisciplined child—he expresses his emotions explosively or by sulking, and disregards the feelings of those about him. In the home, anger should be controlled and love should abound. When, in his most impressionable years, a child experiences ugly situations that result from uncontrolled tempers, when he hears unkind words exchanged between his father and mother, and when he sees contention crowd out an atmosphere of kindness and mutual respect—when these conditions make a child’s environment, what chance has he to become refined and noble? The minds of children are like the sensitive plates of a photographer; they record every incident, good and bad. Our children may forget what is said, but they never forget that which they are made to feel.”
• April 1969 General Conference
  • Doubt Not, Fear Not
    • “It is the only plan by which genuine peace of mind can be found. Indeed, it is the only plan that leads men to salvation and exaltation. This plan was presented to us in our preexistent state, and each of us gladly accepted it. As part of it, we understood that in mortality we would most likely experience sorrow as well as joy, pain as well as comfort, disappointment along with success, sickness as well as health. Because it is necessary for our development, the Lord permits the bitter to be mixed with the sweet. He knows that our individual faith must be tested in adversity as well as in serenity. Otherwise, that faith may not be sufficiently developed when a condition arises that can be met through faith alone.”
• April 1968 General Conference
  • Why Temples
    • “There is ample evidence that whenever the higher priesthood has been upon the earth, and when his people have proven their allegiance to his laws and commandments, the Lord has required them to build temples. These temples are dedicated to him and are sacred precincts wherein the Lord may reveal important knowledge essential to the full salvation of his children.”
    • “The Latter-day Saints do not build temples merely to be admired for their architectural and structural beauty; neither are they built as places for ordinary worship. Temples are erected and specially dedicated for the express purpose of administering the ordinances of the holy priesthood—all for the edification and endowment of the faithful sons and daughters of God.”
• October 1967 General Conference
  • Constitutional Government: A Divine Principle
    • “As you know, the government of the United States is a republic. The genius of this form of government is that the foundation of all law, power, and authority is derived from the will of the people.”
• April 1967 General Conference
  • The Reality of the Resurrection
    • “By divine appointment and by his own acceptance, Jesus died that all might live again; and he provided a plan whereby they who will buy receive, in addition to life hereafter, honor and joy and satisfaction and happiness in the fullness; where we may, if we will, live in a state of never-ending happiness with those we love.”
• October 1966 General Conference
  • Jesus Points the Way
    • “There are those who have complete assurance of his divinity, and there are those who fear that he is divine.”
    • “Only the weak become hateful and angry and unforgiving. Those who maintain composure when despitefully used and persecuted show evidences of emotional maturity.”
• April 1966 General Conference
  • Christ Will Come Again
    • “So while the day and the hour are not revealed and will not be made known to man, we can, by learning to understand the signs of the times, by watching the development of the work of God among the nations, and by noting the rapid fulfillment of significant prophecies, perceive the progressive evidence of the approaching event.”
• October 1965 General Conference
  • A Holy Relationship
    • “There are many ways of doing things; but surely, in anything we do, there’s no better way than the right way. And the Lord’s way is always the right way. And fortunately, he has made his way very plain. Seldom is our problem one of knowing what is right, but rather in having the wisdom and the will to do what is right.”
    • “After all, a person’s dearest possessions are his loved ones—his companion and his family. In the hearts most of us there exists a deep spiritual affinity for our loved ones. It is natural to enjoy each other now and to look forward with assurance a grand reunion with them in the resurrection. True love is not earthbound. It is as eternal as our spirits, which never die. A continuing association in this life and in the next with those we love should be the great desire of every person. It is the ultimate! It is the greatest achievement in mortality!”
    • “But surely the time to be married right is when you marry. Can we consign the Lord’s prescribed way to a secondary position? We cannot. When you consider the incomparable blessings and the promises that may be realized in a marriage that may be perpetuated through the eternities ahead of you as compared with a temporary association, your desire, your determination should be to take hold of and insure these blessings and promises.”
    • “In all kindness may I remind you that this is your earthly life that you are living now—yours. You will live it but once! There will be no rerun. There will be no repeat performance. What you do now in this life determines where you will be in the life to come. It is your future, your destiny, that you are molding.”
• October 1963 General Conference
  • The Need for Moral Courage
    • “It seems to me that moral courage is made of a firm desire, coupled with determination to accept and to do what is right and to shun the wrong. It is the outgrowth of moral conviction. Moral courage may not be dramatically displayed. Seldom does it receive public acclaim, nevertheless, it is an indispensable attribute of noble character. It must be exercised if worthwhile principles and institutions are to be preserved and perpetuated.”
    • “It requires moral courage to tell the truth regardless of the situation or the consequences, but it pays great dividends in peace of mind.”
• April 1963 General Conference
  • The Saints Must Stand Firm
    • “I come to you in humility this afternoon and with a firm conviction that God lives; that this is not just another Church which we represent, but it is The Church of Jesus Christ; that sitting on this rostrum is the prophet of this day, surrounded by just and wholesome men who are each endowed with the authority and the power to act in the name of God and direct the work of the Lord in all the world in preparation for his coming to receive his kingdom.”
    • “There is no need to walk in darkness or in uncertainty. In our day the Church has the vision and the inspiration and the word of the Lord to give to the people to keep them from the pitfalls of life, from sorrow, regret, and failure. In this day of the Church there has been a great expanse of the Church itself. The gospel is being widely preached; buildings are being constructed; temples have been and are being erected; work for the dead is increasing; and people are accepting the gospel, all of these in an unprecedented way.”
    • “My brothers and sisters, the commandments of the Lord are not dictums, they are principles given by a Merciful Father to keep us and all mankind who will follow him from sin, sorrow, and regret.”
• October 1962 General Conference
  • A Foundation Stone of the Gospel
    • “Many of our members, I find, are coming to the temples under difficulty, especially in foreign lands, making sacrifices, financial and otherwise, in order to bless and to be blessed. Yet, because of these extreme efforts they are perhaps the happiest of all.”
• April 1962 General Conference
  • Keep The Sabbath Day
    • “In modern revelation he has commanded the Saints to observe his holy day by attending their meetings, offering their oblations before the Lord, and as they partake of the Sacrament to make covenant with him that they will take upon them his name and keep his commandments.”
    • “There was a time in my day when it seemed to me that almost all people, at least those with whom I was acquainted, considered the Sabbath day as a holy day, a day entirely different from the other days. But too often now it seems that we consider it just a part of the weekend, and thus many people do not look upon it as a holy day.”
    • “We must not permit ourselves to think of the Sabbath day as a day on which to transact business of any kind. We must not think of the Sabbath day as a day on which to catch up with our work. We must not permit ourselves to use the Sabbath for amusements or for outings or for participating in or attending sporting events as such.”
    • “The devil is not satisfied with just a little wrongdoing.”
    • “On a number of occasions when I have been returning from conferences, I have met on the highway a great number of automobiles. In many of these were families apparently returning to their homes on the early Sunday evening. Attached to a good number of these cars were beautiful boats. Now, ordinarily, we do not take boats to church, so one must conclude that these fine people had not been to church, nor were they on their way to church. I wonder if it is wise—well, I can say positively—it is not wise for parents to take their children away from their appointed places of worship on the Sabbath day where they may learn the gospel and where they may become fortified to face life through increased faith, trust, and confidence in the Lord, and require their children to go with them on the Sabbath day to spend the day on the reservoir or at some other place of amusement. Such practices may seriously impair  and affect the lives of these children and perhaps the lives of their children. In fairness to our children and to ourselves, we must go to the “house of prayer” on his holy day as the commandment requires.”
    • “An acquaintance of mine had purchased a lovely boat and had just finished varnishing it and painting it. When I stopped by, he was admiring it. I surmised that he was getting it ready to take it, with his family, to the reservoir the next Sunday. He said, “It is complete and in readiness except for one thing.” Then he asked me, “Could you suggest an appropriate name “for the boat?” I knew him very well. I thought for a moment, and then I said, “Well, perhaps you should name it The Sabbath-Breaker.” He looked at me, and he understood.”
    • “What regret there will be for those of us who knowingly ignore this beneficent law of the sacred Sabbath. Some of us may live to realize the fact that the Sabbath profaned, whatever be gained, is a sure forerunner of sorrow.”
• October 1961 General Conference
  • Design for Living
    • “The gospel is more than something just to talk about, however. It is a design for living, for successful living, for happy living. It calls for deeds, action, and proper conduct on the part of each and all of us. Its principles are not limited to the payment of tithing, the Word of Wisdom, keeping holy the Sabbath day—they are part of the gospel, of course, and are very important, but the gospel embraces all truth and the application of all virtues.”
    • “True religion is the activated love of God and of neighbor. It is based on good deeds, not good intentions, not merely good words.”
• April 1961 General Conference
  • Walk in My Statutes
    • “By his supreme knowledge of the nature of man, both individually and collectively, the Lord sees the future of men and of nations, but even so the agency of man is not nullified. Individuals and free nations may choose wickedness and bring upon themselves sorrow and ultimate destruction, or they may choose righteousness and be preserved in peace.”
• October 1960 General Conference
  • Eternal Association of the Family
    • “There is no prize so great and so valuable as the truth. In the Church we are taught the truth. We are taught the proper way to live—the correct, the right, the happy way to live. We could search the world over, and we could find no better way to live than the right way, and of course the Lord’s way is the right way.”
    • “I am grateful to belong to a Church that teaches that the relationship between the husband and the wife, between the father and the mother, and between the children and the parents, is intended to be and is eternal in its nature, if we will just prepare for that type of relationship. No principle, doctrine, or practice is so distinctive or so appealing to the human reason as is the perpetuity of the family. The more I think about the gospel the more I see that it revolves about the family and its eternal association.”
• April 1960 General Conference
  • The Primary Purpose of the Present Dispensation
    • “Brothers and sisters, there can be no substitute for the Lord’s plan in redeeming our dead relatives, and no amount of side-stepping our individual responsibility will excuse us for neglecting to do these two important things, namely, identifying the dead from the records available, and then seeing to it that they have received in the temples by proxy the necessary ordinances for their salvation.”
• October 1959 General Conference
  • Who Would Justify—A Little Sin?
    • “This being the case—this being our standard, could it be then that any of us would lie a little, or take advantage of one because of his words, perhaps by misquoting or exaggerating what he said? Are there any of us who would figuratively dig a pit for his neighbor, hoping that he will fall into it? Perhaps by taking unfair advantage of him, by shrewd maneuvering, thinking that as long as one gets away with it that he is a trustworthy and honest man.”
    • “One other matter—the destroying sin of unchastity and moral laxity has been one of the dominant factors in the downfall of many proud people and many great empires. Among the people today, this same destroyer of happiness presents a dismal picture for the safety and peace of this and future generations.”
    • “Now, will we listen to those who would minimize the seriousness of this transgression and who would have us believe that the Lord has changed his mind in regard to it? Will we listen to those who say that chastity is outmoded and old-fashioned? Each of us must stand for and encourage such principles as honesty, trustworthiness, virtue. Let us turn a deaf ear to the advocates of wrongdoing, and be prepared with Joshua to say, as he did to his people: “. . . choose you this day whom ye will serve; but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.””
• April 1959 General Conference
  • Report of European Mission Tour
    • “They answer the calls to serve without equivocation or hesitancy. It matters not one whit to which land or country or clime they may be assigned, even though it might require the learning of a new and difficult language; even though it requires personal sacrifice for him or his family or both, he goes forth and figuratively loses his life for that period of time in the hope that he may bring to others a newness of life and hope and understanding—which may lead to salvation.”
    • “Missionary service is not only a test of faith but a real test of character.”
• April 1958 General Conference
  • Blueprint for Life
    • “Every one of us will die. All of us will be resurrected, and all of us will live forever—somewhere. Where we shall live in the hereafter is left entirely to each one of us as an individual. It is possible for us to rise to exaltation in the celestial world, or, if we are dilatory or disobedient or indifferent, it is possible for us to remain with those of that category.”
    • “In this day of glamour, enticement, pressure, new temptations, in this day of moral laxity when more and more are feeling less and less the individual and personal responsibility for wrongdoing, it is imperative that each of us develops a firm desire to choose the right regardless of the circumstances.”
• April 1957 General Conference
  • All Good Cometh of God
    • “This enemy of God and of man dwells in the earth! But I fear that too many of us refuse to recognize his actual existence along with those who follow him and those in the flesh who have become enticed and blinded by him, perhaps not with their own knowledge, nevertheless having become his agents. He is a personage of great power.”
    • “It seems to me that we must first recognize this adversary and his followers for what they are—advocates of sin and wrongdoing, advocates of disobedience.”
    • “We must recognize that it is their determination through their agencies to overthrow freedom and liberty, and if it were possible, to thwart the purposes of God.”
• October 1956 General Conference
  • Come the Blessings
    • “There are good people in every segment of life who have developed an erroneous philosophy that the laws of God, even the great Ten Commandments, are intended only for certain people; for those whom they describe as being extremely religious, or for the less fortunate; that while it is essential to observe the laws of the land, it matters little or none if one observes the laws of God. Some of these people feel that the laws of God are inhibitions to one’s freedom, and that they who are not religiously inclined are automatically exempt from the laws and commandments of the Lord; that if one minds his own business and lives his own life, so to speak, he has sufficient religion for his own welfare, and that salvation and joy everlasting somehow will be forthcoming.”
    • “But the Lord does his work according to eternal principles and eternal laws. While he is a God of love, he is also a God of order. He does not deviate from the established principles and laws. He and they are the same yesterday, today, and forever. The laws and conditions prescribed for the welfare of mankind cannot be changed nor circumvented, because they are divine, and were declared before the foundation of the world was laid. They are, in fact, the only means by which we can have that peace of mind here, and gain eternal life hereafter.”
    • “Observance of law brings harmony, peace, and order. Without observance of law there is found confusion, sorrow, remorse, failure, whether it be the laws of man or the laws of God, whether it be nations, or whether it be individuals. There are those who ask, (they have asked me and really that is the reason I am speaking along this line), “If the Lord loves us why does he then give so many commandments, many of them restrictive in their nature?” The answer is because he loves us. He wishes to save us from sorrow, remorse, failure, and from losing our blessings.”
• April 1956 General Conference
  • The Need for Charity
    • “I have in mind the kind of charity that is demonstrated in being lenient and tolerant in judging others and in judging their action; the kind of charity that forgives those who accuse us wrongfully, who misinterpret our intentions; the kind of charity that is patient in the presence of those who are quick to judge us.”
    • “The more perfect one becomes, the less he is inclined to speak of the imperfections of others.”
• October 1955 General Conference
  • What Shall I Do to Inherit Eternal Life?
    • “It seems to me that the life of a Latter-day Saint is intended to be a life of dedication and of consecration to the things of God. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a program for the perfecting of the individual member by his adherence to the principles of that gospel. It is designed to teach us to forget ourselves, to be unselfish. I have come to think that selfishness on the part of those of us who are inclined that way is one of the great deterrents to our progress and to the realization of a divine destiny. Let us be determined to overcome selfishness and personal aggrandizement by sharing with others that which we have, by dedicating ourselves to the work at hand which we have to do, through dedication of our talents, our time, our substance, our tithes, and our offerings, our love, our goodness and kindness one to another, always seeing the good that always may be found in others.”
    • “The sweetness and the joy of life is found when we are willing to deny ourselves for the good and the benefit of others. Service to others, service in the Church, giving of our substance, is part of the life of a Latter-day Saint. We are taught that sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven. In no other way, as I see it, can the Lord raise up a people who will be fit for the kingdom, who will have it ready for his coming. By offering himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world and the redemption of mankind from death, Jesus set an incomparable example to us in the way of sacrifice and of love for others.”
    • “Dedication, it seems to me, in some form, is the real essence of all religion. Dedication to the will of the Lord and to his work is the religion of the Latter-day Saints.”
• April 1955 General Conference
  • For Whoso Is Faithful
    • “A covenant is a bond; a solemn agreement. It involves at least two individuals, and, of course, both parties must abide by the conditions of the covenant in order to make it effective and binding. The gospel in its fullness, as it has been restored, is the new and everlasting covenant of God. The new and everlasting covenant embodies all covenants, bonds, and obligations that are required of the Lord for peace in the world, for peace in the hearts of men and for the salvation and exaltation of man.”
    • “Covenants made with the Lord are eternal in their nature. Agreements made between men end when those men are dead. Such agreements are not eternal. The Lord made it very clear that the covenants he makes with men are eternal and that those which are between man and man shall be shaken and destroyed eventually.”
    • “Both the blessings of becoming a member of the Church and the obligations of such membership should be understood and impressed upon all candidates for baptism and membership in the Church, both the young and the old.”
    • “Now if we keep the laws and covenants of baptism, and honor the priesthood and its covenants, we are then permitted to enter into the temple of the Lord and there again make covenants with him, which covenants if kept will qualify us for the fullness of joy in our Father’s kingdom; and to become endowed with powers, rights, blessings, and promises of blessings that may embellish our lives and bless us eternally and bring us joy that is beyond our power to comprehend.”
    • “We are indeed a covenant-making people. I hope and pray that we are also a covenant-keeping people. Unspeakable joy, indescribable blessings and associations with those that we love await all who receive the covenants of God and who endure to the end, faithful and true.”
• October 1954 General Conference
  • Preparing Youth for the Temple
    • “his group here represents the priesthood leadership throughout the Church. The Lord has established and ordained a divine program for the benefit of his children, and it is through you leaders, as well as the others in the Church, that he must operate and proceed in order to bring about his purposes, to establish faith, and to help his children qualify for life in the Celestial kingdom of Heaven. It is almost overwhelming to me, when I think of it, to realize that the progress of his plan is determined largely by the effectiveness of the leadership throughout the Church, and in accordance to their devotion.”
    • “I am convinced through observation that where members of the ward go to the temple consistently the problems of the bishopric are reduced and minimized to a very few comparatively, and I am sure that if the parents will go to the temple at regular intervals it will result in happier, more harmonious home life. We do not feel like being ugly and coarse and selfish after we have gone to the temple and participated in those great and holy ordinances. We feel better, we are better men, we are better women, and I am sure that if we would go regularly, we would become better fathers and more considerate husbands and our lives would have a more purposeful meaning.”
    • “I am convinced that if we wait until after they fall in love to give them direction, we are usually too late to help them.”
• April 1954 General Conference
  • Work for the Living and the Dead
    • “Now in order that the righteous dead may receive by proper authority the ordinances that are necessary for the blessings of immortality and eternal life, the Lord long, long ago promised the world that he would send from his presence one who possessed the authority and the keys to begin anew this work upon the earth.”
• October 1953 General Conference
  • The Greatest of All Gifts
    • “I think that the most fitting place for families to gather is in the temples of our Lord. If they will do so, often enough, it will help to keep them in line of duty and in a spiritual frame of mind and attitude which is conducive to successful living.”
    • “My, what disappointment, what regret, what remorse will be felt by those of us who should, because of neglect or indifference, fail or refuse to enter into the marriage covenant according to the way God has designed it! To refuse to enter into such a covenant would end with this life, the associations as husband and wife.”
    • “By example and by precept, parents should show the importance of the temple and of temple work. I have always felt that it is well for children to observe their parents hustling about getting ready to go to the temple, to do work for the dead; to see them preparing their temple clothing; to note that emphasis is given to genealogical research and temple work. I think that is all conducive to good. Children then will inquire of their parents why this is so important and the parents then have the opportunity to explain these grand and glorious principles in terms that are understandable to their children. With such help children will have a desire to go themselves to the temple.”
• April 1953 General Conference
  • Let Us Walk Humbly Before the Lord
    • “My brothers and sisters, we are all dependent upon the Lord. The riches of the earth are his and are provided us through his mercy only. Pride and self-sufficiency would lead us to believe otherwise. They are destroyers of the best that is in men, but on the other hand, humility, submissiveness, willingness to abide by the teachings of the Lord bring out the best that is in men because they become teachable and can be molded into agents usable to him. One must constantly remind himself and guard against pride or he will find himself taking to himself part of the glory that the Lord has said is his.”
    • “Now, humility is not an abject, groveling, self-despising spirit. It seems to me that it is rather a right and proper estimate of what one is in the sight of God.”
    • “True humility, in my opinion, implies acknowledgment, thanksgiving, prayerfulness, all those virtues which become a Latter-day Saint. It is becoming to an individual no matter what his status in life, to acknowledge the Lord for his goodness and for his mercy, to be humble and prayerful and submissive to his will. True humility is uplifting, ennobling.”
    • “The person with true humility will not seek to aggrandize himself. He will serve for the sake of service. He will give his gifts in secret and let it be found out by accident. He will realize that all knowledge comes from God—for he knows all. He will not be contentious, unruly, or critical. He will not profane the name of Deity. As a literal child of God, he will feel it a privilege to do his will and keep his commandments.”
• October 1952 General Conference
  • Be Ye Doers of the Word
    • “No matter how tall your grandfather was, you have to do your own growing. So it is in this great Church—we all must realize that salvation is an individual matter, that none of us can be taken into the celestial kingdom on the backs of others. We must earn our own position, both here and hereafter. It is not merely an acknowledgment that God lives and that this is the Church of Jesus Christ that will save us, but the application of that knowledge in good works.”
• April 1952 General Conference
  • A Sure Foundation
    • “Now, if we can go from here heeding that general thought, this conference will have produced much. I have often wondered why Latter-day Saints should need to be constantly admonished when we can declare in testimony and in truth that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ, that Joseph Smith was an instrument in his hands in restoring the gospel. I have very often thought that that should be sufficient for any of us and like Adam, as President Clark mentioned this morning, to know what our Father desires should be sufficient.”
    • “We need not and should not be “high-minded” nor self-sufficient, but as true Latter-day Saints we should walk humbly before the Lord and remember that he is our God.”
• October 1951 General Conference
  • Acceptance of a Call
    • “Never once have I thought that such a great assignment would ever be given to me, but I can assure you that inasmuch as it has come through the proper authority, I shall do my utmost to do honor to the position and to the work that I am assigned, and to this great Church, and to serve the Lord and you people with all my heart and strength.”
    • “I have a testimony of this gospel. Were it not so, I would not accept these assignments. I know that God lives; that Jesus is the Christ, and that Joseph Smith was the instrument in his hands to restore to the earth the gospel, the power of the priesthood in the last days for the last time. There is no doubt about this in my mind, and I testify to you that it is so.”

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