Thomas E. McKay

Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (April 6, 1941 – January 15, 1958)

General Conference Addresses

  • April 1956 General Conference
    • Kind Words
      • “Now, with reference to this telephone call, it did give me a theme, kind words; I never heard my father, and nobody else did, speak an unkind word to my mother, so it has not been difficult for me to say kind words. I trust, my brothers and sisters, and pray that we may all remember to speak kind words to each other, and especially may the Lord help us to remember that “Kind words are sweet tones of the heart.””
  • October 1954 General Conference
  • October 1953 General Conference
    • Missions and Music
      • “God bless our missionary system. This is a great missionary Church. And God bless the music in this system.”
  • April 1953 General Conference
    • Conference Thoughts
      • “This is a beautiful world in which we live. The Lord has given us this world; men, as has been stated, have made a mess of certain things, but in spite of that it remains a beautiful world.”
  • October 1952 General Conference
    • Stories from His Mission
      • “May I express my appreciation and heartfelt thanks for the gospel. It is the great plan of life and salvation and brings joy and happiness to all who live it.”
  • April 1952 General Conference
    • An Important Decision
      • “God bless this gospel plan, that gives us so many opportunities. May we brethren and sisters, live in accordance with the gospel, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the plan of life and salvation, and from this time on resolve to “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.””
  • October 1951 General Conference
    • Appreciation
      • “I have always had an idea, a strong one, that it would be much better for all of us if we could repent of all our sins before we go to the other side. And as it has been stated this morning by President McKay also by Brother Moyle, we may get by on this side by a little lying and a little cheating and a little stealing, but we will have to meet it, brothers and sisters, as sure as we live. The Lord is just, and these things will have to be paid for before we can progress as we would like to on the other side.”
      • “Do not ever forget to express appreciation to our Father in heaven for the blessings that we have received from him. There would be more love in the home if we expressed appreciation for our wives, menfolk. We love them as much as ever, but we don’t tell them.”
  • April 1949 General Conference
    • There Is Power in Prayer
      • “We are here today, brethren and sisters, because this great Church of ours has been organized—a wonderful organization—established for the last time, never to be taken away taken away from the earth or given to another people, and all in answer to a prayer, a prayer in a garden, the Sacred Grove. Yes, there is power in prayer, and I trust that we will look up brethren and sisters, look up to the skies, that from now on that statement that prayer is the most unused resource of the world will not, at least, apply to Latter-day Saints and also the saying that people use their prayers very much as a spare tire, only in times of emergency, when we are sick or have trouble.”
  • October 1948 General Conference
    • Be Builders, Not Wreckers
      • “If the ward teachers realized what an opportunity that is and if they were doing their duty, we wouldn’t have the condition exist that Brother Ivins referred to in his splendid talk yesterday. The bishop would know through these ward teachers if any of the children in his ward were over nine years of age and not baptized, or needed shoes before they could enter school. He would know if the ward teachers were doing their duty, where our boys are who are in the service at this time, and when they changed their address. They could always get such information from the mothers in the homes they visit. It doesn’t matter, brethren and sisters, so much what the position is. It is how we fill that position. We are given a job to do. It may be the only position that we have to show our Father in heaven that we can make good, that he can depend upon us.”
  • October 1947 General Conference
    • Men Are That They Might Have Joy
      • “We find in this world just about what we are looking for. If we look for dirt and the sordid things, we can find them; or if we look for mistakes in others we can find them also. If we look for the good and the beautiful, the good and the beautiful will return to us. There is no place for hate in the heart of a Latter-day Saint, or of any other true Christian.”
      • “Hate incapacitates anyone from doing one’s best, no matter whether it is hate for a person or for a people.”
  • April 1947 General Conference
    • Missionary Stories
      • “Yes, this is a missionary Church, brothers and sisters. We have always had missionaries. We kept out about two thousand until the war and then, of course, our missionaries were called home. Six hundred ninety-nine of them were evacuated from the European missions alone; but our servicemen and women—God bless them—more than compensated for that for that return. Nearly all of them have been missionaries, preaching the gospel by their example of clean living, and then since the war, the First Presidency have called on an average of about three hundred a month. Now, as we were told yesterday by Brother Anderson in the statistical report, we have over three thousand two hundred missionaries in the field, a thousand more than the Church has ever had before. And then, too, we have about that same number of stake missionaries, and also hundreds of local missionaries called in the missions themselves. Yes, we are all missionaries. I wish we would adopt the motto that we had in the mission field, “Every member a missionary.” We can’t all go into the mission field, but oh, brethren and sisters, we can all preach the gospel by our example.”
  • October 1946 General Conference
    • Work
      • “Work is a great blessing. Someone has said that even a mule can’t kick while he’s pulling. It has been very interesting as well as instructive to get better acquainted with you fine stake and ward leaders, to see you in action, to observe how you do things, and I was going to say, how some of you don’t do things, but that wouldn’t be fair, because all of you, as far as I have been able to observe, are doing a splendid job.”
  • April 1946 General Conference
    • Released From the European Mission
      • “I wish to take this opportunity to express publicly my sincere thanks and appreciation for the wonderful opportunity that this appointment, and also, and especially, my other missions in Europe, have afforded me. These missions, spaced as they have been, have given me an exceptionally fine opportunity to observe the practical working of the gospel-to see what a blessing it really is to all those who accept and obey its teachings, to see them come into the light after walking in darkness.”
      • “I cannot give you a testimony of the divinity of the work—you cannot give me one—it must come through the Spirit of God. There are laws governing these spiritual matters as well as the physical and mental.”
  • October 1945 General Conference
    • Peace and War
      • “May our servicemen and our members in these war-torn countries, and all of us, live lives of Latter-day Saints. May we cultivate tolerance and love for one another and for all mankind. This war is but an awful chapter written in the eternal-long struggle between right and wrong, between love and hate, chastity and unchastity, greed and unselfishness. As long as hate and lust for power control the hearts of men, real peace can find no resting place in the world. Only love can bring peace. Anyone who permits himself to hate any person, or any people, makes his own small but vital contribution towards the discord and trouble, while he who seeks to love others, even his enemies, makes his own priceless contribution to peace. True, lasting peace, when it comes to the world, will be made up of the many tricklets of love flowing from the hearts of the people to a common understanding and a common goal. The gift of peace on earth and good will to men was offered to the world in the gospel of living taught by our Savior in his earthly ministry. He made love of God and love of mankind fundamental and declared, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” The power of love alone can permanently disarm the world.”
  • April 1945 General Conference
    • Returning Soldiers
      • “The breaking of the Word of Wisdom, or the Sabbath day, applies to a comparatively few, but nearly all fathers could plan a pleasant surprise for their boys by being a little kinder, more thoughtful and considerate in and around the home, and express appreciation for services rendered.”
      • “I like the words “continuous courtship” with reference to home life. When we were courting and in the early days of our married life, we would always express our appreciation for the well-cooked meal, the extra dessert; we occasionally brought home a bouquet of flowers or a box of candy. If some husbands did that now, the wife would probably ask, “Is there anything wrong?””
      • “In conclusion, may I plead that we as a people—as a nation—be less wasteful. If we are served more than we can comfortably eat, have a “portion” of it returned so it will not be wasted. In the United States enough food is wasted, it is said, to feed all the people in the war-torn countries of Europe.”
  • October 1944 General Conference
    • Reports from Europe
      • “May our Father in heaven continue to bless Brother Condie, and the 80,000 others of our young men who are now serving their country. They, too, are missionaries; we are missionaries. This is a great missionary Church. May we so live that the inspiration of the Lord may always be with us, so that it can never be said of any one of us, “He was called and found wanting”; but rather may we each be able to say truthfully when our earthly mission is finished, as Paul said: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.””
  • April 1944 General Conference
    • Preaching the Gospel
      • “We also suggested to our members this motto, or slogan, as we called it: “Every member a missionary.” From the reports and letters, I am sure that most of our members are living up to that motto. I would suggest, if I may, that slogan to you fine mission presidents who are here representing the seventeen missions in the North American group. You are losing most of your missionaries; they are being “evacuated” or transferred to the service of our country, and I am sure that the members, if they would follow this motto, could carry on the work. “Every member a missionary.””
      • “I know every service man is a missionary. God bless them. I was delighted with President Grant’s message to our service men. They are preaching the Gospel, and in the most effective way, as President Grant stated, by their example. People generally, and especially young people, would rather at any time see a sermon than hear one.”
      • “May I suggest, too, brethren, that we have an opportunity here at home, by our example, to preach the Gospel. There are thousands of strangers in our midst, and if we would keep in mind always the first part of the thirteenth Article of Faith: “We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men” and to so live that it could be said of all of us who are here this morning, and the Latter-day Saints generally, not that we believe only, but that we are honest, we are true, we are chaste, we are benevolent, we are virtuous and we are doing good to all men, it would not matter so much then if we did not have so many missionaries in the field, such an example would be much more effective than all our preaching.”
  • October 1943 General Conference
    • War in Europe
      • “That letter, brethren, is typical of thousands of others that are received by parents whose sons are in all parts of the world serving their country, fighting for the perpetuation of “man’s free agency”—the same principle for which we fought in our pre-existent state. The leader of that rebellion and his followers were defeated and cast out of heaven and they are here on earth still fighting truth, determined to deprive us of our free agency. We here at home must not let our boys down—forty thousand of them in all parts of the world. Let us wholeheartedly get behind every movement that would hasten the victory in this “war against wickedness.””
  • April 1943 General Conference
    • Report from Europe and Syria
      • “I hope to see the day, and that soon, when we can use the bombers to carry wheat over there, and other foods and clothing, instead of bombs. That time will come, and when it does it is not the donations of money that will feed the needy, brethren ; they cannot eat the money nor can they buy food, because it will not be there, even if they had the money. So remember it is food that they will need.”
  • October 1942 General Conference
    • Letters from War Torn Europe
      • “All our members in these war-torn countries are doing their best to carry on—God bless them. They appreciate the gospel and know that by living its principles they can have joy and happiness even in these trying times. They appreciate the prayers of you brethren and other members here at home, and we hope that you will continue to remember them. I appreciate very much the opportunity that I have of contacting them even in a remote way.”
  • April 1942 General Conference
    • Report on the European Missions
      • “It is a very great privilege for me to be associated with such fine, outstanding men as are here present, and I express my thanks humbly and before you brethren, to my Father in heaven for this privilege. I am very thankful also to be able to report the conditions in the missions included in the European group as very favorable. All those missions are functioning, and most of them are making progress. Some of them are handicapped in the holding of their meetings; especially has that been the case during this past winter because of the lack of fuel and light. They are continuing, however, to hold all meetings, including their district conferences, but they must all be held during the daytime. Generally the sacrament meetings convene immediately following the Sunday school, and the Priesthood, Relief Society, and M. I. A. gatherings are held at the same time.”
  • October 1941 General Conference
    • Report on the European Missions
      • “In reporting for these European Missions I am happy to state that headquarters continue to be maintained in ten of the twelve Missions. The headquarters of the French Mission at Paris has been closed, but we have district headquarters in Belgium and the French part of Switzerland, where more than ninety percent of our French members reside. The Palestine-Syrian Mission is also in charge of two district presidents, one at Aleppo, Syria, and the other at Beirut, Lebanon. These district presidents and acting Mission Presidents are all local brethren. They, with their counselors or committees assisting them, are doing an exceptionally fine work. With the exception of a few of the smaller Branches, all meetings are being held as usual. District conferences are held twice a year in addition to an annual gathering. These yearly conferences or conventions generally last two or three days.”
      • “Oh, Latter-day Saints, where much is given, it is said, much is required. Tliese principles have been given to us, and if we could only live them ; you cannot estimate the good that it would do throughout the world if truthfully it could be said we are living these principles. They are given to us for our happiness here upon this earth.”
  • April 1941 General Conference
    • Come Home Clean
      • “A little over forty years ago I was at the station in Ogden with my parents and a few friends just before I boarded the train leaving for my first mission. My mother kissed the goodbye, and as she did so said, “My boy, come home clean.” I have never forgotten that injunction and I hope when I am released from this earthly mission and return to that heavenly home where my angel mother now is I can say, as I can say today, “Mother, I have come home clean.””
      • “At that same parting my father placed his hand upon my shoulder and said, “Remember, my son, it doesn’t matter so much where you work, it is how you work. You go where the Lord wants you and try to say what the Lord wants you to say.” I am thinking of those parents today, and I wish to express my appreciation for them and for my brothers and sisters and my friends. I wish to express my appreciation for the association of President Grant and his Counselors and the other General Authorities of the Church. I love these men and I am grateful for this position that will give me the opportunity of more intimate association with them.”

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