President Uchtdorff will be conducting this meeting. President Monson presides from his home. Elder Robert D Hales also excused.
President Uchtdorff:
Choir: Mormon Tabernacle Choir – Press Forward Saints
Opening Prayer: Elder Michael T Wingwood
Choir: Consider the Lilies
Sister Jean B. Bingham (RS Pres): Many disasters, family problems and other things leave us in turmoil. Sometimes we all ask, where can we turn for peace? The answer seems to simple: lasting joy is found in Jesus Christ. He is the source of all healing, peace and eternal progress. Study the Living Christ proclamation to know more about the life and teachings of Christ. Each sentence contains a sermon of his divine roles and mission. His way is the path that leads to happiness and eternal life. Christ suffered all things in mortality. In Gethsemane and Calvary, he felt all our pains and infirmities. He is the source of all healing. He only enters with an invitation into our lives. Sometimes we find it hard to trust, because we do not understand all of God’s plan. When we humble ourselves, we are freed from our wrong assumptions and fears, and can lean on Him. Because of Christ, we are able to progress eternally, and gain a greater understanding of our divine self and purpose. As we gain faith in Christ, we wish to follow His example, by serving others. Take a private moment to reflect on blessings, then share those blessings. Come unto Christ.
Elder Donald L Hallstrom: A friend, Clark, climbed with friends 14 thousand feet up Mount Shasta. He fell at the top 40 feet, then slid 300 feet. He was seriously injured. Several miracles happened to get him rescued. He had fractures, punctured wound, etc. A skilled surgeon happened to be at the hospital. These miracles saved him. The faith of the family allowed them to prosper, and would have done so in any circumstance. Sometimes miracles do not seem to come, for those with serious disabilities, struggles, etc. Has the day of miracles ceased? We do not know why sometimes there is divine intervention, and sometimes not. We do know there is a purpose for all things. Do we have the faith to not be healed from our earthly afflictions, so we can be healed eternally? We need to have faith in Christ and His will, regardless of the outcome. Being a child of God is a miracle. The gift of a Savior and his atonement are miracles. Eternal Life is a miracle.
Choir: Oh How Glorious From the Throne Above
Elder David J. Bednar: Sometimes we run so fast, we forget why we’re running or where we’re running to. God offers great and precious promises for us to remember where we are going. We can become partakers of the Divine Nature. We must learn, change and grow to live with him forever. All are created in God’s image with a divine nature and destiny. Eternal Life is the ultimate precious promise. We must strive to escape the world’s corruption through the atonement and the gift of the Holy Ghost, so that we may no longer desire to do evil, but good, continually. We must become a new creature in Christ. It does not happen quickly or all at once. We receive grace for grace, as did Christ. Priesthood ordinances and covenants are essential, where we receive his great and precious promises. They open heavenly channels, through which the blessings of godliness can be shed on us. We are promised the constant companionship of the third member of the Godhead, the Holy Ghost. Family is eternal. Even on a partial list of the promises, we should stand all amazed. The Sabbath Day and the temple are two divine helps to help us overcome the world. God rested on the seventh day, and commanded a day of rest, in order to remember God and his great and precious promises. Temples are the most holy of all places of worship, a sacred space to worship God. In the temple, we can look to God and live. The Sabbath and temple are a sacred time. We must bring the spirit of the Sabbath and temple into our own homes, so we can overcome the world. What we do and learn in the home with sacred time and space, help us develop our divine nature. What we become is a result of what we learn and follow about God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost.
Choir Glory to God on High
Bishop W. Christopher Waddell: Sometimes events change our life’s plans. Brother Shumway lost his sight in an explosion during WW2. He still moved forward, working for the blind, marry8ing and having 8 children. He served with his wife on a mission, was a bishop for 7 years. We can face and overcome many challenges. The atonement gives strength and healing to all broken hearts, bodies and minds. Jesus has walked every path and experienced every hurt. We do not have control over what happens to us. We do have control over how we will respond. We can move forward through Christ, and find better days full of hope, joy and happiness. The sad irony is many turn away from the perfect help: Jesus Christ. Some of Moses’ people refused to look at the brazen serpent and be healed. We too must look to Christ and live.
Elder W. Craig Zwick: The movie, Lion King, tells about an evil lion that kills the king and exiles the son. The young lion has a mentor who teaches him to “look beyond what you can see.” To look beyond what we see, we must see others as God does. We can’t examine the whole picture on people, but tend to view through a tiny lens. As mission president, he had a missionary who wanted to go home. He encouraged him to stay, work hard and study. After several weeks of the elder wanting to leave, the spirit told the mission president to see the bigger picture. He asked the missionary what was so hard on his mission. “I can’t read.” Suddenly, the needs and concerns changed, as the perspective changed. Having Christ at the center of our lives can open our eyes to new horizons.
Choir Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd
President Henry B. Eyring: Last April, President Monson gave a great message on studying the Book of Mormon. If we study it, we will gain a vital testimony of its truth and of the living Christ. I heard it as the voice of the Lord to me. Since a young boy, I’ve felt the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. I have read from the Book of Mormon daily for over fifty years. Many of you have also done as the prophet asked, gaining a greater power to resist temptation, and greater faith in Christ and his Church. That stronger faith has driven out doubt and fear, developed a sense of optimism in the future. We have felt the need to go to the rescue of those in need, and given us a greater love and courage. Quiet hope and courage happens all the time among the Saints. Many go to serve others before attending to their own needs. Such happened in the recent hurricanes. Some are calling the Mormons in the yellow tshirts the yellow angels. Volunteers worked with diligence, laughter and smiles. 90 Georgia members in a stake went to Florida to help all weekend long. Hundreds of LDS in Florida went further south to a more devastated area to help those who were harder hit. The desire to bless is a sign of the testimonies built of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why missionaries volunteer to serve, and youth immerse themselves in the Book of Mormon as Pres Monson asked. Good change must remain by continuing to do good, so it does not fade. In the last days, the world will be in commotion. We also know the Lord will lead faithful LDS to the world, to teach gospel truths. We need not fear. The Lord expects more from us and future generations. The way to optimism is to look to the Lord, ponder the Book of Mormon, follow the prophets, pray unceasingly for the gift of charity. Be the angels of bear others up. The best days are ahead for the Kingdom of God on the earth. Faith always defeats fears. Standing together creates unity. Prayers are answered by a loving God. This is the true Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. He atoned for your sins and mine.
Choir: I Believe in Christ
Closing Prayer: Elder Jose A. Teixera