President Henry B. Eyring on finding peace in our lives

President Henry B. Eyring (born May 31, 1933) served in the Presiding Bishopric from 1985-1992, as a Seventy from 1992-1995, then was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. He has served in the First Presidency since 2007.

"My message tonight is a simple one. We have all felt peace tonight. All of us would like to feel such peace often within ourselves, in our families, and with the people around us. The Lord promised peace to His disciples as He was about to leave them. He has made the same promise to us. But He said that He would give peace in His way, not in the world’s way. He described His way of sending peace:

"'But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

"'Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid' (John 14:26–27)....

"You will at times have your faith challenged by Satan; it happens to all disciples of Jesus Christ. Your defense against these attacks is to keep the Holy Ghost as your companion. The Spirit will speak peace to your soul. He will urge you forward in faith. And He will bring back the memory of those times when you felt the light and the love of Jesus Christ.

"Remembering may be one of the most precious gifts the Spirit can give you. He will “bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever [the Lord has] said unto you” (John 14:26). The memory may be of an answered prayer, of a priesthood ordinance received, of a confirmation of your testimony, or of a moment when you saw God’s guiding hand in your life."

- Henry B. Eyring, "My Peace I Leave with You," General Conference, April 2017
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President Eyring's talk at the Women's session of General Conference was tender and reassuring, as he so often is in his remarks. Addressing the challenges and fears that can come to us all in this life, he reassured his listeners that the Lord offers the incomparable gift of peace through the Holy Ghost.

The invitation and challenge President Eyring issues is to "keep the Holy Ghost as your companion." That is the great key to finding and retaining peace. As we live worthy of that gift, then the Lord's promise of His peace can be realized in our lives.

The sacred gift of remembrance is to be cherished as well. As we have sacred experiences with the Holy Ghost, they should be noted and "treasured up" so that they can later return to bless us with peace in a time of need.

President Thomas S. Monson on the power of the Book of Mormon

President Thomas S. Monson (b. August 21, 1927) was sustained to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1963. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency with Presidents Benson, Hunter, and Hinckley until becoming Church president in 2008.

"This morning I speak about the power of the Book of Mormon and the critical need we have as members of this Church to study, ponder, and apply its teachings in our lives. The importance of having a firm and sure testimony of the Book of Mormon cannot be overstated.

"We live in a time of great trouble and wickedness. What will protect us from the sin and evil so prevalent in the world today? I maintain that a strong testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and of His gospel will help see us through to safety. If you are not reading the Book of Mormon each day, please do so. If you will read it prayerfully and with a sincere desire to know the truth, the Holy Ghost will manifest its truth to you....

"My dear associates in the work of the Lord, I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day. As we do so, we will be in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit, to resist temptation, to overcome doubt and fear, and to receive heaven’s help in our lives."

- Thomas S. Monson, "The Power of the Book of Mormon," General Conference, April 2017
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President Monson is almost 90 years old, and has served for over 53 years since his call as an apostle
in 1963. He has "worn himself out" in the Lord's service. His youthful vigor is gone—he gave two very short messages in this conference, and was not even able to attend all of the sessions. His words are a little slurred now, unlike the strong and bold voice we have been used to.

But one thing has not changed: the sureness of his witness, the strength of his teachings, the clarity of his call. In his message on Sunday morning, President Monson taught about the importance of the Book of Mormon, and testified of its power to bless and influence our lives:

It's interesting to reflect on how frequently we have been taught, as a church, this same message over the years by many leaders. But yet we still need to be reminded and re-challenged. It is up to us all, one by one, to claim the blessings that are promised, including strengthened testimony, familiarity with the Spirit's voice, ability to resist temptation, overcoming fear and doubt, and receiving more of "heaven's help in our lives."

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2017)

President Spencer W. Kimball on continuing to profit from general conference

President Spencer W. Kimball (1895-1985) was ordained an apostle in 1943 and served as President of the Church from 1973 to 1985.

“We hope that the leaders and the members of the Church who have attended and listened to the conference have been inspired and uplifted. We hope you have made copious notes of the thoughts that have come to your mind as the Brethren have addressed you. Many suggestions have been given that will help you as leaders in the perfection of your work. Many helpful thoughts have been given for the perfection of our own lives, and that, of course, is the basic reason for our coming.

“While sitting here, I have made up my mind that when I go home from this conference this night there are many, many areas in my life that I can perfect. I have made a mental list of them, and I expect to go to work as soon as we get through with conference....

"Well, now, brothers and sisters, this is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to all who are listening in, we have not been fooling. What we have said to you in these three days is truth, downright truth, and it has a definite bearing upon the salvation and exaltation of every soul that could listen and hear.

"This is the gospel of Christ. He is our Lord. This is a Christian church. We follow him. We love him. We praise him. We glorify him. And now we must go forward and follow him in every detail. The gospel has been restored. It is here for us in all its fulness. Never before has it been so full and so complete, so comprehensive, never before that we know of in the world. And here it is, available to us and available to millions of people, some of whom are listening. We hope they will not make the mistake of casting it aside or ignoring it. God bless you who have been listening.”

- Spencer W. Kimball, "Spoken from Their Hearts," Ensign, Nov. 1975, p. 111
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I loved reviewing these thoughts President Kimball shared as he reflected on the messages of a general conference weekend. The talk must have been spontaneous; he reviews and comments on talks given by other speakers throughout the conference. It's interesting that he encouraged the taking of "copious notes," not of the things the speakers said, but "of the thoughts that have come to your mind as the Brethren have addressed you." He himself made the following observation about his own desire to act on conference impressions; how interesting, coming from the president of the Church!

After having summarized the messages given throughout the conference, President Kimball shared this personal witness. I doubt anyone would accuse the Church leaders of "fooling" in their messages, but perhaps we act as if they were by our casual response to their instructions.

The key is that the gospel of Jesus Christ is available in fullness to all who listen. But we must listen and heed the counsel. "We hope they will not make the mistake of casting it aside or ignoring it." I love President Kimball's simple, humble sincerity.

President George Albert Smith on staying on the Lord's side of the line

President George Albert Smith (1870-1951) was the son of John Henry Smith (1848-1911) and grandson of George A. Smith (1817-1875), both of whom served as members of the Twelve. He was called as an apostle in 1903, and then served as the 8th president of the Church from 1945 until his death in 1951.

"I think I would like to repeat something I have told many times as a guide to some of these younger men. It was an expression of advice of my grandfather for whom I was named. He said: 'There is a line of demarcation well defined between the Lord's territory and the devil's territory. If you will remain on the Lord's side of the line, the adversary cannot come there to tempt you. You are perfectly safe as long as you stay on the Lord's side of the line. But,' he said, 'if you cross onto the devil's side of the line, you are in his territory, and you are in his power, and he will work on you to get you just as far from that line as he possibly can, knowing that he can only succeed in destroying you by keeping you away from the place where there is safety.'

"All safety, all righteousness, all happiness are on the Lord's side of the line. If you are keeping the commandments of God by observing the Sabbath day, you are on the Lord's side of the line. If you attend to your secret prayers and your family prayers, you are on the Lord's side of the line. If you are grateful for food and express that gratitude to God, you are on the Lord's side of the line. If you love your neighbor as yourself, you are on the Lord's side of the line. If you are honest in your dealing with your fellow men, you are on the Lord's side of the line. If you observe the Word of Wisdom, you are on the Lord's side of the line. And so I might go on through the Ten Commandments and the other commandments that God has given for our guidance and say again, all that enriches our lives and makes us happy and prepares us for eternal joy is on the Lord's side of the line. Finding fault with the things that God has given to us for our guidance is not on the Lord's side of the line."

- George Albert Smith, Conference Report, Oct. 1945, pp. 115-120
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The concept of a "line of demarcation" is helpful for us in thinking about our commitment to standards, and the environments in which we find ourselves in life. If there are areas or situations that might be considered "the devil's territory," it's pretty clear there is danger there and we would be wise to avoid frequenting the area:

President Smith's suggestions of ways to stay on the Lord's side of the line were interesting and helpful. Those suggestions included things such as observing the Sabbath day, individual and family prayer, loving neighbors, dealing honestly, and so on. In short, "all that enriches our lives and makes us happy and prepares us for eternal joy is on the Lord's side of the line."

President Lorenzo Snow on finding happiness through eternal perspective

Lorenzo Snow (1814-1901) was an early convert to the Church along with his sister Eliza R. Snow. He was called as an apostle by Brigham Young in 1849. He served as the 5th president of the Church from 1898 until his death in 1901.

"God bless you, by brethren and sisters, and let us try and be as perfect as we possibly can from day to day. No religion has in it such prospects as has the religion of the Latter-day Saints. Nothing was ever introduced to man equal to it in its grand and glorious advantages. We ought to enjoy our religion to such an extent as to be happy most all the time. We should never allow ourselves to get into a position where we cannot secure some happiness.

"The prospects that have been opened up to us are grand. In the next life we will have our bodies glorified and free from sickness and death. Nothing is so beautiful as a person in a resurrected and glorified condition. There is nothing more lovely than to be in this condition.... So long as we are faithful, nothing can prevent us from getting all the enjoyment that can be secured through prospects of this kind. Whether we are in prison, or whether we are in poverty, these prospects are always before us, if we live our religion. Now, brethren and sisters, be faithful, keep the commandments of God, and do not forget the teachings that you have had during the three days of this conference."

- Lorenzo Snow, Conference Report, October 1900, p. 63
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President Snow, speaking as an elderly man nearing the end of his life, describes the privileges of members of the Church to have peace and enjoyment in life. He claimed we should be "happy most of the time." It's interesting that he acknowledges there are occasional times of challenge where happiness is hard to retain. But he believed in the concept of our ability to choose a course of life in which happiness was always nearby:

Part of the key to happiness is understanding the eternal scope of our lives. Knowing what the future holds makes it easier to confront present difficulties. President Snow reminds us of the nature of resurrected, glorified beings; "nothing is so beautiful as a person" in such a state. We need only be faithful in life in order to secure those eternal prospects, and feel the strength they bring to us now.

President Gordon B. Hinckley on getting the most from general conference

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008) was called to the Quorum of Twelve in 1961. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency from 1981-1995, then as Church President until his death in 2008.

“I hope that we shall ponder with subdued feelings the talks to which we have listened. I hope that we will quietly reflect on the wonderful things we have heard. I hope that we will feel a little more contrite and humble.

“All of us have been edified. The test will come in the application of the teachings given. If, hereafter, we are a little more kind, if we are a little more neighborly, if we have drawn nearer to the Savior, with a more firm resolution to follow His teachings and His example, then this conference will have been a wonderful success. If, on the other hand, there is no improvement in our lives, then those who have spoken will have in large measure failed.

“Those changes may not be measurable in a day or a week or a month. Resolutions are quickly made and quickly forgotten. But, in a year from now, if we are doing better than we have done in the past, then the efforts of these days will not have been in vain.

“We will not remember all that has been said, but there will arise from all of this a spiritual uplift. It may be undefinable, but it will be real....

"And perhaps out of all we have heard, there may be a phrase or a paragraph that will stand out and possess our attention. If this occurs, I hope we will write it down and reflect on it until we savor the depth of its meaning and have made it a part of our own lives.

“In our family home evenings I hope we will discuss with our children these things and let them taste the sweetness of the truths we have enjoyed. And when the Ensign magazine comes out... with all of the conference messages, please don’t just throw it aside with the comment that you have heard it all, but read and ponder the various messages. You will find many things that you missed when you listened to the speakers....

“Tomorrow morning we will be back at our jobs, back to our studies, back to whatever constitutes the busy regimen of our lives. But we can have the memories of this great occasion to sustain us.”

- Gordon B. Hinckley, “An Humble and a Contrite Heart,” Ensign, Nov. 2000, 88–89
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

President Hinckley's comments and advice were always so practical and down-to-earth. I think this reflection on general conference and its impact is a wonderful example of that. He begins by encouraging us to "ponder with subdued feelings" and "quietly reflect" on the messages. We certainly would be blessed to do more of that.

But the next paragraph is more pointed: the conference only really matters if it makes some kind of difference in our lives, our actions, our behavior:

And then some more very practical counsel. We aren't going to remember everything from the messages. But we should look for short thoughts or even phrases that stick out, and cling to them. Perhaps that is exactly the message the Lord wants to get through to us. When we make that concept a part of our life, then we will be blessed.

In addition, we should know that much good will come as we read, ponder, and discuss the messages. "You will find many things that you missed when you listened to the speakers." That's a true promise!

The impact of a general conference is only as powerful as we allow it to be. Implementing these suggestions will certainly enhance the experience.

President Gordon B. Hinckley on taking advantage of general conference

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008) was called to the Quorum of Twelve in 1961. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency from 1981-1995, then as Church President until his death in 2008.

"You have gathered to be encouraged, to be inspired, to be lifted and directed as members of the Church. We are all assembled together as believers in this, the cause of Christ. Each of us is His servant in building His kingdom in anticipation of the time when He will come as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. You have gathered to be helped with your temporal concerns, your failures, and your victories. You have come to hear the word of the Lord taught by those who, not of their own choosing, have been called as teachers in this great work.

"You have prayed that you might hear things that will help you with your problems and add strength to your faith. I assure you that we have prayed also. We have prayed for inspiration and direction. There is a constant prayer in our hearts that we will not fail the great trust the Lord has placed in us and the trust which you have placed in us. We have prayed that we might be prompted to say those words which will build faith and testimony and which will become answered prayers for those who will hear....

"I invite you to listen, listen if you will by the power of the Spirit, to the speakers who will address you today and tomorrow as well as this evening. If you will do so, I do not hesitate to promise that you will be uplifted, your resolution to do what is right will be stronger, you will find solutions to your problems and your needs, and you will be led to thank the Lord for what you have heard."

- Gordon B. Hinckley, "Listen by the Power of the Spirit," Ensign, Nov. 1996, 4–5
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

President Hinckley participated in General Conference as a Church leader for some 47 years. That's almost 100 conference weekends! In some ways though, his personal experience was likely not all that different from any of ours; he felt the same kind of challenges that he listed as things we all seek: help with temporal concerns, failures, and victories.

Faithful, seeking Church members will approach conference prayerfully, eager to hear counsel that will "help you with your problems and add strength to your faith." But President Hinckley responds that those who share the instruction have also been praying most earnestly for guidance on what to say and how to say it. Those two directions of desire facilitate the blessing of spiritual communication that brings power to the assembly.

That is a "challenge with a promise"—an invitation to listen with sincere desire, and the promise that blessings will follow. I hope we are all eager to accept that invitation and then participate in the results!