Conducting: President Oaks

Sustaining of officers by President Eyring

Elder D Todd Christofferson

1 Kings 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

[Story of Elijah and the priests of Baal]

Either the Book of Mormon is the word of God or it is not.

Follow the prophetic mantle.

You can receive your own witness that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.

James 1:5-6

Our Saviour..was the perfect example of stability.

[The gospel the defining focus of our life]

Some have not yet fully received the gospel of Jesus Christ into their lives….the gospel does not yet define them.

Most of us find ourselves at this time on a continuum..

It is challenging but vital to remain firm and steadfast.

1. [Woman suffering with debilitating chronic illness……Her faith is undiminished…her compassion for others runs deep…she continues steadfast}
2. [A man who grew up in the Church. Siblings left the Church. His siblings mocked his faith. His faith began to waver. He prayed. He recalled occasions when he had felt the Holy Spirit. If I am honest with myself I must admit that the Spirit has touched me more than one.]
3. A husband and wife who experienced difficulties having children. Eventually had a child but an accident left him comatose. They struggle to meet their baby’s critical needs. They have drawn closer to one another.]

D&C 112:12-13 And pray for thy brethren of the Twelve. Admonish them sharply for my name’s sake, and let them be admonished for all their sins, and be ye faithful before me unto my name.

And after their temptations, and much tribulation, behold, I, the Lord, will feel after them, and if they harden not their hearts, and stiffen not their necks against me, they shall be converted, and I will heal them.

Pray constantly, feast on the scriptures daily.

Always remember the promise of good things to come.

Remember eternal life and the joy of the Saints.

Bishop Dean M Davies

[Story of search for site for Vancouver temple].

President Hinckley had…the gift of prophetic seership.

D&C 115: 14 But let a house be built unto my name according to the pattern which I will show unto them.

15 And if my people build it not according to the pattern which I shall show unto their presidency, I will not accept it at their hands.

In recent months I have listened to every conference address that President Nelson was called to the Quorum of the Twelve.

The chief cornerstone and building block of the Church and of our lives is Jesus Christ.

Come, listen to a prophet’s voice.

Elder Ulisses Soares

[The Amazon river]

The children of God come together..from different backgrounds and cultures..

The Lord has inspired his prophets to teach us how we can support and love each other.

Charity – the pure love of Christ.

Is there a place for me here? Do I fit in?

[We] must extend a warm hand of fellowship to our new friends.

They need 3 things

1. They need brothers and sisters in the Church…We should look for new faces when attending activities and Church meetings….As we open out=r hearts to our new friends…we are acting in the spirit of ministering.
2. New friends need an assignment – an opportunity to serve others.
3. New friends must be nourished by the good word of God…We can reach out to our new friends in their own homes and invite them into ours.

We can share how we have overcome similar challenges in our lives.

Moroni 6: 4 And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith.

5 And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls.

Elder Gerritt W Gong

All things denote that there is a God.

[Story of being invited to paint with Elder Richard G Scott]

God’s love is stronger than the cords of death.

God lovingly assures us…there is no point of no return.

The scriptures invite us to put all we are and all we are becoming upon the altar of love and service.

…remember perfection is in Christ not in ourselves or in the perfectionism of the world.

Come unto Christ and be perfected in him.

With compassion our Saviour encourages and promises us we can press forward…

Elder Paul B Pieper

We must humble ourselves before God…and be willing to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ.

Baptism is just the beginning.

Our commitment to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ requires action.

..we accept him as our Saviour…

We take upon ourselves the responsibilities of a true disciple.

The cause of Christ and of his Church are one and the same.

Taking upon us the name of Christ is both liberating and enlarging.

He takes our sins and sorrows upon him.

Elder Dieter F Uchtdorf

King Solomon …he seemed to have everything……summed up his life ‘All is vanity!’

Weltschmerz

We achieve that abundant life not by focusing on our own needs, our own achievements but by becoming disciples of Jesus Christ.

He ministered to the powerless, the weak and the friendless.

Everywhere that He went He taught the good news of the gospel.

Solomon was wrong….all is NOT vanity.

We must do more than merely have an intellectual understanding of the gospel..

Believe, love and do.

God knows you, you are his child, he loves you. Even when you think that you are not loveable he reaches out to you.

For some the act of believing is difficult. Sometimes our pride gets in the way.

Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.

The more we love God and his children the happier we will become.

It is often my small and simple means that great things are brought to pass.

It is through practising that we may become better and better.

God shows us the direction to move – forward and upwards.

As we believe in God, as we love Him and love his children with all our hearts…we will find healing and peace….