Looking forward to more inspired counsel and direction! President Eyring conducting. Music by the Tabernacle Choir. Elder Clayton who gave the opening prayer was in charge of missionary health.

Elder Jeffrey R Holland

Was asked – Why have the Latter-day Saints not adopted the cross as the symbol of their Christian faith?

Explained about the importance of the atonement of Jesus Christ.

I noticed that my friend’s eyes were glazing over.

This morning, some 50 years later I am determined to finish that explanation.

One reason we do not emphasise the cross as a symbol stems from our Biblical roots.

Cross introduced as a symbol of generalised Christianity in 4th or 5th Century.

The absence of the symbol is yet another evidence that the Church is a restoration.

We remind ourselves that President Hinckley once taught that the lives of our people must be the symbol of our faith.

To be a follower of Jesus Christ one must sometimes carry a burden, your own or some-one elses.

Gave examples of burdens people bear.

I weep for them and I weep with them.

Solemn reminders that there is a cost to discipleship.

As we take up our crosses and follow him it would be tragic indeed if the weight of our challenges did not make us more empathetic and attentive to the burdens being carried by others.

Blessings of every kind are pouted out on those who are willing… to believe in Christ and view his death and suffer his cross.

For your strength and your loyalty and your leave I give deep personal thanks this day.

J Anette Dennis

Story of Jack and his hunting dog Cassie.

How many wounded individuals do we have amongst us?

Experience of daughter with emotional health challenges.

Nothing you do makes much difference if you have not charity – Joseph B Wirthlin.

We are commanded to love others not judge them. Let’s lay down that heavy burden; it isn’t ours to carry. Instead, we can pick up the Saviour’s yoke of love and compassion.

The Saviour does not condone sin but offers us His love and His forgiveness when we repent.

The Saviour asks us to learn of Him and do the things we have seen Him do. He is the embodiment of charity and pure love.

None of us has perfect lives or perfect families.

Everyone needs to feel that they really do belong and are needed in the body of Christ.

Let us remember that each person on this earth is a child of God and He loves each one.

We love Him because He first loved us.

Gerrit W Gong

In remarkable ways the Lord’s Prophet is drawing us closer to the Saviour.

Experiences of friends uniting families.

Jesus Christ’s atonement can bring peace to our past and hope to the future.

Friend who did not want to be sealed to her father.

The temple is a place of healing, learning and acknowledging the atonement of Jesus Christ.

How we come into this world is less important than who we are when we leave it.

Atonement comes as we exercise faith and bring forth fruits meet for repentance.

Obeying mission standards and the commandments invite the Spirit.

Repairing our relationships and healing our hearts is hard, perhaps impossible for us on our own. Heaven can give us strength and wisdom beyond our own to know when to hold on and how to let go.

We, being imperfect, are to forgive all.

Elder Joseph W Sitati

Day and night is one of example of patterns that God has given us of things as they really are.

Alma – All things denote that there is a God.

Our hearts need to be receptive to the spirit of truth.

The invitation of the Saviour to learn of Him is an invitation to turn away from worldliness.

Learning about Christ and His ways leads us to know Him and love Him.

We become one with God and others through love and service.

What we do at home is the true crucible of enduring…discipleship.

Steven J Lund

Over 200,000 youth attended FSY this summer.

I too was changed this summer of FSY.

We live in a spiritually corrosive environment.

The stalwart youth of Zion are voyaging through stunning times. Finding joy in this world of prophesied disruption without becoming part of that world, with its blind spot towards holiness, is their particular charge.

Let there be no doubt, it is the very stuff of heroes displayed by our youth when they set their hearts and minds to standing upright against the shifting moral tectonics of our time.

Story of girls going to YW camp

Returning missionary – What do I do now? What do I do to remain strong?

You don’t have to wear the badge to bear his name.

Keep doing at home what you have learned so magnificently to do here.

Carry this spiritual momentum into the rest of your life.

(Looking forward to reading the transcript)

David A Bednar

Parables.

An individual must..actively ask, seek and knowck to discover the truths embedded in a parable.

The parable of the Royal Wedding Feast.

An invitation from a king…was essentially considered a command. Yet many of the guests…did not come.

Misguided priorities and disregard of the king’s will.

Wedding garments were simple nondescript robes that all attendees wore.

Every one was given the opportunity to clothe themselves in the garment of royalty.

Unrobed guest – neglect, intentional disrespect.

He rebelliously refused to dress appropriately for the occasion.

The man..wanted to do things his own way.

The invitation is to all men and women.

Thus we have God’s call and our individual response to that call.

You and I ultimately can choose to be chosen.

Our short-term preoccupation with the things of the world and the honours of men may lead us to forfeit our spiritual birthright for far less than a mess of pottage.

God does not have a list of favourites to which we hope our name may some day be added.

Surely the Holy Ghost will help us to see ourselves as we really are.

(Wonderful! We look forwarded to being taught by Elder and Sister Bednar at our Mission Conference in a little over a week.)

President Russell M Nelson

You are constantly on my mind…I stand amazed at the strength and testimony you demonstrate again and again and again.

It seems that we are accosted daily by an onslaught of sobering news.

My dear brothers and sisters, so many wonderful things are ahead. In coming days, we will see the greatest manifestations of the Saviour’s power that the world has ever seen.

Story about open house at Washington Temple.

Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden…… (How many times has this scripture been quoted or referred to this Conference?)

The reward for keeping covenants with God is heavenly power.

Those who live the higher laws of Jesus Christ have access to higher power.

You can find true rest …even amid your most vexing problems.

What does it mean to overcome the world? How do we do it? How does overcoming the world bless our lives?

It means trusting the doctrines of Christ more than the teachings of men…It means choosing to refrain from anything that drives the Spirit away…It does not mean that you won’t still make mistakes….Your heart will soften as your faith in Jesus Christ increases.

Each time you seek for and follow the promptings of the Spirit, each time you do anything good, things that the natural man would not do you are overcoming the world…It happens over a lifetime as we repeatedly embrace the doctrine of Christ…We stay on the covenant path and are blessed with spiritual strength…As we strive to live the higher laws of Jesus Christ our hearts and our very natures begin to change.

It is much more exhausting to seek happiness where you can never find it.

Entering into a covenant relationship with God binds us to Him in a way that makes everything in life easier….The adversary does not want you to discover the power of Jesus Christ.

I call upon you …to become this righteous people.

I bless you in your quest to overcome this world. I bless you to increase your faith in Jesus Christ…I bless you to see the needs of those around you. ..Because Jesus Christ ovecame this world you can too.