My notes are brief, and I've left out most of the stories (and all of the songs) because I have a hard time listening and taking notes at the same time. But this will gave you a small taste. You can find the whole broadcast, or just one talk at a time, on www.lds.org.
Elder Eyring-
Love one another.
Sorrow comes from selfishness, which is the absence of love
Choices we can make to assure no empty chairs for our family in heaven:
-Husbands and wives: Pray for love to see the good in your companion, to make weaknesses appear small, to want to lessen their load and make the sorrows smaller.
-Parents: Pray for your children, love them, have confidence that Jesus reaches for them with you;
-To children: (all children, young and old) honor thy father and thy mother… your quality of life will be improved if you remember your parents and love them.
-Parents: Ask children for pardon when you make a mistake.
"And great shall be the peace of thy children. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord."
Look for opportunities to love, and you will feel the peace, assurance of a child.
L. Tom Perry
Swedish ship builders in the 1800's built the roof for the Manti Temple in Utah. They did not know how to build a building's roof, so they decided to build a ship, and then turn it upside down. The top of a building needs to be waterproof, like the bottom of a ship. It needs to be well- constructed. So that is what they did!
They desired to share what they knew to help build the kingdom of God. We can do the same!
H. David Burton
When I was 12 there were several requirements for graduation from Primary, including memorizing and reciting all 13 Articles of Faith in order. The first 12 were easy! The 13th is very long and I could not say it without help and prompting.
Many virtues end in -ity. Charity, Civility, Integrity, Fidelity, Humility, Generosity, Morality, etc. I call these the "ity" virtues, and many of them are missing from our society today.
We need not be a part of the virtue malaise that is plaguing our society. Teaching virtuous traits begins in the home, and is taught by example.
15 yo grandson is an avid skier. He would be allowed to compete if his grades were high enough. He worked and worked, but in the end, fell just short of the goal. He was not allowed to compete, and lost the opportunity to compete for a place in the junior olympics. But he learned a valuable lesson in integrity.
Lost Battalion of WWI, Lost Boys of Peter Pan, The Forgotten Carols... Do not let the "ity" virtues become the lost virtues. Now is the time for us to rescue those virtues that are virtuous, lovely, of good report and praiseworthy.
Ann M. Dibb
Several workers had been painting a bridge for about a year. Toward the end of their job, they fell to their deaths. People asked why they had not safety equipment. The answer: They did. But they did not choose to wear it.
We may also be in challenging circumstances. The dangers we live with today, including society's tolerance on sin. This is just as dangerous as falling from a 125 ft high bridge to our deaths.
In the scriptures there are very few (any?) of people living in blissful happiness without challenges. But our Heavenly Father has confidence in you! He will convert your supposed inadequacies into strengths. He has given us all the safety equipment we need to return to him. Scriptures, prayer, the Holy Ghost. It may seem cumbersome and unfashionable. But I for one choose to use it!
In the Book of Mormon we learn about another safety device: the iron rod, running along the straight and narrow path. The iron rod is the Word of God. I invite you to read it again. Hold on tight to the iron rod-- get a grip! When we let go, we easily got lost in the mists of darkness. If this happens, we can find our way back through repentance.
Use the safety equipment Heavenly Father has provided for you. They are, literally, everything.
Elder Russell M. Nelson
My wife, Wendy, and I were overseas and received news almost instantly that we had a new grandchild born on the other side of the world! Prayer is available to all of us with no equipment necessary, no monthly service fee!
To access info from Heaven, we must ask with Real Intent. Which means we must really intend to follow the divine direction given.
We must Study it out in our own minds, and then ask God. If it is right, we will feel that it is right. We will know it inside ourselves.
God has a long pattern of teaching people through prophets. If we follow God's prophets, we will be blessed.
The natural man is an enemy to God, and will be forever and ever unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit.
Personal revelation can be honed to become the gift of spiritual discernment. With this gift we can see things not visible- recognizing the needs of those around us, trends in the earth that will damage our spirits.
How can we have this gift? Develop Faith, Hope Charity and Love. Ask and you will receive. Knock and it will be opened unto you. Revelation need not come all at once. Line upon line, precept upon precept. To him that recieveth will the Lord reveal more.
Revelation exists because God lives. This is His Living church. Thomas S. Monson is His living prophet.
President Thomas S. Monson
Told of a man from southern VA whose father was a minister and who asked his children every night at the dinner table, "What did you do today for someone else?" This man went on to develop medical clinics all over the world where doctors volunteer their time to serve the poor.
Man's greatest happiness comes from loosing ourselves in the service of others.
I am confident it is each member's intention to serve those in need. How often have you intended to be the one to help, but daily life interferes, and we leave it to someone else. Have we lost ourselves in things that do not really matter at all, neglecting the more important causes?
I have wept in the night for the shortness of sight...
... but I never have yet felt a tinge of regret for being a little too kind.
For my birthday I asked members of the church to perform acts of service. (several good stories) For I was an hungered and ye gave me meat... naked and ye clothed me... sick and ye visited me... Lord, when saw we thee hungry or naked, or sick? Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Ask yourself, What have I done for someone today? (The words of the hymn Have I Done any Good in the World Today?) We have all been called to the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. He says, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. May we qualify for that blessing.
The closing hymn: Have I Done Any Good in the World Today? by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. =)
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