Excerpts from Recent Addresses of President Gordon B. Hinckley

Following are selected excerpts from public expressions and addresses given by President Gordon B. Hinckley during recent months, printed here for the benefit of Church members.

Believe in the Church

“Believe in this Church. It is here to help you. It is here to give you opportunity. It is here to bless your lives. It is here to teach you the doctrine that will save you. It is here to give you sociability and opportunity. Teach a Sunday School class. Teach a Primary class. Teach a young women’s class. Teach a young men’s class. It is all part of the Church program. And as you reach out to help others, you will develop and grow in a remarkable and powerful and wonderful way” (Los Angeles young adult meeting, 7 Mar. 1997).

Blessed by Paying Tithing

“It is always a blessing to give back to the Lord just one-tenth of what He has given to us. I have a great testimony of tithing, my brethren and sisters. It has never been hard for me to pay my tithing, even in times of financial stress, because the Lord has made a promise that He would bless us if we would do so. I alone did not make that promise. The bishop didn’t make that promise. The Lord made that promise, and His is the power to keep that promise” (Montevideo, Uruguay, regional conference, 10 Aug. 1997).

Interfaith Relations

“We like to be a part of what is going on in the community. We like to be a part of keeping high standards in the community, of building an atmosphere of family life. In that process we join with other groups who get out and promote the things for which we stand and they stand” (meeting with Los Angeles Times editorial board, 6 Mar. 1997).

Read to Your Children

“Read to your children. Read the story of the Son of God. Read to them from the New Testament. Read to them from the Book of Mormon. It will take time, and you are very busy, but it will prove to be a great blessing in your lives as well as in their lives. And there will grow in their hearts a great love for the Savior of the world, the only perfect man who walked the earth. He will become to them a very real living being, and His great atoning sacrifice, as they grow to manhood and womanhood, will take on a new and more glorious meaning in their lives” (Montevideo, Uruguay, regional conference, 10 Aug. 1997).

Sabbath Observance

“There is no need for people to shop and desecrate the Sabbath day by buying things on Sunday. That is not the time to buy groceries. You have six days of the week, and you all have a refrigerator. You do not have to shop on Sunday. Do not buy furniture on Sunday; buy it the other days of the week. You will not lose anything if you do your shopping the other days and do not do it on Sunday. Let this day be a day of meditation, of reading the scriptures, of talking with your families, and of dwelling on the things of God. If you do so you will be blessed” (Jordan Utah South regional conference, 2 Mar. 1997).

The Miracle of Changed Lives

“I see the miracle that takes place in the lives of our people everywhere. This Church is a church of hope. Its doctrine is the doctrine of salvation. We are out to save people, to help them with their problems, literally, in a very, very real way that encourages them in their lives. … There is nothing more satisfying in the world than to see someone who gets hold of his life with the help of encouraging friends and turns it around and makes something good and substantial and productive of it. I think that is my greatest satisfaction” (question and answer session following address to Los Angeles World Affairs Council, 6 Mar. 1997).