They Spoke to Us

Report from the 164th Annual General Conference, April 2–3, 1994

Gordon B. Hinckley, First Counselor in the First Presidency: “Every member of this church who has entered the waters of baptism has become a party to a sacred covenant. Each time we partake of the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, we renew that covenant. We take upon ourselves anew the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and promise to keep His commandments. He, in turn, promises that His Spirit will be with us … , we are a covenant people.”

Thomas S. Monson, Second Counselor in the First Presidency: “As a loving teacher guided a boy or a girl to the large door of the Salt Lake Temple and the little one reached out and up to touch the temple, I could almost see the Master welcoming the little children to His side and could almost hear His comforting words: ‘Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God’” (Mark 10:14).

L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “You are a chosen generation—saved for this special time in the history of mankind. You have so much to give to add to the growth and development of the families to which you belong. I challenge you to step forward in your family units with that special, enthusiastic spirit of your youth to make the gospel really live in your homes.”

James E. Faust of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “More important than acquiring fame or fortune is being what God wants us to be. Before we came to this earth, we may have been fashioned to do some small good in this life that no one else can do.”

Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “During World War II, my widowed mother supported her three young children on a schoolteacher’s salary that was meager. When I became conscious that we went without some desirable things because we didn’t have enough money, I asked my mother why she paid so much of her salary as tithing. I have never forgotten her explanation: ‘Dallin, there might be some people who can get along without paying tithing, but we can’t. The Lord has chosen to take your father and leave me to raise you children. I cannot do that without the blessings of the Lord, and I obtain those blessings by paying an honest tithing. When I pay my tithing, I have the Lord’s promise that he will bless us, and we must have those blessings if we are to get along.’”

Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “Our hope and prayer is that you will grow up strong and obedient in the faith and that, like the young Jesus, you will increase ‘in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man’” (Luke 2:52).

Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “Faith in Christ means we trust Him; we trust His teachings. That leads to hope, and hope brings charity, the pure love of Christ—that peaceful feeling that comes when we sense His concern, His love, and His capacity to cure us or to ease our burdens with His healing power.”

Ruth B. Wright, Second Counselor in the Primary Presidency: “Our children will be more able to survive the challenges that will come to them when they know and understand that keeping God’s commandments can bring them peace and joy in their lives and enable them to walk uprightly.”

Photos by John Luke and Matt Reier