Excerpts from recent addresses by President Gordon B. Hinckley.
CARRY ON
I have a portrait of Brigham Young hanging in my office. He watches me pretty closely. No matter where I go in that office, he is looking at me. Once in a while I look back and wonder "what is going on in his mind looking down upon this work as I think he may be. I think he would be absolutely amazed at what he sees of the movement of this work across the world, and of the strength of its congregations everywhere. It is a tremendous and wonderful thing. This year, as we commemorate the coming of the pioneers, we must remember that as they were accountable to the God of heaven so are we accountable; as they were accountable to the Lord Jesus Christ so are we accountable. Their God is our God. Their Redeemer is our Redeemer. Their Church is our Church. Their faith is our faith. Their testimony is our testimony. I think we are trying to carry on. I think Brigham Young and his associates would be amazed at the fact that on this Sunday there are some 24,000 congregations of Latter-day Saints meeting in their various meeting halls, vast numbers of wards and stakes with faithful bishops and tremendous stake presidents. You are trying to carry on in a way that would be in harmony with the pattern of our forebears I think we are doing pretty well. I hope we are. - From Salt Lake South Cottonwood Stake Conference, June 22, 1997
CHOSEN GENERATION
Have you ever thought what a marvelous thing it is to be born in this time and day in the history of the world? There never was a better season than this season, my brothers and sisters. Value the time in which you live. Think of your opportunities. Think of what you have. Think of the blessings of God upon you as a part of this great chosen generation. . . . The heavens have been opened and light and knowledge and truth and understanding have come down from heaven in this glorious dispensation of the fullness of times when there should be restored unto the earth all of the blessings of all previous dispensations of the gospel. - From Hamilton New Zealand Regional Conference, May 11, 1997
INDIVIDUAL IMPORTANCE
I think of all of our people across the world. This year we'll reach the 10 million mark in membership in this Church. Just think. Each of us will be one-ten millionth of the Church, but each of us is so very, very important as an individual. The Lord loves us. We are His sons and daughters. He's interested in us. He wants to help us. We can look to Him and He will listen and hear and answer. That to me is a marvelous and wonderful thing. - From Bountiful 55th Ward, Aug. 3, 1997
MEMBERS IN SOCIETY
A member of this Church ought to be a good man wherever he might be or a good woman wherever she might be. We stand for very high values of honesty, of integrity, of faith, of morality. All of these things which are so important in our civilization. We put great emphasis on the family. A nation will rise no higher than the families of its people. The family is the basic unit of society and if we have strong and good fathers and mothers and good children we will have a good nation. The more of that there is, the stronger the nation, the happier and more progressive the people. - From media interview with Freddy Ehlers, Quito, Ecuador, Aug. 12, 1997
MISSIONARY PREPARATION
Teach your sons that they have an obligation to serve the Lord. They will serve for two years. That will become a tithe on the first 20 years of their lives. They will work hard. They may become discouraged, but they will have wonderful companions who will become friends for the remainder of their lives. They will never forget the wonderful experiences of their missions. "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Prov. 22:6.) The Lord bless you in teaching your sons to prepare for missions. - From member fireside, Quito, Ecuador, Aug. 12, 1997
PERSONAL VIRTUE
I believe in the beauty of personal virtue. Be happy. Be alive. Be alert. Enjoy life and have a lot of fun. But there is a line which you should never cross. It is the line that pertains to morality, to integrity, and the crossing of which is expressed in coarse language, in sloppy dress and manners and in immoral behavior. Each of you can and must stand above these destructive evils. May God bless you as you strive to do so. - From statement placed in 1997 Pioneers of Progress display at Utah State Capitol
PRIESTHOOD
Every worthy man here, who is a member of this Church, holds the priesthood of God, the authority to speak in the name of the Lord, the authority received under the hands of John the Baptist, and Peter, James and John who were given that priesthood by the Lord Himself - restored in this day and generation, my brethren and sisters a royal priesthood. Stand tall. Be clean. Be virtuous. Be worthy of it. Be a man of honesty and integrity and faith and faithfulness. You actually have the power to lay your hands upon the heads of people and bless them in the name of the Lord. What a marvelous thing that is. I hope there is no man here this morning who does anything in his life which would destroy the effectiveness of that priesthood, that royal priesthood. - From Hamilton New Zealand Regional Conference, May 11, 1997
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. - From Montevideo Uruguay Regional Conference, General Session, Aug. 10, 1997
TREATMENT OF FAMILIES
My brethren, treat your wives with kindness. They are your companions. They stand equal with you before the Lord. You cannot get into the highest degree of the celestial kingdom, the kingdom of our Father, without them. Nor can they without you. You will walk side by side as companions, honoring and loving and respecting one another. Treat your children as sons and daughters of God. Be kind. Love them. Respect them. Counsel with them. Teach them. Pray for them. Guide them and God will bless both them and you. You are a royal priesthood that you might show forth the praises of Him who has led you out of darkness into His glorious light. - From Hamilton New Zealand Regional Conference, May 11, 1997
