Learn, practice gospel
principles
Pray with sincere heart
Have faith in Christ
The Lord has declared that this is the time for His Church to be established in preparation for His second coming, said Elder Earl M. Monson Sunday afternoon.
"We are the ones with the special opportunity of helping build His kingdom once again," said Elder Monson, speaking for the first time in general conference since being sustained to the Second Quorum of the Seventy last April.
Elder Monson called establishing the Savior's Church a unique assignment. "We must take the gospel of Jesus Christ to all people in their own language without defiling the purity of the message," he explained. "The Church must help develop leaders of integrity, leaders from whom honest people everywhere can receive inspired guidance.
"The Church has an equal obligation for all who have lived, who now live and for those who will yet live on this earth. The Church must teach correct laws and ordinances, in the Lord's way, which qualify the obedient believer for eternal life."
Elder Monson noted that establishing the Church is similar - on a much smaller scaler - to building a temple, a task which requires skillful workers in every part of the process.
"As in building temples, however, dedicated workers are a necessary part of establishing the Lord's Kingdom on earth," he said. "The work moves well if each one has a driving conviction in his heart and mind that Jesus Christ is the head of this Church, that He truly lives and guides this work and that all of us have an important part in bringing it to pass.
"We must be willing to learn gospel principles and practice them, and pray about them with sincere hearts, with real intent and having faith in Christ. Then comes the assurance that the principles are true. And with true conversion comes an excitement about being part of this great work."
Elder Monson noted that it is interesting to think that the Lord has declared this time to establish His Church and then realize it happens as each member develops a firm testimony of the truthfulness of its precepts.
"The Church can build temples, send missionaries throughout the world and do marvelous humanitarian acts; but it still comes to what exists in our own thoughts and feelings and actions as to how solidly it is established," he said.
The wonderful part is that every person devoted to the establishment of the Church receives innumerable and eternal blessings, Elder Monson explained. Establishing the kingdom of God on earth depends on individual Church members using their God-given agency to think, say and act in keeping the gospel of Jesus Christ at all times.
"Now is the time to establish the Lord's Church by securing a confirmation of the truthfulness of the gospel in our own hearts and doing what priesthood leaders ask of us."