ALL ARE ALIKE UNTO GOD
It isn't who we are or where we live. It is our attitude, our love, our testimonies, our faith, our conviction, that make a difference. In 2 Nephi, it says: "He inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile." (2 Ne. 26:33.)
We are all sons and daughters of God. He is our Eternal Father. He loves us. He wants to do for us that which we earn, as a matter of fact. He wants to help us, if we will bend our will to His and do what He will have us do. - From Nairobi, Kenya, member meeting, Feb. 17, 1998
CHOSEN GENERATION
I want to read you the words of Peter, spoken long, long ago: "But ye [ are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9.)
My brothers and sisters, we are a chosen generation. This is the greatest season in the history of the world and we have been blessed to come forward at this time, this greatest of times, of discovery. This is the grandest age of all. During my lifetime, there have been more scientific discoveries than in all the generations that preceded it, and you and I are upon the earth at this time.
Beyond all this, we live in a time when the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored. This is the dispensation of the fullness of times, when all that the Lord placed upon the earth in prior generations has come forth in this generation, to bless those of us who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. How thankful we ought to be! How anxious we ought to be to do that which the Lord would have us do. Out of the gratitude which we have in our hearts, we ought to be willing to do anything that He asks us - to live the Word of Wisdom, to pay our tithes and offerings, to be active in the Church, to carry responsibilities, to reach out to those who come into the Church and help them and friendship them that they may remain true and faithful. My brothers and sisters, "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood." - From Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, member meeting, March 9, 1998
COUNSEL TO THE YOUTH
You young people are very important to this Church. You can't afford to do anything that would represent a forsaking of the standards for which this Church stands. It expects great things of you, tremendous things. You're the next generation. You're getting there awfully fast. The years are flying by. You'll soon be old and a little balding and maybe walking around with a cane.
Now is the day of your great youth time. Don't ruin your lives, whatever you do. You have such tremendous opportunities. Stay away from drugs. They'll destroy you. Drugs will literally destroy you. They will take from you all control of your life, and you'll become a slave to them, and all of your future will be endangered because of them. Stay away from it. Don't get video tapes, things of that kind, of a pornographic nature. You are a youth of the noble birthright. You are the great promise of the future. You are the young people of whom we expect so very, very much as we look ahead. Keep yourselves worthy. Live up to the highest standard of which you are able. It's so important that you do so. - From Halifax, Nova Scotia, member meeting, Feb. 12, 1998
PRAYER
We can make great strides in the direction of perfection in our personal behavior. We can be perfect in our prayers to our Father in Heaven. There are some things in which it is very difficult to be perfect, but I hope that everyone here, every man and woman and boy and girl, will get on his or her knees night and morning and thank the Lord for His blessings to them, thank the Lord for kindness, thank the Lord for every gift that he has, and pray for strength to do the right thing and remember before the Lord all who are in need and distress. We can be perfect in our prayers, my brothers and sisters. - From Port Harcourt, Nigeria, regional conference, general session, Feb. 15, 1998
TESTIMONY
I hope with all my heart that every man and woman in this great congregation today will develop in your hearts a vital testimony of the living God. I hope that you will cultivate in your hearts a testimony of the divine Son of God, the Savior and the Redeemer of the world, the Son of God, who condescended to come to earth, born under the humblest of circumstances, to become the Savior and the Redeemer of the world.
Because of His life, and because of His death, each of us is given the opportunity of eternal growth and development and progress. What a blessing we have. I am grateful beyond belief, my brothers and my sisters. Read of His life in the Holy Bible. Read of His life in the Book of Mormon, and seek to follow His commandments. I hope that every man and woman here today has a great feeling in his heart, has a living, vibrant testimony of the truth of this great latter-day work. - From Hermosillo, Mexico, member meeting, March 9, 1998
THE RESTORATION
We have a clear and present answer to the nature of God and of our Savior. We are Christians as followers of Him, regardless of what others say, and the more they talk the more certain it becomes that a restoration was necessary if the work of the Lord were to succeed and move forward. We are the beneficiaries of that great restoration. The First Vision, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, the restoration of the priesthood under the hands of John the Baptist and Peter, James, and John, the great keys which came under Moses and Elias and Elijah to bring in the fulness of the priesthood in this the Dispensation of the Fulness of times. We are the beneficiaries of it all.
We can't afford to be tawdry people. We ought to stand a little taller, be a little better for the great inheritance which we have. We must be as the Saints of God, a good people, a righteous people, a faithful people, loving our neighbors who are not of our faith, helping them in whatever problems arise. Yes, by all means, with tolerance and love and respect for them. But at the same time going forward in our faith, the faith of the living God, the truth of the restoration. - From Springville, Utah, Kolob 2nd and 4th Wards chapel rededication, March 1, 1998
