This blog is to help people know a little bit more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It's also there to lift those who are down and need some help through the troubles of life.
My name is Elder Kyle Rasmussen. I'm a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The message of the Church is one of joy and happiness. This message has given me this great joy and happiness in my life and now I want to share that same joy with everyone else. I know it can bless everyone's life and that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior.
So hopefully you all know about the story of Moses from the Bible. He was a prophet called by God and given the special assignment to lead the captive House of Israel out of bondage from the Egyptians and take them to the promised land in Canaan. Moses was given the power and authority of God (priesthood) to perform many miracles and wonders to help him fulfill this sacred task, including parting the Red Sea, enabling the Israelite's to escape from the pursuing Egyptian armies. After their escape from Egypt, Moses became the Israelite's connection with God. Moses received divine revelation from God concerning where they needed to go in the wilderness, how long they should stay, and even what they were to eat when food was scarce.
Moses and the 10 Commandments
Among some of the most amazing feats of Moses was the revelation for what later became known as the Law of Moses. Written upon stone tablets, it was the word and Law of God after the order of the Aaronic Priesthood, with specific rules, guidelines, and ordinances which were types and shadows of the Savior Jesus Christ's future sacrifice and Atonement. Moses was and is one of the greatest examples of a prophet. Through him we have so much revelation from God about Jesus Christ and His gospel.
Moses called to be a Prophet
Prophets are righteous and faith filled men, called by God to act as His spokesmen for His children here on earth. They receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ through revelation from God and in turn teach that to God's children. They warn people of dangers of things to come and blessings that are promised through obedience to God's laws and commandments. Prophets hold all the keys of the priesthood (the power and authority to act in God's name for the salvation of His children) and use them to love and serve others as Christ would. There are many examples of prophets throughout history. Moses, Abraham, Noah, Isaiah, Jeremiah Peter James & John, and Paul. We even have Book of Mormon prophets like Lehi, Nephi, Alma the younger, Mormon and Moroni.
Our Savior Jesus Christ
Without prophets, were would our scriptures be? Where would the Bible be? How would we know anything about God or Jesus Christ? We wouldn't!! But God loves us, He wants us to be successful in this life and return to live with Him. In order to do so, we need revelation from Him to understand His will. He gives us the opportunity to live with Him again through the Gospel of Jesus Christ and through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Through prophets, we gain all the understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ we need to obtain salvation and exaltation in this life. Giving us prophets is a sign that shows God really loves us.
Joseph Smith and Restoration of the Priesthood
So God loves and us He sends us prophets. Sometimes His children don't listen to the prophets and even persecute or kill them. As a result, people end up in spiritual darkness. When they are ready again to listen to God's word, He calls another prophet. In our day and age, He has done the same thing. He loves us just as much as He loves His children in times of old!! He doesn't leave us to tread this journey of life alone. He has given us prophets in our day just like times of old!!! In 1820, a young New York farm boy named Joseph Smith, was called to be the next prophet of God, called to restore the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it had been given during the Savior's ministry. How exciting and amazing is this!!!
Modern day Prophets
I know Joseph Smith was called to be a prophet in our day and age. I have come to know the truthfulness of his calling through the divine witness from God that the Book of Mormon is true. After Joseph Smith died, prophets weren't gone from the earth. An unbroken line of succession has followed him, each man afterward called of God. They are the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the Presidents of the Church. We believe and know that these men are called of God as was Moses and they act as prophets, seers, and revelators in our day. Along with the prophet, we have 12 Apostles who function in the same capacity, teaching people and maintaining the purity of the doctrine just as in days before.
Current Church President Thomas S. Monson and Counselors
We have our own Moses for our day!! A man of great spiritual strength, who receive direct revelation from God, who leads and guides us through the sin stained world of our day. His name is Thomas S. Monson!!! He is our living day prophet. Having a prophet however doesn't eliminate the need for us to receive our own personal revelation. The prophet simply receives revelation from God for the whole Church as a body. God still wants us to talk to Him through prayer and listen for the still small voice for answers. But through the Prophet, He has given us another wonderful tool to better our lives, learn more of the Savior, and became more like Jesus Christ. By listening and heeding the words of our living prophets, we can be blessed abundantly.
General Conference
Every six months we have the opportunity to hear from our beloved Prophet. This even is called General Conference and believe it or not, it's this weekend!!! If you don't know or don't believe that we have prophets in our day, I invite you to listen to this upcoming session of General Conference, with a prayer in your heart and learn for yourself from God is the men that speak are truly prophets of our Lord and God. If you have a testimony already of living day prophets, I invite you to strengthen that testimony by listening and heeding the words of the Prophet. By doing so, we will not be lead astray. As a former Prophet, President Wilford Woodruff said "The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the programme. It is not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that, the Lord would remove me out of my place, and so He will any other man who attempts to lead the children of men astray from the oracles of God and from their duty. (Sixty-first Semiannual General Conference of the Church, Monday, October 6, 1890, Salt Lake City, Utah. Reported in Deseret Evening News,October 11, 1890, p. 2.)"
President Thomas S. Monson
I know that we have our own Moses today. He is not the head of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Jesus Christ is. President Monson simply speaks for Him, as His prophet, as His Modern Day Moses!!!
Another historical site down the road from the Smith Family Log Home is the Smith Family Frame Home. Joseph Smith Jr's older brother, Alvin, began construction of this more permanent dwelling for his parents in 1822. However, Alvin unfortunately passed in 1823 before it was finished, leaving it uncompleted for a few years. The Smith family however finished it in 1825 and moved the family there later that year.
Fireplace which hid Golden Plates
In 1827, Joseph Smith Jr. and his wife Emma, moved in with the Smith here to the frame home. 8 months later, Emma and Joseph drove a carriage to nearby Hill Cumorah where, after many years of instruction by the Angle Moroni, Joseph finally obtained the Golden Plates to begin the translation process into what is now the Book of Mormon. The Gold Plates contained "a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel." (Book of Mormon Introduction)
Kitchen and Dinning Room in Frame Home
Joseph and Emma only stayed in Manchester at the Frame home for a month or two before persecution forced them to relocate to Harmony, Pennsylvania where Emma's parents lived. It was in Harmony that a great portion of the translation was accomplished. However, during Joseph and Emma's brief stay in New York, some amazing and miraculous events occurred. One of which was one night, Joseph got the impression that the Plates were not safe. He decided to hide the Plates underneath the brick of the fireplace in one of the rooms on the first floor of the house. That night, a mob broke into the home searching for the Plates, but despite them being underneath their feet, they did not find them. The original bricks are still there in the same fireplace.
It was in this home, in the dinning room where Joseph Smith Jr. first learned of the loss of the 116 lost pages of translation from his scribe Martin Harris. It was here Oliver Cowdrey boarded with the Smith family as a school teacher. There he learned of Joseph Smith's story and immediately traveled to Harmmony, Pennsylvania in 1829 to assist Joseph as scribe.
Alvin's Tree
So many other amazing stories happened in the Frame Home that are important to the Restoration of the Gospel. The structure that now stands is in fact the original building the Smith Family built so many years ago. In 1907, Elder George Albert Smith purchased the home and the farm which is sits on and transferred ownership to the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints. In 2000, the Church renovated the building to fit the age period it was first built and when Joseph Smith resided there. One of my favorite sites of the Frame Home is outside next to it. There is planted a huge tree still growing healthy and strong. This tree was planted by the Smith Family in honor of Alvin, their beloved brother and son who passed away before the home was finished. Alvin was an anchor of faith and love for many of the Smith Family, including Joseph Smith Jr's. His last words to Joseph where "Do all that you can to obtain the record." (referring to the Golden Plates)
It's so amazing to take a tour in the Frame Home and step back in time and learn of the amazing events that happened here. You come to learn how much the Lord's Hand was there to protect the Ancient Record of the Book of Mormon. So many times the adversary came close to stealing the plates from Joseph's hands. But because the Lord is All Powerful and All Knowing, they were protected. I know the Book of Mormon is true, and the history which occurred at such a place is true. That makes it one of many Sacred Sites important to the Cradle of the Restoration. Joseph Smith Farm: 843 Stafford Road Palmyra, New York 14522
So President Thomas S. Monson gets all the credit on this one. This entire post all comes from his message in this January's Engisn. His First Presidency message was "Living the Abundant Life". He defined abundant life as "a life filled with an abundance of success, goodness, and blessings". Just as there are fundamental ABC's we used as kids, he outlined the ABC's we can follow to gain this abundant life.
Having a Positive Attitude
"We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. For maximum happiness, peace, and contentment, may we choose a positive attitude." Simple yet profound. We go through life and we have so many ups and downs. Most of the time, it seems like there are more downs than ups. But we have the choice in how we react. We could become depressed and mopey or we could have a positive outlook. It's amazing how powerful a positive attitude can have through any trial we go through.
Believe in Yourself
"Don’t limit yourself and don’t let others convince you that you are limited in what you can do. Believe in yourself and then live so as to reach your possibilities. You can achieve what you believe you can. Trust and believe and have faith." If you don't believe you can do it then you won't. But if you have faith in yourself and believe you can accomplish what you wish to accomplish, then it's possible.
Face Challenges with Courage
"Courage is required to make an initial thrust toward one’s coveted goal, but even greater courage is called for when one stumbles and must make a second effort to achieve." We can't be scared to take risks. This is one of the problems I face quite a bit, the fear of failing. It's taken me some time to realize this and I have to relearn it each and every day, but don't worry about it!! Life is designed in such a way that failure is a part of it. Failure isn't there to depress you, but to help you grow. It allows you to learn from your mistake and better plan out your next attack so that come next time you will succeed. "Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, 'I’ll try again tomorrow.'”
Even though the first month of the new year is almost over, we still can renew those goals and resolutions we made at the beginning of the year. Come join me in a journey to live the abundant life as we try and apply these principles. If a prophet of God says that we can do it, then we can!! We just got to have a positive attitude, faith in ourselves, and courage to get the job done. I know this Church is true and with the help of our Savior Jesus Christ we can do anything. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." - Phillippians 4:13
So picture this. You're at home, sitting down watching TV listening about the latest weather pattern that is about to come in. You hear the doorbell ring and outside your front door are two young men dressed in white shirts and ties. They proceed to tell you (as quickly as they can before you shut the door) about some new book of scripture. It's called The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. They say it's a book about the people in the America's and that Jesus Christ came and visited them. You're a little bit curious but also skeptical, and you want to see how much these guy's really know. So you ask a simple question, "Why should I read The Book of Mormon?"
It's a good question, and one that deserves some thought. I mean, people usually only due things either to gain a reward or avoid a punishment, it's simple psychology. Fortunately we have the words of modern day prophets to help us out. President Ezra Taft Benson, former president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, gave an amazing talk in the October 1986 General Conference titled The Book of Mormon - Keystone of Our Religion. In it he outlined 3 reasons why members of the Church should strive to study the Book of Mormon throughout their life's. I think that the same three reasons apply to everyone and I think they are worth some thought. So here they are -
1. The Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion:
The Prophet Joseph Smith said that "the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book." Simply stated a keystone holds an arch together, without it the structure crumbles. If the Book of Mormon was false, then Joseph Smith wasn't a prophet. If he wasn't a prophet than the things he said and did weren't true, and the whole Church falls and isn't true. But with the Book of Mormon we are absolute and unshaken in our faith. This is one reason why you should read the Book of Mormon, because by gaining a witness that the book is true, you come to know that "Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is his revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the Lord's kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah." (Introduction to the Book of Mormon)
2. The Book of Mormon was written for our day:
Many prophets in the Book of Mormon testified that the words they were writing were for us. Many of these prophets even saw in vision and in prophesy our day and what we would need to steer us in the right direction towards God. From the Book of Mormon we learn of the promises and covenants God has made with His children and those in the America's that are still in effect today. We learn what happens when a civilization centers itself in God and what happens when they choose to disobey God. We even learn where most of the ancestors of the American Indians came from for crying out loud! I mean if each of us had a manual for our individual lives, wouldn't we at least glance at it? The Book of Mormon is just that. Specific direction and counsel for each and every one of us in this day and age.
3. The Book of Mormon helps us draw nearer to God:
This is something you have to experience more than anything else. Almost half of the verses contained in the Book of Mormon include Christ in some way or another. It contains the record of a people who were blessed with the opportunity to feel the prints in His hands and feet and the wound in His side. It contains His gospel as given to His prophets. It's overall purpose is to bring everyone closer to God and His Son Jesus Christ. I can tell anybody enough about how powerful this book is. You feel the Holy Ghost so strongly through the simple words on it's pages. This Book is From God!! The good feelings you get from reading the book are indescribable. If you want to come closer to God and our Savior, this book will do just that more than anything else.
I want everyone to know that I know the Book of Mormon is true. For me, my witness didn't come in one night at one particular moment of my life. For me it came in bits and pieces, like a puzzle. As I came to read and study its words truth was revealed to me at the rate that was perfect for me. This continued for years until the thought came to my head "You know it's true, you have always known it is true." I urge everyone from the bottom of my heart to simply read the book. It's so simple, pick it up and read it. Read it to come closer to God, read it for understanding, read it humbly so that the Holy Ghost can tell you if it is true. I testify the truthfulness of Moroni's promise, God will answer you!! Just give it a try, see what it can do in your life.
"And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." Moroni 10:3-5
This is why I love modern day prophets. Through them God can say to us what we need to here in this day and age. We live in a time where the demands of life press down upon us more than they ever have before. At times I feel that I'm stretched to the point where I feel like breaking. But we aren't alone in this endeavour. Having faith in the eternal perspective gives me such great hope and comfort in my life. The Gospel of Jesus Christ carries me through these difficult times. It is what gives me the peace and comfort I need to live in this world and be who I am and become who I need to be. Through learning and living this Gospel, we will find the strength to overcome any challenge life may throw at us. I know this to be true.
"Perfection comes not in this life, but in the next life. Don't demand things that are unreasonable. But demand of yourself improvement. As you let the Lord help you, through that He will make the difference." - Elder Russell M. Nelson
"A testimony is a witness or confirmation of eternal truth impressed upon individual hearts and souls through the Holy Ghost, whose primary ministry is to testify of truth, particularly as it relates to the Father and the Son." - Elder M. Russell Ballard
I tried to describe a testimony at it's basics and Elder Ballard really nailed it. But sometimes I wonder how do you gain a testimony. I don't believe anybody wouldn't want such a testimony and witness of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. So how does one gain such a testimony?
My dad taught me this simple truth in many different ways. Imagine your testimony is like a puzzle. How do you put a puzzle together? Well obviously piece by piece. Step by step you place the pieces together one at a time to construct an entire picture. Our testimonies are built the same way. You don't gain a testimony all at once, but rather over time and piece by piece.
Those pieces you add to your testimony puzzle come from many different things. Reading the scriptures, you add a piece. You pray sincerely to your Father in Heaven, there's another piece. You pay tithing, there's another piece. You attend sacrament meeting, another piece. The list goes on and on. It's not the acts themselves that provide a piece, it's the Spirit that is felt that confirms the truthfulness of what happened. The the Spiritual things you experience as you keep and live God's commandments and diligently seek Him out are those pieces you add to your testimony puzzle.
For example, my father owned a motorcylce when he was in his youth. He was riding home one day on this motorcycle and was going pretty fast down the road. As he was riding a quite but powerful voice filled his mind and heart. It said "Slow Down". He thought about but really didn't listen to it. He heard it again, "Slow Down". This time he listened to the prompting. As he began to slow the bike's back tire blew. Huge chunks of rubber went flying and one of them caught in the chain. The bike started to fishtail and swerve all over the road. However my dad was able to maintain enough control of the bike and was able to stop on the side of the road. If he hadn't of slowed down, I don't think I would be here.
The Spirit is real and you can experience such promptings. But those experiences don't give you a testimony all at once. This thing that happened to my dad added a huge piece to his testimony puzzle. We can add such pieces to our testimonies if we do the right things. May we strive to do all the rights things so we can add more and more to our testimony puzzle.
That statement always makes me laugh. It's one of my Grandpaisms my Grandpa Hess always likes to say. He always says funny things like "Kill to stones with one bird", or if you fall down "Come over here and I'll help you up". But the saying "It will get better once it stops hurting" really has some truth if you think about it.
Life's tough sometimes. There's nothing really around that fact. Sometimes during life we experience some pretty hard times. Trials and tribulations are to be expected, but that doesn't make them anymore less painful. We face so many different kinds of trials like sickness, death, depression, loneliness, guilt, family issues, finance problems, learning problems, etc, etc, etc. The list goes on and on. At times we seem to be thrown a never ending string of them that doesn't look like it will let up. Each of us individually face our own personal demons that turn life into this gauntlet of pain. Life isn't fair; it's not a cake walk; life is hard. In Matthew 5:45, the Savior says "he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Good things happen to bad and good people, bad things happen to bad and good people. Life is hard. But there is hope.
We have a loving Heavenly Father and we are His children. He loves each and every one of his children. That is why we are here on earth. He wants for us to receive all that He has. His purpose is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." He has provided us this opportunity to learn and progress so we can be more like him. We are here on earth to be tried and tested, and that means sometimes things aren't going to be very pleasant.
Life is a refiners fire. Trials are those hot flames that lick and scourge us. But through those flames we melt off the imperfections we possess. We burn off the portions of our lives that need to be removed. It's not fun, it's not pleasant, and it hurts at times. But the end result is something pure and sweet, beautiful and incorruptible. Orson F. Whitney said "No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude, and humility....It is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we came here to acquire." And we aren't suppose to go through them alone.
2nd Corinthians 1:3-5 says "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort. Who comforteth us in our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ."
God is there and so is His Son Jesus Christ. Just like any parent or sibling, they want to help their sons and daughters, brothers and sister get through anything that they are struggling with. We can find hope and comfort in our afflictions in our Savior. I know this to be true. Through them we can get through anything.
So what do we need to do to receive this help? First we need to ask for it. Prayer is essential for help during trials. I remember one experience in my life that really helped me out. I was on a scout river kanoing trip in Wyoming. All of our equipment was stored in these five gallon buckets and tied down in the middle of the kanoe. Due to bad planning on my part the sleeping bag I chose wasn't quite the right size for the bucket so the lid didn't close all the way. Despite my most desperate attempts, our kanoe got swamped as our leaders and fellow scouts had fun trying to sink everybody else while going down the river. When we finally got to shore to camp the night I inevitably found my sleeping bag soaked with water. I tried to let it dry out before the sun set but still it was pretty damp by the time night came. A cold Wyoming night in the wilderness in a wet sleeping bag didn't exactly add up to a good nights sleep. I crawled into my bag and immediately the cold sapped the heat from my body. I shivered and shivered and things got colder and colder. I was out of options that night, I had no where else to turn. "I could potentially die tonight" was what I was thinking. I needed help. In my cold, damp sleeping bag I rolled over and offered a silent prayer to my Father in Heaven. I asked Him so desperately that this would seem so insignificant to everything else that was going on in the world but I really needed to be warm so I could sleep. After I ended my prayer immediately warmth ran throughout my body. The shivering stopped and I relaxed. I was able to sleep that night so peacefully and warmly than I ever thought possible. I know God answers prayers. During our times of affliction, I promise that if you call upon God for aide He will answer.
Along with prayer, your scripture study can be such a source of inspiration and strength to you. Christ when he was on the earth was always healing those who were in needed. Any sort of affliction or sickness he healed. He could heal people miles away, just by His words. Christ's words have the power to heal. So why should the scriptures be any different? Scriptures have the power to heal and strengthen us. There are so many good things hidden in the scriptures that will speak just to you for exactly what you might be going through. So when in doubt, scripture it out!!
As I've said before, trials are tough, but they are necessary. The Lord hasn't designed these trials for you to go through alone. Christ gave up His life to give us the greatest gift of the Atonement. He has gone through all our pains, sorrows, afflictions, and sins. He knows what you are going through more than we can imagine. That makes Him the only one who can really comfort us in times like trials. When we need Him most, He will come and bear us up. Push forward through whatever life throws at you. Doctrine and Covenants 122 is so famous for whatever we face in life. Remember whatever we face is for our own good and will give us experience.
I hope that this will help anyone who is going through anything hard in life. Remember prayer and scripture study. By small and simple things are great things come to pass. And remember, it will feel better once it stops hurting.
President Uchtdorf said "Often the deep valleys of our present will be understood only by looking back on them from the mountains of our future experience. Often we can't see the Lord's Hand in our lives until long after trails have passed. Often the most difficult times of our lives are essential building blocks that form the foundation of our character and pave the way to future opportunity, understand, and happiness."
Here are some tips from Elder Wirthlin that will help through trials.
I had this problem as a kid, and I still do have this problem today. General Conference is great but I've always noticed something that's made it hard to listen all the time. A bunch of old guys standing at a pulpit, speaking in very monotone voices without nothing to look at but their faces from different angles isn't exactly Hollywood cinematics. Let's face it, sometimes conference is boring. It's hard to stay awake at times and understand what the speakers are talking about. I missed most of April 2011 because I fell asleep for most of it. I know many others suffer with this same problem as well. However I found a story in a talk from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf that really put things into perspective for me about conference.
The story goes:
A fine member of the Church was talking with a neighbor who was not of our faith. When the topic of discussion turned to general conference, the neighbor asked, “You say you have prophets and apostles? And twice a year in a worldwide conference they reveal the word of God?”
“Absolutely,” the member replied with confidence.
The neighbor thought about that for a moment. He seemed genuinely interested and then asked, “What did they say in the last general conference?”
At this point the good member of the Church went from feeling excited about sharing the gospel to feeling embarrassed. Try as he might, he couldn’t think of the details of a single talk.
His friend found this troubling and said, “You mean to tell me that God speaks to man in our day and you can’t remember what He said?”
The brother felt humbled by this exchange. He vowed that he would do better to remember the words spoken by the Lord’s servants in general conference.
Here are 3 things that I learned that I'm going to try to help me stay awake and learn at this conference.
1. Take Notes - I know it doesn't sound fun but I've never done it before and I've heard a lot of people say it helps you stay focused and really allows you to grasp the message of what they are saying. Don't just write down what they said. You will get a copy in the Ensign a month from now. Instead write down what you feel. Write down any personal thoughts or spiritual promptings so that you can remember them later on. This will make the talks really personal and dear to you, I promise.
2. Take a Friend - If you are watching it at home via whatever means, invite someone, member or non-member, to come join you. Having someone there will really keep you awake and focused. You will be there to answer questions and you will have someone there to ask questions to. Also, it would be really embarrassing to fall asleep during conference if your friend is there.
3. Pray - Prayer always works. God cares about you, even the very simplest of things. God has helped me through personal trials that to others might seem small but meant a lot to me. Pray to first stay awake and then ask to have the Spirit to be receptive to the messages that will be presented. I promise you if you ask with sincere faith and real intent, God will make this conference one of the best you've ever experienced.
Remember the story President Uchtdorf told in his talk. People might ask you about what you learned in conference and what the Prophet has said. You want to be able to answer boldly and truthfully right? You want to give an answer with conviction, power, and excitement right? Then let's all make this conference the best one yet and we will all stay awake. I promise you that you will learn so much. You will learn things that will help you in your own unique life. You will feel so much better, you will be inspired. You won't ever regret what you experienced. I know this Church is true and that we do have a living prophet today, Thomas S. Monson.
