shall have glory added upon theirheads for ever and ever.” 2Keeping our second estate dependson our making covenants with Godand faithfully performing the dutiesthey require of us. It takes faith inJesus Christ as our Savior to keepsacred covenants for a lifetime.Because Adam and Eve did fall, wehave temptation, trials, and death asour universal inheritance. However, ourloving Heavenly Father gave us the giftof His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, as ourSavior. That great gift and blessing ofthe Atonement of Jesus Christ brings auniversal inheritance: the promise ofthe Resurrection and the possibility ofeternal life to all who are born.The greatest of all the blessings ofGod, eternal life, will come to us onlyas we make covenants offered in thetrue Church of Jesus Christ by Hisauthorized servants. Because of theFall, we all need the cleansing effectsof baptism and the laying on of handsto receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.These ordinances must be performedby those who possess the proper24priesthood authority. Then, with thehelp of the Light of Christ and the HolyGhost, we can keep all the covenantswe make with God, especially thoseoffered in His temples. Only in thatway, and with that help, can anyoneclaim his or her rightful inheritance asa child of God in a family forever.To some listening to me, that mayseem a nearly hopeless dream.You have seen faithful parents sorrowover children who have rejectedor who have chosen to break theircovenants with God. But those parentscan take heart and hope from otherparental experiences.Alma’s son and King Mosiah’s sonsreturned from fierce rebellion againstthe covenants and the commandmentsof God. Alma the Younger saw his sonCorianton turn from gross sin to faithfulservice. The Book of Mormon alsorecords the miracle of the Lamanitesputting aside traditions of hatingrighteousness to covenanting to dieto maintain peace.An angel was sent to the youngAlma and the sons of Mosiah. Theangel came because of the faith andprayers of their fathers and of God’speople. From those examples of thepower of the Atonement working inhuman hearts, you can receive courageand comfort.The Lord has given us all the sourceof hope as we struggle to help thosewe love accept their eternal inheritance.He has made promises to usas we keep trying to gather peopleto Him, even when they resist Hisinvitation to do so. Their resistancesaddens Him, but He does not quit, norshould we. He sets the perfect examplefor us with His persistent love: “Andagain, how oft would I have gatheredyou as a hen gathereth her chickensunder her wings, yea, O ye people ofthe house of Israel, who have fallen;yea, O ye people of the house of Israel,ye that dwell at Jerusalem, as ye thathave fallen; yea, how oft would I havegathered you as a hen gathereth herchickens, and ye would not.” 3We can depend on that unfailingdesire of the Savior to bring all ofHeavenly Father’s spirit childrenback to their home with Him. Everyfaithful parent, grandparent, and greatgrandparentshares in that desire.Heavenly Father and the Savior areour perfect examples of what we canand must do. They never force righteousnessbecause righteousness mustbe chosen. They make righteousnessdiscernible to us, and They let us seethat its fruits are delicious.Every person born into the worldreceives the Light of Christ, whichhelps us see and feel what is right andwhat is wrong. God has sent mortalservants who can, by the Holy Ghost,help us recognize what He wouldhave us do and what He forbids. Godmakes it attractive to choose the rightby letting us feel the effects of ourchoices. If we choose the right, we
will find happiness—in time. If wechoose evil, there comes sorrow andregret—in time. Those effects are sure.Yet they are often delayed for a purpose.If the blessings were immediate,choosing the right would not buildfaith. And since sorrow is also sometimesgreatly delayed, it takes faith tofeel the need to seek forgiveness forsin early rather than after we feel itssorrowful and painful effects.Father Lehi sorrowed over thechoices made by some of his sonsand their families. He was a greatand good man—a prophet of God.He often testified of our Savior, JesusChrist, to them. He was an exampleof obedience and service when theLord called him to leave all his worldlypossessions to spare his family fromdestruction. At the very end of his life,he was still testifying to his children.Like the Savior—and despite hispower to discern their hearts and tosee the future both sad and wonderful—Lehi kept his arms outstretched todraw his family toward salvation.Today millions of the descendantsof Father Lehi are justifying his hopefor them.What can you and I do to drawfrom Lehi’s example? We can drawfrom his example by studying scriptureprayerfully and by observation.I suggest that you take both theshort and the long view as you try togive the inheritance of hope to yourfamily. In the short run, there will betroubles and Satan will roar. And thereare things to wait for patiently, in faith,knowing that the Lord acts in His owntime and in His own way.There are things you can do early,when those you love are young.Remember that daily family prayer, familyscripture study, and sharing our testimonyin sacrament meeting are easierand more effective when children areyoung. Young children are often moresensitive to the Spirit than we realize.When they are older, they willremember the hymns they sang withyou. Even more than recalling music,they will remember the words ofscripture and testimony. The HolyGhost can bring all things to theirremembrance, but the words of scripturesand hymns will last the longest.Those memories will exert a pull thatmay bring them back when they wanderfor a time, possibly for years, fromthe pathway home to eternal life.We will need the long view whenthose we love feel the pull of theworld and the cloud of doubt seemsto overwhelm their faith. We havefaith, hope, and charity to guide usand to str<strong>eng</strong>then them.I have seen that as a counselor totwo living prophets of God. They areindividuals with unique personalities.Yet they seem to share a consistentoptimism. When someone raises analarm about something in the Church,their most frequent response is “Oh,things will work out.” They generallyknow more about the problem thanthe people sounding the alarm.They also know the way of theLord, and so they are always hopefulabout His kingdom. They know He isat its head. He is all-powerful and Hecares. If you let Him be the leader ofyour family, things will work out.Some of Heinrich Eyring’s descendantshave seemed to wander. Butmany of his great-great-grandchildr<strong>eng</strong>o to temples of God at 6:<strong>00</strong> in themorning to perform ordinances forancestors they have never met. Theygo out of the heritage of hope he left.He left an inheritance that is beingclaimed by many of his descendants.After all we can do in faith, theLord will justify our hopes for greaterblessings for our families than we canimagine. He wants the best for themand for us, as His children.We are all children of a living God.Jesus of Nazareth is His Beloved Sonand our resurrected Savior. This is HisChurch. In it are the keys of the priesthood,and so families can be forever.This is our priceless heritage of hope.I testify that it is true in the name ofthe Lord Jesus Christ, amen. ◼NOTES1. See Henry Eyring reminiscences, 1896,typescript, Church History Library, 16–21.2. Abraham 3:24–26.3. 3 Nephi 10:5.Shareable Video and QuoteScan this QR code or visit lds.org/go/Apr14Conf4 to watch this talkor to find a shareable picture quoteand short video from the talk.May <strong>2014</strong>25
- Page 1: THE ENSIGN OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS C
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- Page 20 and 21: By Elder Neil L. AndersenOf the Quo
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- Page 46 and 47: 44By Elder Quentin L. CookOf the Qu
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It is easy to be grateful for thing
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who promises eternal blessingswitho
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encouraged members to pray to beled
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coming. He said that he knew theywo
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hand in their lives and often expre
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The words of the Apostle Paul seems
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By Elder David A. BednarOf the Quor
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“And I will also ease the burdens
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By President Thomas S. MonsonLove
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that the reasons do not matter. If
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The revelations promise that “wha
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“And we believe and are sure that
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Hyrum. But they carried on! Theysta
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the team ever believes that it does
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Too often we think of obedienceas t
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Priesthoods, elders, high priests,d
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In working with many membersover th
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their works ye shall know them; for
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By Elder D. Todd ChristoffersonOf t
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thoughts. Because He redeemed usfro
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By President Thomas S. MonsonUntil
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Stay standing, girls, while everyon
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By Bonnie L. OscarsonYoung Women Ge
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Her bishop solemnly replied, “Sis
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een prepared to do! Regardless ofwh
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By President Henry B. EyringFirst C
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from seeing that a sister and daugh
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Conference Story IndexThe following
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overcome “spiritual whirlwinds,
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ARTISTS INVITED TO ENTERCOMPETITION
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Technology and Social MediaExpand W
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The Mexico City Temple Visitors’
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Church AppliesWelfare Principlesin
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Elder Lynn G.RobbinsPresidency of t
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© ELSPETH YOUNG, MAY NOT BE COPIED