Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
Quorum of the Twelve

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland shared a message on the truthfulness and importance of the Book of Mormon.

He referred to it as a “keystone in the offensive against latter-day ills,” and said it teaches us that the safe harbor during our greatest times of despair is Jesus Christ.

“I testify that one cannot come to a full faith in this latter-day work — and thereby find the fullest measure of peace and comfort for our times — until he or she embraces the divinity of the Book of Mormon and the Lord Jesus Christ of whom it testifies,” Holland said.

Holland spoke of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, martyrs who were willing to die for their testimonies of the Book of Mormon.  He held up Hyrum Smith’s own copy for all to see.

By Tyler Nebeker

Elder M. Russell Ballard
Quorum of the Twelve

Elder M. Russell Ballard opened Saturday’s priesthood session of conference with a message to fathers and sons.

“Fathers and sons can play a critical role in helping each other become the best that we can be,” Elder Ballard said.

To sons, he offered three suggestions to draw closer to their fathers: trust your father, take an interest in his life and ask for his advice.

“He will feel the responsibility of that trust and try even harder to understand and to help,” Elder Ballard said.

He then explained three ways fathers can improve relationships with sons: listen to your sons, pray with and for them, and "dare to have the big talks with your sons."

By AMANDA VERZELLO
 
Service to others and love were two main themes of the 179th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The need to serve others was sprinkled throughout many of the talks given over the two days of instruction. President Thomas S. Monson covered the subject in his main address to the membership of the church Sunday morning.

“We are surrounded by those in need of our attention, our encouragement, our support, our comfort and our kindness, be they family members, friends, acquaintances or strangers,” President Monson said. “Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and, figuratively, lose their life, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish and in effect save their life.”

WASHINGTON — An American cardinal on Sunday issued a plea for the rights of the unborn at a church service that included Vice President Joe Biden, six members of the Supreme Court and hundreds of members of the legal community.

Five of the six Roman Catholics on the high court _ Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy and Samuel Alito _ heard the homily by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo; the sixth, Justice Clarence Thomas, did not attend. Justice Stephen Breyer, who is Jewish, was there as well.

Speaking at the annual Red Mass the day before the opening of the Supreme Court term, DiNardo said that people represented by lawyers are "more than clients. ... In some cases the clients are voiceless for they lack influence; in others they are literally voiceless, not yet with tongues and even without names, and require our most careful attention and radical support."

The warmth of laughter and friendly conversations filled the spacious conference center.  Many choir members chatted excitedly about the upcoming Utah Jazz game they would be attending as a group.

Suddenly, a single moment brought absolute silence.

Mac Wilberg, music director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, seized the choir’s attention with his mere presence.

After a few seconds, Wilberg broke the silence and lightened the mood by congratulating a typical late-comer.

“Kristin! You’re early!”

The rehearsing choir roared with delighted laughter.

By ERIKA POTTER

To many students, the idea of beginning their family history work may seem daunting, but thanks to new technology and innovations introduced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, doing family history research is easier than it has ever been.

The church’s new Web site, new.familysearch.org, combines information from other major genealogical databases including church membership records to create one common pedigree, simplifying the process of family history research.

“For Latter-Day Saints, family history is one of the three areas of emphasis in the church,” said Kip Sperry, BYU professor of religion. “It is an exciting activity to learn more about where our ancestors came from.”

Students were encouraged to be aware of and eliminate pride in their lives by Elder Kim B. Clark, in the BYU devotional on Tuesday.

Clark, president of BYU—Idaho and member of the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy, shared a memory from his childhood of refinishing dining room chairs. The chairs, made of cherry wood, were marblewood underneath. Much scraping and sanding had to be done to the chairs to get to the marblewood and prepare the chairs for varnish.

After the chairs were finished, they were transformed, Clark said. He used this experience to further explain how students can get rid of pride.

“The effects of pride, whether in adversity or prosperity, are deadly,” Clark said.

His experience of refurnishing those chairs reminds him how just as he helped with their transformation, Christ also serves as the author and finisher of faith for everyone.