A Mormon Woman's Reflections on Life and the Gospel of Jesus Christ

LDS General Conference Session Notes:  Mormon April 2010 Conference

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  Russell M. Nelson Speaks on Mormon Genealogy,  & Undergirding Mormon Doctrine

When our hearts turn to our ancestors, our inborn yearnings are filled when we are linked to our families beyond the veil, said Elder Russell M. Nelson, Mormon apostle, referring to the doctrines of Mormonism.

For those new to this gathering or to this site, “LDS” or “Mormon” are nicknames for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Savior’s restored Church. Mormonism is the name associated with the doctrines and teachings of Christ that are held by those members; more accurately Mormonism represents, to Church adherents, the fulness of the doctrines of Jesus Christ’s gospel and its full authority, restored in our day through the Savior and Father’s own literal re-appearance and divine direction. The message of Mormons, of Mormonism, is a message of import; a message every onlooker should investigate personally and directly and prayerfully (site author).

Methods to find and prepare names for ordinances are becoming easier. Procedures have been simplified so that virtually every member of the Church can participate. No matter your situation, you can participate in this work right now,  

Elder Nelson continued, enumerating ways that each member can become involved in family history (friends of all faiths are welcome in Mormon family history centers worldwide, see familysearch dot org for more details:

• Children can draw family trees.
• Parents can find their ancestors through New Family Search and perform temple work (Mormons build temples today as the Lord’s followers did under His direction anciently. They are beautiful Houses of the Lord, dedicated to His ordinances or initiations into His kingdom on earth, and containing powers and principles by which we can access increasingly the Holy Ghost and grow up in our knowledge of Jesus Christ.)
• Individuals can hold a temple recommend (Mormons, Christian disciples of Christ, are invited to the House of the Lord according to His standards of worthiness and moral cleanliness, and before entering these sacred edifices of peace and purity, they are interviewed and determined to be worthy of that blessing. They need not be perfect, for none of us are, but striving and in keeping with the commandments and teachings of the Church.)
• Older individuals can learn how to use the computer with help to do this saving work.

“New technology makes it easier than ever to fulfill that responsibility; the New Family Search helps identify ancestors, the work done for them, and ways to prepare those individuals’ temple ordinances,” indicated Elder Russell M. Nelson, LDS (Mormon) apostle.

In the past, people worked separately. Now we can work together in building each other’s family tree, shares Elder Nelson.

There’s more work ahead, he averred. “New Family Search may expose duplicate entries or errors previously unrecognized, especially in the case of those with pioneer ancestry.”

Mormon Doctrine Undergirds This  Mormon Temple and Mormon Genealogy Work

We are helping in the exaltation of others as we do this work, testified the LDS apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Nelson.  Joseph Smith asked us to “offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness” and present in the holy temple a “book worthy of all acceptation.”  As we work together, we can accomplish this record, and makes it possible for those ancestors to receive those ordinances if and as they choose, and makes liberty of captives, and links us to others of our ancestors in love. This leads to the exaltation of our families.

LDS (Mormon) General Conference April 2010 Gathering in Salt Lake City

President Thomas Monson, Mormon Prophet, Closes 180th Mormon Annual Gathering of General Conference

Of the April 2010 Mormon gathering, the 180th Session of the Mormon Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the living prophet, Thomas S. Monson, said in great sincerity, ” I’ve never heard finer words spoken in so few words.”  He testified of the Lord’s mindfulness of each of us and acknowledged His hand in his life.

To that, Mormon (LDS) prophet–Christ’s mouthpiece on the earth today just as Moses, Noah, Abraham anciently– added one scripture verse for our pondering and consideration:

Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not unto thine own understanding, in all thy ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy path.

This, the prophet, Thomas Monson indicates, represents the story of his life.

Encouraging all to ponder and review and apply the talks that will be printed in full in the upcoming Ensign, the Church magazine available to all, members and friends of other faiths alike, he closed with a plea to look to the lighthouse of the Lord in all of our storms.  He testified that the Lord is our Rock in whom is our strength.

Closing with his final testimony–with heart full and tender feelings–he added a note of gratitude to the members for all the prayers offered on his behalf.  He then invoked the blessings of heaven upon each of us, by virtue of his prophetic mantle, blessing us that the messages of the Spirit of this conference might find expression in all we do at home, work, in our meetings and in all our comings and goings, and offered his benediction in the name of Jesus Christ.

Neil Andersen, Mormon Apostle Encourages Members to "Tell Stories of Jesus"

Elder Neil Anderson, Mormon apostle, recognized the symphony of power in the inspired, overlapping talks of this 180th Session of the Mormon General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

His plea to the Mormon audience and to those of all faiths attending is to do as the children’s hymn suggests: “Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear, things I would ask Him to tell me if He were here,” –teach and speak of Jesus more in our homes and with all those we love.

Each child and individual needs his or her conversion, light, independent of parents, youth leaders, and supportive friends. The stories of Jesus can be like a rushing wind; they bring strength to the foundation of testimony.

Are the life and teachings of Jesus Christ in the minds of our children?  Do they turn to His life when they have questions?  Do they know that Jesus often taught, “Ask and ye shall receive.”  Does His example of prayer come to their minds as they pray for their own needs? Do they know Jesus stands with open arms to receive them. In their own loneliness, do they know His own loneliness and find strength there?  Do our children believe that is by faith that miracles are wrought and do they pray for miracles in their own lives?  Do our children know about His perfect life, His selfless ministry, His cruel betrayal, His atonement and His resurrection? Do they know of His appearance after His resurrection.  Do our children, “Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear”?

To the Children:

Read the book of John as a starting point and discuss it.

To Mothers, Father, Grandmothers, Grandfathers & Others Who Nurture

Speak more frequently about Jesus Christ. In His holy name there is much power.

To Mothers Raising Children Without a Father in the Home.

I promise you that as you speak of Jesus Christ, you will feel His power in your home.

As you talk about Christ at the dinner table, at prayer, on your bed, on the bus, the testimony of Jesus Christ will distill them and a stronger testimony of and faith in Christ will help them in all they face in their mortal lives.

April 2010 Mormon Conference

Mormon Prophet - President Thomas Monson Shall A Man Live

Mormon April General Conference:  ”If a Man Die, Shall He Live Again?”–Thomas Monson, Prophet Addresses Mormon Doctrine on Death

President Thomas Monson spoke of what lies beyond the veil, after death has taken hold. He reflected on and mentioned that he felt the heartache and grief of a woman suffering a “hopeless dawn” in an artistic rendering of a lost one.

Job spoke what all of us have pondered at some point, “If a man die, shall he live again.”  This talk is to answer that question from the perspective of Mormon doctrine, Mormon belief.

Mormon beliefs

President Thomas Monson addressed the creation as he shared portions of the Genesis account. God created the world.

“If there is a design,” shared the prophet,”who can doubt there must be a Designer?”  He continued, speaking of the Creator who formed the earth, who created the firmaments, light, grass, fruit trees, and more.

Came the stars by His design. God called for living creatures…; He made cattle, beasts, and creeping things… His design was nearly complete. Lastly, he created male and female.

Man alone received intelligence, a brain, mind, and soul…. Man alone had this capacity for inspiration and ambition.

Mormon doctrine of pre-mortal life

“Should this come to an end?,” asked the Mormon prophet rhetorically.  To understand the meaning of death, we must understand the purpose of life.  “The dim of unbelief must be lit with understanding of revelation–that we lived pre-mortally, and agreed to come to this mortal existence to gain a body, to have trials, and to progress”.  Father knew we’d fall short and be tempted. So we’d have every chance of success, He provided a Savior to suffer and die for us, He also overcame physical death.  Thus, Christ, our Savior was born to mortal life in Bethlehem.  The long-awaited Messiah had come.

“Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man,” alluded the prophet.  And in Acts there is a short phrase that has a world of meaning,  recited President Monson: “He went about doing good.”  He was baptized by John the Baptist. He taught, testified, healed, and then His mortal mission began to come to close.

President Monson continued to review and bring to remembrance the poignant moments of the Savior’s life and mission.

“No mere mortal can conceive the full import of what Christ did for us in Gethsemane. “The suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble and to bleed from every pore,” cited the prophet from a book of modern revelation known as The Doctrine and Covenants.

Seized by rough, crude hands, He was taken by Herod, and Pilate, and Caiaphus, to be accused and crowned with thorns, shared the President, as if reliving this from the well-recorded memory of His own experiential study and personal knowledge of the Savior.

Once again, said Monson, Mormon prophet, “He was taken to Pilate who gave in to the cries of the angry mob, who cried, ‘Crucify Him.’”

He carried His own cross until He could go no further. Finally, on a hill called Calvary, while helpless followers looked on, He was nailed to a cross, mocked mercilessly. And yet, He cried out, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  And then, from parched lips, “Father, into thy hands, I commend my Spirit.”

He returned to the presence of His Father.  At the last moment, the Master could have turned back. But He did not, testified President Monson of the voluntary sacrifice and death of the Lord.

President Monson said there are no words in Christendom mean more to him than those spoken to Mary, “Why seek ye the living among the dead, for He is not here. He is risen.”  The glorious victory over death had been taken place.

“The pain and agony of Calvary had been wiped away; the fall of Adam had been reclaimed,” testified the living prophet, President Monson.

This was the answer to Job’s question, testified President Monson.

The prophet added with intensity of his personal knowledge and conviction of the resurrection, of life after death:

I declare if a man die, he SHALL live again.” We know. We have revealed truth.

The darkness of death can always be dispelled by the light of revealed truth.

So testified the Mormon prophet, Thomas S. Monson, at the April 2010 General Conference where Mormons and the world are invited to listen to the word of Jesus Christ to each of us, to guide us today and to apply the timeless teachings of the Master. His closing remarks signaled the hope and peace the prophet promised to those who would come unto the Savior and understand by the light of revealed truth, that there is life beyond the veil.