I have looked forward to the opportunity of
accepting the assignment and the invitation
to be with you today, for I realize you are
the heart and soul of many of the parents
of this Church, all over the world.
What a glorious sight you are!
I am also pleased to recognize the officers
and faculty members of this fine institution.
My dear young brothers and sisters, you are
in the prime of your lives.
You are on the cutting edge of progress.
You live in a time of extreme difficulties
but also a time of exceptional opportunities.
I think the nation and the world have never
been beset with a greater variety of challenges
to meet and problems to solve, and you and
those similar to you are destined to meet
those challenges and to solve those problems.
I know you can, because the Lord will provide
the help you need.
I love the passage from the book of Acts in
the New Testament where we read of the confrontation
between a man from Ethiopia, who was reading
from scripture, and Philip of old.
Philip asked the man if he understood the
words he was reading.
The man replied to Philip, “How can I, except
some man should guide me?”
Of course Philip sat with him and guided him
in his understanding.
Just last Thursday I was sitting in the room
in the Salt Lake Temple where the First Presidency
and Quorum of the Twelve meet once each week.
I gazed up at the wall which faces the First
Presidency, and there I observed a portrait
of each President of the Church.
As my gaze moved from the Prophet Joseph right
down through President Hinckley, I thought,
“We have had great Presidents of this Church.
Each one has guided us; his writings have
stimulated us; his messages have inspired
us.
To show us the way, we have those whom the
Lord has provided.”
Some years ago I spoke here of the Presidents
of the Church I have known, giving brief personal
glimpses.
Today I would like to mention each one in
greater depth.
The man who was President of the Church when
I was born and who was president until I was
nearly eighteen years old was the seventh
President of the Church, Heber J. Grant.
He was ordained and set apart as President
on November 23, 1918, at the age of 62.
The Church was a little different when President
Grant was President.
His personal office was what we refer to now
as the First Presidency Boardroom.
He sat at a large, rather imposing desk in
the enormous room, and just about anyone could
drop in to see him.
The Church was relatively small at the time.
A friend of mine told me that he and another
young man had been asked to visit President
Grant to see if he would come to their ward
and speak at the commemoration of the restoration
of the Aaronic Priesthood they were planning.
He said they walked through the front door
of the Church Administration Building, walked
to the back of the building where President
Grant’s secretary sat, and said, “Is the
President in?”
She replied, “Yes, would you like to see
him?”
They answered in the affirmative and were
shown into that beautiful boardroom.
President Grant welcomed them and said, “What
can I do for you two young men today?”
They made their request, and President Grant
responded, “Of course I’d be happy to
come and speak to the young men.
Give me the date and time, and I’ll be there.”
He stood, and they thanked him and left.
President Grant visited their ward on the
appointed date.
This scenario probably took place in the early
1930s, and I can assure you that everything
is handled much differently today.
President Grant presided during a time when
there was tremendous change in the world,
including the financial challenges of the
Great Depression.
He assisted in the development of the welfare
program of the Church and helped the members
cope with the tragedy of World War II.
He was a persistent person.
As a boy he wanted to learn how to throw a
baseball.
He was not as good as he desired to be, so
he practiced hour after hour throwing the
ball at a target marked on the barn door.
He became very proficient.
He also was a poor penman, but through extensive
practice he developed beautiful penmanship.
President Grant loved to stand before the
priesthood of the Church.
Those were the days when everything was a
little less structured, and he’d go to the
microphone and say, “We’re now in priesthood
session.
We’re off the record.
The press is not in attendance.”
Then he’d discuss any subject he chose.
On one occasion he stood in priesthood meeting
and said, “I have a letter from a man who
made a suggestion concerning what subject
I should address at conference.
This man said he felt I had spoken too many
times concerning the Word of Wisdom and strongly
urged me to speak on a different topic.”
President Grant continued, “That is one
man who obviously needs to hear more about
the Word of Wisdom, and therefore I shall
address that topic tonight,” and he did
so.
President Grant’s favorite song was “Do
What Is Right.”
And let me add the words “let the consequence
follow.”
Think of that: Do what is right.
President Grant lived by the words of that
song.
His favorite food was bread and milk—very
common, simple fare.
A favorite quotation of his is attributed
to Ralph Waldo Emerson: “That which we persist
in doing becomes easier to do; not that the
nature of the thing has changed, but that
our capacity to do has increased.”
What would be the trait of President Heber
J. Grant that he would probably have you remember
and incorporate in your life?
I feel it would be persistence.
Persist in all those things which are good
and noble.
After 27 years as President of the Church,
President Grant passed away on May 14, 1945,
at the age of 88.
I move next to President George Albert Smith,
the eighth President of the Church, ordained
and set apart as President on May 21, 1945,
at the age of 75.
He was president of the Church when I served
as a bishop, and he signed my bishop’s certificate.
I believe one of President Smith’s most
noble accomplishments was after World War
II.
Starvation was rampant in Germany and in other
nations of Europe.
President Smith met with United States President
Harry S. Truman and said, “We’d like to
send welfare supplies to the starving people
of Europe, but the bureaucracy and the red
tape in postwar Europe are keeping us from
doing so.”
President Truman heard his plea and opened
the way.
He asked, “How many months will it take
for you to assemble your supplies?”
President Smith replied, “President Truman,
they’re already assembled.
All you need do is say go, and they’ll be
rolling within twenty-four hours.”
President Truman was taken aback by this slender
man who spoke rather softly—but oh, could
he move things along.
The supplies were sent, and Elder Ezra Taft
Benson was also sent to oversee their distribution.
Lives were saved as a result.
This great leader had such a compassionate
heart.
A personal friend of mine told me of an example
of such compassion.
He said his uncle Junius Burt worked on the
street department crew for Salt Lake City,
and on a very cold day many years ago, he
and others on the crew were chipping ice with
shovels and hand implements from South Temple
Street between State Street and Main Street.
President George Albert Smith said to one
of the workers who had no coat, “You should
wear a coat today.
It’s too cold to be out here in this very
frigid weather working as you are working.”
The man, who did not know President Smith,
replied, “I have no coat to wear.”
President Smith then removed his own coat,
handed it to the man, and said, “Here, you
take this coat and wear it.
I work just across the street, and I can get
there without a coat.”
Received by that worker that day was more
than an overcoat.
Received was a gesture of kindness which the
recipient of the coat and his coworkers never
forgot.
President George Albert Smith’s favorite
song was “Let Us Oft Speak Kind Words,”
which he personified.
His favorite food was apple pie with a little
warm milk on it.
What was one of his favorite statements?
He always taught, “There is a great tug-of-war
going on between the Lord and the adversary.
Stay safely on the Lord’s side of the line.”
Oh, how applicable it is today in our lives!
A trait of President Smith’s which he would
no doubt encourage us to incorporate in our
lives would be compassion.
This great leader had a compassionate heart.
President George Albert Smith served as President
of the Church for six years, passing away
on his 81st birthday, April 4, 1951.
Now we move to David O. McKay, the ninth President
of the Church.
He was sustained as President on April 9,
1951.
I remember sitting in the Tabernacle on that
day.
He was 77 years old.
Just over twelve years later, in October of
1963, President McKay extended to me a call
to serve as a member of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles.
As I sat there in his office, he had me pull
my chair up very close to him, and he put
his hand on my knee.
His eyes penetrated to my very soul.
I will simply say this much about a very sacred
experience which I don’t share often.
He said, “Brother Monson, the Lord has called
you to the apostleship.
You will become the newest member of the Council
of the Twelve.”
We both wept a little bit.
I later wept a lot more when I realized the
extent of my responsibilities.
President McKay was a man of many attributes,
but one which stands out is that of consideration.
He was always considerate of others.
Let me illustrate.
I was in his office on one occasion prior
to my call to the Twelve.
I did the printing of his books, as I did
for many of the other Brethren.
On that particular occasion I noticed a painting
on the wall, and I said to him, “President
McKay, that’s a lovely painting.
Is it a rendition of your childhood home in
Huntsville, Utah?”
President McKay sat back in his chair, gave
a familiar David O. McKay chuckle, and said,
“Let me tell you about that picture.
A sweet woman came in to see me one day and
presented to me that beautiful painting, framed
and ready to be placed on the wall.
She said, `President McKay, I have spent the
entire summer painting this picture of your
ancestral home.’”
He said he thanked her profusely and accepted
the gift.
“Do you know, Brother Monson,” he continued,
“that sweet woman painted the wrong house.
She painted the house next door!
I didn’t have the heart to tell her.
She may come back, so that’s why it’s
hanging on the wall.”
But then he made this comment, and here is
a vital lesson for us.
He said, “In reality, Brother Monson, she
painted the right house, because when, as
a young boy, I would lie on the bed which
was on the front porch of my ancestral home,
the view I had through that screened porch
was of the very house she painted.
She did paint the right house for me.”
President McKay’s favorite song was “Oh
Say, What Is Truth?”
His favorite food: Cummings chocolates.
What would be an expression of his?
From his own heart and soul he said, “True
Christianity is love in action.”
Again, the noble principle from President
McKay that I would share with you today is
consideration.
May we ever be considerate.
President McKay served nineteen years as President,
until his death January 18, 1970, at the age
of 96.
Next I mention Joseph Fielding Smith, tenth
President of the Church.
He was ordained and set apart on January 23,
1970, at the age of 93.
On one occasion I was touring the missions
in the South Pacific, having left my wife
and family at home.
I remember that when I arrived at Auckland,
New Zealand, after four or five weeks of meetings
in many countries, there was a letter for
me from Joseph Fielding Smith, who at that
time was my quorum president.
He wrote, “Dear Brother Monson, I’ve been
thinking about you and thought you’d like
to know that all is well here at home, and
I am very pleased that you are in the South
Pacific area of the world.
My prayers have been with you.
We are ready to welcome you home when you
return.
Sincerely, Joseph Fielding Smith.”
What a kind and thoughtful thing to do.
As one of the Church’s most prolific writers,
President Smith’s numerous books and articles
helped educate generations of Latter-day Saints
concerning the history and doctrine of the
Church.
He was direct in his teaching of adherence
to gospel principles, and yet he was particularly
tender in his attitude toward those who fell
short.
His favorite song was “Prayer Is the Soul’s
Sincere Desire.”
And I’ll add the next thought: “uttered
or unexpressed.”
And as for his favorite food, I observed him
at our luncheon table in the temple on Thursdays,
and he seemed to love sweet pickles.
I hate them!
I would see to it that he got the sweet pickles,
and I’d take the dill pickles.
What would be a favorite quotation from President
Smith?
From the book of Alma in the Book of Mormon
he emphasized the scripture “Wickedness
never was happiness.”
I’ll repeat it: “Wickedness never was
happiness.”
What would be his guiding principle for us?
It would be gospel scholarship.
He was truly a scholar.
I believe we could say that he would leave
for you and for me this advice: Be studious.
I say that to you as student body members
too: be studious.
When it is test week, you’ll be grateful
you were studious!
President Joseph Fielding Smith served as
President of the Church for two and a half
years, until his death on July 2, 1972, at
the age of 95.
Harold B. Lee, eleventh President of the Church,
was ordained and set apart as President on
July 7, 1972, at the age of 73.
I was with President Lee on one occasion in
New York City, where he had an interview with
George Cornell, the senior writer of religion
for the Associated Press.
As we sat there, George Cornell said to President
Lee, “I’d like to talk to you about some
of the controversial aspects of your Church.”
As he mentioned one or two of them, Brother
Lee said, “George, your readers do not want
to hear about that.
What your readers want to hear about is the
great welfare program of the Church and the
outstanding education program of the Church.”
Mr. Cornell began to take notes, and as a
result an almost full-page story from the
Associated Press described our educational
effort and our welfare program.
No mention whatsoever was made of the controversial
subjects of that time.
This was the persuasive ability of Harold
B. Lee.
President Lee also took time to teach.
A lesson I will recount is rather tender.
On one occasion our oldest son had a tumor
in his leg, and we were naturally very worried,
as were the doctors.
Our son was in the hospital to have surgery,
which could possibly lead to the amputation
of his leg.
Brother Lee had been my stake president as
a boy, so I asked him if he would join me
in giving a blessing to our son.
He consented, and as we met at the hospital
one evening after work, he stopped me before
we went up the stairway and said, “Tom,
there is nowhere in the world I would rather
be, and there is nothing that I would rather
be doing than standing by your side in giving
a priesthood blessing to your son.”
The operation was successful; the tumor was
benign.
I shall ever be indebted to Harold B. Lee
for being where the Lord needed him to be
at a particular time.
One of President Lee’s favorite songs was
“Praise to the Man”—“who communed
with Jehovah!”
I’ll pause for a moment and say that when
I was first called to the Twelve, I noted
that Brother Lee was playing the organ.
And he said, “Brother Monson, as our newest
apostle, would you choose the song you’d
like for us to sing today?”
And I chose his favorite, and we all sang
it with gusto.
A favorite food of his was bread and milk,
and a favorite quotation of his was “Stand
ye in holy places, and be not moved.”
Remember this.
I will repeat it: “Stand ye in holy places,
and be not moved.”
What would be a guiding principle from him?
I would say he would encourage us to be in
tune with and to be responsive to the whisperings
of the Holy Spirit.
Harold B. Lee served just one and a half years
as President of the Church.
He passed away on December 26, 1973, at the
age of 74.
After President Lee came President Spencer
W. Kimball, twelfth President of the Church,
ordained and set apart as President on December
30, 1973, at the age of 78.
For President Kimball, obstacles became his
opportunities.
He was totally dedicated, a worker such as
one seldom sees.
He cared not at all about personal aggrandizement.
One day I was sitting in the temple near President
Kimball.
As I looked down, I noticed that he had a
large hole in his shoe.
And I mean large!
His stocking showed through.
After the meeting I said to Arthur Haycock,
President Kimball’s secretary, “Arthur,
you can’t let the President wear those shoes.”
Arthur responded, “Has he got that pair
out again?
He has many pairs of shoes, and I frequently
hide that pair, but he searches and finds
that particular pair most of the time.”
President Kimball was known for his statement
showing his humility: “My life is like my
shoes—to be worn out in service.”
President Kimball was totally, completely,
unequivocally dedicated to the Lord.
He was dedicated to living the gospel.
One of President Kimball’s favorite songs
was “I Need Thee Every Hour.”
Let’s remember that one particularly.
That choice demonstrates his humility.
Concerning his favorite food, I watched him
for all the years I was in the Twelve while
he was living.
He would fill a glass with milk and take some
date nut bread and crumble it into the glass
until it was thick.
Then he would take a spoon and eat it!
I did not follow his example.
What was a favorite quotation or a lesson
from him?
“Lengthen your stride.”
We had to lengthen our stride in order to
keep up with him!
I asked President Kimball what would be a
guiding principle from his life.
And then I answered it: I believe it would
be dedication.
Spencer W. Kimball served as President of
the Church for twelve years until his death
on November 5, 1985, at the age of 90.
Brother Hinckley and I served with President
Kimball on the Missionary Executive Committee,
so we were with him every Tuesday morning
assigning missionaries, and the three of us
had a very good camaraderie together.
One day he said to Brother Hinckley and me,
“Is this the night where the parents are
coming to visit with the mission presidents
who are here for conference and we’re to
have our offices ready for them?”
Brother Hinckley and I said, “Yes, it is,
President.”
“Is your office ready, Tom?”
I said, “Yes, it is.”
“Is your office ready, Gordon?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Uh, will the two of you carry on with the
meeting while I make my office ready?”
He carried a thick stack of papers and would
thumb through them constantly until they were
worn out on the edges, and he began to take
care of cleaning up his office so it would
be ready for the parents and missionaries.
He emptied the files, put them in the closet,
and then he moved everything off of his desk
and moved it to his secretary’s desk.
And then he picked up that big stack of papers
he usually carried and threw it in his refrigerator.
It was the only place left, so he refrigerated
his notes!
And then he said, “Now I’m ready!”
You had to love him.
You had to love Spencer W. Kimball.
You just had to.
I’ll introduce one little thought.
He said to me one day, “Tom, could you come
in and help me with a problem I have?”
I said, “Sure!”
So I went into his office, and he had a man
sitting there.
(I hope he’s not related to you.)
But Brother Kimball in a sweet way said, “Brother
Monson, this is Brother So-and-So, and he’s
not happy with the assignment which we made
for his son to go on a mission.
Why don’t you tell Brother Monson why you’re
not happy with the call the apostles made.”
He still didn’t catch on.
He said, “Well, he’s assigned to the New
England mission.
I don’t want him to go to the New England
mission; I want him to go to the old England
mission.”
And then Brother Kimball with a smile said,
“And which mission would you have him assigned
to of those in Great Britain?”
“Oh, any of ’em, any of ’em.”
And Brother Kimball said, “Now let’s see.
There’s Bristol, there’s London, there’s
London South,” and he named them all.
“Now which one?”
And the man said, “Oh no, you go ahead.”
“No, since you, as the father, rather than
Brother Monson and I as apostles, are making
your missionary son’s assignment, you name
it.”
I’d never seen a man told off so adroitly,
yet he didn’t recognize he was being told
off.
He said, “Well, that one you mentioned,
Bristol.
That sounds good.
Send him to Bristol.”
After he left, Brother Kimball said, “Aren’t
some parents unusual?”
He would not use a word I might have used,
but then he wasn’t in the navy like I was!
(That line is not in my prepared message!)
Now I come to Ezra Taft Benson, thirteenth
President of the Church.
He was ordained and set apart as President
on November 10, 1985.
I had the privilege of serving as his second
counselor during the years he was President.
President Benson was a generous leader.
I was in his office one day when I was a member
of the Twelve, and we were chatting.
I noticed that he had a beautiful hand-tooled
riding saddle sitting on a display in his
room.
It had been given to him in honor of his service
as Secretary of Agriculture.
I said, “My, Brother Benson, that’s the
most beautiful saddle I’ve ever seen.”
He replied, “Do you want it?
Why don’t you take it?
You like to ride horses.”
I assured him that although I appreciated
the gesture, I couldn’t take the saddle.
President Benson was the only President of
the Church to have received the honor of “Most
Preferred Man” at BYU when he was a student
here.
We’ll have a moment of silence for that
one.
I think the female student body were the only
ones allowed to vote.
Early in his apostolic years President Benson
was called by President George Albert Smith
to leave home and family and fill a special
mission to war-torn Europe.
The magnitude of his call was overwhelming.
For ten and a half months President Benson
labored night and day, blessing the members
of the Church in Europe who had suffered through
years of war, giving them nourishment for
their bodies and everlasting hope for their
souls.
From the chaos of war came Saints—scattered,
battered, and very much in need.
To them came Ezra Taft Benson, with his superb
organizational skills and with the inspiration
of Almighty God.
Through the inspired welfare program of the
Church, hundreds of tons of lifesaving food
and clothing were transported across the vast
Atlantic Ocean and, under the direction of
this gifted leader, distributed to the hungry,
the cold, and the homeless.
What a personally satisfying and spiritually
rewarding experience it was for me to serve
as one of President Benson’s counselors
in the First Presidency of the Church.
President Benson’s favorite song was “How
Great Thou Art.”
His favorite food was fresh raspberries, and
we had them as often as possible at our temple
luncheons when he was President of the Church.
His favorite quotation was from the Book of
Mormon, words spoken by the Lord.
It’s in the form of a question, and I pose
it to you: “What manner of men ought ye
to be?
Verily I say unto you, even as I am.”
That would apply to every man and woman here
today: “Even as I am,” said the Lord.
What is a guiding principle from President
Benson?
I’d have to say it is love.
The manner in which he treated his sweet companion
and, indeed, all with whom he came in contact
provides an example for all of us.
Let us love one another.
Ezra Taft Benson served as President of the
Church for eight and a half years until his
death on May 30, 1994, at the age of 94.
We come now to Howard W. Hunter, fourteenth
President of the Church, who was ordained
and set apart on June 5, 1994, at the age
of 86.
It was my privilege once again to serve as
second counselor.
My most tender meeting with Howard W. Hunter
took place on October 3, 1963, as I entered
the outer office of President David O. McKay,
who had invited me to come and visit with
him that Thursday afternoon—for what purpose
I knew not at that time.
Howard W. Hunter had been checking some matters
with President McKay’s secretary.
Brother Hunter and I greeted each other and
shook hands.
I noted the tears in his eyes with yet a smile
on his lips and a catch in his voice.
I did not understand why he was so emotional.
After visiting with President McKay, where
he extended to me my call to the Twelve, I
understood.
Howard W. Hunter had known why I was there
that afternoon.
He had been where I was now going.
He had felt the feelings I was soon to experience.
One of President Hunter’s hallmarks was
that of courtesy.
Whether in a moment of pleasant conversation
or in times of constant pain, he was ever
courteous.
On one occasion a man who had been painting
in President Hunter’s home said to me, “President
Hunter is so remarkable.
He graciously thanked me and my crew for painting
a room.
He commented on the color match, the absence
of brush or roller marks, and repeated a hearty
thank-you as he shook my hand when we finished
our work and departed his presence.”
President Hunter loved all the hymns, but
one of his favorites was “Have I Done Any
Good in the World Today?”
One of his favorite foods was Alaskan crab.
Before I move on: One day I was with him and
a member of the welfare committee, and Brother
Hunter had taken a long time setting people
apart—you know, it was a division of a stake—and
we hadn’t had anything to eat.
And the man from the welfare committee said,
“Could we go to this fish restaurant?
They have Alaskan crab, and that’s my favorite.”
Brother Hunter said, “Fine choice, fine
choice.”
Then he went right through a red light.
And he just smiled.
Then he went through a second red light, and
then he said, “Oh, by the way, I’m color-blind.
I have to see where the light is, then I know
which color it is.”
I said, “Brother Hunter, would you like
me to drive?”
He said, “Well, I think you and the welfare
man might be a little happier if you did.”
So I drove the rest of the way.
What would be one of his favorite quotations?
He loved the scripture found in Proverbs,
chapter 27, verse 2: “Let another man praise
thee . . . and not thine own lips.”
Modesty, modesty, modesty.
What would be a guiding principle from President
Hunter’s life?
I believe it would be his ability always to
look for the best in people—such an important
quality to emulate.
President Hunter died March 3, 1995, at the
age of 87.
Finally, brothers and sisters, I come to Gordon
B. Hinckley, fifteenth President of the Church,
ordained and set apart on March 12, 1995,
at the age of 84.
Two years after he was ordained a member of
the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1961,
I joined him in that quorum, and we sat side
by side for most of the next 44 years.
We had known each other for many years prior
to our calls to the Twelve.
He was a choice and beloved friend, as well
as a trusted and respected colleague.
President Hinckley is the President of the
Church most of you will remember best, for
he was President during much of the time you
were growing to young adulthood.
He was a kind man who taught and who lived
tolerance, never disparaging another person’s
beliefs.
President Hinckley was a wordsmith.
I will repeat the word: wordsmith.
He was well read and a scholar, and he could
put words and phrases together in such a way
that it was a pleasure to listen to his messages.
As many of you know, each Thursday morning
the members of the First Presidency and the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have a meeting
in the Salt Lake Temple.
We are driven in carts underground from the
Church Office Building parking lot to the
temple.
During the cold winter months, President Hinckley
always wore a coat and a hat during the brief
ride.
As our cart passed under Main Street, President
Hinckley knew when we were within the confines
of the temple, rather than under the street.
Without a word he would remove his hat and
place it in his lap.
He seemed to know instinctively when that
moment arrived.
It was such a simple yet profound expression
of reverence and respect for the house of
the Lord, and it made a deep impression on
me.
All of you will recall that during the last
few years of his life President Hinckley always
had a cane with him.
He would walk to his seat in the Conference
Center while waving to the crowd with his
cane or using it to tap someone on the shoulder.
President Hinckley and I for years went to
the same doctor, and during one of my visits
a few years ago, the doctor said to me, “Could
you please do me a favor?
President Hinckley should use his cane for
walking because it steadies him.
The last thing we want is for him to fall
and break a hip, or worse.
Instead, he waves it around and doesn’t
use it when he walks.
Tell him the cane has been prescribed by his
doctor, and he needs to use it as it was meant
to be used.”
I listened to the physician’s request and
then replied, “Doctor, I am President Hinckley’s
counselor.
You are his doctor.
You tell him!”
One of President Hinckley’s favorite hymns
has words written by Rudyard Kipling—that’s
the British in him.
The hymn is “God of Our Fathers, Known of
Old.”
One of his favorite desserts was pie and ice
cream.
He loved the Prophet Joseph Smith; he loved
the Savior.
A favorite quotation was taken from the words
of the Prophet Joseph concerning the Savior:
And now, after the many testimonies which
have been given of him, this is the testimony,
last of all, which we give of him: That he
lives!
For we saw him, even on the right hand of
God; and we heard the voice bearing record
that he is the Only Begotten of the Father.
What would be a guiding principle from President
Hinckley’s life?
It is one which we would all do well to follow:
Do your best.
Gordon B. Hinckley served as President of
the Church for nearly thirteen years until
his death on January 27, 2008, at the age
of 97.
What can we learn from the prophets whom I
have known and about whom I have visited with
you today?
We can learn that they never wavered, never
faltered, never failed; that they are men
of God.
May we be persistent in those things which
are good and noble.
May we ever stay safely on the Lord’s side
of the line.
May we be considerate, studious, and responsive
to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit.
May we be dedicated to the gospel of Jesus
Christ.
May we love one another and always look for
the best in people.
May we do our best in all that we do.
God bless you, my dear young friends.
Remember that there is another whom you can
follow—even the Lord Jesus Christ.
He said, “Come, follow me.”
Let us follow Him.
He has sent Presidents of the Church, whom
we can have as guides and whom we can follow.
He Himself extended that kind, generous, personal
invitation when He said, “Behold, I stand
at the door, and knock: if any man hear my
voice, and open the door, I will come in to
him.”
As the sixteenth President of the Church,
my story is yet to be summarized by those
who will follow.
In the meantime, I pledge my life, my strength—all
that I have to offer—in serving the Lord
and in directing the affairs of His Church
in accordance with His will and by His inspiration.
I invoke His blessings upon you.
I bless you that you may follow the teachings
of prophets, that your lives may thereby be
enriched.
I bless you that you may have joy in your
hearts, that you will have peace within your
souls, that you will have contentment in seeing
the influence for good that each one of you
has upon the lives of others, and I do so
in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
