ELDER MARION D. HANKS

them rejoice from their sorrow. . . . I have satiated the weary soul, and I The chorus sang "My Heavenly have replenished every sorrowful soul" Father Loves Me" without announce- (Jeremiah 31:13, 25). ment. In the celestial glory, we are told, "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more President Monson death, neither sorrow, nor crying, nei- ther shall there be any more pain" Elder James E. Faust of the Coun- (Revelation 21:4). Then faith and hope cil of the Twelve Apostles has just spo- will replace heartache, disappoint- ken to us, followed by the Mormon ment, torment, anguish, and despair, Youth Chorus singing "My Heavenly and the Lord will give us strength, as Father Loves Me." Alma says, that we "should suffer no Elder Marion D. Hanks of the manner of afflictions, save it were swal- Presidency of the Seventy will now lowed up in the joy of Christ" (Alma address us, and he will be followed 31:38). Of this I have a testimony, and I by Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi of the so declare it in the name of Jesus Seventy. Christ, amen.

Elder Marion D. Hanks

"Come unto me" his redemption" (Omni 1:26). We know that he is "the way, the truth, and the In the fourth chapter of the book life: [and that] no [one] cometh unto of Alma is a line I cherish and would be the Father, but by [him]" (John 14:6). of: "The Spirit of the did worthy Lord My testimony is that Jesus Christ fail not him" (Alma 4:15). is the Son of God, the Only Begotten in Just a few yards from this beauti- the flesh, the Good Shepherd, our ful Tabernacle, where since the 1860s Exemplar; that he is our Advocate with the Saints have gathered for confer- the Father, our Redeemer, and our ence, is a visitors' center. In that visi- Savior. tors' center is visible through a wide, beautiful two-story window a Thor- The Savior's example of service valdsen Christus, carved after the pat- tern, a replica, of the original, which is With John of old, we testify that in Copenhagen, Denmark, and is well "the Father sent the Son to be the Sav- throughout the world as clas- known a iour of the world" (1 John 4:14). sic representation of the Lord Jesus We rejoice in the wonderful weld- Christ. At the base of that statue are ing in his life of principle and perfor- the words in Danish: Kommer Til Mig, mance. The Savior taught precepts of "Come unto Me." spiritual perfection, and he practiced That invitation is the central mis- and applied them with perfection. He sion of The Church of Jesus Christ of could with authority declare that he Latter-day Saints. We desire to accept was the light and example the people and to help others to accept the scrip- should follow: "I have set an example invitation tural to "come unto Christ, for you. ... I am the light which ye shall who is the Holy One of Israel, and par- hold up— that which ye have seen me take of his salvation, the and power of do" (3 Nephi 18:16, 24). 10 GENERAL CONFERENCE

Saturday, April 4, 1992 Morning Session

What he did, as we read in a splen- atonement for the fall, and the fulfil- did verse in the book of Matthew, was ment of the law; the other was the work

to go "about all Galilee, teaching . . . which he did among his brethren and and preaching the gospel of the king- sisters in the flesh by way of relieving

dom, and healing all manner of . . . their sufferings. ... He left as a heri- disease" (Matthew 4:23). Matthew also tage to those who should come after recorded that, as he approached the fi- him in his Church the carrying on of nal events of his earthly ministry, Jesus those two great things— work for the taught his followers the parable of relief of the ills and the sufferings of the sheep and the goats, representing humanity, and the teaching of the spiri- the judgment to come, in which he tual truths which should bring us back clearly identified those who will inherit into the presence of our Heavenly Fa- "life eternal" and those who will "go ther" (J. Reuben Clark, Jr., in Confer- away into everlasting punishment" ence Report, Apr. 1937, p. 22). (Matthew 25:46). The key difference was that those who should inherit the First mission: the messiahship kingdom with him had developed the habit of helping, had experienced the His divine messiahship is the mat- joy of giving and the satisfaction of ter of first magnitude for us. It is the serving. They had responded to the center of our considerations at this needs of the hungry, thirsty, homeless, conference, of our religion, of our lives. the naked, the sick, and those in The Book of Mormon declares plainly prison. Well known are his words, the that "it is upon the rock of our Re- words of comfort to them: "Inasmuch deemer, who is Christ, the Son of God,

as ye have done it unto one of the least that ye must build your foundation"

of these my brethren, ye have done it (Helaman 5:12). unto me" (Matthew 25:40), while to Jesus plainly taught that we have those who were condemned to "ever- an indispensable personal part in lasting punishment" he made the sad qualifying for the fulfillment of our pronouncement, "Inasmuch as ye did high eternal possibilities. The Atone-

it not to one of the least of these, ye did ment, free gift that it is, requires that

it not to me" (Matthew 25:45; italics the gift be received in the way he pre- added). scribed, and he gave us the pattern. Nothing would seem more clear John writes that "Jesus came from than the high premium the Savior put Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized upon selfless service to others as an in- of John in Jordan" (Mark 1:9). The dispensable element of Christian con- sacred ordinance was confirmed by duct and of salvation. Helping, giving, the Spirit, and the Father spoke from and sacrificing are, or should be, as heaven, saying, "This is my beloved

natural as growing and breathing. Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). As he commenced his The Savior's two great missions public ministry, "Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of Only recently I came upon a sig- heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17). He nificant statement made by President said to Nicodemus the Pharisee, "Ex- Clark at this pulpit fifty-five years ago cept a man be born of water and of the concerning these matters: Spirit, he cannot enter into the king- "When the Savior came upon the dom of God" (John 3:5; see 3:1-9). earth he had two great missions; one The scriptures plainly teach that was to work out the Messiahship, the there is more to Christ's gospel plan .

ELDER MARION D. HANKS 11

than is frequently declared. Peter and Then came the direct question: the others understood these truths very "What do ye more than others?" well. After those at Pentecost had been (Matthew 5:47). His teachings explain touched in their hearts by the Spirit the kind of people we are expected to and by Peter's powerful testimony, they be in our relationships not only with said, "Men and brethren, what shall we the Almighty but with our families and do?" (Acts 2:37). others and with ourselves. Peter's answer was plain and un- Christ established the standard of derstandable: "Repent, and be bap- our responsibility as he answered the tized every one of you in the name of contentious questioner who asked, Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, "Which is the great commandment in and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy the law?" (Matthew 22:36). Jesus said Ghost" (Acts 2:38). that love of God with heart, soul, and mind is "the first and great command- Second mission: serving others ment" (Matthew 22:38), and love of neighbor the second like unto it. He President Clark in the statement added, "On these two commandments earlier quoted referred to the vital sec- hang all the law and the prophets" ond mission of Christ— that unselfish (Matthew 22:40). work "for the relief of the ills and the The Apostle James called the sec- sufferings of humanity," which the ond great commandment the "royal Master plainly declared to be as im- law" (James 2:8), and Paul told the portant as the other elements of his Galatians that "all the law is fulfilled message in our qualifying for eternal in one word, even in this; Thou life. In the Sermon on the Mount and shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" throughout his teachings he made it (Galatians 5:14). clear that he and our Father are The parable of the good Samari- concerned with what kind of people tan supplied the answer to the lawyer's we are! The sermon concluded, you will next question, the one that followed remember, with the parable about a "And who is my neighbour?" (Luke house built on a foundation of stone 10:29). The Samaritan alone of three and another built on sand (see passersby mentioned gave the help Matthew 7:24-27). he did because that was the kind of Jesus referred repeatedly to the man he was. He had acquired the old law by which they had been gov- habit of helpfulness through persis- erned—and then fitted those teachings tent experience in helping, noticing into the higher and holier context of needs, and reaching out in response to the law of love he had come to invoke them. among God's children. He was not con- tent with the old levels of concept and Church members' compassionate service conduct. He wanted those who were the salt of the earth, the light of the In the challenging times in which world, to rise to nobler heights than the we live, remarkable evidence of man's old law had required: "Ye have heard humanity yet abounds. It is seen in that it was said by them of old time, . . help being offered in compassionate But I say unto you" (Matthew 5:21- service in every ward and stake in the 22). He taught them that "except your Church through our Relief Society righteousness shall exceed the righ- ladies, Young Women's and children's teousness of the scribes and Pharisees, groups, priesthood quorums, home and ye shall in no case enter into the king- visiting teachers, Boy Scouts; in the dom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20). 12 GENERAL CONFERENCE

Saturday, April 4, 1992 Morning Session

fact that every missionary across the of the branch, was a poignant highlight. earth, as part of his calling, is commit- They came forward haltingly from the ted to regular community service — congregation, many being helped by Christian service. It is seen in the great others to the front of the small, attrac- work of our young representatives in tive building. They arranged them- the refugee camps. The Church itself selves in choir grouping, some of them has responded to large-scale needs literally leaning for support against locally and nationally and internation- each other. The sight was one that will ally, and as Christian individuals and linger in memory. Many were blind and families we are striving to understand many halt and lame. They literally sup- and carry out our heaven-mandated ported each other as they sang hymns responsibilities to "walk uprightly be- of praise and thanksgiving to God. fore God, imparting to one another . . . There were a lot of tears at Kalau- according to . . . needs and . . . wants" papa that day. (Mosiah 18:29). Shortly before his death, Joseph "But teacher, the tomb was empty" Smith wrote these words: "[We are] to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, As Easter time approaches, let me to provide for the widow, to dry up share with you the tender story of an the tear of the orphan, to comfort the eleven-year-old boy named Philip, a afflicted, whether in this church, or in Down's syndrome child who was in a any other, or in no church at all, wher- Sunday School class with eight other ever [we find] them" (Times and Sea- children. sons, 16 Mar. 1842, p. 732). Easter Sunday the teacher brought In recent days we have had the an empty plastic egg for each child. honor of having again in our home as a They were instructed to go out of the guest a noble, quiet man from Mali, church building onto the grounds West Africa, an elder in the Church, and put into the egg something that who has taught his people how to dig would remind them of the meaning of wells for themselves and how to use the Easter. water on gardens which miraculously All returned joyfully. As each egg produce fresh vegetables and grain was opened, there were exclamations that grow on land which heretofore has of delight at a butterfly, a twig, a grudgingly yielded only meager crops flower, a blade of grass. Then the last of millet. Literacy and health programs egg was opened. It was Philip's, and it have been introduced. was empty! Some of the children made fun of Chapel dedication in a leper colony Philip. "But, teacher," he said, "teacher, the tomb was empty." Many other special examples of A newspaper article announcing the strength of Christ's mission crowd Philip's death a few months later noted the memory. I share just one or two. that at the conclusion of the funeral Some years ago I was privileged to eight children marched forward and dedicate a chapel built by the Church put a large empty egg on the small cas- in the Kalaupapa leper colony on the ket. On it was a banner that said, "The island of Molokai in the Hawaiian Is- tomb was empty." lands. The experience was tender and With John of old, we bear especial touching and unforgettable. witness and testify that "the Father A musical number by the branch sent the Son to be the Saviour of the choir, comprising most of the members world" (1 John 4:14) and that a major ELDER YOSHIHIKO KIKUCHI 13

purpose of his sacred mission was to I thank God for the Holy Savior, teach us how to love and serve one for the compassionate Christ, in the another. name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi

Brothers and sisters, my wife and I Elder Smith's companion almost didn't learned so many faith-promoting mis- make it. That day they finally reached sionary stories about Elders George Q. the home of Mr. and Mrs. Myers, a Cannon and Joseph F. Smith, and German family. This couple treated many other missionaries' wonderful them kindly and lovingly and gave spiritual experiences while we were serv- them food and lodging for several days. ing in Hawaii (see George Q. Cannon, Not only that, but Mr. Myers furnished My First Mission, 2nd ed. [Salt Lake Elder Smith with a good riding horse so City: Juvenile Instructor Office, 1882]; he could visit several branches. Elders and Joseph Fielding Smith, Life of Smith and Dowell were guided by the Joseph F. Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Spirit every day. They worked hard and News Press, 1938]). brought converts, as well as bringing so many back into activity. Joseph F. Smith's mission to Hawaii Sister Ma Manuhii's loving care I feel so strongly that I should share with you the missionary experi- One day Elder Smith was taken ences of Elder Joseph F. Smith. He was desperately ill with a raging fever. He sent by the Brethren as a missionary was given a priesthood blessing, but he when he was fifteen years of age. At remained ill. He almost passed away. the age of five he had lost his father, His condition was very critical on many and at fourteen he had lost his mother. occasions. For the next three months, The record shows that he labored in he was tenderly cared for by a native Maui and in Kohala on the Big Island. brother and his wife. This young couple Then he was transferred to the island did everything possible to save the of Molokai as the presiding elder when young missionary's life and gave him he was sixteen years old. Every day he the best they had through tender fa- and his companion, Elder Thomas A. therly and motherly love, even fasting Dowell, visited the several small and praying for many days. This young branches, proselyting, healing the sick, missionary never forgot a kindness and and casting out evil spirits. With the never forsook a friend. He always Saints they read the scriptures and the treated and honored this wonderful beautiful teachings of the Savior, and Hawaiian lady, Ma Manuhii, as his own they retold the story of the Restora- Hawaiian mother. tion. Many members were indifferent Many years later this boy again and had an apathetic attitude because visited the Islands in the company of a of false reports about the Church and member of the Presiding Bishopric, the Prophet Joseph Smith. Bishop Charles W. Nibley, who later The two companions traveled became a member of the First Presi- from the east to the west on Molokai. dency. As they landed in the harbor at Their food was scarce, and they trav- Honolulu, many native Saints greeted eled about thirty miles every day under them. They brought lots of leis and all the hot sun without water. One day kinds of beautiful native flowers. Both