- CONFERENCE NOTES - SUNDAY MORNING SESSION

This morning the Mormon Tabernacle Choir opened the 178th annual conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints by singing "I Know That My Redeemer Lives". This is my all time favorite hymn. What a way to start my day!

President Henry B. Eyring - 1st Counselor First Presidency - A great day of unity is coming. We are becoming one. The joy of unity is not solitary. We must seek it and qualify for it with others. We gain unity in families, wards, classes. We should strive to be of one heart. There are guides to help us become more unified: 1. Revelation is the only way we can know how to follow the will of the Lord together. 2. Be humble. Pride is the great enemy of unity. People of different backgrounds are all children of God. We should seek unity with everyone. We should speak well of each other. If we speak harshly of others, we sow seeds of disunity.

Elder Robert D. Hales - Quorum of the Twelve Apostles - Talked about why church doesn't defend itself more actively against accusations. He said we should try to respond in a Christlike way at all times. We should forgive our enemies and do go to them and pray for them. We should never retaliate but should turn the other cheek. We can answer our accusers without accusing them in return. True disciples of Christ see opportunity in the midst of opposition. We must never become contentious when discussing our religion. Meekness is not weakness. It is the badge of Christian courage. We must never be judgmental of other's views.

Keith B. McMullin - Presiding Bishopric - We need Heavenly Father's help. Heavenly Father helps us through others. We should care for ourselves as well as our neighbors. We also receive God's help through prayer. Heavenly Father answers all sincere prayers. He will lift us and guide us. We receive help through priesthood power.

Elaine S. Dalton - Young Women General President - The temple is the reason we do everything we do in the church. The temple is a banner and ensign. We should be an ensign to the nations also. She spoke of virtue being the way to be that ensign. Virtue is the accumulation of thousands of decisions that we make. We should make a stand for right, even if we stand alone. We should never forget our divine identity. The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare.

M. Russell Ballard - Quorum of the Twelve Apostles - Spoke of the Saints in the early 1800's and the persecutions that they endured. He spoke of the early growth of the church even during those difficulties. Missionary work continued to flourish even when the faith of the Saints was being tested. The church continued to grow. We have been asked to "Lengthen our Stride" in sharing the gospel. The church has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years. We have also experienced unprecedented attacks. We have more than 13 million members in the world. The 1 millionth missionary was called last year. We have been promised that nothing will stop the work. This is God's work and His work will not be frustrated. Our challenges may be different than they were in the early days of the church, but the Lord is asking us live a disciple's life. We must carry on the tradition of commitment that the early members of the church had.

Thomas S. Monson - President Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints - Spoke about change. Nothing is as constant as change. We must deal with change throughout of lives. Some challenges are sudden, but most changes take place subtly and slowly. The lessons we learn should help us distinguish what is important and what is not. We should find joy in the journey - NOW. There's no going back - only forward. We should do all we can to make pleasant memories for the future. We should never let stresses in our lives get in the way of the people around us. They must know how much we love them. We should tell them. We will never regret kind words spoken and affection shown. Always express our thanks. Never let a problem to be solved be more important than a person to be loved. Don't take others for granted. Someday they'll be gone from our lives. We should never focus on what is missing from our lives but should be grateful for what is present - love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature and personal pursuits that bring us happiness. If we keep this focus, we will experience heaven on earth.