I hope you enjoy this eighth installment of quotes from my studies of the General Conference Archives (If you want to read prior installments click HERE). For the first installment and an explanation of the Conference Archives see “55+ Powerful Quotes From My Study of the Oct. 1970 General Conference” To read this conference report PDF from the Church History Catalog click HERE, for the Archive.org PDF (with speech-to-text, click here) I hope you enjoy these quotes from my studies. But more than enjoy them, I hope they serve as a starting point for your own study of the Apr. 1967 General Conference! Use the page number and the above links to access the full talks. Enjoy!
55+ Inspirational Quotes From My Study of the Apr. 1967 General Conference
“The mission of the Church is to minimize and, if possible, eliminate these evils from the world. It is evident that we are in need of a unifying force to eliminate these evils. Such a uniting force, such an ideal is the gospel of Jesus Christ, as restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. It explains man’s life and its purpose and has within it the vital saving elements, noble ideals, and spiritual uplift for which the heart of man is yearning.”
David O. McKay
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 6
“The Church is seeking to make both home and community environment better and brighter.”
David O. McKay
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 6
“The enemy is active. He is cunning and wily, and seeks every opportunity to undermine the foundation of the Church, and strikes wherever it is possible to weaken or to destroy. To every normal person God has given the freedom of choice. Our moral and spiritual progress depends upon the use we make of that freedom.”
David O. McKay
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 6
“It is the duty of parents and of the Church not only to teach but also to demonstrate to young people that living a life of truth and moral purity brings joy and happiness, while violations of moral and social laws result only in dissatisfaction, sorrow, and, when carried to extreme, in degradation.”
David O. McKay
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 6
“I appeal to parents especially, and to my fellow teachers, both in and out of the Church, to teach youth to keep their souls unmarred and unsullied from this and other debasing sins, the consequences of which will smite and haunt them intimately until their conscience is seared and their character becomes sordid. A chaste not a profligate, life is the source of virile manhood. The test of true womanhood comes when the woman stands innocent at the court of chastity. All qualities are crowned by this most precious virtue of beautiful womanhood. It is the most vital part of the foundation of a happy married life and is the source of strength and perpetuity of the race.”
David O. McKay
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 8
“Don’t dissipate it; don’t impair any part of it. Keep it clean and functioning. Don’t quibble about words, about what is counsel and what is commandment. Don’t rationalize.”
Richard L. Evans
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 10
“The Lord requires allegiance from the whole man. Plain, ordinary, simply honesty as was displayed by Barnabas is required to please God.”
John H. Vandenberg
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 18
“The peoples of the world must unlearn the idea that all churches are acceptable unto God. Some teach that it doesn’t matter which road one takes (meaning which church one belongs to), since all roads, it is claimed, lead back to the presence of God. This premise does not accord with the teachings of the scriptures.”
Delbert L. Stapley
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 31 (Click HERE to read his full talk “The Pangs of Unlearning”)
“I sincerely testify that as all members of Christ’s Church progress toward perfection they will enjoy increased knowledge and clearer vision of God’s plans and purposes. They will also have some unlearning to do, not because basic truths, standards, and principles change, but because new methods and techniques are employed to achieve greater and more widespread improved performance and spiritual results.”
Delbert L. Stapley
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 32 (Click HERE to read his full talk “The Pangs of Unlearning”)
“If prayers are not a regular practice in the home and personal prayers uttered daily, isn’t it wise for us to be more faithful in keeping in contact with our God?”
Delbert L. Stapley
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 33 (Click HERE to read his full talk “The Pangs of Unlearning”)
“Failure to accept and follow wholeheartedly the counsel and example of our leader in moral, ethical, and spiritual matters does not produce harmony but disharmony. It also places one in the position of pitting one’s knowledge and learning against that which God has inspired or revealed through his anointed servant.”
Delbert L. Stapley
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 33 (Click HERE to read his full talk “The Pangs of Unlearning”)
“Man must unlearn his changing liberal attitude toward sex that minimizes the sacredness of sex behavior and opens the way for licentious living. I proclaim with all the power of my being that God’s seventh commandment to the children of Israel through Moses, “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” is a law as binding upon man today as then. Adultery is one of the most abominable sins in the sight of the Lord (Alma 39:5) and forbidden by our God (see D&C 42:24 Ex. 20:14 Those who willfully violate this law must pay God’s penalty, which is denial to the celestial kingdom (1 Cor. 6:9-10).”
Delbert L. Stapley
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 33 (Click HERE to read his full talk “The Pangs of Unlearning”)
“One example of devotion was manifest in the life of a lovely sister who recently passed away. She had just completed translating the book Jesus the Christ into Swedish, her native tongue. Her manuscript was typewritten. This does not seem unusual until we are made aware of the fact that she was almost totally paralyzed and was so crippled that she pressed one key at a time with a rubber-pointed stick. You can imagine the thousands of times this stick held in her gnarled hand had to be depressed on a typewriter key to record the teachings of this book in her native language.”
Victor L. Brown
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 36
“They do more than that, for at the bidding of the newly sustained president — or bishop, as the case may be — they respond to his call and serve faithfully. These may not have been assured that the call came from the Lord, but they are sure that the call came from the servant of the Lord and, for reasons known to themselves, believe that their personal call to service by this new servant came from the Lord. And so it will ever be.”
S. Dilworth Young
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 40
“The basic purpose of life is to prove ourselves, not to be with the majority when it is wrong. Those who hesitate to get into the fight for freedom because they’re not sure if we’re going to win fail to realize that we will win in the long run, and for good.”
Ezra Taft Benson
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 62 (Click HERE for his full talk “Prepare, Then Fear Not”)
“Time is on the side of truth, and truth is eternal. Those who are fighting against freedom and other eternal principles of right may feel confident now, but they are shortsighted.”
Ezra Taft Benson
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 62 (Click HERE for his full talk “Prepare, Then Fear Not”)
“This is still God’s world. The forces of evil, working through some mortals, have made a mess of a good part of it. But it is still God’s world. In due time when each of us has had a chance to prove himself—including whether or not we are going to stand up for freedom—God will interject himself, and the final and eternal victory shall be for free agency. And then shall those weak-willed souls on the sidelines and those who took the wrong but temporarily popular course lament their decisions.”
Ezra Taft Benson
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 62 (Click HERE for his full talk “Prepare, Then Fear Not”)
“Let us get about our business, for any Christian constitutionalist who retreats from this battle jeopardizes his life here and hereafter. Seldom has so much responsibility hung on so few, so heavily; but our numbers are increasing, and we who have been warned have a responsibility to warn our neighbor.”
Ezra Taft Benson
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 62 (Click HERE for his full talk “Prepare, Then Fear Not”)
“He or she is a child of God, created in his image, born of royal blood to become a king or queen.”
Spencer W. Kimball
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 66
“Our invitation is to come unto Christ and worship the Father in his name. It is to learn of God, of Christ, and of the laws and ordinances of the gospel. It is to listen to the voices of living prophets, who represent Deity, and who reveal him to the world and speak forth his mind and will.”
Bruce R. McConkie
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 72
“There is no place for selfishness in God’s kingdom or in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Alma Sonne
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 74
“The building of the Church, from the time of the Prophet Joseph Smith to the present, has required constant sacrifices on the part of the Saints.”
Franklin D. Richards
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 76
“Webster’s dictionary defines sacrifice as “a surrender of some desirable thing for a higher object.” This is undoubtedly true, but it might be observed that the higher object is not always discernible at the time of the surrender or sacrifice.”
Franklin D. Richards
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 75
“Your vocation should be to help you serve more fully. If one’s education omits the spiritual side of life, it is very unbalanced.”
Eldred G. Smith
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 77
“Give only secondary thought to the monetary advantage of your chosen vocation. As you serve others, your joy in serving increases.”
Eldred G. Smith
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 77
“Your vocation should be to help you serve more fully. If one’s education omits the spiritual side of life, it is very unbalanced.”
Eldred G. Smith
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 77
“To know where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going is most vital of all our learning.”
Eldred G. Smith
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 77
“In the Church we learn by doing. Knowledge alone is of little value. For this reason the Lord has given opportunities to serve in his kingdom.”
Eldred G. Smith
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 77
“Being a missionary is a wonderful way of serving. He who fulfills a mission with the idea uppermost in his mind to take the glorious message of the gospel to others, giving little thought to his own benefits, will have the greatest joy and happiness and success in his work.”
Eldred G. Smith
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 77
“No man is independent. Put a man off by himself where he could communicate with none of his fellow beings or receive aid from them, and he would perish miserably. It is a mistake to draw within ourselves, as does a snail into its shell.”
Joseph Fielding Smith, as quoted by Eldred G. Smith
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 78
“There is no greater service than honorable motherhood, not just the biological service of motherhood, but the rearing of children and teaching them the ways of the Lord, teaching them what they should know and what they should do that they might live with him some day. To me, the greatest title of all is the title of “Mother.” The Lord has said, “. . . he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Matt. 23:11.) What better way to describe motherhood!”
Eldred G. Smith
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 78
“Informed Latter-day Saints know that this earth will never again, during its telestial existence, be free from civil disturbance and war.”
Marion G. Romney
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 79
“Peace in this world always comes after the receiver has done the works of righteousness. … This is the way peace comes in this world. It can be obtained in no other way. The promised peace of our text emanates from Christ. He is the source of it. His spirit is the essence of it.”
Marion G. Romney
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 82
“Get your sights on coming to know God, the Eternal Father, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent: not just to talk about them, but a personal acquaintance with them. When you get such a knowledge, you will have ‘peace in this world.’”
Marion G. Romney
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 82
“I think we pay too little attention to the value of meditation, a principle of devotion.”
David O. McKay
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 85
“Meditation is the language of the soul. It is defined as “a form of private devotion or spiritual exercise, consisting in deep, continued reflection on some religious theme.” Meditation is a form of prayer.”
David O. McKay
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 85
“Meditation is one of the most secret, most sacred doors through which we pass into the presence of the Lord.”
David O. McKay
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 85
“Let the sacrament hour be one experience of the day in which the worshiper tries at least to realize within himself that it is possible for him to commune with his God.”
David O. McKay
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 86
“I pray we may have the strength so to live that we may merit divine guidance and inspiration; that through worship, meditation, communion, and reverence we may sense the reality of being able to have a close relationship with our Father in heaven. I bear you my testimony that it is real; that we can commune with our Heavenly Father.”
David O. McKay
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 87
“The greatest manifestation of spirituality is reverence; indeed, reverence is spirituality.”
David O. McKay
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 86
“Reverence is profound respect mingled with love”
David O. McKay
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 86
“Reverence is the fundamental virtue in religion. It is one of the signs of strength”
David O. McKay
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 87
“One of the best ways to teach your sons respect for womanhood and its associated virtues is to respect your wife and their mother.”
Paul H. Dunn
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 90
“Let’s make it easy for our families to ask for blessings by giving them regularly in times of need — such times as when children are leaving for summer camp, when they take important tests, when they give talks, when they leave for college, when they leave for missions or for the service, when they embark in marriage — all times when a priesthood and father’s blessing could be a comforting and strengthening influence.”
Paul H. Dunn
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 92
“More important than being a Princeton man, a Yale man, a Harvard man, or any other kind of man, is the honor of being a ‘priesthood man.’”
Paul H. Dunn
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 92-93
“In our affluent society many of us cannot distinguish between luxuries and necessities. Too often mothers work to pay for luxuries that are not worth the cost.”
A. Theodore Tuttle
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 94
“We need to understand the true meaning of fatherhood, which is more than just the biological function. We need to learn to give of ourselves. We need to learn to give our time to our sons. I suppose there isn’t a more precious commodity for any of us to give than to give time to our sons and daughters… we have to make opportunities to be physically present together.”
A. Theodore Tuttle
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 94
“When did you last go and shoot baskets, or play catch with your son? … When did you last help your son with his lessons? When did you attend a basketball game or some other sport in which he played? Do you know what position he plays, father? Have you talked about how he might improve his game? How many of you can name the school classes your daughter takes — not in order — just any old way? When did you last demonstrate your love and your concern for your children?”
A. Theodore Tuttle
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 94-95
“Brethren, do not deny yourselves the privilege of a quiet hour telling bedtime stories to an innocent-eyed child.”
A. Theodore Tuttle
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 96
“I shall never forget the words of my mother when I left to go on a mission sixty-odd years ago, when she said to me, ‘When you were a lad you often had bad dreams. You remember you would call out from your room and say, ‘Mother, are you there?’ And I would say, ‘Yes, son, I am here. Everything’s all right. Turn over and go to sleep.’ ” She said, “Now, my boy, you are going on a mission. You will be 5,000 miles away from me and I can’t answer your call, but many times you will need to ask someone, ‘Are you there?’ Now,” she said, “while you are gone, and the rest of your life, whatever happens, don’t forget to call out and say, ‘Father, are you there?’ And I promise you, my boy, if you will do that, he will respond to you. You may not hear his voice; you will not see his form or figure, but you will know he is there, and he will support you.’
I bear you my witness tonight that many times in intervening years I have called out to him for help, and I have needed it all the time. I needed it at the beginning of this conference. I called out to him and said, ‘Father, are you there?’ I bear witness that he answered.”
Hugh B. Brown
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 101
“To those to whom the sorrow of a child unresponsive to parental instruction and example has come, be comforted. God understands. He knows what it means to have a rebellious son and wayward children. Many others understand.”
Marion D. Hanks
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 126
“No man or council of men who stand at the head of the Church shall have power to lead the Saints astray. With this assurance, then, the people of God in every dispensation have been justified in rendering absolute, yet intelligent, obedience in the direction of the holy prophets.”
Elder John Longden
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 128
“That lifegiving something within which is the offspring of Deity as eternal as the Father. …That spirit within … is the real you.”
David O. McKay
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 134
“May parents especially realize that the most potent influence in child life is the home, and that the Lord has directly placed the responsibility of teaching their children upon the parents.”
David O. McKay
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 135
“Pray, play, work, and worship together. This is the counsel of the Church.”
David O. McKay
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 135
“Would you have a strong and virile nation? — then keep your homes pure. Would you reduce delinquency and crime? — then lessen the number of broken homes. It is time that civilized peoples realized that the home largely determines whether children shall be of high or low character. Home-building, therefore, should be the paramount purpose of parents and of the nation.”
David O. McKay
CR, Apr. 1967, pp. 135
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