General Conference

April 5-6, 2008
We sustained a new prophet at this conference (since Pres. Hinckley passed away in January) - Pres. Monson. Wow - it was amazing to see that prophetic mantle come over him as he spoke during the Sunday morning session. He has been an apostle for 44 years but I have never heard him speak with such power and authority as I did during that session. The Lord witnessed to me that he was his prophet and I felt it so deep in my heart that it brought me to tears, although I couldn't explain in words what I felt. During the afternoon session, Elder Holland was the first speaker and very eloquently put into words what he witnessed and felt while Pres. Monson spoke and it was the same as I had felt - and later that day my dad and brother-in-law, Justin, mentioned that they had felt it too. He said at the beginning of his talk, "I think anyone who has attended this session will never forget it—for the Spirit we’ve felt." He was right! Although I don't know if he knew it would be because of what he would say! I am so grateful for the witness of the Spirit . . . and for a living prophet! He completely solidified my hope that good will triumph in the end and that it is possible for us to raise our son to the Lord even in this world where the adversary is raging. I want to try and get a video clip of his talk to post, but for now I will just copy/paste the excerpt that meant the most to me:

I would encourage members of the Church wherever they may be to show kindness and respect for all people everywhere. The world in which we live is filled with diversity. We can and should demonstrate respect toward those whose beliefs differ from ours.
May we also demonstrate kindness and love within our own families. Our homes are to be more than sanctuaries; they should also be places where God’s Spirit can dwell, where the storm stops at the door, where love reigns and peace dwells.
The world can at times be a frightening place in which to live. The moral fabric of society seems to be unraveling at an alarming speed. None—whether young or old or in-between—is exempt from exposure to those things which have the potential to drag us down and destroy us. Our youth, our precious youth, in particular, face temptations we can scarcely comprehend. The adversary and his hosts seem to be working nonstop to cause our downfall.
We are waging a war with sin, my brothers and sisters, but we need not despair. It is a war we can and will win. Our Father in Heaven has given us the tools we need in order to do so. He is at the helm. We have nothing to fear. He is the God of light. He is the God of hope. I testify that He loves us—each one.
Mortality is a period of testing, a time to prove ourselves worthy to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father. In order to be tested, we must sometimes face challenges and difficulties. At times there appears to be no light at the tunnel’s end—no dawn to break the night’s darkness. We feel surrounded by the pain of broken hearts, the disappointment of shattered dreams, and the despair of vanished hopes. We join in uttering the biblical plea “Is there no balm in Gilead?” We are inclined to view our own personal misfortunes through the distorted prism of pessimism. We feel abandoned, heartbroken, alone. If you find yourself in such a situation, I plead with you to turn to our Heavenly Father in faith. He will lift you and guide you. He will not always take your afflictions from you, but He will comfort and lead you with love through whatever storm you face.
With all my heart and the fervency of my soul, I lift my voice in testimony today as a special witness and declare that God does live. Jesus is His Son, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. He is our Redeemer; He is our Mediator with the Father. He loves us with a love we cannot fully comprehend, and because He loves us, He gave His life for us. My gratitude to Him is beyond expression.
I invoke His blessings upon you, my beloved brothers and sisters, in your homes, in your work, in your service to one another and to the Lord Himself. Together we shall move forward doing His work.
I pledge my life, my strength—all that I have to offer—in serving Him and in directing the affairs of His Church in accordance with His will and by His inspiration, and I do so in His holy name—even the Lord Jesus Christ—amen.