Speeches

Brigham Young University 20092010

Principles from Prophets
THOMAS S. MONSON
15 September 2009
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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 offcers and faculty members of this fne
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 diffculties but also a time of excep-
tional 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?
1
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.
INTELLECTUAL RESERVE, INC. 1
Principles from Prophets
THOMAS S. MONSON
Thomas S. Monson was President of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when this devo-
tional address was delivered on 15 September 2009.
2 Brigham Young University 20092010 Speeches
The Church was a little different when
President Grant was President. His personal
offce 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 res-
toration 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 Grants secretary sat, and said,
Is the President in?
She replied, Yes, would you like to see
him?
They answered in the affrmative 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 Id be happy to come and speak to
the young men. Give me the date and time,
and Ill 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 every-
thing is handled much differently today.
President Grant presided during a time
when there was tremendous change in the
world, including the fnancial challenges of the
Great Depression. He assisted in the develop-
ment 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 profcient. 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 hed go to the microphone and say, Were
now in priesthood session. Were off the record.
The press is not in attendance. Then hed
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 Grants favorite song was Do
What Is Right. And let me add the words
let the consequence follow.
2
Think of that:
Do what is right. President Grant lived by
the words of that song. His favorite food was
bread and milkvery 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 capac-
ity to do has increased.
3
What would be the
trait of President Heber J. Grant that he would
probably have you remember and incorpo-
rate 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 bishops certifcate.
Thomas S. Monson 3
I believe one of President Smiths 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, Wed like to send welfare supplies to
the starving people of Europe, but the bureau-
cracy 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,
theyre already assembled. All you need do is
say go, and theyll be rolling within twenty-
four hours.
President Truman was taken aback by this
slender man who spoke rather softlybut 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 compassion-
ate heart. A personal friend of mine told me of
an example of such compassion. He said his
uncle Junius Burt worked on the street depart-
ment 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.
Its 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 Smiths favorite
song was Let Us Oft Speak Kind Words,
4

which he personifed. 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 Lords side of the line. Oh, how appli-
cable it is today in our lives! A trait of President
Smiths 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 offce,
he had me pull my chair up very close to him,
and he put his hand on my knee. His eyes pen-
etrated to my very soul. I will simply say this
much about a very sacred experience which I
dont 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 offce 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 occa-
sion I noticed a painting on the wall, and I said
to him, President McKay, thats a lovely paint-
ing. Is it a rendition of your childhood home in
Huntsville, Utah?
4 Brigham Young University 20092010 Speeches
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 pre-
sented to me that beautiful painting, framed
and ready to be placed on the wall. She said,
`President McKay, I have spent the entire sum-
mer 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 didnt have the heart to
tell her. She may come back, so thats why its
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 McKays favorite song was
Oh Say, What Is Truth?
5
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.
6
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 Pacifc, having left my wife and
family at home. I remember that when I arrived
at Auckland, New Zealand, after four or fve
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, Ive been think-
ing about you and thought youd like to know
that all is well here at home, and I am very
pleased that you are in the South Pacifc 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 Churchs most prolifc writ-
ers, President Smiths 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 Souls
Sincere Desire. And Ill add the next thought:
uttered or unexpressed.
7
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 Id 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.
8
Ill 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 studi-
ous. I say that to you as student body members
too: be studious. When it is test week, youll 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
Thomas S. Monson 5
with George Cornell, the senior writer of
religion for the Associated Press. As we sat
there, George Cornell said to President Lee,
Id 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 priest-
hood 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 Lees favorite songs was
Praise to the Manwho communed with
Jehovah!
9
Ill pause for a moment and say that
when I was frst 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 youd 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.
10

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
Kimballs secretary, Arthur, you cant 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
fnds that particular pair most of the time.
President Kimball was known for his state-
ment showing his humility: My life is like my
shoesto be worn out in service.
11
President Kimball was totally, completely,
unequivocally dedicated to the Lord. He was
dedicated to living the gospel.
One of President Kimballs favorite songs
was I Need Thee Every Hour.
12
Lets remem-
ber that one particularly. That choice demon-
strates his humility. Concerning his favorite
food, I watched him for all the years I was in
the Twelve while he was living. He would fll a
glass with milk and take some date nut bread
and crumble it into the glass until it was thick.
6 Brigham Young University 20092010 Speeches
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 were to have
our offces ready for them?
Brother Hinckley and I said, Yes, it is,
President.
Is your offce ready, Tom?
I said, Yes, it is.
Is your offce ready, Gordon?
Yes, it is.
Uh, will the two of you carry on with the
meeting while I make my offce 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 offce so it would
be ready for the parents and missionaries. He
emptied the fles, put them in the closet, and
then he moved everything off of his desk and
moved it to his secretarys 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 Im ready!
You had to love him. You had to love
Spencer W. Kimball. You just had to.
Ill 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 offce, and he had a man
sitting there. (I hope hes not related to you.)
But Brother Kimball in a sweet way said,
Brother Monson, this is Brother So-and-So,
and hes not happy with the assignment which
we made for his son to go on a mission. Why
dont you tell Brother Monson why youre not
happy with the call the apostles made.
He still didnt catch on. He said, Well, hes
assigned to the New England mission. I dont
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 lets see.
Theres Bristol, theres London, theres 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 sons assignment, you name
it.
Id never seen a man told off so adroitly, yet
he didnt 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, Arent
some parents unusual? He would not use a
word I might have used, but then he wasnt in
the navy like I was! (That line is not in my pre-
pared 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.
Thomas S. Monson 7
President Benson was a generous leader. I
was in his offce 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, thats the most
beautiful saddle Ive ever seen.
He replied, Do you want it? Why dont you
take it? You like to ride horses.
I assured him that although I appreciated
the gesture, I couldnt 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. Well 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 fll a special mis-
sion 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 Saintsscattered, 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 Bensons counselors in the
First Presidency of the Church.
President Bensons favorite song was How
Great Thou Art.
13
His favorite food was fresh
raspberries, and we had them as often as pos-
sible 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. Its 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.
14

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? Id have to say it is love. The manner
in which he treated his sweet companion and,
indeed, all with whom he came in contact pro-
vides 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, four-
teenth 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 offce of President David
O. McKay, who had invited me to come and
visit with him that Thursday afternoonfor
what purpose I knew not at that time. Howard
W. Hunter had been checking some matters
with President McKays 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 under-
stood. 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 Hunters hallmarks was
that of courtesy. Whether in a moment of pleas-
ant conversation or in times of constant pain,
he was ever courteous. On one occasion a man
8 Brigham Young University 20092010 Speeches
who had been painting in President Hunters
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 fnished 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?
15
One of his favor-
ite 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 apartyou know, it was a division of
a stakeand we hadnt had anything to eat.
And the man from the welfare committee said,
Could we go to this fsh restaurant? They
have Alaskan crab, and thats my favorite.
Brother Hunter said, Fine choice, fne
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, Im 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 quo-
tations? 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 Hunters 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, ffteenth President of the
Church, ordained and set apart on March 12,
1995, at the age of 84.
Two years after he was ordained a mem-
ber 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 persons 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 morn-
ing 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 Offce
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
confnes 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 rev-
erence 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 some-
one on the shoulder. President Hinckley and I
for years went to the same doctor, and during
Thomas S. Monson 9
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 doesnt
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 physicians request and then
replied, Doctor, I am President Hinckleys
counselor. You are his doctor. You tell him!
One of President Hinckleys favorite hymns
has words written by Rudyard Kiplingthats
the British in him. The hymn is God of Our
Fathers, Known of Old.
16
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.
17
What would be a guiding principle from
President Hinckleys 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 Lords side of the line. May we be consider-
ate, studious, and responsive to the whisper-
ings 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
followeven 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.
18
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 strengthall that I have to offerin serv-
ing 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 infu-
ence for good that each one of you has upon
the lives of others, and I do so in the name of
Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
1. Acts 8:30, 31.
2. Do What Is Right, Hymns, 1985, no. 237.
3. See Grant, GS, 355.
4. See Let Us Oft Speak Kind Words,
Hymns, 1985, no. 232.
5. See Oh Say, What Is Truth? Hymns,
1985, no. 272.
6. McKay, GI, 129.
7. Prayer Is the Souls Sincere Desire,
Hymns, 1985, no. 145.
8. Alma 41:10.
9. Praise to the Man, Hymns, 1985, no. 27.
10. D&C 87:8.
11. As recounted by Gordon B. Hinckley,
He Is at Peace, Ensign, December 1985, 41.
10 Brigham Young University 20092010 Speeches
12. See I Need Thee Every Hour, Hymns,
1985, no. 98.
13. See How Great Thou Art, Hymns, 1985,
no. 86.
14. 3 Nephi 27:27.
15. Have I Done Any Good? Hymns, 1985,
no. 223.
16. See God of Our Fathers, Known of
Old, Hymns, 1985, no. 80.
17. D&C 76:2223.
18. Revelation 3:20.