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I love General Conference with all my heart.  I have always loved this weekend both in the spring and in the fall.  I love the memories I have of attending General Priesthood Meeting with my Dad.  I love taking my boys and my grandsons now (as noted in the picture above).

This wonderful conference we just have experienced was full of Christ-centered themes and amazing promises and blessings given by messengers of the Lord.  The following is just a study aid and a reminder of some of these.  I’m sure there are many more.  I feel filled and I want to draw upon the promises and blessings to lift and strengthen my own family.  I hope you will do the same for your families.

Saturday Morning

Elder Ulisses Soares–Promise

My dear companions in the gospel, I testify to you that when we earnestly, heartily, firmly, and sincerely teach the gospel of Jesus Christ, with real purpose, and under the influence of the Spirit, these teachings may transform hearts and inspire a desire to live according to the truths of God.

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf–Blessing

As an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, I bless you with the confidence to be a living testimonial of gospel values, with the courage to always be recognized as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints, with the humility to assist in His work as an expression of your love for Heavenly Father and His children. My dear friends, you will rejoice in knowing that you are a significant part in the long-foretold gathering of Israel, preparing Christ’s coming in “power and great glory; with all the holy angels.”

President Henry B. Eyring–Promise

You will find some of your greatest joys in your efforts to make your home a place of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and a place that is permeated with love. The Restoration of the gospel started with a humble question pondered in a humble home, and it can continue in each of our homes as we continue to establish and practice gospel principles there. This has been my hope and my deepest desire since I was a little boy. You have all had glimpses of such homes. Many of you have, with the Lord’s help, created them.

Some have tried with full heart for that blessing, yet it has not been granted. My promise to you is one that a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles once made to me. I had said to him that, because of choices some in our extended family had made, I doubted that we could be together in the world to come. He said, as well as I can remember, “You are worrying about the wrong problem. You just live worthy of the celestial kingdom, and the family arrangements will be more wonderful than you can imagine.”

Saturday Afternoon

Elder Neil L. Andersen–Promise

Some will say, “You don’t understand my situation.” I may not, but I testify that there is One who does understand. There is One who, because of His sacrifice made in the garden and on the cross, knows your burdens. As you seek Him and keep His commandments, I promise you that He will bless you and lift the burdens too heavy to bear alone. He will give you eternal friends and opportunities to serve. More importantly, He will fill you with the powerful spirit of the Holy Ghost and shine His heavenly approval upon you.

Elder David P. Homer–Promises

Elder Richard G. Scott once taught that we should be grateful for such times and made this promise: “When you are living worthily and your choice is consistent with the Savior’s teachings and you need to act, proceed with trust. … God will not let you proceed too far without a warning impression if you have made the wrong decision.”

The more diligently we seek His voice, the easier it becomes to hear. It is not that His voice gets louder but that our ability to hear it has increased. The Savior has promised that if we “hearken unto [His] precepts, and lend an ear unto [His] counsel,” He “will give [us] more.” I testify that this promise is true—for each of us.

Priesthood Session

Elder Gary E. Stevenson–Blessing

I pray that you will make the commitment to live worthy of the holy priesthood that you bear and strive to execute your sacred role every day. I bless you with the ability and desire to do so.

Elder Kim B. Clark–Promise

You young men who hold the holy Aaronic Priesthood, everything I have said tonight applies to you. I thank God for you. You make sacred ordinances and covenants available to millions of Latter-day Saints every week. When you prepare, bless, or pass the sacrament; minister, baptize in the temple, invite a friend to an activity, or rescue a member of your quorum you are doing the work of salvation. You, too, can look unto Jesus Christ and live your covenants every day. I promise you, that if you do, you will be trusted servants of the Lord now, and in a coming day, mighty Elders in Israel.

President Henry B. Eyring–Promise

As we grow in that pure love of Christ, our hearts soften. That love will humble us and lead us to repent. Our confidence in the Lord and in each other will grow. And then we will move toward becoming one, as the Lord promises we can.

President Russell M. Nelson–Blessings

The Lord needs men eager to repent— men with a zeal to serve and be part of the Lord’s battalion of worthy priesthood bearers. I bless you to become those men. I bless you with the courage to repent daily and learn how to exercise full priesthood power. I bless you to communicate the love of the Savior to your wife and children and to all who know you. I bless you to do better and to be better. And I bless you that as you make these efforts, you will experience miracles in your life.

Sunday Morning

Elder Dale G. Renlund—Promise and Blessings

Six months ago, a home-centered, Church-supported plan to learn doctrine, strengthen faith, and fortify individuals and families was introduced. President Russell M. Nelson promised that the changes can help us survive spiritually, increase our gospel joy, and deepen our conversion to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. 28 But it is up to us to claim these blessings. We are each responsible to open and study “Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families,” along with the scriptures and other “Come, Follow Me” material. 29 We need to discuss them with our family and friends and organize our Sabbath day to light a metaphorical fire.

Elder Quentin L. Cook–Promises

I promise that lovingly performing ordinances for ancestors will strengthen and protect our youth and families in a world that is becoming increasingly evil.

I promise that as we focus on our love for the Savior and His Atonement, make Him the centerpiece of our efforts to gather Israel on both sides of the veil, minister to others, and individually prepare to meet God; the influence of the adversary will be diminished; and the joy, delight, and peace of the gospel will magnify our homes with Christlike love.

Brother Tad R. Callister—Prophet’s Promise

The Savior overcame sin and guilt for all those who repent. So deep and expansive is His cleansing power that Isaiah promised, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”

Sunday Afternoon

President Dallin H. Oaks—Promise

Because of God’s plan and the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I testify with a “perfect brightness of hope” that God loves us, and we can be cleansed by the process of repentance. We are promised that “if [we] press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life” (2 Nephi 31:20).

Elder Gerrit W. Gong–Promise

As Lamb of God, our Savior knows when we feel alone, diminished, uncertain, or afraid. In vision, Nephi saw the power of the Lamb of God “[descend] upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord.” Though “scattered upon all the face of the earth, … they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.” (1 Nephi 14:14) This promise of hope and comfort includes our day.

Elder David A. Bednar—Promise

I suspect that some of you may be wondering if your gospel learning actually can become home centered and Church supported. Perhaps you are the only member of the Church in your home, or have an unsupportive spouse, or are a single parent, or live alone as a single or divorced Latter-day Saint, and you may have questions about how these principles apply to you. You may be a husband and a wife looking at each other and questioning, “Can we do this?”

Yes, you can do this! I promise that enabling blessings will flow into and be evident in your life. Doors will open. The light will shine. Your capacity will be increased to persevere diligently and patiently.

Elder Kyle S. McKay—Promise

I bear witness that Jesus Christ is the Great Deliverer, and in His name I promise that as you turn to Him with real intent and full purpose of heart, He will deliver you from everything that threatens to diminish or destroy your life or joy. That deliverance may take longer than you would like—perhaps a lifetime or longer. So, to give you comfort, courage and hope; to sustain and strengthen you to that day of ultimate deliverance, I commend to you and testify of the immediate goodness of God.

Elder Ronald A. Rasband—Blessing

My dear brothers and sisters, I leave you with my blessing to go forth with confidence in the Lord and His gospel. Put your arms around those who stumble and with the strength of the Spirit within you, lead them lovingly back to the fortress of spirituality and protection. Seek “to be like Jesus” in all that you do, shun evil and temptations, be honest in heart, be upright and pure, show compassion and charity, and love the Lord, your God with the devotion of a true disciple.

Our testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ, our homes, our families, and our membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can be our personal fortresses of protection surrounding us and shielding us from the power of the evil one.

President Russell M. Nelson—Blessing

I leave my love and blessing with you, assuring you that revelation continues in this the Lord’s Church. It will continue until “the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.”  I so bless you and bear my testimony that God lives! Jesus is the Christ! This is His Church. We are His people.