"The Principles of My Gospel" - Elder Bednar, April 2021

 

In the April 2021 General Conference, Elder Bednar gave a talk about "The Principles of My Gospel".  I taught an Elders Quorum lesson today based on that talk, and wanted to share a few things I learned.

The first thing I saw more clearly today was the distinction between Doctrine and Principles (as well as Applications). Elder Bednar describes doctrine as: "A truth of salvation revealed by a loving Heavenly Father." He then describes principles as: "A doctrinally based guideline for the righteous exercise of moral agency."

Focusing on learning about Doctrine led me to the Seminar section of the Church website, where I found the "Doctrinal Mastery Core Document".  This document lays out 9 different topics:

1. The Godhead
2. The plan of salvation
3. The Atonement of Jesus Christ
4. The Restoration
5. Prophets and revelation
6. Priesthood and priesthood keys
7. Ordinances and covenants
8. Marriage and family
9. Commandments

Each of these topics has a short description and scriptural references.  It's a great starting point for studying the doctrines of the gospel.

April 2021 General Conference

This past weekend The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held it's annual General Conference.  The conference takes place over two days, with five separate 2 hour sessions.  The talks and music have all been posted on the church website, and I am exited to be able to review each of them!

I am also excited to listen and read conference in French!  I have been studying French this past 6 months, and look forward to being able to study and learn from the messages in a new language.  You can often get something new out of the same thing in two different languages due to slight variations in translation or meaning, or with certain ways that things might be expressed.   I served a mission in Sao Paulo, Brazil years ago, and have been able to maintain a pretty decent level of understanding of Portuguese, and hope to be able to get to a similar level in French.  

To Touch a Life with Faith - Elder Eyring, Oct 1995

To Touch a Life with Faith

by Henry B. Eyring

October 1995 General Conference

"He will make you a fisher of men, however inadequate you may feel now. It won’t be done by a mysterious process. It will be the natural result of your choosing to follow him. Just think about what you must do to be a fisher of men, to touch lives with faith for him. You will need to love the people you serve. You will need to be humble and full of hope. You will need to have the Holy Ghost as your companion to know when to speak and what to say and how to testify."

Always Remember Him - Elder Eyring, Apr 1995

Always Remember Him

by Henry B. Eyring

April 1995 General Conference 

"And if those who hear will take the Savior’s name upon them and always remember him, and keep his commandments, they will finally come to him and he will take them home to his Father and our Father, where we may live forever in families."

To Draw Closer to God - Elder Eyring, Apr 1991

To Draw Closer to God

by Henry B. Eyring

April 1991 General Conference

"God is perfect and omnipotent, and you and I are mortal. But he is our Father, he loves us, and he offers the same opportunity to draw closer to him as would a loving friend. And you will do it in much the same way: speaking, listening, and doing."

Remembrance and Gratitude - Elder Eyring, Oct 1989

Remembrance and Gratitude

by Henry B. Eyring

October 1989 General Conference

"Remembrance is the seed of gratitude which is the seed of generosity. Gratitude for the remission of sins is the seed of charity, the pure love of Christ."

Because of Your Steadiness - Elder Eyring, Apr 1988

Because of Your Steadiness

by Henry B. Eyring

April 1988 General Conference

"God loves us, and he intends for us to become like him. He doesn’t ask us now to worry about all his children in all the world, as he does. Instead, he begins with a call to watch over just a few families, just a few people."

The Spark of Faith - Elder Eyring, Oct 1986

The Spark of Faith

by Henry B. Eyring

October 1986 General Conference

"What we can do to help—teaching, and doing it with the spirit of righteousness, with love, with tenderness, with example—centers on the Savior and his atonement. That is what we would teach. The Atonement working in our lives will produce in us the love and tenderness we need. And by remembering Him and His gift, which we promise to do as we take the sacrament each week, we can put a light of hope in our faces which those we love need so much to see."

Ears to Hear - Elder Eyring, Apr 1985

Ears to Hear

by Henry B. Eyring

April 1985 General Conference

"None of us can see now all the wonders of technology and organization and buildings that God may give us; but you, just you, hearing the voice of God through your teacher and leader, will always be at its heart."

October 2019 General Conference

It's here!

Join us for #GeneralConference beginning Saturday at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. MDT. The women’s session for all women and girls eight years of age and older will be Saturday at 6:00 p.m. MDT. Watch the sessions live at https://t.co/A4DbES4c4N. https://t.co/oQqgmGPTWP pic.twitter.com/cDpH0Q9vRx

— The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (@ChurchNewsroom) October 5, 2019

Where Will This Lead? - Elder Oaks, Apr 2019

Where Will This Lead?

by Dallin H. Oaks

April 2019 General Conference

"We make countless choices in life, some large and some seemingly small. Looking back, we can see what a great difference some of our choices made in our lives. We make better choices and decisions if we look at the alternatives and ponder where they will lead."

Cleansed by Repentance - Elder Oaks, Apr 2019

Cleansed by Repentance

by Dallin H. Oaks

April 2019 General Conference

"The Atonement of Jesus Christ gives us the only way to achieve the needed cleansing through repentance, and this mortal life is the time to do it. Although we are taught that some repentance can occur in the spirit world, that is not as certain. Elder Melvin J. Ballard taught: 'It is much easier to overcome and serve the Lord when both flesh and spirit are combined as one. This is the time when men are more pliable and susceptible. This life is the time to repent.'"

Truth and the Plan - Elder Oaks, Oct 2018

Truth and the Plan

by Dallin H. Oaks

October 2018 General Conference

"When we seek the truth about religion, we should use spiritual methods appropriate for that search: prayer, the witness of the Holy Ghost, and study of the scriptures and the words of modern prophets. I am always sad when I hear of one who reports a loss of religious faith because of secular teachings. Those who once had spiritual vision can suffer from self-inflicted spiritual blindness."

Parents and Children - Elder Oaks, Oct 2018

Parents and Children

by Dallin H. Oaks

October 2018 General Conference

"Be kind to others. Kindness is something many of our youth are doing already. Some groups of youth in some communities have shown the way for all of us. We have been inspired by our young people’s acts of kindness to those in need of love and help. In many ways, you give that help and show that love to one another. We wish all would follow your example."

The Powers of the Priesthood - Elder Oaks, Apr 2018

The Powers of the Priesthood

by Dallin H. Oaks

April 2018 General Conference

"If fathers would magnify their priesthood in their own family, it would further the mission of the Church as much as anything else they might do. Fathers who hold the Melchizedek Priesthood should keep the commandments so they will have the power of the priesthood to give blessings to their family members. Fathers should also cultivate loving family relationships so that family members will want to ask their fathers for blessings. And parents should encourage more priesthood blessings in the family."

Small and Simple Things - Elder Oaks, Apr 2018

Small and Simple Things

by Dallin H. Oaks

April 2018 General Conference

"We are taught many small and simple things in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to be reminded that in total and over a significant period of time, these seemingly small things bring to pass great things."

The Plan and the Proclamation - Elder Oaks, Oct 2017

The Plan and the Proclamation

by Dallin H. Oaks

October 2017 General Conference

"God created this earth according to His plan to provide His spirit children a place to experience mortality as a necessary step toward the glories He desires for all His children. While there are various kingdoms and glories, our Heavenly Father’s ultimate desire for His children is what President Monson called “eternal life in the kingdom of God,” which is exaltation in families."

The Godhead and the Plan of Salvation - Elder Oaks, Apr 2017

The Godhead and the Plan of Salvation

by Dallin H. Oaks

April 2017 General Conference

"As spirit children of God, in an existence prior to mortality, we desired a destiny of eternal life but had progressed as far as we could without a mortal experience in a physical body. To provide that opportunity, our Heavenly Father presided over the Creation of this world, where, deprived of our memory of what preceded our mortal birth, we could prove our willingness to keep His commandments and experience and grow through the other challenges of mortal life."

Sharing the Restored Gospel - Elder Oaks, Oct 2016

Sharing the Restored Gospel

by Dallin H. Oaks

October 2016 General Conference

"Sharing the gospel is not a burden but a joy. What we call “member missionary work” is not a program but an attitude of love and outreach to help those around us. It is also an opportunity to witness how we feel about the restored gospel of our Savior."

Opposition in All Things - Elder Oaks, Apr 2016

Opposition in All Things

by Dallin H. Oaks

April 2016 General Conference

"To be tested, we must have the agency to choose between alternatives. To provide alternatives on which to exercise our agency, we must have opposition."