President Dieter F. Uchtdorf spoke of God’s light. There are three ways to open our eyes to the hope of God’s light. 1) Start right where we are 2) turn your heart toward the Lord 3) walk in the light. Faith comes when we walk away from the darkness and toward the light of hope. God’s light is real. It gives life to all. It has the power to soften the sting of any wound.

President Uchtdorf told of his experience meeting with the saints in West Africa. The power went out as he was speaking. When he sat down voices started singing. They didn’t need hymnbooks as the saints knew the words to every hymn they sang. When the power came back on he could see the light they eminated.

Our only hope is in Jesus Christ. With Christ darkness cannot succeed.

Elder Neil L. Andersen testified that the mortal life of Jesus Christ was filled with miracles. Missionary work, taking the gospel to all the world is our duty. “As surely as the Lord has inspired more missionaries to serve, He is also awakening the minds and opening the hearts of more good and honest people to receive His missionaries. You already know them, or will know them. They are in your family and live in your neighborhood. They walk past you on the street, sit by you in school and connect with you online. You too are an important part of this unfolding miracle.”

This isn’t missionary work. This is missionary fun!

“We needed to choose whether to follow the traditions of our fathers or to follow Jesus Christ. We chose Jesus Christ.” – woman from Mozambique speaking of several couples’ decisions to marry even though they didn’t have an expensive wedding dowry which was the tradition.

Sister Rosemary M. Wixom. “One of the greatest influences a person can have in this world is to influence a child.” I loved the story of the boy Connor who was lost in the store and the continued to hide because he heard his mother yelling his name and became afraid. After praying for guidance one wise woman realized this and walked around the store with another woman quietly saying “Connor, if you can hear my voice, say, ‘Here I am.'” Soon, the boy responded. How we talk to our children is important.

She suggested finding a time each day to “disconnect from technology and reconnect with each other.”

We can influence our children by the things we say and also by the things we write. She told the story of Jay Hess, an airman, who was shot down over North Vietnam. For years his family had no idea whether he was dead or alive. His captors in Hanoi eventually allowed him to write home but limited his message to less than 25 words. What would we write if we only had less than 25 words? Jay wrote, “These things are important: temple marriage, mission, college. Press on, set goals, write history, take pictures twice a year.”

Elder L. Whitney Clayton shared how his granddaughter climbed onto the bench next to him looked him in the eye and said, “Watch and learn!” He than shared five principles he has learned from examples of faithful marriages. It was so nice to listen to this, catch my husband’s eye across the room, and know we are doing pretty darn good!  🙂

1. Treasure. “I have observed that in the happiest marriages both the husband and wife consider their relationship to be a pearl beyond price, a treasure of infinite worth. … They know that no other relationship of any kind can bring as much joy, generate as much good or produce as much personal refinement.”
2. Faith. Husbands and wives share a “mutual quest” to be obedient and good.
3. Repentance. It helps restore and maintain harmony and peace. Humility is essential.
4. Respect. Husbands and wives treat each other as equal partners. Terrific marriages are completely respectful, transparent and loyal.
5. Love. “The happiest marriages I have seen radiate obedience to one of the happiest commandments — that we ‘live together in love,’ (Doctrine and Covenants 42:45).

Marriage is a gift of God to us. The quality of our marriage is our gift to God.

Elder L. Tom Perry’s talk was one of the most powerful ones I’ve heard him give. Obedience to law is liberty. Never underestimate how driven Satan is to succeed. Every choice we make is a test of our agency.

“Secularism is becoming the norm, and many of its beliefs and practices are in direct conflict with those that were instituted by the Lord Himself for the benefit of His children.”

There are moral absolutes. Sin will always be sin. In a world where the moral compass of society is faltering, the restored gospel of Jesus Christ never wavers.

President Thomas S. Monson ended this session speaking on obedience brigs blessings. You have to watch his talk because he tells a story from his childhood that is hilarious but his facial expressions while telling it are priceless!