Midway through the 1980s, President Ezra Taft Benson became the 13th president of the Church on Nov. 10, 1985, succeeding President Spencer W. Kimball, who died five days earlier.

The Church continued to grow at an unprecedented rate under the direction of the new prophet. Soon after he became president of the Church, President Benson and his counselors, President Gordon B. Hinckley and President Thomas S. Monson, issued a special Christmas invitation. To the less active, those who had become critical and those who had been disfellowshipped or excommunicated, the First Presidency "reached out in love.""Come back and feast at the table of the Lord," the First Presidency stated, "and taste again the sweet and satisfying

fruits of fellowship with the saints." (Church News Dec. 22, 1985.)

Throughout the remainder of the decade, the First Presidency repeatedly urged people everywhere to "come unto Christ," a theme that was emphasized at

regional representatives seminars and in general conference sessions.

In April 1987, regional representatives were counseled that they have a sacred responsibility to invite all to come unto Christ as they fulfill the mission of the Church.

Earlier, in April 1981, President Spencer W. Kimball had explained that the mission of the Church is to proclaim the gospel, perfect the saints and redeem the dead.

"The whole purpose of the Church," said President Howard W. Hunter, then acting president of the Council of the Twelve, "is to qualify individuals to return to the presence of God."

Since the "invitation to come back" was issued, thousands have accepted it.

President Spencer W. Kimball issued a challenge for the 1980s when he said in his opening address in the April 1980 general conference, "Brothers and sisters, we rejoice in the 15 decades of progress of the Church. We want to keep faith with that small but noble band of souls who assembled in the Peter Whitmer home 150 years ago for the purpose of formally organizing the Church.

"We can keep faith, in part, by helping the Church to grow in numbers and also in spirituality. We can count our growing membership. We can count the increasing numbers of stakes. These numbers thrill us, as they indicate the progress we are making and remind us, likewise, that we must achieve in even more major ways in the years ahead...

"Let us, then, press on confidently in the work of the Lord as we look forward to the glorious years of promise ahead. Through our faithfyulness, all that God has promised will be fulfilled. This is the work of the Lord."

At the April 1984 general conference, President Ezra Taft Benson, then president of the Council of the Twelve, spoke of the need for missionaries to proclaim the restored gospel.

"Today," he said during his address, "the Church needs missionaries as never before! We are required to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation of the world...

"This task will require thousands of missionaries, many more than are presently engaged in worldwide missionary service today...

"Those who serve a faithful mission return from that experience with increased faith, devotion, and leadership. They learn by their sacrifice what only personal experience and devoted service to others can teach."

During the 1980s, a heavy emphasis was placed on studying the Book of Mormon. While still president of the Council of the Twelve, President Benson's general conference addresses had already begun to focus on the Book of Mormon, and after he became president he continually counseled members to study the book and become familiar with its teachings.

At the first Regional Representatives Seminar after he became president of the Church, President Benson said every Latter-day Saint should make the study of the Book of Mormon a lifetime pursuit.

"There is a difference between the convert who is built on the rock of Christ through the Book of Mormon and stays hold of that iron rod, and one who ios not. Social, ethical, cultural or educational converts will not survive under the heat of the day unless their taproots go down to the fulness of the gospel which the Book of Mormon declares," President Benson said.

The 1980s was a decade of temple building. At the dedication of the Las Vegas Nevada Dec. 16, 1989 - the final temple to be dedicated in the 1980s - a deep red sunset colored the sky. It was as though a divine stamp of approval had been placed upon the efforts of that temple, and perhaps - a decade of growth and increased spirituality.