- Feel great gratitude

- Love all people- Advance the kingdom

Astirring call to carry forth the divine mission of the Church was issued Sunday morning by President Gordon B. Hinckley in his first major address to the general membership since becoming prophet and president of the Church.

President Hinckley called for members to "move forward without hesitation. . . , to become more Christlike." (See separate article on this page.)

He said: "The little stone which was cut out of the mountain without hands as seen in Daniel's vision is rolling forth to fill the whole earth. No force under the heavens can stop it if we will walk in righteousness and be faithful and true. The Almighty Himself is at our head."

President Hinckley paid tribute to his predecessor, President Howard W. Hunter. "His tenure was brief, but the impression for good that he left was tremendous. Mild of manner, quiet in his ways, he was nonetheless the man whose strong convictions of the truth of this work made him powerfully persuasive in his advocacy of the Christlike life."

When President Hunter died, the First Presidency was dissolved and was then reorganized, following a precedent well-established through generations of the past. "There was no campaigning, no contest, no ambition for office," explained President Hinckley. "It was quiet, peaceful, simple and sacred. It was done after the pattern the Lord Himself had put in place."

He expressed appreciation to those who have wished him well, and noted, "Years ago I gave a talk on the loneliness of leadership. Now for the first time I realize the full import of that loneliness. . . ."

President Hinckley told of the faith of his grandfather, a convert of 1836, who crossed the plains and helped settle central Utah and was president of the Millard Stake, "traveling thousands of miles by horse and buggy in the discharge of his ministry." He said his father, likewise, was a man of great faith who presided over a stake of 15,000 members. His mother and grandmother, he continued, were women of great faith.

"For these forebears I feel a great sense of gratitude and love, and also an almost overwhelming obligation to keep the trust which they have passed."

President Hinckley expressed gratitude for his wife and family, and brought laughter when he said, "Sister Hinckley and I are learning that the so-called golden years are laced with lead."

He continued: "But I can still experience a great, almost youthful exuberance in my enthusiasm for this precious work of the Almighty."

"I love the people of the Church, of all ages, of all races, and of many nations.

"I love the children. They are much the same the world over. Regardless of the color of their skin and of the circumstances in which they live, they carry with them a beauty that comes of innocence. . . ."

"I love the youth of the Church. I have said again and again that I think we have never had a better generation than this. How grateful I am for your integrity, for your ambition to train your minds and hands to do good work, for your love of the word of the Lord. . . ."

President Hinckley expressed his "tremendous respect for fathers and mothers who are nurturing their children in light and truth, who spare the rod and govern with love, who look upon their little ones as their most valued assets to be protected and trained and blessed."

He also expressed his love for the elderly in the Church who have "faced the storms of life and who, regardless of the force of the tempest, have gone forward and kept the faith."

President Hinckley offered a concluding thought, which "I hope you will never forget."

"This Church does not belong to its president. Its head is the Lord Jesus Christ, whose name each of us has taken upon ourselves. We are all in this great endeavor together. We are here to assist our Father in His work and His glory, `to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.' (Moses 1:39.)

"Your obligation is as serious in your sphere of responsibility as is my obligation in my sphere. No calling in this Church is of small or of little consequence. All of us in the pursuit of our duty touch the lives of others. . . .

"All of us in this great cause are of one mind, of one belief, of one faith. You have as great an opportunity for satisfaction in the performance of your duty as I do in mine. What is really important is that this is the work of our Master. Our work is to go about doing good, as did He."

President Hinckley offered an apology to any he may have offended and invited those "outside the embrace of the Church you once enjoyed" to return and "partake of the happiness you once knew."

He also asked members to live with respect and appreciation for those of others faiths. "We must not be partisans of any doctrine of ethnic superiority. We live in a world of diversity. We must be willing to defend the rights of others who may become victims of religious bigotry."

He called for members to advance the kingdom and to become more Christlike.

"We have nothing to fear. God is at the helm. He will overrule for the good of this work. He will shower down blessings upon those who walk in obedience to His commandments. Such has been His promise. Of His ability to keep that promise, none of us can doubt. . . ."

"Unitedly, working hand-in-hand, we shall move forward as servants of the living God, doing the work of His beloved Son, our Master, whom we serve and whose name we seek to glorify."

*****

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This is the time . . .

"The time has come for us to stand a little taller, to lift our eyes and stretch our minds to a greater comprehension and understanding of the grand millennial mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"This is a time to be strong.

"It is a time to move forward without hesitation, knowing well the meaning, the breadth and the importance of our mission.

"It is a time to do what is right regardless of the consequences that might follow.

"It is a time to be found keeping the commandments.

"It is a season to reach out with kindness and love to those in distress and to those who are wandering in darkness and pain.

"It is a time to be considerate and good, decent and courteous toward one another in all our relationships. In other words, to become more Christlike."

- President Gordon B. Hinckley, from his conference address Sunday morning.