President Gordon B. Hinckley told 1,800 youth gathered at a fireside Sunday evening, Dec. 1, in the Washington D.C. Stake Center that they are "the best generation we've ever had in this Church. We've never had one as good as you are."

Then he continued: "We look back to the pioneer days and say they were great people. Weren't they? Yes, they were. But young people in those days didn't know the scriptures as well as you know the scriptures. They didn't go to seminary. There was no seminary. You can quote from the scriptures. You can get involved in scripture chases. You can do all kinds of things as a result of going to seminary. I have great confidence in you. I think you can perform in any way that you wish to perform."The fireside was one of several activities President Hinckley participated in while in the nation's capital for three days. He also attended a media luncheon, toured the United States Holocaust Museum and participated in the Festival of Lights where he switched on the Christmas lights on the grounds of the Washington Temple. (See story on the lighting ceremony on page 3 and on the museum tour on this page.)

The youth packed the stake center chapel and cultural hall while their leaders looked in via closed-circuit television in overflow rooms. Those who attended began lining up more than an hour before they were admitted, enduring a steady drizzle as they waited.

President Hinckley told the youth: "There's a great, difficult world out there that lies ahead of you. It's filled with all kinds of traps. All kinds of traps to try to pull you down. But if you just keep your eye on the gospel, it won't pull you down, and you'll come through smiling in a wonderful way."

He then said: "This is Christmas. We sing of Jesus. We talk of Jesus. We tell stories concerning Jesus. Let us remember it is in His holy name that we approach the Father in prayer and all of us can do it."

He spoke with expressions of affection and encouragement for the youth. "You mean so very much to us," he said. "We love you and we expect great and remarkable things from you, because we know you can do it. Let the whole world go its own way. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Finally, he asked the youth to, during this Christmas season, "Think less of presents that you receive and more of giving of yourself to others."

Also speaking to the youth were Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve; Elder Vaughn J Featherstone of the Seventy and president of the North America Northeast Area; Elder W. Don Ladd of the Seventy and a counselor in the Northeast area presidency; and Elder J. Willard Marriott Jr., an area authority in the Northeast area.

The media luncheon on Monday, Dec. 2, gave President Hinckley an opportunity to share information about the Church with representatives from some of the nation's top news organizations. Among them were Robert Abernathy of NBC News; Katherine Graham, publisher of the Washington Post; Michael Barone of Reader's Digest; Scott Simond of National Public Radio; Doyle McManus of the Los Angeles Times; and Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America.

Accompanying President Hinckley at the luncheon were Elder Maxwell and Elder Featherstone.

After lunch, President Hinckley shared information about the Church with the group of about 25. He spoke of the events associated with the pioneer sesquicentennial and of the current mission of the Church. "We are trying to bring hope and peace and a sense of the meaning of life to people throughout the world," he said.

He listed the areas around the world he has visited in the past year and said: "This is no longer a Utah church, or an American church. It has become a world church."

Other subjects he spoke on were the missionary program, BYU, family history centers, the welfare program and the Church's emphasis on the family.