The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints "is a church of great expectations," said President Gordon B. Hinckley as he addressed 20,000 people April 26 in Madison Square Garden here.

"Since its earliest days much has been expected of our people."Some complain that ours is not an easy religion," he declared. "It is not. But out of it comes great strength and great loyalty."

Drawing the theme of his text from a classic novel by Charles Dickens titled, Great Expectations, President Hinckley spoke of 10 aspects that the Church expects of its members.

Members traveled from the New York metropolitan area, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania to attend the meeting. (See related article on this page.)

President Hinckley first spoke of the Pioneer exodus from Nauvoo, recounting how, "pioneers plodded day after wearisome day beside ox-drawn wagons or creaking handcarts."

"It was

aT long march from the Mississippi across Iowa, and then west, 1,100 terrible miles, to the forbidding Salt Lake Valley," he said. "No one said it would be easy. It never was." And after arriving in the valley, "there was no time for rest. There was work to be done, so very much of it."

Life has become easier, he noted. "So much easier. But while there has been some change in emphasis of that which is expected of our people, it remains essentially the same. Much is required, and much is given. Out of the great devotions of our people miracles, not a few, have come."

President Hinckley told of David Casteneda and his wife, Tomasa, to illustrate the changes that come into one's life after accepting the gospel.

"In 1969, they were living on a very poor little desert patch of dry and rocky ground in the area of Bermejillo, a town some 40 kilometers north of Torreon, Mexico.

"At the time, they had a little shack, 30 chickens, two pigs and one horse.

President Hinckley explained how missionaries found the family that year and taught them the gospel and they were baptized. In time, they moved to Bermejillo. They began with a 17-year-old worn-out truck. They fixed it up and sold it. This gradually led to the buying of wrecked automobiles that they repaired. Since then, "They have become a highly successful and prosperous family," he said.

"They donated the land on which the local [ meetinghouse] was built. They have served in many capacities. The taint of ignorance and the blight of darkness have left them and light and understanding have come into their faces. The sons have all served missions for the Church. The family has been instrumental in bringing more than 200 of their extended family and friends into the Church.

"It is what I call the `Mormon Miracle.' This gospel has touched the lives of the learned and the affluent, as well as those in humble circumstances. It expects very much of every one who becomes a part of it.

"What does the Church expect of each of us?" he asked.

- "It expects that every person will have in his or her heart a solid and quiet and certain faith in the God of Heaven and a desire to do His will.

- "It is our responsibility, it is our obligation, it is our opportunity, each of us, to carry in our hearts a firm and solid conviction concerning the fatherhood of God. There must be love and respect one for another, there must be an outreaching to assist and bless the lives of others.

- "We expect that every man and woman in this Church will carry in his or her heart a firm and unbending conviction that Jesus is the Christ, the living Son of the living God, the Savior and the Redeemer of the world. He is our great Exemplar. He is our great intermediary. . . . He is our Redeemer and our Lord.

- "We expect every Latter-day Saint will have . . . a living conviction of the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The story of his First Vision and of subsequent manifestations seems totally incredible to those who do not believe as we believe. And yet, they cannot escape the fact that out of those beginnings has come this great and remarkable organization, the influence of which is felt so far and wide.

- "This Church expects that we will be a praying people. Once, it was the custom in the homes of America, for the family to gather about the table in the morning and at night in prayer. We have largely forgotten that practice, and I believe that we have paid a terrible price in the deterioration of the family which we have and are witnessing, not only in America, but across the world.

- "We are a people who believe in education. The Lord expects us to learn. Learning is an eternal thing.

- "The Church expects each of us to do our part in moving forward its work across the world. We believe in the law of the tithe. People look upon us as a Church of wealth. We are a Church of consecrated means. Our assets are money-consuming and not income-producing. Through the blessings of tithing we are able to do what we need to do.

- "It is expected that each of us will fast, that is, abstain, from two meals a month and give the equivalent value of those meals to the bishop to be used in taking care of the poor. Nobody suffers.

"I am satisfied that if everyone in the United States were to observe this simple law, the welfare needs of the nation could be taken care of without raising a single dollar of taxes for this purpose. Those who give would be blessed, and those who receive would be blessed.

- "It is expected that every member . . . observe the Word of Wisdom. It is a promise to this people - divinely given - and if we were to observe it more strictly, the blessing would be the greater."

- The Lord expects us to strengthen the family - an institution of God - by supporting, sustaining, strengthening and teaching one another.

"The family is falling apart all over the world. Young people who come out of homes without roots, wander aimlessly, destroying their lives with drugs and other practices, joining gangs, molesting and even shooting one another.

"

The familyT was designed for His eternal purposes, to bring happiness into the lives of His children. Fatherhood and motherhood are blessings without peer.

"It is this family solidarity which is the only hope I see for the future of our nation."

- The Church expects that each of us carry a share of the burden of leadership. There is no paid clergy. The work is done because of a love of the cause. And as people serve, they grow in capacity. The time and effort is not a sacrifice because there is returned more than is given."

President Hinckley closed by saying: "We are trying to make the world better by beginning with ourselves."