Forceful denouncements of abuse — of children, spouses and the elderly — resounded during the opening sessions of the 172nd Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which also witnessed installation of a new General Relief Society Presidency and two general authorities.

President Gordon B. Hinckley opened the conference Saturday morning in the Conference Center, praising the success of the Utah community's Winter Olympics effort, noting in particular the favorable avalanche of media coverage the church received.

Some visitors and reporters came to the 2002 Winter Games "with suspicion and hesitancy, old and false images persisting in their minds. They came feeling they might get trapped in some unwanted situation by religious zealots. But they found something they never expected" in the kindness and goodness of Utahns, he said.

"I do not wish to infer that such hospitality was limited to our people," President Hinckley emphasized. "The entire community joined together in a great expression of hospitality. But out of all this came something wonderful for the church."

He noted the church's continued growth and the fact that it is now the fifth largest faith in America. "No other church to come out of the soil of America has grown so fast nor spread so widely," he said.

But the tone of his remarks turned somber during the evening priesthood session, where he addressed the church's men and boys on "the sordid and evil abuse of children by adults, usually men. Such abuse is not new. There is evidence that it goes back through the ages. It is a most despicable and tragic and terrible thing. I regret to say that there has been some very limited expression of this monstrous evil among us. It is something that cannot be countenanced or tolerated."

He noted the LDS Church has definitive policies in place for dealing with abusers and quoted the church's General Handbook of Instructions that states that "the first responsibility of the church is to help those who have been abused and to protect those who may be vulnerable to future abuse."

Policies state that even if a member who abused a child sexually or physically is later restored to full membership in the church, leaders should not call the person to any position working with children or youths without approval from the First Presidency.

"These acts are often criminal in their nature. They are punishable under the law," President Hinckley said.

He mentioned a special telephone line that was established some years ago for church leaders to receive counseling for proper handling of abuse cases.

He also said any man who abuses his wife, "who demeans her, who insults her, who exercises unrighteous dominion over her, is unworthy to hold the priesthood" or a temple recommend. "I regret to say that I see too much of this ugly phenomenon. There are men who cuff their wives about, both verbally and physically. What a tragedy when a man demeans the mother of his children."

Abuse of the elderly is "absolutely revolting," he said, and must also be shunned.

"Now brethren, I suppose that I have sounded negative. I do not wish to. But I do wish to raise a warning voice to the priesthood of this church throughout the world," he said.

President Boyd K. Packer, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve, also talked in his Saturday morning address about how precious children are and stressed that they must be safeguarded.

"Children should not be ignored or neglected," he said. "They absolutely must not be abused or molested. Children must not be abandoned or estranged by divorce. Parents are responsible to provide for their children."

The remarks come as national media reports have continued to multiply this past week regarding allegations of child abuse by some leaders of the Catholic Church in America.

Saturday afternoon's proceedings included the sustaining of former Young Women general presidency member Bonnie D. Parkin as the new president of the Relief Society and two Utah men — Elder Gerald N. Lund of Alpine and Elder William R. Walker of Sandy — as members of the Second Quorum of the Seventy (see accompanying story).

President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency, urged men and boys Saturday night to recall the Olympic anthem, "Call of the Champions" by John Williams, and said the stirring first words of the piece are "swifter, stronger, higher," an Olympic motto. He said never has the church itself climbed higher, moved swifter or been stronger.

"Now is the time for all of us to reach upward and move onward. It is time for the call of the champions. In God's work, we too must be swifter, working with greater urgency; higher, striving for lofty spiritual goals; and stronger, relying on God's strength."

Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Council of the Twelve told members that true consecration is more than yielding material possessions to God. "Such totality involves the submissive converging of feelings, thoughts, words and deeds." Despite the human tendency toward selfish pursuits, "having our wills increasingly swallowed up by the will of the Father actually means an enhanced individuality, stretched and more capable of receiving 'all that God hath,' " he said.

Elder Henry B. Eyring of the Council of the Twelve urged members to be true friends to new converts. "The member must make the choices, but the true friend is vital," he said. "There are important ways for you to share the new member's burden that it may be bearable. We can love, listen, show and testify."

Mary Ellen W. Smoot, who was released as general president of the Relief Society during the afternoon session, spoke earlier in the day about developing inner strengths.

"When we can put aside our differences and value each others' strengths, great things happen," she said. "When we are truly converted, our focus shifts from self to others. We can find inner strength through service. Nothing would please the adversary more than for us to be distracted by selfish concerns and appetites. But we know better. Service will help us stay on course."

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir provided the Saturday morning session's music. A combined choir from the Logan and Ogden Institutes of Religion performed Saturday afternoon, and a men's choir from BYU-Idaho sang at the Priesthood session.