Special visitor attends stake conference
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WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — By all appearances, an edifying but fairly typical stake conference was about to commence. Then, some in the congregation noticed a familiar, white-haired figure on the rostrum. Some gasped. The congregation fell mute, stood and began spontaneously and unitedly to sing "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet."
The pending visit of President Gordon B. Hinckley to the Salt Lake Granger South Stake Conference Nov. 10 had been a closely kept secret for the previous three days. Now, at the beginning of the meeting, an emotional President Edwin C. Winder Jr. explained to his flock, "I had a phone call on Thursday from President Hinckley's secretary making sure we were having conference and wondering if it would be OK if the prophet came." The congregation laughed. "Needless to say," he went on, "my nights have been a little restless since."
Prior to the meeting, President Hinckley and his wife, Sister Marjorie Hinckley, were welcomed with floral leis to wear, made by Siu Tonga, stake Primary president. It happened that she had made leis for stake leaders to wear during the conference, unaware that the Hinckleys would be visiting.
"When I have a free Sunday now and again," President Hinckley said as the closing speaker, "I like to visit a stake conference. And we're here just to say thank you for the good people that you are. Thank you for your faith. Thank you for the love you have for the Lord and His great work. Thank you for your loyalty to the Church. Thank you for all that you do."
He referred to remarks by an earlier speaker that some parents are too tired to prepare an evening meal, opting instead for take-out, and thus the family misses the opportunity for mealtime togetherness and the blessings that flow therefrom.
"I just want to make a plea to you people here, you parents who have young families, many of you, in this stake: Take advantage of the great responsibility and opportunity that you have to teach your children, to rear them in the light of the gospel, to build faith in their hearts, to sit down with them."
He added: "If you can't do it at the dinner table, and I'm sorry if you can't, then you have a family home evening, and don't miss it. Talk with them about these things. Let them feel of your love for the Lord. Let them hear you testify of the truth of this work. Let them partake of the good that comes from a father and a mother who seek to do the right thing and do it while they're young."
Parents, he said, should talk with their children about the blessing that the Word of Wisdom is, about the good that comes from paying tithes and fast offerings, about missionary work and how they might share the gospel, about the welfare plan and what it seeks to accomplish.
"Talk with them about all of these glorious things that we have in a beautiful and conversational style," he admonished. "I want to tell you — I want to promise you — you fathers and mothers, if you will do that, your children will grow up with love for the Lord, and the greatest reward you can have in this life, nothing excepted, will be to see your children walk in truth before the Lord."
He left the stake members with his wish that faith would always be in their hearts. "May there be peace in your homes and love and honor and respect one for another," he said, "fathers for mothers, mothers for fathers, parents for children, children for parents, and if that happens, my brothers and sisters, when you get as old as I am, you can look back with gratitude and thanksgiving to the Lord for His rich and wonderful blessings."
Brief as they were, President Hinckley's comments seemed to augment and solidify the messages that had been given by each of the previous speakers on the program.
For example, President Winder expressed gratitude for many blessings, naming them individually. President John Hardy, second counselor in the stake presidency, spoke of the challenges facing today's youth and enjoined parents to work with leaders to help youth understand their divine potential. President Reo K. Larsen, first counselor, gave scriptural and Church history stories to illustrate that faith is believing that Heavenly Father and Jesus are in charge, and that if one obeys them, works hard and trusts in the divine plan, sooner or later everything will be OK.
Sister Tonga spoke of the blessings and strength the gospel, temple covenants and faithful Latter-day Saints had brought to her and her family as she was growing up in Tonga and later as they moved to Utah. Dennis Nordfelt, first counselor to President Hinckley's son, Richard Hinckley, president of the Utah Salt Lake City Mission, encouraged stake members to pray for and recognize opportunities to share the gospel. And Rebecca Priggemeier, Laurel president in the Memorial Ward, said that a line added to the Young Women Values, strengthening home and family, had brought greater meaning to those values for her.
E-mail: rscott@desnews.com
