Optimistic words
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During a break from his worldwide travels, President Gordon B. Hinckley had the opportunity to speak at his own stake's conference Sunday, March 7.
He had encouraging words for the members of the Salt Lake Ensign Stake, meeting in their stake center just a short drive from his office.
Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve also spoke during the conference, along with the stake presidency and other members of the stake.
President Hinckley arrived at the meeting along with other stake members, many of whom walked to the meetinghouse on a beautiful springlike morning. He began his brief remarks saying, "I told Brother Scott that this is my home stake and I was free today and was coming to stake conference, but I did not need to speak."
He then told the congregation filling the stake center, "Things are not as bad as we sometimes think they are. I have great optimism concerning this Church. I have tremendous optimism concerning the youth of this Church. . . .
"We do not need to fear, my brothers and sisters. We have nothing to fear if we will live the gospel. It is just that simple. If we will make our decisions in the light of the gospel; if we will guide our lives according to the principles of the gospel; if we will get on our knees and pray to the Lord for enlightenment, understanding, direction, and courage, we do not need to fear."
He continued, "The world is in trouble; of course, it is. There have been many other generations that have faced a very troubled world. But somehow, a few have come through. Today these young people, particularly, stand as shining lights in this world where there is so much of darkness. God bless them and smile upon them, give them strength and courage and fortitude to go forward in truth and righteousness. They will be blessed and tremendous will be the results that come therefrom."
President Hinckley told of recently meeting a missionary who was just leaving Salt Lake City after completing a full-time mission. It was the grandson of a man President Hinckley had known while a missionary in England.
About the young missionary, President Hinckley said, "His great-grandmother had joined the Church. A missionary from Salt Lake had gone to England, served in Ireland, and then baptized this young woman. She became the mother of the man I knew as a missionary, who is this boy's grandfather. He became a doctor practicing in Bangor, Ireland. He had a son who was faithful. And now that son has a son who is faithful.
"The marvelous and interesting thing to me is that that boy who had come from Ireland, fourth in the line of members of the Church that began with the conversion of a mother by a missionary from Salt Lake, has now returned himself to Salt Lake to serve a mission here."
President Hinckley then spoke of the high number of converts currently being baptized in Utah and stated, "When Brigham Young said, 'This is the place,' he meant it! This is the opportunity for us, and I mean it when I say it."
