General Conference always is a time for Latter-day Saints worldwide to rejoice. Inspired counsel and loving words from a living prophet and other General Authorities and officers called of God provide an important lift for people who are committed to following the Savior in a world of increasing wickedness.

The 177th Annual General Conference will be remembered for many things, not the least of which was the rededication of the Tabernacle on Temple Square, which had been closed for remodeling and a renovation that included seismic upgrades. In the Saturday afternoon session, speaker after speaker related personal accounts of the building's meaning and recalled the many things important to Church history that occurred there.

The Tabernacle, an engineering marvel whose construction alone is a monument to the faith of pioneers and a witness to the truthfulness of the gospel, holds a special place in the hearts of many. It is, as speakers reminded their audience, the place where important scriptures have been presented to the Church and added to the standard works. It is where doctrine has been expounded and explained, and where worthy music has been broadcast to the world.

Every prophet of this dispensation from Brigham Young to Gordon B. Hinckley has spoken from its pulpit, as have presidents of the United States and other notable people.

President Hinckley's prayer to "dedicate, rededicate and consecrate" the building assured that it will continue to serve Latter-day Saints and the community in which it resides. It will remain a symbol of faith and dedication.

In his prayer, he noted how the Church has grown during the time it has been served by the Tabernacle.

"At one time most of the Latter-day Saints lived here in this valley and in other surrounding areas where settlements were established. Now, Thy work has grown and spread over the earth until we have more members outside of this nation than we have in it."

More important than the building, however, was the overriding message that the many reminiscences and historical references bespoke. The Tabernacle has been home to so many sacred experiences, and it has witnessed so many important events, because the Lord has restored the true gospel to the earth. Revered by Church members worldwide is its pulpit, where stand modern prophets called by the Lord to testify of Him and who tell the world specifically what the heavens would have it know.

The 177th Annual General Conference stands as a further witness that this is so. President Hinckley, whose health in his 97th year is a remarkable answer to many prayers, offered warnings, admonitions and strong testimony from pulpits both in the Tabernacle and the Conference Center.

In his concluding remarks, President Hinckley urged Church members to use the conference reports in the May edition of Church magazines as a source for lessons in family home evenings.

That would be an excellent way for each family to study and learn from the many wonderful things this conference had to offer. It also would help each family turn its own home into a small version of the kind of place the Tabernacle represents — a place remembered fondly for spiritual experiences and life-changing lessons.