The revelatory manifestation that the Lord continues to guide His Church was evident in the opening moments of the 177th Semiannual General Conference when President Gordon B. Hinckley led members worldwide in the sustaining of a new member of the First Presidency, a new apostle and three new members of the Presidency of the Quorums of the Seventy.

Many of those who spoke in the four general sessions of conference and the priesthood meeting during the weekend of Oct. 6 and 7 testified that the Lord, indeed, reveals His will to His living prophet. Assurances were given that calls in the Church are calls from the Lord, whether to general leadership or in wards or branches of the Church.

Speakers bore testimony of the divinity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and of His Church restored in these latter days for the blessing and benefit of people everywhere and through all generations of time. They shared scriptures, real-life accounts and literary works that help individuals increase in spirituality, gain practical insights for everyday living and, in essence, become better — as parents, children, friends, neighbors, missionaries, teachers and leaders.

Those who listened with earnest hearts to the messages delivered at conference were taught through more than just the spoken word or beautifully performed music. They received instruction and inspiration by the Holy Ghost. Many, at the conclusion of conference, certainly could have asked, as did one of the disciples who met the resurrected Savior on the way to Emmaus, "Did not our heart burn within us?" (Luke 24:32).

As he concluded "a great conference," President Hinckley said, "We have been edified, uplifted. We have been inspired and lifted to a higher appreciation of this wonderful gospel. The music, the spoken word, and the prayers have all been magnificent."

He encouraged members to read the talks in their family home evenings and to discuss them together as families. "They are the products of much prayer and meditation and are well worthy of careful consideration," he declared.

It will be another six months before Church members assemble for the next general conference. In the meantime, we may continue to bask in the glow of this past conference as we accept President Hinckley's counsel to read again and again its messages. These talks, so readily available to us in printed form in the Ensign and Liahona magazines or on the Church's Web site (lds.org) can serve as a spiritual oasis in a parched world where blow the winds of war, conflict, discord, and all manner of temptations and challenges. The conference messages can refresh and revitalize the soul and mind as effectively as water in a desert freshens and enlivens the body.

The challenge for us as Latter-day Saints, now that the conference has concluded, is to apply the principles we were taught, and do our part in helping the glorious work of the gospel to fill the earth, to bear witness of Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind.