Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sustained President Howard W. Hunter as the church's 14th president Saturday, during a solemn assembly session that opened the 164th Semiannual General Conference of the church in the Tabernacle on Temple Square.
Church members in meeting "halls and homes across the world" were invited to participate in the rare sustaining ceremony, which takes place at the first general conference where a new church president presides.President Hunter stood, supported by his walker and his second counselor, President Thomas S. Monson, during the 15-minute procedure. President Gordon B. Hinckley, first counselor in the First Presidency, asked each priesthood quorum - beginning with the First Presidency - to signify support for the new prophet and church leaders. After the quorums affirmed their support, all church members were asked to stand and raise their right hands in a show of support or opposition of President Hunter and other general authorities and officers of the church.
The voting was unanimous in the historic Tabernacle, and church leaders in meeting halls where the sustaining was broadcast were asked to inform the First Presidency of any negative votes.
"We feel you have sustained us not only with your hands but also with your hearts," said President Hinckley, who conducted the ceremony. "We urgently need your prayers and pray that you will continue to offer them in our behalf as your servants."
In his opening address, President Hunter also thanked members for their support and told them of his tears shed and prayers offered "in a desire to be equal to this high and holy calling."
He said his testimony that Jesus Christ heads the church has been "my greatest strength" in the time since President Ezra Taft Benson died and President Hunter was called and ordained president in June.
"I am honored beyond expression to be called for a season to be an instrument in (Jesus Christ's) hands to preside over his church," President Hunter said. "But without the knowledge that Christ is the head of the church, neither I nor any other man could bear the weight of the calling that has come."
The 87-year-old church president, who walked slowly and cautiously into the Tabernacle with the aid of a walker and two assistants, acknowledged God has "repeatedly brought me back from the edge of eternity" and spared his life.
But standing unassisted at the pulpit, President Hunter calmly and deliberately said he has set aside his personal questioning of why his life has been preserved. He asked for members' faith and prayers to "work together, I laboring with you, to fulfill God's purposes in this season of our lives."
"My walk is slower now, but my mind is clear, and my spirit is young," he noted.
If the president of the church falls ill or is unable the function, President Hunter said, his two counselors carry on the work, and major decisions are considered by the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve.
"No decision emanates from the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve without total unanimity among all concerned," he said, stressing that the system was revealed by the Lord and that each apostle today is sustained as a prophet, seer and revelator.
He repeated his invitation, initially offered when he was called as president, for more Christ-like living among church members. "I pray we will treat each other with more kindness, more patience, courtesy and forgiveness," he said.
Encouraging more study of Christ's teachings, President Hunter invited members to claim the "exceeding great and precious promises" and partake "of the divine nature" mentioned in the New Testament.
And repeating another earlier invitation, President Hunter asked for disaffected members to "come back." But he noted that the church will not compromise "the high standards of conduct which define a Latter-day Saint.
"It is the Lord who has established those standards, and we are not free to set them aside," he said.
President Hunter asked members to be worthy to worship in the church's temples. "The things that we must do and not do to be worthy of a temple recommend are the very things that ensure we will be happy as individuals and as families," he said.
In temples, the foundations of the eternal family are sealed in place, President Hunter said, and the church has the responsibility and authority to preserve and protect the family as the foundation of society.
Pledging his life, strength and soul to serving the Lord, President Hunter closed by asking members to "have ears to hear and hearts to feel and the courage to follow."
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Additional Information
Elder Perry:
A prophet teaches the gospel as it is revealed by the Lord and, under inspiration, explains it.
The Lord has chosen President Howard W. Hunter as a prophet, seer and revelator for the church and its members are under a solemn covenant to heed his voice, said Elder L. Tom Perry of the Council of the Twelve.
Sustaining President Hunter as a prophet, seer and revelator is a historic moment, Elder Perry said. "I believe we should pause at the conclusion of this memorable session to remember what it means to sustain the president of the church as a seer and a prophet."
He said President Hunter is the only source the Lord will use to declare his basic, fundamental doctrines, and church members can have complete confidence in President Hunter as they have had in previous prophets.
Quoting President Brigham Young, Elder Perry said, "You may go home and sleep as sweetly as a babe in its mother's arms, as to any danger of your leaders will lead you astray, for if they should try to do so, the Lord would quickly sweep them from the Earth."
A prophet teaches the gospel as it is revealed by the Lord and, under inspiration, explains it, Elder Perry said.
He quoted Elder John A. Widstoe in explaining that a prophet "is an expounder of truth. Moreover, he shows that the way to human happiness is through obedience to God's laws . . . The purpose of his life is to uphold the Lord's plan of salvation. All of this he does by close communion with the Lord until he is full of power by the spirit of the Lord."
As a seer, he can know of things which are past and things which are to come. President Hunter and prophets before him are seers "because they are blessed with a clearer vision of divine glory and power than other mortals," Elder Perry said.
Never have members of the church been so bombarded with so much information from so many different sources. The media almost overwhelms people with opinions and differing points of view.
"What a comfort it is to know that the Lord continues to keep a channel of communication open to his children through the prophet. What a blessing it is to know we have a voice we can trust to declare the will of the Lord," he said.
President Hunter is a man who lets nothing get in his way. His life's story is marked by determination, accomplishment, faith and true Christian love, Elder Perry said.
Elder Haight:
Members participating in a solemn assembly enter into a covenant to follow the prophet.
Church members participating in a solemn assembly to sustain a new church president have entered into a "solemn convenant" with the Lord to follow the prophet, Elder David B. Haight of the Council of the Twelve said.
"When we sustain the president of the church by our uplifted hand, it not only signifies that we acknowledge before God that he is the rightful possessor of all priesthood keys," Elder Haight said, "it means that we covenant with God that we will abide by the direction and counsel that comes through his prophet."
He said a solemn assembly denotes a sacred, sober and reverent occasion when the Saints assemble under direction of the First Presidency. The sacred gatherings are held to dedicate temples, give special instructions to priesthood leaders or sustain a new church president.
The pattern of having the various priesthood quorums manifest their vote, followed by the general body of the church, Elder Haight explained, distinguishes solemn assemblies from other meetings where church leaders are sustained.
President Hunter became president of the church through "a revealed process," which began when he was called, ordained and set apart as a member of the Council of the Twelve, Elder Haight said.
"Each apostle is ordained under the direction of the president of the church who holds all the keys of the kingdom of God," he said. "He gives to each new apostle the priesthood authority necessary for him to hold every position in the church.
"We declare that the authority to administer in the name of God is operative in (the church) today. We further testify that this power or commission was conferred on the first officers of the church by ordination under the hands of those who held the same power in earlier dispen- sations."
New Testament apostles Peter, James and John gave the keys of the apostleship to Joseph Smith, Elder Haight said, and that same authority has been passed on to President Hunter.
Since the early days of the church, there have been "pretenders" claiming to have received this same authority from angels, he said, but Joseph Smith and Elder George Q. Cannon have taught that God has already bestowed the keys and will not do it again.
"The instructions . . . should be a warning and testimony to any `pretender' who claims apostolic authority on the basis that he has been visited by angels," Elder Haight said. "It should also warn any who may be so deceived as to follow after these false shepherds."
Elder Oaks:
Church members should use hymns to worship, teach gospel and gain spiritual strength.
Music is an effective way to worship God, Elder Dallin H. Oaks said, and church members should use hymns to worship, teach the gospel and gain spiritual strength and inspiration.
"The scriptures contain many affirmations that hymn-singing is a glorious way to worship," said Elder Oaks, a member of the Council of the Twelve. He cited scriptural passages of the Savior and his apostles singing at the Last Supper and the Lord appointing Emma Smith to compile a hymn book for the church.
Elder Oaks shared several personal experiences where singing hymns spiritually moved him and others. He said the Thursday meetings of the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve in the Salt Lake Temple always begin with a hymn.
Elder Russell M. Nelson plays organ accompaniment to a hymn selected by a member of the First Presidency. The most frequently sung hymn during Elder Oaks' years in the council has been "I Need Thee Every Hour."
"Picture the spiritual impact of a handful of the Lord's servants singing that song before praying for his guidance in fulfilling their mighty responsibilities," he said.
Worshiping through music can bring us closer to the heavens, Elder Oaks said, noting powerful spiritual manifestations when music is sung during temple dedications. "In (temple) dedicatory sessions featuring beautiful and well-trained choirs of about 30 voices, there are times when I have heard what seemed to be 10 times thirty voices praising God with a quality and intensity of feeling that can be experienced but not explained."
Elder Oaks said all should participate when the congregation worships through singing. "I believe some of us in North America are getting neglectful in our worship, including the singing of hymns," he said. "I have observed that the Saints elsewhere are more diligent in doing this. We in the center stakes of Zion should renew our fervent participation in the singing of our hymns."
In worshiping through music, the church hymnbook provides the most inspiring and appropriate selections and should be the basic resource, he said, although other music can be used that is "in harmony with the spirit of our hymns."
"We need to make more use of our hymns to put us in tune with the spirit of the Lord, to unify us and to help us teach and learn our doctrine," Elder Oaks said.
President Grassli:
Immerse children in gospel teachings so they can recognize error. Take them to Primary.
To raise children who will thrive in today's difficult world, parents must immerse them in gospel teachings, then let them practice using their agency, said General Primary President Michaelene P. Grassli, who was released from her call on Saturday (see story on A1).
Children are the church's hope for bringing about good in the world, she said. "Teach them of Jesus Christ and the simple truths of the gospel. To do that, we need to be with them so we can verbalize our beliefs to them and they can watch us as we apply principles in our lives. Work time, play time, planned lessons and teaching moments that just happen - anytime is the time!" she said.
If a child has been taught the truth, he can recognize error, she said.
"When our children are familiar with truth, they can face opposing voices with confidence," she said.
"Our children need to know that if we read the scriptures and the words of the prophets, and heed the whisperings of the spirit, we are learning from the source of all truth," she said.
Grassli also urged parents to take their children to Primary. Primary teachers "can help you immerse your children in truth."
After children have been taught truth, they must be given opportunities to practice discerning truth and choosing righteously, she said. Parents should teach children to be independent in using their agency. Children who are practiced in discerning truth always recognize it.
"No one can tell them the Church is not true because that will sound wrong to them. When they make mistakes, or have questions about doctrines as we all do, the feelings and memories of truth from their childhood can help draw them back."
Morning speakers:
Howard W. Hunter of the First Presidency
L. Tom Perry of the council of the Twelve
David B. Haight of the council of the Twelve
Dallin H. Oaks of the council of the Twelve
Michaelene P. Grassli of the Primary general presidency