A royal priesthood
This is the day which Peter foresaw when there should be a royal priesthood upon the earth available to all men who would accept the gospel.
My dear brethren, do you realize what you have when you have the priesthood of God? You can serve in the governance of this Church. You can hold office. You can administer its affairs. More important even perhaps than that, it carries with it the power and authority to lay hands upon the heads of your family and bless them. Do you know of any group in the world where a father has the right and the privilege and the opportunity to lay his hands upon the head of his wife and his children and bless them in the name of the Lord? What a priceless privilege that is. And I want to say . . . live worthy of this great blessing. — From member meeting, Kiev, Ukraine, Sept. 9, 2002
Believe in God
Believe in God. Believe in God the Eternal Father. He is the great Governor of the Universe, but He is our Father and our God to whom we may go in prayer. We are His sons and daughters. Have you ever really thought that you were a child of God and that you have something of divinity within you?
Believe in God and be not faithless. Worship Him in spirit and in truth. Believe in Him. Read His word and follow His teachings. — From member meeting, Moscow, Russia, Sept. 10, 2002
Go to the house of the Lord
Attend the temple. You will be blessed for so doing. Every man or woman who goes into the house of the Lord leaves there a better man or woman than he or she was when he or she entered the house of the Lord. The house of the Lord will have a refining effect upon you. It will cultivate unselfishness within your lives. It will build righteousness. It will impress upon you the importance of doing what you ought to do. Go to the house of the Lord. — From conference, Provo Utah Edgemont North Stake, Sept. 22, 2002
I see the future
My dear young friends. As I look into your faces, I see the future. Keep the faith. You will marry. You will have children. You will have grandchildren. You will go out and do the work of this world, but maintain your integrity. Be honest. Be good. Be decent. Be prayerful and the God of heaven will smile upon you and bless you, and give happiness in your hearts and a sense of peace in your lives. — From dedication, Gordon B. Hinckley Building, BYU—Idaho, Oct. 22, 2002
No greater cause
Serve the Lord. Serve your neighbors. Serve the Church. Be loyal to this Church. This is the Church and Kingdom of God on the earth. There is no greater cause in all the world than this cause.
If you actually believe that God appeared to the boy Joseph Smith; if you actually believe that Jesus Christ spoke with the boy Joseph Smith; if you actually believe that John the Baptist, Peter, James, and John laid their hands upon the head of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery; if you actually believe that the keys of the priesthood were bestowed under the hands of Moses, Elias, and Elijah; if you actually believe the Book of Mormon is the word of God, another testament of the Lord Jesus Christ; if you do, there is nothing more important than this great gospel work. — From conference, Provo Utah Edgemont North Stake, Sept. 22, 2002
Promise of tithing
The Lord has made a promise to those who pay their tithes and offerings that He will open the windows of heaven and shower down blessings. That isn't my promise. That is the Lord's promise. I believe that He has the capacity to keep His word. I can bear testimony that He does keep His word. — From member meeting, Reykjavik Iceland, Sept. 11, 2002
The Aaronic priesthood
The Aaronic Priesthood (was) given under the hands of John the Baptist, he who baptized the Savior, who came as a resurrected being and restored this holy priesthood which carries with it the administering of angels. Think of what a marvelous thing it is. — From conference, Park City Utah Stake, Oct. 27, 2002
Volunteer service
The genius of the Church . . . is volunteer service. This Sabbath day the more than 26,000 local congregations of this Church are meeting in 160 nations of the earth. Each of those local congregations is presided over, not by a paid minister, but by a volunteer leader, a bishop who serves without compensation and must earn his living through other employment. This is possible because he has many co-workers who also serve on a volunteer basis.
Our Church missionary program involving more than 62,000 is a volunteer service. The missionaries give their full time with themselves and their families contributing to the cost of their maintenance. Most serve for two years.— From conference, Volunteers of America, June 23, 2002