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my dear brothers and sisters I am
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grateful to speak to you today in this
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important general
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conference my eyes continue to get
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older thank you for your understanding
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as I deliver my
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message we live in a day of great
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momentum in the Church of Jesus Christ
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of Latter-day Saints i am filled with
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joy as I see progress in so many
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areas i am especially inspired by our
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youth they are giving service in large
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numbers they're seeking their ancestors
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and performing ordinances in the temple
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our young men and women
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are submitting applications for
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missionary service in record
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numbers the rising generation is rising
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up as stalwart followers of Jesus
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Christ recently I met a new great
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granddaughter when I contemplate the
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challenges she will experience in her
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life I feel a great desire to help her
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build faith in Jesus Christ living his
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gospel is essential for her future
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happiness she like each of us will face
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challenges
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we all will experience
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illness disappointment
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temptation and
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loss these challenges can knock our
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self-confidence however disciples of
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Jesus Christ have access to a different
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kind of
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confidence when we make and keep
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covenants with
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God we can have confidence that is born
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of the
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spirit the Lord told the prophet Joseph
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Smith that our confidence can wax strong
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in the presence of
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God imagine the comfort of having
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confidence in the presence of
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God when I speak of having confidence
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before God I'm referring to having
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confidence in approaching God right
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now i'm referring to praying with
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confidence that Heavenly Father hears
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us that he understands our needs better
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than we do
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i'm referring to having confidence that
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he loves us more than we can
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comprehend that he sends angels to be
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with us and with those we
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love i'm referring to having confidence
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that he yearns to help each of us reach
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our highest potential
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now how do we gain such
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confidence the Lord answers this
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question with these words
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quote "Let thy bowels be full of charity
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towards all men and let virtue garnish
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thy thoughts
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unceasingly then shall thy confidence
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wax strong in the presence of God." End
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quote
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there's the key in the Lord's own words
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charity and virtue open the way to
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having confidence before
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God brothers and sisters we can do
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this our confidence can truly wax strong
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in the presence of God right
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now let's consider both charity and
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virtue
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first
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charity two years ago I called upon us
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as covenant followers of Jesus Christ to
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be
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peacemakers i repeat what I said
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then anger never
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persuades hostility builds no
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one contention never leads to inspired
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solutions true charity towards all men
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is the hallmark of
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peacemakers it is imperative that we
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have charity in our discourse both
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public and private
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i thank those of you who took my
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previous
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council to
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heart but we can still do
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better the present hostility in public
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dialogue and on social media is
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alarming hateful words are deadly
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weapons
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contention prevents the Holy Ghost from
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being our constant
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companion as followers of Jesus Christ
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we should lead the way as
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peacemakers as charity becomes part of
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our
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nature we will lose the impulse to
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demean
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others we will stop judging others
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we'll have charity for those from all
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walks of
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life charity towards all men is
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essential to our
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progress charity is the foundation of a
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godly character
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let us plead with our heavenly father to
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fill our hearts with greater
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charity especially for those who are
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difficult to
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love for charity is a gift from our
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heavenly father for true followers of
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Jesus
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Christ the savior is the prince of peace
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we are to be his instruments for peace
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now let us speak of
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virtue the Lord tells us to garnish our
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thoughts
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unceasingly with
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virtue imagine the boost you will
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receive to any positive thought when you
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enhance it with
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virtue virtue makes everything better
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and happier
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on the other hand imagine what will
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happen when you add virtue to an impure
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thought a cruel
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thought or a depressing
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thought virtue will drive away those
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thoughts virtually will free you from
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anxious troublesome thoughts
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brothers and sisters as the world grows
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more wicked we need to grow increasingly
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pure our thoughts words and
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actions need to be unfailingly
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virtuous and filled with the pure love
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of Jesus Christ towards all men
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the great opportunity before us is to
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become the people God needs us to
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be regular worship in the house of the
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Lord increases our capacity for both
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virtue and
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charity thus time in the temple
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increases our confidence before the Lord
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increased time in the temple will help
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us prepare for the second coming of our
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savior Jesus
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Christ we do not know the day or the
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hour of his coming but I do know that
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the Lord is prompting me to urge us to
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get ready for that great and dreadful
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day as we diligently seek to have
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charity and virtue fill our
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lives our confidence in approaching
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God will
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increase i invite you to take
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intentional
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steps to grow in your
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confidence before the
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Lord then as we go to our heavenly
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father with increasing confidence we
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will be filled with more
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joy and your faith in Jesus Christ will
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increase we will begin to experience
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spiritual power that exceeds our
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greatest hopes
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we are grateful to the Lord for the
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acceleration of temple building in
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recent
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years under his
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direction today we announce plans to
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construct a
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temple in each of these 15 locations
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reosa
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Mexico Charilio
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Peru ria
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Uruguay
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Companji
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Brazil Porto
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Portugal u
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Nigeria San Jose Del
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Monte
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Philippines
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numea New Calonia
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liverpool
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Australia caldwell
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Idaho flagstaff
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Arizona rapid City South
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Dakota
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greenville South
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Carolina Norfolk
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Virginia Spanish Fork Utah
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i testify that Jesus Christ the redeemer
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of
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Israel leads this his
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church he is preparing to come
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again may we
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likewise prepare to receive
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him for this I pray in the name of Jesus
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Christ amen
