Here is a thought provoking quote I came across today:

I am asking that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight

–President Hinckley

President Gordon B. Hinckley has repeatedly stressed the importance of getting an education. Here is one quote that I like:

Be smart. You are all in school. Do not waste your time. This is a time of great opportunity that you will never have again as long as you live. Make the most of it right now. It is wonderfully challenging. It is hard, it is tough, isn’t it? But what a wonderful thing to go and learn of all the accumulated knowledge of all the centuries of time. Go on to college or whatever school, vocational school, whatever your choice is, but take advantage of every opportunity that you have because the Lord has laid upon you a mandate through revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith concerning not only spiritual learning but secular learning. Yours is the responsibility, and you can’t afford to waste your time. There is so much to learn. Be smart. Give it the very best that you have.

Source: Discourses of President Gordon B. Hinckley, Vol. 1, pp. 395-396

Gordon B Hinckley has taught:

Love is like the Polar Star. In a changing world, it is a constant. It is the very essence of the gospel.

Without love . . . there is little else to commend the gospel to us as a way of life.

Source: Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [1997]

The First Presidency message this month is from President Gordon B. Hinckley and is titled: A Perfect Brightness of Hope — to New Members of the Church. It is a special message written especially toward new converts and members of the Church. It talks to them about their transition into membership and the culture of the Church.

Throughout the message, President Hinckley tells the new members how we (existing members of the Church) will help them. Here are some quotes that help illustrate how we are suppose to help new members:

• “We stand ready to assist you in any way we can”?
• “Unless there are strong hands to greet you, unless we reach out to you with love and concern”?…
• “We have the challenge of helping you to strengthen your testimony of the truth of this work”?
• “We rejoice with you in the gospel of Jesus Christ”?
• “We need you”?
• “We will put our arms around you and be friends with you. “
• “We will do our best to comfort you, to make you feel welcome and accepted”?
• “We love you, and we know the Lord loves you.”?
• “Come and work with us side by side as we grow and learn together”?

As a footnote: according to the Church’s Member and Statistical Records Division, first-generation members made up 64 percent of the total Church membership as of July 2006.

Today President Hinckley dedicated the new Joseph F Smith Building (JFSB or jah-fuh-suh-buh). He dedicated it from the Marriott Center. I was thinking, if he didn’t actually need to be in the building to dedicate it, then why didn’t he just dedicate it from the conference center is Salt Lake City?

Just about as many students would have been able to attend too. I noticed that the Marriott Center was packed, as well as just about every overflow room there was on campus. I’m just guessing, but not all of the people at the dedication were students or faculty. I heard a comment from someone that about half their ward from Springville was coming up to see President Hinckley. If the dedication would have been at the conference center, then all these people could have had more comfortable seats and just about as many students would have been able to attend. The TV broadcast is just as good from SLC than from the Marriott Center.

Actually, I think it is kind of rude for all the mormons in the community to invade campus just to see President Hinckley. There are students here from all over the world, many of which have never had an opportunity to see President Hinckley. But because every other person from this half of Utah decided to crash the dedication, those students (some of which have class until 10:50am) had to watch the dedication over the TV from one of the overflow rooms.