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Show Pres. Lee: To Understand People, Mingle Id undei stand people, jou must led then spirit Yon must mingle among said President Harold B. Lee as them "Y cailicsl recollection was just a young lad was sitting in the gallery and looking down at the pulpit, and seeing President Joseph F Smith sitting there I was impressed at seeing for the first time, the president the church. contemplated the 143rd t.eneral Conference. He indicated that conferences were important, both for the church leadership There is a and the members because, communication when spirits respond one Semi-Annu- he hae me meet with Pies-iden- t lleber J (.rant Unen armed at the stand, Klder Joseph nderson said that the president was waiting for me in the C.eneral Autiioi ides room It amazed me and I immediately sensed that there was somethimg. it wasn't just a social wsit that President ('.rant wanted It was then that he announced to nit that 1 had been named to he elevated to the Quorum of the Twelve The vacancy had been created by the death oi sen Reed it 1 "I recall, too, that mother fixed food for us. I remember fried chicken and all we needed. to another. President Lee sat in his office and lecalled his first experience at ? general conference. He was just a small boy living with his family in Clifton, Idaho. "That was my first visit to Salt Lake City," President Lee said Smoot. "The next day, expected to respond." Another conference is veiy vivid in the memory of President Lee It was the conference of April 1941 My father had grown up in Salt Lake i iiy lbs parents had both died and his raised him until she. too gi andmother , He then lived with an aunt aw a parsed m Idaho. Naturally, he was anxious for ins boy s to see some of the things he had emembered as a boy, so it was decided to go down to conference. He took his two oldest boys, I was second oldest. Of course the pending conference, as such, was not our immediate interest, we wanted to see the sights. "I of course, i was Lee con- Pre-ide- tinued unfa! Vdhnutiea had "Aier the been sustained, lheside.it Claik said. 'Now, Brother Lee. will you come and take your place at the foot of the ladder a member of the Twelve sitting m the audieme attending ihe general priesthood meeting as managing director of the church welfare program. At the conclusion President J Reuben Clark, who was conducting the meeting, called my name out and asked that I come to the stand to meet Bishop Joseph Wirthlin. Rishop Wiithlm dui hae a matter, but wa- was a way to - "I came to know what that meant. I heard Klder John A Widtsoe tell about when he was called as a junior member He sat there for 13 years before there was a vacancy Contrary to that, m li years I had moved from that junior 'i tion until 1 was vcy near to the prvsi dent of the Twelve 1 was 29 year' younger than the n.xt youngest member of the quoiuni, Bi other S.ephen I. R11I1 aids "I recall President Grant would look along the line, and noting my dark hau compared to the gray hair of tnose oldei brethien, would note that the color line was well maiked My hair began to change pretty rapidly from that point on," President l.e said He reflected ",i the success of conferences, and said ' There is a feeling about the conferences that is something can t tell about, a jv Min must feel it to under stand it. It is wmicthing that happens when the members- - meet together in a conference " 1 President Lee has been involved in about 66 general conferences since he was called as a general General Self-Respe- ct Necessary To Success ( untinued from page 3 love my husband, 1 love my (hildreii, I love my God, and why is this possible? Because I " truly love myself. President Lee said such are the fruits of 1 "Conversely, when one docs hnnseli ol not have that love for winch this sister speaks, Other onsequeiiees can be expected to ( The Salt Lake Tabernacle is filled to capacity as members from all over the world listen to General Authorities. follow "He ceases to love hfe, or 1! v iii.ii nes has lost his love for Ins wile and children no love oi home or respect for the country m winch he lives and eventually Ik has lost his love of God. ' Rebellion in the land, disorder and the lack of love in the lunuly, children disobedient to parents, and loss of contact with God. and all because the person !us lost all respect for himself," President Lee told the confer-en- c e Piesideul Lee added that a pi son's name either spoken or wiitt' ii. is to that person the most appealing word he car. hear "Your picture is the record of happenings in which you have been a participant, and so we might multiply examples, that the importance of uggpst "'1 selves in our own sight," he s.ml He explained that toe lowdi-nes- s of children and the incorrigibility of adolescence are more olten than not a bid for a kind of attention or popularity Hut physical and mental endowments do not invite. "So the blase girl or the unkempt boy are often but a tefledion of an individual who is 'eking by superficial adornment 01 ip abnormal conduct, in a way to supply stiange tlut in- definable quality they may Hunk is charm, or a clumsy attcinp' to draw attention by conduct which certainly reflects that inward frustration because of the lack of understanding ot their true identity as a human being." said President Lee. Well, asked t hen 'who am "Those lacking in I'. that understanding, lie nnpor-tan- t and having in some degree tailed to hold themselves in the high esteem which they would have if they did understand, me kicking in In answered consequently, President Lee went on to explain that we, at; spirit children of God. should understand our role as His children and for llieielore have respect ourselves That we should know where v.e came from and why we are here President Lee emphasized that we, as mortals, passed the first and test in the therefore came here to become mortals and to live out the plan of salvation He fuilhei explained, by quoting the Prophet Joseph Smith. that even person who is called to do an important work in the kingdom of God, was called and loreordained to that work before the world was. 1k warned Dial through free agency, however, some are not culled because they have billowed the ways of the world. Piesideul Lee quoted several scriptures pertaining to how the Lord hail set the bounds of the nations, and the lineage of the peoples Then be said. "It would seem veiy clear then, that those born to the lineage of Jacob, who was later to In ailed Israel, and hi' posteaty the children of Israel, born into were the most illustrious lineage of those who were placed upon the earth. 1 Ail these things were scemm-lpromised or foreordained the world was. Surely these mutters must have been determined by the kind of lives we lived in that spirit wot Id Some may question these assumptions, but at the same Mme they have accepted without any question, the belief that each one of us will be judged when vu leave this earth according to his or her deeds that y e pre-mort- have been done here in moituh-t- "isn t it just as reasonable to believe that we have received here in this earth according to the tne-i- ts of our conduct before we came here?" he asked. President Lee said that Satan will do everything in his power to make a person believe other than he is a child of God 1 come to the closing address, I trust that I might have given you and others who have not yet listened to such counsel, that I may have stimulated some sober thinking as to who you are. and from wliouie von came In so doing, that may have stirred up within your soul, the determina- "Now as of this tion to begin now to show an inand rever crease. ence for the temple of God, your human body, wherein dwells a heavenly spirit, and I would charge you to say again and again. I am a son or a daughter of God' and by so doing, begin today to live closer to those ideals which will make your life happier and more fruitful because of an awakened realization of who you are. " President Lee declared self-respe- I In Fi iday afternoon meeting was opened with player by I) Bryson, former mission piesideul Music was furnished by the Ik lief Society chorus, duc-deby Ellen N Barnes, with Robert Cundick at the d organ Speakers were Elder Thomas S Mmison of the Council of the Twelve; Elder Rex D. Pinegar, First Council of Seventy; Elders ElRay L. Christiansen, Henry D Taylor, O. Leslie Stor.e and David B Haight, all Assistants to the Twtlve, and Elder Delbert L. Stapley of the Council of the Twelve. Eider Joseph Anderson, to the Twelve, opened tiie Saturday morning session with prayer, and the first speak was President Ma.ion G oi Romney, second counselor in the K11 si Presidency. Other speakers were Elder Bruce R MeConkie oi the Council of the Twelve; Elder S. Dilworth Young, First Council of Seventy , Elder L. Tom Perry, Assistam to the Twelve, and Elder Howard W. Hunter of the Conn-- i d of the Twelve. Elder John H. Vandeubeig, ssistant to the Twelve, offeied Hie benediction. WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 6, 1973 CHURCH 13 |
