Thank you, Sister
Franco, Elder Gong.
Thank you, choir.
Thank you, President
Nelson, First Presidency,
for already a wonderful general
conference week and weekend.
A beloved children's fantasy
novel written many years ago
begins with the sentence
"In a hole in the ground
there lived a hobbit."
The story of Bilbo
Baggins is about
a most normal and
unremarkable hobbit
who is presented with a
most remarkable opportunity:
the wonderful
chance at adventure
and the promise
of a great reward.
The problem is that most
self-respecting hobbits want
nothing to do with adventures.
Their lives are
all about comfort.
They enjoy eating
six meals a day
when they can get them and spend
their days in their gardens,
swapping tales with
visitors, singing,
playing musical
instruments, and basking
in the simple joys of life.
However, when Bilbo is
presented with the prospect
of a grand adventure, something
surges deep within his heart.
He understands from the
outset that the journey
will be challenging.
Even dangerous.
There is even a possibility
he might not return.
And yet, the call to
adventure has reached deep
into his heart.
And so, this unremarkable
hobbit leaves comfort behind
and enters the path
to a great adventure
that will take him all the
way to "there and back again."
Perhaps one of the reasons this
story resonates with so many
is because it is our story too.
Long, long ago,
even before we were
born, in an age dimmed by
time and clouded from memory,
we too were invited to
embark on an adventure.
It was proposed by God,
our Heavenly Father.
Accepting this
adventure would mean
leaving the comfort and security
of His immediate presence.
It would mean coming to
earth for a journey filled
with unknown danger and trial.
We knew it would not be easy.
But we also knew that we
would gain precious treasures,
including a physical body and
experiencing the intense joys
and sorrows of mortality.
We would learn to strive,
to seek, and to struggle.
We would discover truths
about God and ourselves.
Of course, we knew we would make
many mistakes along the way.
But we also had a
promise: that because
of the great sacrifice
of Jesus Christ,
we could be cleansed
of our transgressions,
refined and purified
in our spirits,
and one day resurrected and
reunited with those we love.
We learned how
much God loves us.
He gave us life and He
wants us to succeed.
Therefore, He prepared
a Savior for us.
"Nevertheless," our
Father in Heaven said,
"thou mayest choose for thyself,
for it is given unto thee."
There must have been parts
of the mortal adventure
that worried and even
terrified God's children,
since a large number of our
spiritual brothers and sisters
decided against it.
By the gift and power
of moral agency,
we determined that
the potential of what
we could learn and eternally
become was well worth the risk.
And so, trusting the promise
and power of God and His Beloved
Son, we accepted the challenge.
I did.
And so did you.
We agreed to leave the
security of our first estate
and embark on our
own great adventure
of "there and back again."
And yet, mortal life has a way
of distracting us, doesn't it?
We tend to lose sight of our
great quest, preferring comfort
and ease over
growth and progress.
Still, there remains
something undeniable
deep within our hearts
that hungers for a higher
and nobler purpose.
This hunger is one reason why
people are drawn to the gospel
and Church of Jesus Christ.
The restored gospel
is, in a sense,
a renewal of the
call to adventure
we accepted so long ago.
The Savior invites us, each
day, to set aside our comforts
and securities and join Him on
the journey of discipleship.
There are many
bends in this road.
There are hills,
valleys, and detours.
There may even be
metaphorical spiders, trolls,
and even a dragon or two.
But if you stay on the
path and trust in God,
you will eventually find the
way to our glorious destiny
and back to our heavenly home.
So how do you begin?
It's quite simple.
First, you need to choose to
incline your heart to God.
Strive each day to find Him.
Learn to love Him.
And then let that
love inspire you
to learn, understand,
and follow His teachings
and keep God's commandments.
The restored gospel
of Jesus Christ
is given to us in a
plain and simple way
that a child can understand.
Yet the gospel of Jesus
Christ has the answers
to the most complex
questions in life
and has such profound
depth and complexity
that even with a
lifetime of study
and pondering, we can scarcely
comprehend even the smallest
part.
If you hesitate
in this adventure
because you doubt your ability,
remember that discipleship
is not about doing
things perfectly;
it's about doing
things intentionally.
It is your choices that
show what you truly are,
far more than your abilities.
Even when you fail,
you can choose
not to give up, but rather
discover your courage,
press forward, and rise up.
That is the great
test of the journey.
God knows that you
are not perfect,
that you will fail at times.
God loves you no less when you
struggle than when you triumph.
Like a loving parent, He merely
wants you to keep intentionally
trying.
Discipleship is like
learning to play the piano.
Perhaps all you can do at first
is play a barely recognizable
rendition of "Chopsticks."
But if you continue
practicing, the simple tunes
will one day give way to
wondrous sonatas, rhapsodies,
and concertos.
Now, that day may not
come during this life,
but it will come.
All God asks is that you
consciously keep striving.
There is something interesting,
almost paradoxical,
about this path you've
chosen: the only way for you
to progress in your
gospel adventure
is to help others
progress as well.
To help others is the
path of discipleship.
Faith, hope, love,
compassion, and service
refine us as disciples.
Through your efforts to
help the poor and the needy,
to reach out to
those in distress,
your own character is
purified and forged,
your spirit is enlarged, and
you walk a little taller.
But this love cannot come with
expectations of repayment.
It cannot be the kind of service
that expects recognition,
adulation, or favor.
True disciples of Jesus Christ
love God and His children
without expectation of
something in return.
We love those who disappoint
us, who don't like us.
Even those who ridicule,
abuse, and seek to hurt us.
When you fill your hearts
with the pure love of Christ,
you leave no room for rancor,
judgment, and shaming.
You keep God's commandments
because you love Him.
In the process, you slowly
become more Christlike
in your thoughts and deeds.
And what adventure could
be greater than this?
The third thing we strive
to master in this journey
is to take upon ourselves
the name of Jesus Christ
and not be ashamed of being a
member of the Church of Jesus
Christ.
We do not hide our faith.
We do not bury it.
To the contrary, we
talk about our journey
with others in normal
and natural ways.
That's what friends do--they
talk about things that are
important to them.
Things that are
close to their heart
and make a difference to them.
That's what you do.
You tell your stories
and experiences
as a member of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints.
Sometimes your stories
make people laugh.
Sometimes they
bring them to tears.
Sometimes they will help
people to continue in
patience, resilience,
and courage
to face another
hour, another day
and come a little closer to God.
Share your experiences in
person, on social media,
in groups, everywhere.
One of the last
things Jesus told
His disciples was that they
were to go throughout the world
and share the story
of the risen Christ.
Today we too joyfully accept
that great commission.
What a glorious message
we have to share:
because of Jesus Christ,
every man, woman, and child
can return home safely
to their heavenly home
and there dwell in
glory and righteousness!
There is even more
good news to share.
God has appeared
to man in our day!
We have a living prophet.
May I remind you
that God does not
need you to "sell" the restored
gospel or the Church of Jesus
Christ.
He simply expects you to
not hide it under a bushel.
And if people decide the
Church is not for them,
that is their decision.
It does not mean
that you have failed.
You continue to
treat them kindly.
Nor does it exclude that
you invite them again.
The difference between
casual social contacts
and compassionate, courageous
discipleship is invitation!
We love and respect
all of God's children,
regardless of their
position in life,
regardless of their
race or religion,
regardless of their
life's decisions.
For our part, we will
say, "Come and see!
Find out for
yourself how walking
the path of discipleship will
be rewarding and ennobling."
We invite people
to "come and help,
as we try to make the
world a better place."
And we say, "Come and stay!
We are your brothers
and sisters.
We are not perfect.
We trust God and seek to
keep His commandments.
"Join with us, and you
will make us better.
And in the process, you
will become better as well.
Let's take this
adventure together."
When our friend Bilbo Baggins
felt the call to adventure
stir within him, he decided
to get a good night's rest,
enjoy a hearty
breakfast, and start out
first thing in the morning.
When Bilbo awoke, he noticed
his house was a mess,
and he was almost distracted
from his noble plan.
But then his friend Gandalf came
and asked, "Whenever are you
going to come?"
To catch up with
his friends, Bilbo
had to decide for
himself what to do.
And so, the very normal
and unremarkable hobbit
found himself darting
out his front door
to the path of
adventure so quickly
that he forgot his hat, walking
stick, and pocket handkerchief.
He even left his second
breakfast unfinished.
Perhaps there is a lesson
here for us as well.
If you and I have
felt the stirrings
to join the great adventure
of living and sharing
what our loving Heavenly Father
has prepared for us a long time
ago, I assure you,
today is the day
to follow God's Son and our
Savior on His path of service
and discipleship.
We could spend a lifetime
waiting for that moment when
everything lines up perfectly.
But now is the time
to commit fully
to seeking God,
ministering to others,
and sharing our
experience with others.
Leave behind your hat,
walking stick, handkerchief,
and messy house.
To those of us already
walking that path,
take courage, compassion,
have confidence, and continue!
To those who have left the
path, please come back,
join again with us,
make us stronger.
And to those who have
not yet begun, why delay?
If you want to
experience the wonders
of this great spiritual
journey, set foot
upon your own grand adventure!
Speak with the missionaries.
Speak with your
Latter-day Saint friends.
Speak with them about this
marvelous work and a wonder.
It's time to begin!
If you sense that
your life could
have more meaning, a higher
purpose, stronger family
bonds, and a closer connection
with God, please, come,
join with us.
If you seek a
community of people
who are working to become the
best versions of themselves,
help those in need, and make
this world a better place,
come, join with us!
Come and see what this
marvelous, wonderous,
and adventurous
journey is all about.
Along the way you will
discover yourself.
You will discover meaning.
You will discover God.
You will discover
the most adventurous
and glorious journey
of your life.
Of this I testify in the name
of our Redeemer and Savior,
in the name of
Jesus Christ, amen.
