In my journal tonight I shall write, "This has been one of
the most inspiring sessions of any general conference I've
attended." Everything has been of the greatest and most
spiritual nature.
Brothers and sisters, six months ago as we met together
in our general conference, my sweet wife, Frances, lay in
the hospital, having suffered a devastating fall just a few
days earlier.
In May, after weeks of valiantly struggling to
recover from her injuries, she slipped into eternity.
Her loss has been profound.
She and I were married in the Salt Lake Temple
on October 7, 1948.
Tomorrow would've been our 65th wedding anniversary.
She was the love of my life, my trusted confidante, and my
closest friend.
To say that I miss her does not begin to convey the depth
of my feelings.
This conference marks 50 years since I was called to the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles by President David O. McKay.
And through all these years I have felt nothing but the full
and complete support of my sweet companion.
Countless are the sacrifices she made so that I could
fulfill my calling.
Never did I hear a word of complaint from her as I was
often required to spend days and sometimes weeks away from
her, away from our children.
She was an angel indeed.
I wish to express my thanks as well as those of my family for
the tremendous outpouring of love which has come to us
since Frances's passing.
Hundreds of cards and letters were sent from around the
world expressing admiration for her and
condolences to our family.
We received a dozen beautiful floral
arrangements, many of them.
We're grateful for the numerous contributions which
have been offered in her name to the General Missionary Fund
of the Church.
On behalf of those of us whom she left behind, I express
deep gratitude for your kind and heartfelt expressions.
Of most comfort to me during this tender time of parting
has been my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the
knowledge I have that my dear Frances lives still.
I know that our separation is temporary.
We were sealed in the house of God by one having authority to
bind on earth and in heaven.
I know that we will be reunited one day and will
never again be separated.
This is knowledge that sustains me.
Brothers and sisters, it may be safely assumed that no
person has ever lived entirely free of suffering and sorrow,
nor has there ever been a period in human history that
did not have its full share of turmoil and misery.
When the pathway of life takes a cruel turn, there's a
temptation to ask the question, "Why me?" At times,
there appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel, no
sunrise to end the night's darkness.
We feel encompassed by the disappointment of shattered
dreams and the despair of vanished hopes.
We join in uttering the biblical plea, "Is there no
balm in Gilead?"
We feel abandoned, heartbroken, alone.
We're inclined to view our own personal misfortunes through a
distorted prism of pessimism.
We become impatient for a solution to our problems,
forgetting that frequently the heavenly virtue
of patience is required.
The difficulties which come to us present us with the real
test of our ability to endure.
A fundamental question remains to be answered by each of us:
"Shall I falter or shall I finish?" Some do falter as
they find themselves unable to rise above their challenges.
To finish involves enduring to the very end of life itself.
As we ponder the events that can befall all of us, we can
say with Job of old, "Man is born unto trouble."
Job was a "perfect and upright" man who "feared God,
and eschewed evil." Pious in his conduct, prosperous in his
fortune, Job was to face a test which could have
destroyed anyone.
Shorn of his possessions, scorned by his friends,
afflicted by his suffering, shattered by the loss of his
family, he was urged to "curse God, and die" (close quote).
He resisted this temptation and declared from the depths
of his noble soul (and I quote): "Behold, my witness is
in heaven, and my record is on high." "I know that my
redeemer liveth." Job kept the faith.
Will we do likewise as we face those challenges
which will be ours?
Whenever we're inclined to feel burdened down with the
blows of life, let us remember that others have passed the
same way, have endured, and then have overcome.
The history of the Church in this, the dispensation of the
fulness of times, is replete with the experiences of those
who've struggled, yet who have remained
steadfast and of good cheer.
The reason?
They have made the gospel of Jesus Christ the center of
their lives.
This is what will pull us through
whatever comes our way.
We will still experience difficult challenges, but we
will be able to face them, to meet them head-on, and to
emerge victorious.
From the bed of pain, from the pillow wet with tears, we are
lifted heavenward by that divine assurance and precious
promise (and I quote): "I will not fail thee, nor foresake
thee" (close quote).
Such comfort is priceless.
As I've traveled far and wide through the world, fulfilling
the responsibilities of my calling, I've come to know
many things, not the least of which is that sadness and
suffering are universal.
I cannot begin to measure all of the heartache and sorrow
I've witnessed as I visit with those who are dealing with
grief, experiencing illness, facing divorce, struggling
with a wayward son or daughter, or suffering the
consequences of sin.
The list could go on and on, for there are countless
problems which can befall us.
To single out one example is difficult.
And yet whenever I think of challenges, my thoughts turn
to Brother Brems, one of my boyhood
Sunday School teachers.
He was a faithful member of the Church, a man
with a heart of gold.
He and his wife, Sadie, had eight children, many of whom
were the same ages as those in our family.
After Frances and I were married and moved from the
ward, we saw Brother and Sister Brems and members of
their family at weddings and funerals as
well as at ward reunions.
In 1968 Brother Brems lost his wife, Sadie.
Two of his eight children also passed away as
the years went by.
One day nearly 13 years ago, Brother Brems's oldest
granddaughter telephoned me.
She explained that her grandfather had reached his
105th birthday.
She said, "He lives in a small care center but meets with his
entire family each Sunday, where he delivers a gospel
lesson." She continued, "This past Sunday Grandpa announced
to us, 'My dears, I am going to die this week.
Will you please call Tommy Monson?
He will know what to do'" (close quote).
I visited Brother Brems the very next evening.
I'd not seen him for a while.
I could not speak to him, for he'd lost his hearing.
I could not write a message for him to read because he'd
lost his sight.
I was told that the family communicated with him by
taking the finger of his right hand and then tracing on the
palm of his left hand the name of the person visiting.
Any message had to be conveyed the same way.
I followed the procedure by taking his finger and spelling
T-O-M-M-Y M-O-N-S-O-N, the name by which he had
always known me.
Brother Brems became excited and, taking my hands, placed
them on his head.
I knew his desire was to receive a priesthood blessing.
The driver who had taken me to the care center joined me as
we placed our hands on the head of Brother Brems and
provided the desired blessing.
Afterward, tears streamed from his sightless eyes.
He grasped our hands in gratitude.
Although he had not heard the blessing we'd given him, the
Spirit was strong.
I believe he was inspired to know we had provided the
blessing which he needed.
This sweet man could no longer see.
He could no longer hear.
He was confined night and day to a small
room in a care center.
And yet the smile on his face and the words which he spoke
touched my heart.
"Thank you," he said.
"Heavenly Father has been so good to me" (close quote).
Within a week, just as Brother Brems had
predicted, he passed away.
Never did he dwell on that which was lacking.
Rather, he was always deeply grateful
for his many blessings.
Our Heavenly Father, who gives us so much to delight in, also
knows that we learn and grow and become stronger as we face
and survive the trials through which we must pass.
We know that there are times when we will experience
heartbreaking sorrow, when we will grieve, and when we may
be tested to our limits.
However, such difficulties allow us to change for the
better, to rebuild our lives in the way our Heavenly Father
teaches us, and to become something different from what
we were, better than what we were, more understanding than
what we were, more empathetic than what we were, with
stronger testimonies than we had before.
This should be our purpose--to persevere and endure, yes, but
also to become more spiritually refined as we make
our way through sunshine and sorrow.
Were it not for challenges to overcome and problems to
solve, we would remain much as we are, with little or no
progress toward our goal of eternal life.
The poet expressed much the same thought in these words:
"Good timber does not grow with ease, the stronger [the]
wind, the stronger [the]
trees.
The further sky, the greater length, the more the storm,
the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow, in trees and men, good
timbers grow."
Only the Master knows the depth of our trials, our pain,
and our suffering.
He alone offers us eternal peace in times of adversity.
He alone touches our tortured souls with His comforting
words: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and
lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is
light" (close quote).
Whether it is the best of times or the worst of times,
He is with us.
He has promised that this will never change.
My brothers and sisters, may we have a commitment to our
Heavenly Father that does not ebb and flow with the years or
the crises of our lives.
We should not need to experience difficulties for us
to remember Him, and we should not be driven to humility
before giving Him our faith and trust.
May we ever strive to be close to our Heavenly Father.
To do so, we must pray to Him and listen to Him every day.
We truly need Him every hour, whether they be hours of
sunshine or of rain.
May His promise ever be our watchword (quote): "I will not
fail thee, nor forsake thee" (close quote).
With all the strength of my soul, I testify that God lives
and loves us, that His Only Begotten Son lived and died
for us, and that the gospel of Jesus Christ is that
penetrating light which shines through the
darkness of our lives.
May it ever be so, I pray in the sacred name of Jesus
Christ, amen.