This is a General Conference Odyssey post for the Sunday morning session of the April 2008 General Conference.

President Thomas S. Monson addresses the church for the first time as president of the church in this session of conference. Several of the speakers talk about how the secession of the presidency works. Because this is the Lord’s church, He has placed everything in order, and transition is always very smooth.

We have known and loved President Monson for a long time. He served for ten years as prophet and president. In his first address, he shares the story of his ancestors crossing the plains from Scotland. When both parents died in St. Louis, the nine remaining children traveled on their own to the Salt Lake Valley. It’s so hard to imagine what that must have been like. He spoke a lot about family love and being kind to one another. 

Much of his talk speaks of President Gordon B. Hinckley. I looked up President Hinckley’s first conference talk as the prophet and president of the church. I think every talk he gave that first conference had the word “work” in its title. 

After President Monson passed away, President Russell M. Nelson was called as prophet and president. In President Nelson’s first conference as prophet, he made several changes to church policies; i.e., ministering, dissolving the High Priest Quorums, and he hasn’t stopped with his sense of urgency. 

Each prophet comes from different backgrounds, and has a different style about them, but because they are called of God, and given power and authority, they all recognize the mission they have been called to do.

Also, in this session, Boyd K. Packer spoke of the experience he had of standing in The Church of Our Lady, in Copenhagen, Denmark, where the original Christus and twelve apostle statues are displayed. President Spencer W. Kimball was the prophet at the time. He bore witness that he was the one who held the very keys Peter once held. Elder Packer said, 

“In Peter’s hand, depicted in marble, is a set of heavy keys. President Kimball pointed to those keys and explained what they symbolized. Then, in an act I shall never forget, … and with unaccustomed firmness pointed his finger at him and said, ‘I want you to tell everyone in Denmark that I hold the keys! We hold the real keys, and we use them every day.’ I will never forget that declaration, that testimony from the prophet. The influence was spiritually powerful; the impression was physical in its impact. … ‘These are the dead Apostles.’ Pointing to me, he said, ‘Here we have the living Apostles. Elder Packer is an Apostle. Elder Thomas S. Monson and Elder L. Tom Perry are Apostles, and I am an Apostle. We are the living Apostles.”

I declare, along with these holy men, that our church is the ancient church, organized by Jesus Christ, restored. We are led by men of God who do their Lord and Savior’s will. As the Lord Himself said, “My word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same (D&C 1:38).”