This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
President Thomas S. Monson delighted the Mormon faithful Sunday morning with some off-the-cuff remarks about the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and his mother's failed efforts to teach him to play the piano.
Then the 83-year-old Monson, considered a "prophet, seer and revelator" by the nearly 14 million Mormons worldwide, launched into a folksy sermon on the value of gratitude, on the final day of the 180th Semiannual LDS General Conference, broadcast from the LDS Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City.
"My brothers and sisters, do we remember to give thanks for the blessings we receive?" the LDS Church leader asked. "Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God's love."
Unlike some other speakers who focused on the world's ills, Monson pointed to many positive signs of the times.
"There are marriages that make it, parents who love their children and sacrifice for them, friends who care about us and help us, teachers who teach," he said. "Our lives are blessed in countless ways. We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude."
Other speakers Sunday discussed the importance of parenting, the nature of sin, recognizing the whisperings of the Holy Spirit and the devil's temptations.
"Satan knows how to exploit and ensnare us with artificial substances and behaviors of temporary pleasure," M. Russell Ballard, an LDS apostle, said Sunday afternoon. "Some of the most addictive drugs that, if abused, can hijack the brain and take away a person's agency include: nicotine; opioids — heroin, morphine and other painkillers — tranquilizers; cocaine; alcohol; marijuana; and methamphetamines."
In addition to the improper use of prescription drugs, Ballard pointed out the addictive possibilities of gambling, pornography, video games and texting.
The only way to escape from addictive bondage, he said, is through "fervent and constant communication with the creator of our bodies and souls — our Heavenly Father."
Monson closed the two-day conference, saying that all had been spiritually fed.
The conference was adjourned until April.