Hinckley said devotion by the faithful has allowed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to flourish, from the pioneers who trekked to Utah in 1847 to the 11 million serving the church today. Faith underlies it all.
Faith is the substance of it all.
Elder James E. Faust, counselor to the First Presidency, reminded church members of the importance of baptism for both the living and dead. Mormons believe dead ancestors can be brought into the church through retroactive baptism, a sacred ordinance. The church has created a genealogy Web site to make this easier. Faust said the church now has 660 million names on the FamilySearch Internet Web site. Many of the two-day conference's 26 speakers touched on timeless religious themes, including faith and compassion, but also talked about the modern challenges faced during the information age.