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This devotional address entitled, Things Are Getting Better, was given on April 8th of 1976 by Gordon B. Hinkley, then a member of the quorum of the 12 Apostles of the Church

of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

My beloved brothers and sisters, my dear friends, it's a great privilege and a frightening

experience to be here. You, uh, you scare me just a little.

You expect something and I feel a great sense of inadequacy

to give you that which you hope for.

But I give you testimony. I hope I speak out of faith. I trust that the Lord will help me. I've been assigned a subject. I always have difficulty when I'm assigned a subject.

In fact, I always have difficulty.

The subject to sign me comes out of a symposium

which has been held on this campus with people from many parts of the world

concerning the expanding church and the problems it must meet as it moves against various cultures across the world.

My subject, and you would know that it had been drawn by a professor,

is the expanding church among the nations and cultures of man.

I have simplified that to read simply.

Things are getting better.

We, of course, all recognize the mandate laid upon the church by the Lord himself.

It is a mandate we cannot dodge and one from which we cannot shrink. That mandate is to teach the gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.

This was the final charge given by the Lord following his resurrection and before his ascension.

It was repeated with the opening of this dispensation.

Following the organization of the First Council of the Twelve in this dispensation,

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