The realization that death must visit every human can be tempered with the comforting knowledge that through the Savior's atonement, life will continue beyond the grave, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were told Saturday morning.

Speaking from the Conference Center, President Thomas S. Monson, first counselor in the First Presidency of the church, said Jesus Christ offers assurance of a universal triumph over death. Tens of thousands of faithful Latter-day Saints gathered in meeting places on or adjacent to Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City to hear church leaders speak on gospel topics during the opening session of the 177th Annual General Conference of the church. Millions more received the conference proceedings via satellite in many parts of the world or on the Internet.

The Easter story recounts "the most significant event in recorded history," President Monson said. "The empty tomb that first Easter morning brought comforting assurance, an affirmative answer to Job's question, 'If a man die, shall he live again?'

"Through tears and trials, through fears and sorrows, through the heartache and loneliness of losing loved ones, there is assurance that life is everlasting. Our Lord and Savior is the living witness that such is so."

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Council of the Twelve offered a resounding condemnation of using the spoken word to hurt or demean another.

"Like all gifts that come from above, words are sacred and must be spoken with care and by constraint of the spirit," said Elder Holland. Cruelly spoken, words can cause more devastation than weapons.

"The voice that bears profound testimony, utters fervent prayers and sings the hymns of Zion can be the same voice that berates and criticizes, embarrasses and demeans, inflicts pain and destroys the spirit of oneself and of others in the process."

Elder Holland enjoined husbands to refrain from hateful words to their wives, and wives to keep their tongues bridled. He urged all adults to avoid words that can permanently damage children. He ranked verbal and emotional abuse with physical and sexual abuse, which are blatantly condemned by the church. Children should never be criticized or negatively compared with others, he said.

"Praise each child individually for what that child is and help him or her escape our culture's obsession with comparing, competing and never feeling we are 'enough."'

Elder Holland suggested that negative speaking springs from negative thinking, which is contrary to the spirit of the gospel.