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A Strong Human Spirit With Control Over Appetites Of The Flesh Is Master Over Emotions And Passions And Not A Slave To Them. That Kind Of Freedom Is As Vital To The Spirit As Oxygen Is To The Body! Freedom From Self-slavery Is True Liberation!

-Russell M. Nelson

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A Strong Human Spirit

Russell M. Nelson

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A Strong Human Spirit With Control Over Appetites Of The Flesh Is Master Over Emotions And Passions And Not A Slave To Them. That Kind Of Freedom Is As Vital To The Spirit As Oxygen Is To The Body! Freedom From Self-slavery Is True Liberation!

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Sweet Serenity Is Found In Fervent Prayer. Then, We Forget Ourselves And Remember The Reaching Hands Of The Savior, Who Said, "come Unto Me, All Ye That Are Heavy Laden, And I Will Give You Rest." As Our Burdens Are Shared With Him, They Do Become Lighter.

As Loud Voices Argue On, Let Us Remember That Those Who Advocate Abortion Have Already Been Born!

Remember: Sin, Even If Legalized By Man, Is Still Sin In The Eyes Of God.

God Is The Same Yesterday, Today, And Forever, But We Are Not. Each Day, Ours Is The Challenge To Access The Power Of The Atonement So That We Can Truly Change, Become More Christlike, And Qualify For The Gift Of Exaltation And Live Eternally With God, Jesus Christ, And Our Families. For These Powers, Privileges, And Gospel Gifts, Thanks Be To God!

If The Restoration Did Anything It Shattered The Age-old Myth That God Has Stopped Talking To His Children.

I Honor Women Who Are Not Mothers. They Know That Motherhood Is But One Of The Realms Of Womankind. The Virtue And Intelligence Of Women Are Uniquely Applicable To Other Realms As Well, Such As Compassionate Service And Teaching.

While We Are Free To Choose, Once We Have Made Those Choices, We Are Tied To The Consequences Of Those Choices.

Unfinished Business Is Our Worst Business. Perpetual Procrastination Must Yield To Perceptive Preparation. Today We Have A Little More Time To Bless Others-time To Be Kinder, More Compassionate, Quicker To Thank And Slower To Scold, More Generous In Sharing, More Gracious In Caring.

Procrastination

Unfinished Business

How Much Better It Would Be If All Could Be More Aware Of God's Providence And Love And Express That Gratitude To Him. Ammon Taught, 'let Us Give Thanks To (god), For He Doth Work Righteousness Forever.' Our Degree Of Gratitude Is A Measure Of Our Love For Him.

Spirit And Body, When Joined Together, Become A Living Soul Of Supernal Worth.

The Full Flower Of Divine Love And Our Greatest Blessings From That Love Are Conditional-predicated Upon Our Obedience To Eternal Law. I Pray That We May Qualify For Those Blessings And Rejoice Forever.

Throughout The World, The Family Is Increasingly Under Attack. If Families Fail, Many Of Our Political, Economic, And Social Systems Will Also Fail.

Contemplation Of Life After Retirement And Life After Death Can Help You Deal With Contemporary Challenges.

It Is Important For You To Know Who You Are And Who You May Become. It Is More Important Than What You Do, Even As Vital As Your Work Is And Will Be.

All Church Activities, Advancements, Quorums, And Classes Are Means To The End Of An Exalted Family.

In The Pursuit Of Education, Individual Desire Is More Influential Than Institution, And Personal Faith More Forceful Than Faculty.

From Time To Time, Ask Yourself These Questions: "am I Ready To Meet My Maker?" "am I Worthy Of All The Blessings He Has In Store For His Faithful Children?" "have I Received My Endowment And Sealing Ordinances Of The Temple?" "have I Remained Faithful To My Covenants?" "have I Qualified For The Greatest Of All God's Blessings-the Blessing Of Eternal Life."

Counting Blessings Is Better Than Recounting Problems

Sadly, Many Individuals Don't Know Where To Find God, And Exclude Him From Their Lives. When Spiritual Needs Arise, They May Look To The Left, The Right, Or Round About. But Looking To Other People On The Same Level Cannot Satisfy Spiritual Shortages. When The Immortal Spirit Is Starved, Hunger Persists For Something More Filling. Even When Material Success Comes, There Is A Hollow Ache - If Living Well Falls Short Of Living Worthily. Inner Peace Cannot Be Found In Affluence Accompanied By Spiritual Privation.

The Second Of Our Lord's Two Great Commandments Carries A Double Charge: 'thou Shalt Love Thy Neighbour As Thyself' (matt. 22:39). Therefore, Love Of Companion Is Governed, In Part, By Esteem Of Self.

You Can Experience True Delight On The Sabbath From Family History Work...finding Family Members...can Bring Immense Joy.

Even If Everyone Is Doing It, Wrong Is Never Right

Our Busy Lives Force Us To Focus On Things We Do From Day To Day. But The Development Of Character Comes Only As We Focus On Who We Really Are.

I Urge You To Choose Companions Well And Cherish Those Friends Who Lift You And Make You Better In Their Presence. And Be Such Friends To One Another.

You Can Change. You Can 'come Unto Christ, And Be Perfected In Him.'

We Know That Elijah Did Return—at Least Twice—after Malachi's Promise. At Christ's Transfiguration, Elijah Appeared On The Mount To Peter, James, And John. At The Kirtland Temple, April 3, 1836, Elijah Appeared To The Prophet And Oliver Cowdery And Said, 'the Keys Of This Dispensation Are Committed Into Your Hands.'

When Our Hearts Turn To Our Ancestors, Something Changes Inside Us. We Feel Part Of Something Greater Than Ourselves. Our Inborn Yearnings For Family Connections Are Fulfilled When We Are Linked To Our Ancestors.

Regardless Of Gender, Marital Status, Or Age, Individuals Can Choose To Link Themselves Directly To The Savior, Hold Fast To The Rod Of His Truth, And Lead By The Light Of That Truth. By So Doing, They Become Examples Of Righteousness To Whom Others Will Want To Cling.

When We Ponder His Voluntary Atonement, Any Sense Of Sacrifice On Our Part Becomes Completely Overshadowed By A Profound Sense Of Gratitude For The Privilege Of Serving Him.

Each Marriage Starts With Two Built-in Handicaps. It Involves Two Imperfect People.

The Only Duration Of Family Life That Satisfies The Loftiest Longings Of The Human Soul Is Forever.

Many Religious Confessions Share Common Values. They Teach That We Should Do Unto Others As We Would Have Them Do Unto Us.

Now Is The Time To Align Our Goals With God's Goals.

The Savior's Way Of Life Is Good.

The Scriptures Provide One Of The Best Ways To Find Our Course And Stay On It. Scriptural Knowledge Also Provides Precious Protection. For Example, Throughout History, Infections Like “childbirth Fever” Claimed The Lives Of Many Innocent Mothers And Babies. Yet The Old Testament Had The Correct Principles For The Handling Of Infected Patients, Written More Than 3,000 Years Ago! Many People Perished Because Man’s Quest For Knowledge Had Failed To Heed The Word Of The Lord!

When Priorities Are Proper, The Power To Endure Is Increased. And When Internalized, Those Priorities Will Help Keep You From "going Overboard."

It Matters Not That Giants Of Tribulation Torment You. Your Prayerful Access To Help Is Just As Real As When David Battled His Goliath. See 1 Samuel 17.

Be We Reminded That The Gathering Of Israel Is Not The Ultimate Endpoint. It Is But The Beginning. The True Endpoint Is Eternal Life. It Is That God’s Children, In A Covenant Relationship With Him Either By Lineage Or By Adoption, Will Be Able To Dwell With Him And Their Families Forever. That Is God’s Glory-eternal Life For His Children!

Marriage Is Sanctified When It Is Cherished And Honored In Holiness. That Union Is Not Merely Between Husband And Wife; It Embraces A Partnership With God.

The Development Of Faith In The Lord Is An Individual Matter. Repentance Is Also An Individual Matter. Only As An Individual Can One Be Baptized And Receive The Holy Ghost. Each Of Us Is Born Individually; Likewise, Each Of Us Is "born Again" Individually. Salvation Is An Individual Matter.

David Whitmer Wrote: ' Joseph Smith Would Put The Seer Stone Into A Hat, And Put His Face In The Hat, Drawing It Closely Around His Face To Exclude The Light; And In The Darkness The Spiritual Light Would Shine.'

From The Holy Scriptures, Heaven-sent Lift Will Be Found For Heaven-sent Duties.

Eternal Principles That Govern Happiness Apply Equally To All.

Eternal Happiness

Faith Is The Andtidote For Fear

Who Are We? We Are Children Of God. Our Potential Is Unlimited. Our Inheritance Is Sacred. May We Always Honor That Heritage - In Every Thought And Deed.

Recently I Was Tenderly Hugging One Of Our Precious Little Five-year-old Granddaughters And Said To Her, "i Love You, Sweetheart." She Responded Rather Blandly: "i Know." I Asked, "how Do You Know That I Love You?" Because! You're My Grandfather!

Be Patient With Yourself. Perfection Comes Not In This Life, But In The Next Life. Don't Demand Things That Are Unreasonable, But Demand Of Yourself Improvement. As You Let The Lord Help You Through That, He Will Make The Difference.

Inner Peace Comes Only As We Maintain The Integrity Of Truth In All Aspects Of Our Lives.

Revelation Need Not All Come At Once. It May Be Incremental. 'saith The Lord God: I Will Give Unto The Children Of Men Line Upon Line, Precept Upon Precept, Here A Little And There A Little; And Blessed Are Those Who Hearken Unto My Precepts, And Lend An Ear Unto My Counsel, For They Shall Learn Wisdom; For Unto Him That Receiveth I Will Give More' (2 Nephi 28:30). Patience And Perseverance Are Part Of Our Eternal Progression.

Each Holy Temple Stands As A Symbol Of Our Membership In The Church, As A Sign Of Our Faith In Life After Death, And As A Sacred Step Toward Eternal Glory For Us And Our Families.

How You Deal With Life’s Trials Is Part Of The Development Of Your Faith.

Rationalization Is One Of The Real Obstacles To Obedience.

No Other Work Transcends That Of Righteous, Intentional Parenting.

General Conference

I Thank God And His Son, Jesus Christ, For The Restoration And Its Power To Propel A Magnificent Wave Of Truth And Righteousness Across The Earth.

Danger Lurks When We Divide Ourselves With Expressions Such As "my Private Life," "my Professional Life," Or Even "my Best Behavior." Living Life In Separate Compartments Can Lead To Internal Conflict And Exhausting Tension....inner Peace Comes Only As We Maintain The Integrity Of Truth In All Aspects Of Our Lives. When We Covenant To Follow The Lord And Obey His Commandments, We Accept His Standards In Every Thought, Action, And Deed.

A Covenant Made With God Should Be Regarded Not As Restrictive But As Protective.

Covenant With God

Through All Of Our Various Christmas Traditions, I Hope That We Are Focused First Upon The Lord Jesus Christ. Wise Men Still Adore Him.

When We Love Somebody, We Show It By Doing Something Nice. So Learn To Serve: Find A Need And Fulfill A Need. Surprise People With A Good Deed They Hadn't Planned On. We Have That Opportunity At Home, At School, And At Church.

When We Realize That We Are Children Of The Covenant, We Know Who We Are And What God Expects Of Us.

Each Day Is A Day Of Decision.

Make The Sabbath A Delight By Rendering Service To Others.

Service To Others

How You Deal With Life’s Trials Is Part Of The Development Of Your Faith. Strength Comes When You Remember That You Have A Divine Nature, An Inheritance Of Infinite Worth.

A Pivotal Spiritual Attribute Is That Of Self-mastery-th E Strength To Place Reason Over Appetite. Self-mastery Builds A Strong Conscience. And Your Conscience Determines Your Moral Responses In Difficult, Tempting, And Trying Situations.

Because Of Our Sacred Regard For Each Human Intellect, We Consider The Obtaining Of An Education To Be A Religious Responsibility.

The Decision To Serve A Mission Will Shape The Spiritual Destiny Of The Missionary, His Or Her Spouse, And Their Posterity For Generations To Come. A Desire To Serve Is A Natural Outcome Of One's Conversion, Worthiness, And Preparation.

The Surest Step Toward Joy In The Morning Is Virtue In The Evening.

Love For Family And Friends, Great As It May Be, Is Much More Profound When Anchored In The Love Of Jesus Christ. Parental Love For Children Has More Meaning Here And Hereafter Because Of Him. All Loving Relationships Are Elevated In Him. Love Of Our Heavenly Father And Jesus Christ Provides The Illumination, Inspiration, And Motivation To Love Others In A Loftier Way.

The Living Lord Leads His Living Church.

Truth Is Truth! It Is Not Divisible, And Any Part Of It Cannot Be Set Aside.

We Were Born To Die And We Die To Live. As Seedlings Of God, We Barely Blossom On Earth; We Fully Flower In Heaven.

No Matter Your Situation, You Can Make Family History A Part Of Your Life Right Now. Primary Children Can Draw A Family Tree. Youth Can Participate In Proxy Baptisms. They Can Also Help The Older Generation Work With Computers. Parents Can Relate Stories Of Their Lives To Their Posterity. Worthy Adult Members Can Hold A Temple Recommend And Perform Temple Ordinances For Their Own Kin.

Act By Inspiration, Motivated By Love.

There Is No Conflict Between Science And Religion. Conflict Only Arises From An Incomplete Knowledge Of Either Science Or Religion, Or Both.

Incomplete Knowledge

Focusing On The Lord And Everlasting Life Can Help Us Not Only At Christmas, But Through All The Challenges Of Mortality.

Men Are That They Might Have Joy . . . Not Guilt Trips.

The Temple Is The House Of The Lord. The Basis For Every Temple Ordinance And Covenant…is The Atonement Of Jesus Christ. Every Activity, Every Lesson, All We Do In The Church, Point To The Lord And His Holy House.

The Wise Use Of Your Freedom To Make Your Own Decisions Is Crucial To Your Spiritual Growth, Now And For Eternity. You Are Never Too Young To Learn, Never Too Old To Change. Your Yearnings To Learn And Change Come From A Divinely Instilled Striving For Eternal Progression. Each Day Brings Opportunity For Decisions For Eternity.

To Those Who Feel Defeated And Downtrodden, Look To The Early Hours Of The Day For Your Rescue...shadows Of Yesterday's Grief Melt In The Rays Of Early Morn's Opportunity.

Agency, Or The Power To Choose, Was Ours As Spirit Children Of Our Creator Before The World Was. It Is A Gift From God, Nearly As Precious As Life Itself. Often, However, Agency Is Misunderstood. While We Are Free To Choose, Once We Have Made Those Choices, We Are Tied To The Consequence Of Those Choices. We Are Free To Take Drugs Or Not. But Once We Choose To Use A Habit-forming Drug, We Are Bound To The Consequences Of That Choice. Addiction Surrenders Later Freedom To Choose.

I Doubt That The Lord Cares Much Which Honorable Vocation You Choose. But He Does Care If You Love One Another And Serve One Another.

There Is Mounting Concern Worldwide Over The Consumption Of Alcohol. The U.s. Government Estimates That 10.6 Million Adults Are Alcoholics And That One Family In Four Is Troubled By Alcohol. It Is A Factor In Half Of All The Nation's Traffic Deaths.

Your Life Will Be A Blessed And Balanced Experience If You First Honor Your Identity And Priority.

It Really Matters What You Listen To. . . . Select Music That Will Strengthen Your Spirit.

When We Speak Of Faith—the Faith That Can Move Mountains—we Are Not Speaking Of Faith In General But Of Faith In The Lord Jesus Christ. Faith In The Lord Jesus Christ Can Be Bolstered As We Learn About Him And Live Our Religion. The Doctrine Of Jesus Christ Was Designed By The Lord To Help Us Increase Our Faith.

Keep Studying The Scriptures, Keep Doing The Things That Build Your Faith In Jesus Christ And Then Notice The Wise Choices You Are Naturally Drawn To Make

Feelings Of Worth Come When A Woman Follows The Example Of The Master. Her Sense Of Infinite Worth Comes From Her Own Christlike Yearning To Reach Out With Love, As He Does.

The Lord Can Only Teach An Inquiring Mind.

Abortion Sheds That Innocent Blood. Now, As A Servant Of The Lord, I Dutifully Warn Those Who Advocate And Practice Abortion That They Incur The Wrath Of Almighty God, Who Declared, "if Men... Hurt A Woman With Child, So That Her Fruit Depart From Her . . . He Shall Be Surely Punished."

You Young Men Need To Know That You Can Hardly Achieve Your Highest Potential Without The Influence Of A Good Women, Particularly You Mother, And In A Few Years, A Good Wife.

We Should Not Be Discouraged Or Depressed By Our Shortcomings. No One Is Without Weakness. As Part Of The Divine Plan, We Are Tested To See Whether We Master Weakness Or Let Weakness Master Us. Proper Diagnosis Is Essential To Proper Treatment. The Lord Gave Us This Remarkable Assurance: "because Thou Hast Seen Thy Weakness Thou Shalt Be Made Strong" (ether 12:37). But Wishing For Strength Won't Make Us Strong. It Takes Faith And Work To Shore Up A Weakened Cord Of Integrity.

Fasting Gives You Confidence To Know That Your Spirit Can Master Appetite . . . And Helps To Protect Against Later Uncontrolled Cravings And Gnawing Habits.

We Live In A Time Of Turmoil. Earthquakes And Tsunamis Wreak Devastation, Governments Collapse, Economic Stresses Are Severe, The Family Is Under Attack, And Divorce Rates Are Rising. We Have Great Cause For Concern. But We Do Not Need To Let Our Fears Displace Our Faith. We Can Combat Those Fears By Strengthening Our Faith.

Ask The Missionaries, They Can Help You

With Celestial Sight, Trials Impossible To Change Become Possible To Endure.

Living Life In Separate Compartments Can Lead To Internal Conflict And Exhausting Tension.

Faith Is The Antidote For Fear.

Truth, Covenants, And Ordinances Enable Us To Overcome Fear And Face The Future With Faith.

For Their Salvation Is Necessary And Essential To Our Salvation, … They Without Us Cannot Be Made Perfect—neither Can We Without Our Dead Be Made Perfect.

When Priorities Are In Place, One Can More Patiently Tolerate Unfinished Business.

Unfinished Business

Physical Conditioning From Regular Exercise Is Important. And We Can Do So Much More To Keep Our Bodies Strong.

An Unprecedented Wave Of Enthusiasm For Missionary Work Is Sweeping The Entire Earth. It Is Not Man-made! It Comes From The Lord, Who Said, “i Will Hasten My Work In Its Time” (d&c 88:73).

Each Day Is A Day Of Decision, And Our Decisions Determine Our Destiny.

Faith In God Engenders A Love For The Sabbath; Faith In The Sabbath Engenders A Love For God. A Sacred Sabbath Truly Is A Delight.

Every Religious Group, While Perhaps A Majority Somewhere, Is Also Inevitably A Minority Somewhere Else. Thus, Religious Organizations Should And Do Show Tolerance Toward Members Of Other Religious Denominations.

Keeping Divine Commandments Brings Blessings, Every Time! Breaking Divine Commandments Brings A Loss Of Blessings, Every Time!

Obedience Allows God’s Blessings To Flow Without Constraint. He Will Bless His Obedient Children With Freedom From Bondage And Misery. And He Will Bless Them With More Light.

Material Possessions And Honors Of The World Do Not Endure. But Your Union As Wife, Husband, And Family Can. No Sacrifice Is Too Great To Have The Blessings Of An Eternal Marriage. By Making And Keeping Sacred Temple Covenants, We Evidence Our Love For God, For Our Companion, And Our Real Regard For Our Posterity-even Those Yet Unborn. Our Family Is The Focus Of Our Greatest Work And Joy In This Life; So Will It Be Throughout All Eternity.

Jesus Suffered Deeply Because He Loves Us Deeply! He Wants Us To Repent And Be Converted So That He Can Fully Heal Us.

Increase Your Faith. Proclaim Your Faith. Let Your Faith Show.

Could An Explosion In A Printing Shop Produce A Dictionary?

The Highest And Noblest Work In This Life Is That Of A Mother.

Some Of The Sweetest Spirits Are Housed In Frail Frames. Great Spiritual Strength Is Often Developed By Those With Physical Challenges Precisely Because They Are Challenged. Such Individuals Are Entitled To All The Blessings That God Has In Store For His Faithful And Obedient Children.

A Strong Human Spirit With Control Over Appetites Of The Flesh Is Master Over Emotions And Passions And Not A Slave To Them. That Kind Of Freedom Is As Vital To The Spirit As Oxygen Is To The Body! Freedom From Self-slavery Is True Liberation!

The Lord's Way Is The Only Way For Us To Experience Enduring Happiness. His Way Brings Sustained Comfort To Our Souls And Perennial Peace To Our Homes.

The Temptation To Be Popular May Prioritize Public Opinion Above The Word Of God. Political Campaigns And Marketing Strategies Widely Employ Public Opinion Polls To Shape Their Plans. Results Of Those Polls Are Informative. But They Could Hardly Be Used As Grounds To Justify Disobedience To God’s Commandments!

The Temple Endowment Was Given By Revelation. Thus, It Is Best Understood By Revelation, Prayerfully Sought With A Sincere Heart.

Have Faith To Keep All The Commandments Of God, Knowing That They Are Given To Bless His Children And Bring Them Joy. [you] Will Encounter People Who Pick Which Commandments They Will Keep And Ignore Others That They Choose To Break. I Call This The Cafeteria Approach To Obedience. This Practice Of Picking And Choosing Will Not Work. It Will Lead To Misery. To Prepare To Meet God, One Keeps All Of His Commandments. It Takes Faith To Obey Them, And Keeping His Commandments Will Strengthen That Faith.

They Climbed The Ladder Of Learning Only To Find It Leaning Against The Wrong Wall.

Integrity Safeguards Love, And Love Makes Family Life Rich And Zestful-now And Forever.

As We Go Through Life, Even Through Very Rough Waters, A Father's Instinctive Impulse To Cling Tightly To His Wife Or To His Children May Not Be The Best Way To Accomplish His Objective. Instead, If He Will Lovingly Cling To The Savior And The Iron Rod Of The Gospel, His Family Will Want To Cling To Him And To The Savior.

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