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All Of Us Have To Deal With Death At One Time Or Another, But To Have In One's Heart A Solid Conviction Concerning The Reality Of Eternal Life Is To Bring A Sense Of Peace In An Hour Of Tragedy That Can Come From No Other Source Under The Heavens

-Gordon B. Hinckley

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All Of Us Have

Gordon B. Hinckley

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All Of Us Have To Deal With Death At One Time Or Another, But To Have In One's Heart A Solid Conviction Concerning The Reality Of Eternal Life Is To Bring A Sense Of Peace In An Hour Of Tragedy That Can Come From No Other Source Under The Heavens

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... The Whole Design Of The Gospel Is To Lead Us Onward And Upward To Greater Achievement, Even, Eventually, To Godhood. This Great Possibility Was Enunciated By The Prophet Joseph Smith In The King Follet Sermon. It Is This Grand And Incomparable Concept: As God Now Is, Man May Become!

Onward And Upward

All Of Us Have To Deal With Death At One Time Or Another, But To Have In One's Heart A Solid Conviction Concerning The Reality Of Eternal Life Is To Bring A Sense Of Peace In An Hour Of Tragedy That Can Come From No Other Source Under The Heavens

The Constitution Under Which We Live And Which Has Not Only Blessed Us But Has Become A Model For Other Constitutions, Is Our God-inspired National Safeguard Ensuring Freedom And Liberty, Justice And Equality Before The Law.

I Am Grateful For Emphasis On Reading The Scriptures. I Hope That For You This Will Become Something Far More Enjoyable Than A Duty; That, Rather, It Will Become A Love Affair With The Word Of God. I Promise You That As You Read, Your Minds Will Be Enlightened And Your Spirits Will Be Lifted. At First It May Seem Tedious, But That Will Change Into A Wondrous Experience With Thoughts And Words Of Things Divine. Gordon B. Hinckley

Church - Come Here To Learn, Go Forth To Serve.

Our Whole Strength Rests On The Validity Of [joseph Smith's] Vision. It Either Occurred Or It Did Not Occur. If It Did Not, Then This Work Is A Fraud. If It Did, Then It Is The Most Important And Wonderful Work Under The Heavens.

It’s True, Isn’t It? Then What Else Really Matters?

Do Not Nag Yourself With A Sense Of Failure

In Missionary Work, As In All Else, Preparation Precedes Power. Encouragement To Prepare While Still Very Young Can Make A Tremendous Difference.

One Of The Great Compliments Paid The Savior Was That He Taught As One Having Authority. The Missionary Who Knows Scripture And Can Quote It Speaks With The Voice Of Authority...may I Suggest That In Our Family Night Gatherings We Make It A Project To Memorize One Scripture A Week Pertinent To This Work. At The Conclusion Of A Year Our Children Will Have On Their Lips A Fund Of Scripture Which Will Remain With Them Throughout Their Lives.

Work Is The Miracle By Which Talent Is Brought To The Surface And Dreams Become Reality.

Go Forward In Life With A Twinkle In Your Eye And A Smile On Your Face, But With Great Purpose In Heart.

If We Are To Continue To Have The Freedoms That Came Of The Inspiration Of The Almighty To Our Founding Fathers, We Must Return To The God Who Is Their True Author.

The Church Expects That Each Of Us Carry A Share Of The Burden Of Leadership. There Is No Paid Clergy. The Work Is Done Because Of A Love Of The Cause. And As People Serve, They Grow In Capacity. The Time And Effort Is Not A Sacrifice Because There Is Returned More Than Is Given.

Be Strong-be Strong In The Discipline Of Self. How Many Otherwise Good Men Squander Their Strength And Dissipate Their Will And Literally Destroy Their Lives Because They Have Not The Power Of Self-discipline.

My Plea Is That We Stop Seeking Out The Storms And Enjoy More Fully The Sunlight...i Am Asking That We Look A Little Deeper For The Good, That We Still Our Voices Of Insult And Sarcasm, That We More Generously Compliment And Endorse Virtue And Effort.

The Small Day-to-day Decisions Will Determine The Course Of Your Lives.

All The Beauty In The Earth Bears The Fingerprint Of The Master Creator” Gordon B. Hinckley

Gordon B Hinckley

What I Fear From These Reports Is That The Prevalent Use Of Foul Language Has Become An Acceptable Pattern In The Schools, Probably Due In Large Part To The Influence Of Tv And The General Permissiveness In Our Society.

Mutual Respect, The Soft Answer, Financial Honesty With The Lord, Prayer. "i Do Not Hesitate To Promise That If You Will Go To Your Homes And Cultivate And Nurture It Among These Four Cornerstones, Your Lives Will Be Happy."

All Of Us Have Problems. We Face Them Every Day. How Grateful I Am That We Have Difficult Things To Wrestle With. They Keep Us Young, They Keep Us Alive, They Keep Us Going, They Keep Us Humble. Be Grateful For Your Problems, And Know That Somehow There Will Come A Solution. Just Do The Best You Can, But Be Sure It Is The Very Best.

Baptism Into This Church Is A Serious Thing. It Represents A Covenant Made With Our Heavenly Father. It Is Much More Than A Right Of Passage. It Is A Gateway To A New Manner Of Living, And A New Road On Which To Walk That Leads To Immortality And Eternal Life. It Was Never Intended As A Dead End. It Was Intended To Open A Glorious And Wonderful Way Of Life To All Who Would Walk In Obedience To The Commandments Of God.

I Don't Think That The Internet Has Contributed Greatly To Immorality.

Happy Is The Man Who Can Brush Aside The Offending Remarks Of Another And Go On His Way.

You Have The Potential To Become Anything To Which You Set Your Mind. You Have A Mind And A Body And A Spirit. With These Three Working Together, You Can Walk The High Road That Leads To Achievement And Happiness. But This Will Require Effort And Sacrifice And Faith.

We Are Involved In An Intense Battle. It Is A Battle Between Right And Wrong, Between Truth And Error, Between The Design Of The Almighty On The One Hand And That Of Lucifer On The Other. For That Reason, We Desperately Need Moral Men And Women Who Stand On Principle, To Be Involved In The Political Process. Otherwise, We Abdicate Power To Those Whose Designs Are Almost Entirely Selfish.

There Is Something Wonderful About A Book. We Can Pick It Up. We Can Heft It. We Can Read It. We Can Set It Down. We Can Think Of What We Have Read. It Does Something For Us. We Can Share Great Minds, Great Actions, And Great Undertakings In The Pages Of A Book.

Teach Children Tolerance. No One Need Surrender His Or Her Own Beliefs While Extending Tolerance To Those With Other Beliefs.

Absence Of Gratitude Is The Mark Of The Narrow, Uneducated Mind. It Bespeaks A Lack Of Knowledge And The Ignorance Of Self-sufficiency. It Expresses Itself In Ugly Egotism And Frequently In Wanton Mischief. We Have Seen Our Beaches, Our Parks, Our Forests Littered With Ugly Refuse By Those Who Evidently Have No Appreciation For Their Beauty. I Have Driven Through Thousands Of Acres Of Blackened Land Scourged By A Fire Evidently Set By A Careless Smoker Whose Only Concern Had Been The Selfish Pleasure Gained From A Cigarette.

Let Us Take A Little Time To Meditate, To Think Of What We Can Do To Improve Our Lives And To Become Better Examples Of What A Latter-day Saint Should Be.

In Terms Of You Happiness, In Terms Of The Matters That Make You Proud Or Sad, Nothing-i Repeat, Nothing-will Have So Profound An Effect On You As The Way Your Children Turn Out. You Will Either Rejoice And Boast Of Their Accomplishments Or You Will Weep, Head In Hands, Bereft And Forlorn, If They Become A Disappointment Or An Embarrassment To You.

The World Is Our Responsibility. We Cannot Evade It.

It Is Selfishness Which Is The Cause Of Most Of Our Misery.

All Of Us Have Far Too Much To Do To Waste Our Time And Energies In Criticism, Faultfinding, Or The Abuse Of Others.

In All This World There Is No Substitute For Personal Integrity. It Includes Honor. It Includes Performance. It Includes Keeping One's Word. It Includes Doing What Is Right Regardless Of The Circumstances

Likewise The Piercing Of The Body For Multiple Rings In The Ears, In The Nose, Even In The Tongue. Can They Possibly Think That Is Beautiful? It Is A Passing Fancy, But Its Effects Can Be Permanent. Some Have Gone To Such Extremes That The Ring Had To Be Removed By Surgery. The First Presidency And The Quorum Of The Twelve Have Declared That We Discourage Tattoos And Also “the Piercing Of The Body For Other Than Medical Purposes.” We Do Not, However, Take Any Position “on The Minimal Piercing Of The Ears By Women For One Pair Of Earrings”-one Pair Only.

Within Your Sphere Of Responsibility You Have As Serious An Obligation As Do I Within My Sphere Of Responsibility. Each Of Us Should Be Determined To Build The Kingdom Of God On The Earth And To Further The Work Of Righteousness.

The Best Cure For Weariness Is The Challenge Of Helping Someone Who Is Even More Tired.

Helping Someone

We’ve Got To Have A Little Humor In Our Lives. You Had Better Take Seriously That Which Should Be Taken Seriously But, At The Same Time, We Can Bring In A Touch Of Humor Now And Again. If The Time Ever Comes When We Can’t Smile At Ourselves, It Will Be A Sad Time.

Just As Our Redeemer Gave His Life As A Vicarious Sacrifice For All Men, And In So Doing Became Our Savior, Even So We, In A Small Measure, When We Engage In Proxy Work In The Temple, Become As Saviors To Those On The Other Side.

I See A Wonderful Future In A Very Uncertain World. If We Will Cling To Our Values, If We Will Build On Our Inheritance, If We Will Walk In Obedience Before The Lord, If We Will Simply Live The Gospel We Will Be Blessed In A Magnificent And Wonderful Way. We Will Be Looked Upon As A Peculiar People Who Have Found The Key To A Peculiar Happiness.

If We Will Concentrate On The Best, That Element Will Grow Until It Sparkles.

Stay Out Of The Gutter In Your Conversation. Foul Talk Defiles The Man Who Speaks It... Don't Swear. Don't Profane. Avoid So-called Dirty Jokes. Stay Away From Conversation That Is Sprinkled With Foul And Filthy Words. You Will Be Happier If You Do So, And Your Example Will Give Strength To Others.

Christmas Means 'giving,' And The Gift Without The Giver Is Bare. Give Of Yourselves; Give Of Your Substance; Give Of Your Heart And Mind.

None Of Us Is Perfect. There Was Only One Perfect Man Who Ever Walked The Earth, And He Was The Son Of God. We All Have Weaknesses And I Guess We All Make Mistakes And Will Make Mistakes In The Future, But Look For The Virtues, The Strengths, The Goodness In Those With Whom You Labor, And Draw Those Characteristics Into Your Own Lives And Make Them A Part Of Yourselves, And You Will Be The Richer For It All The Days That You Live.

It Was A Very Limited Practice; Carefully Safeguarded. In 1890, That Practice Was Discontinued.

Forget Yourself And Get To Work.

If You Will Make Your First Concern The Comfort, The Well-being, And The Happiness Of Your Companion, Sublimating Any Personal Concern To That Loftier Goal, You Will Be Happy, And Your Marriage Will Go On Through Eternity

Let Our Voices Be Heard. I Hope They Will Not Be Shrill Voices, But, I Hope We Shall Speak With Such Conviction That Those To Whom We Speak Shall Know Of The Strength Of Our Feeling And The Sincerity Of Our Efforts.

A Marvelous Thing It Would Be To Stand With Confidence, Unafraid, Unashamed, And Unembarrassed In The Presence Of God.

Presence Of God

I Think That The Churches Do A Better Job In Many Respects Than The Government Does In Various Kinds Of Things. Extending Aid, The Helpfulness, And So On, Yes.

There Is Too Much Of Criticism And Faultfinding With Anger And Raised Voices.

There Is Room For Improvement In Every Life. Regardless Of Our Occupations, Regardless Of Our Circumstances, We Can Improve Ourselves And While So Doing Have An Effect On The Lives Of Those About Us.

God Has Not Given Us The Spirit Of Fear. That Comes From The Adversary.

You Never Know How Much Good You Do.

The Best Medicine For Despair Is Service.

Don't Waste Your Time Searching And Wishing. Grow And Be Ready...and You'll See God Will Give You A Love Story Far Better Than You Could Ever Dreamed Of.

A Truly Educated Man Never Ceases To Learn.

Our Kindness May Be The Most Persuasive Argument For That Which We Believe.

It Is Both Relaxing And Invigorating To Occasionally Set Aside The Worries Of Life, Seek The Company Of A Friendly Book...from The Reading Of 'good Books' There Comes A Richness Of Life That Can Be Obtained In No Other Way.

Richness Of Life

We Are Creatures Of Our Thinking. We Can Talk Ourselves Into Defeat Or We Can Talk Ourselves Into Victory.

You Will Come To Know That What Appears Today To Be A Sacrifice Will Prove Instead To Be The Greatest Investment That You Will Ever Make.

Television Is Perhaps The Greatest Medium Ever Discovered To Teach And Educate And Even To Entertain. But The Filth, The Rot, The Violence, And The Profanity That Spew From Television Screens Into Our Homes Is Deplorable. It Is A Sad Commentary On Our Society. The Fact That A Television Set Is On Six Or Seven Hours Every Day In Most Of The Homes Of America Says Something Of Tremendous Importance.

When I Say Do Your Best, I Mean Your Very Best. You Are Capable Of So Much More.

It Should Be Recognized That This Church Is Not A Social Club. This Is The Kingdom Of God On The Earth. It Is The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints. Its Purpose Is To Bring Salvation And Exaltation To Both The Living And The Dead.

I Believe Without Any Doubt That You Are The Finest Generation This Church Has Ever Had.

You Are Great Young People. I Have Said Again And Again, We Have The Finest Generation Of Young People Ever In The History Of This Church. I Believe It. You Know The Gospel Better. You Come To Seminary And You Learn About The Things Of The Lord Here. You Know More About The Gospel Than Those Of My Generation At Your Age Did Without Any Question. I Am Satisfied Of That. Furthermore, You Are Intrinsically Better. You Are Wonderful Young People!

I Know Your Lives Are Busy. I Know That You Have Much To Do. But I Make You A Promise That If You Will Go To The House Of The Lord, You Will Be Blessed; Life Will Be Better For You.

Books Represent The Accumulated Workings Of The Human Mind, The Endless Treasures Of Man's Thoughts.

Gratitude Is The Beginning Of Civility, Of Decency And Goodness, Of A Recognition That We Cannot Afford To Be Arrogant. We Should Walk With The Knowledge That We Will Need Help Every Step Of The Way.

Being Humble Means Recognizing That We Are Not On Earth To See How Important We Can Become, But To See How Much Difference We Can Make In The Lives Of Others

It Is Good To Look To The Past To Gain Appreciation For The Present And Perspective For The Future. It Is Good To Look Upon The Virtues Of Those Who Have Gone Before; To Gain Strength For Whatever Lies Ahead. It Is Good To Reflect Upon The Work Of Those Who Labored So Hard And Gained So Little In This World, But Out Of Whose Dreams And Early Pains, So Well Nurtured, Has Come A Great Gravest Of Which We Are The Beneficiaries. Their Tremendous Example Can Become A Compelling Motivation For All Of Us. ~gordon B. Hinckley

Gratitude Is Of The Very Essence Of Worship. ... When You Walk With Gratitude, You Do Not Walk With Arrogance And Conceit And Egotism, You Walk With A Spirit Of Thanksgiving That Is Becoming To You And Will Bless Your Lives. Sincerely Giving Thanks Not Only Helps Us Recognize Our Blessings, It Also Unlocks The Doors Of Heaven And Helps Us Feel God's Love.

Great Has Been Our Past, Wonderful Is Our Present, And Glorious Can Be Our Future.

True Love Is Not So Much A Matter Of Romance As It Is A Matter Of Anxious Concern For The Well-being Of One's Companion.

If Every Man Would Make His Prime Concern The Comfort And Well-being Of His Wife And Every Wife Make Her Chief Concern The Comfort And Well-being Of Her Husband, We Would Have Very Little Divorce In The Land.

To Save A Girl Is To Save Generations!

May I Suggest That You Write, That You Keep Journals, That You Express Your Thoughts On Paper. Writing Is A Great Discipline. It Is A Tremendous Educational Effort. It Will Assist You In Various Ways, And You Will Bless The Lives Of Many-your Families And Others-now And In The Years To Come, As You Put On Paper Some Of Your Experiences And Some Of Your Musings.

I Meet Young People Everywhere Who Are Wonderful And Faithful; Youth Who Want To Do The Right Thing And Who Indicate The Reality Of What I Have Been Saying For A Long Time, That We've Never Had A Better Generation Of Young People In The Church Than We Have Today. They Are Faithful. They Are Active. They're Knowledgeable. They Are A Great Generation, Notwithstanding The Environment In Which Many Of Them Are Growing Up.

Everyone Who Owns A Home Recognizes The Need For Fire Insurance. We Hope And Pray That There Will Never Be A Fire. Nevertheless, We Pay For Insurance To Cover Such A Catastrophe, Should It Occur. We Ought To Do The Same With Reference To Family Welfare.

Dishonesty Of Any Kind Will Create A Blemish.

Of Course We're Christian. The Very Name Of The Church Declares That. The More People See Us And Come To Know Us, The More I Believe They Will Come To Realize That We Are Trying To Exemplify In Our Lives And In Our Living The Great Ideals Which (jesus Christ) Taught.

Coming Closer To Home, There Is So Much Of Jealousy, Pride, Arrogance, And Carping Criticism; Fathers Who Rise In Anger Over Small, Inconsequential Things And Make Wives Weep And Children Fear.

There Have Been Times When A Particularly Heavy Dose Of Such Cynicism Has Caused Me To Reflect That Surely This Is The Age And Place Of The Gifted Pickle Sucker!

Respect For Self Is The Beginning Of Cultivating Virtue In Men And Women.

While You Should Be Friendly With All People, Select With Great Care Those Whom You Wish To Have Close To You. They Will Be Your Safeguards In Situations Where You May Vacillate Between Choices, And You In Turn May Save Them.

We Are Sometimes Told That We Are Not A Biblical Church. We Are A Biblical Church. This Wonderful Testament Of The Old World, This Great And Good Holy Bible Is One Of Our Standard Works. We Teach From It. We Bear Testimony Of It. We Read From It. It Strengthens Our Testimony. And We Add To That This Great Second Witness, The Book Of Mormon, The Testament Of The New World, For As The Bible Says, "in The Mouth Of Two Or Three Witnesses Shall [all Things] Be Established" (2 Cor. 13:1).

I Know Of No Other Practise Which Will Make One More Attractive In Conversation Than To Be Well-read In A Variety Of Subjects. There Is A Great Potential Within Each Of Us To Go On Learning. Regardless Of Our Age, Unless There Be Serious Illness, We Can Read, Study, Drink In The Writings Of Wonderful Men And Women. It Is Never Too Late To Learn.

Serious Illness

If You Go To Bed At 10:00 And Get Up By 6:00 A.m., Things Will Work Out For You.

Gambling Undermines The Moral Fiber Of Society.

Cultivate An Attitude Of Happiness. Cultivate A Spirit Of Optimism. Walk With Faith, Rejoicing In The Beauties Of Nature, In The Goodness Of Those You Love, In The Testimony Which You Carry In Your Heart Concerning Things Divine.

Believe In Yourselves. Believe In Your Capacity To Do Some Good In This World. God Sent Us Here For A Purpose, And That Was To Improve The World In Which We Live. The Wonderful Thing Is That We Can Do It.

Let Your First Interest Be In Your Home. The Baby You Hold In Your Arms Will Grow Quickly As The Sunrise And The Sunset Of The Rushing Days.

Keep Your Families Close Together, And Love And Honor Your Children.

Cultivate Within Yourselves The Mighty Power Of Self-discipline.

Self Discipline

Without Hard Work, Nothing Grows But Weeds.

I Condemn Polygamy, Yes, As A Practice, Because I Think It Is Not Doctrinal. It Is Not Legal. And This Church Takes The Position That We Will Abide By The Law.

You Will Find Peace And Happiness If You Will Live The Gospel.

Peace And Happiness

Children Don’t Need Beating. They Need Love And Encouragement. They Need Fathers To Whom They Can Look With Respect Rather Than Fear. Above All, They Need Example.

Of All Times, It Is Christmas When We Must Surely Realize That There Can Be No True Worship Of Him Who Is The Christ Without Giving Of Ourselves. At This Season Let Us, Each One, Reach Out A Little More Generously In The Spirit Of The Christ. It Is Not Enough To Give Toys And Baubles. It Is Not Enough To Give Alms To Those In Need.... It Is Also Important That We Give Of Ourselves With Our Alms.

A Testimony Is A Conviction, A Quiet Inward Certainty Of The Reality Of The Living God, Of The Divinity Of His Beloved Son, Of The Restoration Of Their Work In This Time. It Demands That We Do What He Has Asked Us To Do.

God Gave Us Our Agency. He Taught Us A Way. He Showed Us What To Do. But He Gave Us Our Agency And Left Us Free To Act As We Choose To Do.

Do Your Best, And Be A Little Better Than You Are.

Self Improvement

Under The Plan Of Heaven, The Husband And The Wife Walk Side By Side As Companions, Neither One Ahead Of The Other, But A Daughter Of God And A Son Of God Walking Side By Side. Let Your Families Be Families Of Love And Peace And Happiness. Gather Your Children Around You And Have Your Family Home Evenings, Teach Your Children The Ways Of The Lord, Read To Them From The Scriptures, And Let Them Come To Know The Great Truths Of The Eternal Gospel As Set Forth In These Words Of The Almighty.

There Is No More Compelling Motivation To Worthwhile Endeavor Than The Knowledge That We Are Children Of God, That God Expects Us To Do Something With Our Lives, And That He Will Give Us Help When Help Is Sought.

If You Are Too Busy In Your Church Activities To Take Care Of Your Family, Then Perhaps We Had Better Find Something Else For You To Do.

By And Large, I Have Come To See That If We Complain About Life, It Is Because We Are Thinking Only Of Ourselves.

Without Labor There Is Neither Wealth, Nor Comfort, Nor Progress.

Pray For The Strength To Walk The High Road, Which At Times May Be Lonely But Which Will Lead To Peace And Happiness And Joy Supernal.

He Whose Birth We Commemorate This Season Is More Than The Symbol Of A Holiday. He Is The Son Of God, The Creator Of The Earth, The Jehovah Of The Old Testament, The Fulfillment Of The Law Of Moses, The Redeemer Of Mankind, The King Of Kings, The Prince Of Peace.

Every Good Citizen Adds To The Strength Of A Nation. With That Assumption I Do Not Hesitate To Say That The Nation Of Chile Is Better For Our Presence, And The Same Thing Is Happening In Every Other Nation Where We Are Operating.

We Must Work Harder To Build Mutual Respect, An Attitude Of Tolerance, With Forbearance One For Another.

Avoid Alcohol As You Would A Loathsome Disease. Beer Will Do To You What Hard Liquor Will Do. Each Contains Alcohol In Varying Amounts.

In All We Do We Must Cultivate Faith. Increased Faith Is The Touchstone To Improved Church Performance.

The Best Food Storage Is Not In Welfare Grain Elevators But In Sealed Cans And Bottles In The Homes Of Our People. What A Gratifying Thing It Is To See Cans Of Wheat And Rice And Beans Under The Beds Or In The Pantries Of Women Who Have Taken Welfare Responsibility Into Their Own Hands. Such Food May Not Be Tasty, But It Will Be Nourishing If It Has To Be Used.

There Is No End To The Good We Can Do, To The Influence We Can Have With Others. Let Us Not Dwell On The Critical Or The Negative. Let Us Pray For Strength; Let Us Pray For Capacity And Desire To Assist Others. Let Us Radiate The Light Of The Gospel At All Times And All Places, That The Spirit Of The Redeemer May Radiate From Us.

Simple Honesty Is So Remarkable A Quality. It Is Of The Very Essence Of Integrity.

Anger Is The Mother Of A Whole Brood Of Evil Actions. Divorce Too Often Is The Bitter Fruit Of Anger.

What I Am Suggesting Is That Each Of Us Turn From The Negativism That Permeates Our Society And Look For The Remarkable Good Among Those With Whom We Associate, That We Speak Of One Another’s Virtues More Than We Speak Of One Another’s Faults, That Optimism Replace Pessimism, That Our Faith Exceed Our Fears. When I Was A Young Man And Was Prone To Speak Critically, My Father Would Say: “cynics Do Not Contribute, Skeptics Do Not Create, Doubters Do Not Achieve.

Positive Thinking

Though My Work May Be Menial, Though My Contribution May Be Small, I Can Perform It With Dignity And Offer It With Unselfishness. My Talents May Not Be Great, But I Can Use Them To Bless The Lives Of Others.... The Goodness Of The World In Which We Live Is The Accumulated Goodness Of Many Small And Seemingly Inconsequential Acts.

There Is No Association Richer Than The Companionship Of Husband And Wife.

Don't Worry. I Say That To Myself Every Morning. It All Works Out In The End.

Death Is Not The End, But A More Glorified Existence.

There Is Nothing That Dulls A Personality So Much As A Negative Outlook.

I Challenge Every One Of You Who Can Hear Me To Rise To The Divinity Within You. Do We Really Realize What It Means To Be A Child Of God, To Have Within Us Something Of The Divine Nature?

Christmas Means 'giving,' And The Gift Without The Giver Is Bare. Give Of Yourselves; Give Of Your Substance; Give Of Your Heart And Mind. "christmas Means 'compassion And Love' And, Most Of All 'forgiveness' How Poor Indeed Would Be Our Lives Without The Influence Of His Teachings And His Matchless Example. "he Whose Birth We Commemorate This Season Is More Than The Symbol Of A Holiday. He Is The Son Of God, The Redeemer Of Mankind, The King Of Kings, The Prince Of Peace.

Well, We Have Nothing To Hide. Our History Is An Open Book. They May Find What They Are Looking For, But The Fact Is The History Of The Church Is Clear And Open And Leads To Faith And Strength And Virtues.

The Way Of The Lord Is The Way Of Happiness. ‘wickedness Never Was Happiness’ [alma 41:10]. Transgression Never Was Happiness. Sin Never Was Happiness. Disobedience Never Was Happiness. The Way Of Happiness Is Following The Way Of The Lord. I Believe This With All My Heart.

Listen To The Whisperings Of The Spirit, The Gift Of Revelation To Which You Are Entitled.

I Feel To Invite Women Everywhere To Rise To The Great Potential Within You. I Do Not Ask That You Reach Beyond Your Capacity. I Hope You Will Not Nag Yourselves With Thoughts Of Failure. I Hope You Will Not Try To Set Goals Far Beyond Your Capacity To Achieve. I Hope You Will Simply Do What You Can Do In The Best Way You Know. If You Do So, You Will Witness Miracles Come To Pass.

I Am Saying That Out Of A Spirit Of Appreciation And Gratitude, And A Sense Of Duty, You Ought To Make Whatever Adjustment Is Necessary To Give A Little Of Your Time-as Little As Two Years-consecrating Your Strength, Your Means, Your Talents To The Work Of Sharing With Others The Gospel, Which Is The Source Of So Much Of The Good That You Have. I Promise That If You Will Do So, You Will Come To Know That What Appears Today To Be A Sacrifice Will Prove Instead To Be The Greatest Investment That You Will Ever Make.

The Best Antidote I Know For Worry Is Work. The Best Cure For Weariness Is The Challenge Of Helping Someone Who Is Even More Tired. One Of The Great Ironies Of Life Is This: He Or She Who Serves Almost Always Benefits More Than He Or She Who Is Served.

Generally Speaking, The Most Miserable People I Know Are Those Who Are Obsessed With Themselves; The Happiest People I Know Are Those Who Lose Themselves In The Service Of Others...by And Large, I Have Come To See That If We Complain About Life, It Is Because We Are Thinking Only Of Ourselves.

We Live In A World Of Shifting Values. The Family Is Falling Apart. Parents Failing In What They Ought To Do.

Love Is The Only Force That Can Erase The Differences Between People Or Bridge The Chasms Of Bitterness.

Faith In Something Greater Than Ourselves Enables Us To Do What We Have Said We'll Do, To Press Forward When We Are Tired Or Hurt Or Afraid, To Keep Going When The Challenge Seems Overwhelming And The Course Is Entirely Uncertain.

Watch What You Choose To Do. For Instance, Someone Might Want You To Smoke. Never Forget That I Told You - Don't Do It. Say No.that Can Of Beer That Somebody Wants You To Try, Don't Do It. Don't You Ever Do It.that Drug That Someone Might Want You To Use, Don't Touch It.stay Away From It. It Can Destroy You.

Woman Is God’s Supreme Creation. Only After The Earth Had Been Formed, After The Day Had Been Separated From The Night, After The Waters Had Been Divided From The Land, After Vegetation And Animal Life Had Been Created, And After Man Had Been Placed On The Earth, Was Woman Created; And Only Then Was The Work Pronounced Complete And Good.

I Am Satisfied That Every Man Or Woman Who Goes To The Temple In A Spirit Of Sincerity And Faith Leaves The House Of The Lord A Better Man Or Woman.

The Major Work Of The World Is Not Done By Geniuses. It Is Done By Ordinary People, With Balance In Their Lives, Who Have Learned To Work In An Extraordinary Manner.

Our Hope Concerning The Future Is Great, And Our Faith Is Strong. We Know We’ve Scarcely Scratched The Surface Of That Which Will Come To Pass In The Years That Lie Ahead.

The Way Of The Gospel Is A Simple Way. Some Of The Requirements May Appear To You As Elementary And Unnecessary. Do Not Spurn Them. Humble Yourselves And Walk In Obedience. I Promise That The Results That Follow Will Be Marvelous To Behold And Satisfying To Experience.

Sloppy Language And Sloppy Ways Go Together. Those Who Are Truly Educated Have Learned More Than The Sciences, The Humanities, Law, Engineering, And The Arts. They Carry With Them A Certain Polish That Marks Them As Loving The Better Qualities Of Life, A Culture That Adds Luster To The Mundane World Of Which They Are Apart, A Patina That Puts A Quiet Glow On What Otherwise Might Be Base Metal.

You Have Nothing In This World More Precious Than Your Children. When You Grow Old, When Your Hair Turns White And Your Body Grows Weary, When You Are Prone To Sit In A Rocker And Meditate On The Things Of Your Life, Nothing Will Be So Important As The Question Of How Your Children Have Turned Out... Do Not Trade Your Birthright As A Mother For Some Bauble Of Passing Value... The Baby You Hold In Your Arms Will Grow As Quickly As The Sunrise And The Sunset Of The Rushing Days.

Criticism Is The Seed Of Divorce, And It Develops Rebellion In Our Young.

There Is No Strength That Is Greater Than The Strength Of Virtue. There Is No Other Nobility Equal To The Nobility Of Virtue. There Is No Quality So Becoming, No Attire So Attractive.

We're All Sons And Daughters Of God, And Therefore In A Very Literal Sense, Brothers And Sisters. And We Ought To Treat Each Other That Way.

Contrary To What You May Think, An Immoral Act Of Any Kind Will Only Lower Your Self-esteem. Be True To Yourselves, And Your Respect For Yourself Will Increase. Know That Yours Is A Divine Birthright. Cultivate A Good Opinion Of Yourselves. Others May Make Cutting Remarks Concerning You. This Is Only A Sign Of Their Ignorance And Not Of Your Qualities. Walk With That Dignity Which Is Becoming A Young Woman Who Is A Daughter Of God.

Thank And Glorify His Beloved Son, Who, With Indescribable Suffering, Gave His Life On Calvary's Cross To Pay The Debt Of Mortal Sin. He It Was Who, Through His Atoning Sacrifice, Broke The Bonds Of Death And With Godly Power Rose Triumphant From The Tomb. He Is Our Redeemer, The Redeemer Of All Mankind. He Is The Savior Of The World. He Is The Son Of God, The Author Of Our Salvation.

You Must Ask For God's Help. After Each Failure, Ask Forgiveness, Pick Yourself Up, And Try Again.

Asking For Forgiveness

Don't Be Gloomy. Even If You Are Not Happy, Put A Smile On Your Face. [life Is About] Joy,... Something To Be Happy And Excited About.

The Greatest Job That Any Mother Will Ever Do Will Be In Nurturing, Teaching, Lifting, Encouraging And Rearing Her Children In Righteousness And Truth. None Other Can Adequately Take Her Place.

Love Is The Very Essence Of Life. It Is The Pot Of Gold At The End Of The Rainbow. Yet It Is More Than The End Of The Rainbow. Love Is The Security For Which Children Weep, The Yearning Of Youth, The Adhesive That Binds Marriage, And The Lubricant That Prevents Devastating Friction In The Home; It Is The Peace Of Old Age, The Sunlight Of Hope Shinning Through Death.

There Has Come To You As Your Birthright Something Beautiful And Sacred And Divine. Never Forget That. Your Eternal Father Is The Great Master Of The Universe. He Rules Over All, But He Also Will Listen To Your Prayers As His Daughter And Hear You As You Speak With Him. He Will Answer Your Prayers. He Will Not Leave You Alone.

We Live In Terribly Complex Times. We Are Confronted By Very Serious Problems. Some Of Us Are Faced With Sickness, With Economic Difficulties, With Worry And Concern Over Many Matters. Our Refuge, Our Peace, Our Well-being Lie In Walking In The Way Of The Lord.

Believe In The Power Of Prayer - It Is Real, It Is Wonderful, It Is Tremendous.

Something Happens Inside Of Us When We Are Courteous And Deferential Toward Others. It Is All Part Of A Refining Process, Which If Persisted In, Will Change Our Very Natures.

We Can Begin Ever So Modestly. We Can Begin With A One Week's Food Supply And Gradually Build It To A Month, And Then To Three Months. I Am Speaking Now Of Food To Cover Basic Needs. . .i Fear That So Many Feel That A Long-term Food Supply Is So Far Beyond Their Reach That They Make No Effort At All. . .begin In A Small Way, ... And Gradually Build Toward A Reasonable Objective.

A Nation Will Rise No Higher Than The Strength Of Its Homes. If You Want To Reform A Nation You Begin With Families.

It Is The Home Which Produces The Nursery Stock Of New Generations. I Hope That You Mothers Will Realize That When All Is Said And Done, You Have No More Compelling Responsibility, Nor Any Laden With Greater Rewards, Than The Nurture You Give Your Children In An Environment Of Security, Peace, Companionship, Love And Motivation To Grow And Do Well.

A Tattoo Is Graffiti On The Temple Of The Body.

I Hope You Are Reading To Your Children, Out Loud. That's Much Better Than Watching Television, Much Better. They Won't Get Very Much Out Of Television Except Some Bad Thoughts.

Fear Not; Only Believe. This Is A Time To Make Resolutions That Will Be Binding Upon You. This Is A Season To Set Standards That Will Hold You To The Right Course And Make You Happy Now And In The Years That Follow.

In Very Large Measure Each Of Us Holds The Key To The Blessings Of The Almighty Upon Us. If We Wish The Blessing, We Must Pay The Price.

This Cause Will Roll On In Majesty And Power To Fill The Earth. Doors Now Closed To The Preaching Of The Gospel Will Be Opened. The Almighty, If Necessary, May Have To Shake The Nations To Humble Them And Cause Them To Listen To The Servants Of The Living God. Whatever Is Needed Will Come To Pass.

The Truest Mark Of Your Success In Life Will Be The Quality Of Your Marriage

Success In Life

It Is My Faith And Conviction That The Constitution Came Not Alone Of The Brain And Purpose Of Man, But Of The Inspiration Of God.

Everything That Occurs In The Temple Is Uplifting And Ennobling. It Speaks Of Life Here And Life Beyond The Grave. It Speaks Of The Importance Of The Individual As A Child Of God. It Speaks Of The Importance Of The Family And The Eternity Of The Marriage Relationship.

Love For The Lord, Love For His Servants The Missionaries. Missionary Work Is A Work Of Love And Trust, And It Has To Be Done On That Basis.

We Must Build More Temples, And We Must Build Them More Quickly. This Is The Season To Build Temples. They Are Needed, And We Have The Means To Do So. The Lord Will Hold Us Accountable If We Do Not Work With Greater Accomplishment Than We Are Now Doing.

Every Man Who Truly Loves A Woman, And Every Woman Who Truly Loves A Man, Hopes And Dreams That Their Companionship Will Last Forever. But Marriage Is A Covenant Sealed By Authority. If That Authority Is Of The State Alone, It Will Endure Only While The State Has Jurisdiction, And That Jurisdiction Ends With Death. But Add To The Authority Of The State The Power Of The Endowment Given By Him Who Overcame Death, And That Companionship Will Endure Beyond Life If The Parties To The Marriage Live Worthy Of The Promise.

God Bless You, My Beloved Sisters, Who Stand As The Queens In Your Home, That You May Be Happy With That Happiness Which Comes Of The Knowledge That You Are Loved And Honored And Treasured.

Live Today As If You Were Going To Live Forever, For You Surely Shall.

Integrity Is At The Heart Of Commerce In The World In Which We Live. Honesty And Integrity Comprise The Very Underpinnings Of Society.....indeed, The Strength And Safety Of Any Organization-including The Family-lie In The Integrity Of Its Members. Without Personal Integrity, There Can Be No Confidence. Without Confidence, There Can Be No Prospect Of Permanent Success.

Criticism And Pessimism Destroy Families, Undermine Institutions Of All Kinds, Defeat Nearly Everyone, And Spread A Shroud Of Gloom Over Entire Nations.

Some Of You May Feel That You Are Not As Attractive And Beautiful And Glamorous As You Would Like To Be. Rise Above Any Such Feelings, Cultivate The Light You Have Within You, And It Will Shine Through As A Radiant Expression That Will Be Seen By Others. You Need Never Feel Inferior. You Need Never Feel That You Were Born Without Talents Or Without Opportunities To Give Them Expression. Cultivate Whatever Talents You Have, And They Will Grow Anв Refine And Become An Expression Of Your True Self Appreciated By Others.

I Urge Our People Everywhere, With All Of The Persuasiveness Of Which I Am Capable, To Live Worthy To Hold A Temple Recommend, To Secure One And Regard It As A Precious Asset, And To Make A Greater Effort To Go To The House Of The Lord And Partake Of The Spirit And The Blessings To Be Had Therein.

If We Live By The Principles Of The Gospel, We Must Be Good People, For We Will Be Generous And Kind, Thoughtful And Tolerant, Helpful And Outreaching To Those In Distress. We Can Either Subdue The Divine Nature And Hide It So That It Finds No Expression In Our Lives, Or We Can Bring It To The Front And Let It Shine Through All That We Do.

Who Can Calculate The Wounds Inflicted, Their Depth And Pain, By Harsh And Mean Words Spoken In Anger? How Pitiful A Sight Is A Man Who Is Strong In Many Ways But Who Loses All Control Of Himself When Some Little Thing, Usually Of No Significant Consequence, Disturbs His Equanimity.

He Who Is Our Eternal Father Has Blessed You With Miraculous Powers Of Mind And Body. He Never Intended That You Should Be Less Than The Crowning Glory Of His Creations.

Perhaps Our Greatest Concern Is With Families. The Family Is Falling Apart All Over The World. The Old Ties That Bound Together Father And Mother And Children Are Breaking Everywhere. We Must Face This In Our Own Midst. There Are Too Many Broken Homes Among Our Own. The Love That Led To Marriage Somehow Evaporates, And Hatred Fills Its Place. Hearts Are Broken, Children Weep.

Do Not Let Fear Overcome Your Efforts.

Rise Above... Cultivate The Light You Have Within You, And It Will Shine Through As A Radiant Expression That Will Be Seen By Others.

Look For The Sunlight Through The Clouds.

I Believe That I Am A Child Of God, Endowed With A Divine Birthright. I Believe That There Is Something Of Divinity Within Me And Within Each Of You. I Believe That We Have A Godly Inheritance And That It Is Our Responsibility, Our Obligation, And Our Opportunity To Cultivate And Nurture The Very Best Of These Qualities Within Us.

The True Gospel Of Jesus Christ Never Led To Bigotry. It Never Led To Self-righteousn Ess. It Never Led To Arrogance. The True Gospel Of Jesus Christ Leads To Brotherhood, To Friendship, To Appreciation Of Others, To Respect And Kindness And Love

The Family Is A Creation Of God. The Way To Strengthen The Nation Is To Strengthen The Homes Of The People.

God Has Saved You To Make Your Appearance In The Last Days.

Spare Yourselves From The Indulgence Of Self-pity. It Is Always Self-defeating. Subdue The Negative And Emphasize The Positive.

Mediocrity Will Never Do. You Are Capable Of Something Better.

Truly, My Dear Young Friends, You Are A Chosen Generation. I Hope You Will Never Forget It. I Hope You Will Never Take It For Granted. I Hope There Will Grow In Your Hearts An Overpowering Sense Of Gratitude To God, Who Has Made It Possible For You To Come Upon The Earth In This Marvelous Season Of The World's History.

How Sweet Is The Assurance, How Comforting Is The Peace That Come From The Knowledge That If We Marry Right And Live Right, Our Relationship Will Continue, Notwithstanding The Certainty Of Death And The Passage Of Time. Men May Write Love Songs And Sing Them. They May Yearn And Hope And Dream. But All Of This Will Be Only A Romantic Longing Unless There Is An Exercise Of Authority That Transcends The Powers Of Time And Death.

If Life Gets Too Hard To Stand, Kneel.

When Life Is Hard

Stay Out Of The Gutter In Your Conversation. Foul Talk Defiles The Man Who Speaks It.

Good Books Are As Friends, Willing To Give To Us If We Are Willing To Make A Little Effort.

Gratitude Is A Sign Of Maturity...where There Is Appreciation: There Is Also Courtesy And Concern For The Rights And Property Of Others.

There Is Another Serious Thing To Which Many Young Men Become Addicted. This Is Anger. With The Least Provocation They Explode Into Tantrums Of Uncontrolled Rage. It Is Pitiful To See Someone So Weak. But Even Worse, They Are Prone To Lose All Sense Of Reason And Do Things Which Bring Later Regret.

There Is Rampant Among Us A Spirit Of Criticism. Men And Women Who Carry Heavy Responsibility Do Not Need Criticism, They Need Encouragement.

God Is Weaving His Tapestry According To His Own Grand Design. All Flesh Is In His Hands. We Have No Need To Fear. We Have No Need To Worry. Our Imperative Need Is To Be Found Doing Our Duty.

It Is Naive To Believe That A Steady Diet Of Blatant Immorality, Played Out Nightly In Our Living Rooms, Has No Effect On People. I Am Always Curious When Individuals Insist That What They Watch On Television Or In Movie Theaters Doesn't Affect Them. ... Are We Really To Believe That Hours, Leading To Years, Of Television Viewing Will Not Affect Attitudes About Everything From Family Life To Appropriate Sexual Relations?

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Stephen Hopkins

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