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And So Today, The Undermining Of The Home And Family Is On The Increase, With The Devil Anxiously Working To Displace The Father As The Head Of The Home And Create Rebellion Among The Children. [isaiah] Describes The Condition When [he] States, "as For My People, Children Are Their Oppressors, And Women Rule Over Them." And Then These Words Follow-and Consider These Words Seriously When You Think Of Those Political Leaders Who Are Promoting Birth Control And Abortion: "o My People, They Which Lead Thee Cause Thee To Err, And Destroy The Way Of Thy Paths."

-Ezra Taft Benson

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And So Today, The

Ezra Taft Benson

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And So Today, The Undermining Of The Home And Family Is On The Increase, With The Devil Anxiously Working To Displace The Father As The Head Of The Home And Create Rebellion Among The Children. [isaiah] Describes The Condition When [he] States, "as For My People, Children Are Their Oppressors, And Women Rule Over Them." And Then These Words Follow-and Consider These Words Seriously When You Think Of Those Political Leaders Who Are Promoting Birth Control And Abortion: "o My People, They Which Lead Thee Cause Thee To Err, And Destroy The Way Of Thy Paths."

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Bad Experience Is A School That Only Fools Keep Going To.

Have You Ever Asked Yourself Why One Person Is Honorable And Another Dishonorable; Why One Is Honest, Another Dishonest; Why One Is Moral, Another Immoral? Most Individuals Do Not Intend To Be Dishonest, Dishonorable, Or Immoral. They Seem To Allow Their Characters To Erode By A Series Of Rationalizations, Lies, And Compromises. Then When Grave Temptation Presents Itself, They Haven't The Strength Of Character To Do What They Know To Be Right.

When We Set Goals We Are In Command. If We Know Where We Are Going, We Can Judge More Accurately Where We Are Now And Make Effective Plans To Reach Our Destination.

We Need To Be More Grateful. I Think There Is No True Character Without Gratitude. It Is One Of The Marks Of A Real Strong Character To Have A Feeling Of Thanksgiving And Gratitude For Blessings. We Need More Of That Spirit In Our Homes, In Our Daily Associations, In The Church, Everywhere. It Doesn't Cost Anything, And It Is So Easy To Cultivate.

No Society Will Long Survive Without Mothers Who Care For Their Young And Provide That Nurturing Care So Essential For Their Normal Development.

I Feel Certain That If, In Our Homes, Parents Will Read From The Book Of Mormon Prayerfully And Regularly, Both By Themselves And With Their Children, The Spirit Of That Great Book Will Come To Permeate Our Homes And All Who Dwell Therein.

The Declaration Of Independence Was To Set Forth The Moral Justification Of A Rebellion Against A Long-recognized Political Tradition - The Divine Right Of Kings. At Issue Was The Fundamental Question Of Whether Men's Rights Were God-given Or Whether These Rights Were To Be Dispensed By Governments To Their Subjects. This Document Proclaimed That All Men Have Certain Inalienable Rights. In Other Words, These Rights Came From God.

Wickedness Never Did, Never Does, Never Will Bring Us Happiness.

The Secret Of A Happy Marriage Is To Serve God And Each Other.

I Have Little Need To Remind You That Water Has Become One Of Our Major National Concerns.

The Lord Has Warned And Forewarned Us Against A Day Of Great Tribulation And Given Us Counsel, Through His Servants, On How We Can Be Prepared For These Difficult Times. Have We Heeded His Counsel?

Difficult Times

Mothers Stay Close To Your Daughters Earn & Deserve Their Love & Respect Be United With Their Father In The Rearing Of Your Children Do Nothing In Your Life To Cause Your Daughters To Stumble Because Of Your Example.

Satan Works Through Human Agents.

The Secret To Missionary Work Is Work. Work, Work, Work!

Missionary Work

In The Scriptures There Is No Such Thing As Righteous Pride. It Is Always Considered As A Sin.

You Must Not Allow Yourselves To Become Discouraged. Missionary Work Brings Joy, Optimism, And Happiness. Don't Give Satan An Opportunity To Discourage You. Here Again, Work Is The Answer. The Lord Has Given Us A Key By Which We Can Overcome Discouragement: "come Unto Me, All Ye That Labor And Are Heavy Laden, And I Will Give You Rest. Take My Yoke Upon You, And Learn Of Me; For I Am Meek And Lowly In Heart; And Ye Shall Find Rest Unto Your Souls. For My Yoke Is Easy And My Burden Is Light."

Was It Not Through Pride That The Devil Became The Devil? Christ Wanted To Serve. The Devil Wanted To Rule. Christ Wanted To Bring Men To Where He Was. The Devil Wanted To Be Above Men.

It Is A Fundamental Truth That The Responsibilities Of Motherhood Cannot Be Successfully Delegated. No, Not To Day-care Centers, Not To Schools, Not To Nurseries, Not To Babysitters.

We Must Not Lose Hope. Hope Is An Anchor To The Souls Of Men. Satan Would Have Us Cast Away That Anchor. In This Way He Can Bring Discouragement And Surrender. But We Must Not Lose Hope. The Lord Is Pleased With Every Effort, Even The Tiny, Daily Ones In Which We Strive To Be More Like Him. Though We May See That We Have Far To Go On The Road To Perfection, We Must Not Give Up Hope.

Nothing Will Surprise Us More Than When We Get To Heaven And See The Father And Realize How Well We Know Him And How Familiar His Face Is To Us.

Grandparents Can Have A Profound Influence On Their Grandchildren. Their Time Is Generally Not As Encumbered And Busy As The Parents', So Books Can Be Opened And Read, Stories Can Be Told... Children Then Obtain A Perspective Of Life Which Not Only Is Rewarding But Can Bring Them Security, Peace, And Strength.

An Almost Forgotten Means Of Economic Self-reliance Is The Home Production Of Food. We Are Too Accustomed To Going To Stores And Purchasing What We Need.

The Holy Ghost Causes Our Feelings To Be More Tender. We Feel More Charitable And Compassionate With Each Other. We Are More Calm In Our Relationships. We Have A Greater Capacity To Love Each Other. People Want To Be Around Us Because Our Very Countenances Radiate The Influence Of The Spirit. We Are More Godly In Our Character. As A Result, We Become Increasingly More Sensitive To The Promptings Of The Holy Ghost And Thus Able To Comprehend Spiritual Things More Clearly.

Scouting Teaches A Boy To Take Care Of Himself And Stand On His Own Two Feet.

In The Scriptures There Is No Such Thing As Righteous Pride. It Is Always Considered As A Sin. We Are Not Speaking Of A Wholesome View Of Self-worth, Which Is Best Established By A Close Relationship With God. But We Are Speaking Of Pride As The Universal Sin, As Someone Has Described It. . . . Essentially, Pride Is A "my Will" Rather Than "thy Will" Approach To Life. The Opposite Of Pride Is Humbleness, Meekness, Submissiveness, Or Teachableness.

The Earth Was Cursed For Adam's Sake. Work Is Our Blessing, Not Our Doom. God Has A Work To Do, And So Should We.

Unless We Do His Teachings, We Do Not Demonstrate Faith In Him.

Someone Has Said It Is Better To Appreciate The Things You Don't Own Than To Own Things You Don't Appreciate. I Hope We Will Have With Us A Spirit Of Appreciation For All Of The Good Things We Enjoy, All The Blessings That We Have, Many Of Which Have Come So Easy To Us, With Very Little Effort On Our Part, And Yet They Are Very Real And Very Choice And Are Truly Rich Blessings.

First, We Should Become Informed About Communism, About Socialism, And About Americanism. What Better Way Can One Become Informed Than By First Studying The Inspired Words Of The Prophets And Using That As A Foundation; Against Which To Test All Other Material. This Is In Keeping With The Prophet Joseph Smith's Motto, "when The Lord Commands, Do It."

The Proud Wish God Would Agree With Them. They Are Not Interested In Changing Their Opinions To Agree With God's.

Inspiring Music May Fill The Soul With Heavenly Thoughts, Move One To Righteous Action, Or Speak Peace To The Soul.

The World Teaches Birth Control. Tragically, Many Of Our Sisters Subscribe To Its Pills And Practices When They Could Easily Provide Earthly Tabernacles For More Of Our Father's Children. We Know That Every Spirit Assigned To This Earth Will Come, Whether Through Us Or Someone Else. There Are Couples In The Church Who Think They Are Getting Along Just Fine With Their Limited Families But Who Will Someday Suffer The Pains Of Remorse When They Meet The Spirits That Might Have Been Part Of Their Posterity.

When You Choose To Follow Christ, You Choose To Be Changed. Men And Women Changed For Christ Will Be Captained By Christ. Their Will Is Swallowed Up In His Will. They Do Always Those Things That Please The Lord. Not Only Would They Die For The Lord, But More Important They Want To Live For Him. They Stand As Witnesses Of God At All Times, And In All Things, And In All Places. They Have Christ On Their Minds, As They Look Unto Him In Every Thought. They Have Christ In Their Hearts As Their Affections Are Placed On Him Forever.

We Can And Should Place Special Emphasis On Developing In Our Youth Constructive Incentives — A Love Of Science, Engineering, And Math, So That They Will Want To Take Advanced Scientific Courses And Thereby Help Meet The Needs Of Our Times.

Selfishness Is One Of The More Common Faces Of Pride. 'how Everything Affects Me' Is The Center Of All That Matters-self-conceit, Self-pity, Worldly Self-fulfillment, Self-gratification, And Self-seeking.

The Greatest Work In All The World Is The Building Of Men And Women Of Character. Without Character There Is Not Much That Is Worthwhile.

Every Man Eventually Is Backed Up To The Wall Of Faith, And There He Must Make His Stand.

I Would Rather Say Whoa To A Leader Than Gittie Up.

We Must Share The Gospel With Others. That Is Our Responsibility-every Member A Missionary. That Is The Call Of Prophets Of God. ...member-missionary Work Is One Of The Great Keys To The Individual Growth Of Our Members. It Is My Conviction That Member-missionary Work Will Raise The Spirituality In Any Ward Where Applied

Satan Knows That Youth Is The Springtime Of Life When All Things Are New And Young People Are Most Vulnerable.

Do Not Leave Yourself Or Your Family Unprotected Against Financial Storms... Build Up Savings.

This Latter Day Work Is Spiritual. It Takes Spirituality To Comprehend It, To Love It, To Discern It. Therefore, Seek The Spirit In All You Do. Keep It With You Continually. That Is Our Challenge.

Families Must Spend More Time Together In Work And Recreation.

Now, What Of The Entertainment That Is Available To Our Young People Today? Are You Being Undermined Right In Your Homes Through Your Television, Radio, Slick Magazines, And Rock Music Records?

Men And Women Who Turn Their Lives Over To God Will Discover That He Can Make A Lot More Out Of Their Lives Than They Can.

An Honorable Man Or Woman Is One Who Is Truthful; Free From Deceit; Above Cheating, Lying, Stealing, Or Any Form Of Deception. An Honorable Man Or Woman Is One Who Learns Early That One Cannot Do Wrong And Feel Right. A Man's Character Is Judged On How He Keeps His Word And His Agreements.

I Speak Of Honor-your Honor To God-your Honor To Country-your Honor To Self. I Sincerely Believe It To Be The Cure To Most Of Our Ills, Both On A National Or Individual Basis.

There Is No Greater Church Calling Than That Of A Home Teacher. There Is No Greater Church Service Rendered To Our Father In Heaven's Children Than The Service Rendered By A Humble, Dedicated, Committed Home Teacher.

Christ Changes Men, Who Then Change Their Environment. The World Would Shape Human Behavior, But Christ Can Change Human Nature.

It Is A Truism That Children Need More Of Mother Than Of Money.

That Government Is Best Which Governs The Least, So Taught The Courageous Founders Of This Nation. This Simple Declaration Is Diametrically Opposed To The All Too Common Philosophy That The Government Should Protect And Support One From The Cradle To The Grave. The Policy Of The Founding Fathers Has Made Our People And Our Nation Strong. The Opposite Leads Inevitably To Moral Decay.

We Do Not Find The Savior Using Force Or Coercion To Accomplish His Purposes.

Pride Is Characterized By "what Do I Want Out Of Life?" Rather Than By "what Would God Have Me Do With My Life?" It Is Self-will As Opposed To God's Will. It Is The Fear Of Man Over The Fear Of God.

One Of Satan's Most Frequently Used Deceptions Is The Notion That The Commandments Of God Are Meant To Restrict Freedom And Limit Happiness.

For Over Forty Years, In A Spirit Of Love, Members Of The Church Have Been Counseled To Be Thrifty And Self-reliant; To Avoid Debt; Pay Tithes And A Generous Fast Offering; Be Industrious; And Have Sufficient Food, Clothing, And Fuel On Hand To Last At Least One Year. Today There Are Compelling Reasons To Reemphasize This Counsel.

Compelling Reason

When Obedience Ceases To Be An Irritant And Becomes Our Quest, In That Moment God Will Endow Us With Power.

Every Latter-day Saint Should Make The Study Of This Book A Lifetime Pursuit. Otherwise, He Is Placing His Soul In Jeopardy And Neglecting That Which Could Give Spiritual And Intellectual Unity To His Whole Life.

Encourage Your Children To Come To You For Counsel With Their Problems And Questions By Listening To Them Every Day. Discuss With Them Such Important Matters As Dating, Sex, And Other Matters Affecting Their Growth And Development, And Do It Early Enough So They Will Not Obtain Information From Questionable Sources.

One Of The Marks Of An Educated Man Today Is To Know What Not To Read--what Not To See Or What Not To Listen To.

Men And Women Who Turn Their Lives Over To God Will Discover That He Can Make A Lot More Out Of Their Lives Than They Can. He Can Deepen Their Joys, Expand Their Vision, Quicken Their Minds, Strengthen Their Muscles, Lift Their Spirits, Multiply Their Blessings, Increase Their Opportunities, Comfort Their Soals, And Pour Out Peace.

Many Of Us Have A Tendency To Forget The Gracious Hand Which Has Preserved Our Nation, Enriched It, Strengthened It. Many Of Us Imagine In The Foolishness Of Pride, That Our Manifold Blessings Are Due Not To God's Goodness, But To Our Own Wisdom And Virtue. Too Many Of Us Have Been So Drunk With Self-sufficiency As No Longer To Feel The Need Of Prayer.

For The Righteous, The Gospel Provides A Warning Before Calamity, A Program For The Crises, Refuge For Each Disaster... The Lord Has Warned Us Of Famines, But The Righteous Will Have Listened To The Prophets And Stored At Least One Year's Supply Of Survival Food.

Would We Not Do Well To Have The Pleasing Of God As Our Motive Rather Than To Try To Elevate Ourselves Above Our Brother And Outdo Another?

Daily, Constantly, We Choose By Our Desires, Our Thoughts, And Our Actions Whether We Want To Be Blessed Or Cursed, Happy Or Miserable.

The Lord Is Letting The Wheat And The Tares Mature Before He Fully Purges The Church. He Is Also Testing You To See If You Will Be Misled. The Devil Is Trying To Deceive The Very Elect.

Only Jesus Christ Is Uniquely Qualified To Provide That Hope, That Confidence, And That Strength We Need To Overcome The World And Rise Above Our Human Failings. To Do So, We Must Place Our Faith In Him And Live By His Laws And Teachings.

From The Standpoint Of Food Production, Storage, Handling, And The Lord's Counsel, Wheat Should Have High Priority. Water, Of Course, Is Essential. Other Basics Could Include Honey Or Sugar, Legumes, Milk Products Or Substitutes, And Salt Or Its Equivalent.

Take Care Of Yourselves Physically. Guard Your Health Carefully. It Is One Of Our Greatest Blessings. I Especially Encourage Some Type Of Exercise Program So You Can Stay Physically Fit And Physically Capable In Proportion To The Demands On Your Body.

Faith In The Lord Jesus Christ Is The Foundation Upon Which Sincere And Meaningful Repentance Must Be Built. If We Truly Seek To Put Away Sin, We Must First Look To Him Who Is The Author Of Our Salvation.

If We Are To Achieve Long-range Goals, We Must Learn To Set Up And Accomplish Short-range Goals That Will Move Us Along The Way. If We Do Not Consciously Select Our Goals, We May Be Controlled By Goals Not Of Our Own Choosing - Goals Imposed By Outside Pressures (such As The Expectations Of Others) Or By Our Habits (such As Procrastination) Or By Our Desire For The Approval Of The World.

Procrastination

Fathers, Yours Is An Eternal Calling From Which You Are Never Released. Callings In The Church, As Important As They Are, By Their Very Nature Are Only For A Period Of Time, And Then An Appropriate Release Takes Place. But A Father's Calling Is Eternal, And Its Importance Transcends Time. It Is A Calling For Both Time And Eternity.

Have Sufficient Food, Clothing, And Fuel On Hand To Last At Least One Year.

For Years We Have Been Counseled To Have On Hand A Year's Supply Of Food. Yet There Are Some Today Who Will Not Start Storing Until The Church Comes Out With A Detailed Monthly Home Storage Program. Now Suppose That Never Happens. We Still Cannot Say We Have Not Been Told. Should The Lord Decide At This Time To Cleanse The Church- And The Need For That Cleansing Seems To Be Increasing- A Famine In This Land Of One Year's Duration Could Wipe Out A Large Percentage Of Slothful Members, Including Some Ward And Stake Officers. Yet We Cannot Say We Have Not Been Warned.

My Young Sisters, We Have Such Hope For You. We Have Such Great Expectations For You. Don't Settle For Less Than What The Lord Wants You To Be... Give Me A Young Woman Who Loves Home And Family, Who Reads And Ponders The Scriptures Daily, Who Has A Burning Testimony Of The Book Of Mormon... Give Me A Young Woman Who Is Virtuous And Who Has Maintained Her Personal Purity, Who Will Not Settle For Less Than A Temple Marriage, And I Will Give You A Young Woman Who Will Perform Miracles For The Lord Now And Throughout Eternity.

If We Keep A Goal Firmly In Mind, We Will Know When We Have Reached It. This Gives Us A Sense Of Accomplishment And The Challenge Of Establishing Fresh, New Goals - Always Keeping The Long-range Objective In Mind. If We Can State Our Goals Clearly, We Will Gain A Purpose And Meaning In All Our Actions.

We Cannot Do Everything At Once, But We Can Do A Great Deal If We Choose Our Goals Well And Work Diligently To Attain Them.

Personal Revelation, Consecration Of Performance, Attention To Detail, And Dependency On God-with These Qualities You Cannot Fail.

This Is Our First Interest As A Church-to Save And Exalt The Souls Of The Children Of Men. There Is No Richer Program Anywhere In The World Than We Have In The Church Today For The Building Of Men And Women And Providing The Answers To The Problems That Face Parents, Families, And Individuals. It Is A Program That Is Needed Today As Never Before.

With Pride, There Are Many Curses. With Humility, There Come Many Blessings.

A Secret Combination That Seeks To Overthrow The Freedom Of All Lands, Nations, And Countries Is Increasing In Its Evil Influence And Control Over America And The Entire World.

Periodic Fasting Can Help Clear Up The Mind And Strengthen The Body And The Spirit.

Youth Is The Spirit Of Adventure And Awakening. It Is A Time Of Physical Emerging When The Body Attains The Vigor And Good Health That May Ignore The Caution Of Temperance. Youth Is A Period Of Timelessness When The Horizons Of Age Seem Too Distant To Be Noticed.

To Lose Yourself In Righteous Service To Others Can Lift Your Sights And Get Your Mind Off Personal Problems, Or At Least Put Them In Proper Focus.

Can Human Hearts Be Changed? Why, Of Course! It Happens Every Day In The Great Missionary Work Of The Church. It Is One Of The Most Widespread Of Christ’s Modern Miracles. If It Hasn't Happened To You—it Should.

A Positive Self-image Has Little Relationship To Our Material Circumstances.

Rights Are Either God-given As Part Of The Divine Plan, Or They Are Granted By Government As Part Of The Political Plan. If We Accept The Premise That Human Rights Are Granted By Government, Then We Must Be Willing To Accept The Corollary That They Can Be Denied By Government.

God Loves Us; The Devil Hates Us. God Wants Us To Have A Fulness Of Joy As He Has. The Devil Wants Us To Be Miserable As He Is. God Gives Us Commandments To Bless Us. The Devil Would Have Us Break These Commandments To Curse Us.

The Devil Knows That If The Elders Of Israel Should Ever Wake Up, They Could Step Forth And Help Preserve Freedom And Extend The Gospel. Therefore The Devil Has Concentrated, And To A Large Extent Successfully, In Neutralizing Much Of The Priesthood. He Has Reduced Them To Sleeping Giants.

Yes, It Is The Precepts Of Men Versus The Revealed Word Of God. The More We Follow The Word Of God The Less We Are Deceived, While Those Who Follow The Wisdom Of Men Are Deceived The Most.

A Missionary Who Is Inspired By The Spirit Of The Lord Must Be Led By That Spirit To Choose The Proper Approach To Be Effective. We Must Not Forget That The Lord Himself Provided The Book Of Mormon As His Chief Witness. The Book Of Mormon Is Still Our Most Powerful Missionary Tool. Let Us Use It.

You Must Keep Your Honor! You Can't Speak For The Country; You Can Do Little About The National Economy Or Actions Of Moral Weaklings Who Excuse Themselves With The Expression, "that Is Politics; Nor Can You Be Responsible For Deception In Others. But You Are Responsible For Yourself! There Are No Collective Panaceas - Only Individual Ones."

Go On Daddy-daughter Dates And Father-and-sons' Outings With Your Children. As A Family, Go On Campouts And Picnics, To Ball Games And Recitals, To School Programs, And So Forth. Having Dad There Makes All The Difference.

One Good Yardstick As To Whether A Person Might Be The Right One For You Is This: In Her Presence, Do You Think Your Noblest Thoughts, Do You Aspire To Your Finest Deeds, Do You Wish You Were Better Than You Are?

What Does The Atonement Have To Do With Missionary Work? Any Time We Experience The Blessings Of The Atonement In Our Lives, We Cannot Help But Have A Concern For The Welfare Of Others. ... A Great Indicator Of One's Personal Conversion Is The Desire To Share The Gospel With Others.

Gods' Payment Is The Best Payment.

The Fellowship Of True Friends Who Can Hear You Out, Share Your Joys, Help Carry Your Burdens, And Correctly Counsel You Is Priceless.

Pride Is Essentially Competitive In Nature. We Pit Our Will Against God's.

Above All Else, Children Need To Know And Feel They Are Loved, Wanted, And Appreciated. They Need To Be Assured Of That Often. Obviously, This Is A Role Parents Should Fill, And Most Often The Mother Can Do It Best.

Since The Beginning, A Woman's First And Most Important Role Has Been Ushering Into Mortality Spirit Sons And Daughters Of Our Father In Heaven.

We Oppose And Abhor The Damnable Practice Of Wholesale Abortion And Every Other Unholy And Impure Act Which Strikes At The Very Foundation Of The Home And Family, Our Most Basic Institutions.

True Repentance Involves A Change Of Heart And Not Just A Change Of Behavior.

A Man Must Not Only Stand For The Right Principles, But He Must Also Fight For Them. Those Who Fight For Principle Can Be Proud Of The Friends They've Gained And The Enemies They've Earned.

Mothers, Take Time To Be A Real Friend To Your Children. Listen To Your Children, Really Listen. Talk With Them, Laugh And Joke With Them, Sing With Them, Cry With Them, Hug Them, Honestly Praise Them. Yes, Regularly Spend Unused One-on-one Time With Each Child. Be A Real Friend To Your Children.

If We Do Not Feel Like Praying, Then We Should Pray Until We Do Feel Like Praying.

The Church Has No Double Standard Of Morality. The Moral Code Of Heaven For Both Men And Women Is Complete Chastity Before Marriage And Full Fidelity After Marriage.

I Believe That God Has Endowed Men With Certain Inalienable Rights As Set Forth In The Declaration Of Independence And That No Legislature And No Majority, However Great, May Morally Limit Or Destroy These; That The Sole Function Of Government Is To Protect Life, Liberty, And Property, And Anything More Than This Is Usurpation And Oppression.

Years Of Happiness Can Be Lost In The Foolish Gratification Of A Momentary Desire For Pleasure.

Our Mothers Put God First When They Fill Their Highest Mission Within The Walls Of Their Own Homes.

It Is My Firm Belief That The God Of Heaven Raised Up The Founding Fathers And Inspired Them To Establish The Constitution Of This Land. This Is Part Of My Religious Faith. To Me This Is Not Just Another Nation. It Is A Great And Glorious Nation With A Divine Mission To Perform For Liberty-loving People Everywhere.

To The Proud, The Applause Of The World Rings In Their Ears; To The Humble, The Applause Of Heaven Warms Their Hearts.

... In All Seriousness... You Who Submit Yourselves To An Abortion Or To An Operation That Precludes You From Safely Having Additional Healthy Children Are Jeopardizing Your Exaltation And Your Future Membership In The Kingdom Of God.

Our Bishops Storehouses Are Not Intended To Stock Enough Commodities To Care For All The Members Of The Church. Storehouses Are Only Established To Care For The Poor And The Needy. For This Reason, Members Of The Church Have Been Instructed To Personally Store A Year's Supply Of Food, Clothing, And, Where Possible, Fuel. By Following This Counsel, Most Members Will Be Prepared And Able To Care For Themselves And Their Family Members, And Be Able To Share With Others As May Be Needed.

I Reverence The Constitution Of The United States As A Sacred Document. To Me Its Words Are Akin To The Revelations Of God, For God Has Placed His Stamp Of Approval On The Constitution Of This Land.

Constitution Of The United States

"on My Honor" - What An Ennobling Phrase! Three Short Words, Nine Letters, But The Summation Of All We Call Character. From The Boy Scout's Oath.

Are We Reading The Constitution And Pondering It? Are We Aware Of Its Principles? Are We Abiding By These Principles And Teaching Them To Others? Could We Defend The Constitution? Can We Recognize When A Law Is Constitutionally Unsound? Do We Know What The Prophets Have Said About The Constitution And The Threats To It?

Our Parents Deserve Our Honor And Respect For Giving Us Life Itself. Beyond This They Almost Always Made Countless Sacrifices As They Cared For And Nurtured Us Through Our Infancy And Childhood, Provided Us With The Necessities Of Life, And Nursed Us Through Physical Illnesses And The Emotional Stresses Of Growing Up.

We Must Not Lose Hope. Hope Is An Anchor To The Souls Of Men. Satan Would Have Us Cast Away That Anchor.

Be An Example In Your Church Activity-honor The Sabbath Day, Attend Your Meetings, Observe The Word Of Wisdom, Pay Your Tithes And Offerings, Support Your Leaders, And Otherwise Keep The Commandments. Serve Cheerfully And Gratefully In Every Calling You Receive. Live Worthy Of A Temple Recommend And Enjoy The Sweet, Sacred Spirit That Comes From Frequent Temple Attendance.

Mothers, Train Up Your Children In Righteousness; Do Not Attempt To Save The World And Let Your Own Family Fall Apart.

Man Is At His Best When Complimented By The Influence Of A Good Woman.

We Are Recipients Of God's Choicest Blessings. We Enjoy An Abundance Of Material Things Beyond That Enjoyed By Any Other Nation In The History Of The World; But Unless We Keep Alive A Realization That All These Blessings Come From God And Are A Part Of Our Great Spiritual Heritage, They May Crumble As Ashes In Our Hands. "in Nothing Doth Man Offend God, Or Against None Is His Wrath Kindled, Save Those Who Confess Not His Hand In All Things And Obey Not His Commandments."

I Grew Up Believing That The Willingness And Ability To Work Is The Basic Ingredient Of Successful Farming. Hard, Intelligent Work Is The Key. Use It, And Your Chances For Success Are Good.

When You Are Tempted To Look Elsewhere For Greener Pastures, Just Remember Someone Else Is Probably Looking At Yours. And If Another Pasture Looks Greener, Perhaps It Is Getting Better Care And Attention. Grass Is Always Greener . . . Where It Is Watered.

Christ Wants To Lift Us To Where He Is. Do We Desire To Do The Same For Others?

Retirement From Work Has Depressed Many A Man And Hastened His Death.

Pride Adversely Affects All Our Relationships - Our Relationship With God And His Servants, Between Husband And Wife, Parent And Child, Employer And Employee, Teacher And Student, And All Mankind.

Let Us Never Lose Sight Of The Fact That Education Is A Preparation For Life - And That Preparing For Life Is Far More Than Knowing How To Make A Living Or How To Land On The Moon. Preparing For Life Means Building Personal Integrity, Developing A Sound Sense Of Values, Increasing The Capacity And Willingness To Serve. Education Must Have Its Roots In Moral Principles. If We Lose Sight Of That Fact In Our Attempt To Match Our Educational System Against That Of The Materialists, We Shall Have Lost Far More Than We Could Possibly Gain.

If You Want To Get The Spirit Of The Gospel In Your Home, Support The Missionary Program. Prepare Your Sons And Daughters Through Your Home Evenings; Through Setting The Proper Example In Your Homes. Prepare To Send Them Into The Mission Field. These Young Sons And Daughters Will Bless Your Names Forever If You Help To Make It Possible Through Your Training And Your Example And Your Willingness To Sacrifice Just A Little, If You Can Call It Sacrifice, To See Them Go Into The Mission Field.

Prepare Yourselves Mentally. A Mission Requires A Great Deal Of Mental Preparation. You Must Memorize Missionary Discussions, Memorize Scriptures, And Oftentimes Learn A New Language. The Discipline To Do This Is Learned In Your Early Years. Establish Now The Daily Practice Of Reading The Scriptures Ten To Fifteen Minutes Each Day. If You Do So, By The Time You Reach The Mission Field, You Will Have Read All Four Of The Standard Works. I Urge You To Read Particularly The Book Of Mormon So That You Can Testify Of Its Truthfulness As The Lord Has Directed.

One Of Satan's Greatest Tools Is Pride: To Cause A Man Or A Woman To Center So Much Attention On Self That He Or She Becomes Insensitive To His Creator Or Fellow Beings. It Is A Cause For Discontent, Divorce, Teenage Rebellion, Family Indebtedness, And Most Other Problems We Face.

When We Set Goals, We Are In Command. Clearly Understood Goals Bring Our Lives Into Focus Just As A Magnifying Glass Focuses A Beam Of Light Into A Burning Point. Without Goals Our Efforts May Be Scattered And Unproductive

Pride Is Concerned With Who Is Right. Humility Is Concerned With What Is Right.

Any Christian Constitutionalist Who Retreats From This Battle Jeopardizes His Life Here And Hereafter. Seldom Has So Much Responsibility Hung On So Few, So Heavily; But Our Numbers Are Increasing, And We Who Have Been Warned Have A Responsibility To Warn Our Neighbor.

The Revelation To Store Food May Be As Essential To Our Temporal Salvation Today As Boarding The Ark Was To The People In The Days Of Noah.

The Book Of Mormon Offers So Much That Broadens Our Understandings Of The Doctrines Of Salvation. Without It, Much Of What Is Taught In Other Scriptures Would Not Be Nearly So Plain And Precious.

God Our Father, Jesus, Our Elder Brother And Our Redeemer, And The Holy Ghost, The Testator, Are Perfect. They Know Us Best And Love Us Most And Will Not Leave One Thing Undone For Our Eternal Welfare. Should We Not Love Them For It And Honor Them First?

The High Cost Of Low Living.

When We Put God First, All Other Things Fall Into Their Proper Place Or Drop Out Of Our Lives. Our Love Of The Lord Will Govern The Claims For Our Affection, The Demands On Our Time, The Interests We Pursue, And The Order Of Our Priorities.

Fidelity To One's Marriage Vows Is Absolutely Essential For Love, Trust And Peace

[joseph Smith] Foresaw The Time When The Destiny Of The Nation Would Be In Danger And Would Hang As By A Thread. Thank God He Did Not See The Thread Break. He Also Indicated The Important Part That This People Should Yet Play In Standing For The Principles Embodied In These Sacred Documents - The Declaration Of Independence And The Constitution.

Let Us Be In A Position So We Are Able To Not Only Feed Ourselves Through Home Production And Storage, But Others As Well.

To A Significant Degree, We Are An Overfed And Undernourished Nation Digging An Early Grave With Our Teeth, And Lacking The Energy That Could Be Ours Because We Overindulge In Junk Foods.

It Is Not Enough Simply To Try To Resist Evil Or Empty Our Lives Of Sin. We Must Also Fill Our Lives With Righteousness

Do Not Make Your Mind A Dumping Ground For Other People's Garbage.

Adequate Early Rest Is Best...."early To Bed And Early To Rise" Is Still Good Counsel.

Pride Is The Great Stumbling Block Of Zion. I Repeat: Pride Is The Great Stumbling Block Of Zion.

The Expression "follow The Brethren" Has A Broader Meaning Than Some Would Apply To It. It Means Not Only To Agree With The Counsel Given To The Church By The Brethren, But Also To Follow Their Example In Appearance And Deportment.

Give Me A Young Man Who Has Kept Himself Morally Clean And Has Faithfully Attended His Church Meetings. Give Me A Young Man Who Has Magnified His Priesthood And Has Earned The Duty Of God Award And Is An Eagle Scout. Give Me A Young Man Who Is A Seminary Graduate And Has A Burning Testimony Of The Book Of Mormon. Give Me Such A Young Man, And I Will Give You A Young Man Who Can Perform Miracles For The Lord In The Mission Field And Throughout His Life.

Communities Have A Responsibility To Assist The Family In Promoting Wholesome Entertainment. What A Community Tolerates Will Become Tomorrow's Standard For Today's Youth.

It Is Not On The Pinnacle Of Success And Ease Where Men And Women Grow Most. It Is Often Down In The Valley Of Heartache And Disappointment And Reverses Where Men And Women Grow.

Strong Families Cultivate An Attribute Of Effective Communication. They Talk Out Their Problems, Make Plans Together, And Cooperate Toward Common Objectives.

For Nearly Six Thousand Years, God Has Held You In Reserve To Make Your Appearance In The Final Days Before The Second Coming Of The Lord. . . . God Has Saved For The Finalinning Some Of His Strongest And Most Valiant Children, Who Will Help Bear Off The Kingdom Triumphantly. That Is Where You Come In, For You Are The Generation That Must Be Prepared To Meet Your God. . . .

One Who Is Kind Is Sympathetic And Gentle With Others. He Is Considerate Of Others Feelings And Courteous In His Behavior. He Has A Helpful Nature. Kindness Pardons Others? Weaknesses And Fault. Kindness Is Extended To All--to The Aged And The Young, To Animals, To Those Low Of Stations As Well As The High.

There Could Not Be A Restoration Of The Gospel Without Freedom. God Provided This Country As The Base Of His Operations In These The Last Days, A Place Where There Would Be Freedom, Where He Could Restore His Gospel.

When Our Heavenly Father Placed Adam And Eve On This Earth, He Did So With The Purpose In Mind Of Teaching Them How To Regain His Presence. Our Father Promised A Savior To Redeem Them From Their Fallen Condition.

Becoming Christlike Is A Lifetime Pursuit And Very Often Involves Growth And Change That Is Slow, Almost Imperceptible.

I Have A Vision Of Artists Putting Into Film, Drama, Literature, Music, And Paintings Great Themes And Great Characters From The Book Of Mormon.

Husbands, Recognize Your Wife's Intelligence And Her Ability To Counsel With You As A Real Partner Regarding Family Plans, Family Activities, And Family Budgeting. Don't Be Stingy With Your Time Or With Your Means. Give Her The Opportunity To Grow Intellectually, Emotionally, And Socially As Well As Spiritually.

I Counsel You, In The Words Of Jesus Christ, To "watch And Pray I Always Lest Ye Enter Into Temptation; For Satan Desireth To Have You, That He May Sift You As Wheat" (3 Nephi 18:18). If You Will Earnestly Seek Guidance From Your Heavenly Father, Morning And Evening, You Will Be Given The Strength To Shun Any Temptation.

Our Families May Be Corrupted By Worldly Trends And Teachings Unless We Know How To Use The [book Of Mormon] To Expose And Combat The Falsehoods In Socialism, Organic Evolution, Rationalism, Humanism, And So Forth.…and Our Nation Will Continue To Degenerate Unless We Read And Heed The Words Of The God Of This Land, Jesus Christ, And Quit Building Up And Upholding The Secret Combinations Which The Book Of Mormon Tells Us Proved The Downfall Of Both Previous American Civilizations.

I Wish That Every Latter-day Saint Could Say And Mean It With All His Heart: 'i'll Go Where You Want Me To Go. I'll Say What You Want Me To Say. I'll Be What You Want Me To Be'. If We Could Do That, We Would Be Assured Of The Maximum Happiness Here And Exaltation In The Celestial Kingdom Of God Hereafter.

Many A Man In His Hour Of Trial Has Turned To The Book Of Mormon And Been Enlightened, Enlivened, And Comforted. The Psalms In The Old Testament Have A Special Food For The Soul Of One In Distress.

I Never Travel Across This Great Nation Without Experiencing A Feeling Of Gratitude And Thanksgiving For All That We Have And Are. As I See Its Broad Fruitful Farms, Its Humming Factories, Its Gleaming Cities, Certainly It Is Easy To Realize That We Have Achieved Unequaled Material Progress In This Great Country.

We Believe In A Moral Code. Communism Denies Innate Right Or Wrong. As W. Cleon Skousen Has Said In His Timely Book, The Naked Communist: The Communist 'has Convinced Himself That Nothing Is Evil Which Answers The Call Of Expediency.' This Is A Most Damnable Doctrine. People Who Truly Accept Such A Philosophy Have Neither Conscience Nor Honor. Force, Trickery, Lies, Broken Promises Are Wholly Justified.

The Deepest Joys And Blessings In Life Are Associated With Family, Parenthood, And Sacrifice.

When We Put God First, All Other Things Fall Into Their Proper Place Or Drop Out Of Our Lives.

A Father’s Duty Is To Make His Home A Place Of Happiness And Joy.

The Declaration Of Independence To Which These Great Men Affixed Their Signatures Is Much More Than A Political Document. It Constitutes A Spiritual Manifesto-revel Ation, If You Will-declaring Not For This Nation Only, But For All Nations, The Source Of Man's Rights.

I Hope We Can Be Happy Where We Are, Be Grateful For Our Blessings-now-here, Accept The Challenge That Is Ours And Make The Most Of It, And Don't Be Envious Of Others. God Help Us To Be Grateful.

Have A Good Physical Outlet Of Some Sport Or Exercise. Overcome Evil With Good. You Can Overcome Many Evil Inclinations Through Good Physical Exertion And Healthful Activities. A Healthy Soul...is In Better Condition To Overthrow The Devil.

I Rode Horseback Three Miles Each Way To Get To High School, And In Bad Weather It Was A Problem Sometimes To Make My Eight O'clock Class On Time. Like Others, I Often Missed School To Help On The Farm, Especially In The Fall, Until After Harvest, And In The Spring, During Planting Season.

When Individual Members And Families Immerse Themselves In The Scriptures Regularly And Consistently, … Other Areas Of Activity Will Automatically Come. Testimonies Will Increase. Commitment Will Be Strengthened. Families Will Be Fortified. Personal Revelation Will Flow

No True Latter-day Saint And No True American Can Be A Socialist Or A Communist Or Support Programs Leading In That Direction. These Evil Philosophies Are Incompatible With Mormonism, The True Gospel Of Jesus Christ.

Pride Is A Sin That Can Readily Be Seen In Others But Is Rarely Admitted In Ourselves.

Could Many Of Our Ills Today Have Resulted From Our Failure To Train A Strong Citizenry From The Only Source We Have - The Boys And Girls Of Each Community? Have They Grown Up To Believe In Politics Without Principle, Pleasure Without Conscience, Knowledge Without Effort, Wealth Without Work, Business Without Morality, Science Without Humanity, Worship Without Sacrifice?

Humility Does Not Mean Weakness. It Does Not Mean Timidity. It Does Not Mean Fear. A Man Can Be Humble And Fearless. A Man Can Be Humble And Courageous.

The Greatest Test Of Life Is Obedience To God.

Woman Was Given To Man As An Helpmeet. That Complementary Association Is Ideally Portrayed In The Eternal Marriage Of Our First Parents—adam And Eve. They Labored Together; They Had Children Together; They Prayed Together; And They Taught Their Children The Gospel Together. This Is The Pattern God Would Have All Righteous Men And Women Imitate.

Every Latter-day Saint Should Love The Inspired Constitution Of The United States - A Nation With A Spiritual Foundation And A Prophetic History - Which Nation The Lord Has Declared To Be His Base Of Operations In These Latter Days.

No Man Is Truly Free Who Is In Financial Bondage. 'think What You Do When You Run In Debt', Said Benjamin Franklin, 'you Give Another Power Over Your Liberty.'

Be Right, And Then Be Easy To Live With, If Possible, But In That Order.

We Need Missionaries To Match Our Message.

The Time Is Long Overdue For A Massive Flooding Of The Earth With The Book Of Mormon For The Many Reasons Which The Lord Has Given. In This Age Of Electronic Media And Mass Distribution Of The Printed Word, God Will Hold Us Accountable If We Do Not Now Move The Book Of Mormon In A Monumental Way.

"thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness" Exodus 20:16. When We Speak Of Morality, We Imply That A Man Is True To His Word-true To His Signature On A Contract. The Violations Of God's Laws Are Evidence That Lying And Misrepresentation Are Not Absent From Us.

God Help Us To Be Grateful For Our Blessings, Never To Be Guilty Of The Sin Of Ingratitude, And To Instill This Same Gratitude Into The Lives Of Our Children.

We Live In A Day Of Slick, Quiet And Clever Sins.

The Book Of Mormon Is The "keystone" Of Our Religion, And The Doctrine And Covenants Is The Capstone, With Continuing Latter-day Revelation.

A Missionary Should Never Permit Himself To See A Movie Or (read) Cheap Literature, Or Hear Music That Tends To Interfere With Or Which Dampens The Spirit Of Missionary Work. There Is Ample Evidence That Rock Music Is Offensive To The Spirit And Affects Adversely The Spirituality Of The Missionaries And Thus The Success Of The Proselyting Work.

The Leisure Time Of Children Must Be Constructively Directed To Wholesome, Positive Pursuits. Too Much Time Viewing Television Can Be Destructive...it Is Estimated That Growing Children Today Watch Television Over Twenty-five Hours Per Week.

I Promise You That, With Increased Attendance In The Temples Of Our God, You Shall Receive Increased Personal Revelation To Bless Your Life As You Bless Those Who Have Died

Contention In Our Families Drives The Spirit Of The Lord Away. It Also Drives Many Of Our Family Members Away. Contention Ranges From A Hostile Spoken Word To Worldwide Conflicts. The Scriptures Tell Us That "only By Pride Cometh Contention".

The Book Of Mormon Was Written For Us Today. God Is The Author Of The Book. It Is A Record Of A Fallen People, Compiled By Inspired Men For Our Blessing Today. Those People Never Had The Book. It Was Meant For Us.

That The Sole Object And Only Legitimate End Of Government Is To Protect The Citizen In The Enjoyment Of Life, Liberty, And Property, And When The Government Assumes Other Functions It Is Usurpation And Oppression.

Encourage Good Music And Art And Literature In Your Homes. Homes That Have A Spirit Of Refinement And Beauty Will Bless The Lives Of Your Children Forever.

The Book Of Mormon Is Also The Keystone Of The Doctrine Of The Resurrection. As Mentioned Before, The Lord Himself Has Stated That The Book Of Mormon Contains The "fulness Of The Gospel Of Jesus Christ".

Pride Is Ugly. It Says 'if You Succeed I Am A Failure.'

We Counsel You, Young Men, Not To Pollute Your Minds With Such Degrading Matter, For The Mind Through Which This Filth Passes Is Never The Same Afterwards. Don't See R-rated Movies Or Vulgar Videos Or Participate In Any Entertainment That Is Immoral, Suggestive, Or Pornographic. Don't Listen To Music That Is Degrading

Every Knee Shall Bow And Every Tongue Confess That Jesus Is The Christ

The So-called Civil Rights Movement As It Exists Today Is Used As A Communist Program For Revolution In America.

If America Is Destroyed, It May Be By Americans Who Salute The Flag, Sing The National Anthem, March In Patriotic Parades, Cheer Fourth Of July Speakers - Normally Good Americans, But Americans Who Fail To Comprehend What Is Required To Keep Our Country Strong And Free, Americans Who Have Been Lulled Away Into A False Security.

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