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I Am A Libertarian. I Want To Be Known As A Libertarian And A Constitutionalist In The Tradition Of The Early James Madison - Father Of The Constitution. Labels Change And Perhaps In The Old Tradition I Would Be Considered One Of The Original Whigs. The New Title I Would Wear Today Is That Of Conservative, Though In Its Original Connotation The Term Liberal Fits Me Better Than The Original Meaning Of The Word Conservative.

-Ezra Taft Benson

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I Am A Libertarian.

Ezra Taft Benson

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I Am A Libertarian. I Want To Be Known As A Libertarian And A Constitutionalist In The Tradition Of The Early James Madison - Father Of The Constitution. Labels Change And Perhaps In The Old Tradition I Would Be Considered One Of The Original Whigs. The New Title I Would Wear Today Is That Of Conservative, Though In Its Original Connotation The Term Liberal Fits Me Better Than The Original Meaning Of The Word Conservative.

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

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

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.

To The Patriots I Say This: Take That Long Eternal Look. Stand Up For Freedom, No Matter What The Cost. Stand Up And Be Counted. It Can Help To Save Your Soul-and Maybe Your Country.

The More We Express Our Gratitude To God For Our Blessings, The More He Will Bring To Our Mind Other Blessings. The More We Are Aware Of To Be Grateful For, The Happier We Become.

For The Past Two Centuries, Those Who Do Not Prize Freedom Have Chipped Away At Every Major Clause Of Our Constitution Until Today We Face A Crisis Of Great Dimensions.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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?

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

Every Member Of The Priesthood Should Understand The Divine Plan Designed By The Lord To Raise Up The First Free People In Modern Times.

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 Lord Is Pleased With Every Effort, Even The Tiny, Daily Ones In Which We Strive To Be More Like Him.

A Mother's Role Is God-ordained. Mothers Are To Conceive, Bear, Nourish, Love, And Train. They Are To Be Helpmates And Are To Counsel With Their Husbands.

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

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.

Freedom Can Be Killed By Neglect As Well As By Direct Attack.

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

In General, The More Food We Eat In Its Natural State - Without Additives - And The Less It Is Refined, The Healthier It Will Be For Us. Food Can Affect The Mind, And Deficiencies Of Certain Elements In The Body Can Promote Mental Depression.

"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.

To Be A Successful Missionary One Must Have The Spirit Of The Lord. We Are Also Taught That The Spirit Will Not Dwell In Unclean Tabernacles. Therefore, One Of The First Things A Missionary Must Do To Gain Spirituality Is To Make Sure His Own Personal Life Is In Order.

[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.

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

The Greatest Test Of Life Is Obedience To God.

I Have Often Said One Of The Greatest Secrets Of Missionary Work Is Work! If A Missionary Works, He Will Get The Spirit; If He Gets The Spirit, He Will Teach By The Spirit; And If He Teaches By The Spirit, He Will Touch The Hearts Of The People And He Will Be Happy. There Will Be No Homesickness, No Worrying About Families, For All Time And Talents And Interests Are Centered On The Work Of The Ministry. Work, Work, Work-there Is No Satisfactory Substitute, Especially In Missionary Work.

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.

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.

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.

We Can Choose To Humble Ourselves By Confessing And Forsaking Our Sins And Being Born Of God.

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.

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.

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

A Man Who Is Pressing Forward To Accomplish Worthy Goals Can Soon Put Despondency Under His Feet.

Since Man Created Government To Help Secure And Safeguard [inalienable] Rights [from God], It Follows That Man Is Superior To Government And Should Remain Master Over It, Not The Other Way Around.

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.

One Of The Cardinal Sins In Our Country Is Profanity -- The Taking Of The Name Of The Lord In Vain. Reverence For The Name Of Deity Is Enjoined In Holy Writ. Jesus Made This Clear When Teaching His Disciples To Pray. He Said, Addressing The Father, "hallowed Be Thy Name: (see Matthew 6:9). Blaspheming The Name Of God Separates Man From His Creator."

The Secret Of A Happy Marriage Is To Serve God And Each Other. The Goal Of Marriage Is Unity And Oneness, As Well As Self-development. Paradoxically, The More We Serve One Another, The Greater Is Our Spiritual And Emotional Growth.

Let Us Have No Further Blind Devotion To The Communist Dominated United Nations!

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.

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.

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.

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

Prayer In The Hour Of Need Is A Great Boon. From Simple Trials To Our Gethsemanes, Prayer - Persistent Prayer - Can Put Us In Touch With God, Our Greatest Source Of Comfort And Counsel.

It Is Mother's Influence During The Crucial Formative Years That Forms A Child's Basic Character. Home Is The Place Where A Child Learns Faith, Feels Love, And Thereby Learns From Mother's Loving Example To Choose Righteousness.

We Can Choose To Humble Ourselves By Loving God, Adjusting Our Will To His, And Putting Him First In Our Lives.

Be Cheerful In All That You Do. Live Joyfully. Live Happily. Live Enthusiastically, Knowing That God Does Not Dwell In Gloom And Melancholy, But In Light And Love.

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.

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.

You Are Free To Choose, But You Are Not Free To Alter The Consequences Of Your Decisions.

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

Too Often We Bask In Our Comfortable Complacency And Rationalize That The Ravages Of War, Economic Disaster, Famine, And Earth Quake Cannot Happen Here. Those Who Believe This Are Either Not Acquainted With The Revelations Of The Lord, Or They Do Not Believe Them. Those Who Smugly Think These Calamities Will Not Happen, That They Will Somehow Be Set Aside Because Of The Righteousness Of The Saints, Are Deceived And Will Rue The Day They Harbored Such A Delusion.

Be Cheerful In All That You Do. Live Joyfully. Live Happily.

More Than Ever Before, We Need To Learn And Apply The Principles Of Economic Self-reliance. We Do Not Know When The Crisis Involving Sickness Or Unemployment May Affect Our Own Circumstances. We Do Know That The Lord Has Decreed Global Calamities For The Future And Has Warned And Forewarned Us To Be Prepared. For This Reason The Brethren Have Repeatedly Stressed A 'back To Basics' Program For Temporal And Spiritual Welfare.

What Does It Mean To Love Someone With All Your Heart? It Means To Love With All Your Emotional Feelings And With All Your Devotion. Surely When You Love Your Wife With All Your Heart, You Cannot Demean Her, Criticize Her, Find Fault With Her, Or Abuse Her By Words, Sullen Behavior, Or Actions.

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.

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.

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

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.

To Their Duty To God, Youth Should Realize Their Duty To Our Country. They Should Love And Honor The Constitution Of The United States, The Basic Concepts And Principles Upon Which This Nation Has Been Established. Yes, They Need To Develop A Love For Our Free Institutions.

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

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.

Marriage. . . Is The Most Glorious And Most Exalting Principle Of The Gospel Of Jesus Christ. No Ordinance Is Of More Importance And None More Sacred And More Necessary To The Eternal Joy Of Man. Faithfulness To The Marriage Covenant Brings The Fullest Joy Here And Glorious Rewards Hereafter.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

I Am A Libertarian. I Want To Be Known As A Libertarian And A Constitutionalist In The Tradition Of The Early James Madison - Father Of The Constitution. Labels Change And Perhaps In The Old Tradition I Would Be Considered One Of The Original Whigs. The New Title I Would Wear Today Is That Of Conservative, Though In Its Original Connotation The Term Liberal Fits Me Better Than The Original Meaning Of The Word Conservative.

To The Humble, The Lord Has Given This Promise: "if Men Come Unto Me I Will Show Unto Them Their Weakness. I Give Unto Men Weakness That They May Be Humble; And My Grace Is Sufficient For All Men That Humble Themselves Before Me."

From The 5th Grade Through The 4th Year Of College, Our Young People Are Being Indoctrinated With A Marxist Philosophy And I Am Fearful Of The Harvest. The Younger Generation Is Further To The Left Than Most Adults Realize. The Old Concepts Of Our Founding Fathers Are Scoffed And Jeered At By Young Moderns Whose Goals Appear To Be The Destruction Of Integrity And Virtue, And The Glorification Of Pleasure, Thrills, And Self-indulgence.

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

The Proud Make Every Man Their Adversary By Pitting Their Intellects, Opinions, Works, Wealth, Talents, Or Any Other Worldly Measuring Device Against Others.

We Can Choose To Humble Ourselves By Receiving Counsel And Chastisement, . . . By Forgiving Those Who Have Offended Us, . . . By Rendering Selfless Service. . . .

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.

The Lord Works From The Inside Out. The World Works From The Outside In. The World Would Take People Out Of The Slums. Christ Takes The Slums Out Of People, And Then They Take Themselves Out Of The Slums. The World Would Mold Men By Changing Their Environment. Christ Changes Men, Who Then Change Their Environment. The World Would Shape Human Behavior, But Christ Can Change Human Nature.

We Are An Overfed And Undernourished Nation Digging An Early Grave With Our Teeth.

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

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

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.

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

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."

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

Families Must Spend More Time Together In Work And Recreation.

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.

A Father's Calling Is Eternal And Its Importance Transcends Time. It Is A Calling For Both Time And Eternity.

Now We Not Only Need To Say More About The Book Of Mormon, But We Need To Do More With It.

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

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.

Some Of The Greatest Battles You Will Face Will Be Fought Within The Silent Chambers Of Your Own Soul.

If You Really Want To Receive Joy And Happiness, Then Serve Others With All Your Heart. Lift Their Burden, And Your Own Burden Will Be Lighter.

Be A Light Unto The World, A Standard To Others. You Can Live In The World And Not Partake Of The Sins Of The World. You Can Live Life Joyously, Beautifully, Unmarred By The Ugliness Of Sin. This Is Our Confidence In You.

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

Praise Your Children More Than You Correct Them. Praise Them For Even Their Smallest Achievement.

Thank God For The Joys Of Family Life. I Have Often Said There Can Be No Genuine Happiness Separate And Apart From A Good Home. The Sweetest Influences And Associations Of Life Are There

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.

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

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.

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.

I Don't Know How You Feel, My Brethren And Sisters, But I'd Rather Be Dead Than To Lose My Liberty. I Have No Fear We'll Ever Lose It Because Of Invasion From The Outside. But I Do Have Fear That It May Slip Away From Us Because Of Our Own Indifference, Our Own Negligence, As Citizens Of This Land. And So I Plead With You This Morning That You Take An Active Interest In Matters Pertaining To The Future Of This Country.

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.

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.

We Should Know Why Paternalism, Collectivism, Or Unnecessary Federal Supervision Will Hold Our Standard Of Living Down And Reduce Productivity Just As It Has In Every Country Where It Has Been Tried. We Should Also Know Why The Communist Leaders Consider Socialism The Highroad To Communism.

Communist Leaders

The Great Task Of Life Is To Learn The Will Of The Lord And Then Do It.

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.

Freedom Must Be Continually Guarded As Something More Priceless Than Life Itself.

The Body Needs The Rejuvenation That Comes From Exercise. Walking In The Fresh Air Can Be Exhilarating And Refreshing. Properly Directed Running Can Also Have Some Beneficial Effects. Simple Sit-ups Or Sports Activities Can Also Be Helpful.

Godly Sorrow Is A Gift Of The Spirit. It Is A Deep Realization That Our Actions Have Offended Our Father And Our God. It Is The Sharp And Keen Awareness That Our Behavior Caused The Savior, He Who Knew No Sin, Even The Greatest Of All, To Endure Agony And Suffering.

While You Are Going Through Your Trial, You Can Recall Your Past Victories And Coul The Blessings That You Do Have With A Sure Hope Of Greater Ones To Allow If You Are Faithful.

Today The Devil As A Wolf In Supposedly A New Suit Of Sheep’s Clothing Is Enticing Some Men To Parrot His Line By Advocating Planned Government Guaranteed Security At The Expense Of Our Liberties.

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.

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.

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

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.

One Of The Cardinal Sins In Our Country Is Profanity -- The Taking Of The Name Of The Lord In Vain.

The Way To Feel Better About Your Own Situation Is To Improve Someone Else’s Circumstances.

The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints Proclaims That Jesus Christ Is The Son Of God In The Most Literal Sense. The Body In Which He Performed His Mission In The Flesh Was Sired By That Some Holy Being We Worship As God, Our Eternal Father. Jesus Was Not The Son Of Joseph, Nor Was He Begotten By The Holy Ghost.

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.

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.

True To Form, Many Of The People Who Desire To Frustrate God's Purposes Of Giving Mortal Tabernacles To His Spirit Children Through Worldwide Birth Control Are The Very Same People Who Support The Kinds Of Government That Perpetuate Famine. They Advocate An Evil To Cure The Results Of The Wickedness They Support.

This Nation Was Established By The God Of Heaven As A Citadel Of Liberty. A Constitution Guaranteeing Those Liberties Was Designed Under The Superintending Influence Of Heaven.

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.

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.

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.

Gods' Payment Is The Best Payment.

We Must Be Devoted To Sound Principles In Word And Deed: Principle Above Party, Principle Above Pocketbook, Principle Above Popularity.

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.

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

Besides The Physical Ordinance Of Baptism And The Laying On Of Hands, One Must Be Spiritually Born Again To Gain Exaltation And Eternal Life.

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.

There Can Be No Genuine Happiness Separate And Apart From The Home.

Genuine Happiness

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. . . .

In The Beginning, Adam — Not Eve— Was Instructed To Earn The Bread By The Sweat Of His Brow. Contrary To Conventional Wisdom, A Mother's Calling Is In The Home, Not In The Marketplace.

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

Communism Introduced Into The World A Substitute For True Religion. It Is A Counterfeit Of The Gospel Plan.

Young People, You Need The Wisdom Of Age, Just As Some Of Us Older Ones Need Your Enthusiasm For Life.

Enthusiasm For Life

Be Guided By The Spirit. I Have Said So Many Times To My Brethren That The Spirit Is The Most Important Single Element In This Work. With The Spirit, And By Magnifying Your Call, You Can Do Miracles For The Lord In The Mission Field. Without The Spirit You Will Never Succeed Regardless Of Your Talent And Ability.

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.

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.

What Would God Have Me Do With My Life?

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

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.

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.

I Testify To You That God's Hand Has Been In Our Destiny. I Testify That Freedom As We Know It Today Is Being Threatened As Never Before In Our History. I Further Witness That This Land-the Americas-must Be Protected, Its Constitution Upheld, For This Is A Land Foreordained To Be The Zion Of Our God. He Expects Us As Members Of The Church And Bearers Of His Priesthood To Do All We Can To Preserve Our Liberty.

I Say To You With All The Fervor Of My Soul That God Intended Men To Be Free. Rebellion Against Tyranny Is A Righteous Cause. It Is An Enormous Evil For Any Man To Be Enslaved To Any System Contrary To His Own Will. For That Reason Men, 200 Years Ago, Pledged Their Lives, Fortunes, And Sacred Honor. No Nation Which Has Kept The Commandments Of God Has Ever Perished, But I Say To You That Once Freedom Is Lost, Only Blood - Human Blood - Will Win It Back.

If You Turn Your Life Over To The Lord He Can Do So Much More With It Than We Can.

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

If We Love God, Do His Will, And Fear His Judgment More Than Men's, We Will Have Self-esteem.

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.

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

Pride Is Competition-competition Between God And Man.

The One Man Other Than My Father Who Made The Most Lasting Impression Was An Uncle, Serge B. Benson. He Taught Me In Three Different Classes - But Above All, He Taught Me Lessons In Moral, Physical, And Intellectual Courage That I Have Tried To Apply In Later Life.

Successful Families Try To Work Together Toward Solutions Instead Of Resorting To Criticism And Contention.

Working Together

It Is Not Unusual To Hear A Religious Leader, A Philosopher, Or A Poet Refer To Man As Having A Divine Spark Within Him. Such Characterizations Infer That Man Possesses Great Abilities And Potentials. We Are Frequently Admonished To Develop Our Capabilities, Reach Out, And Set High Goals For Ourselves.

Our Father In Heaven Planned The Coming Forth Of The Founding Fathersand Their Form Of Government As The Necessary Great Prologue Leading To The Restoration Of The Gospel... America, The Land Of Liberty, Was To Be The Lord's Latter-day Base Of Operations For His Restored Church.

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.

With Good Health, All Other Activities Of Life Are Greatly Enhanced. A Clean Mind In A Healthy Body Enables One To Render Far More Effective Service To Others. It Helps One Provide More Vigorous Leadership. It Gives Our Every Experience In Life More Zest And More Meaning.

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.

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

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."

The Stage, The Screen, The Novel, Casual Conversation, The Street Discussion, And Too Often The Fireside Intimacies Are Punctuated With Blasphemy, To Which May Be Added, As Of The Same Nature, Coarse, Ribald Jokes, Foul Stories, And Low Small Talk. Some Would Have Us Believe That Profanity Is A Sign Of Masculinity And Emotion Maturity.

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".

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.

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

We Should Confess His Hand In All Things. Ingratitude Is One Of Our Great Sins.

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.

Humility Responds To God's Will-to The Fear Of His Judgments And To The Needs Of Those Around Us. To The Proud, The Applause Of The World Rings In Their Ears; To The Humble, The Applause Of Heaven Warms Their Hearts. Someone Has Said, "pride Gets No Pleasure Out Of Having Something, Only Out Of Having More Of It Than The Next Man."

Pride... Limits Or Stops Progression. The Proud Are Not Easily Taught. They Won't Change Their Minds To Accept Truths, Because To Do So Implies They Have Been Wrong.

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.

How Vital Are Mother’s Influence And Teaching In The Home-and How Apparent When Neglected!

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.

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.

You Cannot Do Wrong And Feel Right. It Is Impossible!

Nations Cannot Endure In Sin.

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.

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.

Faith Is The Foundation Upon Which A Godlike Character Is Built. It Is A Prerequisite For All Other Virtues.

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.

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.

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.

Character Is The One Thing We Make In This World And Take With Us Into The Next.

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?

Each Day The Forces Of Evil And The Forces Of Good Enlist New Recruits. Each Day We Personally Make Many Decisions Showing The Cause We Support. The Final Outcome Is Certain---the Forces Of Righteousness Will Win. But What Remains To Be Seen Is Where Each Of Us Personally, Now And In The Future, Will Stand In This Battle---and How Tall We Will Stand. Will We Be True To Our Last Days And Fulfill Our Foreordained Missions?

When You Choose To Follow Christ, You Choose To Be Changed.

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

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.

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?

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

There Are Blessings In Being Close To The Soil, In Raising Your Own Food Even If It Is Only A Garden In Your Yard And A Fruit Tree Or Two. Those Families Will Be Fortunate Who, In The Last Days, Have An Adequate Supply Of Food Because Of Their Foresight And Ability To Produce Their Own.

Freedom Is An Eternal Principle. Heaven Disapproves Of Force, Coercion And Intimidation. Only A Free People Can Be Truly A Happy People.

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

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

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.

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.

A Young Woman Who Knows And Loves The Book Of Mormon, Who Has Read It Several Times, Who Has An Abiding Testimony Of Its Truthfulness, And Who Applies Its Teachings Will Be Able To Stand Against The Wiles Of The Devil And Will Be A Mighty Tool In The Hands Of The Lord.

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

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