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I Have Now Been An Officer In This Church For A Very Long Time. I Am An Old Man Who Cannot Deny The Calendar. I Have Lived Long Enough And Served In Enough Different Capacities To Have Removed From My Mind, If Such Were Necessary, Any Doubt Of The Divinity Of This, The Work Of God. We Respect Those Of Other Churches. We Desire Their Friendship And Hope To Render Meaningful Service With Them. We Know They All Do Good, But We Unabashedly State—and This Frequently Brings Criticism Upon Us—that This Is The True And Living Church Of Our Father In Heaven And His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ.

-Gordon B. Hinckley

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I Have Now Been

Gordon B. Hinckley

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I Have Now Been An Officer In This Church For A Very Long Time. I Am An Old Man Who Cannot Deny The Calendar. I Have Lived Long Enough And Served In Enough Different Capacities To Have Removed From My Mind, If Such Were Necessary, Any Doubt Of The Divinity Of This, The Work Of God. We Respect Those Of Other Churches. We Desire Their Friendship And Hope To Render Meaningful Service With Them. We Know They All Do Good, But We Unabashedly State—and This Frequently Brings Criticism Upon Us—that This Is The True And Living Church Of Our Father In Heaven And His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ.

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

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.

We Are Particularly Proud Of Our Youth. I Think We Have Never Had A Stronger Generation Of Young Men And Women Than We Have Today. For The Most Part They Are True To The Faith Of Their Forebears. Surrounded By Forces That Would Pull Them Down And Tremendous Pressures To Pull Them Away From Time-tested Virtues, They Are Going Forward With Constructive Lives, Nurturing Themselves Both Intellectually And Spiritually. We Have No Fears Or Doubts Concerning The Future Of This Work.

We Seldom Get Into Trouble When We Speak Softly. It Is Only When We Raise Our Voices That The Sparks Fly And Tiny Molehills Become Great Mountains Of Contention.

All Writers Should Be Put In A Box And Thrown In The Sea.

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

Cultivate Within Yourselves The Mighty Power Of Self-discipline.

Self Discipline

Our Lives Are The Only Meaningful Expression Of What We Believe And In Whom We Believe. And The Only Real Wealth, For Any Of Us, Lies In Our Faith.

Nobody Is Lost Until Somebody Has Given Up.

When There Throbs In The Heart Of An Individual Latter-day Saint A Great And Vital Testimony Of The Truth Of This Work, He Will Be Found Doing Is Duty In The Church.

You Can't Build A Great Building On A Weak Foundation.

To Save A Girl Is To Save Generations!

It Isn't As Bad As You Sometimes Think It Is. It All Works Out. Don't Worry. I Say That To Myself Every Morning. It All Works Out In The End. Put Your Trust In God, And Move Forward With Faith And Confidence In The Future. The Lord Will Not Forsake Us. He Will Not Forsake Us. If We Will Put Our Trust In Him, If We Will Pray To Him, If We Will Live Worthy Of His Blessings, He Will Hear Our Prayers.

The World Is Our Responsibility. We Cannot Evade It.

The Gospel Is A Thing Of Joy. It Provides Us With A Reason For Gladness. Of Course There Are Times Of Sorrow. Of Course There Are Hours Of Concern And Anxiety. We All Worry. But The Lord Has Told Us To Lift Our Hearts And Rejoice. I See So Many People...who Seem Never To See The Sunshine, But Who Constantly Walk With Storms Under Cloudy Skies. 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.

Forget Yourself And Get To Work.

Under The Sacred And Compelling Trust We Have As Members Of The Church Of Jesus Christ, Ours Is A Work Of Redemption, Of Lifting And Saving Those Who Need Help. Ours Is A Task Of Raising The Sights Of Those Of Our People Who Fail To Realize The Great Potential That Lies Within Them.

Prayer Is The Great Gift Which Our Eternal Father Has Given Us By Which We May Approach Him And Speak With Him In The Name Of The Lord Jesus Christ. Be Prayerful. You Cannot Make It Alone. You Cannot Reach Your Potential Alone. You Need The Help Of The Lord.

The Greatness Of The World In Which We Live Is The Accumulated Goodness Of Many Small And Seemingly Inconsequential Acts.

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.

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

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

Self Improvement

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.

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.

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

There Is No Substitute For Virtue. Keep Your Thoughts Virtuous. Rise Above The Filth That's All Around You In This World And Stand Tall In Strength And Virtue. You Can Do This And You Will Be Happier For It For As Long As You Live. God Bless You In Cherishing, Developing And Holding On To This Great Gift, The Quality Of Personal Virtue.

No System Can Long Command The Loyalties Of Men And Women Which Does Not Expect Of Them Certain Measures Of Discipline, And Particularly Self-discipline. The Cost In Comfort May Be Great. The Sacrifice May Be Real. But This Very Demanding Reality Is The Substance Of Which Comes Character And Strength And Nobility. Permissiveness Never Produced Greatness. Integrity, Loyalty, And Strength Are Virtues Whose Sinews Are Developed Through The Struggles That Go On Within As We Practice Self-discipline Under The Demands Of Divinely Spoken Truth.

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.

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.

I Don't Know How To Get Anything Done Except Getting On My Knees And Pleading For Help And Then Getting On My Feet And Going To Work.

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.

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.

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.

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.

We Need To Have A Little Humor In Our Lives. .if The Time Ever Comes When We Can't Smile At Ourselves, It Will Be A Sad Time.

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.

Do Not Let Fear Overcome Your Efforts.

None Of You Need Worry Because You Read Something That Was Incompletely Reported. You Need Not Worry That I Do Not Understand Some Matters Of Doctrine... I Think I Understand Them Thoroughly.

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

I Spent One Night In The Hospital In My Life. I Was Past 75 When That Occurred.

Let Us Stand A Little Taller, If You Don't, You Will Never Strengthen Yourself

God Will Bless Us If We Walk In Humility.

The Best Place To Have Some Food Set Aside Is Within Our Homes, Together With A Little Money In Savings. The Best Welfare Program Is Our Own Welfare Program. Five Or Six Cans Of Wheat In The Home Are Better Than A Bushel In The Welfare Granary. ... 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.

Welfare Programs

The Course Of Our Lives Is Not Determined By Great, Awesome Decisions. Our Direction Is Set By The Little Day-to-day Choices Which Chart The Track On Which We Run.

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

As You Walk The Road Of Life, Be Careful Of Your Friends. They Can Make You Or Break You.

It Is Important To Know When You Feel Down That Many Others Do Also And That Their Circumstances Are Generally Much Worse Than Yours. And It’s Important To Know That When One Of Us Is Down It Becomes The Obligation Of His Friends To Give Him A Lift. I Hope That Each Of Us Will Cultivate A Sensitivity Toward The Feelings Of Others And When Encouragement Is Needed Make An Effort To Extend It. Be A Friend And You Will Have A Friend. God Be Thanked For Wonderful Friends.

Wonderful Friends

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

Peace And Happiness

Life Is Precious. Life Is Sacred. And It Ought So To Be Observed.

How Precious Life Is

Life Is Precious

The Temple Is Concerned With Things Of Immortality. It Is A Bridge Between This Life And The Next. All Of The Ordinances That Take Place In The House Of The Lord Are Expressions Of Our Belief In The Immortality Of The Human Soul.

The Kingdom Of Heaven And The Kingdom Of God On The Earth Will Be Combined Together At Christ's Coming - And That Time Is Not Far Distant. How I Wish We Could Get The Vision Of This Work, The Genius Of It, And Realize The Nearness Of That Great Event. I Am Sure It Would Have A Sobering Effect Upon Us If We Realized What Is Before Us.

People Are Looking For Stability In A Shaky World. They Want Something They Can Get Hold Of That's Firm And Sure And An Anchor In The Midst Of All Of This Instability In Which They're Living.

Stand Tall And Be Strong In Defense Of Those Great Virtues Which Have Been The Backbone Of Our Social Progress. When You Are United, Your Power Is Limitless. You Can Accomplish Anything You Wish To Accomplish. -president Gordon B. Hinckley, Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints

Knowledge Without Labor Is Profitless. Knowledge With Labor Is Genius.

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.

To You Wives Who Are Constantly Complaining And See Only The Dark Side Of Life, And Feel That You Are Unloved And Unwanted, Look Into Your Own Hearts And Minds. If There Is Something Wrong, Turn About. Put A Smile On Your Faces. Make Yourselves More Attractive. Brighten Your Outlook.

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

God Has Brought Us Together As Families To Bring To Pass His Eternal Purposes. We Are Part Of This Plan In This Marriage Relationship. Let Us Love And Respect And Honor One Another. We Can Do It, And We Will Be The Better For It.

I Am So Profoundly Grateful For The Gospel Of Jesus Christ, For A Testimony Of The Atonement Of The Savior. I Believe In It With All My Heart, And I Live For It, And I Bear Witness Of It This Day. Of All Of The Events Of Human History, None Other Approaches The Atonement Of The Savior In Its Meaning And In Its Results. God Be Thanked For The Gift Of His Precious Son, To Whom We All Owe Thanks For His Sacrifice In Our Behalf.

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.

The Cause Of Most Of Man's Unhappiness Is Sacrificing What He Wants Most For What He Wants Now.

Choose A Companion Of Your Own Faith. You Are Much More Likely To Be Happy. Choose A Companion You Can Always Honor, You Can Always Respect, One Who Will Complement You In Your Own Life, One To Whom You Can Give Your Entire Heart, Your Entire Love, Your Entire Allegiance, Your Entire Loyalty.

Quiet Talk Is The Language Of Love. It Is The Language Of Peace. It Is The Language Of God.

Language Of Love

There Are Four Pillars To A Happy Marriage: Respect One Another As Individuals; (give) Soft Answers; (practice)financial Honesty; (conduct) Family Prayer.

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.

Study A Foreign Language If You Have Opportunity To Do So. You May Never Be Called To A Land Where That Language Is Spoken, But The Study Will Have Given You A Better Understanding Of Your Own Tongue Or Of Another Tongue You May Be Asked To Acquire.

Those Who Move Forward "with A" Happy Spirit Will Find That Things Alwas Work Out.

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.

Bind To You Friends Of Your Own Kind, Friends Who Will Encourage You, Stand With You, Live As You Desire To Live, Who Will Enjoy The Same Kind Of Entertainment, And Who Will Resist The Evil That You Determine To Resist.

Notwithstanding The Trouble, Notwithstanding The Argument, Notwithstanding The Increasingly Heavy Hand Of Government, Notwithstanding The Spirit Of Arrogance We So Often Display, Notwithstanding The Growing Tide Of Pornography And Permissiveness, Notwithstanding Occasional Corruption In Public Office And Betrayal Of Sacred Trust-i Marvel At The Miracle Of America.

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."

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 Husband And Every Wife Would Constantly Do Whatever Might Be Possible To Ensure The Comfort And Happiness Of His Or Her Companion, There Would Be Very Little, If Any, Divorce. Argument Would Never Be Heard. Accusations Would Never Be Leveled. Angry Explosions Would Not Occur. Rather, Love And Concern Would Replace Abuse And Meanness.

. . . As People Serve, They Grow In Capacity. The Time And Effort Is Not A Sacrifice Because There Is Returned More Than Is Given.

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.

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.

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

With The Increase Of Missionary Work Throughout The World, There Must Be A Comparable Increase In The Effort To Make Every Convert Feel At Home In His Or Her Ward Or Branch. . . . I Invite Every Member To Reach Out In Friendship And Love For Those Who Come Into The Church As Converts.

Love And Friendship

Jesus Christ Is The Son Of God, Who Condescended To Come Into This World Of Misery, Struggle, And Pain To Touch Men's Hearts For Good, To Teach The Way Of Eternal Life, And To Give Himself As A Sacrifice For The Sins Of Mankind. How Different, How Empty Our Lives Would Be Without Him. How Infinite Is Our Opportunity For Exaltation Made Possible Through His Redeeming Love.

If We Are Worried About The Future, Then We Must Look Today At The Upbringing Of Children.

We Have Never Found, And I Think We Never Shall Find, An Adequate Substitute For The Situation In Which Two Wholesome Young Men Meet With A Family, Reason With Them, Teach Them, Testify To Them, And Pray With Them. We Shall Always Need Missionaries.

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.

I Remind You That No Man Who Makes Disparaging Remarks Concerning Those Of Another Race Can Consider Himself A True Disciple Of Christ," Said President Hinckley. "how Can Any Man Holding The Melchizedek Priesthood Arrogantly Assume That He Is Eligible For The Priesthood Whereas Another Who Lives A Righteous Life But Whose Skin Is Of A Different Color, Is Ineligible?

The Time Has Come For Us To Stand A Little Taller, To Lift Our Eyes And Stretch Our Minds To A Greater Comprehension And Understanding Of The Grand Millennial Mission Of This, The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints.

Do You Want To Be Happy? Forget Yourself And Get Lost In This Great Cause.

In All Of Living, Have Much Fun And Laughter. Life Is To Be Enjoyed, Not Just Endured.

There Is A Portent Of Stormy Weather Ahead To Which We Had Better Give Heed...no One Knows When Emergencies Will Strike...set Your Houses In Order. If You Have Paid Your Debts, If You Have A Reserve, Even Though It Be Small, Then Should Storms Howl About Your Head, You Will Have Shelter For Your Wife And Children And Peace In Your Hearts. That's All I Have To Say About It, But I Wish To Say It With All The Emphasis Of Which I Am Capable.

There Is Something Almost Sacred About A Great Library Because It Represents The Preservation Of The Wisdom, The Learning, And The Pondering Of Men And Women Of All The Ages, Accumulated Under One Roof.

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

Helping Someone

In Matters Of Honesty, There Are No Shortcuts; No Little White Lies, Or Big Black Lies, Only The Simple, Honest Truth Spoken In Total Candor... Being True Is Different Than Being Honest.

This Church Is True. It Will Weather Every Storm That Beats Against It. It Will Outlast Every Critic Who Rises To Mock It. It Was Established By God Our Eternal Father For The Blessing Of His Sons And Daughters Of All Generations. It Carries The Name Of Him Who Stands As Its Head, Even The Lord Jesus Christ, The Savior Of The World. It Is Governed And Moves By The Power Of The Priesthood. It Sends Forth To The World Another Witness Of The Divinity Of The Lord. Be Faithful, My Friends. Be True. Be Loyal To The Great Things Of God Which Have Been Revealed In This Dispensation.

My Plea...is A Plea To Save The Children. Too Many Of Them Walk With Pain And Fear, In Loneliness And Despair. Children Need Sunlight...they Need Kindness And Refreshment And Affection. Every Home, Regardless Of The Cost Of The House, Can Provide An Environment Of Love Which Will Be An Environment Of Salvation.

We Should Also Build The Attitude That There Is Nothing Of A Vacation, Nothing Of A Holiday In This Great Missionary Service. It Is Hard, And At Times Discouraging, Work. Last Year Our Missionaries Averaged Sixty-seven Hours A Week In Actual Proselyting Effort. Let Those Who Contemplate Missions Realize That They Will Work As They Have Never Worked Before, And That They May Expect Such Joy As They Have Not Previously Known.

There Is No Substitute Under The Heavens For Productive Labor. It Is The Process By Which Dreams Become Realities. It Is The Process By Which Idle Visions Become Dynamic Achievements.

You Can't Build A Great Building On A Weak Foundation. You Must Have A Solid Foundation If You're Going To Have A Strong Superstructure.

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.

For As Long As (the Founding Fathers Of This Nation) Lived And Led, They Acknowledged The Hand Of The Almighty In The Affairs Of This Republic. Our Coinage And Our Currency Carry The National Motto. It Simply Says, 'in God We Trust.' I Believe This Is The Foundation Upon Which This Nation Was Established, An Unequivocal Trust In The Power Of The Almighty To Guide And Defend Us.

The Best Thing You Can Do Is Just Keep Busy, Keep Working Hard, So You're Not Dwelling On It All The Time. Work Is The Best Antidote For Sorrow.

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

Gordon B Hinckley

We Wear On Our Faces The Results Of What We Believe And How We Behave, And Such Behavior Is Most Evident In The Eyes And On The Faces Of Those Who Have Lived Many Years.

Conflict Grows Out Of Ignorance And Suspicion. As We Learn To Know And Appreciate Those Of Various Cultures, We Come To Appreciate Them.

I Hope We Will Never Again See Such A Depression. But I Am Troubled By The Huge Consumer Installment Debt Which Hangs Over The People Of The Nation, Including Our Own People.

Let Us Never Forget To Pray. God Lives. He Is Near. He Is Real.

To Me The Gospel Is Not A Great Mass Of Theological Jargon. It Is A Simple And Beautiful And Logical Thing, With One Quiet Truth Following Another In Orderly Sequence. I Do Not Fret Over The Mysteries. I Do Not Worry Whether The Heavenly Gates Swing Or Slide. I Am Only Concerned That They Open.

What A Wonderful Time It Is For Each Of Us To Do His Or Her Small Part In Moving The Work Of The Lord On To Its Magnificent Destiny.

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.

Are These Perilous Times? They Are. But We Can Have Peace In Our Hearts And In Our Homes.

I Wish For Each Of You A Time, Perhaps Only An Hour, Spent In Silent Meditation And Quiet Reflection On The Wonder And The Majesty Of This, The Son Of God. Our Joy At This Season Is Because He Came Into The World.

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.

If We Could Follow The Slogan That Says,"turn Off The Tv And Open A Good Book" We Would Do Something Of Substance For A Future Generation.

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

Each Of Us Has To Face The Matter — Either The Church Is True, Or It Is A Fraud. There Is No Middle Ground. It Is The Church And Kingdom Of God, Or It Is Nothing.

How Much More Beautiful Would Be The World And The Society In Which We Live If...every Mother Regarded Her Children As The Jewels Of Her Life, As Gifts From The God Of Heaven, Who Is Their Eternal Father, And Brought Them Up In True Affection In The Wisdom And Admonition Of The Lord.

There Is Nothing The Lord Has Asked Of Us That In Faith We Cannot Accomplish.

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.

If You Will Accept Every Call That Comes To You Within The Church, You Will Grow In A Remarkable And Marvelous And Wonderful Way. With Responsibility Comes Growth, And The Lord Will Magnify You And Make You Equal To Every Responsibility Which Is Given You.

Mortality Is But A Stepping-stone To A More Glorious Existence In The Future.

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

I Wish To Be Up And Doing. I Wish To Face Each Day With Resolution And Purpose. I Wish To Use Every Waking Hour To Give Encouragement, To Bless Those Whose Burdens Are Heavy, To Build Faith And Strength Of Testimony.

I Forewarn You, This Will Be A Rather Long Talk. I Am An Old Man. I Do Not Know How Much Longer I Will Live, And So I Want To Say What I Have To Say, While I Have The Strength To Say It. ...having Been Warned, Some Of You Will Wish To Get Comfortable. Pleasant Dreams.

Don't Make The Kinds Of Mistakes That Will Bring Regret.

If Life Gets Too Hard To Stand, Kneel.

When Life Is Hard

That Which Comes Easily Departs Easily. That Which Comes Of Struggle Remains.

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.

I Am The Last Leaf On The Tree, And The Wind Is Blowing.

Give Expression To The Noble Desires That Lie In Your Heart.

Conversations I Have Had With School Principals And Students Lead Me To The Same Conclusion-that...there Is An Evil And Growing Habit Of Profanity And The Use Of Foul And Filthy Language.

It Isn't As Bad As You Sometimes Think It Is. It All Works Out. Don't Worry. Put Your Trust In God, And Move Forward With Faith And Confidence In The Future.

Believe In Jesus Christ, Our Savior And Our Redeemer, The Son Of God, Who Came To Earth And Walked The Dusty Roads Of Palestine - The Son Of God - To Teach Us The Way Of Truth And Light And Salvation, And Who, In One Great And Glorious Act Offered An Atonement For Each Of Us. He Opened The Way Of Salvation And Exaltation For Each Of Us, Under Which We May Go Forward In The Church And Kingdom Of God. Be Not Faithless, But Believe In The Great And Wonderful And Marvelous Blessings Of The Atonement.

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.

I Don't Hesitate To Say If Every Family In The World Practiced [family Home Evening], You'd See A Very Great Difference In The Solidarity Of The Families Of The World.

Education Will Equip You To Do Something Worthwhile In The Great World Of Opportunity That Lies Ahead.

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.

Do The Best You Can. And Remember That The Greatest Asset You Have In This World Is Those Children Who You've Brought Into The World, And For Whose Nurture And Care You're Responsible.

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.

Our Entire Case As Members Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints Rests On The Validity Of This Glorious First Vision. ... Nothing On Which We Base Our Doctrine, Nothing We Teach, Nothing We Live By Is Of Greater Importance Than This Initial Declaration. I Submit That If Joseph Smith Talked With God The Father And His Beloved Son, Then All Else Of Which He Spoke Is True. This Is The Hinge On Which Turns The Gate That Leads To The Path Of Salvation And Eternal Life.

Divorce Too Often Is The Bitter Fruit Of Anger. A Man And A Woman Fall In Love, As They Say; Each Is Wonderful In The Sight Of The Other; They Feel Romantic Affection For No One Else; They Stretch Their Finances To Buy A Diamond Ring; They Marry. All Is Bliss-that Is, For A Season. Then Little Inconsequential Activities Lead To Criticism. Little Flaws Are Magnified Into Great Torrents Of Faultfinding; They Fall Apart, They Separate, And Then With Rancor And Bitterness They Divorce.

Falling In Love

Gratitude Is The Beginning Of Wisdom. Stated Differently, True Wisdom Cannot Be Obtained Unless It Is Built On A Foundation Of True Humility And Gratitude.

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.

I Am Satisfied That Happiness In Marriage Is Not So Much A Matter Of Romance As It Is An Anxious Concern For The Comfort And Well-being Of One's Companion. Any Man Who Will Make His Wife's Comfort His First Concern Will Stay In Love With Her Throughout Their Lives And Through The Eternity Yet To Come

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?

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.

This Is My Prayer For All Of Us — 'lord, Increase Our Faith.' Increase Our Faith To Bridge The Chasms Of Uncertainty And Doubt. Grant Us Faith To Look Beyond The Problems Of The Moment To The Miracles Of The Future. Give Us Faith To Do What Is Right And Let The Consequence Follow.

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

You Will Have Significant Experiences. I Hope That You Will Write Them Down And Keep Record Of Them, That You Will Read Them From Time To Time And Refresh Your Memory Of Those Meaningful And Significant Things. Some May Be Funny. Some May Be Significant Only To You. Some Of Them May Be Sacred And Quietly Beautiful. Some May Build One Upon Another Until They Represent A Lifetime Of Special Experiences.

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

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

Let Thy Spirit Move Upon Him To Bring To Pass Those Measures Which Will Lift The Burdens Of Government From The Backs Of The People And Keep This Nation, Under God, A Citadel Of Freedom Standing As An Example To All The World.

Love Is Like The North Star. In A Changing World, It's Always Constant.

A Truly Educated Man Never Ceases To Learn.

Love Is The Only Force That Can Erase The Differences Between People, That Can Heal Relationships Shattered By Bitterness....i F The World Is To Be Improved, The Process Of Love Must Make A Change In The Hearts Of Men. It Can Do So When We Look Beyond Self To Give Our Love To God And Others, And Do So With All Our Heart, With All Our Soul, And With All Our Mind.

This Will Be The Most Important Decision Of Your Life, The Individual Whom You Marry.

No Other Practice Will Make One More Attractive In Conversation Than To Be Well-read In A Variety Of Subjects.

We Feel The Need To Emphasize With Greater Clarity The Obligation For Members Of The Church To Become More Independent And Self Reliant.

There Are Others Whose Lives Are Blessed When A Missionary Serves, Such As The Members Of His Family Who Support Him, Pray For Him, And Try To Live Worthy Of Him.

He Who Lives Only Unto Himself Withers And Dies, While He Who Forgets Himself In The Service Of Others Grows And Blossoms.

May I Mention Earrings And Rings Placed In Other Parts Of The Body. These Are Not Manly. They Are Not Attractive. You Young Men Look Better Without Them, And I Believe You Will Feel Better Without Them. As For The Young Women, You Do Not Need To Drape Rings Up And Down Your Ears. One Modest Pair Of Earrings Is Sufficient.

The Decisions We Make, Individually And Personally, Become The Fabric Of Our Lives. That Fabric Will Be Beautiful Or Ugly According To The Threads Of Which It Is Woven. I Wish To Say Particularly To The Young Men Who Are Here That You Cannot Indulge In Any Unbecoming Behavior Without Injury To The Beauty Of The Fabric Of Your Lives. Immoral Acts Of Any Kind Will Introduce An Ugly Thread. Dishonesty Of Any Kind Will Create A Blemish. Foul And Profane Language Will Rob The Pattern Of Its Beauty.

No Man's Faith, No Man's Religion, No Religion In All The World Can Ever Rise Above The Truth.

Of Course We're Christian. The Very Name Of The Church Declares That.

People Who Carry In Their Hearts A Strong Conviction Concerning The Living Reality Of The Almighty And Their Accountability To Him For What They Do With Their Lives Are Far Less Likely To Become Enmeshed In Problems That Inevitably Weaken Society.

This Church Does Not Belong To Its President. Its Head Is The Lord Jesus Christ, Whose Name Each Of Us Has Taken Upon Ourselves. We Are All In This Great Endeavor Together. We Are Here To Assist Our Father In His Work And His Glory. Your Obligation Is As Serious In Your Sphere Of Responsibility As Is My Obligation In My Sphere. No Calling In This Church Is Small Or Of Little Consequence.

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.

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

At This Time Of Christmas, This Season When Gifts Are Given, Let Us Not Forget That God Gave His Son, And His Son Gave His Life, That Each Of Us Might Have The Gift Of Eternal Life.

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

You Never Know How Much Good You Do.

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

If There Be Any Who Nurture In Their Hearts The Poisonous Brew Of Enmity Toward Another, I Plead With You To Ask The Lord For Strength To Forgive. This Expression Of Desire Will Be Of The Very Substance Of Your Repentance. It May Not Be Easy, And It May Not Come Quickly. But If You Will Seek It With Sincerity And Cultivate It, It Will Come. And Even Though He Whom You Have Forgiven Continues To Pursue And Threaten You, You Will Know You Have Done What You Could To Effect A Reconciliation. There Will Come Into Your Heart A Peace Otherwise Unattainable.

There Are Some Men Who, In A Spirit Of Arrogance, Think They Are Superior To Women. They Do Not Seem To Realize That They Would Not Exist But For The Mother Who Gave Them Birth. When They Assert Their Superiority They Demean Her.

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.

You Can Determine The Kind Of Life You Will Have In Your 30s And 40s By What You Do In Your Teens.

I Would That The Healing Power Of Christ Might Spread Over The Earth And Be Diffused Through Our Society And Into Our Homes, That It Might Cure Men's Hearts Of The Evil And Adverse Elements Of Greed And Hate And Conflict. I Believe It Could Happen. I Believe It Must Happen. If The Lamb Is To Lie Down With The Lion, Then Peace Must Overcome Conflict, Healing Must Mend Injury.

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

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.

When I Was A Missionary In London Fifty Years Ago, My Companion And I Would Shake Hands In The Morning And Say To One Another, 'life Is Good'. Life In The Service Of The Lord Is Good. It Is Beautiful. It Is Rewarding.

I Think The World Would Be Much Poorer Without Religion, Speaking Generally.

Sacrifice Is The Very Essence Of Religion; ... Without Sacrifice There Is No True Worship Of God.

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

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.

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

Work Will Cure Your Grief. Serve 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

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 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.

How Thankful I Am, How Thankful We All Must Be, For The Women In Our Lives. God Bless Them. May His Great Love Distill Upon Them And Crown Them With Luster And Beauty, Grace And Faith.

Father Forgive Us, For We Do Not What We Know.

If You Do Not Choose The Kingdom Of God, It Does Not Matter What You Choose Instead.

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.

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

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.

The Home Is Under Siege. So Many Families Are Being Destroyed...if Anyone Can Change The Dismal Situation Into Which We Are Sliding, It Is You. Rise Up, Oh Women Of Zion, Rise Up To The Great Challenge Which Faces You. My Message To You, My Challenge To You, My Prayer Is That You Will Rededicate Yourselves To The Strengthening Of Your Homes.

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

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.

There Would Be No Christmas If There Was No Easter.

Life Is To Be Enjoyed, Not Endured

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 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.

The Discipline That Is Needed In Our Lives Is The Discipline That Comes From Within.

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.

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