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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

-Gordon B. Hinckley

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It Is Good To

Gordon B. Hinckley

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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

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Christmas Means Giving. The Father Gave His Son, And The Son Gave His Life. Without Giving There Is No True Christmas, And Without Sacrifice There Is No True Worship.

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.

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.

As You Work With Your Associates To Help Them With Their Faith, You Will Save Them And Also Yourselves.

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

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

Remember That Whatever You Do Or Wherever You Are, You Are Never Alone.

Wherever You Are

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.

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.

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.

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

Every Righteous Man Or Woman Is Entitled To Revelation Concerning His Own Affairs.

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.

You Need More Than Your Own Wisdom In Rearing [your Children]. You Need The Help Of The Lord. Pray For That Help And Follow The Inspiration Which You Receive.

Missionary Work Has Never Been Easy, And Yet The Joyful Rewards Cannot Be Equaled By Any Other Experience.

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

I Commend To You The Virtues Of Thrift And Industry. In Doing So, I Do Not Wish You To Be A "tightwad," If You Will Pardon That Expression, Or To Be A Freeloader, Or Anything Of The Kind.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Try A Little Harder To Be A Little Better.

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

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

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

Do Not Nag Yourself With A Sense Of Failure

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.

Never Assume That You Can Make It Alone. You Need The Help Of The Lord. Never Hesitate To Get On Your Knees In Some Private Place And Speak With Him.

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

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

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

But No One Can Blink At The Fact That In This Land, And In Other Lands Across The World, There Is An Epidemic Affecting The Lives Of Millions Of Youth. It Is A Sickness That Comes Of A Loss Of Values, Of An Abandonment Of Moral Absolutes. The Virus Which Has Infected Them Comes Of Leaderless Families, Leaderless Schools, Leaderless Communities. It Comes Of An Attitude That Says, "we Will Not Teach Moral Values. We Will Leave The Determination Of Such To The Individual."

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

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.

Walk By Faith. God Will Open The Way. When There Is No Way, He Will Open The Way.

The Willingness To Forgive Is A Sign Of Spiritual And Emotional Maturity. It Is One Of The Great Virtues To Which We All Should Aspire. Imagine A World Filled With Individuals Willing Both To Apologize And To Accept An Apology. Is There Any Problem That Could Not Be Solved Among People Who Possessed The Humility And Largeness Of Spirit And Soul To Do Either -- Or Both -- When Needed?

Forget Yourself And Go To Work.

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

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

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.

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

Without Preservation And Cultivation Of The Spiritual, Your Material Success Will Be As Ashes In Your Mouths.

Do Not Let Fear Overcome Your Efforts.

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

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.

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

As We Give Presents At Christmas, We Need To Recognize That Sharing Our Time And Ourselves Is Such An Important Part Of Giving.

Love Is The Very Essence Of Life.

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.

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

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

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

I Don't Know That We Teach It. I Don't Know That We Emphasize It... I Understand The Philosophical Background Behind It, But I Don't Know A Lot About It, And I Don't Think Others Know A Lot About It.

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

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.

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

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

Every Sacrament Meeting Ought To Be A Spiritual Feast.

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.

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

I Know Of No Better Answer To The Foul Practices That Confront Our Young People Than The Teachings Of A Mother, Given In Love With An Unmistakable Warning.

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.

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

Let Us All Try To Stand A Little Taller, Rise A Little Higher, Be A Little Better. Make The Extra Effort. You Will Be Happier.

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

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.

Love Is The Very Essence Of Family Life. Why Is It That The Children We Love Become So Frequently The Targets Of Our Harsh Words? Why Is It That These Children Who Love Their Fathers And Mothers Sometimes Speak As If With Daggers That Cut To The Quick? "there Is Beauty All Around," Only When There's Love At Home.

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.

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.

There Would Be No Christmas If There Was No Easter.

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.

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. Most Of Us Are Inherently Lazy. We Would Rather Play Than Work. We Would Rather Loaf Than Work...but It Is Work That Spells The Difference In The Life Of A Man Or Woman. It Is Stretching Our Minds And Utilizing The Skills Of Our Hands That Lift Us From Mediocrity.

I Would Like To Suggest To You That You 'grab Life By The Horns' And Do Not Let Life Grab You By The Horns. You Take Control Of Your Lives. Do Not Let Life Control You. Take Charge. Rise To The Divinity That Is Within You.

Control Of Your Life

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.

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

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

Love Can Make The Difference-love Generously Given In Childhood And Reaching Through The Awkward Years Of Youth . . . And Encouragement That Is Quick To Compliment And Slow To Criticize.

We Pledge Our Loyalty; We Affirm Our Determination To Be Of Good Courage; We Declare, Sometimes Even Publicly, That Come What May We Will Do The Right Thing, That We Will Stand For The Right Cause, That We Will Be True To Ourselves And To Others. Then The Pressures Begin To Build. Sometimes These Are Social Pressures. Sometimes They Are Personal Appetites. Sometimes They Are False Ambitions. There Is A Weakening Of The Will. There Is A Softening Of Discipline. There Is Capitulation. And Then There Is Remorse, Self-accusation, And Bitter Tears Of Regret.

Stop Seeking Out The Storms And Enjoy More Fully The Sunlight.

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

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.

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

We Are All Prone To Brood On The Evil Done Us. That Brooding Becomes As A Gnawing And Destructive Canker. Is There A Virtue More In Need Of Application In Our Time Than The Virtue Of Forgiving And Forgetting? There Are Those Who Would Look Upon This As A Sign Of Weakness. Is It? I Submit That It Takes Neither Strength Nor Intelligence To Brood In Anger Over Wrongs Suffered, To Go Through Life With A Spirit Of Vindictiveness, To Dissipate One’s Abilities In Planning Retribution. There Is No Peace In The Nursing Of A Grudge. There Is No Happiness In Living For The Day When You Can ‘get Even.

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

Don’t Be Gloomy. Do Not Dwell On Unkind Things. Stop Seeking Out The Storms And Enjoy More Fully The Sunlight. Even If You Are Not Happy, Put A Smile On Your Face. ‘accentuate The Positive.’ Look A Little Deeper For The Good. Go Forward In Life With A Twinkle In Your Eye And A Smile On Your Face, With Great And Strong Purpose In Your Heart. Love Life.

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.

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

Look For The Sunlight Through The Clouds.

Be Believing, Be Happy, Don't Get Discouraged. Things Will Work Out.

I Too Believe That God Will Always Make A Way Where There Is No Way. I Believe That If We Will Walk In Obedience To The Commandments Of God, If We Will Follow The Counsel Of The Priesthood, He Will Open A Way Even Where There Appears To Be No Way.

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

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.

Selfishness So Often Is The Basis Of Money Problems, Which Are A Very Serious And Real Factor Affecting The Stability Of Family Life. Selfishness Is At The Root Of Adultery, The Breaking Of Solemn And Sacred Covenants To Satisfy Selfish Lust. Selfishness Is The Antithesis Of Love. It Is A Cankering Expression Of Greed. It Destroys Self-discipline. It Obliterates Loyalty. It Tears Up Sacred Covenants. It Afflicts Both Men And Women.

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?

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

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.

You Have Not Failed Until You Quit Trying.

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.

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.

I Believe In The Principle That I Can Make A Difference In This World. It May Be Ever So Small, But It Will Count For The Greater Good.

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.

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.

It Is So Important To See That We Are All Converted, That We Have In Our Hearts A Conviction Concerning This Great Work. It Is Not A Matter Of The Head Only. It Is A Matter Of The Heart. It Is Being Touched By The Holy Spirit Until We Know That This Work Is True, That Joseph Smith Was Verily A Prophet Of God, That God Lives And That Jesus Christ Lives And That They Appeared To The Boy Joseph Smith, That The Book Of Mormon Is True, That The Priesthood Is Here With All Of Its Gifts And Blessings.

In Our Old Age My Beloved Companion Said To Me Quietly One Evening, "you Have Always Given Me Wings To Fly, And I Have Loved You For It.

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

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

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

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.

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

Let There Be Music In The Home. If You Have Teenagers Who Have Their Own Recordings, You Will Be Prone To Describe The Sound As Something Other Than Music. Let Them Occasionally Hear Something Better. Expose Them To It. It Will Speak For Itself. More Of Appreciation Will Come Than You May Think. It May Not Be Spoken, But It Will Be Felt, And Its Influence Will Become Increasingly Manifest As The Years Pass.

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.

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

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

Strength To Do Battle Begins With Enlisting The Strength Of God.

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

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.

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

Let There Be Cultivated An Awareness In Every Member's Heart Of His Own Potential For Bringing Others To A Knowledge Of The Truth. Let Him Work At It. Let Him Pray With Great Earnestness About It

Knowledge, Learning, Is An Eternal Thing.

Knowledge Learning

It Is Good To Look To The Past To Gain Appreciation For The Present And Perspective For The Future.

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

Gratitude Creates The Most Wonderful Feeling. It Can Resolve Disputes. It Can Strengthen Friendships. And It Makes Us Better Men And Women.

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

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 Is Difficult To Press Forward If We Do Not Know How To Obey.

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.

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.

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

Please Don't Nag Yourself With Thoughts Of Failure. Do Not Set Goals Far Beyond Your Capacity To Achieve. Simply Do What You Can Do, In The Best Way You Know, And The Lord Will Accept Of Your Effort.

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

The Problem Is, I Think, That So Many Of Us Pray As If We Are Ordering Groceries. We Pick Up The Telephone And Say, 'is This The Right Place To Place My Order?' And We Proceed Right To Dictating Our Order. When We Have Then Ended That List, We Hang Up.

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

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

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

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

Gordon B Hinckley

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

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.

You Never Know How Much Good You Do.

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

Success In Life

Gambling Undermines The Moral Fiber Of Society.

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

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.

Aim High, But Do Not Aim So High That You Totally Miss The Target. What Really Matters Is That He Will Love You, That He Will Respect You, That He Will Honor You, That He Will Be Absolutely True To You, That He Will Give You The Freedom Of Expression And Let You Fly In The Development Of Your Own Talents. He Is Not Going To Be Perfect, But If He Is Kind And Thoughtful, If He Knows How To Work And Earn A Living, If He Is Honest And Full Of Faith, The Chances Are You Will Not Go Wrong, That You Will Be Immensely Happy.

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.

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.

God Is Only God When He Is Acting As Such.

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.

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

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.

Without Reservation I Promise You That If Each Of You Will Observe This Simple Program, Regardless Of How Many Times You Previously May Have Read The Book Of Mormon, There Will Come Into Your Lives And Into Your Homes An Added Measure Of The Spirit Of The Lord, A Strengthened Resolution To Walk In Obedience To His Commandments, And A Stronger Testimony Of The Living Reality Of The Son Of God.

I Have Yet To Find A Faithful Tithe Payer Who Cannot Testify That In A Very Literal And Wonderful Way The Windows Of Heaven Have Been Opened And Blessings Have Been Poured Out Upon Him Or Her.

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

Self Improvement

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

You Can Be Excellent In Every Way. You Can Be First Class. There Is No Need For You To Be A Scrub. Respect Yourself. Do Not Feel Sorry For Yourself. Do Not Dwell On Unkind Things Others May Say About You. Polish And Refine Whatever Talents The Lord Has Given You. Go Forward In Life With A Twinkle In Your Eye And A Smile On Your Face, But With Great And Strong Purpose In Your Heart. Love Life And Look For Its Opportunities.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

It Is Both Revealing And Invigorating To Occasionally Set Aside The Worries Of Life, Seek The Company Of A Friendly Book And Mingle With The Great Of The Earth, Counsel With The Wise Of All Time, Look Into The Unlived Days With Prophets...to Become Acquainted With Real Nobility As It Walks The Pages Of History And Science And Literature Is To Strengthen Character And Develop Life In Its Finer Meanings.

The Happiest People I Know Are Those Who Lose Themselves In The Service Of Others

Miserable People

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.

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

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

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

How Thankful We Ought To Be ... How Thankful We Are, For A Prophet To Counsel Us In Words Of Divine Wisdom As We Walk Our Paths In These Complex And Difficult Times. The Solid Assurance We Carry In Our Hearts, The Conviction That God Will Make His Will Known To His Children Through His Recognized Servant Is The Real Basis Of Our Faith And Activity. We Either Have A Prophet Or We Have Nothing: And Having A Prophet, We Have Everything

Work At Our Responsibility As Parents As If Everything In Life Counted On It.

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.

I Almost Stand In Awe When I Think Of Joseph Smith. The Angel Appeared To Him In 1823 - He Said To This Simple Little Boy, 'your Name Should Be Known For Good And Evil Throughout The Entire World.'

Let Us Never Forget To Pray. God Lives. He Is Near. He Is Real. He Is Not Only Aware Of Us But Cares For Us. He Is Our Father. He Is Accessible To All Who Will Seek Him.

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

Helping Someone

One Of The Bellwether Marks Of The Growth And Vitality Of The Church Is The Construction Of Temples. We Will Keep On Working To Bring The Temples To The People, Making It More Convenient For Latter Day Saints Everywhere To Receive The Blessings Which Can Only Be Had In These Holy Houses.

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

We 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.

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

...when We Lift Our Voices Tiny Molehills Of Difference Become Great Mountains Of Conflict.

Dishonesty Of Any Kind Will Create A Blemish.

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.

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

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.

We Live In A Society That Feeds On Criticism. It Is So Easy To Find Fault, And To Resist Doing So Requires Much Discipline.

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

Forget Yourself And Get To Work.

The Trick, My Brethren And Sisters Is To Enjoy The Journey, Traveling Hand In Hand, In Sunshine And Storm, As Companions Who Love One Another.

Do You Feel Gloomy? Lift Your Eyes. Stand On Your Feet. Say A Few Words Of Appreciation And Love To The Lord. Be Positive.

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

Imagine How Our Own Families, Let Alone The World, Would Change If We Vowed To Keep Faith With One Another, Strengthen One Another, Look For And Accentuate The Virtues In One Another, And Speak Graciously Concerning One Another. Imagine The Cumulative Effect If We Treated Each Other With Respect And Acceptance, If We Willingly Provided Support. Such Interactions Practiced On A Small Scale Would Surely Have A Rippling Effect Throughout Our Homes And Communities And, Eventually, Society At Large.

We All Know That Education Unlocks The Door Of Opportunity For The Young.

When Temptation Comes Your Way, Name That Boastful, Deceitful Giant “goliath!” And Do With It As David Did To The Philistine Of Gath.

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

Asking For Forgiveness

Get On Your Knees And Pray, Then Get On Your Feet And Work.

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

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

Be Modest In Your Wants...there Is Nothing That Will Cause Greater Tensions In Marriage Than Grinding Debt, Which Will Make Of You A Slave To Your Creditors.

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.

Choose Your Friends Carefully. It Is They Who Will Lead You In One Direction Or The Other. Everybody Wants Friends. Everybody Needs Friends. No One Wishes To Be Without Them. But Never Lose Sight Of The Fact That It Is Your Friends Who Will Lead You Along The Paths That You Will Follow.

I Am Totally In The Hands Of The Lord.

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