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Mortality Is A Period Of Testing, A Time To Prove Ourselves Worthy To Return To The Presence Of Our Heavenly Father. In Order For Us To Be Tested, We Must Face Challenges And Difficulties. These Can Break Us, And The Surface Of Our Souls May Crack And Crumble-that Is, If Our Foundations Of Faith, Our Testimonies Of Truth Are Not Deeply Embedded Within Us.

-Thomas S. Monson

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Mortality Is A Period

Thomas S. Monson

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Mortality Is A Period Of Testing, A Time To Prove Ourselves Worthy To Return To The Presence Of Our Heavenly Father. In Order For Us To Be Tested, We Must Face Challenges And Difficulties. These Can Break Us, And The Surface Of Our Souls May Crack And Crumble-that Is, If Our Foundations Of Faith, Our Testimonies Of Truth Are Not Deeply Embedded Within Us.

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Lasting Happiness

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We Truly Need Him Every Hour, Whether They Be Hours Of Sunshine Or Of Rain.

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The Past Is Behind, Learn From It. The Future Is Ahead, Prepare For It. The Present Is Here, Live It.

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May I Share With You A Formula That In My Judgment Will Help You And Help Me To Journey Well Through Mortality... First, Fill Your Mind With Truth; Second, Fill Your Life With Service; And Third, Fill Your Heart With Love.

Prayer Continues To Provide Power--spiritual Power. Prayer Continues To Provide Peace--spiritual Peace.

Spiritual Peace

Ideals Are Like The Stars - You Can't Touch Them With Your Hands, But By Following Them You Reach Your Destination.

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If You Will Study The Scriptures Diligently, Your Power To Avoid Temptation And To Receive Direction Of The Holy Ghost In All You Do Will Be Increased.

A Grateful Heart, Then, Comes Through Expressing Gratitude To Our Heavenly Father For His Blessings And To Those Around Us For All That They Bring Into Our Lives. This Requires Conscious Effort-at Least Until We Have Truly Learned And Cultivated An Attitude Of Gratitude. Often We Feel Grateful And Intend To Express Our Thanks But Forget To Do So Or Just Don't Get Around To It. Someone Has Said That "feeling Gratitude And Not Expressing It Is Like Wrapping A Present And Not Giving It."

Love Is The Very Essence Of The Gospel.

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Sometimes We Let Our Thoughts Of Tomorrow Take Up Too Much Of Today. Daydreaming Of The Past And Longing For The Future May Provide Comfort But Will Not Take The Place Of Living In The Present. This Is The Day Of Our Opportunity, And We Must Grasp It

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We Need Learn What We Need To Learn, Know What We Need To Know, And Do What We Need To Do.

Not A Day Has Gone By That I Have Not Communicated With My Father In Heaven Through Prayer. It Is A Relationship I Cherish-one I Would Literally Be Lost Without. If You Do Not Now Have Such A Relationship With Your Father In Heaven, I Urge You To Work Toward That Goal. As You Do So, You Will Be Entitled To His Inspiration And Guidance In Your Life.

Courage, Not Compromise, Brings The Smile Of God's Approval.

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God Left The World Unfinished For Man To Work His Skill Upon. He Left The Electricity In The Cloud, The Oil In The Earth. He Left The Rivers Unbridged And The Forests Unfelled And The Cities Unbuilt. God Gives To Man The Challenge Of Raw Materials, Not The Ease Of Finished Things. He Leaves The Pictures Unpainted And The Music Unsung And The Problems Unsolved, That Man Might Know The Joys And Glories Of Creation.

The Courage To Say No, The Courage To Say Yes. Decisions Do Determine Destiny.

If We Will Put Our Trust In The Lord, He Will Help Us Through Our Difficulties, Whatever They My Be.

Trust In The Lord

Glance Backward, Look Heavenward, Reach Outward, Press Onward

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The Knowledge Which We Seek, The Answers For Which We Yearn, And The Strength Which We Desire Today To Meet The Challenges Of A Complex And Changing World Can Be Ours When We Willingly Obey The Lord’s Commandments.

There Is Much That Is Difficult And Challenging In The World Today, My Brothers And Sisters, But There Is Also Much That Is Good And Uplifting. As We Declare In Our Thirteenth Article Of Faith, 'if There Is Anything Virtuous, Lovely, Or Of Good Report Or Praiseworthy, We Seek After These Things.' May We Ever Continue To Do So.

Through Personal Prayer, Through Family Prayer, By Trusting In God With Faith, Nothing Wavering, We Can Call Down To Our Rescue His Mighty Power.

The Passage Of Time Has Not Altered The Capacity Of The Redeemer To Change Men’s Lives. As He Said To The Dead Lazarus, So He Says To You And Me: “come Forth.” Come Forth From The Despair Of Doubt. Come Forth From The Sorrow Of Sin. Come Forth From The Death Of Disbelief. Come Forth To A Newness Of Life. Come Forth.

On Occasion I Have Observed Parents Shopping To Clothe A Son About To Enter Missionary Service. The New Suits Are Fitted, The New Shoes Are Laced, And Shirts, Socks, And Ties Are Bought In Quantity. I Met One Father Who Said To Me, 'brother Monson, I Want You To Meet My Son.' Pride Popped His Buttons; The Cost Of The Clothing Emptied His Wallet; Love Filled His Heart. Tears Filled My Eyes When I Noticed That His [the Father's] Suit Was Old, His Shoes Well Worn; But He Felt No Deprivation. The Glow On His Face Was A Memory To Cherish.

If You Want To Give Light To Others You Have To Glow Yourself.

We Cannot Know What Faith Is If We Have Never Had It, And We Cannot Obtain It As Long As We Deny It. Faith And Doubt Cannot Exist In The Same Mind At The Same Time, For One Will Dispel The Other.

I Acknowledge That I Do Not Understand The Processes Of Creation, But I Accept The Fact Of It.

How Long Has It Been Since You Looked Into The Eyes Of Your Mother And, Holding Nothing Back, Spoke Those Welcome Words, 'mother, I Truly Love You'? How About Father, Who Daily Toils To Provide For You? Fathers Appreciate Hearing Those Same Precious Words From The Lips Of A Child, 'i Love You.'

Christmas Is The Spirit Of Giving Without A Thought Of Getting.

Choose Your Friends With Caution. Plan Your Future With Purpose. Frame Your Life With Faith.

The Gospel Of Jesus Christ Is That Penetrating Light Which Shines Through The Darkness Of Our Lives.

Decisions Are Constantly Before Us. To Make Them Wisely, Courage Is Needed-the Courage To Say No, The Courage To Say Yes. Decisions Do Determine Destiny. I Plead With You To Make A Determination Right Here, Right Now, Not To Deviate From The Path Which Will Lead To Our Goal: Eternal Life With Our Father In Heaven.

Pray Always, And Be Believing, And All Things Shall Work Together For Your Good.

Working Together

Often We Live Side By Side But Do Not Communicate Heart To Heart.

As We Move Toward The Future, We Must Not Neglect The Lessons Of The Past. Our Heavenly Father Gave His Son. The Son Of God Gave His Life. We Are Asked By Them To Give Our Lives, As It Were, In Their Divine Service. Will You? Will I? Will We? There Are Lessons To Be Taught, There Are Kind Deeds To Be Done, There Are Souls To Be Saved.

May We Be People Of Honesty And Integrity Trying To Do The Right Thing At All Times And In All Circumstances.

The Battle For Self-discipline May Leave You A Bit Bruised And Battered But Always A Better Person.

The Lord Is In The Details Of Our Lives.

We May Not Only Find Faith In God In Our Sorrow. We May Also Become Faithful To Him In Times Of Calm.

My Dear Sisters, Do Not Pray For Tasks Equal To Your Abilities, But Pray For Abilities Equal To Your Tasks. Then The Performance Of Your Tasks Will Be No Miracle, But You Will Be The Miracle.

Any Excuse, No Matter How Valid, Only Weakens The Character.

We Tend To Become Like Those Whom We Admire.

[the Lord] Has Indicated That The Greatest Work We Parents Can Do Is Performed In Our Homes, And Our Homes Can Be Heaven, Particularly When Our Marriages Are Sealed In The House Of God.

May We Show Increased Kindness Toward One Another, And May We Ever Be Found Doing The Work Of The Lord.

In The Performance Of Our Responsibilities, I Have Learned That When We Heed A Silent Prompting And Act Upon It Without Delay, Our Heavenly Father Will Guide Our Footsteps And Bless Our Lives And The Lives Of Others. I Know Of No Experience More Sweet Or Feelings More Precious Than To Heed A Prompting, Only To Discover That The Lord Has Answered Another's Prayer Through You.

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There Are Rules And Laws To Help Ensure Our Physical Safety. Likewise, The Lord Has Provided Guidelines And Commandments To Help Ensure Our Spiritual Safety So That We Might Successfully Navigate This Often-treachero Us Mortal Existence And Return Eventually To Our Heavenly Father.

We Must Not Let Our Passions Destroy Our Dreams.

The All-important And Crowning Blessings Of Membership In The Church Are Those Blessings Which We Receive In The Temples Of God

We Become So Caught Up In The Busyness Of Our Lives. Were We To Step Back, However, And Take A Good Look At What We’re Doing, We May Find That We Have Immersed Ourselves In The “thick Of Thin Things.” In Other Words, Too Often We Spend Most Of Our Time Taking Care Of The Things Which Do Not Really Matter Much At All In The Grand Scheme Of Things, Neglecting Those More Important Causes.

In Short, If You Have Any Question About Whether A Particular Movie, Book, Or Other Form Of Entertainment Is Appropriate, Don’t See It, Don’t Read It, Don’t Participate.

We Are Never Alone When We Stand With Our Father In Heaven.

Father In Heaven

If We Do Not Have A Deep Foundation Of Faith And A Solid Testimony Of Truth, We May Have Difficulty Withstanding The Harsh Storms And Icy Winds Of Adversity Which Inevitably Come To Each Of Us.

Wherefore, Be Of Good Cheer, And Do Not Fear, For I The Lord Am With You, And Will Stand By You.

All Of Us Are Prone To Excuse Our Own Mediocre Performance. We Blame Our Misfortunes, Our Disfigurements, Our So-called Handicaps. Victims Of Our Own Rationalization, We Say Silently To Ourselves, 'i'm Just Too Weak,' Or 'i'm Not Cut Out For Better Things.' Others Soar Beyond Our Meager Accomplishments. Envy And Discouragement Take Their Toll. .

Hope Is Putting Faith To Work When Doubting Would Be Easier

Physically Walking Where Jesus Walked Is Less Important Than Walking As He Walked.

Some Are Young People Who Don't Know Who They Are, What They Can Be Or Even Want To Be. They Are Afraid, But They Don't Know Of What. They Are Angry, But They Don't Know At Whom. They Are Rejected And They Don't Know Why. All They Want Is To Be Somebody.

May We Incorporate Into Our Own Lives The Divine Principles Which He Joseph Smith So Beautifully Taught By Example, That We, Ourselves, Might Live More Completely The Gospel Of Jesus Christ. . . May Our Lives Reflect The Knowledge We Have That God Lives, That Jesus Christ Is His Son, That Joseph Smith Was A Prophet And That We Are Led Today By Another Prophet Of God - Even President Gordon B. Hinckley.

Gordon B Hinckley

When Faith Replaces Doubt, When Selfless Service Eliminates Selfish Striving, The Power Of God Brings To Pass His Purposes.

Gaze Upward, Look Inward, Reach Outward, Press Forward.

No One Can Make Us Angry. It Is Our Choice.

There Are Those Who Struggle Every Day With Challenges. Let Us Extend To Them Our Concern, As Well As A Helping Hand. As We Care For Each Other, We Will Be Blessed.

I Think There Is No Place In The World Where I Feel Closer To The Lord Than In One Of His Holy Temples.

When Fear Replaces Faith, Remember Prayer.

God Left The World Unfinished; The Pictures Unpainted, The Songs Unsung, And The Problems Unsolved, That Man Might Know The Joys Of Creation.

Let Us Make Of Our Homes Sanctuaries Of Righteousness, Places Of Prayer, And Abodes Of Love, That We Might Merit The Blessings That Can Come Only From Our Heavenly Father.

I Urge You To Live Within Your Means. One Cannot Spend More Than One Earns And Remain Solvent. I Promise You That You Will Then Be Happier Than You Would Be If You Were Constantly Worrying About How To Make The Next Payment On Nonessential Debt.

The Battle For Self-discipline May Leave You A Bit Bruised And Battered But Always A Better Person. Self-discipline Is A Rigorous Process At Best; Too Many Of Us Want It To Be Effortless And Painless. Should Temporary Setbacks Afflict Us, A Very Significant Part Of Our Struggle For Self-discipline Is The Determination And The Courage To Try Again....eternal Life In The Kingdom Of Our Father Is Your Goal, And Self-discipline Will Surely Be Required If You Are To Achieve It.

There Is No Better Time Than Now, This Very Christmas Season, For All Of Us To Rededicate Ourselves To The Principles Taught By Jesus Christ. It Is The Time To Love The Lord, Our God, With All Our Heart – And Our Neighbors As Ourselves. It Is Well To Remember That He Who Gives Money Gives Much; He Who Gives Time Gives More; But He Who Gives Of Himself Gives All.

No Problem Is Too Small For His Attention Nor So Large That He Cannot Answer The Prayer Of Faith. Prayer Surely Is The Passport To Spiritual Power.

Few See Beyond The Outward Appearance And Recognize The True Worth Of A Human Soul. When They Do, Miracles Occur.

Noah Heeded God’s Command To Build An Ark…that They Might Be Saved From The Floodwaters. Yet There Was No Evidence Of Rain And Flood. His Actions Were Considered Irrational. The Sun Was Shining And Life Moved Forward As Usual. But Time Ran Out. The Floods Came, The Disobedient Were Drowned. When God Speaks And We Obey, We Will Always Be Right.

It Has Been Said That The Gate Of History Turns On Small Hinges, And So Do People's Lives. The Choices We Make Determine Our Destiny.

The Spirit Must Be Freed From Tethers So Strong And Feelings Never Put To Rest, So That The Lift Of Life May Give Buoyancy To The Soul. In Many Families, There Are Hurt Feelings And A Reluctance To Forgive. It Doesn’t Really Matter What The Issue Was. It Cannot And Should Not Be Left To Injure. Blame Keeps Wounds Open. Only Forgiveness Heals. George Herbert, An Early 17th-century Poet, Wrote These Lines: ‘he That Cannot Forgive Others Breaks The Bridge Over Which He Himself Must Pass If He Would Ever Reach Heaven, For Everyone Has Need Of Forgiveness.’

Every Bishop Can Testify To The Promptings That Attend Calls To Serve In The Church. Frequently The Call Seems To Be For The Benefit Not So Much Of Those To Be Taught Or Led As For The Person Who Is To Teach Or Lead.

This Is Our One And Only Chance At Mortal Life-here And Now. The Longer We Live, The Greater Is Our Realization That It Is Brief. Opportunities Come, And Then They Are Gone. I Believe That Among The Greatest Lessons We Are To Learn In This Short Sojourn Upon The Earth Are Lessons That Help Us Distinguish Between What Is Important And What Is Not. I Plead With You Not To Let Those Most Important Things Pass You By. As You Plan For That Illusive, Nonexistent Future When You Will Have Time To Do All That You Want To Do. Instead, Find You In The Journey Now.

Spiritual Strength Frequently Comes Through Selfless Service.

Selfless Service

May We All Make The Journey To Bethlehem In Spirit, Taking With Us A Tender Caring Heart As Our Gift To The Savior.

Let Us Not Demean Or Belittle. Rather, Let Us Be Compassionate And Encouraging.

Anger Does Not Solve Anything; It Builds Nothing.

Love Should Be The Very Heart Of Family Life.

Our Thinking Will Automatically Improve When We Remember The Words Of Paul: 'know Ye Not That Ye Are The Temple Of God, And The Spirit Of God Dwelleth In You?

There Is Really No Way We Can Know The Heart, The Intentions, Or The Circumstances Of Someone Who Might Say Or Do Something We Find Reason To Criticize. Thus The Commandment: 'judge Not.'

One Day Each Of Us Will Run Out Of Tomorrows. Let Us Not Put Off What Is Important.

Our Opportunities To Give Of Ourselves Are Indeed Limitless, But They Are Also Perishable. There Are Hearts To Gladden. There Are Kind Words To Say. There Are Gifts To Be Given. There Are Deeds To Be Done. There Are Souls To Be Saved.

At Times Many Of Us Let That Enemy Of Achievement--even The Culprit 'self-defeat'--dwarf Our Aspirations, Smother Our Dreams, Cloud Our Vision, And Impair Our Lives. The Enemy's Voice Whispers In Our Ears, 'you Can't Do It.' 'you're Too Young.' 'you're Too Old.' 'you're Nobody.' This Is When We Remember That We Are Created In The Image Of God. Reflection On This Truth Provides A Profound Sense Of Strength And Power.

Courage Is Required To Make An Initial Thrust Towards Ones Coveted Goal, But Even Greater Courage Is Called For When One Stumbles And Must Make A Second Effort To Achieve.

In Reality, We Are All Travelers - Even Explorers Of Mortality.

You May Sometimes Be Tempted To Say, ‘will My Influence Make Any Difference? I Am Just One. Will My Service Affect The Work That Dramatically?’ I Testify To You That It Will. You Will Never Be Able To Measure Your Influence For Good.

One Cannot Remember Mother And Forget God.

Times Change; Years Speed By; But Christmas Continues Sacred.

Of Course, We Will Face Fear, Experience Ridicule, And Meet Opposition. Let Us Have The Courage To Defy The Consensus, The Courage To Stand For Principle. Courage, Not Compromise, Brings The Smile Of God's Approval.

Men Take Care Not To Make Women Weep, For God Counts Their Tears.

The Lord’s Purposes Are Often Accomplished As We Pay Heed To The Guidance Of The Spirit. I Believe That The More We Act Upon The Inspiration And Impressions Which Come To Us, The More The Lord Will Entrust To Us His Errands.

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