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My Plea Is That As We Continue Our Search For Truth, Particularly We Of The Church, That We Look For Strength And Goodness Rather Than Weakness And Failings In Those Who Did So Great A Work In Their Time. We Recognize That Our Forefathers Were Human. They Doubtless Made Mistakes. Some Of Them Acknowledged Making Mistakes. But The Mistakes Were Minor When Compared With The Marvelous Work Which They Accomplished.

-Gordon B. Hinckley

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My Plea Is That

Gordon B. Hinckley

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My Plea Is That As We Continue Our Search For Truth, Particularly We Of The Church, That We Look For Strength And Goodness Rather Than Weakness And Failings In Those Who Did So Great A Work In Their Time. We Recognize That Our Forefathers Were Human. They Doubtless Made Mistakes. Some Of Them Acknowledged Making Mistakes. But The Mistakes Were Minor When Compared With The Marvelous Work Which They Accomplished.

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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.

We Are Sometimes Told That We Are Not A Biblical Church. We Are A Biblical Church. This Wonderful Testament Of The Old World, This Great And Good Holy Bible Is One Of Our Standard Works. We Teach From It. We Bear Testimony Of It. We Read From It. It Strengthens Our Testimony. And We Add To That This Great Second Witness, The Book Of Mormon, The Testament Of The New World, For As The Bible Says, "in The Mouth Of Two Or Three Witnesses Shall [all Things] Be Established" (2 Cor. 13:1).

There Is Too Much Of Criticism And Faultfinding With Anger And Raised Voices.

You Are Doing The Best You Can, And That Best Results In Good To Yourself And To Others. Do Not Nag Yourself With A Sense Of Failure. Get On Your Knees And Ask For The Blessings Of The Lord;then Stand On Your Feet And Do What You Are Asked To Do.

If You Serve A Mission Faithfully And Well, You Will Be A Better Husband, You Will Be A Better Father, You Will Be A Better Student, A Better Worker In Your Chosen Vocation. Love Is Of The Essence Of This Missionary Work. Selflessness Is Of Its Very Nature. Self-discipline Is Its Requirement. Prayer Opens Its Reservoir Of Power.

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

A Testimony Is A Conviction, A Quiet Inward Certainty Of The Reality Of The Living God, Of The Divinity Of His Beloved Son, Of The Restoration Of Their Work In This Time. It Demands That We Do What He Has Asked Us To Do.

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.

Be Grateful, Be Smart, Be Clean, Be True, Be Humble, Be Prayerful.

It Is Not So Much The Major Events As The Small Day-to-day Decisions That Map The Course Of Our Living. . . Our Lives Are, In Reality, The Sum Total Of Our Seemingly Unimportant Decisions And Of Our Capacity To Live By Those Decisions.

There Is No Obstacle Too Great, No Challenge Too Difficult, If We Have Faith.

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.

I Think That The Churches Do A Better Job In Many Respects Than The Government Does In Various Kinds Of Things. Extending Aid, The Helpfulness, And So On, Yes.

There Is No Greater Blessing That You Can Have Than To Stand As A Proxy In A Great Service To Those Who Have Gone Beyond. And It Will Be Your Privilege And Your Opportunity And Your Responsibility To Live Worthy To Go To The Temple Of The Lord And Be Baptized In Behalf Of Someone Else.

You Have As Great An Opportunity For Satisfaction In The Performance Of Your Duty As I Do In Mine. The Progress Of This Work Will Be Determined By Our Joint Efforts. Whatever Your Calling, It Is As Fraught With The Same Kind Of Opportunity To Accomplish Good As Is Mine. What Is Really Important Is That This Is The Work Of The Master. Our Work Is To Go About Doing Good As Did He.

Gratitude Is Of The Very Essence Of Worship. ... When You Walk With Gratitude, You Do Not Walk With Arrogance And Conceit And Egotism, You Walk With A Spirit Of Thanksgiving That Is Becoming To You And Will Bless Your Lives. Sincerely Giving Thanks Not Only Helps Us Recognize Our Blessings, It Also Unlocks The Doors Of Heaven And Helps Us Feel God's Love.

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.

There Are Few Things More Pathetic Than Those Who Have Lost Their Curiosity And Sense Of Adventure, And Who No Longer Care To Learn.

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

Nobody Is Lost Until Somebody Has Given Up.

If We Live By The Principles Of The Gospel, We Must Be Good People, For We Will Be Generous And Kind, Thoughtful And Tolerant, Helpful And Outreaching To Those In Distress. We Can Either Subdue The Divine Nature And Hide It So That It Finds No Expression In Our Lives, Or We Can Bring It To The Front And Let It Shine Through All That We Do.

Within Your Sphere Of Responsibility You Have As Serious An Obligation As Do I Within My Sphere Of Responsibility. Each Of Us Should Be Determined To Build The Kingdom Of God On The Earth And To Further The Work Of Righteousness.

There Have Been Times When A Particularly Heavy Dose Of Such Cynicism Has Caused Me To Reflect That Surely This Is The Age And Place Of The Gifted Pickle Sucker!

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.

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

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

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.

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.

Of Course We're Christian. The Very Name Of The Church Declares That. The More People See Us And Come To Know Us, The More I Believe They Will Come To Realize That We Are Trying To Exemplify In Our Lives And In Our Living The Great Ideals Which (jesus Christ) Taught.

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

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.

One Of The Great Compliments Paid The Savior Was That He Taught As One Having Authority. The Missionary Who Knows Scripture And Can Quote It Speaks With The Voice Of Authority...may I Suggest That In Our Family Night Gatherings We Make It A Project To Memorize One Scripture A Week Pertinent To This Work. At The Conclusion Of A Year Our Children Will Have On Their Lips A Fund Of Scripture Which Will Remain With Them Throughout Their Lives.

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.

Keep Your Families Close Together, And Love And Honor Your Children.

Rise Above... Cultivate The Light You Have Within You, And It Will Shine Through As A Radiant Expression That Will Be Seen By Others.

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.

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.

If You Are Too Busy In Your Church Activities To Take Care Of Your Family, Then Perhaps We Had Better Find Something Else For You To Do.

Just As Our Redeemer Gave His Life As A Vicarious Sacrifice For All Men, And In So Doing Became Our Savior, Even So We, In A Small Measure, When We Engage In Proxy Work In The Temple, Become As Saviors To Those On The Other Side.

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

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

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.

Let Us Not Live A Life … That Would Bring Regret. … It Is Not Going To Matter Very Much How Much Money You Made, What Kind Of A House You Lived In, What Kind Of A Car You Drove, The Size Of Your Bank Account—any Of Those Things. What Is Going To Matter Is That Dear Woman Who Has Walked With You Side By Side As Your Companion Through All Of The Years Of Life And Those Children And Grandchildren And Great-grandchildren And Their Faithfulness And Their Looking To You … With Respect And Love And Deference And Kindness.

Do The Best You Can. But I Want To Emphasize That It Be The Very Best. We Are Too Prone To Be Satisfied With Mediocre Performance. We Are Capable Of Doing So Much Better.

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

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.

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.

God Is Only God When He Is Acting As Such.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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?

What A Marvelous And Wonderful Thing Is #‎ Prayer . Think Of It. We Can Actually Speak With Our Father In #‎ Heaven .

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.

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

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.

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

Christmas Is More Than Trees And Twinkling Lights, More Than Toys And Gifts And Baubles Of A Hundred Varieties. It Is Love. It Is The Love Of The Son Of God For All Mankind. It Is Magnificent And Beautiful.

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

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.

Life Is To Be Enjoyed, Not Endured

Forget Yourself And Get To Work.

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.

Cultivate Within Yourselves The Mighty Power Of Self-discipline.

Self Discipline

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Success In Life

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

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.

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

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

Do Not Nag Yourself With A Sense Of Failure

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.

The World Is Our Responsibility. We Cannot Evade It.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Thank And Glorify His Beloved Son, Who, With Indescribable Suffering, Gave His Life On Calvary's Cross To Pay The Debt Of Mortal Sin. He It Was Who, Through His Atoning Sacrifice, Broke The Bonds Of Death And With Godly Power Rose Triumphant From The Tomb. He Is Our Redeemer, The Redeemer Of All Mankind. He Is The Savior Of The World. He Is The Son Of God, The Author Of Our Salvation.

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.

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.

We Live In A World Of Shifting Values. The Family Is Falling Apart. Parents Failing In What They Ought To Do.

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.

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

All Of Us Have Far Too Much To Do To Waste Our Time And Energies In Criticism, Faultfinding, Or The Abuse Of Others.

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

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."

Love For The Lord, Love For His Servants The Missionaries. Missionary Work Is A Work Of Love And Trust, And It Has To Be Done On That Basis.

Criticism Is The Forerunner Of Divorce, The Cultivator Of Rebellion, Sometimes An Agent That Leads To Failure.

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.

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.

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.

God Will Always Make A Way Where There Is No Way.

Our Kindness May Be The Most Persuasive Argument For That Which We Believe.

God Will Bless Us If We Walk In Humility.

Who Can Calculate The Wounds Inflicted, Their Depth And Pain, By Harsh And Mean Words Spoken In Anger? How Pitiful A Sight Is A Man Who Is Strong In Many Ways But Who Loses All Control Of Himself When Some Little Thing, Usually Of No Significant Consequence, Disturbs His Equanimity.

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.

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.

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.

You Have The Potential To Become Anything To Which You Set Your Mind. You Have A Mind And A Body And A Spirit. With These Three Working Together, You Can Walk The High Road That Leads To Achievement And Happiness. But This Will Require Effort And Sacrifice And Faith.

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.

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

... The Whole Design Of The Gospel Is To Lead Us Onward And Upward To Greater Achievement, Even, Eventually, To Godhood. This Great Possibility Was Enunciated By The Prophet Joseph Smith In The King Follet Sermon. It Is This Grand And Incomparable Concept: As God Now Is, Man May Become!

Onward And Upward

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?

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

Without Hard Work, Nothing Grows But Weeds.

Children Don’t Need Beating. They Need Love And Encouragement. They Need Fathers To Whom They Can Look With Respect Rather Than Fear. Above All, They Need Example.

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

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.

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.

The Remedy For Most Marital Stress Is Not In Divorce. It Is In Repentance And Forgiveness, In Sincere Expressions Of Charity And Service. It Is Not In Separation. It Is In Simple Integrity That Leads A Man And A Woman To Square Up Their Shoulders And Meet Their Obligations. It Is Found In The Golden Rule, A Time-honored Principle That Should First And Foremost Find Expression In Marriage.

We Live In A World Where Knowledge Is Developing At An Ever-accelerating Rate. Drink Deeply From This Ever-springing Well Of Wisdom And Human Experience.

Human Experience

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Integrity Is At The Heart Of Commerce In The World In Which We Live. Honesty And Integrity Comprise The Very Underpinnings Of Society.....indeed, The Strength And Safety Of Any Organization-including The Family-lie In The Integrity Of Its Members. Without Personal Integrity, There Can Be No Confidence. Without Confidence, There Can Be No Prospect Of Permanent Success.

In Terms Of You Happiness, In Terms Of The Matters That Make You Proud Or Sad, Nothing-i Repeat, Nothing-will Have So Profound An Effect On You As The Way Your Children Turn Out. You Will Either Rejoice And Boast Of Their Accomplishments Or You Will Weep, Head In Hands, Bereft And Forlorn, If They Become A Disappointment Or An Embarrassment To You.

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

Language Of Love

There Cannot Be Peace Where There Is Not Trust; There Cannot Be Freedom Where There Is Not Loyalty

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.

One Of The Great Tragedies We Witness Almost Daily Is The Tragedy Of Men Of High Aim And Low Achievement. Their Motives Are Noble. Their Proclaimed Ambition Is Praiseworthy. Their Capacity To Achieve Is Great. But Their Discipline Is Weak. They Succumb To Indolence. Appetite Robs Them Of Will.

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

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.

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.

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.

Be True To Who You Are And The Family Name You Bare.

Be True To Who You Are

It Is Not Wise, Or Even Possible, To Divorce Private Behavior From Public Leadership.... By Its Very Nature, True Leadership Carries With It The Burden Of Being An Example.

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

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

Dishonesty Of Any Kind Will Create A Blemish.

We Recognize The Universal Power Of Music To Touch The Hearts Of Men And Women Everywhere And In All Generations-to Inspire And Encourage, To Sustain And Lift, To Comfort And Bring Peace.

Go Forward In Life With A Twinkle In Your Eye And A Smile On Your Face, But With Great Purpose In Heart.

In All We Do We Must Cultivate Faith. Increased Faith Is The Touchstone To Improved Church Performance.

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

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

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.

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

Mediocrity Will Never Do. You Are Capable Of Something Better.

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

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

When We Speak Quietly One To Another Things Somehow Get Settled.

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

Helping Someone

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

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

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.

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.

Love Is The Very Essence Of Life.

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

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.

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.

No Matter How Old We Become, We Can Acquire Knowledge And Use It. We Can Gather Wisdom And Profit From It. We Can Grow And Progress And Improve-and, In The Process, Strengthen The Livs Of Those Within Our Circle Of Influence.

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.

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

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

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 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 Think [forgiveness] May Be The Greatest Virtue On Earth, And Certainly The Most Needed. There Is So Much Of Meanness And Abuse, Of Intolerance And Hatred. There Is So Great A Need For Repentance And Forgiveness. It Is The Great Principle Emphasized In All Of Scripture, Both Ancient And Modern. Somehow Forgiveness, With Love And Tolerance, Accomplishes Miracles That Can Happen In No Other Way.

Repentance And Forgiveness

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.

Live Today As If You Were Going To Live Forever, For You Surely Shall.

Avoid Alcohol As You Would A Loathsome Disease. Beer Will Do To You What Hard Liquor Will Do. Each Contains Alcohol In Varying Amounts.

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.

By And Large, I Have Come To See That If We Complain About Life, It Is Because We Are Thinking Only Of Ourselves.

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.

I Am Suggesting That We Spend A Little Less Time In Idleness, In The Fruitless Pursuit Of Watching Inane And Empty Television Programs. Time So Utilized Can Be Put To Better Advantage, And The Consequences Will Be Wonderful.

The Things Of God Are Understood By The Spirit Of God. That Spirit Is Real. To Those Who Have Experienced Its Workings, The Knowledge So Gained Is As Real As That Received Through The Operation Of The Five Senses. I Testify Of This. . . . I Urge You To Continue Throughout Your Lives To Cultivate A Heart In Tune With The Spirit. If You Do So, Your Lives Will Be Enriched. You Will Feel A Kinship With God Our Eternal Father. You Will Taste The Sweetness Of Joy That Can Be Had In No Other Way.

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

Behold Your Little Ones. Pray With Them. Pray For Them And Bless Them. The World Into Which They Are Moving Is A Complex And Difficult World. They Will Run Into Heavy Seas Of Adversity. They Will Need All The Strength And All The Faith You Can Give Them While They Are Yet Near You. While They Are Young, Pray With Them That They May Come To Know That Source Of Strength Which Shall Then Always Be Taught Of The Lord' And Great Shall Be The Peace Of Thy Children.

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.

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

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

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.

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

Women Who Make A House A Home Make A Far Greater Contribution To Society Than Those Who Command Large Armies Or Stand At The Head Of Impressive Corporations.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

The Family Is A Creation Of God. The Way To Strengthen The Nation Is To Strengthen The Homes Of The People.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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