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Prepare Yourselves Mentally. A Mission Requires A Great Deal Of Mental Preparation. You Must Memorize Missionary Discussions, Memorize Scriptures, And Oftentimes Learn A New Language. The Discipline To Do This Is Learned In Your Early Years. Establish Now The Daily Practice Of Reading The Scriptures Ten To Fifteen Minutes Each Day. If You Do So, By The Time You Reach The Mission Field, You Will Have Read All Four Of The Standard Works. I Urge You To Read Particularly The Book Of Mormon So That You Can Testify Of Its Truthfulness As The Lord Has Directed.

-Ezra Taft Benson

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Prepare Yourselves Mentally. A

Ezra Taft Benson

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Prepare Yourselves Mentally. A Mission Requires A Great Deal Of Mental Preparation. You Must Memorize Missionary Discussions, Memorize Scriptures, And Oftentimes Learn A New Language. The Discipline To Do This Is Learned In Your Early Years. Establish Now The Daily Practice Of Reading The Scriptures Ten To Fifteen Minutes Each Day. If You Do So, By The Time You Reach The Mission Field, You Will Have Read All Four Of The Standard Works. I Urge You To Read Particularly The Book Of Mormon So That You Can Testify Of Its Truthfulness As The Lord Has Directed.

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As Members Of The Lord's Church, We Must Take Missionary Work More Seriously. The Lord's Commission To 'preach The Gospel To Every Creature' (mark 16:15) Will Never Change In Our Dispensation. We Have Been Greatly Blessed With The Material Means, The Technology, And An Inspired Message To Bring The Gospel To All Men. More Is Expected Of Us Than Any Previous Generation. Where 'much Is Given Much Is Required.' (d&c 82:3.)

An Honorable Man Or Woman Is One Who Is Truthful; Free From Deceit; Above Cheating, Lying, Stealing, Or Any Form Of Deception. An Honorable Man Or Woman Is One Who Learns Early That One Cannot Do Wrong And Feel Right. A Man's Character Is Judged On How He Keeps His Word And His Agreements.

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

When You Choose To Follow Christ, You Choose To Be Changed. Men And Women Changed For Christ Will Be Captained By Christ. Their Will Is Swallowed Up In His Will. They Do Always Those Things That Please The Lord. Not Only Would They Die For The Lord, But More Important They Want To Live For Him. They Stand As Witnesses Of God At All Times, And In All Things, And In All Places. They Have Christ On Their Minds, As They Look Unto Him In Every Thought. They Have Christ In Their Hearts As Their Affections Are Placed On Him Forever.

When Individual Members And Families Immerse Themselves In The Scriptures Regularly And Consistently, … Other Areas Of Activity Will Automatically Come. Testimonies Will Increase. Commitment Will Be Strengthened. Families Will Be Fortified. Personal Revelation Will Flow

By Deriving It's Just Powers From The Governed, Government Becomes Primarily A Mechanism For Defense Against Bodily Harm, Theft, And Involuntary Servitude. It Cannot Claim The Power To Redistribute Money Or Property Nor To Force Reluctant Citizens To Perform Acts Of Charity Against Their Will. Government Is Created By The People. No Individual Possesses The Power To Take Another's Wealth Or To Force Others To Do Good, So No Government Has The The Right To Do Such Things Either. The Creature Cannot Exceed The Creator.

Daily, Constantly, We Choose By Our Desires, Our Thoughts, And Our Actions Whether We Want To Be Blessed Or Cursed, Happy Or Miserable.

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

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

The Holy Ghost Causes Our Feelings To Be More Tender. We Feel More Charitable And Compassionate With Each Other. We Are More Calm In Our Relationships. We Have A Greater Capacity To Love Each Other. People Want To Be Around Us Because Our Very Countenances Radiate The Influence Of The Spirit. We Are More Godly In Our Character. As A Result, We Become Increasingly More Sensitive To The Promptings Of The Holy Ghost And Thus Able To Comprehend Spiritual Things More Clearly.

I Have Faith That The Constitution Will Be Saved As Prophesied By Joseph Smith. It Will Be Saved By The Righteous Citizens Of This Nation Who Love And Cherish Freedom. It Will Be Saved By Enlightened Members Of This Church-among Others-men And Women Who Understand And Abide The Principles Of The Constitution....i Testify That The God Of Heaven Sent Some Of His Choicest Spirits To Lay The Foundation Of This Government, And He Has Now Sent Other Choice Spirits To Help Preserve It.

We Need To Be More Grateful. I Think There Is No True Character Without Gratitude. It Is One Of The Marks Of A Real Strong Character To Have A Feeling Of Thanksgiving And Gratitude For Blessings. We Need More Of That Spirit In Our Homes, In Our Daily Associations, In The Church, Everywhere. It Doesn't Cost Anything, And It Is So Easy To Cultivate.

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

Selfishness Is One Of The More Common Faces Of Pride. 'how Everything Affects Me' Is The Center Of All That Matters-self-conceit, Self-pity, Worldly Self-fulfillment, Self-gratification, And Self-seeking.

Mothers Stay Close To Your Daughters Earn & Deserve Their Love & Respect Be United With Their Father In The Rearing Of Your Children Do Nothing In Your Life To Cause Your Daughters To Stumble Because Of Your Example.

I Wish That Every Latter-day Saint Could Say And Mean It With All His Heart: 'i'll Go Where You Want Me To Go. I'll Say What You Want Me To Say. I'll Be What You Want Me To Be'. If We Could Do That, We Would Be Assured Of The Maximum Happiness Here And Exaltation In The Celestial Kingdom Of God Hereafter.

A Father’s Duty Is To Make His Home A Place Of Happiness And Joy.

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

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

Let Us Never Lose Sight Of The Fact That Education Is A Preparation For Life - And That Preparing For Life Is Far More Than Knowing How To Make A Living Or How To Land On The Moon. Preparing For Life Means Building Personal Integrity, Developing A Sound Sense Of Values, Increasing The Capacity And Willingness To Serve. Education Must Have Its Roots In Moral Principles. If We Lose Sight Of That Fact In Our Attempt To Match Our Educational System Against That Of The Materialists, We Shall Have Lost Far More Than We Could Possibly Gain.

Prepare Yourselves Mentally. A Mission Requires A Great Deal Of Mental Preparation. You Must Memorize Missionary Discussions, Memorize Scriptures, And Oftentimes Learn A New Language. The Discipline To Do This Is Learned In Your Early Years. Establish Now The Daily Practice Of Reading The Scriptures Ten To Fifteen Minutes Each Day. If You Do So, By The Time You Reach The Mission Field, You Will Have Read All Four Of The Standard Works. I Urge You To Read Particularly The Book Of Mormon So That You Can Testify Of Its Truthfulness As The Lord Has Directed.

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

Communist Leaders

Men And Women Who Turn Their Lives Over To God Will Discover That He Can Make A Lot More Out Of Their Lives Than They Can.

Are We Reading The Constitution And Pondering It? Are We Aware Of Its Principles? Are We Abiding By These Principles And Teaching Them To Others? Could We Defend The Constitution? Can We Recognize When A Law Is Constitutionally Unsound? Do We Know What The Prophets Have Said About The Constitution And The Threats To It?

The Responsibility Of A Man Is To Lead His Family.

For Years We Have Been Counseled To Have On Hand A Year's Supply Of Food. Yet There Are Some Today Who Will Not Start Storing Until The Church Comes Out With A Detailed Monthly Home Storage Program. Now Suppose That Never Happens. We Still Cannot Say We Have Not Been Told. Should The Lord Decide At This Time To Cleanse The Church- And The Need For That Cleansing Seems To Be Increasing- A Famine In This Land Of One Year's Duration Could Wipe Out A Large Percentage Of Slothful Members, Including Some Ward And Stake Officers. Yet We Cannot Say We Have Not Been Warned.

Fathers, Yours Is An Eternal Calling From Which You Are Never Released. Callings In The Church, As Important As They Are, By Their Very Nature Are Only For A Period Of Time, And Then An Appropriate Release Takes Place. But A Father's Calling Is Eternal, And Its Importance Transcends Time. It Is A Calling For Both Time And Eternity.

For Over Forty Years, In A Spirit Of Love, Members Of The Church Have Been Counseled To Be Thrifty And Self-reliant; To Avoid Debt; Pay Tithes And A Generous Fast Offering; Be Industrious; And Have Sufficient Food, Clothing, And Fuel On Hand To Last At Least One Year. Today There Are Compelling Reasons To Reemphasize This Counsel.

Compelling Reason

It Is Not Enough Simply To Try To Resist Evil Or Empty Our Lives Of Sin. We Must Also Fill Our Lives With Righteousness

Any Christian Constitutionalist Who Retreats From This Battle Jeopardizes His Life Here And Hereafter. Seldom Has So Much Responsibility Hung On So Few, So Heavily; But Our Numbers Are Increasing, And We Who Have Been Warned Have A Responsibility To Warn Our Neighbor.

Encourage Your Children To Come To You For Counsel With Their Problems And Questions By Listening To Them Every Day. Discuss With Them Such Important Matters As Dating, Sex, And Other Matters Affecting Their Growth And Development, And Do It Early Enough So They Will Not Obtain Information From Questionable Sources.

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

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

Clean Hearts And Healthful Food, Exercise, Early Sleep And Fresh Air, Wholesome Recreation And Meditation Combined With Optimism That Comes From Fighting For The Right And Knowing You'll Eventually Win For Keeps - This Is The Tonic Every True Christian Patriot Needs And Deserves.

Since The Beginning, A Woman's First And Most Important Role Has Been Ushering Into Mortality Spirit Sons And Daughters Of Our Father In Heaven.

I Believe That God Has Endowed Men With Certain Inalienable Rights As Set Forth In The Declaration Of Independence And That No Legislature And No Majority, However Great, May Morally Limit Or Destroy These; That The Sole Function Of Government Is To Protect Life, Liberty, And Property, And Anything More Than This Is Usurpation And Oppression.

A Woman Whose Life Is Involved In The Righteous Rearing Of Her Children Has A Better Chance Of Keeping Up Her Spirits Than The Woman Whose Total Concern Is Centered In Her Own Personal Problems.

We Can Choose To Humble Ourselves By Conquering Enmity Toward Our Brothers And Sisters, Esteeming Them As Ourselves, And Lifting Them As High Or Higher Than We Are. . . .

Right And Wrong As Moral Principles Do Not Change. They Are Applicable And Reliable Determinants Whether The Situations With Which We Deal Are Simple Or Complicated. There Is Always A Right And Wrong To Every Question Which Requires Our Solution.

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

We Must Not Lose Hope. Hope Is An Anchor To The Souls Of Men. Satan Would Have Us Cast Away That Anchor.

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

One Sure Way We Can Determine Whether We Are On The Strait And Narrow Path Is That We Will Possess The Spirit Of The Lord In Our Lives. Having The Holy Ghost Brings Forth Certain Fruits. . . . The Most Important Thing In Our Lives Is The Spirit. I Have Always Felt That. We Must Remain Open And Sensitive To The Promptings Of The Holy Ghost In All Aspects Of Our Lives.

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

We Do Not Have To Prove The Book Of Mormon Is True. The Book Is Its Own Proof.

Men And Women Who Turn Their Lives Over To God Will Discover That He Can Make A Lot More Out Of Their Lives Than They Can. He Can Deepen Their Joys, Expand Their Vision, Quicken Their Minds, Strengthen Their Muscles, Lift Their Spirits, Multiply Their Blessings, Increase Their Opportunities, Comfort Their Soals, And Pour Out Peace.

I Rode Horseback Three Miles Each Way To Get To High School, And In Bad Weather It Was A Problem Sometimes To Make My Eight O'clock Class On Time. Like Others, I Often Missed School To Help On The Farm, Especially In The Fall, Until After Harvest, And In The Spring, During Planting Season.

For The Righteous, The Gospel Provides A Warning Before Calamity, A Program For The Crises, Refuge For Each Disaster... The Lord Has Warned Us Of Famines, But The Righteous Will Have Listened To The Prophets And Stored At Least One Year's Supply Of Survival Food.

It Is A Fundamental Truth That The Responsibilities Of Motherhood Cannot Be Successfully Delegated. No, Not To Day-care Centers, Not To Schools, Not To Nurseries, Not To Babysitters.

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

Beloved Youth, You Will Have Your Trials And Temptations Through Which You Must Pass, But There Are Great Moments Of Eternity Which Lie Ahead. You Have Our Love And Our Confidence. We Pray That You Will Be Prepared For The Reins Of Leadership. We Say To You, "arise And Shine Forth" And Be A Light Unto The World, A Standard To Others.

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

The Price Of Peace Is Righteousness. Men And Nations May Loudly Proclaim, 'peace, Peace,' But There Shall Be No Peace Until Individuals Nurture In Their Souls Those Principles Of Personal Purity, Integrity, And Character Which Foster The Development Of Peace. Peace Cannot Be Imposed. It Must Come From The Lives And Hearts Of Men. There Is No Other Way.

Christ Wants To Lift Us To Where He Is. Do We Desire To Do The Same For Others?

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

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

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

Pride Is The Great Stumbling Block Of Zion. I Repeat: Pride Is The Great Stumbling Block Of Zion.

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

Modesty In Dress And Language And Deportment Is A True Mark Of Refinement And A Hallmark Of A Virtuous Latter-day Saint Woman.

Pride Adversely Affects All Our Relationships - Our Relationship With God And His Servants, Between Husband And Wife, Parent And Child, Employer And Employee, Teacher And Student, And All Mankind.

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

Enthusiasm For Life

I Hope We Can Be Happy Where We Are, Be Grateful For Our Blessings-now-here, Accept The Challenge That Is Ours And Make The Most Of It, And Don't Be Envious Of Others. God Help Us To Be Grateful.

We Believe In A Moral Code. Communism Denies Innate Right Or Wrong. As W. Cleon Skousen Has Said In His Timely Book, The Naked Communist: The Communist 'has Convinced Himself That Nothing Is Evil Which Answers The Call Of Expediency.' This Is A Most Damnable Doctrine. People Who Truly Accept Such A Philosophy Have Neither Conscience Nor Honor. Force, Trickery, Lies, Broken Promises Are Wholly Justified.

Have A Good Physical Outlet Of Some Sport Or Exercise. Overcome Evil With Good. You Can Overcome Many Evil Inclinations Through Good Physical Exertion And Healthful Activities. A Healthy Soul...is In Better Condition To Overthrow The Devil.

We Have A Sacred Responsibility To Fulfill The Threefold Mission Of The Church—first, To Teach The Gospel To The World; Second, To Strengthen The Membership Of The Church Wherever They May Be; Third, To Move Forward The Work Of Salvation For The Dead.

If We Keep A Goal Firmly In Mind, We Will Know When We Have Reached It. This Gives Us A Sense Of Accomplishment And The Challenge Of Establishing Fresh, New Goals - Always Keeping The Long-range Objective In Mind. If We Can State Our Goals Clearly, We Will Gain A Purpose And Meaning In All Our Actions.

I Counsel You, In The Words Of Jesus Christ, To "watch And Pray I Always Lest Ye Enter Into Temptation; For Satan Desireth To Have You, That He May Sift You As Wheat" (3 Nephi 18:18). If You Will Earnestly Seek Guidance From Your Heavenly Father, Morning And Evening, You Will Be Given The Strength To Shun Any Temptation.

The Temple Will Be An Ever-present Reminder That God Intended The Family To Be Eternal.

There Are Times When You Simply Have To Righteous Hang On And Outlast The Devil.

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

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

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

Now, What Of The Entertainment That Is Available To Our Young People Today? Are You Being Undermined Right In Your Homes Through Your Television, Radio, Slick Magazines, And Rock Music Records?

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

For Nearly Six Thousand Years, God Has Held You In Reserve To Make Your Appearance In The Final Days Before The Second Coming Of The Lord. . . . God Has Saved For The Finalinning Some Of His Strongest And Most Valiant Children, Who Will Help Bear Off The Kingdom Triumphantly. That Is Where You Come In, For You Are The Generation That Must Be Prepared To Meet Your God. . . .

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

The Book Of Mormon Is Also The Keystone Of The Doctrine Of The Resurrection. As Mentioned Before, The Lord Himself Has Stated That The Book Of Mormon Contains The "fulness Of The Gospel Of Jesus Christ".

My Young Sisters, We Have Such Hope For You. We Have Such Great Expectations For You. Don't Settle For Less Than What The Lord Wants You To Be... Give Me A Young Woman Who Loves Home And Family, Who Reads And Ponders The Scriptures Daily, Who Has A Burning Testimony Of The Book Of Mormon... Give Me A Young Woman Who Is Virtuous And Who Has Maintained Her Personal Purity, Who Will Not Settle For Less Than A Temple Marriage, And I Will Give You A Young Woman Who Will Perform Miracles For The Lord Now And Throughout Eternity.

What Would God Have Me Do With My Life?

One Of Satan's Greatest Tools Is Pride: To Cause A Man Or A Woman To Center So Much Attention On Self That He Or She Becomes Insensitive To His Creator Or Fellow Beings. It Is A Cause For Discontent, Divorce, Teenage Rebellion, Family Indebtedness, And Most Other Problems We Face.

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

Too Often The Pressure For Popularity, On Children And Teens, Places An Economic Burden On The Income Of The Father, So Mother Feels She Must Go To Work To Satisfy Her Children's Needs. That Decision Can Be Most Shortsighted.

An Almost Forgotten Means Of Economic Self-reliance Is The Home Production Of Food. We Are Too Accustomed To Going To Stores And Purchasing What We Need.

When We Put God First, All Other Things Fall Into Their Proper Place Or Drop Out Of Our Lives.

Youth Is The Spirit Of Adventure And Awakening. It Is A Time Of Physical Emerging When The Body Attains The Vigor And Good Health That May Ignore The Caution Of Temperance. Youth Is A Period Of Timelessness When The Horizons Of Age Seem Too Distant To Be Noticed.

I Promise You That, With Increased Attendance In The Temples Of Our God, You Shall Receive Increased Personal Revelation To Bless Your Life As You Bless Those Who Have Died

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

I Began To Realize That When You Are At Peace With Your Maker You Can, If Not Ignore Human Criticism, At Least Rise Above It.

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

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

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

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

God Help Us To Be Grateful For Our Blessings, Never To Be Guilty Of The Sin Of Ingratitude, And To Instill This Same Gratitude Into The Lives Of Our Children.

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

If America Is Destroyed, It May Be By Americans Who Salute The Flag, Sing The National Anthem, March In Patriotic Parades, Cheer Fourth Of July Speakers - Normally Good Americans, But Americans Who Fail To Comprehend What Is Required To Keep Our Country Strong And Free, Americans Who Have Been Lulled Away Into A False Security.

It Is Better To Prepare And Prevent Than It Is To Repair And Repent.

Ours Is A Representative Republic With A Constitution In Which Is Recognized The Natural Law And The Natural Rights Of Man. It Is A Republic With A Spiritual Foundation Characterized By Freedom - Freedom For The Individual And For His Society.

God Our Father, Jesus, Our Elder Brother And Our Redeemer, And The Holy Ghost, The Testator, Are Perfect. They Know Us Best And Love Us Most And Will Not Leave One Thing Undone For Our Eternal Welfare. Should We Not Love Them For It And Honor Them First?

Beguiling Voices In The World Cry Out For 'alternative Lifestyles' For Women. They Maintain That Some Women Are Better Suited For Careers Than For Marriage And Motherhood.

Happy And Successful Homes Cannot Be Built On Immorality.

Above All Else, Children Need To Know And Feel They Are Loved, Wanted, And Appreciated. They Need To Be Assured Of That Often. Obviously, This Is A Role Parents Should Fill, And Most Often The Mother Can Do It Best.

If We Are To Achieve Long-range Goals, We Must Learn To Set Up And Accomplish Short-range Goals That Will Move Us Along The Way. If We Do Not Consciously Select Our Goals, We May Be Controlled By Goals Not Of Our Own Choosing - Goals Imposed By Outside Pressures (such As The Expectations Of Others) Or By Our Habits (such As Procrastination) Or By Our Desire For The Approval Of The World.

Procrastination

Many Of Us Have A Tendency To Forget The Gracious Hand Which Has Preserved Our Nation, Enriched It, Strengthened It. Many Of Us Imagine In The Foolishness Of Pride, That Our Manifold Blessings Are Due Not To God's Goodness, But To Our Own Wisdom And Virtue. Too Many Of Us Have Been So Drunk With Self-sufficiency As No Longer To Feel The Need Of Prayer.

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

When Our Heavenly Father Placed Adam And Eve On This Earth, He Did So With The Purpose In Mind Of Teaching Them How To Regain His Presence. Our Father Promised A Savior To Redeem Them From Their Fallen Condition.

Temples Are Places Of Personal Revelation. When I Have Been Weighed Down By A Problem Or A Difficulty, I Have Gone To The House Of The Lord With A Prayer In My Heart For Answers. The Answers Have Come In Clear And Unmistakable Ways.

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

Nations Cannot Endure In Sin.

Our Enmity Toward God Takes On Many Labels, Such As Rebellion, Hard-heartedness, Stiff-neckedness, Unrepentant, Puffed Up, Easily Offended, And Sign Seekers. The Proud Wish God Would Agree With Them. They Aren't Interested In Changing Their Opinions To Agree With God's.

The Revelation To Store Food May Be As Essential To Our Temporal Salvation Today As Boarding The Ark Was To The People In The Days Of Noah.

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

You Are The One Who Must Decide Whose Thoughts You Will Entertain. You Are Free To Choose-but You Are Not Free To Alter The Consequences Of Those Choices. You Will Be What You Think About What You Consistently Allow To Occupy The Stage Of Your Mind.

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

Without Christ There Would Be No Christmas And Without Christ There Can Be No Fulness Of Joy

One Of The Marks Of An Educated Man Today Is To Know What Not To Read--what Not To See Or What Not To Listen To.

God Loves Us. He's Watching Us, He Wants Us To Succeed, And We'll Know Someday That He Has Not Left One Thing Undone For The Eternal Welfare Of Each Of Us. If We Only Knew It, There Are Heavenly Hosts Pulling For Us -- Friends In Heaven That We Can't Rememer Now, Who Yearn For Our Victory.

The Book Of Mormon Was Written For Us Today. God Is The Author Of The Book. It Is A Record Of A Fallen People, Compiled By Inspired Men For Our Blessing Today. Those People Never Had The Book. It Was Meant For Us.

Our Bishops Storehouses Are Not Intended To Stock Enough Commodities To Care For All The Members Of The Church. Storehouses Are Only Established To Care For The Poor And The Needy. For This Reason, Members Of The Church Have Been Instructed To Personally Store A Year's Supply Of Food, Clothing, And, Where Possible, Fuel. By Following This Counsel, Most Members Will Be Prepared And Able To Care For Themselves And Their Family Members, And Be Able To Share With Others As May Be Needed.

He Is The Way, The Truth, And The Light, And No One Can Come Back Into The Presence Of Our Father In Heaven Except Through Him. Christ Is God The Son And Possesses Every Virtue In Its Perfection. Therefore, The Only Measure Of True Greatness Is How Close A Man Can Become Like Jesus. That Man Is Greatest Who Is Most Like Christ, And Those Who Love Him Most Will Be Most Like Him.

Personal Revelation, Consecration Of Performance, Attention To Detail, And Dependency On God-with These Qualities You Cannot Fail.

Humility Does Not Mean Weakness. It Does Not Mean Timidity. It Does Not Mean Fear. A Man Can Be Humble And Fearless. A Man Can Be Humble And Courageous.

The Devil Knows That If The Elders Of Israel Should Ever Wake Up, They Could Step Forth And Help Preserve Freedom And Extend The Gospel. Therefore The Devil Has Concentrated, And To A Large Extent Successfully, In Neutralizing Much Of The Priesthood. He Has Reduced Them To Sleeping Giants.

Have You Ever Asked Yourself Why One Person Is Honorable And Another Dishonorable; Why One Is Honest, Another Dishonest; Why One Is Moral, Another Immoral? Most Individuals Do Not Intend To Be Dishonest, Dishonorable, Or Immoral. They Seem To Allow Their Characters To Erode By A Series Of Rationalizations, Lies, And Compromises. Then When Grave Temptation Presents Itself, They Haven't The Strength Of Character To Do What They Know To Be Right.

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

Those Who Are Heavy-laden With Despair Should Come Unto The Lord.

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

When You Are Tempted To Look Elsewhere For Greener Pastures, Just Remember Someone Else Is Probably Looking At Yours. And If Another Pasture Looks Greener, Perhaps It Is Getting Better Care And Attention. Grass Is Always Greener . . . Where It Is Watered.

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

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

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

The God Of Heaven Sent Some Of His Choicest Spirits To Lay The Foundation Of This Government. And He Has Sent Other Choice Spirits To Preserve It.

If There Is One Word That Describes The Meaning Of Character, It Is The Word Honor. Without Honor, Civilization Would Not Long Exist. Without Honor, There Could Be No Dependable Contracts, No Lasting Marriages, No Trust Or Happiness. What Does The Word Honor Mean To You? To Me, Honor Is Summarized In This Expression By The Poet Tennyson, "man's Word [of Honor] Is God In Man."

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

Records, Radio, Television, Movies, Magazines-all Are Monopolized By The Money Managers Who Are Guided By One Ethic, The Words Wealth And Power.

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

What Does The Atonement Have To Do With Missionary Work? Any Time We Experience The Blessings Of The Atonement In Our Lives, We Cannot Help But Have A Concern For The Welfare Of Others. ... A Great Indicator Of One's Personal Conversion Is The Desire To Share The Gospel With Others.

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

If We Would Truly Seek To Be More Like Our Savior And Master, Learning To Love As He Loves Should Be Our Highest Goal

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

Working Together

There Could Not Be A Restoration Of The Gospel Without Freedom. God Provided This Country As The Base Of His Operations In These The Last Days, A Place Where There Would Be Freedom, Where He Could Restore His Gospel.

The Earth Was Cursed For Adam's Sake. Work Is Our Blessing, Not Our Doom. God Has A Work To Do, And So Should We.

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

It Is My Firm Belief That The God Of Heaven Raised Up The Founding Fathers And Inspired Them To Establish The Constitution Of This Land. This Is Part Of My Religious Faith. To Me This Is Not Just Another Nation. It Is A Great And Glorious Nation With A Divine Mission To Perform For Liberty-loving People Everywhere.

Today, With The Abundance Of Books Available, It Is The Mark Of A Truly Educated Man To Know What Not To Read. … Feed Only On The Best. As John Wesley’s Mother Counseled Him: ‘avoid Whatever Weakens Your Reason, Impairs The Tenderness Of Your Conscience, Obscures Your Sense Of God, Takes Off Your Relish For Spiritual Things, … Increases The Authority Of The Body Over The Mind.

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

Making Decisions Is Probably The Most Important Thing People Ever Do. Nothing Happens Until Someone Makes A Decision.

Some Prideful People Are Not So Concerned As To Whether Their Wages Meet Their Needs As They Are That Their Wages Are More Than Someone Else’s. Their Reward Is Being A Cut Above The Rest. This Is The Enmity Of Pride.

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

When We Set Goals We Are In Command. If We Know Where We Are Going, We Can Judge More Accurately Where We Are Now And Make Effective Plans To Reach Our Destination.

Our Desires, Be They Spiritual Or Temporal, Should Be Rooted In A Love Of The Lord.

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

In These Sacred Documents Are Embodied Eternal Principles That No Man, Group Of Men, Or Nation Has The Right To Withhold From Others. Here Is Our Basis For Freedom Of Individual Achievement. Our Constitution With Its Bill Of Rights Guarantees To All Our People The Greatest Freedom Ever Enjoyed By The People Of Any Great Nation. This System Guarantees Freedom Of Individual Enterprise, Freedom To Own Property, Freedom To Start One's Own Business And To Operate It According To One's Own Judgment So Long As The Enterprise Is Honorable.

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

I Would Rather Say Whoa To A Leader Than Gittie Up.

Gods' Payment Is The Best Payment.

I Testify That Wickedness Is Rapidly Expanding In Every Segment Of Our Society. It Is More Highly Organized, More Cleverly Disguised, And More Powerfully Promoted Than Ever Before. Secret Combinations Lusting For Power, Gain, And Glory Are Flourishing. A Secret Combination That Seeks To Overthrow The Freedom Of All Lands, Nations, And Countries Is Increasing Its Evil Influence And Control Over America And The Entire World.

The Declaration Of Independence To Which These Great Men Affixed Their Signatures Is Much More Than A Political Document. It Constitutes A Spiritual Manifesto-revel Ation, If You Will-declaring Not For This Nation Only, But For All Nations, The Source Of Man's Rights.

The Book Of Mormon Is The "keystone" Of Our Religion, And The Doctrine And Covenants Is The Capstone, With Continuing Latter-day Revelation.

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

Our Parents Deserve Our Honor And Respect For Giving Us Life Itself. Beyond This They Almost Always Made Countless Sacrifices As They Cared For And Nurtured Us Through Our Infancy And Childhood, Provided Us With The Necessities Of Life, And Nursed Us Through Physical Illnesses And The Emotional Stresses Of Growing Up.

We Have Many Responsibilities, And One Cannot Expect The Full Blessings Of A Kind Providence If He Neglects Any Major Duty. A Man Has Duties To His Church, His Home, His Country, And His Profession Or Job.

One Of The Trials Of Life Is That We Do Not Usually Receive Immediately The Full Blessing For Righteousness Or The Full Cursing For Wickedness.

Yes, It Is The Precepts Of Men Versus The Revealed Word Of God. The More We Follow The Word Of God The Less We Are Deceived, While Those Who Follow The Wisdom Of Men Are Deceived The Most.

When I Think Of How We Show Faith, I Cannot Help But Think Of The Example Of My Own Father. I Recall Vividly How The Spirit Of Missionary Work Came Into My Life. I Was About Thirteen Years Of Age When My Father Received A Call To Go On A Mission.

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

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

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

Do Not Be Caught Up In Materialism, One Of The Real Plagues Of Our Generation-that Is, Acquiring Things, Fast-paced Living, And Securing Career Success.

This Latter Day Work Is Spiritual. It Takes Spirituality To Comprehend It, To Love It, To Discern It. Therefore, Seek The Spirit In All You Do. Keep It With You Continually. That Is Our Challenge.

Young People, Your Parents, With Their Maturity Of Years And Experience You Have Not Had, Can Provide Wisdom, Knowledge, And Blessings To Help You Over Life's Pitfalls. You May Find, That Life's Sweetest Experiences Come When You Go To Mom And Dad For Help.

Pride Is The Great Stumbling Block Of Zion...pride Is Ugly; It Says If You Succeed I Am A Failure...pride Is Basically Competitive In Nature. When Competition Ends, Pride Ends.

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

We Will Not Know Him, Until We Become Like Him.

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

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

A Secret Combination That Seeks To Overthrow The Freedom Of All Lands, Nations, And Countries Is Increasing In Its Evil Influence And Control Over America And The Entire World.

A Man Must Not Only Stand For The Right Principles, But He Must Also Fight For Them. Those Who Fight For Principle Can Be Proud Of The Friends They've Gained And The Enemies They've Earned.

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

Wickedness Never Did, Never Does, Never Will Bring Us Happiness.

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

He Who Kneels Before God, Can Stand Before Any Man.

Listening To God

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

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

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

If We Do Not Feel Like Praying, Then We Should Pray Until We Do Feel Like Praying.

Our Wise Founders Seemed To Understand, Better Than Most Of Us, Our Own Scripture, Which States That ‘it Is The Nature And Disposition Of Almost All Men, As Soon As They Get A Little Authority … They Will Immediately Begin To Exercise Unrighteous Dominion.’

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

Pride Is Concerned With Who Is Right. Humility Is Concerned With What Is Right.

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

Our Families May Be Corrupted By Worldly Trends And Teachings Unless We Know How To Use The [book Of Mormon] To Expose And Combat The Falsehoods In Socialism, Organic Evolution, Rationalism, Humanism, And So Forth.…and Our Nation Will Continue To Degenerate Unless We Read And Heed The Words Of The God Of This Land, Jesus Christ, And Quit Building Up And Upholding The Secret Combinations Which The Book Of Mormon Tells Us Proved The Downfall Of Both Previous American Civilizations.

Grandparents Can Have A Profound Influence On Their Grandchildren. Their Time Is Generally Not As Encumbered And Busy As The Parents', So Books Can Be Opened And Read, Stories Can Be Told... Children Then Obtain A Perspective Of Life Which Not Only Is Rewarding But Can Bring Them Security, Peace, And Strength.

The Expression "follow The Brethren" Has A Broader Meaning Than Some Would Apply To It. It Means Not Only To Agree With The Counsel Given To The Church By The Brethren, But Also To Follow Their Example In Appearance And Deportment.

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

Pride Is Essentially Competitive In Nature. We Pit Our Will Against God's.

The World Today Speaks A Great Deal About Love, And It Is Sought By Many. But The Pure Love Of Christ Differs Greatly From What The World Thinks Of Love. Charity Never Seeks Selfish Gratification. The Pure Love Of Christ Seeks Only The Eternal Growth And Joy Of Others.

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

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

You Must Not Allow Yourselves To Become Discouraged. Missionary Work Brings Joy, Optimism, And Happiness. Don't Give Satan An Opportunity To Discourage You. Here Again, Work Is The Answer. The Lord Has Given Us A Key By Which We Can Overcome Discouragement: "come Unto Me, All Ye That Labor And Are Heavy Laden, And I Will Give You Rest. Take My Yoke Upon You, And Learn Of Me; For I Am Meek And Lowly In Heart; And Ye Shall Find Rest Unto Your Souls. For My Yoke Is Easy And My Burden Is Light."

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

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