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Rather Than Dwelling On The Past, We Should Make The Most Of Today, Of The Here And Now, Doing All We Can To Provide Pleasant Memories For The Future…if You Are Still In The Process Of Raising Children Be Aware That The Tiny Fingerprints That Show Up On Almost Every Newly Cleaned Surface, The Toys Scattered About The House, The Piles And Piles Of Laundry To Be Tackled, Will Disappear All Too Soon, And That You Will, To Your Surprise, Miss Them, Profoundly.

-Thomas S. Monson

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Rather Than Dwelling On

Thomas S. Monson

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Rather Than Dwelling On The Past, We Should Make The Most Of Today, Of The Here And Now, Doing All We Can To Provide Pleasant Memories For The Future…if You Are Still In The Process Of Raising Children Be Aware That The Tiny Fingerprints That Show Up On Almost Every Newly Cleaned Surface, The Toys Scattered About The House, The Piles And Piles Of Laundry To Be Tackled, Will Disappear All Too Soon, And That You Will, To Your Surprise, Miss Them, Profoundly.

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

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.

If We Are To Have The Very Best Christmas Ever, We Must Listen For The Sound Of Sandaled Feet. We Must Reach Out For The Carpenter's Hand. With Every Step We Take In His Footsteps, We Abandon A Doubt And Gain A Truth.

There Will Be Occasions In Each Of Our Lives When We Will Be Called Upon To Explain Or To Defend Our Beliefs. When The Time For Performance Arrives, The Time For Preparation Is Past.

Let Me Begin Now, This Very Night, To Emulate Christ. Cast Off Forever Will Be The Old Self And With It Defeat, Despair, Doubt, And Disbelief. To A Newness Of Life I Come--a Life Of Faith, Hope Courage, And Joy. No Task Looms Too Large; No Responsibility Too Heavy; No Duty Is A Burden. All Things Become Possible.

As We Seek Christ, As We Find Him, As We Follow Him, We Shall Have The Christmas Spirit, Not For One Fleeting Day Each Year, But As A Companion Always.

Christ's Peace Can Permeate Any Heart - Hearts That Are Troubled, Burdened With Grief, Confused, And Pleading For Help.

The World Can Be A Challenging And Difficult Place In Which To Live. We Are Often Surrounded By That Which Would Drag Us Down. As You And I Go To The Holy Houses Of God, As We Remember The Covenants We Make Within, We Will Be More Able To Bear Every Trial And To Overcome Each Temptation. In This Sacred Sanctuary We Will Find Peace; We Will Be Renewed And Fortified.

A Moral Coward Is One Who Is Afraid To Do What He Thinks Is Right Because Others Will Disapprove Or Laugh. Remember That All Men Have Their Fears, But Those Who Face Their Fears With Dignity Have Courage As Well.

To Live With Gratitude Ever In Our Hearts Is To Touch Heaven.

Prayer Can Solve More Problems, Alleviate More Suffering, Prevent More Transgression, And Bring About Greater Peace And Contentment In The Human Soul Than Can Be Obtained In Any Other Way.

Forgiveness Should Go Hand-in-hand With Love.

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."

When We Ponder That Vast Throng Who Have Died Honorably Defending Home And Hearth, We Contemplate Those Immortal Words, 'greater Love Hath No Man Than This, That A Man Lay Down His Life For His Friends.' The Feelings Of Heartfelt Gratitude For The Supreme Sacrifice Made By So Many Cannot Be Confined To A Memorial Day, A Military Parade, Or A Decorated Grave.

We Will Never Regret The Kind Words Spoken Or The Affection Shown. Rather, Our Regrets Will Come If Such Things Are Omitted From Our Relationships With Those Who Mean The Most To Us.

As We Follow That Man Of Galilee-even The Lord Jesus Christ-our Personal Influence Will Be Felt For Good Wherever We Are, Whatever Our Callings.

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

Choose A Field That Will Supply Sufficient Remuneration To Provide Adequately For Your Companion And Your Children. I Bear Testimony That These Criteria Are Very Important In Choosing Your Life's Work.

Because Sexual Intimacy Is So Sacred, The Lord Requires Self-control And Purity Before Marriage, As Well As Full Fidelity After Marriage... Tears Inevitably Follow Transgression. Men, Take Care Not To Make Women Weep, For God Counts Their Tears.

We Must Develop The Capacity To See Men Not As They Are At Present But As They May Become.

Let Us Open Wide The Windows Of Our Hearts, That Each Family Member May Feel Welcome And 'at Home.' Let Us Open Also The Doors Of Our Very Souls, That The Dear ________ May Enter. Remember His Promise: 'behold, I Stand At The Door, And Knock: If Any Man Hear My Voice, And Open The Door, I Will Come In To Him' (revelation 3:20).

I Ask You To Make Institute A Priority.

Can We Somehow Muster The Courage And Steadfastness Of Purpose That Characterized The Pioneers Of A Former Generation? Can You And I, In Actual Fact, Be Pioneers [today]?

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

I Extol Those Who, With Loving Care And Compassionate Concern, Feed The Hungry, Clothe The Naked, And House The Homeless. He Who Notes The Sparrow's Fall Will Not Be Unmindful Of Such Service.

Perhaps The Surest Test Of An Individual's Integrity Is His Refusal To Do Or Say Anything That Would Damage His Self-respect.

In The Private Sanctuary Of One's Own Conscience Lies That Spirit, That Determination To Cast Off The Old Person And To Measure Up To The Statue Of True Potential.

On Occasion We Need To Make A Second Effort - And A Third Effort, And A Fourth Effort, And As Many Degrees Of Effort As May Be Required To Accomplish What We Strive To Achieve.

Help Others In Their Race Of Life. Remember That When You Help Another Up A Mountain, You Are A Little Nearer The Top Yourself.

One, Two, Three...let's Go Shopping!

In The Temple We Can Find Peace. The Blessings Of The Temple Are Priceless.

Perhaps There Has Never Been A Time When We Had Greater Need To Pray And To Teach Our Family Members To Pray. Prayer Is A Defense Against Temptation. It Is Through Earnest And Heartfelt Prayer That We Can Receive The Needed Blessings And The Support Required To Make Our Way In This Sometimes Difficult And Challenging Journey We Call Mortality.

There Will Be Times When You Will Be Frightened And Discouraged. You May Feel That You Are Defeated. The Odds Of Obtaining Victory May Appear Overwhelming. At Times You May Feel Like David Trying To Fight Goliath. But Remember-david Did Win!

This Will Equally Apply To Every Latter-day Saint. Salvation Is An Individual Operation.

Hope Is Putting Faith To Work When Doubting Would Be Easier

I Am Certain That The Lord, Who Notes The Fall Of A Sparrow, Looks With Compassion Upon Those Who Have Been Called Upon To Part, Even Temporarily, From Their Precious Children.

Remember That Ofttimes The Wisdom Of God Appears As Foolishness To Men, But The Greatest Single Lesson We Can Learn In Mortality Is That When God Speaks And A Man Obeys, That Man Will Always Be Right.

We Can Lift Ourselves, And Others As Well, When We Refuse To Remain In The Realm Of Negative Thought And Cultivate Within Our Hearts An Attitude Of Gratitude.

What Is Most Important Almost Always Involves The People Around Us.

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 Teacher Not Only Shapes The Expectations And Ambitions Of Her Pupils, But She Also Influences Their Attitudes Toward Their Future And Themselves. If She Is Unskilled, She Leaves Scars On The Lives Of Youth, Cuts Deeply Into Their Self-esteem, And Distorts Their Image Of Themselves As Human Beings. But If She Loves Her Students And Has High Expectations Of Them, Their Self-confidence Will Grow, Their Capabilities Will Develop, And Their Future Will Be Assured.

Our Father's Commitment To Us, His Children, Is Unwavering. Indeed He Softens The Winters Of Our Lives, But He Also Brightens Our Summers.

Each Heartfelt Prayer, Each Church Meeting Attended, Each Worthy Friend, Each Righteous Decision, Each Act Of Service Perfomed All Precede That Goal Of Eternal Life.

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.

Look To The Lighthouse Of The Lord. There Is No Fog So Dense, No Night So Dark, No Gale So Strong, No Mariner So Lost But What Its Beacon Light Can Rescue.

When We Keep The Spirit Of Christmas, We Keep The Spirit Of Christ, For The Christmas Spirit Is The Christ Spirit.

Christmas Spirit

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

Youth Need Less Critics And More Models.

You Can Achieve What You Believe You Can. Trust And Believe And Have Faith.

To Catch The Real Meaning Of The Spirit Of Christmas, We Need Only Drop The Last Syllable, And It Becomes The Spirit Of Christ.

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

As We Touch The Temple And Love The Temple, Our Lives Will Reflect Our Faith. As We Go To The Holy House, As We Remember The Covenants We Make Therein, We Will Be Able To Bear Every Trial And Overcome Each Temptation.

Avoid Any Semblance Of Pornography. It Is Dangerous And Addictive. If You Continue To View Pornography, Your Spirit Will Become Desensitized And Your Conscience Will Erode.

We Are Reminded That Anger Doesn't Solve Anything. It Builds Nothing, But It Can Destroy Everything.

Choose Good Friends. Friends Help To Determine Your Future. You Will Tend To Be Like Them And To Be Found Where They Choose To Go. Remember, The Path We Follow In This Life Leads To The Path We Follow In The Next.

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.

Be Of Good Cheer. The Future Is As Bright As Your Faith.

None Of Us Makes It Through This Life Without Problems And Challenges — And Sometimes Tragedies And Misfortunes. After All, In Large Part We Are Here To Learn And Grow From Such Events In Our Lives. We Know That There Are Times When We Will Suffer, When We Will Grieve, And When We Will Be Saddened. However, We Are Told, “adam Fell That Men Might Be; And Men Are, That They Might Have Joy.” How Might We Have Joy In Our Lives, Despite All That We May Face? Again From The Scriptures: “wherefore, Be Of Good Cheer, And Do Not Fear, For I The Lord Am With You, And Will Stand By You."

Keep The Commandments Of God. If You Have Sinned, The Sooner You Begin To Make Your Way Back, The Sooner You Will Find The Sweet Peace And Joy That Come With The Miracle Of Forgiveness. Happiness Comes From Living The Way The Lord Wants You To Live And From Service To God And Others.

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

It Is Necessary To Prepare And To Plan So That We Don’t Fritter Away Our Lives. Without A Goal, There Can Be No Real Success. One Of The Best Definitions Of Success I Have Ever Heard Goes Something Like This: Success Is The Progressive Realization Of A Worthy Ideal. Someone Has Said The Trouble With Not Having A Goal Is That You Can Spend Your Life Running Up And Down The Field And Never Cross The Goal Line.

Remember Who You Are And What God Expects You To Become.

Remember Who You Are

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

Love Thy Neighbor Is More Than A Divine Truth. It Is A Pattern For Perfection.

The Way To Be With God In Every Season Is To Strive To Be Near Him Every Week And Each Day.

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

As A Teenage Daughter Hears Her Sweet Mother Plead Unto The Lord That Her Daughter Will Be Inspired In The Selection Of Her Companions, That She Will Prepare Herself For A Temple Marriage, Don't You Believe That Such A Daughter Will Seek To Honor This Humble, Pleading Petition Of Her Mother, Whom She So Dearly Loves?

You Will Never Be Able To Measure Your Influence For Good.

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

It’s Not Enough To Wish, It’s Not Enough To Dream, It’s Not Enough To Promise. We Must Do.

We Laugh, We Cry, We Work, We Play, We Love, We Live. And Then We Die. ... And Dead We Would Remain But For One Man And His Mission, Even Jesus Of Nazareth. ... With All My Heart And The Fervency Of My Soul, I Lift Up My Voice In Testimony As A Special Witness And Declare That God Does Live. Jesus Is His Son, The Only Begotten Of The Father In The Flesh. He Is Our Redeemer; He Is Our Mediator With The Father. He It Was Who Died On The Cross To Atone For Our Sins. He Became The Firstfruits Of The Resurrection. Because He Died, All Shall Live Again.

May You Constantly Nourish Your Testimonies Of The Gospel That They Will Be A Protection To You Against The Buffetings Of The Adversary.

There Is No More Beautiful Sight In All This World Than To See A Family Praying Together. There Is Real Meaning Behind The Oft-quoted ‘the Family That Prays Together Stays Together.

Each Of Us Has Much For Which To Be Grateful If We Will But Pause And Contemplate Our Blessings.

Charity Is Having Patience With Someone Who Has Let Us Down. It Is Resisting The Impulse To Become Offended Easily. It Is Accepting Weaknesses And Shortcomings. It Is Accepting People As They Truly Are. It Is Looking Beyond Physical Appearances To Attributes That Will Not Dim Through Time. It Is Resisting The Impulse To Categorize Others.

Men And Women Of Integrity, Character, And Purpose Have Ever Recognized A Power Higher Than Themselves And Have Sought Through Prayer To Be Guided By That Power. Such Has It Ever Been. So Shall It Ever Be.

The Future Will Present Insurmountable Problems- Only When We Consider Them Insurmountable.

When We Have Sampled Much And Have Wandered Far And Have Seen How Fleeting And Sometimes Superficial A Lot Of The World Is, Our Gratitude Grows For The Privilege Of Being Part Of Something We Can Count On-home And Family And The Loyalty Of Loved Ones. We Come To Know What It Means To Be Bound Together By Duty, By Respect, By Belonging. We Learn That Nothing Can Fully Take The Place Of The Blessed Relationship Of Family Life.

Ours Is The Responsibility To Show Our Gratitude By The Actions Of Our Lives.

By Choosing Our Path, We Choose Our Destination.

We Are Going To Make Mistakes, But None Of Us Can Become An Expert In Family History Work Without First Being A Novice.

When Fear Replaces Faith, Remember Prayer.

If Ingratitude Be Numbered Among The Serious Sins, Then Gratitude Takes Its Place Among The Noblest Of Virtues.

Let Us Be Kind To One Another, To Be Aware Of Each Other’s Needs, And Try To Help In That Regard.

How Does One Magnify A Calling? Simply By Performing The Service That Pertains To It.

Opportunities Are Everywhere. Needed Are Eyes To See The Pitiable Plight And Ears To Hear The Silent Pleadings Of A Broken Heart.

All That Occurs Within The Walls Of The Temple Is Uplifting And Enobling.

It Is Almost Inevitable That Our Faith Will Be Challenged. We May At Times Find Ourselves Surrounded By Others And Yet Standing In The Minority Or Even Standing Alone Concerning What Is Acceptable And What Is Not. Do We Have The Moral Courage To Stand Firm For Our Beliefs, Even If By So Doing We Must Stand Alone?

Life By The Yard Is Hard; By The Inch It's A Cinch. Decisions Determine Destiny.

When You’re On The Lord’s Errand, You’re Entitled To The Lord’s Blessings.

There Are Feet To Steady, Hands To Grasp, Minds To Encourage, Hearts To Inspire, And Souls To Save

Difficulties Allow Us To Change For The Better.

Change For The Better

There Are Many Out There Who Plead And Pray For Help. There Are Those Who Are Discouraged, Those Who Are Beset By Poor Health And Challenges Of Life Which Leave Them In Despair. I’ve Always Believed In The Truth Of The Words, ‘god’s Sweetest Blessings Always Go By Hands That Serve Him Here Below.’ Let Us Have Ready Hands, Clean Hands, And Willing Hands, That We May Participate In Providing What Our Heavenly Father Would Have Others Receive From Him.

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.'

Lessons Learned In The Home, Last The Longest.

Without A Goal There Can Be No Real Success.

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.

It Is Our Solemn Duty, Our Precious Privilege-even Our Sacred Opportunity-to Welcome To Our Homes And To Our Hearts The Children Who Grace Our Lives.

A Grateful Heart ... Comes Through Expressing Gratitude To Our Heavenly Father For His Blessings And To Those Around Us For All That They Bring Into Our Lives.

When Called To The Council Of The Twelve, October 4, 1963, He Said In The Salt Lake Tabernacle: I Think Of A Little Sister, A French-canadian Sister, Whose Life Was Changed By The Missionaries As Her Spirit Was Touched. As She Said Good-by To Me And My Wife In Quebec, She Said, "president Monson, I May Never See The Prophet. I May Never Hear The Prophet. But President, Far Better, Now That I Am A Member Of This Church, I Can Obey The Prophet."

Loving Service Anonymously Given May Be Unknown To Man-but The Gift And The Giver Are Known To God.

Happiness Comes When We Stop Complaining About The Troubles We Have And Offer Thanks For All The Troubles We Don't Have.

Faith Precedes The Miracle. It Has Ever Been So And Shall Ever Be. It Was Not Raining When Noah Was Commanded To Build An Ark. There Was No Visible Ram In The Thicket When Abraham Prepared To Sacrifice His Son Isaac. Two Heavenly Personages Were Not Yet Seen When Joseph Knelt And Prayed. First Came The Test Of Faith–and Then The Miracle. Remember That Faith And Doubt Cannot Exist In The Same Mind At The Same Time, For One Will Dispel The Other. Cast Out Doubt. Cultivate Faith.

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.

We Must Not Let Our Passions Destroy Our Dreams.

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

Work Will Win When Wishy Washy Wishing Won T.

Our Heavenly Father Is Aware Of Our Needs And Will Help Us As We Call Upon Him For Assistance. I Believe That No Concern Of Ours Is Too Small Or Insignificant. The Lord Is In The Details Of Our Lives.

The Storm Stops At The Door. Love Reigns, Peace Dwells.

Needed Are...[souls] Filled With Compassion, That We Might Communicate Not Only Eye To Eye, Or Voice To Ear, But In The Majestic Style Of The Savior, Even Heart To Heart.

True Love Is A Reflection Of The Savior's Love. In December Of Each Year We Call It The Christmas Spirit.

If Any Has Stumbled In His Journey, There Is A Way Back. The Process Is Called Repentance. Our Savior Died To Provide You And Me That Blessed Gift. Though The Path Is Difficult, The Promise Is Real: 'though Your Sins Be As Scarlet, They Shall Be As White As Snow' (isaiah 1:18).

Life By The Yard Is Hard; By The Inch It's A Cinch. Each Of Us Can Be True For Just One Day--and Then One More And Then One More After That--until We've Lived A Lifetime Guided By The Spirit, A Lifetime Close To The Lord, A Lifetime Of Good Deeds And Righteousness.

Your Patriarchal Blessing Is Your Passport To Peace In This Life. It Is A Liahona Of Light To Guide You Unerringly To Your Heavenly Home.

Learn From The Past, Prepare For The Future, Live In The Present.

Ours Is The Responsibility To Keep Our Light Bright For Others To See And Follow.

From The Book Of Mormon Come Other Precious Promises, Including Promises Of Peace, Freedom, And Blessings If We 'will But Serve The God Of The Land, Who Is Jesus Christ' (ether 2:12).

My Earnest Prayer Is That You Will Have The Courage Required To Refrain From Judging Others, The Courage To Be Chaste And Virtuous, And The Courage To Stand Firm For Truth And Righteousness. As You Do So, You Will Be ‘an Example Of The Believers’ (1 Timothy 4:12), And Your Life Will Be Filled With Love And Peace And Joy.

Perhaps When We Face Our Maker, We Will Not Be Asked, 'how Many Positions Did You Hold,' But Rather, 'how Many People Did You Help?

Turning The Pages Of Scriptural History From Beginning To End, We Learn Of The Ultimate Pioneer-even Jesus Christ. His Birth Was Foretold By The Prophets Of Old; His Entry Upon The Stage Of Life Was Announced By An Angel. His Life And His Ministry Have Transformed The World. . . . May We Ever Follow Him.

Our Opportunities To Give Of Ourselves Are Indeed Limitless, But They Are Also Perishable.

[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.

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. .

To Be Angry Is To Yield To The Influence Of Satan. No One Can Make Us Angry. It Is Our Choice. If We Desire To Have A Proper Spirit With Us At All Times, We Must Choose To Refrain From Becoming Angry. I Testify That Such Is Possible.

I Testify To You That Our Promised Blessings Are Beyond Measure. Though The Storm Clouds May Gather, Though The Rains May Pour Down Upon Us, Our Knowledge Of The Gospel And Our Love Of Our Heavenly Father And Savior Will Comfort And Sustain Us And Bring Joy To Our Hearts As We Walk Uprightly And Keep The Commandments. There Will Be Nothing In This World That Can Defeat Us.

When We Treat People Merely As They Are, They Will Remain As They Are. When We Treat Them As If They Were What They Should Be, They Will Become What They Should Be.

My Brothers And Sisters, May The Spirit Of Love Which Comes At Christmas Time Fill Our Homes And Our Lives And Linger There Long After The Tree Is Down And The Lights Are Put Away For Another Year.

The Greatest Force In The World Today Is The Power Of God As It Works Through Man.

Wonderful, Glorious Things Are In Store For You If You Will Only Believe, Obey, And Endure.

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.

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

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.

There Is A Golden Thread That Runs Through Every Account Of Faith From The Beginning Of The World To The Present Time. Abraham, Noah, The Brother Of Jared, The Prophet Joseph Smith, And Countless Others Wanted To Be Obedient To The Will Of God. They Had Ears That Could Hear, Eyes That Could See, And Hearts That Could Know And Feel. They Never Doubted. They Trusted.

Kneel Down To Pray. Step Up To Serve. Reach Out To Rescue. Each Is A Vital Page Of God's Blueprint To Make A House A Home And A Home A Heaven.

One Sees A Blatant Disregard For The Precious Souls Of Mankind.

We've All Felt Anger. It Can Come When Things Don't Turn Out The Way We Want. It Might Be A Reaction To Something Which Is Said Of Us Or To Us. We May Experience It When People Don't Behave The Way We Want Them To Behave. Perhaps It Comes When We Have To Wait For Something Longer Than We Expected. We Might Feel Angry When Others Can't See Things From Our Perspective. There Seem To Be Countless Possible Reasons For Anger….if We Desire To Have A Proper Spirit With Us At All Times, We Must Choose To Refrain From Becoming Angry.

The Book Of Mormon Changes Lives.

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

Oh, Sweet The Joy This Sentence Gives: ‘i Know That My Redeemer Lives!’

Should There Be Anyone Who Feels He Is Too Weak To Do Better Because Of That Greatest Of Fears, The Fear Of Failure, There Is No More Comforting Assurance To Be Had Than The Words Of The Lord: 'my Grace Is Sufficient For All Men That Humble Themselves Before Me; For If They Humble Themselves Before Me, And Have Faith In Me, Then Will I Make Weak Things Become Strong Unto Them' (ether 12:27)

I Testify That When We Do All We Can To Accomplish The Work That Is Before Us, The Lord Will Make Available To Us The Sacred Key Needed To Unlock The Treasure Which We So Much Seek.

I Forbid You, Agnostic, Doubting Thoughts, To Destroy The House Of My Faith.

The Lord Shapes The Back To Bear The Burden Placed Upon It.

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.

With The Birth Of The Babe In Bethlehem, There Emerged A Great Endowment—a Power Stronger Than Weapons, A Wealth More Lasting Than The Coins Of Caesar. This Child Was To Become The King Of Kings And Lord Of Lords, The Promised Messiah—jesus Christ, The Son Of God.

Have An Attitude Of Gratitude.

As We Remember Prayer And Take Time To Turn To The Scriptures, Our Lives Will Be Infinitely More Blessed And Our Burdens Will Be Made Lighter.

Love Is The Very Essence Of The Gospel.

We Can’t Direct The Wind, But We Can Adjust The Sails. For Maximum Happiness, Peace, And Contentment, May We Choose A Positive Attitude.

Through Humble Prayer, Diligent Preparation, And Faithful Service, We Can Succeed In Our Sacred Callings.

Many More People Could Ride Out The Storm-tossed Waves In Their Economic Lives If They Had Their Year's Supply Of Food…and Were Debt-free. Today We Find That Many Have Followed This Counsel In Reverse: They Have At Least A Year's Supply Of Debt And Are Food-free.

Do We Have A Guide To Help Us Choose The Right And Avoid Dangerous Detours? I Have Tried To Pattern My Life After The Master. Whenever I Have A Difficult Decision To Make, I Have Looked At That Picture And Asked Myself, "what Would He Do?" Then I Try To Do It. We Can Never Go Wrong When We Choose To Follow The Savior.

We Continue To Build Temples. We Desire That As Many Members As Possible Have An Opportunity To Attend The Temple Without Having To Travel Inordinate Distances.

In Sickness, With Its Attendant Pain, Patience Is Required. If The Only Perfect Man Who Ever Lived-even Jesus Of Nazareth-was Called Upon To Endure Great Suffering, How Can We, Who Are Less Than Perfect, Expect To Be Free Of Such Challenges?

The Question Each Of Us Must Answer Is ... What Shall I Do With Jesus? He Himself Has Provided Us The Answer: "follow Me, And Do The Things Which Ye Have Seen Me Do"

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

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.

Cooperativeness Is Not So Much Learning How To Get Along With Others As Taking The Kinks Out Of Ourselves, So That Others Can Get Along With Us.

Not Surprisingly, As The Pioneer Theme Is Presented, Each Goes Back In Memory To His Or Her Own Family Line. There Are Usually Examples To Identify And Which Fit The Definition Of A Pioneer: "one Who Goes Before, Showing Others The Way To Follow." Some, If Not All, Made Great Sacrifices To Leave Behind Comfort And Ease And Respond To That Clarion Call Of Their Newly Found Faith.

None Of Us Will Honor Our Heavenly Father And Our Savior More Than By Serving As A Devoted, Compassionate Missionary, "for Them That Honour Me I Will Honour."

Our Challenge Is To Join Forces Of The Old And The New- Experience And Experiment, History And Destiny, The World Of Man And The New World Of Science- But Always In Accordance With The Never-changing Word Of God.

New Experiences

By Learning Of Him, By Believing In Him, By Following Him, There Is The Capacity To Become Like Him.

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

Spiritual Peace

Along Your Pathway Of Life You Will Observe That You Are Not The Only Traveler. There Are Others Who Need Your Help. There Are Feet To Steady, Hands To Grasp, Minds To Encourage, Hearts To Inspire, And Souls To Save.

Sometimes We Can Take Offense So Easily. On Other Occasions We Are Too Stubborn To Accept A Sincere Apology. Who Will Subordinate Ego, Pride, And Hurt-then Step Forward With 'i Am Truly Sorry! Let's Be As We Once Were: Friends. Let's Not Pass To Future Generations The Grievances, The Anger Of Our Time'? Let's Remove Any Hidden Wedges That Can Do Nothing But Destroy.

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

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

May Your Homes Be Filled With Peace, Harmony, Courtesy, And Love. May They Be Filled With The Spirit Of The Lord.

Don't Forget: One Of The Saddest Things In Life Is Wasted Talent.

As We Emulate His Example, We Will Bless Lives, Including Our Own.

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

The Needs Of Others Are Ever Present, And Each Of Us Can Do Something To Help Someone.... Unless We Lose Ourselves In Service To Others, There Is Little Purpose To Our Own Lives.

The Journey Of A Thousand Miles Begins With A Single Step. Watch Your Step.

The Good You Have Done, The Kind Words You Have Spoken, The Love You Have Shown To Others, Can Never Be Fully Measured.

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 Like This Thought: Your Mind Is A Cupboard, And You Stock The Shelves. Let Us Make Certain That Our Cupboard Shelves, And Those Of Our Family Members, Are Stocked With The Things Which Will Provide Safety To Our Souls And Enable Us To Return To Our Father In Heaven. Such Shelves Could Well Be Stocked With Gospel Scholarship, Faith, Prayer, Love, Service, Obedience, Example, And Kindness

May We Ever Watch Over One Another, Assisting In Times Of Need. Let Us Not Be Critical And Judgmental, But Let Us Be Tolerant, Ever Emulating The Savior's Example Of Loving-kindness. In That Vein, May We Willingly Serve One Another. May We Pray For The Inspiration To Know Of The Needs Of Those Around Us, And Then May We Go Forward And Provide Assistance.

This Is Not A Time For Fear, Brethren, But Rather A Time For Faith - A Time For Each Of Us Who Holds The Priesthood To Be His Best Self.

I Counseled Many Returning Missionaries. I Interviewed 1,700 Missionaries All Over The World. My Advice To Them Is That You Should Study And Prepare For Your Life's Work In A Field That You Enjoy.

May Each Of Us Remember This Truth; 'one Cannot Forget Mother And Remember God. One Cannot Remember Mother And Forget God.' Why? Because These Two Sacred Persons, God And Mother, Partners In Creation, In Love, In Sacrifice, In Service, Are As One.

Make Room For The Lord In Your Homes And In Your Hearts, And He Will Be Your Companion. He Will Be By Your Side.

I Wasn't With Joseph, But I Believe Him. My Faith Did Not Come To Me Through Science, And I Will Not Permit So-called Science To Destroy It.

One Cannot Remember Mother And Forget God.

"president Monson, I May Never See The Prophet. I May Never Hear The Prophet. But President, Far Better, Now That I Am A Member Of This Church, I Can Obey The Prophet."

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.

Home Should Be A Haven Of Love. Honor, Courtesy, And Respect Symbolize Love And Characterize The Righteous Family.

We Are Surrounded By Those In Need Of Our Attention, Our Encouragement, Our Support, Our Comfort, Our Kindness... We Are The Lord’s Hands Here Upon The Earth, With The Mandate To Serve And To Lift His Children. He Is Dependent Upon Each Of Us

There Are Lives To Brighten. There Are Hearts To Touch. There Are Souls To Save.

May We Realize How Close To Us He Is Willing To Come, How Far He Is Willing To Go To Help Us And How Much He Loves Us.

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.

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

Remember To Pray Fervently.

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.'

Avoid Pornography At All Costs!

…faith Forged In The Furnace Of Trials And Tears Is Marked By Trust And Testimony. Only God Can Count The Sacrifice; Only God Can Measure The Sorrow; Only God Can Know The Hearts Of Those Who Serve Him.

When God Speaks And We Obey, We Will Always Be Right.

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.

Our Problem Is That We Often Expect Instantaneous Solutions To Such Challenges, Forgetting That Frequently The Heavenly Virtue Of Patience Is Required.

Missionary Work Is An Identifying Feature Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints. Always Has It Been; Ever Shall It Be.

Those Who Understand The Eternal Blessings Which Come From The Temple Know That No Sacrifice Is Too Great, No Price Too Heavy, No Struggle Too Difficult In Order To Receive Those Blessings.

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