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Temples Are More Than Stone And Mortar. They Are Filled With Faith And Fasting. They Are Built Of Trials And Testimonies. They Are Sanctified By Sacrifice And Service.

-Thomas S. Monson

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Temples Are More Than

Thomas S. Monson

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Temples Are More Than Stone And Mortar. They Are Filled With Faith And Fasting. They Are Built Of Trials And Testimonies. They Are Sanctified By Sacrifice And Service.

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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!

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My Brothers And Sisters, Do We Remember To Give Thanks For The Blessings We Receive? Sincerely Giving Thanks Not Only Helps Us Recognize Our Blessings, But It Also Unlocks The Doors Of Heaven And Helps Us Feel God's Love.

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

Heavenly Father Loves You—each Of You. That Love Never Changes.

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

Think To Thank. In These Three Words Are The Finest Capsule Course For A Happy Marriage, Formula For Enduring Friendship, And A Pattern For Personal Happiness.

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.

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

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

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

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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.

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.

All Of Us Remember The Home Of Our Childhood. Interestingly, Our Thoughts Do Not Dwell On Whether The House Was Large Or Small, The Neighborhood Fashionable Or Downtrodden. Rather, We Delight In The Experiences We Shared As A Family. The Home Is The Laboratory Of Our Lives, And What We Learn There Largely Determines What We Do When We Leave There.

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.

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

Spiritual Peace

It Is Not Enough To Want To Make The Effort And To Say We'll Make The Effort. We Must Actually Make The Effort. It's In The Doing, Not Just The Thinking, That We Accomplish Our Goals. If We Constantly Put Our Goals Off, We Will Never See Them Fulfilled. Someone Put It This Way: Live Only For Tomorrow, And You Will Have A Lot Of Empty Yesterdays Today.

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

Stand For Right, Even If You Stand Alone.

Your Future Depends On Your Faith.

Have We Been Guilty Of Declaring, 'i've Been Thinking About Making Some Course Corrections In My Life. I Plan To Take The First Step-tomorrow'? With Such Thinking, Tomorrow Is Forever. Such Tomorrows Rarely Come Unless We Do Something About Them Today.

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

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.

The Lord Is In The Details Of Our Lives.

Man Has Made Remarkable Strides In Conquering Outer Space, But How Futile Have Been His Efforts In Conquering Inner Space- The Space In Our Hearts And Minds Of Men.

I Believe That No Concern Of Ours Is Too Small Or Insignificant.

So Much In Life Depends On Our Attitude. The Way We Choose To See Things And Respond To Others Makes All The Difference.

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.

Avoid Pornography At All Costs!

Like The Vital Rudder Of A Ship, We Have Been Provided A Way To Determine The Direction We Travel. The Lighthouse Of The Lord Beckons To All As We Sail The Seas Of Life. Our Home Port Is The Celestial Kingdom Of God. Our Purpose Is To Steer An Undeviating Course In That Direction. A Man Without A Purpose Is Like A Ship Without A Rudder—never Likely To Reach Home Port. To Us Comes The Signal: Chart Your Course, Set Your Sail, Position Your Rudder, And Proceed.

Let Us Relish Life As We Live It, Find Joy In The Journey, And Share Our Love With Family And Friends.

Family And Friends

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"

Difficulties Allow Us To Change For The Better.

Change For The Better

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

Let Us Open Wide The Windows Of Our Hearts, That Each Family Member May Feel Welcome And 'at Home.

I Promise You That One Day You Will Stand Aside And Look At Your Difficult Times, You Will Realize That He Was Always There Beside You.

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.

Often Small Acts Of Service Are All That Is Required To Lift And Bless Another: A Question Concerning A Person's Family, Quick Words Of Encouragement, A Sincere Compliment, A Small Note Of Thanks, A Brief Telephone Call. If We Are Observant And Aware, And If We Act On The Promptings Which Come To Us, We Can Accomplish Much Good.

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.

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.

Don’t Limit Yourself And Don’t Let Others Convince You That You Are Limited In What You Can Do. Believe In Yourself And Then Live So As To Reach Your Possibilities. You Can Achieve What You Believe You Can. Trust And Believe And Have Faith.

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.

We Were Not Placed On This Earth To Walk Alone.

A Prominent Judge Was Asked What We, As Citizens Of The Countries Of The World, Could Do To Reduce Crime And Disobedience To Law And To Bring Peace And Contentment Into Our Lives And Into Our Nations. He Thoughtfully Replied, ‘i Would Suggest A Return To The Old-fashioned Practice Of Family Prayer.’

Countries Of The World

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

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.

Missionary Service Is A Priesthood Duty.

Never, Never, Never Postpone Following A Prompting.

There Is No Better Time Than Now, This Very Christmas Season, For All Of Us To Rededicate Ourselves To The Principles Taught By Jesus The Christ.

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

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.

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.

As The Christmas Season Envelops Us With All Its Glory, May We, As Did The Wise Men, Seek A Bright, Particular Star To Guide Us In Our Celebration Of The Savior’s Birth.

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

Whatever Our Calling, Regardless Of Our Fears Or Anxieties, Let Us Pray And Then Go And Do.

Miracles Are Everywhere To Be Found When The Priesthood Is Understood, Its Power Is Honored And Used Properly, And Faith Is Exerted.

Be Not Weary In Well-doing. … Out Of Small Things Proceedeth That Which Is Great. Behold, The Lord Requireth The Heart And A Willing Mind.

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).

Heavenly Father Has A Picture Of You On His Dresser. He Loves You And Will Help You. Call Upon Him.

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

You Can Dress Attractively Without Being Immodest. Within The Lord’s Guidelines, There Is Room For You To Be Lively, Vibrant, And Beautiful Both In Your Dress And In Your Actions.

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

By Choosing Our Path, We Choose Our Destination.

We Must Not Let Our Passions Destroy Our Dreams.

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.

A Prayerful Life Is The Key To Possessing Gratitude. We Often Take For Granted The People Who Most Deserve Our Gratitude. Let Us Not Wait Until It Is Too Late For Us To Express Our Gratitude. Feeling Gratitude And Not Expressing It Is Like Wrapping A Present And Not Giving It. If I Gratitude Be Numbered Among The Serious Sins, Then Gratitude Takes Its Place Among The Noblest Of Virtues. To Express Gratitude Is Gracious And Honorable, To Enact Gratitude Is Generous And Noble, But To Live With Gratitude Ever In Our Hearts Is To Touch Heaven.

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

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

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

Love Is The Very Essence Of The Gospel.

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

Don't Save Something For A Special Occasion. Every Day Of Your Life Is A Special Occasion.

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

Working Together

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

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

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]?

Life's Journey Is Not Traveled On A Freeway Devoid Of Obstacles, Pitfalls, And Snares. Rather, It Is A Pathway Marked By Forks And Turnings. 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. The Call For Courage Comes Constantly To Each Of Us. It Has Ever Been So, And So Shall It Ever Be.

When We Deal In Generalities, We Shall Never Succeed. When We Deal In Specifics, We Shall Rarely Have A Failure. When Performance Is Measured, Performance Improves. When Performance Is Measured And Reported, The Rate Of Performance Accelerates.

Stick To A Task 'til It Sticks To You. . .for Beginners Are Many, But Finishers Few.

Because He Came To Earth, We Have A Perfect Example To Follow. As We Strive To Become More Like Him, We Will Have Joy And Happiness In Our Lives And Peace Each Day Of The Year. It Is His Example Which, If Followed, Stirs Within Us More Kindness And Love, More Respect And Concern For Others.

Concern For Others

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?

You Can Share Your Testimony In Many Ways, By The Words You Speak, By The Example You Set, By The Manner In Which You Live Your Life.

Words You Speak

Together We Shall Move Forward Doing [the Lord's] Work

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.

Youth Need Less Critics And More Models.

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

We Can Bolster Human Spirits, Clothe Cold Bodies, Feed Hungry People, Comfort Grieving Hearts, And Lift To New Heights Precious Souls.

We Find Real Joy When We Keep The Savior The Focus Of The Season.

The Reward Of Eternal Life Requires Effort.

Our Code Of Conduct Is Definitive; It Is Not Negotiable.

The Principles Of Living Greatly Include The Capacity To Face Trouble With Courage, Disappointment With Cheerfulness, And Trial With Humility.

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

The Face Of Sin Today Often Wears The Mask Of Tolerance. Do Not Be Deceived; Behind That Facade Is Heartache, Unhappiness And Pain. .. You Be The One To Make A Stand For Right, Even If You Stand Alone. Have The Moral Courage To Be A Light For Others To Follow.

Avoid The Philosophy And Excuse That Yesterday's Luxuries Have Become Today's Necessities. They Aren't Necessities Unless We Ourselves Make Them Such. . . . It Is Essential For Us To Live Within Our Means.

I Ask You To Make Institute A Priority.

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.

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

Work Without Vision Is Drudgery. Vision Without Work Is Dreaming. Work Coupled With Vision Is Destiny.

In The Search For Our Best Selves, Several Questions Will Guide Our Thinking: Am I What I Want To Be? Am I Closer To The Savior Today Than I Was Yesterday? Will I Be Closer Yet Tomorrow? Do I Have The Courage To Change For The Better?

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.

Prayer Is The Passport To Peace.

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.

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."

The Power To Lead Is The Power To Mislead, And The Power To Mislead Is The Power To Destroy.

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.

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

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

I Urge You To Hold Fast To Your Standards. I Plead With You Not To Waver.

Along That Straight And True Path There Are Other Goals: Missionary Service, Temple Marriage, Church Activity, Scripture Study, Prayer, Temple Work. There Are Countless Worthy Goals To Reach As We Travel Through Life. Needed Is Our Commitment To Reach Them.

There Are Hearts To Gladden... Kind Words To Say... Gifts To Be Given... Deeds To Be Done.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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Robert McNamara

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