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There Is A Portent Of Stormy Weather Ahead To Which We Had Better Give Heed...no One Knows When Emergencies Will Strike...set Your Houses In Order. If You Have Paid Your Debts, If You Have A Reserve, Even Though It Be Small, Then Should Storms Howl About Your Head, You Will Have Shelter For Your Wife And Children And Peace In Your Hearts. That's All I Have To Say About It, But I Wish To Say It With All The Emphasis Of Which I Am Capable.

-Gordon B. Hinckley

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There Is A Portent

Gordon B. Hinckley

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There Is A Portent Of Stormy Weather Ahead To Which We Had Better Give Heed...no One Knows When Emergencies Will Strike...set Your Houses In Order. If You Have Paid Your Debts, If You Have A Reserve, Even Though It Be Small, Then Should Storms Howl About Your Head, You Will Have Shelter For Your Wife And Children And Peace In Your Hearts. That's All I Have To Say About It, But I Wish To Say It With All The Emphasis Of Which I Am Capable.

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A Tattoo Is Graffiti On The Temple Of The Body.

Are These Perilous Times? They Are. But We Can Have Peace In Our Hearts And In Our Homes.

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

Human Experience

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

Do Not Let Fear Overcome Your Efforts.

I Am Totally In The Hands Of The Lord.

It Is My Faith And Conviction That The Constitution Came Not Alone Of The Brain And Purpose Of Man, But Of The Inspiration Of God.

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

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

May I Suggest That You Write, That You Keep Journals, That You Express Your Thoughts On Paper. Writing Is A Great Discipline. It Is A Tremendous Educational Effort. It Will Assist You In Various Ways, And You Will Bless The Lives Of Many-your Families And Others-now And In The Years To Come, As You Put On Paper Some Of Your Experiences And Some Of Your Musings.

There Is Room For Improvement In Every Life. Regardless Of Our Occupations, Regardless Of Our Circumstances, We Can Improve Ourselves And While So Doing Have An Effect On The Lives Of Those About Us.

All The Beauty In The Earth Bears The Fingerprint Of The Master Creator” Gordon B. Hinckley

Gordon B Hinckley

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

Imagine How Our Own Families, Let Alone The World, Would Change If We Vowed To Keep Faith With One Another, Strengthen One Another, Look For And Accentuate The Virtues In One Another, And Speak Graciously Concerning One Another. Imagine The Cumulative Effect If We Treated Each Other With Respect And Acceptance, If We Willingly Provided Support. Such Interactions Practiced On A Small Scale Would Surely Have A Rippling Effect Throughout Our Homes And Communities And, Eventually, Society At Large.

You Have Nothing In This World More Precious Than Your Children. When You Grow Old, When Your Hair Turns White And Your Body Grows Weary, When You Are Prone To Sit In A Rocker And Meditate On The Things Of Your Life, Nothing Will Be So Important As The Question Of How Your Children Have Turned Out... Do Not Trade Your Birthright As A Mother For Some Bauble Of Passing Value... The Baby You Hold In Your Arms Will Grow As Quickly As The Sunrise And The Sunset Of The Rushing Days.

Generally Speaking, The Most Miserable People I Know Are Those Who Are Obsessed With Themselves; The Happiest People I Know Are Those Who Lose Themselves In The Service Of Others...by And Large, I Have Come To See That If We Complain About Life, It Is Because We Are Thinking Only Of Ourselves.

When An Individual Is Motivated By Great And Powerful Convictions Of Truth, Then He Disciplines Himself, Not Because Of The Demands Of The Church, But Because Of The Knowledge Within His Heart

Good Books Are As Friends, Willing To Give To Us If We Are Willing To Make A Little Effort.

Sloppy Language And Sloppy Ways Go Together. Those Who Are Truly Educated Have Learned More Than The Sciences, The Humanities, Law, Engineering, And The Arts. They Carry With Them A Certain Polish That Marks Them As Loving The Better Qualities Of Life, A Culture That Adds Luster To The Mundane World Of Which They Are Apart, A Patina That Puts A Quiet Glow On What Otherwise Might Be Base Metal.

I Am Grateful For Emphasis On Reading The Scriptures. I Hope That For You This Will Become Something Far More Enjoyable Than A Duty; That, Rather, It Will Become A Love Affair With The Word Of God. I Promise You That As You Read, Your Minds Will Be Enlightened And Your Spirits Will Be Lifted. At First It May Seem Tedious, But That Will Change Into A Wondrous Experience With Thoughts And Words Of Things Divine. Gordon B. Hinckley

Let Us Never Forget To Pray. God Lives. He Is Near. He Is Real.

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

Death Is Not The End, But A More Glorified Existence.

Baptism Into This Church Is A Serious Thing. It Represents A Covenant Made With Our Heavenly Father. It Is Much More Than A Right Of Passage. It Is A Gateway To A New Manner Of Living, And A New Road On Which To Walk That Leads To Immortality And Eternal Life. It Was Never Intended As A Dead End. It Was Intended To Open A Glorious And Wonderful Way Of Life To All Who Would Walk In Obedience To The Commandments Of God.

We Can Begin Ever So Modestly. We Can Begin With A One Week's Food Supply And Gradually Build It To A Month, And Then To Three Months. I Am Speaking Now Of Food To Cover Basic Needs. . .i Fear That So Many Feel That A Long-term Food Supply Is So Far Beyond Their Reach That They Make No Effort At All. . .begin In A Small Way, ... And Gradually Build Toward A Reasonable Objective.

How Sweet Is The Assurance, How Comforting Is The Peace That Come From The Knowledge That If We Marry Right And Live Right, Our Relationship Will Continue, Notwithstanding The Certainty Of Death And The Passage Of Time. Men May Write Love Songs And Sing Them. They May Yearn And Hope And Dream. But All Of This Will Be Only A Romantic Longing Unless There Is An Exercise Of Authority That Transcends The Powers Of Time And Death.

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

Though My Work May Be Menial, Though My Contribution May Be Small, I Can Perform It With Dignity And Offer It With Unselfishness. My Talents May Not Be Great, But I Can Use Them To Bless The Lives Of Others.... The Goodness Of The World In Which We Live Is The Accumulated Goodness Of Many Small And Seemingly Inconsequential Acts.

Great Has Been Our Past, Wonderful Is Our Present, And Glorious Can Be Our Future.

In Matters Of Honesty, There Are No Shortcuts; No Little White Lies, Or Big Black Lies, Only The Simple, Honest Truth Spoken In Total Candor... Being True Is Different Than Being Honest.

God Bless You, My Beloved Sisters, Who Stand As The Queens In Your Home, That You May Be Happy With That Happiness Which Comes Of The Knowledge That You Are Loved And Honored And Treasured.

Our Entire Case As Members Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints Rests On The Validity Of This Glorious First Vision. ... Nothing On Which We Base Our Doctrine, Nothing We Teach, Nothing We Live By Is Of Greater Importance Than This Initial Declaration. I Submit That If Joseph Smith Talked With God The Father And His Beloved Son, Then All Else Of Which He Spoke Is True. This Is The Hinge On Which Turns The Gate That Leads To The Path Of Salvation And Eternal Life.

Believe In The Power Of Prayer - It Is Real, It Is Wonderful, It Is Tremendous.

I Condemn Polygamy, Yes, As A Practice, Because I Think It Is Not Doctrinal. It Is Not Legal. And This Church Takes The Position That We Will Abide By The Law.

What I Fear From These Reports Is That The Prevalent Use Of Foul Language Has Become An Acceptable Pattern In The Schools, Probably Due In Large Part To The Influence Of Tv And The General Permissiveness In Our Society.

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

Let Thy Spirit Move Upon Him To Bring To Pass Those Measures Which Will Lift The Burdens Of Government From The Backs Of The People And Keep This Nation, Under God, A Citadel Of Freedom Standing As An Example To All The World.

I See A Wonderful Future In A Very Uncertain World. If We Will Cling To Our Values, If We Will Build On Our Inheritance, If We Will Walk In Obedience Before The Lord, If We Will Simply Live The Gospel We Will Be Blessed In A Magnificent And Wonderful Way. We Will Be Looked Upon As A Peculiar People Who Have Found The Key To A Peculiar Happiness.

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

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

Likewise The Piercing Of The Body For Multiple Rings In The Ears, In The Nose, Even In The Tongue. Can They Possibly Think That Is Beautiful? It Is A Passing Fancy, But Its Effects Can Be Permanent. Some Have Gone To Such Extremes That The Ring Had To Be Removed By Surgery. The First Presidency And The Quorum Of The Twelve Have Declared That We Discourage Tattoos And Also “the Piercing Of The Body For Other Than Medical Purposes.” We Do Not, However, Take Any Position “on The Minimal Piercing Of The Ears By Women For One Pair Of Earrings”-one Pair Only.

The Small Day-to-day Decisions Will Determine The Course Of Your Lives.

You Are Good. But It Is Not Enough Just To Be Good. You Must Be Good For Something. You Must Contribute Good To The World. The World Must Be A Better Place For Your Presence. And The Good That Is In You Must Be Spread To Others.

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

Language Of Love

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

Our Foundation Is The Gospel Of The Lord Jesus Christ. The Authority Of The Holy Priesthood Is Here, Restored Under The Hands Of Those Who Received It Directly From Our Lord. The Curtains Have Been Parted, And The God Of Heaven And His Beloved Son Have Spoken To The Boy Prophet Joseph In Opening This Last And Final Dispensation. Our Burden In Going Forward Is Tremendous. But Our Opportunity Is Glorious.

Fear Not; Only Believe. This Is A Time To Make Resolutions That Will Be Binding Upon You. This Is A Season To Set Standards That Will Hold You To The Right Course And Make You Happy Now And In The Years That Follow.

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

Don’t Be Gloomy. Do Not Dwell On Unkind Things. Stop Seeking Out The Storms And Enjoy More Fully The Sunlight. Even If You Are Not Happy, Put A Smile On Your Face. ‘accentuate The Positive.’ Look A Little Deeper For The Good. Go Forward In Life With A Twinkle In Your Eye And A Smile On Your Face, With Great And Strong Purpose In Your Heart. Love Life.

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

Without Reservation I Promise You That If Each Of You Will Observe This Simple Program, Regardless Of How Many Times You Previously May Have Read The Book Of Mormon, There Will Come Into Your Lives And Into Your Homes An Added Measure Of The Spirit Of The Lord, A Strengthened Resolution To Walk In Obedience To His Commandments, And A Stronger Testimony Of The Living Reality Of The Son Of God.

Cultivate Within Yourselves The Mighty Power Of Self-discipline.

Self Discipline

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

We Wear On Our Faces The Results Of What We Believe And How We Behave, And Such Behavior Is Most Evident In The Eyes And On The Faces Of Those Who Have Lived Many Years.

It Is The Home Which Produces The Nursery Stock Of New Generations. I Hope That You Mothers Will Realize That When All Is Said And Done, You Have No More Compelling Responsibility, Nor Any Laden With Greater Rewards, Than The Nurture You Give Your Children In An Environment Of Security, Peace, Companionship, Love And Motivation To Grow And Do Well.

We Live In Terribly Complex Times. We Are Confronted By Very Serious Problems. Some Of Us Are Faced With Sickness, With Economic Difficulties, With Worry And Concern Over Many Matters. Our Refuge, Our Peace, Our Well-being Lie In Walking In The Way Of The Lord.

We Live In A Society That Feeds On Criticism. It Is So Easy To Find Fault, And To Resist Doing So Requires Much Discipline.

Under The Plan Of Heaven, The Husband And The Wife Walk Side By Side As Companions, Neither One Ahead Of The Other, But A Daughter Of God And A Son Of God Walking Side By Side. Let Your Families Be Families Of Love And Peace And Happiness. Gather Your Children Around You And Have Your Family Home Evenings, Teach Your Children The Ways Of The Lord, Read To Them From The Scriptures, And Let Them Come To Know The Great Truths Of The Eternal Gospel As Set Forth In These Words Of The Almighty.

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

Being Humble Means Recognizing That We Are Not On Earth To See How Important We Can Become, But To See How Much Difference We Can Make In The Lives Of Others

Knowledge, Learning, Is An Eternal Thing.

Knowledge Learning

Absence Of Gratitude Is The Mark Of The Narrow, Uneducated Mind. It Bespeaks A Lack Of Knowledge And The Ignorance Of Self-sufficiency. It Expresses Itself In Ugly Egotism And Frequently In Wanton Mischief. We Have Seen Our Beaches, Our Parks, Our Forests Littered With Ugly Refuse By Those Who Evidently Have No Appreciation For Their Beauty. I Have Driven Through Thousands Of Acres Of Blackened Land Scourged By A Fire Evidently Set By A Careless Smoker Whose Only Concern Had Been The Selfish Pleasure Gained From A Cigarette.

We Have Never Found, And I Think We Never Shall Find, An Adequate Substitute For The Situation In Which Two Wholesome Young Men Meet With A Family, Reason With Them, Teach Them, Testify To Them, And Pray With Them. We Shall Always Need Missionaries.

Why All Of These Broken Homes? What Happens To Marriages That Begin With Sincere Love And A Desire To Be Loyal And Faithful And True One To Another? There Is No Simple Answer. I Acknowledge That. But It Appears To Me That There Are Some Obvious Reasons That Account For A Very High Percentage Of These Problems. I Say This Out Of Experience In Dealing With Such Tragedies. I Find Selfishness To Be The Root Cause Of Most Of It.

Loyal And Faithful

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

Limitless Is Your Potential. Magnificent Is Your Future.

There Is Rampant Among Us A Spirit Of Criticism. Men And Women Who Carry Heavy Responsibility Do Not Need Criticism, They Need Encouragement.

There Is No Substitute Under The Heavens For Productive Labor. It Is The Process By Which Dreams Become Realities. It Is The Process By Which Idle Visions Become Dynamic Achievements. Most Of Us Are Inherently Lazy. We Would Rather Play Than Work. We Would Rather Loaf Than Work...but It Is Work That Spells The Difference In The Life Of A Man Or Woman. It Is Stretching Our Minds And Utilizing The Skills Of Our Hands That Lift Us From Mediocrity.

There Is A Sad Tendency In Our World Today For Persons To Cut One Another Down. Did You Ever Realize That It Does Not Take Very Much In The Way Of Brainpower To Make Remarks That May Wound Another? Try The Opposite Of That. Try Handing Out Compliments.

Let There Be Music In The Home. If You Have Teenagers Who Have Their Own Recordings, You Will Be Prone To Describe The Sound As Something Other Than Music. Let Them Occasionally Hear Something Better. Expose Them To It. It Will Speak For Itself. More Of Appreciation Will Come Than You May Think. It May Not Be Spoken, But It Will Be Felt, And Its Influence Will Become Increasingly Manifest As The Years Pass.

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

No System Can Long Command The Loyalties Of Men And Women Which Does Not Expect Of Them Certain Measures Of Discipline, And Particularly Self-discipline. The Cost In Comfort May Be Great. The Sacrifice May Be Real. But This Very Demanding Reality Is The Substance Of Which Comes Character And Strength And Nobility. Permissiveness Never Produced Greatness. Integrity, Loyalty, And Strength Are Virtues Whose Sinews Are Developed Through The Struggles That Go On Within As We Practice Self-discipline Under The Demands Of Divinely Spoken Truth.

Tremendous Happiness And Peace Of Mind Are The Results Of Loving Service To Others. Nobody Can Live Fully And Happily Who Lives Only Unto Himself Or Herself.

Service To Others

Stay Out Of The Gutter In Your Conversation. Foul Talk Defiles The Man Who Speaks It... Don't Swear. Don't Profane. Avoid So-called Dirty Jokes. Stay Away From Conversation That Is Sprinkled With Foul And Filthy Words. You Will Be Happier If You Do So, And Your Example Will Give Strength To Others.

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

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

My Plea Is That We Stop Seeking Out The Storms And Enjoy More Fully The Sunlight...i Am Asking That We Look A Little Deeper For The Good, That We Still Our Voices Of Insult And Sarcasm, That We More Generously Compliment And Endorse Virtue And Effort.

Let Us Take A Little Time To Meditate, To Think Of What We Can Do To Improve Our Lives And To Become Better Examples Of What A Latter-day Saint Should Be.

Gambling Undermines The Moral Fiber Of Society.

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

In Our Old Age My Beloved Companion Said To Me Quietly One Evening, "you Have Always Given Me Wings To Fly, And I Have Loved You For It.

He Who Is Our Eternal Father Has Blessed You With Miraculous Powers Of Mind And Body. He Never Intended That You Should Be Less Than The Crowning Glory Of His Creations.

Pray For The Strength To Walk The High Road, Which At Times May Be Lonely But Which Will Lead To Peace And Happiness And Joy Supernal.

Gratitude Is The Beginning Of Wisdom. Stated Differently, True Wisdom Cannot Be Obtained Unless It Is Built On A Foundation Of True Humility And Gratitude.

Every Sacrament Meeting Ought To Be A Spiritual Feast.

All Of Us Have To Deal With Death At One Time Or Another, But To Have In One's Heart A Solid Conviction Concerning The Reality Of Eternal Life Is To Bring A Sense Of Peace In An Hour Of Tragedy That Can Come From No Other Source Under The Heavens

The Church Expects That Each Of Us Carry A Share Of The Burden Of Leadership. There Is No Paid Clergy. The Work Is Done Because Of A Love Of The Cause. And As People Serve, They Grow In Capacity. The Time And Effort Is Not A Sacrifice Because There Is Returned More Than Is Given.

It Is Both Relaxing And Invigorating To Occasionally Set Aside The Worries Of Life, Seek The Company Of A Friendly Book...from The Reading Of 'good Books' There Comes A Richness Of Life That Can Be Obtained In No Other Way.

Richness Of Life

A Truly Educated Man Never Ceases To Learn.

Love Is The Only Force That Can Erase The Differences Between People Or Bridge The Chasms Of Bitterness.

I Hope You Will Simply Do What You Can Do In The Best Way You Know. If You Do So, You Will Witness Miracles Come To Pass.

I Am So Profoundly Grateful For The Gospel Of Jesus Christ, For A Testimony Of The Atonement Of The Savior. I Believe In It With All My Heart, And I Live For It, And I Bear Witness Of It This Day. Of All Of The Events Of Human History, None Other Approaches The Atonement Of The Savior In Its Meaning And In Its Results. God Be Thanked For The Gift Of His Precious Son, To Whom We All Owe Thanks For His Sacrifice In Our Behalf.

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

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

I Challenge Every One Of You Who Can Hear Me To Rise To The Divinity Within You. Do We Really Realize What It Means To Be A Child Of God, To Have Within Us Something Of The Divine Nature?

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

For As Long As (the Founding Fathers Of This Nation) Lived And Led, They Acknowledged The Hand Of The Almighty In The Affairs Of This Republic. Our Coinage And Our Currency Carry The National Motto. It Simply Says, 'in God We Trust.' I Believe This Is The Foundation Upon Which This Nation Was Established, An Unequivocal Trust In The Power Of The Almighty To Guide And Defend Us.

Of All Times, It Is Christmas When We Must Surely Realize That There Can Be No True Worship Of Him Who Is The Christ Without Giving Of Ourselves. At This Season Let Us, Each One, Reach Out A Little More Generously In The Spirit Of The Christ. It Is Not Enough To Give Toys And Baubles. It Is Not Enough To Give Alms To Those In Need.... It Is Also Important That We Give Of Ourselves With Our Alms.

Notwithstanding The Trouble, Notwithstanding The Argument, Notwithstanding The Increasingly Heavy Hand Of Government, Notwithstanding The Spirit Of Arrogance We So Often Display, Notwithstanding The Growing Tide Of Pornography And Permissiveness, Notwithstanding Occasional Corruption In Public Office And Betrayal Of Sacred Trust-i Marvel At The Miracle Of America.

Our Lives Are The Only Meaningful Expression Of What We Believe And In Whom We Believe. And The Only Real Wealth, For Any Of Us, Lies In Our Faith.

Contrary To What You May Think, An Immoral Act Of Any Kind Will Only Lower Your Self-esteem. Be True To Yourselves, And Your Respect For Yourself Will Increase. Know That Yours Is A Divine Birthright. Cultivate A Good Opinion Of Yourselves. Others May Make Cutting Remarks Concerning You. This Is Only A Sign Of Their Ignorance And Not Of Your Qualities. Walk With That Dignity Which Is Becoming A Young Woman Who Is A Daughter Of God.

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

In All This World There Is No Substitute For Personal Integrity. It Includes Honor. It Includes Performance. It Includes Keeping One's Word. It Includes Doing What Is Right Regardless Of The Circumstances

Don't Make The Kinds Of Mistakes That Will Bring Regret.

If You Will Make Your First Concern The Comfort, The Well-being, And The Happiness Of Your Companion, Sublimating Any Personal Concern To That Loftier Goal, You Will Be Happy, And Your Marriage Will Go On Through Eternity

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

The Best Antidote I Know For Worry Is Work. The Best Cure For Weariness Is The Challenge Of Helping Someone Who Is Even More Tired. One Of The Great Ironies Of Life Is This: He Or She Who Serves Almost Always Benefits More Than He Or She Who Is Served.

Spare Yourselves From The Indulgence Of Self-pity. It Is Always Self-defeating. Subdue The Negative And Emphasize The Positive.

There Would Be No Christmas If There Had Not Been Easter. The Babe Jesus Of Bethlehem Would Be But Another Baby Without The Redeeming Christ Of Gethsemane And Calvary, And The Triumphant Fact Of The Resurrection.

Try A Little Harder To Be A Little Better.

Divorce Too Often Is The Bitter Fruit Of Anger. A Man And A Woman Fall In Love, As They Say; Each Is Wonderful In The Sight Of The Other; They Feel Romantic Affection For No One Else; They Stretch Their Finances To Buy A Diamond Ring; They Marry. All Is Bliss-that Is, For A Season. Then Little Inconsequential Activities Lead To Criticism. Little Flaws Are Magnified Into Great Torrents Of Faultfinding; They Fall Apart, They Separate, And Then With Rancor And Bitterness They Divorce.

Falling In Love

Criticism Is The Seed Of Divorce, And It Develops Rebellion In Our Young.

If We Are Worried About The Future, Then We Must Look Today At The Upbringing Of Children.

For The Christ Of Whom I Speak Has Been Revealed In This, The Dispensation Of The Fulness [sic] Of Times. He, Together With His Father, Appeared To The Boy Joseph Smith In The Year 1820, And When Joseph Left The Grove That Day, He Knew More Of The Nature Of God Than All The Learned Ministers Of The Gospel Of The Ages.

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

The Best Food Storage Is Not In Welfare Grain Elevators But In Sealed Cans And Bottles In The Homes Of Our People. What A Gratifying Thing It Is To See Cans Of Wheat And Rice And Beans Under The Beds Or In The Pantries Of Women Who Have Taken Welfare Responsibility Into Their Own Hands. Such Food May Not Be Tasty, But It Will Be Nourishing If It Has To Be Used.

As We Give Presents At Christmas, We Need To Recognize That Sharing Our Time And Ourselves Is Such An Important Part Of Giving.

I Believe That I Am A Child Of God, Endowed With A Divine Birthright. I Believe That There Is Something Of Divinity Within Me And Within Each Of You. I Believe That We Have A Godly Inheritance And That It Is Our Responsibility, Our Obligation, And Our Opportunity To Cultivate And Nurture The Very Best Of These Qualities Within Us.

Conflict Grows Out Of Ignorance And Suspicion. As We Learn To Know And Appreciate Those Of Various Cultures, We Come To Appreciate Them.

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

Do You Want To Be Happy? Forget Yourself And Get Lost In This Great Cause.

Respect For Self Is The Beginning Of Cultivating Virtue In Men And Women.

Do You Feel Gloomy? Lift Your Eyes. Stand On Your Feet. Say A Few Words Of Appreciation And Love To The Lord. Be Positive.

There Is No Substitute Under The Heavens For Productive Labor. It Is The Process By Which Dreams Become Realities. It Is The Process By Which Idle Visions Become Dynamic Achievements.

There Has Come To You As Your Birthright Something Beautiful And Sacred And Divine. Never Forget That. Your Eternal Father Is The Great Master Of The Universe. He Rules Over All, But He Also Will Listen To Your Prayers As His Daughter And Hear You As You Speak With Him. He Will Answer Your Prayers. He Will Not Leave You Alone.

Stay Out Of The Gutter In Your Conversation. Foul Talk Defiles The Man Who Speaks It.

Most Of The Things That Make You Angry Are Of Very Small Consequence. And What A Terrible Price You Are Paying For Your Anger.

Selfishness So Often Is The Basis Of Money Problems, Which Are A Very Serious And Real Factor Affecting The Stability Of Family Life. Selfishness Is At The Root Of Adultery, The Breaking Of Solemn And Sacred Covenants To Satisfy Selfish Lust. Selfishness Is The Antithesis Of Love. It Is A Cankering Expression Of Greed. It Destroys Self-discipline. It Obliterates Loyalty. It Tears Up Sacred Covenants. It Afflicts Both Men And Women.

Carry On. Things Will Work Out. If You Keep Trying And Praying And Working, Things Will Work Out. They Always Do. If You Want To Die At An Early Age, Dwell On The Negative. Accentuate The Positive, And You’ll Be Around For A While.

In My Ninety-plus Years, I Have Learned A Secret. I Have Learned That When Good Men And Good Women Face Challenges With Optimism, Things Will Always Work Out! Truly, Things Always Work Out! Despite How Difficult Circumstances May Look At The Moment, Those Who Have Faith And Move Forward With A Happy Spirit Will Find That Things Always Work Out.

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

Without Hard Work, Nothing Grows But Weeds.

Study A Foreign Language If You Have Opportunity To Do So. You May Never Be Called To A Land Where That Language Is Spoken, But The Study Will Have Given You A Better Understanding Of Your Own Tongue Or Of Another Tongue You May Be Asked To Acquire.

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

There Is No Strength That Is Greater Than The Strength Of Virtue. There Is No Other Nobility Equal To The Nobility Of Virtue. There Is No Quality So Becoming, No Attire So Attractive.

Of All The Creations Of The Almighty, There Is None More Beautiful, None More Inspiring Than A Lovely Daughter Of God Who Walks In Virtue With An Understanding Of Why She Should Do So, Who Honors And Respects Her Body As A Thing Sacred And Divine, Who Cultivates Her Mind And Constantly Enlarges The Horizon Of Her Understanding, Who Nurtures Her Spirit With Everlasting Truth. God Will Hold Us Accountable If We Neglect His Daughters. He Has Given Us A Great And Compelling Trust. May We Be Faithful To That Trust.

Honor And Respect

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

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

How Wonderful It Is That We Believe In Modern Revelation. I Cannot Get Over The Feeling That If Revelation Were Needed Anciently, When Life Was Simple, That Revelation Is Also Needed Today, When Life Is Complex. There Never Was A Time In The History Of The Earth When Men Needed Revelation More Than They Need It Now.

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

Love Is The Very Essence Of Life. It Is The Pot Of Gold At The End Of The Rainbow. Yet It Is More Than The End Of The Rainbow. Love Is The Security For Which Children Weep, The Yearning Of Youth, The Adhesive That Binds Marriage, And The Lubricant That Prevents Devastating Friction In The Home; It Is The Peace Of Old Age, The Sunlight Of Hope Shinning Through Death.

The Singing Of Hymns And The Rendition Of Selections From The Great Sacred Oratorios By Ward Choirs All Enhance The Spirit Of Worship.

Perhaps Our Greatest Concern Is With Families. The Family Is Falling Apart All Over The World. The Old Ties That Bound Together Father And Mother And Children Are Breaking Everywhere. We Must Face This In Our Own Midst. There Are Too Many Broken Homes Among Our Own. The Love That Led To Marriage Somehow Evaporates, And Hatred Fills Its Place. Hearts Are Broken, Children Weep.

Nobody Is Lost Until Somebody Has Given Up.

Aim High, But Do Not Aim So High That You Totally Miss The Target. What Really Matters Is That He Will Love You, That He Will Respect You, That He Will Honor You, That He Will Be Absolutely True To You, That He Will Give You The Freedom Of Expression And Let You Fly In The Development Of Your Own Talents. He Is Not Going To Be Perfect, But If He Is Kind And Thoughtful, If He Knows How To Work And Earn A Living, If He Is Honest And Full Of Faith, The Chances Are You Will Not Go Wrong, That You Will Be Immensely Happy.

I Feel To Invite Women Everywhere To Rise To The Great Potential Within You. I Do Not Ask That You Reach Beyond Your Capacity. I Hope You Will Not Nag Yourselves With Thoughts Of Failure. I Hope You Will Not Try To Set Goals Far Beyond Your Capacity To Achieve. I Hope You Will Simply Do What You Can Do In The Best Way You Know. If You Do So, You Will Witness Miracles Come To Pass.

I Am Satisfied That Every Man Or Woman Who Goes To The Temple In A Spirit Of Sincerity And Faith Leaves The House Of The Lord A Better Man Or Woman.

Love Can Make The Difference-love Generously Given In Childhood And Reaching Through The Awkward Years Of Youth . . . And Encouragement That Is Quick To Compliment And Slow To Criticize.

Christmas Means 'giving,' And The Gift Without The Giver Is Bare. Give Of Yourselves; Give Of Your Substance; Give Of Your Heart And Mind. "christmas Means 'compassion And Love' And, Most Of All 'forgiveness' How Poor Indeed Would Be Our Lives Without The Influence Of His Teachings And His Matchless Example. "he Whose Birth We Commemorate This Season Is More Than The Symbol Of A Holiday. He Is The Son Of God, The Redeemer Of Mankind, The King Of Kings, The Prince Of Peace.

This Will Be The Most Important Decision Of Your Life, The Individual Whom You Marry.

To Save A Girl Is To Save Generations!

As You Work With Your Associates To Help Them With Their Faith, You Will Save Them And Also Yourselves.

Coming Closer To Home, There Is So Much Of Jealousy, Pride, Arrogance, And Carping Criticism; Fathers Who Rise In Anger Over Small, Inconsequential Things And Make Wives Weep And Children Fear.

Mutual Respect, The Soft Answer, Financial Honesty With The Lord, Prayer. "i Do Not Hesitate To Promise That If You Will Go To Your Homes And Cultivate And Nurture It Among These Four Cornerstones, Your Lives Will Be Happy."

The World Is Our Responsibility. We Cannot Evade It.

We Are Here To Assist Our Father In His Work And His Glory, 'to Bring To Pass The Immortality And Eternal Life Of Man' (moses 1:39). Your Obligation Is As Serious In Your Sphere Of Responsibility As Is My Obligation In My Sphere.

I Know Of No Better Answer To The Foul Practices That Confront Our Young People Than The Teachings Of A Mother, Given In Love With An Unmistakable Warning.

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

Onward And Upward

We Are Particularly Proud Of Our Youth. I Think We Have Never Had A Stronger Generation Of Young Men And Women Than We Have Today. For The Most Part They Are True To The Faith Of Their Forebears. Surrounded By Forces That Would Pull Them Down And Tremendous Pressures To Pull Them Away From Time-tested Virtues, They Are Going Forward With Constructive Lives, Nurturing Themselves Both Intellectually And Spiritually. We Have No Fears Or Doubts Concerning The Future Of This Work.

The Best Place To Have Some Food Set Aside Is Within Our Homes, Together With A Little Money In Savings. The Best Welfare Program Is Our Own Welfare Program. Five Or Six Cans Of Wheat In The Home Are Better Than A Bushel In The Welfare Granary. ... We Can Begin With A One Week's Food Supply And Gradually Build It To A Month, And Then To Three Months. I Am Speaking Now Of Food To Cover Basic Needs.

Welfare Programs

To Me The Gospel Is Not A Great Mass Of Theological Jargon. It Is A Simple And Beautiful And Logical Thing, With One Quiet Truth Following Another In Orderly Sequence. I Do Not Fret Over The Mysteries. I Do Not Worry Whether The Heavenly Gates Swing Or Slide. I Am Only Concerned That They Open.

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

Forget Yourself And Go To Work.

The Kingdom Of Heaven And The Kingdom Of God On The Earth Will Be Combined Together At Christ's Coming - And That Time Is Not Far Distant. How I Wish We Could Get The Vision Of This Work, The Genius Of It, And Realize The Nearness Of That Great Event. I Am Sure It Would Have A Sobering Effect Upon Us If We Realized What Is Before Us.

The Best Thing You Can Do Is Just Keep Busy, Keep Working Hard, So You're Not Dwelling On It All The Time. Work Is The Best Antidote For Sorrow.

The Best Medicine For Despair Is Service.

This Cause Will Roll On In Majesty And Power To Fill The Earth. Doors Now Closed To The Preaching Of The Gospel Will Be Opened. The Almighty, If Necessary, May Have To Shake The Nations To Humble Them And Cause Them To Listen To The Servants Of The Living God. Whatever Is Needed Will Come To Pass.

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

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

I Don't Know How To Get Anything Done Except Getting On My Knees And Pleading For Help And Then Getting On My Feet And Going To Work.

Don't Waste Your Time Searching And Wishing. Grow And Be Ready...and You'll See God Will Give You A Love Story Far Better Than You Could Ever Dreamed Of.

You Are Great Young People. I Have Said Again And Again, We Have The Finest Generation Of Young People Ever In The History Of This Church. I Believe It. You Know The Gospel Better. You Come To Seminary And You Learn About The Things Of The Lord Here. You Know More About The Gospel Than Those Of My Generation At Your Age Did Without Any Question. I Am Satisfied Of That. Furthermore, You Are Intrinsically Better. You Are Wonderful Young People!

It Is Possible To Be Honest Every Day. It Is Possible To Live So That Others Can Trust Us-can Trust Our Words, Our Motives, And Our Actions. Our Examples Are Vital To Those Who Sit At Our Feet As Well As Those Who Watch From A Distance. Our Own Constant Self-improvement Will Become As A Polar Star To Those Within Our Individual Spheres Of Influence. They Will Remember Longer What They Saw In Us Than What They Heard From Us. Our Attitude, Our Point Of View, Can Make A Tremendous Difference.

You Can Be Excellent In Every Way. You Can Be First Class. There Is No Need For You To Be A Scrub. Respect Yourself. Do Not Feel Sorry For Yourself. Do Not Dwell On Unkind Things Others May Say About You. Polish And Refine Whatever Talents The Lord Has Given You. Go Forward In Life With A Twinkle In Your Eye And A Smile On Your Face, But With Great And Strong Purpose In Your Heart. Love Life And Look For Its Opportunities.

If We Are To Continue To Have The Freedoms That Came Of The Inspiration Of The Almighty To Our Founding Fathers, We Must Return To The God Who Is Their True Author.

Without Labor There Is Neither Wealth, Nor Comfort, Nor Progress.

I Urge Our People Everywhere, With All Of The Persuasiveness Of Which I Am Capable, To Live Worthy To Hold A Temple Recommend, To Secure One And Regard It As A Precious Asset, And To Make A Greater Effort To Go To The House Of The Lord And Partake Of The Spirit And The Blessings To Be Had Therein.

I Love The Youth Of The Church. I Have Said Again And Again That I Think We Have Never Had A Better Generation Than This. How Grateful I Am For Your Integrity, For Your Ambition To Train Your Minds And Your Hands To Do Good Work, For Your Love Of The Word Of The Lord, And For Your Desire To Walk In Paths Of Virtue And Truth And Goodness.

As You Walk The Road Of Life, Be Careful Of Your Friends. They Can Make You Or Break You.

Love Is The Very Essence Of Family Life. Why Is It That The Children We Love Become So Frequently The Targets Of Our Harsh Words? Why Is It That These Children Who Love Their Fathers And Mothers Sometimes Speak As If With Daggers That Cut To The Quick? "there Is Beauty All Around," Only When There's Love At Home.

There Would Be No Christmas If There Was No Easter.

Be Strong-be Strong In The Discipline Of Self. How Many Otherwise Good Men Squander Their Strength And Dissipate Their Will And Literally Destroy Their Lives Because They Have Not The Power Of Self-discipline.

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

You Can't Build A Great Building On A Weak Foundation. You Must Have A Solid Foundation If You're Going To Have A Strong Superstructure.

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

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

We’ve Got To Have A Little Humor In Our Lives. You Had Better Take Seriously That Which Should Be Taken Seriously But, At The Same Time, We Can Bring In A Touch Of Humor Now And Again. If The Time Ever Comes When We Can’t Smile At Ourselves, It Will Be A Sad Time.

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

I Commend To You The Virtues Of Thrift And Industry. In Doing So, I Do Not Wish You To Be A "tightwad," If You Will Pardon That Expression, Or To Be A Freeloader, Or Anything Of The Kind.

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

I Hope You Are Reading To Your Children, Out Loud. That's Much Better Than Watching Television, Much Better. They Won't Get Very Much Out Of Television Except Some Bad Thoughts.

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

Helping Someone

Our Eternal Father Lives. He Stands As The Great God Of The Universe, Ruling In Majesty And Power. And Yet He Is My Father, To Whom I May Go In Prayer With The Assurance That He Will Hear, Listen, And Answer.

Love Is Meant To Be An Adventure!!

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

The Willingness To Forgive Is A Sign Of Spiritual And Emotional Maturity. It Is One Of The Great Virtues To Which We All Should Aspire. Imagine A World Filled With Individuals Willing Both To Apologize And To Accept An Apology. Is There Any Problem That Could Not Be Solved Among People Who Possessed The Humility And Largeness Of Spirit And Soul To Do Either -- Or Both -- When Needed?

People Are Looking For Stability In A Shaky World. They Want Something They Can Get Hold Of That's Firm And Sure And An Anchor In The Midst Of All Of This Instability In Which They're Living.

Beer And Other Forms Of Alcohol Will Do You No Good. Their Use Will Be Expensive, Will Dull Your Conscience, And Could Lead To The Disease Called Alcoholism, Which Is Humiliating, Dangerous, And Even Deadly.

This Church Is True. It Will Weather Every Storm That Beats Against It. It Will Outlast Every Critic Who Rises To Mock It. It Was Established By God Our Eternal Father For The Blessing Of His Sons And Daughters Of All Generations. It Carries The Name Of Him Who Stands As Its Head, Even The Lord Jesus Christ, The Savior Of The World. It Is Governed And Moves By The Power Of The Priesthood. It Sends Forth To The World Another Witness Of The Divinity Of The Lord. Be Faithful, My Friends. Be True. Be Loyal To The Great Things Of God Which Have Been Revealed In This Dispensation.

You Will Find Peace And Happiness If You Will Live The Gospel.

Peace And Happiness

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