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

-Ezra Taft Benson

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When You Are Tempted

Ezra Taft Benson

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

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

It Is The Mark Of A Truly Educated Man To Know What Not To Read.

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

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

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

Pride Is Characterized By "what Do I Want Out Of Life?" Rather Than By "what Would God Have Me Do With My Life?" It Is Self-will As Opposed To God's Will. It Is The Fear Of Man Over The Fear Of God.

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

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

I Feel Certain That If, In Our Homes, Parents Will Read From The Book Of Mormon Prayerfully And Regularly, Both By Themselves And With Their Children, The Spirit Of That Great Book Will Come To Permeate Our Homes And All Who Dwell Therein.

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

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

Procrastination

First, We Should Become Informed About Communism, About Socialism, And About Americanism. What Better Way Can One Become Informed Than By First Studying The Inspired Words Of The Prophets And Using That As A Foundation; Against Which To Test All Other Material. This Is In Keeping With The Prophet Joseph Smith's Motto, "when The Lord Commands, Do It."

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

True To Form, Many Of The People Who Desire To Frustrate God's Purposes Of Giving Mortal Tabernacles To His Spirit Children Through Worldwide Birth Control Are The Very Same People Who Support The Kinds Of Government That Perpetuate Famine. They Advocate An Evil To Cure The Results Of The Wickedness They Support.

Let Your Minds Be Filled With The Goal Of Being Like The Lord, And You Will Crowd Out Depressing Thoughts As You Anxiously Seek To Know Him And Do His Will.

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

Enthusiasm For Life

Rights Are Either God-given As Part Of The Divine Plan, Or They Are Granted By Government As Part Of The Political Plan. If We Accept The Premise That Human Rights Are Granted By Government, Then We Must Be Willing To Accept The Corollary That They Can Be Denied By Government.

The Fellowship Of True Friends Who Can Hear You Out, Share Your Joys, Help Carry Your Burdens, And Correctly Counsel You Is Priceless.

The Time Is Long Overdue For A Massive Flooding Of The Earth With The Book Of Mormon For The Many Reasons Which The Lord Has Given. In This Age Of Electronic Media And Mass Distribution Of The Printed Word, God Will Hold Us Accountable If We Do Not Now Move The Book Of Mormon In A Monumental Way.

True Repentance Involves A Change Of Heart And Not Just A Change Of Behavior.

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

In The Scriptures There Is No Such Thing As Righteous Pride. It Is Always Considered As A Sin. We Are Not Speaking Of A Wholesome View Of Self-worth, Which Is Best Established By A Close Relationship With God. But We Are Speaking Of Pride As The Universal Sin, As Someone Has Described It. . . . Essentially, Pride Is A "my Will" Rather Than "thy Will" Approach To Life. The Opposite Of Pride Is Humbleness, Meekness, Submissiveness, Or Teachableness.

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

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

No Society Will Long Survive Without Mothers Who Care For Their Young And Provide That Nurturing Care So Essential For Their Normal Development.

I Have A Vision Of The Whole Church Getting Nearer To God By Abiding By The Precepts Of The Book Of Mormon.

The Key To Overcoming Aloneness And A Feeling Of Uselessness For One Who Is Physically Able Is To Step Outside Yourself By Helping Others Who Are Truly Needy. We Promise Those Who Will Render This Kind Of Service That, In Some Measure, You Will Be Healed Of The Loss Of Loved Ones Or The Dread Of Being Alone. The Way To Feel Better About Your Own Situation Is To Improve Someone Else's Circumstances.

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

How Vital Are Mother’s Influence And Teaching In The Home-and How Apparent When Neglected!

Communities Have A Responsibility To Assist The Family In Promoting Wholesome Entertainment. What A Community Tolerates Will Become Tomorrow's Standard For Today's Youth.

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

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

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

Would We Not Do Well To Have The Pleasing Of God As Our Motive Rather Than To Try To Elevate Ourselves Above Our Brother And Outdo Another?

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

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

No Man Is Truly Free Who Is In Financial Bondage. 'think What You Do When You Run In Debt', Said Benjamin Franklin, 'you Give Another Power Over Your Liberty.'

Mothers, Train Up Your Children In Righteousness; Do Not Attempt To Save The World And Let Your Own Family Fall Apart.

The Lord Is Letting The Wheat And The Tares Mature Before He Fully Purges The Church. He Is Also Testing You To See If You Will Be Misled. The Devil Is Trying To Deceive The Very Elect.

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

[the Constitution] Will Not Be Saved In Washington. It Will Be Saved By The Citizens Of This Nation Who Love And Cherish Freedom...men And Women Who Will Subscribe To And Abide The Principles Of The Constitution.

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

Beware Of Those Who Would Pit The Dead Prophets Against The Living Prophets, For The Living Prophets Always Take Precedence.

Was It Not Through Pride That The Devil Became The Devil? Christ Wanted To Serve. The Devil Wanted To Rule. Christ Wanted To Bring Men To Where He Was. The Devil Wanted To Be Above Men.

We Must Not Lose Hope. Hope Is An Anchor To The Souls Of Men. Satan Would Have Us Cast Away That Anchor. In This Way He Can Bring Discouragement And Surrender. But We Must Not Lose Hope. The Lord Is Pleased With Every Effort, Even The Tiny, Daily Ones In Which We Strive To Be More Like Him. Though We May See That We Have Far To Go On The Road To Perfection, We Must Not Give Up Hope.

This Is Our First Interest As A Church-to Save And Exalt The Souls Of The Children Of Men. There Is No Richer Program Anywhere In The World Than We Have In The Church Today For The Building Of Men And Women And Providing The Answers To The Problems That Face Parents, Families, And Individuals. It Is A Program That Is Needed Today As Never Before.

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

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

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

Pride Is Competition-competition Between God And Man.

From The 5th Grade Through The 4th Year Of College, Our Young People Are Being Indoctrinated With A Marxist Philosophy And I Am Fearful Of The Harvest. The Younger Generation Is Further To The Left Than Most Adults Realize. The Old Concepts Of Our Founding Fathers Are Scoffed And Jeered At By Young Moderns Whose Goals Appear To Be The Destruction Of Integrity And Virtue, And The Glorification Of Pleasure, Thrills, And Self-indulgence.

A Missionary Should Never Permit Himself To See A Movie Or (read) Cheap Literature, Or Hear Music That Tends To Interfere With Or Which Dampens The Spirit Of Missionary Work. There Is Ample Evidence That Rock Music Is Offensive To The Spirit And Affects Adversely The Spirituality Of The Missionaries And Thus The Success Of The Proselyting Work.

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

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

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

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

I Grew Up Believing That The Willingness And Ability To Work Is The Basic Ingredient Of Successful Farming. Hard, Intelligent Work Is The Key. Use It, And Your Chances For Success Are Good.

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

I Am A Libertarian. I Want To Be Known As A Libertarian And A Constitutionalist In The Tradition Of The Early James Madison - Father Of The Constitution. Labels Change And Perhaps In The Old Tradition I Would Be Considered One Of The Original Whigs. The New Title I Would Wear Today Is That Of Conservative, Though In Its Original Connotation The Term Liberal Fits Me Better Than The Original Meaning Of The Word Conservative.

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

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

I Say To You With All The Fervor Of My Soul That God Intended Men To Be Free. Rebellion Against Tyranny Is A Righteous Cause. It Is An Enormous Evil For Any Man To Be Enslaved To Any System Contrary To His Own Will. For That Reason Men, 200 Years Ago, Pledged Their Lives, Fortunes, And Sacred Honor. No Nation Which Has Kept The Commandments Of God Has Ever Perished, But I Say To You That Once Freedom Is Lost, Only Blood - Human Blood - Will Win It Back.

Have Good Associates Or Don't Associate At All. Be Careful In The Selection Of Your Friends. If In The Presence Of Certain Persons You Are Lifted To Nobler Heights, You Are In Good Company. But If Your Friends Or Associates Encourage Base Thoughts, Then You Had Best Leave Them.

Christ Changes Men, Who Then Change Their Environment. The World Would Shape Human Behavior, But Christ Can Change Human Nature.

To Be A Successful Missionary One Must Have The Spirit Of The Lord. We Are Also Taught That The Spirit Will Not Dwell In Unclean Tabernacles. Therefore, One Of The First Things A Missionary Must Do To Gain Spirituality Is To Make Sure His Own Personal Life Is In Order.

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

The More We Express Our Gratitude To God For Our Blessings, The More He Will Bring To Our Mind Other Blessings. The More We Are Aware Of To Be Grateful For, The Happier We Become.

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

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

Communist Leaders

The Greatest Test Of Life Is Obedience To God.

... In All Seriousness... You Who Submit Yourselves To An Abortion Or To An Operation That Precludes You From Safely Having Additional Healthy Children Are Jeopardizing Your Exaltation And Your Future Membership In The Kingdom Of God.

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

For The Past Two Centuries, Those Who Do Not Prize Freedom Have Chipped Away At Every Major Clause Of Our Constitution Until Today We Face A Crisis Of Great Dimensions.

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

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

Thoughts Lead To Acts, Acts Lead To Habits, Habits Lead To Character - And Our Character Will Determine Our Eternal Destiny.

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

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

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

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

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

We Cannot Do Everything At Once, But We Can Do A Great Deal If We Choose Our Goals Well And Work Diligently To Attain Them.

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

The Lord Has Warned And Forewarned Us Against A Day Of Great Tribulation And Given Us Counsel, Through His Servants, On How We Can Be Prepared For These Difficult Times. Have We Heeded His Counsel?

Difficult Times

The Proud Do Not Change To Improve, But Defend Their Position By Rationalizing. Repentance Means Change, And It Takes A Humble Person To Change.

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

No True Latter-day Saint And No True American Can Be A Socialist Or A Communist Or Support Programs Leading In That Direction. These Evil Philosophies Are Incompatible With Mormonism, The True Gospel Of Jesus Christ.

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

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

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

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

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

Satan Works Through Human Agents.

"on My Honor" - What An Ennobling Phrase! Three Short Words, Nine Letters, But The Summation Of All We Call Character. From The Boy Scout's Oath.

If You Want To Get The Spirit Of The Gospel In Your Home, Support The Missionary Program. Prepare Your Sons And Daughters Through Your Home Evenings; Through Setting The Proper Example In Your Homes. Prepare To Send Them Into The Mission Field. These Young Sons And Daughters Will Bless Your Names Forever If You Help To Make It Possible Through Your Training And Your Example And Your Willingness To Sacrifice Just A Little, If You Can Call It Sacrifice, To See Them Go Into The Mission Field.

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

Since Man Created Government To Help Secure And Safeguard [inalienable] Rights [from God], It Follows That Man Is Superior To Government And Should Remain Master Over It, Not The Other Way Around.

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

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

To A Significant Degree, We Are An Overfed And Undernourished Nation Digging An Early Grave With Our Teeth, And Lacking The Energy That Could Be Ours Because We Overindulge In Junk Foods.

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

Be Cheerful In All That You Do. Live Joyfully. Live Happily. Live Enthusiastically, Knowing That God Does Not Dwell In Gloom And Melancholy, But In Light And Love.

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

We Need Missionaries To Match Our Message.

Freedom Must Be Continually Guarded As Something More Priceless Than Life Itself.

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

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

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

Every Latter-day Saint Should Make The Study Of This Book A Lifetime Pursuit. Otherwise, He Is Placing His Soul In Jeopardy And Neglecting That Which Could Give Spiritual And Intellectual Unity To His Whole Life.

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

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

The Proud Depend Upon The World To Tell Them Whether They Have Value Or Not. Their Self-esteem Is Determined By Where They Are Judged To Be On The Ladders Of Worldly Success. They Feel Worthwhile As Individuals If The Numbers Beneath Them In Achievement, Talent, Beauty, Or Intellect Are Large Enough.

The Moment You Begin A Serious Study Of The Scriptures, You Will Find Greater Power To Resist Temptation. You Will Find The Power To Avoid Deception. You Will Find The Power To Stay On The Straight And Narrow Path.... When You Begin To Hunger & Thirst After Those Words, You Will Find Life In Greater Abundance.

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

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

Communism Introduced Into The World A Substitute For True Religion. It Is A Counterfeit Of The Gospel Plan.

Do Not Make Your Mind A Dumping Ground For Other People's Garbage.

The Deepest Joys And Blessings In Life Are Associated With Family, Parenthood, And Sacrifice.

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

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

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

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

We Counsel You, Young Men, Not To Pollute Your Minds With Such Degrading Matter, For The Mind Through Which This Filth Passes Is Never The Same Afterwards. Don't See R-rated Movies Or Vulgar Videos Or Participate In Any Entertainment That Is Immoral, Suggestive, Or Pornographic. Don't Listen To Music That Is Degrading

Satan Knows That Youth Is The Springtime Of Life When All Things Are New And Young People Are Most Vulnerable.

A Young Woman Who Knows And Loves The Book Of Mormon, Who Has Read It Several Times, Who Has An Abiding Testimony Of Its Truthfulness, And Who Applies Its Teachings Will Be Able To Stand Against The Wiles Of The Devil And Will Be A Mighty Tool In The Hands Of The Lord.

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

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

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

You Cannot Do Wrong And Feel Right. It Is Impossible!

If You Turn Your Life Over To The Lord He Can Do So Much More With It Than We Can.

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

Build Traditions Of Family Vacations And Trips And Outings. These Memories Will Never Be Forgotten By Your Children.

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

Are You Honest With The Lord In The Payment Of Your Tithes? Living This Divine Law Will Bring Both Spiritual And Material Blessings.

Every Latter-day Saint Should Love The Inspired Constitution Of The United States - A Nation With A Spiritual Foundation And A Prophetic History - Which Nation The Lord Has Declared To Be His Base Of Operations In These Latter Days.

Nothing Will Surprise Us More Than When We Get To Heaven And See The Father And Realize How Well We Know Him And How Familiar His Face Is To Us.

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

Mothers, Take Time To Be A Real Friend To Your Children. Listen To Your Children, Really Listen. Talk With Them, Laugh And Joke With Them, Sing With Them, Cry With Them, Hug Them, Honestly Praise Them. Yes, Regularly Spend Unused One-on-one Time With Each Child. Be A Real Friend To Your Children.

Happy And Successful Homes Cannot Be Built On Immorality.

And So Today, The Undermining Of The Home And Family Is On The Increase, With The Devil Anxiously Working To Displace The Father As The Head Of The Home And Create Rebellion Among The Children. [isaiah] Describes The Condition When [he] States, "as For My People, Children Are Their Oppressors, And Women Rule Over Them." And Then These Words Follow-and Consider These Words Seriously When You Think Of Those Political Leaders Who Are Promoting Birth Control And Abortion: "o My People, They Which Lead Thee Cause Thee To Err, And Destroy The Way Of Thy Paths."

Encourage Good Music And Art And Literature In Your Homes. Homes That Have A Spirit Of Refinement And Beauty Will Bless The Lives Of Your Children Forever.

That Government Is Best Which Governs The Least, So Taught The Courageous Founders Of This Nation. This Simple Declaration Is Diametrically Opposed To The All Too Common Philosophy That The Government Should Protect And Support One From The Cradle To The Grave. The Policy Of The Founding Fathers Has Made Our People And Our Nation Strong. The Opposite Leads Inevitably To Moral Decay.

We Are An Overfed And Undernourished Nation Digging An Early Grave With Our Teeth.

While You Are Going Through Your Trial, You Can Recall Your Past Victories And Coul The Blessings That You Do Have With A Sure Hope Of Greater Ones To Allow If You Are Faithful.

It Is Not On The Pinnacle Of Success And Ease Where Men And Women Grow Most. It Is Often Down In The Valley Of Heartache And Disappointment And Reverses Where Men And Women Grow.

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

From The Book Of Mormon We Learn How Disciples Of Christ Live In Times Of War.

Meditation On A Passage Of Scripture... Led A Young Boy Into A Grove Of Trees To Commune With His Heavenly Father. That Is What Opened The Heavens In This Dispensation

It Is A Truism That Children Need More Of Mother Than Of Money.

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

Without Goals Our Efforts May Be Scattered And Unproductive.

There Can Be No Genuine Happiness Separate And Apart From The Home.

Genuine Happiness

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

Go On Daddy-daughter Dates And Father-and-sons' Outings With Your Children. As A Family, Go On Campouts And Picnics, To Ball Games And Recitals, To School Programs, And So Forth. Having Dad There Makes All The Difference.

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

Most Of Us Think Of Pride As Self-centeredness, Conceit, Boastfulness, Arrogance, Or Haughtiness. All Of These Are Elements Of The Sin, But The Heart, Or Core, Is Still Missing. The Central Feature Of Pride Is Enmity - Enmity Toward God And Enmity Toward Our Fellowmen.

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

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

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

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

Compelling Reason

We Can Choose To Humble Ourselves By Confessing And Forsaking Our Sins And Being Born Of God.

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

A Missionary Who Is Inspired By The Spirit Of The Lord Must Be Led By That Spirit To Choose The Proper Approach To Be Effective. We Must Not Forget That The Lord Himself Provided The Book Of Mormon As His Chief Witness. The Book Of Mormon Is Still Our Most Powerful Missionary Tool. Let Us Use It.

The Body Needs The Rejuvenation That Comes From Exercise. Walking In The Fresh Air Can Be Exhilarating And Refreshing. Properly Directed Running Can Also Have Some Beneficial Effects. Simple Sit-ups Or Sports Activities Can Also Be Helpful.

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

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

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

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

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

Pride Does Not Look Up To God And Care About What Is Right. It Looks Sideways To Man And Argues Who Is Right. Pride Is Manifest In The Spirit Of Contention. Was It Not Through Pride That The Devil Became The Devil? Christ Wanted To Serve. The Devil Wanted To Rule. Christ Wanted To Bring Men To Where He Was. The Devil Wanted To Be Above Men. Christ Removed Self As The Force In His Perfect Life. It Was Not My Will, But Thine Be Done

One Who Is Kind Is Sympathetic And Gentle With Others. He Is Considerate Of Others Feelings And Courteous In His Behavior. He Has A Helpful Nature. Kindness Pardons Others? Weaknesses And Fault. Kindness Is Extended To All--to The Aged And The Young, To Animals, To Those Low Of Stations As Well As The High.

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

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

I Testify To You That God's Hand Has Been In Our Destiny. I Testify That Freedom As We Know It Today Is Being Threatened As Never Before In Our History. I Further Witness That This Land-the Americas-must Be Protected, Its Constitution Upheld, For This Is A Land Foreordained To Be The Zion Of Our God. He Expects Us As Members Of The Church And Bearers Of His Priesthood To Do All We Can To Preserve Our Liberty.

The Leisure Time Of Children Must Be Constructively Directed To Wholesome, Positive Pursuits. Too Much Time Viewing Television Can Be Destructive...it Is Estimated That Growing Children Today Watch Television Over Twenty-five Hours Per Week.

For Years We Have Heard Of The Role The Elders Could Play In Saving The Constitution From Total Destruction. But How Can The Elders Be Expected To Save It If They Have Not Studied It And Are Not Sure If It Is Being Destroyed Or What Is Destroying It.

Someone Has Said It Is Better To Appreciate The Things You Don't Own Than To Own Things You Don't Appreciate. I Hope We Will Have With Us A Spirit Of Appreciation For All Of The Good Things We Enjoy, All The Blessings That We Have, Many Of Which Have Come So Easy To Us, With Very Little Effort On Our Part, And Yet They Are Very Real And Very Choice And Are Truly Rich Blessings.

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

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

Working Together

Be An Example In Your Church Activity-honor The Sabbath Day, Attend Your Meetings, Observe The Word Of Wisdom, Pay Your Tithes And Offerings, Support Your Leaders, And Otherwise Keep The Commandments. Serve Cheerfully And Gratefully In Every Calling You Receive. Live Worthy Of A Temple Recommend And Enjoy The Sweet, Sacred Spirit That Comes From Frequent Temple Attendance.

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

Take Care Of Yourselves Physically. Guard Your Health Carefully. It Is One Of Our Greatest Blessings. I Especially Encourage Some Type Of Exercise Program So You Can Stay Physically Fit And Physically Capable In Proportion To The Demands On Your Body.

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

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

Pride Is A Sin That Can Readily Be Seen In Others But Is Rarely Admitted In Ourselves.

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

Humility Responds To God's Will-to The Fear Of His Judgments And To The Needs Of Those Around Us. To The Proud, The Applause Of The World Rings In Their Ears; To The Humble, The Applause Of Heaven Warms Their Hearts. Someone Has Said, "pride Gets No Pleasure Out Of Having Something, Only Out Of Having More Of It Than The Next Man."

We Are Recipients Of God's Choicest Blessings. We Enjoy An Abundance Of Material Things Beyond That Enjoyed By Any Other Nation In The History Of The World; But Unless We Keep Alive A Realization That All These Blessings Come From God And Are A Part Of Our Great Spiritual Heritage, They May Crumble As Ashes In Our Hands. "in Nothing Doth Man Offend God, Or Against None Is His Wrath Kindled, Save Those Who Confess Not His Hand In All Things And Obey Not His Commandments."

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

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

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

No True Latter-day Saint And No True American Can Be A Socialist Or A Communist.

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

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

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

When Obedience Ceases To Be An Irritant And Becomes Our Quest, In That Moment God Will Endow Us With Power.

I Never Travel Across This Great Nation Without Experiencing A Feeling Of Gratitude And Thanksgiving For All That We Have And Are. As I See Its Broad Fruitful Farms, Its Humming Factories, Its Gleaming Cities, Certainly It Is Easy To Realize That We Have Achieved Unequaled Material Progress In This Great Country.

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

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

Fatherhood Is Not A Matter Of Station Or Wealth; It Is A Matter Of Desire, Diligence, And Determination To See One's Family Exalted In The Celestial Kingdom. If That Prize Is Lost, Nothing Else Really Matters.

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