April 2017 General Conference Summary

This study is different than I have ever done before. When I listened to Conference I heard one grand talk created by all the talks together. Within a few days I had poured over the talks and pulled out the statements from all the speakers that created this one grand talk. This is what I heard:

"It is very important that we each come to really know who we are; who God our Father really is; and who our Savior, Jesus Christ really is. This knowledge is personal, intimate and experiential. Saying "we know" because we know a lot about them isn't the same as really knowing them. This knowledge comes through time spent in study, prayer, pondering and mediation. Once we have gained this knowledge, our natural man will begin to give way until we are "born again" and have the gift of charity "bestowed" upon us. With that gift, we will be desirous and prepared to truly go out and serve others "in God's love" with total trust in hearing and doing God's will.  There was a clear message that there is "more" than we are currently experiencing and believing available to us and they want us to desire it and seek it."

Here are the statements grouped by the key points in this talk of: Who Am I? Know God; Prayer and Meditation; natural man; charity; serving in God's love; there's more (I added a few statements of warning at the end)

(The formatting didn't copy and paste perfectly, but it's close enough...) 

Bednar who am I? the Savior knows and is mindful of each of us one by one and name by name.
Bragg who am I? We are children of God
Bragg who am I? Receiving light, continuing in God, and receiving more light are what we are created to do.
Bragg who am I? From the very beginning, we followed the light
Bragg who am I? Seeking the light is in our spiritual DNA
Bragg who am I? tendency in all living systems toward positive energy [light] and away from negative energy [darkness].
Bragg who am I? everything alive has an inherent inclination toward the positive and away from the negative
Bragg who am I? everyone who comes to this life is blessed with the Light of Christ to help them return home
Brough who am I? Heavenly Father, do You really care?”...“Here am I.”
Choi who am I? All of us are in the middle of an eternal family
Choi who am I? Our role can be a turning point at which significant changes can occur in positive or negative ways
Clayton W. who am I? we lived with God, the Father of our spirits
Clayton W. who am I? each of us is precious to Him
Clayton W. who am I? We lived with Him for eons of time
Clayton W. who am I? we leave His presence
Cordon who am I? divine identity, their purpose in life, and the divine mission of Jesus Christ
Erying who am I? bright, noble son of God.
Erying who am I? God notices and will support even the newest and youngest
Erying who am I? never feel that you are too small or too insignificant for Him to take notice
Erying who am I? the Lord’s work is not just to solve problems; it is to build people
Eyring who am I? “turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers”
Eyring who am I? ye may become the sons [and daughters] of God;
Eyring who am I? God is the literal Fatherof all...He loves us with the love of a perfect Father
Eyring who am I? affection you feel for your ancestors...deeply seated in your sense of who you are….more than just inherited DNA
Eyring who am I? accomplish this work in behalf of your ancestors
Eyring who am I? this work saves not just the dead; it saves all of us
Eyring who am I? gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him”
Grow who am I? understand your identity as a child of God and know your purpose in life
Grow who am I? God knows you and invites you to know Him.
Hales who am I? to take upon him or herthe name of the Savior and follow Him
Hales who am I? genuine discipleship is a state of being
Holland who am I? you are unique; you are irreplaceable
Jones, Joy who am I? understand their divine identity, feel Heavenly Father’s love for them, andseek to obey His will.
Jones, Joy who am I? We must understand our—and their—divine identity and purpose before we can help our children see who they are and why they are here
Jones, Joy who am I? know without question that they are sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father and that He has divine expectations of them
McConkie C who am I? a divine heritage of holiness
McConkie C who am I? Heavenly Father has given each of us the capacity to become holy
Uchtdorf who am I? Inherent in our name is the commitment to look forward to the Savior’s return and prepare ourselves and the world to receive Him
Anderson know God reality and love of Jesus Christ has been the compass of my life
Anderson know God pure, burning witness of the Spirit that he lives, that he is my Redeemer and Friend in every time of need
Anderson know God Our challenge …is to come to know [the Savior]
Anderson know God Let us be faithful and true, trusting in him
Anderson know God trust more fully in the Savior
Anderson know God assurance of your eternal destiny
Ballard know God Knowing where you are going and how you expect to get there
Ballard know God His goal is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man...His means to achieve it is the plan of salvation.
Ballard know God perfect brightness of hope
Ballard know God feasting upon the word of Christ, and endur[ing] to the end.”
Ballard know God increase your faith in the Savior and help you stay focused on Him
Ballard know God They are totally, completely, eternally aligned with us.
Bednar know God declare the things which ye have heard, and verily believe, and know to be true
Bednar know God the reality of ongoing latter-day revelation
Bragg know God God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ
Brough know God with that knowledge , you will proceed with confidence, knowing you are never really alone.
BurtonL know God certain women who bore positive, confident, firm, assured testimonies of the Savior
BurtonL know God disciples centered in the Savior
BurtonL know God a voice told her, ‘Hold on, for the Lord will provide.’
BurtonL know God partnering with Jesus Christ
BurtonL know God understanding His grace and His Atonement and His feelings of love
BurtonL know God drink of His living water
BurtonL know God our own certain witness
BurtonL know God privileged to be among the certain witnesses
BurtonL know God loving Heavenly Parents
Causse know God you will hear the voice of the Lord…thou shalt do great things
Choi know God build a strong relationship with Jesus Christ. Don’t look around, look up!
Choi know God generations before us and after us depending on us to follow Christ
Christofferson know God love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind
Christofferson know God everything to do with the focus of our lives.…Joy comes from and because of [Jesus Christ]. He is the source of all joy
Christofferson know God having the love of God always in your hearts,that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest.
Christofferson know God “choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men
Clayton LW know God accepted God’s word unconditionally and in advance,with little knowledge of what lay ahead
Clayton LW know God simple trust in God...be it unto me according to thy word
Clayton LW know God God asks us to bear with Him—to trust Him and to follow Him
Clayton LW know God He pleads with us to “dispute not because ye see not.”
Clayton LW know God Things work out when we stand firm during the “trial of [our] faith,” however hard that test may be to endure or slow the answer may be in coming
Clayton LW know God we have to walk, trusting that He knows the way because He is “the way.
Clayton LW know God Trust in the Lord, and “whatsoever he saith unto you, do it
Clayton W. know God the greatest gift He can give, the gift of eternal life...we had to receive it by choosing Him and His ways
Cook know God Adversity should not be viewed as either disfavor from the Lord or a withdrawal of His blessings
Cook know God Opposition in all things is part of the refiner’s fire to prepare us for an eternal celestial destiny
Cook know God Remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation
Cook know God which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall
Cook know God others who remained faithful benefited from the Kirtland challenges
Cordon know God you need to bring the language alive for your children
Cordon know God We must each ask: How do I keep centered ...follow the Savior’s voice …
Cordon know God we can come to know the Lord...“feast upon the words of Christ;
Cordon know God we can come to know the Lord and trust Him through prayer
Cordon know God coming to know Him, and He will direct our paths
Cordon know God knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us
Erying know God For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live
Erying know God have power, by faith...to stand in the presence of God... to do all things according to his will, according to his command
Erying know God invitation from the Lord to walk with Him
Erying know God Come unto me”
Erying know God “Walk with me,”...the natureof our priesthood service changes
Erying know God there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left,
Erying know God to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man
Eyring know God when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is
Eyring know God my sure witness that the Father knows you...loves you, and hears your prayers.
Eyring know God His Beloved Son is inviting you to come unto Him
Eyring know God I knew with surety...rely on heaven’s help
Grow know God clarity about the majesty and blessing of coming to know God
Grow know God might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ
Grow know God but you can actually come to know the Savior
Grow know God in a coming day I shall feel...I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son
Grow know God they are now mine, for the Holy Spirit of God has borne witness to me that they are true,
Grow know God it is now as though the Lord had revealed them to me in the first instance. I have thereby heard his voice and know his word
Grow know God you too will hear God’s voice, know His words, and come to know Him
Grow know God God will reveal His eternal truths to you, personally.
Grow know God the very best way to know God is to become like Him
Grow know God that when he shall appear we shall be like him
Grow know God ultimate role model and mentor, available to all of us, is our Lord and Savior
Grow know God I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”16 “Come and follow me.”
Grow know God knowing God is the quest of a lifetime
Grow know God As you do, you will come to know God and Jesus Christ, and you will inherit eternal life
Hales know God characteristics of Christ are woven into the fiber of their beings
Hales know God And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you
Hales know God we come to know our Heavenly Father and His Son in a special way
Hales know God make the journey from “I believe” to the glorious destination of “I know.”
McConkie C know God every good gift, temporal and spiritual, comes to us through Christ
Nelson know God We begin by learning about Him. “It is impossible for [us] to be saved in ignorance
Nelson know God the fundamental principles of our religion are the testimonyof the Apostles and Prophets,concerning Jesus Christ
Nelson know God all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it ( Itestimony of Jesus Christ)
Oaks know God nature of God and our relationship to Him is knowable and is the key to everything else in our doctrine
Oaks know God this is life eternal, that they might know theethe only true God,and Jesus Christ,
Oaks know God behind, above and over all there is God the Father
Oaks know God one of the paramount purposes of Jesus’s ministry was to reveal to mortals “what God our Eternal Father is like
Oaks know God to reveal and make personal to us the true nature of His Father, our Father in Heaven
Oaks know God by His power that His plan achieves its purposes
Oaks know God The Son, the greatest of all, was chosen by the Father to carry out the Father’s plan—to exercise the Father’s power
Oaks know God Jesus Christ...the God of the whole earth”
Oaks know God Holy Ghost...the agent of personal revelation.
Oaks know God We know by the revelations of God to His prophets and to each of us individually
Palmer know God look forward to the day when He will put His arms around each of us, beholding us and encircling us with His perfect love
Rasband know God sacred responsibility to learn to recognize His influence in our lives and respond
Rasband know God Put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good.
Rasband know God take seriously the Lord’s call to “be of good cheer, for I will lead you along...by the Holy Ghost.
Rasband know God live close to the Spirit, acting quickly upon our first promptings, knowing they come from God.
Renlund know God correct [understanding of] his character, perfections, and attributes...foundational to exercising faith in Him and in His Son, Jesus Christ
Renlund know God wants us to know Him
Sabin know God assurance from the Holy Ghost
Sabin know God When we are “all in,” we have theall-encompassing assurancethat “all things work together for good to them that love God
Sabin know God a perfect brightness of hope
Sabin know God certainty that things will work out well for us in the end. (VCR)
Soares know God emphasize strengthening our faith in Heavenly Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ,
Soares know God rooted by steadfast trust in God
Soares know God appreciate those designs of our God regarding the things that will happen later in our life
Soares know God God is real. He lives. He loves us. He listens to our prayers
Soares know God Jesus guides us with His hand...He will tell us why; If we listen to His voice
Stevenson know God The Holy Ghost also testifies and bears witness of the Father and the Son and of all truth
Stevenson know God But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, … he shall testify of me
Uchtdorf know God willingness to be directed by God
Uchtdorf know God His work and His glory—is to mentor us, exalt us, and lead us to His fulness
Uchtdorf know God Jesus Christ, to show us the right way
Uchtdorf know God He loves us,
Uchtdorf know God He is our mentor
Uchtdorf know God reasons to rejoice...find and to recognize them
Uchtdorf know God We do not walk the path of discipleship alone. “The Lord thy God … doth go with thee
Anderson know God one day we “shall stand before [our Redeemer]; [and] see his face with pleasure,”23 and hear His voice
Anderson know God Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you.”
Grow know God Every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am.
Anderson prayer/meditation “beheld in vision something infinitely sublime
Anderson prayer/meditation abide there in peace
Anderson prayer/meditation Have Overcome the World—“Who Have Truly Been Born Again
Anderson prayer/meditation The Lord “will confess [their names] before [the] Father… and “go no more out” from the presence of God
Anderson prayer/meditation allowing us to return to the presence of
Anderson prayer/meditation he first loved us.”
Anderson prayer/meditation I will that ye should overcome the world.”8… a lifetime of moments
Anderson prayer/meditation as a child learns to pray...“I’m trying to be like Jesus.”
Anderson prayer/meditation studies the life of the Savior...ponders the power of the Savior’s Atonement
Anderson prayer/meditation Praying, repenting, following the Savior, and receiving His grace lead usto better understand why we are here and who we are to become
Anderson prayer/meditation A mighty change [is] wrought in their hearts, and they [humble] themselves and put their trust in the true and living God
Anderson prayer/meditation treasuring… “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength
Anderson prayer/meditation ‘Give me All...: I want You
Anderson prayer/meditation love for the Sabbath day… opens the doors to a beautiful day of resting
Anderson prayer/meditation praying..let our focus remain on the Savior and upon His holy day
Anderson prayer/meditation one voice...brings peace “not as the world giveth
Anderson prayer/meditation spiritual antennas are pointed heavenward
Anderson prayer/meditation more concerned with our heavenly connection to God
Anderson prayer/meditation the world attempts to beguile the faithful into dismissing the rich spiritual experiences of one’s past,redefining them as foolish deceptions
Anderson prayer/meditation …remembering, even when we are discouraged, the times we have felt the love and light of the Savior
Anderson prayer/meditation “I had been blessed, and I knew that God knew that I knew I had been blessed...we do not forget
Anderson prayer/meditation more expansive view of faith, drawing us to the Savior
Anderson prayer/meditation greater peace in this life
Ballard prayer/mediation Alma’s questions are a reminder of what our goals and plans ought to include in order to return and receive.
Ballard prayer/mediation come unto me...I will give you rest.“
Ballard prayer/mediation Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart:and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Ballard prayer/mediation increase our faith in...Christ’s power to give rest...we will more deeply appreciate the magnitude of the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ
Ballard prayer/mediation Take the time to prayerfully think about what adjustments are needed to help you keep your “eye single to the glory of God
Ballard prayer/mediation More than anything else, They want us to come home—to return and receive eternal happiness in Their presence
Ballard prayer/meditation vision for their lives
Ballard prayer/meditation focused on their vision and tactical plans
Ballard prayer/meditation a goal is a destination or an end, while a plan is the route
Ballard prayer/meditation key to happiness lies in understanding what destinations truly matter
Ballard prayer/meditation spending our time, effort, and attention on thethings that constitute a sure way to arrive there
Ballard prayer/meditation greatest and most overriding goals should fit into Heavenly Father’s eternal plan.
Ballard prayer/meditation Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness
Ballard prayer/meditation return and receive…become part of us and guide virtually everything we think and do
Ballard prayer/meditation To return to His presence and to receive the eternal blessings
Ballard prayer/meditation regularly take time
Ballard prayer/meditation Have ye spiritually been born of God?
Ballard prayer/meditation Have ye received his image in your countenances?
Ballard prayer/meditation Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?
Bragg prayer/mediation there is light and goodness all around us
Bragg prayer/mediation surrounded by such an astonishing wealth of light and truth
Bragg prayer/mediation as people turn towards the positive (light), the attributes perfectly exemplified by the Light of the World, Jesus Christ, are present!
Bragg prayer/mediation there is light available to us
Bragg prayer/mediation Recognizing the light and seeking after itwill qualify us for even more light
Bragg prayer/mediation The Spirit of Christ is always there. … The Light of Christ is as universal as sunlight itself.
Bragg prayer/mediation Light of Christ prepares all who seek goodness and truth to receive the Holy Ghost
Bragg prayer/mediation He is the light that “enlighteneth your eyes,” “quickeneth your understandings,” and “giveth life to all things
Bragg prayer/mediation put on the armour of light
Bragg prayer/mediation As we receive that light, we will be blessed with more light, even until the perfect day when we again see “the Father of lights,” our Heavenly Father
Brough prayer/mediation Individually, we each plead daily that Heavenly Father will...walk beside us
Brough prayer/mediation spiritual resources to help us on our path to return to Him
Brough prayer/mediation personal care package suited to each one of us…many components...His Son and the Atonement, the Holy Ghost,, commandments, scriptures, prayer
Brough prayer/mediation all to help us return
Brough prayer/mediation recognize in your experiences...that Heavenly Father is...walking beside you
Brough prayer/mediation we must connect them with heaven
Brough prayer/mediation Only Heavenly Father can be there to guide at all times and in all places
Brough prayer/mediation He has sent us here so that we can feel His presence now
Burton L prayer/mediation certain women sacrificed...willingness to sacrifice
Burton L prayer/mediation ‘Do you not want the highest glory?...by making the greatest sacrifices
Burton L prayer/mediation staying close to Him in prayer
Burton L prayer/mediation faithful pattern of discipleship that we too strive for...… seen a vision of angels
Choi prayer/mediation wake up early in the morning to study the scriptures for over two hours
Choi prayer/mediation see the blessings beyond when we look up
Choi prayer/mediation look up to Jesus Christ. His arms are always open to you
Choi prayer/mediation Look up to Christ for strength, balance, and healing
Choi prayer/mediation pray and study the scriptures every day and partake sincerely of the sacrament every week, we gain the strength to always look up to Him
Christofferson prayer/mediation cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication
Christofferson prayer/mediation in public as well as in private
Christofferson prayer/mediation humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually...and thus be led by the Holy Spirit
Christofferson prayer/mediation Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life
Clayton LW prayer/mediation studying the scriptures daily, fasting regularly, andpraying with real intent deepen our well of spiritual capacity to meet the demands of mortality
Clayton LW prayer/mediation simple habits of belief lead to miraculous results
Clayton LW prayer/mediation transform our faith from a seedling into a dynamic power for good
Clayton LW prayer/mediation our rootedness in Christ provides steadfastness for our souls
Clayton LW prayer/mediation a connection between the basic daily acts of obedience and solutions to the big, complicated problems we face.But they are related
Clayton LW prayer/mediation little daily habits of faith right is the single best way to fortify ourselves against the troubles of life...bless us in all we do.
Clayton LW prayer/mediation thoughtful confidence in the perfect love and the perfect timing of the Lord
Clayton LW prayer/mediation trial of our faith will always involve staying true to simple, daily practices of faith
Clayton LW prayer/mediation Then, and only then, does He promise that we will receive the divine response for which we long
Clayton LW prayer/mediation We demonstrate our determination to serve the Lord by faithfully engaging in daily acts of devotion
Clayton LW prayer/mediation We must fill our own waterpots up to the brim. When we trust and follow Him, our lives, like water to wine, are transformed
Clayton LW prayer/meditation He cautions us that we shouldn’t expect easy answers or quick fixes from heaven.
Clayton W. prayer/mediation sacred moments when mortality and heaven intersect
Clayton W. prayer/mediation we will never be alone … if we choose to walk with Him
Clayton W. prayer/mediation light and the life of the world
Clayton W. prayer/mediation return to their Father’s presence
Cook prayer/mediation Personal foundations...usually built slowly—one layer, one experience, one challenge, one setback, and one success at a time
Cook prayer/mediation … combination of determination, joy, surprise, and accomplishment
Cook prayer/mediation spiritual growth necessary to become more Christlike and establish the foundations that lead to enduring faith.
Cook prayer/mediation for enduring faith and to have the constant companionship of the Spirit, there is no substitute for the individual religious observance that is comparable to physical and mental development.
Cook prayer/mediation consecrated commitment
Cook prayer/mediation scripture study, prayer, and serving
Cook prayer/mediation faith in the Lord Jesus Christ was essential
Cook prayer/mediation spiritual guidance is received when needed, in the Lord’s time and according to His will.
Cook prayer/mediation repetition and consistent effort are required...in spiritual matters
Cook prayer/mediation Pondering the scriptures regularly—rather than reading them occasionally—can substitute a superficial understanding for a sublime, life-changing enhancement of our faith
Cook prayer/mediation our personal prayers and supplications...can bring blessings into our lives beyond our ability to comprehend
Cook prayer/mediation As many as have faith have communion with the Holy Spirit
Cook prayer/mediation Prayers are answered according to faith
Cook prayer/mediation Without faith among men, God can do no miracle among them
Cook prayer/mediation My plea is that we will make the sacrifices and have the humility necessary to strengthen the foundations of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Cook prayer/mediation tragedy of life is to fail in that test and so fail to qualify to return in glory to our heavenly home
Cook prayer/meditation Faith is a principle of power
Cordon prayer/mediation Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart.”
Cordon prayer/mediation make a habit of approaching Heavenly Father in prayer, we will come to know the Savior
Cordon prayer/mediation eternal language that must be preserved...never lost
Cordon prayer/mediation trying to learn a perfect language...strive to embrace His language
Cordon prayer/mediation fluent in this higher level of communication
Cordon prayer/meditation lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Costa prayer/mediation remember the feelings you have experienced;they come from God
Costa prayer/mediation expected to receive revelation without paying the price
Costa prayer/mediation never truly spoken to God,
Costa prayer/mediation humble myself and do what I was being asked to do
Costa prayer/mediation to partake of the fruit of the tree of life, which is the love of God (see 1 Nephi 8:15; 11:25). I can help them come unto Christ
Costa prayer/mediation if you pay the price of revelation, humble yourself, read, pray, and repent, the heavens will open and you will know, as I know, that Jesus is the Christ
Erying prayer/mediation and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up”
Erying prayer/mediation I heard a voice in my mind
Erying prayer/mediation listen, He will teach you His ways
Erying prayer/mediation pay close attention to those moments when our hearts “burn within us”
Erying prayer/mediation our eyes can be opened and we will see His hand in our lives and in our service
Eyring prayer/mediation feel the peace the Savior promised
Eyring prayer/mediation feel such peace often within ourselves
Eyring prayer/mediation peace to His disciples...same promise to us
Eyring prayer/mediation not in the world’s way
Eyring prayer/mediation the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things
Eyring prayer/mediation my grace is sufficient for all [who] humble themselves before me
Eyring prayer/mediation those times when you felt the light and the love of Jesus Christ
Eyring prayer/mediation The Spirit put words into my mind
Eyring prayer/mediation pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love
Eyring prayer/mediation always have in our mind’s eye
Eyring prayer/mediation leave the presence of our Father and forget what we had experienced there with Him...lead us back to God’s presence
Eyring prayer/mediation save he shall prepare a way for [us] that [we] may accomplish the thing which he commandeth”
Eyring prayer/mediation who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us”
Eyring prayer/meditation keep the Holy Ghost as your companion
Eyring prayer/meditation With that peace will come a bright hope and a feeling of light and love from the Father and His Beloved Son,
Eyring prayer/meditation Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid
Grow prayer/mediation know God through prayer
Grow prayer/mediation When you pray with faith, you will feel God’s love as His Spirit speaks to your soul.
Grow prayer/mediation God knows you, personally. As you pray, you will come to know Him
Grow prayer/mediation These doctrines and principles will become part of who you are and will emanate from your very soul.
Grow prayer/mediation Scripture study becomes the channel for the Spirit to give each of us a customized tutorial
Grow prayer/mediation As you study the scriptures each day, alone, and with your family, you will learn to recognize the voice of the Spirit and will come to know God.
Grow prayer/mediation Pray to the Father, study the scriptures, seek to do God’s will, strive to become like the Savior, and follow righteous mentors.
Hales prayer/mediation virtue … is cleanliness and holiness in mind and body
Hales prayer/mediation Our minds become more receptive to the promptings ofthe Holy Ghost and the Light of Christ
Hales prayer/mediation personal testimony, born from personal experience...knowledge that transforms us
Hales prayer/mediation rely on His design...cannot see it with our own natural eyes
Hales prayer/mediation patient with one another and ourselves.
Hales prayer/mediation efforts we make to become disciples of our Savior are truly added upon until we are “possessed” of His love
Hales prayer/mediation devoted to God in the public square as we are in our private closet
Hales prayer/mediation Now is the time to recommit ourselves to being His disciples with all diligence
Hales prayer/mediation begin as in times of old, and come unto [Him] with all your heart
Hales prayer/meditation more than studying and applying a list of individual attributes
Hales prayer/meditation be still and know that [He is] God
Holland prayer/mediation embrace...hope for that [which] we see not … [and] with patience wait for it.”
Holland prayer/mediation stand silent for a time and simply listen...drawing strength from the splendor of the music around us
Holland prayer/mediation positioning ourselves next to someone with a stronger, more certain voice
Holland prayer/mediation stand as close as humanly possible to the Savior...who has absolutely perfect pitch.
Holland prayer/mediation take courage from His ability to hear our silence
Holland prayer/mediation take hope from His melodious messianic intercession in our behalf
Holland prayer/mediation when the Lord is near” that “the dove of peace sings in my heart [and] the flow’rs of grace appear
Holland prayer/mediation require discipline...discipleship...accepted divinely revealed lyrics and harmonious orchestration composed before the world was...
Holland prayer/mediation when feelings are so deep and personal, even so sacred, that they either cannot be or should not be expressed
Holland prayer/mediation … I cannot heave my heart into my mouth
Holland prayer/mediation These kinds of sanctified moments remain unuttered because expression, even if it were possible, might seem like desecration
Holland prayer/mediation But I plead with each one of us to stay permanently and faithfully in the choir
Holland prayer/mediation savor forever that most precious anthem of all—“the song of redeeming love
Holland prayer/mediation keep working on the songs we cannot sing
Holland prayer/mediation For this promised hour to come, I longingly pray
Hoyos prayer/mediation we do not have to imagine
Hoyos prayer/mediation and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God
Hoyos prayer/mediation revealed His will to us “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little”
Hoyos prayer/mediation seem like small things because of their simple and repetitive nature,
Hoyos prayer/mediation our light also grows brighter
Hoyos prayer/mediation teach the pure doctrine of the gospel, by the Spirit, … to help God’s children build their faith in the Savior and become more like Him
Jones, Joy prayer/mediation strengthen our spiritual strategies
Jones, Joy prayer/mediation establish patterns of personal daily discipleship…start early and be steady
Jones, Joy prayer/mediation consistent habits of prayer
Jones, Joy prayer/mediation wholeness, internal consistency
Jones, Joy prayer/mediation the consummate reward of integrity is the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost
Jones, Joy prayer/mediation confidence wax strong in the presence of God
Jones, Joy prayer/mediation daily religious behavior
McConkie C prayer/mediation come before him: worship the Lordin the beauty of holiness
McConkie C prayer/mediation ‘abide a celestial glory’ (D&C 88:22) and ‘dwell in his presence’
McConkie C prayer/mediation enjoy his glory...possessing his perfections and holiness.”
McConkie C prayer/mediation strive to become one with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, we become partakers of Their divine nature
McConkie C prayer/mediation to sit “at Jesus’ feet” and to hear His word. But one thing is needful...that good part,
McConkie C prayer/mediation learn to sit at the feet of the Holy One of Israel and give time to holiness
McConkie C prayer/mediation take time to be holy,that we maybe filled with His sacred and sanctifying Spirit
McConkie C prayer/mediation the Holy Ghost as our guide, we will be prepared to receive the Savior in the beauty of holiness.
McConkie C prayer/mediation peace in this life...only in and through His holy Son
McConkie C prayer/meditation whose hearts are centered on all that is good...become more like the Savior.
McConkie C prayer/meditation choose to do those things that will increase the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost
Nelson prayer/mediation access to godly power...draw into our lives the power of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.
Nelson prayer/mediation nothing easy or automatic about becoming such powerful disciples
Nelson prayer/mediation Our focus must be riveted on the Savior
Nelson prayer/mediation mentally rigorous to strive to look unto Him in every thought
Nelson prayer/mediation Faith in Jesus Christ propels us to do things we otherwise would not do
Nelson prayer/mediation Faith that motivates us to action gives us more access to His power
Nelson prayer/mediation seek for ways to keep themselves unspotted from the world so there will be nothing blocking their access to the Savior’s power
Nelson prayer/mediation reach up to Him in faith
Nelson prayer/mediation requires diligent, focused effort…stretch as far as she could to access His power
Nelson prayer/mediation Her physical stretching was symbolic of her spiritual stretching
Nelson prayer/mediation reach up for the Lord’s power in your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours.
Nelson prayer/mediation When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him
Nelson prayer/mediation When He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life—you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do
Nelson prayer/mediation spiritually stretch beyond anything you have ever done before, then His power willflow into you
Nelson prayer/mediation deep meaning of words - The Lord is extending the Saints’ understanding. …The knowledge and power of God are expanding;The veil o’er the earth is beginning to burst
Nelson prayer/mediation His power, which is available to every earnestly seeking daughter or son of God
Nelson prayer/mediation when we draw His power into our lives, both He and we will rejoice
Oaks prayer/mediation Father’s plan anticipated and provided ways to overcome all of those barriers
Oaks prayer/mediation The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion [or fellowship] of the Holy Ghost, be with you all”
Oaks prayer/mediation He can dwell in us and perform the essential role of communicator between the Father and the Son and the children of God on earth
Oaks prayer/mediation Comforter will teach us all things, bring all things to our remembrance, and guide us into all truth
Oaks prayer/mediation Attaining ... “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ...requires far more than acquiring knowledge
Oaks prayer/mediation we must act and think so that we are converted
Oaks prayer/mediation work and learn, search and pray, repent and improve
Oaks prayer/mediation the one perfect path to peace…both here and in the world to come
Rasband prayer/mediation importance of the Holy Ghost in our lives…To give us mortal strength and divine guidance
Rasband prayer/mediation The Holy Ghost inspires, testifies, teaches, and prompts us to walk in the light of the Lord.
Rasband prayer/mediation “I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy
Rasband prayer/mediation Holy Ghost accompanies those who are “strict to remember the Lord their God from day to day
Rasband prayer/mediation willing to receive the Spirit.
Rasband prayer/mediation I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.”
Rasband prayer/mediation recognize the Spirit when it comes
Rasband prayer/mediation as a feeling…The voice of the Holy Spirit is still and small. Do you know that voice?
Rasband prayer/mediation learn the language of the Spirit
Rasband prayer/mediation listen to the first promptings, you will get it right nine times out of ten
Rasband prayer/mediation let the Lord know in our morning prayers that we are ready, He will call on us to respond
Renlund prayer/mediation loves us so much that He provided the way...become clean so we can return to Him and our Heavenly Father
Sabin prayer/mediation reflection, revelation, and sometimes redirection
Sabin prayer/mediation We don’t hold back...The Lord requires the heart and a willing mind. Our whole heart!
Sabin prayer/mediation fully immersed as a symbol of our promise to fully follow the Savior
Sabin prayer/mediation when we don’t take the time to sincerely pray, study, and earnestly live the gospel each day;we will be unprotected and grow spiritually cold
Sabin prayer/mediation Stand ye in holy places, and be not moved
Sabin prayer/mediation stand up inside...wait patiently upon the Lord
Sabin prayer/mediation eternal perspective which surpasses mortal understanding.
Sabin prayer/mediation study more intently, pray more earnestly,
Soares prayer/mediation turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart
Soares prayer/mediation serve him with all diligence of mind
Soares prayer/mediation look to the future through the eyes of faith
Soares prayer/mediation he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him
Soares prayer/mediation Faith is the source of living with divine purpose and eternal perspective
Soares prayer/mediation inspires diligence...a vital, living force…It takes us to our knees
Soares prayer/mediation Confide in God unwaveringly, and let Him us sustain;
Soares prayer/mediation Sing His glory endlessly, for later He’ll explain
Stevenson prayer/meditation “Listen, listen. The Holy Ghost will whisper
Uchtdorf prayer/mediation It was a day of rejoicing...praise God for this wonderful blessing
Uchtdorf prayer/mediation meditate upon, understand, and live this paramount lesson...“He that is greatest among you shall be your servant
Uchtdorf prayer/mediation decided to seek earnestly the will of the Lord in private prayer
Uchtdorf prayer/mediation contemplate and consider the extent to which we use fear to motivate others—including ourselves...suggest a better way
Uchtdorf prayer/mediation focus on the infinite greatness, goodness, and absolute power of our God, trusting Him and preparing with a joyful heart for the return of Jesus the Christ?
Uchtdorf prayer/mediation The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace
Uchtdorf prayer/mediation walk joyfully, confidently, awake, and alive in the light and glory
Uchtdorf prayer/meditation Father in Heaven’s love for us, His children, surpasses by far our ability to comprehend
Anderson natural man The world is more interested in indulging the natural man than in subduing him
Anderson natural man … a private, personal battle, requiringhand-to-hand combat with ourown internal foes
Anderson natural man If ye were of the world, the world would love his own...and be different from the people of the world.
Anderson natural man May we each try a little harder in our efforts to overcome the world,…eagerly hastening our speed
Ballard natural man unshaken faith...], relying wholly upon” His merits, pressing “forward with a steadfastness in Christ
Ballard natural man would not hearken unto [the Lord’s] voice.”… using every possible enticement and temptation
Ballard natural man He uses loud voices...to drown out the small and still voice of the Holy Spirit that can show us “all things” we should do to return and receive.
Ballard natural man need to repent and change...consider doing so now
Ballard natural man focusing our plans to align with God’s in a waythat will ultimately lead us toward our precious privilege to return and receive
Bednar natural man Personal worthiness is the single most important requirement for receiving the higher priesthood.
Bednar natural man Personal worthiness is the single most important requirement for receiving the blessings of the templefor you young men and for all members of the Church
Bragg natural man adversary would rather have us focus on “mists of darkness ...leadeth … away
Choi natural man not easy for us to recognize the love of Heavenly Fatherwhen we look around with our temporal eyes
Choi natural man choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong
Christofferson natural man joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart…my soul hungered
Christofferson natural man seek God, receive a remission of sins, and become converted
Christofferson natural man Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand
Christofferson natural man and few there be that find it.”
Christofferson natural man since love demands warning people about what can hurt them...dismissed as judgmental
Christofferson natural man I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father
Christofferson natural man I wish from the inmost part of my heart, yea,with great anxiety even unto pain, that ye would …cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance
Christofferson natural man may not realize their plight
Christofferson natural man have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked
Clayton W. natural man He first had to die. And so must we
Cook natural man under a dark cloud” and had been overcome by fears and frustrations
Cook natural man None enter the Lord’s rest save those who wash their garments in Christ’s blood because of their faith
Cordon natural man native language of their ancestors, is lost
Cordon natural man move to a foreign land where their native language is not predominant
Cordon natural man a native language is replaced in favor of a new one
Cordon natural man chastened, and set in order his family
Cordon natural man time teaching their children the native language
Cordon natural man not enough to merely speak the language...must be taught
Cordon natural man weak gospel teaching and modeling...requires diligence and effort
Cordon natural man language can be altered or lost...other languages and traditions are mixed with a mother tongue
Cordon natural man wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers.”
Cordon natural man unbelief they could not understand the word of God; and their hearts were hardened
Costa natural man nothing draws you closer to the Lord Jesus Christ than a desire to change
Erying natural man the only way to succeed is to rely on Him...spiritual power ...love and minister...unsure how to do it
Erying natural man feel like giving up because the task is too far beyond your abilities
Erying natural man assume that they do not apply to us
Erying natural man sacrificed His own comforts
Erying natural man slow of heart to believe” everything the scriptures taught...tried to reason
Erying natural man Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him
Erying natural man lack a full understanding of what the priesthood is or how to exercise it as He does
Eyring natural man a very small minority of God’s children obtain during this life a complete understanding of God’s plan,
Eyring natural man If men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness
Eyring natural man have faith in me, then willI make weak things become strong unto them
Eyring natural man The Spirit...the agent by which the Atonement works a change in your very nature. Then weak things become strong
Eyring natural man be purified even as he is pure
Eyring natural man the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost will have a sanctifying and purifying effect on your spirit
Eyring natural man anxious to gather and bless all of His family...not all of them will choose to be gathered,
Eyring natural man opportunity to accept or reject His invitation.
Grow natural man Worthiness is essential...“Sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands … that I may make you clean.
Grow natural man He cleanses our souls
Grow natural man Through our faith in His atoning sacrifice, the Savior cleanses us, heals us, and enables us to know Him by helping us become like Him
Hales natural man Virtue is also power…to be virtuous in every thought, feeling,and action
Hales natural man We delight in the agency of others
Jones, Joy natural man doctrine of repentance is essential
Jones, Joy natural man continually repentant, vigilant, and valiant
Jones, Joy natural man Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?
McConkie C natural man setting aside our natural tendencies and becoming “a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord.”
McConkie C natural man therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy
McConkie C natural man deny ourselves of ungodliness
McConkie C natural man Our souls are sanctified when we receive the Holy Ghost with open hearts
McConkie C natural man They recognized their carnal state
McConkie C natural man apply the atoning blood of Christ...our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ
McConkie C natural man come unto the Holy One of Israel, His Spirit will come upon us, that we may be filled with joy and receive a remission of sins and peace of conscience.
Nelson natural man And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross.”
Oaks natural man spiritual death by being cut off from the presence of God, be soiled by sin, and become subject to physical death
Oaks natural man means by which we are sanctified, that is, cleansed and purified from sin
Oaks natural man and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost
Oaks natural man sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before God
Oaks natural man were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, … relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author andthe finisher of their faith.
Palmer natural man change the hearts...who had not yet learned the joy of being obedient
Palmer natural man let it go and follow Him
Rasband natural man lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better
Rasband natural man casual or complacent in our worship, drawn off and desensitized by worldly pursuits, we find ourselves diminished in our ability to feel.
Renlund natural man replaced fear and despair with hope and joy
Renlund natural man motivated to change because of His compassion and mercy…and love draw us toward Him.
Renlund natural man no longer satisfied with our sinful state
Renlund natural man Father desires that His children knowingly and willingly choose to become like Him
Renlund natural man humbleth himself... a repenting sinner draws closer to God
Renlund natural man finds joy in seeing His diseased sheep progress toward healing
Sabin natural man Don’t fear, just live right.”
Sabin natural man lukewarm or only partially committed,we lose out on some of heaven’s choicest blessings
Sabin natural man refusing to unroll our spiritual sleeping bags ...much more dangerous way
Sabin natural man My blood shall not cleanse them if they hear me not
Sabin natural man We are out of sync with God’s will and therefore out of sync with the nature of happiness
Sabin natural man cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive
Sabin natural man to recalculate our route...make a U-turn
Sabin natural man let some things go so we can hang on to those things that really matter.
Sabin natural man let go of the world so we can hang on to eternity
Sabin natural man far better to follow the Creator than the crowd
Sabin natural man have not paid the price to be “all in” and prefer to follow the natural man
Sabin natural man no one has sinned tomorrow
Sabin natural man complacent with our covenants, …complicit with the consequences
Sabin natural man Turn from all; keep all; then all is forgiven. This requires being “all in”!
Sabin natural man If we are not able to be “all in” the way we are presently walking, then maybe we need to run
Soares natural man deliver you out of bondage
Soares natural man replace their fears with the optimism of hope born of faith
Soares natural man trust in God regardless of circumstance
Soares natural man accept Him and deny themselves and to those who take up His cross and follow Him as His true disciples
Soares natural man A double minded man is unstable in all his ways
Soares natural man logic of the natural man “receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God
Soares natural man Satan...We must not allow him to deceive us...lose the power to obtain God’s blessings
Soares natural man steadfast and do not waver in our faith
Soares natural man will increase our capacity to raise ourselves above the challenges of life...subdue negative impulses
Soares natural man overcome even what appear to be overwhelming obstacles
Soares natural man by the power of your unwavering faith in Christ, you will become free of the captivity of sin, of doubt, of unbelief, of unhappiness, of suffering
Uchtdorf natural man Joseph Smith was influenced by the things he heard from preachers who were part of this religious awakening.
Uchtdorf natural man ...transform us into people who love what is right and who want to obey Heavenly Father
Uchtdorf natural man be of good cheer
Uchtdorf natural man be of good cheer; I have overcome the world
Uchtdorf natural man live instead with joy, humility, hope, and a bold confidence that the Lord is with us
Uchtdorf natural man He loves you perfectly. He knows what your future holds. He wants you to “be not afraid, only believe”23 and “abide in his [perfect] love
Uchtdorf natural man People who are fearful may say and do the right things, but theydo not feel the right things
Uchtdorf natural man God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind
Uchtdorf natural man this line of thinking...not wish to take up residence...sense of entitlement
Uchtdorf natural man the divinely appointed antidote to fear: the pure love of Christ, for “perfect love casteth out fear.
Uchtdorf natural man Fear rarely has the power to change our hearts...the heavens withdraw themselves
Uchtdorf natural man “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance
Uchtdorf natural man Do not be afraid. … See the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today
Uchtdorf natural man let us find our courage, muster our faith, and have confidence
Uchtdorf natural man We will always take to heart your (Pres. Monson) words of direction, counsel, and wisdom
Anderson charity all-encompassing love for our Lord
Ballard charity love of God and of all men
Bragg charity see others through the Savior’s eyes
Bragg charity see the Light of Christ in others constantly
Erying charity Savior … will change the way you look at others...see them through His eyes,
Erying charity “I’m going to let you see him as I see him
Erying charity his whole appearance changed to me
Eyring charity The unity we seek...will come as we allow the Holy Ghost to affect what we see when we look at one another—and even when we think of each other.
Eyring charity The Spirit sees with the pure love of Christ.
Eyring charity charity never faileth
Eyring charity cleave unto charity
Eyring charity charity is the pure love of Christ...whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him
Eyring charity bestowed upon all who are true followersof his Son
Hales charity This love is the defining characteristic of a disciple of Christ
Hales charity Giving all diligence,add to your faith virtue; knowledge; temperance; patience; goliness; brotherly kindness; charity
Hales charity become as He is in their hearts
Hales charity brotherly kindness that is a hallmark of all true disciples
Hales charity And now abideth … these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
McConkie C charity become saints through the Atonement of Jesus Christ are those who are submissive, meek, humble, patient, and full of love, as the Savior is
Monson charity meek and lowly in heart
Monson charity he must needs have charity
Monson charity if ye have not charity, ye are nothing
Monson charity cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all
Monson charity charity is the pure love of Christ
Monson charity whoso is found possessed of it at the last day,it shall be well with him
Monson charity righteous exercise of the priesthood is dependent upon our living the principles of kindness, charity, and love.
Monson charity examine our lives and determine to follow the Savior’s example by being kind, loving, and charitable.
Palmer charity Then Jesus beholding him loved him
Palmer charity more like the Savior
Palmer charity be filled with Christlike love so others can feel the love of God through me and desire to change?”
Palmer charity prayed for the gift of charity and that I could see
Palmer charity How can I behold him or her in the same way the Lord beheld the rich young man,seeing them for who they really are and who they can become,
Palmer charity As we learn to see others as the Lord sees them rather than with our own eyes, our love for them will grow and so will our desire to help them.
Palmer charity With Christlike love we will not be afraid to speak with boldness, for “perfect love casteth out fear.”
Palmer charity And we will never give up, remembering that those who are hardest to love need love the most.
Palmer charity hearts will not change where love is not present
Palmer charity Love should never be withdrawn when a child, friend, or family member fails to live up to our expectations
Renlund charity Savior’s mortal ministry...love, compassion, and empathy
Renlund charity genuine conversion brings “meekness, and lowliness of heart,” which invites “the Holy Ghost [and fills us with] perfect love,"an “unfeigned love” for others
Renlund charity emulate Him. As we become more like Him, we learn to treat others as He does,
Renlund charity fully mirror His love and love one another so openly and completely that no one feels abandoned, alone, or hopeless
Uchtdorf charity replace fear with Christ’s perfect love. Christ’s love will replace fear with faith
Uchtdorf charity fill our hearts with the love of Christ
Uchtdorf charity no fear in [Christ’s] love
Uchtdorf charity seeing others as they truly are—as God sees them
Anderson serve in God's love brings humility, empathy, patience, and compassion for those different than yourself.
Bednar serve in God's love ye are called to the work
Bednar serve in God's love having the spirit of the temple go through you precedes effective service
Bednar serve in God's love seeking to discern the Lord’s will as we fulfill our responsibility
Brough serve in God's love do as he hath commanded you...he doth immediately bless you.
Causse serve in God's love unity and brotherhood that exist between the two priesthoods of God.
Causse serve in God's love inseparable partners in the work of salvation. They go hand in hand and have great need of each other.
Choi serve in God's love After work he went with the missionaries
Choi serve in God's love to pass on all that I had received as an inheritance from my forebears to the generations who have now come after me
Christofferson serve in God's love share that knowledge since it makes all the difference here and in eternity
Christofferson serve in God's love The motivation for raising the warning voice is love- “in mildness and in meekness” and “by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness …and by love unfeigned.”
Christofferson serve in God's love teaching and testifying of gospel truths...the doctrine of Christ: faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost
Christofferson serve in God's love As watchmen and disciples, we cannot be neutral about this “more excellent way.
Christofferson serve in God's love Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you…rejoice and be exceedingly glad
Clayton LW serve in God's love his commitment to obeying the Lord for “many days” without knowing why he was supposed to offer those sacrifices
Clayton LW serve in God's love proven our willingness to do what He asks without demanding to know the whens, the whys, and the hows do we “reap the rewards of [our] faith, and [our] diligence, and patience, and long-suffering
Clayton LW serve in God's love Real obedience accepts God’s commandments unconditionally and in advance
Clayton LW serve in God's love Every day, consciously or otherwise, we all choose “whom [we] will serve
Clayton LW serve in God's love do “whatsoever [God] saith unto” us, we earnestly commit to align our everyday behavior with God’s will
Cook serve in God's love great test of life is to see whether we will hearken to and obey God’s commands in the midst of the storms of life
Cook serve in God's love It is not to endure storms, but to choose the right while they rage
Cordon serve in God's love as we walk uprightly
Erying serve in God's love Do I bring the “power of godliness”into the lives of those I serve
Erying serve in God's love to do what He does
Erying serve in God's love to serve the way He serves
Erying serve in God's love notice of people who were overlooked
Erying serve in God's love testified boldly yet lovingly of the true doctrine
Erying serve in God's love see everyone as a child of God with limitless potential
Erying serve in God's love the ability to help people see that potential in themselves and so repent.
Erying serve in God's love we come to know Him best by working with Him and serving Him
Erying serve in God's love how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served
Erying serve in God's love flawed mortals like you and me and invites us to participate in His work. Our progress is His work
Eyring serve in God's love …the gathering of the family of God
Grow serve in God's love we seek to do God’s will by faithfully serving Him and our fellowmen...come to know Him
Hales serve in God's love We measure our faith by what it leads us to do—by our obedience
Hales serve in God's love We embody Christ...in who we are
Hales serve in God's love live the gospel in a balanced and steady way
Hales serve in God's love Day by day we move forward, undeterred
Hales serve in God's love earnestly strive to be true disciples...these characteristics will be interwoven, added upon, and interactively strengthened in us
Hales serve in God's love no disparity between the kindness we show our enemies and the kindness we bestow on our friends
Holland serve in God's love honorably cared for the poor
Holland serve in God's love do more to alleviate poverty
Holland serve in God's love not let these children of God suffer in silence
Holland serve in God's love endowed with His capacity to hear the songs they cannot now sing
Hoyos serve in God's love we should not and must not hide our light. Our Savior commanded us to let our light shine
Jones, Joy serve in God's love Keeping our covenants is always independent of our situation
McConkie C serve in God's love They offer their whole soul, heart, might, mind, and strength to the Lord in the way that they live every day.
McConkie C serve in God's love retain a remission of sins when we give spiritual and temporal relief to the poor, the hungry, the naked, and the sick.
McConkie C serve in God's love one heart and one mind, a pure people who dwell together in unity and righteousness
Monson serve in God's love we will be in a better position to call down the powers of heaven
Nelson serve in God's love choose to have faith in Him and follow Him
Rasband serve in God's love the Lord’s errand
Rasband serve in God's love spiritual first responders
Uchtdorf serve in God's love whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister...shall be servant of all
Uchtdorf serve in God's love God’s greatest reward goes to those whoserve without expectation of reward
Uchtdorf serve in God's love serve without fanfare
Uchtdorf serve in God's love seeking ways to help others...simply because they love God and God’s children
Uchtdorf serve in God's love remember in all things the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted...doeth not these things, the same is not my disciple
Uchtdorf serve in God's love as opportunities to serve God and minister to others with faith and humility...step on the path of discipleship
Uchtdorf serve in God's love we get outside ourselves and serve.
Uchtdorf serve in God's love Service...refines our spirits, opens the windows of heaven, and releases God’s blessings …especially acts that are unseen and unnoticed
Uchtdorf serve in God's love lift where you stand
Uchtdorf serve in God's love All things shall work together for your good, if [you] walk uprightly
Anderson there's more Is it possible to overcome the world and receive these blessings? Yes, it is
Bednar there's more the Aaronic Priesthood, or lesser priesthood, you are preparing to receive and magnify the oath and covenant of the Melchizedek Priesthood,or higher priesthood.
Bragg there's more That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day
Burton L there's more we might be part of the certain women, disciples of Jesus Christ, who will celebrate His glorious return when He comes again
Causse there's more People flocked to John to hear him...but there standeth one among you, … who coming after me is preferred before me
Causse there's more “to prepare the way of the Lord,”...to make ready a people to receive Him
Causse there's more lesser priesthood, was perfectly aware of both the importance and the limitsof his mission and his authority
Causse there's more Jesus the Christ...who held the higher priesthood, humbly recognized the authority of John
Causse there's more inspired by the pattern established by Jesus and John the Baptist..., your role is to “prepare the way” for the great work of the Melchizedek Priesthood.
Causse there's more ordinances of baptism and of the sacrament. You help prepare a people for the Lord
Causse there's more prepare for the day that they receive and exercise the higher priesthood
Causse there's more Let us put the Aaronic Priesthood in its rightful place, a choice place—a place of service, preparation, and accomplishment
Causse there's more Behold thou wast sent forth, even as John, to prepare the way before me
Choi there's more you are a solid connection for powerful blessings to those before you and to generations after you
Clayton LW there's more We become something more and better than we ever otherwise could be.
Cook there's more increased in wisdom and became more noble and virtuous. The experience became part of their foundations of faith
Cook there's more spiritual implications we do not fully understand
Cook there's more kind of faith that this woman (touch hem of Jesus) demonstrated, should be the great desire of our hearts
Cook there's more Like the ancient Apostles..., many members experienced marvelous spiritual experiences
Cordon there's more our promised blessings are beyond measure
Erying there's more more to do—perhaps much more
Erying there's more encouraging glimpse of what you may, with His help, yet achieve
Erying there's more because you want to improve and you think you can.
Erying there's more consider what the Lord has called us to do…if feel perfectly capable ...you do not understand them. (priesthood duties)
Erying there's more how the Lord magnifies and strengthens...to do things they never could have done alone…
Erying there's more sense the magnitude of the trust God has placed in you
Erying there's more very few people in the world who have that understanding
Erying there's more scriptures that, through the power of the Spirit they carry, can deepen our sense of awe regarding the holy priesthood
Erying there's more Even those who can recite a reasonable definition may not truly understand it
Erying there's more Melchizedek Priesthood is to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church
Erying there's more receiving the mysteries of the kingdom
Erying there's more have the heavens opened unto them
Erying there's more to commune with the general assembly and church of the Firstborn
Erying there's more communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus
Erying there's more Aaronic Priesthood, is to hold the keys of the ministering of angels
Erying there's more In the ordinances [of the priesthood], the power of godliness is manifest
Erying there's more Have I ever felt that the heavens have been opened to me
Erying there's more we could be doing more
Erying there's more want to do more—a longing to participate more fully in the Lord’s miraculous work.
Erying there's more Such feelings are the first step toward becoming the kind of men that priesthood service is meant to produce
Erying there's more Enoch as a mighty prophet who established Zion in the midst of great wickedness
Erying there's more higher and nobler but also more achievable…we know that we are not alone
Eyring there's more Father in Heaven is concerned...even more about our upward progress.
Eyring there's more This is the goal...from His perspective, you’re not that far away
Eyring there's more encourage you, and inspire you to keep going
Eyring there's more He wants us to progress and advance and become like Him
Grow there's more Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, … that ye may become the sons [and daughters] of God;
Grow there's more “Shall we not go on in so great a cause? … Courage, [my young friends]; and on, on to the victory!”
Holland there's more make of us more than we thought we could be
Holland there's more Come as you are,” a loving Father says to each of us, but He adds, “Don’t plan to stay as you are
McConkie C there's more high expectations. …He proposes to make us holy
McConkie C there's more provided for us all that is required so that we can become holy as He is holy
McConkie C there's more Zion must increase in beauty, and in holiness.”
Oaks there's more challenge us to become something
Palmer there's more Because He loves us, the Lord expects much of us
Palmer there's more to invite you to do more
Rasband there's more pay attention to the promptings that come to us, we will grow in the spirit of revelation and receive more and more Spirit-driven insight and direction
Sabin there's more Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him
Soares there's more you will receive all of the promised blessings from our loving Heavenly Father.
Uchtdorf there's more Great Awakening” … was to awaken the people who appeared to be asleep regarding spiritual matters.
Uchtdorf there's more He wants to change our very natures. He wants to change our hearts
Uchtdorf there's more awaken with a renewed spiritual freshness
Uchtdorf there's more move forward with faith, courage, determination, and trust in God as we approach the challenges and opportunities ahead
Uchtdorf there's more Church is designed to help us become true and faithful disciples of Christ...sons and daughters of God
Uchtdorf there's more He desires to stimulateus with faith
Uchtdorf there's more This is the better way
Christofferson warning Surely love would compel parents to warn their closest “neighbors”—their own children
Christofferson warning As Ezekiel, we cannot see the sword coming upon the land “and blow not the trumpet.”
Christofferson warning disservice inherent in staying silent
Cook warning Little did these early members know they would be faced with a United States financial crisis—the panic of 1837—that would test their very souls.
Cook warning national crisis, local economic issues
Cook warning Church leaders did not always make wise temporal decisions in their own lives.
Cordon warning eternal consequences of losing the language of the gospel
Erying warning time seems to be running out
Hales warning now more than ever, we cannot be a “part-time disciple”!
Hales warning We cannot be a disciple on just one point of doctrine or another.
Hales warning constellation of characteristics...all necessary to our standing strong in these last days
Sabin warning beware concerning yourselves, to give diligent heed to the words of eternal life
Stevenson warning vital to our physical and spiritual safety that we keep the gift of the Holy Ghost
Uchtdorf warning studying the word of God and heeding the voice of the Spirit, that we may “know the signs of the times, and the signs of the coming of the Son of Man

Uchtdorf warning the fulness of the gospel...gives us a unique perspective on the world’s dangers and shows us how to either avoid these dangers or deal with them

 GENERAL CONFERENCE 2017 – SUMMARY QUOTESHere's the document that I used to create the one above where you can see exactly which talk the quote came from...

Topics: Who Am I? Know God; Prayer/Meditation; Natural Man; Charity; Serve in God’s Love; There is more; Warnings

Bonnie Cordon (2^nd C. Primary) – Trust in the Lord and Lean Not

·       “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

·       We must each ask: How do I keep centered and lean not unto my own understanding? How do I recognize and follow the Savior’s voice when the voices of the world are so compelling? How do I cultivate trust in the Savior?

·       First, we can come to know the Lord and trust Him as we “feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.”²

·       Second, we can come to know the Lord and trust Him through prayer. What a blessing to be able to pray to our God! “Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart.”⁴

·       As we make a habit of approaching Heavenly Father in prayer, we will come to know the Savior.

·       We can center our lives on the Savior by coming to know Him, and He will direct our paths.

·       President Thomas S. Monson testified 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 of our Savior will comfort and sustain us … as we walk uprightly. … There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us.”

Carol F. McConkie (1^st C YW) – The Beauty of Holiness

·       come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

·       I see the beauty of holiness in sisters whose hearts are centered on all that is good, who want to become more like the Savior. They offer their whole soul, heart, might, mind, and strength to the Lord in the way that they live every day.²

·       Holiness is setting aside our natural tendencies and becoming “a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord.”⁴

·       ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy:

·       “Our Heavenly Father is a God of high expectations. … He proposes to make us holy so that we may ‘abide a celestial glory’ (D&C 88:22) and ‘dwell in his presence’ 

·       “No being can enjoy his glory without possessing his perfections and holiness.”

·       He has provided for us all that is required so that we can become holy as He is holy.

·       We are daughters of Heavenly Father, and each of us has a divine heritage of holiness.

·       we may become clean, without spot, when we deny ourselves of ungodliness

·       Our souls are sanctified when we receive the Holy Ghost with open hearts. 

·       Over time, as we continually strive to become one with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, we become partakers of Their divine nature.¹⁴

·       We retain a remission of sins when we give spiritual and temporal relief to the poor, the hungry, the naked, and the sick.¹⁶

·       We become a Zion people, of one heart and one mind, a pure people who dwell together in unity and righteousness.¹⁹ “For Zion must increase in beauty, and in holiness.”²⁰

·       We accept this gift when we choose to do those things that will increase the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost in our lives.

·       Mary, chose to sit “at Jesus’ feet” and to hear His word. But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”²³

·       we must learn to sit at the feet of the Holy One of Israel and give time to holiness.

·       Let us take time to be holy, that we may be filled with His sacred and sanctifying Spirit. With the Holy Ghost as our guide, we will be prepared to receive the Savior in the beauty of holiness.²⁴

·       those who become saints through the Atonement of Jesus Christ are those who are submissive, meek, humble, patient, and full of love, as the Savior is

·       They recognized their carnal state.

every good gift, temporal and spiritual, comes to us through Christ

·       peace in this life and the glories of eternity are ours only in and through His holy Son?

·       May we join with the people of King Benjamin as they cried aloud with one voice, “O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth, and all things.”²⁷

·       I testify that as we come unto the Holy One of Israel, His Spirit will come upon us, that we may be filled with joy and receive a remission of sins and peace of conscience. Heavenly Father has given each of us the capacity to become holy.

·       that we may stand before the Lord in the beauty of holiness

Linda Burton (RS Pres) - Certain Women

·       Our sisters across the ages have demonstrated the faithful pattern of discipleship that we too strive for…they came, saying, that they had … seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.

·       certain women who bore positive, confident, firm, assured testimonies of the Savior. Though they, like us, were imperfect women, their witness is inspiring.

·        “I believe that thou art the Christ,”

·       certain women are disciples centered in the Savior Jesus Christ 

·       certain women sacrificed

·       “At one particularly distressing time, when the family was out of food, she remembered that a voice told her, ‘Hold on, for the Lord will provide.’”

·       “it was as though a voice said to her, ‘Do you not want the highest glory?’ She answered naturally, ‘Yes,’ and the voice continued, ‘How do you think to gain it save by making the greatest sacrifices?’”⁸

·       covenant-keeping discipleship requires our willingness to sacrifice.

·       salvation comes from partnering with Jesus Christ, from understanding His grace and His Atonement and His feelings of love 

·       Sisters, when we have become distracted, doubtful, discouraged, sinful, sorrowful, or soul-stretched, may we accept the Lord’s invitation to drink of His living water, as did the certain woman at the well, inviting others to do the same as we bear our own certain witness: “Is not this the Christ?”

·       privileged to be among the certain witnesses of His glorious Resurrection.

·        staying close to Him in prayer

·       we might be part of the certain women, disciples of Jesus Christ, who will celebrate His glorious return when He comes again.

·       I testify of loving Heavenly Parents

Henry B. Eyring – My Peace I Leave With You

·        All of us would like to feel such peace often within ourselves,

·       The Lord promised peace to His disciples… He has made the same promise to us.

·       He would give peace in His way, not in the world’s way

·       the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things

·       Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid

·        “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 [who] humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them” (Ether 12:27).

·        The Spirit not only comforts you, but He is also the agent by which the Atonement works a change in your very nature. Then weak things become strong.

·       keep the Holy Ghost as your companion.

·       And He will bring back the memory of those times when you felt the light and the love of Jesus Christ.

·        Yet our Father in Heaven is concerned not just about our comfort but even more about our upward progress. 

·       The Spirit put words into my mind. It seemed a quiet voice, but it pierced to my heart: “You are holding a great person.” (Seeing with the mind of Christ)

·       The unity we seek in our families and in the Church will come as we allow the Holy Ghost to affect what we see when we look at one another—and even when we think of each other. The Spirit sees with the pure love of Christ. Listen to the words Mormon used to describe charity. 

·       if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

·       charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

·       pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons [and daughters] of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure” 

·       This is the goal that your Father in Heaven has for you,… from His perspective, you’re not that far away.

·       So He visits you with His Spirit to comfort you, encourage you, and inspire you to keep going

·       my sure witness that the Father knows you—knows your needs and your name—loves you, and hears your prayers.

·       His Beloved Son is inviting you to come unto Him.

·       the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost will have a sanctifying and purifying effect on your spirit.

·       You will then feel the peace the Savior promised to leave with His disciples. With that peace will come a bright hope and a feeling of light and love from the Father and His Beloved Son,

Henry B. Eyring – Gathering the Family of God

·       we who stand at this pulpit always have in our mind’s eye the millions of people who are gathered with us around the world

·       …the gathering of the family of God.

·       God is the literal Father of all mankind; we are each part of His eternal family. Because He loves us with the love of a perfect Father, He wants us to progress and advance and become like Him.

·       we would leave the presence of our Father and forget what we had experienced there with Him.

·       moral virtues and true principles that are most likely to lead us back to God’s presence.

·       Only a very small minority of God’s children obtain during this life a complete understanding of God’s plan, along with access to the priesthood ordinances and covenants that make the Savior’s atoning power fully operative in our lives.

·       Our Heavenly Father is anxious to gather and bless all of His family. While He knows that not all of them will choose to be gathered, His plan gives each of His children the opportunity to accept or reject His invitation.

·        God would send Elijah to “turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers” (Malachi 4:6).

·       The affection you feel for your ancestors is part of the fulfillment of that prophecy. It is deeply seated in your sense of who you are. But it has to do with more than just inherited DNA.

·       He knew that He could trust you to accomplish this work in behalf of your ancestors.

·       the Savior gives no commandment “save he shall prepare a way for [us] that [we] may accomplish the thing which he commandeth” (1 Nephi 3:7).

·       I knew with surety what to do—just as I have in other situations when I needed to rely on heaven’s help to solve a problem.

·       They have learned that this work saves not just the dead; it saves all of us (see D&C 128:18).

·       God would “gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him” (Ephesians 1:10).

·        For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us” (Ephesians 2:13–14). 

M. Joseph Brough – His Daily Guiding Hand

·       Individually, we each plead daily that Heavenly Father will guide us, lead us, and walk beside us.

·       President Dieter F. Uchtdorf explained: “Our Father in Heaven knows His children’s needs better than anyone else. It is His work and glory to help us at every turn, giving us marvelous temporal and spiritual resources to help us on our path to return to Him.”²

·       He has developed a personal care package suited to each one of us. It has many components. It includes His Son and the Atonement, the Holy Ghost, commandments, scriptures, prayer, prophets, apostles, parents, grandparents, local Church leaders, and many others—all to help us return to live with Him someday.

·       My prayer is that each of you will recognize in your experiences that Heavenly Father is leading, guiding, and walking beside you and, with that knowledge, you will proceed with confidence, knowing you are never really alone.

·       Heavenly Father “doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you.”⁵

·       “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.”⁸

·       Second, to truly guide youth, we must connect them with heaven. The time always comes when each must stand alone. Only Heavenly Father can be there to guide at all times and in all places.

·       one day that I attended the temple with one question: “Heavenly Father, do You really care?”

·       Heavenly Father was stretching forth His hand and saying, “Here am I.”

·       we are children of God and that He has sent us here so that we can feel His presence now

Weatherford Clayton – Our Father’s Glorious Plan

·       sacred moments when mortality and heaven intersect. 

·       we lived with God, the Father of our spirits. All [of us] on earth are literally brothers and sisters” in His family,² and each of us is precious to Him. We lived with Him for eons of time before our mortal birth—learning, choosing, and preparing

·       the greatest gift He can give, the gift of eternal life.³ He could not simply give us this gift; we had to receive it by choosing Him and His ways. This required that we leave His presence 

·       we will never be alone … if we choose to walk with Him.

·       behold, I am the light and the life of the world

·       But to rise from that tomb, He first had to die. And so must we

·       They will return to their Father’s presence to live with Him forever.

Dale Renlund – Our Good Shepherd

·       a more “correct [understanding of] his character, perfections, and attributes”¹ and is foundational to exercising faith in Him and in His Son, Jesus Christ. 

·       emulate Him. As we become more like Him, we learn to treat others as He does, 

·       our Good Shepherd, finds joy in seeing His diseased sheep progress toward healing.

·       Savior’s mortal ministry was indeed characterized by love, compassion, and empathy.

·       replaced fear and despair with hope and joy.

·       motivated to change because of His compassion and mercy.  “And the woman glorified God from that hour, and believed on his name.”¹⁵

·       The Savior’s compassion, love, and mercy draw us toward Him.¹⁹

·       Through His Atonement, we are no longer satisfied with our sinful state.²⁰

·       our Heavenly Father desires that His children knowingly and willingly choose to become like Him²¹

·       he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”²⁵

·       a repenting sinner draws closer to God 

·       our genuine conversion brings “meekness, and lowliness of heart,” which invites “the Holy Ghost [and fills us with] perfect love,”³⁰ an “unfeigned love”³¹ for others.

·       He loves us so much that He provided the way for us to repent and become clean so we can return to Him and our Heavenly Father.³²

·       let us fully mirror His love and love one another so openly and completely that no one feels abandoned, alone, or hopeless.

·       He also lives for us and wants us to know Him and exercise faith in Him.

Ulisses Soares – Confide in God Unwaveringly

·       The Lord is inspiring them to emphasize strengthening our faith in Heavenly Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in His Atonement so that we will not waver as we face the challenges of our day.

·       put your trust in God... If ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, … and serve him with all diligence of mind, … he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.”¹

·       look to the future through the eyes of faith; to replace their fears with the optimism of hope born of faith; and to not waver in placing their trust in God regardless of circumstance.

·       The benefits of His atoning sacrifice are extended to all those who accept Him and deny themselves and to those who take up His cross and follow Him as His true disciples.⁶ 

·       “for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. … A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”⁷

·       he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”⁹

·        Faith is the source of living with divine purpose and eternal perspective. Faith is a practical principle that inspires diligence. t is a vital, living force…It takes us to our knees

·       Brothers and sisters, if we are not rooted by steadfast trust in God and the desire to serve Him, the painful experiences of mortality can lead us to feel as though we are burdened by a heavy yoke; and we can lose the motivation to live the gospel fully. Without faith, we will end up losing the capacity to appreciate those designs of our God regarding the things that will happen later in our life.¹¹

·       Please remember that the logic of the natural man “receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him.”¹² Remember that Satan “is an enemy [of] God, and [he] fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth [us] to sin, and to do that which is evil continually.”¹³ We must not allow him to deceive us; for when we do, we falter in our faith and lose the power to obtain God’s blessings.

·       If we are steadfast and do not waver in our faith, the Lord will increase our capacity to raise ourselves above the challenges of life. We will be enabled to subdue negative impulses, and we will develop the capacity to overcome even what appear to be overwhelming obstacles. 

·       by the power of your unwavering faith in Christ, you will become free of the captivity of sin, of doubt, of unbelief, of unhappiness, of suffering; and you will receive all of the promised blessings from our loving Heavenly Father.

·       I testify that God is real. He lives. He loves us. He listens to our prayers 

·       Jesus guides us with His hand, and He will tell us why; If we listen to His voice, He will tell us by and by. Confide in God unwaveringly, and let Him us sustain; Sing His glory endlessly, for later He’ll explain.14

Mark A. Bragg – Brighter and Brighter until the Perfect Day

·        “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”²

·       there is light and goodness all around us. 

·        “We are surrounded by such an astonishing wealth of light and truth that I wonder if we truly appreciate what we have.”³

·       the adversary would rather have us focus on “mists of darkness … which blindeth the eyes, … hardeneth … hearts … , and … leadeth … away.”⁴

·        “That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.”⁵

·       We are children of God. Receiving light, continuing in God, and receiving more light are what we are created to do. From the very beginning, we followed the light; we followed our Heavenly Father and His plan. Seeking the light is in our spiritual DNA.

·       “This refers to the tendency in all living systems toward positive energy [light] and away from negative energy [darkness]. From single-cell organisms to complex human systems, everything alive has an inherent inclination toward the positive and away from the negative.”⁶

·       It makes perfect sense that as people turn towards the positive (light), the attributes perfectly exemplified by the Light of the World, Jesus Christ, are present!

·       please take comfort that there is light available to us. 

·       Recognizing the light and seeking after it will qualify us for even more light.

·       A manifestation of a loving Heavenly Father is that everyone who comes to this life is blessed with the Light of Christ to help them return home

·       “The Spirit of Christ is always there. … The Light of Christ is as universal as sunlight itself. Wherever there is human life, there is the Spirit of Christ.”¹³ The Light of Christ “inviteth and enticeth to do good continually”¹⁴ and prepares all who seek goodness and truth to receive the Holy Ghost

·       The Savior teaches that He is the light that “enlighteneth your eyes,” “quickeneth your understandings,” and “giveth life to all things.”¹⁵ The Light of Christ will help us see others through the Savior’s eyes. 

·       “Let us put on the armour of light.”¹⁶ 

·       May we see the Light of Christ in others constantly and help them see it in themselves. As we receive that light, we will be blessed with more light, even until the perfect day when we again see “the Father of lights,”¹⁷our Heavenly Father.

Russell M. Nelson – Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives

·        All so that we could have access to godly power—power sufficient to deal with the burdens, obstacles, and temptations of our day.⁴ Today I would like to speak about how we can draw into our lives the power of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.

·       We begin by learning about Him.⁵ “It is impossible for [us] to be saved in ignorance.”⁶

·       “And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross.”¹²

·       “the fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”¹³

·       choose to have faith in Him and follow Him

·       There is nothing easy or automatic about becoming such powerful disciples. Our focus must be riveted on the Savior and His gospel. It is mentally rigorous to strive to look unto Him in every thought.¹⁵ But when we do, our doubts and fears flee.¹⁶

·       Faith in Jesus Christ propels us to do things we otherwise would not do. Faith that motivates us to action gives us more access to His power.

·       seek for ways to keep themselves unspotted from the world so there will be nothing blocking their access to the Savior’s power. 

·       Another element in drawing the Savior’s power into our lives is to reach up to Him in faith. Such reaching requires diligent, focused effort…stretch as far as she could to access His power. Her physical stretching was symbolic of her spiritual stretching.

·       When you reach up for the Lord’s power in your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours.

·       When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him—

·       when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life—you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do.²¹

·       When you spiritually stretch beyond anything you have ever done before, then His power will flow into you.²² 

·       And then you will understand the deep meaning of words we sing in the hymn “The Spirit of God”:The Lord is extending the Saints’ understanding. …The knowledge and power of God are expanding;The veil o’er the earth is beginning to burst.²³

·       The gospel of Jesus Christ is filled with His power, which is available to every earnestly seeking daughter or son of God

·       It is my testimony that when we draw His power into our lives, both He and we will rejoice.²

Robert D. Hales – Becoming a Disciple of Our Lord Jesus Christ

·       A disciple is one who has been baptized and is willing to take upon him or her the name of the Savior and follow Him. 

·       Many people hear the word disciple and think it means only “follower.” But genuine discipleship is a state of being. This suggests more than studying and applying a list of individual attributes. Disciples live so that the characteristics of Christ are woven into the fiber of their beings, as into a spiritual tapestry.

·       “Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; “And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;“ And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.”1

·       focus on mastering a specific attribute or action but do not necessarily become as He is in their hearts.

·       “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: 

·       We measure our faith by what it leads us to do—by our obedience. 

·       This virtue … is cleanliness and holiness in mind and body. Virtue is also power…to be virtuous in every thought, feeling, and action. Our minds become more receptive to the promptings of the Holy Ghost and the Light of Christ.¹⁰ We embody Christ not only in what we say and do but also in who we are.

·        As we live virtuous lives, we come to know our Heavenly Father and His Son in a special way.

·       This knowledge is personal testimony, born from personal experience. It is knowledge that transforms us so that our “light cleaveth unto [His] light” and our “virtue loveth [His] virtue.”¹² By our virtuous living, we make the journey from “I believe” to the glorious destination of “I know.”

·       live the gospel in a balanced and steady way. We do not “run faster than [we have] strength.”¹³ Day by day we move forward, undeterred by the refining challenges of mortality.

·       rely on His design for our lives, even though we cannot see it with our own natural eyes.

·       we can “be still and know that [He is] God.”¹⁵

·       patient with one another and ourselves. We delight in the agency of others and the opportunity it gives them to grow “line upon line,”¹⁷ “brighter and brighter until the perfect day.”¹⁸

·       We gain the brotherly kindness that is a hallmark of all true disciples. 

·        testify that the efforts we make to become disciples of our Savior are truly added upon until we are “possessed” of His love.²¹ This love is the defining characteristic of a disciple of Christ:

·       It is faith, hope, and charity that qualify us for the work of God.²³ “And now abideth … these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”²⁴

·        now more than ever, we cannot be a “part-time disciple”! We cannot be a disciple on just one point of doctrine or another. The constellation of characteristics that result from faith in Christ—including the ones we have talked about today—are all necessary to our standing strong in these last days.

·       As we earnestly strive to be true disciples of Jesus Christ, these characteristics will be interwoven, added upon, and interactively strengthened in us. There will be no disparity between the kindness we show our enemies and the kindness we bestow on our friends.

·       We will be as devoted to God in the public square as we are in our private closet.

·       Now is the time to recommit ourselves to being His disciples with all diligence.

·        “begin as in times of old, and come unto [Him] with all your heart.”²⁵

Jeffrey R. Holland – Songs Sund and Unsung

·       embrace the Apostle Paul’s counsel and “hope for that [which] we see not … [and] with patience wait for it.”⁴

·       we may have to stand silent for a time and simply listen to others, drawing strength from the splendor of the music around us.

·       positioning ourselves next to someone with a stronger, more certain voice

·       stand as close as humanly possible to the Savior and Redeemer of the world—who has absolutely perfect pitch. We then take courage from His ability to hear our silence and take hope from His melodious messianic intercession in our behalf. Truly it is “when the Lord is near” that “the dove of peace sings in my heart [and] the flow’rs of grace appear.”⁵

·       choirs do require discipline—for our purpose today, Elder Hales, I would say discipleship—but once we have accepted divinely revealed lyrics and harmonious orchestration composed before the world was, then our Heavenly Father delights to have us sing in our own voice, not someone else’s

·       you are unique; you are irreplaceable.

·       When I see the staggering economic inequality in the world, I feel guilty singing with Mrs. Hewitt of “blessings which [God] gives me now [and] joys ‘laid up’ above.”⁷ That chorus cannot be fully, faithfully sung until we have honorably cared for the poor. 

·       do more to alleviate poverty, as Jesus repeatedly commands us to do,

·       so many around us suffer from mental and emotional illness or other debilitating health limitations…  I pray we will not let these children of God suffer in silence and that we will be endowed with His capacity to hear the songs they cannot now sing.

·       there comes, from time to time, another kind of song that we find ourselves unable to sing, but for a different reason. This is when feelings are so deep and personal, even so sacred, that they either cannot be or should not be expressed-  “My love’s … richer than my tongue. … I cannot heave my heart into my mouth.”⁹ Coming to us as something holy, these sentiments are simply unutterable—spiritually ineffable—

·       These kinds of sanctified moments remain unuttered because expression, even if it were possible, might seem like desecration.

·       But I plead with each one of us to stay permanently and faithfully in the choir, where we will be able to savor forever that most precious anthem of all—“the song of redeeming love.”¹¹

·       “Come as you are,” a loving Father says to each of us, but He adds, “Don’t plan to stay as you are.” God is determined to make of us more than we thought we could be.

·       keep working on the songs we cannot sing

·        For this promised hour to come, I longingly pray 

Gary B. Sabin – Stand Up Inside and Be All In

·       Conference is a time of reflection, revelation, and sometimes redirection.

·       Turn from all; keep all; then all is forgiven. This requires being “all in”!

·       We don’t hold back to see what the minimum is we can get by with. The Lord requires the heart and a willing mind.³ Our whole heart! 

·       we are fully immersed as a symbol of our promise to fully follow the Savior,

·       When we are lukewarm or only partially committed, we lose out on some of heaven’s choicest blessings.⁵

·       we do it all the time in much more dangerous ways. We are, in effect, refusing to unroll our spiritual sleeping bags when we don’t take the time to sincerely pray, study, and earnestly live the gospel each day; not only will the fire go out, but we will be unprotected and grow spiritually cold.

·       complacent with our covenants, … complicit with the consequences.

·       beware concerning yourselves, to give diligent heed to the words of eternal life.”⁶ And He further declared, “My blood shall not cleanse them if they hear me not.”⁷

·        When we are partially in or not in at all, there is, in the Star Wars vernacular, “a disturbance in the force.” We are out of sync with God’s will and therefore out of sync with the nature of happiness.⁸

·       Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive,

·        “Stand ye in holy places, and be not moved.”¹⁴

·       “stand up inside,” … We stand up inside when we wait patiently upon the Lord… the strengthening and comforting assurance from the Holy Ghost, and an eternal perspective which surpasses mortal understanding.¹⁹

·       If we are not able to be “all in” the way we are presently walking, then maybe we need to run; maybe we need to recalculate our route. We might even need to make a U-turn. We might need to study more intently, pray more earnestly, or just let some things go so we can hang on to those things that really matter. We may need to let go of the world so we can hang on to eternity. 

·       far better to follow the Creator than the crowd.

·       have not paid the price to be “all in” and prefer to follow the natural man

·       When we are “all in,” we have the all-encompassing assurance that “all things work together for good to them that love God.”²⁶

·       “Don’t fear, just live right.”²⁷

·       “a perfect brightness of hope”!²⁸… we can have equal certainty that things will work out well for us in the end. (VCR)

·       “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”²⁹

·       no one has sinned tomorrow. 

Valeri V. Cordon – The Language of the Gospel

·       the native language of their ancestors, is lost.¹

·       Language loss … move to a foreign land where their native language is not predominant… also among populations throughout the world where a native language is replaced in favor of a new one.²

·        an eternal language that must be preserved in our families and never lost.

·       hath need to be chastened, and set in order his family, and see that they are more diligent and concerned at home, and pray always, 

·        parents don’t spend time teaching their children the native language. 

·       It is not enough to merely speak the language in the home. If parents desire to preserve their language, it must be taught. 

·        “weak gospel teaching and modeling in the home” is a powerful cause that may break the cycle of multigenerational families in the Church.⁸… requires diligence and effort.

·        “you need to bring the language alive for your children.”¹⁰ … when our teaching and modeling work together.

·       Another way language can be altered or lost is when other languages and traditions are mixed with a mother tongue.¹³

·       “That wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers.”¹⁴

·       teach our children about their divine identity, their purpose in life, and the divine mission of Jesus Christ.

·       because of their unbelief they could not understand the word of God; and their hearts were hardened.”¹⁶

·       there is no debate about the eternal consequences of losing the language of the gospel in our homes.

·       As children of God, we are imperfect people trying to learn a perfect language.¹⁷

·       Heavenly Father will bless us in our efforts as we strive to embrace His language, even until we become fluent in this higher level of communication, which always was our mother tongue

Neil A Anderson – Overcoming the World

·       President David O. McKay …After falling asleep, he “beheld in vision something infinitely sublime… he City Eternal; and the people following him were to abide there in peace and eternal happiness… These Are They Who Have Overcome the World—“Who Have Truly Been Born Again!’”¹

·       The Lord “will confess [their names] before [the] Father… and “go no more out”⁵ from the presence of God.

·       Is it possible to overcome the world and receive these blessings? Yes, it is.

·       an all-encompassing love for our Lord

·       He alone is able to cleanse us from our sins, allowing us to return to the presence of God.

·        “We love him, because he first loved us.”⁶

·       “I will that ye should overcome the world.”⁸…  a lifetime of moments that define an eternity.

·       … as a child learns to pray and reverently sings, “I’m trying to be like Jesus.”9

·       studies the life of the Savior in the New Testament and ponders the power of the Savior’s Atonement in the Book of Mormon.

·       Praying, repenting, following the Savior, and receiving His grace lead us to better understand why we are here and who we are to become.

·        “A mighty change [is] wrought in their hearts, and they [humble] themselves and put their trust in the true and living God … [remaining] faithful until the end.”1

·       The world is more interested in indulging the natural man than in subduing him.

·       Overcoming the world is … a private, personal battle, requiring hand-to-hand combat with our own internal foes.

·       treasuring … “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.”12

·       “Christ says ‘Give me All. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You.’”13

·       Our love for the Sabbath day … opens the doors to a beautiful day of resting from routine tasks, studying, praying.. let our focus remain on the Savior and upon His holy day.

·       … trusting in the one voice that warns, comforts, enlightens, and brings peace “not as the world giveth.”¹⁶

·       our spiritual antennas are pointed heavenward

·       overcoming the world brings humility, empathy, patience, and compassion for those different than yourself.

·       If ye were of the world, the world would love his own.”¹⁹

·        “True disciples of Jesus Christ are willing to stand out, speak up, and be different from the people of the world.”²⁰

·       more concerned with our heavenly connection to God.

·       the world attempts to beguile the faithful into dismissing the rich spiritual experiences of one’s past, redefining them as foolish deceptions.

·       …remembering, even when we are discouraged, the times we have felt the love and light of the Savior.

·       Elder Neal A. Maxwell …: “I had been blessed, and I knew that God knew that I knew I had been blessed.”²²Although we may temporarily feel forgotten, we do not forget.

·       it opens the more expansive view of faith, drawing us to the Savior and His promises.

·       one day we “shall stand before [our Redeemer]; [and] see his face with pleasure,”²³ and hear His voice: “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you.”²⁴

·       “The testimony I have of the reality and love of Jesus Christ has been the compass of my life. … It [is] a pure, burning witness of the Spirit that he lives, that he is my Redeemer and Friend in every time of need.”28

·       “Our challenge … is to come to know [the Savior] … and, through faith in him, to overcome the trials and temptations of this world.”29

·       “Let us be faithful and true, trusting in him.”30

·       May we each try a little harder in our efforts to overcome the world,… eagerly hastening our speed 

·       As you trust more fully in the Savior, I promise you blessings of greater peace in this life and a greater assurance of your eternal destiny,

M. Russell Ballard – Return and Receive

·       Those who accomplish the most in this world are those with a vision for their lives, with goals to keep them focused on their vision and tactical plans for how to achieve them.

·       Knowing where you are going and how you expect to get there can bring meaning, purpose, and accomplishment to life.

·       a goal is a destination or an end, while a plan is the route by which you get there. 

·       A key to happiness lies in understanding what destinations truly matter—and then spending our time, effort, and attention on the things that constitute a sure way to arrive there.

·       Heavenly Father…His goal is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man [and woman],”¹ and His means to achieve it is the plan of salvation.

·       But our greatest and most overriding goals should fit into Heavenly Father’s eternal plan. Jesus said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”²

·       return and receive… become part of us and guide virtually everything we think and do.

·       To return to His presence and to receive the eternal blessings that come from making and keeping covenants

·       We return and receive by having “unshaken faith in [the Lord Jesus Christ], relying wholly upon” His merits, pressing “forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men [and women] … , feasting upon the word of Christ, and endur[ing] to the end.”³

·       Lucifer rebelled and … was cast out with his minions…and “became Satan, … the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men … to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto [the Lord’s] voice.”⁴…  using every possible enticement and temptation to bring us down

·       He uses loud voices—voices that seek to drown out the small and still voice of the Holy Spirit that can show us “all things” we should do to return and receive.⁶

·       I need to regularly take time to ask myself, “How am I doing?”

·       “Have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?”⁸ Alma’s questions are a reminder of what our goals and plans ought to include in order to return and receive.

·       Remember the Savior’s invitation to “come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.“ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”9

·       As we increase our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ’s power to give rest unto our souls …we will more deeply appreciate the magnitude of the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ.¹⁰

·       If you need to repent and change, then consider doing so now. Take the time to prayerfully think about what adjustments are needed to help you keep your “eye single to the glory of God.”¹¹

·       increase your faith in the Savior and help you stay focused on Him 

·       They are totally, completely, eternally aligned with us. We are Their work. Our glory is Their glory. More than anything else, They want us to come home—to return and receive eternal happiness in Their presence.

·       focusing our plans to align with God’s in a way that will ultimately lead us toward our precious privilege to return and receive—

President Thomas S. Monson – Kindness, Charity, and Love

·       “And if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity.

·       “And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked. …“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—“But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.”1

·        the righteous exercise of the priesthood is dependent upon our living the principles of kindness, charity, and love.

·        let us examine our lives and determine to follow the Savior’s example by being kind, loving, and charitable. And as we do so, we will be in a better position to call down the powers of heaven for ourselves, for our families, and for our fellow travelers in this sometimes difficult journey back to our heavenly home

David A. Bednar – Called to the Work

·        “If ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work.”²

·       “Therefore, declare the things which ye have heard, and verily believe, and know to be true.”⁶

·       … nothing affirms the reality of ongoing latter-day revelation more powerfully than seeking to discern the Lord’s will as we fulfill our responsibility…

·       .. the Savior knows and is mindful of each of us one by one and name by name.

·       as you fulfill your duties in and honor the Aaronic Priesthood, or lesser priesthood, you are preparing to receive and magnify the oath and covenant of the Melchizedek Priesthood, or higher priesthood.¹⁰ Personal worthiness is the single most important requirement for receiving the higher priesthood. 

·       Going to the temple and having the spirit of the temple go through you precedes effective service…

·       Personal worthiness is the single most important requirement for receiving the blessings of the temple for you young men and for all members of the Church. 

Gerald Causse – Prepare the Way

·       This gathering of generations offers a marvelous vision of the unity and brotherhood that exist between the two priesthoods of God. Even though they are vested with different missions and authority, the Aaronic Priesthood and the Melchizedek Priesthood are inseparable partners in the work of salvation. They go hand in hand and have great need of each other.

·       What would the Savior’s mission have been like without the preparatory work performed by John?

·       John the Baptist was given one of the most noble missions to ever exist: “to prepare the way of the Lord,”1 to baptize Him with water, and to make ready a people to receive Him. This “just … and … holy [man],”2 who had been ordained to the lesser priesthood, was perfectly aware of both the importance and the limits of his mission and his authority.

·       People flocked to John to hear him and be baptized by him. He was honored and revered in his own right as a man of God. But when Jesus appeared, John humbly deferred to One greater than himself and declared, “I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, … who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.”3

·       For His part, Jesus the Christ, the Only Begotten of the Father, who held the higher priesthood, humbly recognized the authority of John. Of him, the Savior said, “Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist.”4

·       Just think of what would take place in our priesthood quorums if the relationships between the holders of the two priesthoods were inspired by the pattern established by Jesus and John the Baptist. My young brethren of the Aaronic Priesthood, like John’s, your role is to “prepare the way”5 for the great work of the Melchizedek Priesthood. You are doing this in many different ways. You administer the ordinances of baptism and of the sacrament. You help prepare a people for the Lord by preaching the gospel, by “[visiting] the house of each member,”6 and by “[watching] over the church.”7

·       help them prepare their own way as they prepare for the day that they receive and exercise the higher priesthood.

·       Let us put the Aaronic Priesthood in its rightful place, a choice place—a place of service, preparation, and accomplishment

·       I pray that, as you serve with your older brethren, you will hear the voice of the Lord telling you: “Thou art blessed, for thou shalt do great things. Behold thou wast sent forth, even as John, to prepare the way before me.”¹⁰

Dieter F. Uchtdorf – The Greatest among You

·        President Monson, thank you for your message and blessing. We will always take to heart your words of direction, counsel, and wisdom.

·       Eventually, I realized that this line of thinking led to a place in which I did not wish to take up residence. (not invited to temple dedication helped to plan)

·       the temple dedication was not about us. It wasn’t about who deserved to be invited or who did not. And it wasn’t about our feelings or our sense of entitlement. It was about dedicating a holy edifice, a temple of the Most High God. It was a day of rejoicing for the members of the Church in Spain.

·       Had I been invited to attend, I would have done so gladly. But if I were not invited, my joy would not be any less profound. Harriet and I would rejoice with our friends, … from afar. We would praise God for this wonderful blessing just as enthusiastically from our home in Frankfurt as we would from Madrid.

·       James and John were fishermen (sons of Thunder - suggested calling down fire from heaven on a village in Samaria over not being invited into town.²)—probably a little rough around the edges—but I guess they knew a lot about the elements of nature. Certainly, they were men of action.

·       They asked the Savior to give them whatever they asked for  - to sit on the right and left hand of Christ.” He challenged them to think more deeply and said it was not his to give, but to them for whom it is prepared.  You can’t get honor in the kingdom by campaigning for it. You can’t “power lunch” your way to eternal glory.”

·       whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.”⁴

·       In God’s kingdom, greatness and leadership means seeing others as they truly are—as God sees them—and then reaching out and ministering to them… rejoicing with those who are happy, weeping with those who grieve, lifting up those in distress, and loving our neighbor as Christ loves us.

·       God’s greatest reward goes to those who serve without expectation of reward. It goes to those who serve without fanfare; those who quietly go about seeking ways to help others; those who minister to others simply because they love God and God’s children.⁵

·       leadership in the Church is not so much about directing others as it is about our willingness to be directed by God.

·       As Saints of the Most High God, we are to “remember in all things the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted, for he that doeth not these things, the same is not my disciple.”⁷

·       approach our callings as opportunities to serve God and minister to others with faith and humility, every act of service will be a step on the path of discipleship.

·       The Church is designed to help us become true and faithful disciples of Christ, good and noble sons and daughters of God. This happens not just when we go to meetings and listen to talks but also when we get outside ourselves and serve. This is how we become “great” in the kingdom of God.

·       Our service—whether great or small—refines our spirits, opens the windows of heaven, and releases God’s blessings … especially acts that are unseen and unnoticed by others.⁸

·       one kind of service is not above another.

·       lift where you stand!

·       may we meditate upon, understand, and live this paramount lesson of Church leadership and priesthood governance: “He that is greatest among you shall be your servant.”

Henry B. Eyring – Walk With Me

·        you may sense that there is more to do—perhaps much more! I pray that I may be able to convey the Lord’s loving approval for what you have already done, while also offering an encouraging glimpse of what you may, with His help, yet achieve

·       I trust that you will “go on your way rejoicing” (D&C 84:105) because you want to improve and you think you can.

·       it’s natural to feel some inadequacy when we consider what the Lord has called us to do… if you told me that you feel perfectly capable of fulfilling your priesthood duties, I might worry that you do not understand them.

·       if you told me that you feel like giving up because the task is too far beyond your abilities, then I would want to help you understand how the Lord magnifies and strengthens the holders of His priesthood to do things they never could have done alone… sense the magnitude of the trust God has placed in you.

·       There are very few people in the world who have that understanding. 

·       the only way to succeed is to rely on Him

o   deacon - bring a measure of spiritual power to the ordinance of the sacrament

o   home teacher assigned by the Lord to love and minister to a family you don’t know and who seems not to want your love or your ministering

o    father who knows you are to preside over your home in righteousness, but perhaps you’re unsure how to do it,

o   and time seems to be running out, because those children are growing up quickly and the world seems so harsh and hostile

·       There are some scriptures that, through the power of the Spirit they carry, can deepen our sense of awe regarding the holy priesthood. 

·       Even those who can recite a reasonable definition may not truly understand it. 

o   The power and authority of the … Melchizedek Priesthood, is to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church

o   “To have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven,

o   to have the heavens opened unto them,

o   to commune with the general assembly and church of the Firstborn, and

o   to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus  

o   “The power and authority of the … Aaronic Priesthood, is to hold the keys of the ministering of angels” (D&C 107:18–20).

o   “In the ordinances [of the priesthood], the power of godliness is manifest. …“For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live” (D&C 84:20, 22).

o   “Every one being ordained after this order and calling should have power, by faith, to break mountains, to divide the seas, to dry up waters, to turn them out of their course;

o   “To put at defiance the armies of nations,

o   to divide the earth,

o   to break every band,

o   to stand in the presence of God;

o   to do all things according to his will, according to his command, subdue principalities and powers;  

·       assume that they do not apply to us.

·       soul-searching questions, asked in our own hearts, such as these:

o   Have I ever felt that the heavens have been opened to me?

o   Would anyone use the phrase “ministering of angels” to describe my priesthood service?

o   Do I bring the “power of godliness” into the lives of those I serve?

o   Have I ever broken a mountain, defied an army, broken someone’s bands, or subdued worldly powers—even if only figuratively—in order to accomplish God’s will?

·       Such introspection always brings a feeling that we could be doing more in the service of the Lord. I hope it also brings you a feeling that you want to do more—a longing to participate more fully in the Lord’s miraculous work. Such feelings are the first step toward becoming the kind of men that priesthood service is meant to produce.

·        Enoch as a mighty prophet who established Zion in the midst of great wickedness who before that saw himself as slow of speech and hated by all the people.

·       Brethren, our ordination to the priesthood is an invitation from the Lord to walk with Him.

o   to do what He does,

o   to serve the way He serves.

o   He sacrificed His own comforts to bless those in need

o   take particular notice of people who were overlooked and even shunned by society,

o    testified boldly yet lovingly of the true doctrine He received from His Father, even if it was unpopular

o   He said to all, “Come unto me” (Matthew 11:28), and we say to all, “Come unto Him.” 

o   We act not for ourselves but for Him. We speak not our words but His.

·       As soon as we accept the Lord’s invitation “Walk with me,” the nature of our priesthood service changes. It becomes all at once higher and nobler but also more achievable, because we know that we are not alone. 

·       “And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up” (D&C 84:88).

·       I heard a voice in my mind say, just as clearly as if someone were speaking to me, “I’m going to let you see him as I see him.” And then, for a brief moment, his whole appearance changed to me. I saw not a dazed young man but a bright, noble son of God. I suddenly felt the Lord’s love for him. That vision changed our conversation. It also changed me.

·       God notices and will support even the newest and youngest … You need never feel that you are too small or too insignificant for Him to take notice of you and the service you are giving in His name.

·       the Lord’s work is not just to solve problems; it is to build people

·       sometimes what seems like the most efficient solution is not the Lord’s preferred solution because it does not allow people to grow. If you listen, He will teach you His ways. Remember that God’s work and glory is not simply to run an effective organization; it is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). This is, after all, why He gives His priesthood authority to flawed mortals like you and me and invites us to participate in His work. Our progress is His work!

·       Walking with the Savior … will change the way you look at others. He will teach you to see them through His eyes, which means seeing past an outward appearance and into the heart (see 1 Samuel 16:7).

·       If you walk with the Savior long enough, you will learn to see everyone as a child of God with limitless potential, regardless of what his or her past may have been. And if you continue walking with the Savior, you will develop another gift He has—the ability to help people see that potential in themselves and so repent.

·       in many ways, we are like the two disciples who walked the road to Emmaus… They had “trusted that [Jesus of Nazareth] should have redeemed Israel,” but they were “slow of heart to believe” everything the scriptures taught about resurrection. As they walked along and tried to reason it out together, “Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.” (See Luke 24:13–32.)

·       We may lack a full understanding of what the priesthood is or how to exercise it as He does. But if we pay close attention to those moments when our hearts “burn within us” (Luke 24:32), our eyes can be opened and we will see His hand in our lives and in our service.

·        I testify that we come to know Him best by working with Him and serving Him in the great work of bringing salvation to God’s children. “For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?” (Mosiah 5:13). 

President Thomas S. Monson – The Power of the Book of Mormon

·       This morning I speak about the power of the Book of Mormon and the critical need we have as members of this Church to study, ponder, and apply its teachings in our lives.

·       The importance of having a firm and sure testimony of the Book of Mormon cannot be overstated.

·       a strong testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and of His gospel will help see us through to safety.

·       If you are not reading the Book of Mormon each day, please do so. If you will read it prayerfully and with a sincere desire to know the truth, the Holy Ghost will manifest its truth to you.

·       The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s Church on the earth, and the holy priesthood of God has been restored for the benefit and blessing of His children.

·       If you do not have a firm testimony of these things, do that which is necessary to obtain one. It is essential for you to have your own testimony in these difficult times,

·       once obtained, a testimony needs to be kept vital and alive through continued obedience to the commandments of God and through daily prayer and scripture study.

·       I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day. As we do so, we will be in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit, to resist temptation, to overcome doubt and fear, and to receive heaven’s help in our lives. 

Joy D. Jones – A Sin-Resistant Generation

·       These children understand their divine identity, feel Heavenly Father’s love for them, and seek to obey His will.

·       step up and wage a war against sin in our effort to bring our children unto Christ… the need intensifies for us to strengthen our spiritual strategies.

·       We must understand our—and their—divine identity and purpose before we can help our children see who they are and why they are here. We must help them know without question that they are sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father and that He has divine expectations of them.

·       Second, understanding the doctrine of repentance is essential for becoming resistant to sin. Being sin-resistant doesn’t mean being sinless, but it does imply being continually repentant, vigilant, and valiant… carrying Christlike virtues as weapons against their adversaries. 

·       establish patterns of personal daily discipleship… start early and be steady.”¹¹

·       Creating consistent habits of prayer, scripture study, family home evening, and Sabbath worship leads to wholeness, internal consistency, and strong moral values—in other words, spiritual integrity. 

·       “But if not.” Consider the meaning of these three words and how they relate to keeping covenants. These three young men were not basing their obedience upon being delivered. Even if they were not delivered, they would keep their promise to the Lord because they said they would. Keeping our covenants is always independent of our situation. 

·       “the consummate reward of integrity is the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.”¹⁹ Then shall our children’s “confidence wax strong in the presence of God.”²⁰ Out of the well of integrity springs an empowered, sin-resistant generation.

·       daily religious behavior 

·       Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?”²²

Yoon Hwan Choi – Don’t Look Around, Look Up!

·       He used to wake up early in the morning to study the scriptures for over two hours every day. After work he went with the missionaries to visit our family, friends, and neighbors nearly every day. 

·       tremendous obligation that was mine to pass on all that I had received as an inheritance from my forebears to the generations who have now come after me.”²

·       All of us are in the middle of an eternal family. Our role can be a turning point at which significant changes can occur in positive or negative ways.

·       build a strong relationship with Jesus Christ. Don’t look around, look up!”

·       it is not easy for us to recognize the love of Heavenly Father when we look around with our temporal eyes, because we see inconvenience, loss, burdens, or loneliness first. On the other hand, we can see the blessings beyond when we look up. 

·        you are a solid connection for powerful blessings to those before you and to generations after you.

·       “May we ever choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong.”⁷

·       It is never too late to look up to Jesus Christ. His arms are always open to you. There are generations before us and after us depending on us to follow Christ so that we can be an eternal family of God.

·       Look up to Christ for strength, balance, and healing. Through the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, “all things shall work together for [your] good.”⁸

·       As we pray and study the scriptures every day and partake sincerely of the sacrament every week, we gain the strength to always look up to Him.

Ronald A. Rasband – Let the Holy Spirit Guide

·       the importance of the Holy Ghost in our lives… To give us mortal strength and divine guidance,

·       The Holy Ghost binds us to the Lord. By divine assignment, He inspires, testifies, teaches, and prompts us to walk in the light of the Lord. We have the sacred responsibility to learn to recognize His influence in our lives and respond.

·       “I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy.”⁴

·       The Holy Ghost accompanies those who are “strict to remember the Lord their God from day to day.”⁶ As the Lord counseled, we must “lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better,”⁷ for “the Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples.”⁸

·       we must be willing to receive the Spirit.

·        “I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.”⁹

·       recognize the Spirit when it comes.

·       the Spirit most often communicates as a feeling… The voice of the Holy Spirit is still and small. Do you know that voice?

·       “As we pursue the journey of life, let us learn the language of the Spirit.”¹³

·       If we are casual or complacent in our worship, drawn off and desensitized by worldly pursuits, we find ourselves diminished in our ability to feel.

·       we must act on the first prompting… “I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do. Nevertheless,” he said, “I went forth.”¹⁶ Joseph Smith taught that if you will listen to the first promptings, you will get it right nine times out of ten.¹⁷

·       Now a caution: don’t expect fireworks because you responded to the Holy Ghost. Remember, you are about the work of the still, small voice.

·       If we let the Lord know in our morning prayers that we are ready, He will call on us to respond. If we respond, He will call on us time and time again and we will find ourselves on what President Monson calls “the Lord’s errand.”¹⁹ We will become spiritual first responders bringing help from on high.

·       If we pay attention to the promptings that come to us, we will grow in the spirit of revelation and receive more and more Spirit-driven insight and direction. The Lord has said, “Put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good.”20

·       May we take seriously the Lord’s call to “be of good cheer, for I will lead you along.”21 He leads us by the Holy Ghost. May we live close to the Spirit, acting quickly upon our first promptings, knowing they come from God.

L. Whitney Clayton – Whatsoever He Saith unto You, Do it

·       Mary humbly responded that she would do what God asked, without demanding to know specifics and undoubtedly in spite of having countless questions about the implications for her life. She committed herself without exactly understanding why He was asking that of her or how things would work out. She accepted God’s word unconditionally and in advance,⁴ with little knowledge of what lay ahead. With simple trust in God, Mary said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.”⁵

·       When we decide to do “whatsoever [God] saith unto” us, we earnestly commit to align our everyday behavior with God’s will. Such simple acts of faith as studying the scriptures daily, fasting regularly, and praying with real intent deepen our well of spiritual capacity to meet the demands of mortality. Over time, simple habits of belief lead to miraculous results. They transform our faith from a seedling into a dynamic power for good in our lives. Then, when challenges come our way, our rootedness in Christ provides steadfastness for our souls. God shores up our weaknesses, increases our joys, and causes “all things [to] work together for [our] good.”⁶

·        It may seem hard to draw a connection between the basic daily acts of obedience and solutions to the big, complicated problems we face. But they are related.

·        getting the little daily habits of faith right is the single best way to fortify ourselves against the troubles of life, whatever they may be. Small acts of faith, even when they seem insignificant or entirely disconnected from the specific problems that vex us, bless us in all we do.

·       that explanation came only after Adam had demonstrated his commitment to obeying the Lord for “many days” without knowing why he was supposed to offer those sacrifices.⁹

·       God asks us to bear with Him—to trust Him and to follow Him. He pleads with us to “dispute not because ye see not.” He cautions us that we shouldn’t expect easy answers or quick fixes from heaven. Things work out when we stand firm during the “trial of [our] faith,” however hard that test may be to endure or slow the answer may be in coming.10 I am not speaking of “blind obedience”11 but of thoughtful confidence in the perfect love and the perfect timing of the Lord.

·       The trial of our faith will always involve staying true to simple, daily practices of faith. Then, and only then, does He promise that we will receive the divine response for which we long. Only once we have proven our willingness to do what He asks without demanding to know the whens, the whys, and the hows do we “reap the rewards of [our] faith, and [our] diligence, and patience, and long-suffering.”12 Real obedience accepts God’s commandments unconditionally and in advance.13

·       Every day, consciously or otherwise, we all choose “whom [we] will serve.”14 We demonstrate our determination to serve the Lord by faithfully engaging in daily acts of devotion. The Lord promises to direct our paths,15 but for Him to do that, we have to walk, trusting that He knows the way because He is “the way.”16 We must fill our own waterpots up to the brim. When we trust and follow Him, our lives, like water to wine, are transformed. We become something more and better than we ever otherwise could be. Trust in the Lord, and “whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.”

Dallin H Oaks – The Godhead and the Plan of Salvation

·       In contrast to the belief that God is an incomprehensible and unknowable mystery is the truth that the nature of God and our relationship to Him is knowable and is the key to everything else in our doctrine.

·        “this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).

·       “… These personages … are called God the first, the Creator; God the second, the Redeemer; and God the third, the Witness or Testator.

·       But in the course of that mortal experience, and as a result of the Fall of our first parents, we would suffer spiritual death by being cut off from the presence of God, be soiled by sin, and become subject to physical death. The Father’s plan anticipated and provided ways to overcome all of those barriers.

·        “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion [or fellowship³] of the Holy Ghost, be with you all”

·       President David O. McKay taught that “the first fundamental truth advocated by Jesus Christ was this, that behind, above and over all there is God the Father, Lord of heaven and earth.”⁵

·       one of the paramount purposes of Jesus’s ministry was to reveal to mortals “what God our Eternal Father is like, … to reveal and make personal to us the true nature of His Father, our Father in Heaven.”⁶ 

·       God the Father is the Father of our spirits. We are His children. He loves us, and all that He does is for our eternal benefit. He is the author of the plan of salvation, and it is by His power that His plan achieves its purposes for the ultimate glory of His children.

·       The Son, the greatest of all, was chosen by the Father to carry out the Father’s plan—to exercise the Father’s power to create worlds without number (see Moses 1:33) and to save the children of God from death by His Resurrection and from sin by His Atonement. This supernal sacrifice is truly called “the central act of all human history.”⁸

·        it is Jesus Christ, Jehovah, the Lord God of Israel, who speaks to and through the prophets.⁹ So it is that when Jesus appeared to the Nephites after His Resurrection, He introduced Himself as “the God of the whole earth” 

·       the Holy Ghost, also referred to as the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Lord, and the Comforter… the agent of personal revelation.

·       He can dwell in us and perform the essential role of communicator between the Father and the Son and the children of God on earth

·       he Savior promised that the Comforter will teach us all things, bring all things to our remembrance, and guide us into all truth

·       He is also the means by which we are sanctified, that is, cleansed and purified from sin (see 2 Nephi 31:17;  For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost 3 Nephi 27:20; that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me Moroni 6:4).  and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, …  relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith.

·       …We know by the revelations of God to His prophets and to each of us individually.

·       Attaining what the Apostle Paul described as “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13) requires far more than acquiring knowledge. It is not even enough for us to be convinced of the gospel; we must act and think so that we are converted by it. In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the plan of salvation and the gospel of Jesus Christ challenge us to become something.

·       We need to work and learn, search and pray, repent and improve. 

·        It is the one perfect path to peace and happiness both here and in the world to come.”¹²

Dieter F. Uchtdorf – Perfect Love Casteth Out Fear –

·       “Great Awakening” … was to awaken the people who appeared to be asleep regarding spiritual matters.

·       Young Joseph Smith was influenced by the things he heard from preachers who were part of this religious awakening. It is one of the reasons he decided to seek earnestly the will of the Lord in private prayer.

·       contemplate and consider the extent to which we use fear to motivate others—including ourselves. The second is to suggest a better way.

·       Fear rarely has the power to change our hearts, and it will never transform us into people who love what is right and who want to obey Heavenly Father.

·       People who are fearful may say and do the right things, but they do not feel the right things.

·       The Lord has said that “when we … exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, … the heavens withdraw themselves [and] the Spirit of the Lord is grieved.”²

·       “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance.”³

·        He is not angry, vengeful, or retaliatory.⁴His very purpose—His work and His glory—is to mentor us, exalt us, and lead us to His fulness.

·       Our Father in Heaven’s love for us, His children, surpasses by far our ability to comprehend.⁷

·       He wants to change our very natures. He wants to change our hearts.

·       God sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to show us the right way.

·       God motivates through persuasion, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, and love unfeigned.8 God is on our side. He loves us, and when we stumble, He wants us to rise up, try again, and become stronger. He is our mentor. He is our great and cherished hope. He desires to stimulate us with faith. He trusts us to learn from our missteps and make correct choices. This is the better way!9

·       the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which gives us a unique perspective on the world’s dangers and shows us how to either avoid these dangers or deal with them.

·        “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”¹⁰

·       an abundance of reasons to rejoice. We just need to find and to recognize them. The Lord often reminds us to “be not afraid,” to “be of good cheer,”¹¹ and to “fear not, little flock.”¹²

·       Inherent in our name is the commitment to look forward to the Savior’s return and prepare ourselves and the world to receive Him. 

·       we are charged with studying the word of God and heeding the voice of the Spirit, that we may “know the signs of the times, and the signs of the coming of the Son of Man.”¹³

·       Rather than dwelling on the immensity of our challenges, would it not be better to focus on the infinite greatness, goodness, and absolute power of our God, trusting Him and preparing with a joyful heart for the return of Jesus the Christ?

·       As His covenant people, we need not be paralyzed by fear because bad things might happen. Instead, we can move forward with faith, courage, determination, and trust in God as we approach the challenges and opportunities ahead.¹⁴ Moses’s counsel to the people of his day still applies: “Do not be afraid. … See the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today” (Exodus 14:13,

·       We do not walk the path of discipleship alone. “The Lord thy God … doth go with thee;

·       “The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”16

·       In the face of fear, let us find our courage, muster our faith, and have confidence in the promise that “no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper.”17

·       Do we live in a time of peril and turmoil? Of course we do.

·       God Himself has said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”18

·        “All things shall work together for your good, if [you] walk uprightly.”¹⁹ Therefore, let us set aside our fears and live instead with joy, humility, hope, and a bold confidence that the Lord is with us.

·       become liberated from this fear by the divinely appointed antidote to fear: the pure love of Christ, for “perfect love casteth out fear.”²⁰

·       replace fear with Christ’s perfect love. Christ’s love will replace fear with faith!

·       As we fill our hearts with the love of Christ, we will awaken with a renewed spiritual freshness and we will walk joyfully, confidently, awake, and alive in the light and glory of our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ.

·       There is no fear in [Christ’s] love.

·       God knows you perfectly. He loves you perfectly. He knows what your future holds. He wants you to “be not afraid, only believe”²³ and “abide in his [perfect] love.”²⁴

D. Todd Christofferson – The Voice of Warning

·       “choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men.”¹⁰

·       “it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.”¹¹  - should feel a desire to share that knowledge since it makes all the difference here and in eternity

·       “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”¹³ The motivation for raising the warning voice is love-  “in mildness and in meekness”¹⁴ and “by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness … , and by love unfeigned.”¹⁵

·       Surely love would compel parents to warn their closest “neighbors”—their own children. This means teaching and testifying of gospel truths. It means teaching children the doctrine of Christ: faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost.17 The Lord reminds parents, “I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth.”18

·        and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart… my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication.”¹⁹

·        seek God, receive a remission of sins, and become converted

·       Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”²⁰

·       “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”²¹

·       since love demands warning people about what can hurt them.”²⁴… Sometimes those who raise a warning voice are dismissed as judgmental.

·        “The voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days.”²⁸ As watchmen and disciples, we cannot be neutral about this “more excellent way.”²⁹ As Ezekiel, we cannot see the sword coming upon the land “and blow not the trumpet.”³⁰

·       disservice inherent in staying silent

·       sustain the teachings of the gospel and the standards of the Church in public as well as in private.

·        Do not succumb to false notions of tolerance or to fear—fear of inconvenience, disapproval, or even suffering. – “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you…rejoice and be exceedingly glad…”

·       that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me

·        “My dear brothers and sisters, the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives. … Joy comes from and because of [Jesus Christ]. He is the source of all joy”

·       I plead in the words of Alma:

“And now, my brethren [and sisters], I wish from the inmost part of my heart, yea, with great anxiety even unto pain, that ye would … cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance;

“But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit … ;

“Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest.”35

Ephesians 4:14. We should bear in mind that some we seek to warn may not realize their plight. The Lord speaks of many in our day when He says:

“Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

“I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest [truly] see” (Revelation 3:17–18).

Joaquin E. Costa – To the Friends and Investigators of the Church

·       Why would a person without compelling challenges, needs, or questions be interested in meeting the missionaries and listening to their lessons? Well, in my case it was love—love for a girl,

·       if you are confused, don’t worry—remember the feelings you have experienced; they come from God.

·       I realize now that I had expected to receive revelation without paying the price. Until then I had never truly spoken to God, and the idea of speaking to someone who wasn’t present seemed foolish. I had to humble myself and do what I was being asked to do even if, in my worldly mind, it sounded silly.

·       experience repentance; nothing draws you closer to the Lord Jesus Christ than a desire to change.

·        to partake of the fruit of the tree of life, which is the love of God (see 1 Nephi 8:15; 11:25). I can help them come unto Christ.

·       if you pay the price of revelation, humble yourself, read, pray, and repent, the heavens will open and you will know, as I know, that Jesus is the Christ, 

S. Mark Palmer – Then Jesus Beholding Him Loved Him

·       wondered what we could do to change the hearts of those few missionaries who had not yet learned the joy of being obedient.

·       “Then Jesus beholding him loved him

·       “How can I be filled with Christlike love so a missionary can feel the love of God through me and desire to change?” How can I behold him or her in the same way the Lord beheld the rich young man, seeing them for who they really are and who they can become, rather than just for what they are doing or not doing? How can I be more like the Savior?

·       I first prayed for the gift of charity and that I could see each elder and sister as the Lord sees him or her.

·       As we learn to see others as the Lord sees them rather than with our own eyes, our love for them will grow and so will our desire to help them. With Christlike love we will not be afraid to speak with boldness, for “perfect love casteth out fear.”⁴ And we will never give up, remembering that those who are hardest to love need love the most.

·        hearts will not change where love is not present.

·       Love should never be withdrawn when a child, friend, or family member fails to live up to our expectations. 

·       Because He loves us, the Lord expects much of us. If we are humble, we will welcome the Lord’s invitations to repent, to sacrifice, and to serve as evidence of His perfect love for us. After all, an invitation to repent is also an invitation to receive the wonderful gift of forgiveness and peace. Therefore, “despise not … the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth.”⁵

·       let it go and follow Him. And thank Him for loving you enough to invite you to do more.

·       look forward to the day when He will put His arms around each of us, beholding us and encircling us with His perfect love.

Gary E. Stevenson – How Does the Holy Ghost Help You?

·       The Holy Ghost also testifies and bears witness of the Father and the Son and of all truth.⁹ The Lord, speaking to His disciples, said, “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, … he shall testify of me.”¹⁰

·       it is vital to our physical and spiritual safety that we keep the gift of the Holy Ghost…. Stay close to the Spirit, and the Spirit will stay close to you.

·       “Listen, listen. The Holy Ghost will whisper. Listen, listen to the still small voice.”¹¹

C. Scott Grow – And This Is Life Eternal

·        I speak to you with clarity about the majesty and blessing of coming to know God.

·       help you understand your identity as a child of God and know your purpose in life.

·       “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”²

·       we can begin to know God through prayer - When you pray with faith, you will feel God’s love as His Spirit speaks to your soul. No matter how alone or uncertain you may feel at times, you are not alone in this world. God knows you, personally. As you pray, you will come to know Him.

·       As you study the scriptures, you not only learn about the Savior, but you can actually come to know the Savior.

·       in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears. “But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way.”4

·       “True it is they were first proclaimed by others, but they are now mine, for the Holy Spirit of God has borne witness to me that they are true, and it is now as though the Lord had revealed them to me in the first instance. I have thereby heard his voice and know his word.”⁵

·       you too will hear God’s voice, know His words, and come to know Him. God will reveal His eternal truths to you, personally. These doctrines and principles will become part of who you are and will emanate from your very soul.

·       Scripture study becomes the channel for the Spirit to give each of us a customized tutorial. As you study the scriptures each day, alone, and with your family, you will learn to recognize the voice of the Spirit and will come to know God.

·       As we seek to do God’s will by faithfully serving Him and our fellowmen, we feel His approval and truly come to know Him.

·       The Savior tells us that the very best way to know God is to become like Him

·       Worthiness is essential to becoming like Him. He commanded, “Sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands … that I may make you clean.”10 Starting on the road to becoming like Him, we repent and receive His forgiveness, and He cleanses our souls.

·       To help us as we progress toward the Father, the Lord gave us this promise: “Every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am.”11

·       Through our faith in His atoning sacrifice, the Savior cleanses us, heals us, and enables us to know Him by helping us become like Him. Mormon taught, “Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, … that ye may become the sons [and daughters] of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him.”12

·       The ultimate role model and mentor, available to all of us, is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”16 “Come and follow me.”17

·       My young brothers and sisters, knowing God is the quest of a lifetime.

·       “Shall we not go on in so great a cause? … Courage, [my young friends]; and on, on to the victory!”¹⁹

·       God knows you and invites you to know Him. Pray to the Father, study the scriptures, seek to do God’s will, strive to become like the Savior, and follow righteous mentors. As you do, you will come to know God and Jesus Christ, and you will inherit eternal life

Benjamin De Hoyos – That Our Light May Be a Standard for the Nations

·       Can you imagine how you would have felt hearing the Savior’s voice? In fact, we do not have to imagine. 

·        “believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God” (Articles of Faith 1:9).

·       The Lord has always revealed His will to us “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little”

·       we should not be surprised by what may seem like small things because of their simple and repetitive nature, for the Lord has already counseled us, telling us that “blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more”

·       As we keep the Sabbath day holy and partake of the sacrament, we are not only cleansed, but our light also grows brighter.

·       teach the pure doctrine of the gospel, by the Spirit, … to help God’s children build their faith in the Savior and become more like Him

·        we should not and must not hide our light. Our Savior commanded us to let our light shine like a city on a hill or like a light from a candlestick. As we do so, we will glorify our Father in Heaven. 

Quentin L. Cook – Foundations of Faith

·       Personal foundations, like many worthwhile pursuits, are usually built slowly—one layer, one experience, one challenge, one setback, and one success at a time

·       … combination of determination, joy, surprise, and accomplishment…

·       Unfortunately, in an increasingly secular world, less emphasis is placed on the amount of spiritual growth necessary to become more Christlike and establish the foundations that lead to enduring faith. We tend to emphasize moments of sublime spiritual understanding. These are precious instances when we know the Holy Ghost has witnessed special spiritual insights to our hearts and minds. We rejoice in these events; they should not be diminished in any way. But for enduring faith and to have the constant companionship of the Spirit, there is no substitute for the individual religious observance that is comparable to physical and mental development. 

·       We do this by consecrated commitment to sacred sacrament meetings, scripture study, prayer, and serving as called.

·       faith in the Lord Jesus Christ was essential. 

·       Spiritual guidance is received when needed, in the Lord’s time and according to His will.³ 

·       We don’t receive an entire body of knowledge about the matter or all the principles related to it. They come when they are needed: line upon line and precept upon precept.

·       Just as repetition and consistent effort are required to gain physical or mental capacity, the same is true in spiritual matters.

·       … spiritual implications we do not fully understand.

·       Pondering the scriptures regularly—rather than reading them occasionally—can substitute a superficial understanding for a sublime, life-changing enhancement of our faith.

·       Faith is a principle of power.

·       our personal prayers and supplications to a loving Father in Heaven in the name of Jesus Christ can bring blessings into our lives beyond our ability to comprehend.

·       the kind of faith that this woman (touch hem of Jesus) demonstrated, should be the great desire of our hearts

·       Like the ancient Apostles on the day of Pentecost, many members experienced marvelous spiritual experiences in connection with the dedication of the Kirtland Temple… Little did these early members know they would be faced with a United States financial crisis—the panic of 1837—that would test their very souls.⁹

·       In the midst of the national crisis, local economic issues—including land speculation and the struggles of a financial institution founded by Joseph Smith and other Church members—created discord and contention in Kirtland. Church leaders did not always make wise temporal decisions in their own lives. Parley suffered significant financial losses and for a time became disaffected with the Prophet Joseph.10 He wrote a stinging criticism to Joseph and spoke in opposition of him from the pulpit. At the same time, Parley said he continued to believe in the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants.11 Elder Pratt had lost his wife, his land, and his home.

·       Parley had been “under a dark cloud” and had been overcome by fears and frustrations.¹² Joseph, knowing what it was like to struggle against opposition and temptation, “frankly forgave” Parley, praying for him and blessing him.¹³ Parley and others who remained faithful benefited from the Kirtland challenges. They increased in wisdom and became more noble and virtuous. The experience became part of their foundations of faith.

·       Adversity should not be viewed as either disfavor from the Lord or a withdrawal of His blessings. Opposition in all things is part of the refiner’s fire to prepare us for an eternal celestial destiny.¹⁴ 

·       As many as have faith have communion with the Holy Spirit.¹⁸

·      None enter the Lord’s rest save those who wash their garments in Christ’s blood because of their faith.²¹

·      Prayers are answered according to faith.²²

·      Without faith among men, God can do no miracle among them.²³

·       “Remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation … , which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.”²⁴

·        My plea is that we will make the sacrifices and have the humility necessary to strengthen the foundations of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

·       : “So, the great test of life is to see whether we will hearken to and obey God’s commands in the midst of the storms of life. It is not to endure storms, but to choose the right while they rage. And the tragedy of life is to fail in that test and so fail to qualify to return in glory to our heavenly home.”