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(1/1/97)
The Church is like a great caravan--organized, prepared, following an appointed
course, with its captains of tens and captains of hundreds all in place. What
does it matter if a few barking dogs snap at the heels of the weary travelers?
Or that predators claim those few who fall by the way? The caravan moves on. Is
there a ravine to cross, a miry mud hole to pull through, a steep grade to
climb? So be it. The oxen are strong and the teamsters wise. The caravan moves
on. Are there storms that rage along the way, floods that wash away the bridges,
deserts to cross, and rivers to ford? Such is life in this fallen sphere. The
caravan moves on. Ahead is the celestial city, the eternal Zion of our God,
where all who maintain their position in the caravan shall find food and drink
and rest. Thank God that the caravan moves on!--Elder Bruce R. McConkie, General
Conference, October 1984
(1/2/97)
What is happening to us? Why do we rely upon others for our opinions, our
directions, our activities, and even our vocabulary? It is time to say,
"Whoa, stop. I want to take personal responsibility for my actions."
Now is the time to stop blaming others, the government, the Church, or our
circumstances for what might disturb us. It is time to take responsibility for
ourselves.--Elder Hugh W. Pinnock, General Conference, April 1989
(1/3/97)
Secular history also teaches the principle of perseverance. Winston Churchill is
well known for his determination as the leader of Great Britain during World War
II. On one occasion in his later years, he returned to a school where he had
studied as a boy. Before he arrived, the headmaster told the students, "The
greatest Britisher of our time is going to come to this school, and I want . . .
every one of you, to be here with your notebooks. I want you to [write] down
what he says, because his speech will be something for you to remember all your
lives." The elderly statesman came in and was introduced. His glasses were
down on the end of his nose, as usual. He stood and delivered the following
words from an immortal speech that he once gave in Parliament. He said;
"Never, never, never give up." Then he sat down. That was the speech.
It was unmatched (see "These Are Great Days," in War Speeches, ed.
Charles Eada, Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1942, pp. 286-88). His message
was indeed something to be remembered by every boy who heard it and by each of
us. We must never give up, regardless of temptations, frustrations,
disappointments, or discouragements.--Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, General
Conference, October 1987
(1/4/97)
Let me suggest the steps necessary to turn our lives in a new direction. The
business of life is to climb higher. The divine step is to repent. Repentance
means to find a better way and to follow it.
First, eliminate from our thinking and our vocabulary the phrase "if only I
had done something differently." If only Samson had known the results of
his association with Delilah, he never would have made the first visit. (See
Judg. 16.) If only Sidney Rigdon had been able to foresee his pathetic end, he
might have humbled himself and stayed with the Church. If only the rich man
could have seen beyond the grave, he might have started praying sooner; but only
in hell did he become a praying man. (See Luke 16:19-25.) If only you had not
gone on that date, or taken that trip, or made that investment, or met that
person, your life might have been different. All of us can waste precious time
by saying, "What if I had not done something or other?" Brothers and
sisters, "What if" is not an appropriate question if we really want to
start again. Let us face head-on where we are and where we want to be, and not
dwell on the "what ifs" of yesterday.
Second, do not wait for tomorrow to begin again. "Boast not thyself of to
morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." (Prov. 27:1.)
Today is the day for each of us to erect those monuments on our own battlefields
and mark the place where we began again. One of the reasons we have conferences
is to learn how to be better.
Third, resolve to live the gospel of Jesus Christ in its entirety. "For you
shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God."
(D&C 84:44.) Many people live the gospel according to themselves. That is
self-deception. There is only one true gospel. We may alter it or tint it with
our own notions. But if we will adhere to the pure teachings of Jesus Christ, we
will eliminate many of the rationalizations that lead to problems. The menu has
only one entree. To pick and choose which of God's precepts to live is satanic
self-centeredness. Integrity is the foundation of our life-style.
Fourth, face reality. Sometimes we wish we could fly from our troubles. King
David did. He had been a good man, but he engulfed himself in great
difficulties. It seemed to be more than he could bear. One day he cried,
"Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at
rest." (Ps. 55:6.) His guilt-fired emotions had gained the upper hand. He
wanted to get away from everything. Some try to fly away physically, and others
try to do so emotionally. That does not solve problems. The only true escape
route is marked with the sign "personal responsibility." Remember, the
Savior said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28.) He invited us to learn of him and to
take his yoke upon us. (See Matt. 11:29.)
Fifth, approach our challenges positively! Take over! Lead out! A poet wrote:
Never give up! If adversity presses, Providence wisely has mingled the cup, And
the best counsel, in all your distresses, Is the stout watchword of "Never
give up!" (Martin F. Tupper, "Never Give Up," in Poems of
Inspiration, sel. Joseph Morris and St. Clair Adams, New York: Halcyon House, p.
11-77.) We recall with clarity these words of the Master: "Seek ye first to
build up the kingdom of God, and to establish his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you." (JST, Matt. 6:38.) Just a few verses
later, the Savior tells us, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye
shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." (Matt. 7:7.)
Sixth, don't begin again partially. Be complete! Otherwise, you may be patching
up an old article of clothing. with a little piece of new material. The old
fabric will not hold. As Jesus said, "No man putteth a piece of new cloth
unto an old garment, for . . . the rent is made worse." (Matt. 9:16.) Don't
patch. Begin a whole new life. The wealthy young man was unwilling to give all,
to follow the Master totally, and so "he went away sorrowful" (Matt.
19:22), and was never heard from again.
Seventh, be open and candid in your relationships with others. So many of life's
difficulties are brought about by being double-minded. Let us learn to say it as
it is. Think of Peter's extreme discomfort when the Master addressed him after
Peter had been teaching a false concept: "Thou art an offence unto me: for
thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of man."
(Matt. 16:23.) From that moment, Peter was a greater disciple. The person who is
open and honest will be vindicated. Time is his friend. Trust is his reward.
Last, and perhaps the hardest of all, forgive. Paul said, "To whom ye
forgive any thing, I forgive also." (2 Cor. 2:10.) Certainly part of
beginning again is to "love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you."
(Luke 6:27-28.) Paul reinforced this admonition when he said, "See that
none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both
among yourselves, and to all men." (1 Thess. 5:15.) Revenge has no place in
the life of a person who has found the "Land of Beginning
Again."--Elder Hugh W. Pinnock, General Conference, April 1982
(5/1/04)
"Spring is a time for the rebirth of living things from their wintry cover.
It typifies and reminds us of the literalness of the resurrection of all living
things. Significant to me is the fact that our Lord emerged from the tomb in the
springtime!... Spring also with 'her bursting buds, variegated colors and
manifestation of teeming life inspires new hope and gives promise of happy
days.' (David O. McKay, Treasures of Life, Deseret Book Co., p. 146.) Indeed,
this time of nature's rebirth should give us pause for reflection, assessment,
and commitment to life's higher priorities." - Paul H. Dunn, "A
Time for Every Purpose," Ensign, May 1975, p. 61
(4/10/05)
"'Now, my brethren and sisters, the time has come for us to stand a little
taller, to lift our eyes and stretch our minds to a greater comprehension and
understanding of the grand millennial mission of this The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints. This is a season to be strong. It is a time to move
forward without hesitation, knowing well the meaning, the breadth, and the
importance of our mission. It is a time to do what is right regardless of the
consequences that might follow. It is a time to be found keeping the
commandments. It is a season to reach out with kindness and love to those in
distress and to those who are wandering in darkness and pain. It is a time to be
considerate and good, decent and courteous toward one another in all of our
relationships. In other words, to become more Christlike' ('This
Is the Work of the Master,' Ensign, May 1995, 71).
"You must be the judge of how far we have come in realizing the fulfillment
of that invitation given 10 years ago." - Gordon B. Hinckley, "Opening
Remarks," General Conference, April 2005
3/7/07
"I think the best thing we can do is to make new resolutions in our hearts; and
wherein we have failed in the past, let us try to make up for it in the future.
So sure as we do, the Lord will be with us, and the manifestations of His power
will be felt in every Stake and ward of Zion. It is the rule, the discipline of
the Church, and we must seek to carry it out in our lives, that it may be said
of us when we pass away, as it can be of a number of good people, 'Well done,
good and faithful servant; you have done well in your lifetime; you have filled
the measure of your creation in usefulness before the Lord, and have labored
unselfishly in the interest of His work.' If we could divest ourselves of
selfishness and trust implicitly in our Father, how grand would be our history."
- M. W. Merrill, "Conference Report," April 1901, Afternoon Session, p.26
5/6/07
"To all who are devoutly religious, to those who remember the Sabbath day to
keep it holy, to those who partake of the sacrament of the Lord's supper
regularly and partake of it worthily, to those who go to our places of worship
frequently and there in their hearts appeal to Providence for a forgiveness of
their sins, for strength to overcome weaknesses, for vision to see the straight
and narrow way and for strength to walk therein, to those who close each day's
labors with a prayer of thanks to Divine Providence and to those who begin the
labors of the day with an appeal for divine help and light, truly, verily to all
such 'every day is a fresh beginning, every morn is the world made new.' (Susan
Coolidge)" - Richard R. Lyman, Conference Report, April 1933, Second Day—Morning
Meeting, p.49
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