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The LDS Daily WOOL© Archive - ElRay L. Christiansen


(4/16/01)
"This is a time of sifting, a time when, more than ever in the history of the modern world, the adversary and his followers have shown themselves to be enemies of God. Yet as we heard our prophet and president say this morning, we need not fear the fiery darts of the adversary, because each of us has the power to avoid becoming entangled in sin more definitely than ever before. The time has come for each member of the Church to keep close to the Lord, to be steadfast by sustaining and upholding and following the counsel of his divinely appointed servants, avoiding, as the Book of Mormon says, the vainness, the frailties, and the foolishness of men. We must purify our lives and sanctify our homes." — ElRay L. Christiansen, "The Sifting," Ensign, Dec. 1971, p. 60
 


(11/30/03)
"Let us remember that even though God had a foreknowledge of what 'would be' under certain conditions, it is not his will nor his desire that vice, injustice, and crime, disobedience and intolerance and bloodshed and war exist in the world. His purposes are to provide a way where men may find happiness and joy, peace, now and forever. Nevertheless, he will not interfere with the agency of men! But fortunately, according to Mormon's teaching: '...the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil;' and have a 'perfect knowledge,' whether it is of God or of the devil. (See Moroni 7:16.)" - ElRay L. Christiansen, "General Conference Reports," April 1957, p. 64


(1/2/05)
"Frustrations often offer us the means of progression, for by overcoming them harmoniously, we grow and become more Christlike.

As with most all strong emotions, anger is manifest both in righteousness and in unrighteousness. Righteous anger is an attribute of Deity, whose anger is everlastingly kindled against wickedness.

Likewise, an inspired man might be led to speak or act in righteous anger, as did Moses when he broke the tablets upon which the Ten Commandments were written by the Lord.

But to lose our temper, to explode, to become ugly, punitive, and hateful when faced with frustrations is inexcusable!

Why is it inexcusable to explode with anger and become vindictive? Simply because the power has been given us to control and to overcome such tendencies. If not curbed, such tendencies soon lose for us the respect and love of others." - ElRay L. Christiansen, "Be Slow to Anger," Ensign, June 1971, p. 38


3/29/06
"Now, his commandments are not grievous. They are not burdensome. They are not oppressive. We sing in one of our hymns, 'How gentle God's commands! How kind his precepts are!' (Hymns, no. 125.) The laws of God are not given to us to burden us or to handicap us. They are not impositions. They are the statutes through which, if observed, the purpose of life and existence is to be realized. Even those who are called to go through trials, sorrow, tribulation, and adversity are promised that if they are faithful in tribulation and adversity, that the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven. (D&C 58:2.)" - ElRay L. Christiansen, "The Laws of God Are Blessings," Ensign (CR), May 1975, p.23


11/21/08
"Time is free. Nevertheless, it is one of the most precious possessions that we have and that we will ever own; yet many of us have a tendency to waste it or to misuse it to some degree. When you ask people what they are doing, often they will say, 'Oh, I'm just sitting here killing time.' A tragic thing to say, to admit, since time never ceases to pass and when it is given for such divine purposes." - Elray L. Christiansen, March 14, 1962, "BYU Speeches of the Year," 1962, p.3


7/11/09
“The religious life of a Latter-day Saint should be based not upon obligation and duty alone, but upon a genuine desire to be honorable, to do good, to do what is right, to love God, and to love one another.” - Elray L. Christiansen, “Conference Report,” October 1963, Afternoon Meeting, p. 116


7/15/09
“We must realize, first of all, that marriage is a holy relationship designed by our Heavenly Father for the divine purpose of perfecting us and those who follow us. This is done in part by the husband and wife learning to love and respect each other as they should and in rearing children in the manner prescribed by the Lord.” - Elray L. Christiansen, “Conference Report,” October 1965, Afternoon Meeting, p. 75


9/23/09
“One thing we must keep in mind: all persons will, as a gift of the Redeemer, be raised from mortality to immortality, with perfect bodies, no more subject to aches, or pains, or high blood pressure, or arthritis, or disease, or any kind of physical deformity. But, in order to have the fullness of joy and the fullness of opportunity, and that peace which passeth understanding, and all opportunities in the resurrection–in order to have these blessings, we must earn them through obedience to God and through service to others.” - Elray L. Christiansen, “Conference Report,” April 1967, Afternoon Meeting, p. 45


3/15/10
“We are taught to know the right in all things—how to repent, how to change our ways. We are taught whom and how to serve. We are taught the proper way to enter into the marriage covenant. In fact, the gospel of Jesus Christ is designed to direct us safely through this probationary period, that we ‘may dwell . . . in a state of never-ending happiness’ (Mosiah 2:41) with those we love. I like that statement from the Book of Mormon.” - ElRay L. Christiansen, Conference Report, October 1960, Afternoon Meeting, p. 114


12/12/12
There is need of that kind of charity that gives hope to those who are unnoticed, those who are discouraged, and the afflicted. There is need of charity that can instil into the hearts of those who have made mistakes the desire to repent and to seek forgiveness of those against whom they mad have done wrong. After all, true charity is love in action. And it seems to me that the need of charity, like the need of God, is everywhere. - Elray L. Christiansen, Conference Report, April 1956, Afternoon Meeting, p.114


1/16/13
I believe that each of us needs a spiritual checkup just about as often as we need a physical checkup; that each of us, the young, and the rest of us, needs to make an appraisal of himself as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ, and as the head of a family, or as a member of a family, from time to time to determine the degree of our fidelity and our allegiance and adherence to the accepted rules and doctrines of the Church. - Elray L. Christiansen, Conference Report, October 1959, Afternoon Meeting, p.68


11/13/14
Let us be determined to overcome selfishness and personal aggrandizement by sharing with others that which we have, by dedicating ourselves to the work at hand which we have to do, through dedication of our talents, our time, our substance, our tithes, and our offerings, our love, our goodness and kindness one to another, always seeing the good that always may be found in others. - Elray L. Christiansen, Conference Report, October 1955, Afternoon Meeting, p.121


8/9/15
The reward of unselfish service has been told us by the Lord when he has said that “…whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake [I take it, in his service and the service of his fellow men] shall find it." (Matt. 16:25.) The sweetness and the joy of life is found when we are willing to deny ourselves for the good and the benefit of others. Service to others, service in the Church, giving of our substance, is part of the life of a Latter-day Saint. We are taught that sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven. In no other way, as I see it, can the Lord raise up a people who will be fit for the kingdom, who will have it ready for his coming. By offering himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world and the redemption of mankind from death, Jesus set an incomparable example to us in the way of sacrifice and of love for others. - Elray L. Christiansen, "Conference Report," October 1955, Afternoon Meeting, p. 121


2/19/16
In this day of debauchery and crime when a man or woman or a boy or a girl can sink to greater depths than ever before, we can be grateful that even in the midst of these opposing forces, it is possible through following the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for each of us to learn and to progress and to reach the greatest heights in less time than ever before. - Elray L. Christiansen, "Conference Report," October 1964, Afternoon Meeting, p.130


 
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