(6/06/00)
"I testify to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I testify that I
know this is his work. I know he is at the helm. Though there may be troublous
times ahead of us, we have the absolute assurance of victory. There may be and
will be "days of darkness and gloominess" as predicted..., but we know
that he whom we serve will see us through. Let us not be content to call
attention to the predictions made concerning the calamities which are to befall
the nations, but rather emphasize the glorious promises of final victory and
peace." — "Conference
Report," October 1932, p. 75
(6/07/00)
"Some of our friends have said we are inclined to worship the General
Authorities. We love them; we listen to their counsel; we thank God for them;
but they would not permit us to worship them. If we should be so inclined, they
would be the first to rebuke us. They would doubtless say to us what the angel
said to John on the Isle of Patmos, when he was about to kneel before him, 'See
thou do it not: I am thy fellow-servant... worship God.' (Rev. 19:10.)" — "Conference Report," April 1955, p.
80
(6/08/00)
"While we have complete freedom to heed or disregard the promptings of the
spirit or the teachings of the prophets, let us always remember that we must
abide the consequences of our choice." — "Conference
Report," April 1960, p. 54
(6/09/00)
"It has been claimed that God was without form, even though the holy
Scriptures teach that God created man in his own image. In fact, we are told by
Paul the apostle that Jesus Christ was in the express image of his Father. Are
we then created in the image of a formless entity? For us, God is not an
abstraction. He is not an idea, a metaphysical principle, an impersonal force or
power. He is a concrete, living person. And though in our human frailty we
cannot know the total mystery of his being, we know that he is akin to us, for
he is revealed to us in the divine personality of his Son, Jesus Christ, and he
is, in fact, our Father." — "Conference
Report," April 1969, p. 51
(6/10/00)
"Behold the Christ who knew all human sickness, that he might have
compassion; who was healed and lifted up, that he might have healing and lifting
power; who was glorified in the presence of the Father, that he might glorify
the Father by glorifying us." — "Conference
Report," April 1967, p. 51
(5/22/03)
"Obedience involves self-restraint and self-control. One may find temporary
pleasure in the gratification of an appetite, in the indulgence of desire, but
lasting joy comes only to the man who is willing to pay the price of
self-denial. To achieve self-realization, 'Everything worth while in life must
be bought and paid for by giving up some habits and indulgences which are
irreconcilable to its possession.' 'Wickedness never was happiness.' (Alma 41:10.) Nobody ever
found real or permanent satisfaction in doing wrong." — Hugh B. Brown, "Continuing the
Quest," [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1961], p. 115-116
(6/22/03)
"When we say man may become like our Father, we do not mean to humanize
God, but rather to deify man—not as he now is but as he may become. The
difference between us is indescribably great, but it is one of degree rather
than of kind." — Hugh B. Brown, "The Eternal Quest," [Salt Lake
City: Bookcraft, 1956], p. 337
(7/21/03)
"The secret of the popularity of Christmas is that it brings peace to the
minds of millions who, for one day at least, think more of others than of
themselves, more of giving than of getting. If this formula for happiness-love
one another-is effective for one day, may it not work at other times, at all
times? If by giving we receive, and by dividing we increase, why not make
happiness permanent by carrying the Christmas spirit throughout the year?"
— Hugh B. Brown, "The Abundant Life," [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft,
1965], p. 135
(7/30/03)
"And so the Master Teacher admonishes us to read the scriptures and learn
the lessons of life from the word of God. But we must read with more than mere
academic interest if we are to achieve spiritual growth. We must see in them
more than a history of the past, more than things, however marvelous, which were
done for our fathers. The writers of those sacred pages must challenge our
thinking, renew our aspirations, color and flavor our daily living, and be an
inspiration in our search for the abundant life." — Hugh B. Brown,
"The Eternal Quest," [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1956], p. 73
(8/05/03)
"The Lord's estimate of a man's worth is based upon his daily conduct, what
he is from the center of his heart out. A man's outward appearance and what he
claims or professes will carry no weight with him, for God looketh upon the
heart." — Hugh B. Brown, "Continuing the Quest," [Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book Co., 1961], p. 278
(12/19/04)
"To most of us, autumn is a time of thanksgiving, when we acknowledge the
Source of our blessings, and we kneel before him and give thanks. Our sincerity
may not be gauged wholly by the words we use, the tone of our voice or the
regularity of our kneeling.
"If someone does us a great favor, one which we cannot fully repay, we
sometimes express the wish that some day we may have an opportunity to show our
gratitude in some tangible way. What would our benefactor think of us-what
should we think of ourselves-if such an opportunity should appear and we
neglected or refused to embrace it? Suppose he should ask us to do some little
favor for him, something, say one-tenth as valuable as his service to us, would
we refuse the favor or complain that it was too much or too difficult? If we
did, we should expect all who knew the facts to list us among the ingrates, and
in case of future need, embarrassment and shame would make a new appeal to the
benefactor, if not impossible, at least humiliating and probably fruitless.
"But the gratitude which is worthy of us will not be prompted by 'a lively
sense of favors to come'-it should be akin to the charity of which the apostle
wrote which 'seeketh not itself.' Real gratitude is compounded of many virtues
and is productive of others. It is to be found among those who were named by the
Master as 'blessed,' the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, the pure in
heart, the oppressed. Blessed is he who has a thankful heart and a contrite
spirit. To him the windows of heaven are opened until he is unable to contain
his blessings. But it will take more than words to open those windows.
"In spite of our losses, our trials, our hardships, our bereavements, each
one of us has reason to be thankful for the blessings of the past year." -
Hugh B. Brown, "The Eternal Quest" [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1956],
p. 208-209
(2/28/05)
"...upon returning to Jerusalem we took it upon ourselves to go again into
the Garden of Gethsemane. Here it was that Jesus suffered his greatest anguish.
Here it was that he sweat drops of blood; and as he knelt there in the garden
alone, his disciples having remained outside, he said, 'O my father, if it be
possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou
wilt.' (Matt. 26:39.) I
thought as I stood there and remembered those words, how wonderful it would be
for all of us if we had the courage and the insight and the fortitude, whatever
might happen to us, to say, 'Not my will, but thine be done.' That attitude
makes any burden lighter. It makes any task less difficult." - Hugh B.
Brown, "This
Same Jesus," Ensign, Dec. 1971, p. 134
(9/7/05)
"If you would be true to yourselves, would be
honest with yourselves, then be obedient to them who are in authority over you
or who have the right to direct your activities. Obedience is always evidence of
strength of character, disobedience indicates weakness. Obedience is compliance
with that which is required by authority; subjection to rightful restraints.
"The Savior, who is our ideal in all things, not only taught obedience but
exemplified it. He said, 'I come not to do my own will, but the will of him that
sent me.' In Gethsemane he prayed, saying, '....O my Father, if it be possible,
let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.' (Matt.26:39.)
Thus the Son of God gave us a supreme example of true obedience. He honored his
Father by obeying his will. Obedience is the key to the kingdom of heaven. He
said, 'Not every one that sayeth unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of
heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.'" - Hugh B.
Brown, "Continuing the Quest" [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1961], p. 227
1/27/06
"The Lord's estimate of a man's worth is based
upon his daily conduct, what he is from the center of his heart out. A man's
outward appearance and what he claims or professes will carry no weight with
him, for God looketh upon the heart. (1
Sam. 16:7.)" - Hugh B. Brown, "Continuing the Quest," p.278
5/23/07
"'Freely ye have received, freely give.' Our most human relationships are a free
gift. The first fact in our childhood was not service rendered but service
received. We did not pay in advance for the motherhood that bore us and the love
that nourished us: All this was poured out freely: We were the unconscious
recipients of unselfish love that we had never earned. The man of fine quality
regards himself as the recipient of countless blessings which exceed his
capacity to pay: he feels that instead of the world owing him a living he owes
the world a life." - Hugh B. Brown, Continuing the Quest, p.483
