Refer your friends to join The LDS Daily WOOL (Words Of Our Leaders)
(6/16/00)
"When we regard our work in the Church, let us remember that we are
working in the vineyard of the Lord, and that we are his servants,....
And remember, too, that if we esteem lightly the word of the Lord in
the day of our prosperity, in the day of our trouble he may be slow to
hearken unto our prayers, to answer us and provide for our needs." —
"Conference Report," October 1944, p. 126
(6/17/00)
"As I reflect upon the youth of Zion, I reflect also upon the homes
from which they come. I know that great homes produce great people.
Those homes need not be rich in this world's goods, but if they are
rich in the wisdom of God, they are rich indeed, and young people who
grow up in homes such as those are great young people." — "Conference
Report," April 1955, p. 54
(6/18/00)
"In my opinion, America needs a rebirth of honor more than it needs
any other one thing. It needs honor more than it needs its atom bombs
and nuclear submarines. Put weapons in the hands of dishonorable men
and what have you? America needs honor more than it needs wealth and
prosperity. Put wealth in the hands of dishonorable men, and what have
you? America needs honor even more than it needs professions of
religious piety. What good is a profession of religion in a man who
has no honor? Such men lived in the days of Jesus. He called them
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites." — "Conference Report," April 1960,
p. 37
(6/19/00)
"Usually when people speak of an apostasy from the truth they refer to
changes in doctrines or a repudiation of certain beliefs. There has
been an abundance of this. Such changes have resulted in the
organization of hundreds of churches with different creeds rituals and
ordinances, many of them being highly contradictory. But personal sin
is as real an apostasy as any effort to change the law or break the
everlasting covenant." — "Conference Report," April 1965, p. 35
(6/20/00)
"It is not enough merely to pray to the Lord, or to mention Him in our
speeches, because neither prayer alone nor lip service will save
anyone. The Lord is a God of works as well as of faith. Mere appeals
for divine aid, urgent though they may seem to be, will not bring the
desired results. Righteous works must accompany them." — "The Way to
Peace," p. 94
(6/21/00)
"We live today in a time of research, discovery, and knowledge. The
new knowledge bears testimony that both Nephites and Lamanites lived
in ancient America. Regardless of the names given them by the
scientists or the early Incas, to us they were Nephites and
Lamanites.... It is glorious to see the confirming evidence as it
comes forth from unexpected sources, sustaining in principle after
principle our holy faith. We do not depend upon it for our faith at
all, but we welcome its sustaining power nevertheless." — "Conference
Report," April 1962, p. 115
(1/16/02)
"There is no reward for half-hearted obedience. We must become
vigorous and enthusiastic about living our religion, for God commands
that we serve him with all our heart, with all our might, with all our
strength, and with the very best of our intelligence. With him there
can be no halfway measures. We must be fully for him or we may be
classed with those who are against him. Then what shall we do? Put on
the whole armour of God--that is what we are to do." — Mark E.
Petersen, "Where
Do
We Stand?" Ensign, May 1980, p. 70
(2/17/02)
"These are a few of the infallible signs of the true Church. But there
are others. The Church of today must be of modern origin. Does that
surprise you? Not an ancient church, but of modern origin. That is a
vital sign of identification of the true church." — Mark E.
Petersen, "Signs
of
the True Church," Ensign, May 1979, p. 23
3/4/03
"It is possible for us to become perfect like God, or the Savior would
not have commanded it. It is something on which we must begin here and
now, or the Savior would not have commanded it. It is not an
impossible goal because the Lord will command nothing of the children
of men save he shall prepare the way whereby they may accomplish it."
— Mark E. Petersen, January 17, 1962, "BYU Speeches of the Year,"
p. 3
(7/27/04)
"We must take a positive approach to our religion and literally make
it a way of life, a plan of daily action. We must reform ourselves day
by day along gospel lines, for this is the time of our probation and
it is now that we must prepare to meet our God. (See Alma
34:32.)" - Mark E. Petersen, "We
Believe
in Being Honest," Ensign, May 1982, pp. 15-16
(8/12/04)
"Latter-day Saints, of all people, should stand firm in defense of
freedom. Free agency has a special meaning to us. We know that without
free agency there would be no progress. We all know that the gospel
itself is based upon the principle of free agency. Yet there are some
among us who have allowed themselves to slip to one side or the other,
and they need to reorient themselves in line with the divine
revelations we have received concerning the principle of freedom." -
Mark E. Petersen, "Conference Report," April 1946, Afternoon Meeting,
p. 168
(11/17/04)
"So if you really desire to avoid deceptions, if you really desire to
do that which is right and proper, then you take advantage of the
safeguard that the Lord has given you in the organization of this
Church. And you remember that if you will follow the teachings of your
inspired prophets, seers, and revelators, of your apostles, of your
pastors and teachers, your bishops and your stake presidents, you
won't need to wonder whether or not such and such a doctrine is a
deception, whether it is false or whether it is true, because those
authorized servants of the Lord will lead you into paths of
righteousness, and they will keep you on the right track." - Mark E.
Petersen, "Conference Report," October 1945, Afternoon Meeting, p. 92
11/21/04
"It is evident from the scriptures that through the foreknowledge of
God the ancient apostles were shown in advance that Christianity would
be splintered, that its unity for which Christ had prayed would be
destroyed, and that thus would come a general falling away from the
original truth....
But the Lord was not content to abandon a shattered Christianity. He was still determined to save mankind if they would obey him. Therefore, knowing in advance that a falling away would take place, he provided for a restoration of the original truth in the latter days. This was voiced through the apostle Peter as one day he discoursed upon the second coming of the Lord. He explained that the Lord’s second coming would be preceded in the latter days by a restoration of the gospel which would be so extensive as to return all that God had spoken by the mouth of his holy prophets from the beginning of the world. (See Acts 3.)" - Mark E. Petersen, “The Message of Elijah,” Ensign, May 1976, p. 14
(12/9/04)
“'Why are ye ashamed to take upon
you the name of Christ?' he asked, speaking to modern America,
knowing full well that many might profess to believe in him and yet
refuse to do his works (Morm.
8:38). It is by
engaging in his works that we truly take his name upon us. It is not
through lip service. Moroni knew that faith without works is dead.
And so likewise should we." - Mark E. Petersen, “The
Last Words of Moroni,”
Ensign, November 1978, p. 58
(12/14/04)
"The Lord also teaches that, over the ages, if angels have ceased to
appear, it is because of unbelief and the spirit of apostasy among
men. But where there is faith, the ministry of angels will last as
long as the earth shall stand or 'there shall be one man upon the
face thereof to be saved.' (Moro.
7:36.) Because the Lord desires to save mankind, even until
the end, He revealed to John the Revelator that in the latter days
angels would again fly through the midst of heaven as emissaries of
the Almighty. John saw that one of these angels would fly from
heaven to earth and would bring the everlasting gospel back to
earth, it having been lost to mankind over the ages. (See Rev.
14:6.)" - Mark E. Petersen, "The
Angel
Moroni Came!" Ensign, November 1983, p. 29
(1/7/05)
"Our inconsistency in the present situation is frightening. While
millions accept promiscuity as a new way of life and excuse adultery
even though it wrecks marriages and breaks up homes, at the same
time we make it illegal to offer a prayer in some of our public
places. While we teach sex in schools and publicly portray the
vilest of filth on the movie screen, we virtually make a criminal of
a schoolteacher who would bring a Bible into the classroom or who
might ask the students to recite the Lord's Prayer. So far have we
lost our sense of values! Some Americans protest reference to the
Almighty in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag, while others would
eliminate 'In God We Trust' from our coins. Church attendance in
most denominations is falling off at a rapid rate. Bible sales are
down 25 percent, and some members of the clergy have lost their
faith. The Almighty provided that we should observe a sacred Sabbath
each week. We have flouted this law to his face, and most of us have
turned his holy day into one of pleasure or of 'business as usual,'
and yet the Sabbath was given as a symbol of allegiance to our
Creator. How true it is that 'first we pity, then endure, then
embrace' the repeated and relentless incursions of iniquity." - Mark
E. Petersen, "Warnings
from
the Past," Ensign, June 1971, p. 47
(2/13/05)
"Dishonesty is directly related to selfishness, which is its origin
and source. Selfishness is at the root of nearly all the disorders
that afflict us, and man's inhumanity to man continues to make
countless thousands mourn.
"If all mankind were honest, we could have heaven here on earth. We
would have no need for armies or navies, nor even a policeman in the
smallest community, for there would be no crime, no invasion of
other people's rights, no violence of one person against another.
"There would be no grounds for divorce, nor would we have errant
husbands or unfaithful wives. Conflict between children and parents
would disappear, and juvenile delinquency would come to an end.
"But in our society is there anything more widespread than the
tendency to lie and deceive?" - Mark E. Petersen, "Honesty,
a
Principle of Salvation," Ensign, Dec. 1971, p. 72
(7/5/05)
"It is no easy matter to live the gospel as we should. But unless we
do, we cannot receive the blessings. It is no easy matter to become
perfect in anything. Perfection requires devotion, long-suffering,
persistence, willingness to sacrifice, and constant concentration.
Imperfection can produce only further imperfection.
"Could you sisters bake a good cake if you did not follow the
recipe? Could you brethren build a house or a highway, or make a
clock, or send a man to the moon if you ignored the formula provided
for such achievements? Could you become a doctor if you did not
follow the prescribed course in a medical school? Could you become
an engineer if you ignored the principles of engineering?
"Then can we expect to achieve perfection like that of Almighty God
if we fail to follow the course He lays out for us?
"The gospel will do us little good if we do not live it." - Mark E.
Petersen, "Believers
and Doers," Ensign, Nov. 1982, 18
(8/23/05)
"Almost like children, we fret over our fuel shortages and other
inconveniences. We resent restrictions upon our pleasure-seeking
activities. Why don’t we admit like grown men and women that a
rejection of God is at the very root of all of our troubles? Why do
we refuse to wake up to the facts in our situation? Why must we
blindly plunge on into catastrophe?
"Should we not take right and proper steps to overcome our
conflicts, our crimes, and all of our corruptions?
"There is but one sure and certain way: return to God! And that must
include a sincere acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ, with full
obedience to his precepts." - Mark E. Petersen, “O
America, America,” Ensign, Nov. 1979, 14
(10/31/05)
"What do we mean by the grace of God?
"Jesus is gracious—that is, He is kind, merciful, compassionate. It
is out of His grace, His compassion and His love for us, His mercy,
His kindness, His desire for us to become like Him, that He provides
for us His glorious gospel.
"But to reject His truth is to reject His grace, His mercy, His
kindness, His compassion. It is to say that we want none of it. And
of one thing we may be sure: if such is our attitude, we most
certainly shall have none of it.
"Obedience is the thing. What did Samuel say to Saul when he tried
to serve two masters? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to
hearken than the fat of rams. (1
Sam. 15:22.)" - Mark E. Petersen, "We
Believe in Being Honest," Ensign (CR), May 1982, p.14
3/27/06
"The First Epistle of John tells us that if we do not have good
relationships with our neighbors, whom we have seen, we cannot
rightfully claim to love God, whom we have not seen. (1
Jn. 4:20.)
"Do we take time occasionally to read the Sermon on the Mount? It refers
largely to our relationships with one another. Let me mention just a few
of its principles." - Mark E. Petersen, "Do
Unto Others...," Ensign (CR), May 1977, p.73
9/9/06
"In the first section of the Doctrine and Covenants we read 'that the
Lord shall come to recompense unto every man according to his work, and
measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to
his fellow man.' (D&C
1:10.)
"This teaching deserves the most careful consideration, for on judgment
day the Lord will mete out to us precisely as we have dealt with our
fellowmen, unless we have fully repented. It is a staggering thought,
and yet it is an integral factor in the Lords method of judgment. Do we
realize its broad significance? Do we see how we shall reap what we sow?
"This principle, showing the manner by which God will judge us, puts a
new light upon the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves, and
should persuade us to take that law seriously.
"It also helps us to understand the deep meaning of the Golden Rule:
'All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so
to them.' This is a commandment, and to further emphasize it the Lord
said: 'This is the law and the prophets.' (3
Ne. 14:12.)" - Mark E. Petersen, "Do
Unto Others...," Ensign (CR), May 1977, p.73
3/11/07
"We must take a positive approach to our religion and literally make it
a way of life, a plan of daily action. We must reform ourselves day by
day along gospel lines, for this is the time of our probation and it is
now that we must prepare to meet our God. (See Alma
34:32.)" - Mark E. Petersen, "We
Believe in Being Honest," Ensign (CR), May 1982, p.14
9/22/09
“The
divine gospel was lost over the centuries, human philosophies
displaced revealed doctrine, and the holy priesthood was taken away.
But now it is all restored! We testify that it is restored! Revelation
again comes from heaven. Prophets once more walk among us, and the
truth is offered freely to all who will listen. God’s modern
dispensation now shines as a brilliant ensign to the nations, just as
the prophets foretold.” - Mark E. Petersen,
“Where Do We Stand?,” Ensign (CR), May 1980, p. 68
5/23/10
"We cannot reach perfection by imperfect means. Being lax in our
attention to the Lord and slovenly in our obedience to him spell
nothing but imperfection and failure.
"The Lord knows this. Because he wants us to become like him, he
requires that we follow his formula, and that requires consistent
daily obedience, the living of his kind of life, the thinking of his
kind of thoughts, in order that 'the works that I do shall [ye] do
also,' and 'greater works than these shall [ye] do.' (John 14:12.)"
- Mark E. Petersen, "Moses: Man of Miracles," p. 127
6/16/11
"Becoming
Christlike is a matter of daily spiritual growth. As a flower develops
from a seed, as a mature adult develops from a tiny child, so we can
grow spiritually day by day, eventually into Christlike
personalities." - Mark
E. Petersen, "Believers
and Doers," Ensign (CR) October 1982
8/4/11
The Saints today need instruction from God through his prophets just
as did the members of the ancient church. We of this dispensation also
must depend upon inspired direction in the work of the ministry and
upon constant divine guidance on our way to perfection.
In many ways conditions now are much the same as they were anciently.
The attitudes of the people—then and now—are not essentially
different, neither are their basic problems, such as immorality.
The Lord has given us modern prophets as part of his modern Church,
and their duties are like those of the ancient ones. - Mark
E. Petersen, "Follow
the Prophets," Ensign (CR) October 1981
8/26/11
Do we appreciate what this earth really means to us? Do we see why it
was made? Do we understand its purpose? Do we see that there was
nothing accidental or spontaneous about its origin? Do we see that its
creation was literally and truly, completely and exclusively, an act
of God?
And who was the Creator?
Our Heavenly Father declares that it was His own Beloved Son who
accomplished the mighty task. - Mark
E. Petersen, "Creator and Savior," Ensign (CR) April 1983
5/17/12
Many people no longer
believe in the ministry of angels. But God does! He has used this
means of communication from the days of Adam. Is there any reason why
He should not continue the procedure in our day? - Mark E.
Petersen, "The
Angel Moroni Came!" Ensign (CR) November 1983
8/14/12
Few modern
people, whether Jewish or Christian, realize that there are living
prophets on earth today, men who hold the same gifts and powers that
characterized the prophets of old. But they are here, alive and
alert. They are modern men, well educated and fully oriented to
present-day conditions. They give the word of God as it is received
now, just as Moses and Isaiah, Peter and Paul ministered in their
day.
Try to realize it if you will. God does speak to us now. He
manifests himself through prophets whom he has raised up for this
day…—for present-day people—to help them to successfully combat the
seductions of a decadent and blinded world. - Mark E. Petersen,
"A
People of Sound Judgment," Ensign (CR) June 1972
8/22/12
If
we believe in the restoration of the gospel at all, we must believe
also in the mission of Elijah. We declare that he has come to earth
and delivered the keys of his ministry to the Prophet Joseph Smith. As
a result of his labors, the hearts of both the fathers and the
children are now turning to each other, and this vital work is being
done.
But each of us must do our part for our own deceased relatives. It is
so essential that it must be given a high priority in our daily lives.
- Mark E. Petersen, "The
Message of Elijah," Ensign (CR) May 1976
7/27/13
Jesus is
gracious—that is, He is kind, merciful, compassionate. It is out of
His grace, His compassion and His love for us, His mercy, His
kindness, His desire for us to become like Him, that He provides for
us His glorious gospel.
But to reject His truth is to reject His grace, His mercy, His
kindness, His compassion. It is to say that we want none of it. And
of one thing we may be sure: if such is our attitude, we most
certainly shall have none of it.
Obedience is the thing. - Mark E.
Petersen, "We
Believe in Being Honest," Ensign (CR) May 1982
7/21/14
We
must open our eyes to the fact that to serve God is the greatest
career in the world. - Mark E.
Petersen, “What
Will a Man Give?” Ensign (CR) November 1973
8/25/14
Inasmuch as God has given us our free agency to do as we please, He
expects us to use our intelligence and ingenuity to improve our
circumstances both spiritually and temporally. He wants us to be
successful in life and desires to help us. Man really is that he
might have joy. (See 2
Ne. 2:25.) - Mark E.
Petersen, “Blessings
in Self-Reliance,” Ensign (CR) May 1981
11/19/14
The
scriptures warn that the devil will make war with the Saints of God,
but he never can and he never will overcome them. He will attack
them with all the wicked devices his pornographic mind can devise,
but he never will stop God’s work.
This is not a war for territory or wealth; it is a contest for the
eternal souls of men and women, boys and girls, the literal
offspring of God, our Heavenly Father.
Our forces are strong. We have had many glorious victories and will
yet have more. Our task is to save all who will listen. - Mark
E. Petersen, “Where
Do We Stand?” Ensign (CR) April 1980
12/9/14
The
Lord teaches that unless we are valiant in his service, we surrender
the opportunity for celestial glory. To be valiant means to be
anxiously engaged in the good cause. It means to serve him in all
diligence, with an eye single to his glory, and to labor in his
kingdom with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. - Mark
E. Petersen, “What
Will a Man Give?” Ensign (CR) October 1973
12/17/14
We are told to love Him so much
that we will hunger and thirst after righteousness. (See Matt.
5:6.) Can we understand what that means? He is completely
righteous. We wish to become like Him. But is our desire so deep
that we actually hunger and thirst for it? - Mark
E. Petersen, “Believers
and Doers,” Ensign (CR) October 1982
3/12/15
Our great Redeemer calls us to be
loyal as we take up the torch of our destiny. Let us never
disappoint Him. Though evil abounds in the world and violence grows
by the day, He will watch over us if we are true. He has pledged to
protect the righteous even if He must send down fire from heaven to
do so. (See D&C
35:14.) - Mark E. Petersen,
“Even
As I Am,” Ensign (CR) April 1982
7/6/15
No one needs to be grouchy. No
one needs to be unpleasant. Everyone can control his emotions if he
wants to, just as he can control his appetites. - Mark
E. Petersen, "Conference Report," October 1961, Second Day—Morning
Meeting, p. 49
12/23/15
The crux of our message is that
Jesus of Nazareth is Christ the Lord, the Redeemer of all mankind,
the Savior of the Christians and the Messiah of the Jews. We affirm
most solemnly that this same Jesus was the literal begotten Son of
God, born of Mary, and that without him there is no Savior. - Mark
E. Petersen, "Hear
Ye Him!" Ensign (CR), November 1975, p.63
5/14/16
Think for a moment of the second great commandment to love our
neighbors as ourselves. (Matt.
22:38, 39.) How many observe it? Keep in mind that the Lord
said it is of like importance to the first great commandment, which
is to love God with all our heart and soul. - Mark
E. Petersen, "Do
Unto Others… ," Ensign (CR), May 1977, p.73
6/2/16
What is the purpose of our existence? Can a man who thinks that life
came about by chance on a globe that was made by accident have any
overlying purpose to guide him?
Can a man who thinks he evolved from the lowest forms of life have
any lofty aspirations?
Does the idea that we are descendants of ape-like ancestors inspire
us to any great heights of achievement?
The importance of having purpose in life cannot be overstated. - Mark
E. Petersen, “Conference Report,” October 1968, General Priesthood
Meeting, p.99
11/5/16
His existence in
Palestine was to be physical, in a body of flesh and bones like our own.
On this earth He would endure the physical suffering of crucifixion. He
would die physically, and then—how glorious it was—He would bring about
a physical resurrection.
Therefore, a physical earth was essential to His mission.
There was nothing ethereal about His work here on earth. It was not to
be accomplished in some intangible or mystical way.
His life on earth was real and physical. His death was real and physical, as was His resurrection, all taking place on this very real and physical planet. It fully demonstrated His genuine reality as a physical being. – Mark E. Petersen, “Creator and Savior,” Ensign (CR) May 1983
11/21/16
As members of the Church, by voting to sustain our new President, we
have placed ourselves under a solemn covenant to give diligent heed to
the words of eternal life as he gives them to us.
The modern word of the Lord says, “… You shall live by
every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.” (D&C
84:44.)
And how are we to receive that word? Through his prophet!
That has been the divine pattern from the beginning. Through Amos came the revelation saying, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7.) – Mark E. Petersen, “The People Say ‘Amen’,” Ensign (CR) May 1974
1/16/17
It was the Lord himself who installed Apostles and prophets in this
modern Church. It is, therefore, no idle gesture by which we sustain the
First Presidency and the Twelve as prophets, seers, and revelators, for
so they are, divinely chosen, duly ordained and set apart by the laying
on of hands by those authorized to do so.
They
were called of God as was Aaron (see Heb.
5:4), according to the pattern described by the Apostle Paul in
his epistle to the Hebrews. They were appointed by revelation, ordained
by other living prophets, and fully commissioned to act in the name of
the Lord. – Mark E. Petersen, “Follow
the
Prophets,” Ensign (CR) November 1981
2/2/17
And then we have the words from James that faith without works is
dead. We must combine our faith with our works and our works with our
faith to be Christians indeed, and our works must be works of truth.
(See James
2:17–18.)
The Spirit of God is the spirit of truth. The Savior is the
personification of truth. Describing himself he said, “I am the way,
the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John
14:6.) – Mark E. Petersen, “Honesty,
a Principle of Salvation,” Ensign (CR) November 1971
Refer your friends to join The LDS Daily WOOL (Words Of Our Leaders)
