(10/30/01)
"A narcissist society, in which each person is busy looking out for
number one, can build neither brotherhood nor community. Aren’t we
glad in this Easter season and in all seasons that Jesus did not
selfishly look out for number one? No wonder we have been told, 'Thou
shalt have no other gods before me,' and this includes self-worship!
(Ex. 20:3; emphasis added). One way or another, the grossly selfish
will finally be shattered, whimpering, against the jagged, concrete
consequences of their selfishness."
Neal
A. Maxwell
"'Repent of [Our] Selfishness' (D&C 56:8)"
"Ensign," May 1999, 25
(10/31/01)
"'The Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind.' Hence, the first
of the Ten Commandments is, 'Thou shalt have no other gods before me,'
and the Savior declared that the first and great commandment is, 'Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,
and with all thy mind.' Only when we give our all and overcome our
pride and walk the path of faith without deviation can we honestly
sing, 'Lord, accept our true devotion.'"
Joseph
B. Wirthlin
"True to the Truth,"
"Ensign," May 1997, 16
(11/1/01)
"We should always put the Savior first. The first commandment Jehovah
gave to the children of Israel was, 'Thou shalt have no other gods
before me' (Ex. 20:3). This seems like a simple idea, but in practice
many find it difficult."
Dallin
H. Oaks
"Powerful Ideas,"
"Ensign," Nov. 1995, 27
(7/16/04)
"Our Father in Heaven must come first. Nothing in this world can take
His place. Teach your children to recognize His hand in all things, to
respect and honor Him. (See D&C
59:21; Alma
31:5) Show them how to worship Him through selfless service to
others. Worship Him in family prayer and family home evening. We fail
to worship Him when we give preeminence to sports, academics,
entertainment, wealth, vanity, or anything else of this world." - Lynn
A. Mickelsen, "Eternal
Laws
of Happiness," Ensign, November 1995, p. 79
(1/20/05)
"Why should the Lord command his children to love him with all their
heart, and with all their soul, and with all their mind? There is
great wisdom and divine security for mortal man in full and complete
love for God.
"God created the heavens and the earth and all plant and animal life
upon the earth. God created the universe with all of its profound
greatness and blessings. The greatest of all miracles is God's
creation of man in his own image and likeness; eyes that can see, ears
that can hear, minds that can reason were created within our mortal
mothers. We know that our mortal mothers do not know how to make eyes
that can see and ears that can hear and mortal minds that can reason.
God said that he created man in his own image and likeness. Our
creation and mortal birth is evidence of divine power. All that we
have that is good for this life and eternal life comes from God. We
owe our full respect, dedication, allegiance, and love to him.
"The alternatives are to love Satan or some other part of God's
creations. Satan did not participate in any of the creations that were
for the good of man. We owe him absolutely nothing. But some pay
tribute to Satan through bad temper, quarreling, dishonesty, adultery,
covetousness, drugs, disrespect for God and Jesus Christ, disrespect
for the Sabbath day, nonpayment of tithes, hatred, etc." - Bernard P.
Brockbank, "Love
of
God," Ensign, June 1971, p. 85
(2/26/05)
"There is no salvation in worshiping a false god. It does not matter
one particle how sincerely someone may believe that God is a golden
calf, or that he is an immaterial, uncreated power that is in all
things; the worship of such a being or concept has no saving power.
Men may believe with all their souls that images or powers or laws are
God, but no amount of devotion to these concepts will ever give the
power that leads to immortality and eternal life.
"If a man worships a cow or a crocodile, he can gain any reward that
cows and crocodiles happen to be passing out this season.
"If he worships the laws of the universe or the forces of nature, no
doubt the earth will continue to spin, the sun to shine, and the rains
to fall on the just and on the unjust.
"But if he worships the true and living God, in spirit and in truth,
then God Almighty will pour out his Spirit upon him, and he will have
power to raise the dead, move mountains, entertain angels, and walk in
celestial streets." - Bruce R. McConkie, "How
to
Worship," Ensign, Dec. 1971, 1p. 29
3/1/06
"Our Father in Heaven must come first. Nothing in this world can take
His place. Teach your children to recognize His hand in all things, to
respect and honor Him. (See D&C
59:21; Alma
31:5.) Show them how to worship Him through selfless service to
others. Worship Him in family prayer and family home evening. We fail
to worship Him when we give preeminence to sports, academics,
entertainment, wealth, vanity, or anything else of this world." - Lynn
A. Mickelsen, "Eternal Laws of Happiness," Ensign (CR), November 1995,
p.78
2/11/07
"To achieve spirituality and to reform our motives and perfect our
desires we must learn to control our thoughts. The prophet Alma taught
his faithful son Helaman: 'Let all thy thoughts be directed unto the
Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord
forever' (Alma 37:36).
"In the great revelation given in Liberty Jail, the Lord commanded the
Prophet Joseph Smith to conform his thoughts to this high standard:
'Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the
household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly' (D&C
121:45). This means that in our innermost feelings we should
always be 'full of [love] towards all men' and that our thoughts
should always be garnished with virtue, which is goodness, purity, and
truth. The revelation promises us that when we do this our 'confidence
[shall] wax strong in the presence of God' (D&C
121:45; see also 1
John 3:21)." - Dallin H. Oaks, "Pure in Heart," p.145
3/28/08
"A
lawyer, a Pharisee, asked Christ, on one occasion, 'Which
is the great commandment in the law?'
(Matthew 22:36.)
And in answer, most profound, Jesus said the first fundamental law is
to 'love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and
with all they strength.' (Mark
12:30.) 'And the
second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.'
(Matthew 22:39.)
And the Pharisee admitted that Jesus had spoken wisely.
"Analyze that and you will
find it means that instead of centering your thoughts on self, God
becomes the center of your existence; your thoughts will be-what you
are going to do for him. You will pray to him at night. You will pray
to him when you have some heavy task to perform. Even in your school
work you should pray. I know you may not hear his voice always, and
you may feel that he did not answer your question in your prayer; but
in youth, keep praying and holding to the assurance that God is near
you to help you." - David
O. McKay, "Man May Know
for Himself: Teachings of President David O. McKay,"
compiled by Clare Middlemiss, p.15
9/20/09
“The requirement that
we should love the Lord above fish, bank accounts, automobiles, fine
clothing, stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, or any other
possession is total; it is absolute. The first commandment given
unto the ancient Israelites was ‘Thou shalt have no other gods
before me.’ The Savior Himself amplified this command when He told
the lawyer who asked Him which was the greatest commandment, ‘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.’” - James
E. Faust, “Them That Honour Me I Will Honour,” Ensign (CR), May
2001, p. 45
7/4/11
"The Lord said, 'Look
unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.' I have learned that such
faith gives emancipating power. Facing God first lets us decide firmly
what we shall not do; then we are free to pursue what we ought to do." -
Russell M. Nelson, "Thou
Shalt Have No Other Gods," Ensign (CR), May 1996, p.14
9/1/11
Today, in our very complex
world, we may well be reminded of the true message that comes from
Christ himself to avoid constant battles and a final holocaust when he
declared: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them
that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute
you.” (
However, the essential personal question that we need to consider is
whether our relationship with deity will be that of friend or foe. If
well understood, because of its eternal implications, this
relationship can bring eternal life; if misunderstood, misused,
misapplied, misconceived, or misrepresented, it can bring mortal as
well as spiritual death. - Charles
Didier, "