Refer your friends to join The LDS Daily WOOL (Words Of Our Leaders)
1/13/99
"Salvation and all things incident thereto center in, revolve
around, and are founded upon the atoning sacrifice of Christ. The
blessings of baptism and celestial marriage, the sanctifying power of
the Spirit, redemption from temporal and spiritual death, eternal life
and exaltation -- indeed, all spiritual blessings -- are living
realities because of the atonement. Without that infinite and eternal
sacrifice they would not exist, and the whole plan of salvation would
fade away into nothingness and be of no value." — Bruce R. McConkie,
"Man is Justified Through the Blood of Christ," Doctrinal New
Testament Commentary, Vol. 2
3/24/00
"It is all well and good to sing praises to the ancient prophets
and build sepulchers to their names, but there is no salvation in that
fact standing alone. If men in this world in our day want to go back
to our Father's kingdom, it is incumbent upon them to come to the
Living Oracle and have exercised in their behalf the authority of the
priesthood. They must accept and live in harmony with the counsels of
those men whom God has chosen today." — "Conference Report", April
1947, p. 38
3/25/00
"The Prophet said that if we would go where God is, we must be
like him; that is, we must develop the characteristics and the
attributes and the perfections which God has. The struggle which we
face is whether we will overcome the world or whether we will be
overcome by the world. All men forsake the world when they come into
the Church; they then overcome the world if they continue in
righteousness and in diligence in keeping the commandments of God." —
Conference Report", April 1955, p. 115
3/26/00
"It goes without saying that conversion in all ages, for all
peoples, is dependent upon their receipt of the Spirit. No one gets a
testimony of the divinity of the Lord's work unless he gains it from
the Spirit -- that is, unless it comes by the power of the Holy Ghost.
But the Book of Mormon is the means, the tool, the way which has been
ordained and given so that men can get their hearts and souls in a
frame of mind, in a condition where they can hearken to the testimony
of the Spirit." — "Conference Report", April 1961, p. 38
3/27/00
"Those who through faith gain a knowledge of the plan of salvation
are willing to suffer and sacrifice to receive the promised reward.
They live not for this life alone and for the blessings that come to
them here. But with the eye of faith they forsee the wonders of their
eternal home in that celestial city where God shall wipe away all
tears, and where suffering and sorrow shall be but a memory of
mortality." — "Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, Volume 3, Hebrews
11"
3/28/00
"Eternal life is to receive the fulness of the Father; it is to be
like him; it is to live as he lives; it is the greatest of all the
gifts of God; it is the object and end of our existence." — "The
Promised Messiah", p. 568
3/29/00
"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!" — "The Caravan Moves On," General Conference,
October 1984
3/30/00
"I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the
nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my
tears. But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is
God's Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that
salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way."
— "The Purifying Power of Gethsemane," General Conference, April 1985
1/25/02
"In this final, glorious, gospel dispensation we have received the
most basic truth of all eternity, and that truth concerns the nature
and kind of being that God is. It is eternal life to know the Father
and the Son. (See John
17:3.) There is no possible way to go degree by degree, step by
step to the high exaltation we seek unless and until we come to a
knowledge of the nature and kind of being that God is. Thus, when we
talk about eternal life, we are talking about the kind of life that
God our Father lives; and when we speak of him, we are speaking of a
holy, perfected, exalted, ennobled man--an individual, a personage, a
being with 'a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's.' (D&C
130:22.) We are talking about someone who is a literal parent,
who is the Father of the spirits of all men. You and I were born as
members of his family. We have seen his face; we have heard his voice;
we have received his counsel, personally, as well as through
representatives and agents; we knew him in the pre-existence. Now a
curtain has been dropped and we do not have the remembrance that we
had then, but we are seeking to do the things that will enable us to
be like him." — Bruce R. McConkie, "Celestial
Marriage," "New Era," June 1978, p. 12, 14
2/23/02
"As members of the church and kingdom of God on earth, we enjoy
the gifts of the Spirit--those wonders and glories and miracles that a
gracious and benevolent God always has bestowed upon his faithful
saints. The first of these gifts listed in our modern revelation on
spiritual gifts is the gift of testimony, the gift of revelation, the
gift of knowing of the truth and divinity of the work. This gift is
elsewhere described as the testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit of
prophecy. This is my gift. I know this work is true." — Bruce R.
McConkie, "I
Know That My Redeemer Lives," "Ensign," Jan. 1973, p. 36
3/20/02
"Our tenth Article of Faith says, 'We believe in the literal
gathering of Israel.' This gathering occurs when the lost sheep of
Israel come into the Church. It occurs when their sins are washed away
in the waters of baptism, so that once again they have power to become
pure in heart; and Zion is the pure in heart." — Bruce R.
McConkie, "Come:
Let
Israel Build Zion," Ensign, May 1977, p. 118
3/21/02
"This gathering of Israel and this building of Zion in the last
days occurs in stages. The early part of the work, which involved
gathering to the United States and building stakes of Zion in North
America, has already been accomplished. We are now engaged in
gathering Israel within the various nations of the earth and in
establishing stakes of Zion at the ends of the earth." — Bruce R.
McConkie, "Come:
Let
Israel Build Zion," Ensign, May 1977, p. 116
6/16/03
"The place where the people named Zion dwelt became the place
named Zion. The city bore the title of the people, and of course it
was a City of Holiness, for all of its inhabitants were holy. And
because they were holy, the Lord preserved them from their enemies,
even as he shall do in the latter days. This marvelous manifestation
of preserving care caused Enoch to say to the Lord: 'Surely Zion shall
dwell in safety forever.' To this the Lord replied: 'Zion have I
blessed, but the residue of the people have I cursed,' even as it
shall also be when Zion comes in the last days. And that his servant
might know the state of Zion, 'the Lord showed unto Enoch all the
inhabitants of the earth; and he beheld, and lo, Zion, in process of
time, was taken up into heaven. And the Lord said unto Enoch: Behold
mine abode forever.' (Moses 7:13-21.)" — Bruce R. McConkie, "The
Millennial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man," [Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book Co., 1982], p. 283
7/23/03
"As with baptism, so it is with celestial marriage. It opens the
door, a second door. It starts one out in the direction of exaltation.
It puts one on the path that leads to eternal life. You cannot get on
the path without entering the gate, but having entered the gate then
you must traverse the length of the path. The process of going up that
path is the process of keeping the covenant made in connection with
this holy order of matrimony. It is the process of obeying the laws,
commandments, principles, and ordinances of the gospel." — Bruce R.
McConkie, "The New and Everlasting Covenant of Marriage," April 20,
1960, "BYU Speeches of the Year"
8/16/03
"Singling out the righteous from among men, the Psalmic word asks:
'Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?' Is not the hill of the
Lord the place where salvation is found? 'Or who shall stand in his
holy place?' (Ps. 24:3) Is not his holy place his temple on earth and
his eternal kingdom hereafter? Indeed those who gain exaltation in the
highest heaven hereafter are said to 'come unto Mount Zion.' (D&C
76:66) Truly, the mountains of the Lord are the places of greatest
spiritual refreshment in this life and the places of the fulness of
spiritual enjoyment in the life to come." — Bruce R. McConkie, "The
Millennial Messiah," Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company,
1978-82
9/01/03
"This quotation from Isaiah, describing perfectly as it did the
apostate condition of the Jews, was also the one used by Lord Jesus
when he appeared in glory with his Father, to Joseph Smith in the
Spring of 1820, to usher in the dispensation of the fulness of times.
(JSH 2:19) Isaiah's prophecy, though applicable to the Jews, was
spoken with particular and specific reference to the latter-day
conditions which were to precede the final restoration of the gospel.
As with so many ancient prophecies, these words of Isaiah are subject
to the law of dual fulfillment." — Bruce R. McConkie, "Doctrinal New
Testament Commentary," [Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, 1965-1973],
1:367
9/05/03
"'A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:... Surely he hath
borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.' (Isa. 53:3-4) And here, at
this moment, while he prayed in this garden, was to be centered in him
the agony and sorrow of the whole world. Sorrow is the child of sin,
and as he took upon himself the sins of the world, he thereby bore the
weight of the world's sorrows." -- Bruce R. McConkie, "Doctrinal New
Testament Commentary," [Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, 1965-1973],
1:775
9/25/03
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as it is now
constituted is the kingdom of God on earth. Nothing more needs to be
done to establish the kingdom. (D. & C. 35:27; 38:9, 15; 50:35;
62:9; 65; 136:41.) The kingdom is here, and it is the same kingdom
which Daniel said would be set up in the last days. (Daniel 2:44-45.)
This same kingdom has been set up in past ages whenever the gospel has
been on earth, for the plan of salvation is the gospel of the kingdom.
The Church and kingdom are one and the same." - Bruce R. McConkie,
"Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, Volume 1," p. 537
11/16/03
"Our Lord's perfect life shines as a beacon beckoning all those
from Adam on down to choose to live as he lived and to merit the
rewards he himself gained. Most of earth's total inhabitants shall
dwell as mortals in the so-called Christian Era. All of these are
invited to look back at his life, to see how he lived, and to go forth
themselves and do likewise. Those who lived before his day, who were
righteous, knew by the spirit of inspiration that his would be the
perfect life, and they, therefore, buoyed up by this knowledge, sought
beforehand to be even as he would be in the day of his mortal
probation." - Bruce R. McConkie, "The Promised Messiah," [Salt Lake
City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 1978-82], p. 456
1/25/04
"Remember it was the Lord who put us here. He sent us from his
presence to be Germans and Japanese, to be Koreans and Turks, to be
Russians and Brazilians. He is the one who scattered Israel and
decreed that 'the covenant people of the Lord' would be 'upon all the
face of the earth' at the day of his Second Coming. (1
Ne. 14:14.) He knows the probationary experiences we need while
here in mortality. He knows who he needs to labor in all the various
parts of his vineyard. What a blessed privilege it is for us to have
the call that is ours and to labor in the field of our present
assignment!" - Bruce R. McConkie, "News
of
the Church," Ensign, Oct. 1974, p. 88
6/21/04
"To prepare men to receive revelation from the Holy Ghost, the
Lord sends forth his Spirit-meaning the Light of Christ, the
omnipresent Spirit that quickens the mind and enlightens the
intellect, that leads and guides into paths of righteousness, and that
entices men to come to the covenant of baptism and receive the gift of
the Holy Ghost. (D&C
84:45-58.) Thus the record says of the Nephites in about 78
B.C.: 'The Lord did pour out his Spirit on all the face of the land to
prepare the minds of the children of men, or to prepare their hearts
to receive the word which should be taught among them at the time of
his coming-That they might not be hardened against the word, that they
might not be unbelieving, and go on to destruction, but that they
might receive the word with joy, and as a branch be grafted into the
true vine, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord their God.'
(Alma 16:16-17.)
Those who followed the promptings of this Spirit received the gospel,
were baptized, gained the gift of the Holy Ghost, and became the
recipients of personal revelation concerning Christ and his coming." -
Bruce R. McConkie, "The Promised Messiah: The First Coming of Christ,"
[Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1978], p. 75
11/9/04
"We now know what Jesus meant when he said, "The hour is coming, and
now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they
that hear shall live" (John
5:25), and the true meaning of his statement to the thief on the
cross: "To day shalt thou be with me in paradise" (Luke
23:43). We can now understand Peter's statements about our
Lord's ministry in the spirit world, where he preached the gospel
while his body lay in the Arimathean's tomb. (1
Pet. 3:18-20, 1
Pet. 4:6.) Paul's statement about baptism for the dead now makes
sense (1 Cor. 15:29),
as do Isaiah's and Zechariah's statements about freeing the prisoners
in the pit (Isa. 42:7,
Isa. 49:9, Isa.
61:1, Zech.
9:11) and Obadiah's prophecy about saviors who "shall come up on
mount Zion" (Obad.
1:21). Even Malachi's enigmatic promise that Elijah would come
before the great and dreadful day of the Lord to "turn the heart of
the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their
fathers," lest the Lord come "and smite the earth with a curse" (Mal.
4:5-6)-even this takes on sense and meaning because the doctrine
of salvation for the dead has been set out for us in plainness in
latter-day revelation." - Bruce R. McConkie, "A
New Commandment: Save Thyself and Thy Kindred!" Ensign, August
1976, p. 8
11/19/04
"The process of apostasy consists in changing 'the truth of God into a
lie.' (Rom. 1:25.) Alma taught that all who do not hearken to the
voice of 'the good shepherd' are part of the devil's fold, and then he
added, 'whosoever denieth this is a liar.' (Alma 5:38-40.) Sherem
confessed, after being smitten, 'I have lied unto God; for I denied
the Christ.' (Jac. 7:19; Alma 12:3.) False teachers are liars. (Rev.
2:2.) Conversely, Moroni concluded some of his expositions of the
truth by saying, 'I lie not.' (Moro. 10:26-27.) In other words, to
teach true doctrine is to tell the truth, and to teach false doctrine
is to lie. (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed., pp. 440-441.) See Commentary II,
pp. 57-59." - Bruce R. McConkie, "Doctrinal New Testament
Commentary," 3 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-1973], 3:383
11/27/04
"The devil wages war against the scriptures. He hates them, perverts
their plain meanings, and destroys them when he can. He entices those
who heed his temptings to delete and discard, to change and corrupt,
to alter and amend, thus taking away the key which will aid in making
men 'wise unto salvation.' (2
Tim. 3:15-17.)" - Bruce R. McConkie, "Doctrinal New
Testament Commentary," 3 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft,
1965-1973], 1:625
12/2/04
"Truly, 'a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the
laying on of hands, by those who are in authority, to preach the
Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.' (Fifth
Article of Faith.) Those who have desires to do good, and do it,
shall be rewarded, but it is not within the province of any man to set
himself up as a minister of Christ or a light to the world. No man can
give himself the power to baptize, or to confer the Holy Ghost, or to
preach, or to seal men up unto eternal life in God's kingdom. True
legal administrators are 'called of God, as was Aaron.' (Heb.
5:4.)" - Bruce R. McConkie, "Doctrinal New Testament
Commentary," 3 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-1973], 2:281
1/17/05
"True religion deals with spiritual things. We do not come to a
knowledge of God and his laws through intellectuality, or by research,
or by reason. I have an average mind—one that is neither better nor
worse than the general run of mankind. In the realm of intellectual
attainment I have a doctor's degree, and I hope my sons after me will
reach a similar goal. In their sphere, education and intellectuality
are devoutly to be desired.
"But when contrasted with spiritual endowments, they are of but slight
and passing worth. From an eternal perspective what each of us needs
is a Ph.D. in faith and righteousness. The things that will profit us
everlastingly are not the power to reason, but the ability to receive
revelation; not the truths learned by study, but the knowledge gained
by faith; not what we know about the things of the world, but our
knowledge of God and his laws." - Bruce R. McConkie, "The Lord's
People Receive Revelation," Ensign, June 1971, p. 77–78
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
3/12/05
"From the top of the peak where the soles of our feet now tread,
we can look forward, crest upon crest, to the Zion of God which one
day will be ours if we walk in the course charted by those who have
gone before. We cannot see the whole course; many things are hidden
from our view. Mountain trails wind through valleys and over crests,
around ledges, and through forests. We do not know the length of the
journey nor the perils that await us.
"But what we can see causes us to rejoice and to tremble. We tremble
because of the sorrows and wars and plagues that shall cover the
earth. We weep for those in the true Church who are weak and wayward
and worldly and who fall by the wayside as the caravan of the kingdom
rolls forward.
"We rejoice because of the glory and honor that awaits those who come
forth out of all this tribulation with clean hands and pure hearts
(see Ps. 24:4)." -
Bruce R. McConkie, "The
Coming
Tests and Trials and Glory," Ensign, May 1980, p. 72
3/28/05
"The great need in the world today is not for the Lord to send a
prophet to reveal his mind and will. He has done that; we have a
prophet; we are guided by many men who have the spirit of inspiration.
The great need today is for men to have a listening ear and to give
heed to the words that fall from the lips of those who wear the
prophetic mantle." - Bruce R. McConkie, "God
Foreordains
His Prophets and His People," Ensign, May 1974, p. 73
6/4/05
"This statement is taken from
the testimony of the Twelve, given on the occasion of the formal
adoption of the revelations: 'We, therefore, feel willing to bear
testimony to all the world of mankind, to every creature upon the
face of all the earth, that the Lord has borne record to our souls,
through the Holy Ghost shed forth upon us, that these commandments
were given by inspiration of God, and are profitable for all men and
are verily true' (Introduction
to the Doctrine and Covenants).
"Now, there isn't any way in heaven or on earth for anyone to know
of the truth and validity of a revelation except to have the same
Spirit rest upon him that rested upon the revelator who received it.
We are dealing with the things of the Spirit. We cannot weigh and
evaluate and judge and handle them in a laboratory, unless we are
speaking of a spiritual laboratory. There is no private
interpretation to scripture. The scripture 'came not in old time by
the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the
Holy Ghost' (2
Pet. 1:21). And so when the Twelve bear record, as here we
read, that the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants are true,
that means that the Holy Spirit of God had spoken to the spirit
within each individual, and to all of them collectively, and
certified that the revelations received by Joseph Smith were true.
There is no other way to know of the truth and divinity of a
spiritual thing than by receiving a spiritual revelation." - Bruce
R. McConkie, “This
Generation Shall Have My Word through You,” Ensign, June 1980,
58
7/2/05
"It is pleasing to that God
whose we are when we fast and pray and seek his blessings; when we
plead with all the energy of our souls for those things we so much
desire; when, as Paul says, we 'come boldly unto the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.' (Heb.
4:16.)
"Prayer is the way and means, given us by our Creator, whereby we can
counsel and communicate with him. It is one of the chief cornerstones
of pure and perfect worship.
"In prayer we speak to the Lord, and he speaks to us. It is our
privilege to have our voices heard in the courts above and to hear the
answering voice of the Lord conveyed by the power of his Spirit.
"Prayer changes our lives. Through it we draw near to the Lord, and he
reaches out his finger and touches us, so we never again are the
same." - Bruce R. McConkie, "Patterns
of Prayer," Ensign, May 1984, 32
9/8/05
"A temple is a house of the
Lord, literally and in the full sense of the word. He owns it. It is
sacred and clean and pure—a fit abode for the Holy One. Where else
would he come except to the purest and most sacred places on earth?
When he has no houses on earth, he comes to his servants on
mountaintops, in groves of trees, or in desert places. But when there
is a holy house fit for his presence, such is the place where his
servants see his face—all of which is a type of what shall be when he
comes to rule and reign on earth. He will appear in many places, chief
among which will be the holy houses built and dedicated to him." -
Bruce R. McConkie, "The Millennial Messiah: The Second Coming of the
Son of Man" [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1982], 272
11/5/05
"Every person in this Church
is entitled to know and is expected to know by the revelations of the
Holy Ghost to his soul that these things are true; and if he knows
them, then, in my judgment, he should have no desire in his heart to
do anything in this world except hearken to the counsel of the living
oracles and put his house in order and prepare himself for the glory
and honor and salvation of which President George F. Richards has just
spoken." - Bruce R. McConkie, "Conference Report," October 1947,
Second Day—Morning Meeting, p.60
11/17/05
"To enable us to keep our minds centered on righteousness, we
should consciously elect to ponder the truths of salvation in our
hearts. Brother Packer yesterday pleaded with eloquence that we sing the
songs of Zion in order to center our thoughts on wholesome things. I
would like to add that we can also—after we have had the opening
song—call on ourselves to preach a sermon. I have preached many sermons
walking along congested city streets, or tramping desert trails, or in
lonely places, thus centering my mind on the Lord's affairs and the
things of righteousness; and I might say they have been better sermons
than I have ever preached to congregations." - Bruce R. McConkie, "Think
on These Things," Ensign (CR), January 1974, p.45
11/26/05
"From an eternal perspective what each of us needs is a Ph.D. in
faith and righteousness. The things that will profit us everlastingly
are not the power to reason, but the ability to receive revelation; not
the truths learned by study, but the knowledge gained by faith; not what
we know about the things of the world, but our knowledge of God and his
laws." - Bruce R. McConkie, "The
Lord's People Receive Revelation," Ensign (CR), June 1971, p.77
2/8/06
"Two things are accomplished by the gathering of Israel: First, those
who have thus chosen Christ as their Shepherd; those who have taken upon
themselves his name in the waters of baptism; those who are seeking to
enjoy his Spirit here and now and to be inheritors of eternal life
hereafter—such people need to be gathered together to strengthen each
other and to help one another perfect their lives.
"And second, those who are seeking the highest rewards in eternity need
to be where they can receive the blessings of the house of the Lord,
both for themselves and for their ancestors in Israel who died without a
knowledge of the gospel, but who would have received it with all their
heart had opportunity afforded." - Bruce R. McConkie, "Come:
Let Israel Build Zion," Ensign (CR), May 1977, p.115
9/10/06
"There has never been such a dire day as this. Iniquity abounds; all the
perversions and evils of Sodom have their devotees. And the revealed
word assures us that conditions will get worse, not better, until the
coming of the Son of Man.
"It is because of the evils and ills which cover the earth, because men
have strayed from the Lord's ordinances and broken his everlasting
covenant, because many walk in the ways of the world and are carnal,
sensual, and devilish that the Lord has given us a message to deliver to
our fellowmen.
"'Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the
inhabitants of the earth,' he said, 'called upon my servant Joseph
Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments.'
(D&C 1:17.)
"What then is our message for all men? It is the message of the
Restoration. It is the glad tidings that a gracious God had restored the
fulness of his everlasting gospel. It is the hallowed word that all men
may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel." -
Bruce R. McConkie, "Who
Hath Believed Our Report?," Ensign (CR), November 1981, p.46
12/23/06
"It just may be that my salvation (and yours also!) does in fact depend
upon our ability to understand the writings of Isaiah as fully and truly
as Nephi understood them.
"For that matter, why should either Nephi or Isaiah know anything that
is withheld from us? Does not that God who is no respecter of persons
treat all his children alike? Has he not given us his promise and
recited to us the terms and conditions of his law pursuant to which he
will reveal to us what he has revealed to them?
"If the Lord Jehovah revealed to Isaiah that 'a virgin shall conceive,
and bear a son,' whose very name shall be 'God is with us' (Isa.
7:14); if this 'child' shall be 'The mighty God, The everlasting
Father,' who shall reign 'with judgment and with justice' forever (Isa.
9:6-9); if he is to 'make his soul an offering for sin,' and place
his 'grave with the wicked' (Isa.
53:9-10); if his redemptive promise to all men is: 'Thy dead men
shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise' (Isa.
26:19); if he shall gather Israel in the last days and bring 'the
ransomed of the Lord... to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon
their heads' (Isa.
35:10); if his people 'shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall
bring again Zion' (Isa.
52:8); if these and a great host of other glorious truths were
known to Isaiah and Nephi, should they be hidden from us? Why should
either of these prophets know what we do not know? Is not the Lord
Jehovah our God also?" - Bruce R. McConkie, "Sermons and Writings of
Bruce R. McConkie," p.300-301
1/7/07
"To overcome the world—meaning sin, evil, and all that is worldly—men
must repent of their sins and thereafter 'hold fast,' in the language of
Paul, 'that which is good'. Forgiveness, of course, is a gift of the
Spirit; it comes when men have the companionship of the Holy Ghost,
which companionship comes as men repent, keep the commandments, and
submit to the ordinances of forgiveness, such as baptism and the
sacrament. Thereafter, spiritual growth is a continued step-by-step
process of perfecting one's self, first in one thing, then in another,
until finally, in that great eternal day, men are perfect in all things,
even as are Jesus and his Father (Matt.
5:48; 3 Ne.
12:48)." - Bruce R. McConkie, "Sermons and Writings of Bruce R.
McConkie," p.345
1/26/07
"So, first of all, we believe in Christ. And the test as to whether we
believe in him is whether we believe his words and whether we believe
those whom he hath sent—the Apostles and prophets of all the ages (D&C
1:38; 84:36).
And then, having believed, we have the obligation of conforming to the
truths that we have thus learned (Mosiah
4:10; Matt. 7:21).
If we do conform we begin to grow in spiritual graces. We add to our
faith virtue, and to our virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance
and patience and godliness and all of the other attributes and
characteristics that are written in the revelations (2
Pet. 1:5). So step by step and degree by degree we begin to become
like God our Heavenly Father." - Bruce R. McConkie, "Sermons and
Writings of Bruce R. McConkie," p.52
5/10/07
"Personal revelation is not limited to gaining a testimony and knowing
thereby that Jesus, through whom the gospel came, is Lord of all, nor is
it limited to receiving guidance in our personal and family
affairs-although these are the most common examples of revelation among
the Lord's people. In truth and in verity, there is no limit to the
revelations each member of the Church may receive. It is within the
power of every person who has received the gift of the Holy Ghost to see
visions, entertain angels, learn the deep and hidden mysteries of the
kingdom, and even see the face of God." - Bruce R. McConkie, "A New
Witness for the Articles of Faith," p.489
6/12/07
"We believe it to be self-evident that the greatest truth in all
eternity is: That there is a God in heaven who created all things—the
universe, man, and all forms of life; that there is existence, creation,
and being—all controlled and governed by an intelligent Head; that God
is, and we are, and all things exist. As to the facts of existence and
creation, such need no proof. As to the wisdom and omnipotence of the
Creator, such is shown by the extent, complexity, and organized nature
of created things." - Bruce R. McConkie, "The Promised Messiah: The
First Coming of Christ," p.518
12/11/07
"True compassion for one's fellow men is a mark of a true saint. It
consists in sorrow for their sufferings, in having pity and sympathy
for them, and in exhibiting mercy, tenderness and kindness towards
them. Indeed, one of the specific covenants taken by those who accept
fellowship with the saints is to mourn with those that mourn, comfort
those that stand in need of comfort, and bear the burdens of each
other. (Mosiah
18:8-9.) Standing counsel to the saints
is: 'Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as
brethren, be pitiful, be courteous.' (1
Pet. 3:8.) 'Be ye kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake
hath forgiven you.' (Eph.
4:32.)" - Bruce R. McConkie, "Mormon
Doctrine," 2d ed., p.152
1/5/08
"If any of us are to escape the
perils that lie ahead, if any of us are to abide the day of the Lords
return, if any of us are to gain peace in this life and be inheritors of
eternal life in the world to come, we must receive the message sent from
on high and conform to the counsel it contains.
"That message—our message to the world—is the message of the Restoration. It is the announcement that the heavens have been opened, that the voice of God is heard again. It is the proclamation of peace through obedience to the laws and ordinances of the holy gospel. It is the glad tidings that once again there are legal administrators who hold the keys of the kingdom and have power to bind on earth and seal in heaven (see D&C 27:13)." - Bruce R. McConkie, "The Lord God of the Restoration," Ensign (CR), November 1980, p.50
3/19/08
"This is what the law of Moses
is all about. The law itself was given so that men might believe in
Christ and know that salvation comes in and through his atoning
sacrifice and in no other way. Every principle, every precept, every
doctrinal teaching, every rite, ordinance, and performance, every word
and act—all that appertained to,
was revealed in, and grew out of the ministry of Moses, and all the
prophets who followed him—all of
it was designed and prepared to enable men to believe in Christ, to
submit to his laws, and to gain the full blessings of that atonement
which he alone could accomplish."
- Bruce R. McConkie, "The
Promised Messiah: The First Coming of Christ,"
p.435
4/6/08
"In all dispensations past the
Lord has called prophets and commissioned them to teach and testify to
the people, with the provision that all who believed and obeyed the
heaven-sent message would be saved, while those who rejected it would be
damned. He has done precisely the same thing in this final gospel
dispensation. By his own voice he appointed Joseph Smith to be the first
and foremost of his latter-day prophets. Those who have since built on
the foundation revealed to Joseph Smith have worn the same prophetic
mantle and have and do stand as witnesses to the world of the truth of
God's great plan of salvation in this day."
- Bruce R. McConkie, "Conference
Report," April 1968, First Day—Morning
Meeting, p.20
8/22/08
"To
be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to bridle our passions,
control our appetites, and rise above carnal and evil things. It is to
overcome the world as did he who is our prototype and who himself was
the most valiant of all our Father’s children. It is to be morally
clean, to pay our tithes and offerings, to honor the Sabbath day, to
pray with full purpose of heart, to lay our all upon the altar if
called upon to do so." - Bruce R. McConkie, "Be Valiant in the Fight
of Faith," Ensign (CR), November 1974, p.33
12/14/08
"How wondrous it is to read and
ponder and interpret the prophetic word; to discover its deep and hidden
meanings; to know that the conclusions reached, and the truths learned,
are the very ones that had their origin in the prophetic mind. In the
full sense this can only be done by the power of the Spirit; only those
enlightened by the same Spirit that gave the ancient word can discover
its true meaning and discern its true intent." - Bruce R. McConkie,
"A New Witness for the Articles of Faith," p.430
1/4/09
"Now
in our day we have the standard works of the Church. We have the Bible,
the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great
Price. There are in these four books a total of 1579 chapters. I think
it would not be too much to say that we could with propriety, day in and
day out, consistently, read three chapters in one or the other of these
works; and if we pursued such a course, we would read all of the Gospels
in less than a month. We would read the entire New Testament in three
months. We would read the Old Testament in ten months, and the whole
Bible in thirteen months. We would go through the Book of Mormon in two
and two-thirds months, the Doctrine and Covenants in a month and a half,
and the Pearl of Great Price in five days. Taken altogether, we would
read all the standard works in less than eighteen months and be ready to
start over again." — Bruce
R. McConkie, "Conference
Report," October 1959, Second
Day—Morning Meeting, p.51
3/2/09
"If
our eternal salvation depends upon our ability to understand the
writings of Isaiah as fully and truly as Nephi understood them—and
who shall say such is not the case!—how
shall we fare in that great day when with Nephi we shall stand before
the pleasing bar of him who said: "Great are the words of Isaiah"
(3 Ne. 23:1)?
"To Laman
and Lemuel, the words of Isaiah were as a sealed book. The older
brothers of Nephi could read the words and understand the language
written by Israel's great seer, but as for envisioning their true
prophetic meaning, it was with them as though they read words written
in an unknown tongue."
- Bruce R. McConkie, "Sermons and
Writings of Bruce R. McConkie", p.299
7/20/09
“As to the crowning purpose of the mortal ministry of the second
member of the Eternal Godhead, the ancient believers were well
instructed….
“That through this great redemption—this infinite and eternal atonement—the Messiah would reconcile fallen and sinful man to God; would mediate between man and his Maker; would intercede for the penitent before the Father's throne; would justify them, adopt them, free them from prison, and make them joint-heirs with himself of all the glory and dominion that are to be.” - Bruce R. McConkie, “The Mortal Messiah: From Bethlehem to Calvary,” 4 vols., 1:36-37
8/18/09
“We do not know when the calamities and troubles of the last days will
fall upon any of us as individuals or upon bodies of the Saints. The
Lord deliberately withholds from us the day and hour of his coming and
of the tribulations which shall precede it–all as part of the testing
and probationary experiences of mortality. He simply tells us to watch
and be ready.” - Bruce R. McConkie, “Stand Independent above All
Other Creatures,” Ensign (CR), May 1979, p. 92
9/8/09
“How
long we were conditioned, schooled, and prepared in the pre-existence
for the opportunity to come here to this life, we have no way of
knowing. Certainly, as men measure time, it was a period of
near-infinite duration. But in any event, after a long schooling and
preparatory period, there came a time when this earth was created for
us, when the plan of salvation was announced to us, when we were
taught that we would come down here for two purposes: first, to gain
bodies, mortal bodies, which would be given us again in immortality,
in a resurrected state, as a consequence of an infinite and eternal
atoning sacrifice which would be made; and secondly, that we would
come here to be examined and tried and tested, to see if we would
believe the truth, accept the truth, live the truth, walk in
conformity to the mind and will of the Lord, as that was revealed to
us by his prophets.” – Bruce R. McConkie,
April 20, 1960, “BYU Speeches of the Year,” 1960, p. 3
10/2/09
“Salvation is in Christ. His is the only name given under heaven
whereby this priceless gift may be won. Without him there would be no
resurrection and all men would be forever lost. Without him there
would be no eternal life, no return to the presence of a gracious
Father, no celestial thrones for the saints.” - Bruce
R. McConkie, “Be Valiant in the Fight of Faith,” Ensign (CR),
November 1974, p. 33
10/22/09
“The
fierce flames, the fervent heat, the burning fires of the Second
Coming that destroy the wicked shall also cleanse the righteous. When
we say that the wicked and ungodly shall be consumed; when we say that
only the righteous shall abide the day; when we say that there shall
be an entire separation between the righteous and the wicked in that
day–we must take into account the fact that there are no perfect men.
All men fall short of divine standards; none attain the high state of
excellence manifest in the life of the Lord Jesus; even the most
faithful saints commit sin and live in some degree after the manner of
the world. But such worldly works as remain with the righteous shall
be burned so that the saints themselves may be saved. Let us take this
comforting assurance from the inspired writings of one of our
apostolic colleagues of old.
“Paul said: ‘Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’ Our house of salvation must be built on Christ. He is our Savior, our Redeemer, our Advocate, our Mediator. He brought life and immortality to light through his gospel. He alone makes salvation possible; we are saved by his goodness and grace, provided we keep his commandments.” - Bruce R. McConkie, “The Millennial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man,” p. 543
11/8/09
“In
order to get a perspective of what is involved in the Book of Mormon,
we of necessity have to contrast it and compare it to what we have in
the Bible. The effect of that comparison, in some people's minds,
might be interpreted as downgrading the Bible. It is not. We have
unbounded appreciation and respect for the Bible; it is a marvelous
reservoir of scriptural truth.” - Bruce R.
McConkie, “Sermons and Writings of Bruce R. McConkie,” p. 268
11/25/09
“That
wisdom which leads to salvation comes from God by revelation. Every
person on earth, in or out of the Church, can gain wisdom from the
Lord, who is the source and font of all truth and righteousness. Those
outside the Church who diligently seek will be led to the gospel of
salvation where perfect wisdom resides; those in the Church, when they
seek righteousness with all their hearts, will be led along the path
of truth and revelation until they know all things and have all
wisdom.” - Bruce R. McConkie, “Doctrinal New
Testament Commentary,” 3 vols., 3:246
1/12/10
“Now,
the atonement of Christ is the most basic and fundamental doctrine of
the gospel, and it is the least understood of all our revealed
truths.” - Bruce R. McConkie, “The
Purifying Power of Gethsemane,” Ensign (CR), May 1985, p. 9
1/31/10
“As
members of the Church, if we chart a course leading to eternal life…
and are going in the right direction; if we chart a course of
sanctifying our souls, and degree by degree are going in that
direction… and, step by step and phase by phase, are perfecting our
souls by overcoming the world, then it is absolutely guaranteed—there
is no question whatever about it—we shall gain eternal life … If we
chart a course and follow it to the best of our ability in this life,
then when we go out of this life we'll continue in exactly that same
course.… We will have passed successfully the tests of this mortal
probation and in due course we'll get the fulness of our Father’s
kingdom—and that means eternal life in his everlasting presence.” - Bruce
R. McConkie, “Sermons and Writings of Bruce R. McConkie,” p. 54
4/1/10
“I
know people who can talk endlessly about religion but who have never
had a religious experience. I know people who have written books about
religion but who have about as much spirituality as a cedar post.
Their interest in gospel doctrine is to defend their own speculative
views rather than to find out what the Lord thinks about whatever is
involved. Their conversations and their writings are in the realm of
reason and the intellect; the Spirit of God has not touched their
souls; they have not been born again and become new creatures of the
Holy Ghost; they have not received revelation.” -
Bruce R. McConkie, “The Lord’s People Receive Revelation,” Ensign
(CR), June 1971, p. 77
5/11/10
"We are not
always called upon to live the whole law of consecration and give all of
our time, talents, and means to the building up of the Lord's earthly
kingdom. Few of us are called upon to sacrifice much of what we possess,
and at the moment there is only an occasional martyr in the cause of
revealed religion.
"But what the scriptural account means is that to gain celestial
salvation we must be able to live these laws to the full if we are
called upon to do so. Implicit in this is the reality that we must in
fact live them to the extent we are called upon so to do." - Bruce
R. McConkie, "Obedience, Consecration, and Sacrifice," Ensign (CR),
May 1975, p. 50
6/1/10
"In this mortal
probation it is the design and purpose of the Lord to test us: to see if
we will believe in him and obey his laws now that we no longer dwell in
his presence, hear his voice, and see his face. He already knows how we
respond—what we believe and how we act—when we walk by sight. Now he is
testing our devotion to him when we walk by faith: when his presence is
veiled, his voice is afar off, and his face is seen by few men only." -
Bruce R. McConkie, "The Promised
Messiah," p. 84
6/20/11
"We invite all men
everywhere, all men of every nation and kindred and tongue and people,
to come unto Christ and be perfected in him.
"We invite all men to come and
worship the Father in the name of the Son by the power of the Holy
Ghost.
"And as the Lord’s agents, acting
for and on his behalf, we promise all who pursue this course—working
the works of righteousness—that they shall have peace in this life and
eternal life in the world to come." - Bruce
R. McConkie, "The
Seven Christs," Ensign (CR) October 1982
8/18/11
We need not fear for the future. This
is the Lord’s work; it is his kingdom; and he governs its affairs as he
chooses. The keys, having been committed to man on earth, are now vested
in those of his own choosing.
And as the Lord lives, and as Christ
is true, and as truth will prevail, I testify that this work shall roll
forward until it fills the whole earth, and until the knowledge of God
covers the earth as the waters cover the sea. - Bruce R. McConkie, "The
Keys of the Kingdom," Ensign (CR) April 1983
9/9/11
If this book is what it purports to
be—if the original record was revealed by a holy angel; if the
translation was made by the power of God and not of man; if Joseph Smith
was entertaining angels, seeing visions, and receiving revelations—all
of which is an established verity; if the Book of Mormon is true—then
the truth and divinity of the Book of Mormon proves the truth of this
great latter-day work in which we are engaged. - Bruce
R. McConkie, "
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