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(1/1/97)
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! — Elder Bruce R.
McConkie, General Conference, October 1984
(1/2/97)
What is happening to us? Why do we rely upon others for our opinions,
our directions, our activities, and even our vocabulary? It is time to
say, "Whoa, stop. I want to take personal responsibility for my
actions." Now is the time to stop blaming others, the government, the
Church, or our circumstances for what might disturb us. It is time to
take responsibility for ourselves. — Elder Hugh W. Pinnock, General
Conference, April 1989
(1/3/97)
Secular history also teaches the principle of perseverance. Winston
Churchill is well known for his determination as the leader of Great
Britain during World War II. On one occasion in his later years, he
returned to a school where he had studied as a boy. Before he arrived,
the headmaster told the students, "The greatest Britisher of our time is
going to come to this school, and I want . . . every one of you, to be
here with your notebooks. I want you to [write] down what he says,
because his speech will be something for you to remember all your
lives." The elderly statesman came in and was introduced. His glasses
were down on the end of his nose, as usual. He stood and delivered the
following words from an immortal speech that he once gave in Parliament.
He said; "Never, never, never give up." Then he sat down. That was the
speech. It was unmatched (see "These Are Great Days," in War Speeches,
ed. Charles Eada, Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1942, pp. 286-88).
His message was indeed something to be remembered by every boy who heard
it and by each of us. We must never give up, regardless of temptations,
frustrations, disappointments, or discouragements. — Elder Joseph B.
Wirthlin, General Conference, October 1987
(1/4/97)
Let me suggest the steps necessary to turn our lives in a new direction.
The business of life is to climb higher. The divine step is to repent.
Repentance means to find a better way and to follow it.
First, eliminate from our thinking and our vocabulary the phrase "if
only I had done something differently." If only Samson had known the
results of his association with Delilah, he never would have made the
first visit. (See Judg. 16.) If only Sidney Rigdon had been able to
foresee his pathetic end, he might have humbled himself and stayed with
the Church. If only the rich man could have seen beyond the grave, he
might have started praying sooner; but only in hell did he become a
praying man. (See Luke 16:19-25.) If only you had not gone on that date,
or taken that trip, or made that investment, or met that person, your
life might have been different. All of us can waste precious time by
saying, "What if I had not done something or other?" Brothers and
sisters, "What if" is not an appropriate question if we really want to
start again. Let us face head-on where we are and where we want to be,
and not dwell on the "what ifs" of yesterday.
Second, do not wait for tomorrow to begin again. "Boast not thyself of
to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." (Prov.
27:1.) Today is the day for each of us to erect those monuments on our
own battlefields and mark the place where we began again. One of the
reasons we have conferences is to learn how to be better.
Third, resolve to live the gospel of Jesus Christ in its entirety. "For
you shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of
God." (D&C 84:44.) Many people live the gospel according to
themselves. That is self-deception. There is only one true gospel. We
may alter it or tint it with our own notions. But if we will adhere to
the pure teachings of Jesus Christ, we will eliminate many of the
rationalizations that lead to problems. The menu has only one entree. To
pick and choose which of God's precepts to live is satanic
self-centeredness. Integrity is the foundation of our life-style.
Fourth, face reality. Sometimes we wish we could fly from our troubles.
King David did. He had been a good man, but he engulfed himself in great
difficulties. It seemed to be more than he could bear. One day he cried,
"Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at
rest." (Ps. 55:6.) His guilt-fired emotions had gained the upper hand.
He wanted to get away from everything. Some try to fly away physically,
and others try to do so emotionally. That does not solve problems. The
only true escape route is marked with the sign "personal
responsibility." Remember, the Savior said, "Come unto me, all ye that
labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28.) He
invited us to learn of him and to take his yoke upon us. (See Matt.
11:29.)
Fifth, approach our challenges positively! Take over! Lead out! A poet
wrote: Never give up! If adversity presses, Providence wisely has
mingled the cup, And the best counsel, in all your distresses, Is the
stout watchword of "Never give up!" (Martin F. Tupper, "Never Give Up,"
in Poems of Inspiration, sel. Joseph Morris and St. Clair Adams, New
York: Halcyon House, p. 11-77.) We recall with clarity these words of
the Master: "Seek ye first to build up the kingdom of God, and to
establish his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto
you." (JST, Matt. 6:38.) Just a few verses later, the Savior tells us,
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it
shall be opened unto you." (Matt. 7:7.)
Sixth, don't begin again partially. Be complete! Otherwise, you may be
patching up an old article of clothing. with a little piece of new
material. The old fabric will not hold. As Jesus said, "No man putteth a
piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for . . . the rent is made
worse." (Matt. 9:16.) Don't patch. Begin a whole new life. The wealthy
young man was unwilling to give all, to follow the Master totally, and
so "he went away sorrowful" (Matt. 19:22), and was never heard from
again.
Seventh, be open and candid in your relationships with others. So many
of life's difficulties are brought about by being double-minded. Let us
learn to say it as it is. Think of Peter's extreme discomfort when the
Master addressed him after Peter had been teaching a false concept:
"Thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be
of God, but those that be of man." (Matt. 16:23.) From that moment,
Peter was a greater disciple. The person who is open and honest will be
vindicated. Time is his friend. Trust is his reward.
Last, and perhaps the hardest of all, forgive. Paul said, "To whom ye
forgive any thing, I forgive also." (2 Cor. 2:10.) Certainly part of
beginning again is to "love your enemies, do good to them which hate
you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use
you." (Luke 6:27-28.) Paul reinforced this admonition when he said, "See
that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which
is good, both among yourselves, and to all men." (1 Thess. 5:15.)
Revenge has no place in the life of a person who has found the "Land of
Beginning Again." — Elder Hugh W. Pinnock, General Conference, April
1982
(5/1/04)
"Spring is a time for the rebirth of living things from their wintry
cover. It typifies and reminds us of the literalness of the resurrection
of all living things. Significant to me is the fact that our Lord
emerged from the tomb in the springtime!... Spring also with 'her
bursting buds, variegated colors and manifestation of teeming life
inspires new hope and gives promise of happy days.' (David O. McKay,
Treasures of Life, Deseret Book Co., p. 146.) Indeed, this time of
nature's rebirth should give us pause for reflection, assessment, and
commitment to life's higher priorities." — Paul H. Dunn, "A
Time for Every Purpose," Ensign, May 1975, p. 61
(4/10/05)
"'Now, my brethren and sisters, the time has come for us to stand a
little taller, to lift our eyes and stretch our minds to a greater
comprehension and understanding of the grand millennial mission of this
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is a season to be
strong. It is a time to move forward without hesitation, knowing well
the meaning, the breadth, and the importance of our mission. It is a
time to do what is right regardless of the consequences that might
follow. It is a time to be found keeping the commandments. It is a
season to reach out with kindness and love to those in distress and to
those who are wandering in darkness and pain. It is a time to be
considerate and good, decent and courteous toward one another in all of
our relationships. In other words, to become more Christlike' ('This
Is
the Work of the Master,' Ensign, May 1995, 71).
"You must be the judge of how far we have come in realizing the
fulfillment of that invitation given 10 years ago." — Gordon B.
Hinckley, "Opening
Remarks," General Conference, April 2005
3/7/07
"I think the best thing we can do is to make new resolutions in our
hearts; and wherein we have failed in the past, let us try to make up
for it in the future. So sure as we do, the Lord will be with us, and
the manifestations of His power will be felt in every Stake and ward of
Zion. It is the rule, the discipline of the Church, and we must seek to
carry it out in our lives, that it may be said of us when we pass away,
as it can be of a number of good people, 'Well done, good and faithful
servant; you have done well in your lifetime; you have filled the
measure of your creation in usefulness before the Lord, and have labored
unselfishly in the interest of His work.' If we could divest ourselves
of selfishness and trust implicitly in our Father, how grand would be
our history." — M. W. Merrill, "Conference Report," April 1901,
Afternoon Session, p.26
5/6/07
"To all who are devoutly religious, to those who remember the Sabbath
day to keep it holy, to those who partake of the sacrament of the Lord's
supper regularly and partake of it worthily, to those who go to our
places of worship frequently and there in their hearts appeal to
Providence for a forgiveness of their sins, for strength to overcome
weaknesses, for vision to see the straight and narrow way and for
strength to walk therein, to those who close each day's labors with a
prayer of thanks to Divine Providence and to those who begin the labors
of the day with an appeal for divine help and light, truly, verily to
all such 'every day is a fresh beginning, every morn is the world made
new.' (Susan Coolidge)" — Richard R. Lyman, Conference Report, April
1933, Second Day — Morning Meeting, p.49
4/21/09
"To
find that ‘more excellent way,’ brothers and sisters, we must cast
aside our old selves and our old habits and ways of thinking. We must
first recognize how we should change, and then we must make those
changes, thus putting on the new and beginning to live as we have
never lived before — walking in a newness of life. — Robert
E. Sackley, “A More Excellent Way,” Ensign (CR), November 1988, p.21
5/23/12
Each of us should cling to our
inheritance. There is everything in knowing our inheritance and
constantly reaffirming it in our lives. And certainly we should not
claim to be children of God and then go about the world acting as
though we are orphans or weaklings or cowards or sinners. By an
abundance of our good works, we can have our own finest year this year
and make for our world the very best of times. We can also help to
usher in the age of belief in God, the age of light, the age of
reason, and the age of righteousness, as well as to help bring about a
millennium of peace on earth and goodwill toward men. - Sterling
W. Sill, "Conference Report," April 1970, Afternoon Meeting, p.30
10/10/12
At different times in our lives, whether we are new converts to the
Church or lifelong members, we may find that this vibrant enthusiasm
has faded. Sometimes this happens when times are challenging and we
must practice patience. Sometimes it happens at the peak of our
prosperity and abundance. Whenever I have this feeling, I know I need
to refocus my efforts on increasing my gospel knowledge and living
gospel principles more fully in my life. - Ann M. Dibb, "I
Know It, I Live It, I Love It," Ensign (CR) November 2012
12/26/12
Some places are sacred and holy where
it seems easier to discern the direction of the Holy Spirit. The
temple is such a place. Find a retreat of peace and quiet where
periodically you can ponder and let the Lord establish the direction
of your life. Each of us needs to periodically check our bearings and
confirm that we are on course. - Richard G. Scott, "First
Things First," Ensign (CR) May 2001
12/27/12
The new year and future
years invite the inhabitants of all lands to unite in the
establishment of peace and the realization of universal brotherhood.
Strife, enmity, selfishness, immorality are evils to be eradicated
from the individual life. No one is too lowly or insignificant to
help. Let each man love his neighbor as himself and the present
tragedies will pass away, future terrors will be averted, and "every
man in every place will meet a brother and a friend." - Teachings
Of Presidents Of The Church: Joseph F. Smith, p.399
10/20/15
I know I can’t turn back time, but this I now know—that it’s never too
early and it’s never too late to lead, guide, and walk beside our
children, because families are forever. - Bradley
D. Foster, “It’s
Never Too Early and It’s Never Too Late,” Ensign (CR) November
2015
7/14/16
No matter our age, circumstances, or abilities, each one of us can
create something remarkable of his life. - Joseph
B. Wirthlin, “The
Abundant Life,” Ensign (CR) April 2006
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