The LDS Daily WOOL Home Page
(9/21/97)
We live in an age when, as the Lord foretold, men's
hearts are failing them, not only physically but in
spirit. (See D&C 45:26.) Many are giving up heart for
the battle of life. Suicide ranks as a major cause of the
deaths to college students. As the showdown between good
and evil approaches with its accompanying trials and
tribulations, Satan is increasingly striving to overcome
the Saints with despair, discouragement, despondency, and
depression. Yet, of all people, we as Latter-day Saints
should be the most optimistic and the least pessimistic.
For while we know that "peace shall be taken from
the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own
dominion," we are also assured that "the Lord
shall have power over his saints, and shall reign in
their midst." (D&C 1:35-36.)—President Ezra
Taft Benson, General Conference, October 1974
(9/22/97)
When the pathway of life takes a cruel turn, there is the
temptation to think or speak the phrase, "Why
me?" Self-incrimination is a common practice, even
when we may have had no control over our difficulty.
Socrates is quoted as saying: "If we were all to
bring our misfortunes into a common store, so that each
person should receive an equal share in the distribution,
the majority would be glad to take up their own and
depart." However, at times there appears to be no
light at the tunnel's end-no dawn to break the night's
darkness. We feel surrounded by the pain of broken
hearts, the disappointment of shattered dreams, and the
despair of vanished hopes. We join in uttering the
biblical plea, "Is there no balm in Gilead?" We
are inclined to view our own personal misfortunes through
the distorted prism of pessimism. We feel abandoned,
heartbroken, alone. To all who so despair, may I offer
the assurance of the Psalmist's words: "Weeping may
endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."
Whenever we are inclined to feel burdened down with the
blows of life's fight, let us remember that others have
passed the same way, have endured, and then have
overcome.—President Thomas S. Monson, General
Conference, October 1993
(9/23/97)
Life isn't always easy. At some point in our journey we
may feel much as the pioneers did as they crossed
Iowa--up to our knees in mud, forced to bury some of our
dreams along the way. We all face rocky ridges, with the
wind in our face and winter coming on too soon. Sometimes
it seems as though there is no end to the dust that
stings our eyes and clouds our vision. Sharp edges of
despair and discouragement jut out of the terrain to slow
our passage. Always, there is a Devil's Gate, which will
swing wide open to lure us in. Those who are wise and
faithful will steer a course as far from such temptation
as possible, while others--sometimes those who are
nearest and dearest to us--succumb to the attraction of
ease, comfort, convenience, and rest. Occasionally we
reach the top of one summit in life, as the pioneers did,
only to see more mountain peaks ahead, higher and more
challenging than the one we have just traversed. Tapping
unseen reservoirs of faith and endurance, we, as did our
forebears, inch ever forward toward that day when our
voices can join with those of all pioneers who have
endured in faith, singing: "All is well! All is
well!" (Hymns, no. 30).—Elder M. Russell
Ballard, General Conference, April 1997
(9/24/97)
Our values, our road signs that keep us on course and on
schedule, are not to be tucked away in a drawer for
safekeeping but carried daily, used continuously, tested
against our performance regularly, and literally worn out
as a constant measuring device that keeps us accountable.
The powers and plans of Satan are cunning and subtle and
very real. You are not unfamiliar with the pirates that
would attempt to board your ship almost daily, who would
rob you of your treasures, your peace of mind, your
self-discipline, your clear conscience, your commitment,
your integrity, your morality, even your eternal destiny
if possible, and leave you shipwrecked, washed up on
shore. I believe the most destructive threats of our day
are not nuclear war, not famine, not economic disaster,
but rather the despair, the discouragement, the
despondency, the defeat caused by the discrepancy between
what we believe to be right and how we live our lives. We
are on a stormy sea. These are threatening times and we
may be ignoring or even cutting ourselves loose from the
very signals that would save us.—Pres. Ardeth G.
Kapp, BYU Speeches of the Year, 29 January 1985
(9/25/97)
The Restoration responds resoundingly and reassuringly to
the key human questions and provides the firm framework
of our faith. Do we actually live in an unexplained and
unexplainable universe? Is there really purpose and
meaning to human existence? Why such unevenness in the
human condition? Why so much human suffering? The
marvelous truths of the Restoration respond to these
questions and are highly global, highly personal, and
even galactic in their dimensions! Identity exists amid
immensity. We are enclosed in divine purposes! There is
no need for despair! No wonder the restored gospel is
such "good news."—Elder Neal A. Maxwell,
BYU Speeches of the Year, March 30, 1986
(9/26/97)
It is my prayer that each of us examine our lives and
evaluate where we are in the process of coming unto
Christ and being perfected in him. The Book of Mormon
promised if we "come unto him, and offer [our] whole
souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting
and praying, and endure to the end... [we] will be
saved." (Omni 1:26)… If you previously began
the process of coming unto Christ but lost your way or
took a detour, do not despair; begin again. Come back,
come back now! Come unto Christ and enjoy the "fruit
of the Spirit," namely, "love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,
temperance" and begin to "walk in the
Spirit" (Gal. 5:22-23, 25) and to "lay hold
upon every good gift" (Moro. 10:30).—Elder
Lowell D. Wood, General Conference, April 1993
(9/27/97)
My brethren and sisters, if you have entered into [a]
covenant with God, as you have, God will keep His
covenant. You may be as humble and as obscure as it is
possible for a human being to be; but I say to you God
will never forget the covenant that he has made with you,
and that you have made with Him. If you have gone forward
and obeyed His law, and He has made promises to you, He
will fulfil them to the very letter, and you need never
be afraid that He will forget them. Some people seem to
forget the promises which God has made, and they become
discouraged and think they are forgotten by God. I tell
you that God is watching over all of you. He has made
covenants with us, and it is for us to exercise faith
before Him to have these covenants fulfilled. It is our
privilege to have the gifts that were in the Church in
ancient days, in greater abundance than we have them now.
Because men and women get old and think they are almost
forgotten, it does not follow that that is the case. Our
God has His eye upon all His children; and it ought to be
a source of continued comfort to us that He has made
covenants with us.—George Q. Cannon, Collected
Discourses, December 13, 1891
(10/25/00)
"Love is a potent healer. Realizing that, Satan would separate you from
the power of the love of God, kindred, and friends that want to help. He
would lead you to feel that the walls are pressing in around you and
there is no escape or relief. He wants you to believe you lack the
capacity to help yourself and that no one else is really interested. If
he succeeds, you will be driven to further despair and heartache. His
strategy is to have you think you are not appreciated, loved, or wanted
so that you in despair will turn to self-criticism, and in the extreme
to even despising yourself and feeling evil when you are not. Remember
the wisdom of the Lord 'is greater than the cunning of the devil.' If
you have such thoughts, break through those helpless feelings by
reaching out in love to another in need." —
"To Be Healed", Elder Richard G. Scott, General Conference, April
1994
(10/26/00)
"Each of us has at times agony, heart break, and despair when we must,
like Job, reach deep down inside to the bedrock of our faith. The depth
of our belief in the Resurrection and the Atonement of the Savior will,
I believe, determine the measure of courage and purpose with which we
meet life's challenges." — James E.
Faust, October 1996 Conference (November Ensign) pg. 52
(10/27/00)
"When we find ourselves out of control for a time, out of harmony, and
disappointed in our actions in relation to our desires, we need not
despair. There is a place of spiritual repair. We can take our wounded
spirit faithfully and regularly to the sacrament altar and there renew
our covenants, our commitments, by offering a broken heart and a
contrite spirit. Then we begin, in part at least, to feel the healing,
the peace, the deep, abiding love when we ponder the meaning of the
Atonement in our personal lives. There we will feel what Andrew and
Nathanael must have felt and say with them, 'We have found Christ. We
have found him. Come and see.'" —
Ardeth G. Kapp, "Your Inheritance: Secure or in Jeopardy?", "BYU
Speeches of the Year", 1 Feb 1987
(10/28/00)
"My message to you today, my brothers and sisters, is simply this: the
Lord is in control. He knows the end from the beginning. He has given us
adequate instruction that, if followed, will see us safely through any
crisis. His purposes will be fulfilled, and someday we will understand
the eternal reasons for all of these events. Therefore, today we must be
careful not to overreact, nor should we be caught up in extreme
preparations, but what we must do is keep the commandments of God and
never lose hope!" — "The Joy Of Hope
Fulfilled", Elder M. Russell Ballard, General Conference, October 1992
(10/29/00)
"All over the world we have many members who are taking the blessings of
the gospel to those who will listen. Those who accept and live the
teachings of our Savior find the strength to be of good cheer, for he
declared, 'Whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever
will lose his life for my sake shall find it.' (Matt. 16:25.) When we
apply this principle in our lives and share it with our associates, it
is possible to supplant discouragement, tragedy, and gloom with hope and
cheer. The fruits of cheerfulness lie within each of us, side by side
with our resolution, priorities, and desires. They will never come from
without. They cannot be purchased or stolen. They are above price."
— "Be of Good Cheer", Elder Marvin
J. Ashton, General Conference, April 1986
(6/19/05)
"Don't face the world alone. 'Trust in the Lord
with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.' (Prov.
3:5.)
"In many ways, the world is like a jungle, with dangers that can harm or
mutilate your body, enslave or destroy your mind, or
decimate your
morality. It was intended that life be a challenge, not so that you would fail,
but that you might succeed through overcoming. You face on every hand difficult
but vitally important decisions. There is an array of temptations, destructive
influences, and camouflaged dangers, the like of which no previous generation
has faced. I am persuaded that today no one, no matter how gifted, strong, or
intelligent, will avoid serious problems without seeking the help of the Lord.
"I repeat: Don't face the world alone. Trust in the Lord." - Richard G. Scott, "Trust
in the Lord," Ensign, May 1989, 36
12/31/06
"When George A. Smith was very ill, he was
visited by his cousin, the Prophet Joseph Smith. The afflicted man reported: 'He
[the Prophet] told me I should never get discouraged, whatever difficulties
might surround me. If I were sunk into the lowest pit of Nova Scotia and all the
Rocky Mountains piled on top of me, I ought not to be discouraged, but hang on,
exercise faith, and keep up good courage, and I should come out on the top of
the heap.' (George A. Smith Family, comp. Zora Smith Jarvis, Provo, Utah:
Brigham Young University Press, 1962, p. 54.)...
"To press on in noble endeavors, even while surrounded by a cloud of depression,
will eventually bring you out on top into the sunshine. Even our master Jesus
the Christ, while facing that supreme test of being temporarily left alone by
our Father during the crucifixion, continued performing his labors for the
children of men, and then shortly thereafter he was glorified and received a
fullness of joy. While you are going through your trial, you can recall your
past victories and count the blessings that you do have with a sure hope of
greater ones to follow if you are faithful. And you can have that certain
knowledge that in due time God will wipe away all tears and that 'eye hath not
seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things
which God hath prepared for them that love him.' (1
Cor. 2:9.)" - Ezra Taft Benson, "Do
Not Despair," Ensign (CR), November 1974,
p.65
5/16/09
"I have
little doubt that many of us are troubled with fears concerning ourselves. We
are in a period of stress across the world. There are occasionally hard days for
each of us. Do not despair. Do not give up. Look for the sunlight through the
clouds. Opportunities will eventually open to you. Do not let the prophets of
gloom endanger your possibilities. ("The Continuing Pursuit of Truth," Ensign,
April 1986, p. 4.)” - Gordon B. Hinckley, “Teachings of
Gordon B. Hinckley,” p.411