(5/26/97)
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. — Elder Russell M. Nelson, General Conference,
April 1996
(5/27/97)
The most important thing we can do--young or old--is develop a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ. If we do, we will always be comfortable
with ourselves. Any questions of self-esteem and self-worth will
diminish, and we will have a quiet confidence that will see us through
any trial. And the Savior's promise to us is "Fear not, little children,
for you are mine, and I have overcome the world" (D&C 50:41). —
Elder W. Don Ladd, General Conference, October 1994
(5/28/97)
…non murmurers are permitted to see so much more. Ancient Israel was
once compassed about with "a great host" of hostile horses and chariots.
Elisha counseled his anxious young servant, "Fear not: for they that be
with us are more than they that be with them" (2 Kings 6:16). The
prophet then prayed that the Lord would "open" the young man's eyes,
"and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots
of fire round about Elisha"! (2 Kings 6:17). Regardless of how things
seem, or come to seem, in troubled times, "They that be with us are more
than they that be with them." My brothers and sisters, if our lips are
closed to murmuring, then our eyes can be opened. — Elder Neal A.
Maxwell, General Conference, October 1989
(5/29/97)
Faith in Him means believing that even though we do not understand all
things, He does. We, therefore, must look to Him "in every thought;
doubt not, fear not." (D&C 6:36.) — President Ezra Taft Benson,
General Conference, October 1983
(5/30/97)
The Savior will be in our midst saying, "Fear not, little flock" (see
D&C 6:34), urging us to "do good" even as we are badly done by until
divine intervention mercifully halts human deterioration, for then "all
flesh shall see [him] together" (D&C 101:23), and "all nations shall
tremble at [his] presence" (D&C 133:42) as his coming makes "a full
end of all nations" (D&C 87:6) and as there are no laws but his laws
(see D&C 38:22). — Elder Neal A. Maxwell (October 1980)
(5/31/97)
In this work we cannot fail if we do our part. The Lord will not permit
us to fail. This is His work. He will open the doors in our genealogical
research. He will bless us as we come to the temple. No, we cannot fail.
The Lord said to His little flock of Saints in the early days,
"Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine
against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail. Look
unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not." (D&C 6:34, 36.) —
Pres. Ezra Taft Benson, Mesa Arizona Temple Rededication, 16 April 1975
(10/30/00)
"It takes courage to keep the commandments. To fail to do so because of
peer pressure is to have the fear of man--to be more afraid of what man
thinks about us than what God thinks about us." — Robert D. Hales, April
1996 Conference (May Ensign) pg. 37
(10/31/00)
"No matter how difficult the trail, and regardless of how heavy our
load, we can take comfort in knowing that others before us have borne
life's most grievous trials and tragedies by looking to heaven for
peace, comfort, and hopeful assurance. We can know as they knew that God
is our Father, that He cares about us individually and collectively, and
that as long as we continue to exercise our faith and trust in Him there
is nothing to fear in the journey." — Elder M. Russell Ballard, "You
Have Nothing to Fear From the Journey", General Conference, April 1997
(11/1/00)
"Preparing ourselves and our families for the challenges of the coming
years will require us to replace fear with faith. We must be able to
overcome the fear of enemies who oppose and threaten us. The Lord has
said, 'Fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine
against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail'
(D&C 6:34)." — "Duties, Rewards, And Risks", Elder M. Russell
Ballard, General Conference, October 1989
(11/2/00)
"It is soul-satisfying to know that God is mindful of us and ready to
respond when we place our trust in Him and do that which is right. There
is no place for fear among men and women who place their trust in the
Almighty and who do not hesitate to humble themselves in seeking divine
guidance through prayer. Though persecutions arise, though reverses
come, in prayer we can find reassurance, for God will speak peace to the
soul. That peace, that spirit of serenity, is life's greatest blessing."
— Ezra Taft Benson, "Pray Always," Ensign, Feb. 1990, p. 5
(1/5/04)
"It is not God who has given us the spirit of fear; this comes from the
adversary. So many of us are fearful of what our peers will say, that we
will be looked upon with disdain and criticized if we stand for what is
right. But I remind you that "wickedness never was happiness" (Alma
41:10). Evil never was happiness. Sin never was
happiness. Happiness lies in the power and the love and the sweet
simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ." - Gordon B. Hinckley, "Converts
and Young Men," General Conference, April 1997
(8/26/05)
"When the Lord took Moses unto Himself,
He then said to Joshua, 'Be strong and of a good courage; be not
afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee
whithersoever thou goest' (Josh.
1:9). This is His work. Never forget it. Embrace it with
enthusiasm and affection.
"Let us not be afraid. Jesus is our leader, our strength, and our
king." - Gordon B. Hinckley, "Stay
the Course—Keep the Faith," Ensign, Nov. 1995, 72
1/6/06
"Let us remember that the Savior is the
Way, the Truth, and the Life, and there can be no greater promise than
to know that if we are faithful and true, we will one day be safely
encircled in the arms of His love (see D&C
6:20). He is always there to give encouragement, to forgive, and
to rescue. Therefore, as we exercise faith and are diligent in keeping
the commandments, we have nothing to fear from the journey." - M.
Russell Ballard, "You
Have Nothing to Fear from the Journey," Ensign (CR), May 1997,
p.59
1/25/06
"Those who will receive the
Lord Jesus Christ as the source of their salvation will always lie
down in green pastures, no matter how barren and bleak the winter has
been. And the waters of their refreshment will always be still waters,
no matter how turbulent the storms of life. In walking His path of
righteousness, our souls will be forever restored; and though that
path may for us, as it did for Him, lead through the very valley of
the shadow of death, yet we will fear no evil. The rod of His
priesthood and the staff of His Spirit will always comfort us. And
when we hunger and thirst in the effort, He will prepare a veritable
feast before us, a table spread even in the presence of our
enemies—contemporary enemies—which might include fear or family
worries, sickness or personal sorrow of a hundred different kinds. In
a crowning act of compassion at such a supper He anoints our head with
oil and administers a blessing of strength to our soul. Our cup
runneth over with His kindness, and our tears runneth over with joy.
We weep to know that such goodness and mercy shall follow us all the
days of our life, and that we will, if we desire it, dwell in the
house of the Lord forever. (See Ps.
23.)" - Jeffrey R. Holland, "He
Hath Filled the Hungry with Good Things," Ensign (CR), November
1997, p.64
11/3/06
"Some live with an unspoken
fear of what awaits us and the Church in the world. It grows ever
darker in morality and spirituality. If we will gather into the
Church, live the simple principles of the gospel, live moral lives,
keep the Word of Wisdom, tend to our priesthood and other duties, then
we need not live in fear." - Boyd K. Packer, "A
Defense and a Refuge," Ensign, November 2006
1/28/07
"The key to the conquest of
fear has been given through the Prophet Joseph Smith. 'If ye are
prepared ye shall not fear.' (D.
& C. 38:30) That divine message needs repeating today in
every stake and ward. Are we prepared in surrender to God's
commandments? In victory over our appetites? In obedience to righteous
law? If we can honestly answer yes, we can bid fear depart. And the
degree of fear in our hearts may well be measured by our preparation
by righteous living, such as should characterize Latter-day Saints. To
the handful of believers at the opening of this dispensation, the Lord
gave this glorious promise:
"'Fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against
you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.' (D.
& C. 6:34)" - John A. Widtsoe, "Conference Report," April
1942, Afternoon Meeting, p.33
3/6/07
"Fear is the opposite of
faith." - Boyd K. Packer, "Do
Not Fear," Ensign (CR), May 2004, p.77
11/24/07
"This is not a passive life. The word of God constantly sets before us
images of vigor and action and power, which image under his benign
guidance can be directed and controlled. 'Hath not the potter power
over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and
another unto dishonour?' Paul asked the Romans. (Romans
9:21.) Thomas E. McKay, speaking of his
brother David O. McKay, said, 'As children, we swam in the cold
streams around Huntsville. David would be the first in the chilling
water and shout to the rest of us standing fearfully on the bank,
'Come on in, the water is fine.' ' There comes a time when we must
jump in the cold water no matter how foreboding." - James E. Faust,
"To Reach Even unto You," p.44
1/31/08
"Incarnate evil, despite its
assiduous endeavors, has always lost ground. Finally victory has been on
the side of right.
"Thereby
has come man's marvelous conquest over surrounding forces, and the
steady improvement in the last few hundred years of the conditions of
the human race. Always, if on the side of righteousness, man has managed
to banish the gilded tyranny of evil.
"Yet,
despite the lessons of the past, fear, unnecessary fear, lurks in many
human breasts. What of tomorrow? is shouted by the forces of evil. In
the consequent din is forgotten the glorious promise that 'Sufficient
unto the day is the evil thereof.'
(Matt. 6:34)
Forgotten also is the ancient truth that fear is the devil's first and
chief weapon. Make a man or a nation afraid, and his strength like
that of Samson shorn of his locks, is gone. He is no longer useful in
the work of the world. He becomes a tool of the unholy forces which
seek to destroy mankind."
- John
A. Widtsoe, "Conference
Report," October 1950, General
Priesthood Meeting, p.184
7/10/08
"Who
among us can say that he or she has not felt fear? I know of no one
who has been entirely spared. Some, of course, experience fear to a
greater degree than do others. Some are able to rise above it quickly,
but others are trapped and pulled down by it and even driven to
defeat. We suffer from the fear of ridicule, the fear of failure, the
fear of loneliness, the fear of ignorance. Some fear the present, some
the future. Some carry the burden of sin and would give almost
anything to unshackle themselves from those burdens but fear to change
their lives. Let us recognize that fear comes not of God, but rather
that this gnawing, destructive element comes from the adversary of
truth and righteousness. Fear is the antithesis of faith. It is
corrosive in its effects, even deadly." - Gordon B. Hinckley,
"Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley," p.220
6/14/09
“No
man, following the example and dedication of the Christ, should become
ashamed or afraid of his true Christian status and lack courage and
strength, in the face of opposition or the taunting of men, to remain
true, firm, and steadfast to his conviction of what is right in the
sight of God. This life is a probationary state wherein men and women
are tried and proven in the crucible of mortal existence.” - Delbert
L. Stapley, “Conference Report,” April 1966, First Day—Morning
Meeting, p. 26
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
3/1/12
It is soul-satisfying to know that God
is mindful of us and ready to respond when we place our trust in Him and
do that which is right. There is no place for fear among men and women
who place their trust in the Almighty and who do not hesitate to humble
themselves in seeking divine guidance through prayer. Though
persecutions arise, though reverses come, in prayer we can find
reassurance, for God will speak peace to the soul. That peace, that
spirit of serenity, is life’s greatest blessing. - Ezra Taft
Benson, "Pray
Always," Ensign, February 1990
1/25/13
Much of the unrest and confusion in the world today is caused by
man's fear to obey God because of the pressures of man. Certainly
if we want peace, progress, and prosperity, it will come through
adherence to God's principles. We have no need to fear if we keep
God's commandments. - Marvin
J. Ashton, Munich Area Conference Report, 1973, p. 23
2/9/13
Challenges,
difficulties, questions, doubts-these are part of our mortality.
But we are not alone. As disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we
have enormous spiritual reservoirs of light and truth available to
us. Fear and faith cannot coexist in our hearts at the same time.
In our days of difficulty, we choose the road of faith. Jesus
said, "Be not afraid, only believe." - Neil
L. Andersen, "You
Know Enough," Ensign (CR) October 2008
8/18/15
We live in a world of fear today.
Fear seems to be almost everywhere present. But there is no place
for fear among the Latter-day Saints, among men and women who keep
the commandments, who place their trust in the Almighty, who are not
afraid to get down on their knees and pray to our heavenly Father. -
Ezra Taft Benson, "Conference
Report," April 1954, Afternoon Meeting, p. 58
11/20/15
Laman
and Lemuel were intimidated by Laban's power, but their fear of
power merely showed the power of fear. Since "perfect love casteth
out all fear," their limited capacity to love was thereby very
evident (see Moro.
8:16; see also 1
Jn. 4:18). Though unprincipled, most sadly, they were
unloving! - Neal A. Maxwell, "Lessons
from Laman and Lemuel," Ensign (CR), November 1999, p.6
2/3/16
Perhaps our Heavenly Father's greatest hope is that through our
fears we may choose to turn to him. The uncertainties of earth life
can help to remind each of us that we are dependent on him. But that
reminder is not automatic. It involves our agency. We must choose to
take our fears to him, choose to trust him, and choose to allow him
to direct us. We must make these choices when what we feel most
inclined to do is to rely more and more on our own frantic and often
distorted thinking. - Virginia H.
Pearce, “Fear,"
Ensign (CR), November 1992, p.90
3/4/17
Godly fear is loving and trusting in Him. As we fear God more
completely, we love Him more perfectly. And “perfect love casteth out
all fear” (Moroni
8:16). I promise the bright light of godly fear will chase away
the dark shadows of mortal fears (see D&C
50:25) as we look to the Savior, build upon Him as our foundation,
and press forward on His covenant path with consecrated commitment. – David
A. Bednar, “Therefore
They Hushed Their Fears,” Ensign (CR) May 2015