(6/06/00)
"I testify to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I testify that
I know this is his work. I know he is at the helm. Though there may be
troublous times ahead of us, we have the absolute assurance of
victory. There may be and will be "days of darkness and gloominess" as
predicted..., but we know that he whom we serve will see us through.
Let us not be content to call attention to the predictions made
concerning the calamities which are to befall the nations, but rather
emphasize the glorious promises of final victory and peace." —
"Conference Report," October 1932, p. 75
(6/07/00)
"Some of our friends have said we are inclined to worship the General
Authorities. We love them; we listen to their counsel; we thank God
for them; but they would not permit us to worship them. If we should
be so inclined, they would be the first to rebuke us. They would
doubtless say to us what the angel said to John on the Isle of Patmos,
when he was about to kneel before him, 'See thou do it not: I am thy
fellow-servant... worship God.' (Rev. 19:10.)" — "Conference Report,"
April 1955, p. 80
(6/08/00)
"While we have complete freedom to heed or disregard the promptings of
the spirit or the teachings of the prophets, let us always remember
that we must abide the consequences of our choice." — "Conference
Report," April 1960, p. 54
(6/09/00)
"It has been claimed that God was without form, even though the holy
Scriptures teach that God created man in his own image. In fact, we
are told by Paul the apostle that Jesus Christ was in the express
image of his Father. Are we then created in the image of a formless
entity? For us, God is not an abstraction. He is not an idea, a
metaphysical principle, an impersonal force or power. He is a
concrete, living person. And though in our human frailty we cannot
know the total mystery of his being, we know that he is akin to us,
for he is revealed to us in the divine personality of his Son, Jesus
Christ, and he is, in fact, our Father." — "Conference Report," April
1969, p. 51
(6/10/00)
"Behold the Christ who knew all human sickness, that he might have
compassion; who was healed and lifted up, that he might have healing
and lifting power; who was glorified in the presence of the Father,
that he might glorify the Father by glorifying us." — "Conference
Report," April 1967, p. 51
(5/22/03)
"Obedience involves self-restraint and self-control. One may find
temporary pleasure in the gratification of an appetite, in the
indulgence of desire, but lasting joy comes only to the man who is
willing to pay the price of self-denial. To achieve self-realization,
'Everything worth while in life must be bought and paid for by giving
up some habits and indulgences which are irreconcilable to its
possession.' 'Wickedness never was happiness.' (Alma
41:10.) Nobody ever found real or permanent satisfaction in
doing wrong." — Hugh B. Brown, "Continuing the Quest," [Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book Co., 1961], p. 115-116
(6/22/03)
"When we say man may become like our Father, we do not mean to
humanize God, but rather to deify man—not as he now is but as he may
become. The difference between us is indescribably great, but it is
one of degree rather than of kind." — Hugh B. Brown, "The Eternal
Quest," [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1956], p. 337
(7/21/03)
"The secret of the popularity of Christmas is that it brings peace to
the minds of millions who, for one day at least, think more of others
than of themselves, more of giving than of getting. If this formula
for happiness-love one another-is effective for one day, may it not
work at other times, at all times? If by giving we receive, and by
dividing we increase, why not make happiness permanent by carrying the
Christmas spirit throughout the year?" — Hugh B. Brown, "The Abundant
Life," [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965], p. 135
(7/30/03)
"And so the Master Teacher admonishes us to read the scriptures and
learn the lessons of life from the word of God. But we must read with
more than mere academic interest if we are to achieve spiritual growth.
We must see in them more than a history of the past, more than things,
however marvelous, which were done for our fathers. The writers of those
sacred pages must challenge our thinking, renew our aspirations, color
and flavor our daily living, and be an inspiration in our search for the
abundant life." — Hugh B. Brown, "The Eternal Quest," [Salt Lake City:
Bookcraft, 1956], p. 73
8/05/03
"The Lord's estimate of a man's worth is based upon his daily conduct,
what he is from the center of his heart out. A man's outward appearance
and what he claims or professes will carry no weight with him, for God
looketh upon the heart." — Hugh B. Brown, "Continuing the Quest,"
[Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1961], p. 278
(12/19/04)
"To most of us, autumn is a time of thanksgiving, when we acknowledge
the Source of our blessings, and we kneel before him and give thanks.
Our sincerity may not be gauged wholly by the words we use, the tone of
our voice or the regularity of our kneeling.
"If someone does us a great favor, one which we cannot fully repay, we
sometimes express the wish that some day we may have an opportunity to
show our gratitude in some tangible way. What would our benefactor think
of us-what should we think of ourselves-if such an opportunity should
appear and we neglected or refused to embrace it? Suppose he should ask
us to do some little favor for him, something, say one-tenth as valuable
as his service to us, would we refuse the favor or complain that it was
too much or too difficult? If we did, we should expect all who knew the
facts to list us among the ingrates, and in case of future need,
embarrassment and shame would make a new appeal to the benefactor, if
not impossible, at least humiliating and probably fruitless.
"But the gratitude which is worthy of us will not be prompted by 'a
lively sense of favors to come'-it should be akin to the charity of
which the apostle wrote which 'seeketh not itself.' Real gratitude is
compounded of many virtues and is productive of others. It is to be
found among those who were named by the Master as 'blessed,' the poor in
spirit, the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart, the oppressed.
Blessed is he who has a thankful heart and a contrite spirit. To him the
windows of heaven are opened until he is unable to contain his
blessings. But it will take more than words to open those windows.
"In spite of our losses, our trials, our hardships, our bereavements,
each one of us has reason to be thankful for the blessings of the past
year." - Hugh B. Brown, "The Eternal Quest" [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft,
1956], p. 208-209
(2/28/05)
"...upon returning to Jerusalem we took it upon ourselves to go again
into the Garden of Gethsemane. Here it was that Jesus suffered his
greatest anguish. Here it was that he sweat drops of blood; and as he
knelt there in the garden alone, his disciples having remained outside,
he said, 'O my father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me:
nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.' (Matt.
26:39.) I thought as I stood there and remembered those words, how
wonderful it would be for all of us if we had the courage and the
insight and the fortitude, whatever might happen to us, to say, 'Not my
will, but thine be done.' That attitude makes any burden lighter. It
makes any task less difficult." - Hugh B. Brown, "This
Same
Jesus," Ensign, Dec. 1971, p. 134
(9/7/05)
"If you would be true to yourselves,
would be honest with yourselves, then be obedient to them who are in
authority over you or who have the right to direct your activities.
Obedience is always evidence of strength of character, disobedience
indicates weakness. Obedience is compliance with that which is
required by authority; subjection to rightful restraints.
"The Savior, who is our ideal in all things, not only taught obedience
but exemplified it. He said, 'I come not to do my own will, but the
will of him that sent me.' In Gethsemane he prayed, saying, '....O my
Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not
as I will, but as thou wilt.' (Matt.26:39.)
Thus the Son of God gave us a supreme example of true obedience. He
honored his Father by obeying his will. Obedience is the key to the
kingdom of heaven. He said, 'Not every one that sayeth unto me, Lord,
Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of
my Father which is in heaven.'" - Hugh B. Brown, "Continuing the
Quest" [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1961], p. 227
1/27/06
"The Lord's estimate of a man's worth
is based upon his daily conduct, what he is from the center of his
heart out. A man's outward appearance and what he claims or professes
will carry no weight with him, for God looketh upon the heart. (1
Sam. 16:7.)" - Hugh B. Brown, "Continuing the Quest," p.278
5/23/07
"'Freely ye have received, freely give.' Our most human relationships
are a free gift. The first fact in our childhood was not service
rendered but service received. We did not pay in advance for the
motherhood that bore us and the love that nourished us: All this was
poured out freely: We were the unconscious recipients of unselfish love
that we had never earned. The man of fine quality regards himself as the
recipient of countless blessings which exceed his capacity to pay: he
feels that instead of the world owing him a living he owes the world a
life." - Hugh B. Brown, Continuing the Quest, p.483
8/2/08
"Incidentally, we have often
urged our young people to carry their laughter over into their mature
years. A wholesome sense of humor will be a safety valve that will
enable you to apply the lighter touch to heavy problems and to learn
some lessons in problem solving that 'sweat
and tears' often fail to
dissolve. A line from Proverbs advises us that 'a
merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the
bones.' (Prov. 17:22.)"
- Hugh B. Brown, "Conference Report," April 1968, General
Priesthood Meeting, p.100
2/14/09
"We
do not teach the principle of faith merely for what it will do for one
in the next world. We believe that there is real practical value in
mental concepts which increase one's self-respect and effectiveness here
and now. To believe that there is an all-wise Father in charge of the
universe and that we are related to him, that we are in fact children of
God with the 'hallmark'
of divinity upon us, is to live in a different world from those who
believe that man is a mere animal concerned only with requirements for
creature existence, which must end at death. Because of low aim, the
lives of such people lack trajectory and vision and fall short of their
spiritual capacity."
- Hugh B. Brown, "Conference Report," October 1969, Third
Day—Morning Meeting, p.105
2/23/09
"For
us God is not an abstraction, he is not just an idea, a metaphysical
principle, an impersonal force or power. He is not identical with the
totality of the world, with the sum of all reality. He is not an 'absolute'
that in some way embraces the whole of reality in his being. Like us, he
exists in a world of space and time. Like us, he has ends to be
achieved, and he fashions a cosmic plan for realizing them. He is a
concrete, living person, and though in our finite state we cannot fully
comprehend him, we know that we are akin to him, for he is revealed to
us in the divine personality of his Son Jesus Christ."
- Hugh B. Brown, "Conference Report," April 1964, Afternoon
Meeting, p.83
7/18/10
"One gets a pessimistic outlook on life
if he relies alone on the writings of philosophers. We need that vision
and inspiration which come to and through 'holy men of God who spake as
they were moved by the Holy Ghost' if we are to escape the mental down
drag of these unhappy days.
"Contrasted with the juiceless and dusty old straw which some
philosophers would feed to the people, is the life-giving grain
discovered and declared to the world by an ancient optimist and prophet,
'Men are, that they might have joy.'" - Hugh
B. Brown, "Continuing the Quest," p.344
12/27/11
When in prayerful meditation a man confirms his faith in God and sees
that his world is essentially spiritual, although superficially it seems
to be wholly material. He sees evidence everywhere of plan and purpose
and design; he tries instinctively to relate himself to that plan, to
find his place in the scheme of things. He becomes anxious to bring his
life into harmony with God's will. This necessitates some changes in his
habits. He wishes to forsake the wrong way—evil, the cause of misery—and
seek the right way—good, which leads to happiness, to rich and radiant
living. This changing of one's course, forsaking bad habits, and
adopting new and better ways of living, is in gospel language called
repentance. - Hugh B. Brown, "The
Eternal Quest," p.289
12/28/11
When an air pilot is taught to fly on
a beam, he will not be tempted to go it blind by some promise of thrills
or new adventure. He knows that there is only one course to follow if he
would be safe. He is an enemy who would seek to divert his course and
lure him away from the beam which is his safety. Fly the beam, pilot,
for the headquarters from which it comes will guide you safely to a
happy landing. - Hugh B. Brown, "The Eternal Quest," p.365
5/25/15
The challenge of evil with its inevitable confusion tends to make the
relevance of Christ's life and message more apparent and the application
of his divine teachings more urgent. - Hugh B. Brown, Conference
Report, April 1959, Afternoon Meeting, p. 112
6/8/15
I wanted to leave this as a challenge, for I am persuaded that if I can
start my day right by reading some appropriate scripture and then kneel
and ask God to help me to remember it, and then if through the day I can
remember that I am going to talk to him again that night and report on
what I have been doing and how well I have kept my covenant, I believe
it would help me to be a better man. - Hugh B. Brown, "Conference
Report," October 1964, General Priesthood Meeting, p. 100
8/16/16
The depth, direction, and
quality of our religious life depend upon our understanding of the
nature, purposes, and methods of God and our relationship and
responsibility to him. The scriptures are replete with reassuring
promises that right will prevail over might, good over evil, truth over
error, Christ over anti-Christ. - Hugh
B. Brown, “Conference Report,” April 1963, First Day-Morning Meeting,
p.9
8/26/16
We believe that the greatest story ever told in all the annals of
history is the story of the atonement of Christ. The record of his
resurrection and ascension, without which the atonement would not have
been complete, is the climax to that story; and now, two thousand
years after the event, it is still central and pivotal in all true
Christian thought. - Hugh
B. Brown, “Conference Report, April 1958,” Third Day-Morning Meeting,
p.107
