The LDS Daily WOOL Home Page
(5/28/01)
"He that is most pliant and submissive to the will of God shows the
greatest wisdom among all men. He that sets up his opinion in
opposition to the wishes and purposes of the Lord is of all men the
farthest from God in that regard. Though he may be fashioned and
formed in the image and likeness of the Father, yet he is most unlike
the Son unless he can say in his heart, 'Father, not my will, but
thine be done.' It is the will of the Lord that we should possess this
spirit, and understand this truth. It is true that there is to us but
one God, the Father, and that all men will have to be subject unto Him
and are required to obey His commandments, in order that they may be
free and the disciples of Christ indeed." — Joseph F. Smith,
"Collected Discourses," 10 November 1895
(5/29/01)
"We ought to be humble, and submissive to the Spirit of God. We
exercise our free agency as to whether we shall be members of this
Church or not; but if we become members of the Church we must be
obedient to the dictates of the Spirit and to him who holds the keys
of this dispensation at the present time." — A. O. Woodruff,
"Conference Report," April 1901, p. 12-14
(5/30/01)
"You who have unanswered questions (which all of us have); you who are
torn between the teachings of contending teachers, who are confused by
conflicting theories: Keep faith. Reserve judgment. Be patient. God
lives. He is the source of all truth, and where there seem to be
discrepancies it is simply because we do not know enough. The theories
of men change swiftly, but 'the glory of God is intelligence,'
(Doctrine and Covenants 93:36) and there is no truth in all the
universe that the Father of us all would not wish you to seek and to
accept—for man cannot be 'saved in ignorance.' (Doctrine and Covenants
131:6) Keep an open mind and an open heart and a teachable spirit.
'Seek learning, even by study and also by faith.' (Doctrine and
Covenants 88:118.)" — Richard L. Evans, "Conference Report," October
1954, p. 88
(5/31/01)
"Now, the Lord our God has given unto us this probation, which we call
our second estate. He said to us, in substance, 'You go down here and
take this mission. I will withdraw my presence from you; a veil shall
be drawn between me and you; and I will leave you to exercise your own
agency on the earth. I will give you My Spirit, and increase it upon
you if you will seek for it, and if you will listen to that Spirit, it
will guide you aright. Then, if you will obey My Gospel you shall
receive the Holy Ghost and the gifts thereof, and you shall walk in
the light, knowing My mind and will through the Holy Ghost.'" — George
Q. Cannon, "Collected Discourses," Vol. 4, August 26, 1894
(6/1/01)
"It is true that at times Elders need correcting, and they receive
correlation in this place. It is also true that, when you correct an
individual in his errors and try to place him in better circumstances
pertaining to judgment and discretion, it is annoying, it is grievous,
it is painful to the sensation of that individual. It is very true
that chastisements are grievous when they are received; but if they
are received in patience, they will work out salvation for those who
cheerfully submit to them." — Brigham Young, "Journal of Discourses,"
5:124
(4/14/04)
"You are here on earth for a divine purpose. It is not to be endlessly
entertained or to be constantly in full pursuit of pleasure. You are
here to be tried, to prove yourself so that you can receive the
additional blessings God has for you. (See Abr.
3:25) The tempering effect of patience is required. (See Mosiah
3:19) Some blessings will be delivered here in this life; others
will come beyond the veil. The Lord is intent on your personal growth
and development. That progress is accelerated when you willingly allow
Him to lead you through every growth experience you encounter, whether
initially it be to your individual liking or not. When you trust in
the Lord, when you are willing to let your heart and your mind be
centered in His will, when you ask to be led by the Spirit to do His
will, you are assured of the greatest happiness along the way and the
most fulfilling attainment from this mortal experience. If you
question everything you are asked to do, or dig in your heels at every
unpleasant challenge, you make it harder for the Lord to bless you.
(See 1 Ne. 3:7)" -
Richard G. Scott, "Finding
Joy
in Life," Ensign, May 1996, p. 25
(5/13/04)
"Brethren, as you submit your wills to God, you are giving Him the only
thing you can actually give Him that is really yours to
give. Don't wait too long to find the altar or to begin to place the
gift of your wills upon it! No need to wait for a receipt; the Lord
has His own special ways of acknowledging. - Neal A. Maxwell, "Remember
How
Merciful the Lord Hath Been," General Conference, April 2004
(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
2/4/06
"The Lord is the ultimate caregiver. We must surrender ourselves to
the Lord. In doing so, we give up whatever is causing our pain and
turn everything over to Him. 'Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he
shall sustain thee' (Ps.
55:22). 'And then may God grant unto you that your burdens may
be light, through the joy of his Son' (Alma
33:23). Through faith and trust in the Lord and obedience to His
counsel, we make ourselves eligible to be partakers of the Atonement
of Jesus Christ so that one day we may return to live with Him." -
Robert D. Hales, "Healing
Soul and Body," CR, November 1998, p. 14
5/12/06
"Pride is the universal sin, the great vice. Yes, pride is the
universal sin, the great vice.
"The antidote for pride is humility—meekness, submissiveness. (See Alma
7:23.) It is the broken heart and contrite spirit. (See 3
Ne. 9:20; 3
Ne. 12:19; D&C
20:37; D&C
59:8; Ps. 34:18;
Isa. 57:15; Isa.
66:2.)" - Ezra Taft Benson, "Beware
of Pride," Ensign (CR), May 1989, p.4
8/22/06
"Some people want to keep one hand on the wall of the temple while
touching the worlds 'unclean things' (Alma
5:57.) with the other hand. We must put both hands on the temple
and hold on for dear life. One hand is not even almost
enough.
"The rich young man had given almost everything. When the Savior told
him he must sell all his possessions, that wasn't just a
story about riches. (Matt.
19:16-22) We can have eternal life if we want it, but only if
there is nothing else we want more.
"So we must willingly give everything, because God Himself can't make
us grow against our will and without our full participation. Yet even
when we utterly spend ourselves, we lack the power to create the
perfection only God can complete. Our all by itself is still
only almost enough—until it is finished by the all
of Him who is the 'finisher of our faith.' (Heb.
12:2; see also Moro.
6:4.) At that point, our imperfect but consecrated almost
is enough." - Bruce C. Hafen, "The Atonement: All for All," Ensign
(CR), May 2004, p.97
2/3/07
"The cumulative weight of all mortal sins—past, present, and
future—pressed upon that perfect, sinless, and sensitive Soul! All our
infirmities and sicknesses were somehow, too, a part of the awful
arithmetic of the Atonement. (See Alma
7:11-12; Isa.
53:3-5; Matt.
8:17.) The anguished Jesus not only pled with the Father that
the hour and cup might pass from Him, but with this relevant citation.
'And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take
away this cup from me.' (Mark
14:35-36.)
"Had not Jesus, as Jehovah, said to Abraham, 'Is any thing too hard
for the Lord?' (Gen.
18:14.) Had not His angel told a perplexed Mary, 'For with God
nothing shall be impossible?' (Luke
1:37; see also Matt.
19:28; Mark
10:27; Luke
18:27.)
"Jesus request was not theater!
"In this extremity, did He, perchance, hope for a rescuing ram in the
thicket? I do not know. His suffering—as it were, enormity
multiplied by infinity—evoked His later soul-cry on the
cross, and it was a cry of forsakenness. (See Matt.
27:46.)
"Even so, Jesus maintained this sublime submissiveness, as He had in
Gethsemane: 'Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.' (Matt.
26:39.)" - Neal A. Maxwell, "Willing
to Submit," Ensign (CR), May 1985, p.70
4/2/07
"Living members give heed to the Spirit, which quickens the inner
life. They constantly seek its direction. They pray for strength and
overcome difficulties. Their hearts are not set upon the things of
this world but upon the infinite. Spiritual renewal is not sacrificed
for physical gratification.
"Living members put Christ first in their lives, knowing from what
source their lives and progress come. There is a tendency for man to
put himself in the center of the universe and expect others to conform
to his wants and needs and desires. Yet nature does not honor that
erroneous assumption. The central role in life belongs to God. Instead
of asking him to do our bidding, we should seek into bring ourselves
in harmony with his will, and thus continue our progress as a living
member." - Howard W. Hunter, "Am
I a Living Member?," Ensign (CR), May 1987, p.16
7/17/08
"In conclusion, the submission
of one's will is really the
only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God's
altar. The many other things we 'give,'
brothers and sisters, are actually the things He has already given or
loaned to us. However, when you and I finally submit ourselves, by
letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God's
will, then we are really giving something to Him! It is the only
possession which is truly ours to give!"
- Neal A. Maxwell, "Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father," Ensign
(CR), November 1995, p.22
10/27/09
“When we
willingly submit ourselves to God, even ‘as a child doth submit to his
father’ (Mosiah 3:19), we are not yielding just to any father but to a
perfect Father! While it is a yielding, happy irony, one is thereby
‘added upon’ (Abraham 3:26).” - Neal A. Maxwell, “That Ye May
Believe,” p. 122
3/21/10
“Still, we mortals quite naturally want to know the why. Yet, in
pressing too earnestly for the answer, we may forget that mortality
was designed, in a manner of speaking, as the season of unanswered
questions. Mortality has a different, more narrowly defined purpose:
It is a proving ground, a probationary state, a time to walk by faith,
a time to prepare to meet God (see, for example, Abr. 3:24-25; 2 Ne.
31:15-16, 20; Alma 12:24; Alma 42:4-13). It is in nurturing humility
(see Alma 32:6-21) and submissiveness (see Mosiah 3:19) that we may
comprehend a fulness of the intended mortal experience and put
ourselves in a frame of mind and heart to receive the promptings of
the Spirit. Reduced to their essence, humility and submissiveness are
an expression of complete willingness to let the ‘why’ questions go
unanswered for now, or perhaps even to ask, ‘Why not?’ It is in
enduring well to the end (see 2 Ne. 31:15-16; Alma 32:15; D&C
121:8) that we achieve this life’s purposes. I believe that
mortality’s supreme test is to face the ‘why’ and then let it go,
trusting humbly in the Lord’s promise that ‘all things must come to
pass in their time’ (D&C 64:32).” - Lance B. Wickman, “But If
Not,” Ensign (CR), November 2002, p. 30
11/8/12
I bear testimony to you
that God is our Father, that we can partake of his Spirit, that
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that the gospel is the greatest
power in the earth. This testimony I bear to all men everywhere
regardless of your station in life. I pray that you can understand
the restoration of the gospel because if it is made a part of your
life, and if you can realize it and accept it, that God still
governs in the affairs of men--I bear testimony to you that if you
will accept that, you will have more peace and comfort from this
source than from any other source in the world. - Thorpe B.
Isaacson, Conference Report, October 1963, Third Day Morning
Meeting, p.99
11/16/12
Yes, the Lord will take care of our
needs and help us overcome those things that worry us when we do our
part, put our faith and trust in him, and concern ourselves with
serving him by serving our fellowmen. I've seen this in my own life,
in the lives of those close to me, and in the lives of hundreds of
others all over the world. It is the only way to personal peace, that
peace that is not of this world and is beyond our understanding and
comprehension, but yet so sweet to us. - Franklin D. Richards, "The
Blessings of Peace," Ensign (CR), November 1974, p.105
12/19/12
True disciples of the Master are teachable. In just a few words, Abraham
gives us much insight into why he was so greatly blessed. He lived a
life "desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of
God." "Desiring to receive instructions" is more than a willingness to
listen. When our desire to receive instruction is a greater force than
our comfort in remaining as we are, we become teachable. - Robert
R. Steuer, "Being
Teachable," Ensign (CR), May 2002, p.31
4/30/14
We can trust that
He will help us, not necessarily in the way we want but in the way
that will best help us to grow. Submitting our will to His may be
difficult, but it is essential to becoming like Him and finding the
peace He offers us. - Jean A.
Stevens, “Fear
Not; I Am with Thee,” Ensign (CR) May 2014
5/13/14
The mind does not
control the heart. It does not say to the heart, "beat thou on," or
"cease thou now to beat." The heart is governed by a higher
intelligence, and when the voice comes from Him, "Cease thou to
beat," that son or daughter is called to God. So that when the Lord
says, "Son, give me thine heart," He asks for that which belongs to
Him; and when He requires us to love Him with all our hearts it
means simply this: that we should love Him with all our life. The
life-giving power of man should be devoted to the service of God.
Whatever may be our occupation, everything must come secondary to
our allegiance and devotion to God, who gave us life and being upon
earth, and by whom that life is maintained. It seems to me, my
brethren and sisters, that if we would keep that great commandment
and love the Lord with all our hearts, then would our feet be
planted in the paths of safety and then, let come what may, we are
founded upon the rock and we will be able to stand. - Rulon
S. Wells, "Conference Report," April 1904, Afternoon Session, p.97
6/29/14
As Christ followed the Father under any circumstance, we should
follow His Son. If we do so, it matters not what kind of
persecution, suffering, grief, or “thorn in the flesh” we face. We
are not alone. Christ will assist us. His tender mercies will make
us mighty under any circumstance. - Walter
F. González, “Followers
of Christ,” Ensign (CR) May 2011
10/2/14
I say again, the
condition of our hearts directly affects our sensitivity to
spiritual things. Let us make it a part of our everyday striving
to open our hearts to the Spirit. Since we are the guardians of
our hearts, we can choose to do so. We choose what we let in or
hold out. Fortunately the Lord is anxious to help us choose
wisely. - Gerald
N. Lund, “Opening
Our Hearts,” Ensign (CR) May 2008
3/5/15
Let us remember in our age of spin, the only spin God
desires is our freely turning away from sin and turning to
Him. Therefore, the Lord does not seek to overwhelm us but
instead to help us overcome the world! (see D&C
64:2; Rev.
3:21). - Neal
A. Maxwell, “Content
with the Things Allotted unto Us,” Ensign (CR)
April 2000
3/10/15
How grateful I am
personally that our Savior taught we should conclude
our most urgent, deeply felt prayers, when we ask for
that which is of utmost importance to us, with “Thy
will be done” (Matt.
26:42). Your willingness to accept the will of
the Father will not change what in His wisdom He has
chosen to do. However, it will certainly change the
effect of those decisions on you personally. That
evidence of the proper exercise of agency allows His
decisions to produce far greater blessings in your
life. - Richard
G. Scott, “Trust
in the Lord,” Ensign (CR) October 1995
10/19/15
The
Lord will always keep His promise: “I will lead
you along.” The only question is, will we let
ourselves be led? Will we hear His voice and the
voice of His servants? -
Robert
D. Hales, “Meeting
the Challenges of Today’s World,”
Ensign (CR) November 2015
11/9/15
As
we submit ourselves to His will, we increase
in peace and happiness. King Benjamin taught
that those who keep the commands of God are
“blessed and happy … in all things, both
temporal and spiritual.” God wants us to
have joy. He wants us to have peace. He
wants us to succeed. He wants us to be safe
and to be protected from the worldly
influences all around us. - Von
G. Keetch, "Blessed
and Happy Are Those Who Keep
the Commandments of God,”
Ensign (CR) November 2015
7/29/16
The Lord is intent on your personal
growth and development. Your progress
is accelerated when you willingly
allow Him to lead you through every
growth experience you encounter,
whether you welcome the experience or
not. Trust in the Lord. Ask to be led
by the Spirit to know His will. Be
willing to accept it. You will then
qualify for the greatest happiness and
the heights of attainment from this
mortal experience. - Richard
G. Scott, “The
Atonement Can Secure
Your Peace and
Happiness,” Ensign
(CR) November 2006