No Pain that we Suffer.....

“No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God … and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven”

- (Orson F. Whitney, quoted by Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle, 98).

Orson

The Dangers of Porn

“There are forces at work in this country today which are victimizing many thousands of our youth, undermining their moral fiber, poisoning their minds. There is being spread about in this land a veritable flood of obscene photographs, movie films "for private showings," filthy books, and so-called comics that drip with depravity and obscenity. . . .

Three-fourths of these circulars are sent to our youth. . . . Our boys and girls need not have shown any interest in this vile stuff. . . .

Some parents are almost frantic because of their inability to keep this unwanted material out of their homes. . . .

What are we going to do about it? Shall we fold our arms, shake our heads dismally, and do nothing?

Shall we permit organized crime to continue and extend the obscenity racket . . . and make it really big and immeasurably more vicious?

Shall we allow more and more of our children to be victimized, allow them to be "hooked" by this menace to clean and right living, this threat to moral purity?

Shall we sit by and watch sex crimes grow and grow in number and violence?

Shall we permit these cheap peddlers of filth to undermine the moral fiber of our youth, the moral strength of our nation?

I believe I know what our pioneer forefathers would have answered to these questions.

And I think I know what you and other responsible citizens will answer. They would have said, as we say today: "Forbid it, Almighty God. We shall not sit by any longer. We shall act in defense of decency and order and in the name of our country." . . .

We must defend our youth, in the interests of this nation which God has blessed above all others. We must rise to this task, stand up and be counted on the side of decency. We must show by our lives and actions that we possess the virtues that made America great. There will be those who will cry 'censorship' and 'suppressing of freedom of information.' To these people there does not seem to be any difference between liberty and license--but there is a real difference. It is not a denial of liberty to forbid the sale of narcotics or alcohol to children, and neither is it a denial of liberty to ban the distribution of filthy, obscene, character-destroying materials.

There has developed in this country, I am sorry to say, a species of so-called "broadmindedness" which tolerates anything and everything. It is high time right-thinking citizens showed they are fed up with such false broadmindedness. I for one fail to see where this so-called "tolerance" of evil has made society any better or individuals any happier. We cannot steer a safe course without a compass. We cannot build an enduring society except on principles of righteousness.”

Ezra Taft Benson. 

AND IT IS TRUE!

"Knowing our religion to be true we ought to be the most devoted people on the face of the earth to the cause we have embraced. Knowing as we do, or should know, that the gospel we have received promises all our hearts can wish or desire, if we are faithful, we ought to be very faithful, devoted, energetic and ambitious in carrying out the designs and wishes of the Lord as He reveals them from time to time through His servants. (Chapter 15: Faithful, Energetic Service in the Kingdom of God)" 

Lorenzo Snow

The Sacrament, not the Cross

"The world at large has the idea that the symbol of Christianity is the cross, but it's no such thing. The cross is the symbol of the cruelest form of torture and execution that the Romans could devise; that is what the cross is for. Christ did not give us the cross as the symbol of his great Atonement. He gave us, instead, the sacrament of the Lord's Supper and told us to partake of that bread and drink of that cup in remembrance of his blood and his broken flesh. Did he not give us that great ordinance emblematic of the suffering on the cross? Of course he did. We get it from no other place. He did not say to venerate the cross, he said to partake of the sacrament and always remember him and pledge to high heaven that we will always keep the commandments of Almighty God." —Elder Mark E. Petersen,

Worship

"We believe that worship is far more than prayer and preaching and gospel performance. The supreme act of worship is to keep the commandments, to follow in the footsteps of the Son of God, to do ever those things that please Him. It is one thing to give lip service to the Lord; it is quite another to respect and honor His will by following the example" Joseph Fielding Smith ("I Know That My Redeemer Liveth," Ensign, December 1971, p. 27).

Unfading Glory

"We came into the world for a great purpose, the same as Jesus, our elder brother, to do the will and works of our Father; in this there is peace, joy and happiness, an increase of wisdom, knowledge and the power of God; outside of this are no promised blessings. Thus let us devote ourselves to righteousness, help each and all to be better and happier; do good to all and evil to none; honor God and obey His Priesthood; cultivate and preserve an enlightened conscience and follow the Holy Spirit; faint not, hold fast to what is good, endure to the end, and your cup of joy shall be full even to overflowing, for great shall be your reward for your trials and your sufferings under temptations, your fiery ordeals, your heart yearnings and tears; yea, our God will give you a crown of unfading glory." (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, p. 154).

Worship or be swept off!

Ezra Taft Benson: Never before has the land of Zion appeared so vulnerable to so powerful an enemy as the Americas do at present. And our vulnerability is directly attributable to our loss of active faith in the God of this land, who has decreed that we must worship Him or be swept off. Too many Americans have lost sight of the truth that God is our source of freedom—the Lawgiver—and that personal righteousness is the most important essential to preserving our freedom. So, I say with all the energy of my soul that unless we as citizens of this nation forsake our sins, political and otherwise, and return to the fundamental principles of Christianity and of constitutional government, we will lose our political liberties, our free institutions, and will stand in jeopardy before God.

The Power of Thought

“As a being of power, intelligence, and the master of his own thoughts, a man holds the key to every situation, to make his life what he chooses it to be. When he discovers the divine power within his soul, he can lead his life to a God-like nature. If one dreams lofty dreams, so shall he become. There is magic in the way one thinks. If we expect the worst, we will get the worst. If we expect the best, we will receive the best. If we train our minds to have faith in God and ourselves, we are using one of the great laws of life. If we think and live righteously, happiness will find its place in our lives. It is amazing when we expect the best how forces are set in motion, which cause the best to materialize.… Our thoughts, more than circumstances, determine the course of our lives. Outward circumstances do not determine the course of our lives as much as the thoughts that habitually occupy our minds. These thoughts carve their impression on our faces, in our hearts, and on the tablet of our eternal souls” (Howard W. Hunter, Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, p. 74).

A View of the Shore!

“It was July 4, 1952.  [Florence] Chadwick, who had previously swum the English Channel, now attempted the 21-mile swim from the southern California mainland to Catalina Island.  The water was a freezing 48 degrees.  The fog was thick and visibility almost nil.  Finally, only a half mile from her destination, she became discouraged and quit.  The next day reporters clamored around her asking why she had quit—had it been the cold water or the distance.  It proved to be neither.  She responded, ‘I was licked by the fog.’  She then recalled a similar experience while swimming the English Channel.  Evidently the fog was likewise engulfing.  She was exhausted.  As she was about to reach out for her father’s hand in the nearby boat, he pointed to the shore.  She raised her head out of the water just long enough to see the land ahead.  With that new vision, she pressed on and became the first woman to conquer the English Channel.

“That story teaches a magnificent principle:  with increased vision can come increased motivation.  So it is with the Atonement.  As our vision of the Atonement is enhanced, our motivation to embrace its full effects is proportionately increased…

“Every attempt to reflect upon the Atonement, to study it, to embrace it, to express appreciation for it, however small or feeble it may be, will kindle the fires of faith and work its miracle towards a more Christlike life.  It is an inescapable consequence of so doing.  We become like those things we habitually love and admire.  And thus, as we study Christ’s life and live his teachings, we become more like him.”  (Tad R. Callister, The Infinite Atonement, p. 16-17)

Jacob noted that Christ will be the one to greet us on the other side, not St. Peter as is often thought.  As we come to know our Savior more, being greeted by him at the door to heaven will mean more to us.  If we gain a vision of this, it can encourage us to finish the race.  If we get lost in the fog of earth life, like Florence Chadwick we may give up just short of the shore.  Elder George F. Richards shared his vision of this reunion with us.

“Elder George F. Richards saw the Savior in a vision.  ‘He spoke no word to me, but my love for him was such that I have not words to explain.  I know that no mortal man can love the Lord as I experienced that love for the Savior unless God reveals it to him…If only I can be with my

Savior and have that same sense of love that I had in that dream, it will be the goal of my existence, the desire of my life.”  (Brent & Wendy Top, Glimpses Beyond Death’s Door, p. 87-88, also quoted by President Kimball in April 1974 General Conference.) 

Taken from here.

Sister Scriptorians

“Women should be students of scripture.  We want our homes to be blessed with sister scriptorians – whether you are single or married, young or old, widowed or living in a family.  Regardless of your particular circumstances, as you become more and more familiar with the truths of the scriptures, you will be more and more effective in keeping the second great commandment, to love our neighbor as yourself.  Become scholars of the scriptures – not to put others down, but to lift them up!  After all, who has any greater need to ‘treasure up’ the truths of the Gospel (on which they may call in their moments of need) than do women and mothers who do so much nurturing and teaching.”  (President Spencer W. Kimball, Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 321, emphasis added)

The Law of Moses

Restitution VS. Retaliation

Many think the Law of Moses or Mosaic Law is the lesser law or of lower importance.
*It is actually a preparatory law
*It is very strict to keep Israel in constant remembrance of God
*It is highly symbolic
*It is given as a school master or tutor to bring them to Christ

Jesus: the Perfect Leader

Jesus knew who he was and why he was here on this planet. That meant he could lead from strength rather than from uncertainty or weakness.

Jesus operated from a base of fixed principles or truths rather than making up the rules as he went along. Thus, his leadership style was not only correct, but also constant. So many secular leaders today are like chameleons; they change their hues and views to fit the situation—which only tends to confuse associates and followers who cannot be certain what course is being pursued. Those who cling to power at the expense of principle often end up doing almost anything to perpetuate their power.

Spencer W. Kimball

Faith is a reward!

"Faith is a gift of God bestowed as a reward for personal righteousness. It is always given when righteousness is present, and the greater the measure of obedience to God's laws the greater will be the endowment of faith."

-Bruce R. McConkie

Judah and Joseph

"Before Joseph Smith was killed, he dispatched a Jewish apostle by the name of Orson Hyde to dedicate the land of Palestine for the return of the Jews. This concern for a homeless people and the sending of this apostle was done at a time when the Mormons themselves were virtually homeless, having been dispossessed of their lands and possessions in Missouri. "Orson Hyde left on his assignment in the fall of 1840. He arrived in Palestine in October 1841. On October 24, 1841, he ascended the Mount of Olives all alone, built an altar to the Lord, and offered a dedicatory prayer."

Ezra Taft Benson, "A Message to Judah from Joseph," Ensign, Dec. 1976, 68

Forgiveness and Forgetting

"So many of us are prone to say we forgive when in fact we are unwilling to forget. If the Lord is willing to forget the sins of the repentant, when why are so many of us inclined to bring up the past again and again? Here is a great lesson we all need to learn.

There is no true forgiveness without forgetting".

- Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, 230

Personal Interview with Savior

In 1965 David O. McKay in a talk to church employees told the brethren that one day they would each have a personal priesthood interview with the Savior himself. He told the order of in which he will ask you to account for you earthly responsibilities.

1. He will want an accountability report about your relationship with your wife.
2. He will want an accountability report about each of your children.
3. He will want to know what you have done with the talents you were given.
4. He will want a summary of your activity in your Church assignments.
5. He will have no interest in how you earned your living, but he will ask whether you were honest in all your dealings.
6. He will ask for an accountability of what you have done to enhance your community, state, country, and the world.

Being Good.

“It is not enough to be good. You must be good for something. You must be a good to the world. The world must be a better place for your presence. And the good that is in you must be spread to others. In this world so filled with problems, so constantly threatened by dark and evil challenges, you can and must rise above mediocrity, above indifference. You can become involved and speak with a strong voice for that which is right.”

-President Gordon B. Hinckley

No Perfect Revelation

“I do not even believe that there is a single revelation, among the many God has given to the Church, that is perfect in its fulness. The revelations of God contain correct doctrine and principle, so far as they go; but it is impossible for the poor, weak, low, groveling, sinful inhabitants of the earth to receive a revelation from the Almighty in all its perfections. He has to speak to us in a manner to meet the extent of our capacities.” (Brigham Young JD 2:314.)

Like children, we are sometimes only capable of receiving revelations in part, or in basic form, and often in concepts which are familiar to us in our surroundings.

Behold, I am God and have spoken it; these commandments are of me, and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding. (D&C 1:24.)

(c) Copyright Michael R. Ash 1999. All rights reserved

Have You Found Your Self?

The more we serve our fellowmen in appropriate ways, the more substance there is to our souls. We become more significant individuals as we serve others. We become more substantive as we serve others--indeed, it is easier to "find" ourselves because there is so much more of us to find!

Spencer W. Kimball

Agency Plus

There is another responsibility correlated and even coexistent with free agency, which is too infrequently emphasized, and that is the effect not only of a person's actions but also of his thoughts upon others. Man radiates what he is, and that radiation affects to a greater or less degree every person who comes within that radiation.

David O. McKay

I find this quote scary. There is a guy who tells me I lack confidence. I do in the relationship realm of life. I have not been successful and it seems that my thoughts have effected not just relationships with men, but with everyone. I'm at a point right now, where I really don't know what to do with me.