The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life.

— Julie B. Beck, “And Upon the Handmaids in Those Days Will I Pour Out My Spirit“

That is an amazing quote. Very insightful. And it’s supported over and over again in the scriptures. Here is one example.

14 Now the Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and they were also taught never to give an offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives.

15 And this was their faith, that by so doing God would prosper them in the land, or in other words, if they were faithful in keeping the commandments of God that he would prosper them in the land; yea, warn them to flee, or to prepare for war, according to their danger;

16 And also, that God would make it known unto them whither they should go to defend themselves against their enemies, and by so doing, the Lord would deliver them; and this was the faith of Moroni, and his heart did glory in it; not in the shedding of blood but in doing good, in preserving his people, yea, in keeping the commandments of God, yea, and resisting iniquity.

— Alma 46:14-16

Zion is Zion because of the character, attributes, and faithfulness of her citizens. Remember, “the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them” (Moses 7:18). If we would establish Zion [...], we must rise to this standard. It will be necessary (1) to become unified in one heart and one mind; (2) to become, individually and collectively, a holy people; and (3) to care for the poor and needy with such effectiveness that we eliminate poverty among us. We cannot wait until Zion comes for these things to happen—Zion will come only as they happen.

[...]

Throughout history, the Lord has measured societies and individuals by how well they cared for the poor. He has said:

“For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves.

“Therefore, if any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion, according to the law of my gospel, unto the poor and the needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment” (D&C 104:17–18; see also D&C 56:16–17).

Furthermore, He declares, “In your temporal things you shall be equal, and this not grudgingly, otherwise the abundance of the manifestations of the Spirit shall be withheld” (D&C 70:14; see also D&C 49:20; 78:5–7).

We control the disposition of our means and resources, but we account to God for this stewardship over earthly things. [...] as we pursue the cause of Zion, each of us should prayerfully consider whether we are doing what we should and all that we should in the Lord’s eyes with respect to the poor and the needy.

We might ask ourselves, living as many of us do in societies that worship possessions and pleasures, whether we are remaining aloof from covetousness and the lust to acquire more and more of this world’s goods. Materialism is just one more manifestation of the idolatry and pride that characterize Babylon. Perhaps we can learn to be content with what is sufficient for our needs.

– Todd D. Christofferson, “Come to Zion“, Ensign, Nov 2008, 37-40

Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.

– Jacob 2:17

And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.

– Micah 2:2

Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!

– Isaiah 5:8

This warning is against the selfish landowners who buy up all of the property of the poor. The Lord taught people to not do this in ancient Israel.

– The Book of Mormon for Latter-day Saint Families, pg. 108

These problems can not be solved by capitalism, or goverment. But instead, these problems can only be solved by generosity and by unselfishness. By sharing. During this Christmas season, find someone to share with.

It is wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father loves us–even with all our flaws! His love is such that even should we give up on ourselves, He never will.”We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won’t, for He sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming.

Joseph B Wirthlin, “The Great Commandment,” Ensign, Nov. 2007, 29 30

“… Spouses should do all within their power to preserve their marriages. . . . To avoid so-called ‘incompatibility,’ they should be best friends, kind and considerate, sensitive to each other’s needs, always seeking to make each other happy. They should be partners in family finances, working together to regulate their desires for temporal things.”

– Dallin H. Oaks, “Divorce,” Ensign, May 2007, 72

“As we serve we grow. President George Albert Smith taught, ‘It is not what we receive that enriches our lives, it is what we give’ (in Conference Report, Apr. 1935, 46).

“Selfless service is a wonderful antidote to the ills that flow from the worldwide epidemic of self-indulgence. Some grow bitter or anxious when it seems that not enough attention is being paid to them, when their lives would be so enriched if only they paid more attention to the needs of others.

“The answer lies in helping to solve the problems of those around us rather than worrying about our own, living to lift burdens even when we ourselves feel weighed down, putting our shoulder to the wheel instead of complaining that the wagons of life seem to be passing us by.”

- David S. Baxter, “Faith, Service, Constancy,” Ensign, Nov. 2006, 14

We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in number, wealth, and power as no other Nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God who made us.

– Abraham Lincoln, 1863

The Fall was not a disaster. It wasn’t a mistake or an accident. It was a deliberate part of the plan of salvation. We are God’s spirit ‘offspring,’ sent to earth ‘innocent’ of Adam’s transgression. Yet our Father’s plan subjects us to temptation and misery in this fallen world as the price to comprehend authentic joy. Without tasting the bitter, we actually cannot understand the sweet. We require mortality’s discipline and refinement as the ‘next step in [our] development’ toward becoming like our Father. But growth means growing pains. It also means learning from our mistakes in a continual process made possible by the Savior’s grace, which He extends both during and ‘after all we can do’ (2 Nephi 25:23).

– Bruce C. Hafen, “The Atonement: All for All,” Ensign, May 2004, 97

We don’t always know the details of our future. We do not know what lies ahead. We live in a time of uncertainty. We are surrounded by challenges on all sides. Occasionally discouragement may sneak into our day; frustration may invite itself into our thinking; doubt might enter about the value of our work. In these dark moments Satan whispers in our ears that we will never be able to succeed, that the price isn’t worth the effort, and that our small part will never make a difference. He, the father of all lies, will try to prevent us from seeing the end from the beginning.

– Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “See the End from the Beginning,” Ensign, May 2006, 43

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. 10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, 11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

– 2nd Timothy 3

I’ve added a new category called “Signs of the Time”. I’ll be posting more verses and quotes on this topic as I come across them.

Is is so obvious that the great good and the terrible evil in the world today are the sweet and the bitter fruits of the rearing of yesterday’s children. As we train a new generation, so will the world be in a few years. If you are worried about the future, the look to the upbringing of your children. Wisely did the writer of Proverbs declare, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

…

Do you want a spirit of love to grow in the world? Then begin within the walls of your own home. Behold your little ones, and see within them the wonders of God, from whose presence they have recently come.

— Gordon B. Hinkley

… Before concluding, I will suggest a few ideas about revelations that are not received.

First, we should understand what can be called the principle of “responsibility in revelation.”

When one person purports to receive revelation for another person outside his or her own area of responsibility [...] you can be sure that such revelations are not from the Lord.

We do not always receive inspiration or revelation when we request it. Sometimes we are delayed in the receipt of revelation, and sometimes we are left to our own judgment. We cannot force spiritual things. It must be so. Our life’s purpose to obtain experience and to develop faith would be frustrated if our Heavenly Father directed us in every act, even in every important act. We must make decisions and experience the consequences in order to develop self-reliance and faith.

Even in decisions we think very important, we sometimes receive no answer to our prayers. This does not mean that our prayers have not been heard. It means only that we have prayed about a decision that, for one reason or another, we should make without guidance by revelation. Perhaps we have asked for guidance in choosing between alternatives that are equally acceptable or equally unacceptable.

Similarly, the Spirit of the Lord is not likely to give us revelations on matters that are trivial.

If a matter appears of little or no consequence, we should proceed on the basis of our own judgment. If the choice is important for reasons unknown to us, the Lord will intervene and give us guidance. Where we are living in tune with the Spirit and seeking its guidance, we can be sure that we will receive the guidance we need to attain our goal. The Lord will not leave us unassisted when a choice is important to our eternal welfare.

– Dallin H. Oaks, “Eight Ways God Can Speak to You,” New Era, Sept. 2004, 8

When we consider the admonition to be men, we must think of Jesus Christ. When Pilate brought Jesus forth wearing a crown of thorns, he declared, ‘Behold the man!’ (See John 19:4-5). Pilate may not have fully understood the significance of his own words, but the Lord indeed stood before the people then as He stands today–the highest ideal of manhood. Behold the man!The Lord asked His disciples what manner of men they should be and then answered, ‘Verily I say unto you, even as I am’ (3 Nephi 27:27; see also 3 Nephi 18:24). That is our ultimate quest.

— D. Todd Christofferson, “Let Us Be Men,” Ensign, Nov. 2006, 48

In the early church, Paul wrote to Timothy, ‘If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.’ (1 Tim. 5:8.) It is our sacred duty to care for our families, including our extended families. Often we see what might be called parent neglect. Too frequently, the emotional, social, and, in some instances, even the material essentials are not provided by children for their aged parents. This is displeasing to the Lord. It is difficult to understand how one mother can take care of seven children more easily than seven children can take care of one mother. President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., gave clear direction on this matter: ‘The prime responsibility for supporting an aged parent rests upon [the] family, not upon society. . . . The family which refuses to keep its own is not meeting its duty.’ (In Conference Report, April 1938, p. 107.)

– Thomas S. Monson, (“Guiding Principles of Personal and Family Welfare,” Ensign, Sept. 1986, 4)

It is easy to apply this same principle to other areas as well such as welfare, health care, etc.

Everything in the scriptures is applicable to our lives. The scriptures answer our questions, they provide role models and heroes, and they help us understand how to handle challenges and trials. Many times the scriptures you read will be the answer to your prayers.

- Elaine S. Dalton, “Believe!” Ensign, May 2004, 111

I have had my prayers answered numerous times by simply reading the scriptures.

Your most important friendships should be with your own brothers and sisters and with your father and mother. Love your family. Be loyal to them. Have a genuine concern for your brothers and sisters. Help carry their load so you can say, like the lyrics of that song, ‘He ain’t heavy; he’s my brother.’

– Ezra Taft Benson, To the Youth of the Noble Birthright, Ensign, May 1986, 43

I know this is important, but it’s difficult to actually achieve. My parents, brothers, and sisters are spread out all over the country. We don’t live near each other, travel is expensive, everyone is on different cell phone plans, most aren’t willing or capable of using the Internet as a daily means of communication … I can go on and on. How do you maintain these important friendships in the world we live in today? To me, the answer is the Internet: eMail, voip phones, video sharing, file sharing, shared calendars, web forums, web photo galleries, etc. So far, it’s proven impossible to get everyone on board. I don’t think even one person in my family reads my blog, not even my wife.

I’m open to suggestions.

Gratitude is a mark of a noble soul and a refined character.

    - Joseph B. Wirthlin, Live in Thanksgiving Daily, Ensign, Sept. 2001, 8

Gratitude is something I’ve felt strongly about since I was a young man. As a child, I didn’t understand the need for saying prayers before meals, but then one day I realized that, at the very least, a meal-time prayer is an opportunity to be grateful for food, the necessities of life, and for other blessings given to us by a loving heavenly father throughout the day. We should be aware of His blessings, and grateful for them. I’ve tried to teach my children to express gratitude in their prayers. I know it can be difficult to recognize what we should be thankful for until we’ve had to go without or had a tragedy, disaster, or affliction of some sort. Often times, gratitude is a symptom of the self-control God is trying to teach us in this life. It is my personal belief, that there would be less suffering and unhappiness in the world if people would be grateful to Heavenly Father and express that gratitude in prayer and in acts of kindness.

True gratitude is the ability to humbly see, feel, and even receive love. Gratitude is a form of returning love to God. Recognize His hand, tell Him so, express your love to Him. As you come to truly know the Lord, you will find an intimate, sacred relationship built on trust. You will come to know He understands your anguish and will, in compassion, always respond to you in love.

    - Gene R. Cook, Charity: Perfect and Everlasting Love, Ensign, May 2002, 83

There is a great tendency for us in our prayers and in our pleadings with the Lord to ask for additional blessings. But sometimes I feel we need to devote more of our prayers to expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving for blessings already received. We enjoy so much.

    - Henry B. Eyring, Remembrance and Gratitude, Ensign, Nov. 1989, 12-13

The purpose of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is to help all of the children of God understand their potential and achieve their highest destiny. This church exists to provide the sons and daughters of God with the means of entrance into and exaltation in the celestial kingdom. This is a family-centered church in doctrine and practices. . . . Our theology begins with heavenly parents. Our highest aspiration is to be like them. Under the merciful plan of the Father, all of this is possible through the atonement of the Only Begotten of the Father, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. . . . The fulness of eternal salvation is a family matter.

- Dallin H. Oaks, Apostasy and Restoration, Ensign, May 1995, 87

The opposition to this belief both surprises me and at the same time does not surprise me.

The opposition is surprising because this doctrine is common sense. It fits the pattern. It’s a natural extension to the story of Adam and Eve. It just … fits.

The opposition is not surprising because Satan is opposed to this plan. It is his plan that we NOT return to our Father in Heaven. And so, he creates opposition, disbelief, doubt, fear, hate, etc.

In latter-day revelation the Lord speaks again of this obligation. He said, ‘Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else’ (D&C 42:22). To my knowledge there is only one other thing in all scripture that we are commanded to love with all our hearts, and that is God Himself. Think what that means!

What does it mean to love someone with all your heart? It means to love with all your emotional feelings and with all your devotion. Surely when you love your wife with all your heart, you cannot demean her, criticize her, find fault with her, or abuse her by words, sullen behavior, or actions.

What does it mean to ‘cleave unto her’? It means to stay close to her, to be loyal and faithful to her, to communicate with her, and to express your love for her.

Love means being sensitive to her feelings and needs. She wants to be noticed and treasured. She wants to be told that you view her as lovely and attractive and important to you. Love means putting her welfare and self-esteem as a high priority in your life.

- Ezra Taft Benson (“To the Fathers in Israel,” Ensign, Nov. 1987, 50)

Husbands, you have been entrusted with the most sacred gift God can give you—a wife, a daughter of God, the mother of your children who has voluntarily given herself to you for love and joyful companionship. Think of the kind things you said when you were courting, think of the blessings you have given with hands placed lovingly upon her head, think of yourself and of her as the god and goddess you both inherently are, and then reflect on other moments characterized by cold, caustic, unbridled words. Given the damage that can be done with our tongues, little wonder the Savior said, “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.”5 A husband who would never dream of striking his wife physically can break, if not her bones, then certainly her heart by the brutality of thoughtless or unkind speech. Physical abuse is uniformly and unequivocally condemned in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If it is possible to be more condemning than that, we speak even more vigorously against all forms of sexual abuse. Today, I speak against verbal and emotional abuse of anyone against anyone, but especially of husbands against wives. Brethren, these things ought not to be.

- Jeffrey R. Holland, The Tongue of Angels

If any of us are imperfect, it is our duty to pray for the gift that will make us perfect. Have I imperfections? I am full of them. What is my duty? To pray to God to give me the gifts that will correct these imperfections. If I am an angry man, it is my duty to pray for charity, which suffereth long and is kind. Am I an envious man? It is my duty to seek for charity, which envieth not. So with all the gifts of the Gospel. They are intended for this purpose. No man ought to say, ‘Oh, I cannot help this; it is my nature.’ He is not justified in it, for the reason that God has promised to give strength to correct these things, and to give gifts that will eradicate them.

- George Q. Cannon (Millennial Star, 23 Apr. 1894, 260)

4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

- 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Also, I believe it is important to look for these gifts in other people all around us. Once we recognize that everyone has spiritual gifts, it becomes easier to treat everyone like a child of God no matter their situation in life.

There will never be honesty in the business world, in the schools, in the home, or anyplace else until there is honesty in the heart.

- Richard C. Edgley, “Three Towels and a 25-cent Newspaper,” Ensign, Nov. 2006, 73-74

Imagine a world where everyone is honest … wow. Think about how much more amazing the Internet could be without having to worry about liars, crooks, and mean people. Think about how much more help we could give the needy if we didn’t also have to worry about crooks. Honestly starts with each individual person. Be honest. Teach your children to be honest. And don’t stand for dishonestly anywhere you see it.

It is necessary that all [people] should exercise their powers of reason and reflection, and thoroughly understand why they take the course which God points out. Intelligent obedience on the part of His Saints is desired by our Father in Heaven.

- Wilford Woodruff

Rules are a product of reason, and reason is paramount, and so the rules can be broken if you have a very good reason for doing so.

- Tom Clancy, “Red Robbin”

It is also a house of glory. This must come next in order. And what is glory? How do you generate that intangible quantity? Glory, we are told, is intelligence. (D&C 93:36). Can we be more specific? That says it all, but what is intelligence? Intelligence is defined as problem-solving ability, i.e. intelligence is as intelligence does. What problem does it solve? It is the supremely difficult problem of endowing weak and foolish man with immortality and eternal life. God says this is his “work and his glory – to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39) – that we return to his presence and with him partake of eternal life and exaltation. Since his glory is intelligence, he shares it with us. Glory is shared intelligence. The temple is certainly the place for that.

- Hugh Nibley (House of Glory)

There are some among us who are unhappy with their lives because they have wanted to achieve a measure of greatness in this life but now feel they have failed in some fundamental way. . . .

[Joseph F. Smith wrote:] ‘Those things which we call extraordinary, remarkable, or unusual may make history, but they do not make real life. ‘After all, to do well those things which God ordained to be the common lot of all mankind, is the truest greatness. To be a successful father or a successful mother is greater than to be a successful general or a successful statesman.’ (Juvenile Instructor, 15 Dec. 1905, p. 752.) . . .

True greatness is never a result of a chance occurrence or a one-time effort or achievement. It requires the development of character. It requires a multitude of correct decisions for the everyday choices between good and evil.

- Howard W. Hunter, “True Greatness,” Ensign, May 1982, 19-20

Symbols are the timeless and universal language in which God, in his wisdom, has chosen to teach his gospel and bear witness of his Son. They are the language of the scriptures, the language of revelation, the language of the Spirit, the language of faith. They are a language in which all gospel covenants and ordinances of salvation have been revealed. They are a means whereby we enrich, deepen, and enhance understanding and expression. They enable us to give visual and conceptual form to ideas and feelings that may otherwise defy the power of words. Symbols take us beyond the language of words, granting us an eloquence in the expression of feelings.

Symbols are the language of testimony. Such was the language in which the prophets of the Old Testament foretold the birth and ministry of Christ; such was the language in which the atoning sacrifice was foreshadowed and the resurrection foreknown. …

To be literate in the things of the Spirit is to be fluent in the language of symbols. …

Symbols are a dramatic and effective teaching device for those who have the Spirit, and a stone of stumbling and rock of offense for those who do not. An understanding of the gospel symbols enhances both the testimony and the ability to bear it. Symbolism is the language of inspired teaching and writing. It has ever been the language of prophecy and prophets. It is the language of the gospel, the means of communication between the Saints of all ages.

- Joseph Fielding McConkie (Gospel Symbolism)

There is no end to the good we can do, to the influence we can have with others. Let us not dwell on the critical or the negative. Let us pray for strength; let us pray for capacity and desire to assist others. Let us radiate the light of the gospel at all times and all places, that the Spirit of the Redeemer may radiate from us.

- Gordon B. Hinkley, “The Need for Greater Kindness,” Ensign, May 2006, 61

We should cherish and care for our children with unwavering dedication. The older we grow, the more precious our family becomes to us. We come to see more clearly that all of the wealth, honor, and positions of the world pale in significance when compared to the precious souls of our loved ones. You young parents who are beginning your families must guard against seeking financial gain, worldly comforts, or achievement at the expense of your children. You must guard against being so anxious to get to work or to a meeting that you do not have time for your family, especially time to listen to anxious little voices

We cannot and we must not allow the school, community, television, or even Church organizations to establish our children’s values. The Lord has placed this duty with mothers and fathers. It is one from which we cannot escape and one that cannot be delegated. Others may help, but parents remain accountable.

- M. Russell Ballard, “Teach the Children,” Ensign, May 1991, 79-80

01. Always look for the best in your partner. It takes a genuine effort to keep criticism, withdrawal, defensiveness and contempt out of your relationship, but it makes a big difference. If you have a negative attitude, studies show that you’ll have a slim chance of holding on to that relationship.

02. It’s really about making room for “the relationship” as the third component to what you might have thought only consisted of two parts, you and him. Let’s say you have a big decision to make and you’re really torn up about it. You should stop, take a deep breath and consider how it will affect your relationship. It can be hard because your first impulse is to think about how it will change your life right now. But the real question to ask yourself is: what is best for our union? When you and your partner are in conflict, step back and shift the way you both approach the issue. You want to resolve it based on how it will influence that entity—the relationship—first, even if it means you’ll be personally disappointed at that particular moment.

03. Women are especially guilty of expecting men to be exactly like them. But couples need to accept that it’s actually your differences that will maintain the passion in your marriage. In the beginning, you’re often attracted to your similarities, but as the relationship grows, it will be the contrasts that keep it interesting. Sure, it will challenge a couple, and ultimately force them to respond to each other in new ways, but it’s good to remember that humans are always in a state of flux, with things changing all the time. The more prepared you both are for adjustments, the smoother the ride will be.

04. People have no problem setting goals for themselves in their work life, with weight loss and fitness, and their financial status. Use rituals like anniversaries or New Year’s Eve to sit down and talk about relationship goals for the year. Dr. Love even has friends who renew their marriage contract every year after they’ve discussed their hopes for the coming year. Target simple things like being kinder to one another; a more attentive lover; or turning off the TV once a week to spend time talking to each other about the things you never have enough time to share. Then, as with any other goal you’ve reached: Make sure to celebrate your achievements.

05. Tit-for-tat is no way to keep a marriage strong. Emphasize equity, not equality, in your relationship, because it promotes all-around fairness and prevents scorekeeping. If you’re constantly nit-picking and keeping track of who gets what, you’re probably not looking at the big picture, which is about evenhandedness, not hardheadedness.

06. Women are often guilty of turning to their female friends for support, leaving their husbands missing out on their important feelings. When the shared intimacy that this dialogue can produce is directed outside the marriage, it’s almost a sort of infidelity. Sharing those deepest thoughts, dreams and ambition should belong solely inside the marriage. Keep some things just between you and your partner. There is a great amount of pride in a relationship when two partners resolve an issue in privacy, on their own.

07. Hang around with other couples who support your marriage. This means finding couples that you know are happy in their relationship and happy themselves. These couples are good role models, and set a good example of how you two should treat each other. Couples who are having difficulty will undercut your relationship, and marriage in general, often without realizing it. And it’s really easy to start behaving badly when other people around you are behaving badly. Rather, you want to surround yourself with friends who support the institution of marriage and truly believe in you as a couple.

08. There’s no better proof of your love than displaying it in tangible ways. Happy, stable couples show their love on a regular basis with many acts of kindness each day. It’s the little gestures that go a long way. You should both ask yourself: Do I smile at him? Do I offer him coffee when I pour myself a cup? Do I cook her dinner when I know she’s had a really long day? Do I take the dog for a long walk so she can have some time to herself? This will nourish the love between you, showing your partner how much you care.

09. Whether it’s about fly-fishing, golf, or music, it’s vital to accept what your partner is passionate about in life. It’s also crucial to encourage him to keep up those favorite pastimes—and for you to try and share in that interest. Research shows that couples who make sacrifices for each other’s kicks in life have the stronger relationships. So make sure you’re open about your own irresistible urges in life because, psst, passion is contagious. When one partner gets revved up about something, it often gets passed along.

10. Do you really know what he or she wants in life? To know the answer is a key to a successful union. It’s easy to project your own ideas of what you like onto your mate, but that’s missing the point. If you really want to make your partner happy, take the time to discover the little thing that will make them happy and then give it. It makes a person feel loved and appreciated, letting them know you truly understand what they desire. Think like a detective in your relationship and learn what makes your partner tick. Figuratively or literally, wrap it up in a pretty bow and give it as a gift.

I *think* this is the source: Summer 2003 Elegant Bride—as told by Dr. Pat Love to Kimberly Stevens

To receive the blessings of the sealing that our Heavenly Father has given to us, we have to keep the commandments and conduct ourselves in such a way that our families will want to live with us in the eternities. The family relationships we have here on this earth are important, but they are much more important for their effect on our families for generations in mortality and throughout all eternity.

…

While our individual salvation is based on our individual obedience, it is equally important that we understand that we are each an important and integral part of a family and the highest blessings can be received only within an eternal family. When families are functioning as designed by God, the relationships found therein are the most valued of mortality. The plan of the Father is that family love and companionship will continue into the eternities. Being one in a family carries a great responsibility of caring, loving, lifting, and strengthening each member of the family so that all can righteously endure to the end in mortality and dwell together throughout eternity. It is not enough just to save ourselves. It is equally important that parents, brothers, and sisters are saved in our families. If we return home alone to our Heavenly Father, we will be asked, ‘Where is the rest of the family?’ This is why we teach that families are forever. The eternal nature of an individual becomes the eternal nature of the family.

- Elder Robert D. Hales (“The Eternal Family,” Ensign, Nov. 1996, 65)

We are often reminded that Moroni “did not delight in the shedding of blood” and would do anything to avoid it, repeatedly urging his people to make covenants of peace and to preserve them by faith and prayer. He refused to talk about “the enemy.” For him they were always “our brethren,” misled by the traditions of their fathers. He fought them only with heavy reluctance, and he never invaded their lands, even when they threatened intimate invasion of his own. He never felt threatened, since he trusted absolutely in the Lord. At the slightest sign of weakening by an enemy in battle, Moroni would instantly propose a discussion to put an end to the fighting. The idea of total victory was alien to him–no revenge, no punishment, no reprisals, no reparations, even for an aggressor who had ravaged his country. He would send the beaten enemy home after battle, accepting their word for good behavior or inviting them to settle on Nephite lands, even when he knew he was taking a risk. Even his countrymen who fought against him lost their lives only while opposing him on the field of battle. There were no firing-squads, and former conspirators and traitors had only to agree to support his popular army to be reinstated. With Alma, he insisted that conscientious objectors keep their oaths and not go to war even when he desperately needed their help. Always concerned to do the decent thing, he would never take what he called an unfair advantage of an enemy. Devoid of personal ambition, the moment the war was over he “yielded up the command of his armies . . . and he retired to his own house . . . in peace” (Alma 62:43), though as the national hero he could have had any office or honor. For his motto was, “I seek not for power” (Alma 60:36), and as to rank he thought of himself only as one of the despised and outcast of Israel. If all this sounds a bit too idealistic, may I remind you that there really have been such men in history, hard as that is to imagine today.

- Hugh Nibley (“Leaders to Managers: The Fatal Shift” )

At the present time, that grand old lady of the Navy, Captain Grace Hopper (the oldest commissioned officer in the Navy), is calling our attention to the contrasting and conflicting natures of management and leadership. No one, she says, ever managed men into battle. She wants more emphasis in teaching leadership. But leadership can no more be taught than creativity or how to be a genius. The Generalstab tried desperately for a hundred years to train up a generation of leaders for the German army; but it never worked, because the men who delighted their superiors, i.e., the managers, got the high commands, while the men who delighted the lower ranks, i.e., the leaders, got reprimands.

Leaders are movers and shakers, original, inventive, unpredictable, imaginative, full of surprises that discomfit the enemy in war and the main office in peace. For the managers are safe, conservative, predictable, conforming organization men and team players, dedicated to the establishment.

The leader, for example, has a passion for equality. We think of great generals from David and Alexander on down, sharing their beans or maza with their men, calling them by their first names, marching along with them in the heat, sleeping on the ground, and being first over the wall. A famous ode by a long-suffering Greek soldier, Archilochus, reminds us that the men in the ranks are not fooled for an instant by the executive type who thinks he is a leader.

For the manager, on the other hand, the idea of equality is repugnant and even counterproductive. Where promotion, perks, privilege, and power are the name of the game, awe and reverence for rank is everything, the inspiration and motivation of all good men. Where would management be without the inflexible paper processing, dress standards, attention to proper social, political, and religious affiliation, vigilant watch over habits and attitudes, that gratify the stockholders and satisfy security?

“If you love me,” said the greatest of all leaders, “you will keep my commandments. “If you know what is good for you,” says the manager, “you will keep my commandments and not make waves.” That is why the rise of management always marks the decline, alas, of culture. If the management does not go for Bach, very well, there will be no Bach in the meeting. If the management favors vile sentimental doggerel verse extolling the qualities that make for success, young people everywhere will be spouting long trade-journal jingles from the stand. If the management’s taste in art is what will sell–trite, insipid, folksy kitsch–that is what we will get. If management finds maudlin, saccharine commercials appealing, that is what the public will get. If management must reflect the corporate image in tasteless, trendy new buildings, down come the fine old pioneer monuments.

To Parkinson’s Law, which shows how management gobbles up everything else, he added what he calls the “Law of Injelitance”: Managers do not promote individuals whose competence might threaten their own position; and so as the power of management spreads ever wider, the quality deteriorates (if that is possible). In short, while management shuns equality, it feeds on mediocrity.

On the other hand, leadership is an escape from mediocrity. All the great deposits of art, science, and literature from the past, on which all civilization has been nourished, come to us from a mere handful of leaders. For the qualities of leadership are the same in all fields, the leader being simply the one who sets the highest example; and to do that and open the way to greater light and knowledge, the leader must break the mold. “A ship in port is safe,” says Captain Hopper speaking of management, “but that is not what ships were built for,” she says, calling for leadership.

… True leaders are inspiring because they are inspired, caught up in a higher purpose, devoid of personal ambition, idealistic, and incorruptible.

There is necessarily some of the manager in every leader (what better example than Brigham Young himself?), as there should be some of the leader in every manager. Speaking in the temple to the temple management, the scribes and pharisees all in their official robes, the Lord chided them for one-sidedness: They kept careful accounts of the most trivial sums brought into the temple; but in their dealings they neglected fair play, compassion, and good faith, which happen to be the prime qualities of leadership.

The Lord insisted that both states of mind are necessary, and that is important: “These ought ye to have done [speaking of the bookkeeping], and not to leave the other undone.” But it is the blind leading the blind, he continues, who reverse priorities, who “strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel” (Matthew 23:23-24). So vast is the discrepancy between management and leadership that only a blind man would get them backwards. Yet that is what we do. In that same chapter of Matthew, the Lord tells the same men that they do not really take the temple seriously, while the business contracts registered in the temple they do take very seriously indeed (Matthew 23:16-18). I am told of a meeting of very big businessmen in a distant place, who happened also to be the heads of stakes, where they addressed the problem of “How to stay awake in the temple.” For them what is done in the house of the Lord is a mere quota-filling until they can get back to the real work of the world.

- Hugh Nibley (“Leaders to Managers: The Fatal Shift” )

Fasting is the most effective way to slacken the grasp of this telestial world on the mind and to move toward another ambiance. To fast is to do without some normal necessities; your everyday considerations must be put aside because you will be doing other things that require a totally different mind set. To fast is to disengage from the temporal and wasteful activities of the “real world.”- Hugh Nibley (“House of Glory“)

1 HEAR, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven,

2 A people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak!

3 Understand therefore this day, that the LORD thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee.

4 Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee.

5 Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

6 Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.

7 Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst the LORD thy God to wrath in the wilderness: from the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt, until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the LORD

- Deuteronomy 9

Acid Free, Worry Free
Chris McAfee
Ensign, Apr. 2006, 70

Permanently preserving records was of utmost concern even anciently, when words were engraved. Jacob recorded, “But whatsoever things we write upon anything save it be upon plates must perish and vanish away” (Jacob 4:2). Though we don’t engrave our records today, we can still take some precautions to preserve our documents. As an archive preservation specialist for the Church, I recommend the following preservation tips for journals and other important paper documents.

Pens. Use waterproof, fade-proof pens when handwriting any information.

Paper. Use acid-free, lignin-free paper. Most modern papers are expected to last quite a while, but bond paper is still considered to be the best.

Digital. Don’t expect digital documents (computer generated) to last. Currently, it is safe to assume that “modern” storage methods—hard drives, floppy disks, compact discs, and other digital media—will be outdated after 10 years. Even with saved backups, the best option is to print your word documents onto acid-free paper with an ink-jet printer using pigmented inks (nonpigmented inks are not permanent) or with a laser printer.

Storage. Since direct contact with nonarchival items can harm your documents, protect them in containers made from archival materials. Boxes, folders, and other paper containers should be acid and lignin free. Polyethylene plastic containers are also good, especially if you are preserving photos. Plastic sleeves should also be polyethylene, polyester, or polypropylene—never acetate or vinyl. Also, when possible, avoid using vinyl three-ring binders. Store items in dark, cool, dry areas. Avoid contact with sunlight and fluorescent lighting and areas where water may be a concern. Storage conditions are especially important when you consider today’s current household printing methods. Ink-jet-printed documents will smear when wet, and laser-printed pages will stick together under hot conditions.

Though paper isn’t as permanent as the ancient plates, we can still prepare lasting records in the hope that “our children will receive them with thankful hearts” (Jacob 4:3).

The story of Joseph is full of valuable lessons and types and shadows of the life and purpose of Jesus Christ. These verses in particular touched my heart. Please take a few minutes to read through a few of the chapters leading up to these verses to get a better sense of context and meaning. To me, these verses show not only Joseph’s incredible faith, but also his understanding of the will of God and his humble submission to that same will.

And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

- Genesis 45:4-5

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.

Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

- This proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

13 And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. 14 Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. 15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? 16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. 18 And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

- 2 Kings 6:13-18

31 And after the angel had departed, Laman and Lemuel again began to murmur, saying: How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us? [next chapter] 1 And it came to pass that I spake unto my brethren, saying: Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands?

- 1 Nephi 3:31, 1 Nephi 4:1

Get all the education you can. … I do not care what you want to be as long as it is honorable. A care mechanic, a brick layer, a plumber, an electrician, a doctor, a lawyer, a merchant, but not a thief. … If it means sacrifice, then sacrifice. That sacrifice will become the best investment you have ever made, for you will reap returns from it all the days of your lives.

- Gordon B. Hinckley

8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

- Exodus 20

Sometimes Sabbath observance is characterized as a matter of sacrifice and self-denial, but it is not so. … The Sabbath is a holy day in which to do worthy and holy things. Abstinence from work and recreation is important, but insufficient. The Sabbath calls for constructive thoughts and acts. … To observe it, one will be on his knees in prayer, preparing lessons, studying the gospel, meditating, visiting the ill and distressed, writing letters to missionaries, taking a nap, reading wholesome material, and attending all the meetings of that day which he is expected.

- Spencer W. Kimball

Every person who lives in this world wields an influence, whether for good or for evil. It is not what he says alone, it is not alone what he does. It is what he is. Every man, every person radiates what he or she is. Every person is a recipient of radiation. The Savior was conscious of that. Whenever he came into the presence of an individual, he sensed that radiation — whether it was the woman of Samaria with her past life; whether it was the woman who was to be stoned or the men who were to stone her; whether it was the statesman, Nicodemus, or one of the lepers. He was conscious of the radiation from the individual. And to a degree so are you, and so am I. It is what we are and what we radiate that affects the people around us.

… As individuals, we must think nobler thoughts. We must not encourage vile thoughts or low aspirations. We shall radiate them if we do. If we think noble thoughts, if we encourage and cherish noble aspirations, there will be that radiation when we meet people, especially when we associate with them.

The effect of our words and acts is tremendous in this world. Every moment of life you are changing to a degree the lives of the whole world. … the thing that will influence [others] in this world, are personalities. No matter what you are people will feel and recognize this. You radiate, you can’t hide it. You may pretend somethine else, but that will not affect people.

It is important … that we seek, both in life and in books, the companionship of the best and the noblest men and women. [Thomas] Carlyle, a great English writer, says that “Great men taken up in any way are profitable company. We cannot look, however imperfectly, upon a great man, without gaining something by him. He is the living ‘light-fountain,’ which is good and pleasant to be near.”

If you will study the lives of these great “light-fountains” of the world, you will learn of at least one thing that has made their names endure. It is this: Each one has given something of his life to make the world better. They did not spend all their time seeking only pleasure and ease, and a “good time” for themselves alone, but found their greatest joy in making others happy and more comfortable. All such good deeds live forever, even though the world may never hear of them.

No good deed, no kind word can be spoken without its effect being felt for good upon all. Sometimes the good may be infinitesimal, but as a rock that is thrown in a pool starts a wave from the center which continues to enlarge untile very part of the shore is touched, so your deeds, silent, many of them, unknown, unspoken unheralded, continue to radiate and touch many hearts.

Our homes radiate what we are, and that radiation come from what we say and how we act in the home. … You have to contribute to an ideal home by your character, controlling your passion, your temper, guarding your speech, because those things will make your home what it is and what it will radiate to the neighborhood. …

…

The Savior set us the example, always calm, always controlled, radiating something which people could feel as they passed. … God help u radiate strength, control, love, charity, which is another name for love, consideration, best wishes for all human beings.

- David O. McKay

Before addressing each of these texts, I would like to make some brief observations about the principle of tolerance. You may be interested to know that the word “tolerance” traces back to merry old England at a time when they were experimenting with drugs and poison. The idea was to see how much they could administer to a person without killing him. Your level of “tolerance” was measured by the amount of poison you could endure before it killed you.

When I was a young man, tolerance meant that we treated those with whom we disagreed with civility. It did not mean that we were obligated to accept their point of view. To many of the young people in my classes today, it means that we are to be non-judgmental, holding all men and all ideas to be equal and that it is morally wrong to say that something is morally wrong. It is not an unusual thing to have students cover willful disobedience in the blanket of God’s love and to advance the idea of a universal salvation that sounds dangerously like that advocated by Lucifer in the councils of heaven.

- Joseph Fielding McConkie

On a more serious note, I believe there is a need for us all to exercise a great deal more control over what we say because what we say is strong indication of who we truly are. Here are a few lines from one of my favorite passages in the scriptures about this topic.

2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. … 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; … 9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

- The Epistle of James, Chapter 3, in the New Testament

Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth the man.

- Matt. 15:11

… but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

- 1 Tim. 4:12

… there is an evil and growing habit of profanity and the use of foul and filthy language. I do not hesitate to say that it is wrong, seriously wrong, for any young man ordained to the priesthood of God to be guilty of such. … Foul talk defiles the man who speaks it. … stay out of the gutter of your conversation. Foul talk defiles the man who speaks it.

If you have the habit, how do you break it? You begin by making a decision to change. The next time you are prone to use words you know to be wrong, simply stop. Keep quiet or say what you have to say in a different way. As you practice such restraint, it will become easy.

… course and lewd words are incompatible with one’s calling as a believer in Christ. … in our dialogues with others we must be an example of the believer. Conversation is the substance of friendly social activity. It can be happy. It can be light. It can be earnest. It can be funny. But it must not be salty, or uncouth, or foul if one is in sincerity a believer in Christ.

Don’t swear. Don’t profane. Avoid so-called dirty jokes. Stay away from conversation that is sprinkled with foul and filthy words. You will be happier if you do so, and your example will give strength to others.

- Gordon B. Hinckley

The habit, which some young people fall into, of using vulgarity and profanity … is not only offensive to well-bred persons, but it is a gross sin in the sight of God …

- James R. Clark (First Presidency, 1887)

I encourage you all to take up “The Dirt Challenge” in an attempt to be less offensive to each other and to God. Use the word “dirt” instead of swearing. And then once you have mastered the substitution, I would further challenge and encourge you to replace the word “dirt” with something more worthy of who we are, children of God.

I have always been curious about prophesies of the “last days”. From time to time as I read the scriptues I come across some of these prophesies. I do not intend to intrepret the meaning here, but simply point out these prophesies. It is my hope that those of you who read this post will begin or continue to think about what kind of person you want to be should these prohesies prove to be true.

1 BUT, behold, in the last days, or in the days of the Gentiles yea, behold all the nations of the Gentiles and also the Jews, both those who shall come upon this land and those who shall be upon other lands, yea, even upon all the lands of the earth, behold, they will be drunken with iniquity and all manner of abominations.

2 And when that day shall come they shall be visited of the Lord of Hosts, with thunder and with earthquake, and with a great noise, and with storm, and with tempest, and with the flame of devouring fire.

- 2 Nephi 27:1-2 (Isaiah 29)

In the news every day there are numerous stories about natural disasters, heinous crimes, and terrorism. Our laws and our society are becoming weaker while evil people around us are becoming “drunken with iniquity”.

There is no mystery about how to make money. It does not require a top paying job or luck in the lottery. The answer is simple and a bit boring: Save and invest ten percent of your income, before you receive it, by having it channeled automatically into a savings account. Do this now. It is the only reliable method and, thanks to the miracle of compound interest, it never fails. If you don’t do this, forget about making money.

- Richard Koch

A person’s reaction to his appetites and impulses when they are aroused gives the measure of that person’s character. In such reactions are revealed the man’s power to govern, or his forced servility to yield.

- David O. McKay

35 And all they who suffer persecution for my name, and endure in faith, though they are called to lay down their lives for my sake yet shall they partake of all this glory. 36 Wherefore, fear not even unto death; for in this world your joy is not full, but in me your joy is full. 37 Therefore, care not for the body, neither the life of the body; but care for the soul, and for the life of the soul. 38 And seek the face of the Lord always, that in patience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life.

- D&C 101: 35-38

Have I not told you often that the separation of body and spirit makes no difference in the moral and intellectual condition of the spirit? When a person, who has always been good and faithful to God, lays down his body in the dust, his spirit will remain the same in the spirit world. It is not the body that has control over the spirit, as to its disposition, but it is the spirit that controls the body. When the spirit leaves the body, the body becomes lifeless. The spirit has not changed one single particle of itself by leaving the body.

- President Heber C. Kimball

One of the greatest errors in the teachings of the Christian religions is the doctrine of one heaven and one hell, so that all who go to heaven share alike, and all who fail to go to heaven are sent to hell where they share alike.

This thought has led many to feel that while their lives may not be all they should be, they are as good as, or better than, the average. Thus they feel that all will be well with them. If this doctrine be true, it is obvious that a line would have to be drawn somewhere, and the closer one came to the line the less would be the difference or distinction between those who would cross the line and enter heaven and those who would not quite qualify, and therefore would be sent to hell. Such a doctrine does not have the motivating and stimulating power to impel or encourage men to do the best they can, but rather to satisfy themselves by doing as well as the average man. Such a doctrine places no value on anything more than average devotion and obedience to the commandments of the Lord, or the development of one’s talents and their useful devotion to his service.

- Elder LeGrand Richards (A Marvelous Work & A Wonder, p253)

D&C 98:1-2 1 VERILY I say unto you my friends, fear not, let your hearts be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks; 2 Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, … 3 … and all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name’s glory, saith the Lord.It is a relatively simple thing to pour out gratitude to God when the cup is full, the harvest plenteous, the peace secure; but it is much more challenging to have the faith to believe that even in adversity and persecution, even in times of darkness and devastation, the Lord’s hand is in it for the benefit of his children. The promise that all things work for the good of the righteous is repeated in several other places: D&C 90:24, D&C 100:15, Deut. 6:24, Romans 8:28.

The meaning is that even the evil designs of men, in the hands of the Masterworkman, will turn out for the benefit of the people of God, and for His glory. The divine Will overrules all things for the final good of his children. …

- Smith and Sjodahl, Commentary, pg. 616

I do not know if this story is true or not; however I do like its message.

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. “I’ve gone for 30 years now,” he wrote, “and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them.. So, I think I’m wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all.”

This started a real controversy in the “Letters to the Editor” column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

“I’ve been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this… They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!”

- Unknown

31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

- John 6

Be Not Deceived (Paraphrased below)
Elder Dallin H. Oaks
General Conference, October 2004

Satan and his followers are still deceiving the world. Satan’s methods are enticing: music, movies, other media, the glitter of a good time, etc. When Satan’s lies succeed in deceiving us, we become vulnerable to his power. What the devil portrays as fun can be spiritualy fatal. The deceiver seeks to destroy your spirituality. We must never take things into our bodies or do things with our bodies that drive away the Spirit of the Lord and leave us without our spiritual protection against deception.

Satan’s Lies: 01) There is no need for a Savior or His gospel. 02) There is no such thing as sin; there is no devil; there is no hell. This lie typically starts off with what seems to be only a small departure: “Just try it once.” These departues often lead to addiction, a condition in which we surrender part of our power of choice. 03) All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well. This occurs when we are confident in our own prosperity and conclude that God must have accepted our chosen route and when we rely on the mercy of God and ignore His justice.

Scripture References:
Moses 4:4,
Eph. 4:14,
D&C 50:2-3,
Matt. 24:4-5,
3 Nephi 2:2,
2 Nephi 28:21-22,
2 Nephi 28:7-9,
2 Tim. 3:1-4,
2 Tim. 3:13,
1 Cor. 6:9-10,
Mormon 5:8,
D&C 38:7,
Gal. 6:7-8,
Alma 42:22-25,
Alma 34:16,
2 Tim. 3:14-15,
D&C 45:57,
D&C 59:8-9,
D&C 59:12,
D&C 20:77,
John 14:26,
John 15:26,
John 16:13,
3 Nephi 11:32,
3 Nephi 11:36,
D&C 46:7-8,
James 1:22,
Mosiah 4:10,
D&C 78:7

… the reward of observance of the law is not altogether postponed to a future on the other side of the grave. Building of the kingdom involves some very practical things. It is not altogether concerned with the non-material lying out in the ethereal realm. The building of meeting-houses, places of worship, schools, temples, for example, clearly is for spiritual purposes. But they involve a large element of the material. They are essential to the building up of the Kingdom of God. And where would you classify the beautifying of your home; the making of refined surroundings? It is necessary to provide the things that sustain life, to master the arts and crafts and trades that meet the needs of progress and improvement. I do not think I can find the line that divides the spiritual from the temporal.

- Albert E. Bowen, Conference Report, April 1951, p. 124

Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law to do your business by the voice of the people. And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land.

- Mosiah 29:26-27

Endure to the End (Paraphrased below)
Elder Robert D. Hales
Ensign, May 1998, 77

Everyone has something they must learn to master. Some are just more obvious than others.

We are taught in the scriptures that there must be opposition in all things (see 2 Ne. 2:11). It is not a question of if we are ready for the tests; it is a matter of when. We must prepare to be ready for tests that will present themselves without warning. The basic requirements for enduring to the end include knowing who we are, children of God with a desire to return to His presence after mortality; understanding the purpose of life, to endure to the end and obtain eternal life; and living obediently with a desire and a determination to endure all things, having eternal vision.

Eternal vision allows us to overcome opposition in our temporal state and, ultimately, achieve the promised rewards and blessings of eternal life. If we are patient in our afflictions, endure them well, and wait upon the Lord to learn the lessons of mortality, the Lord will be with us to strengthen us unto the end of our days: He that shall [faithfully] endure unto the end, the same shall be saved (Mark 13:13) and return with honor to our Heavenly Father.

We learn to endure to the end by learning to finish our current responsibilities, and we simply continue doing it all of our lives. We cannot expect to learn endurance in our later years if we have developed the habit of quitting when things get difficult now.

There is more to endurance than just surviving and waiting for the end to overtake us. To endure to the end takes great faith. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus fell on his face, and 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). It takes great faith and courage to pray to our Heavenly Father, Not as I will, but as thou wilt. The faith to believe in the Lord and endure brings great strength. Some may say if we have enough faith, we can sometimes change the circumstances that are causing our trials and tribulations. Is our faith to change circumstances, or is it to endure them? Faithful prayers may be offered to change or moderate events in our life, but we must always remember that when concluding each prayer, there is an understanding: Thy will be done (Matt. 26:42). Faith in the Lord includes trust in the Lord. The faith to endure well is faith based upon accepting the Lord’s will and the lessons learned in the events that transpire. As we put our faith in the Lord and keep our focus on the eternities, we will be blessed to be able to accept whatever trial we are given, for life on earth, as we know it, is only temporary, and, if we endure it well, the Lord has promised us: And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God (D&C 14:7).

As individuals, we do not know when the end of mortality will come. We need to develop the ability to endure and complete our responsibilities of today, however difficult the days ahead may be. May we be able to say as Paul said to Timothy, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept [my] faith (2 Tim. 4:7). Behold, we count them happy which endure (James 5:11). There is nothing that we are enduring that Jesus does not understand, and He waits for us to go to our Heavenly Father in prayer.

… the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness. … That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves … We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion. …

Persuasion, Long-suffering, Gentleness, Meekness, Love Unfeigned, Kindness, Pure Knowledge, Reprove With Sharpness (when moved upon by the spirit, then show an increase in love) … let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. … The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.

- D&C 121

He that is ordained of God and sent forth, the same is appointed to be the greatest, notwithstanding he is the least and the servant of all.

- D&C 50:26

Tolerance is the virtue of a man without convictions.

- G.K. Chesterton

When it comes to leaders we have, if anything, a superabundance, hundreds of Pied Pipers ready and anxious to lead the population. They are scurrying around, collecting consensus, gathering as wide an acceptance as possible. But what they are not doing, very notably, is standing still and saying, This is what I believe. This I will do and that I will not do. This is my code of behavior and that is outside it. This is excellent and that is trash. There is an abdication of moral leadership in the sense of a general unwillingness to state standards. Of all the ills that our poor society is heir to, the focal one, it seems to me, from which so much of our uneasiness and confusion derive, is the absence of standards. We are too unsure of ourselves to assert them, to stick by them, if necessary in the case of persons who occupy positions of authority, to impose them. We seem to be afflicted by a widespread and eroding reluctance to take any stand on any values, moral, behavioral or esthetic.

- Barbara W. Tuchman (a Pulitzer Prize winning historian)

These standards have come from Him. Some of them may appear a little out-of-date in our society, but this does not detract from their validity nor diminish the virtue of their application. The subtle reasoning of men, no matter how clever, no matter how plausible it may sound, cannot abridge the declared wisdom of God. Our adherence to these divinely given standards need never be an offensive thing to those about us. We need not contend with them. But if we will pursue a steady course, our very example will become the most effective argument we could ever advance for the virtues of the cause with which we are associated. The Lord has given us counsel and commandment on so many things. He has established our guidelines concerning personal virtue, neighborliness, obedience to law, loyalty to government, observance of the Sabbath day, sobriety and abstinence from liquor and tobacco, the payment of tithes and offerings, the care of the poor, the cultivation of home and family, the sharing of the gospel to mention only a few. There need be nothing of argument or contention in any of them. If we will pursue a steady course in the implementation of our religion in our own lives, we shall advance the cause more effectively than by any other means. There may be those who will seek to tempt us away. There may be those who will try to bait us. We may be disparaged. We may be belittled. We may be inveighed against. We may be caricatured before the world. There are those … who would compel us to change our position on some matters, as if it were our prerogative to usurp authority which belongs alone to God. We have no desire to quarrel with others. We teach the gospel of peace. But we cannot forsake the word of the Lord as it has come to us through men whom we have sustained as prophets. We must stand and say, to quote again the words of affirmation recommended by Barbara Tuchman: “This is what I believe. This I will do and that I will not do. This is my code of behavior and that is outside it.” There may be times of discouragement and deep concern. There certainly will be days of decision in the lives of each of us. It was ever thus.

- Gordon B. Hinckley

Staying Power (Paraphrased below)
Elder L. Tom Perry
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Ensign, July 2003, 40

John Wooden, the legendary basketball coach at the University of California, Los Angeles, was a man who understood what it takes to succeed. In his 40 years of coaching, he worked at UCLA for 27 years, during which his teams never had a losing season. In fact, he led his teams to 10 national championships in his last 12 years at UCLA. Coach Wooden cited some of the reasons for his “staying power”: “I emphasized constant improvement and steady performance. I have often said, ‘The mark of a true champion is to always perform near your own level of competency.’” The well-known coach commented that he probably scouted opponents less than any other coach he knew – less, in fact, than most high school coaches. Instead, he taught his players the basics, because he recognized that sound offensive and defensive principles would serve them well no matter what style of play they encountered. He was as concerned with a player’s character as he was with the player’s ability. “While it may be possible to reach the top of one’s profession on sheer ability, it is impossible to stay there without hard work and character.” Wooden looked for athletes who played a clean game and who were constantly trying to improve themselves in order to strengthen the team. “Then, if their ability warranted it,” he explained, “the championships would take care of themselves.”

Coach Wooden identified some important principles that were the bedrock of his championship teams. Perhaps we can apply those same principles as we work to better ourselves as a community of Saints.

First, consistently do your best with the talents your Father in Heaven has given you.

All of us are endowed with abundant talent, beauty, and ability. Our lack of productivity can never be blamed on a lack of raw material. Elder Richard L. Evans once wrote: “We know of no one in life who isn’t an Important Person. We know of no man on the street (or in the gutter, for that matter) who isn’t a child of God with the same rights and with the same relationship to his Father in heaven as all the rest of us have. “We know of no one, young or old, from infants to elderly individuals, whose past or whose potential we would want to appraise as being unimportant. We know of no one we might see in any public place-on subways or busses, or walking in shabby shoes-or any boy selling papers … who doesn’t have an inestimable, unknown potential, here and hereafter.”

Second, concentrate on the basics, because they are appropriate in any situation or season of life.

Coach Wooden taught basic principles to his players, guidelines like “Never give the outside to any forward who tries to drive around you.” The game of life is also governed by some basic principles. Two of the more important principles we live by are integrity and honesty. The Lord loves those who have integrity. He said about the Prophet’s brother Hyrum Smith, “Blessed is my servant Hyrum Smith; for I, the Lord, love him because of the integrity of his heart, and because he loveth that which is right before me, saith the Lord” (D&C 124:15). What is the meaning of integrity? We can find several definitions in the dictionary: rigid adherence to a code or standard of values; moral soundness, especially as it relates to steadfastness to truth, purpose, responsibility, or trust; moral and ethical strength; or the quality of being whole, complete, undivided. The Lord described Job as a man who was perfect and upright. As Job was suffering untold trials and tribulations, his wife said to him, “Dost thou still retain thine integrity?” (Job 2:9). Even with all his problems and challenges, Job “sinned not” (Job 1:22). And the Lord said, “There is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil … and still he holdeth fast his integrity” (Job 2:3). When Job’s friends falsely accused him of sin, he said: “All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils; My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit. God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go” (Job 27:3-6). Job invited judgment from God so “that God may know mine integrity” (Job 31:6). Job’s conscience was clear, for he knew he was honest and upright in all of his endeavors, and he would never compromise his integrity.

Third, worry more about developing sound character than about building reputation.

We become what we think and do. Habits mold our character. Good habits are not acquired from good intentions only; they are developed in the workshop of our daily lives. They are fashioned in the often uneventful, commonplace routines of life and strengthened by practice. Brigham Young University president Ernest L. Wilkinson once said: “Good character is not something to be obtained by ease and indulgence, or by something socially agreeable. It cannot be acquired by absorption or by proxy, or on the auction block. It is a reward derived from honest trial in overcoming difficulties. We grow by mastering tasks which others consider to be impossible.” The prophets through the ages have counseled and encouraged each of us to develop a sound character. Paul’s warning to the Galatians applies to all of us: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Gal. 6:7-9). If we sow seeds of decency and goodness, the fruits of our honest labors will be blessings in heaven. Hold fast to those basic principles that are tried and true. Consistently develop your talents, protect and preserve your honesty and integrity, and build a sound character.

The Unjust Steward (Paraphrased below)
Elder Tsung-Ting Yang, Area Authority Seventy
July 2003 Ensign, pg. 28

Those who are spiritually strong need to give proper attention to the temporal affairs in their lives. “For the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light” (Luke 16:8). “Worldly-minded men do not neglect provision for their future years, … while the ‘children of light,’ or those who believe spiritual wealth to be above all earthly possesions, are less energetic, prudent, or wise. … Emulate the unjust steward and the lovers of mammon [money], not in their dishonesty, cupidity, and misery hoarding of the wealth that is at best transitory, but in their zeal, forethought, and provision for the future” (Elder James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed., pg. 463-62).

When possible the righteous should be friends, not enemies, with people in positions of authority or wealth, for someday those friends may assist the righteous and the kingdom of God. “Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations” (Luke 16:9; D&C 82:22).

Those who wisely manage their temporal affairs are also more likely to manage their spiritual affairs. “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much … And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?” (Luke 16:10,12; D&C 51:19).

Obedience to God is much more important than making money. “Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13; D&C 56:16-17]). Example: not working on Sundays.

Parable of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1-12)
There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.

And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was not the steward’s dishonesty that was extolled; his prudence and foresight were commended…. The lesson may be summed up in this wise: Make such use of your wealth as shall insure you friends hereafter. Be diligent; for the day in which you can use your earthly riches will soon pass. Take a lesson from even the dishonest and the evil; if they are so prudent as to provide for the only future they think of, how much more should you, who believe in an eternal future, provide therefor! If you have not learned wisdom and prudence in the use of ‘unrighteous mammon,’ how can you be trusted with the more enduring riches? If you have not learned how to use properly the wealth of another, whch has been committed to you as steward, how can you expect to be successful in the handling of great wealth should such be given you as your own? Emulate the unjust steward and the lovers of mammon, not in their dishonesty, cupidity, and miserly hoarding of the wealth that is at best but transitory, but in their zeal, forethought, and provision for the future.

- Elder James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, pg. 463-464

For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. … And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. … But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. … For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

- James 3

In order to control what we say, we must first control what is in our hearts. The desires of the heart directly influence the words of the mouth and ultimately the actions of the body.

One day, a small opening appeared in a cocoon; a man sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then, it seems to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could not go any further. So the man decided to help the butterfly: he took a pair of scissors and opened the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a withered body, it was tiny and had shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would open, enlarge and expand, to be able to support the butterfly’s body, and become firm. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a withered body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and his goodwill did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening, were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings, so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes, struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as we could have been. Never been able to fly.

- Unknown

Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;”

- Isaiah 54:2

It has always been my desire to have a home where people want to be (including family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers).

I believe we existed in a spiritual form before we were born. I believe in Adam and Eve and in the Garden of Eden.

I believe that God reveals his will to us through revelation and inspiration. I believe the words of the Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price.

I believe in Prophets including a living Prophet.

I believe that God answers our prayers. I believe that my prayers have been answered by God many times.

I believe in the Holy Ghost and the Light of Christ which inspire men to do good.

I believe that Jehovah created the Earth under the authority of God. I believe that Jesus Christ is Jehovah. I believe that Jesus Christ walked the Earth and atoned for our sins. I believe that it is through His great atonement that we can be forgiven of our sins and return to God.

I believe that Satan is real and seeks to destroy the souls of all men. I believe that we are in a real and literal war against Satan. I believe that we have the power and ability to win this war.

I believe in the Priesthood, the authority to act in God’s name.

I believe that the family unit (a man, a woman and their children) is sacred and eternal.

I believe that we will continue to exist after we die. I believe that we must perform some physical ordinances in order to prepare ourselves for the next life. I believe in baptism. I believe in temples and in the ordinance work performed in temples.

I believe this life is a test. I believe that we will be resurrected and our life will be judged.

– Maxwell J. Drown