Word of Wisdom Quotes

• ·         "Obeying the Word of Wisdom gave our members, especially our youth, a preventive inoculation against drug use and the resulting health problems and moral hazards. Unfortunately, there appears to be a resurgence of drug use in our own day. Living the Word of Wisdom today will free you from some of the most serious dangers you can face in this life."

o  Elder Quentin L. Cook "Give Heed Unto the Prophet's Words" General Conference April 2008

• ·         "My patriarchal blessing counseled: “Guard and protect [your body]—take nothing into it that shall harm the organs thereof because it is sacred. It is the instrument of your mind and the foundation of your character” (patriarchal blessing of Boyd K. Packer, 15 Jan. 1944, 1).  I found in the Word of Wisdom a principle with a promise. The principle: Care for your body; avoid habit-forming stimulants, tea, coffee, tobacco, liquor, and drugs (see D&C 89:3–9). Such addictive things do little more than relieve a craving which they caused in the first place.  The promise: Those who obey will receive better health (see D&C 89:18) and “great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures”

o  Boyd K. Packer "Ye Are the Temples of God" General Conference October 200

• ·         "The Word of Wisdom is one of the recognized and distinctive practices of members of the Church. Generally, others not of our faith acknowledge that members in good standing abstain from tobacco, coffee, tea, and all alcoholic beverages.  Scientific studies have confirmed that Latter-day Saints have less incidence of heart problems, all forms of cancer, and other diseases because of their adherence to the Word of Wisdom.  These studies have demonstrated that not only will one live a longer life, but also that the quality of one’s life will be better."

o  President Ezra Taft Benson "A Principle With a Promise" General Conference April 1983

• ·         “A useful way to think about the commandments is they are loving counsel from a wise, all-knowing Heavenly Father. His goal is our eternal happiness, and His commandments are the road map He has given us to return to Him, which is the only way we will be eternally happy.”

o  Elder L.  Tom Perry "Obedience To Law is Liberty" General Conference April 2013

• ·         “Our physical body is the instrument of our spirit. In that marvelous revelation, the Word of Wisdom, we are told how to keep our bodies free from impurities which might dull, even destroy, those delicate physical senses which have to do with spiritual communication.”

o  Boyd K. Packer "Revelation in a Changing World" General Conference October 1989

• ·         “The rules in real life are different from those in a game. Our rules are the commandments of God. You make points when you serve your mission, draw close to the Lord, live the Word of Wisdom, stay morally clean, and live a life of service and Church activity.”

o  Russell C. Taylor "Making Points for Righteousness" General Conference April 1989

• ·         "But no man has ever lost the testimony of the Gospel, no man has ever turned to the right or to the left, who had the knowledge of the truth, who was attending to his duties, who was keeping the Word of Wisdom, who was paying his tithing, who was responding to the calls and duties of his office and calling in the Church.”

o  Heber J. Grant "Walking in the Path that Leads to Truth Eternal" Conference Report April 1944

• ·         "As a General Authority I have a solid, personal witness that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind. I know that he is the Creator and that he knows the end from the very beginning. As the Creator of man, he knows which things are good for our bodies and which things are injurious to us. Jesus Christ as the God of this world has told us that alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, and coffee are all destructive of our health."

o  Theodore M. Burton "The Word of Wisdom" General Conference April 1976

• ·         Without question, the Word of Wisdom is one of the commandments which we most need to obey in these days, due to the great quantity of stimulants and drugs that have weakened the lives of those individuals who ignore the marvelous promises that the Lord has made to men if they will avoid using these harmful substances.

o   Eduardo Ayala "The Word of Wisdom" General Conference October 1990

• ·         "Many of you young men will be, at some time or another, approached by one or more of your “friends” who will entice you to do something you know you should not do—it might be something you know deep down inside will hurt your parents and your Father in Heaven. It may be violating the Word of Wisdom, for example, or committing moral transgression, which is so displeasing to the Lord."

o   Malcom S. Jeppson "Who is A True Friend?"  General Conference April 1990

• Position Statement:

            I learned something that makes perfect sense.  God created us, so he should know what will be good for us and what will harm us.  I know that the people I took quotes from only want us to be happy and healthy.  Right now I think I’m pretty good at following the don’ts on the list.  I just need to do other things like a more balanced diet.  So it is something we need to think about when we do or don’t do things that effect our body, that It I a commandment to be as healthy as you can be.  It’s for our own benefit.  It’s also important to hang out with others that won’t push you to disobey the Word of Wisdom.  This is very important and something I’m definitely going to change in my life.  Friends wouldn’t want me to do something that was bad for me or pressure me into doing things. 

Service Quotes

• ·         "Observing and serving sometimes requires great effort. An inspired young woman named Alexandria noticed that her cousin Madison was unable to complete her own Personal Progress requirements because she suffered from severe autism. Alexandria rallied the young women in her ward, counseled with her leaders, and determined to do something for Maddy that she could not do herself. Each of the young women completed a portion of the Personal Progress activities and projects vicariously to enable Maddy to receive her own medallion.  These young women will progress well into roles of motherhood and Relief Society sisterhood because they are learning to first observe, then serve in charitable ways."

o   Linda K. Burton "First Observe, Then Serve" General Conference October 2012

• ·         "Making the covenant to be a disciple of Christ is the beginning of a lifelong process, and the path is not always easy. As we repent of our sins and strive to do what He would have us do and serve our fellowmen as He would serve them, we will inevitably become more like Him. Becoming like Him and being one with Him is the ultimate goal and objective—and essentially the very definition of true discipleship."

o  Elder Daniel L. Johnson "Become a True Disciple" General Conference October 2012

• ·         "Some attribute our members’ willingness to sacrifice and their skills in cooperative efforts to our effective Church organization or to what skeptics mistakenly call “blind obedience.” Neither explanation is correct. No outside copying of our organization and no application of blind obedience could duplicate the record of this Church or the performance of its members. Our willingness to sacrifice and our skills in cooperative efforts come from our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, from the inspired teachings of our leaders, and from the commitments and covenants we knowingly make."

o  Elder Dallin H. Oakes "Unselfish Service" General Conference April 2009

• ·         “We may be relatively small in number, but as members of this Church we can reach across these widening gaps. We know the power of Christ-centered service that brings together God’s children regardless of their spiritual or their economic status.”

o  Elder M. Russell Ballard "That the Lost May Be Found" General Conference 2012

• ·         “In all of these ways, righteous service brings us nearer to Christ, increases our spirituality, and brings others likewise. Such service is helping to prepare a people worthy, in the Lord’s due time, to redeem Zion.”

o  Derek A. Cuthbert "The Spiritually of Service" General Conference April 1990

• ·         “The law of sacrifice is a fundamental doctrine of the gospel of Jesus Christ and contributes to the building of faith, love, and many other virtues. Many great blessings are predicated upon obedience to the eternal law of sacrifice.”

o  Adney Y. Komatsu  "Sacrifice: Missionary Style"  General Conference October 1997

• ·         “Only those who have been justified and sanctified through service to their fellowmen can hope to reach such a lofty goal. To be justified is to be found acceptable in our “good works” as well as by our superior faith.”

o  Robert L. Simpson "Go, and Do Thou Like Wise"  General Conference April 1973

• ·         “My brethren and sisters, I would hope, I would pray, that each of us … would resolve to seek those who need help, who are in desperate and difficult circumstances, and lift them in the spirit of love into the embrace of the Church, where strong hands and loving hearts will warm them, comfort them, sustain them, and put them on the way of happy and productive lives.”

o  Ben B. Banks "Feed My Sheep" General Conference October 1999

• ·         “Our personal journey through life provides us with many special experiences that become building blocks of faith and testimony. No matter what the experience may be, each gives us a chance for personal growth, greater wisdom, and, in many cases, service to others with more empathy and love.”

o  Ronald A. Rasband "Special Experiences" General Conference April 2008

• ·         “In a world where everyone is granted agency, some of our loved ones may stray for a season. But we can never give up. We must always go back for them, we must never stop trying.”

o  Bradley D. Foster "Mother Told Me" Ensign May 2010

• Position Statement:

            One of the things that most people outside of the church notice about us is that we serve others a lot.  We try and be polite and do the right thing.  We try to do like Christ would.  I try and do as many little things as possible, but I don’t always know how to do bigger things to help.  I’ve learned that one of the best ways to know how to serve others is to observe them and then get to know them.  We need to do this to everyone everywhere.  I also need to act on what I observe.  I want it to become second nature that when I see someone struggle, I don’t hesitate I just act.  

Pornography Quotes

• ·         "Remember that those young wives said their husbands’ infidelity began with an attraction to pornography, but immoral activity is not just a man’s problem, and husbands aren’t the only ones offending. The compromise available at the click of a mouse—including what can happen in a chat room’s virtual encounter—is no respecter of persons, male or female, young or old, married or single. And just to make sure that temptation is ever more accessible, the adversary is busy extending his coverage, as they say in the industry, to cell phones, video games, and MP3 players."

o   Jeffrey R. Holland "Place No More For the Enemy of My Soul"  April 2010

•      "How like the elm is man. From a minute seed, and in accordance with a divine plan, we grow, are nurtured, and mature. The bright sunlight of heaven, the rich blessings of earth are ours. In our private forest of family and friends, life is richly rewarding and abundantly beautiful. Then suddenly, there appears before us in this generation a sinister and diabolical enemy—pornography. Like the bark beetle it too is the carrier of a deadly disease. I shall name it “pernicious permissiveness.  At first we scarcely realize we have been infected. We laugh and make light-hearted comment concerning the off-color story or the clever cartoon. With evangelical zeal we protect the so-called rights of those who would contaminate with smut and destroy all that is precious and sacred. The beetle of pornography is doing his deadly task—undercutting our will, destroying our immunity, and stifling that upward reach within each of us."

o  President Thomas S. Monson "Pornography-The Deadly Carrier" General Conference October 1979

• ·         "Pornography will always repel the Spirit of Christ and will interrupt the communications between our Heavenly Father and His children and disrupt the tender relationship between husband and wife.  The priesthood holds consummate power. It can protect you from the plague of pornography—and it is a plague—if you are succumbing to its influence. If one is obedient, the priesthood can show how to break a habit and even erase an addiction. Holders of the priesthood have that authority and should employ it to combat evil influences."

o  President Boyd K. Packer "Cleansing the Inner Vessel"  Liahona November 2010

• ·         "Pornography impairs one’s ability to enjoy a normal emotional, romantic, and spiritual relationship with a person of the opposite sex. It erodes the moral barriers that stand against inappropriate, abnormal, or illegal behavior. As conscience is desensitized, patrons of pornography are led to act out what they have witnessed, regardless of its effects on their life and the lives of others."

o  Dallin H. Oaks "Pornography" Ensign May 2005

• ·         “We need continually to fortify our homes and families and defend them against the onslaught of evils such as divorce, broken families, brutality, and abuse, especially of wives and children. We need to constantly guard against immorality, pornography, and sexual permissiveness that would destroy the purity of the family members, young and old.”

o  Spencer W. Kimball "Fortify Your Homes Against Evil" General Conference April 1979

• ·         “Teach by your own actions. Live a good, clean life. Decide against immorality. Decide against pornography. Decide to live a clean life so you will be worthy to be married for time and eternity in the temple of the Lord. Choose not only to be worthy but decide to marry in the house of the Lord.”

o   Eldred G. Smith "Decision" General Conference April 1978

• ·         “Immorality and unchastity are so common today that our youth, seeing many types, of perversions on television and in movies, are feeling that these are accepted modes of living. I cannot emphasize too strongly the importance of keeping ourselves clean and pure and chaste in order to be worthy to bear this holy priesthood and to prepare ourselves and our families for eternal life.”

o   N. Eldon Tanner "Priesthood Responsibilities" General Conference April 1973

• ·         "Upon learning about a spouse’s pornography addiction, many women react by blaming themselves. They think, “If I were more attractive, or younger, or thinner, this would not have happened.” It is easy to take this problem personally, but I learned that this was not about my weaknesses or deficiencies. It was about my husband’s struggle."

o   Name Withheld "To the Tender Wives: What I Have Learned from My Husband’s Addiction to Pornography"  Ensign July 2013

• ·         "Satan has become a master at using the addictive power of pornography to limit individual capacity to be led by the Spirit. The onslaught of pornography in all of its vicious, corroding, destructive forms has caused great grief, suffering, heartache, and destroyed marriages. It is one of the most damning influences on earth. Whether it be through the printed page, movies, television, obscene lyrics, vulgarities on the telephone, or flickering personal computer screen, pornography is overpoweringly addictive and severely damaging."

o  Richard G. Scott "To Acquire Spiritual Guidance"  General Conference October 2009

• ·         "Pornography, though billed by Satan as entertainment, is a deeply poisonous, deceptive snake that lies coiled up in magazines, the Internet, and the television. Pornography destroys self-esteem and weakens self-discipline. It is far more deadly to the spirit than the rattlesnake my father warned me not to pet."

o   David E. Sorensen "You Can't Pet A Rattle Snake"  General Conference April 2001

• Position Statement:

            In today’s society, it is pretty much acceptable to watch pornography.  It’s easily accessible and so much of it is free.  It’s even so easy to not let anyone know you’re doing it.  It’s secretive and doesn’t have effects that last for a few hours like other addictive substances.  It is detrimental to us spiritually and mortally just like other addictive activities.  Just because it’s easy to hide or socially accessible doesn’t make it ok.  I’ve heard families become broken because of it, people have spent all their money on it, and it makes the union of man and women less sacred.  I want to raise my family to know the truth about what it does to them and families.  How it ruin lives just like drugs and alcohol.  I learned that it affects everyone around the person, not just them. A lot of people don’t see it that way.  

Personal Revelation Quotes

• ·         "The flow of revelation depends on your faith. You exercise faith by causing, or by making, your mind accepts or believes as truth that which you cannot, by reason alone, prove for certainty."

o  President Boyd K. Packer  "Personal Revelation: The Gift, The Test, and The Promise" November 1994

• ·         "Revelation is communication from God to man. It can occur in many different ways. Some prophets, like Moses and Joseph Smith, have talked with God face to face. Some persons have had personal communication with angels. Other revelations have come, as Elder James E. Talmage (1862–1933) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles described it, “through the dreams of sleep or in waking visions of the mind.”

o  Elder Dallin H. Oaks "Eight Ways God Can Speak to You" New Era September 2004

• ·         "This powerful gift entitles the leaders and all worthy members of the Church to enjoy the gifts and companionship of the Holy Ghost, a member of the Godhead whose function is to inspire, reveal, and teach all things. The result of this endowment is that since the Church was organized, the leadership and members have enjoyed, and now enjoy, continuous revelation and inspiration directing them in what is right and good. Inspiration and revelation are so common, so widespread, and so universal among the leaders and the members that there is a strong spiritual base underlying what is done. This can be found in the gatherings of the Church, both large and small."

o  President James E. Faust  "Communion with the Holy Spirit" Liahona March 2002

• ·         “The knowledge which we seek, the answers for which we yearn, and the strength which we desire today to meet the challenges of a complex and changing world can be ours when we willingly obey the Lord’s commandments.”

o   Thomas S. Monson "Obedience Brings Blessings" General Conference April 2013

• ·         “Religion comes from God by revelation and deals with spiritual things; and unless and until a man has received revelation, he has not received religion, and he is not on the path leading to salvation in our Father’s kingdom.”

o  Bruce R. McConkie "The Lord's People Receive Revelation" General Conference April 1971

• ·         “The patterns of revelation are not dramatic. The voice of inspiration is a still voice, a small voice. There need be no trance, no sanctimonious declaration. It is quieter and simpler than that.”

o   Boyd K. Packer "Revelation in a Changing World" General Conference October 1989

• ·         “Because you are entitled to revelation, He can help you solve every concern you have as president of your quorum if you will but seek His help.”

o   Tad R. Callister "The Power of the Priesthood in the Boy" General Conference April 2013

• ·         “We each have moments of spiritual power, moments of inspiration and revelation. We must sink them deep into the chambers of our souls. As we do, we prepare our spiritual home storage for moments of personal difficulty.”

o   Neil L. Anderson "You Know Enough" Liahona June 2012

• ·         “But if we humbly, quietly trust in the Lord, He will give us strength and guidance in every challenge we face.”

o   Bruce D. Porter "Beautiful Mornings" General Conference April 2013

• ·         “The Lord’s purposes are often accomplished as we pay heed to the guidance of the Spirit. I believe that the more we act upon the inspiration and impressions which come to us, the more the Lord will entrust to us His errands.”

o   President Thomas S. Monson "Consider the Blessings" Ensign November 2012

• Position Statement:

            I’ve heard stories from many people over the years on promptings that they have followed and not followed.  They had a feeling they shouldn’t buy a house at the last second and then their dream home became available or they knew what to buy somebody to bring them comfort are all great examples of the blessings personal revelation can bring.  It doesn’t just come to them, they had to work and be morally clean to be in tuned with the spirit.  I learned that to do this we need to pray, read scriptures, live worthily, and act on the feelings and promptings we do receive.  I’m a generally lazy person, so something I’m going to focus on improving is how I act on prompting I get.  Not only will it bless whoever I feel prompted to interact with but I know it will bless me as well.  It’s something I need to do, even if it’s not convenient for me.  

Patience Quotes

• ·         "The question “Why me?” can be a difficult one to answer and often leads to frustration and despair. There is a better question to ask ourselves. That question is “What could I learn from this experience?  The way we answer that question may determine the quality of our lives not only on this earth but also in the eternities to come. Though our trials are diverse, there is one thing the Lord expects of us no matter our difficulties and sorrows: He expects us to press on."

o   Joseph B. Wirthlin "Press On" General Conference October 2004

• ·         "But my interest in patience is not solely personal. The necessity of our having this intriguing attribute is cited several times in the scriptures, including by King Benjamin, who clustered the attributes of a saint, and patience was a charter member of that cluster (see Mosiah 3:19; see also Alma 7:23).  Patience is not indifference. Actually, it is caring very much, but being willing, nevertheless, to submit both to the Lord and to what the scriptures call the “process of time.”

o  Elder Neal A. Maxwell "Patience" Ensign October 1980

• ·         “When I was a young boy, “endure to the end” meant to me mainly that I had to try harder to stay awake until the end of our Church meetings. Later as a teenager I progressed only slightly in my understanding of this scriptural phrase. I linked it with youthful empathy to the efforts of our dear elderly members to hang in there until the end of their lives.  Enduring to the end, or remaining faithful to the laws and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout our life, is a fundamental requirement for salvation in the kingdom of God. This belief distinguishes Latter-day Saints from many other Christian denominations that teach that salvation is given to all who simply believe and confess that Jesus is the Christ. The Lord clearly declared, “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).”

o   President Dieter F. Uchtdorf “Have We Not Reason to Rejoice?" Liahona November 2007

• ·         “At this morning’s session of general conference, our beloved President Thomas S. Monson made an impassioned plea for each young man of this Church to prepare for missionary service. I hope his entire message will be heeded in every home of the Church.  To President Monson’s wise counsel, I add my witness. In my family, I have observed the blessings that come to each missionary.”

o   Elder Russell M. Nelson "Be Thou A Example of the Believers" General Conference October 2010

• ·         “And that is my counsel to you. If you have festering sores, a grudge, some bitterness, disappointment, or jealousy, get hold of yourself. You may not be able to control things out there with others, but you can control things here, inside of you.”

o  Boyd K. Packer "The Balm of Gilead" General Conference April 1977

• ·         “Don’t become weary in doing good. If we are patient, we can experience the change of heart we seek. For most of us this will require only a slight change of course, sending us toward true north. The adjustments we must make are in those ‘small things,’ but that does not mean they are easy. Too many forces are confusing our compass. But the pull to the polar star is one we recognize. It is the direction toward home.”

o   Kathleen H. Hughes "Out of Small Things" General Conference October 2004

• ·         “Answers will come in the Lord’s own way and in His time.”

o   Barbara Thompson "Personal Revelation and Testimony" General Conference October 2011

• ·         “Jesus showed patience and love to all who came to Him seeking relief for their physical, emotional, or spiritual illnesses and who felt discouraged and downtrodden.  To follow the Savior’s example, each one of us must look around and reach out to the sheep who are facing the same circumstances and lift them up and encourage them to proceed on the journey towards eternal life."

o  Ulisses Soares "Feed My Sheep"  Ensign November 2005

• ·         “Line upon line and precept upon precept, gradually and almost imperceptibly, our motives, our thoughts, our words, and our deeds become aligned with the will of God. Conversion unto the Lord requires both persistence and patience.”

o  David A. Bednar "Converted unto The Lord"  Ensign November 2012

• ·         “Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.”

o   Jeffrey R. Holland "A High Priest of Good Things to Come"  General Conference 1999

• Position Statement:

            I have to admit, I have little patience when it comes to good things.  I love instant gratification, even though I know it only hurts in the end.  I need to start keeping strong to what I know and have the faith that it will turn out better then the faster way and that I’ll be happier.  This isn’t something we decide once.  This is a lifelong commitment.  It’s something I need to work on through out my whole life, because the trials are just going to get harder.  But I’ve learned that keeping faith and being persistent will bless my life and others.

Forgiveness Quotes

• ·         "I recall listening at length to a couple who sat across the desk from me. There was bitterness between them. I know that at one time their love was deep and true. But each had developed a habit of speaking of the faults of the other. Unwilling to forgive the kind of mistakes we all make, and unwilling to forget them and live above them with forbearance, they had carped at one another until the love they once knew had been smothered. It had turned to ashes with the decree of a so-called “no-fault” divorce. Now there is only loneliness and recrimination. I am satisfied that had there been even a small measure of repentance and forgiveness, they would still be together, enjoying the companionship that had so richly blessed their earlier years."

o   Gordon B. Hinckley "Of You It Is Required to Forgive" June 1991

• ·         "Those who wish to consider themselves as disciples of the Master must understand that we, like the first servant, owe a great debt to our Heavenly King for the many gifts we have received from Him. This understanding unlocks the door to the gifts of repentance and our own forgiveness. The retention of these gifts depends upon our faithful forgiveness of those who have offended us. The Savior said, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Matt. 5:7) and, “With what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged” (Matt. 7:2).  Forgiving others, however, does not necessarily mean that we would endorse or approve of the behavior or transgression. In fact, there are many actions and attitudes that deserve clear condemnation. But even in these we must completely forgive the offender. “Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven” (Luke 6:37)."

o   Elder Cecil O. Samuelson Jr. "Words of Jesus: Forgiveness" Liahona February 2003

• ·         “It is never too late to strengthen the foundation of faith. There is always time. With faith in the Savior, you can repent and plead for forgiveness. There is someone you can forgive. There is someone you can thank. There is someone you can serve and lift. You can do it wherever you are and however alone and deserted you may feel.”

o   President Eyring “Mountains to Climb”  General Conference April 2012, Saturday Morning Session

• ·         “Recognize the good in others, not their stains. At times a stain needs appropriate attention to be cleansed, but always build on his or her virtues.”

o    Richard G. Scott "For Peace At Home" General Conference 2013

• ·         “Let people repent. Let people grow. Believe that people can change and improve. Is that faith? Yes! Is that hope? Yes! Is it charity? Yes! Above all, it is charity, the pure love of Christ. If something is buried in the past, leave it buried. Don’t keep going back with your little sand pail and beach shovel to dig it up, wave it around, and then throw it at someone, saying, “Hey! Do you remember this?” Splat!”

o   Jeffrey R. Holland "Remember Lot's Wife" BYU Devotional 2009

• ·         “To be worthy is also to free one’s mind of all ill feelings toward other people. We can add to this that worthy people have a great personal desire to renew the covenants they made during the ordinance of baptism by immersion into the restored Church. In other words, they have a great desire to attend sacrament meeting each Sunday.”

o   Jacob de Jager "Perfecting the Saints"  BYU Fireside February 5, 1989

• ·         “I invite you to remember and believe the words of the Lord and to exercise faith in Him unto repentance.  He loves you. He wants to forgive.”

o    Craig A. Cardon "The Savior Wants to Forgive" General Conference 2013

• ·         “We cannot repent for someone else. But we can forgive someone else, refusing to hold hostage those whom the Lord seeks to set free.”

o   Neil A. Maxwell  "Repentance" General Conference A991

• ·         “I think [forgiveness] may be the greatest virtue on earth, and certainly the most needed. There is so much of meanness and abuse, of intolerance and hatred. There is so great a need for repentance and forgiveness. It is the great principle emphasized in all of scripture, both ancient and modern. Somehow forgiveness, with love and tolerance, accomplishes miracles that can happen in no other way.”

o   President Gordon B. Hinckley "Forgiveness"   General Conference 2005

• ·         “Carrying a grudge is a heavy burden. As you forgive, you will feel the joy of being forgiven. At this Christmastime you can give and receive the gift of forgiveness. The feeling of happiness that will come will be a glimpse of what we can feel at home together in the eternal home for which we yearn.”

o    Henry B. Eyring "Home for Christmas" Liahona December 2009

• Position Statement:

            I’ve held a lot of grudges my life.  I realize now that it only really hurts me.  It still doesn’t make it easier to let the bitterness go though.  I’ve learned that until we forgive others, we can’t be forgiven, and I don’t want to pass still holding onto hard feelings.  It’s really hard to let certain things go, but it’s something I want to and need to work on through out my life.  I want to be like Jesus, and that means forgiving others when they try to wrong their right.  And if they don’t acknowledge what they did, I need to get the darkness out of my heart.  

Family Quotes

• ·         "Our most important and powerful assignments are in the family. They are important because the family has the opportunity at the start of a child’s life to put feet firmly on the path home.”

o   Henry B. Eyring "Help Them on Their Way Home" April 2010

• ·         "Each Sunday, from Mongolia to Manchester to Mississippi, the young women of the Church repeat these inspired words: “We will be prepared to strengthen home and family, make and keep sacred covenants, receive the ordinances of the temple, and enjoy the blessings of exaltation” (“Young Women Theme,” Young Women Personal Progress [booklet, 2001], 5).  While this is the Young Women theme, it applies to all youth in the Church. I hope I can help you, my young brothers and sisters, understand how powerful your individual actions can be in strengthening your home and family, no matter what your circumstances. I understand, for example, that many of you may be the only member of the Church in your family.  For the Strength of Youth reminds us that “being part of a family is a great blessing. … Not all families are the same, but each is important in Heavenly Father’s plan” ([pamphlet, 2001], 10)."

o   Mary N. Cook "Strengthen Home and Family" General Conference October 2007

• ·         "As taught in this scripture, an eternal bond doesn't just happen as a result of sealing covenants we make in the temple. How we conduct ourselves in this life will determine what we will be in all the eternities to come. 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."

o   Robert D. Hales "The Eternal Family" General Conference October 1996

• ·         “Some of you may feel lonely and unappreciated and cannot see how it will be possible for you to have the blessings of marriage and children or your own family. All things are possible to the Lord, and He keeps the promises He inspires His prophets to declare.”

o   Elder Richard G. Scott "The Eternal Blessings of Marriage" General Conference April 2011

• ·         "No other success can compensate for failure in the home."

o   David O McKay General Conference April  1935

• ·         “I urge all of the people of this church to give serious attention to their family histories, to encourage their parents and grandparents to write their journals, and let no family go into eternity without having left their memoirs for their children, their grandchildren, and their posterity. This is a duty and a responsibility, and I urge every person to start the children out writing a personal history and journal.”

o   Spencer W. Kimball "The True Way of Life and Salvation" General Conference April 1978

• ·         “As you participate in temple and family history work, you are certain to have the Spirit to comfort you in your challenges and guide you in the important decisions you are making.”

o    Julie B. Beck "This is Your Work" Ensign February 2012

• ·         “Husbands, do you love your wife as a daughter of God? Oh, husbands, love your wives as daughters of God, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it”

o    Yoshihiku Kikuchi "daughter of God" General Conference 1988

·         “By families, who are filled with this love and gratitude to God, reaching out everyday to teach their children love, these highest standards, and the peaceable things of God.”

o   James M. Paramore "Love One Another" General Conference 1981

·         “All of us have a responsibility to contribute to the quality of our home life. Parents make a great contribution, but so do the children.”

o    Dean L. Larsen  "A Royal Generation" General Conference April 1983

• Position Statement:

            I realized I don’t appreciate my family as much as I should, especially my mom.  I don’t have a family of my own, and that’s probably because there are things I need to work on.  I need to take advantage of preparing myself with still living with my family and helping where I can.  I definitely have decided 100% that I want my children raised in the church with Mormon parents.  I want to be sealed in the temple with them, and have them sealed to their great great great great great grandparents so that we can all be together forever.  I know that even now, I need to put my family first.