“A wise woman renews herself. In proper season, she develops her talents and continues her education. She musters the discipline to reach her goals. She dispels darkness and opens windows of truth to light her way.”
James E. Faust, Continuing Revelation - Ensign Aug. 1996
“It is the ultimate design and purpose of our Divine Creator that we develop a Christlike character. A noble character is the product of a life well invested. While our intellect may be the gift of God or ancestral pedigree, our character is man-made and the fruit of personal exertion. In this sense we are a co-creator with our Heavenly Father. Our character is produced from the crucible of human experience. The forging process removes impurities and tempers and shapes us so that we might realize the measure of our creation. Character is the Liahona for our moral conduct.”
J. Richard Clark Choice--The Crucible of Character, J. Richard Clarke (February 14, 1989 BYU Devotional)
“You have your agency, and inspiration does not—perhaps cannot—flow unless you ask for it, or someone asks for you. No message in scripture is repeated more often than the invitation, even the command, to pray—to ask.”
Boyd K. Packer, PERSONAL REVELATION: THE GIFT, THE TEST, AND THE PROMISE, General Conference, October 1994
“We must choose with our agency to obey in faith that the promised blessing will come, that the promise is true because it comes from God.”
Henry B. Eyring, Spiritual Preparedness: Start Early and Be Steady, General Conference October 2005
“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!”
Jeffrey R. Holland, Remember Lot's Wife,BYU Devotional, 13 January 2009
“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.”
Henry B. Eyring, Home for Christmas - Liahona Dec. 2009 - liahona
“We may have much that worries us, and we may find many reasons to be concerned. Yet, as President Spencer W. Kimball observed, peace and the Savior’s doctrine of forgiveness are inseparably connected: The essence of forgiveness is that it brings peace to the previously anxious, restless, frustrated, perhaps tormented soul.”
Words of Jesus: Forgiveness - Ensign Feb. 2003 - ensign
“Pornographic or erotic stories and pictures are worse than filthy or polluted food. The body has defenses to rid itself of unwholesome food. With a few fatal exceptions, bad food will only make you sick but do no permanent harm. In contrast, a person who feasts upon filthy stories or pornographic or erotic pictures and literature records them in this marvelous retrieval system we call a brain. The brain won’t vomit back filth. Once recorded, it will always remain subject to recall, flashing its perverted images across your mind and drawing you away from the wholesome things in life.”
Dallin H. Oaks, Challenges for the Year Ahead (pamphlet, 1974), 4–5; reprinted in “Things They’re Saying,” New Era, Feb. 1974,
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.”
Thomas S. Monson, Pornography—the Deadly Carrier, General Conference, October 1979
I learned the hard way that it takes only one time to spark the beginning of a long addiction that will bring nothing but misery. I let idle curiosity lead me to sin and despair, but I am motivated to stay away from this plague for the rest of my life. I look forward to serving a mission, marrying in the temple, and eventually living with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ again.
https://www.lds.org/youth/article/my-battle-with-pornography?lang=eng
“A return to the teachings of God will do more than all else to keep our ship of state on a steady course as she sails into the third century a nationhood. Here is the answer to the conflicts the best us. Here is the answer to the evils of pornography...”
Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, pp. 18
"No, of course not. Now brethren, the time has come for any one of us who is so involved to pull himself out of the mire, to stand above this evil thing, to “look to God and live” (Alma 37:47). We do not have to view salacious magazines. We do not have to read books laden with smut. We do not have to watch television that is beneath wholesome standards. We do not have to rent movies that depict that which is filthy. We do not have to sit at the computer and play with pornographic material found on the Internet."
Gordon B. Hinkley, A Tragic Evil Among Us, General Conference, October 2004
“The heavens will not be filled with those who never made mistakes but with those who recognized that they were off course and who corrected their ways to get back in the light of gospel truth.”
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, A Matter of a Few Degrees, General Conference, April 2008
“Unsurprisingly, seekers after cheap repentance also search for superficial forgiveness instead of real reconciliation. Thus, real repentance goes far beyond simply saying, “I’m sorry.”.”
Neal A. Maxwell, Repentance - Ensign Nov. 1991 - ensign
“There is really no other way to get lasting healing and peace. Postponing humble repentance will delay or prevent your receiving relief. Admit to yourself your mistakes and seek help now. Your bishop is a friend with keys of authority to help you find peace of mind and contentment. The way will be opened for you to have strength to repent and be forgiven.”
Richard G. Scott, Trust in the Lord, General Conference, October 1995
“There is no greater work than that of missionary work. There is nothing so wonderful—nothing—as tasting the joy and success of missionary labors.”
Legrand Richards, The Joy of Serving a Mission
“If you will respond to the invitation to share your beliefs and feelings about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, a spirit of love and a spirit of courage will be your constant companion, for perfect love casteth out fear.”
L. Tom Perry, Perfect Love Casteth Out Fear, Ensign and Liahona, November 2011
“As you go forth and share our core beliefs and the fruits of our doctrines, misperceptions will dissolve, prejudices will diminish, and people will come to see Latter-day Saints as devout disciples of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Quentin L. Cook, Prophet, Apostles Speak at MTC Mission Presidents' Seminar, June 2012
“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.”
Kathleen H. Hughes, Out of Small Things, General Conference, October 2004
“Patience means staying with something until the end. It means delaying immediate gratification for future blessings. It means reining in anger and holding back the unkind word. It means resisting evil, even when it appears to be making others rich. Patience means accepting that which cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace, and faith. It means being “willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us], even as a child doth submit to his father.”Ultimately, patience means being “firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord”every hour of every day, even when it is hard to do so.”
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Continue in Patience, General Conference, April 2010
“Patience is tied very closely to faith in our Heavenly Father. Actually, when we are unduly impatient, we are suggesting that we know what is best—better than does God. Or, at least, we are asserting that our timetable is better than His. We can grow in faith only if we are willing to wait patiently for God’s purposes and patterns to unfold in our lives, on His timetable.”
Neal A. Maxwell, Patience, October 1980 Ensign
The first step, and the most important factor in debt elimination, is a firm commitment to reject debt. A debt-elimination calendar will simply not work if new debts continue to be added to the old. This change in attitude is not subtle or gradual but rather resembles the flip of a switch—it’s a resolute determination to make a clean break from the culturally accepted addiction to debt.
LUKE V. ERICKSON, Getting Out Of Debt -- For Good, Ensign July 2011
Third, avoid excessive debt. Necessary debt should be incurred only after careful, thoughtful prayer and after obtaining the best possible advice. We need the discipline to stay well within our ability to pay. Wisely we have been counseled to avoid debt as we would avoid the plague. President J. Reuben Clark fearlessly and repeatedly counseled members of the Church to take action.
L. Tom Perry, “IF YE ARE PREPARED YE SHALL NOT FEAR” General Conference, October 1995
“You must read to your children and you must hug your children and you must love your children. Your success as a family, our success as a society, depends not on what happens in the White House but on what happens inside your house.”
James E. Faust, THE GREATEST CHALLENGE IN THE WORLD—GOOD PARENTING, General Conference, October 1990
“If you will follow the admonitions of the Lord and heed the counsel of His chosen servants in their callings as prophets, seers, and revelators, I promise you that love at home and obedience to parents will increase; faith will be developed in the hearts of the youth of Israel and they will gain power and strength to combat the evil influences and temptations which beset them. Each of our homes may veritably become a little heaven on earth.”
Gordon B. Hinkley, This Work Will Go Forward, General Conference, October 1990
“Satan and his hosts will do all in their power to keep you from obtaining the ordinances required for the ideal family. He will attempt to distract you from centering your mind and heart on raising a strong family by nurturing your children as the Lord requires.”
Richard G. Scott, First Things First, General Conference, April 2001
