Words to Live By
Words to Live By contains over 2000 quotes relevant to the practical implementation of effective missionary programs from LDS General Authorities, scriptures, and famous people throughout the ages.
Compiled by David Stewart, compilation copyright 2001. http://www.cumorah.com/
Accountability
"The real tragedy of life is not being limited to one talent, but in failing to use that one talent." Edgar Watson Howe
"Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. Never excuse yourself." Henry Ward Beecher
"It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable." Moliere
"The Latter-day Saints, I hold, will be held to stricter accountability than any other people on the face of the earth. Men wonder why we have suffered and been persecuted so much in the past. I think it was partly because of our hardness of heart. Not that the men who persecuted us were justified in so doing. They were tested and tried, the Lord left them their agency and they brought themselves under condemnation because of their conduct. But we never had anything descend upon us as a persecution or scourge that has not been intended for our good; and we are held to a stricter accountability than any other people because we have the Gospel taught unto us." George Q. Cannon, JDS 15:110
"The decisions we make, individually and personally, become the fabric
of our lives. That fabric will be beautiful or ugly according to the threads of
which it is woven. I wish to say particularly to the young men who are here
that you cannot indulge in any unbecoming behavior without injury to the beauty
of the fabric of your lives. Immoral acts of any kind will introduce an ugly
thread. Dishonesty of any kind will create a blemish. Foul and profane language
will rob the pattern of its beauty." Gordon B.
"There isn't any way to cheat nature, to bypass law, to run away from life. The commandments haven't been repealed; the laws of morality, the spiritual laws, the laws of life are still in force and effect. " Richard L. Evans, CR, October 1969, p. 67
"Does the law of gravity exist? Does it have effect in your life? If you jump from a high place, will your body not fall? Can you defy gravity? Can you step outside of its control? Does the law of the gospel of Jesus Christ exist? Does it have effect in your life? If you disobey its limits and conditions, will your spirit not fall? Can you defy the law of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Can you step outside its control?" William R. Bradford, Ensign, November 1988
"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." 1 Corinthians 3:15
Action
"The effects of our actions may be postponed, but they are never lost. There is an inevitable reward for good deeds and an inescapable punishment for bad." Fu Wu Ming
"He who chooses the beginning of a road chooses the place it leads to. It is the means that determine the end." Harry Emerson Fosdick
"We must always be careful to avoid the two extreme positions in ministry. One extreme is to assume all responsibility for the growth of the church. The other extreme is to abdicate all responsibility for it...The first error [is] 'practical humanism' and the second [is] 'pious irresponsibility.' Both are fatal to a church." Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church, p.58-59
"Wisdom is knowing what to do next; skill is knowing how to do it; virtue is doing it." Anonymous
"The path to success is to take massive, determined action." Anthony Robbins
"It is not what you say or hope or wish or intend but only what you do that counts. Your choices tell you unerringly who you really are." Brian Tracy
"One of the marks of superior people is that they are action oriented. One of the marks of average people is that they are talk-oriented." Brian Tracy
"Ideas become powerful only if they appear in the flesh; an idea which does not lead to action by the individual and by groups remains at best a paragraph or a footnote in a book--provided the idea is original and relevant. It is like a seed stored in a dry place. If the idea is to have influence, it must be put into the soil, and the soil is people and groups of people." Erich Fromm
"Peace of mind occurs when our actions match our beliefs." Ian Guwler
"All the beautiful sentiments in the world weigh less than a single lovely action." James Russell Lowell
"Actions are the seed of Fate. Deeds grow into Destiny." A.L. Linall, Jr.
"Ideas won't keep; something must be done about them." Alfred Whitehead North
"Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in." Andrew Jackson
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke
"It is difficult to steer a parked car, so get moving." Henrietta Mears
"You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do." Henry Ford
"Concern should drive us into action and not into depression." Karen Horney
"A man is the sum of his actions, of what he has done, of what he can do. Nothing else." Mahatma Gandhi
"Many simplistic solution for church growth are couched in such pious terms that it makes it difficult for anyone to challenge them without seeming unspiritual. Somebody needs to boldly state the obvious: Prayer alone will not grow a church. Some of the greatest prayer warriors I know are pastors and members of dying churches. Of course, prayer is absolutely essential...A prayerless ministry is a powerless ministry. But it takes far more than prayer to grow a church. It takes skilled action. One time God told Joshua to stop praying about his failure and get up and correct the cause of it instead (Joshua 7). There is a time to pray, and there is a time to act responsibly." Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church, p.58
"In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing." Theodore Roosevelt
Adversity
"In the midst of winter, I finally learned there was within me an invincible summer." Albert Camus
"One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity." Albert Schweitzer
"Suffering becomes beautiful when anyone bears great calamities with cheerfulness, not through insensibility but through greatness of mind." Aristotle
"The beauty of the soul shines out when a man bears with composure one heavy mischance after another, not because he does not feel them, but because he is a man of high and heroic temper." Aristotle
"A high character might be produced, I suppose, by continued prosperity, but it has very seldom been the case. Adversity, however it may appear to be our foe, is our true friend; and, after a little acquaintance with it, we receive it as a precious thing -- the prophecy of a coming joy. It should be no ambition of ours to traverse a path without a thorn or stone." Charles Spurgeon
"Of course it's hard. It's supposed to be hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. Hard is what makes it great." From "A League of Their Own"
"Mankind will reject and kill their prophets, but men love their martyrs and honour those whom they have slain." Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
"View a negative experience in your life like you'd look at a photo negative. A single negative can create an unlimited number of positive prints." Gerhard Gschwandtner
"Failure is only the opportunity to more intelligently begin again." Henry Ford
"We create our fate every day . . . most of the ills we suffer from are directly traceable to our own behavior." Henry Miller
"A grindstone that had not grit in it, how long would it take to sharpen an axe? And affairs that had not grit in them, how long would they take to make a man?" Henry Ward Beecher
"Adversity, if for no other reason, is of benefit, since it is sure to bring a season of sober reflection. Men see clearer at such times. Storms purify the atmosphere." Henry Ward Beecher
"Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before." James Buckham
"The greater the difficulty, the greater the glory." Marcus Tullius Cicero
"The nearer a person approaches the Lord, a greater power will be manifested by the adversary to prevent the accomplishment of His purposes." Orson F. Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball, p. 131
"There are two ways of meeting difficulties: you alter the difficulties, or you alter yourself to meet them." Phyllis Bottome
"The history of persecution is a history of endeavors to cheat nature, to make water run up hill, to twist a rope of sand....A mob is a society of bodies voluntarily bereaving themselves of reason....The martyr cannot be dishonored....every burned book or house enlightens the world; every suppressed or expunged word reverberates through the earth from side to side." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The very greatest things -- great thoughts, discoveries, inventions -- have usually been nurtured in hardship, often pondered over in sorrow, and at length established with difficulty." Samuel Smiles
"What is to give light must endure the burning." Viktor Frankl
"All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you. " Walt Disney
"Adversity cause some men to break; others to break records." William A. Ward
"Greatness is best measured by how well an individual responds to the happenings in life that appear to be totally unfair, unreasonable, and undeserved." Marvin J. Ashton, Ensign, November 1984, page 22
"Too many of us seem to expect that life will flow ever smoothly, featuring an unbroken chain of green lights with empty parking places just in front of our destinations!" Neal A. Maxwell, Ensign, November 1989, p.82
"We are not measured by the trials we meet -- only by those we overcome." Spencer W. Kimball
"It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: 'And this, too, shall pass away.' How much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride! How consoling in the depths of affliction!" Abraham Lincoln, The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln edited by Roy P. Basler, Volume III, Address Before the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (September 30, 1859), pp. 481-482
"Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors." African Proverb
"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence." Albert Einstein
"No man is more unhappy than the one who is never in adversity; the greatest affliction of life is never to be afflicted." Anonymous
"The beauty of the soul shines out when a man bears with composure one heavy mischance after another, not because he does not feel them, but because he is a man of high and heroic temper." Aristotle
"The ideal man bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances." Aristotle
"There is no education like adversity." Benjamin Disraeli
"Small ills are the fountains of most of our groans. Men trip not on mountains, they stumble on stones." Chinese Proverb
"The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials." Chinese Proverb
"Difficulties are things that show a person what they are." Epictetus
"Nothing stops the man who desires to achieve. Every obstacles is simply a course to develop his achievement muscle. It's a strengthening of his powers of accomplishment." Eric Butterworth
"I thank God for my handicaps, for through them, I have found myself, my work and my God." Helen Keller
"As a rule adversity reveals genius and prosperity hides it." Horace
"Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before." James Buckham
"What does not kill me makes me stronger." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Out of suffering comes the serious mind; out of salvation, the grateful heart; out of endurance, fortitude; out of deliverance faith." John Ruskin
"Life is a grindstone. But whether it grinds us down or polishes us up depends on us." L. Thomas Holdcroft
"Adversity is the midwife of genius." Napoleon Bonaparte
"The darkest hour is just before the dawn." Proverb
"It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out; it's the grain of sand in your shoe." Robert W. Service
"By experiencing temptations, we know ourselves. By fighting them, we
have the chance to become winners. By overcoming them, we are crowned
victors."
"Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body." Seneca
"I love the man who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress and grows brave by reaction. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principals unto death." Thomas Paine
"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheaply we esteem too lightly." Thomas Paine
"Adversity makes men, and prosperity makes monsters." Victor Hugo
"Kites rise highest against the wind - not with it." Winston Churchill
"And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness of the great whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw." 1 Nephi 14:12
"Because of the many plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book [the Bible], which were plain unto the understanding of the children of men, according to the plainness which is in the Lamb of God - because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them." 1 Nephi 13:29
"I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that 'they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." Joseph Smith - History 1:19
"Wo be unto him that lieth to deceive because he supposeth that another lieth to deceive, for such are not exempt from the justice of God." D&C 10:28
"A group touring Westminster Abbey in
"I have no objections to churches so long as they do not interfere with God's work." Brooks Atkinson
"I don't take my religion from any man who never works except with his mouth and never cherishes any memory except the face of the woman on the American silver dollar." Carl Sandburg
"Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle." George Washington
"Superstition is...religion which is incongruous with intelligence." John Tyndall
"Christianity with its doctrine of humility, of forgiveness, of love, is incompatible with the state with its haughtiness, its violence, its punishment and its wars." Leo Tolstoy
"The trouble with some of us is that we have been inoculated with small doses of Christianity which keep us from catching the real thing." Leslie Dixon Weatherhead
"There seems to be a great misunderstanding on the part of a great many people to the effect that when you cease to believe you may cease to behave." Louis Kronenberger
"There is no surer sign of decay in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt." Niccolo Machiavelli
"The fatal trait of the times is the divorce between religion and morality." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it." Upton Sinclair
"If you were to destroy in mankind the belief in immortality, not only love but every living force maintaining the life of the world would at once be dried up. Moreover, nothing then would be immoral, everything would be permissible, even cannibalism." Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
"How to trap an atheist: Serve him a fine meal, then ask him if he believes there is a cook." Anonymous
"It is true that a little philosophy inclineth man's mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to religion." Francis Bacon
"If there is no God, everything is permitted." Fyodor Dostoyevsky
"To be an atheist requires an infinitely greater measure of faith than to receive all the great truths which atheism would deny." Joseph Addison
"There are few people so stubborn in their atheism, who when danger is pressing in, will not acknowledge the divine power." Plato
"There is one thing more serious than merely to not believe, and that
is to not care."
"Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character." Albert Einstein
"A man can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm." Charles M. Schwab
"Almost everybody walks around with a vast burden of imaginary limitations inside his head. While the burden remains, personal success is as difficult to achieve as the conquest of Everest with a sack of rocks tied to your back." J. H. Brennan
"There is no such thing as can't, only won't. If you're qualified, all it takes is a burning desire to accomplish, to make a change. Go forward, go backward. Whatever it takes! But you can't blame other people or society in general. It all comes from your mind. When we do the impossible we realize we are special people." Jan Ashford
"Don't say, 'If I could, I would.' Say, 'If I can, I will.'" Jim Rohn
"Make sure you don't go to the ocean with a teaspoon. At least take a bucket so the kids won't laugh at you." Jim Rohn
"You say, 'The country is messed up.' That's like cursing the soil and the seed and the sunshine and the rain, which is all you've got. Don't curse all you've got. When you get your own planet, you can rearrange this whole deal. This one you've got to take like it comes." Jim Rohn
"For they conquer who believe they can." John Dryden
"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it." Lou Holtz
"The moment the slave resolves that he will no longer be a slave, his fetters fall... Freedom and slavery are mental states." Mahatma Gandhi
"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"All have eyes but few have the vision."
"When I hear somebody sigh, 'Life is hard,' I am always tempted to ask, 'Compared to what?'" Sydney Harris
"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." Thomas Jefferson
"We must not be cast down or discouraged in this work. There is no basis for discouragement. We are not alone. We will not, we cannot fail if we will do our duty. The Lord will magnify us even beyond our present talents and abilities." Ezra Taft Benson, Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p.381
"Go with a smile on your face. Be happy in this work. A friendly
reception never came to a man with a frown. Smile." Gordon B. Hinckley,
"The gospel is a thing of joy. It provides us with a reason for
gladness. Of course there are times of sorrow. Of course there are hours of
concern and anxiety. We all worry. But the Lord has told us to lift our hearts
and rejoice. I see so many people...who seem never to see the sunshine, but who
constantly walk with storms under cloudy skies. Cultivate an attitude of
happiness. Cultivate a spirit of optimism. Walk with faith, rejoicing in the
beauties of nature, in the goodness of those you love, in the testimony which
you carry in your heart concerning things divine." Gordon B.
"You can't bring anybody into the Church while you are scowling...You
look better with a smile on your face. It doesn't cost you a thing. Be happy
about it - let that happiness be a radiance from your countenance." Gordon
B. Hinckley,
"Even when someone rejects the message, missionaries need to learn to
have a positive attitude, because the message is still true, whether accepted
or not. Now I know that tracting isn't very efficient, but I think it is good
for the soul of the missionaries." James E. Faust,
"In order to do well, missionary work has to be totally positive."
James E. Faust,
"The word gospel means 'good news' and missionaries ought to be radiant
and upbeat as they reach out to share the gospel." James E. Faust,
"A constant effort must be made to lift our daily conduct so that it squares with our knowledge of truth and our standards. Self-mastery must always triumph over self-deceit for us to taste the fruits of good cheer." Marvin J. Ashton, LDS General Conference, April 1986
"Being of good cheer makes it possible for us to turn all of our sunsets into sunrises." Marvin J. Ashton, Ensign, May 1986, page 68
"Let thy heart be of good cheer before my face" D&C 112:4
"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." Albert Einstein
"Cheerfulness, too, promotes health and immortality. Cheerful people live longest hear on earth, and afterwards in our hearts." Anonymous
"It is amazing what ordinary people can do if they set out without preconceived notions." Charles F. Kettering
"We only do well the things we like doing." Colette
"I was complaining that I had no shoes till I met a man who had no feet." Confucius
"Depression, gloom, pessimism, despair, discouragement, these slay ten human beings to every one murdered by typhoid, influenza, diabetes or pneumonia." Gilbert Murray
"One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do." Henry Ford
"Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right." Henry Ford
"The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is, that one often comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won't." Henry Ward Beecher
"The formula for disaster is: Could + Should + Won't" Jim Rohn
"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it." Lou Holtz
"There is nothing that wastes the body like worry, and one who has any faith in God should be ashamed to worry about anything whatsoever." Mahatma Gandhi
"You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty." Mahatma Gandhi
"Thou wilt find rest from vain fancies if thou doest every act in life as though it were thy last." Marcus Aurelius
"The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions, and not on our circumstances." Martha Washington
"As you ramble on through life, brother, whatever be your goal: keep
you eyes upon the donut, and not upon the hole."
"In the kingdom of hope there is no winter." Russian Proverb
"The habit of looking on the bright side of every event is worth more than a thousand pounds a year." Samuel Johnson
"There is nothing so easy but it becomes difficult when you do it reluctantly." Terance
"Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% what we decide to do about it." Thomas A. Edison
"The great discovery of my age is that men can change their circumstances by changing the attitude of their mind." William James
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." Winston Churchill
Attributes
"I hope you will develop a spirit of fellowship, a social ease, a
capacity to mix and mingle with people whenever you meet them, of low caste or
high caste, recognizing their strengths and powers and capacities and
goodness...A vibrant personality that comes out of the capacity to listen and
learn, that comes of the ability to contribute without boring, that comes of a
talent for mingling and mixing with people in a constructive way is something
precious." Gordon B.
"The greatest virtues are those which are most useful to other persons." Aristotle
"I studied the lives of great men and famous women; and I found that the men and women who got to the top were those who did the jobs they had in hand, with everything they had of energy, enthusiasm, and hard work." Harry Truman
"Sharpen your interest in two major subjects: life and people. You will only gather information from a source if you are interested in it." Jim Rohn
"Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they
are." Malcom Forbes
"The greatest thing in the world is to know how to be self-sufficient." Michel Eyquem de Montaigne
"Be kind and merciful. Let no one ever come to you without coming away better and happier." Mother Teresa
"There is one virtue, attribute, or principle, which, if cherished and practiced by the Saints, would prove salvation to thousands upon thousands. I allude to charity, or love, from which proceed long suffering, kindness, and patience." Brigham Young, DNW, 11 January 1860, p.1
"Character is won by hard work." Delbert L. Stapley, Relief Society Courses of Study, 1985, page 141
"Character is the one thing we make in this world and take with us into the next." Ezra Taft Benson, LDS General Conference, April 1966
"The characteristics of a good missionary are: A man who has sociability -- whose friendship is permanent and sparkling -- who can ingratiate himself into the confidence and favor of men who are in darkness. This cannot be done offhand. You must get acquainted with a man, learn him and gain his confidence and make him feel and know that your only desire is to do him good and bless him; then you can tell him your message, and give the good things you have for him, kindly and lovingly. Therefore, in selecting missionaries, choose such as have sociability, who have friendship and not enmity towards men..." Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine pp. 356-357
"The things of God are of great import; and time, and experience,and careful, and ponderous, and solemn thoughts can only find them out. Thy mind, oh man, if thou wilt lead a man unto salvation, must stretch as high as the utmost heavens, and search into and contemplate the darkest abyss, and the broad expanses of eternity; thou must commune with God!" Joseph Smith
"Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men. Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day. Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work; For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul; And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work. Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence. Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Amen." D&C Section 4
"Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control. These three alone lead to sovereign power. " Alfred Lord Tennyson
"The nobler sort of man emphasizes the good qualities in others, and does not accentuate the bad. The inferior does the reverse." Confucius
"There were four things that the Master wholly eschewed: he took nothing for granted, he was never over positive, never obstinate, never egotistic." Confucius, The Teachings of Confucius
"They who know the truth are not equal to those who love it, and they who love it are not equal to those who delight in it." Confucius
"Think no vice so small that you may commit it, and no virtue so small that you may overlook it." Confucius
"To be fond of learning is to be near to knowledge. To practice with vigor is to be near to magnanimity. To posses the feeling of shame is to be near to energy. He who knows these three things, knows how to cultivate his own character, he knows how to govern other men. Knowing how to govern other men, he knows how to govern the kingdom with all its states and families." Confucius
"Wisdom, compassion and courage--these are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men. " Confucius
"Technical training is important, but it accounts for less than 20% of one's success. More than 80% is due to the development of one's personal qualities, such as initiative, concentration, decision, adaptability, organizing ability, observation, industry and leadership." Dr. G. P. Koch, cited in The Missionary's Little Quote Book by Dale Jeffrey
"Be not simply good; be good for something." Henry David Thoreau
"The 7 Deadly Sins are: Wealth without work. Pleasure without conscience. Knowledge without character. Business without morality. Science without humanity.W orship without sacrifice. Politics without principle." Mahatma Gandhi
"Subtlety may deceive you; integrity never will." Oliver Cromwell
"Character is higher than intellect. A great soul will be strong to live as well as think." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Before you speak, listen. Before you write, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you invest, investigate. Before you criticize, wait. Before you pray, forgive. Before you quit, try. Before you retire, save. Before you die, give." William A. Ward
"I take it to be a principle rule of life, not to be too much addicted to any one thing." Terence
"Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice." Thomas Paine
Baptism
"See that ye are not baptized unworthily." Mormon 9:29
"And now I speak concerning baptism. Behold, elders, priests, and
teachers were baptized; and they were not baptized save they brought forth
fruit meet that they were worthy of it. Neither did they receive any unto
baptism save they came forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and
witnessed unto the church that they truly repented of all their sins. And none
were received unto baptism save they took upon them the name of Christ, having
a determination to serve him to the end."
"We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins..." Joseph Smith, Fourth Article of Faith
Book of Mormon
"Perhaps no other book has been denounced so vigorously by those who have never read it as has the Book of Mormon." Boyd K. Packer, LDS General Conference, April 1986
"The Book of Mormon is not on trial--the people of the world, including the members of the Church, are on trial as to what they will do with this second witness of Christ." Ezra Taft Benson, LDS General Conference, October 1984
"Young men, the Book of Mormon will change your life. It will fortify you against the evil of our day. It will bring spirituality into your life that no other book will. It will be the most important book that you will read in preparation for a mission and for life. A young man who knows and loves the Book of Mormon, who has read it several times, who has an abiding testimony of its truthfulness, and who applies its teachings will be able to stand against the wiles of the devil and will be a mighty tool in the hands of the Lord." Ezra Taft Benson, To Young Men of the Priesthood
"When you get into the active operation of your proselyting program,
this is a concept you absolutely must have. It has been our traditional course
in days past, unfortunately all too frequently, to say, 'Here is the Bible, and
the Bible says this and this, and therefore the Gospel has been restored.' Well
now, there is no person on earth that believes the Bible more than I do. I read
it and ponder its words. I know that what is in it is true. But let me tell
you, it is not the Bible that brings people into the Church; it is the Book of
Mormon and latter-day revelation. We can use the Bible to lay a foundation, and
to point people's attention to Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, but until
we get involved with latter-day revelation, the process of conversion does not
begin to operate in any substantial degree in the heart of an investigator. The
Lord said to Joseph Smith: 'this generation shall have my word through you...'
(D&C 5:10). That is his decree. They either get it through Joseph Smith or
they do not get it, and our whole perspective is: Joseph Smith and the Book of
Mormon, the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith." Bruce R. McConkie,
"A great challenge and day of preparation is at hand for missionaries to meet and teach with the Book of Mormon. We need missionaries to match our message." Ezra Taft Benson, Regional Representatives Seminar, 4 April 1986
"A missionary who is inspired by the Spirit of the Lord must be led by that Spirit to choose the proper approach to be effective. We must not forget that the Lord Himself provided the Book of Mormon as His chief witness. The Book of Mormon is still our most powerful missionary tool. Let us use it." Ezra Taft Benson, Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 204
"Also, through the Family-to-Family Book of Mormon Program, send copies of the Book of Mormon on missions for you with your testimonies enclosed." Ezra Taft Benson, Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice, To the Elderly in the Church, p. 74
"The Book of Mormon is the great standard we are to use in our
missionary work. It shows that Joseph Smith was a prophet. It contains the
words of Christ, and its great mission is to bring men to Christ. All other
things are secondary. The golden question of the Book of Mormon is 'Do you want
to learn more of Christ?' The Book of Mormon is the great finder of the golden
contact. It does not contain things which are 'pleasing unto the world,' and so
the worldly are not interested in it. It is a great sieve. (See 1 Nephi
6:5)" Ezra Taft Benson, Mission Presidents Seminar,
"The Book of Mormon must be the heart of our missionary work in every
mission of the Church if we are to come out from under this condemnation (see
D&C 84:56-57). And what a marvelous missionary tool it is! Already we see
an increase in baptisms, which testifies to the power of this sacred
volume." Ezra Taft Benson, Mission Presidents Seminar,
"We need to flood the earth with the Book of Mormon." Ezra Taft Benson
"Would not the progress of the Church increase dramatically today with
an increasing number of those who are spiritually reborn? Can you imagine what
would happen in our homes? Can you imagine what would happen with an increasing
number of copies of the Book of Mormon in the hands of an increasing number of
missionaries who know how to use it and who have been born of God? When this
happens, we will get the bounteous harvest of souls that the Lord promised. It
was the 'born of God' Alma who as a missionary was so able to impart the word
that many others were also born of God. (See
"You know of my great love for the Book of Mormon. Sister Benson and I
try to read it every morning, and we have a great love for that book. The Book
of Mormon is the instrument that God has designed to 'sweep the earth as with a
flood, to gather out His elect unto the New Jerusalem.' This sacred volume of
scripture has not been, nor is it yet, central in our preaching, our teaching,
and our missionary work." Ezra Taft Benson,
"I cannot understand how any intelligent man could think that anyone without the help of the Lord could have produced the Book of Mormon, which has been before us now for more than a hundred years and has stood the test during all that period of time, notwithstanding the ridicule that has been brought against it, for one reason or another. Today that book, which was translated by Joseph Smith as the instrumentality of the Lord, stands out supreme. It is today the greatest missionary that we have for proclaiming this gospel; there is nothing else to compare with it." Heber J. Grant, Gospel Standards p. 15
"I counsel you, my beloved brothers and sisters and friends everywhere, to make reading the Book of Mormon a few minutes each day a lifelong practice. All of us need the uninterrupted association with the Spirit of the Lord. We need to take the Holy Spirit for our constant guide that we be not deceived. I am persuaded by my own experience and that of my loved ones, as well as by the statements of the Prophet Joseph Smith, that one can get and keep closer to the Lord by reading the Book of Mormon than by reading any other book. Don't be content with what someone else tells you about what is in it. Drink deeply from the divine fountain itself." Marion G. Romney, LDS General Conference, April 1980
"I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity - the pure love of Christ - will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness." Marion G. Romney, LDS General Conference, April 1980
"And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good. And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye-for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and you and I shall stand face to face before his bar; and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things, notwithstanding my weakness." 2 Nephi 33:10-11
"And the words which I have written in weakness will be made strong unto them; for it persuadeth them to do good; it maketh known unto them of their fathers; and it speaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in him, and to endure to the end, which is life eternal. And it speaketh harshly against sin, according to the plainness of the truth; wherefore, no man will be angry at the words which I have written save he shall be of the spirit of the devil. I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell." 2 Nephi 33:4-6
"And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief,
and because you have treated lightly the things you have received- Which vanity
and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. And this
condemnation resteth upon the children of
"Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I came unto mine own, and mine own received me not. I am the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not. I am he who said-Other sheep have I which are not of this fold-unto my disciples, and many there were that understood me not. And I will show unto this people that I had other sheep, and that they were a branch of the house of Jacob; And I will bring to light their marvelous works, which they did in my name; Yea, and I will also bring to light my gospel which was ministered unto them, and, behold, they shall not deny that which you have received, but they shall build it up, and shall bring to light the true points of my doctrine, yea, and the only doctrine which is in me. And this I do that I may establish my gospel, that there may not be so much contention; yea, Satan doth stir up the hearts of the people to contention concerning the points of my doctrine; and in these things they do err, for they do wrest the scriptures and do not understand them." D&C 10:57-63
"The Book of Mormon...contains a record of a fallen people, and the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles and to the Jews also; Which was given by inspiration, and is confirmed to others by the ministering of angels, and is declared unto the world by them- Proving to the world that the holy scriptures are true, and that God does inspire men and call them to his holy work in this age and generation, as well as in generations of old; Thereby showing that he is the same God yesterday, today, and forever. Amen. Therefore, having so great witnesses, by them shall the world be judged, even as many as shall hereafter come to a knowledge of this work. And those who receive it in faith, and work righteousness, shall receive a crown of eternal life; But those who harden their hearts in unbelief, and reject it, it shall turn to their own condemnation- For the Lord God has spoken it; and we, the elders of the church, have heard and bear witness to the words of the glorious Majesty on high, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." D&C 20:9-16
Books
"Wear the old coat and buy the new book." Austin Phelps
"Everybody know how to read and nobody knows what to read." George Bernard Shaw
"Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them all." Henry David Thoreau
"One half who graduate from college never read another book." Herbert True
"A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read." Mark Twain
"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them." Mark Twain
"The books that help you the most are those that make you think the most." Theodore Parker
"The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers." Thomas Jefferson
Challenges
"If you will ponder it in your mind, you will come up, in my judgment,
with the conclusion that we could bring immeasurably more people into the
Church than we are now doing. We could fellowship more than we are now
fellowshipping; in practice this could be five or ten or twenty times as many
as we are now baptizing. Perhaps in due course it should be 24 times or 100
times as many as at present." Bruce R. McConkie,
"We are not getting the results we ought to get. We are not getting the
numbers of baptisms that in my judgment the Lord expects us to get. To a
degree, at least, we are grinding our wheels without going forward...Perhaps
what is wrong is that we have not desired faith with all our hearts to bring
souls into the kingdom. Perhaps we have not made up our minds that we can and
will bring people into the Church. Now, very frankly, whether we gain many
converts or few depends in large measure upon our frame of mind." Bruce R.
McConkie,
"I have a vision of thousands of missionaries going into the mission field with hundreds of passages memorized from the Book of Mormon so that they might feed the needs of a spiritually famished world." Ezra Taft Benson, LDS General Conference, October 1988
"The Lord calls nobody to fail, but to succeed; and they [missionaries]
should understand this fully." Ezra Taft Benson, New
"Missionary work is different in nature than any other position, and is
a great privilege and blessing to be involved in, and a very small gift to
give. Missionary work is the payment of a tithe of your life to the advancement
of the work of God in all the world...Missionaries who are prayerful, obedient
and who work hard will be given some measure of harvest, for which you will be
grateful all the days of your life...You will never be able to judge the consequences
of that which you do as a missionary...If you bring someone into the Church and
that individual stays in the Church, the harvest will go on and on, growing and
growing through the years and through generations of time...We place tremendous
confidence in you. We count on you to do a superb job. No less than the best
will do. You must do your very, very best." Gordon B. Hinckley,
"We are thrilled with the increase in baptisms, but we know we've only scratched the surface of what we are capable of doing." Robert L. Backman
"Now, my brothers and sisters, it seems clear to me, indeed, this impression weighs upon me--that the Church is at a point in its growth and maturity when we are at last ready to move forward in a major way. Some decisions have been made and others pending, which will clear the way, organizationally. But the basic decisions needed for us to move forward, as a people, must be made by the individual members of the Church. The major strides which must be made by the Church will follow upon the major strides to be made by us as individuals." Spencer W. Kimball, LDS General Conference, April 1979
"We want missionaries who have the kind of faith that Wilford Woodruff and Heber C. Kimball had each bringing hundreds and thousands of souls into the waters of baptisms." Spencer W. Kimball, cited in Ensign, April 1986
"And because of their iniquity the church had begun to dwindle; and they began to disbelieve in the spirit of prophecy and in the spirit of revelation; and the judgments of God did stare them in the face." Helaman 4:23
"And thus, in this eighth year of the reign of the judges, there began
to be great contentions among the people of the church; yea, there were
envyings, and strife, and malice, and persecutions, and pride, even to exceed
the pride of those who did not belong to the
"For behold, the Lord hath said: I will not succor my people in the day of their transgression; but I will hedge up their ways that they prosper not; and their doings shall be as a stumbling block before them." Mosiah 7:29
"For the Lord hath said: This is my church, and I will establish it; and nothing shall overthrow it, save it is the transgression of my people." Mosiah 27:13
"Now this great loss of the Nephites...would not have happened had it not been for their wickedness and their abomination which was among them; yea, and it was among those also who professed to belong to the church of God." Helaman 4:11
"We can only change the world by changing men." Charles Wells
"The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problem." Mahatma Gandhi
"I think that the work of the Church in the developed and rich Western Hemisphere is more difficult than in Calcutta, South Yemen, or other areas where the needs of the people are reduced to the clothes needed to ward off the cold, or a dish of rice to curb their hinger -- anything that will show them that someone loves them. In the West the problems that people have go much deeper; the problems are in the depths of our hearts." Mother Teresa
"In the developed countries there is a poverty of intimacy, a poverty of spirit, of loneliness, of lack of love. There is no greater sickness in the world today than that one." Mother Teresa
Change
"There are two kinds of fools. One says, 'This is old therefore it is good.' The other one says, 'This is new therefore it is better.'" Dean William R. Inge
"Don't ever take a fence down, until you know why it was put up." Robert Frost
Character
"A person's reaction to his appetites and impulses when they are aroused gives the measure of that person's character." David O. McKay, LDS General Conference, April 1964
"The pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, an almost fanatical love of justice, and the desire for personal independence – these are the features of the Jewish tradition which makes me thank my lucky stars that I belong to it." Albert Einstein
"The virtue of man ought to be measured, not by his extraordinary exertions, but by his everyday conduct." Blaise Pascal
"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved." Helen Keller
"Money is not required to buy one necessity of the soul." Henry David Thoreau
"Fame is a vapor, popularity is an accident, money takes wings, those who cheer you today may curse you tomorrow. The only thing that endures is character." Horace Greeley
"There is one categorical imperative: Act so that every action of yours should be capable of becoming a universal rule of action for all men." Immanuel Kant
"Character is a quality that embodies many important traits, such as integrity, courage, perseverance, confidence and wisdom. Unlike your fingerprints that you are born with and can't change, character is something that you create within yourself and must take responsibility for changing." Jim Rohn
"Nothing teaches character better than generosity." Jim Rohn
"Character is much easier kept than recovered." Thomas Paine
"If you think about what you ought to do for other people, your character will take care of itself." Woodrow Wilson
Consistency
"Let us consider youth as grouped into three classes according to their degree of aspiration: (1) First in their degree of aspiration: The 'Infusoria' class in which falls the listless, drifting youth. Down among the lowest types of living creatures, there is a little animal that moves about randomly and aimlessly...The Infusoria enter upon life aimlessly, and ninety-nine out of one hundred of these animals perish in consequence... (2) Higher in the scale of intelligence and uplift, there are those who may be classed as the 'firefly men'. Often on a summer's evening you perhaps observed as children what we used to call the 'lightening bug.' These flying creatures seemed most active just before a shower. The light from each would shine but for an instant, then the thing would be absorbed in the darkness. Another momentary flash, then blackness again. Such is the 'Firefly' youth with respect to noble aspiration. He has luminous hours in which his soul ardently desires to rise above all things mean and sordid, and to bask in the realm of enlightenment and beauty. He would be valiant and courageous in defending virtue and right under all circumstances. If he could only obtain strength and power, he would use them to help his fellowmen and make the world better! But when a few hours later he associates with his companions unfired by such noble ideals, the light of his aspiration fades, the fires of enthusiasm die, and his soul is absorbed in the darkness of indifference. However, it is better to have hoped and yearned for better things and had the hopes fade, then never to have yearned at all. The flicker at least shows the presence of a light that might be fanned into a constant flame. That is better than damp driftwood from which will come not even a spark. (3) Then there is the third group, which I call the 'Conifer' youth. In using this term, I have in mind not just the ordinary cone-bearing tree of the Conifer group, but particularly, the Giant Sequoia...Among them is one, 'The General Sherman,' which is estimated to be 3500 years old. It has withstood lightning, floods, fire and still lives on. It has survived because in it is the power of resistance. The 'Conifer' youth senses the fact that man is not just a mere animal, but is rather a spiritual being. He realizes that he is more than a physical object that is tossed for a short time from bank to bank, only to be submerged in the ever-flowing stream of life. There is something within him which urges him to rise above himself, to control his environment, to master the body and all things physical, and to live in a higher and more beautiful world." David O. McKay, Secrets of a Happy Life, pp. 30-31
"The real test of any church or religion is the kind of men it makes." David O. McKay, CR April 1949, p.11
"We are like children walking a path in the rain. We can walk in or around the mud of life as we desire, but with our choices come the consequences. And we are rapidly becoming what we are choosing to be for all eternity." Elaine Cannon, Ensign, November 1983
"You learn to do by doing. You learn to be by being." H. Burke Peterson
"The Lord is always looking for men in whom he can place his full confidence, who can represent him in the mission field, and men who can be trusted in every way and who are prepared to help build his kingdom." N. Eldon Tanner, LDS General Conference, April 1975
"The success of this life is not measured at the end of it by what we have, but rather by what we are." Rulon S. Wells, LDS General Conference, October 1912
"A striking personality and good character is achieved by practice, not merely by thinking it. Just as a pianist masters the intricacies of music through hours and weeks of practice, so mastery of life is achieved by the ceaseless practice of mechanics which make up the art of living. Daily unselfish service to others is one of the rudimentary mechanics of the successful life. 'For whosoever will save his life,' the Galilean said, 'shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.' (Matthew 16:25.) What a strange paradox this! And yet one needs only to analyze it to be convinced of its truth...Only when you lift a burden, God will lift your burden. Divine paradox this! The man who staggers and falls because his burden is too great can lighten that burden by taking on the weight of another's burden. You get by giving, but your part of giving must be given first." Spencer W. Kimball, Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 250-251
"Character is made by many acts; it may be lost by a single one." Anonymous
"The man of virtue makes the difficult to be overcome his first business, and success only a subsequent consideration; -- this may be called perfect virtue." Confucius
"Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are." Dale Carnegie
"Let us not say, Every man is the architect of his own fortune; but let us say, Every man is the architect of his own character." George Boardman
"He is rich or poor according to what he is, not according to what he has." Henry Ward Beecher
"He who reins within himself and rules passions, desires, and fears is more than a king." John Milton
"The real character of a man is found out by his amusements." Joshua Reynolds
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Character is never built in a classroom; it is built in the circumstances of life." Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church, p. 360
"Character is not made in crisis -- it is only exhibited." Robert Freeman
"To be worth anything, character must be capable of standing firm upon its feet in the world of daily work, temptation, and trial; and able to bear the wear and tear of actual life. Cloistered virtues do not count for much." Samuel Smiles
"Instead of saying that man is the creature of circumstance, it would be nearer the mark to say that man is the architect of circumstance. It is character which builds an existence out of circumstance. From the same materials one man builds palaces, another hovels; one warehouses, another villas; bricks and mortar are mortar and bricks until the architect can make them something else." Thomas Carlyle
"Men are equal; it is not birth but virtue that makes the difference." Voltaire
"This above all: to thine own self be true." William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act I, scene iii
Charity
"Nothing is so much calculated to lead people to forsake sin as to take them by the hand, and watch over them with tenderness. When persons manifest the least kindness and love to me, O what power it has over my mind, while the opposite course has a tendency to harrow up all the harsh feelings and depress the human mind." Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 24
"The nearer we get to our Heavenly Father, the more we are disposed to look with compassion on perishing souls; we feel that we want to take them upon our shoulders, and cast their sins behind our backs. If you would have God have mercy on your, have mercy on one another." Joseph Smith, History of the Church 5:24
"As disciples of Christ, we need to feel genuine charity for one another. As we do, new light will come into our own lives. This charity is essential in missionary work, but we must never allow ourselves to treat our neighbors only as potential converts. We have had the sad experience of seeing members of the Church who attempted to convert their neighbors and friends and, when they did not respond, withdrew their friendship and neighborliness. We must not be so anxious to share the gospel that we become insensitive to the feelings of others." Russell M. Nelson, LDS General Conference, October 1988
"I believe it was Saint Vincent de Paul who used to say to those who wanted to join his congregation: 'Never forget, my children, that the poor are our masters. That is why we should love them and serve them, with utter respect, and do what they bid us.' Do you not believe that it can happen, on the other hand, that we treat the poor like they are a garbage bag in which we throw everything we have no use for? Food we do not like or that is going bad -- we throw it there. Perishable goods past their expiration date, and which might harm us, go into the garbage bag: in other words, go to the poor. An article of clothing that is not in style anymore, that we do not want to wear again, goes to the poor. This does not show any respect for the dignity of the poor; this is not to consider them our masters, like Saint Vincent de Paul taught his religious, but to consider them less than our equals." Mother Teresa
"One day a young couple came to our house and asked for me. They gave me a large amount of money. I asked them, 'Where did you get so much money?' They answered, 'We got married two days ago. Before we got married we had decided not to celebrate the wedding, not to buy wedding clothes, not to have a reception or a honeymoon. We wanted to give you the money we saved.' I knew what such a decision meant, especially for a Hindu family. That is why I asked them, 'But how did you think of such a thing?' 'We love each other so much,' they answered, 'that we wanted to share the joy of our love with those you serve.' To share: what a beautiful thing!" Mother Teresa
"When a poor person dies of hunger, it has not happened because God did not take care of him or her. It has happened because neither you nor I wanted to give that person what he or she needed. We have refused to be instruments of love in the hands of God to give the poor a piece of bread, to offer them a dress with which to ward off the cold. It has happened because we did not recognize Christ when, once more, he appeared under the guise of pain, identified with a man numb from the cold, dying of hunger, when he came in a lonely human being, a lost child in search of a home." Mother Teresa
Chastity
"There appears to be something beyond and above the reasons apparent to the human mind why chastity brings strength and power to the peoples of the earth, but it is so." Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine p. 274
"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 f or eternal life." N. Eldon Tanner, LDS General Conference, October 1976
Christ
"Faith is the power, obedience is the price, love is the motive, the
Spirit is the key and Christ is the reason." James E. Faust,
"Continue to make time in your lives and hearts for Christ."
Thomas S. Monson,
"And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." 2 Nephi 25:26
"O remember, remember, my sons, the words which king Benjamin spake unto his people; yea, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world." Helaman 5:9
"If you make a great deal of Christ, He will make a great deal of you; But it you make but little of Christ, He will make but little of you." R.A. Torrey
Church Meetings
"The Lord distinguishes between the Church and its members. He said He was well pleased with the restored Church, speaking collectively, but not individually (D&C 1:30). During His ministry on earth, the Lord spoke of the gospel net drawing in fish. The good fish, He said, were gathered into vessels, while the bad were cast away. (See Matthew 13:47-50). It is important to realize that while the Church is made up of mortals, no mortal is the Church. Judas, for a period of time, was a member of the Church -- in fact, one of its Apostles -- but the Church was not Judas. Sometimes we hear someone refer to a division in the Church. In reality, the Church is not divided. It simply means that there are some who, for the time being at least, are members of the Church but not in harmony with it. These people have a temporary membership and influence in the Church; but unless they repent, they will be missing when the final membership records are recorded." Ezra Taft Benson, God, Family, Country, pp. 253-54
"It should be recognized that this Church is not a social club. This is
the
"I have never known a person, man or woman, who attended his meetings, and partook of the spirit and inspiration that are present in the meetings of true, faithful Latter-day Saints, who has ever apostasized." Heber J. Grant, Gospel Standards p. 42
"Worship is an individual activity, even at church. If one wishes to worship the Lord, they may do so by song, prayer, and participation in the sacrament. If the service is a failure, it is you who have failed. No one can worship for you." Spencer W. Kimball, cited in The Missionary's Little Quote Book by Dale Jeffrey
"Missionaries should sit with investigators or new members and not sit
as a group of missionaries." Thomas S. Monson,
"Church attendance is as vital to a disciple, as a transfusion of rich healthy blood to a sick man." D.L. Moody
"Don't focus on growing a church with programs, focus on growing people with a process." Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church, p.108
"Most churches rarely attract unbelievers to their services because members are uncomfortable bringing them to church. It doesn't matter how much the pastor encourages members to bring friends or how many visitation programs are launched, the results are the same: Most members never bring any lost friends to church. Why is this? There are three important reasons. First, as I mentioned, the target of the messages is unpredictable. Members don't know from week to week if the pastor will be preaching an evangelistic message or an edification message. Second, the services are not designed for unbelievers; so much of what goes on in them would not be understandable to an unchurched friend. Third, members may be embarrassed by the quality of the service." Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church, p.252
"The church should be seeker sensitive but it must not be seeker driven. We must adapt our communication style to our culture without adopting the sinful elements of it or abdicating to it." Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church, p.80
"To accommodate our continuous growth we used seventy-nine different facilities in the first fifteen years of Saddleback's history...I'm often asked, 'How big can a church grow without a building?' The answer is, 'I don't know!' Saddleback met for fifteen years and grew to 10,000 attenders without our own building, so I know it's possible to grow to at least 10,000! A building, or lack of a building, should never be allowed to become a barrier to a wave of growth. People are far more important than property." Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church, p.46
"What is the most natural way to increase the number of visitors to your church? By making members feel guilty for not inviting friends? No. By putting up a big sign that says 'Visitors Welcome'? No. By cold-calling on homes in your community? Probably not. By holding advertising contests? Unlikely. By using telemarking or advertising? Wrong again. The answer is quite simple: Create a service that is intentionally designed for your members to bring their friends to. And make the service so attractive, relevant, an appealing to the unchurched that your members are eager to share it with the lost people they care about." Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church, p.253
Commitment
"The difference between those who are committed and those who are not is the difference between the words want and will." Marvin J. Ashton, Ensign, November 1983
"A civilization is built on what is required of men, not on that which is provided for them." Antoine de St. Exupery
"Neutral men are the devil's allies" Edwin Hubbel Chapin
Companions
"[Missionary companions] stand as witnesses one with another. What a
precious thing is a good companion. He becomes your protector in times of
trouble or temptation." Gordon B. Hinckley,
"[The companion] is there for a purpose. He isn't there just to
decorate you. He's there to make you shine, he's there to serve a great
purpose. Think of what life would be without your companion. Getting up every
morning alone, going out to work, knocking on doors every day, alone. Pretty
scary, wouldn't it be? I think it would. Be grateful for your companions. I
thank the Lord and will always be grateful for my companions in the mission
field." Gordon B. Hinckley, New Mission President Seminar,
"Treasure your companions. They have something to offer you if you will
learn. Look for the good in them, and help them. Help one another. Get on your
knees and pray to the Lord and ask Him to bless you. Never leave your
apartments in the morning without asking for the directing and protecting
guidance of the Lord. And never come back to them in the evening and go to bed
without getting on your knees and thanking Him for the blessings of the day."
Gordon B. Hinckley,
"And if any man among you be strong in the Spirit, let him take with him him that is weak, that he may be edified in all meekness, that he may become strong also." D&C 84:106
"Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." Matthew 5:23-24
"Consult your friend on all things, especially on those which respect yourself. His counsel may be useful where your own self-love might impair your judgment."
"Friendship renders prosperity more brilliant, while it lightens
adversity by sharing it and making its burdens common."
"If I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher. I will pick out the good points of the one and imitate them, and the bad points of the other and correct them in myself." Confucius
"The most agreeable of all companions is a simple, frank man, without any high pretensions to an oppressive greatness; one who loves life, and understands the use of it; obliging, alike, at all hours; above all, of a golden temper, and steadfast as an anchor. For such a one we gladly exchange the greatest genius, the most brilliant wit, the profoundest thinker." Gotthold Lessing
"You can employ men and hire hands to work for you, but you must win their hearts to have them work with you." Tiorio
Conscience
"All men who have moved the world have been men who would stand true to their conscience." David O. McKay, LDS General Conference, October 1908
"You cannot do wrong and feel right. It is impossible!" Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, November 1977, page 30
"I would sooner have the approval of my own conscience and know that I had done my duty than to have the praise of all of the world and not have the approval of my own conscience. A man's conscience, when he is living as he should, is the finest monitor and the best judge in all the world." Heber J. Grant, Gospel Standards p.186
"The only way to cure a bad conscience is to stop doing what we shouldn't, and start doing what we should." Richard L. Evans, cited in The Missionary's Little Quote Book by Dale Jeffrey
"A God-given conscience will not let us rest until our duty is done." Robert L. Simpson, CR, October 1964, P.96
"I desire so to conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall at least have one friend left, and that friend shall be down inside of me." Abraham Lincoln
"The most important human endeavor is the striving for morality in our actions. Our inner balance and even our very existence depend on it. Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to life." Albert Einstein
"Physical courage, which despises all danger, will make a man brave in one way; and moral courage, which despises all opinion, will make a man brave in another." Charles Caleb Colton
"Never 'for the sake of peace and quiet' deny your own experience or convictions." Dag Hammarskjold
"The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and the devil are fighting there and the battlefield is the heart of man." Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
"Labor to keep alive in your breast that little celestial fire, called conscience." George Washington
"A man of integrity will never listen to any plea against
conscience."
"Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?' Expediency asks the question, 'Is it polite?' Vanity asks the question, 'Is it popular?' But conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?' And there comes a point when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor polite, nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him that it is right." Martin Luther King Jr.
"It is difficult to make a man miserable while he feels he is worthy of himself and claims kindred to the great God who made him." Abraham Lincoln
"Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it." Albert Einstein
"He who sacrifices his conscience to ambition burns a picture to obtain the ashes." Chinese Proverb
"Whatever is done without ostentation, and without the people being
witnesses of it, is, in my opinion, most praiseworthy: not that the public eye
should be entirely avoided, for good actions desire to be placed in the light;
but notwithstanding this, the greatest theater for virtue is conscience."
"The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell." Confucius
"The more faithfully you listen to the voices within you, the better you will hear what is sounding outside." Dag Hammarskjold
"If we have not peace within ourselves, it is in vain to seek it from outward sources." Francois de La Rochefoucauld
"Only in quiet waters things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world." Hans Margolius
"Two things fill me with constantly increasing admiration and awe, the longer and more earnestly I reflect on them: the starry heavens without and the moral law within." Immanuel Kant
"In matters of conscience, the law of majority has no place." Mahatma Gandhi
"Two men please God -- who serves Him with all his heart because he knows him; who seeks Him with all his heart because he knows Him not." Nikita Ivanovich Panin
"In matters of conscience, first thoughts are best; in matters of prudence, last thoughts." Robert Hall
"Conscience is thoroughly well-bred and soon leaves off talking to those who do not wish to hear it." Samuel Butler
"Let us satisfy our own consciences, and trouble not ourselves by looking for fame... The praise bad actions obtain dies soon away; if good deeds are at first unworthily received, they are afterward more properly appreciated." Seneca
"Conscience warns us as a friend before it punishes as a judge." Stanislaus Leszczynski
Consistency
"The accumulation of right choices builds inner spiritual strength and divine character." Rulon G. Craven, LDS General Conference, April 1996
"It's not that I'm so smart; it's just that I stay with problems longer." Albert Einstein
"The great secret of success is to go through life as a man who never gets used up...A man can do only what a man can do. But if he does that each day he can sleep at night and do it again the next day." Albert Schweitzer
"Courage to start and willingness to keep everlasting at it are the requisites for success." Alonzo Newton Benn
"I believe life is constantly testing us for our level of commitment, and life's greatest rewards are reserved for those who demonstrate a never-ending commitment to act until they achieve. This level of resolve can move mountains, but it must be constant and consistent. As simplistic as this may sound, it is still the common denominator separating those who live their dreams from those who live in regret." Anthony Robbins
"Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit." Aristotle
"Excellence is an art won by training and habituation." Aristotle
"Enough shovels of earth - a mountain. Enough pails of water - a river." Chinese Proverb
"The person who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones." Chinese Proverb
"It seems, in fact, as though the second half of a man's life is made up of nothing but the habits he has accumulated during the first half." Fyodor Dostoyevsky
"The heights by great men reached and kept, Were not attained by sudden
flight, But they, while their companions slept, Were toiling upward in the
night." Henry
"The seed you sow today will not produce crop till tomorrow. For this reason, your identity does not lie in your current results. This is not who you are. Your current results are who you were." James A. Ray
"You don't have to change that much for it to make a great deal of difference. A few simple disciplines can have a major impact on how your life works out in the next 90 days, let alone in the next 12 months or the next 3 years." Jim Rohn
"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." Jim Ryun
"How you respond to the challenge in the second half will determine what you become after the game, whether you are a winner or a loser." Lou Holtz
"The victory of success is half won when one gains the habit of setting goals and achieving them. Even the most tedious chore will become endurable as you parade through each day convinced that every task, no matter how menial or boring, brings you closer to fulfilling your dreams" Og Mandino
"Creating success is tough. But keeping it is tougher. You have to keep producing, you can never stop." Pete Rose
"All great masters are chiefly distinguished by the power of adding a second, a third, and perhaps a fourth step in a continuous line. Many a man had taken the first step. With every additional step you enhance immensely the value of your first." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The power of a man increases steadily by continuing in one direction." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go." William Feather
"And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will." Helaman 10:5
"The secret of success is constancy of purpose." Benjamin Disraeli
"Diligence is the mother of good luck." Benjamin Franklin
"The strength of a man's virtue is measured by his habitual acts." Blaise Pascal
"The superior man is firm in the right way, and not merely firm." Confucius
"Consistency is the foundation of virtue." Francis Bacon
"Someone once asked a revival preacher why he preached revivals since revivals do not last. The preacher responded, 'Neither do baths.' Whether in physical or spiritual life, we are continuously picking up the soil and grit of the world, and we must be repeatedly cleansed." from Quiet Walk Devotional, June 7, 2000, Crosswalk.com
"Habits are to the soul what the veins and arteries are to the blood, the courses in which it moves." Horace Bushnell
"If I miss one day of practice, I notice it. If I miss two days, the critics notice it. If I miss three days, the audience notices it." Ignace Paderewski
"Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals" Jim Rohn
"Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day; while failure is simply a few errors in judgment, repeated every day. It is the accumulative weight of our disciplines and our judgments that leads us to either fortune or failure." Jim Rohn
"The maelstrom attracts more notice than the quiet fountain; a comet draws more attention than the steady star. But it is better to be the fountain than the maelstrom, and the star than comet, following out the sphere and orbit of quiet usefulness in which God places us." John Hall
"Fortitude I take to be the quiet possession of a man's self, and an undisturbed doing his duty whatever evils beset, or dangers lie in the way. In itself an essential virtue, it is a guard to every other virtue." John Locke
"To be good, one must be consistent...Goodness without consistency is not goodness." Jules Vernes, Captain Nemo, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
"This is the mark of a really admirable man: stead-fastness in the face of trouble." Ludwig van Beethoven
"We ought to do good to others as simply as a horse runs, or a bee makes honey, or a vine bears grapes season after season without thinking of the grapes it has borne." Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
"Be like the promontory against which the waves continually break, but it stands firm and tames the fury of the water around it." Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
"Always do right; this will gratify some people and astonish the rest." Mark Twain
"Without consistency there is no moral strength." Owen
"The force of character is cumulative." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken." Samuel Johnson
"Try to make at least one person happy every day, and then in ten years you may have made three thousand, six hundred and fifty persons happy, or brightened a small town by your contribution to the fund of general enjoyment." Sydney Smith
"Any act often repeated soon forms a habit; and habit allowed, steady gains in strength. At first it may be but as a spider's web, easily broken through, but if not resisted it soon binds us with chains of steel." Tryon Edwards
"The life that conquers is the life that moves with a steady resolution and persistence toward a predetermined goal. Those who succeed are those who have thoroughly learned the immense importance of plan in life, and the tragic brevity of time." W. J. Davidson
Contacting
"We are to take the gospel to every person. Without exception, without excuse, without rationalization, we are to go 'unto all the world and preach the gospel to every creature' (Mormon 9:22)." Ezra Taft Benson, Regional Representatives' Seminar, 5 April 1985.
"You can never speak to the wrong person about Christ." Anonymous
"Electric communication will never be a substitute for the face of someone who with their soul encourages another person to be brave and true." Charles Dickens
"You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you." Dale Carnegie
"It is necessary that all have the privilege of receiving or rejecting eternal truth, that they may be prepared to be saved, or be prepared to be damned." Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young p. 319
"The best means of preaching the gospel is by personal contact." David O. McKay, LDS General Conference, October 1969
"Speak to everyone: shopkeepers, passengers riding buses, people on streets, and everyone you meet." Earl C. Tingey, April 1998 General Conference, Priesthood Session
"Wherefore, go ye and preach my gospel, whether to the north or to the south, to the east or to the west, it mattereth not, for ye cannot go amiss." D&C 80:3
Contention
"Blessed is he or she who avoids being offended." Marvin J. Ashton, Ensign, May 1988, p. 62
"How important it is to know how to disagree without being disagreeable." Marvin J. Ashton
"I never saw an instance of one or two disputants convincing the other by argument." Thomas Jefferson
"The best way to win an argument is to begin by being right." Jill Ruckelshaus
"Discussion is an exchange of knowledge; arguments an exchange of ignorance." Robert Quillen
"In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves." Thomas Carlyle
"Our elders are instructed here, and they are taught from their childhood up, that they are not to go out and make war upon the religious organizations of the world when they are called to go out to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, but to go and bear with them the message which has been given to us through the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph, in this latter dispensation, whereby men may learn the truth, if they will." Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, p. 357
"Go in all meekness and sobriety, and preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified; not to contend with others on account of their faith, or systems of religion, but to pursue a steady course. This I deliver by way of commandment, and all who observe it not will pull down persecution upon their heads, while those who do shall always be filled with the Holy Ghost; this I pronounce as a prophecy." Joseph Smith
"Let the elders be exceedingly careful about unnecessarily disturbing and harrowing up the feelings of the people. Remember that your business is to preach the Gospel in all humility and meekness, and warn sinners to repent and come to Christ. Avoid contentions and vain disputes with men of corrupt minds who do not desire to know the truth. Remember that 'it is a day of warning, and not a day of many words.' If they receive not your testimony in one place, flee to another, remembering to cast no reflections, nor throw out any bitter sayings. If you do your duty, it will be just as well with you, as though all men embraced the Gospel." Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 176
"Seek to help save souls, not to destroy them: for verily you know, that 'there is more joy in heaven, over one sinner that repents, than there is over ninety and nine just persons that need no repentance.' Strive not about the mysteries of the kingdom; cast not your pearls before swine, give not the bread of the children to dogs, lest you and the children should suffer, and you thereby offend your righteous Judge." Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 172
"When we arrived, some of the young elders were about engaging in a debate on the subject of miracles. The question-'Was it, or was it not, the design of Christ to establish his Gospel by miracles?' After an interesting debate of three hours or more, during which time much talent was displayed, it was decided, by the president of the debate, in the negative, which was a righteous decision. I discovered in this debate, much warmth displayed, too much zeal for mastery, too much of that enthusiasm that characterizes a lawyer at the bar, who is determined to defend his cause, right or wrong. I therefore availed myself of this favorable opportunity to drop a few words upon this subject, by way of advice, that they might improve their minds and cultivate their powers of intellect in a proper manner, that they might not incur the displeasure of heaven; that they should handle sacred things very sacredly, and with due deference to the opinions of others, and with an eye single to the glory of God." Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 176-77
"Letting off steam always produces more heat than light." Neal A. Maxwell, Ensign, November 1989
"The partisan, when he is engaged in a dispute, cares nothing about the rights of the question, but is anxious only to convince his hearers of his own assertions." Plato, Phaedo
"The moment a man or a woman becomes angry they show a great weakness." Wilford Woodruff, JD 4:98
"And thou shalt do it with all humility, trusting in me, reviling not against revilers." D&C 19:30
"For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another." 3 Nephi 11:29
"When much dispute has past, we find our tenets just the same as last." Alexander Pope
"The intoxication of anger, like that of the grape, shows us to others, but hides us from ourselves. We injure our own cause in the opinion of the world when we too passionately defend it." Charles Caleb Colton
"So long as a man is angry he cannot be right." Chinese Proverb, cited in The Missionary's Little Quote Book by Dale Jeffrey
"I have learned through bitter experience the one supreme lesson which is to conserve my anger, and as heat conserved is transmitted into energy, even so our anger controlled can be transmitted into a power that can move the world." Mahatma Gandhi
"I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent." Mahatma Gandhi
"In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves." Thomas Carlyle
"A person is just about as big as the things that make him angry." Unknown
"Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause." Victor Hugo
"Weakness on both sides is the motto of all quarrels." Voltaire
"Nothing does reason more right, than the coolness of those that offer it: For Truth often suffers more by the heat of its defenders, than from the arguments of its opposers." William Penn
Conversion
"And now I speak concerning baptism. Behold, elders, priests, and
teachers were baptized; and they were not baptized save they brought forth
fruit meet that they were worthy of it. Neither did they receive any unto
baptism save they came forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and
witnessed unto the church that they truly repented of all their sins. And none
were received unto baptism save they took upon them the name of Christ, having
a determination to serve him to the end."
"He who is the most slow in making a promise is the most faithful in the performance of it." Jean-Jacques Rousseau
"We must learn not to disassociate the airy flower from the earthy root, for the flower that is cut off from its root fades, and its seeds are barren, whereas the root, secure in mother earth, can produce flower after flower and bring their fruit to maturity." Kabbalah
"The people...if it is really to be free, can not have any master, but God." Louis Kossuth
"All men are alike in their dreams, and all men are alike in the promises they make. The difference is what they do." Moliere, 15th century French playwright
"It goes without saying that conversion in all ages, for all peoples, is dependent upon their receipt of the Spirit. No one gets a testimony of the divinity of the Lord's work unless he gains it from the Spirit -- that is, unless it comes by the power of the Holy Ghost. But the Book of Mormon is the means, the tool, the way which has been ordained and given so that men can get their hearts and souls in a frame of mind, in a condition where they can hearken to the testimony of the Spirit." Bruce R. McConkie, CR, April 1961, p. 38
"The gospel of Jesus Christ can make bad men good and good men better, can alter human nature, can change human lives." David O. McKay
"There is a difference between a convert who is built on the rock of
Christ through the Book of Mormon and stays hold of the iron rod, and one who
is not. I promise you that you will have more and better converts in every
mission of the Church if you will teach and inspire missionaries to effectively
use the Book of Mormon as the great converter." Ezra Taft Benson,
"President Faust stated that two principles would lead to conversions
of people in any country: 'First, the powerful bearing of testimony and,
second, being guided by the whisperings of the Holy Spirit.'" James E.
Faust,
"And the whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin. And by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me. For whoso cometh not unto me is under the bondage of sin. And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me. And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now." D&C 84:49-53
"And there are none that doeth good except those who are ready to receive the fulness of my gospel, which I have sent forth unto this generation." D&C 35:12
"It is nobler to convert souls, than to conquer kingdoms." Louis Debonnaire
"What can we do? Maybe we cannot convert masses of people to a good
life. But let the few who do hear live well. Let the few who live well endure
the many who live badly."
"To convert somebody go and take them by the hand and guide them." Thomas Aquinas
"It is important that a man gets into the church, but it is more important that the church get into the man." Unknown
Courage
"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, 'I'll try again tomorrow.'" Anonymous
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." Lao Tzu
Creation
"What can be more foolish than to think that all this rare fabric of heaven and earth could come by chance, when all the skill of science is not able to make an oyster." Jeremy Taylor
"When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in worship of the Creator." Mahatma Gandhi
"There is no more reason to believe that man descended from some
inferior animal than there is to believe that a stately mansion descended from
a small cottage." William
Creativity
"I have no special gift. I am only passionately curious." Albert Einstein
"Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world." Arthur Schopenhauer
"It is easy to believe that something must be true because everyone else believes it. But the truth often only comes to light by daring to question the unquestionable, by doubting notions which are so commonly believed that they are taken for granted." Floyd Maxwell
"It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something." Franklin D. Roosevelt
"...to strive consciously for an object and to engage in engineering --that is, incessantly and eternally to make new roads, wherever they may lead." Fyodor Dostoyevsky
"Things don't turn up in this world unless someone turns them up." James A. Garfield
"A good idea will keep you awake during the morning, but a great idea will keep you awake during the night." Marilyn Vos Savant
"I have never been contained except I made the prison." Mary Evans
"Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen." Robert Bresson
"Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous mind." Samuel Johnson
"Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do
doesn't mean it's useless." Thomas Edison
"The overall objective to be accomplished in missionary work, temple work, providing for the needy, and bringing up our children in righteousness has always been the same; only our methods to accomplish these objectives have varied. Any faithful member in this dispensation, no matter when he lived, could have found righteous methods to have carried out these objectives without having to wait for the latest, specific Churchwide program." Ezra Taft Benson, God, Family, Country, p. 382
"It is wonderful what we can do as we practice a little ingenuity. You
ought to take advantage of every opportunity in the world to speak with people
about why we are there and what we are doing and give them some taste of a
gospel message." Gordon B. Hinckley,
"Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward. But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned." D&C 58:27-29
"Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought." Albert von Szent-Gyorgy
"Be not astonished at new ideas; for it is well known to you that a thing does not therefore cease to be true because it is not accepted by many." Baruch de Spinoza
"An inventor is simply a person who doesn't take his education too seriously. You see, from the time a person is six years old until he graduates from college he has to take three or four examinations a year. If he flunks once, he is out. But an inventor is almost always failing. He tries and fails maybe a thousand times. If he succeeds once then he's in. These two things are diametrically opposite. We often say that the biggest job we have is to teach a newly hired employee how to fail intelligently. We have to train him to experiment over and over and to keep trying and failing until he learns what will work." Charles Kettering
"Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness." Chinese Proverb
"A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds." Francis Bacon
"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." Galileo Galilei
"You see things and you say 'Why?'; but I dream things that never were and I say 'Why not?'" George Bernard Shaw
"The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking." J.K. Galbraith
"Never tell a young person that anything cannot be done. God may have been waiting centuries for someone ignorant enough of the impossible to do that very thing." John Andrew Holmes
"The great creative individual...is capable of more wisdom and virtue than collective man ever can be." John Stuart Mill
"It is better to create than to learn! Creating is the essence of life." Julius Caesar
"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is." L.A. van de Snepscheut
"Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul." Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), Inscription beneath his bust in the Hall of Fame
"Common sense is genius dressed in its working clothes." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few." Shunryu Suzuki
"A mind is like a parachute; it only works when it is open." Sir James Dewar (1877-1923)
"People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid." Soren Aabye Kierkegaard (1813-1855)
Culture
"We also wish [missionaries] to understand the geography, habits, customs, and laws of nations and kingdoms...This is recommended in the revelations given to us [see D&C 88:78-80. 93:53]. In them we are taught to study the best books, that we may become as well acquainted with the geography of the world as we are with our gardens, and as families with the people -- so far at least as they are portrayed in print -- as we are with our families and neighbors." Brigham Young, DBY p.254-55
"Young men and young women should be encouraged to include in their high school and college courses some of these languages. Some important factors to be kept in mind by all Americans who go abroad: (1) To learn another language is to learn that nation's way of thinking. We must have some knowledge of the religious and philosophical thoughts. (2) We must be conversant with the foreign life of its individual, social, and political aspects. (3) One should study and know their best literature. (4) Before you can understand a people you must know how they think. (5) Be respectful to other peoples' beliefs, and forms of worship, as you expect them to be tolerant with you and your teachings." David O. McKay, Secrets of a Happy Life, p. 51-52
"For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you." 1 Corinthians 9:19-23
"Looking at the world as a collection of individual nations is not the
best approach because it assumes that all people in a nation are the same.
"Each generation of the church in each setting has the responsibility of communicating the gospel in understandable terms, considering the language and thought of that setting." Francis Schaeffer
"No two ages, and scarcely any two countries, have decided it alike;
and the decision of one age or country is a wonder to another. Yet the people
of any given age and country no more suspect any difficulty in it, than if it
were a subject on which mankind had always been agreed. The rules which obtain
among themselves appear to them self-evident and self-justifying." John
Stuart Mill, On
"Targeting for evangelism begins with finding out all you can about your community. Your church needs to define its target in four specific ways: geographically, demographically, culturally, and spiritually...I must pay as much attention to the geography, customs, culture, and religious background of my community as I do to those who lived in Bible times if I am to faithfully communicate God's Word." Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church, p.160
"In matters of principles, stand like a rock; in matters of taste, swim with the current." Thomas Jefferson
"Culture is not just an ornament; it is the expression of a nation's
character, and at the same time it is a powerful instrument to mould character.
The end of culture is right living." William
Dedication
"To follow, without halt, one aim: There's the secret of success." Anna Pavlova
Desire
"I wish I could awaken in the heart of every man, woman, boy, and girl
here this morning the great consuming desire to share the gospel with others.
If you do that you live better, you try to make your lives more exemplary
because you know that those you teach will not believe unless you back up what
you say by the goodness of your lives." Gordon B.
"If you want to build a ship, don't herd people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"We may think there is willpower involved, but more likely...change is due to want power. Wanting the new addiction more than the old one. Wanting the new me in preference to the person I am now." George Sheehan
"Our headstrong passions shut the door of our souls against God." Confucius
"It is not from nature, but from education and habits, that our wants are chiefly derived." Henry Fielding
"You can't merely snap your fingers and get great faith in God, any more than you can snap your fingers and get great musical ability. Faith takes hold of us only when we take hold of it. The great psychologist, William James, said, 'That which holds our attention determines our action,' and one of the unfortunate things in life is that we sometimes focus our attention on the wrong things." Sterling W. Sill, Conference Report", April 1955, p.117
"Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen? Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world..." D&C 121:34-45
"No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit
for the
"There is wickedness in the intention of wickedness, even though it may
not be perpetrated in the act."
"Virtue consists, not in abstaining from vice, but in not desiring it." George Bernard Shaw
"Tell me what you like and I'll tell you what you are." John Ruskin
"Civilization, in the real sense of the term, consists not in the multiplication but in the deliberate and voluntary reduction of wants." Mahatma Gandhi
"Want is a growing giant whom the coat of Have was never large enough to cover." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The fewer our wants, the nearer we resemble the gods." Socrates
"To be innocent is not to be guilty, but to be virtuous is to overcome our evil inclinations." William Penn
Determination
"[Christ] was perfect and sinless, not because he had to be, but rather because he clearly and determinedly wanted to be." Howard W. Hunter, Ensign, November 1976, p.19
"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing." Abraham Lincoln
"Anyone who proposes to do good must not expect people to roll stones out of his way, but must accept his lot calmly, even if they roll a few stones upon it." Albert Schweitzer
"What this power is I cannot say; all I know is that it exists and it becomes available only when a man is in that state of mind in which he know exactly what he wants and is fully determined not to quit until he finds it." Alexander Graham Bell
"The hill has not yet lifted its face to heaven that perseverance will not gain the summit of at last." Charles Dickens
"Every human mind is a great slumbering power until awakened by a keen desire and by definite resolution to do" Edgar F. Roberts
"Nothing of worth or weight can be achieved with half a mind, with a faint heart, and with a lame endeavor." Isaac Barrow
"The worth of every conviction consists precisely in the steadfastness with which it is held." Jane Addams
"Firmness of purpose is one of the most necessary sinews of character, and one of the best instruments of success. Without it genius wastes its efforts in a maze of inconsistencies." Lord Chesterfield
"The will to conquer is the first condition of victory." Marshal Ferdinand Foch
"When every physical and mental resource is focused, one's power to solve a problem multiplies tremendously." Norman Vincent Peale
"If I had to select one quality, one personal characteristic that I regard as being most highly correlated with success, whatever the field, I would pick the trait of persistence. Determination. The will to endure to the end, to get knocked down 70 times and get up off the floor saying, 'Here comes number 71!'" Richard M. Devos
"Other people may not have had high expectations for me...but I had high expectations for myself." Shannon Miller, Olympic Gymnast
"Self-motivation flows from the importance we attach to today." Steve Chandler
"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will." Vincent T. Lombardi
"Great things are not something accidental, but must certainly be willed." Vincent van Gogh
"Somehow I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four C's. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence, when you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably." Walt Disney
"The height of your accomplishments will equal the depth of your convictions." William F. Scolavino
"Most people never run far enough on their first wind, to find out if they've got a second. Give your dreams all you've got, and you'll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you." William James
"Why is it that Latter-day Saints are enabled to convert people? It is because they have the truth to offer, because they have no doubt in th