Thomas S. Monson -The Power of Prayer
- "The price of peace is righteousness. Men and nations may loudly proclaim, 'Peace, peace,' but there shall be no peace until individuals nurture in their souls those principles of personal purity, integrity, and character which foster the development of peace. Peace cannot be imposed. It must come from the lives and hearts of men. There is no other way."
F. Michael Watson - Statistical Report 1990
- Total Membership at the close of 1990: 7,760,000
- It is my intent to teach doctrine which, if understood, will reinforce your courage and endurance, even foster a measure of contentment with circumstances which you did not invite, do not deserve, but from which you cannot turn away.
- Afflictions come to the innocent.
- We must work out our salvation without expecting the laws of nature to be exempted for us.
- Teach them that they, in their own way, should become like angels who "move the water," healing a spirit by erasing loneliness, embarrassment, or rejection.
- "All spirits while in the pre-existence were perfect in form, having all their faculties and mental powers unimpaired. ... Deformities in body and mind are ... physical."
- Physical means "temporal"; temporal means "temporary." Spirits which are beautiful and innocent may be temporarily restrained by physical impediments.
- You are manifesting the works of God with every thought, with every gesture of tenderness and care you extend to the handicapped loved one. Never mind the tears nor the hours of regret and discouragement; never mind the times when you feel you cannot stand another day of what is required. You are living the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ in exceptional purity. And you perfect yourselves in the process.
- "All the minds and spirits that God ever sent into the world are susceptible of enlargement."
- To know just how far to press the handicapped when physical and emotional pain are involved may be the most difficult part for those who serve them. Nevertheless, as the Prophet Joseph Smith said, "There must be decision of character, aside from sympathy."
- Think of this: Unless we die prematurely, every one of us may end up both physically and mentally handicapped. We would do well to make advance payments of service and compassion on which we may draw when the time comes.
- Historically, the abundance with which the Lord has blessed his people has proved to be one of their greatest tests. The cycles of their acquiring worldly wealth and their subsequent spiritual decline are well documented in scriptural and historical records.
- It was when they became settled in this goodly land that they began to take their abundance for granted and to forget the real source of these blessings.
- "I hope that the gold mines will be no nearer than 800 miles. ... Prosperity and riches blunt the feelings of man."
- This people will stand mobbing, robbing, poverty, and all manner of persecution, and be true. But my greater fear ... is that they cannot stand wealth.
- The danger lay in its obscuring the need for acknowledging the Lord's hand in these blessings, and in failing to use the abundance to bless others and to accomplish the Lord's purposes.
- The acquisition of wealth has frequently produced pride, self-satisfaction, and arrogance.
- History repeatedly confirms that the abundance of earthly possessions can be both a blessing and a curse, depending upon the way these things are viewed and used. When we consume them on our own lust, we invoke tragedy.
- Wealth is a relative thing. conditions vary dramatically from place to place in the world today. That which some consider to be the necessities of life, to others would be abundance, and even extravagance.
- By "passing it on," [he tried] to rid himself of his pain, and the responsibility for it, by inflicting it on another.
- Unwillingness to accept the responsibility for and consequences of one's actions is an all too common condition in today's world.
- The habit of shifting the burden of guilt onto someone else, while perhaps understandable in a secular setting, has more serious consequences in a spiritual one. there too it has an ancient but not honorable tradition.
- When faced with the consequences of transgression, rather than looking to ourselves as the source of the discomfort which always accompanies sin, many of us tend to blame someone else. Rather than getting out of a vicious and senseless circle, we fault our neighbor for our pain and try to pass it on. But to repent we must leave the circle.
- Just as foolish as believing that we can "pass it on" is the idea that the satisfaction of being in the circle, whatever that may be, can somehow excuse any wrongs committed there. This notion is widely shared and is most often expressed by the phrase, "The end justifies the means." Such a belief, if left undisturbed and unchecked, can also impede the repentance process and cheat us out of exaltation.
- The truth is that we are judged by the means we employ and not by the ends we may hope to obtain. It will do us little good at the last day to respond to the Great Judge, "I know I was not all I could have been, but my heart was in the right place."
- Face up, quit, get out, confess, apologize, admit the harm we have done, and just plain walk away.
- There are so many important things for us to do in mortality. There is not much time to waste on games.
- To those who say, "I may have done a little wrong, but my purpose was good and I believe God will justify my behavior" my response is, "Maybe so, but don't count on it."
- The commandment to honor our parents has strands that run through the entire fabric of the gospel. It is inherent in our relationship to God our Father. It embraces the divine destiny of the children of God. This commandment relates to the government of the family, which is patterned after the government of heaven.
- We sense the importance of these relationships when we realize that our greatest expressions of joy or pain in mortality come from the members of our families.
- In this day, failing to honor our parents is not a capital crime in any country of which I am aware. However, the divine direction to honor our father and our mother has never been revoked.
- Young people, if you honor your parents, you will love them, respect them, confide in them, be considerate of them, express appreciation for them, and demonstrate all of these things by following their counsel in righteousness and by obeying the commandments of God.
- Give ... elderly parents and grandparents the love, care, and attention they deserve.
- Even when parents become elderly, we ought to honor them by allowing them freedom of choice and the opportunity for Independence as long as possible. let us not take away from them choices which they can still make. Some parents are able to live and care for themselves well into their advancing years and would prefer to do so. Where they can, let them.
- Children are attentive.
- Righteousness is a beacon and a worthy act is its own reward.
- "Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days."
- Disappointments, death, losses, or failures are real and difficult to manage but should never cause us to have barbed tongues, lasting resentment, or negative attitudes. The gospel encourages us to develop the capacity to learn from the past and present and see the opportunities that can be ours in the days to come.
- The Lord would have us mingle our voices of gladness with His to give strength, encouragement, and joy to His children.
- In the world, where there are often voices of pessimism and negative feelings, the voice of gladness is welcome indeed. Some seem to live with doubt, fear of the future, and sorrow for the past. If it is our nature to criticize or demean, we can cause the voice of gladness to be silenced. We need those who bring gladness into our lives. We need those who give encouragement and reflect optimism.
- Sincere yet simple words of praise can lift souls and bring gladness. Mark Twain remarked that he could live two months on one good compliment. In the words of the biblical proverbs of Solomon: "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver."
- Encouragement can be quick and simple, but it is a voice of gladness that is needed by everyone.
- Laughing and believing in themselves [is] a major part of their survival."
- "Man, without a sense of humor I wouldn't have made it this far."
- "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones."
- Thank God for noble souls who can and do weather life's storms with sincere voices of gladness which overshadow the present and make the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ real and strengthening.
- We can choose our reactions to difficulties and challenges.
- Life can be both bitter and sweet. It is up to us to choose whether we want to reflect the voices of gloom or gladness.
- We don't have to walk through life alone.
- Let us remember that acts of kindness with pure motives and righteous purposes can be and are encouraged to be done in quietness, gentle voices, and in privacy. We can program ourselves to build, encourage, and give strength.
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
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