- "And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.
- To become one is to be humble. Pride is the great enemy of unity.
- Realizing that you see others in an imperfect light will make you likely to be a little more generous in what you say. In addition to that scripture, you might remember your mother saying--mine did--"If you can't say anything good about a person, don't say anything at all."
Robert D. Hales -Christian Courage: The Price of Discipleship
- Some people mistakenly think responses such as silence, meekness, forgiveness, and bearing humble testimony are passive or weak. But to "love [our] enemies, bless them that curse [us], do good to them that hate [us], and pray for them which despitefully use [us], and persecute [us]" takes faith, strength, and, most of all, Christian courage.
- Through the years we learn that challenges to our faith are not new, and they aren't likely to disappear soon. But true disciples of Christ see opportunity in the midst of opposition.
- Opposition may be in itself an opportunity.
- More regrettable than the Church being accused of not being Christian is when Church members react to such accusations in an un-Christlike way! May our conversations with others always be marked by the fruits of the Spirit--"love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance."
- Meekness is not weakness. It is a badge of Christian courage.
- This is not to suggest that we compromise our principles or dilute our beliefs. We cannot change the doctrines of the restored gospel, even if teaching and obeying them makes us unpopular in the eyes of the world. Yet even as we feel to speak the word of God with boldness, we must pray to be filled with the Holy Ghost. We should never confuse boldness with Satan's counterfeit: overbearance. True disciples speak with quiet confidence, not boastful pride.
- As true disciples, our primary concern must be others; welfare, not personal vindication.
- Without guile, true disciples avoid being unduly judgmental of others' views.
- "Let us learn respect for others. ... None of us lives alone--in our city, our nation, or our world."
- Sometimes true disciples must show Christian courage by saying nothing at all.
Keith B. McMullin -God Loves and Helps All of His Children
- The ultimate help from Heavenly Father comes to us through His Son, "for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
- How careful we must be in the use of His name. While His influence, teachings, and deliverance endear Him to us, we would do well not to speak of Him as though He were the friend next door.
Elaine S. Dalton -A Return to Virtue
- Virtue "is a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards." It encompasses chastity and moral purity. Virtue begins in the heart and in the mind. It is nurtured in the home. It is the accumulation of thousands of small decisions and actions. Virtue is a word we don't hear often in today's society, but the Latin root word virtus means strength. Virtuous women and men possess a quiet dignity and inner strength. They are confident because they are worthy to receive and be guided by the Holy Ghost. President Monson has counseled: "You be the one to make a stand for right, even if you stand alone. Have the moral courage to be a light for others to follow. There is no friendship more valuable than your own clear conscience, your own moral cleanliness--and what a glorious feeling it is to know that you stand in your appointed place clean and with the confidence that you are worthy to do so."
- I truly believe that one virtuous young woman or young man, led by the Spirit, can change the world, but in order to do so, we must return to virtue.
- "The will to win is nothing without the will to prepare."
- You must never underestimate the power of your righteous influence.
M. Russell Ballard -The truth of God Shall Go Forth
- "The work of the Lord will grow slowly for a time here just as an oak grows slowly from an acorn. It will not shoot up in a day as does the sunflower that grows quickly and then dies. But thousands will join the Church here. It will be divided into more than one mission and will be one of the strongest in the Church. The work here is the smallest that it will ever be."
- "The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught."
- "For God doth not walk in crooked paths, ... neither doth he vary from that which he hath said, therefore his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round.
- He isn't asking us to die a martyr's death; He's asking us to live a disciple's life.
- This is not a time for the spiritually faint of heart. We cannot afford to be superficially righteous. Our testimonies must run deep, with spiritual roots firmly embedded in the rock of revelation.
Thomas S. Monson -Finding Joy in the Journey
- I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey--now.
- "You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you've collected a lot of empty yesterdays."
- There is no tomorrow to remember if we don't do something today.
- Rather than dwelling on the past, we should make the most of today, of the here and now, doing all we can to provide pleasant memories for the future.
- Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.
- Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family. One day each of us will run out of tomorrows.
- Despite the changes which come into our lives and with gratitude in our hearts, may we fill our days--as much as we can--with those things which matter most. May we cherish those we hold dear and express our love to them in word and in deed.
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
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