- How fragile life, how certain death. We do not know when we will be required to leave this mortal existence. And so I ask, "What are we doing with today?" If we live only for tomorrow, we'll have a lot of empty yesterdays today. Have we been guilty of declaring, "I've been thinking about making some course corrections in my life. I plan to take the first step--tomorrow"? With such thinking, tomorrow is forever. Such tomorrows rarely come unless we do something about them today.
- Our opportunities to give of ourselves are indeed limitless, but they are also perishable. There are hearts to gladden. There are kind words to say. There are gifts to be given. There are deeds to be done. There are souls to be saved.
- "The fairest Impression of the Bible is to have it well printed on the Readers heart."
- The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ has the nourishing power to heal starving spirits of the world.
- I should be courageous in my decision, not compromising principles, not violating spiritual values, and not shrinking from responsibility.
- It is said that a fence-sitter eventually has to come down on one side or the other. If we are sitting on the top of life's fences, now is the time to muster the courage to stand tall on the side of righteousness and shun the shackles of sin.
- Failure to distinguish between needs and wants has muddied men's minds.
- If you find yourself entrapped in the pursuit of material things, now is the time to courageously stand tall. If you worship the items that money can buy more than you cherish the love of God, now is the time to stand tall. If you have been blessed with abundance beyond your needs, now is the time to stand tall in sharing with those whose needs remain unfulfilled.
- As a normal part of everyday language, many people take the name of God in vain. Among our youth, vulgar and crude terms seem to come easily as they describe their feelings. My young friends, now is the time to stand tall in eliminating these words from your vocabulary. You know the words to which I refer. Unfortunately, you hear them used over and over again in your schools, music, and sports. Will it take courage to stand tall? Of course it will. Can you muster the courage? Of course you can. Seek strength from your Heavenly Father to overcome it.
- "You reach the greatest heights while on your knees."
- Profanity and crudeness do not exalt; they defile.
- Adults need to stand tall in eliminating crude and profane language.
- Remember, young people can detect hypocrisy as easily as they can smell the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread.
- Our youth want more than landlords. They want people who will love them and lead them.
- Love is listening when they are ready to talk--midnight, 6 A.M. on their way to seminary, or when you're busy with your urgencies.
- Loving may come naturally, but leading is a polished skill that maybe we don't take seriously enough. We lead by example more strongly than any other way. That is a heavy burden for parents and leaders of youth.
- One of the greatest tests for parents and leaders is to love the one who seems to be unlovable. This is tough duty. It stretches the heartstrings and wrenches the soul. When heartbroken parents pray for help, the help often comes in the form of angel aunts or uncles, grandmas or grandpas, good friends, and leaders surrounding our loved one. They can reinforce our very message that may put our child on the track we've been praying for.
- Loving wisely and leading purposefully will help stem the tide of wickedness as we prepare the next generation for the exhilarating delights of parenthood.
- "If God be for us, who can be against us?"
- As we go through life, even through very rough waters, a father's instinctive impulse to cling tightly to his wife or to his children may not be the best way to accomplish his objective. Instead, if he will lovingly cling to the Savior and the iron rod of the gospel, his family will want to cling to him and to the Savior.
- This lesson is surely not limited to fathers. Regardless of gender, marital status, or age, individuals can choose to link themselves directly to the Savior, hold fast to the rod of His truth, and lead by the light of that truth. By so doing, they become examples of righteousness to whom others will want to cling.
- Each individual wants to make his or her own way. No one wants to be restrained, even by a well-intentioned parent. But all of us can cling to the Lord.
- Because the work (and glory) of God is to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life as a family, it logically follows that the work of the adversary will strike directly at the heart of the home--the family. Relentlessly Lucifer attacks the sanctity of life and the joy of parenthood.
- Because the evil one is ever at work, our vigilance cannot be relaxed--not even for a moment. A small and seemingly innocent invitation can turn into a tall temptation which can lead to tragic transgression. Night and day, at home or away, we must shun sin and "hold fast that which is good."
- No sacrifice is too great to have the blessings of an eternal marriage.
- We value our Muslim neighbors across the world and hope that those who live by the tenets of their faith will not suffer. I ask particularly that our own people do not become a party in any way to the persecution of the innocent. Rather, let us be friendly and helpful, protective and supportive. It is the terrorist organizations that must be ferreted out and brought down.
- We are people of peace.
- "Religion offers no shield for wickedness, for evil, for those kinds of things. The God in whom I believe does not foster this kind of action. He is a God of mercy. He is a God of love. He is a God of peace and reassurance, and I look to Him in times such as this as a comfort and a source of strength."
- No one knows how long it will last. No one knows precisely where it will be fought. No one knows what it may entail before it is over. We have launched an undertaking the size and nature of which we cannot see at this time.
- Occasions of this kind pull us up sharply to a realization that life is fragile, peace is fragile, civilization itself is fragile.
- I urge you as members of this Church to get free of debt where possible and to have a little laid aside against a rainy day.
- We cannot provide against every contingency. But we can provide against many contingencies.
- We will not place the Church in debt. We will tailor what we do to the resources that are available.
- Now, brothers and sisters, we must do our duty, whatever that duty might be. Peace may be denied for a season. Some of our liberties may be curtailed. We may be inconvenienced. We may even be called on to suffer in one way or another. But God our Eternal Father will watch over this nation and all of the civilized world who look to Him. He has declared, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." Our safety lies in repentance. Our strength comes of obedience to the commandments of God.
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
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