- "It is contrary to the economy of God for any member of the Church, or any one, to receive instruction for those in authority, higher than themselves."
- We have never been encouraged to be blindly obedient; it is an intelligent obedience that characterizes members of the Church.
- "And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb; and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be."
- All can claim that promise. The youngest and the newest member can seek to build up the kingdom of God. Zion is made up of individuals and families. When their faith increases, the kingdom is established more firmly.
- Remember that the poor will always be with us.
- Charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him." It is of interest, however, that during the first 30 years of His life in Nazareth, Jesus apparently drew little attention to Himself even though He was living a sinless life. That should encourage us to do better in our own quiet and humble way without drawing attention to ourselves.
- If we are to be Saints in our day, we need to separate ourselves from evil conduct and destructive pursuit that are prevalent in the world.
- "Everyone might have some of the good things of life" but has cautioned, "It is the obsession with riches that cankers and destroys."
- These are the many members I see, admire, and am grateful for. They are not seeking position, prominence, or fame, but each is earning a place in our Father's kingdom by taking care of the business of everyday living. They are consistently doing the unnoticed, the unspectacular, but humbly and righteously doing the important. Challenges they have, but out of their bitter struggles they are able to find the sweetness that is so often the silent companion to adversity.
- Humility and gratitude are truly the twin characteristics of happiness.
- In the kingdom of God, greatness begins with humility and submissiveness.
- "I never told you I was perfect--but there is no error in the revelations which I have taught."
- Brothers and sisters, we do not go many hours in our lives without having to decide again "which way do we face" and whether we will pitch our tents facing Sodom or the holy temple.
- On Judgment Day we cannot invoke the Fifth Amendment!
- At the last day the adversary "will not support' those who followed him anyway. He cannot. Jesus will triumph majestically, and the adversary's clever constructs, "pleasing to the carnal mind," will also collapse, and "the fall thereof will be exceedingly great."
- Brothers and sisters, we dare not hold back the restored gospel's declaratives! We dare not hold back the reassuring revelations and truth-telling translations about "things as they really are, and ... things as they really will be." These are so needed by those whose weary hands hang down because they suffer from doctrinal anemia, which can be best be treated by the red blood cells of the Restoration. To hold back would be to restrain repentance and to obscure the beckoning spiritual alternative, which will become "fair as the sun, and clear as the moon."
- We are all so busy with our mundane pursuits which pull us this way and that. We all need, the whole world needs, the opportunity to meditate and reflect on the things of God and to listen to words that inspire and help.
- I pray that each of us will be a little more kind, a little more thoughtful, a little more courteous. I pray that we will keep our tongues in check and not let anger prompt words which we would later regret. I pray that we may have the strength and the will to turn the other cheek, to walk the extra mile in lifting up the feeble knees of those in distress.
- This gospel is an intimate thing. It is not some distant concept. It is applicable in our lives. It can change our very natures.
Bonnie D. Parkin -Choosing Charity: That Good Part
- The "pure love of Christ" refers not only to our love for the Savior but to His love for each of us.
- Do we judge one another? Do we criticize each other for individual choices, thinking we know better, when in fact we rarely understand another's unique circumstance or individual inspiration?
- Such judgments, and so many others like them, rob us of the good part, that pure love of Christ.
- We also lose sight of that good part when we compare ourselves to others.
- We cannot allow ourselves to feel inadequate by focusing on who we aren't instead of on who we are! We are all sisters in Relief Society. We simply cannot criticize, gossip, or judge and keep the pure love of Christ.
- "Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don't judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet. Charity is accepting someone's differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become when someone doesn't handle something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another's weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other."
- I invite you to not only love each other more but love each other better.
- The best way to reclaim charity is to uncumber myself and simply love and serve the Lord.
- As women, we should never think that our role in the Church is a lesser role than that played by men. Just as we as righteous women honor the priesthood, we need to hold sacred our calling as women as well.
- And remember, we don't outgrow those covenants. We can serve each other in every era of our lives.
- It's so important that we include every sister.
- Sisters, we're not a social club, though deep friendships form from our sisterhood. We are not, as I heard a young woman say, "the old women who meet on Sunday." We have power given to us through God to accomplish His purposes.
- In each of us, the restored gospel of Jesus Christ can be "written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart."
- Wherever she lives and whatever her circumstances, as the heart of the home and the family, what is in each woman's heart is reflected in the environment and spirit of her home.
- Choosing to make Christ the center of our hearts aids us in so many ways as we strive to teach others to put the Lord into their hearts. Sometimes we feel we are not making much progress, but on those discouraging days, I remember the comforting words of the Savior: "Be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work."
- He is always there, His merciful, loving arms outstretched to me and to you.
- Someone has said: "Be kind to the women. They constitute half the population and are mothers to the other half."
- "Wake up. Carry your share of the load. Do you really appreciate your wife? Do you know how much she does? Do you ever compliment her? Do you ever say thanks to her?"
- "You never know. You never know whether you do any good. You never know how much good you do."
- Aim high, but do not aim so high that you totally miss the target. What really matters is that he will love you, that he will respect you, that he will honor you, that he will be absolutely true to you, that he will give you freedom of expression and let you fly in the development of your own talents. He is not going to be perfect, but if he is kind and thoughtful, if he knows how to work and earn a living, if he is honest and full of faith the chances are that you will not go wrong, that you will be immensely happy.
- Some of you, unfortunately, will never marry in this life. That turns out to be the case sometimes. If that happens, do not spend your life grieving over it. The world still needs your talents. It needs your contribution. The Church needs your faith. It needs your strong, helping hand. Life is never a failure until we call it such.
- Count your blessings; name them one by one.
- Sloppy ways lead to sloppy lives.
- Nothing really good happens after 11 o'clock at night.
- Pray silently in your closest, and let the tears flow if they must. But put a smile on your face whenever you are before your children or others.
- Walk with pride. Hold your heads up. Work with diligence. Do whatever the Church asks you to do. Pray with faith. You may never know how much good you accomplish. Someone's life will be blessed by your effort.
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
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