The willingness of Latter-day Saints to respond to calls to serve is a representation of their desire to do the will of the Lord...I see two kinds of service: one, the service we render when we are called to serve in the Church; the other, the service we willingly give to those around us because we are taught to care…We serve where we are called. It does not matter what the calling may be…The spirit of service does not come by assignment. It is a feeling that accompanies a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
- Boyd K Packer, Called to Serve
The great enemy of charity is pride...Pride is short-tempered, unkind, and envious. Pride exaggerates its own strength and ignores the virtues of others. Pride is selfish and easily provoked. Pride assumes evil intent where there is none and hides its own weaknesses behind clever excuses. Pride is cynical, pessimistic, angry, and impatient. Indeed, if charity is the pure love of Christ, then pride is the defining characteristic of Satan…for the sake of your soul...[s]et aside pride.
- Dieter F. Uchtdorf, In Praise of Those Who Save
[W]e can each do something, however small that act may seem to be. We can pay an honest tithe and give our fast and free-will offerings, according to our circumstances. And we can watch for other ways to help. To worthy causes and needy people, we can give time if we don’t have money, and we can give love when our time runs out. We can share the loaves we have and trust God that the cruse of oil will not fail…May God…bless us to hear the often silent cries of the sorrowing and the afflicted, the downtrodden, the disadvantaged, the poor.
- Jeffrey R. Holland, A Handful of Meal and a Little Oil
Self-esteem is…earned by obedience to God’s commandments regarding chastity. Yet in our day those commands have been attacked and trivialized...Each human being is a child of God—created in His image—with natural appetites to control...Any who choose to serve “the creature more than the Creator” deprive themselves of spiritual reward. Thus, our priorities should be honestly evaluated in terms of that first commandment. If change in direction is needed, we may want to issue a self-command to “about face!” Doing so would please the Lord…
- President Russell M. Nelson, “Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods”
Although we admire and respect many talented and remarkable men and women for their abilities and contributions, the degree to which they are revered, if taken to an excess, can be the equivalent of the children of Israel worshipping a golden calf in the desert of Sinai...Their focus on the calf impacted their ability to worship the true God. The hero—our hero, now and always—is Jesus Christ, and anything or anyone that distracts us from His teachings, as found in the scriptures and through the words of living prophets, can negatively impact our progress on the covenant path.
- W. Christopher Waddell, More Than a Hero
The gospel is the glorious plan of God in which we, as His children, are given...a time to develop faith, to repent, and to reconcile ourselves with God. Because our mortal frailties and “opposition in all things” would make this life profoundly difficult and because we could not cleanse our own sins, a Savior was needed…His crowning achievement was the Atonement, wherein Jesus the Christ “descended below all things”, making it possible for Him to pay a redeeming ransom for each of us.
- Donald L. Hallstrom, Converted to His Gospel through His Church
[A]fter digging and dunging, watering and weeding, trimming, pruning, transplanting, and grafting, the great Lord of the vineyard throws down his spade and his pruning shears and weeps, crying out to any who would listen, “What could I have done more for my vineyard?” What an indelible image of God’s engagement in our lives! What anguish in a parent when His children do not choose Him nor “the gospel of God” He sent! How easy to love someone who so singularly loves us!
- Jeffrey R. Holland, The Grandeur of God
You are…in a period of the earth’s history that all of the great prophets of all the ages have looked forward to with anticipation...It is the period during which the Lord and his servants will make the final great effort to take the message of truth to all the peoples of the earth...The prophet Zenos, whom Jacob quotes in the Book of Mormon, compares this effort to the work of the laborers who prune and nurture a vineyard and gather its fruit for the last time. Zenos likens the Savior to the master of the vineyard...
- Dean L. Larsen, A Royal Generation
I have thought of the Lord’s invitation to come unto Him and to spiritually be wrapped in His arms...We have each felt to some extent these spiritual arms around us. We have felt His forgiveness, His love and comfort...The Lord’s desire that we come unto Him and be wrapped in His arms is often an invitation to repent…It is the beckoning of a loving Father and His Only Begotten Son to be more than we are, to reach up to a higher way of life, to change, and to feel the happiness of keeping the commandments. Being disciples of Christ, we rejoice in the blessing of repenting and the joy of being forgiven.
- Neil L. Andersen, “Repent … That I May Heal You”
In the spirit of the Book of Mormon allegory of the olive trees, the Lord of the vineyard and his servants bring forth precious fruit and strengthen each tree by binding together the strengths and weaknesses of all the trees. The Lord of the vineyard and his servants repeatedly ask, “What more can I do?” Together, they bless hearts and homes, wards and branches, through inspired, consistent ministering. Ministering—shepherding—makes our vineyard “one body”—a sacred grove. Each tree in our grove is a living family tree. Roots and branches intertwine. Ministering blesses generations.
- Gerrit W. Gong, Ministering
I encourage you now to recall, especially in times of crisis, when you felt the Spirit and your testimony was strong; remember the spiritual foundations you have built. I promise that if you will do this, avoiding things that do not build and strengthen your testimony or that mock your beliefs, those precious times when your testimony prospered will return again to your memory…as you faithfully live the gospel of Jesus Christ and abide by its teachings, your testimony will be protected and it will grow. Keep the covenants you have made, regardless of the actions of those around you.
- Ronald A. Rasband, Lest Thou Forget
As we go about living from day to day, it is almost inevitable that our faith will be challenged. We may at times find ourselves surrounded by others and yet standing in the minority or even standing alone concerning what is acceptable and what is not. Do we have the moral courage to stand firm for our beliefs, even if by so doing we must stand alone? …it is essential that we are able to face—with courage—whatever challenges come our way…In order for us to be strong and to withstand all the forces pulling us in the wrong direction or all the voices encouraging us to take the wrong path, we must have our own testimony.
- President Thomas S. Monson, Dare to Stand Alone
What a blessing it would be to have it said of all fathers and mothers that they were goodly parents, righteous parents, active parents, faithful parents, exemplary parents, celestial parents…Lehi wanted more than anything else for his family to partake of the blessings of life—eternal life. We have another good example in Enos, the son of Jacob, for he also came from a good home… Praise be to the father and mother who bestow the blessings of a good name, a noble heritage, and a testimony of the gospel, and who teach their children obedience to the Lord…
- L. Tom Perry, “Born of Goodly Parents”
The Savior of the world, the Redeemer of all God’s children, Jesus of Nazareth, has power to forgive sins...The Savior’s vicarious sacrifice satisfies the justice of God. Therefore, God extends his mercy, whereby we may receive forgiveness of our personal transgressions through faith in the Redeemer, followed by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel…The beginning and completion of repentance leading to forgiveness is faith in Jesus Christ, who is the “author and the finisher of [our] faith”.
- Ronald E. Poelman, Divine Forgiveness
God hears our prayers and answers them in a personalized way…Prayer is the means of communication with our Heavenly Father that allows us to “call and don’t fall.” However, there are circumstances in which we might think that the call has not been heard because we do not receive an immediate response or one according to our expectations. This sometimes leads to anxiety, sadness, or disappointment... Confidence in God’s answers implies accepting that His ways are not our ways and that “all things must come to pass in their time.”
- Taylor G. Godoy, Call, Don’t Fall
We must choose to be anchored to the Savior, to be bound to Him by our covenants. How do we strengthen that anchor? We pray with a humble heart, study and ponder the scriptures, take the sacrament with a spirit of repentance and reverence, strive to keep the commandments, and follow the prophet’s counsel…I testify that as we choose to make covenants with Heavenly Father and access the power of the Savior to keep them, we will be blessed with more happiness in this life than we can now imagine and a glorious eternal life to come.
- Jean B. Bingham, Covenants with God Strengthen, Protect, and Prepare Us for Eternal Glory
Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is not just one of many things we do. The Savior is the motivating power behind all that we do. He is not a rest stop in our journey. He is not a scenic byway or even a major landmark. He is “the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by [Jesus Christ].” That is the Way and our ultimate destination.
…As we seek to purify our lives and look unto Christ in every thought, everything else begins to align. Life no longer feels like a long list of separate efforts held in tenuous balance. Over time, it all becomes one work.
- Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Our Heartfelt All
If we will look to Christ and open our eyes and our ears, the Holy Ghost will bless us to see the Lord Jesus Christ working in our lives, strengthening our faith in Him with assurance and evidence. We increasingly will see all of our brothers and sisters the way God sees them, with love and compassion…We will see and understand ourselves and the world around us the way the Savior does. We will come to have what the Apostle Paul called “the mind of Christ.” We will have eyes to see and ears to hear, and we will build the kingdom of God.
- Kim B. Clark, Eyes to See and Ears to Hear
[S]tudy diligently. The Savior of the world instructed: “Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” He added: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” A study of the scriptures will help our testimonies and the testimonies of our family members...I reiterate: Study diligently.
- President Thomas S. Monson, Three Goals to Guide You
As disciples of Christ, we are invited to increase our faith in, and love for, our spiritual brother- and sisterhood…we can strive to see ourselves reflected in the dreams, hopes, sorrows, and pains of our neighbor. We are all fellow travelers as God’s children, equal in our imperfect state and in our ability to grow. We are invited to walk together, peaceably, with our hearts filled with love toward God and all men—or, as Abraham Lincoln noted, “with malice toward none; with charity for all.”
- Ulisses Soares, Brothers and Sisters in Christ
[T]he first thing you must commit to do is to go and serve, knowing that you do not go alone. When you go to comfort and serve anyone for the Savior, He prepares the way before you…remember the Lord as you go in service for Him. The Lord not only goes before our faces and sends angels to serve with us, but He also feels the comfort we give others as if we had given it to Him... I witness that we grow closer to the Savior as we, out of pure love, serve others for Him.
- Henry B. Eyring, Trust in That Spirit Which Leadeth to Do Good
It is Heavenly Father who gives us our daily bread, which includes both the food we eat and the strength we need to keep His commandments. The Father gives good gifts. He hears and answers our prayers. Heavenly Father delivers us from evil when we let Him. He weeps for us when we suffer. Ultimately, all of our blessings come from the Father.
…If you are struggling to believe it is worth the sacrifices you are asked to make, the Savior calls to you, saying, “Ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath … prepared for you...”
- Brian K. Ashton, The Father
Do you want to be happy? What makes you unhappy? President Russell M. Nelson said: “If you want to be miserable, break the commandments—and never repent. If you want joy, stay on the covenant path.” Isn’t it simple to be happy? Just make covenants and keep them in your lives…President Thomas S. Monson taught: “When we keep the commandments, our lives will be happier, more fulfilling, and less complicated. Our challenges and problems will be easier to bear, and we will receive [God’s] promised blessings.”
- Yoon Hwan Choi, Do You Want to Be Happy?
Jesus Christ’s Atonement can deliver and redeem us from sin. But Jesus Christ also intimately understands our every pain, affliction, sickness, sorrow, separation…Left on our own, we may not know our own good. When “I choose me,” I am also choosing my own limitations, weaknesses, inadequacies. Ultimately, to do the most good, we must be good. Since none save God is good, we seek perfection in Jesus Christ. We become our truest, best selves only as we put off the natural man or woman and become a child before God.
- Gerrit W. Gong, All Things for Our Good