[D]raw close to the Lord…by taking appropriate time to read the scriptures daily, having earnest prayer, and fasting. These practices will help your testimony grow...Take a time-out to pray each morning and night and as often in between as needed....He hears your prayers. He cares about you. He wants you to succeed in living the gospel...In a sincere fast, we are given an open invitation by the Lord to draw close to him, to open our hearts to him, to feel his Spirit and pure love. It’s a time to recommit to obeying his commandments…While many…today are starving spiritually, you can grow spiritually.
- Russell C. Taylor, Making Points for Righteousness
Additional VIDEO: Lucy and the Ladder | A Story About Taking Small Steps
[A] person does not need to have a Church calling, an invitation to help someone, or even good health to become an instrument in God’s hands. How then do you and I become instruments in God’s hands? The prophets and the scriptures teach us how.…God has asked us to journey, go on missions, accept callings, invite someone to church, or help someone in need...Do we really want to be instruments in God’s hands?...I invite all of us to follow the counsel of the prophets and become instruments in the hands of God and be among His treasures because we have helped His children.
- Don R. Clarke, Being Instruments in the Hands of God
There are times when the Lord reveals to us things that are intended only for us. Nevertheless, in many, many cases He entrusts a testimony of the truth to those who will share it with others...the Lord expects the members of His Church to “open [their mouths] at all times, declaring [His] gospel with the sound of rejoicing…
The most effective way to preach the gospel is through example...One of the greatest sermons ever pronounced on missionary work is this simple thought attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi: “Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words.” Opportunities to do so are all around us.
- Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Waiting on the Road to Damascus
Additional VIDEO: Ammon Teaches King Lamoni about the Gospel of Jesus Christ | Alma 18
Changing a profoundly embedded pattern of life can be very difficult. Former friends can ridicule, criticize, and even persecute. Persistent faith in the Savior and obedience will see you through such hardships to greater blessings...I encourage you…to recognize the long-term blessings of peace and happiness that come from a decision to place Father in Heaven, His plan, and His Son at the center of their priorities. Follow Ammon’s example. He patiently taught King Lamoni to recognize and to abandon incorrect traditions.
- Richard G. Scott, Removing Barriers to Happiness
Additional VIDEO: Repentance: A Joyful Choice
[T]he covenant to combine kindness with bearing witness has great power to change lives. Thousands of times every day members of the Church are watched…by people curious to know something about our lives...What they think of what we say may depend largely on how much they sense we care for them...And when they find our concern sincere, the Holy Spirit can more easily touch them to allow us to teach and to testify.
- President Henry B. Eyring, Witnesses for God
The Lord loves our righteousness but asks of us continued repentance and submission...When the [Lamanite] king understood the sacrifice required, he humbled and prostrated himself and then prayed, “O God, … I will give away all my sins to know thee.” This is the exchange the Savior is asking of us: we are to give up all our sins, big or small, for the Father’s reward of eternal life...We are to separate ourselves from all worldliness and take upon us the image of God in our countenances.
- Robert C. Gay, What Shall a Man Give in Exchange for His Soul?
Additional VIDEO: The Baby Chick | A Story About Sincere Prayer
How can you become converted? How can you make the gospel of Jesus Christ not just an influence in your life but the controlling influence and, indeed, the very core of what you are?…to be converted, you must not only open your heart to a knowledge of the gospel and the love of God, you must practice the gospel law. You cannot fully understand or appreciate it unless you personally apply it in your life...The gospel won’t be just an influence in your life—it will be what you are. Plead with God in the name of Christ to write the gospel in your mind that you may have understanding and in your heart that you may love to do His will.
- D. Todd Christofferson, When Thou Art Converted
[W]hen we truly are in awe of Jesus Christ and His gospel, we are happier, we have more enthusiasm for God’s work, and we recognize the Lord’s hand…all these things strengthen our spiritual wonder regarding the gospel and move us to joyfully keep the covenants we make with the Lord…we need to immerse ourselves with faith and real intent in the Savior’s teachings, striving to incorporate His attributes into our way of being...The Lord Himself promised that He would direct our paths if we would trust in Him with all our hearts, acknowledging Him in all our ways and not leaning on our own understanding.
- Ulisses Soares, In Awe of Christ and His Gospel
Additional VIDEO 1: Sophia's Baptism Promises | Growing Faith
Sharing the gospel kindles joy and hope in the souls of both giver and receiver. Truly, “how great shall be your joy” as you share the gospel! Sharing the gospel is joy upon joy, hope upon hope… Joy. Hope. Sustaining power from God. Protection from temptation. Healing. All of these—and more (including forgiveness of sins)—distill upon us from heaven as we share the gospel...Be you and hold up the light. Pray for heaven’s help and follow spiritual promptings. Share your life normally and naturally; invite another person to come and see, to come and help, and to come and belong. And then rejoice as you and those you love receive the promised blessings.
- Marcus B. Nash, Hold Up Your Light
[N]o matter what kind of storm is battering us—regardless of whether there is a solution to it or whether there is an end in sight—there is only one refuge, and it is the same for all types of storms. This single refuge provided by our Heavenly Father is our Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement…As we face the storms of life, I know that if we make our best effort and rely upon Jesus Christ and His Atonement as our refuge, we will be blessed with the relief, comfort, strength, temperance, and peace that we are seeking…
- Ricardo P. Giménez, Finding Refuge from the Storms of Life
God cares a lot more about who we are and who we are becoming than about who we once were. He cares that we keep on trying.
…In His mercy, God promises forgiveness when we repent and turn from wickedness—so much so that our sins will not even be mentioned to us. For us, because of the Atonement of Christ and our repentance, we can look at our past deeds and say, “’Twas I; but ’tis not I.” No matter how wicked, we can say, “That’s who I was. But that past wicked self is no longer who I am.”
- Dale G. Renlund, Latter-day Saints Keep on Trying
If we can lift others in Christ’s name, surely we can also be lifted…God knows the needs of His children, and He often works through us, prompting us to help one another. When we act on such promptings, we tread on holy ground, for we are allowed the opportunity to serve as an agent of God in answering a prayer…I picture wards and branches where friends of all ages and backgrounds stand together and model their lives on the teachings of Jesus Christ.
- Kathleen H. Hughes, What Greater Goodness Can We Know: Christlike Friends
The Book of Mormon is a voice of warning to this generation…Among the lessons we learn from the Book of Mormon are the cause and effect of war and under what conditions it is justified. It tells of evils and dangers of secret combinations, which are built up to get power and gain over the people. It tells of the reality of Satan and gives an indication of some of the methods he uses...It warns us against pride, indifference, procrastination, the dangers of false traditions, hypocrisy, and unchastity.
- L. Tom Perry, Blessings Resulting from Reading the Book of Mormon
Alma 30 All Things Denote There Is a God (Story of Korihor the Anti-Christ)
Jesus Christ is both the purpose of our focus and the intent of our destination. To help us to remain fixed and heading in the right direction, the Savior invites us to see our lives through Him in order to see more of Him in our lives...He directs our mouths to testify of Him, our hands to lift and serve as He would lift and serve, our eyes to see the world and each other as He does—“as they really are, and … as they really will be.” And as we allow Him to direct us in all things, we receive testimony that “all things denote there is a God,” because where we look for Him we will find Him—each and every day.
- Tracy Y. Browning, Seeing More of Jesus Christ in Our Lives
There are many things…that can distract us from focusing on Christ and eternal things that are “down the road.” The devil is the great distractor...The adversary seems determined to get good people to do nothing, or at least to waste their time on things that will distract them from their lofty purposes and goals. For example, some things that are healthy diversions in moderation can become unhealthy distractions without discipline. The adversary understands that distractions do not have to be bad or immoral to be effective.
- Alvin F. Meredith III, Look down the Road
Additional VIDEOS:
Sherem Denies Christ | Jacob 7
Alma had learned that the Zoramites, who “had had the word of God preached unto them,” were turning to idol worship and “perverting the ways of the Lord.” All of this weighed heavily on Alma and was “the cause of great sorrow.” Finding himself in these complex and challenging circumstances, Alma pondered what should be done...Among many possible solutions, Alma’s faith led them to rely on the power of the word. It is no coincidence that some of the most powerful sermons found anywhere in scripture were preached immediately following that decision. …In all our efforts, let us remember to try the virtue of the word of God, which is in us.
- Mark D. Eddy, The Virtue of the Word
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Shaquille’s Story about the Book of Mormon | ComeUntoChrist.org
We must all strive to become more humble. Humility is essential to gain the blessings of the gospel. Humility enables us to have broken hearts when we sin or make mistakes and makes it possible for us to repent...On the other hand, unnecessary pride can dissolve family relationships, break up marriages, and destroy friendships...Simply living life can be and often is a humbling experience...If we choose to be spiritually attuned and remain humble and teachable, our prayers become more earnest and faith and testimony will grow as we overcome the tribulations of mortal existence.
- Steven E. Snow, Be Thou Humble
At the very moment we say, “Father in Heaven,” He hears our prayers and is sensitive to us and our needs. And so His eyes and His ears are now connected to you. He reads our minds, and He feels our hearts. You cannot hide anything from Him...So a moment of prayer is a very, very sacred moment. He is not one to say, “No, I will not listen to you now because you only come to me when you are in trouble.” Only men do that. He is not one to say, “Oh, you cannot imagine how busy I am now.” Only men say that.
- Juan A. Uceda, The Lord Jesus Christ Teaches Us to Pray
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[W]e need...a willingness to be instructed. While many naturally hunger and thirst after righteousness, others may be compelled to be humble. Some of us, rather than follow instructions or change ourselves, would simply like to change the rules...By being teachable, we activate the full force and blessings of the Atonement in our lives. We become sensitive to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit so that the righteous principles taught by the prophets and the truths from the earth can place Christ deeply into our lives. We become His true disciples.
- Robert R. Steuer, Being Teachable
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In the Book of Mormon, [Alma] compared the word to a seed that must be planted and nourished, and he described “the word” as the life, mission, and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ...The seed we should strive to plant in our hearts is the word—even the life, mission, and doctrine of Jesus Christ. And as the word is nourished by faith, it can become a tree springing up in us unto everlasting life...Is the Word in us? Are the truths of the Savior’s gospel written in the fleshy tables of our hearts?
- David A. Bednar, “Abide in Me, and I in You; Therefore Walk with Me”
Additional Videos:
Faith is Like Planting a Seed | Animated Scripture Lesson for Kids
Faith is a choice, and it must be sought after and developed. Thus, we are responsible for our own faith. We are also responsible for our lack of faith. The choice is yours…If your testimony is immature, untested, and insecure, choose to “exercise [even] a particle of faith”; choose to “experiment upon [His] words”...If your faith is proven and mature, choose to nurture it “with great care”...It needs constant nourishment through continued scripture study, prayer, and the application of His word…when we choose faith and then nurture that faith to a perfect knowledge of the things of the Lord, then we use the words “I testify” or “I know.”
- Richard C. Edgley, Faith- the Choice is Yours
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[C]an you think of the last time you received an answer to your prayers?...Where were you the last time you prayed? I have prayed in many places. I have prayed on the beach, in the mountains, in church, on the playground. I have prayed in my house, in an airplane, and at the hospital. I know that I can pray to Heavenly Father anytime, anywhere. I know He hears me…just as Joseph Smith received an answer to his prayer, [you can] pray to Heavenly Father and…He will answer your prayers, too.
- Sydney S. Reynolds, I Can Pray to Heavenly Father Anytime, Anywhere
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[A]n infinite Atonement...encompasses and circumscribes every sin and weakness, as well as every abuse or pain caused by others...Because the Savior performed His Atonement, there is no external force or event or person—no sin or death or divorce—that can prevent us from achieving exaltation, provided we keep God’s commandments. With that knowledge, we can press forward with good cheer and absolute assurance that God is with us in this heavenly quest.
- Tad R. Callister, The Atonement of Jesus Christ
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We convince ourselves that “someday I’m going to do it.” However, for many “someday” never comes, and even for others who eventually do make a change, there is an irretrievable loss of progress and surely regression...Now is the time to exercise our faith. Now is the time to commit to righteousness. Now is the time to do whatever is required to resolve our undesired circumstances. Now is the time to reconcile with God through the merciful process of change afforded us by the Redeemer of mankind.
- Donald L. Hallstrom, Do It Now
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