Eternal Family
–Elder Robert D. Hales
If it were beautiful beyond our power to imagine,
we wouldn't want to live there forever single, if we have even the dimmest
memory of the faintest vision of a family with beloved parents and
children like the one from which we came to this earth and the one that is our
destiny to form an to live in forever. There is only one place where the will
be families- the highest degree of the celestial kingdom. That is where we want
to be.
-Elder Oaks, Round table discussion, 2008 leadership Training Meeting: Building Up a Righteous Posterity.
-Henry B. Eyring, The Family BYU Address, November 5, 1995
I like to tell a young couple who are being married
that in the marriage relationship they ought to look first to one another, as
they do across the altar during their marriage not first to their parents, not
first to their siblings, not first to their friends, but in solving all of
their problems, they should look first to one another, because the unity
between them under the presiding, loving authority of a Heavenly Father in that
triangle… is what will get them over the inevitable problems of marriage.
-Elder Oaks, Round table discussion, 2008 leadership Training Meeting: Building Up a Righteous Posterity.
Happiness does not consist of a glut of luxury, the
world’s idea of a “good time” Nor must we search for it in faraway places with
strange sounding names. Happiness is found at home.
-Thomas S. Monson, Hallmarks of a Happy Home, Ensign October 2001
Some of our most important choices concern family
activities. May breadwinners worry that their occupations leave too little time
for their families. Here is no easy formula for that contest of priorities.
However, I have never known of a man who looked back on his working life and
said, “I just didn’t spend enough time with my job.
-Dallin H. Oaks, Good Better Best, October 2007 conference.
There are multitudes of pure and holy spirits
waiting to take tabernacles, now what is or duty? To prepare tabernacles for
them; to take a course that will not tend to drive those spirits into the
families of the wicked, where they will be trained in wickedness, debauchery,
and every species of crime. It is the duty of every righteous man and woman to
prepare tabernacles for all the spirits they can.
-Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young by John A. Widtsoe
Being one in a family carries a great responsibility
of caring, loving, lifting an strengthening each member of the family so that
all can righteously endure to the end in mortality and dwell together
throughout eternity. It is not enough just to save ourselves. It is equally
important that parents, brothers, and sisters are saved in our families.
Robert
D. Hales, The Eternal Family, Conference October 1997
No other success can compensate for failure in the
home.
-David O McKay, conference April 1935
Allow marriage and family to be a great source of happiness
to you by being completely faithful to your spouse, speaking uplifting to them,
expressing to them your feelings of love, and spending great time with your
children.
-Elder Richard G. Scott, The Eternal Blessing of Marriage, Conference April 2011
Marriage should not be treated as a
contract entered by pleasure from both partners that can be easily broken if it
“ doesn't work out” without even regarding the children. Children need families
with a mother and a father with a strong conviction to the gospel
-Dallin H. Oaks, Protect the Children, Conference October 2012Position Statement
An
eternal family is the product of our Heavenly Father’s love. He loves us so
completely and eternally that he gave us a family that we can be with forever.
This is why we are each here on the earth. This has become even more evident
because I am getting married in 3 days. That is the beginning of my eternal
family. Nothing is more important than the family. I have learned that more
completely from this project. I have become more aware of the importance of my
role as a wife and a mother. I am given the sacred responsibility of caring for
one of Heavenly Father’s beloved children and they get to be mine. Family is
the most important thing to me. I wasn’t given the opportunity to be sealed to
my family, but I plan on being sealed to my future family. Nothing sounds more
perfect then being with them forever. Heavenly Father’s love for each of us is
hard for me to comprehend, but I feel that love when I realize what he has
given us.
The
Atonement
The heavens will not be filled with those
who never made mistakes.
–President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, A Matter of a Few Degrees, April 2008 General Conference
–President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, A Matter of a Few Degrees, April 2008 General Conference
–Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, The Atonement Can Secure Your Peace and Happiness, October 2006 General Conference
Rise up and follow in the footsteps of our Redemmer, and one day you will look back and be filled with eternal gratitude that you choose to trust the Atonement and its power to lift you up and give you strength
–President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, A Matter of a Few Degrees, April 2008 General Conference
Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, each of us can be clean and the burden of our rebellion will be lifted.
–Elder Richard G. Scott, Personal Strength through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, October 2013 General Conference
The Atonement was made. Ever and always
it offers amnesty from transgression and from death if we will but repent.
Repentance is the escape clause in it all. Repentance is the escape clause in
it all. Repentance is the key with which we can unlock the prison form inside.
We hold that key within our hands, and agency is ours to use it.
-Elder Boyd K. Packer, Atonement, Agency, and Accountability, April 1988 General Conference
-Elder Boyd K. Packer, Atonement, Agency, and Accountability, April 1988 General Conference
The Redeemer will safely lead you over
the most difficult obstacles of life. His laws are absolutely secure anchors of
protection that dispel fear and assure success in an otherwise dangerous
world.
–Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, The Atonement Can Secure Your Peace and Happiness, October 2006 General Conference
–Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, The Atonement Can Secure Your Peace and Happiness, October 2006 General Conference
– Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Settle This in Your Hearts, October 1992 General Conference
Repentance is a divine gift, and there should be a smile on our faces when we speak of it. It points us to freedom, confidence, and peace.
–Elder D. Todd Christofferson 'The Divine Gift of Repentance' October 2011 General Conference
The joyful news for anyone who desires to be rid of the consequences of
past poor choices is that the Lord sees weaknesses differently than He
does rebellion. Whereas the Lord warns that unrepented rebellion will
bring punishment, when the Lord speaks of weaknesses, it is always with mercy.
–Elder Richard G. Scott, Personal Strength through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, October 2013 General Conference
–Elder Richard G. Scott, Personal Strength through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, October 2013 General Conference
As you bind up the wound of those in
need and offer the cleanings of His Atonement. To those who sorry in sin the
Lord’s power will sustain you. His arms are outstretched with yours to succor
and bless the children of our Heavenly Father.
-Elder Henry B. Eyring 'Bind Up Their Wounds' October 2013 General Conference
Position Statement
-Elder Henry B. Eyring 'Bind Up Their Wounds' October 2013 General Conference
Position Statement
The
Atonement is the greatest act of love for from our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
I mentioned in my family position statement how great of an indicator the
family is of Heavenly Father’s love for each of us. The greatest indication of God’s love for us is the
Atonement. I’ve learned that the Atonement is something I can use everyday in
my life. I’ve learned to recognize the complete dependence I have on my
Heavenly Father. It is then through his Son that I am able to receive strength and
endure difficult things. I hope to continue to use the Atonement in my life. It
isn’t just for those who have sinned, but for everyone. That is something that
took me awhile to understand and I am grateful that I can continue to learn
more about my Savior and His Atoning sacrifice.
Agency
Now we are here on earth, where
opportunities to use our agency abound; for here ‘there is an opposition in all
things.’ This opposition is essential to the purpose of our lives. As Lehi
explained, ‘To bring about his eternal purposes in the end of man,… the Lord
God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not not
act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the other or the
other.
–Elder Robert D. Hales 'Agency: Essential to the Plan of Life' October 2010
Agency allows us to be tested and tried to see whether or not we will endure to the end and return to our Heavenly Father with honor... Agency permits us to make faithful, obedient choices that strengthen us so that we can lift and strengthen others.
-Elder Robert D. Hales, LDS.org website
Whenever we disobey, we spiritually paint ourselves into a corner and are captive to our choices. Though we are spiritually stuck, there is always a way back. Like repentance, turning around and and walking across a newly varnished floor means more work- a lot of resanding and refinishing! Returning to the Lord isn't easy, but it is worth it.
-Elder Robert D. Hales, 'Agency: Essential to the Plan of Life' October 2010
Men and women receive their agency as a gift from God, but their liberty and, in turn, their eternal happiness come from obedience to His laws.
-Elder L. Tom Perry, 'Obedience to Law is Liberty', April 2013 General Conference
There is also an age-old excuse: 'The devil made me do it.' Not so! He can deceive you and mislead you, but he does not have the power to force you or anyone else to transgress or to keep you in transgression.
-President Boyd K. Packer, 'Cleansing the Inner Vessel, October 2010 General Conference
Agency used righteously allows light to dispel the darkness and enables us to live with joy and happiness.
-Elder Robert D. Hales, "To Act for Ourselves: The Gift and Blessings of Agency", October 2006 General Conference
There is something very liberating when an individual determines of his or her own free will to be obedient to our Father and our God and expresses the willingness to Him in prayer.
-President Boyd K. Packer, 'Cleansing the Inner Vessel, October 2010 General Conference
Victory in the War in Heaven was a victory for man's agency.
- Elder L. Tom Perry, 'Obedience to Law is Liberty', October 2013 General Conference
Moral discipline is the consistent exercise of agency to choose the right because it is right, even when it is hard.
-Elder D. Todd Christofferson, 'Moral Discipline', October 2009 General Conference
Life is meant ot be a test to see if we will keep the commandments of
God. We are free to obey or to ignore the spirit and the letter of the
law. But the agency granted to man is a moral agency. We are not free to
break our covenants and escape the consequences.
-President Boyd K. Packer, 'Covenants', October 1990 General Conference
Position Statement
As
I learned more about agency this semester from the Prophets and Apostles I
thought about how different this life would be if we didn’t have agency. Agency
gives us a purpose here. If we would have all been sent down here with no
agency then there wouldn’t be a purpose. I love knowing that agency gives us a
purpose here. It strengthens my testimony of the Lord’s plan for us. I love
what Elder Hales said in one of his talks about how agency dispels the darkness
and allows us to live life with light and joy. I know that to be true. I know
that the choices I make will determine my destiny in the next life.
Pornography
Satan has become a master at
using the addictive power of pornography to limit individual capacity
to be led by the Spirit. The onslaught of pornography in all of its vicious, corroding, destructive forms
has caused great grief, suffering, heartache, and destroyed marriages. It is
one of the most damning influences on earth. Whether it be through the printed
page, movies, television, obscene lyrics, vulgarities on the telephone, or
flickering personal computer screen, pornography is overpoweringly addictive and severely
damaging.
-Richard
G. Scott, To Acquire Spiritual Guidance, April 2009
Immoral thoughts, words, and deeds always are
immoral, even in cyberspace… We are all accountable to God, and ultimately we
will be judged of Him according to our deeds and the desires of our hearts.
-David A. Bednar, Things as They Really Are, CES Fireside, May 3, 2009 BYU-Idaho
Pornography impairs one’s ability to enjoy a normal
emotional, romantic, and spiritual relationship with a person of the opposite
sex. It erodes the moral barriers that stand against inappropriate, abnormal,
or illegal behavior. As conscience is desensitized, patrons of pornography are
led to act out what they have witnessed, regardless of its effects on their
life and the lives of others.
-Dallin H. Oaks, Pornography. Ensign, May 2005
Priesthood holders carry with them the antidote to
remove the terrible images of pornography and to wash away guilt. The
priesthood has the power to unlock the influence of our habits, even to unchain
from addiction, however tight the grip. It can heal over the scars of past
mistakes.
-Boyd K. Packer, Cleansing The Inner Vessel, October 2010 Conference
Like thieves in the night, unwelcome thought can
and do seek entrance to our minds. But we don’t have to throw open the door,
serve them tea and crumpets, and tell them where the silverware is kept! Throw
the rascals out! Replace lewd thoughts with hopeful messages an joyful
memories; picture the faces of those who love you and would be shattered if you
let them down.
-Jeffery R. Holland, Place No More for the Enemy of My Soul, Conference April
2009
Permissiveness, immorality, pornography, drugs, the
power of peer pressure- all these and more- cause many to be tossed about on a
sea of sin and crushed on the jagged reefs of lost opportunities, forfeited blessings,
and shattered dreams.
-Thomas S. Monson, Believe, Obey , and Endure, Conference October 2013
Stay completely away from pornography. Do not allow
yourself to view it, ever. It has been proven to be an addiction which is more
than difficult to overcome.
-Thomas S. Monson, Priesthood Power, Conference April 2011
-D.
Todd Christofferson Conference October 2012
Be Cautious. These same technologies can allow evil
influences to cross the threshold of your homes. These dangerous traps are only
a mouse click away. Pornography, violence, intolerance, and ungodliness destroy
families, marriages, and individual lives. These dangers are distributed
through many media, including magazines, books, television, movies, and music,
as well as the internet.
-Deiter
F. Utchdorf, A Matter of a Few Degrees, April 2008
(Pornography) is utterly without redeeming social
value. We urge our families to protect their children in every way possible. We
live in a permissive world, but we must make certain we do not become a part of
that permissive world, that degenerate world.
-Spencer W. Kimball, God Will Not Be Mocked, Conference October 1974
Position Statement
Pornography
is something that I haven’t paid a lot of attention to in the past because I
haven’t seen it affect my life. I have heard about it in talks and how
important it is for men to stay away from it because of what it can do. These
past months of collecting quotes and learning as helped me to know and
understand how prevalent this addiction is in many lives. I can’t imagine how
devastating this can be to a relationship. I hope to never have to endure that
kind of heartache, but I know there are many resources available. I know that
the best thing to do is prevent any temptation. I want to make sure this
prevention is in my future home with my sons. I want my husband and I to
educate them on the importance of staying away from pornography and how severe
and dangerous it is.
Enduring Trials
The purpose of mortality is to
learn and to grow to be more like our Father, and it is often during the
difficult times that we learn the most, as painful as the lessons may be.
-Thomas S.
Monson, God Be With You Till We Meet Again, October 2012 Conference
When
faced with a trial of faith—whatever you do, you don’t step away from the
Church! Distancing yourself from the kingdom of God during a trial of faith is
like leaving the safety of a secure storm cellar just as the tornado comes into
view.
-Neil L. Anderson, Trial of Your
Faith, Conference October 2012
Through
the years, I have reflected on these words: “It’s true, isn’t it? Then what
else matters?” These questions have helped me put difficult issues in proper
perspective. The cause in which we are laboring is true. We respect the beliefs
of our friends and neighbors. We are all sons and daughters of God. We can
learn much from other men and women of faith and goodness.
-Neil L.
Anderson, It’s True Isn’t It? Then What Else Matters, Conference April 2007
Many
carry heavy burdens. Some have lost a loved one to death or care for one who is
disabled. Some have been wounded by divorce. Others yearn for an eternal
marriage. Some are caught in the grip of addictive substances or practices like
alcohol, tobacco, drugs, or pornography. Others have crippling physical or mental impairments. Some
are challenged by same-gender attraction. Some have terrible feelings of
depression or inadequacy. In one way or another, many are heavy laden. To each
of us our Savior gives this loving invitation: “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. “Take my yoke upon you,
and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto
your souls.” ”For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew
11:28–30).
-Dallin H.
Oaks, Heals The Heavy Laden, Conference October 2006
It was meant to be that life would be a challenge. To suffer
some anxiety, some depression, even some failure is normal. If you have a good,
miserable day once in a while- or several in a row- stand steady and face them.
Things will straighten out. There is great purpose in our struggle in life.
-Boyd K.
Packer, Solving Emotional Problems in the Lord’s Own Way, Conference, April
1978
Certain forms of
suffering, endured well, can actually be ennobling. Annie Swetchine said,
“Those who have suffered much are like those who know many languages; they have
learned to understand and be understood by all”
-Neil A. Maxwell, Enduring Well, Conference,
April 1997
You and I have
faith that the way to rise through and above trials is to believe that there is
a “balm in Gilead” and that the
Lord has promised, “I will not … forsake thee… If the foundation of faith is
not embedded in our hearts, the power to endure will crumble.
-Henry B. Eyring, Mountains To Climb, Conference,
April 2012
Think of the Savior in the Garden of
Gethsemane during the Atonement process, suffering agony so great that He bled
from every pore. His cry to His Father included the word Abba. This might be interpreted as the cry of
a son who is in distress to his father: “O my Father, if it be possible, let
this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” I
testify that the Atonement of Jesus Christ covers all of the trials and
hardships that any of us will encounter in this life. At times when we may feel
to say, “Hope you know, I had a hard time,” we can be assured that He is there
and we are safe in His loving arms.
-Quinton L. Cook, “Hope Ya Know, We Had a Hard Time”,
Conference, October 2008
If
for a while, the harder you try, the harder it gets, take heart. So it
has been with the best people who ever lived,
Divine chastening has
at least three purposes: (1) to persuade us to repent, (2) to refine and
sanctify us, and (3) at times to redirect our course in life to what God knows
is a better path.
Though it is often
difficult to endure, truly we ought to rejoice that God considers us worth the
time and trouble to correct.
-Elder D. Todd
Christofferson, “As Many As I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten”, Conference October
2012
Position Statement
Position Statement
Enduring
trials is something that I am going to have to constantly do because without
trials there would be no progression. I want to learn how to better endure
trials in my life. It is much easier said than done. Trials are a true test of
each of our character. How we go about enduring hard times is an indicator of
who we are and who we want to be. The hardest thing for me to do when going
through trials is to recognize that I need to get down on my knees and pray to
God. So often I will skip that first important step and try to do it all on my
own. I know that I don’t have to endure alone, and that is the most beautiful
thing about going through difficult trials.
Temple Marriage
I believe that the most important single
thing that you will ever do in this world is to marry the right person, in the
right place, by the right authority.
–President Bruce R. Mcconkie
Maintain an eternal perspective. Let
there be a temple marriage in your future. There is no scene so sweet, no time
more sacred as the very special day of your marriage. Then and there you
glimpse celestial joy. Be alert; do not permit temptation to rob you of this
blessing.
–President Thomas S. Monson
Marriage is the foundry for social order,
the fountain of virtue, and the found for eternal exaltation. Marriage has been
divinely designated as an eternal everlasting covenant. Marriage is sanctified
when it is cherished and honored in holiness. That union is not merely between
husband wife; it embraces a partnership with God.
–Elder Russell M. Nelson
There is a point at which it’s time to
think seriously about marriage and to seek a companion with whom you want to
spend eternity. If you choose wisely and if you are committed to the success of
your marriage, there is nothing in this life which will bring your greater
happiness.
–President Thomas S. Monson
I give counsel to husbands and wives.
Pray for the love, which allows you to see the good in your companion. Pray for
the love that makes weaknesses and mistakes seem small. Pray for the love to
make your companion’s joy your own. Pray for the love to want to lessen the
load and soften the sorrows of your companion.”
–President Henry B. Eyring
I am satisfied that happiness in marriage
is not so much a matter of romance as it is an anxious concern for the comfort
and well-being of one’s companion. Any man who will make his wife’s comfort his
first concern will stay in love with her through their lives and through the
eternity to come.
– President Gordon B. Hinckley
If you want something to last forever,
you treat it differently. You shield it and protect it. You never abuse it. You
don’t expose it to the elements. You don’t make it common or ordinary. If it
ever becomes tarnished, you lovingly polish it until it gleams like new. It
becomes special because you have made it so, and it grows more beautiful and
precious as time goes by.
–Elder F. Burton Howard
Marriage is not merely a temporary legal
contract that can be terminated at anytime for almost any reason. Rather, it is
a sacred covenant with God that can be binding in time and throughout all
eternity. Faithfulness and fidelity in marriage must not simply be attractive
must not simply be attractive words spoken in sermons; rather, they should be
principles evident in our own covenant marriage relationships.
–Elder David.
A. Bednar
Growing in a Christ-centered marriage and
together raising a family ‘in the nurture and admonition of the Lord’ “brings
the greatest joy and satisfaction that can be found in this mortal experience.
This is especially true when the powers of the priesthood proclaim a marriage
to be for time and for all eternity. Children born to such marriages have a
security that is found nowhere else.
–Elder L. Tom Perry
I testify that we have been blessed with
all of the spiritual resources we need to learn about, to teach, to strengthen,
and to defend righteous marriage—and that indeed we can live together in
happiness as husbands and wives and families in eternity.
-Elder David A.
Bednar
Position Statement
Preparing
for a temple marriage is something that I have been doing this last couple of
months. That wonderful moment is in just 3 days. I know that this decision is
one that will determine the rest of my life. It is the biggest decision I will
ever make. I have come to know some wonderful things about temple marriage
through this project. I know that there is going to be nothing more sacred than
entering the temple with my fiancé and kneeling across the alter and making
covenants with God. I have prepared myself for this day for a long time. Words can’t
describe the joy that is going to come. But one important thing I have learned
is that it isn’t just about that day, but every day after that because him and
I are now forever.
Faith in Following the Holy Ghost
Never postpone promptings because
one of the greatest blessings in life is to be the answer to someone else’s
prayer.
-Thomas S. Monson, Consider the Blessings, Conference
October 2012
It is through the repeated
process of feeling impressions, recording them, and obeying them that one
learns to depend on the direction of the Spirit more than on communication
through the five senses
-Richard G. Scott, Helping Others to Be Spiritually Led” CES fireside, Aug. 11,
1998
Our own desires, rather than a
feeling of “Thy will be done,” create
the feeling of a pavilion blocking God. God is not unable to see us or
communicate with us, but we may be unwilling to listen or submit to His will
and His time… We remove the pavilion when we feel and pray, “Thy will be done”
and “in Thine own time.” His time should be soon enough for us since we know
that He wants only what is best.
-Henry B. Eyring, Where is the Pavilion? Conference October
2012
We all have an inner braking system that will stop
us before we follow Satan too far down the wrong road. It is the still, small
voice within us. But if we allow ourselves to succumb to Satan’s tempting, the
braking system begins to leak brake fluid and our stopping mechanism becomes
weak and ineffective.
-James
E. Faust, The Forces That Will Save Us, First Presidency Message, January 2007
In many of the uncertainties and
challenges we encounter in our lives, God requires us to do our best, to act
and not be acted upon, and to trust in Him. We may not see angels, hear
heavenly voices, or receive overwhelming spiritual impressions. We frequently
may press forward hoping and praying—but without absolute assurance—that we are
acting in accordance with God’s will. But as we honor our covenants and keep
the commandments, as we strive ever more consistently to do good and to become
better, we can walk with the confidence that God will guide our steps. And we
can speak with the assurance that God will inspire our utterances.
-David A. Bednar, The Spirit of Revelation, Conference
April 2011
If
you want to obtain and keep the guidance of the Spirit, you can do so by
following this simple four-point program. One, pray. Pray diligently. … Second,
study and learn the gospel. Third, live righteously; repent of your sins. …
Fourth, give service in the Church
-President
Marion G. Romney , Guidance of the Holy Spirit, Ensign, Jan.
1980, 5.
There
is no greater blessing that can come into our lives than the gift of the Holy
Ghost—the companionship of the Holy Spirit to guide us, protect us, and bless
us, to go, as it were, as a pillar before us and a flame to lead us in paths of
righteousness and truth. That guiding power of the third member of the Godhead
can be ours if we live worthy of it.
There is
indeed such a thing as absolute truth—unassailable, unchangeable truth. This
truth is different from belief. It is different from hope. Absolute truth is
not dependent upon public opinion or popularity. Polls cannot sway it. Not even
the inexhaustible authority of celebrity endorsement can change it.
-Deiter F. Utchdorf, What is Truth, CES fireside 2012
Seldom will you receive a
complete response [to a prayer] all at once. It will come a piece at a time, in
packets, so that you will grow in capacity. As each piece is followed in faith,
you will be led to other portions until you have the whole answer. That pattern
requires you to exercise faith in our Father’s capacity to respond. While
sometimes it’s very hard, it results in significant personal growth.
Revelation from our Father, in its most familiar
form, comes through the Holy Ghost as thoughts to our minds and feelings to our
hearts. Thus, God communicates with us through our very thoughts and feelings!
It should not be hard to understand why we are counseled to avoid polluting our
minds with pornography, watching R-rated and inappropriate movies and
television programs, and taking into our bodies harmful and addictive
substances such as drugs and alcohol. These tools of the Adversary can restrict
and eventually destroy our ability to recognize and respond to the promptings
of the Holy Ghost.
-David
A. Bednar, Receiving, Recognizing, and Responding to the Promptings of the Holy
Ghost, BYUI Devotional, August 1999
Position Statement
It
is a difficult thing to listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost and go
forward with faith. We are often told to go forward with faith, put your trust
in the Lord, everything will work out. I know I need to do that, but it is much
easier said than done. How in those moments do I do this? I think it starts
with asking for that feeling of confidence and trust, but it is also about having
a strong testimony and foundation. Another factor that I have come to realize
is that looking back at past trials helps me in enduring current trials. I can
also know what I can do different to help me improve on how I endure trials. This
all goes back to have faith to follow promptings from the Holy Ghost.
Hope in the Future
The
adversary uses despair to bind hearts and minds in suffocating
darkness. Despair drains from us all that is vibrant and joyful and
leaves behind the empty remnants of what life was meant to be. Despair
kills ambition, advances sickness, pollutes the soul, and deadens the
heart. Despair can seem life a staircase taht leads only and forever
downward. Hope, on the other hand, is like the beam of sunlight rising
up and above the horizon of our present circumstances. it pierces teh
darkness with a brilliant dawn. it encourages and inspires us to place
our trust in the loving care of an eternal heavenly Father, who has
prepared a way for those who seek for eternal truth in a world of
relativism, confusion, and of fear.
-Dieter F. Utchdorf, The Infinite Power of Hope, Conference
October 2008
It isn't as bad as you
sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don't worry. I say that to myself
every morning. It all works out in the end. Put your trust in God, and move
forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us.
He will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to
Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers.
-Gordon B. Hinckley, Put Your Trust In God, From the
funeral program for Marjorie Pay Hinckley, April 10, 2004
Be assured
that there is a safe harbor. You can find peace amidst the storms that threaten
you. Your Heavenly Father—who knows when even a sparrow falls—knows of your
heartache and suffering. He loves you and wants the best for you. Never doubt
this. While He allows all of us to make choices that may not always be for our
own or even others’ well-being, and while He does not always intervene in the
course of events, He has promised the faithful peace even in their trials and
tribulations.
-Joseph
B. Wirthlin, “Finding a Safe Harbor,” Ensign, May 2000, 59
To any who
may be struggling to see that light and find that hope, I say: Hold on. Keep
trying. God loves you. Things will improve. Christ comes to you in His ‘more
excellent ministry’ with a future of ‘better promises.’ He is your ‘high priest
of good things to come.
-Jeffrey
R. Holland, “An High Priest of Good Things to Come,” Ensign,Nov. 1999, 36
I recognize that, on occasion, some of our most fervent prayers
may seem to go unanswered. We wonder, ‘Why?’ I know that feeling! I know the
fears and tears of such moments. But I also know that our prayers are never
ignored. Our faith is never unappreciated. I know that an all-wise Heavenly
Father’s perspective is much broader than is ours. While we know of our mortal
problems and pain, He knows of our immortal progress and potential. If we pray
to know His will and submit ourselves to it with patience and courage, heavenly
healing can take place in His own way and time.
-Russell M. Nelson, “Jesus Christ—the Master Healer,” Ensign, Nov. 2005, 86
At times there appears to be no light at the tunnel’s end—no
dawn to break the night’s darkness. We feel surrounded by the pain of broken
hearts, the disappointment of shattered dreams, and the despair of vanished hopes…
We feel abandoned, heartbroken, alone. To all who so despair, may I offer the
assurance of the Psalmist’s words: ‘Weeping may endure for a night, but joy
cometh in the morning’ (Psalm 30:5). Whenever we are inclined to feel burdened
down with the blows of life’s fight, let us remember that others have passed
the same way, have endured, and then have overcome.”
-Thomas S. Monson, “Meeting Life’s Challenges,” Ensign, Nov. 1993
Though “anchored” in grand and ultimate hope, some of our
tactical hopes are another matter. We may hope for a pay raise, a special date,
an electoral victory, or for a bigger house—things which may or may not be
realized. Faith in Father’s plan gives us endurance even amid the wreckage of
such proximate hopes. Hope keeps us “anxiously engaged” in good causes even
when these appear to be losing causes
-Neil A. Maxwell,
Brightness Of Hope, Conference, October 1944
Regardless
of how desperate things may seem, remember—we can always have hope. Always! The
Lord’s promise to us is certain: 'He that endureth in faith and doeth my will,
the same shall overcome.' I repeat—there is always hope! Hope is part
of our religion… We believe all things, we hope all things, we
have endured many things, and hope to be able
to endure all things.
-Russell M. Neilson, “A More Excellent Hope”, February 1997
There may be some among you who feel darkness encroaching upon you. You may feel burdened by worry, fear, or doubt. To you and to all of us, I repeat a wonderful and certain truth: God’s light is real. It is available to all! It gives life to all things. It has the power to soften the sting of the deepest wound. It can be a healing balm for the loneliness and sickness of our souls. In the furrows of despair, it can plant the seeds of a brighter hope. It can enlighten the deepest valleys of sorrow. It can illuminate the path before us and lead us through the darkest night into the promise of a new dawn.
-Dieter F. Utchdorf, The Hope of God's Light, General Conference April 2013
Admittedly we have ample reason to be deeply concerned because we see no immediate answers to the seemingly unsolvable problems confronting the human family. But regardless of this dark picture, which will ultimately get worse, we must never allow ourselves to give up hope!... My message to you today, my brothers and sisters, is simply this: the Lord is in control. He knows the end from the beginning. He has given us adequate instruction that, if followed, will see us safely through any crisis.
Admittedly we have ample reason to be deeply concerned because we see no immediate answers to the seemingly unsolvable problems confronting the human family. But regardless of this dark picture, which will ultimately get worse, we must never allow ourselves to give up hope!... My message to you today, my brothers and sisters, is simply this: the Lord is in control. He knows the end from the beginning. He has given us adequate instruction that, if followed, will see us safely through any crisis.
-M. Russell Ballard, The Joy Of Hope Fulfilled,
Conference, October 1992
Position Statement
It
is difficult to see hope it the future, especially in a world that continues to
grow increasingly wicked. Hope for the future comes when I think of what I
could do for it. It starts with my family. I want to educate my children and
help them to understand that they can make a difference in peoples lives. I can
find hope in knowing that if I do what is right, and live the commandments, I can
find myself on the right hand of God. I know with all my heart that keeping the
commandments brings blessings, and I hope to always kneel down and thank my
Heavenly Father will all my heart for those blessings in my life.
Application Portion
I chose to work on preparing for temple marriage. I am getting married in 3 days. Throughout this semester I have been engaged and I have wanted to prepare for that time when I enter the temple with my fiance. Some ways I have prepared are talking to my Bishop about the temple. We were able to discuss many important things that I know helped me and will continue to help me. I also read the pamphlet to help prepare you to enter the temple. My plan consisted of meeting with my Bishop every couple of weeks. He would give me assigned reading and then the next time we would discuss what I had read. My fiance and I planned dates each week and on those we would discuss things pretaining to being married and then what we can better do to prepare. Looking back on the experience I gained a lot of strength through prayer and scripture study. I wanted to attend a temple prep class, but did not have the opportunity to. I am so grateful that I had this assignment so that I could apply things i am doing in my life to my class. This also helped me to be conscience of the things I am doing in my life. Developing a plan and writing it down helped immensely. I would write in my journal things I wanted to do that week that would take me one step closer to the temple. I was able to grow so much. I do feel ready and I know this assignment helped with that.
