Lord I Believe...Help Thou My Unbelief

Observation number one regarding this account is that when facing the challenge of faith, the father asserts his strength first and only then acknowledges his limitation. His initial declaration is affirmative and without hesitation: “Lord, I believe.” I would say to all who wish for more faith, remember this man! In moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited. In the growth we all have to experience in mortality, the spiritual equivalent of this boy’s affliction or this parent’s desperation is going to come to all of us. When those moments come and issues surface, the resolution of which is not immediately forthcoming, hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes. It was of this very incident, this specific miracle, that Jesus said, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”⁶The size of your faith or the degree of your knowledge is not the issue—it is the integrity you demonstrate toward the faith you do have and the truth you already know.

The second observation is a variation of the first. When problems come and questions arise, do not start your quest for faith by saying how much you do not have, leading as it were with your “unbelief.” That is like trying to stuff a turkey through the beak! Let me be clear on this point: I am not asking you to pretend to faith you do not have. I am asking you to be true to the faith you do have. Sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration of faith. It is not! So let us all remember the clear message of this scriptural account: Be as candid about your questions as you need to be; life is full of them on one subject or another. But if you and your family want to be healed, don’t let those questions stand in the way of faith working its miracle....

So be kind regarding human frailty—your own as well as that of those who serve with you in a Church led by volunteer, mortal men and women. Except in the case of His only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to Him, but He deals with it. So should we. And when you see imperfection, remember that the limitation is not in the divinity of the work. As one gifted writer has suggested, when the infinite fulness is poured forth, it is not the oil’s fault if there is some loss because finite vessels can’t quite contain it all.¹⁰ Those finite vessels include you and me, so be patient and kind and forgiving....

These things I declare to you with the conviction Peter called the “more sure word of prophecy.”¹⁶ What was once a tiny seed of belief for me has grown into the tree of life, so if your faith is a little tested in this or any season, I invite you to lean on mine. I know this work is God’s very truth, and I know that only at our peril would we allow doubt or devils to sway us from its path. Hope on. Journey on. Honestly acknowledge your questions and your concerns, but first and forever fan the flame of your faith, because all things are possible to them that believe. 

April 2013 General Conference - “Lord, I Believe” - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Our Safety Lies in Repentance

The happiness of the Latter-day Saints, the peace of the Latter-day Saints, the progress of the Latter-day Saints, the prosperity of the Latter-day Saints, and the eternal salvation and exaltation of this people lie in walking in obedience to the counsels of … God.

Gordon B. Hinckley, “If Ye Be Willing and Obedient,” Ensign, Dec. 1971, 125.

See also:

Our Safety Lies in Repentance

Our Course Is Plotted, An Unfailing Guide--Even Obedience

There is no need for you or for me, in this enlightened age when the fulness of the gospel has been restored, to sail uncharted seas or to travel unmarked roads in search of truth. A loving Heavenly Father has plotted our course and provided an unfailing guide—even obedience. A knowledge of truth and the answers to our greatest questions come to us as we are obedient to the commandments of God.

April 2013 General Conference - Obedience Brings Blessings - President Thomas S. Monson

The Gospel of Jesus Christ Should Never Falter in My Family

In a world where the moral compass of society is faltering, the restored gospel of Jesus Christ never wavers, nor should its stakes and wards, its families, or its individual members. We must not pick and choose which commandments we think are important to keep but acknowledge all of God’s commandments. We must stand firm and steadfast, having perfect confidence in the Lord’s consistency and perfect trust in His promises.

April 2013 General Conference - Obedience To Law Is Liberty - Elder L. Tom Perry

If You Wish to Return to Your Loved Ones with Head Erect...

If you wish to return to your loved ones with head erect, … if you would be a man and live abundantly—then observe God’s law. In so doing you can add to those priceless freedoms which you are struggling to preserve, another on which the others may well depend, freedom from sin; for truly ‘obedience to law is liberty.

April 2013 General Conference - Obedience To Law Is Liberty - Elder L. Tom Perry

Marriage is a Gift from God to Us

Marriage is a gift from God to us; the quality of our marriages is a gift from us to Him. 

April 2013 General Conference - Marriage: Watch And Learn - Elder L. Whitney Clayton

My Thoughts: How I feel about my marriage!

The Perfect Place to Begin is Exactly Where You are Right Now!

Spiritual light rarely comes to those who merely sit in darkness waiting for someone to flip a switch. It takes an act of faith to open our eyes to the Light of Christ....So how do we open our eyes to the hope of God’s light?....The perfect place to begin is exactly where you are right now. It doesn’t matter how unqualified you may think you are or how far behind others you may feel.

April 2013 General Conference - The Hope Of God’S Light - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

That is Where She Chose to Dwell

She sought counseling and medical help and began to realize that, for her, the best path for healing was to understand and accept that darkness exists—but not to dwell there. For, as she now knew, light also exists—and that is where she chose to dwell.

 April 2013 General Conference - The Hope Of God’S Light - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

If We Truly Follow Jesus Christ We Must Embrace the Title : Healer of Souls

Brethren, if we truly follow our Lord Jesus Christ, we must embrace a third title: healer of souls. We who have been ordained to the priesthood of God are called to practice “the healer’s art.”⁴

Brethren, if we truly follow our Lord Jesus Christ, we must embrace a third title: healer of souls. We who have been ordained to the priesthood of God are called to practice “the healer’s art.”⁴

The Priesthood is the Authority to Minister

President James E. Faust taught, “Priesthood is the authority delegated to man to minister in the name of God.”⁴ The Aaronic Priesthood holds the keys of the ministering of angels.⁵.....Jesus Christ is your example. He “came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.”⁷ To minister means to love and care for others. It means to attend to their physical and spiritual needs. Put simply, it means to do what the Savior would do if He were here.

 APRIL 2013 GENERAL CONFERENCE - YOUR SACRED DUTY TO MINISTER - DAVID L. BECK

Training Aaronic Priesthood Leadership (Deacon, Teacher, Priest)

Expectations
Missionaries generally rise or fall to the mission president’s level of expectation, and so it is with deacons quorum presidents. If they are expected only to conduct quorum meetings and attend bishopric youth committee meetings, then that is all they will do. But you leaders can give them a greater vision—the Lord’s vision. And why is vision so critical? Because with increased vision comes increased motivation.

Obtaining Revelation
A wise leader will teach the deacons quorum president those principles that will be helpful in obtaining revelation. He may teach him the unequivocal promise of the Lord: “If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation” (D&C 42:61). The Lord is most generous in giving revelation. Did He not remind Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, “As often as thou hast inquired thou hast received instruction of my Spirit” (D&C 6:14)? And so it can be with you deacons quorum presidents. The Lord loves you and wants to reveal to you His mind and will. Could you ever imagine the Lord having a problem He could not solve? I can’t. Because you are entitled to revelation, He can help you solve every concern you have as president of your quorum if you will but seek His help.
****
You wonderful leaders might teach this deacons quorum president that revelation is not a substitute for hard work and homework. President Henry B. Eyring once asked President Harold B. Lee, “How do I get revelation?” President Lee responded, “If you want to get revelation, do your homework.” <sup>1 
****
And finally this wise leader might teach him how to recognize and act upon revelation when it comes. 

Rescue the Lost
Next you can let this deacons quorum president know that one of the Lord’s expectations of him is to rescue the lost, both less active and nonmember. The Lord declared His central mission in these terms: “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost” (Matthew 18:11). If it is a priority of the Savior to rescue the lost, if it is a priority of President Thomas S. Monson to do so, as demonstrated by his entire life, should it not be a priority of every leader, every deacons quorum president in this Church to do likewise? At the core of our leadership, as a central part of our ministry, should be the burning, driving, unrelenting resolve to go get the lost and bring them back.

For Adviser's - Your Mark of Success</sup>

You leaders lift these deacons quorum presidents best when you let them lead out and you step back from the spotlight. You have magnified your calling best not when you give a great lesson but when you help them give a great lesson, not when you rescue the one but when you help them do so.

There is an old saying: do not die with your music still in you. In like manner I would say to you adult leaders, do not get released with your leadership skills still in you. Teach our youth at every opportunity; teach them how to prepare an agenda, how to conduct meetings with dignity and warmth, how to rescue the one, how to prepare and give an inspired lesson, and how to receive revelation. This will be the measure of your success—the legacy of leadership and spirituality you leave ingrained in the hearts and minds of these young men.

 APRIL 2013 GENERAL CONFERENCE - THE POWER OF THE PRIESTHOOD IN THE BOY - ELDER TAD R. CALLISTER

The Priesthood in the Boy Is Just as Powerful as the Priesthood in the Man

The priesthood in the boy is just as powerful as the priesthood in the man when exercised in righteousness.

APRIL 2013 GENERAL CONFERENCE - THE POWER OF THE PRIESTHOOD IN THE BOY - ELDER TAD R. CALLISTER

Standing Obedient and Strong On the Doctrine of Our God, We Stand In Holy Places

Sometimes we become the lightning rod, and we must “take the heat” for holding fast to God’s standards and doing His work. I testify that we need not be afraid if we are grounded in His doctrine. We may experience misunderstanding, criticism, and even false accusation, but we are never alone. Our Savior was “despised and rejected of men.”⁹ It is our sacred privilege to stand with Him!....Standing obedient and strong on the doctrine of our God, we stand in holy places, for His doctrine is sacred and will not change in the social and political winds of our day.

 APRIL 2013 GENERAL CONFERENCE - STAND STRONG IN HOLY PLACES - ELDER ROBERT D. HALES

My Father Discerned

We are living in the last days, in “perilous times.”¹ As bearers of the priesthood, we have the responsibility to stand strong with a shield of faith against the fiery darts of the adversary. We are role models to the world, protecting God-given, inalienable rights and freedoms. We stand in defense of our homes and our families.

When I was in the ninth grade, I returned from my first out-of-town game with the varsity baseball team. My father discerned that on the long bus ride home I had witnessed language and behavior that was not in harmony with the standards of the gospel. Being a professional artist, he sat down and drew a picture of a knight—a warrior capable of defending castles and kingdoms.

As he drew and read from the scriptures, I learned how to be a faithful priesthood holder—to protect and defend the kingdom of God. The words of the Apostle Paul were my guide:

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

“Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

“And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”²

 APRIL 2013 GENERAL CONFERENCE - STAND STRONG IN HOLY PLACES - ELDER ROBERT D. HALES

I love this because as a Father it is my privelege, right, and responsibility to discern when something my children have been subjected to is incorrect and not in harmony with the teachings of Heaven.

The Lord's Truth Is Not Altered by Fads, Popularity, or Public Opinion Polls

The doctrine I have described will seem to be archaic and outdated to many people in a world that increasingly mocks the sanctity of procreation and minimizes the worth of human life. But the Lord’s truth is not altered by fads, popularity, or public opinion polls. I promise that obedience to the law of chastity will increase our happiness in mortality and make possible our progress in eternity. Chastity and virtue are now, always have been, and always will be “most dear and precious above all things” (Moroni 9:9).

 APRIL 2013 GENERAL CONFERENCE - WE BELIEVE IN BEING CHASTE - ELDER DAVID A. BEDNAR

Look Beyond Mortality and Into Eternity And Discern the Counter Companiships

 As we look beyond mortality and into eternity, it is easy to discern that the counterfeit companionship advocated by the adversary is temporary and empty.

 APRIL 2013 GENERAL CONFERENCE - WE BELIEVE IN BEING CHASTE - ELDER DAVID A. BEDNAR

We Are Defined By Our Divine Heritage As Children of God--And Not By Sexual Behaviors, Contemporary Attitudes, or Secular Philosophies

We are agents blessed with moral agency and are defined by our divine heritage as children of God—and not by sexual behaviors, contemporary attitudes, or secular philosophies.

 APRIL 2013 GENERAL CONFERENCE - WE BELIEVE IN BEING CHASTE - ELDER DAVID A. BEDNAR

The Standard of Sexual Morality

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a single, undeviating standard of sexual morality: intimate relations are proper only between a man and a woman in the marriage relationship prescribed in God’s plan. Such relations are not merely a curiosity to be explored, an appetite to be satisfied, or a type of recreation or entertainment to be pursued selfishly. They are not a conquest to be achieved or simply an act to be performed. Rather, they are in mortality one of the ultimate expressions of our divine nature and potential and a way of strengthening emotional and spiritual bonds between husband and wife. We are agents blessed with moral agency and are defined by our divine heritage as children of God—and not by sexual behaviors, contemporary attitudes, or secular philosophies.

 APRIL 2013 GENERAL CONFERENCE - WE BELIEVE IN BEING CHASTE - ELDER DAVID A. BEDNAR

There Is An Authorized Way and Time to Express That Love

The Lord has His way, or the way, to love. Those of the world say that what really matters is that two people love each other. Our Father in Heaven teaches that this is important, but He teaches us more: that there is an authorized way and time to express that love.

 APRIL 2013 GENERAL CONFERENCE - THE LORD’S WAY - ELDER STANLEY G. ELLIS

We Should Not Give or Provide What they Can and Should Do For Themselves

Even with the universally accepted desire to help the poor and needy, the Lord concurs in our goal but warns, “But it must needs be done in mine own way” (D&C 104:16). Otherwise, in our efforts to help, we may actually hurt them. The Lord has taught us the need to promote self-reliance. Even if we are able to help, we should not give or provide what they can and should do for themselves. Everywhere it is tried, the world learns the evils of the dole. Truly God knows best.

 APRIL 2013 GENERAL CONFERENCE - THE LORD’S WAY - ELDER STANLEY G. ELLIS

Become Friends with Your Children's Friends. Be a Worthy Example to Them.

Become friends with your children’s friends. Be a worthy example to them.

 April 2013 General Conference - For Peace At Home - Elder Richard G. Scott

Satan's Fate Is Decided. He Knows He Has Lost

However, Satan is no match for the Savior. Satan’s fate is decided. He knows he has lost, but he wants to take as many with him as he can. He will try to ruin your goodness and abilities by exploiting your weaknesses. Stay on the Lord’s side, and you will win every time.

 April 2013 General Conference - For Peace At Home - Elder Richard G. Scott

The Sandpoint 7 Are Weight-Bearing Beams in the Construction of a Gospel Centered Home

I’m sure you can identify the fundamental principles that center your home on the Savior. The prophetic counsel to have daily personal and family prayer, daily personal and family scripture study, and weekly family home evening are the essential, weight-bearing beams in the construction of a Christ-centered home. Without these regular practices it will be difficult to find the desired and much-needed peace and refuge from the world.... Remember: little things lead to big things. Seemingly insignificant indiscretions or neglect can lead to big problems. More importantly, simple, consistent, good habits lead to a life full of bountiful blessings.

 April 2013 General Conference - For Peace At Home - Elder Richard G. Scott

Men and Women Have Different But Equally Valued Roles

In our Heavenly Father’s great priesthood-endowed plan, men have the unique responsibility to administer the priesthood, but they are not the priesthood. Men and women have different but equally valued roles. Just as a woman cannot conceive a child without a man, so a man cannot fully exercise the power of the priesthood to establish an eternal family without a woman. In other words, in the eternal perspective, both the procreative power and the priesthood power are shared by husband and wife.

 APRIL 2013 GENERAL CONFERENCE - “THIS IS MY WORK AND GLORY” - ELDER M. RUSSELL BALLARD

Mormon Lamented the Loss of Virtue...Are We Any Different?

In the decadent society of Mormon’s time, he lamented that the women were robbed of that which was most dear and precious above all—their virtue and chastity.⁷

 What would the world be like if virtue—a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards, including chastity⁸—were reinstated in our society as a most highly prized value? If immorality, pornography, and abuse decreased, would there be fewer broken marriages, broken lives, and broken hearts? Would media ennoble and enable rather than objectify and degrade God’s precious daughters? If all humanity really understood the importance of the statement “We are daughters of our Heavenly Father,” how would women be regarded and treated?

APRIL 2013 GENERAL CONFERENCE - WE ARE DAUGHTERS OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER - ELAINE S. DALTON

Moral Agency Defined

Agency is defined in the scriptures as “moral agency,” which means that we can choose between good and evil. 

 APRIL 2013 GENERAL CONFERENCE - THESE THINGS I KNOW - PRESIDENT BOYD K. PACKER

Beware of the Tolerance Trap

Tolerance is a virtue, but like all virtues, when exaggerated, it transforms itself into a vice. We need to be careful of the “tolerance trap” so that we are not swallowed up in it. The permissiveness afforded by the weakening of the laws of the land to tolerate legalized acts of immorality does not reduce the serious spiritual consequence that is the result of the violation of God’s law of chastity.

 APRIL 2013 GENERAL CONFERENCE - THESE THINGS I KNOW - PRESIDENT BOYD K. PACKER

Security for Us and Our Children In Honoring Covenants

We find safety and security for ourselves and our children in honoring the covenants we have made and living up to the ordinary acts of obedience required of the followers of Christ.

 APRIL 2013 GENERAL CONFERENCE - THESE THINGS I KNOW - PRESIDENT BOYD K. PACKER

The Consummate Power of the Priesthood Has Been Given To Protect the Home and Its Inhabitants

We will not always be safe from the adversary’s influence, even within our own homes. We need to protect our nestlings....The consummate power of the priesthood has been given to protect the home and its inhabitants. The father has the authority and responsibility to teach his children and to bless and to provide for them the ordinances of the gospel and every other priesthood protection necessary. He is to demonstrate love and fidelity and honor to the mother so that their children can see that love....Teach yourself and teach your families about the gift of the Holy Ghost and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. You will do no greater eternal work than within the walls of your own home.

 APRIL 2013 GENERAL CONFERENCE - THESE THINGS I KNOW - PRESIDENT BOYD K. PACKER

To Serve Someone In Need When It Will Not Seem Convenient

As you keep the faith, you will find yourself invited by the Lord often to serve someone in need when it will not seem convenient. It may appear to be an unpleasant and perhaps even impossible task. When the call comes, it may seem you are not needed or that someone else could easily give the succor.

Remember that when the Lord lets us encounter someone in distress, we honor the good Samaritan for what he did not do as much as for what he did. He did not pass by on the other side even though the beaten traveler on the road was a stranger and perhaps an enemy. He did what he could for the beaten man and then put in place a specific plan for others to do more. He did that because he understood that helping may require more than what one person can do.

October 2012 - The Caregiver - Henry B. Eyring

It Is Often During the Difficult Times That We Learn the Most

Let us be of good cheer as we go about our lives. Although we live in increasingly perilous times, the Lord loves us and is mindful of us. He is always on our side as we do what is right. He will help us in time of need. Difficulties come into our lives, problems we do not anticipate and which we would never choose. None of us is immune. 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.

 October 2012 General Conference - God Be With You Till We Meet Again - Thosmas S. Monson

We Should Know the Gospel Is True And Be True to the Gospel

Testimony is the beginning of and a prerequisite to continuing conversion. Testimony is a point of departure; it is not an ultimate destination. Strong testimony is the foundation upon which conversion is established.... Knowing that the gospel is true is the essence of a testimony. Consistently being true to the gospel is the essence of conversion. We should know the gospel is true and be true to the gospel.
 October 2012 General Conference - Converted Unto The Lord - Elder David A. Bednar

Key Characteristics Associated with Conversion

The key characteristics associated with conversion are experiencing a mighty change in our hearts, having a disposition to do good continually, going forward in the path of duty, walking circumspectly before God, keeping the commandments, and serving with unwearied diligence. 

 October 2012 General Conference - Converted Unto The Lord - Elder David A. Bednar

There Is A Spirit Attending The Administration of the Sacrament

Elder Melvin J. Ballard said: “I am a witness that there is a spirit attending the administration of the sacrament that warms the soul from head to foot; you feel the wounds of the spirit being healed, and the load being lifted. Comfort and happiness come to the soul that is worthy and truly desirous of partaking of this spiritual food.”¹³

October 2012 General Conference - Blessings Of The Sacrament - Elder Don R. Clarke

Do You People Want A Sure Way to Eliminate the Influence of The Adversary in Your Life...I Can Think of no Greater Protection

Do you young people want a sure way to eliminate the influence of the adversary in your life? Immerse yourself in searching for your ancestors, prepare their names for the sacred vicarious ordinances available in the temple, and then go to the temple to stand as proxy for them to receive the ordinances of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. As you grow older, you will be able to participate in receiving the other ordinances as well. I can think of no greater protection from the influence of the adversary in your life.

 October 2012 General Conference - The Joy Of Redeeming The Dead - Elder Richard G. Scott

My Daily Journal Has Helped Provide Some Specifics Which I Most Likely Would Not Otherwise Be Able to Recount

My daily journal, kept over all these years, has helped provide some specifics which I most likely would not otherwise be able to recount.

October 2012 General Conference - Consider The Blessings - President Thomas S. Monson

After An Encounter With the Living Son of the Living God, Nothing Is Ever Again to Be as It Was Before!

Wasn’t it obvious then and isn’t it obvious now that if I want fish, I can get fish? What I need, Peter, are disciples—and I need them forever. I need someone to feed my sheep and save my lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend my faith. I need someone who loves me, truly, truly loves me, and loves what our Father in Heaven has commissioned me to do. Ours is not a feeble message. It is not a fleeting task. It is not hapless; it is not hopeless; it is not to be consigned to the ash heap of history. It is the work of Almighty God, and it is to change the world....

Did you, like they, think that this work could be killed simply by killing me? Did you, like they, think the cross and the nails and the tomb were the end of it all and each could blissfully go back to being whatever you were before? Children, did not my life and my love touch your hearts more deeply than this?”....

In short, we have a life of devoted discipleship to give in demonstrating our love of the Lord. We can’t quit and we can’t go back. After an encounter with the living Son of the living God, nothing is ever again to be as it was before. The Crucifixion, Atonement, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ mark the beginning of a Christian life, not the end of it. It was this truth, this reality, that allowed a handful of Galilean fishermen-turned-again-Apostles without “a single synagogue or sword”¹⁵ to leave those nets a second time and go on to shape the history of the world in which we now live....

I include in that call to fixed faithfulness every returned missionary who ever stood in a baptismal font and with arm to the square said, “Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ.”¹⁶ That commission was to have changed your convert forever, but it was surely supposed to have changed you forever as well. To the youth of the Church rising up to missions and temples and marriage, we say: “Love God and remain clean from the blood and sins of this generation....

And having set our “hand to the plough,”¹⁷ we will never look back until this work is finished and love of God and neighbor rules the world. 

 OCTOBER 2012 GENERAL CONFERENCE - THE FIRST GREAT COMMANDMENT - ELDER JEFFREY R. HOLLAND

3 Steps to Reactivate Men

A woman needs to be told she is beautiful. She needs to be told she is valued. She needs to be told she is worthwhile.

Brethren, I know that men are very much like women in this regard. We need to be told that we amount to something, that we are capable and worthwhile. We need to be given a chance to serve. For those members who have slipped from activity or who hold back and remain noncommittal, we can prayerfully seek for some way to reach them. Asking them to serve in some capacity may just be the incentive they need to return to full activity. But those leaders who could help in this regard are sometimes reluctant to do so. We need to bear in mind that people can change. They can put behind them bad habits. They can repent from transgressions. They can bear the priesthood worthily. And they can serve the Lord diligently.

 October 2012 General Conference - See Others As They May Become - President Thomas S. Monson

Tell Your Wife She is Beautiful. Tell Your Wife She is Loved.

A woman needs to be told she is beautiful. She needs to be told she is valued. She needs to be told she is worthwhile.

 October 2012 General Conference - See Others As They May Become - President Thomas S. Monson

Do We Want To Be Quitters, Or Do We Want to Be Valiant Servants?

President N. Eldon Tanner stated: “One young boy on the school ground can wield a mighty influence for good. One young man on the football team, or the campus, or among his fellow workers can, by living the gospel, honoring his priesthood, and taking a stand for the right, do untold good. Often you will experience much criticism and ridicule even by those who believe as you do, even though they may respect you for doing right. But remember that the Savior himself was tormented, ridiculed, spat upon, and finally crucified because he would not waver in his conviction. Have you ever stopped to think what would have happened had he weakened and said, ‘Oh, what’s the use?’ and abandoned his mission? Do we want to be quitters, or do we want to be valiant servants in spite of all the opposition and evil in the world? Let us have the courage to stand up and be counted as true, devoted followers of Christ.”⁸

 October 2012 General Conference - Be Valiant In Courage, Strength, And Activity - Bishop Gary E. Stevenson

I Am a Member of a Priesthood Quorum of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

“It will be a marvelous day, my brethren—it will be a day of fulfillment of the purposes of the Lord—when our priesthood quorums become an anchor of strength to every man belonging thereto, when each such man may appropriately be able to say, ‘I am a member of a priesthood quorum of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I stand ready to assist my brethren in all of their needs, as I am confident they stand ready to assist me in mine. … Working together, we can stand, without embarrassment and without fear, against every wind of adversity that might blow, be it economic, social, or spiritual.’”⁶

 October 2012 General Conference - Brethren, We Have Work To Do - Elder D. Todd Christofferson

What is Best for Children In Contrast to the Selfish Interests of Adult Interests

Children are highly vulnerable. They have little or no power to protect or provide for themselves and little influence on so much that is vital to their well-being. Children need others to speak for them, and they need decision makers who put their well-being ahead of selfish adult interests....We also need politicians, policy makers, and officials to increase their attention to what is best for children in contrast to the selfish interests of voters and vocal advocates of adult interests.

 OCTOBER 2012 GENERAL CONFERENCE - PROTECT THE CHILDREN - ELDER DALLIN H. OAKS

With Faith Come Trials of Faith, Bringing Increased Faith.

With faith come trails of faith, bringing increased faith.

 October 2012 General Conference - Trial Of Your Faith - Elder Neil L. Andersen

God Will Never Desert Us. He Cannot Do It.

 President George Q. Cannon said: “No matter how serious the trial, how deep the distress, how great the affliction, [God] will never desert us. He never has, and He never will. He cannot do it. It is not His character. He is an unchangeable being; the same yesterday, the same today, and He will be the same throughout the eternal ages to come. We have found that God. We have made Him our friend, by obeying His Gospel; and He will stand by us. We may pass through the fiery furnace; we may pass through deep waters; but we shall not be consumed nor overwhelmed. We shall emerge from all these trials and difficulties the better and purer for them, if we only trust in our God and keep His commandments” (“Remarks,” Deseret Evening News, Mar. 7, 1891, 4); see also Jeffrey R. Holland, “Come unto Me,” Ensign, Apr. 1998, 16–23.

 October 2012 General Conference - Trial Of Your Faith - Elder Neil L. Andersen

Though I Suffered Then...I Learned to Walk with Him Day by Day

Though I suffered then, as I look back now, I am grateful that there was not a quick solution to my problem. The fact that I was forced to turn to God for help almost daily over an extended period of years taught me truly how to pray and get answers to prayer and taught me in a very practical way to have faith in God. I came to know my Savior and my Heavenly Father in a way and to a degree that might not have happened otherwise or that might have taken me much longer to achieve. … I learned to trust in the Lord with all my heart. I learned to walk with Him day by day.”²⁵

 October 2012 General Conference - Trial Of Your Faith - Elder Neil L. Andersen

Every Man Eventually Is Backed Up to The Wall of Faith, And There He Must Make His Stand

Our main task is to declare the gospel and do it effectively. We are not obligated to answer every objection. Every man eventually is backed up to the wall of faith, and there he must make his stand. “And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye,” said Nephi, “for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and you and I shall stand face to face before his bar; and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things.” (2 Ne. 33:11.) Every man must judge for himself, knowing God will hold him accountable.

Ezra Taft Benson, “The Book of Mormon Is the Word of God,” May 1988, 6; Ensign, May 1975, 65.

A Few Question Their Faith When They Find A Statement Made by A Church Leader Decades Ago That Seems Incongruent with Our Doctrinces

A few question their faith when they find a statement made by a Church leader decades ago that seems incongruent with our doctrine. There is an important principle that governs the doctrine of the Church. The doctrine is taught by all 15 members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. It is not hidden in an obscure paragraph of one talk. True principles are taught frequently and by many. Our doctrine is not difficult to find.

 October 2012 General Conference - Trial Of Your Faith - Elder Neil L. Andersen

He Needs Only to Get Able Men...To See Themselves as Sophisticated Neutrals

“Satan need not get everyone to be like Cain or Judas … ,” said Elder Neal A. Maxwell. “He needs only to get able men … to see themselves as sophisticated neutrals.”²¹

 October 2012 General Conference - What Shall A Man Give In Exchange For His Soul? - Elder Robert C. Gay

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