We cannot substitute our own rules for eternal laws any more than a man who touches hot coals can decide not to get burned.

 God’s laws are not negotiable. He allows us to disregard them, but we are not free to create our own rules for the eternities any more than a person is free to create his or her personalized laws for physics. God wants us to be a qualified heir in His kingdom. To expect His heavenly inheritance while following a different course than He has outlined is naïve.

Before being called to full-time Church service, I (Elder Renlund) cared for patients with severe heart failure. In heart failure and transplant cardiology, there are defined, established courses to follow to obtain the best outcome: longer and better quality of life. Treating a patient in another way does not result in the best outcomes. It was astonishing that some patients tried to negotiate the treatment course. Some patients said, “I prefer not to take any medications,” or “I don’t want to have any heart biopsies after transplantation.” Of course, patients are free to follow their own course, but they cannot pursue an inferior course of action and expect the best outcome.

The same is true for us. We are free to choose our own course in life, but we are not free to choose the outcome that comes from following our own rules, no matter how many times someone says we can. Heavenly Father is not to blame when we do not receive blessings connected to the law of chastity because of disobedience.

In this dispensation, the Savior taught that eternal laws are not flexible and open for discussion. He said, “And again, verily I say unto you, that which is governed by law is also preserved by law and perfected and sanctified by the same.

“That which breaketh a law, and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, … cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice, nor judgment” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:34–35; emphasis added). We cannot substitute our own rules for eternal laws any more than a man who touches hot coals can decide not to get burned.

The Divine Purposes of Sexual Intimacy

August 2020

2020

Dale G. Renlund and Ruth Lybbert Renlund

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2020/08/the-divine-purposes-of-sexual-intimacy?lang=eng&verse=#p

Reminds me of this Teaching

http://quotestokeep.blogspot.com/2022/10/we-cannot-create-our-own-path-and.html

There is no Error in the Revelations

 “When did I ever teach anything wrong from this stand? When was I ever confounded? I want to triumph in Israel before I depart hence and am no more seen. I never told you I was perfect; but there is no error in the revelations which I have taught. Must I, then, be thrown away as a thing of naught?”

Teachings of Presidents of the Church, Joseph Smith, Chapter 27, Beware of the Bitter Fruits of Apostasy

Strict compliance with the doctrine enunciated by Jesus Christ is the only means by which a perfect social order can be maintained

 The higher requirement of the gospel followed: “And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.” The Mosaic provision had been but permissive, and was justified only because of existing unrighteousness. Strict compliance with the doctrine enunciated by Jesus Christ is the only means by which a perfect social order can be maintained. It is important to note, however, that in His reply to the casuistical Pharisees, Jesus announced no specific or binding rule as to legal divorces; the putting away of a wife, as contemplated under the Mosaic custom, involved no judicial investigation or action by an established court. In our Lord’s day the prevailing laxity in the matter of marital obligation had produced a state of appalling corruption in Israel; and woman, who by the law of God had been made a companion and partner with man, had become his slave. The world’s greatest champion of woman and womanhood is Jesus the Christ.

James E Talmage, Jesus the Christ, Chapter 27, Continuation of the Perean and Judean Ministry

My shadow on this farm is worth more than the labor of all of you

President McKay told an interesting story. He said, ‘A farmer had a large tract of land. When he grew old it became too much for him. He had a family of boys. He called the boys around him and told them they would have to carry the load. The father rested. But one day he walked out into the field. The boys told him to go back, they did not need his help. He said, “My shadow on this farm is worth more than the labor of all of you.”’

April 2006 General Conference, Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God, Gordon B. Hinckley

Speculation

 We can all wonder privately about circumstances in the spirit world or even discuss these or other unanswered questions in family or other intimate settings. But let us not teach or use as official doctrine what does not meet the standards of official doctrine. To do so does not further the work of the Lord and may even discourage individuals from seeking their own comfort or edification through the personal revelation the Lord’s plan provides for each of us. Excessive reliance on personal teachings or speculations may even draw us aside from concentrating on learning and efforts that will further our understanding and help us go forward on the covenant path.

Trust in the Lord

October 2019

2010–2019

Dallin H. Oaks

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2019/10/17oaks?lang=eng&verse=#p

Please note that Lehi did not leave the tree of life. He stayed spiritually with the Lord and invited his family to come where he was to partake of the fruit.

 In returning to Nephi’s story, we know that Nephi’s inclination to trust in the Lord was influenced by his parents’ propensity to trust in the Lord and by their covenant-keeping example. This is beautifully exemplified in Lehi’s vision of the tree of life. After partaking of the sweet and joyful fruit of the tree, Lehi “cast [his] eyes round about, that perhaps [he] might discover [his] family.” He saw Sariah, Sam, and Nephi standing “as if they knew not whither they should go.” Lehi then stated, “I beckoned unto them; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me, and partake of the fruit.” Please note that Lehi did not leave the tree of life. He stayed spiritually with the Lord and invited his family to come where he was to partake of the fruit.

Come unto Christ—Living as Latter-day Saints

April 2020

General Conference

John A. McCune

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/04/24mccune?lang=eng&verse=#p

Stay by the tree

You can’t sing on Sunday, “O Babylon, O Babylon, [I] bid thee farewell” and then seek or tolerate its company again moments later

 The Lord, who “requireth the heart and a willing mind” (D&C 64:34) and who “is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (D&C 33:1), knows why you go to church—whether you are present in body only or truly worshipping. You can’t sing on Sunday, “O Babylon, O Babylon, [I] bid thee farewell” and then seek or tolerate its company again moments later (“Ye Elders of Israel,” Hymns, no. 319). Remember that casualness in spiritual matters never was happiness. Make the Church and the restored gospel your whole life, not just a part of your outward or social life. Choosing this day whom you will serve is lip service only—until you actually live accordingly (see Joshua 24:15).

October 2014, Jorg Klebignat, "Approaching the Throne of God with Confidence"

There are times, brethren, when you need to restrain those feelings. There are times when you need to allow their full expression

 Now I would speak of something that is most sacred. When we were created, Father in Heaven put in our body the capacity to stir powerful emotions. Within the covenant of marriage, when properly used in ways acceptable to both and to the Lord, those emotions open the doors for children to come to earth. Such sacred expressions of love are an essential part of the covenant of marriage. Within marriage, however, the stimulation of those emotions can either be used as an end unto itself or to allow a couple to draw closer in oneness through the beautiful, appropriate expression of these feelings between husband and wife. There are times, brethren, when you need to restrain those feelings. There are times when you need to allow their full expression. Let the Lord guide you in ways that will enrich your marriage.

There are men, and unfortunately some women, who experiment with stimulating those emotions by influences outside of the covenant of marriage. There is a great difference between love and lust. Pure love yields happiness and engenders trust. It is the foundation of eternal joy. Lust will destroy that which is enriching and beautiful. A husband must have no private, hidden agenda that is kept secret from his wife. Sharing everything about each other’s personal life is powerful spiritual insurance. When you travel, take along a picture of your wife. Set it before you. Remember how you are loved and trusted. You will not be tempted to contaminate your mind or violate your covenants.

The Sanctity of Womanhood, Richard G. Scott, General Conference April 2004

Express them Fully

Avoiding something tempting once will help you develop the ability to resist other temptations in the future

 Last year the professor who conducted the original experiment, Dr. Walter Mischel, wrote a book in which he said the study grew in part out of his concerns about self-control and his own addiction to smoking. He was particularly concerned after the U.S. Surgeon General’s report of 1964 concluded that smoking caused lung cancer. After years of study, one of his professional colleagues reported that “self-control is like a muscle: the more you use it, the stronger it gets. Avoiding something tempting once will help you develop the ability to resist other temptations in the future.”

Shipshape and Bristol Fashion: Be Temple Worthy—in Good Times and Bad Times

October 2015

2010–2019

Quentin L. Cook

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/shipshape-and-bristol-fashion-be-temple-worthy-in-good-times-and-bad-times?lang=eng&verse=#p

Promise of greater loneliness for the majority, and stagnation overall...Wickedness, such as immoral conduct, is never part of the answer

 At the commencement of the Savior’s earthly ministry in Israel and later among the Nephites, the Savior addressed the issue of happiness both in this life and in eternity. He stressed ordinances, but He also placed great emphasis on moral behavior. For example, disciples would be blessed if they would hunger and thirst after righteousness, be merciful, be pure in heart, be peacemakers, and follow other basic moral principles. Clearly, our Lord Jesus Christ emphasized, as a foundational doctrinal message, both righteous attitudes and conduct in day-to-day living. His teachings not only replaced and transcended elements of the law of Moses but also were a rejection of the false philosophies of men.

For many centuries the gospel of Jesus Christ has inspired beliefs and established standards of conduct as to what is righteous, desirable, and moral and results in happiness, felicity, and joy. However, the principles and basic morality the Savior taught are under serious attack in today’s world. Christianity is under attack. Many believe that what is moral has basically changed.

We live in difficult times. There is an increased tendency to “call evil good, and good evil.” A world that emphasizes self-aggrandizement and secularism is cause for great concern. One prominent writer, not of our faith, has put it this way: “Unfortunately I see little evidence that people are actually happier in the emerging dispensation, or that their children are better off, or that the cause of social justice is well-served, or that declining marriage rates and thinning family trees … promise anything save greater loneliness for the majority, and stagnation overall.”....

I recognize that, despite the overwhelming happiness embodied in God’s divine plan, sometimes it can feel far away and disconnected from our current circumstances. It may feel beyond our reach as struggling disciples. From our limited perspective, current temptations and distractions can seem attractive. The rewards for resisting those temptations, on the other hand, can feel distant and unattainable. But a true understanding of the Father’s plan reveals that the rewards of righteousness are available right now. Wickedness, such as immoral conduct, is never part of the answer. Alma said it clearly to his son Corianton: “Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness.”

Shipshape and Bristol Fashion: Be Temple Worthy—in Good Times and Bad Times

October 2015

2010–2019

Quentin L. Cook

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/shipshape-and-bristol-fashion-be-temple-worthy-in-good-times-and-bad-times?lang=eng&verse=#p

We can celebrate our individual uniqueness as children of God without using authenticity as an excuse for un-Christlike behavior.

 Some misuse authenticity as a celebration of the natural man and qualities that are the opposite of humility, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, and civility. We can celebrate our individual uniqueness as children of God without using authenticity as an excuse for un-Christlike behavior.

The Eternal Everyday

October 2017

2010–2019

Quentin L. Cook

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2017/10/the-eternal-everyday?lang=eng&verse=#p

To be offended is a choice we make; it is not a condition inflicted or imposed upon us by someone or something else.

When we believe or say we have been offended, we usually mean we feel insulted, mistreated, snubbed, or disrespected. And certainly clumsy, embarrassing, unprincipled, and mean-spirited things do occur in our interactions with other people that would allow us to take offense. However, it ultimately is impossible for another person to offend you or to offend me. Indeed, believing that another person offended us is fundamentally false. To be offended is a choice we make; it is not a condition inflicted or imposed upon us by someone or something else.

In the grand division of all of God’s creations, there are things to act and things to be acted upon (see 2 Nephi 2:13–14). As sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, we have been blessed with the gift of moral agency, the capacity for independent action and choice. Endowed with agency, you and I are agents, and we primarily are to act and not just be acted upon. To believe that someone or something can make us feel offended, angry, hurt, or bitter diminishes our moral agency and transforms us into objects to be acted upon. As agents, however, you and I have the power to act and to choose how we will respond to an offensive or hurtful situation.

 David A. Bednar, And Nothing Shall Offend Them, October 2006 General Conference

The Age and Place of the Gifted Pickle Sucker

 Another potential destroyer of spiritual roots—accelerated by current technology but not unique to it—is the keyhole view of the gospel or the Church. This limited view focuses on a particular doctrine or practice or perceived deficiency in a leader and ignores the grand panorama of the gospel plan and the personal and communal fruits of its harvest. President Gordon B. Hinckley gave a vivid description of one aspect of this keyhole view. He told a BYU audience about political commentators “aflame with indignation” at a then-recent news event. “With studied art they poured out the sour vinegar of invective and anger. … Surely,” he concluded, “this is the age and place of the gifted pickle sucker.” In contrast, to be securely rooted in the gospel, we must be moderate and measured in criticism and seek always for the broader view of the majestic work of God.

Parable of the Sower, Dallin H. Oaks, April 2015

And the Battle Raged On

Spencer W. Kimball was one of the prophets of my youth. These past few years, after being called as an Apostle, I have found peace in his first message at general conference in October 1943. He was overwhelmed by his call; I know what that feels like. Elder Kimball said: “I did a great deal of thinking and praying, and fasting and praying. There were conflicting thoughts that surged through my mind—seeming voices saying: ‘You can’t do the work. You are not worthy. You have not the ability’—and always finally came the triumphant thought: ‘You must do the work assigned—you must make yourself able, worthy and qualified.’ And the battle raged on.”

Be Not Afraid, Ronald A. Rasband, October 2018 General Conference

Do Your Homework

 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.” The wise leader might discuss with his deacons quorum president some of the spiritual homework he might do in preparing to recommend his counselors. He might need to ask and answer questions such as: Who would be a good example that could lift the other boys? Or who would be sensitive to the needs of those who face special challenges?

The Power of the Priesthood in the Boy, Tad R. Callister, April 2013 General Conference 

Grow in the Principle of Revelation

This article is abundant in it lines and directions.  Here are a few:

Because of the increasing dangers we face, our need for divine guidance has never been greater, and our efforts to hear the voice of Jesus Christ—our Mediator, Savior, and Redeemer—have never been more urgent

....

If we will stay on our knees for a while after we finish our prayer, thoughts, feelings, and direction will come into our mind. Recording those impressions will help us remember what actions the Lord would have us take

....

“The standard is clear,” taught Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “If something we think, see, hear, or do distances us from the Holy Ghost, then we should stop thinking, seeing, hearing, or doing that thing. If that which is intended to entertain, for example, alienates us from the Holy Spirit, then certainly that type of entertainment is not for us. Because the Spirit cannot abide that which is vulgar, crude, or immodest, then clearly such things are not for us.”

.....

When we receive revelation, we spend time in the presence of God as He reveals His mind, will, and voice unto us (see Doctrine and Covenants 68:4).

Grow into the Principle of Revelation

January 2021

2021

Russell M. Nelson

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2021/01/grow-into-the-principle-of-revelation?lang=eng&verse=#p

Do Not Forget Them

 Now, you missionaries, you are part of this responsibility of binding your converts to the Church. You may not be able to continue to visit them. But you can write them occasionally and give them encouragement. I hope that every one of you will make a record in your scriptures of every man, woman, and child whom you baptize, together with their home addresses. Your penmanship may be terrible, but an occasional note from you will give reassurance and comfort and a rekindling of joy. When you go home do not forget them. At all times live worthy of their trust. Write to them occasionally, assuring them of your love.

Find the Lambs, Feed the Sheep, Gordon B. Hinckley February 1998

We in science describe how these creative forces work without really knowing why they are what they are.

 Astronomers will say that forces from gravity, heat, and atomic interactions created the stars, sun, earth, and moon and gave them the natures they have. This is true, but to paraphrase Nobel laureate Richard Feynman, we in science describe how these creative forces work without really knowing why they are what they are. Asking why is asking what the purpose of forces really is. These scriptures tell us that Christ, and with Him the work and glory of God in bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man (see Moses 1:39), is in the very purpose and reason for having a physical universe in the first place.

The Light of Christ

August 2021

2021

J. Ward Moody

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2021/08/the-light-of-christ?lang=eng&verse=#p

I know now that the place of safety in this world is not in any given place; it doesn’t make so much difference where we live; but the all-important thing is how we live

In Kelsey, Texas, in 1942, at the height of World War II, a group of Latter-day Saints approached President Harold B. Lee (1899–1973), who was at the time a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. They asked, “Is now the day for us to come up to Zion, … where we can be protected from our enemies?”

President Lee took the question seriously. After pondering, studying, and praying for some time, he concluded: “I know now that the place of safety in this world is not in any given place; it doesn’t make so much difference where we live; but the all-important thing is how we live, and I have found that security can come to Israel only when [we] keep the commandments, when [we] live so that [we] can enjoy the companionship, the direction, the comfort, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit of the Lord, when [we] are willing to listen to these men whom God has set here to preside as His mouthpieces, and when we obey the counsels of the Church.”

Prophecy of War, Prescription for Peace

August 2021

2021

Matthew S. Holland

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2021/08/prophecy-of-war-prescription-for-peace?lang=eng&verse=#p

He did what he could for the beaten man and then put in place a specific plan for others to do more.

 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.

Henry B. Eyring "The Caregiver", General Conference, October 2012

No, I am sure your husband had authority for those baptisms, He had all the authority his church, his congregation, and the laws of the land could give him.

Thirty years ago, I had an experience with how priesthood authority in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints differs from other kinds of authority. The wife of a prominent Protestant minister came to my office. For many years she and her husband had served the Lord with great diligence in a Christian ministry. Now she wanted to join the restored Church, but she had a reservation.

She came to ask me why she had to be baptized when she had already been baptized a Christian by her minister husband, who had baptized many people in his congregation. She asked, “Are you telling me that my husband didn’t have any authority to baptize all those people he baptized?”

The Spirit came to my aid, as we pray for in these situations.

“No, I am sure your husband had authority for those baptisms,” I replied. “He had all the authority his church, his congregation, and the laws of the land could give him. He used that authority in baptizing, performing marriages, employing persons for the physical needs of his church building, and appointing persons to participate in its worship services. We don’t question that authority, but we want you to know of a different kind of authority: the power God delegates to mortals.”

I explained that what causes us to require baptism for persons converted to the restored Church of Jesus Christ is the need for baptism by the divine authority Jesus gave to Peter and the other Apostles. With that authority, He told them whatsoever they bound on earth would be bound in heaven (see Matthew 16:19; 18:18). In other words, it would be valid and effective beyond the veil of death to satisfy the requirements of heaven. I testified to her that this authority has been restored and now exists only in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sometime later, both this woman and her husband were baptized. I have known them for many years as faithful members.

Authority, Ordinances, and Preparation

August 2021, Liahona

2021

Dallin H. Oaks

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2021/08/authority-ordinances-and-preparation?lang=eng&verse=#p

In intelligence and performance, He far surpasses the individual and the composite capacities and achievements of all who have lived, live now, and will yet live!

 In the sweeping vision of the universe He gave to Abraham (see Abraham 3), the premortal Christ taught personally about His knowledge and intelligence in comparison with all of the rest of our Heavenly Father’s spirit children. He declared, “I am more intelligent than they all” (Abraham 3:19). Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum the Twelve Apostles helped us appreciate the deep significance of this stunning truth when he explained:

“He is utterly incomparable in what He is, what He knows, what He has accomplished, and what He has experienced. …

“In intelligence and performance, He far surpasses the individual and the composite capacities and achievements of all who have lived, live now, and will yet live!”

Elder Maxwell also observed, “Yet, movingly, He calls us His friends.”

The Book of Abraham: A Most Remarkable Gift for Our Time, By Andrew C. Skinner,

Professor Emeritus of Ancient Scripture, Brigham Young University

Such as I am, I am at the Master’s pleasure. He died for me, and I hope that I shall never consider my life as too great a sacrifice to offer unto Him, if necessary, in return.

 Evan S. Morgan, age 62, accepted his mission call even with health concerns, stating, “Such as I am, I am at the Master’s pleasure. He died for me, and I hope that I shall never consider my life as too great a sacrifice to offer unto Him, if necessary, in return.” To this, President Smith replied, “God bless and heal that man, for he has a noble spirit; and his generous offering of sacrifice for the gospel’s sake is accepted. Let him be honorably released from the call with our blessing.”

Liahona March 2021, Early Missionary Calls: Voices from a Century Ago

Tribute to a Seminary Principal

Tribute to a Seminary Principal, By Joyann Bergevin, Washington, USA

My husband, Jerry, had been in poor health for several years when he became seminary principal for the wards that met in our meetinghouse. I don’t think anyone knew how difficult it was for him to get up early every morning—especially during the dark, cold winter months—and go to our building. Sometime later, he passed away.

Several years after Jerry’s passing, I was surprised to receive a touching letter from a young woman who had moved away years earlier. She had tucked it into her wedding announcement. The letter read:

“I absolutely adored your husband and was so sad to hear he had passed away. He was the best seminary principal we ever had. Every morning he would wait in between the doors and open them as he wished everyone a good morning. After class, he would open the door again and say, ‘Have a good day at school!’

“I always made sure to say thank you and occasionally tell him how grateful we were to have him. I felt safer with him there.

“He was always so humble, and his kindness was recognized by all. I think my attendance was better because I didn’t want Brother Bergevin waiting in the cold, thinking I was on my way or I was late. He was an incredible man and he will always be remembered.”

I’m sure that Jerry had no idea anyone would still think of him so many years later. Yet this thoughtful young woman still did, and she was kind enough to send me this sweet letter, which I was grateful to receive.

The hymn “Each Life That Touches Ours for Good” (no. 293) begins with these lines:


Each life that touches ours for good

Reflects thine own great mercy, Lord;

Thou sendest blessings from above

Thru words and deeds of those who love.

I chose this hymn for Jerry’s funeral because I believe that we often bless the lives of others without realizing it. I know that Jerry blessed many lives with his generosity, service, and love.

The gospel story is a family story—nothing more, nothing less.

The gospel story is a family story—nothing more, nothing less. It begins with heavenly parents, and it ends with children making their way through the sometimes exhilarating, sometimes overwhelming challenges of mortality and back to their heavenly home, having received all of the essential ordinances of eternal exaltation.

That’s the story of our lives. God has given us the outline, but He leaves it up to us to flesh out the details through our choices and faithfulness. There is an extraordinarily happy ending in store for all who desire it. But before we can claim it, we have to become more than just His children—we have to become His disciples.

  The Essential Role of Women, Liahona March 2021, M. Russell Ballard

Some women wish they could find more stories of women in the scriptures and in Church history.

Some women wish they could find more stories of women in the scriptures and in Church history. We need to develop the skill to find their influence, as did one young sister. She said, “Mormon must have had an amazing wife to have raised a remarkable son like Moroni!”

If you look carefully and with the right spirit, you can find similar manifestations of effective nurturing throughout the scriptures.

 The Essential Role of Women, Liahona March 2021, M. Russell Ballard

Joseph spoke upon the subject, he advised every one to be up and a doing, and liberate their friends from bondage as quick as possible.

The Kimballs had moved from New York to be with the Saints in Kirtland, Ohio, and then moved to Far West, Missouri. Just a year later, in 1839, they had to flee Missouri with thousands of other Latter-day Saints to escape persecution at the hands of violent mobs. They made their home in Nauvoo, hundreds of miles from where their journey had started.

Although their arrival in Nauvoo had been under trying circumstances, Vilate’s October 1840 letter to her husband was teeming with excitement. “I want to be baptised for my Mother,” she exclaimed. “I calculated to wait until you come home, but the last time Joseph spoke upon the subject, he advised every one to be up and a doing, and liberate their friends from bondage as quick as possible. … Thus you see there is a chance for all. Is not this a glorious doctrine?”

Vilate was one of the first women to be baptized for the dead in Nauvoo.

A Glorious Doctrine,  Vilate Kimball, October 2021 Liahona

Submit to the hand of the Lord, … and acknowledge his hand in all things … , then you will be exactly right, and until you come to that point you cannot be entirely right.

“Submit to the hand of the Lord, … and acknowledge his hand in all things … , then you will be exactly right, and until you come to that point you cannot be entirely right. That is what we have to come to.”

Brigham Young, Remarks, Deseret New, Octo 25, 1857

Our flight from the world should be noticed, and this itself will be a message to the disobedient.

In fact, the Lord says that not only should we be obedient ourselves, but we should encourage others to do the same. He says, “Every man [and woman] should take righteousness in his [or her] hands … and lift a warning voice unto the inhabitants of the earth; and declare both by word and by flight that desolation shall come upon the wicked” (verse 37).

“Both by word and by flight.” I love this phrase. Those who are obedient will flee the world and gather in Zion. That used to mean to gather to the headquarters of the Church; today, it means to gather together in places of righteousness, including the temple. As President Russell M. Nelson has said, “Each one of us needs the ongoing spiritual strengthening and tutoring that is possible only in the house of the Lord.”

As we gather to Zion, that should be a message to others. In other words, people should notice that we don’t participate in certain things. We remove from certain places; we flee to the temples, to chapels, and to our homes. It should be clear to others what we consume and don’t consume, what we watch or don’t watch, what we read or don’t read, and what we say or don’t say. Our flight from the world should be noticed, and this itself will be a message to the disobedient.

Also, the Lord expects us to use our voices. While we flee the evils of the world, we must also declare the glories of the gospel. In normal and natural ways, people will be curious about why we don’t participate in certain worldly things, and we should have the courage to answer them, not out of condescension or pity but out of love and a genuine desire to save them.

As Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “I am not asking that you stand on a street corner with a megaphone and shout out Book of Mormon verses. What I am asking is that you always look for opportunities to bring up your faith in natural and normal ways with people—both in person as well as online. I am asking that you ‘stand as witnesses’ [Mosiah 18:9] of the power of the gospel at all times—and when necessary, use words.”

What Comes from Above Is Sacred, Elder Jorge M. Alvarado, Liahona June 2021

If you will keep your boys close to your heart, within the clasp of your arms; if you will make them to feel that you love them, that you are their parents, that they are your children, and keep them near to you, they will not go very far from you,

 Oh! my brethren, be true to your families, be true to your wives and children. Teach them the way of life. Do not allow them to get so far from you that they will become oblivious to you or to any principle of honor, purity or truth. … If you will keep your boys close to your heart, within the clasp of your arms; if you will make them to feel that you love them, that you are their parents, that they are your children, and keep them near to you, they will not go very far from you, and they will not commit any very great sin. But it is when you turn them out of the home, turn them out of your affection—out into the darkness of the night into the society of the depraved or degraded; it is when they become tiresome to you, or you are tired of their innocent noise and prattle at home, and you say, “Go off somewhere else,” it is this sort of treatment of your children that drives them from you.

Our children are like we are; we couldn’t be driven; we can’t be driven now. We are like some other animals that we know of in the world. You can coax them; you can lead them, by holding out inducements to them, and by speaking kindly to them, but you can’t drive them; they won’t be driven. We won’t be driven. Men are not in the habit of being driven; they are not made that way. …

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 253

They Cannot Do For Our Children What We Would Not Do For Them

 It is increasingly clear that we must teach the gospel to our families personally, live those teachings in our homes, or run the risk of discovering too late that a Primary teacher or priesthood adviser or seminary instructor could not do for our children what we would not do for them.

June 2021 Liahona, Jeffrey R. Holland, Keeping Our Children Close to Our Hearts

Patience means to abide in faith, knowing that sometimes it is in the waiting rather than in the receiving that we grow the most.

Patience is a process of perfection. The Savior Himself said that in your patience you possess your souls. Or, to use another translation of the Greek text, in your patience you win mastery of your souls. Patience means to abide in faith, knowing that sometimes it is in the waiting rather than in the receiving that we grow the most. This was true in the time of the Savior. It is true in our time as well, for we are commanded in these latter days to “continue in patience until ye are perfected.”

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Continue in Patience", Ensign, May 2010, 56–59

when we dwell upon our public image and believe our own press clippings—that’s when the trouble begins.

That is a good lesson for us all, brethren, in any calling or life situation. We can be grateful for our health, wealth, possessions, or positions, but when we begin to inhale it—when we become obsessed with our status; when we focus on our own importance, power, or reputation; when we dwell upon our public image and believe our own press clippings(Website administrators thought: Social Media Posts)—that’s when the trouble begins; that’s when pride begins to corrupt.

 Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Pride in the Priesthood, October 2010 General Conference

When our heart is in the right place, we do not complain that our assigned task is unworthy of our abilities.

When our heart is in the right place, we do not complain that our assigned task is unworthy of our abilities. We gladly serve wherever we are asked. When we do this, the Lord can use us in ways beyond our understanding to accomplish His work.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Pride in the Priesthood, October 2010 General Conference

The Church has the responsibility—and the authority—to preserve and protect the family as the foundation of society

 The Church has the responsibility—and the authority—to preserve and protect the family as the foundation of society. The pattern for family life, instituted from before the foundation of the world, provides for children to be born to and nurtured by a father and mother who are husband and wife, lawfully married. Parenthood is a sacred obligation and privilege, with children welcomed as a “heritage of the Lord” (Ps. 127:3).

A worried society now begins to see that the disintegration of the family brings upon the world the calamities foretold by the prophets. The world’s councils and deliberations will succeed only when they define the family as the Lord has revealed it to be. “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it” (Ps. 127:1).

“Exceeding Great and Precious Promises”

October 1994

1990–1999

Howard W. Hunter

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1994/10/exceeding-great-and-precious-promises?lang=eng&verse=#p

Partner with the Lord and Balance in Our Lives

Life Balance

Right Amount of Attention to the Important Things

Dilema of Our Whole Life

Huntsman Chemical Corporation

Business of your life

Start Your Morning Prayer,  Heavenly Father Please Help me Today,  I have this and this and this

43:45  to 46:03

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bPHrZwILFk&t=2625s

Do Not die with your music still in you

 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

there is more than enough guidance available to each of us if we will listen.

 It is not surprising that in the face of tremendous evil and temptation the Lord does not leave us to find our way on our own. In fact, there is more than enough guidance available to each of us if we will listen. You have received the gift of the Holy Ghost to direct and inspire you. You have the scriptures, parents, Church leaders and teachers. You also have the words of the prophets, seers, and revelators who live in our day. There is so much guidance and direction available that you won’t make major mistakes in your life unless you consciously ignore the guidance you receive.

Paul V. Johnson, The Blessings of General Conference, October 2005

Following the principles and commandments of the gospel of Jesus Christ day by day is the happiest and most satisfying course in life

Following the principles and commandments of the gospel of Jesus Christ day by day is the happiest and most satisfying course in life. For one thing, a person avoids a great many problems and regrets....We sidestep the various forms of addiction. We do not fall into the ditch of dishonest conduct. We cross over the abyss of immorality and infidelity. We bypass the people and things that, even if popular, would jeopardize our physical and spiritual well-being. We avoid the choices that harm or disadvantage others and instead acquire the habits of self-discipline and service.

Why the Covenant Path

April 2021

General Conference

D. Todd Christofferson

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/54christofferson?lang=eng&verse=#p

When light is present, darkness is vanquished and must depart. … When the spiritual light of the Holy Ghost is present, the darkness of Satan departs.”

The unexpected loss of light was designed to show that without electricity, the darkness of the cavern was impenetrable. It succeeded; we “felt” the darkness. When the lights did return, the darkness instantly surrendered, as darkness must always surrender, to even the faintest light. My sons and I have been left with a memory of a darkness we had never known, a greater appreciation for light we will never forget, and the assurance that we are never all alone in the dark.

....

Because “light cleaveth unto light,” the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost will lead you to make choices that will tend to keep you in the light; conversely, choices made without the Holy Ghost’s influence will tend to lead you into shadows and darkness. Elder Robert D. Hales taught: “When light is present, darkness is vanquished and must depart. … When the spiritual light of the Holy Ghost is present, the darkness of Satan departs.”

....

You are never beyond the healing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Light Cleaveth unto Light

April 2021

General Conference

Timothy J. Dyches

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/53dyches?lang=eng&verse=#p

We should trust in the Lord and be positive about this nation’s future.

 Our belief in divine inspiration gives Latter-day Saints a unique responsibility to uphold and defend the United States Constitution and principles of constitutionalism wherever we live. We should trust in the Lord and be positive about this nation’s future.

What else are faithful Latter-day Saints to do? We must pray for the Lord to guide and bless all nations and their leaders. This is part of our article of faith. Being subject to presidents or rulers of course poses no obstacle to our opposing individual laws or policies. It does require that we exercise our influence civilly and peacefully within the framework of our constitutions and applicable laws. On contested issues, we should seek to moderate and unify.

Defending Our Divinely Inspired Constitution

April 2021

Dallin H. Oaks

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/51oaks?lang=eng&verse=#p

It Takes Faith!

 A nonbeliever might say that faith is for the weak. But this assertion overlooks the power of faith. Would the Savior’s Apostles have continued to teach His doctrine after His death, at the peril of their lives, if they had doubted Him? Would Joseph and Hyrum Smith have suffered martyrs’ deaths defending the Restoration of the Lord’s Church unless they had a sure witness that it was true? Would nearly 2,000 Saints have died along the pioneer trail if they did not have faith that the gospel of Jesus Christ had been restored? Truly, faith is the power that enables the unlikely to accomplish the impossible.

Do not minimize the faith you already have. It takes faith to join the Church and remain faithful. It takes faith to follow prophets rather than pundits and popular opinion. It takes faith to serve a mission during a pandemic. It takes faith to live a chaste life when the world shouts that God’s law of chastity is now outmoded. It takes faith to teach the gospel to children in a secular world. It takes faith to plead for the life of a loved one and even more faith to accept a disappointing answer....

Please know this: if everything and everyone else in the world whom you trust should fail, Jesus Christ and His Church will never fail you. The Lord never slumbers, nor does He sleep. He “is the same yesterday, today, and [tomorrow].” He will not forsake His covenants, His promises, or His love for His people. He works miracles today, and He will work miracles tomorrow.

Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains

April 2021

General Conference

Russell M. Nelson

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/49nelson?lang=eng&verse=#p

Stop increasing your doubts by rehearsing them with other doubters.

Choose to believe in Jesus Christ. If you have doubts about God the Father and His Beloved Son or the validity of the Restoration or the veracity of Joseph Smith’s divine calling as a prophet, choose to believe and stay faithful. Take your questions to the Lord and to other faithful sources. Study with the desire to believe rather than with the hope that you can find a flaw in the fabric of a prophet’s life or a discrepancy in the scriptures. Stop increasing your doubts by rehearsing them with other doubters. Allow the Lord to lead you on your journey of spiritual discovery.

Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains

April 2021

General Conference

Russell M. Nelson

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/49nelson?lang=eng&verse=#p

As we are increasingly coming to know the Savior, scriptural passages and the words of the prophets become so intimately meaningful to us that they become our own words.

 I am realizing that how intimately I know the Savior significantly influences my ability to hear Him as well as how I respond....We need to recognize that knowing the Savior is the most important pursuit of our lives. It should take priority over anything else....As we are increasingly coming to know the Savior, scriptural passages and the words of the prophets become so intimately meaningful to us that they become our own words. It is not about copying the words, feelings, and experiences of others as much as it is coming to know for ourselves, in our own unique way, by experimenting upon the word and receiving a witness from the Holy Ghost.

Our Personal Savior

April 2021

Michael John U. Teh

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/48teh?lang=eng&verse=#p

For that reason, they cannot prevail, and we cannot fall!

Please follow our living prophet President Nelson’s wise counsel. As recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 21:5–6:

“For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.

“For by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory.”

For that reason, they cannot prevail, and we cannot fall!

They Cannot Prevail; We Cannot Fall

April 2021

Chi Hong (Sam) Wong

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/47wong?lang=eng&verse=#p

Which of all the voices rise clearly and meaningfully above the fray? It is the voice of God’s prophets, seers, and revelators.

 Our current world is deluged in a “war of words and tumult of opinions” (Joseph Smith—History 1:10). Paul reminds us that “there are … so many kinds of voices in the world” (1 Corinthians 14:10). Which of all the voices rise clearly and meaningfully above the fray? It is the voice of God’s prophets, seers, and revelators.

God Loves His Children

April 2021

General Conference

Taniela B. Wakolo

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/46wakolo?lang=eng&verse=#p

It behooves each of us to measure up to the sacred ordination we have received.

 The future is bright for God’s covenant-keeping people. The Lord will increasingly call upon His servants who worthily hold the priesthood to bless, comfort, and strengthen mankind and to help prepare the world and its people for His Second Coming. It behooves each of us to measure up to the sacred ordination we have received. We can do this!

What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget

April 2021

General Conference

Russell M. Nelson

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/36nelson?lang=eng&verse=#p

to love our neighbor. We show our love by serving.

 The two great commandments can guide us: first, to love God and, second, to love our neighbor. We show our love by serving.

What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget

April 2021

General Conference

Russell M. Nelson

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/36nelson?lang=eng&verse=#p

I prayed that the people would feel the Lord’s love through my loving service. I have learned this is the key to serving and blessing others in His name.

 In my few moments this evening, I will speak to those of you who want to be even more effective in your personal priesthood service. You know of the charge that you are to magnify your call to serve. But you may wonder what to magnify your calling can mean for you.

I will start with the newest deacons because they are the most likely to feel uncertain about what magnifying their priesthood service might mean. Newly ordained elders might also want to listen. And a bishop in his first weeks of service might be interested too.

....I prayed that the people would feel the Lord’s love through my loving service. I have learned this is the key to serving and blessing others in His name.

Bless in His Name

April 2021

General Conference

Henry B. Eyring

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/34eyring?lang=eng&verse=#p

Please use your imaginations to increase faith in Christ, not ruin it.

 Of course, imagining lies harms faith. My friends, intentionally envisioning or viewing things that conflict with who you really are, especially pornography, will weaken your faith in Christ and, without repentance, could destroy it. Please use your imaginations to increase faith in Christ, not ruin it...The choice is yours! The Lord said of you, “The power [to choose] is in them.” Elder Neil L. Andersen explained, “Your faith will grow not by chance, but by choice.” He also said, “[Any] honest questions [you may have] … will be settled with patience and an eye of faith.”

You Can Gather Israel!

April 2021

General Conference

Ahmad S. Corbitt

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/32corbitt?lang=eng&verse=#p

Bishops, please know that a relatively short time spent with a young priest, young woman, or young adult can help them understand the power available to them through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

 Bishops, please know that a relatively short time spent with a young priest, young woman, or young adult can help them understand the power available to them through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Bishops—Shepherds over the Lord’s Flock

April 2021

General Conference

Quentin L. Cook

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/31cook?lang=eng&verse=#p

When we choose to follow Christ, we choose to be changed. A man or woman changed for Christ will be captained by Christ

 Jesus Christ is the light that we should hold up even during the dark times of our mortal life (see 3 Nephi 18:24). When we choose to follow Christ, we choose to be changed. A man or woman changed for Christ will be captained by Christ, and we will be asking, as Paul did, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6). We will “follow his steps” (1 Peter 2:21). We will “walk, even as he walked” (1 John 2:6). (See Ezra Taft Benson, “Born of God,” Ensign, July 1989, 2, 4; Tambuli, Oct. 1989, 2, 6.)

Ye Shall Be Free

April 2021

General Conference

Thierry K. Mutombo

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/27mutombo?lang=eng&verse=#p

When others receive benefits because of their diligent choices, we cannot rightly conclude that we have been treated unfairly when we have had the same opportunity.

 To begin to make some sense of it, let us explore various types of unfairness. Consider a family in which each child received a weekly monetary allowance for doing common household chores. One son, John, purchased candy; one daughter, Anna, saved her money. Eventually, Anna bought herself a bicycle. John thought it was totally unfair that Anna got a bike when he did not. But John’s choices created the inequality, not parental actions. Anna’s decision to forgo the immediate gratification of eating candy did not impose any unfairness on John, because he had the same opportunity as his sister.

Our decisions can likewise yield long-term advantages or disadvantages. As the Lord revealed, “If a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.” When others receive benefits because of their diligent choices, we cannot rightly conclude that we have been treated unfairly when we have had the same opportunity.

Infuriating Unfairness

April 2021

General Conference

Dale G. Renlund

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/25renlund?lang=eng&verse=#p

Focus on developing faith in Jesus Christ, that He has both the power to make everything right and yearns to do so.

 We can try to hold our questions about how and when for later and focus on developing faith in Jesus Christ, that He has both the power to make everything right and yearns to do so. For us to insist on knowing how or when is unproductive and, after all, myopic.

Infuriating Unfairness

April 2021

General Conference

Dale G. Renlund

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/25renlund?lang=eng&verse=#p

Easter, a time for the righteous principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ and His Atonement to “pass over”—pass over conflict and contention, pass over despair and transgression, and ultimately pass over death

 Tomorrow is Easter, a time for the righteous principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ and His Atonement to “pass over”—pass over conflict and contention, pass over despair and transgression, and ultimately pass over death. It is a time to pledge total loyalty in word and deed to the Lamb of God, who “[bore] our griefs, and carried our sorrows”

Not as the World Giveth

April 2021

General Conference

Jeffrey R. Holland

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/23holland?lang=eng&verse=#p

No one can employ a sharp tongue or unkind words and still “sing the song of redeeming love.”

 No one can employ a sharp tongue or unkind words and still “sing the song of redeeming love.”

Not as the World Giveth

April 2021

General Conference

Jeffrey R. Holland

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/23holland?lang=eng&verse=#p

No, for the truly difficult problems we need what the scriptures call “the powers of heaven,” and to access these powers we must live by what these same scriptures call “principles of righteousness.”

 Such help and hope are dearly needed because in this worldwide congregation today are many who struggle with any number of challenges—physical or emotional, social or financial, or a dozen other kinds of trouble. But many of these we are not strong enough to address in and of ourselves, for the help and peace we need is not the kind “the world giveth.” No, for the truly difficult problems we need what the scriptures call “the powers of heaven,” and to access these powers we must live by what these same scriptures call “principles of righteousness.” Now, understanding that connection between principle and power is the one lesson the human family never seems able to learn, so says the God of heaven and earth!

And what are those principles? Well, they are listed repeatedly in scripture, they are taught again and again in conferences like this, and in our dispensation, the Prophet Joseph Smith was taught them in response to his own version of the cry “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” In the cold, uncaring confinement of Liberty Jail, he was taught that the principles of righteousness included such virtues as patience, long-suffering, gentleness, and love unfeigned. Absent those principles, it was certain we would eventually face discord and enmity.

In that regard, may I speak for a moment about the absence in some quarters of these principles of righteousness in our time. As a rule, I am an upbeat, cheerful kind of fellow, and there is so much that is good and beautiful in our world. Certainly we have more material blessings than any generation in history, but in 21st-century culture generally and too often in the Church, we still see lives that are in trouble, with compromises resulting in too many broken covenants and too many broken hearts. Consider the coarse language that parallels sexual transgression, both of which are so omnipresent in movies or on television, or note the sexual harassment and other forms of impropriety in the workplace about which we read so much these days. In matters of covenantal purity, the sacred is too often being made common and the holy is too often being made profane. To any who are tempted to walk or talk or behave in these ways—“as the world giveth,” so to speak—don’t expect it to lead to peaceful experience; I promise you in the name of the Lord that it won’t. “Wickedness never was happiness,” an ancient prophet once said. When the dance is over, the piper must always be paid, and most often it is in a currency of tears and regret.

Not as the World Giveth

April 2021

General Conference

Jeffrey R. Holland

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/23holland?lang=eng&verse=#p

You have to go there yourself

 So it is with the word of God. We can teach it, we can preach it, we can explain it. We can talk about it, we can describe it, we can even testify of it. But until a person feels the sacred word of God distill upon his or her soul like the dews from heaven through the power of the Spirit, it will be like looking at a postcard or someone else’s vacation photos. You have to go there yourself. Conversion is a personal journey—a journey of gathering.

Teaching in the Savior’s Way

April 2021

General Conference

Jan E. Newman

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/14newman?lang=eng&verse=#p

Accidental conversion is not a principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Becoming like our Savior will not happen randomly

President Henry B. Eyring taught: “We have the greatest opportunity with the young. The best time to teach is early, while children are still immune to the temptations of [the] mortal enemy, and long before the words of truth may be harder for them to hear in the noise of their personal struggles.” Such teaching will help them realize their divine identity, their purpose, and the rich blessings that await them as they make sacred covenants and receive ordinances along the covenant path.

We cannot wait for conversion to simply happen to our children. Accidental conversion is not a principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Becoming like our Savior will not happen randomly. Being intentional in loving, teaching, and testifying can help children begin at a young age to feel the influence of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is essential to our children’s testimony of and conversion to Jesus Christ; we desire them to “always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them.”

Essential Conversations

April 2021

General Conference

Joy D. Jones

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/13jones?lang=eng&verse=#p

Testimonies are best cultivated in the home.

 Testimonies are best cultivated in the home. During this past year, many of you have dramatically increased the study of the gospel in your homes. I thank you, and your children will thank you.

Welcome Message

April 2021

General Conference

Russell M. Nelson

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/11nelson?lang=eng&verse=#p

As I tried hard every day to do the things I knew I needed to do to invite the Spirit of the Lord into my life and kept doing them, I was no longer attracted to cigarettes and have not been since

By consistently applying the doctrine of Christ in our lives, we will overcome inertia that impedes change and fear that foils action. We will receive personal revelation, for the Holy Ghost “will show unto you all things what ye should do,” and “the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.”

For 20 years, Brother Huang Juncong struggled with alcohol, cigarettes, and compulsive gambling. When introduced to Jesus Christ and His restored gospel, Brother Huang desired to change for the sake of his young family. His greatest challenge was smoking. A heavy chain-smoker, he had tried to quit many times unsuccessfully. One day these words from the Book of Mormon lodged in his mind: “with a sincere heart, with real intent.” Though previous attempts had failed, he felt perhaps he could change with help from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

The full-time missionaries united their faith with his and provided an action plan of practical interventions, along with heavy doses of prayer and studying the word of God. With sincerity and real intent, Brother Huang acted with faithful determination and found that as he focused more on the new habits he wished to develop, such as studying the Book of Mormon, he focused less on the habits he wanted to lose.

Recalling his experience from 15 years ago, he remarked, “I don’t remember when exactly I quit smoking, but as I tried hard every day to do the things I knew I needed to do to invite the Spirit of the Lord into my life and kept doing them, I was no longer attracted to cigarettes and have not been since.” Through applying the teachings of the Book of Mormon, Brother Huang’s life has been transformed, and he has become a better husband and father.

Huang Juncong Family

President Russell M. Nelson has promised: “As you prayerfully study the Book of Mormon every day, you will make better decisions—every day. I promise that as you ponder what you study, the windows of heaven will open, and you will receive answers to your own questions and direction for your own life. I promise that as you daily immerse yourself in the Book of Mormon, you can be immunized against the evils of the day, even the gripping plague of pornography and other mind-numbing addictions.”

The Power of the Book of Mormon in Conversion, Elder Benjamin M. Z. Tai, April 2020 General Conference