The Declaration of Independence was to set forth the moral justification of a rebellion against a long-recognized political tradition - the divine right of kings.
— Ezra Taft Benson
No man is truly educated unless he knows where he came from, why he is here, and where he can expect to go in the next life.
The literal resurrection of every soul who has lived and died on earth is a certainty, and surely one should make careful preparation for this event. A glorious resurrection should be the goal of every man and woman, for resurrection will be a reality.
There will always be those little minds who, out of vanity or intellectual display, will attempt to destroy faith in the very foundations of life.
Blessed are they who seek to learn wisdom.
Sacrifice is truly the crowning test of the gospel. Men are tried and tested in this mortal probation to see if they will put first in their lives the kingdom of God.
Young people especially sometimes feel that the standards of the Lord are like fences and chains, blocking them from those activities that seem most enjoyable in life.
Some spiritually alert parents hold early-morning devotionals with their families in their homes. They have a hymn, prayer, and then read and discuss the Book of Mormon.
We all know of families who have obligated themselves for more than they could pay. There is a world of heartache behind such cases.
We are eternal beings. We lived as intelligent spirits before this mortal life. We are now living part of eternity. Our mortal birth was not the beginning; death, which faces all of us, is not the end.
Young adults enrolled in universities and colleges or other postsecondary training should avail themselves of the opportunity to take institute of religion courses or, if attending a Church school, should take at least one religion course every term.
Faithful attendance at Church meetings brings blessings you can receive in no other way.
Yes, one can repent of moral transgression. The miracle of forgiveness is real, and true repentance is accepted of the Lord.
Christ removed self as the force in His perfect life. It was, 'Not my will, but thine be done.'
Food production is just one part of the repeated emphasis that you store a provision of food which will last for at least a year wherever it is legally permissible to do so.
Every accountable child of God needs to set goals, short- and long-range goals. A man who is pressing forward to accomplish worthy goals can soon put despondency under his feet, and once a goal is accomplished, others can be set up.
Reading the Book of Mormon is one of the greatest persuaders to get men on missions.
Many novels and modern publications are corrupters of morals or distorters of truth.
Great battles can make great heroes and heroines.
I cannot recall a time that I did not believe in Jesus Christ.
Truth is truth, whether labeled 'science' or 'religion.'
The Saints never suffer as the sinners do.
Some men are willing to die for their faith, but they are not willing to fully live for it. Christ both lived and died for us.
The Book of Mormon, the record of Joseph, verifies and clarifies the Bible. It removes stumbling blocks; it restores many plain and precious things.
Truly a man does not live by bread alone. A good name is still to be preferred over great riches. Especially is it to be preferred to the appearance of riches, acquired with nothing down and nothing to pay for two months.
Many a family, in order to make a 'proper showing,' will commit itself for a larger and more expensive house than is needed, in an expensive neighborhood. Almost everyone would, it seems, like to keep up with the Joneses.
God will not be mocked.
Virtue is akin to holiness, an attribute of godliness.
Can human hearts be changed? Why, of course! It happens every day in the great missionary work of the Church. It is one of the most widespread of Christ's modern miracles. If it hasn't happened to you - it should.
I am grateful my own eternal companion served a mission in Hawaii before we were married in the Salt Lake Temple, and I am pleased that I have had three granddaughters serve full-time missions.
I have seen what the days of tribulation can do to people. I have seen hunger stalk the streets of Europe. I have witnessed the appalling, emaciated shadows of human figures. I have seen women and children scavenge army garbage dumps for scraps of food. Those scenes and nameless faces cannot be erased from my memory.
The moral code of Heaven for both men and women is complete chastity before marriage and full fidelity after marriage.
From the Book of Mormon, we learn how disciples of Christ live in times of war.
I challenge the homes of Israel to display on their walls great quotations and scenes from the Book of Mormon.
The fact that a book or publication is popular does not necessarily make it of value.
Family preparedness has been a long-established welfare principle.
What a gift it would be to receive at Christmastime a greater knowledge of the Lord. What a gift it would be to share that knowledge with others.
The true scientist no longer attempts to disprove the pull of gravity, or the rotation of the earth, or the motion of heavenly bodies, or the sequence of the seasons, or man's need of food and water, or the function of the heart.
Try as you may, you cannot put the Lord in your debt. For every time you try to do His will, He simply pours out more blessings upon you.
Many men and women in the world demonstrate great willpower and self-discipline in overcoming bad habits and the weaknesses of the flesh.
The Bible sits on the pulpit of hundreds of different religious sects.
Efficient spending and saving will give the family more security, more opportunities, more education, and a higher standard of living.
No other single influence has had so great an impact on this earth as the life of Jesus the Christ.
Nations cannot endure in sin.
The privilege of holding the priesthood, which is the power and authority to act in God's name, is a great blessing and privilege and one that carries with it equally great obligations and responsibilities.
Mothers, stay close to your daughters. Earn and deserve their love and respect. Be united with their father in the rearing of your children. Do nothing in your life to cause your daughters to stumble because of your example.
Young women, the family unit is forever, and you should do everything in your power to strengthen that unit.
Plan to build up your food supply just as you would a savings account. Save a little for storage each paycheck. Can or bottle fruit and vegetables from your gardens and orchards. Learn how to preserve food through drying and possibly freezing. Make your storage a part of your budget.
Let your minds be filled with the goal of being like the Lord, and you will crowd out depressing thoughts as you anxiously seek to know Him and do His will.
There is a difference between a convert who is built on the rock of Christ through the Book of Mormon and stays hold of that iron rod, and one who is not.
