You may feel singled out when adversity enters your life. You shake your head and wonder, 'Why me?'
— Joseph B. Wirthlin
For me, the Lord has opened the windows of heaven and showered blessings upon my family beyond my ability to express.
Today is the day of decision.
Some feel as though the world is their oyster; others feel as though they were the oyster itself, plucked from the ocean, cracked open, and robbed of all that is precious to them.
Though our trials are diverse, there is one thing the Lord expects of us no matter our difficulties and sorrows: He expects us to press on.
You are stronger than you think.
We think we own things, but the reality is, our things own us.
The Gospels record that nearly everywhere the Savior went, He was surrounded by multitudes of people. Some hoped that He would heal them; others came to hear Him speak. Others came for practical advice. Toward the end of His mortal ministry, some came to mock and ridicule Him and to clamor for His crucifixion.
We have at our fingertips information that 500 years ago would have made the poorest man a prince.
Marathon runners set explicit goals.
The more sin is rationalized, the greater the possibility of destruction by Satan's wolves.
Our families should gather for family prayer morning and night.
If Satan can weaken or destroy the loving relationships among members of families, he can cause more misery and more unhappiness for more people than he could in any other way.
All evils to which so many become addicted begin in the mind and in the way one thinks.
Pride and vanity, the opposites of humility, can destroy our spiritual health as surely as a debilitating disease can destroy our physical health.
You can get people to work by using threats or by promising rewards.
Some of the choicest blessings of my life have been the close friendships I have experienced over the years. Often, these friendships have been forged in the fires of shared experience.
The next time you're tempted to groan, you might try to laugh instead. It will extend your life and make the lives of all those around you more enjoyable.
Each night before I go to bed, I take out a small card and write a list of the things I need to do the next day in order of their priority.
Those who stand at the threshold of life always waiting for the right time to change are like the man who stands at the bank of a river waiting for the water to pass so he can cross on dry land.
We should always be learning. However, we must be careful not to set aside our faith in the process, because faith actually enhances our ability to learn.
I have known exceptional people who have endured severe trials while others, at least on the surface, seem to have lived charmed lives.
As with the butterfly, adversity is necessary to build character in people.
When we make purchases on credit, they give us only an illusion of prosperity.
Often what passes for faith in this world is little more than gullibility.
Too often today, we do not rely on faith so much as on our own ability to reason and solve problems.
In some respects, progressing through life is like running a marathon.
Some people are weak in their faith and testimonies but are not even aware of how precarious their situation is. Many of them likely would be offended at the suggestion.
Often, parents feel overwhelmed. Many must accomplish the whole job single-handedly while bearing all of the emotional pain of divorce.
Young people should ponder over problems that might confront them and be prepared to cope with them in a way that their parents, their leaders, and their Heavenly Father would have them cope, that they might keep themselves clean and pure.
Pondering, which means to weigh mentally, to deliberate, to meditate, can achieve the opening of the spiritual eyes of one's understanding.
Many of us enjoy going to ball games and watching them on television. I am no exception. I love to watch a good athletic contest. If we spend excessive time with sporting events, however, we may neglect things that are much more important.
Great leaders communicate a vision that captures the imagination and fires the hearts and minds of those around them.
Though we live in the world, we must not be of the world.
How can we love days that are filled with sorrow? We can't - at least not in the moment.
Great sculptors and artists spend countless hours perfecting their talents. They don't pick up a chisel or a brush and palette, expecting immediate perfection. They understand that they will make many errors as they learn, but they start with the basics, the key fundamentals first.
In my younger days, I loved to run. Although it may be hard for you to believe it, I did. And I did win a few races.
Knowledge is very important and one of the few things that accompanies us into the next life.
The living prophet and the apostles today are as lighthouses in the storm. Steer towards the light of the restored gospel and the inspired teachings of those who represent the Lord on earth.
Many today feel troubled and distressed; many feel that, at any moment, the ships of their lives could capsize or sink.
Remember this: debt is a form of bondage. It is a financial termite.
If we become ill, modern medicine can work healing miracles.
The ideal course of life is not always easy.
Many run primarily for the exercise, but others run to condition themselves for well-publicized races of various distances.
Many years ago, large packs of wolves roamed the countryside in Ukraine, making travel in that part of the world very dangerous. These wolf packs were fearless. They were not intimidated by people nor by any of the weapons available at that time. The only thing that seemed to frighten them was fire.
Building our homes as fortresses of righteousness for protection from the world takes constant labor and diligence.
Experience teaches that when the will and imagination are in conflict, the imagination usually wins. What we imagine may defeat our reason and make us slaves to what we taste, see, hear, smell, and feel in the mind's eye. The body is indeed the servant of the mind.
I know that each of us has much to do. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the tasks we face. But if we keep our priorities in order, we can accomplish all that we should. We can endure to the end regardless of temptations, problems, and challenges.
Sin may result from activities that begin innocently or that are perfectly legitimate in moderation, but in excess they can cause us to veer from the straight and narrow path to our destruction.
Average leaders inspire people to punch a time clock. Great leaders inspire industry and passion.
