First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles

Click the "Teachings of the Living Prophets" tab to get started! -->

Time Management

Time Management is so important to have in life, because it helps keep your life balanced. I have a hard time managing my time, but I know that if I put the Lord first I will accomplish everything that needs to get done. The days when I pray in the morning and read my scriptures my days run so much smoother and everything gets done. I've learned to put the biggest, most important things first and in my life that is Christ.

·         “The tendency to focus on the insignificant at the expense of the profound happens not only to pilots but to everyone. We are all at risk. The driver who focuses on the road has a far greater chance of arriving at his destination accident free than the driver who focuses on sending text messages on his phone.” –Dieter F. Uchtdorf (We Are Doing a Great Work and Cannot Come Down)

·         “We know what matters most in life—the Light of Christ teaches this to everyone. We as faithful Latter-day Saints have the Holy Ghost as a “constant companion” to teach us the things of eternal value. I imagine that any priesthood holder listening to my voice today, if asked to prepare a talk on the subject “what matters most,” could and would do an excellent job. Our weakness is in failing to align our actions with our conscience.” –Dieter F. Uchtdorf (We Are Doing a Great Work and Cannot Come Down)

·         “Pause for a moment and check where your own heart and thoughts are. Are you focused on the things that matter most? How you spend your quiet time may provide a valuable clue. Where do your thoughts go when the pressure of deadlines is gone? Are your thoughts and heart focused on those short-lived fleeting things that matter only in the moment or on things that matter most?” - Dieter F. Uchtdorf (We Are Doing a Great Work and Cannot Come Down)

·      
   “Sometimes the things that distract us are not bad in and of themselves; often they even make us feel good.

It is possible to take even good things to excess. One example can be seen in a father or grandfather who spends hours upon hours searching for his ancestors or creating a blog while neglecting or avoiding quality or meaningful time with his own children and grandchildren. Another example could be a gardener who spends his days pulling weeds from the soil while ignoring the spiritual weeds that threaten to choke his soul.

Even some programs of the Church can become a distraction if we take them to extremes and allow them to dominate our time and our attention at the expense of things that matter most. We need balance in life.” - Dieter F. Uchtdorf (We Are Doing a Great Work and Cannot Come Down)

·         “We cannot and we must not allow ourselves to get distracted from our sacred duty. We cannot and we must not lose focus on the things that matter most.” - Dieter F. Uchtdorf (We Are Doing a Great Work and Cannot Come Down)

·         “It is easy to become distracted—to become focused on one burned-out lightbulb or the impolite acts of unkind people, whatever their motive may be. But think of the power we would have as individuals and as a body of the priesthood if, in response to every temptation to lose focus or lower our standards—the standards of God, we responded, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down.”” - Dieter F. Uchtdorf (We Are Doing a Great Work and Cannot Come Down)

·         “Our Heavenly Father seeks those who refuse to allow the trivial to hinder them in their pursuit of the eternal. He seeks those who will not allow the attraction of ease or the traps of the adversary to distract them from the work He has given them to perform. He seeks those whose actions conform to their words—those who say with conviction, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down.”” - Dieter F. Uchtdorf (We Are Doing a Great Work and Cannot Come Down)

·         “My dear brethren, like Nehemiah, we have a great work to do. We stand overlooking the horizon of our age. It is my fervent prayer that in spite of temptations, we will never lower our standards; that in spite of distractions, wherever they may come from, we will not lose focus on what matters most; that we will stand resolute and together, shoulder to shoulder, as we valiantly bear the banner of the Lord Jesus Christ.” - Dieter F. Uchtdorf (We Are Doing a Great Work and Cannot Come Down)

·         ““Yea, Lord, we do love thee.” 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.” –Jeffrey R. Holland (The First Great Commandment)

·         “Often the lack of clear direction and goals can waste our time and energy and contribute to imbalance in our lives. A life that gets out of balance is much like a car tire that is out of balance. It will make the operation of the car rough and unsafe. Tires in perfect balance can give a smooth and comfortable ride. So it is with life. The ride through mortality can be smoother for us when we strive to stay in balance.” –M. Russell Ballard (Keeping Your Life in Balance)

Service

Service never ceases to make me happy. One thing that I have learned doing this is that service is something that we should look for. We need to pray for opportunities to serve, and then, when they come we have to take the opportunity and serve. The opportunities might not come at the most convenient times, but that's when it's true service.

·         “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” –President Monson (What Have I Done for Someone Today?)

·         “The Savior taught His disciples, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.”” –President Monson (What Have I Done for Someone Today?)

·         “I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish—and in effect save their lives.” –President Monson (What Have I Done for Someone Today?)

·         “Man’s greatest happiness comes from losing himself for the good of others.” –President Monson (What Have I Done for Someone Today?)

·         “How often have you intended to be the one to help? And yet how often has day-to-day living interfered and you’ve left it for others to help, feeling that “oh, surely someone will take care of that need.”” –President Monson (What Have I Done for Someone Today?)

·         “We become so caught up in the busyness of our lives. Were we to step back, however, and take a good look at what we’re doing, we may find that we have immersed ourselves in the “thick of thin things.” In other words, too often we spend most of our time taking care of the things which do not really matter much at all in the grand scheme of things, neglecting those more important causes.” –President Monson (What Have I Done for Someone Today?)

·         “I have wept in the night

For the shortness of sight

That to somebody’s need made me blind;

But I never have yet

Felt a tinge of regret

For being a little too kind.”

–President Monson (What Have I Done for Someone Today?)

·         “We are the Lord’s hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children. He is dependent upon each of us.” –President Monson (What Have I Done for Someone Today?)

·          “From an 11-year-old boy: “I went to a lady’s house and asked her questions and sang her a song. It felt good to visit her. She was happy because she never gets visitors.” Reading this particular note reminded me of words penned long ago by Elder Richard L. Evans of the Quorum of the Twelve. Said he: “It is difficult for those who are young to understand the loneliness that comes when life changes from a time of preparation and performance to a time of putting things away. … To be so long the center of a home, so much sought after, and then, almost suddenly to be on the sidelines watching the procession pass by—this is living into loneliness. … We have to live a long time to learn how empty a room can be that is filled only with furniture. It takes someone … beyond mere hired service, beyond institutional care or professional duty, to thaw out the memories of the past and keep them warmly living in the present. … We cannot bring them back the morning hours of youth. But we can help them live in the warm glow of a sunset made more beautiful by our thoughtfulness … and unfeigned love.”” –President Monson (What Have I Done for Someone Today?)

·         “Have I done any good in the world today?

Have I helped anyone in need?

Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?

If not, I have failed indeed.

Has anyone’s burden been lighter today

Because I was willing to share?

Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?

When they needed my help was I there?” –President Monson (What Have I Done for Someone Today?)

·         “That service to which all of us have been called is the service of the Lord Jesus Christ.”    –President Monson (What Have I Done for Someone Today?)

Raising Children

I love kids. I want to be an Elementary School teacher, because I love kids so much. I love them, but that doesn't mean that I'll be ready to raise my own kids. There is so much to learn and it seems so strange to me that God would trust me with His children to raise, but I suppose that because He does trust me I should be even more responsible and learn all that I can.

·         “The old crow is getting slow.

The young crow is not.

Of what the young crow does not know

The old crow knows a lot.

At knowing things the old crow

Is still the young crow’s master.

What does the slow old crow not know?

—How to go faster.

The young crow flies above, below,

And rings around the slow old crow.

What does the fast young crow not know?

—Where to go.” –Pres. Packer (Counsel to Youth)

·         “In our remarkable parental stewardship, there are many ways that goodly parents can access the help and support they need to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to their children. Let me suggest five things parents can do to create stronger family cultures:

First, parents can pray in earnest, asking our Eternal Father to help them love, understand, and guide the children He has sent to them.

Second, they can hold family prayer, scripture study, and family home evenings and eat together as often as possible, making dinner a time of communication and the teaching of values.

Third, parents can fully avail themselves of the Church’s support network, communicating with their children’s Primary teachers, youth leaders, and class and quorum presidencies. By communicating with those who are called and set apart to work with their children, parents can provide essential understanding of a child’s special and specific needs.

Fourth, parents can share their testimonies often with their children, commit them to keep the commandments of God, and promise the blessings that our Heavenly Father promises His faithful children.

Fifth, we can organize our families based on clear, simple family rules and expectations, wholesome family traditions and rituals, and “family economics,” where children have household responsibilities and can earn allowances so that they can learn to budget, save, and pay tithing on the money they earn.”–Pres. Packer (Counsel to Youth)

·         “My siblings and I were quizzed very carefully by our mother after we had been taught away from the home to be certain the correct lessons were reaching our ears and shaping our minds. When we were young, we each had a desk in the kitchen where we could continue to be taught by her as she performed household duties and prepared supper. She was a natural teacher and far more demanding of us than our teachers at school and church. Part of our learning at home also involved memorizing scriptures, including the Articles of Faith, and the words of prophets, seers, and revelators. My mother was someone who believed a mind would become weak if it was not constantly exercised. She taught us as we would wash the dishes, churn the butter, and help in many other ways. She did not believe in letting idle thoughts enter her children’s minds, even when they were engaged in physical labor.”–Pres. Packer (Counsel to Youth)

·         “Parents must bring light and truth into their homes by one family prayer, one scripture study session, one family home evening, one book read aloud, one song, and one family meal at a time.”–Pres. Packer (Counsel to Youth)

·         "​I believe it is by divine design that the role of motherhood emphasizes the nurturing and teaching of the next generation. But it is wonderful to see husbands and wives who have worked out real partnerships where they blend together their influence and communicate effectively both about their children and to their children." —L. Tom Perry (Becoming Goodly Parents)

·         "There is absolutely nothing in this world that will provide more comfort and happiness than a testimony of the truth." —Thomas S. Monson (See Others as They May Become)

·         "Lessons taught in the home by goodly parents are becoming increasingly important in today’s world, where the influence of the adversary is so widespread." —L. Tom Perry (Becoming Goodly Parents)

·         “How we treat those closest to us is of fundamental importance. Violence, abuse, lack of civility, and disrespect in the home are not acceptable—not acceptable for adults and not acceptable for the rising generation. My father was not active in the Church but was a remarkably good example, especially in his treatment of my mother. He used to say, “God will hold men responsible for every tear they cause their wives to shed.”” –Quentin L. Cook (Can Ye Feel So Now?)

·         “Parents must have the courage to filter or monitor Internet access, television, movies, and music. Parents must have the courage to say no, defend truth, and bear powerful testimony. Your children need to know that you have faith in the Savior, love your Heavenly Father, and sustain the leaders of the Church. Spiritual maturity must flourish in our homes.” –Quentin L. Cook (Can Ye Feel So Now?)

·         “God placed within women divine qualities of strength, virtue, love, and the willingness to sacrifice to raise future generations of His spirit children.” –Quentin L. Cook (LDS Women Are Incredible!)

Family

I absolutely love my family. I love thinking that God knew and still knows us perfectly and knew who we needed to be put in what family. We were chosen by God to live in the same family, and if we all live righteously we have the opportunity to live we each other for time and all eternity. Family is such a strong unit and the church stresses that so much. We need more and more righteous families in the church, so that more lives can be blessed with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

·         “What we want is eternal life in families. We don’t just want it if that is what works out, nor do we want something approaching eternal life. We want eternal life, whatever its cost in effort, pain, and sacrifice. Whenever we are tempted to make eternal life our hope instead of our determination, we might think of a building I took a look at a few weeks ago.” –Henry B. Eyring (The Family)

·         “A key for us in the proclamation in this sentence: “Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.” –Henry B. Eyring (The Family)

·         “The proclamation is careful in what it promises: “Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.” My heart aches a little to know that many who read those words will be surrounded by those who do not know or who deny the teachings of Jesus Christ. They can only do their best.” –Henry B. Eyring (The Family)

·         “Some of the greatest lessons of gospel principles about the eternal nature of the family are learned as we observe how members of the Church, when faced with adversity, apply gospel principles in their lives and in their homes. In the past year I have witnessed the blessings of joy which come to those who honor and revere the gospel teaching of the eternal family during times of adversity in their lives.” –Robert D. Hales (The Eternal Family)

·         “I am grateful for all the women of the Church who in my life have been as strong as Mount Sinai and as compassionate as the Mount of Beatitudes. We smile sometimes about our sisters’ stories—you know, green Jell-O, quilts, and funeral potatoes. But my family has been the grateful recipient of each of those items at one time or another—and in one case, the quilt and the funeral potatoes on the same day.” –Jeffrey R. Holland (Because of Your Faith)

·         “Likewise, in common with all of the human family—everyone being the progeny of our loving Heavenly Father—we share vast congruence in our DNA or genetic physical makeup, as well as the universally possible and promised blessings and characteristics that identify our divine parentage and spiritual potential.” –O. Samuelson Jr. (Perilous Times)

·         "The ultimate end of all activity in the Church is to see a husband and his wife and their children happy at home, protected by the principles and laws of the gospel, sealed safely in the covenants of the everlasting priesthood. Husbands and wives should understand that their first calling—from which they will never be released—is to one another and then to their children." —President Boyd K. Packer (And a Little Child Shall Lead Them)

·         “Often we assume that [the people around us] must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. … We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us.” –Thomas S. Monson (Finding Joy in the Journey)

·         “May every spouse, every child, and every parent be blessed to communicate and receive love, to bear and be edified by strong testimony, and to become more consistent in the seemingly small things that matter so much.” –David A. Bednar (More Diligent and Concerned at Home)

In a world of turmoil and uncertainty, it is more important than ever to make our families the center of our lives and the top of our priorities. Families lie at the center of our Heavenly Father’s plan. -L. Tom Perry (The Importance of Family)

Atonement

Whenever I stop to think about Christ's atonement I am just speechless. I am so extremely thankful for Christ's sacrifice and that He would die so that all of us can live with Heavenly Father again one day in complete joy and for eternity. I love being able to reflect on the Savior's death whenever I want, but especially on Sunday during the sacrament passing. One song always come to mind when I am sitting in the chapel reflecting on the immensity of the atonement: "I Stand All Amazed".

·         It was understood from the beginning that in mortality we would fall short of being perfect. It was not expected that we would live without transgressing one law or another. “For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord.”- Pres. Packer (The Atonement)

·         From the Pearl of Great Price, we understand that “no unclean thing can dwell [in the kingdom of God],”3 and so a way was provided for all who sin to repent and become worthy of the presence of our Father in Heaven once more. –Pres. Packer (The Atonement)

·         President Joseph F. Smith taught: “Men cannot forgive their own sins; they cannot cleanse themselves from the consequences of their sins. Men can stop sinning and can do right in the future, and so far [as] their acts are acceptable before the Lord [become] worthy of consideration. But who shall repair the wrongs they have done to themselves and to others, which it seems impossible for them to repair themselves? By the atonement of Jesus Christ the sins of the repentant shall be washed away; though they be crimson they shall be made white as wool [see Isaiah 1:18]. This is the promise given to you.”- Pres. Packer (The Atonement)

·         “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. “And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” – Pres. Packer (The Atonement)

·         If the adversary should take you prisoner due to misconduct, I remind you that you hold the key that will unlock the prison door from the inside. You can be washed clean through the atoning sacrifice of the Savior Jesus Christ.- Pres. Packer (Counsel to Youth)

·         My thanks to all you wonderful members of the Church—and legions of good people not of our faith—for proving every day of your life that the pure love of Christ “never faileth.” 4 No one of you is insignificant, in part because you make the gospel of Jesus Christ what it is—a living reminder of His grace and mercy, a private but powerful manifestation in small villages and large cities of the good He did and the life He gave bringing peace and salvation to other people. We are honored beyond expression to be counted one with you in such a sacred cause. –Jeffrey R. Holland (Because of Your Faith)

·         Surely when we begin to understand the magnitude of His sacrifice and service to us individually and collectively, we then cannot consider anything else to be of more importance or to approach His significance in our lives. –O. Samuelson Jr. (Perilous Times)

·         "No matter what our transgressions have been, no matter how much our actions may have hurt others, that guilt can all be wiped out. To me, perhaps the most beautiful phrase in all scripture is when the Lord said, 'Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.'" —Boyd K. Packer (The Atonement)

·         “To set aside cherished “weapons of rebellion” such as selfishness, pride, and disobedience requires more than merely believing and knowing. Conviction, humility, repentance, and submissiveness precede the abandonment of our weapons of rebellion. Do you and I still possess weapons of rebellion that keep us from becoming converted unto the Lord? If so, then we need to repent now.” –Elder David A. Bednar (Converted Unto the Lord)

·         “Immersion in the scriptures is essential for spiritual nourishment. The word of God inspires commitment and acts as a healing balm for hurt feelings, anger, or disillusionment. When our commitment is diminished for any reason, part of the solution is repentance. Commitment and repentance are closely intertwined.”” –Quentin L. Cook (Can Ye Feel So Now?)

·         “In the words of Isaiah, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”” –Quentin L. Cook (Can Ye Feel So Now?)

·         “It is true that we are in many ways ordinary and imperfect, but we have a perfect Master who wrought a perfect Atonement, and we have call upon His grace and His priesthood. As we repent and purge our souls, we are promised that we will be taught and endowed with power from on high (see D&C 43:16).” –D. Todd Christofferson (Brethren, We Have Work to Do)

Pornography

Pornography is getting more and more common with the rush of technology, but do people realize that it is such a mind-numbing activity? It causes people to think differently, treat people differently, and it takes so much time and hard effort to break the habit. With Christ's help anything is possible though, and in most cases people must get help from the Lord to stop. Pornography destroys relationships and countless other things.

·         “In the second chapter of the book that bears his name, Jacob condemns men for their “whoredomes” (vv. 23, 28). He told them they had “broken the hearts of [their] tender wives, and lost the confidence of [their] children because of [their] bad examples before them” (v. 35).” –Dallin H. Oaks (Pornography)

·         “Whosever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:28; see also 3 Nephi 12:28; D&C 59:6; 63:16). –Dallin H. Oaks (Pornography)

·         “Pornographic or erotic stories and pictures are worse than filthy or polluted food. The body has defenses to rid itself of unwholesome food. With a few fatal exceptions, bad food will only make you sick but do no permanent harm. In contrast, a person who feasts upon filthy stories or pornographic or erotic pictures and literature records them in this marvelous retrieval system we call a brain. The brain won’t vomit back filth. Once recorded, it will always remain subject to recall, flashing its perverted images across your mind and drawing you away from the wholesome things in life.” –Dallin H. Oaks (Pornography)

·         “Some involved in pornography apparently minimize its seriousness and continue to exercise the priesthood of God because they think no one will know of their involvement. But the user knows brethren, and so does the Lord.” –Dallin H. Oaks (Pornography)

·         “Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity” (Matthew 23:27-28). The immediate spiritual consequences of such hypocrisy are devastating. Those who seek out and use pornography forfeit the power of their priesthood. The Lord declares: “When we undertake to cover our sins,…behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man” (D&C 121:37).” –Dallin H. Oaks (Pornography)

·         “Pornography impairs one’s ability to enjoy a normal emotional, romantic, and spiritual relationship with a person of the opposite sex.” –Dallin H. Oaks (Pornography)

·         “Pornography is also addictive. It impairs decision-making capacities and it “hooks” its users, drawing them back obsessively for more and more. A man who had been addicted to pornography and to hard drugs wrote me this comparison: “In my eyes cocaine doesn’t hold a candle to this. I have done both….Quitting even the hardest drugs was nothing compared to [trying to quit pornography]” –Dallin H. Oaks (Pornography)

·         “The old saying ‘The Lord is voting for me, and Lucifer is voting against me, but it is my vote that counts’ describes a doctrinal certainty that our agency is more powerful than the adversary’s will. Agency is precious. We can foolishly, blindly give it away, but it cannot be forcibly taken from us.” –Boyd K. Packer (Power to Overcome Pornography)

·         “Priesthood holders carry with them the antidote to remove the terrible images of pornography and to wash away guilt. The priesthood has the power to unlock the influence of our habits, even to unchain from addiction, however tight the grip. It can heal over the scars of past mistakes.” –Boyd K. Packer (Power to Overcome Pornography)

·         “Nowhere are the generosity and the kindness and mercy of God more manifest than in repentance. Do you understand the consummate cleansing power of the Atonement made by the Son of God, our Savior, our Redeemer? He said, ‘I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent.’  In that supernal act of love, the Savior paid the penalties for our sins so that we might not have to pay.” –Boyd K. Packer (Power to Overcome Pornography)

·         “We cannot afford to have those who exercise the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God, waste their strength in pornography or spend their lives in cyberspace (ironically being of the world while not being in the world).” –D. Todd Christofferson (“Bethren, We’ve Got Work to Do”)