Neal A. Maxwell on the blessings of the infinite atonement

Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926-2004) served as a Seventy from 1976-1981, then as a member of the Quorum of Twelve until his death from cancer in 2004.

"Moreover, Jesus not only took upon Him our sins to atone for them, but also our sicknesses and aching griefs (see Alma 7:11-12; Matt. 8:17). Hence, He knows personally all that we pass through and how to extend His perfect mercy—as well as how to succor us. His agony was all the more astonishing in that He trod 'the wine-press alone' (D&C 133:50).

"On occasion, the God of heaven has wept (see Moses 7:28). One ponders, therefore, the agonies of Jesus' infinite Atonement and the feelings of the Father—for His Son and for us....

"If, like the Savior, we do not 'shrink,' then we must go with the demanding flow of discipleship, including where the tutoring doctrines of the Master take us. Otherwise, we may walk with Jesus up to a point, but then walk no more with Him (see John 6:66). Shrinking includes stopping as well as turning back.

"The more we know of Jesus, the more we will love Him. The more we know of Jesus, the more we will trust Him. The more we know of Jesus, the more we will want to be like Him and to be with Him by becoming the manner of men and women that He wishes us to be (see 3 Ne. 27:27), while living now 'after the manner of happiness' (2 Ne. 5:27).

"Therefore, with the help of the Holy Ghost, we can glorify Christ by repenting and thereby accessing the blessings of the astonishing Atonement which He provided for us at such a stunning cost! (see John 16:14). So, brothers and sisters, given what Jesus died for, are we willing to live with the challenges allotted to us? (see Alma 29:4, 6)."

- Neal A. Maxwell, "Plow in Hope," Ensign, May 2001, pp. 59-61
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Elder Maxwell spent the last several years of his life fighting cancer, eventually losing. I think he felt personally and deeply this message about how the Savior's atonement and love apply to "our sicknesses and aching griefs" and how to feel the "succor" of his "perfect mercy."

In the midst of the trials of mortality, the challenge is not to shrink or turn back. The Savior will walk with us, but we must walk with Him and not turn away.

The "how" of not shrinking is the challenge. Perhaps the answer lies in this next passage. As we draw nearer to the Savior, as we grow to love him more, then He will be nearer to us always and we will be able to draw on His strength.

This is a glorious conclusion and challenge to each of us:  "Therefore, with the help of the Holy Ghost, we can glorify Christ by repenting and thereby accessing the blessings of the astonishing Atonement which He provided for us at such a stunning cost!"

L. Tom Perry on effective prayer

Elder L. Tom Perry (August 5, 1922 - May 30, 2015) was called as an Assistant to the Twelve in 1972, then as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1974. At the time of his passing at age 92, he was the oldest living general authority and the third in seniority among the leading quorum.

"When we pray to the Lord, we should remember who we are addressing and be prepared to give Him our undivided attention as we humbly supplicate before Him. President John Taylor counseled us this way:

"'Do you have prayers in your family? ... And when you do, do you go through the operation like the [grinding] of a piece of machinery, or do you bow in meekness and with... sincere desire to seek the blessing of God upon you and your household? That is the way... we ought to do, and cultivate a spirit of devotion and trust in God, dedicating ourselves to him, and seeking his blessings' (Journal of Discourses 21:118)....

"It is so satisfying to know that God is mindful of us and ready to respond when we place our trust in Him. There is no place for fear among men and women who place their trust in the Almighty, who do not hesitate to humble themselves in seeking divine guidance through prayer. Though difficulties may arise and reverses may come, in our prayers we can find reassurance as the Lord speaks peace to our souls."

- L. Tom Perry, "Back to Gospel Basics", Ensign, May 1993, pp. 90-92
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Elder Perry encouraged us to focus on improving our prayers. The quote from Pres. Taylor about the sincerity of prayers was interesting—he worried that we too often "grind" through the motions of prayer like a piece of machinery:

Elder Perry believed our sincerity and consistency in prayer would lead us to "find reassurance" amid the difficulties and reverses of our lives, "as the Lord speaks peace to our souls." What a blessing that is!

James E. Faust on the value of temple attendance

President James E. Faust (1920 - 2007) was called as a Seventy in 1976, then as a member of the Quorum of Twelve in 1978. He served as a counselor to President Hinckley from 1995 until his death in 2007 at age 87.

"I owe my text to Elder Marion G. Romney, who, at a Brigham Young University devotional in 1955, stated: 'Now there are those among us who are trying to serve the Lord without offending the devil.' This is a contradiction of terms....

"Today many of us are trying to serve two masters—the Lord and our own selfish interests—without offending the devil. The influence of God, our Eternal Father, urges us, pleads us, and inspires us to follow him. In contrast the power of Satan urges us to disbelieve and disregard God's commandments....

"I now come to some even milder forms of trying to serve the Lord without offending the devil. Having a temple recommend and not using it seems mild enough. However, if we live close to a temple, perhaps having a temple recommend but not using it may not offend the devil. Satan is offended when we use that recommend, going to the temple to partake of the spiritual protection it affords. How often do we plan to go to the temple, only to have all kinds of hindrances arise to stop us from going? The devil always has been offended by our temple worship. As President Brigham Young once said about the building of temples, there are Saints who say, '"I do not like to do it, for we never began to build a temple without the bells of hell beginning to ring."' His answer was, 'I want to hear them ring again. All the tribes of hell will be on the move, if we uncover the walls of this temple' (DBY 410)."

- James E Faust, "Serving the Lord and Resisting the Devil," Ensign, September 1995, p. 5
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The premise of President Faust's message was that you can't serve God without offending the adversary. Their plans and programs are in direct opposition, and there's no way to straddle the border and be a little on both sides!

One of the key areas President Faust chose to illustrate this point related to temple service and attendance. He believed that having a temple recommend, and using it, would always be offending Satan; but he would be pleased if we weren't using the recommend we possess. And if we're not actively offending the devil, we're probably not doing things right! And even more, we're denying ourselves "the spiritual protection it affords" when we do attend.

David O. McKay on spiritual radiation

President David O. McKay (1873-1970) was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1906.  He served as a counselor in the First Presidency to Heber J. Grant and George Albert Smith beginning in 1945, then then as the president of the Church from 1951 to his death in 1970 at age 96.

"The Savior set us the example, always calm, always controlled, radiating something that the people could feel as they passed—the woman who touched his garment is an example. He felt something go from him, that radiation which is divine.

"Every man and every person who lives in this world wields an influence, whether for good or for evil. It is not alone what he says, it is not alone what he does—it is what he is. Every man, every person radiates what he or she is.

"Every person is a recipient of radiation. The Savior was conscious of that. Whenever he came into the presence of an individual, he sensed that radiation—whether it was the woman of Samaria with her past life; whether it was the woman who was to be stoned, or the men who were to stone her; whether it was the statesman Nicodemus, or one of the lepers. He was conscious of the radiation from the individual. And to a degree so are you, and so am I. It is what we are and what we radiate that affects the people around us."

- David O. McKay, Improvement Era 69 (1966):270-271

My memories of President McKay are that he exemplified this message. He too radiated calmness, peace, and faith. He radiated what he was.

And we are the recipients of the "radiation" of those around us. How important to surround ourselves with those who can give us strength and help in the most important ways!

Spencer W. Kimball on prayer and works

President Spencer W. Kimball (1895-1985) was ordained an apostle in 1943 and served as President of the Church from 1973 to 1985.

"We pray for enlightenment, then go to with all our might and our books and our thoughts and righteousness to get the inspiration. We ask for judgment, then use all our powers to act wisely and develop wisdom. We pray for success in our work and then study hard and strive with all our might to help answer our prayers. When we pray for health we must live the laws of health and do all in our power to keep our bodies well and vigorous. We pray for protection and then take reasonable precaution to avoid danger. There must be works with faith. How foolish it would be to ask the Lord to give us knowledge, but how wise to ask the Lord's help to acquire knowledge, to study constructively, to think clearly, and to retain tings that we have learned. How stupid to ask the Lord to protect us if we unnecessarily drive at excessive speeds, or if we eat or drink destructive elements or try foolhardy stunts."

- Spencer W. Kimball, "Faith Precedes the Miracle," p. 205

President Kimball often gave very practical advice. I always loved his down-to-earth counsel. This is a good example. He reminds us that praying isn't enough; we must DO something about it! God expects us to do our part, and then His blessings supplement, compensate, and enrich our efforts.

Hugh B. Brown on the value of time

Elder Hugh B. Brown (October 24, 1883–December 2, 1975) was called as an Assistant to the Twelve in 1953, then as an apostle in 1958.  He served as a counselor to President David O. McKay from 1961 until President McKay's death in 1970, then for five more years as a member of the Quorum of Twelve until he passed away.

"Learn the true value of time. Seize, snatch, and enjoy every minute of it, for it is limited unto each individual. Live today! Jesus pointed the way when he said, 'Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.' (Matt. 6:34.) We must resolve to live one day at a time, and live that one day to the full. Resolve also that we will extract from every experience of this day something that will make us wiser, happier, more efficient.

"Whatever the individual measure of goodness may be, few men or women wish to be regarded as negligible ciphers in life. What they want is not wealth or pleasure, as such, but the opportunity for rich activity. It is possible to create happiness out of today's work with all its demands, antagonisms, obstacles, disappointments. This requires a resolute heart, a fixed purpose, a mind in control of itself.

"No man wants life to be flat and tasteless. If one's life is to be abundant rather than barren, he must be eternally becoming. Life's dividends are determined by the nature of man's daily investments. A full and rich life is where there is 'a sound mind in a sound body, controlled by a God-filled soul.'"

- Hugh B. Brown, "What Do You Want out of Life?", New Era, November 1972, p. 5
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Wise counsel: "Seize, snatch, and enjoy every minute" of our limited time in life! I love this approach to energized, motivated life: "We must resolve to live one day at a time, and live that one day to the full. Resolve also that we will extract from every experience of this day something that will make us wiser, happier, more efficient."

"If one's life is to be abundant rather than barren, he must be eternally becoming."  Beautiful and profound.

Dale G. Renlund on seeing others through a parent's eyes

Elder Dale G. Renlund (b. 1952) served in the First Quorum of Seventy starting in 2009, until his call to the Quorum of Twelve in October 2015.

"In the Church, to effectively serve others we must see them through a parent's eyes, through Heavenly Father's eyes. Only then can we begin to comprehend the true worth of a soul. Only then can we sense the love that Heavenly Father has for all of His children. Only then can we sense the Savior's caring concern for them. We cannot completely fulfill our covenant obligation to mourn with those who mourn and comfort those who stand in need of comfort unless we see them through God's eyes (see Mosiah 18:8–10). This expanded perspective will open our hearts to the disappointments, fears, and heartaches of others. But Heavenly Father will aid and comfort us, just as Chad's parents comforted me years ago. We need to have eyes that see, ears that hear, and hearts that know and feel if we are to accomplish the rescue so frequently encouraged by President Thomas S. Monson.

"Only when we see through Heavenly Father's eyes can we be filled with 'the pure love of Christ' (Moroni 7:47). Every day we should plead with God for this love."

- Dale G. Renlund, "Through God's Eyes," General Conference, October 2015, Sunday morning session
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In his first general conference address after being sustained as the newest apostle in the Church, Elder Renlund spoke of some insights from his occupation as a heart surgeon. He would try to keep a professional perspective when a patient did not survive, but then when he recognized the overwhelming emotions of the parents of a young boy, it gave him insight into eternal perspective.

As Elder Renlund notes, seeing others through an expanded, eternal perspective will show us their potential and gifts. But it also shows the reality of their challenges and shortcomings. The blessing is that through that perspective, we can be enabled to "rescue" in ways that we never would otherwise.

The final statement is profound: "Every day we should plead with God for this love," the "pure love of Christ" spoken of in the scriptures.