Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf on forgiveness of others and of ourselves

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf (born November 6, 1940) served as a Seventy from 1994-2004, when he was called as a member of the Quorum of Twelve.  He served as second counselor in the First Presidency from 2008 to 2018.

"Our Savior has spoken so clearly on this subject [forgiveness] that there is little room for private interpretation. 'I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive,' but then He said, '...of you it is required to forgive all men' (D&C 64:10 emphasis added).

"May I add a footnote here? When the Lord requires that we forgive all men, that includes forgiving ourselves. Sometimes, of all the people in the world, the one who is the hardest to forgive—as well as perhaps the one who is most in need of our forgiveness—is the person looking back at us in the mirror."

- Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Merciful Obtain Mercy," General Conference April 2012
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Sometimes it's easy to forgive others; sometimes it is more difficult. The depth of the injury inflicted against us might be part of the difference; or the perceived attitude of the person who gave the offense. But I think it's also clear that we get better at forgiving others as we make more efforts to do so. It's a skill, a talent, maybe even a spiritual gift that can be developed. In any case, there is no question that forgiving others is the right thing to do, in the Gospel plan of love and unity.

President Uchtdorf gave an additional insight when he suggested that sometimes our greater challenge is to forgive ourselves:

In other words, we tend to hold on to our mistakes and our occasions of stumbling. We remind ourselves for too long that we've fallen short, we're inadequate, we're unworthy, we're not as good as someone else, or we've failed at some task or goal. President Uchtdorf's suggestion is that when the Lord forgives us, we need to forgive ourselves and move on from the problem.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland on trusting God when opposition occurs

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (born December 3, 1940) served as Church Commissioner of Education from 1976-1980, as the president of BYU from 1980-1989, as a Seventy from 1989-1994, and as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles since 1994.

"Opposition turns up almost any place something good has happened. It can happen when you are trying to get an education. It can hit you after your first month in your new mission field. It certainly happens in matters of love and marriage. It can occur in situations related to your family, Church callings, or career.

"With any major decision there are cautions and considerations to make, but once there has been illumination, beware the temptation to retreat from a good thing. If it was right when you prayed about it and trusted it and lived for it, it is right now. Don’t give up when the pressure mounts. Certainly don’t give in to that being who is bent on the destruction of your happiness. Face your doubts. Master your fears. 'Cast not away therefore your confidence' (Hebrews 10:35). Stay the course and see the beauty of life unfold for you."

- Jeffrey R. Holland, "Cast Not Away  Therefore Your Confidence," BYU Devotional address March 2, 1999; reprinted in Ensign, March 2000
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Click here to read or listen to the original BYU devotional address

This address was originally given to students at BYU. Elder Holland addressed many of the concerns and worries of that time of life. But the counsel applies to many of us at all stages of life; we can encounter very similar situations and challenges.

We all encounter opposition to the good things we choose to do in life. The adversary works to discourage us, to distort our vision, to confuse our goals and priorities. Elder Holland cautions us to be aware of temptations that can distract us from the choices and commitments we have made:

We too often second-guess ourselves, including in matters of supreme importance. Elder Holland reminds us to trust our initial spiritual promptings; once we have received a witness, we must cling to that knowledge and move forward in its light. Blessings come as we trust ourselves. "Stay the course and see the beauty of life unfold for you."

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)

President M. Russell Ballard on sharing the gospel online

President M. Russell Ballard (born October 8, 1928) was called as a Seventy in 1976, and has served as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles since 1985. He became acting president of the Twelve in January 2018.

"There are conversations going on about the Church constantly. Those conversations will continue whether or not we choose to participate in them. But we cannot stand on the sidelines while others, including our critics, attempt to define what the Church teaches. While some conversations have audiences in the thousands or even millions, most are much, much smaller. But all conversations have an impact on those who participate in them. Perceptions of the Church are established one conversation at a time....

"Now, may I ask that you join the conversation by participating on the Internet to share the gospel and to explain in simple and clear terms the message of the Restoration. Most of you already know that if you have access to the Internet you can start a blog in minutes and begin sharing what you know to be true. You can download videos from Church and other appropriate sites, including newsroom.lds.org, and send them to your friends. You can write to media sites on the Internet that report on the Church and voice your views as to the accuracy of the reports. This, of course, requires that you understand the basic principles of the gospel. It is essential that you are able to offer a clear and correct witness of gospel truths. It is also important that you and the people to whom you testify understand that you do not speak for the Church as a whole. You speak as one member—but you testify of the truths you have come to know."

- M. Russell Ballard, "Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet," commencement address given at BYU–Hawaii on December 15, 2007; reprinted in Ensign, July 2008, pp. 58–63
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One of the final instructions of the Savior to his disciples in the meridian of time was "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). We have often been told that we are under that same mandate. We have been given something precious, and our opportunity and obligation is to share the good news with all the people we can.

President Ballard suggests that we should be using modern technology to facilitate that effort. We should be eager to engage in conversations, to share the truth of the gospel message, and to stand up for the Church's beliefs and positions whenever we can.

President Ballard reminds us that in order to speak out for the Gospel and the Church, we must have a solid foundation of understanding. "It is essential that you are able to offer a clear and correct witness of gospel truths." All the more important for us to study sincerely and carefully, to ponder and pray for strong understanding and firm testimonies, and to be practicing the precepts of the restored Gospel in our lives!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)

President Henry B. Eyring on growth or decline in righteousness

President Henry B. Eyring (born May 31, 1933) served in the Presiding Bishopric from 1985-1992, as a Seventy from 1992-1995, then was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. He has served in the First Presidency since 2007.

"It sounds so simple to build upon a foundation of truth that you may wonder why everyone doesn’t succeed. For one thing, it takes great humility. It’s hard to repent, to admit you are wrong on faith alone, before the evidence of a feeling of being forgiven and light comes. But that is the way it has to be. First comes obedience and then come the confirming assurances, the revelation of truth, and the blessing of light.

"That is so because God gave us agency, not just as a right but as a necessity. We must choose with our agency to obey in faith that the promised blessing will come, that the promise is true because it comes from God....

"There is another reason why it is not easy for the proud to build on a foundation of truth. It is because the enemy of righteousness also works in little steps, so small that they are hard to notice if you are thinking only about yourself and how great you are. Just as truth is given to us line upon line and the light brightens slowly as we obey, even so, as we disobey, our testimony of truth lessens almost imperceptibly, little by little, and darkness descends so slowly that the proud may easily deny that anything is changing."

- Henry B. Eyring, "A Life Founded in Light and Truth," BYU devotional, 15 August 2000; see Ensign, July 2001, 13
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This message from President Eyring was loaded with insights to ponder. In this excerpt he shares thoughts about the process of building on the foundation of faith through humility, repentance, and obedience. It is through our actions of obedience as we exercise our agency in positive ways that confirmation and blessings follow. Those small steps will bring great results over time. But we have to be careful about the slow and gradual nature of change; the same applies to negative change and loss of faith:

So the warning is, just as light grows brighter slowly and gradually, it also grows dimmer in the same way; and darkness can descend very slowly. How critical it is that we be facing the right direction!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)

President Dallin H. Oaks on private and public interactions

President Dallin H. Oaks (born August 12, 1932) served as president of BYU from 1971-1980.  He was then appointed as a justice of the Utah Supreme Court, and resigned when he was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1984. He became President of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles and also 1st Counselor in the First Presidency in January 2018.

"In dedicated spaces, like temples, houses of worship, and our own homes, we should teach the truth and the commandments plainly and thoroughly as we understand them from the plan of salvation revealed in the restored gospel. Our right to do so is protected by constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and religion, as well as by the privacy that is honored even in countries without formal constitutional guarantees.

"In public, what religious persons say and do involves other considerations. The free exercise of religion covers most public actions, but it is subject to qualifications necessary to accommodate the beliefs and practices of others. Laws can prohibit behavior that is generally recognized as wrong or unacceptable, like sexual exploitation, violence, or terrorist behavior, even when done by extremists in the name of religion. Less grievous behaviors, even though unacceptable to some believers, may simply need to be endured if legalized by what a Book of Mormon prophet called 'the voice of the people' (Mosiah 29:26).

"On the subject of public discourse, we should all follow the gospel teachings to love our neighbor and avoid contention. Followers of Christ should be examples of civility. We should love all people, be good listeners, and show concern for their sincere beliefs. Though we may disagree, we should not be disagreeable. Our stands and communications on controversial topics should not be contentious. We should be wise in explaining and pursuing our positions and in exercising our influence. In doing so, we ask that others not be offended by our sincere religious beliefs and the free exercise of our religion. We encourage all of us to practice the Savior’s Golden Rule: 'Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them' (Matthew 7:12)."

- Dallin H. Oaks, "Loving Others and Living with Differences," General Conference October 2014
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The setting and audience for our interactions matters significantly. When we are in private settings such as homes and church, we are generally interacting with those who share our beliefs or for whom we have a stewardship to teach and testify. In those settings we should "teach the truth and the commandments plainly."

But in more public settings, we have the responsibility to be sensitive to the beliefs and rights of others. At times, we can have laws or other forces imposed on us that are unjust and unrighteous, and we may need to endure their consequences. But in any case, we need to learn to interact and communicate without contention:

Truly, "Followers of Christ should be examples of civility." We must love our neighbors and be sincerely interested in learning about their beliefs and customs. Sometimes, how we interact tells more about ourselves and our beliefs than what we say in the interaction.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)

President Howard W. Hunter on resolving to grow and repent

President Howard W. Hunter (1907-1995) was called to the Quorum of Twelve in 1959.  He served as Church President from June 5, 1994 to his death on March 3, 1995.

"This is a gospel of repentance, and we need to be repenting and resolving. Indeed, the process of repenting, making commitments, and setting goals should be a continuous one, so there is nothing wrong with using this traditional time of the year to evaluate the past and plan the future. It is much like our personal prayers in which, while communicating with our Father in Heaven, we ponder our thoughts, words, and deeds of the day and seek help in our personal progress for the morrow. The practice of reviewing the past and setting new directions for the future is a very healthy one, a scripturally encouraging one, in which we can beneficially alter our lives. I commend the practice to you, especially if it is thoughtfully pursued and the resolutions made are made in righteousness, bringing behaviors and attitudes that truly bless your lives and the lives of others. Shakespeare once wrote that one should live so that 'Eyes, / That borrow their behaviours from the great, / Grow great by your example and put on / The dauntless spirit of resolution' (King John, act 5, scene 1, lines 48–53).

"Sometimes our resolutions are a part of the process of repentance from past sins—actual transgressions for which we need forgiveness. Sometimes our goals focus on less serious matters, such as errors of judgment or flaws in our personality that may not be sins as such but that we nevertheless desire to change. Yes, life offers a multitude of lessons and plenty of things to improve. It is wonderful to believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ, which encourages such lofty views and gives us every avenue to achieve them."

- Howard W. Hunter, "The Dauntless Spirit of Resolution," BYU Fireside, 5 January 1992
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"We need to be repenting and resolving" as part of a continuous process of growth and improvement! This is wise prophetic counsel, and President Hunter encourages us to think of that at the beginning of the new year. Even our daily prayers can be a step in that process, as we consider each day's performance and seek inspiration on how to do better tomorrow. There is potential for much good in this process:

Since we do believe in "a gospel of repentance," President Hunter encourages us to allow resolutions to direct us in that process when needed. And there are many other areas of personal growth that we can consider as we seek to change. There are always "plenty of things to improve" as we examine our life carefully and prayerfully.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)

President Russell M. Nelson on great goals and greater goals

President Russell M. Nelson (born Sept 9, 1924) was an internationally-renowned heart surgeon when he was called to serve as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1984. He became president of that quorum on July 15, 2015. Following the death of President Monson, he was set apart as president of the Church on January 14, 2018.

"We launch into the future from a firm foundation. Our span of life has increased significantly. Transportation, communication, and education have improved. We have learned how to set high goals and work toward their achievement. First we dream, then persevere with laborious duty, bolstered by unwavering faith in our cause and ability to achieve.

"One by one, we do our tasks. We earn educational degrees and take certifying and qualifying examination. We jump over hurdles of expectation as imposed by others. But eventually, we recognize the daring difference in striving to do what we do—compared to striving to become whom we ought to be.

"Thus our goals are great and greater. Great goals I relate to temporal attainments. Greater goals I relate to attributes of personal character. Goals to do can be incremental; goals to be can be monumental. Such attributes of character are worthy of our attention as we strive to be whom we ought to be."

- Russell M. Nelson, “Goals Great and Greater,” Rebild Festival, Denmark, July 4, 2000; see Teachings of Russell M. Nelson  pp. 44-45

There are a lot of interesting insights in this excerpt from President Nelson. He recognizes the blessings we have in our time of advanced technology and new opportunities. In this environment, building on this framework, "First we dream..." — we can imagine and project into the future the possibilities we have, individually and collectively. But the realization of those dreams requires that we "persevere with laborious duty, bolstered by unwavering faith." What a great description of progress!

But then as we grow and progress, we begin to recognize that there are two kinds of development and accomplishment: what we do and what we are.

While the temporal achievements are valuable and important, what we become—the character we develop—is far more significant. We should remember that, and focus the greatest efforts on the things of greatest value and importance!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)