Thomas S. Monson on living life each day

President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018) was sustained to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1963. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency with Presidents Benson, Hunter, and Hinckley and then became Church president in 2008. He led the Church for almost a decade until his passing in January 2018.

"How fragile life, how certain death. We do not know when we will be required to leave this mortal existence. And so I ask, 'What are we doing with today?' If we live only for tomorrow, we'll have a lot of empty yesterdays today. Have we been guilty of declaring, 'I've been thinking about making some course corrections in my life. I plan to take the first step — tomorrow'? With such thinking, tomorrow is forever. Such tomorrows rarely come unless we do something about them today....

"Because life is fragile and death inevitable, we must make the most of each day....

"My brothers and sisters, may we resolve from this day forward to fill our hearts with love. May we go the extra mile to include in our lives any who are lonely or downhearted or who are suffering in any way. May we '[cheer] up the sad and [make] someone feel glad' (Hymns, no. 223). May we live so that when that final summons is heard, we may have no serious regrets, no unfinished business, but will be able to say with the Apostle Paul, 'I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith' (2 Tim. 4:7)."

- Thomas S. Monson, "Now Is the Time," Ensign, Nov. 2001, pp. 59-61
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Most of us, if not all, have dealt with the uncertainty of this life, and can appreciate President Monson's warning, "We do not know when we will be required to leave this mortal existence." We have seen loved ones or acquaintances "called home" suddenly or unexpectedly, in what seems to us to be untimely and too early. Given the stark reality of that uncertainty, President Monson reminds us that we should never procrastinate needed changes or our commitments to make the most of each day we are allotted.

This is very practical advice of some of the things we should be considering about how to live life, now, today:

There is much we can do, to share and enrich the lives of others, to support and help those in need. That will add to the richness of our own lives, and prepare us to answer "the final summons" when our time is completed.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
July 20, 2015

Elder Ulisses Soares on serving with compassion

Elder Ulisses Soares (born October 2, 1958 in Brazil) has served as a Seventy since April 2005, and as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy since January 2013. He was sustained to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles on April 1, 2018.

"My dear friends, as we intentionally strive to incorporate a compassionate attitude into our way of life, as exemplified by the Savior, we will become more sensitive to people’s needs. With that increased sensitivity, feelings of genuine interest and love will permeate our every action. The Lord will recognize our efforts, and we will surely be blessed with opportunities to be instruments in His hands in softening hearts and in bringing relief to those whose 'hands … hang down' (D&C 81:5).

"Jesus’s admonition to Simon the Pharisee also made it clear that we should never make harsh and cruel judgment of our neighbor, because we are all in need of understanding and mercy for our imperfections from our loving Heavenly Father. Wasn’t this exactly what the Savior taught on another occasion when He said, 'And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?' (Matt 7:3.)

"We need to consider that it is not easy to understand all the circumstances that contribute to someone’s attitude or reaction. Appearances can be deceptive and oftentimes do not represent an accurate measurement of someone’s behavior. Unlike you and me, Christ is capable of clearly seeing all facets of a given situation. Even knowing all our weaknesses as He does, the Savior does not rashly condemn us but continues to work with us compassionately over time, helping us to remove the beam from our eye. Jesus always looks on the heart and not on the appearance. He Himself declared, 'Judge not according to the appearance' (John 7:24)."

- Ulisses Soares, "The Savior’s Abiding Compassion," General Conference October 2021, Saturday morning

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Elder Soares addressed a principle that is one of the most significant and important aspects of Christian discipleship—compassion and service. As we grow in our desire to help others, we'll be more sensitive to their needs, and our actions will reflect what is in our hearts.

I was grateful for this reminder—opportunities to serve will come to those who are prepared and seeking them.

As we seek for those in need of help and love, we must never judge unrighteously. People can be in need for many reasons, often not their own fault; only the Savior can truly evaluate what is in the heart and spirit. Our responsibility is to give, unselfishly and lovingly, whenever we see a need.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)

Elder Gerrit W. Gong on forgiveness and the Holy Ghost

Elder Gerrit W. Gong (born December 23, 1953) was called as a Seventy in April 2010, then to the Presidency of the Seventy in October 2015. He was sustained to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in April 2018.

"Trust God and His miracles. We and our relationships can change. Through the Atonement of Christ the Lord, we can put off our selfish natural self and become a child of God, meek, humble, full of faith and appropriate trust. When we repent, when we confess and forsake our sins, the Lord says He remembers them no more. (See D&C 58:42-43.) It is not that He forgets; rather, in a remarkable way, it seems He chooses not to remember them, nor need we.

"Trust God’s inspiration to discern wisely. We can forgive others in the right time and way, as the Lord says we must, while being 'wise as serpents, and harmless as doves' (Matt 10:16).

"Sometimes when our hearts are most broken and contrite, we are most open to the comfort and guidance of the Holy Ghost. Condemnation and forgiveness both begin by recognizing a wrong. Often condemnation focuses on the past. Forgiveness looks liberatingly to the future. 'For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved' (John 3:17).

"The Apostle Paul asks, 'Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?' He answers, 'Neither death, nor life, … nor height, nor depth … shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' (Rom 8:35, 38-39.) Yet, there is someone who can separate us from God and Jesus Christ—and that someone is us, ourselves. As Isaiah says, 'Your sins have hid his face from you' (Isa 59:2)."

- Gerrit W. Gong, "Trust Again," General Conference October 2021, Sunday afternoon

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Knowing when and how to forgive is not always easy. Elder Gong encouraged us to open our hearts and mind to the Spirit; the Holy Ghost can often speak to us and touch us more powerfully when we are in the greatest need. But we must remember the blessing that forgiveness can bring:

We only hold on to the past when we are caught in condemnation of another. Power comes as we look to the future with forgiveness. I've seen people struggle under the burden of inability to forgive; it can be soul-destroying. Liberation comes as we trust in God to be the ultimate judge.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)

Elder Dale G. Renlund on overcoming contention with the love of Christ

Elder Dale G. Renlund (born November 13, 1952) served in the First Quorum of Seventy starting in 2009, until his call to the Quorum of Twelve in October 2015.

"After the Savior’s visit to the Americas, the people were unified; 'there was no contention in all the land' (4 Ne 1:18).  Do you think that the people were unified because they were all the same, or because they had no differences of opinion? I doubt it. Instead, contention and enmity disappeared because they placed their discipleship of the Savior above all else. Their differences paled in comparison to their shared love of the Savior, and they were united as 'heirs to the kingdom of God' (4 Ne 1:17). The result was that 'there could not be a happier people … who had been created by the hand of God' (4 Ne 1:16).

"Unity requires effort. It develops when we cultivate the love of God in our hearts and we focus on our eternal destiny. We are united by our common, primary identity as children of God and our commitment to the truths of the restored gospel. In turn, our love of God and our discipleship of Jesus Christ generate genuine concern for others. We value the kaleidoscope of others’ characteristics, perspectives, and talents. If we are unable to place our discipleship to Jesus Christ above personal interests and viewpoints, we should reexamine our priorities and change.

"We might be inclined to say,'Of course we can have unity—if only you would agree with me!' A better approach is to ask, 'What can I do to foster unity? How can I respond to help this person draw closer to Christ? What can I do to lessen contention and to build a compassionate and caring Church community?'

"When love of Christ envelops our lives, we approach disagreements with meekness, patience, and kindness. We worry less about our own sensitivities and more about our neighbor’s. We 'seek to moderate and unify.' We do not engage in 'doubtful disputations,' judge those with whom we disagree, or try to cause them to stumble. Instead, we assume that those with whom we disagree are doing the best they can with the life experiences they have."

- Dale G. Renlund, "The Peace of Christ Abolishes Enmity," General Conference October 2021, Sunday morning

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Sadly, we live in a very contentious time. We see anger and bitterness, strong language and violence, all resulting from differences of race, politics, nationalities, sexuality, or any of a large number of beliefs and life approaches. The spirit of contention drives away the spirit of the Lord. We need to learn to control that emotion, to overcome it, to replace it with something better.

That somthing is the love of Christ. Elder Renlund taught that when we focus more diligently on the Savior, the blessings of understanding and unity will follow.

This is a great prophetic call to examine our priorities and ensure we are focused on the things that matter most.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)

Elder Gary E. Stevenson on keeping the Gospel simple

Elder Gary E. Stevenson (born August 5, 1955) was called as a Seventy in 2008, then as Presiding Bishop in 2012. He was called as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in October 2015.

"It has been said that the gospel of Jesus Christ is 'simply beautiful and beautifully simple' (Elder Matthew Cowley). The world is not. It is complicated, complex, and filled with turmoil and strife. We are blessed as we exercise care not to allow complexity, so common in the world, to enter into the way we receive and practice the gospel.

"President Dallin H. Oaks observed: 'We are taught many small and simple things in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to be reminded that in total and over a significant period of time, those seemingly small things bring to pass great things.' (General Conference April 2018.) Jesus Christ Himself describes that His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matt 11:30). We should all strive to keep the gospel simple—in our lives, in our families, in our classes and quorums, and in our wards and stakes."

- Gary E. Stevenson, "Simply Beautiful—Beautifully Simple," General Conference October 2021, Saturday afternoon

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Elder Stevenson's remarks focused on two overarching principles: we all have "divinely appointed responsibilities" in being a part of Heavenly Father's work of salvation and exaltation; and in achieving or fulfilling those responsibilities, we must remember to keep the Gospel, and our lives, simple and focused on the things that matter most.

They key is discovering HOW to keep things simple! I think it follows when we prioritize carefully, choosing the things that matter most, and remembering not to complicate and elaborate on the fundamental principles. Elder Stevenson gave some wonderful examples in his message on how members have been able to do that.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)

Elder Ronald A. Rasband on identifying the things of our soul

Elder Ronald A. Rasband (born February 6, 1951) served as a Seventy beginning in 2000.  He was the senior president of the Seventy when he was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in October 2015.

"My thoughts today are centered on the words of the prophet Nephi, who kept the record of his people following Father Lehi’s death. Nephi wrote, 'And upon these I write the things of my soul.' (2 Ne 4:15) ...

"Nephi’s words raise the questions 'What things do you ponder?' 'What things really matter to you?' 'What are the things of your soul?' ...

"May I share with you some of the things of my soul? These things apply to all who seek to be true disciples of Jesus Christ. Ten would be a good, round number. Today I am giving you seven with the hope that you will complete eight, nine, and ten from your own experiences.

"First, love God the Father and Jesus Christ, our Savior....

"Second, 'Love thy neighbour.' (Matt 22:39.) ...

"Third, love yourself....

"Fourth, keep the commandments....

"Fifth, always be worthy to attend the temple....

"Sixth, be joyful and cheerful....

"Seventh, follow God’s living prophet."

- Ronald A. Rasband, "The Things of My Soul," General Conference October 2021, Saturday afternoon

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There are many phrases in the scriptures that we have heard frequently and pass over casually. Elder Rasband noticed one of them: Nephi's use of "the things of my soul." It's a beautiful phrase, referring to words, experiences, thoughts, or beliefs that are special and sacred to us. We can learn a lot about ourselves if we consider what kinds of things would fit into our personal list!

Elder Rasband suggested seven things that would be on his own list, and encouraged us to add more. That would be a wonderful exercise.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)

Elder Neil L. Andersen on following counsel willingly

Elder Neil L. Andersen (1951- ) served as a Seventy beginning in 1993, and was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 2009.

"The doctrine of Christ is unchanging and everlasting. Yet specific and important steps of the Savior’s work are revealed at their appropriate time. This morning President Nelson said, 'The Restoration is a process, not an event.' And the Lord has said, 'All things must come to pass in their time.' (D&C 64:32.) Now is our time, and we are reestablishing the revealed name of the Church.

"The identity and destiny of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints require that we be called by His name....

"'The name of the Church is not negotiable.' Let us go forward in faith. When we willingly follow the counsel of the Lord as revealed through His living prophet, especially if it runs counter to our initial thinking, requiring humility and sacrifice, the Lord blesses us with additional spiritual power and sends His angels to support us and stand by us. (See D&C 84:88.) We receive the Lord’s affirmation and His approval."

- Neil L. Andersen, "The Name of the Church Is Not Negotiable," General Conference October 2021, Sunday afternoon

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Elder Andersen used his talk to re-emphasize counsel given by President Nelson three years ago, about the use of the proper name of the Church. That is sometimes challenging, especially in conversation, since the name is long; but there is doctrinal importance in the name that we must not forget, and that will bless us as we use it properly. After giving several examples of the blessings of doing that, Elder Andersen summarized the principle of following counsels in this way:

The key is to learn to willingly follow the counsel of prophets. When that is hard to do, we are even more blessed by our actions because God will recognize and acknowledge the sacrifice of our efforts.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)