President James E. Faust on living life with an eternal perspective

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.

"Mortality is a precious drop in the bucket of eternity. Why not make each minute pleasant and fulfilling? We must make our own happiness. As President Spencer W. Kimball once said, 'Happiness does not depend upon what happens outside of you, but on what happens inside of you. It is measured by the spirit with which you meet the problems of life.'

"Problems, challenges, and heartaches come to all of us regardless of gender, whether we are married or single, or whether or not we are limited physically or mentally.... The key to happiness does not lie alone in gender or marital status or parenthood or being free of physical challenges. Happiness comes from living the teachings of the Savior and having the vision to see what He would have us become. Remember what he said: 'He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it' (Matt. 10:39). Because we have been given the challenges of mortality, this life is a proving ground for the eternities."

- James E. Faust, "A Vision of What We Can Be," Ensign, Mar. 1996, p. 10
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"Mortality is a precious drop in the bucket of eternity"—that's a beautiful image to convey the very brief nature of our time here. But yet, how crucial that short time is! And how important to make the best of every minute—to "make each minute pleasant and fulfilling." I continue to be thrilled and impressed at the prophetic understanding and vision of eternity, and how that vision can influence our mortality.

So with that perspective, President Faust teaches how to keep mortal challenges in the divine perspective:

In spite of all the challenges life may present, true happiness comes only in "living the teachings of the Savior."

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2022)
December 12, 2016

President Harold B. Lee on hearing the voice of the Lord

President Harold B. Lee (1899-1973) was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1941. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency from 1970-1972, then as Church president from July 1972 until his passing less than 18 months later in December 1973.

"The Lord is standing outside of the doors of the souls of every one of us, even as He said to John: 'Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me' (Revelation 3:20). It isn't the Lord who keeps Himself away from us. We are the ones that keep ourselves away from the Lord and the Holy Ghost. When we learn to love completely His gospel, then we will be prepared to live in His presence....

"Wouldn't you like to so live that when God spoke you would be able to hear it, or to be able to be worthy to have a visitation from an angelic visitor, or perhaps to be ready to go into the presence of the Lord? The Lord told us how we could be ready. Here He said in a great revelation these words: 'Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am' (D&C 93:1).

"When the voice came from the heavens to the people in the land Bountiful they heard it not. It was just to them a confusion of noises, and when they tuned their hearts they could hear words but they couldn't understand; but when with all their hearts and minds they concentrated upon it, then the voice could be understood. (See 3 Nephi 11:3-5.)"

- Harold B. Lee, concluding address at the organization of the Andes Mission, Lima Peru, 1 Nov 1959; see THBL p. 429

President Lee presents a beautiful application of the familiar verse from Revelation: the Lord is standing outside the door of our souls, waiting for us to open to Him. Too often, we are the ones who fail to open the door.

The next question President Lee asks is challenging and thrilling: "Wouldn't you like to so live that when God spoke you would be able to hear it?" I've always loved the description President Lee mentions of the people in ancient Bountiful, who heard a voice from heaven but were not able to comprehend its words until they focused their attention on it. When surrounded by distractions, we must put forth the effort to drown out those distractions and narrow in on what matters most. The guidance of the Lord in D&C 93:1 is profound; we must

• forsake sin
• come unto Him
• call on His name
• obey His voice
• keep His commandments

Only then do we fully receive the divine blessings waiting for us!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2022)
January 23, 2016

Elder Marvin J. Ashton on charity

Elder Marvin J. Ashton (1915-1994) served as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles from 1971 until his death in 1994 at age 78.

"Charity is, perhaps, in many ways a misunderstood word. We often equate charity with visiting the sick, taking in casseroles to those in need, or sharing our excess with those who are less fortunate. But really, true charity is much, much more.

"Real charity is not something you give away; it is something that you acquire and make a part of yourself. And when the virtue of charity becomes implanted in your heart, you are never the same again. It makes the thought of being a basher repulsive.

"Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don't judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet. Charity is accepting someone's differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn't handle something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another's weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other."

- Marvin J Ashton, "The Tongue Can Be a Sharp Sword," General Conference April 1992, pp. 18-19
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Elder Ashton was a kind and sensitive man in many ways. This advice, about how we treat one another, is a great example. I appreciated the introduction about what "real charity" is; not just the acts of public service, but the virtue that gets planted deep in our hearts and helps us understand our relationships to each other.

Even when we are wronged, charity helps us treat another person with love and forgiveness. What a wonderful gift! Since charity is the "pure love of Christ," we are blessed to see how He exemplified this quality in His life. Part of this is seeing differences but accepting and respecting them; recognizing weakness but working to help others; and truly expressing love to all around us.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2022)
February 16, 2016

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin on demonstrating love for the Lord

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (1917-2008) served as a Seventy from 1976 to 1986, then as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles from 1986 until his passing in 2008 at age 91.

"Do you love the Lord?

"Spend time with Him. Meditate on His words. Take His yoke upon you. Seek to understand and obey, because 'this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments' (1 John 5:3). When we love the Lord, obedience ceases to be a burden. Obedience becomes a delight. When we love the Lord, we seek less for things that benefit us and turn our hearts toward things that will bless and uplift others.

"As our love for the Lord deepens, our minds and hearts become purified. We experience a 'mighty change in ... our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually' (Mosiah 5:2).

"Brethren and sisters, as you prayerfully consider what you can do to increase harmony, spirituality, and build up the kingdom of God, consider your sacred duty to teach others to love the Lord and their fellowman. This is the central object of our existence. Without charity—or the pure love of Christ—whatever else we accomplish matters little. With it, all else becomes vibrant and alive."

- Joseph B. Wirthlin, "The Great Commandment," Ensign, Nov. 2007, pp. 28-31
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What does it really mean to love the Lord? How is that kind of emotion expressed or manifest in our lives? Elder Wirthlin gives some thought-provoking suggestions.

• "Spend time with Him." If we love someone, we naturally want to do this, We should spend time conversing, listening, feeling.
• "Meditate on His words." Studying and pondering the scriptures and modern inspired teachings should be a natural and pleasant activity.
• "Take His yoke upon you." Try to live, act, and serve as He did and does.
• "Seek to understand and obey." The natural outgrowth of study is the change of behavior as we attempt to conform in our lives to the things He teaches.

Elder Wirthlin's promise is inviting: "As our love for the Lord deepens, our minds and hearts become purified." We become changed people; our hearts and desires are purified. And this second promise is even more glorious: "Without charity—or the pure love of Christ—whatever else we accomplish matters little. With it, all else becomes vibrant and alive."

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2022)
May 28, 2016

President Howard W. Hunter on the gospel of belief and action

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

"The greatest search of our time is the search for personal identity and for human dignity. Each of us wants life to be worthwhile and to have real meaning—a personal meaning—in the living we do from day to day. There is a search being made by people everywhere, a search as important as life itself for self-respect, for self-fulfillment, and for emotional maturity....

The friends we choose, the choices we make, and what we do about these choices are the determining guide lines that form and mold our lives; but choices alone are not enough. The best goals, the best of friends, and the best of opportunities are all meaningless unless they are translated into reality through our daily actions.

"Belief must be realized in personal achievement. Real Christians must understand that the gospel of Jesus Christ is not just a gospel of belief; it is a plan of action. His gospel is a gospel of imperatives, and the very nature of its substance is a call to action. He did not say 'observe' my gospel; he said 'live' it! He did not say, 'Note its beautiful structure and imagery'; he said, 'Go, do, see, feel, give, believe!' The gospel of Jesus Christ is full of imperatives, words that call for personal commitment and action—obligatory, binding, compulsory."

- Howard W. Hunter, Conference Report, April 1967, pp. 115-118; Improvement Era June 1967 p. 101
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As the years go by and we encounter transitions and changes in our lives, we often find ourselves pondering the questions President Hunter mentions here: Is my life worthwhile? Does it have "real meaning"? What are the things that contribute to "self-respect" and "self-fulfillment" in this life? Those are grand questions.

The quote acknowledges that things like friends and choices are crucially formative. We can have wonderful friends, excellent opportunities, and inspiring goals; but they are all meaningless unless they result in a better reality filled with daily actions.  Christ's message was one of action; it is filled with imperatives, urging us to deeds of worship and goodness.

I aspire to be a "read Christian." I hope to heed the "call to action" in my life!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2022)
January 3, 2016

Elder Neil L. Andersen on choosing to nurture and grow in faith

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

"Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is not something ethereal, floating loosely in the air. Faith does not fall upon us by chance or stay with us by birthright. It is, as the scriptures say, 'substance..., the evidence of things not seen' (Hebrews 11:1). Faith emits a spiritual light, and that light is discernible (see Alma 32:35). Faith in Jesus Christ is a gift from heaven that comes as we choose to believe and as we seek it and hold on to it. Your faith is either growing stronger or becoming weaker. Faith is a principle of power, important not only in this life but also in our progression beyond the veil (LoF 3). By the grace of Christ, we will one day be saved through faith on His name (Ephesians 2:8). The future of your faith is not by chance, but by choice....

"How we live our lives increases or diminishes our faith. Prayer, obedience, honesty, purity of thought and deed, and unselfishness increase faith. Without these, faith diminishes. Why did the Savior say to Peter, 'I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not' (Luke 22:32)? Because there is an adversary who delights in destroying our faith! Be relentless in protecting your faith....

"Although your beginning fire of faith may be small, righteous choices bring greater confidence in God, and your faith grows. The difficulties of mortality blow against you, and evil forces lurk in the darkness, hoping to extinguish your faith. But as you continue to make good choices, trust in God, and follow His Son, the Lord sends increased light and knowledge, and your faith becomes settled and unwavering."

- Neil L. Andersen, "Faith Is Not by Chance, but by Choice," General Conference, October 2015, Priesthood session
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Elder Andersen's instructions on what faith is, and how to nurture and grow in faith, gave good reminders of this all-encompassing principle. He reminds us that "faith does not fall upon us by chance or stay with us by birthright" — each of us must choose to do the things that bring faith into our lives and then the things that help us retain it.

Obtaining and retaining the gift of faith depends on eternal principles: "Prayer, obedience, honesty, purity of thought and deed, and unselfishness increase faith." But we have to be on guard from an adversary who "delights in destroying our faith"; we must "be relentless in protecting [our] faith." The goal is to have faith that is "settled and unwavering."

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

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland on the start of a new year

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.

"The start of a new year is the traditional time to take stock of our lives and see where we are going, measured against the backdrop of where we have been. I don't want to talk about New Year's resolutions, but I do want to talk about the past and the future, with an eye toward any time of transition and change in our lives—and those moments come virtually every day....

"You can remember just enough to avoid repeating the mistake, but then put the rest of it all on the dung heap Paul spoke of to the Philippians (3:7-12). Dismiss the destructive, and keep dismissing it until the beauty of the Atonement of Christ has revealed to you your bright future and the bright future of your family, your friends, and your neighbors. God doesn't care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go....

"This is an important matter to consider at the start of a new year—and every day ought to be the start of a new year and a new life. Such is the wonder of faith, repentance, and the miracle of the gospel of Jesus Christ....

"Faith is for the future. Faith builds on the past but never longs to stay there. Faith trusts that God has great things in store for each of us and that Christ truly is the 'high priest of good things to come' (Hebrews 9:11).

"Keep your eyes on your dreams, however distant and far away. Live to see the miracles of repentance and forgiveness, of trust and divine love that will transform your life today, tomorrow, and forever. That is a New Year's resolution I ask you to keep."

- Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Best is Yet to Be," BYU devotional given January 13, 2009; see Ensign, January 2010, pp. 22-27
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Today is January 1, and a new year begins. Elder Holland notes that "every day ought to be the start of a new year," but we tend to emphasize the accustomed calendar boundaries. As I "take stock" of my life this morning, I appreciate Elder Holland's encouragement to learn from the past but not dwell on it, allowing the "beauty of the Atonement of Christ" to guide me to the future.

This profound excerpt ought to be engraven on every heart: "God doesn't care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go." We can easily dwell too much on where we have been, the mistakes, the shortcomings, the challenges and frustrations. 

That's the New Year's resolution to focus on, keeping our eyes on our dreams and ensuring we are claiming "His help" as offered for every step.  And then, as promised, we will each witness "the miracles of repentance and forgiveness, of trust and divine love that will transform your life."

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
January 1, 2015