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Daily LDS Wisdom

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Gems from the Teachings of Church Leaders
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland on Facing Doubt and Discouragement
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"In the gospel of Jesus Christ you have help from both sides of the veil, and you must never forget that. When disappointment and discouragement strike--and they will--you remember and never forget that if our eyes could be opened we would see horses and chariots of fire as far as the eye can see riding at reckless speed to come to our protection. They will always be there, these armies of heaven, in defense of Abraham's seed."

( "For Times of Trouble," BYU Speeches, 1980, 45)
 

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Gems from the Teachings of Church Leaders
President James E. Faust on Priesthood Power
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"Each of you [brethren] has been endowed with unique talents and abilities. That, coupled with some special powers of the priesthood, will help you tremendously in any endeavor. It will be a great challenge to be in the royal army that takes the Church into the future under the guidance of the Lord and His leaders. It will also be a most rewarding and exciting experience. It will require great faith, sacrifice, discipline, commitment, and effort. I have every confidence that you are equal to it."

(topics: priesthood power, gifts of the Spirit)

( "Pioneers of the Future: 'Be Not Afraid, Only Believe,' " Ensign, Nov. 1997, 44)
 

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GEMS-Youth: President James E. Faust on Good and Evil

"In simple terms, that which is good comes from God, and that which is evil comes from the devil. (See Alma 5:40.) You can't have it both ways and find true happiness; some have tried, but in the long run all have failed. If any of you young men think you can have it both ways, you are only deceiving yourselves. It doesn't work that way. It never has. It never will."

( "The Devil's Throat," Ensign, May 2003, 51-52)
 

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Gems from the Teachings of Church Leaders
Believing in the Savior Is Essential
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"Believing in the Savior and His mission is so essential that it is the first principle of the gospel....

"From the beginning of time, prophets have known that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, of His mortal mission, and of His Atonement for all mankind. Sacred records give the prophecies of thousands of years, not only of the first coming of our Savior but also of the Second Coming--a glorious day that will most assuredly come.

"If we had lived in the days of these prophets of old, would we have believed on their words?"

Topics: faith, following the prophet, Savior

( Elder Robert D. Hales, "Finding Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ," Ensign, Nov. 2004, 70)
 

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Gems from the Teachings of Church Leaders
Elder Dallin H. Oaks on Joseph the Prophet
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"Men who knew Joseph best and stood closest to him in Church leadership loved and sustained him as a prophet. His brother Hyrum chose to die at his side. John Taylor, also with him when he was murdered, said: 'I testify before God, angels, and men, that he was a good, honorable, virtuous man . . .--that his private and public character was unimpeachable--and that he lived and died as a man of God' (The Gospel Kingdom, [1987], 355; see also D&C 135:3). Brigham Young declared: 'I do not think that a man lives on the earth that knew [Joseph Smith] any better than I did; and I am bold to say that, Jesus Christ excepted, no better man ever lived or does live upon this earth' (in Journal of Discourses, 9:332)."

(topics:prophets, Joseph Smith)

("Joseph, the Man and the Prophet," Ensign, May 1996, 73)
 

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GEMS-Family: The Formula for a Successful Marriage Is Simple

"The formula [for a successful marriage] is simple; the ingredients are few, though there are many amplifications of each.

"First, there must be the proper approach toward marriage, which contemplates the selection of a spouse who reaches as nearly as possible the pinnacle of perfection in all the matters which are of importance to the individuals. And then those two parties must come to the altar in the temple realizing that they must work hard toward this successful joint living.

"Second, there must be a great unselfishness, forgetting self and directing all of the family life and all pertaining thereunto to the good of the family, subjugating self.

"Third, there must be continued courting and expressions of affection, kindness, and consideration to keep love alive and growing.

"Fourth, there must be a complete living of the commandments of the Lord as defined in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

"With these ingredients properly mixed and continually kept functioning, it is quite impossible for unhappiness to come, misunderstandings to continue, or breaks to occur. Divorce attorneys would need to transfer to other fields and divorce courts would be padlocked."

( President Spencer W. Kimball, "Oneness in Marriage," Ensign, Mar. 1977, 4)
 

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Gems from the Teachings of Church Leaders
Reason to Hope
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"We have much reason to hope. Joy can be ours if we are willing to sacrifice all for the Lord. Then we can look forward to the infinitely priceless possibility of overcoming all the challenges of this life. Then we will be with the Savior forever and, as President Brigham Young also said, 'anticipate enjoying the glory, excellency and exaltation which God has prepared for the faithful' ("Remarks," Deseret News, 31 May 1871, 197)."

Topics: sacrifice, joy

( James E. Faust, "Where Do I Make My Stand?" Ensign, Nov. 2004, 21)
 

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Gems from the Teachings of Church Leaders
Elder Neal A. Maxwell on God's Relationship with Us
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"God has known you individually, brethren, for a long, long time (see D&C 93:23). He has loved you for a long, long time. He not only knows the names of all the stars (see Psalm 147:4; Isaiah 40:26); He knows your names and all your heartaches and your joys! By the way, you have never seen an immortal star; they finally expire. But seated by you tonight are immortal individuals--imperfect but who are, nevertheless, 'trying to be like Jesus'!"

(Topic: Immortality)

( "Remember How Merciful the Lord Hath Been," Ensign, May 2004, 46 )
 

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GEMS-Youth: President James E. Faust on the Price of Life Experiences

"My dear young friends, there is another great truth that you young men must learn. It is that everything has a price. There is a price to pay for success, fulfillment, accomplishment, and joy. There are no freebies. If you don't pay the price that is needed for success, you will pay the price of failure. Preparation, work, study, and service are required to achieve and find happiness. Disobedience and lack of preparation carry a terrible price tag. As priesthood holders of this Church, part of the price we need to pay is by living differently from the world. We are the possessors and custodians of these commanding powers which can and do roll back the power of Satan on the earth. With all my heart I urge you to please help us push back the world. We must stand against the wind. Sometimes we must be unpopular and simply say, 'This is not right.'"

( "The Devil's Throat," Ensign, May 2003, 52)
 

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Gems from the Teachings of Church Leaders
A Simple Formula for Life's Choices
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"May I leave with you today a simple yet far-reaching formula to guide you in the choices of life:

"Fill your minds with truth.

"Fill your hearts with love.

"Fill your lives with service.

"By doing so, may we one day hear the plaudit from our Lord and Savior, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord' (Matthew 25:23)."

Topics: choices, truth, growth

( President Thomas S. Monson, "Choose You This Day," Ensign, Nov. 2004, 70)
 

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Gems from the Teachings of Church Leaders
Happiness Comes from Understanding Correct Principles
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"In these times of increasing uncertainty there is so much heartache, anguish, and suffering
throughout the world that could be avoided by understanding and applying truth. For many, relief
and happiness can come by understanding the relationship between peace of conscience and
peace of mind and by living the principles upon which both of these blessings are founded."

Topics: conscience, peace, truth

( Richard G. Scott, "Peace of Conscience and Peace of Mind," Ensign, Nov. 2004, 15)
 

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Gems from the Teachings of Church Leaders
President Gordon B. Hinckley on the Future
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"In my quiet moments, I think of the future with all of its wonderful possibilities and with all of its terrible temptations. I wonder what will happen to you in the next 10 years. Where will you be? What will you be doing? That will depend on the choices you make, some of which may seem unimportant at the time but which will have tremendous consequences."

(Topic: Choices)

( "Stay on the High Road," Ensign, May 2004, 112-113 )
 

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Gems from the Teachings of Church Leaders
Become as a City upon a Hill
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"Beginning with you and me, there can be an entire people who, by the virtue of our lives in our homes, in our vocations, even in our amusements, can become as a city upon a hill to which men may look and learn, and an ensign to the nations from which the people of the earth may gather strength."

Topics: home, family, example

( Gordon B. Hinckley, "A City Set upon a Hill," Tambuli, Nov. 1990, 8)
 

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Gems from the Teachings of Church Leaders
Peaceful Homes, Spiritual Renewal
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"Without question, we need to be informed of the happenings of the world. But modern communication brings into our homes a drowning cascade of the violence and misery of the worldwide human race. There comes a time when we need to find some peaceful spiritual renewal.

"I acknowledge with great gratitude the peace and contentment we can find for ourselves in the spiritual cocoons of our homes, our sacrament meetings, and our holy temples. In these peaceful environments, our souls are rested. We have the feeling of having come home."

Topics: home, family, gratitude

( James E. Faust, "Gratitude As a Saving Principle," Ensign, May 1990, 86)
 

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Gems from the Teachings of Church Leaders
Prayer and Devotion in the Home
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"At the end of World War II, I was seated in my office in Salt Lake and received a telephone call from a man in New York, a multimillionaire who had made 30 million dollars by the time he was 30 years of age. He had a son in a military camp just outside Salt Lake City. This boy had expected to be shipped overseas, as many others had been. Then the war ended and so they were crowded into that camp, like sardines in a can. This boy was discouraged, and his father was worried about him. So he called and said, 'Would you please call him on the telephone and see if you can cheer him up a bit?' I said, 'Of course, I'd be happy to.' And I called him and said, 'Would you like to come into the office for a little visit?' And he said, 'I sure would.' He was a bit delayed in coming, and I was just ready to leave for home when he arrived.

"I said, 'Would you like to go out to the house with me and eat with the family? My wife doesn't know you're coming, but you'll be welcome.' So he said, 'I can't imagine anything I'd rather do tonight than that.' So we went out, and we had our dinner, and we had our prayer. We gathered around the piano afterwards and enjoyed ourselves with some singing. Then after we visited for awhile, I drove him down to his bus. In a few days I got a letter from his father, and you know, you'd have thought I'd saved that boy's life. The father quoted a letter from his son in which the son had said, 'Father, I didn't know there were any people in this world who lived like that.' Yes, we take it all for granted. Here was a man worth millions of dollars--could buy his son anything that dollars could buy and never miss the money--and yet this simple thing of prayer and devotion in the home had passed him by."

Topics: home, family, prayer

( Ezra Taft Benson, "Receive All Things with Thankfulness," Tambuli, Feb. 1978, 15)
 

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GEMS-Youth: Elder Richard G. Scott on Missionaries

"I have seen valiant missionaries brave icy wind, resist torrential rains, slosh through slippery, muddy streets, and conquer fear. Often they bear a powerful testimony, only to be rejected and roundly criticized. I have seen them struggle to communicate truth in a new language. Sometimes the listener stares in puzzled silence. Then there dawns the shattering realization that the message is not understood. But I wouldn't change any of it, even if I could, because there are those golden moments of success that make all of the hardships worthwhile. Such rewards come when the Spirit touches a heart for eternal good because someone like you was there. To share truth in difficult circumstances is to treasure it more. When you push against the boundaries of experience into the twilight of the unknown, the Lord will strengthen you. The beauty of your eternal soul will begin to unfold."

( "Realize Your Full Potential," Ensign, Nov. 2003, 41)
 

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Gems from the Teachings of Church Leaders
We Are Part of the Day of Miracles
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"I have been where the Church is small and where it is large in numbers, where it is new and where it is well established, but the responsibility of each of us is the same: we are part of the true, restored gospel of Jesus Christ. We have a work to do. We serve in simple ways, our testimonies grow, and we are part of this day of miracles."

Topics: responsibility, testimony, good works

( Julie B. Beck, "A Work for Me to Do," Ensign, May 2005, 107)
 

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Gems from the Teachings of Church Leaders
Moroni's Faith in Our Generation
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"Moroni exercised faith in the promised blessings for future generations.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland explained that this joyful anticipation of past prophets, including Moroni,
was because they had seen our day in vision. They saw strong, covenant-making young people like you who would carry out the Lord's work in this final dispensation. Elder
Holland said, 'The leaders in those ages past, were able to keep going, . . . not because they knew
that they would succeed but because they knew that you would . . . a magnificent congregation
of young [people] like you . . . in a determined effort to see the gospel prevail and triumph'
("Terror, Triumph, and a Wedding Feast," Church Educational System fireside, Sept. 12, 2004; see
www.ldsces.org). We have a huge responsibility to fulfill Moroni's 'joyful anticipation.' "

Topics: youth, endurance, faith, blessings

( Susan W. Tanner, "Glad Tidings from Cumorah," Ensign, May 2005, 105-6)
 

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GEMS-Family: Loving and Serving One Another

"'No one can assist in this work [unless] he shall be humble and full of love' (D&C 12:8). 'By love serve one another' (Gal. 5:13). Just as service is a natural consequence of love, so is love a natural consequence of service. Husbands, serve your wives. Wives, serve your husbands. Husbands and wives, serve your children. And to all we say, serve God and neighbor. As we do so, we will come to love the object of our devotion and thus be obedient to the first and great commandment of love."

Topics: love, service

( Elder Robert F. Orton, "The First and Great Commandment," Ensign, Nov. 2001, 82)
 

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Gems from the Teachings of Church Leaders
President Gordon B. Hinckley on Gratitude and Faithfulness
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"May we live worthy of the glorious endowment of light and understanding and eternal truth which has come to us through all the perils of the past. Somehow, among all who have walked the earth, we have been brought forth in this unique and remarkable season. Be grateful, and above all be faithful."

(Topic: worthiness, gratitude, faithfulness)

( "The Dawning of a Brighter Day," Ensign, May 2004, 84 )
 
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