“Words to Live By,” New Era, Nov. 2013, 18–20
Words to Live By
Be Ye Converted
“Young friends, we live in perilous times, and the decisions which you are called upon to make on a daily, or even hourly, basis have eternal consequences. The decisions you make in your daily life will determine what happens to you later. …
“… Conversion takes place as we are diligent about saying our prayers, studying our scriptures, attending church, and being worthy to participate in temple ordinances. Conversion comes as we act upon the righteous principles we learn in our homes and in the classroom. Conversion comes as we live pure and virtuous lives and enjoy the companionship of the Holy Ghost. Conversion comes as we understand the Atonement of Jesus Christ, acknowledge Him as our Savior and Redeemer, and allow the Atonement to take effect in our lives.”
Bonnie L. Oscarson, Young Women general president
Establish Your Priorities
“For Latter-day Saints, God’s commandments are based on and inseparable from God’s plan for His children—the great plan of salvation. … If we Latter-day Saints, who have been given this knowledge, do not establish our priorities in accord with this plan, we are in danger of serving other gods. …
“I pray that we will not let the temporary challenges of mortality cause us to forget the great commandments and priorities we have been given by our Creator and our Savior. We must not set our hearts so much on the things of the world and aspire to the honors of men (see D&C 121:35) that we stop trying to achieve our eternal destiny.”
Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Single-Minded Devotion
“Sisters, of all your associations, it is your relationship with God, your Heavenly Father, who is the source of your moral power, that you must always put first in your life. Remember that Jesus’s power came through His single-minded devotion to the will of the Father. He never varied from that which pleased His Father. Strive to be that kind of disciple of the Father and the Son, and your influence will never fade.”
Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
The Power, Joy, and Love of Covenant Keeping
“Covenant keepers are commandment keepers! …
“… I invite each of us to evaluate how much we love the Savior, using as a measure how joyfully we keep our covenants. The Savior said, ‘He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him’ [John 14:21]. How we all need a regular manifestation of the Savior in our daily lives!”
Sister Linda K. Burton, Relief Society general president
Do We Know What We Have?
“There exists today a great need for men and women to cultivate respect for each other as sons and daughters of God and reverence for our Father in Heaven and His priesthood—His power and authority.
“He has a plan for us, and when we exercise our faith and trust in His plan, our reverence for Him and for His priesthood power and authority will be strengthened.”
Sister Carole M. Stephens, first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency
Rest Up, Replenish, and Refill
“In preventing illness whenever possible, watch for the stress indicators in yourself and in others you may be able to help. As with your automobile, be alert to rising temperatures, excessive speed, or a tank low on fuel. When you face ‘depletion depression,’ make the requisite adjustments. Fatigue is the common enemy of us all—so slow down, rest up, replenish, and refill. Physicians promise us that if we do not take time to be well, we most assuredly will take time later on to be ill.”
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Ye Are No More Strangers
“In this Church there are no strangers and no outcasts. There are only brothers and sisters. The knowledge that we have of an Eternal Father helps us be more sensitive to the brotherhood and sisterhood that should exist among all men and women upon the earth.”
Bishop Gérald Caussé, First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric
Called of Him to Declare His Word
“If you are burdened by sin and need to repent, please do so immediately. When the Savior healed those who were afflicted, He often invited them to rise up. The scriptures record that they did so straightway, or immediately [see Mark 5:41–42; John 5:8–9]. To be healed of your spiritual afflictions, please accept His invitation to rise up. Without delay, talk to your bishop, branch president, or mission president and begin the process of repentance now.
“The healing power of the Atonement will bring peace to your soul and enable you to feel the Holy Spirit. The Savior’s sacrifice is beyond measure, but our sins, though numerous and serious, may be counted and confessed, forsaken and forgiven. ‘And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!’ [D&C 18:13].”
Elder Randy D. Funk of the Seventy
Service to Others
“Fill your life with service to others. As you lose your life in the service of Father in Heaven’s children, Satan’s temptations lose power in your life.”
Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Be Meek and Lowly of Heart
“Meekness is vital for us to become more Christlike. Without it we won’t be able to develop other important virtues. Being meek does not mean weakness, but it does mean behaving with goodness and kindness, showing strength, serenity, healthy self-worth, and self-control.”
Elder Ulisses Soares of the Presidency of the Seventy
Don’t Become Enslaved
“When evil choices become the dominant characteristic of a culture or nation, there are serious consequences both in this life and the life to come. People can become enslaved or put themselves in bondage not only to harmful, addictive substances but also to harmful, addictive philosophies that detract from righteous living.”
Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Teaching with the Power and Authority of God
“As you dedicate yourself to living the gospel with greater purpose than ever before and search the scriptures, treasuring them up in your heart, the … Holy Ghost … will testify to you of their truthfulness. … When this happens, the words that you read are no longer only the words of Nephi or Paul or Alma, but they become your words.”
David M. McConkie, first counselor in the Sunday School general presidency
The Strength to Endure
“A testimony, like your body, needs to be in shape if you want it to endure. So how do we keep our testimonies in shape? We cannot get our bodies into good basketball shape by simply watching basketball on television. Similarly, we won’t be able to get our testimonies in shape by simply watching general conference on television. We need to study and learn the fundamental principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and then we must do our very best to live them. That is how we become disciples of Jesus Christ, and that is how we build an enduring testimony.”
Elder Richard J. Maynes of the Presidency of the Seventy
Look Up
“If you ever come across anything that causes you to question your testimony of the gospel, I plead with you to look up. Look to the Source of all wisdom and truth. Nourish your faith and testimony with the word of God. There are those in the world who seek to undermine your faith by mixing lies with half-truths. This is why it is absolutely critical that you remain constantly worthy of the Spirit. The companionship of the Holy Ghost is not just a pleasant convenience—it is essential to your spiritual survival. If you will not treasure up the words of Christ and listen closely to the promptings of the Spirit, you will be deceived (see Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:37).”
Elder Adrián Ochoa of the Seventy
Drawing Closer to God
“God should be the center of our universe—our literal focal point. Is He? Or is He sometimes far from the thoughts and intents of our hearts? (see Mosiah 5:13). Notice that it’s not just the thoughts of our hearts that are important but the ‘intents.’”
Elder Terence M. Vinson of the Seventy
Claim the Blessings of Your Covenants
“I testify that the Lord has a plan for each of our lives. Nothing that happens is a shock or a surprise to Him. He is all-knowing and all-loving. He is eager to help us, to comfort us, and to ease our pain as we rely on the power of the Atonement and honor our covenants. The trials and tribulation that we experience may be the very things that guide us to come unto Him and cling to our covenants so that we might return to His presence and receive all that the Father hath.”
Linda S. Reeves, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency