Joseph B. Wirthlin
In some respects, progressing through life is like running a marathon.
Some feel as though the world is their oyster; others feel as though they were the oyster itself, plucked from the ocean, cracked open, and robbed of all that is precious to them.
There has always been discouragement, negativism, and temptation in the world because of Lucifer.
Every person on the earth today lived at one time in heavenly realms. We walked with our Heavenly Father. We knew Him. We heard His voice. We loved Him.
Young people should ponder over problems that might confront them and be prepared to cope with them in a way that their parents, their leaders, and their Heavenly Father would have them cope, that they might keep themselves clean and pure.
Look at every Zion society from ancient times to present, and you find at its center love for others.
Love is the beginning, the middle, and the end of the pathway of discipleship. It comforts, counsels, cures, and consoles.
Sadly, many in our world today encourage idleness, especially in the form of mindless, inane entertainment that is on the Internet, on television, and in computer games.
Modern medicine uses imaging 'windows' such as magnetic resonance imaging scanners to bring into view otherwise unseen vital information that skilled physicians can use for the benefit of their patients.
Kindness is the essence of greatness and the fundamental characteristic of the noblest men and women I have known.
Remember this: debt is a form of bondage. It is a financial termite.
All too often, lotteries only add to the problem of the financially disadvantaged by taking money from them and giving nothing of value in return.
Mortal experiences give us the opportunity to assess what we are doing with our lives.
The Lord is well aware of our mortality. He knows our weaknesses. He understands the challenges of our everyday lives. He has great empathy for the temptations of earthly appetites and passions.
When we reach out to assist the least of Heavenly Father's children, we do it unto Him. That is the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Occasionally, family members treat each other with less courtesy and kindness than they do acquaintances or even strangers.
Don't be discouraged if the answer to your prayer does not come immediately. Study, ponder, and pray, sincerely having faith, and live the commandments.
Anything that does not draw us closer to God takes us away from Him.
Life will continue on the other side of the veil.
In my early teens, I was a janitor. In high school, I got up early to deliver to accounts that required early service.
We are commanded to seek out those who are lost. We are to be our brother's keeper.
Think of how dark that Friday was when Christ was lifted up on the cross... It was a Friday filled with devastating, consuming sorrow that gnawed at the souls of those who loved and honored the Son of God.
God's commandments are not given to limit or punish us.
The most cherished and sacred moments of our lives are those filled with the spirit of love.
The greater the measure of our love, the greater is our joy.
We are all busy. It's easy to find excuses for not reaching out to others, but I imagine they will sound as hollow to our Heavenly Father as the elementary school boy who gave his teacher a note asking that he be excused from school March 30th through the 34th.
We will all rise from the grave.
What people think and believe and plan are all very important, but what they do is the thing that counts most.
Every day carries with it a responsibility.
We don't have to be perfect today. We don't have to be better than someone else. All we have to do is to be the very best we can.
Some pass their days as though suffering a deep sadness they cannot name. Others are unhappy because life didn't turn out the way they thought it would.
Nets are generally defined as devices for capturing something. In a more narrow but more important sense, we might define a net as anything that entices or prevents us from following the call of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.
A computer can be a useful and indispensable tool. But if we allow it to devour our time with vain, unproductive, and sometimes destructive pursuits, it becomes an entangling net.
Some have been ensnared in the net of excessive debt. The net of interest holds them fast, requiring them to sell their time and energies to meet the demands of creditors. They surrender their freedom, becoming slaves to their own extravagance.
We can easily get our lives out of balance.
Prosperity often leads to pride, which leads to sin.
The consequences of ignoring the Lord and His prophets are certain and often accompanied by great sorrow and regret.
Having received the Spirit of Christ to know good from evil, we should always choose the good.
Integrity, a firm adherence to the highest moral and ethical standards, is essential to the life of a true Latter-day Saint.
Wayward, disobedient children cause their parents grief and anxiety.
The Holy Ghost is a personage of Spirit: a separate and distinct member of the Godhead.
The Holy Ghost will warn us of danger, and it will inspire us to help others in need.
Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord has established His Church once again among men.
Fast offerings are used for one purpose only: to bless the lives of those in need.
I don't know whether we Church members fully appreciate the Book of Mormon, one of our sacred scriptures, as we really should.
Husbands, be patient with your wives; and wives, be patient with your husbands. Don't expect perfection. Find agreeable ways to work out the differences that arise.
When the Savior Himself was born, there were troubled times.
The Prophet Joseph Smith lived in troubled times.
My mother was a very positive thinker; she was always active, always doing something good.