When the flower of charity blooms

“He (God) Gives a little to his humble followers today, and if they improve upon it, tomorrow he will give them a little more. He does not add to that which they do not improve upon, but they are required to continually improve upon the knowledge they already possess, and thus obtain a store of wisdom.”

 

Brigham Young

 

 

“Exercise faith in Jesus Christ and in His infinite capacity to bless. Faith leads one to action, to achieve goals even when there is little visible evidence to give hope of success. Faith is abiding trust in truth. Therefore it is a source of power to know simple yet profoundly important truths and to have the faith to live them. Enduring happiness is rooted in unchangeable truth lived in faith.”

 

Richard G. Scott

 

 

“We grow in two ways – removing negative weeds and cultivating positive flowers. The Savior’s grace blesses both parts – if we do our part. First and repeatedly we must uproot the weeds of sin and bad choices. It isn’t enough just to mow the weeds. Yank them out by the roots, repenting fully to satisfy the conditions of mercy. But being forgiven is only part of our growth. We are not just paying a debt. Our purpose is to become celestial beings. So once we’ve cleared our heartland, we must continually plant, weed, and nourish the seeds of divine qualities. And then as our sweat and discipline stretch us to meet His gifts, ‘the flowers of grace appear’, like hope and meekness. Even a tree of life can take root in this heart-garden, bearing fruit so sweet that it lightens all our burdens ‘through the joy of his Son’.  And when the flower of charity blooms here, we will love others with the power of Christ’s own love.

 

Bruce C. Hafen

 

 

“So if we are becoming more aware of our weaknesses, that doesn’t mean we are drifting away from Him; it may well mean that we are drawing closer. Like a good coach, a good tutor will always help his students see their mistakes and correct them. When we understand that, correction is motivating, not discouraging. For because of the Atonement, we can learn from our mistakes without being condemned by them.”

 

Bruce C. Hafen

 

 

“After Adam and Eve had partaken of the tree of knowledge, the Lord barred the way to the tree of life. They needed the time and space and shaping purpose of mortality. They needed to taste the bitter in order to “prize” to grasp the meaning of “the good” represented by the second tree. The Lord never intended that we should partake of the tree of life and thereby gain full access to perfecting grace before we have stumbled and groped to learn all we can from the disappointments and surprises of this vale of tears. We, like Adam and Eve, must make the best of our circumstances. We need not apologize for the typical untidiness of those circumstances. It is their very lone and dreary nature that allows them to shape us as they do. Perhaps we can only appreciate and comprehend the gift of eternal life after we do all we can do. Until we are prepared in what may look like very imperfect ways to receive them, we are not ready for the gifts that perfect our nature.”

 

Bruce C. Hafen

 

 

“Make sure you learn the things that you are not taught overtly. If all you know is what you read or what you can hear, you will not know very much. Learn to feel as we were feeling something during that reverent period of time before the meeting started. I hope I have not intruded into that spirit or erased it. Those moments of reverence are so precious when you think and feel. That is why temples are so important. You can go to the temple and be out of the world. Someone was asking me about that earlier today. I said, “You have to learn to be alone in a crowd. You have to have such control.” That is so important. We spend so much time in airports and in other noisy places. But I do not go there. I might be standing there physically, but I am not there spiritually, because I am thinking things and doing things in my mind. If you will learn to do that,

then the Spirit will teach you.”

 

Boyd K. Packer

 

 

“If someone only changes his behavior while a missionary, then, when he goes home, he will be the very same person he was when he left, subject to the same problems that plagued him before. But if someone changes his nature, he will go home a new man, with the power and discipline to conquer his old Goliaths. If someone is only moral because his date insists on it, then he has only changed his behavior and will be equally susceptible when each new temptation confronts him. But if he is moral whether or not his date so insists, he has changed his nature. Then he will have an increased resistance when similar temptations come. If someone speaks good words but entertains bad thoughts, he has only changed his behavior. If he also changes his thoughts, then he will also change his nature. Our natures have changed when our inner motives and thoughts are consistent with our outward behavior. With the Lord’s help we can transform our natures.”

 

Tad R. Callister

 

 

“The most difficult thing for us seems to be to give of ourselves, to do away with selfishness.

If we really love someone, nothing is a hardship.”

 

N. Eldon Tanner

 

 

“Thus one of the most important labors we can perform is to seek the Spirit. The older I get and the more I reflect upon the truths of the gospel, the more I am driven toward this one imperative: Seek the Spirit. If eternal life is indeed the greatest of all the gifts of God in eternity, then surely the companionship of the Holy Ghost is the greatest gift we can receive in time, in this mortal sphere.”

 

Wilford Woodruff

 

 

“The Lord’s way is not hard. Life is hard, not the gospel. “There is an opposition in all things,” everywhere, for everyone. Life is hard for all of us, but life is also simple. We have only two choices. We can either follow the Lord and be endowed with His power and have peace, light, strength, knowledge, confidence, love, and joy, or we can go some other way, any other way, whatever other way, and go it alone without His support, without His power, without guidance, in darkness, turmoil, doubt, grief, and despair. And I ask, which way is easier? … Life is hard, but life is simple. Get on the path and never, ever give up. You never give up. You just keep on going. You don’t quit, and you will make it. There is only one way to happiness and fulfillment. Jesus Christ is the Way. Every other way, any other way, whatever other way is madness.”

 

Lawrence E. Corbridge

 

 

“If they would open their hearts to the refining influence of this unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost, a glorious new spiritual dimension would come to light. Their eyes would gaze upon a vista scarcely imaginable. They could know for themselves things of the Spirit that are choice, precious, and capable of enlarging the soul, expanding the mind, and filling the heart with inexpressible joy.”

 

Joseph B. Wirthlin