“My grandfather’s primary counsel to me was to avoid any sense of entitlement or privilege because of these faithful ancestors. He told me my focus should be on the Savior and the Savior’s Atonement. He said we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father. Regardless of who our earthly ancestors are, each of us will report to the Savior on how well we kept His commandments. …Oneness is what Christ prayed for prior to His betrayal and Crucifixion. Oneness with Christ and our Heavenly Father can be obtained through the Savior’s Atonement. The Lord’s saving mercy is not dependent on lineage, education, economic status, or race. It is based on being one with Christ and His commandments. …It is significant that all the qualifications for baptism are spiritual. No economic…
“Our focus is on the Savior, and we are careful to avoid actions that may be perceived as serving our own interests, benefiting our family, or favoring someone at the expense of another.”
“I think sometimes as we are seeking to find and understand better our eternal identity that we ought to continue to be asking ourselves, “What am I doing that I should stop doing that doesn’t help me understand my identity better and what am I not doing that I should start doing that will help me understand my identity in such a way that I can be of more service to our Savior, especially when it comes to connecting with His children?” I think introspection is a really big part of that answer to your question. Introspection is not an examination that happens quickly. It’s one that I think we ought to be pondering on and being really thoughtful on consistently and constantly. I want to share an experience that…
“We make covenants as members of the Church to connect to God and to connect to each other. As Latter-day Saints we take that very seriously and we’re trying to refine ourselves in order to live up to those covenants that we make. Be patient with us as we continue to work to connect with you. We desire to connect with you because we love God and we love you and we want to build those bonds of fellowship and brotherly and sisterly relationship stronger because we know that’s what God desires of us. So I would definitely say that to those who are feeling marginalized in the gospel and for those that are trying to understand how we can be more inclusive, I would remind them that love is…
“The words we use can draw us closer to or distance us from other Christians and friends. …One inspired ward activities chair and committee nurtures individuals and a community of Saints. Their well-planned activities help everybody feel valued, included, and invited to play a needed role. Such activities bridge ages and backgrounds, create lasting memories, and can be carried out with little or no cost. Enjoyable gospel activities also invite neighbors and friends. …Of course, no individual and no family is perfect. We all need help better to speak love here. “Perfect love casteth out fear.” Faith, service, and sacrifice draw us beyond ourselves closer to our Savior. The more compassionate, faithful, and selfless our service and sacrifice are in Him, the more we may begin to fathom Jesus Christ’s atoning…
“President Russell M. Nelson has taught us that “taking the Savior’s name upon us includes declaring and witnessing to others—through our actions and our words—that Jesus is the Christ.” As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have the blessing and privilege to stand as witnesses of the Lord and His name everywhere we are. As we strive to live our lives in harmony with the gospel of Jesus Christ, our conduct will be a living testimony of our Redeemer and His name. Moreover, we witness of Christ in word by sharing with others what we believe, feel, or know of Jesus Christ. When we humbly share our testimony of the Lord through our words and actions, the Holy Ghost confirms to those with real intent, open hearts, and…
“As humans, we have an earthbound point of view, but God sees the grand overview of the universe. He sees all creation, all of us, and is filled with hope. …let’s choose hope—hope in our Creator and in one another, fueling our ability to be better than we are right now. …Before we interact with a loved one, can we ask ourselves the question “Is what I’m about to do or say helpful or hurtful?” Our words are one of our superpowers, and family members are like human blackboards, standing in front of us saying, “Write what you think of me!” These messages, whether intentional or unintentional, should be hopeful and encouraging. Our job is not to teach someone who’s going through a rough patch that they are bad or…
“In the fifth chapter of Alma, an introspective question is posed: “Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble?”That question implies that humility is a mandatory requirement for us to be ready to return to the presence of God. We all like to think we are sufficiently humble, but some experiences in life make us realize that the natural, prideful man or woman often is very much alive within us. …when we choose not to be humble, we end up being humiliated. In Proverbs we find, “A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.” In order to develop humility, we must understand what it really means in the context of the gospel. …There…
“It behooves each of us to do whatever we can in our spheres of influence to preserve the dignity and respect every son and daughter of God deserves. …we must recognize that in order to achieve this purpose, it will be required to make an individual and collective effort to act with lowliness, meekness, and long-suffering toward one another.”
“We likewise call on government, business, and educational leaders at every level to review processes, laws, and organizational attitudes regarding racism and root them out once and for all. It is past time for every one of us to elevate our conversations above divisive and polarizing rhetoric. Treating others with respect matters.”
