Faith Quotes - 189 quotes

 R2D2: Beeps, clicks, whistles, etc. Luke: Oh no. We’ll never get it out now! Yoda: So certain are you? Always with you it cannot be done. Do you nothing that I say? Luke: Master moving stones around is one thing. This is totally different. Yoda: No! No different! Only different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned. Luke: Alright, I’ll give it a try. Yoda: No. Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.
- The Empire Strikes Back (1980 Movie)
Share

 When we start with an inclination to believe, observation leads to faith. As faith grows, reason facilitates the transformation of faith into revelatory knowledge, and revelatory knowledge produces added faith.
- Dale G. Renlund
Share

 Those disinclined toward faith in God often over-rely on reasoning and look to explain away the hand of God. That is what happened on the day of Pentecost. Inclinations away from faith caused some to misinterpret this remarkable spiritual outpouring.
- Dale G. Renlund
Share

 I have no expectation that I'll ever be provided external evidence sufficient to relieve me of the responsibility of choice or of the burden of faith...
- Rick Anderson
Share

 What about the enormous power within you? Think of this: you shouted for joy9 to come to a fallen world where all would face physical and spiritual death. We would never be able to overcome either on our own. We would suffer from not only our own sins but others’ sins too. Humanity would experience virtually every imaginable type of brokenness and disappointment10—all with a veil of forgetfulness over our minds and the world’s worst enemy continuing to target and tempt us. All hope for returning resurrected and clean to God’s holy presence rested entirely upon one Being keeping His promise.11 What empowered you to go forward? President Henry B. Eyring taught, “It took faith in Jesus Christ to sustain the plan of happiness and Jesus Christ’s place in it when you knew so little of the challenges that you would face in mortality.”12 When Jesus Christ promised He would come into mortality and give His life to gather13 and save us, you did not simply believe Him. You “noble spirits”14 had such “exceedingly great faith” that you saw His promise as sure.15 He could not lie, so you saw Him as if He had already shed His blood for you, long before He was born.16

- Ahmad S. Corbitt

Share

 He is the All-Wise One! The All-Powerful One! What he tells other intelligences to do must be precisely the wisest, fittest thing that they could anywhere or anyhow learn - the thing which it will always behoove them, with right loyal thankfulness, and nothing doubting, to do. There goes with this, too, the thought that this All-Wise One will be the Unselfish One, the All-Loving One, the One who desires that which is highest, and best; not for himself alone, but for all: and that will be best for him too. His glory, his power, his joy will be enhanced by the uplifting of all, by enlarging them; by increasing their joy, power, and glory. And because this All Intelligent One is all this, and does all this, the other intelligences worship him, submit their judgments and their will to his judgement and his will. He knows, and can do that which is best; and this submission of the mind to the Most Intelligent, Wisest - wiser than all - is worship.

- B. H. Roberts

Share

 We do not expect to cease learning while we live on earth; and when we pass through the veil, we expect still to continue to learn...[W]e are not capacitated to receive all knowledge at once. We must therefore receive a little here and a little there.

- Brigham Young

Share

 “Having faith in Jesus Christ means relying completely on Him—trusting in His infinite power … and love. It includes believing His teachings. It means believing that even though we do not understand all things, He does. Because He has experienced all our pains, afflictions, and infirmities, He knows how to help us rise above our daily difficulties.”

- Christina B. Franco

Share

 “the works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught”

- Dallin H. Oaks

Share

 On a personal basis, each of us struggles individually with some of the many adversities of mortality, such as poverty, racism, ill health, job losses or disappointments, wayward children, bad marriages or no marriages, and the effects of sin—our own or others’. Yet, in the midst of all of this, we have that heavenly counsel to be of good cheer and to find joy in the principles and promises of the gospel and the fruits of our labors.

- Dallin H. Oaks

Share

 “Be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great”

- Dallin H. Oaks

Share

 Faithfulness is not foolishness or fanaticism. Rather, it is trusting and placing our confidence in Jesus Christ as our Savior, on His name, and in His promises. As we “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men,”15 we are blessed with an eternal perspective and vision that stretches far beyond our limited mortal capacity. We will be enabled to “gather together, and stand in holy places”16 and “be not moved, until the day of the Lord come.”

- David A. Bednar

Share

 Always remember that becoming a devoted disciple requires focused, sustained, and righteous work. We must strive to become agents who exercise faith in the Savior and act and shun becoming objects that merely are acted upon. Personal revelation requires focused, sustained, and righteous work. We must strive to become agents who exercise faith in the Savior and act and shun becoming objects that merely are acted upon.

- David A. Bednar

Share

 This chapter is included in this work for two reasons: one is that, sadly, some few academics associated with Brigham Young University have declared that doubt is “good” and should be “celebrated,” and have even labelled doubt a “spiritual gift” that they possess in abundance. Such deceptive doctrines are in stark opposition to the declarations and teachings of the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, who use all their influence to teach the opposite. A second reason is that there are undoubtedly some who do doubt, that could benefit from learning true and undiluted doctrine from these special witnesses who know. They do not doubt, and one purpose of their call to the apostleship is to teach and testify in such as manner as to build faith and eliminate doubt in their hearers and readers.

- Dennis B. Horne

Share

 Of those who (allegedly) teach and write about the gospel at BYU or anywhere else, President Kimball cautioned them, declaring: “If one cannot accept and teach the program [doctrine] of the Church in an orthodox way without reservations, he should not teach. It would be the part of honor to resign his position. Not only would he be dishonest and deceitful, but he is also actually under condemnation, for the Savior said that it were better that a millstone were hanged about his neck and he be cast into the sea than that he should lead astray doctrinally or betray the cause or give offense, destroying the faith of one of “these little ones” who believe in him. And remember that this means not only the small children, it includes even adults who believe and trust in God.”

- Dennis B. Horne

Share

 President Joseph Fielding Smith explained his view: Now I am going to say something that maybe I could not prove, but I believe is true, that we have a great many members of this Church who have never received a manifestation through the Holy Ghost. Why? Because they have not made their lives conform to the truth. And the Holy Ghost will not dwell in unclean tabernacles or disobedient tabernacles. The Holy Ghost will not dwell with that person who is unwilling to obey and keep the commandments of God or who violates those commandments willfully. In such a soul the spirit of the Holy Ghost cannot enter. That great gift comes to us only through humility and faith and obedience. Therefore, a great many members of the Church do not have that guidance, Then some cunning, crafty individual will come along teaching that which is not true, and without the guidance which is promised to us through our faithfulness, people are unable to discern and are led astray. It depends on our faithfulness and our obedience to the commandments of the Lord if we have the teachings, the enlightening instruction, that comes from the Holy Ghost. When we are disobedient, when our minds are set upon the things of this world rather than on the things of the kingdom of God, we cannot have the manifestations of the Holy Ghost.

- Dennis B. Horne

Share

 In a way, we are seeds. And for seeds to reach their potential, they must be buried before they can sprout. It is my witness that though at times we may feel buried by the trials of life or surrounded by emotional darkness, the love of God and the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ will bring something unimaginable to spring forth.

- Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Share

 the righteous are not given a free pass that allows them to avoid the valleys of shadow. We all must walk through difficult times, for it is in these times of adversity that we learn principles that fortify our characters and cause us to draw closer to God.

- Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Share

 As a fighter pilot and airline captain, I learned that while I could not choose the adversity I would encounter during a flight, I could choose how I prepared and how I reacted. What is needed during times of crisis is calm and clear-headed trust.

- Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Share

 God has revealed and will continue to reveal His almighty hand. The day will come when we will look back and know that during this time of adversity, God was helping us to find better ways—His ways—to build His kingdom on a firm foundation.

- Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Share

 What do we learn from these examples—and the hundreds of others in the scriptures? First, the righteous are not given a free pass that allows them to avoid the valleys of shadow. We all must walk through difficult times, for it is in these times of adversity that we learn principles that fortify our characters and cause us to draw closer to God. Second, our Heavenly Father knows that we suffer, and because we are His children, He will not abandon us.8 Think of the compassionate one, the Savior, who spent so much of His life ministering to the sick, the lonely, the doubting, the despairing.9 Do you think He is any less concerned about you today? My dear friends, my beloved brothers and sisters, God will watch over and shepherd you during these times of uncertainty and fear. He knows you. He hears your pleas. He is faithful and dependable. He will fulfill His promises. God has something unimaginable in mind for you personally and the Church collectively—a marvelous work and a wonder.

- Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Share

 I know not by what method rare,But this I know, God answers prayer.I know that He has given His wordThat tells me prayer is always heardAnd will be answered, soon or late,And so I pray and calmly wait.I know not if the blessing soughtWill come just in the way I thought,But leave my prayers with Him alone,Whose ways are wiser than my own—Assured that He will grant my quest,Or send some answer far more blessed.

- Eliza M. Hickock

Share

 The Hebrew word for faith is emunah. It means “firm,” “steadfast,” or “supportive” and implies action. Tammy explains that one of the first places emunah is used is in Exodus 17:10–12. In this chapter, the people of Israel are under attack and need God’s help. Moses tells Joshua to lead the fight while Moses goes to the top of a hill and raises his staff. The battle goes on, and as Moses raises his hands, the Israelites prevail, but if he lowers his hands, their enemies take the lead. As Moses grows tired, two men, Aaron and Hur, come and lift up Moses’s hands, enabling them to stay “steady until the going down of the sun” (Exodus 17:12). Emunah is translated as “steady” in this verse, but it can also mean “faithful,” changing this line to read, “His hands were faithful until the going down of the sun.” Tammy points out that it was Aaron and Hur’s decision to take action that made it possible for Moses’s hands to stay lifted and save the people. Likewise, our own faith will require action in order for it to grow and be effective. Tammy says, “For me, [faith in God] means I will do what I can to support God. It requires action on my part in order to have complete confidence and trust in Him.”

- Emily Abel

Share

 We cannot sit idly and expect the Lord to use us in His great work. We must not wait for those who need our aid to seek us out; it is our duty as priesthood holders to exemplify and stand as witnesses of God.

- Enzo Serge Petelo

Share

 Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace. Whoever will lost his life in the service of God will find eternal life.

- Ezra Taft Benson

Share

 They have been affected by the scepticism of a sceptical age. They do not believe except they see.

- Francis Pharcellus Church

Share

 “Have you not heard others speak as Thomas spoke? ‘Give us,’ they say, the empirical evidence. Prove before our very eyes, and our ears, and our hands, else we will not believe.’ This is the language of the time in which we live. Thomas the Doubter has become the example of men in all ages who refuse to accept other than that which they can physically prove and explain—as if they could prove love, or faith, or even such physical phenomena as electricity. …’To all within the sound of my voice who may have doubts, I repeat the words given Thomas as he felt the wounded hands of the lord: ‘Be not faithless, but believing.”

- Gordon B. Hinckley

Share

 The trouble with you is you want to see the end from the beginning. You must learn to walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness; then the light will appear and show the way before you.

- Harold B. Lee

Share

 Now faith is the substance [assurance] of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

- Hebrews

Share

 Without faith it is impossible to please (God).

- Hebrews

Share

 Finally, atheists claim that faith is the height of delusion, and yet everybody, including atheists, have faith in something. G.K. Chesterton is reported to have said, “If man doesn’t believe in God, he will believe in anything.” Once atheists leave traditional faiths, they gravitate to new, secular alternatives, such as Marxism, political progressivism, humanism, postmodernism, or scientism—every one of which is based on assumptions that require remarkable leaps of faith to accept.

- Hyrum Lewis

Share

 Understanding God's attributes and perfections, gets rid of any doubt that may come because of the weaknesses of men, and thus makes one's faith *exceedingly strong*.

- Jantzen Allphin

Share

 “God expects you to have enough faith and determination and enough trust in Him to keep moving, keep living, keep rejoicing. In fact, He expects you not simply to face the future (that sounds pretty grim and stoic); He expects you to embrace and shape the future--to love it and rejoice in it and delight in your opportunities. God is anxiously waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has. But He can’t if you don’t pray, and He can’t if you don’t dream. In short, He can’t if you don’t believe.”

- Jeffrey R. Holland

Share

 “in this long eternal quest to be more like our Savior, may we try to be ‘perfect’ men and women in at least this one way now—by offending not in word, or more positively put, by speaking with a new tongue, the tongue of angels. Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith and hope and charity, the three great Christian imperatives so desperately needed in the world today. With such words, spoken under the influence of the Spirit, tears can be dried, hearts can be healed, lives can be elevated, hope can return, confidence can prevail.

- Jeffrey R. Holland

Share

 So, I ask, “If so many of our 1820 hopes could begin to be fulfilled with a flash of divine light to a mere boy kneeling in a patch of trees in upstate New York, why should we not hope that righteous desires and Christlike yearnings can still be marvelously, miraculously answered by the God of all hope?” We all need to believe that what we desire in righteousness can someday, someway, somehow yet be ours.

- Jeffrey R. Holland

Share

 The answer to such questions is “Yes, God can provide miracles instantaneously, but sooner or later we learn that the times and seasons of our mortal journey are His and His alone to direct.” He administers that calendar to every one of us individually. For every infirm man healed instantly as he waits to enter the Pool of Bethesda,3 someone else will spend 40 years in the desert waiting to enter the promised land.4 For every Nephi and Lehi divinely protected by an encircling flame of fire for their faith,5 we have an Abinadi burned at a stake of flaming fire for his.6 And we remember that the same Elijah who in an instant called down fire from heaven to bear witness against the priests of Baal7 is the same Elijah who endured a period when there was no rain for years and who, for a time, was fed only by the skimpy sustenance that could be carried in a raven’s claw.8 By my estimation, that can’t have been anything we would call a “happy meal.”

- Jeffrey R. Holland

Share

 The point? The point is that faith means trusting God in good times and bad, even if that includes some suffering until we see His arm revealed in our behalf.9 That can be difficult in our modern world when many have come to believe that the highest good in life is to avoid all suffering, that no one should ever anguish over anything.10 But that belief will never lead us to “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”11

- Jeffrey R. Holland

Share

 With apologies to Elder Neal A. Maxwell for daring to modify and enlarge something he once said, I too suggest that “one’s life … cannot be both faith-filled and stress-free.” It simply will not work “to glide naively through life,” saying as we sip another glass of lemonade, “Lord, give me all thy choicest virtues, but be certain not to give me grief, nor sorrow, nor pain, nor opposition. Please do not let anyone dislike me or betray me, and above all, do not ever let me feel forsaken by Thee or those I love. In fact, Lord, be careful to keep me from all the experiences that made Thee divine. And then, when the rough sledding by everyone else is over, please let me come and dwell with Thee, where I can boast about how similar our strengths and our characters are as I float along on my cloud of comfortable Christianity.”

- Jeffrey R. Holland

Share

 My beloved brothers and sisters, Christianity is comforting, but it is often not comfortable. The path to holiness and happiness here and hereafter is a long and sometimes rocky one. It takes time and tenacity to walk it. But, of course, the reward for doing so is monumental.

- Jeffrey R. Holland

Share

 “Well, if this is the case,” you might say, “shouldn’t His love and mercy simply part our personal Red Seas and allow us to walk through our troubles on dry ground? Shouldn’t He send 21st-century seagulls winging in from somewhere to gobble up all of our pesky 21st-century crickets?” The answer to such questions is “Yes, God can provide miracles instantaneously, but sooner or later we learn that the times and seasons of our mortal journey are His and His alone to direct.” He administers that calendar to every one of us individually. For every infirm man healed instantly as he waits to enter the Pool of Bethesda,3 someone else will spend 40 years in the desert waiting to enter the promised land.4 For every Nephi and Lehi divinely protected by an encircling flame of fire for their faith,5 we have an Abinadi burned at a stake of flaming fire for his.6 And we remember that the same Elijah who in an instant called down fire from heaven to bear witness against the priests of Baal7 is the same Elijah who endured a period when there was no rain for years and who, for a time, was fed only by the skimpy sustenance that could be carried in a raven’s claw.8 By my estimation, that can’t have been anything we would call a “happy meal.” The point? The point is that faith means trusting God in good times and bad, even if that includes some suffering until we see His arm revealed in our behalf.9 That can be difficult in our modern world when many have come to believe that the highest good in life is to avoid all suffering, that no one should ever anguish over anything.10 But that belief will never lead us to “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”

- Jeffrey R. Holland

Share

 With apologies to Elder Neal A. Maxwell for daring to modify and enlarge something he once said, I too suggest that 'one's life ' cannot be both faith-filled and stress-free.' It simply will not work 'to glide naively through life,' saying as we sip another glass of lemonade, 'Lord, give me all thy choicest virtues, but be certain not to give me grief, nor sorrow, nor pain, nor opposition. Please do not let anyone dislike me or betray me, and above all, do not ever let me feel forsaken by Thee or those I love. In fact, Lord, be careful to keep me from all the experiences that made Thee divine. And then, when the rough sledding by everyone else is over, please let me come and dwell with Thee, where I can boast about how similar our strengths and our characters are as I float along on my cloud of comfortable Christianity.'12 My beloved brothers and sisters, Christianity is comforting, but it is often not comfortable. The path to holiness and happiness here and hereafter is a long and sometimes rocky one. It takes time and tenacity to walk it. But, of course, the reward for doing so is monumental. This truth is taught clearly and persuasively in the 32nd chapter of Alma in the Book of Mormon. There this great high priest teaches that if the word of God is planted in our hearts as a mere seed, and if we care enough to water, weed, nourish, and encourage it, it will in the future bear fruit 'which is most precious, ' sweet above all that is sweet,' the consuming of which leads to a condition of no more thirst and no more hunger.13 Many lessons are taught in this remarkable chapter, but central to them all is the axiom that the seed has to be nourished and we must wait for it to mature; we '[look] forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof.'14 Our harvest, Alma says, comes 'by and by.'15 Little wonder that he concludes his remarkable instruction by repeating three times a call for diligence and patience in nurturing the word of God in our hearts, 'waiting,' as he says, with 'long-suffering ' for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.'

- Jeffrey R. Holland

Share

 Conviction cannot be maintained through mere book study in our basements. Nor is the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a spectator sport, where our convictions grow solely from observing the experiences of others. We must get our own hands dirty in the work. This is where miracles happen.

- Jeffrey Thayne

Share

 For example, our modern culture has embraced a philosophical worldview that many call expressive individualism, which offers us narratives of liberation, where we learn to be true to ourselves by relinquishing the chains of tradition and superstition through self-affirmation. The restored Gospel of Jesus offers us narratives of redemption, where we recognize our fallenness before God, and become new creatures through discipleship and the sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ.

- Jeffrey Thayne

Share

 Modern culture has embraced an understanding of love where we adopt a stance of affirmation, or at the very least indifference, towards actions of those we love, where we give up entirely the notion that their choices might put them in spiritual peril. In contrast, the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ shows us an all-loving God who grieves when His children alienate themselves from Him, and where loving parents wet their pillows with tears for their wayward children.

- Jeffrey Thayne

Share

 When I say that I know the Church is true, I do not mean that the church is perfect, or that our institutional journey is complete. Rather, I mean that this Church is Christ’s.

- Jeffrey Thayne

Share

 But most importantly, my conviction, my witness, does not rest on any single spiritual experience. Nor should it. Rather, it is better thought of as a tapestry that is woven from thousands of little threads that (on their own) might not convince me, but together, they become an unassailable witness of the Restored Gospel.

- Jeffrey Thayne

Share

 When we spend our time looking for that single spiritual manifestation that will sweep doubt from our minds and hearts, we may come to wrongly believe that God’s promises of spiritual knowledge are empty. But when we look outwards, invest ourselves in the word of God, invest ourselves in ministry in this kingdom, continually renew our covenants and participate in sacred ordinances, we can and will have encounters with God and myriads of spiritual confirmations that, stacked together, serve as a reservoir of spiritual strength that will carry us through times of discouragement, doubt, and uncertainty.

- Jeffrey Thayne

Share

 I am firmly of the belief that the Gospel of Jesus Christ does not insulate us from trials and hardships. It’s not meant to. Because both holy scriptures and modern prophets teach that joy are the object of our existence, many Latter-day Saints inadvertently assume that (1) joy and happiness are defined by positive emotions and that (2) the pursuit of these positive emotions is our purpose in life. 

- Jeffrey Thayne

Share

 The purpose of the Gospel is not to make us happy (as the world defines it, e.g., positive emotions), but to make us holy. And this holiness is what divine Joy looks like. 

- Jeffrey Thayne

Share

 The way I see it, misery is pain that is embittered with resentment and fueled by selfishness. Suffering is pain that is sweetened with forgiveness and empowered by love. In this world (and in the next) there will be pain and hardship. But the Love of God can transform that pain from misery to suffering, by making us whole in our hearts and holy in our souls.

- Jeffrey Thayne

Share

 Faith is the first principle of revealed religion. It is a form of knowledge.

- John A. Widtsoe

Share

 The facts of experience, called knowledge, usually pertain to the visible world around us. When we venture into the unseen world, by the use of our subtler faculties, the knowledge thus gained is usually spoken of as faith. Paul made the distinction clear in his famous definition: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith then becomes knowledge of a certain kind, won in a certain way. It makes known that which was formerly unknown. When the work of faith is finished, all will be known.

- John A. Widtsoe

Share

 Paul’s definition makes faith also a moving force. There can be no faith unless we venture out to discover the “substance hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” It implies that we must seek faith for ourselves, or it will not have value, or come to stay. Faith is a product of individual action. Like all other good things, it is a reward of self-effort. It must be found by oneself. It cannot be borrowed or stolen from another ... The more faith is examined, the more it becomes an active, prayer[ful], hopeful force, that drives us, without doubt, to an active search for truth. It is a universal principle that leads to human progress.

- John A. Widtsoe

Share

 Faith or its equivalent is the first principle in every human pursuit. Every onward step implies faith. The scientist in his laboratory performs his experiment with the assurance that something will be learned from it. Newton made his calculations that gave us the law of gravitation, with the assurance that, by so doing, he would learn more than he knew about planetary and stellar worlds. Every inventor, builder, artist, or statesman employs faith in his toil. Therefore, we have our great, advancing civilization.

- John A. Widtsoe

Share

 Without faith we not only do not increase, we may decrease. The business man unable to visualize the probable results of his work becomes a mere blunderer. Or the one without confidence in his venture, becomes harassed with fear. Without faith, the chemist would not fill his test tube, the astronomer would not look through his telescope, the business man would not replenish his stock, the painter would leave his brush on the palette. All would stagnate. Success does not wait on blunderers or fearful ones. The fruits of faith are confidence, courage, certainty, progress—all vital elements of success.

- John A. Widtsoe

Share

 The supremacy of faith in all human affairs is universally recognized. Faith is understood to be the first guiding principle of life, the motive power of achievement. Whether in science, business, the professions and the arts, or in religion, faith is the basic principle of action. The entrance into the house of truth is the same, whether it be the cottage of science or the palace of religion.

- John A. Widtsoe

Share

 Another such fundamental law to which man must conform, is that of repentance, which in its larger sense, is merely faith made active.

- John A. Widtsoe

Share

 Faith is the assurance of the existence of "things not seen."

- John A. Widtsoe

Share

 For the government of the individual the first principle in Mormon theology is faith. Joseph Smith defined faith in the words of the Apostle Paul, "Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen." To this the Prophet added "From this we learn that faith is the assurance which men have of things which they have not seen."[A] On this principle, with this definition, many young persons who have ventured upon the sea of unbelief have wrecked the religion of their childhood; for, the human mind, in some stages of its development, is disinclined to accept as knowledge anything that can not be sensed directly.

- John A. Widtsoe

Share

 It is true that in the beginning of science no faith seems to be required; for every statement is based on experiments and observations that may be repeated by every student; and nothing is "taken on trust." As the deeper parts of science are explored, however, it is soon discovered that in science as in theology, a faith in "things that can not be seen," is an essential requisite for progress. In fact, the fundamental laws of the great divisions of science deal with realities that are wholly and hopelessly beyond the reach of man's five senses.

- John A. Widtsoe

Share

 Here, a faith is required in "things that can not be seen," and in the properties of these things. True, the scientist does not pretend to describe the atoms in detail, he does not need to do that to establish the certainty of their existence. He looks upon them as ultimate causes of effects that he may note with his physical senses. Does theology require more? Does any sane man in asking us to believe in God, for instance, attempt to describe him in detail?

- John A. Widtsoe

Share

 Has any man asked us to believe that he can describe the structure of God's dwelling? No principle taught by Joseph Smith requires a larger faith than this.

- John A. Widtsoe

Share

 Not only in chemistry are such transcendent truths required. The fundamental conception of physics requires, if possible, a larger faith. The explanations of modern physics rest largely upon the doctrine of the universal ether. This ether is everywhere present, between the molecules and atoms; in fact the things of the universe are, as it were, suspended in the ocean of ether. This ether is so attenuated that it fills the pores of the human body without impressing itself upon our consciousness, yet some of its properties indicate that its elasticity is equal to that of steel. As shown in chapter 5, the most eminent scientists of the day declare that the existence of this world-ether is one of the few things of which men may be absolutely sure. Yet the ether cannot be seen, heard, tasted, smelled or felt. To our senses it has neither weight nor substance. To believe the existence of this ether requires a faith which is certainly as great as the greatest faith required by Mormon theology.

- John A. Widtsoe

Share

 The scientist, likewise, begins with the things that are made and proceeds "from faith to faith," gaining "here a little, and there a little," until a faith is reached which, to him who has not followed its growth, may seem absurd in its loftiness.

- John A. Widtsoe

Share

 Certainly, no man can progress in science unless he has faith in the great inductions of scientific men. Faith is as indispensable for scientific progress as for theological advancement. In both cases it is the great principle of action.

- John A. Widtsoe

Share

 It must be sufficient to remark again that Mormonism is strictly scientific in stating as the first principle of the guidance of the individual, that of faith in unseen things; for that is the basic principle for the beginner in modern science.

- John A. Widtsoe

Share

 No man will change a habit without a satisfactory reason. In fact, all the actions of men should be guided by reason. Repentance then is a kind of obedience or active faith; and is great in proportion to the degree of faith possessed by the individual. Certainly, the repentance of no man can transcend his faith, which includes his knowledge.

- John A. Widtsoe

Share

 Unfortunately, some in the Church may believe sincerely that their testimony is a raging bonfire when it really is little more than the faint flickering of a candle. Their faithfulness has more to do with habit than holiness, and their pursuit of personal righteousness almost always takes a back seat to their pursuit of personal interests and pleasure. With such a feeble light of testimony for protection, these travelers on life's highways are easy prey for the wolves of the adversary.

- Joseph B. Wirthlin

Share

 9.From this we learn that faith is the assurance which men have of the existence of things which they have not seen, and the principle of action in all intelligent beings. 10. If men were duly to consider themselves, and turn their thoughts and reflections to the operations of their own minds, they would readily discover that it is faith, and faith only, which is the moving cause of all action in the; that without it both mind and body would be in a state of inactivity, and all their exertions would cease, both physical and mental.

- Joseph Smith

Share

 Take this principle or attribute--for it is an attribute--from the Deity, and he would cease to exist. 17. Who cannot see, that if God framed the worlds by faith, that it is by faith that he exercises power over them, and that faith is the principle of power? And if the principle of power, it must be so in man as well as in the Deity? This is the testimony of all the sacred writers, and the lesson which they have been endeavoring to teach to man.

- Joseph Smith

Share

 Let us here observe, that after any portion of the human family are made acquainted with the important fact that there is a God who has created and does uphold all things, the extent of their knowledge, respecting his character and glory, will depend upon their diligence and faithfulness in seeking after him, until like Enoch the brother of Jared, and Moses, they shall obtain faith in God, and power with him to behold him face to face.

- Joseph Smith

Share

 We have now clearly set forth how it is, and how it was, that God became an object of faith for rational beings; and also, upon what foundation the testimony was based, which excited the enquiry and diligent search of the ancient saints, to seek after and obtain a knowledge of the glory of God: and we have seen that it was human testimony, and human testimony only, that excited this enquiry, in the first instance in their minds—it was the credence they gave to the testimony of their fathers—this testimony having aroused their minds to enquire after the knowledge of God, the enquiry frequently terminated, indeed, *always terminated, when rightly pursued, in the most glorious discoveries, and eternal certainty.*

- Joseph Smith

Share

 Is the knowledge of the existence of God a matter of mere tradition, founded upon human testimony alone, until a person receives a manifestation of God to themselves? It is.

- Joseph Smith

Share

 Let us here observe, that three things are necessary, in order that any rational and intelligent being may exercise faith in God unto life and salvation. 3 First, The idea that he actually exists. 4 Secondly, A correct idea of his character, perfections and attributes. 5 Thirdly, An actual knowledge that the course of life which he is pursuing, is according to his will.—For without an acquaintance with these three important facts, the faith of every rational being must be imperfect and unproductive; but with this understanding, it can become perfect and fruitful, abounding in righteousness unto the praise and glory of God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

- Joseph Smith

Share

 ..For where doubt is, there faith has no power..

- Joseph Smith

Share

 The God of heaven understanding most perfectly the constitution of human nature, and the weakness of man, knew what was necessary to be revealed, and what ideas must be planted in their minds in order that they might be enabled to exercise faith in him unto eternal life.

- Joseph Smith

Share

 The Father and the Son possessing the same mind, the same wisdom, glory, power and fulness: Filling all in all—the Son being filled with the fulness of the Mind, glory and power, or, in other words, the Spirit, glory and power of the Father—possessing all knowledge and glory, and the same kingdom: sitting at the right hand of power, in the express image and likeness of the Father—a Mediator for man—being filled with the fulness of the Mind of the Father, or, in other words, the Spirit of the Father: which Spirit is shed forth upon all who believe on his name and keep his commandments: and all those who keep his commandments shall grow up from grace to grace, and become heirs of the heavenly kingdom, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ; possessing the same mind, being transformed into the same image or likeness, even the express image of him who fills all in all: being filled with the fulness of his glory, and become one in him, even as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one. 3 From the foregoing account of the Godhead, which is given in his revelations, the Saints have a sure foundation laid for the exercise of faith unto life and salvation, through the atonement and mediation of Jesus Christ, by whose blood they have a forgiveness of sins, and also, a sure reward laid up for them in heaven, even that of partaking of the fulness of the Father and the Son, through the Spirit. As the Son partakes of the fulness of the Father through the Spirit, so the saints are, by the same Spirit, to be partakers of the same fulness, to enjoy the same glory; for as the Father and the Son are one, so in like manner the saints are to be one in them, through the love of the Father, the mediation of Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit; they are to be heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

- Joseph Smith

Share

 An actual knowledge to any person that the course of life which he pursues is according to the will of God, is essentially necessary to enable him to have that confidence in God, without which no person can obtain eternal life. It was this that enabled the ancient saints to endure all their afflictions and persecutions, and to take joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing, (not believing merely,) that they had a more enduring substance (Hebrews 10:34).

- Joseph Smith

Share

 For doubt and faith do not exist in the same person at the same time. So that persons whose minds are under doubts and fears cannot have unshaken confidence, and where unshaken confidence is not, there faith is weak, and where faith is weak, the persons will not be able to contend against all the opposition, tribulations and afflictions which they will have to encounter in order to be heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ Jesus; and they will grow weary in their minds, and the adversary will have power over them and destroy them.

- Joseph Smith

Share

 Faith, then, works by words; and with these its mightiest works have been, and will be performed.

- Joseph Smith

Share

 So, then, faith is truly the first principle in the science of THEOLOGY, and when understood, leads the mind back to the beginning and carries it forward to the end; or in other words, from eternity to eternity.

- Joseph Smith

Share

 he would teach them the necessity of living by faith, and the impossibility there was of their enjoying the blessedness of eternity without it, *seeing that all the blessings of eternity are the effects of faith.*

- Joseph Smith

Share

 And what constitutes the real difference between a saved person and one not saved, is the difference in the degree of their faith: one's faith has become perfect enough to lay hold upon eternal life, and the other's has not.

- Joseph Smith

Share

 And he who possesses it will, through it, obtain all necessary knowledge and wisdom until he shall know God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, whom he has sent: whom to know is eternal life: Amen.

- Joseph Smith

Share

 "Fret not thyself because of evil doers" God will see to it.

- Joseph Smith

Share

 Nothing is so much calculated to lead people to forsake sin as to take them by the hand and watch over them with tenderness.

- Joseph Smith

Share

 A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation".

- Joseph Smith

Share

 As I think about faith, this principle of power, I am obliged to believe that it is an intelligent force. Of what kind, I do not know. But it is superior to and overrules all other forces of which we know. ... We have had this great power given unto us, this power of faith. What are we doing about it? Can you, can we, do the mighty things the Savior did? Yes. They have been done by the members of the Church who had the faith and the righteousness so to do. Think of what is within your power if you but live the Gospel, if you but live so that you may invoke the power which is within you."

- J. Reuben Clark Jr.

Share

 “I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandolf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

- J.R.R. Tolkien

Share

 “Why are ye so fearful?”9 “Where is your faith?”10 There is a mortal tendency, even a temptation, when we find ourselves in the middle of trials, troubles, or afflictions to cry out, “Master, carest thou not that I perish? Save me.” Even Joseph Smith pleaded from an awful prison, “O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?”

- Lisa L. Harkness

Share

 Our faith increases as we choose to believe rather than doubt, forgive rather than judge, repent rather than rebel. Our faith is refined as we patiently rely on the merits and mercy and grace of the Holy Messiah.

- Lisa L. Harkness

Share

 “While faith is not a perfect knowledge,” Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, “it brings a deep trust in God, whose knowledge is perfect!”21 Even in turbulent times, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is gritty and resilient. It helps us sift through unimportant distractions. It encourages us to keep moving along the covenant path. Faith pushes through discouragement and allows us to face the future with resolve and squared shoulders. It prompts us to ask for rescue and relief as we pray to the Father in the name of His Son. And when prayerful pleas seem to go unanswered, our persistent faith in Jesus Christ produces patience, humility, and the ability to reverently utter the words “Thy will be done.”

- Lisa L. Harkness

Share

 Recently, President Nelson promised “that decreased fear and increased faith will follow” as we “begin anew truly to hear, hearken to, and heed the words of the Savior.”

- Lisa L. Harkness

Share

 My Primary teacher instilled in me a determination to study the doctrines of the kingdom. She taught me to seek the deep meaning contained in these simple Articles of Faith. She promised me that if I would invest in learning these sacred truths, the knowledge I acquired would change my life for the better, and I testify to you that it has.

- L. Tom Perry

Share

 True disciples love to submit themselves to the Lord with peace in their heart. They are humble and submissive because they love Him. They have faith to fully accept His will, not only in what He does but also in how and when. True disciples know that the real blessings are not always what they want but rather what the Lord wants for them. True disciples love the Lord more than the world and are steadfast and immovable in their faith. They stay strong and firm in a changing and confusing world. True disciples love to listen to the voice of the Spirit and of the prophets and are not confused by the voices of the world. True disciples love to “stand in holy places” and love to make holy the places where they stand. Wherever they go, they bring the love of the Lord and peace to the hearts of others. True disciples love to obey the Lord’s commandments, and they obey because they love the Lord. As they love and keep their covenants, their hearts are renewed and their very nature changes. Pure love is the true sign of every true disciple of Jesus Christ.

- Massimo De Feo

Share

 I witness to you that through the staggering goodness of Jesus Christ and His infinite Atonement, we can escape the deserved agonies of our moral failings and overcome the undeserved agonies of our mortal misfortunes.

- Matthew S. Holland

Share

 A testimony is essentially a list of those things we have faith in. But faith is distinct from belief. Faith is how we live our lives, not how much we believe in things.

- Meridian Magazine

Share

 Such partings of the veil happen, of course, but in private settings and often with instructions or needed reassurances to expedite God's work and always to reward faith—not to moot faith. Without the veil, for instance, we would lose that precious insulation which keeps us from a profound and disabling homesickness that would interfere with our mortal probation and maturation. Without the veil, our brief, mortal walk in a darkening world would lose its meaning,for one would scarcely carry the flashlight of faith at noonday and in the presence of the Light of the world!

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 And how could we learn about obedience if we were shielded from the consequences of our disobedience? Nor could we choose for ourselves in His holy presence among alternatives that do not there exist, for God's court is filled with those who have both chosen and overcome—whose company we do not yet deserve.

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 Since we cannot fully comprehend any one of God's perfected attributes, we surely cannot comprehend them in the aggregate. But we can have faith in Him and in His attributes as He has described these to us. This is what He asks of us. We may say that this is a lot to ask, but anything less will not do.

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 There is a vast difference, therefore, between an omniscient God and the false notion that God is on some sort of post-doctoral fellowship, still searching for additional key truths and vital data. Were the latter so, God might, at any moment, discover some new truth not previously known to Him that would restructure, diminish, or undercut certain truths previously known by Him. Prophecy would be mere prediction. Planning assumptions pertaining to our redemption would need to be revised. Fortunately for us, however, His plan of salvation is constantly underway—not constantly under revision.

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 Though His plans are known to Him, there is no premature exposure of the Lord's plans. This could bring unnecessary persecution upon an unready Lord's people. Further, a premature showing of His power and strength in support of His Saints could cut short the trial of our faith.

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 We must not approach God as if He were somehow constrained by finite knowledge and by time. A useful and illustrative episode is the one involving the prophet Elisha and his young manservant. The prophet could see that a surrounded Israel need not fear. (2 Kings 6:15-17.) The alarmed younger man had to have his eyes opened, however, so he too could see that while the mountain was hostilely compassed about with horses and chariots of the enemy, it was also filled with horses and chariots of fire. Thus, even though the prophet said to the young man, "Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them," he was still puzzled and doubting. Only when his eyes were opened could he see the reassuring reality. Often, so it is with us. We see dimly, or, as Paul said, "through a glass, darkly." (1 Corinthians Such is the relevance of seers. Such is the role of faith. In a very real sense, all we need to know is that God knows all!

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 So much of the secular data men have accumulated is accurate, but ultimately unimportant. Even learning useful things has often diverted mankind from learning crucial things. Furthermore, let us not forget that great insight given us about the premortal world. The ascendancy of Jesus Christ (among all of our spirit brothers and sisters) is clearly set forth. Of Him it was said that He is "more intelligent than they all." (Abraham 3:19.) This means that Jesus knows more about astrophysics than all the humans who have ever lived, who live now, and who will yet live. Likewise, the same may be said about any other topic or subject. Moreover, what the Lord knows is, fortunately, vastly more—not just barely more—than the combination of what all mortals know. Even with the "brightest and the best," for instance, the current scientific competency in predicting earthquakes is a very inexact science. Scientists recently predicted a major quake along Alaska's coastline. When? Sometime in the next several decades. Rather indefinite as to when. Prophecy, happily, springs from very exact knowledge in the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Eternal Father, and it is surely very exacting in our lives as we experience its fulfillment.

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 Therefore, in order for us to develop trust in God to see us through all these things, we must have a measure of understanding about His nature, including His omniscience. The Prophet Joseph Smith said it was the first principle of real religion to know the true nature of God. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345.)

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 The future duties to be given to some of us in the worlds to come by an omniscient God will require of us an earned sense of esteem as well as proof of our competency. Thus the tests given to us here are given not because God is in doubt as to the outcome, but because we need to grow in order to be able to serve with full effectiveness in the eternity to come. Further, to be untested and unproven is also to be unaware of all that we are. If we are unknowing of our possibilities, with what could we safely be entrusted? Could we in ignorance of our capacities trust ourselves? Could others then be entrusted to us? Thus the relentless love of our Father in heaven is such that in His omniscience, He will not allow the cutting short some of the brief experiences we are having here. To do so would be to deprive us of everlasting experiences and great joy there. What else would an omniscient and loving Father do, even if we plead otherwise? He must at times say no. Furthermore, since there was no exemption from suffering for Christ, how can there be one for us? Do we really want immunity from adversity? Especially when certain kinds of suffering can aid our growth in this life? To deprive ourselves of those experiences, much as we might momentarily like to, would be to deprive ourselves of the outcomes over which we shouted with anticipated joy when this life's experiences were explained to us so long ago, in the world before we came here.

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 In order for "all these things" to make sense, we must come to understand that God has "all sense." Only then can we repose with confidence in His perfect love!

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 God carefully scales "all these things," since we cannot bear all things now. He has told us: "Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth." (D&C 50:40.) We will not be able to say shruggingly at judgment time, "I was overcome by the world because I was overprogrammed or overtempted." For the promises are that temptation can either be escaped or endured. (1 Corinthians 10:13.) The promise is also that throughout tribulation God's grace is sufficient for us—He will see us through. (2 Corinthians 12:9; Ether 12:26-27.) Thus, for a host of reasons, correct conduct under stress is more likely when one has correct expectations about life. If we understand the basic purpose of life, we will find it easier to see purpose in our own life.

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 Thus one of the biggest blocks to Christian communication is that we are so afraid of being misunderstood. So, when in doubt, we withhold. Yet Paul said to speak the truth in love; we can then take the chance. We worry (and understandably so) that some communications will only produce more distance. But silence is very risky, too.

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 Our self-esteem is stretched, however, only as we are stretched, and true humility includes believing in and exploring our own possibilities.

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 Besides, a neighbor is apt to hold to a view all the more until he has a chance to explain it. Counsel is more apt to be received after listening has occurred.

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 Jesus' tutoring but disapproving response was: "Ye know not what ye ask." (Matthew 20:22.) Clearly, when our prayers are uninspired, we petition for things we should not ask for, even though we do so innocently. This is, in effect, what we do when we pray and "ask amiss." (James 4:3.) When we ask amiss, God, being perfect, must reject our petitions: "And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you." (3 Nephi 18:20. Italics added.) The task is to draw close enough to the Lord that we progress to the point where we petition Him according to His will, not ours. "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us." (1 John 5:14.) In modern revelations the Lord has declared His willingness to grant us the requests contained in our petitions if what we ask for is expedient for us. (D&C 88:64-65.) When we become sufficiently purified and cleansed from sin, we can ask what we will in the name of Jesus "and it shall be done." (D&C 50:29.) The Lord even promises us that when one reaches a certain spiritual condition, "it shall be given you what you shall ask." (D&C 50:30.)

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 When we pray, we are not conveying any information to God that He does not already have. Nor, when we confess our sins before Him, is it news to Him that we have misbehaved. It is vital, therefore, that we open our souls to Him and tell Him what our concerns are now, as well as acknowledge what we now are, for this is a part of the process of aligning ourselves with His will. We cannot, for the purposes of real prayer, hurriedly dress our words and attitudes in tuxedos when our shabby life is in rags. More than we realize, being honest with God in our prayers helps us to be more honest with ourselves. Furthermore, some of us actually feel we are too good for a petitionary prayer, especially when life is going reasonably well. It is part of our childish resentment of our dependency on God. We are also sometimes too proud to pray over small things, and thus we get out of practice. Then the moment of agony comes.

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 Prophets have a way of seeing more deeply and more distantly than the rest of us. They can, under the direction of the Spirit (to refer to an episode in the Old Testament), see a thundercloud when it is no larger than a man's hand. (1 Kings 18:44.) Their mortal sense of anticipation is sharpened by the divine, fully developed and perfected anticipation of God Himself—of which much is written in an earlier chapter.

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 Another steady follower of the earliest Church leaders was President Wilford Woodruff. In an address given October 6, 1856, he observed, "Whatever counsel the Presidency of this Church have been led to give unto this people, it has been dictated by the Spirit and power of God, and our safety and salvation lies in obeying that counsel and putting it into practice.

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 And it will be most helpful to us all if we renew and reassure ourselves by noting how it has always been the case—that the Lord has raised up men as His prophets who have just the cluster of talents needed for a particular time.

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 Humility is not the disavowal of our worth; rather, it is the sober realization of how much we are valued by God. Nor does true humility call for the denigration of what truth we already know; rather, it is the catching of one's breath, as he realizes how very little that which we mortals presently know really is!

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 Neither is obedience a mindless shifting of our personal responsibility. Instead, it is tying ourselves to a living God who will introduce us—as soon as we are ready—to new and heavier responsibilities involving situations of high adventure. Obedience, therefore, is not evasion; it is an invasion—one that takes us deep into the realm of our possibilities

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 As we come to understand and experience God in all His perfected attributes and as we struggle to develop these same attributes in ourselves, we move from appreciation for Him to adoration of Him!

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 If we enlist and take the Savior's yoke upon us we "shall find rest unto [our] souls" (Matthew 11:29). If we are only part-time soldiers, though, partially yoked, we experience quite the opposite: frustration, irritation, and the absence of His full grace and spiritual rest. In that case weaknesses persist and satisfactions are intermittent. . . Actually the partially yoked experience little spiritual satisfaction, because they are burdened by carrying the awful weight of the natural man -- without any of the joys that come from progressing toward becoming "the man of Christ." They have scarcely "[begun] to be enlightened" (Alma 32:34). The meek and fully yoked, on the other hand, find God's reassuring grace and see their weakness yielding to strength (see Ether 12:27). Strange as it seems, a few of the partially yoked, undeservedly wearing the colors of the kingdom, are just close enough to the prescribed path and process to be able to observe in others some of the visible costs of discipleship. Sobered by that observation, they want victory without battle and expect campaign ribbons merely for watching; but there is no witness until after the trial of their faith (see Ether 12:6). These same Church members know just enough about the doctrines to converse superficially on them, but their scant knowledge about the deep doctrines is inadequate for deep discipleship (see 1 Corinthians 2:10). Thus uninformed about the deep doctrines, they make no deep change in their lives. They lack the faith to "give place" (Alma 32:27) consistently for real discipleship. Such members move out a few hundred yards from the entrance to the straight and narrow path and repose on the first little rise, thinking, "Well, this is all there is to it"; and they end up living far below their possibilities. While not as distant as those King Benjamin described "For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?" (Mosiah 5:13) -- these people are not drawing closer either.

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 Events and circumstances in the last days make it imperative for us as members of the Church to become more grounded, rooted, established, and settled (see Col. 1:23; Col. 2:7; 2 Pet. 1:12). Jesus said to His disciples, "settle this in your hearts, that ye will do the things which I shall teach, and command you" (JST Luke 14:28). If not so settled, the turbulence will be severe. If settled, we will not be "tossed to and fro," whether by rumors, false doctrines, or by the behavioral and intellectual fashions of the world. Nor will we get caught up in the "talk show" mentality, spending our time like ancient Athenians "in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing" (Acts 17:21). Why be concerned with the passing preferences of the world anyway? "For the fashion of this world passeth away" (1 Cor. 7:31). . . . Some Church members, alas, are neither reconciled to the will of God nor are they sufficiently settled as to their covenants. . . . Some give of their time yet withhold themselves, being present without giving of their presence and going through the superficial motions of membership instead of the deep emotions of consecrated discipleship. Some try to get by with knowing only the headlines of the gospel, not really talking much of Christ or rejoicing in Christ and esteeming lightly His books of scripture which contain and explain His covenants (see 2 Ne. 25:26). Some are so proud they never learn of obedience and spiritual submissiveness. They will have very arthritic knees on the day when every knee shall bend. There will be no gallery then to play to; all will be participants! Maintaining Church membership on our own terms, therefore, is not true discipleship. Real disciples absorb the fiery darts of the adversary by holding aloft the quenching shield of faith with one hand, while holding to the iron rod with the other (see Eph. 6:16; 1 Ne. 15:24; D&C 27:17). There should be no mistaking; it will take both hands!

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 It is [my] opinion that all the scriptures, including the Book of Mormon, will remain in the realm of faith. Science will not be able to prove or disprove holy writ. However, enough plausible evidence will come forth to prevent scoffers from having a field day, but not enough to remove the requirement of faith. Believers must be patient during such unfolding

- Neal A. Maxwell

Share

 “A prophet does not stand between you and the Savior. Rather, he stands beside you and points the way to the Savior. A prophet’s greatest responsibility and most precious gift to us is his sure witness, his certain knowledge, that Jesus is the Christ. Like Peter of old, our prophet declares, ‘[He is] the Christ, the Son of the living God’ [Matthew 16:16; see also John 6:69]. “In a future day, looking back on our mortality, we will rejoice that we walked the earth at the time of a living prophet. At that day, I pray that we will be able to say: “We listened to him. We believed him. We studied his words with patience and faith. We prayed for him. We stood by him. We were humble enough to follow him. We loved him”

- Neil L. Andersen

Share

 How we live our lives increases or diminishes our faith. Prayer, obedience, honesty, purity of thought and deed, and unselfishness increases faith. Without these, faith diminishes. Why did the Savior say to Peter, “I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not”? Because there is an adversary who delights in destroying our faith! Be relentless in protecting your faith.”

- Neil L. Anderson

Share

 Faith or belief is the result of evidence presented to the mind. Without evidence, the mind cannot have faith in anything.

- Orson Pratt

Share

 *Grace and peace be multiplied unto you, through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,* according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that has called us unto glory and virtue.

- Peter

Share

 "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."

- Psalms

Share

 “As we invest time in learning about the Savior and His atoning sacrifice, we are drawn to participate in another key element to assessing His power: we choose to have faith in Him and follow Him. True disciples of Jesus Christ are willing to stand out, speak up, and be different from the people of the world. They are undaunted, devoted, and courageous.”

- Russell M. Nelson

Share

 Jesus suffered deeply because He loves us deeply! He wants us to repent and be converted so that He can fully heal us. “When sore trials come upon us, it’s time to deepen our faith in God, to work hard, and to serve others. Then He will heal our broken hearts. He will bestow upon us personal peace and comfort. Those great gifts will not be destroyed, even by death.”

- Russell M. Nelson

Share

 When your home becomes a personal sanctuary of faith—where the Spirit resides—your home becomes the first line of defense.

- Russell M. Nelson

Share

 As you continue to follow the counsel of those whom the Lord has authorized to guide you, you will feel greater safety.

- Russell M. Nelson

Share

 Even this year, when access to our temples has been seriously limited, your endowment has given you constant access to God’s power as you have honored your covenants with Him.

- Russell M. Nelson

Share

 Simply said, a place of security is anywhere you can feel the presence of the Holy Ghost and be guided by Him.15 When the Holy Ghost is with you, you can teach truth, even when it runs counter to prevailing opinions. And you can ponder sincere questions about the gospel in an environment of revelation.

- Russell M. Nelson

Share

 When your home becomes a personal sanctuary of faith—where the Spirit resides—your home becomes the first line of defense.

- Russell M. Nelson

Share

 As you continue to follow the counsel of those whom the Lord has authorized to guide you, you will feel greater safety.

- Russell M. Nelson

Share

 Even this year, when access to our temples has been seriously limited, your endowment has given you constant access to God’s power as you have honored your covenants with Him.

- Russell M. Nelson

Share

 Simply said, a place of security is anywhere you can feel the presence of the Holy Ghost and be guided by Him.15 When the Holy Ghost is with you, you can teach truth, even when it runs counter to prevailing opinions. And you can ponder sincere questions about the gospel in an environment of revelation.

- Russell M. Nelson

Share

 The Lord taught us how to increase our faith by seeking “learning, even by study and also by faith.”18 We strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ as we strive to keep His commandments and “always remember him.”19 Further, our faith increases every time we exercise our faith in Him. That is what learning by faith means.

- Russell M. Nelson

Share

 few things build faith more than does regular immersion in the Book of Mormon. No other book testifies of Jesus Christ with such power and clarity. Its prophets, as inspired by the Lord, saw our day and selected the doctrine and truths that would help us most. The Book of Mormon is our latter-day survival guide.

- Russell M. Nelson

Share

 Life without God is a life filled with fear. Life with God is a life filled with peace. This is because spiritual blessings come to the faithful. Receiving personal revelation is one of the greatest of those blessings.

- Russell M. Nelson

Share

 The adversary never stops attacking. So, we can never stop preparing! The more self-reliant we are—temporally, emotionally, and spiritually—the more prepared we are to thwart Satan’s relentless assaults.

- Russell M. Nelson

Share

 The Lord placed you here now because He knew you had the capacity to negotiate the complexities of the latter part of these latter days. He knew you would grasp the grandeur of His work and be eager to help bring it to pass.

- Russell M. Nelson

Share

 Turbulent times are opportunities for us to thrive spiritually. They are times when our influence can be much more penetrating than in calmer times.

- Russell M. Nelson

Share

 Everything good in life—every potential blessing of eternal significance—begins with faith.

- Russell M. Nelson

Share

 Faith takes work. Receiving revelation takes work. But “every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”13 God knows what will help your faith grow. Ask, and then ask again. A nonbeliever might say that faith is for the weak. But this assertion overlooks the power of faith. Would the Savior’s Apostles have continued to teach His doctrine after His death, at the peril of their lives, if they had doubted Him?14 Would Joseph and Hyrum Smith have suffered martyrs’ deaths defending the Restoration of the Lord’s Church unless they had a sure witness that it was true? Would nearly 2,000 Saints have died along the pioneer trail15 if they did not have faith that the gospel of Jesus Christ had been restored? Truly, faith is the power that enables the unlikely to accomplish the impossible.

- Russell M. Nelson

Share

 The mountains in our lives do not always move how or when we would like. But our faith will always propel us forward. Faith always increases our access to godly power.

- Russell M. Nelson

Share

 Please know this: if everything and everyone else in the world whom you trust should fail, Jesus Christ and His Church will never fail you. The Lord never slumbers, nor does He sleep.16 He “is the same yesterday, today, and [tomorrow].”17 He will not forsake His covenants,18 His promises, or His love for His people. He works miracles today, and He will work miracles tomorrow.19 Faith in Jesus Christ is the greatest power available to us in this life. All things are possible to them that believe.20 Your growing faith in Him will move mountains—not the mountains of rock that beautify the earth but the mountains of misery in your lives. Your flourishing faith will help you turn challenges into unparalleled growth and opportunity.

- Russell M. Nelson

Share

 Though there are things about the priesthood as it relates to both men and women that I don't understand, this does not concern me, because wrestling with spiritual questions is a fundamental aspect of mortality. It is an exercise that strengthens our faith and spurs our growth, if we'll allow it to. Learning, after all, is integral to progression.

- Sheri Dew

Share

 “It takes faith--unseing faith--for young people to proceed immediately with their family responsibilities in the face of financial uncertainties. It takes faith for the young woman to bear her family instead of accepting employment, especially when schooling for the young husband is to be finished. It takes faith to observe the Sabbath when “time and a half” can be had working, when profit can be made, when merchandise can be sold. It takes a great faith to pay tithes when funds are scarce and demands are great. It takes faith to fast and have family prayers and observe the Word of Wisdom. It takes faith to do home teaching, missionary work, and other service, when sacrifice is required. It takes faith to fill full-time missions. But know this--that all these are of the planting, while faithful, devout families, spiritual security, peace, and eternal life are the harvest.”

- Spencer W. Kimball

Share

 There are in our lives reservoirs of many kinds. Some reservoirs are to store water. Some are to store food, as we do in our our family welfare program and as Joseph did in the land of Egypt during the seven years of plenty. There should also be reservoirs of knowledge to meet the future needs; reservoirs of courage to overcome the floods of fear that put uncertainty in lives; reservoirs of physical strength to help us meet the frequent burdens of work and illness; reservoirs of goodness; reservoirs of stamina; reservoirs of faith. Yes, especially reservoirs of faith so that when the world presses in upon us, we stand firm and strong; when the temptations of the decaying world about us draw on our energies, sap our spiritual vitality, and seek to pull us down, we need a storage of faith that can carry youth and later adults over the dull, the difficult, the terrifying moments, disappointments, disillusionments, and years of adversity, want, confusion, and frustration.

- Spencer W. Kimball

Share

 faith: “I believe in Christ as I believe in the rising sun—not because I can see it, but because by it I can see everything else.”

- Steven R. Covey

Share

 He will not abandon His children who trust in Him. In the night of death His presence will be "better than a light and safer than a known way."

- Thomas S. Monson

Share

 John Calvin, prematurely aged by sickness and by the incessant labors he had undertaken, summed up his personal philosophy with this statement: "All our wisdom comprises basically two things . . . the knowledge of God and the knowledge of ourselves."

- Thomas S. Monson

Share

 William Tyndale would perhaps suffice. Tyndale felt that the people had a right to know what was promised to them in the scriptures. To those who opposed his work of translation, he declared: "If God spare my life, I will cause a boy that driveth the plough shall know more of the scripture than thou doest."........testimony of the plowboy who became a prophet(Joseph Smith)

- Thomas S. Monson

Share

 Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind.We grow old only by deserting our ideals.You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt;As young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear;As young as your hope, as old as your despair.

- Thomas S. Monson

Share

 Our service is to save souls. May I suggest five helpful guidelines: 1. Take time to think 2. Make room for faith. The prophet Isaiah declared that man's ways are not God's ways. (Isaiah 55:8.) 3. Stand firm for truth. Our leaders of youth become the stable force, the port of safety in the storm-tossed seas, the watchman on the tower, even the guide at the crossroads. Youth looks to us. How do we stand? May we answer: 4. Reach out to help 5. Provide place for prayer. Our task is larger than ourselves. We need God's divine help.

- Thomas S. Monson

Share

 Some may question, But what is the value of such an illustrious list of heroes, even a private Hall of Fame? I answer: When we obey as did Adam, endure as did Job, teach as did Paul, testify as did Peter, serve as did Nephi, give ourselves as did the Prophet Joseph, respond as did Ruth, honor as did Mary, and live as did Christ, we are born anew. All power becomes ours. Cast off forever is the old self, and with it defeat, despair, doubt, and disbelief. To a newness of life we come—a life of faith, hope, courage, and joy. No task looms too large. No responsibility weighs too heavily. No duty is a burden. All things become possible.

- Thomas S. Monson

Share

 As we love the temple, touch the temple, and attend the temple, our lives will reflect our faith. As we come to these holy houses of God, as we remember the covenants we make within, we shall be able to bear every trial and overcome each temptation. The temple provides purpose for our lives.

- Thomas S. Monson

Share

 The road back to God is not nearly so steep nor is it so difficult as some would have us believe.

- Thomas S. Monson

Share

 Decision is of little account unless it is followed by action.

- Thomas S. Monson

Share

 In a revelation given through the Prophet Joseph Smith at Kirtland, Ohio, in May of 1833, the Lord declared: "Truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come. . . . The Spirit of truth is of God. . . . He [Jesus] received a fulness of truth, yea, even of all truth; And no man receiveth a fulness unless he keepeth his commandments. He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things." (D&C 93:24, 26-28.) There is no need for you or me in this enlightened age, when the fulness of the gospel has been restored, to sail uncharted seas or travel unmarked roads in search of a "fountain of truth." For a living Heavenly Father has plotted our course and provided an unfailing map—obedience

- Thomas S. Monson

Share

 Such was the burden of our Savior's message, when He declared: "For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as were instituted from before the foundation of the world." (D&C 132:5.)

- Thomas S. Monson

Share

 Jesus changed men. He changed their habits, their opinions, their ambitions. He changed their tempers, their dispositions, their natures. He changed men's hearts. The passage of time has not altered the capacity of the Redeemer to change men's lives. As He said to the dead Lazarus, so He says to you and me: "Come forth." (John 11:43.) Come forth from the despair of doubt. Come forth from the sorrow of sin. Come forth from the death of disbelief. Come forth to a newness of life. Come forth.

- Thomas S. Monson

Share

 When a member of your bishopric stopped by your home and asked that you serve the Lord as a Scoutmaster, a teacher of a Beehive class, or perhaps a secretary or executive in the Sunday School, did you actually stop and contemplate the true meaning of your acceptance? Did you look upon your assignment in terms of twenty-four Boy Scouts, or twelve Beehive girls, or perhaps an obligation to devote two hours each Sunday morning? Or did you reflect upon the real meaning of your opportunity as the words of the Lord found lodgment in your heart: "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God." (D&C 18:10.) If so, you were humbled as you became aware that God, our Eternal Father, and His Beloved Son had chosen you to play a vital role in a glorious cause. "This is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39.)

- Thomas S. Monson

Share

 When a member of your bishopric stopped by your home and asked that you serve the Lord as a Scoutmaster, a teacher of a Beehive class, or perhaps a secretary or executive in the Sunday School, did you actually stop and contemplate the true meaning of your acceptance? Did you look upon your assignment in terms of twenty-four Boy Scouts, or twelve Beehive girls, or perhaps an obligation to devote two hours each Sunday morning? Or did you reflect upon the real meaning of your opportunity as the words of the Lord found lodgment in your heart: "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God." (D&C 18:10.) If so, you were humbled as you became aware that God, our Eternal Father, and His Beloved Son had chosen you to play a vital role in a glorious cause. "This is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39.) First, the successful leader has faith. He recognizes that the greatest force in this world today is the power of God as it works through man. He takes comfort from the very real assurance that divine help can be his blessing. He is, through his faith, a believer in prayer, knowing that prayer provides power-spiritual power, and that prayer provides peace-spiritual peace. He knows and he teaches youth that the recognition of a power higher than man himself does not in any sense debase him; rather, it exalts him. He further declares, "If we will but realize that we have been created in the image of God, we will not find Him difficult to approach." This knowledge, acquired through faith, accounts for the inner calm that characterizes the successful leader. Second, the successful leader lives as he teaches. He is honest with others. He is honest with himself. He is honest with God. He is honest by habit and as a matter of course. Third, the successful leader works willingly. Formula "W" applies to him. What is Formula "W"? Simply this: Work will win when wishy-washy wishing won't. Victory is bound to come to him who gives all of himself to the cause he represents when there be truth in the cause. Fourth, the successful leader leads with love. Where love prevails in a class, discipline problems vanish. Fifth, the successful leader is prepared. In his mind, he has carefully stored full information with respect to his assignment. He knows the program. He knows what is expected of him. He does not approach his assignment just hoping or wishing for success. In his heart, he has made spiritual preparation, too. He has earned, through his faithfulness, the companionship of the Holy Spirit. He has knowledge to give. He has a testimony to share. Sixth, the successful leader achieves results. To begin with, he recognizes that no aim leads to no end. In short, he develops goals of accomplishment. If he be a Scoutmaster, he determines that each boy will achieve. You see such a leader at every court of honor in full uniform, his boys receiving award upon award. Their leader has taught them that we were not placed on earth to fail, but rather to succeed; that we cannot rest content with mediocrity when excellence is within our reach. Such a leader recognizes that his attitude determines his altitude. He knows full well that nothing is as contagious as enthusiasm, unless it is a lack of enthusiasm. He carries others to accomplishment through the sheer strength of his overwhelming desire to bring success to his assignment. The leader who gets the job done is one who inspires confidence, who motivates action, and who generates enthusiasm. You will ever recognize his work-for it will be well done.

- Thomas S. Monson

Share

 We cannot restrict our thinking to today's problems alone. We have the obligation to plan for tomorrow's opportunities. We are limited only by our thoughts and personal determination to convert these thoughts to realities. Henry Ford, the industrialist, taught us, "An educated man is not one who has trained his mind to retain a few dates in history. He is one who can accomplish things. Unless a man has learned to think, he is not an educated man, regardless of how many college degrees he has after his name."

- Thomas S. Monson

Share

 At times the preparation period may appear dull, uninteresting, and even unnecessary. But experience continues to demonstrate that the future belongs to those who prepare for it. And if we are to become leaders, we cannot skimp on our preparation.

- Thomas S. Monson

Share

 The strange words of Jesus are reported by John: “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” On the surface this statement seems to put a premium on secondhand or distant awareness, almost as if unsupportable faith is more commendable than faith resting on the knowledge of sight. That, I think, is a mistake.

- Truman Madsen

Share

 I reaffirm once more the promise that echoes through its pages: that if you “ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ,” He mercifully “will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.”25 I can assure you that He will give you the answer in a very personal way, as He has done for me and many others around the world. Your experience will be as glorious and sacred for you as Joseph Smith’s experiences were for him, as well as for the first witnesses and for all who have sought to receive a witness of the integrity and trustworthiness of this sacred book.

- Ulisses Soares

Share

 What is a Dad? A dad is someone who... wants to catch you before you fall but instead picks you up, brushes you off, and lets you try again. A dad is someone who... wants to keep you from making mistakes but instead lets you find your own way, even though his heart breaks in silence when you get hurt. A dad is someone who... holds you when you cry, scolds you when you break the rules, shines with pride when you succeed, and has faith in you even when you fail.

- Unknown

Share

 Once your faith, sir, persuades you to believe what your intelligence declares to be absurd, beware lest you likewise sacrifice your reason in the conduct of your life.

- Voltaire

Share

 Faith consists in believing what reason cannot.

- Voltaire

Share

 But wide awake, not blind faith, moves me. My operations are based on experience, thoughtful observation and warm fellowship with my neighbors at home and around the world.

- Walt Disney

Share

 Elder David A. Bednar taught this principle when he said: “Taking action is the exercise of faith. … True faith is focused in and on the Lord Jesus Christ and always leads to action.”

- W. Christopher Waddell

Share

 Douglass was an escaped slave who became one of the most charismatic and forceful leaders of the American abolition movement. As a young man he briefly embraced Christianity but soon abandoned it, observing that the religion did so little to soften the behavior of slave owners. At the age of 20 he made his daring escape. Here are two versions of a quotation attributed to him: I. Praying for freedom never did me any good til I started praying with my feet. 2. I prayed for freedom for twenty years, but received no answer until I prayed with my legs. According to Heschel's daughter Dr. Susanna Heschel: (http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Evox/0405/0404/heschel.html) ""When he came home from Selma in 1965, my father wrote, 'For many of us the march from Selma to Montgomery was about protest and prayer. Legs are not lips and walking is not kneeling. And yet our legs uttered songs. Even without words, our march was worship. I felt my legs were praying.""

- Abraham Joshua Heschel

Missing Reference

Share

 The very meaning of the invisible wold may...depend on the personal response we make to the religious appeal...if this life be not a real fight, in which something is eternally gained fort the universe by success, it is no better than a game of private theatricals from which one may withdraw at will. But it feels like a real fight-as if there were something really wild in the universe which we are need to help redeem; and first of all to redeem our hearts from atheisms and fears. For such a half-wild, half saved universe our nature is adapted. The deepest thing in our nature is this...dumb region of the heart in which we dwell alone with our willingnesses and unwillingnesses, our faiths and fears.

- Bruce C. Hafen

Missing Reference

Share

 It is one thing to know about Him or even to see Him-but quite another to know Him.

- Bruce C. Hafen

Missing Reference

Share

 The contention he (Joseph Smith Jr.) sensed among the religious denominations in Palmyra distressed him primarily because of its effect on his personal quest, not because at age fourteen he was caught up in any macro-level worries about the historical state of Christianity.

- Bruce C. Hafen

Missing Reference

Share

 Then Joseph took one more step into the intimacy of knowing Him fully, when in his great extremity at Liberty Jail the Lord called him "my son" (D&C 121:7) Gradually he had grown from servant to friend to son. Like Paul, Joseph paid the price to know the Lord most fully as he suffered with and for Him entering into the fellowship of Christ's sufferings.

- Bruce C. Hafen

Missing Reference

Share

 What did Joseph learn in the "prison temple" of Liberty Jail that he didn't know, couldn't have known, on that 1820 spring day in the grove? Line up on line, opposition after opposition, it was the witness borne of experience-the witness more powerful than sight.

- Bruce C. Hafen

Missing Reference

Share

 The questions we encounter can become rungs that give us solid footing or they can become holes we fall through; it depends on how we handle them.

- Bruce C. Hafen

Missing Reference

Share

 The traditions which buttressed man's behavior are now rapidly diminishing. No instinct tells him what he has to do, and no tradition tells him what he ought to do. Soon he will not know "what he wishes to do ." More and more, eh will be governed by "what other people wish him to do."

- Bruce C. Hafen

Missing Reference

Share

 Viktor Frankl, who wrote with deliberate optimism that by being left completely free to define the 'why' of our own lives, we are responsible for (and have the opportunity for) giving our lives the meaning we desire

- Bruce C. Hafen

Missing Reference

Share

 President Russell M. Nelson taught that we gain faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement by (1) studying about Jesus Christ, (2) choosing to believe in Him, (3) acting in faith, (4) partaking of sacred ordinances worthily, and (5) asking our Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, for help.37 As we do so, something remarkable happens: faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement not only grows but can be transformed into the spiritual gift of knowing “that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world”38—for your sins and for mine. This transformation occurs when we keep the commandments of God, remain faithful, and continue to be willing to receive more and more. We will then come “to know the mysteries of God . . . in full”39 and know all things.

- Dale G. Renlund

Missing Reference

Share

 When you believe something can be done, really believe, your mind will find ways to do it.

- David Schwartz

Missing Reference

Share

 “In this long eternal quest to be more like our Savior, may we try to be “perfect” men and women in at least this one way now ---by offending not in word, or more positively put, by speaking with a new tongue, the tongue of angels. Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith and hope and charity.”

- Jeffrey R. Holland

Missing Reference

Share

 This generation has “internalized the truth that their faith and divine worth are reflected less by outward expressions of obedience than they are by a sacred, inner sense of Christ’s unconditional love.

- Peggy Fletch Stack

Missing Reference

Share

 Suffering is universal; how we react to suffering is individual. Suffering can...be a strengthening and purifying experience combined with faith, or it can be a destructive force in our lives if we do not have the faith in the Lord’s atoning sacrifice. The purpose of suffering... is to build and strengthen us. We learn... obedience by the things we suffer. We should be humbled and drawn to the Lord.

- Robert D. Hales

Missing Reference

Share

 Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It's quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. You're thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn't at all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that's where you'll find success.

- Thomas John Watson, Sr.

Missing Reference

Share