Miracles

 “I promise you, as you pray to know with whom to speak, names and faces will come into your mind. Words to speak will be given in the very moment you need them. Opportunities will open to you. Faith will overcome doubt, and the Lord will bless you with your very own miracles.”

Elder Neil L. Anderson, “It’s a Miracle,” Ensign, May 2013, 78-79. 

Sister Scriptorians

President Spencer W. Kimball asked us to become “sister scriptorians.” He said: “Become scholars of the scriptures—not to put others down, but to lift them up! After all, who has any greater need to ‘treasure up’ the truths of the gospel (on which they may call in their moments of need) than do women and mothers who do so much nurturing and teaching?”

Spencer W. Kimball, in Daughters in My Kingdom, 50. 

Grace is an Enabling Power

 “It is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, made possible by his atoning sacrifice, that mankind will be raised in immortality, every person receiving his body from the grace in a condition of everlasting life. It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts.

“Grace is the divine assistance or heavenly help each of us desperately needs to qualify for the celestial kingdom. Thus, the enabling power of the Atonement strengthens us to do and the good and to serve beyond our own individual desire and natural capacity.

“In my personal scripture study, I often insert the term “enabling power” whenever I encounter the word grace. Consider, for example, this verse with which we are all familiar: “We know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23). I believe we can learn much about this vital aspect of the Atonement if we will insert “enabling and strengthening power” each time we find the word grace in the scriptures.”

Elder David A. Bednar, “The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality,” Ensign, Apr 2012, 42-43

Rely on His Grace

 “And it is eternally important for all of us to recognize that both of these essential elements of the journey of mortality—both putting off the natural man and becoming a saint, both overcoming bad and becoming good—are accomplished through the power of the Atonement. Individual willpower, personal determination and motivation, effective planning and goal setting are necessary but ultimately insufficient for us to triumphantly complete this mortal journey. Truly, we must come to rely upon “the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah” (2 Nephi 2:8).

Elder David A. Bednar, “The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality,” Ensign, Apr 2012, 42.  

How Can I Strengthen My Relationship with God?

“To strengthen our relationship with God, we need some meaningful time alone with Him. Quietly focusing on daily personal prayer and scripture study, always aiming to be worthy of a current temple recommend—these will be some wise investments of our time and efforts to draw closer to our Heavenly Father. Let us heed the invitation in Psalms: ‘Be still and know that I am God.’ [Psalm 46:10]

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Of Things That Matter Most,” Ensign, Nov. 2010, 21. 

Important to Him

 “In His mercy, the God of heaven, the Creator and Ruler of all things everywhere, had heard a prayer about a very minor thing. One might well ask why He would concern Himself with something so small. I am led to believe that our Heavenly Father loves us so much that the things that are important to us become important to Him, just because He loves us. How much more would He want to help us with the big things that we ask, which are right (see 3 Nephi 18:20)?”

Elder J. Devn Cornish, “The Privilege of Prayer,” Ensign, Nov. 2011, 101. 

Trust God

 “The issue for us is trusting God enough to trust also His timing. Is we can truly believe He has our welfare at heart, may we not let His plans unfold as He thinks best?”

Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926-2004), Even As I Am (1982), 93. 

LIfeline of Pryayer

 “No earthly authority can separate us from direct access to our Creator. There can never be a mechanical or electric failure when we pray. There is no limit on the number of times or how long we can pray each day. There is no quota of how many needs we wish to pray for in each prayer. We do not need to go through secretaries or make an appointment to reach the throne of grace. He is reachable at any time and any place.”

President James E. Faust, “The Lifeline of Prayer,” Ensign, May 2002, 59. 

We Are To Act

 “He is our perfect Father. He loves us beyond our capacity to understand. He knows what is best for us. He sees the end from the beginning. He wants us to act to gain needed experience. . . . We are expected to assume accountability by acting on a decision that is consistent with His teachings without prior confirmation. We are not to sit passively waiting or to murmur because the Lord has not spoken. We are to act.”

Elder Richard G. Scott, “Learning to Recognize Answers to Prayer,” Ensign, Nov. 1989, 31-32. 

Soul's Sincere Desire

 “Prayer is a privilege and the soul’s sincere desire. We can move beyond routine and ‘checklist’ prayers and engage in meaningful prayer as we appropriately ask in faith and act, as we patiently persevere through the trial of our faith, and we as humbly acknowledge and accept, ‘not my will, but Thine, be done.’”

Elder David A. Bednar, “Ask in Faith,” Ensign, May 2008, 97.