Confidence and Composure

 “Keep the word of wisdom. Seek worthy companions. Attend church faithfully. Never fail daily to seek for help through prayer. And I promise you that the way will be easier and you shall have a composure of mind and a confident attitude toward life and the future… [H]ave faith. The Lord will be with you; you will be guided. I bear witness of Him and of His sacrifice. I bear witness of Him and of His sacrifice and of His Atonement and of His love for you.”

Boyd K. Packer

Be a Little Better

“Each of us can do a little better than we have been doing. We can be a little more kind. We can be a little more merciful. We can be a little more forgiving. We can put behind us our weaknesses of the past and go forth with new energy and increased resolution to improve the world about it, in our homes, in our places of employment, in our social activities.”

Gordon B. Hinckley

Strengthening Our Testimonies

“We must strengthen our testimony. We all need to study the plan of salvation and learn of our relationship to God. As we walk by faith, we will have confirmed in our hearts spiritual experiences which will strengthen our faith and testimony.”

James E. Faust

God's Light

“There may be some among you who feel darkness encroaching upon you. You may feel burdened by worry, fear, or doubt. To you and to all of us, I repeat a wonderful and certain truth: God’s light is real. It is available to all! It gives life to all things. [See D&C 88:11-13.] It has the power to soften the sting of the deepest wound. It can be a healing balm for the loneliness and sickness of our souls. In the furrows of despair, it can plant the seeds of a brighter hope. . . . It can illuminate the path before us and lead us through the darkest night into the promise of a new dawn.

“This is ‘the Spirit of Jesus Christ,’ which gives ‘light to every man that cometh into the world.’ [D&C 84:45-46.]”

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Hope of God’s Light,” Ensign, May 2013, 75. 

Discover Unexpected Benefits

“Life’s menu serves each of us our portion of spinach—we may not like such fare, but it can strengthen us. The trials we face can provide unexpected benefits. We can identify something we have struggled with or considered a failure and then ask ourselves questions such as the following:

•          Is there anything I have learned or can learn from this experience?
•          Are there others who have experienced something like this whom I could emulate?
•          Can I develop increased compassion for others and their difficulties because of this experience?
•          Can this bring me closer to God?

Many of life’s most important lessons are learned from the trials and challenges we experience.”

Vaughn E. Worthen, Associate Director, Counseling and Career Center, Brigham Young University, “The Healing Balm of Hope,” Ensign, Sept. 2013, 66. 

Develop Confidence

“Confidence is the breeding ground for hope. Confidence is generated by confronting challenges and striving for and achieving meaningful goals. We can gain confidence by tackling a task we have been putting off, engaging in a difficult conversation we might have been avoiding, or working on developing a talent. We should focus on effort and progress rather than complete success. Confidence is not the certainty of success but rather the conclusion that failure does not determine our worth—we lose nothing by trying.”

Vaughn E. Worthen, Associate Director, Counseling and Career Center, Brigham Young University, “The Healing Balm of Hope,” Ensign, Sept. 2013, 66.

Identify and Challenge Negative Beliefs

“Negative thoughts are the termites of the soul. If we find ourselves frequently thinking or saying, “I can’t,” “It’s too hard,” or “It’s unfair,” then we might ask ourselves if such thoughts are accurate and if they are helping us build the lives we want. It may help to replace these inaccurate assumptions with more constructive thoughts, such as, “I will try,” “I will give it my best,” and Life is what I make of it.” If unproductive, negative thinking remains persistent and significantly impairs our growth, we should consider seeking help, including the aid of a professional counselor.”

Vaughn E. Worthen, Associate Director, Counseling and Career Center, Brigham Young University, “The Healing Balm of Hope,” Ensign, Sept. 2013, 65. 

Always Have Hope

Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has implored us to remember that “regardless of how desperate things may seem or how desperate they may yet become, . . . .you can always have hope. Always.”

M. Russell Ballard, “The Joy of Hope Fulfilled,” Ensign, Nov. 1992, 32.

Disappointment of Shattered Dreams

 “At times there appears to be no light at the tunnel’s end—no dawn to break the night’s darkness. We feel surrounded by the pain of broken hearts, the disappointment of shattered dreams, and the despair of vanished hopes. . . . If you find yourself in such a situation, I plead with you to turn to our Heavenly Father in Faith. He will lift you and guide you. He will not always take your afflictions from you, but He will comfort and lead you with love through whatever storm you face.”

Thomas S. Monson, “Looking Back and Moving Forward,” Ensign, May 2008, 90. 

What Does it Mean to be Redeemed?

“Among the most significant of Jesus Christ’s descriptive titles is Redeemer. . . . The word redeem means to pay off an obligation or a debt. Redeem can also mean to rescue or set free as by paying a ransom. If someone commits a mistake and then corrects it or makes amends, we say he has redeemed himself. Each of these meanings suggests different facets of the great Redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ through His Atonement, which includes, in the words of the dictionary, ‘to deliver from sin and its penalties, as by a sacrifice made for the sinner.’ [Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 3rd ed. (1988), ‘redeem.’]”

Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “Redemption, Ensign, May 2013, 109. 

Model for Manhood

“Fathers, you are the primary model of manhood for your sons. You are their most meaningful mentor, and believe it or not, you are their hero in countless ways. Your words and your example are a great influence on them.”

M. Russell Ballard, “Fathers and Sons: A Remarkable Relationship,” Ensign, Nov. 2009, 47. 

Shared Experiences with Youth

 “It is important to have shared experiences with the youth so you are on the same playing field. Instead of standing on the sidelines, you need to actively participate. There is real power in shared experiences.

“All members should be engaged with youth, regardless of their calling.”

Mat Duerden, assistant professor, Brigham Young University.

Wrong Roads

 “I do not think that all who choose wrong roads perish; but their rescue consists in being put back on the right road. A [mathematical] sum [incorrectly worked] can be put right: but only by going back till you find the error and [then] working it afresh from that point, never by simply going on. Evil can be undone, but it cannot ‘develop’ into good. Time does not heal it. The spell must be unwound.”

C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce (1946), viii. 

Recognize the Good in Others

“I offer some final thoughts for those who love a family member who is not making good choices. That can challenge our patience and endurance. We need to trust in the Lord and in His timing that a positive response to our prayers and rescue efforts can occur. We do all that we can to serve, to bless, and to submissively acknowledge God’s will in all things. . . . With faith we can know that this straying loved one is not abandoned but is in the watchcare of a loving Savior.

“Recognize the good in others, not their stains. At times a stain needs to appropriate attention to be cleansed, but always build on his or her virtues.”

Elder Richard G. Scott, “For Peace at Home,” Ensign, May 2013, 31. 

Prophetic Words On Human Frailty

“In this Church, what we know will always trump what we do not know. And remember, in this world, everyone is to walk by faith.

“So be kind regarding human frailty—your own as well as that of those who serve with you in a Church led by volunteer, mortal men and women. Except in the case of His only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to Him, but He deals with it. So should we. . . . So be patient and kind and forgiving.”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Lord, I Believe,” Ensign, May 2013, 94. 

Optimism

 “Any believing Latter-day Saint is an optimist about what lies ahead for him or her, however difficult the present may be.”

Henry B. Eyring, “Our Perfect Example,” Ensign, Nov. 2009, 70. 

We Are Never Alone

 “I testify of angels, both the heavenly and the mortal kind. In doing so I am testifying that God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face. ‘[N]or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man [or woman or child] upon the face thereof to be saved’ [Moroni 7:36.]

Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Ministry of Angels,” Ensign, Nov. 2008, 31. 

Look Up

 “When your difficulties seem overwhelming, look up, not down. When sadness and despair start to get a foothold, remember this: the Atonement of Jesus Christ did more than overcome physical and spiritual death. Yes, we will all be resurrected, and all of us have the opportunity to be forgiven of our sins as we repent and exercise faith in Jesus Christ. But as wonderful as the gifts of resurrection and repentance are, the Atonement is much more. Through the Atonement we can receive strength to meet the most difficult trials of life.”

Elder Larry W. Gibbons, “A Time for Faith Not Fear,” Ensign, Jul 2013, 36. 

Your Trust in God Must Be Powerful and Enduring

“This life is an experience in profound trust—trust in Jesus Christ, trust in His teachings, trust in our capacity as led by the Holy Spirit to obey those teachings for happiness now and for a purposeful, supremely happy eternal existence. To trust means to obey willingly without knowing the end from the beginning (see Proverbs 3:5-7). To produce fruit, your trust in the Lord must be more powerful and enduring than your confidence in your own personal feelings and experience. . . .

“As you trust Him, exercise faith in Him, He will help you.”

Elder Richard G. Scott, “Trust in the Lord,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 17. 

Put God First

 “We must put God in the forefront of everything else in our lives. . . . When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives.”

Ezra Taft Benson, “The Great Commandment—Love the Lord,” Ensign, May 1988, 4. 

Give Your Best Effort

“Your power will be multiplied many times by the Lord. All He asks is that you give your best effort and your whole heart. Do it cheerfully and with the prayer of faith. The Father and His Beloved Son will send the Holy Ghost as your companion to guide you. Your efforts will be magnified in the lives of the people you serve.”

President Henry B. Eyring, “Rise to Your Call,” Ensign, Nov. 2002, 76. 

Called of God

 “You are called of God. The Lord knows you. He knows whom He would have serve in every position in His Church. He chose you.”

Henry B. Eyring, “Rise to Your Call,” Ensign, Nov. 2002, 76.