Love and Kindness Toward All

George Albert Smith’s conviction [is] that we can “meet our problems in the spirit of love and kindness toward all.”

Teachings: George Albert Smith, 223.

Strongest Testimony

George Albert Smith (1870–1951), who served as the eighth President of the Church, from 1945 to 1951, believed that if we truly have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, it will manifest itself in our lives—particularly in the way we treat one another. “A correct and consistent life,” he taught, “is the strongest testimony that we will be able to bear of the truth of this work.”

Teachings: George Albert Smith, 9.

Get the Young Women to Serve in the Ward

Young Women in the Work

By Bonnie L. Oscarson

Recently Released Young Women General President

Each member should know how much he or she is needed. Each person has something important to contribute and has unique talents and abilities that help move this important work along. ...

 Every young woman in the Church should feel valued, have opportunities to serve, and feel that she has something of worth to contribute to this work....

Do those who sit on ward councils, or hold any calling in the ward, see the young women as valuable resources to help fill the many needs within our wards? There is usually a long list of situations that require someone to serve, and we often think only of the adults in the ward to meet those needs. ... They are capable, eager, and willing to do so much more than merely attend church on Sundays!...

We are grateful for bishops who take the time to visit Young Women classes and who provide opportunities for young women to be more than mere spectators of the work. Thank you for making sure your young women are valued participants in meeting the needs of ward members! These opportunities to serve in meaningful ways bless them much more than activities in which they are just entertained.

Inspired Ministering

By President Henry B. Eyring

Second Counselor in the First Presidency

April Conference 2018

Municipal wards, companies, and strengthened quorums have all required at least two things to be successful in the Lord’s intent to have His Saints care for each other in the way He cares for them. They succeed when the Saints feel the love of Christ for each other above their self-interest. The scriptures call it “charity … the pure love of Christ” (Moroni 7:47). And they succeed when the Holy Ghost guides the caregiver to know what the Lord knows is best for the person whom He is trying to help.

Open the Heavens

Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives

By President Russell M. Nelson

April 2018 General Conference

...what will your seeking open for you? What wisdom do you lack? What do you feel an urgent need to know or understand? Follow the example of the Prophet Joseph. Find a quiet place where you can regularly go. Humble yourself before God. Pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father. Turn to Him for answers and for comfort.

Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will “grow into the principle of revelation.”

...Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, exact obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon,14 and regular time committed to temple and family history work.

To be sure, there may be times when you feel as though the heavens are closed. But I promise that as you continue to be obedient, expressing gratitude for every blessing the Lord gives you, and as you patiently honor the Lord’s timetable, you will be given the knowledge and understanding you seek. Every blessing the Lord has for you—even miracles—will follow. That is what personal revelation will do for you.

I am optimistic about the future. It will be filled with opportunities for each of us to progress, contribute, and take the gospel to every corner of the earth. But I am also not naive about the days ahead. We live in a world that is complex and increasingly contentious. The constant availability of social media and a 24-hour news cycle bombard us with relentless messages. If we are to have any hope of sifting through the myriad of voices and the philosophies of men that attack truth, we must learn to receive revelation.

Pay off Debt

“I urge you … to look to the conditions of your finances. I urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt to the extent possible. Pay off debt as quickly as you can, and free yourselves from bondage."

Gordon B. Hinckley, “To the Boys and to the Men,” Ensign,Nov. 1998, 54.

Following the Prophet Makes our Lives Happier

Prophets Speak by the Power of the Holy Spirit

By Elder Ulisses Soares

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Brothers and sisters, from the bottom of my heart, I testify that the prophets speak by the power of the Holy Spirit. They testify of Christ and His divine mission on earth. They represent the mind and heart of the Lord and are called to represent Him and teach us what we must do to return to live in the presence of God and His Son, Jesus Christ. We are blessed as we exercise our faith and follow their teachings. By following them, our lives are happier and less complicated, our difficulties and problems are easier to bear, and we create a spiritual armor around us that will protect us from the attacks of the enemy in our day.

Be Civil and Cheerful

Small and Simple Things

By President Dallin H. Oaks

First Counselor in the First Presidency

Those “seemingly insignificant” private decisions include how we use our time, what we view on television and the internet, what we read, the art and music with which we surround ourselves at work and at home, what we seek for entertainment, and how we apply our commitment to be honest and truthful. Another seemingly small and simple thing is being civil and cheerful in our personal interactions.

None of these desirable small and simple things will lift us to great things unless they are practiced consistently and continuously.

Help with Personal Problems

Help with Personal Problems

“[The Book of Mormon] can help with personal problems in a very real way. Do you want to get rid of a bad habit? Do you want to improve relationships in your family? Do you want to increase your spiritual capacity? Read the Book of Mormon!”

Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “A Testimony of the Book of Mormon,” Liahona, Jan. 2000, 85; Ensign, Nov. 1999, 71.

Book of Mormon Answers

Book of Mormon Answers

• What should I do next in my life? (See 1 Nephi 4:6; Alma 37:36.)
• How can I improve my marriage? (See 1 Nephi 5:1–9.)
• Why should I keep a journal? (See Jacob 1:2–4; Alma 37:2–4;Helaman 3:13–15.)
• How can I be a better friend? (See Alma 15:18.)
• How can I fulfill my calling? (See Alma 17:2–12.)
• What should I pray about? (See Alma 34:17–27.)
• How can the Atonement help me repent and change? (See Alma 36.)
• How should I react when someone is unkind? (See Alma 60–62.)
• How can I protect my family from the evil in the world? (SeeHelaman 5:12; Moroni 8:2–3.)
• Why should I attend church? (See Moroni 6:5–9.)

Study suggestion: Make a list of your own questions and look for answers as you prayerfully study the scriptures.

Greatest Source to Real-life Problems

Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles testified:

“The Book of Mormon, above all other books that I know of, is the greatest source we have for answers to real-life problems. …

“How many times peace has come into the lives of those who are struggling with real problems when they read the Book of Mormon! The examples of spiritual guidance that emanate from the book are without number.”

M. Russell Ballard, in “We Add Our Witness,” Tambuli, Dec. 1989, 13; Ensign, Mar. 1989, 8–9.

Being a Faithful Disciple

Being a Faithful Disciple

“All Church leaders are called to help other people become ‘true followers of … Jesus Christ’ (Moroni 7:48). …

“Leaders can best teach others how to be ‘true followers’ by their personal example. This pattern—being a faithful disciple in order to help others become faithful disciples—is the purpose behind every calling in the Church.”

Handbook 2: Administering the Church (2010), 3.1.

Children are a Blessing from the Lord

The Book of Mormon and God’s Plan for Us

By Elder Stanley G. Ellis

Of the Seventy

Ensign Jan 2012

Children are a blessing from the Lord. They are a lot of work, but they are worth it. With our nine children we have learned that the work and challenges of family life are nothing compared to the joy that comes from having a posterity. Some couples may think they can’t afford children or that they cannot love or care for more than a few. There are many plans, but God’s plan is that we exercise the faith necessary to marry and welcome children into our home. 

Leave Behind Love

Visiting Teachers Are God’s Emissaries

By Alice C. Smith

Ensign March 2018

A few weeks ago, I met a wonderful friend of mine. She has been active in Relief Society for many years. … I asked her what she was doing in the Church now. There was a noticeable pause. Then, she answered, “Oh, I’m just a visiting teacher.” Just a visiting teacher! After we parted, I thought, how would she feel if the Savior … said to her, “I want you to be my emissary. I want you to tell the women [you visit teach] that I love them, that I am concerned about what happens to them and their families. I want you to be my helper, to watch over these sisters, to care for them so that all will be well in my kingdom.” If we met after such a meeting, wouldn’t her reply be different? Hasn’t He already called her through His priesthood as surely as if He stood in her presence?

How many of our visiting teachers think of themselves as “just visiting teachers”?

To the visiting teacher is given the great responsibility of searching out those in need. More, she tells all sisters by her visit that someone cares and that God cares.

… She should not be someone who rushes in the last day of the month and says, “I’ve just a few minutes—I know you’ve read the message and know it better than I do, and you don’t need it anyway. How are you, and I’ll see you at Relief Society next week.” The visiting teacher should leave behind her a love that blesses both the visited sister and her home. …