Mormon Musings

http://mormonthoughts.wordpress.com/2010/11/13/all-things-denote-there-is-a-god/

I am not so anxious about the Spirit; let a man walk as pure and holy as the Gods and angels, and then see if there will not be the light of eternity in him.  Let a man or woman talk without spot or blemish and the Spirit and power of God Almighty will be with them all the time, and the angels of God will be round about them all the time, they will be preserved to do the will of God preparatory to an eternal exaltation.   Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses Volume 4, p. 63

When you hear a man pour out eternal things, how well you feel, to what a nearness you seem to be brought to God.  What a delight it was to hear brother Joseph talk upon the great principles of eternity; he would bring them down to the capacity of a child, and he would unite heaven with earth, this is the beauty of our religion. Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses Volume 4, p. 54

Pride is the switch that turns off priesthood power.  Humility is a switch that turns it on...Some suppose that humility is about beating ourselves up. Humility does not mean convincing ourselves that we are worthless, meaningless, or of little value. Nor does it mean denying or withholding the talents God has given us. We don’t discover humility by thinking less of ourselves; we discover humility by thinking less about ourselves. It comes as we go about our work with an attitude of serving God and our fellowman. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, October 2010 General Conference

THE RACE I "Quit! Give up! You're beaten!" They shout at me and plead. "There's just too much against you now. This time you can't succeed!" And as I start to hang my head In front of failure's face My downward fall is broken by The memory of a race. And hope refills my weakened will As I recall that scene For just the thought of that short race Rejuvenates my being. II A children's race; young boys, young men How I remember it well. Excitement, sure! But also fear. It wasn't hard to tell. They all lined up, so full of hope Each thought to win that race. Or tie for first, or it not that At least take second place. And fathers watched from off the side Each cheering for his son And each boy hoped to show his dad That he would be the one. The whistle blew and off they went Young hearts and hopes afire To win and be the hero there Was each young boy's desire. And one boy in particular Whose

Ultimate hope and daily grumpiness are not reconcilable.  It is ungraceful, unjustified, and unbecoming of us as committed Church members to be constantly grumpy or of woeful countenance.  Do we have some moments of misery of some down days?  Yes!  But the promise is that Christ will "life thee up" (Moroni 9:25).   The disciple can note the depressing signs without being depressed.  He can be disappointed in people without being offended at life.  Thus it is that ultimate hope, if it does not finally dissolve our daily disappointments, at least puts them in perspective.   Elder Neal A. Maxwell (Local Thanksgiving speech [untitled], November 26, 198 0

http://mormonthoughts.wordpress.com/2010/11/10/the-quality-of-mercy/

Greatness is measured by how well and individual responds to the happenings in life that appear to be totally unfair, unreasonable, and undeserved. Elder Marvin J. Ashton ...to endure is greater than to dare; to tire out hostile fortune; to be daunted by no difficulty; to keep heart when all have lost it; to go through intrigue spotless; to forego even ambition when the end is gained--who can say this is not greatness? Thackeray

 I have personally verified that concepts like faith, prayer, love, and humility hold no great significance and produce no miracles until they become a living part of us through our own experience, aided by the sweet prompting of the Holy Spirit. In early life I found that I could learn gospel teachings intellectually and, through the power of reason and analysis, recognize that they were of significant value. But their enormous power and ability to stretch me beyond the limits of my imagination and capacity did not become reality until patient, consistent practice allowed the Holy Spirit to distill and expand their meaning in my heart. I found that while I was sincerely serving others, God forged my personal character. He engendered a growing capacity to recognize the direction of the Spirit. The genius of the gospel plan is that by doing those things the Lord counsels us to do, we are given every understanding and every capacity necessary to provide peace and rich fulfillment in this

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden path, or a redeemed social condition, to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded! Ralph Waldo Emerson

Whenever darkness fills our minds, we may know that we are not possessed of the Spirit of God. … When we are filled with the Spirit of God we are filled with joy, with peace, and with happiness, no matter what our circumstances may be; for it is a spirit of cheerfulness and of happiness. The Lord has given unto us the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is our privilege to have that Holy Ghost reign within us, so that from morning till night and from night till morning we shall have the joy, the light and the revelation thereof. George Q. Cannon, in Brian H. Stuy, comp., Collected Discourses Delivered by President Wilford Woodruff, His Two Counselors, the Twelve Apostles, and Others, 5 vols. (1987–92), 4:137.

[H]ow do we conquer this sin of pride that is so prevalent and so damaging? How do we become more humble? It is almost impossible to be lifted up in pride when our hearts are filled with charity. “No one can assist in this work except he shall be humble and full of love.”    When we see the world around us through the lens of the pure love of Christ, we begin to understand humility. Some suppose that humility is about beating ourselves up. Humility does not mean convincing ourselves that we are worthless, meaningless, or of little value. Nor does it mean denying or withholding the talents God has given us.  We don’t discover humility by thinking less  of  ourselves; we discover humility by thinking less  about  ourselves. It comes as we go about our work with an attitude of serving God and our fellowman. Humility directs our attention and love toward others and to Heavenly Father’s purposes. Pride does the opposite. Pride draws its energy and strength from the deep wells of selfi

No man knows how much he can endure until he must.  Strength, patience, and ability increase with necessity. Richard L. Evans