Mormon Musings

"Persistence will do what cannot be achieved by force—persistence is the twin sister of excellence. Do not be afraid of struggle. Remember that what is a present struggle is a key to future happiness."  Elder L. Tom Perry, BYU Fireside, March 1990 http://speeches.byu.edu/index.php?act=viewitem&id=539

Our strengthened family cultures will be a protection for our children from “the fiery darts of the adversary” ( 1 Nephi 15:24 ) embedded in their peer cultures, the entertainment and celebrity cultures, the credit and entitlement cultures, and the Internet and media cultures to which they are exposed constantly. It will help our children live in the world and not become “of the world” ( John 15:19 ). Elder L. Tom Perry, October 2012 General Conference http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/becoming-goodly-parents?lang=eng

"We have implanted in our souls a desire to be free. The Lord understood this when He granted us our mortal probation. With that freedom, however, comes accountability. We are instructed not to idle away our time nor bury our talents and not use them. We are expected to make our lives better through our own initiatives and efforts." —L. Tom Perry, "Youth of the Noble Birthright", Ensign, November 1998

Harry Emerson Fosdick once wrote: “Some Christians carry their religion on their backs. It is a packet of beliefs and practices which they must bear. At times it grows heavy and they would willingly lay it down, but that would mean a break with old traditions, so they shoulder it again. But real Christians do not carry their religion, their religion carries them. It is not weight; it is wings. It lifts them up, it sees them over hard places, it makes the universe seem friendly, life purposeful, hope real, sacrifice worthwhile. It sets them free from fear, futility, discouragement, and sin—the great enslavers of men’s souls. You can know a real Christian, when you see him, by his buoyancy”  ( Twelve Tests of Character  [1923], 87–88). Elder Perry, Nov. 1999

http://www.lds.org/study/prophets-speak-today/unto-all-the-world/rely-on-steady-scaffolding?lang=eng

http://mormonthoughts.wordpress.com/2010/10/26/courage/