Mormon Musings

When you walk with gratitude, you do not walk with arrogance and conceit and egotism, you walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your life. President Gordon B. Hinckley, Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley (1997), p. 250 The grateful man sees so much in the world to be thankful for, and with him the good outweighs the evil.  Love overpowers jealousy, and light drives darkness out of his life...Pride destroys our gratitude and sets up selfishness in its place.  How much happier we are in the presence of a grateful and loving soul, and how careful we should be to cultivate, through the medium of a prayerful life, a thankful attitude toward God and man! President Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine , 5th edition (1939), page 263

One of the illusions of life is that the present hour is not the critical hour decisive hour. Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year. He only is right who owns the day and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded by worry, fret and anxiety. Finish each day, and be done with it. You have done what you could. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Oh God, help us to be the masters of ourselves, that we may be the servants of others. -Sir Alec Paterson

You cannot run away from weakness. You must sometime fight it out or perish. And if that be so, why not now and where you stand? -Robert Lewis Stevenson

"At times we may rationalize that the Lord will understand our disobedience because our special circumstances make adherence to His laws difficult, embarrassing, or even painful. However, faithful obedience, regardless of the apparent size of the task, will bring the Lord's guidance, assistance, and peace." Bruce A. Carlson,  "When the Lord Commands," Ensign, May 2010, 39 "...the Lord is able to do all things according to His will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him...Wherefore, let us be faithful to Him." 1 Nephi 7:12

"Now, fathers, I would remind you of the sacred nature of your calling. You have the power of the priesthood directly from the Lord to protect your home. There will be times when all that stands as a shield between your family and the adversary's mischief will be that power. You will receive direction from the Lord by way of the gift of the Holy Ghost." Boyd K. Packer ,  "The Power of the Priesthood," Ensign, May 2010, 9

We should never permit ourselves to do anything that we are not willing to see our children do.  We should set an example for them to imitate.  Do we realize this?  How often we see parents demand obedience, good behavior, kind words, pleasant looks, a sweet voice and a bright eye from a child or children when they themselves are full of bitterness and scolding!  How inconsistent and unreasonable this is! Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 208