Mormon Musings

All sins shall be forgiven except the sin against the Holy Ghost; for Jesus will save all except the sons of perdition. What must a man do to commit the unpardonable sin? He must receive the Holy Ghost, have the heavens opened unto him, and know God, and then sin against him. After a man has sinned against the Holy Ghost, there is no repentance for him. He has got to say that the sun does not shine while he sees it; he has got to deny Jesus Christ when the heavens have been opened unto him, and to deny the plan of salvation with his eyes open to the truth of it; and from that time he begins to be an enemy. This is the case with many apostates of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Joseph Smith, Journal of Discourses (King Follet Discourse) 6:8-9

No man or people possessing wisdom will give vent to wrath, for that is calculated to weaken, to destroy to blot out existence. Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 7:10

“He [Heavenly Father] is our perfect Father. He loves us beyond our capacity to understand. He knows what is best for us. He sees the end from the beginning. He wants us to act to gain needed experience: “When He answers yes, it is to give us confidence. “When He answers no, it is to prevent error. “When He withholds an answer, it is to have us grow through faith in Him, obedience to His commandments, and a willingness to act on truth.” Richard G. Scott ,  “Learning to Recognize Answers to Prayer,” Ensign, Nov. 1989, 30

“Learn to pray. Pray often. Pray in your mind, in your heart. Pray on your knees. Prayer is your personal key to heaven. The lock is on your side of the veil. And I have learned to conclude all my prayers with ‘Thy will be done’ (Matthew 6:10; see also Luke 11:2; 3 Nephi 13:10).” Boyd K. Packer ,  “Prayer and Promptings,” Ensign, Nov. 2009, 46

You who pray sometimes, why not pray more regularly, more often, more devoutly? Is time so precious, life so short, or faith so scant? . . . Do you pray occasionally when you should be praying regularly, often, constantly? . . . Do you just speak, or do you also listen? . . . Do you give thanks or merely ask for favors? Spencer W. Kimball ,  "Prayer, New Era," Mar. 1978, 17

Recognize that there is a power greater than ours, that no matter how good a man is, he is not good enough, that no matter how wise he is, he is not wise enough, that no matter how strong he is, he is not strong enough for all of the things which he will face in life, and that there is a source of power to which he can go with the assurance that he will be listened to and that there will be a response. Gordon B. Hinckley ,  "The Message: Gifts to Bring Home from the Mission Field," New Era, Mar. 2007, 4

"A key to improved prayer is to learn to ask the right questions. Consider changing from asking for the things you want to honestly seeking what He wants for you. Then as you learn His will, pray that you will be led to have the strength to fulfill it." Richard G. Scott ,  "Using the Supernal Gift of Prayer," Ensign, May 2007, 8