Mormon Musings

There are too many among us who shake hands with the devil; and while this is so the Lord cannot bless this people as He wants to bless them. Were He to pour out the multiplicity of blessings He has in store upon them now, it would send many of them to destruction; otherwise His great blessings will save them when they understand them. It is necessary we should live near to the Lord. I am not obliged to mingle with evil because it surrounds me. An Elder whose duty calls him into the Gentile world can keep himself as pure and as holy as he was in the midst of the Saints. He may enwrap himself as in a cloak against every evil that would surround his footsteps. It is in the power of every man to resist the devil, and he will flee from him. He will not take possession of any man’s heart unless he makes him a welcome inhabitant and invites him to share in his affections. It is in the power of every man and every woman not to give way to evil thoughts and speak evil against their nei

O be wise; what can I say more? Jacob 6:12

“One cannot honestly study the scriptures without learning gospel principles because the scriptures have been written to preserve principles for our benefit.” President Marion G. Romney -”The Message of the Old Testament” [CES symposium on the Old Testament, Aug. 17, 1979], 3; quoted in S&I  Gospel Teaching and Learning  handbook (2012), 26

No man can sincerely resolve to apply to his daily life the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth without sensing a change in his own nature.  The phrase "born again" has a deeper significance than many people attach to it.  This  changed feeling  may be indescribable,  but it is real. President David O. McKay - Conference Report,  Apr. 1962, 7

“The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.” Joseph Smith -History of the Church, 3:30; TPJS, 121

“We are surrounded by those in need of our attention, our encouragement, our support, our comfort, our kindness. … We are the Lord’s hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children. He is dependent upon each of us.” President Thomas S. Monson “What Have I Done for Someone Today?”  Ensign,  Nov. 2009, 86

"The Lord is in all of our lives. He loves us. He wants to bless us. He wants us to seek His help. As He guides us and directs us and as He hears and answers our prayers, we will find the happiness here and now that He desires for us." President  Thomas S. Monson, " Consider the Blessings ",   Liahona and Ensign , November 2012