More Ballard and Scott

“Finding Joy through Loving Service” April 2011

This Talk focused on charity and why it should be such a focus in our lives. It also spoke heavily on missionary service.

“Brothers and sisters, the gospel of Jesus Christ is simple, no matter how much we try to make it complicated. We should strive to keep our lives similarly simple, unencumbered by extraneous influences, focused on those things that matter most.”
Elder Ballard, Finding Joy through Loving Service, April 2011 General Conference

“By treating each other kindly, speaking words of support and encouragement, and being sensitive to each other’s needs, we can create loving unity among ward members. Where charity exists, there is no place for gossip or unkind words.”
Elder Ballard, Finding Joy through Loving Service, April 2011 General Conference

“Through our heartfelt kindness and service, we can make friends with those whom we serve. From these friendships come better understanding of our devotion to the gospel and a desire to learn more about us.”
Elder Ballard, Finding Joy through Loving Service, April 2011 General Conference

“In all of our service, we need to be sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. The still, small voice will let us know who needs our help and what we can do to help them.”
Elder Ballard, Finding Joy through Loving Service, April 2011 General Conference

Much like the first talk, this one was also inspiring. It is great how Elder Ballard is so passionate about missionary work. Love should be our motivating factor in everything we do and it is what we should be focusing on improving in our lives, well mine in particular!

ELDER SCOTT

“For Peace at Home” April 2013

This Talk focused on how we can make our homes Christ-centered and the good that come out of doing that.

“One of the greatest blessings we can offer to the world is the power of a Christ-centered home where the gospel is taught, covenants are kept, and love abounds.”
Elder Scott, For Peace at Home, April 2013 General Conference

“Be certain that every decision you make, whether temporal or spiritual, is conditioned on what the Savior would have you do. When He is the center of your home, there is peace and serenity. There is a spirit of assurance that pervades the home, and it is felt by all who dwell there.”
Elder Scott, For Peace at Home, April 2013 General Conference

“The prophetic counsel to have daily personal and family prayer, daily personal and family scripture study, and weekly family home evening are the essential, weight-bearing beams in the construction of a Christ-centered home. Without these regular practices it will be difficult to find the desired and much-needed peace and refuge from the world.”
Elder Scott, For Peace at Home, April 2013 General Conference

“Be obedient to the prophetic teachings Christ would have you follow. Don’t rationalize away future happiness by taking shortcuts instead of applying sound gospel principles. Remember: little things lead to big things. Seemingly insignificant indiscretions or neglect can lead to big problems. More importantly, simple, consistent, good habits lead to a life full of bountiful blessings.”
Elder Scott, For Peace at Home, April 2013 General Conference

“Greater peace will come as you couple your efforts to be obedient with serving those around you. So many individuals who have what they perceive to be meager talents humbly and generously use those talents to bless the lives of those around them.”
Elder Scott, For Peace at Home, April 2013 General Conference

“As you center your home on the Savior, it will naturally become a refuge not only to your own family but also to friends who live in more difficult circumstances. They will be drawn to the serenity they feel there. Welcome such friends into your home. They will blossom in that Christ-centered environment. Become friends with your children’s friends. Be a worthy example to them.”
Elder Scott, For Peace at Home, April 2013 General Conference

“We need to trust in the Lord and in His timing that a positive response to our prayers and rescue efforts can occur. We do all that we can to serve, to bless, and to submissively acknowledge God’s will in all things. We exercise faith and remember that there are some things that must be left to the Lord. ”
Elder Scott, For Peace at Home, April 2013 General Conference

“We need not worry if we can’t simultaneously do all of the things that the Lord has counseled us to do. He has spoken of a time and a season for all things. In response to our sincere prayers for guidance, He will direct us in what should be emphasized at each phase of our life. We can learn, grow, and become like Him one consistent step at a time.”
Elder Scott, For Peace at Home, April 2013 General Conference

“The Joy of Redeeming the Dead” October 2012

This Talk focused on the responsibility we have to do our own ancestors work in the temple.

“Any work you do in the temple is time well spent, but receiving ordinances vicariously for one of your own ancestors will make the time in the temple more sacred, and even greater blessings will be received. The First Presidency has declared, “Our preeminent obligation is to seek out and identify our own ancestors.””
Elder Scott, The Joy of Redeeming the Dead, October 2012 General Conference

“temple Worship: the Source of Strength and Power in Times of Need” April 2009

Elder Scott is very passionate about this topic. He talked about temple attendance and why we should make it a priority in our lives, and what we can do to make our temple attendance more meaningful.

“When a temple is conveniently nearby, small things may interrupt your plans to go to the temple. Set specific goals, considering your circumstances, of when you can and will participate in temple ordinances. Then do not allow anything to interfere with that plan. This pattern will guarantee that those who live in the shadow of a temple will be as blessed as are those who plan far ahead and make a long trip to the temple.”
Elder Scott, Temple Worship:, April 2009 General Conference

“I encourage you to establish your own goal of how frequently you will avail yourself of the ordinances offered in our operating temples. What is there that is more important than attending and participating in the ordinances of the temple? What activity could have a greater impact and provide more joy and profound happiness for a couple than worshipping together in the temple?”
Elder Scott, Temple Worship:, April 2009 General Conference

“What I am trying to teach is that when we keep the temple covenants we have made and when we live righteously in order to maintain the blessings promised by those ordinances, then come what may, we have no reason to worry or to feel despondent.”
Elder Scott, Temple Worship:, April 2009 General Conference

Personal Realization thanks to Elder Ballard

ELDER BALLARD

“Put Your Trust In The Lord” October 2013

“the Lord is hastening His work. In our day this can be done only when every member of the Church reaches out with love to share the truths of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Elder Ballard, Put Your Trust In The Lord, October 2013 General Conference

“Make the decision to do what Jesus Christ has asked us to do.”
Elder Ballard, Put Your Trust In The Lord, October 2013 General Conference

“It is impossible for us to fail when we do our best when we are on the Lord’s errand. While the outcome is a result of the exercise of one’s agency, sharing the gospel is our responsibility.”
Elder Ballard, Put Your Trust In The Lord, October 2013 General Conference

“You don’t have to be an outgoing person or an eloquent, persuasive teacher. If you have an abiding love and hope within you, the Lord has promised if you “lift up your voices unto this people [and] speak the thoughts that [He] shall put into your hearts, … you shall not be confounded before men;”
Elder Ballard, Put Your Trust In The Lord, October 2013 General Conference

“ I realize that some of you may feel heavy laden, but I pray that none of you would ever feel that reaching out in normal, pleasant ways to share the gospel would ever be a burden. Rather, it is a privilege! There is no greater joy in life than being anxiously engaged in the service of the Lord.”
Elder Ballard, Put Your Trust In The Lord, October 2013 General Conference

This talk was really inspiring! I have had missionary opportunities before and kind of did my best for the church, but for some reason it just clicked that the reason that we should be wanting to do missionary work is because of love! I know this is super old news and everyone knows that, but it really just hit me. And it made me realize that if I was more loving and my friends knew that what I do is out of love, I would be more successful. For some reason I have a hard time putting my thoughts and feelings into words (vocal words more so than written). Because of this, I have a hard time expressing my feelings, whether it be of apology, gratefulness, love, etc. This is probably why I do not share the gospel as much as I should! This talk made me realize that Heavenly Father will help me if I try. That is all we need to do, try.

Elder Nelson

ELDER NELSON

“Decisions for Eternity” October 2013

This Talk focused on the effects of the decisions we make, the importance of our decisions, what should influence our decisions, and family.

“Recently I heard a chorus of children sing the beloved song “I Am a Child of God.” I wondered, “Why haven’t I heard that song rendered more often by singing mothers or faithful fathers?” Are we not all children of God? In truth, not one of us can ever stop being a child of God!”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Decisions for Eternity, October 2013 General Conference

So true! We are all dearly loved children of our Heavenly Father and we should never forget that! It is not only children who benefit from being children of God but it is all of us!

“Each time you look in the mirror, see your body as your temple. That truth—refreshed gratefully each day—can positively influence your decisions about how you will care for your body and how you will use it. And those decisions will determine your destiny. How could this be? Because your body is the temple for your spirit. And how you use your body affects your spirit. Some of the decisions that will determine your eternal destiny include: How will you choose to care for and use your body? What spiritual attributes will you choose to develop?”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Decisions for Eternity, October 2013 General Conference

Seeing our bodies as temples can help us make beneficial decisions for our temporal and spiritual health. Sometimes it is hard to see our bodies as temples because we often only see the imperfections and wish that our bodies were different somehow but this precious gift from God should be seen as just that, precious! Seeing your body as a gift and then treating it as such can and will have great positive effects on our health and spirituality!

“God implanted strong appetites within us for nourishment and love, vital for the human family to be perpetuated. When we master our appetites within the bounds of God’s laws, we can enjoy longer life, greater love, and consummate joy.”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Decisions for Eternity, October 2013 General Conference

Desires are not bad! They are divine! We just need to “master our appetites” which is possible with help from the Lord and through the atonement!

“We can change our behavior. Our very desires can change. How? There is only one way. True change—permanent change—can come only through the healing, cleansing, and enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He loves you—each of you!”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Decisions for Eternity, October 2013 General Conference

I feel like this is something that is very difficult for us humans. Permanent change. But the atonement is there for us if we will use it! Heavenly Father wants to see us succeed so He will help us through our difficult times if we ask him. We cannot be above asking for help, we all need it at one point or another!

“My dear brothers and sisters, each day is a day of decision, and our decisions determine our destiny. One day each of us will stand before the Lord in judgment. We will each have a personal interview with Jesus Christ. We will account for decisions that we made about our bodies, our spiritual attributes, and how we honored God’s pattern for marriage and family. That we may choose wisely each day’s decisions for eternity is my earnest prayer in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Decisions for Eternity, October 2013 General Conference

                               

“Living by Scriptural Guidance” October 2000

This talk talked about why we need guidance, where we can get it, and how we can achieve it. The scriptures were the answer to all of these questions.

“He provided a guide—a spiritual road map—to help us achieve success in our journey. We call that guide the standard works, so named because they—the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price—constitute the standard by which we should live.”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Living by Scriptural Guidance, October 2000 General Conference

Heavenly Father loves us so much, He did not just send us down here to fend for ourselves, He sent us down here with a map. I feel like often, mankind is just like that, men, who never ask for directions and thinks that maps are beneath them. Being humble and putting our pride aside is a huge factor in our general success in this life.

“In your journey through life, you meet many obstacles and make some mistakes. Scriptural guidance helps you to recognize error and make the necessary correction. You stop going in the wrong direction. You carefully study the scriptural road map. Then you proceed with repentance and restitution required to get on the “strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life.””
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Living by Scriptural Guidance, October 2000 General Conference

                               

“To feast means more than to taste. To feast means to savor. We savor the scriptures by studying them in a spirit of delightful discovery and faithful obedience.”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Living by Scriptural Guidance, October 2000 General Conference

Feast! I know I do not do this enough! Yeah sure I read the scriptures every day, but do I feast? No. Should I be feasting? Absolutely. Especially in a spirit of delightful discovery! I love that phrase! No matter how many times we have read the scriptures and think we know what is in them, we simply do not.

“As you ponder and pray about doctrinal principles, the Holy Ghost will speak to your mind and your heart. From events portrayed in the scriptures, new insights will come and principles relevant to your situation will distill upon your heart.”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Living by Scriptural Guidance, October 2000 General Conference

Such a great promise! We all need insights relevant to our own situations. We can gain those insights from the events portrayed in the scriptures!

“Time for scripture study requires a schedule that will be honored. Otherwise, blessings that matter most will be at the mercy of things that matter least.”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Living by Scriptural Guidance, October 2000 General Conference

                                Just do it!

“Perfection Pending” October 1995

“We all need to remember: men are that they might have joy—not guilt trips! We also need to remember that the Lord gives no commandments that are impossible to obey. But sometimes we fail to comprehend them fully.”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Perfection Pending, October 1995 General Conference

“Mortal perfection can be achieved as we try to perform every duty, keep every law, and strive to be as perfect in our sphere as our Heavenly Father is in his. If we do the best we can, the Lord will bless us according to our deeds and the desires of our hearts.”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Perfection Pending, October 1995 General Conference

“No accountable individual can receive exaltation in the celestial kingdom without the ordinances of the temple. Endowments and sealings are for our personal perfection and are secured through our faithfulness.”
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Perfection Pending, October 1995 General Conference

“Meanwhile, brothers and sisters, let us do the best we can and try to improve each day. When our imperfections appear, we can keep trying to correct them. We can be more forgiving of flaws in ourselves and among those we love. We can be comforted and forbearing. The Lord taught, “Ye are not able to abide the presence of God now … ; wherefore, continue in patience until ye are perfected.””
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Perfection Pending, October 1995 General Conference

Elder Oaks

“Followers of Christ” April 2013

“Following Christ is not a casual or occasional practice but a continuous commitment and way of life that applies at all times and in all places.”
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Followers of Christ, April 2013 General Conference

I love this. It is a direct call to do better in our lives. We should be constantly emulating the light of Christ. It should be on our minds in every choice we make and every action we make. That is a tall order but it is possibly and we need to do our best.

“In our efforts to rescue and serve, we follow our Savior’s unique example and tender teachings about love: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:39). He even commanded us to love our enemies (see Luke 6:27–28). And in His great teachings at the end of His mortal ministry, He said: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34–35).”
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Followers of Christ, April 2013 General Conference

Charity is the pure love of God. Which is what we should always strive to emulate. We are human, thus it is sometimes hard to love our neighbors. But Christ loves us and sees our eternal potential and we should at least try to see others as their Father in Heaven sees them. I also love the last part, people we know that we are Christians by the way we treat other people. They will know us by our fruits.

““We are the children of God, and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:16–17). This means, as we are told in the New Testament, that we are “heirs … of eternal life” (Titus 3:7) and that if we come to the Father, we are to “inherit all things” (Revelation 21:7)—all that He has—a concept our mortal minds can hardly grasp. But at least we can understand that achieving this ultimate destiny in eternity is possible only if we follow our Savior, Jesus Christ, who taught that “no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).”
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Followers of Christ, April 2013 General Conference

I love these references stating that we are children of God and will inherit all that he has. Elder Oaks is so right when he says “A concept our mortal minds can hardly grasp” I have thought that phrase so many times. It is just mind blowing to think about the possibility of our eternal future! Our Heavenly Father loves us so much and we have the opportunity to live with Him again if we only follow Christ and what He has taught us! It’s fantastic!

“When we worthily partake of the sacrament, we are promised that we will “always have his Spirit to be with [us].” To qualify for that promise we covenant that we will “always remember him””

Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Pornography, April 2005 General Conference

I love this quote because I never really put two and two together. If we always remember Him, we will always have His Spirit to be with us! Because obviously if we are remembering Him, We are not going to be doing sinful and stupid things. We will do what is right, and thus have His spirit with us!

“But the good news is that no one needs to follow the evil, downward descent to torment. Everyone caught on that terrible escalator has the key to reverse his course. He can escape. Through repentance he can be clean.”
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Pornography, April 2005 General Conference

                                Yay Atonement!

Seeking Riches

“Our prosperity brings some real challenges because many are getting rich, more of us are waxing fat, and as a result of greed, selfishness, and overindulgence, we could lose the Spirit and literally kick ourselves out of the Church. Money and material things are on the minds of almost everyone. As Morris Chalfant wrote: “The great [question] of the twentieth century is, ‘How can I acquire wealth?’ No question occupies a larger place in the minds and … hearts of … people today than this. … This is true of men in every station and in every walk of life.”
Elder Joe J. Christensen, Greed, Selfishness, and Overindulgence, April 1999 General Conference

“If we are to be self-reliant and in a position to share, obviously we must acquire some resources. If we live within our means and avoid debt, resources can be accumulated. There are those with average incomes who, over a lifetime, do amass some means, and there are those who receive large salaries who do not. What is the difference? It is simply spending less than they receive, saving along the way, and taking advantage of the power of compound interest.”
Elder Joe J. Christensen, Greed, Selfishness, and Overindulgence, April 1999 General Conference

“The more our hearts and minds are turned to assisting others less fortunate than we, the more we will avoid the spiritually cankering effects that result from greed, selfishness, and overindulgence. Our resources are a stewardship, not our possessions. I am confident that we will literally be called upon to make an accounting before God concerning how we have used them to bless lives and build the kingdom.”
Elder Joe J. Christensen, Greed, Selfishness, and Overindulgence, April 1999 General Conference

“You need not be either rich or hold high position to be completely successful and truly happy. In fact, if these things come to you, and they may, true success must be achieved in spite of them, not because of them. It is remarkably difficult to teach this truth. If one who is not well known, and not well compensated, claims that he has learned for himself that neither fame nor fortune are essential to success, we tend to reject his statement as self-serving. What else could he say and not count himself a failure?”
President Boyd K Packer, The Choice, October 1980 General Conference

President Uchtdorf

“We see baptism as the starting point in our journey of discipleship. Our daily walk with Jesus Christ leads to peace and purpose in this life and profound joy and eternal salvation in the world to come.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Come, Join with Us, October 2013 General Conference

I love how it all starts with baptism.  I have never really thought about the fact that our whole discipleship begins with baptism, and leads to joy and eternal salvation, who wouldn’t want that? It may not be an easy journey, actually it never will be an easy journey, but the answers are easy. We just have to stick to it.

“In this Church that honors personal agency so strongly… we respect those who honestly search for truth. It may break our hearts when their journey takes them away from the Church we love and the truth we have found, but we honor their right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own conscience, just as we claim that privilege for ourselves.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Come, Join with Us, October 2013 General Conference

This is an interesting concept that I never really thought about before. I guess it is hard to think that someone who has been in the church, did not find what they were looking for. But it happens! I am not one to judge them, I don’t know their life, but I do have to honor their agency no matter how sad it may be for me and for their future.

“first doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith.⁸ We must never allow doubt to hold us prisoner and keep us from the divine love, peace, and gifts that come through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Come, Join with Us, October 2013 General Conference

I love this! When we have doubts we always doubt our faith first! We give the credit to our doubts rather than our beliefs which doesn’t really make sense. We should question our doubts before our faith. It does keep us prisoner from the joy and love we can experience in our faith from Heavenly Father and Christ.

“If you expect to find perfect people here, you will be disappointed. But if you seek the pure doctrine of Christ, the word of God “which healeth the wounded soul,”⁹ and the sanctifying influence of the Holy Ghost, then here you will find them.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Come, Join with Us, October 2013 General Conference

This is a common thing, people think they k now Mormon beliefs so they judge us according to what they have been told, and when we make any sort of mistake they take that to being that the church must be false. How does that even make sense? People who want to know docrine rather than perfect people will be satisfied with the church.

“there may be times in our lives when rising up and continuing on may seem beyond our own ability. That day on a snow-covered slope, I learned something. Even when we think we cannot rise up, there is still hope. And sometimes we just need someone to look us in the eyes, take our hand, and say, “You can do it now!””
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, You Can Do It Now!, October 2013 General Conference

I love this statement of hope. Hope is something that I strongly believe in, and when we lose it, we lose out motivation, our happiness, our drive, our reason for being, so hope is a huge thing. We should all strive to be the one that helps others get up and when the time comes that we need it ourselves, Heavenly Father will bless us with angels of friends and family to help us get back up.

“our destiny is not determined by the number of times we stumble but by the number of times we rise up, dust ourselves off, and move forward.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, You Can Do It Now!, October 2013 General Conference

Patience and endurance in the faith are what help us get up on our own. These two principles are things that I personally need to hone and improve upon. Our ‘destiny’ is something that we choose. We have the agency to get up and keep pressing forward or to stop and give up. We just need to make the right choices

“there is an important difference between the sorrow for sin that leads to repentance and the sorrow that leads to despair.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, You Can Do It Now!, October 2013 General Conference

I just feel like this is an important thing to remember. Growing up, I probably would not have made this differentiation. But it really is so important. When we are in sorrow it can be productive or hindering and I feel like many people just get depressed and never end up repenting and knowing the goodness and joy of being clean again. If only they knew!!!

“when guilt leads to self-loathing or prevents us from rising up again, it is impeding rather than promoting our repentance.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, You Can Do It Now!, October 2013 General Conference

               

“We have a champion, a Savior, who walked through the valley of the shadow of death on our behalf. He gave Himself as a ransom for our sins. No one has ever had greater love than this—Jesus Christ, the Lamb without blemish, willingly laid Himself on the altar of sacrifice and paid the price for our sins to “the uttermost farthing.”⁷ He took upon Himself our suffering. He took our burdens, our guilt upon His shoulders.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, You Can Do It Now!, October 2013 General Conference

I love the vivid words here, it paints such a great picture of Christ and what He went through for us! He is the ultimate example and repenting is just one thing that we can do to attempt to repay Him for what He has given us, which is everything! The potential for everything!

“If we see healthy eating and exercise as something only our doctor expects of us, we will likely fail. If we see these choices as who we are and who we want to become, we have a greater chance of staying the course and succeeding.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, You Can Do It Now!, October 2013 General Conference

This never really crossed my mind before, I am not a very avid goal setter (I know I probably should be) but it is interesting that we really have to want success to our goals in order to achieve them. I mean yeah we all want to get fit, or get healthy but our actions are what really say what we want. If we want the potato chips more than we want to be healthy, we are going to eat them.

“God’s light is real. It is available to all! It gives life to all things.¹ It has the power to soften the sting of the deepest wound. It can be a healing balm for the loneliness and sickness of our souls. In the furrows of despair, it can plant the seeds of a brighter hope. It can enlighten the deepest valleys of sorrow. It can illuminate the path before us and lead us through the darkest night into the promise of a new dawn.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, The Hope of God’s Light, April 2013 General Conference

The power of Heavenly Father’s light is incredible. It can bring peace and happiness to the most desolate situations and lives. It is the letting the light in that I feel like people struggle with. With so much to gain and nothing to lose, what would stop anyone from letting the light in? It is healing, the atonement is part of the light and it can heal our wounds, mend our hearts, give us a future worth living. I personally love light!

“Nevertheless, spiritual light rarely comes to those who merely sit in darkness waiting for someone to flip a switch. It takes an act of faith to open our eyes to the Light of Christ.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, The Hope of God’s Light, April 2013 General Conference

This is an important principle. To take a step of faith does not require that we know something or believe something, it requires a STEP. Acting to get to believing or knowing is how that works, it doesn’t just happen or appear, we have to do something.

“Yes, we will make mistakes. Yes, we will falter. But as we seek to increase our love for God and strive to love our neighbor, the light of the gospel will surround and uplift us. The darkness will surely fade, because it cannot exist in the presence of light. As we draw near to God, He will draw near to us.⁶ And day by day, the hope of God’s light will grow within us, “brighter and brighter until the perfect day.””
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, The Hope of God’s Light, April 2013 General Conference

                I love that we don’t have to be perfect, we just have to strive for it. It is comforting to know that I am not the only person who makes mistakes, fails, has to start over. Because of the light of the gospel I know that whatever happens, no matter how many times I fail, I get get back up and the Lord will help me succeed.

“patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can—working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Continue in Patience, April 2010 General Conference

I like the “active waiting” phrase to describe patience. Waiting seems like such a boring and pointless thing, but active waiting, I can definitely see how that can be productive and good for us.  It requires work, hope and faith. Those are all key to patience. We obviously need to work because we can’t get anything if we don’t work for it. Hope is so important because like I said earlier, hope is what gives us meaning. Faith, faith is what helps us rely on our Heavenly Father who knows what is best for us and wants so desperately to give it to us. Endure well!

 “As the Lord is patient with us, let us be patient with those we serve. Understand that they, like us, are imperfect. They, like us, make mistakes. They, like us, want others to give them the benefit of the doubt. Never give up on anyone. And that includes not giving up on yourself.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Continue in Patience, April 2010 General Conference

I like connecting these two things. The Lord is patient with us, so we (taking His perfect example) should be patient with others. I feel like we are all innately a little selfish so we don’t always think about other people and what they might be going through, how similar they are to us, the mistakes that they have made similar to our own.  Again, the example of the Lord is key. Patience can help us think more and help more and be more selfless and kind to those who may be in need of our help.

“We must learn that in the Lord’s plan, our understanding comes “line upon line, precept upon precept.” ⁶ In short, knowledge and understanding come at the price of patience.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Continue in Patience, April 2010 General Conference

As frustrating as this can be at times, it is true and it is important. If we got all of the information that we wanted at once, we would not be able to handle it and our brains would freak out! Again, this is Heavenly Father doing what is best for us even though we don’t understand it so we don’t agree sometimes.

“Patience means staying with something until the end. It means delaying immediate gratification for future blessings. It means reining in anger and holding back the unkind word. It means resisting evil, even when it appears to be making others rich.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Continue in Patience, April 2010 General Conference

                                Amen.

New quotes from President Eyring

“We are under covenant both to lift up those in need and to be witnesses of the Savior as long as we live.”
President Henry B. Eyring, Come Unto Me, April 2013 General conference

I feel like this is an important fact that we should not forget, as I often do. We are under covenant to give service and to witness of the Savior. In this time I feel like most people are simply concerned with their day-to-day lives and Christ is a separate part of life. When really, everything in our lives should center around Him. Everything we do should be with Christ in mind.

“You can depend on the Lord to draw closer to them as you serve Him in faith.”
President Henry B. Eyring, Come Unto Me, April 2013 General conference

              I love this promise from the Lord. We all have loved ones who are struggling in faith and we want to do more for them. The best thing that we can do is to serve the Lord in faith. He will bless us as well as our families for the service that we willingly offer to Him.

“My promise to you who pray and serve the Lord cannot be that you will have every blessing you may wish for yourself and your family. But I can promise you that the Savior will draw close to you and bless you and your family with what is best. You will have the comfort of His love and feel the answer of His drawing closer as you reach out your arms in giving service to others. As you bind up the wounds of those in need and offer the cleansing of His Atonement to those who sorrow in sin, the Lord’s power will sustain you. His arms are outstretched with yours to succor and bless the children of our Heavenly Father, including those in your family.”
President Henry B. Eyring, Come Unto Me, April 2013 General conference

              I know this Is a long quote but this is what stood out to me from the entire talk. Not only is it a promise but it is a direct call to action as well. We need to serve the Lord and His children. We need to offer the cleansing of the atonement to those in sin. We will be sustained and He will bless us with what we need for ourselves and our family.

“We sanctify ourselves and fulfill our individual duties to the commandment to take the gospel to all of our Heavenly Father’s children.”

President Henry B. Eyring, We Are One, April 2013 General Conference

               I love how President Eyring says that we need to help ourselves before we can help others. How can we successfully bring the gospel in to other people’s lives when we ourselves do not yet have it engrained into our being and way of life? We need to be able to preach with confidence to help others. We need to know doctrines before we can teach them. We need to work on ourselves.

“it was not so much the duty anyone performed but the way they all became one in their enthusiasm to bring people into the community of Saints that had brought them such happiness.”
President Henry B. Eyring, We Are One, April 2013 General Conference

               I think that this is so cool that it was not the fact that they did the job but they did it enthusiastically and that is what brought their success! They became one in purpose and then expanded and invited and brought others into their happiness. That is just beautiful!

“It was the love of God and the love for their friends and neighbors that unified them to serve the people. They desired to take the gospel to everyone in their part of the world. And they prepared their children to be worthy to be called by the Lord to teach, to testify, and to serve in other parts of His vineyard.”
President Henry B. Eyring, We Are One, April 2013 General Conference

              Charity unified them. They loved Heavenly Father and they loved their friends and wanted what was best for them and that is what inspired them to do missionary work. I know of no better inspiration and not better cause to be inspired for!  I too have had this desire to bring the gospel to every person that I possibly can. I will prepare my future children to serve by preparing myself to be able to do whatever the Lord wills  when He wills it.

“It is only with the companionship of the Holy Ghost that we can hope to be equally yoked in a marriage free from discord. I have seen how that companionship is crucial for felicity in a marriage. The miracle of becoming one requires the help of heaven, and it takes time. Our goal is to live together forever in the presence of Heavenly Father and our Savior.”
President Henry B. Eyring, To My Grandchildren, October 2013 General Conference

             I love how he mentions that we need to keep our eternal goal in mind. The purpose behind everything. The reason we want a happy and successful marriage is so that we can live with our families and Heavenly Father forever. Having the companionship of the Holy Ghost is so important for our success that I would wager that it is nearly impossible without him! We need to stay close to the Lord and close to our spouses.

“Heavenly Father has perfect foresight, knows each of us, and knows our future. He knows what difficulties we will pass through. He sent His Son to suffer so that He would know how to succor us in all our trials.”
President Henry B. Eyring, To My Grandchildren, October 2013 General Conference

               This is just a simple quote that I feel like we need to remember. This is something that we should have posted on our walls and mirrors. Christ has gone through everything that we have gone through and we can take comfort in that and have hope for a brighter future because of Him. Heavenly Father knows what we will pass through and He knows that we can get through it. We need to remember that while we in the midst of a trial.

“there is joy guaranteed for the faithful.”

President Henry B. Eyring, To My Grandchildren, October 2013 General Conference

             Oh what a promise! The answers are easy! The applications, not always. But we should always know what the answers are. Heavenly Father will help us and with Him on our side, who can be against us?

“The message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is that we can and must expect to become better as long as we live.”
President Henry B. Eyring, Our Perfect Example, October 2009 General Conference

               This Quote is and “endure To The End” quote and I love it. We can endure faithful to the end and to do so we must also become better along the way. We must be progressing because if we are not, we are growing farther away from our Heavenly Father. We should strive to do better every single day. For me this is kind of a stress causer but honestly it is true and nothing will make it less true. I know I just need to do my best every day and realize and repent of the shortcomings I have had daily. This requires constant communication with our Heavenly Father and constant humbleness. No one is perfect and I am far from it, but as long as I know that I am doing my best, I know I will be blessed.

“Love is the motivating principle by which the Lord leads us along the way towards becoming like Him, our perfect example. Our way of life, hour by hour, must be filled with the love of God and love for others.”
President Henry B. Eyring, Our Perfect Example, October 2009 General Conference

             Love, love is everything. Charity, the pure love must permeate our lives as it did the saviors. It needs to be our motivation, our goal, our reason for everything.

“You can pray for your children, love them, and reach out to them with confidence that Jesus reaches for them with you. When you keep trying, you are doing what Jesus does.”
President Henry B. Eyring, Our Perfect Example, October 2009 General Conference

              It’s hard, no one ever said it wasn’t. But as I said, we simply need to do the best we can, always.

“Because of His Atonement for you, your childlike obedience will bring a feeling of love of the Savior for you and your love for Him. That is one of the gifts that is promised to His faithful disciples. And this gift can come not only to you alone but also to the loving members of your family. The promise was given in 3 Nephi: “And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” ”
President Henry B. Eyring, Our Perfect Example, October 2009 General Conference