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Parenting & the Home

"Children will not remember you for the material things you provided but for the feeling that you cherished them" -Richard L. Evans

"There can be no genuine happiness separate and apart from the home… there is no happiness without service, and there is no service greater than that which converts the home into a divine institution, and which promotes and preserves family life… The home is what needs reforming" -Joseph F. Smith

"One of the greatest discoveries of parenthood is that we learn far more about what really matters from our children than we ever did from our parents" -Boyd K. Packer

"Family time is sacred time and should be protected and respected" -Boyd K. Packer

"If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the piles and piles of laundry will disappear all too soon and that you will miss them profoundly" -President Monson

"There should be no yelling in the home unless there is  a fire" -David O. McKay

"Lessons learned in the home last the longest" -Thomas S. Monson

Mosiah 27:14- "Thy father has prayed with much faith that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth"

"Women who make a house a home make a far greater contribution to society than those who command large armies or stand at the head of impressive corporations" -President Hinckley

"Listen earnestly to anything your children want to tell you, no matter what. If you don't listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won't tell you the big stuff when they are big, because to them all of it has always been big stuff" -Catherine Wallace

Proverbs 20:7 -The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him

"The greatest thing a father can do for his daughter is to love her mother" -Elaine S. Dalton

"Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, no thunder" -Rumi

"I believe that the most important single thing that you will ever do in this world is to marry the right person, in the right place, by the right authority" -Bruce R. McConkie

"Your children will become who you are; so be who you want them to be" -anon

"Never love anybody who treats you like you're ordinary" -Oscar Wilde

"The homemaker has the ultimate career; All other careers exist for one purpose only… to support the ultimate career" -C. S. Lewis

"If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders" -Abigail van Buren

"The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice" -Peggy O'Mara

"No other success in life can compensate for failure in the home" -David O. McKay

Jacob 2:35 - "ye have broken the hearts of your tender wives and lost the confidence of your children because of your bad example"

Jacob 3:10 - "remember your children… they have grieved their hearts because of the example ye have set before them

Alma 36:17 "...I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy…" (Continue to teach to your children, even if you think they are not listening!)

Alma 37:32- "Teach them an everlasting hatred against sin and iniquity"

Alma 53, 56- 2000 stripling warriors (53:21: they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him/ Alma 56:47-48: they had been taught by their mothers)

Helaman 15:3 "in the days of their iniquities hath he chastened them because he loveth them"

"On the other side of that veil there are angels riding with their chariots of fire to be a protection for your child" -Jeffrey R. Holland

"Our goal in parenting is not ultimately for our kids to get a great education or to be great athletes or to find a great husband or get a great career. Our goal is for them to love a great God" -David Platt

"Whenever possible, say yes! They are only kids once!" -Marjorie Hinckley

"A home is much more than a house built of lumber, brick, or stone. A home is made of love, sacrifice, and respect. We are responsible for the homes we build. We must build wisely, for eternity is not a short voyage. There will be calm and wind, sunlight and shadows, joy and sorrow. But if we really try, our home can be a bit of heaven here on earth" -Thomas S. Monson

Moroni 8:3 "I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying… that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end"

"If we don't teach our children to follow Christ, the world will teach them not to" -anon

Take time to praise your children and let them know you're proud of them. Heavenly Father did- "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:17.)

"Love them the most when they are the least lovable" -Kent Brooks

"The foundation of kindness and civility begins in our homes" -Elder Quentin L. Cook

Matthew 9:18-26- On his way to raise a girl from the dead, and a woman touches his clothes in order to be healed. He took the time to recognize her, and doesn't just brush her away. He takes the time to talk to her and heal her, even though those around him were in a hurry and rushing him along

• Take time for the little things- for they make big things!

Matthew 12:25 "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand"

Matthew 18:10 "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven"

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Patience

"Some blessings come soon, some blessings come late, and some don't come until Heaven. But for those who embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they come" -Jeffrey R. Holland

"Just when all seems to be gong right, challenges often come in multiple doses applied simultaneously. When those trials are not consequences of your disobedience, they are evidence that the Lord feels you are prepared to grow more… He therefore gives you experiences that stimulate growth, understanding, and compassion which polish you for your everlasting benefit. To get from where you are to where he wants you to be requires a lot of stretching, and that generally entails discomfort and pain. If all matters were immediately resolved at your first petition, you could not grow. Your Father in Heaven and His beloved son love you perfectly. They would not require you to experience a moment more of difficulty than is absolutely needed for your personal benefit or for that of those you love" -Elder Scott

D&C 121:7-8 "peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment"

Alma 1:25- "Now this was a great trial to those that did stand fast in the faith: nevertheless they were steadfast and immovable in keeping the commandments of God, and they bore with patience the persecution which was heaped upon them"

Mosiah 24:15- "The lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully with patience to al the will of the Lord"

Alma 34:41- "But that ye have patience, and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions"

2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 "And ye said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong"

Alma 60/61- Moroni writes an angry letter to Pahoran, threating him, but has no idea what Pahoran is dealing with on his side of things. Pahoran responds kindly and patiently, rather than also jumping the gun and making harsh judgments and conclusions

"Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking our potential" -Winston Churchill

"Do not waste time bothering whether you love your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets of life. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will come to love him… if you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less… The difference between a true Christian and a wordly man is that the wordly man treats certain people kindly because he likes them: the Christian, trying to treat everyone kindly, finds himself liking more and more people as he goes on- including people he could not have even imagined himself liking in the beginning" -C.S. Lewis

3 Nephi 17- Christ blesses the children one by one. This seems like a very reverent experience when reading about it in the scriptures, but we know that children are not quiet and still. Christ had great patience with each child, blessing them individually and letting them get to know him personally

"Perfect love is perfectly patient" -Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Mormon 9:31 "Condemn me not because of mine imperfection… but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been"

Ether 6:5-7 "God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters towards the promised land"

• Wind (trials)- the Lord takes you where he wants you- he moves you forward. You may feel buried at times, but the Lord will always bring you back up

"I come to you tonight with a plea that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life we try to 'accentuate the positive'. I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still our voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment virtue and effort" -Gordon B. Hinckley

Matthew 1:19 "Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily… but while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost"

• Joseph was kind and patient and slow to anger
• The spirit does not come when we are angry or worked up- Joseph had to be willing and open to the spirit in order for him to come

Matthew 18:23-35 "One was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents... He had not to pay, and as to be sold... The servant fell down, saying Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. The Lord was moved with compassion, and forgave him the debt... But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him a hundred pence, and he took him by the throat... the fellowservant fell down and said Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not, but cast him into prison"

"Imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to him, but he deals with it... so should we!" -Jeffrey R. Holland

"Try and keep on trying until that which seems difficult becomes possible and that which seems only possible becomes habit and a real part of you" -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

ACT, don't react. Recognize you have responsibility in the conflict and in resolution. When Nephi went back for the plates, he was gone for an estimated month or two, and his mom (Sariah), began to panic and mourn, thinking her sons were dead. She had bottled up all her fears, and they all broke loose (1 Nephi 5). She begins to criticize her husband, and he does not criticize her back, like most of us would have reacted. Instead, he A.C.T's. He agrees, comforts, and teaches/testifies. He agrees by saying that yes, he is a visionary man, an apologizes. Have humility to say "you're right, and I'm sorry..." This doesn't mean you necessarily agree with everything, for find it fully true. If you aren't willing to accept some responsibility, you lose credibility, and it becomes difficult for that person to trust us. He then comforts, looking to her underlying needs and responding not just to her words, but her feelings and emotions. She is hurting, and he acknowledges that. He then teaches and testifies. Sariah then says that she now knows that he truly is called of God and they were sent out of Jerusalem. Before, she hadn't had her own testimony of leaving Jerusalem, but was just trusting her husband and relying on him. She finally had her own witness and could testify for her own now. 

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Plan of Salvation

Celestial: D&C 76:51-70

Terrestial: D&C 76:71-79

Telestial: D&C 76:81-89

Outer Darkness: D&C 76:28-38, 44-49

Alma 12:22-34

Alma 40: 11-14, 21, 23 "Taken home"

"In the gospel of Jesus Christ you have help from both sides of the veil, and you must never forget that. When disappointment and discouragement strike… you remember and never forget that if our eyes could be opened we could see horses and chariots of fire as far as the eye can see riding at reckless speed to come to our protection" -Jeffrey R. Holland

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Prayer

Jacob 3:1 - pray unto him with exceeding faith and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause

D&C 98:1-3 - "waiting patiently on the Lord, your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord"

"By becoming the answer to someone's prayer, we often find the answer to our own" -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"Get on your knees and pray then get on your feet and work" -President Hinckley

"If life gets too hard to stand… kneel" -President Hinckley

"In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance" -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"He who kneels before God can stand before any man" -Ezra Taft Benson

"We get on our knees and we ask the Lord to help us live in obedience to His commandments. We get on our feet and resolve to be better people than we were when we knelt down. Our beliefs will govern our actions. God help us to be those who are not faithless, but believing" -President Hinckley

"Every sincere prayer is heard and answered by our Heavenly Father, but the answers we receive may not be what we expect or come to us when we want or in the way we anticipate" -Elder Bednar

"Don't pray for a light load, pray for a stronger back" -anon

"I cannot see a Bishop in myself, but if you say it's the Lord's will, I'll try" -Newel K. Whitney

-"Go and ask Father" -  Joseph Smith

-"Thy strength is in me" -voice from heaven to Newel K. Whitney

"God is eagerly waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has. But He can’t if you don’t pray, and He can’t if you don’t dream. In short, He can’t if you don’t believe." -Jeffrey R Holland

1 Thessalonians 5:17 - "Pray without ceasing"

Mosiah 21:15 -"And now the Lord was slow to hear their cry because of their iniquities"

-SLOW to hear- but He still heard… They had to learn their lesson and pay for their wickedness

Alma 31:16-17- Zoramites prayer vs. Alma's prayer (selfishness versus selflessness)

Alma 33:4-9- prayers can be answered anywhere

Alma 33:39- "be watchful unto prayer continually, that ye may not be led away by the temptations of the devil, that he may not overpower you, they ye may not become his subjects at the last day; for behold, he rewardeth you no good thing"

Alma 34:26-29- "Ye must pour out your souls in your closets… let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you… if ye turn away those who stand in need… your prayer is vain and availeth you nothing"

Alma 37:37- "Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good"

Alma 38:13-14 "Do not pray as the Zoramites do, for they pray to be heard of men, and to be praised for their wisdom… Do not say: O God, I thank thee that we are better than our brethren; but rather say: O Lord, forgive my unworthiness, and remember my brethren in mercy- yea, acknowledge your unworthiness before God at all times"

Alma 58:10-11 "we did pour out our souls in prayer to God… he did visit us with must assurances and speak peace to our souls… he did grant us much faith and did cause us that we should hope"

Helaman 3:27-28 "thus we see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name. Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God"

Helaman 3:35 "Nevertheless, they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hurts unto God"

"When our wagon gets stuck in the mud, God is much more likely to assist the man who gets out to push than the man who merely raises his voice in prayer- no matter how eloquent the oration" -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"If it was right when you prayed about it and trusted it and lived for it, it is right now" -Jeffrey R. Holland

"Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?" -Corrie Ten Boom

3 Nephi 13:5-7, 13 "pray to thy Father who is in secret, use not vain repetitions… Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead u snot into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen"

"We will get our answers from the source we are choosing to follow" Kent Brooks

3 Nephi 18:15 "ye must watch and pray always, lest ye be tempted by the devil, and ye be led away captive by him"

3 Nephi 18:19-23 "Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name. And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you. Pray in your families unto the father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed"

3 Nephi 19- Christ leaves and comes back 3 times, and each time the disciples are still praying. This is a contrast to Gethsemane, who ceased to pray and left his side. Both were disciples, but which disciple are you? One who leaves his side for your own comforts, or one who stays by his side even when it is hard?

3 Nephi 20:1 "And he commanded them that they should not cease to pray in their hearts"

"Do not pray for tasks equal to your abilities, but pray for abilities equal to your tasks. Then the performance of your tasks will be no miracle, but you will be the miracle" -Thomas S. Monson

Mormon 5:21 "The Lord will remember the prayers of the righteous"

"Life is fragile and, therefore, should be handled with prayer" -Harold B. Lee

"Prayer is the passport to peace" -Thomas S. Monson

Mormon 9:21 "Whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him"

Ether 2:7-14 "And the Lord would not suffer that they should stop… as they came to the sea they pitched their tents… And for the space of three hours did the Lord chasten him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord"

• The Lord tells us to get somewhere, but sometimes we stop early

Ether 2:19- 3:16 "There is no light, and we cannot breathe"… The Lord answers him in verse 20, but only addresses the breathing situation. The brother of Jared asks again in 22 about lighting. The Lord answers with simply what he cannot do- fire or windows. The Lord will make your idea work. Figure it out and move forward, don't wait for a confirmation. You know what not to do, but you don't know what to do. Look for a solution then ask him. The rocks work as a result of his faith and effort. The Lord will give you more of a "no" than a "yes". "You are the child of a creator… so create! You are the creative force of your life" (Hank Smith). The brother of Jared goes to the Lord with sixteen stones and is embarrassed and feels completely incompetent (3:2-5), but shows extreme faith, diligence, and selflessness.

Moroni 7:9 "If he shall pray and not with real intent of heart; yea, and it profiteth him nothing, for God receiveth none such"

Moroni 7:26 "Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you"

Moroni 7:48 "Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love"

Matthew 6:5-7 "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. When thou prayest, enter into they closet, and shut thy door, and pray to thy Father which is in secret… use not vain repetitions"

"As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part. Many of the so called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship. Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings" -Bible Dictionary

"God is eagerly waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has. But he can't if you don't pray, and He can't if you don't dream. In short, he can't if you don't believe" -Jeffrey R. Holland

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Preparation

Alma 50:6 - Moroni prepared strongholds against his enemies (prepare spiritually to keep away enemies)

3 Nephi 4:8-10 "they did lift their cries to the Lord their God… when the armies of Giddianhi saw this they began to shout with a loud voice, because of their joy, for they had supposed that the Nephites had fallen with fear because of the terror of their armies… But in this thing they were disappointed, for the Nephites did not fear them, but they did fear their God and did supplicate him for protection… they were prepared to meet them, in the strength of the Lord they did receive them"

3 Nephi 4:18 "their much provision which they had laid up in store"

3 Nephi 8:24-25 "Oh that we had repented before this great and terrible day"

• Do not procrastinate the day of repentance

Ether 2:25 "Ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea"

Ether 2:19- 3:16 "There is no light, and we cannot breathe"… The Lord answers him in verse 20, but only addresses the breathing situation. The brother of Jared asks again in 22 about lighting. The Lord answers with simply what he cannot do- fire or windows. The Lord will make your idea work. Figure it out and move forward, don't wait for a confirmation. You know what not to do, but you don't know what to do. Look for a solution then ask him. The rocks work as a result of his faith and effort. The Lord will give you more of a "no" than a "yes". "You are the child of a creator… so create! You are the creative force of your life" (Hank Smith). The brother of Jared goes to the Lord with sixteen stones and is embarrassed and feels completely incompetent (3:2-5), but shows extreme faith, diligence, and selflessness.

"Ordinary people who faithfully, diligently, and consistently do simple things that are right before God will bring forth extraordinary results" -Elder David A. Bednar

Moroni 9:12 "And only a few years have passed away, and they were a civil and delightsome people" (Now torturing and killing women, children, and men)-- You must always be spiritually progressing. If you are not progressing, you are digressing. You cannot think that you have 'made it', or you will fall.

Matthew 7:24-27 "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken them unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended , and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell: and great was the fall of it"

"See how far you've come, not how far you have to go" -Kent Brooks 

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Pride

1 Peter 3: 3-4 meek and quiet spirit is great in the sight of God

"Too much ego will kill your talent" -anon

Jacob 2&3- Saints think they are okay merely because they are saints- actually worse off

"Generally speaking, the most miserable people I know are those who are obsessed with themselves; the happiest people I know are those who lose themselves in the service of others…  By and large, I have come to see that if we complain about life, it is because we are thinking only about ourselves" -Gordon B. Hinckley

Luke 14: 7-11 Sit in the Lowest Room

Mosiah 11:19- "lifted up in the pride of their hearts, boasting their own strength"

Alma 26:12- "yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things"

Alma 31:16-17- Zoramite's prayers are selfish, versus Alma's selfless prayer

"Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right" -Ezra T. Benson

Alma 37:11 "See that ye are not lifted up in pride; yea, see that ye do not boast in your own wisdom, nor of your much strength"

Alma 39:14 "Seek not after riches nor the vain things of the world; for you cannot carry them with you"

Alma 44 Zarahemnah is too prideful to admit defeat, and it ends up getting his scalp smote off and many of his people killed.

Alma 55:32 "for if their wine would poison a Lamanite it would also poison a Nephite" (don’t ever think you are above sin)

Helaman 3:23 "there was continual peace established in the land, all save it were the secret combinations which Gadianton the robber had established in the more settled parts of the land, which at that time were not known unto those who were at the head of the government"

-D&C 38:39 "but beware of pride, lest ye become as the Nephites of old"

Helaman 7:23-24 "..it shall be better for the Lamanites than for you except ye shall repent. They are more righteous than you, for they have not sinned against that great knowledge which ye have received"

• We get so caught up and sure of ourselves, being 'saints', but sometimes we are actually worse off, but have too much pride to realize it

Helaman 13:22 "Ye do not remember the Lord your God in the things with which he hath blessed you, but ye do always remember your riches, not to thank the Lord your God for them"

Mormon 8:19 "For behold, the same that judgeth rashly shall be judged rashly again"

Proverbs 27:2 "Let another man praise thee . . . and not thine own lips”

Ether 15- Millions are slain in battle, until it is literally 32 versus 27 people. They just cannot let it go and are so consumed with anger and pride that they will not just cease to fight. Instead, they would rather everyone die. In life we do this sometimes. We keep going and going at something and let it consume us until we have no energy anymore and we have lost sight of all things that are important.

Moroni 7:18 "see that ye do not judge wrongfully:

• "It is bad to judge others. It is not bad to make a good judgment" -Hank Smith

"The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.” It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us" -President Ezra Taft Benson

"Selfishness is one of the more common faces of pride" -President Benson

"Seek to be worth knowing rather than to be well known" -Sandra Turley

Matthew 5:44 "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you"

Matthew 7:1-5 "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considereth not the beam that is in thy own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and behold a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote of they brother's eye"

"Generally speaking, the most miserable people I know are those obsessed with themselves; the happiest people I know are those who lose themselves in the service of others" -President Gordon B. Hinckley

Matthew 19:20-24 "What lack I yet?... go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. A rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God"

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Priesthood

Alma 13:7 - "This high priesthood… was from the foundation of the world; or in other words, being without beginning of days or end of years, being prepared from eternity to all eternity, according to his foreknowledge of all times"

"Men who hold the priesthood are not inherently better than other men, but they should act differently" -David A. Bednar

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Priorities

"The most important anchor I can share: Anchor your life in Jesus Christ, your redeemer. Make your eternal Father and his Beloved Son the most important priority in your life- more important than life itself, more important than a beloved companion or children or anyone on earth. Make their will your central desire. Then all that you need for happiness will come to you" -Elder Richard G. Scott

3 Nephi 17- Christ needs to leave the people to go teach the other 'lost tribes', but the people want him to stay longer. Rather than turn them away, he stays with them longer. Even though the other decision was important, he sacrificed and chose to stay longer

"Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus" -Neil  A. Maxwell

"The past is behind- we must learn from it. The future is ahead -we must prepare for it. The present is now- we must live in it" -Thomas S. Monson

"There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind" -C.S. Lewis

Ether 15- Millions are slain in battle, until it is literally 32 versus 27 people. They just cannot let it go and are so consumed with anger and pride that they will not just cease to fight. Instead, they would rather everyone die. In life we do this sometimes. We keep going and going at something and let it consume us until we have no energy anymore and we have lost sight of all things that are important.

"Ordinary people who faithfully, diligently, and consistently do simple things that are right before God will bring forth extraordinary results" -Elder David A. Bednar

"You can do anything, but not everything" -David Allen

"We must not let our passions destroy our dreams" -Camelot

“If our lives and our faith are centered on Jesus Christ and his restored gospel, nothing can ever go permanently wrong. On the other hand, if our lives are not centered on the Savior and his teachings, no other success can ever be permanently right" -President Howard W. Hunter

"Now, the most important principle I can share: Anchor your life in Jesus Christ, your Redeemer. Make your Eternal Father and his Beloved Son the most important priority in your life—more important than life itself, more important than a beloved companion or children or anyone on earth. Make their will your central desire. Then all that you need for happiness will come to you" -Richard G. Scott

Daniel 3- "We are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve they gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up"

• Nebuchadnezzar wants Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego to worship his golden image, but they refuse
• They were not careful to answer the king, because they had already made decisions on where they stood, what they believed in, and how they felt
• They were confident in their answer and held to their values and commitment, but also to God's will

"Overcoming and gaining spiritual strength… is the only true advancement in man's eternal course of progress" -Jesus the Christ

Matthew 6:33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you"

Matthew 7:24-27 "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken them unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended , and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell: and great was the fall of it"

Matthew 9:18-26- On his way to raise a girl from the dead, and a woman touches his clothes in order to be healed. He took the time to recognize her, and doesn't just brush her away. He takes the time to talk to her and heal her, even though those around him were in a hurry and rushing him along

• Take time for the little things- for they make big things!

"You cannot hide the heart when the mouth is open" -Brigham Young

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Prophets

"Whenever you choose to follow prophets, you are right" -President Monson

Prophets are the Lord's early warning system. Prophets are watchmen in a tower, and they can see things we can't see.

Helaman 13:25-26 "And now when ye talk, ye say' If our days had been in the days of our fathers of old, we would not have slain the prophets; we would not have stoned them, and cast them out. Behold, ye are worse than they; for as the Lord liveth, if a prophet come among you and declareth unto you the word of the Lord, which testifieth of your sins and iniquities, ye are angry with him…"

• Believe in the prophets now as much as the prophets of old

3 Nephi 11:10 "I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world"

• First thing he does is back up his prophets