Mormon Musings

We can distinguish more clearly between divine discontent and the devil’s dissonance, between dissatisfaction with self and disdain for self. We need the first and must shun the second, remembering that when conscience calls to us from the next ridge, it is not solely to scold but also to beckon. Neal A. Maxwell, October 1976 General Conference

 “If conscience disapproves, the loudest applauses of the world are of little value.”  John Adams

The spirit speaks through the voice of the conscience. President David O. McKay 

History with its flickering lamps stumbles along the trail of the past, trying to reconstruct its scenes, to revive its echoes, and kindle with pale gleams the passion of former days...The only guide to a man is his conscience; the only shield to his memory is rectitude and sincerity of his actions.  It is very imprudent to walk through life without this shield, because we are so often mocked by the failure of our hopes and the upsetting of our calculations; but with this shield, however the fates may play, we march always in the ranks of honor. Winston Churchill

How do you educate your conscience? I suggest five principles.  First , if you really want an educated conscience,  feast regularly upon the words and the love of Jesus Christ . What does that mean? Seriously make a daily program to study the scriptures. Ponder the scriptures and meditate upon them. Be still. Perhaps you will read only one verse a day, but you're going to read the word of the Lord. Memorize some of the scriptures. It's like programming a computer. Get them into your heart. If you feast upon the words of Christ, then the Holy Ghost will bring to your remembrance the things you need to do, based upon the guidance that you have received on a moment-by moment basis. The Church will teach us principles, and the Holy Ghost will teach us specific practices and specific applications. Second, when you pray, listen . Look on your prayers, not as a time to counsel the Lord, but as a time to take counsel from him. I really believe too many times we go down a che...