Mormon Musings

“Shortly after I was called as a General Authority, I went to Elder Harold B. Lee for counsel. He listened very carefully to my problem and suggested that I see President David O. McKay. President McKay counseled me as to the direction I should go. I was very willing to be obedient but saw no way possible for me to do as he counseled me to do. “I returned to Elder Lee and told him that I saw no way to move in the direction I was counseled to go. He said, ‘The trouble with you is you want to see the end from the beginning.’ I replied that I would like to see at least a step or two ahead. Then came the lesson of a lifetime: ‘You must learn to walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness; then the light will appear and show the way before you.’ Then he quoted these 18 words from the  Book of Mormon : “‘Dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith’” ( Ether 12:6 ). President Boyd K. Packer,...

There will be times in your lives when you will not know the quick answers for your circumstances. Rely then on the word of God. Your Father in Heaven will always teach you to fear not, but to be of good cheer, to lighten your ship of clutter and focus on the spiritual matters, to commit yourselves to the covenants you made, and to put your sail of righteousness into the wind and head courageously toward the land of your eternal future. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, BYU Devotional November 2003

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/you-can-do-it-now?lang=eng#listen=audio

Sometimes you need to go to the edge of the light. The Lord will test your faith. The Lord gives us knowledge and inspiration line upon line. We must   hearken , or   act upon  what He says to demonstrate our faith.  He said, “I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom: for unto him that receiveth I will give more” (2 Nephi 28:30)  One of the marvelous things about President Hinckley and the General Authorities I’m acquainted with is their great courage to step forward into unchartered paths.  They’re courageous leaders because they know how to move forward in faith. They can see to a point, and then they must move forward. President David O. McKay told a story about a train engineer. He said: “The engineer pulled his train into a station one dark night.  A timid p...

When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. Abraham Lincoln

"Don't look back, your not going that way."                                                          - Unknown

“Whenever we are inclined to feel burdened down with the blows of life’s fight, let us remember that others have passed the same way, have endured, and then have overcome.” —Thomas S. Monson, “Meeting Life’s Challenges,” Ensign, Nov. 1993, 68

" For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

"Brothers and sisters, you have and will have worries and challenges of many kinds, but embrace life joyfully and full of faith. Study the scriptures regularly. Pray fervently. Obey the voice of the Spirit and the prophets. Do all that you can to help others. You will find great happiness in such a course. Some glorious day all your worries will be tuned to joys. "As Joseph Smith wrote to the struggling Saints from his cel l in Liberty Jail: "'Let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed. [D&C 123:17] "'Fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail. . . . "'Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not' [D&C 6:34–37]." President Howard W. Hunter, BYU Devotional, March 14, 1989

“If you ever find yourself where you shouldn’t ought to be, get out!” President Thomas B. Monson

Courage comes in many forms. Wrote the  Christian  author Charles Swindoll: “Courage is not limited to the battlefield … or bravely catching a thief in your house. The real tests of courage are much quieter. They are inner tests, like remaining faithful when no one’s looking, … like standing alone when you’re misunderstood.” 3  I would add that this inner courage also includes doing the right thing even though we may be afraid, defending our beliefs at the risk of being ridiculed, and maintaining those beliefs even when threatened with a loss of friends or of social status. He who stands steadfastly for that which is right must risk becoming at times disapproved and unpopular. President Thomas B. Monson, April 2014 General Conference https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/be-strong-and-of-a-good-courage?lang=eng#watch=video

One man with courage is a majority. Thomas Jefferson

"We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst.” C.S. Lewis Source: “The Abolition of Man” (1943)

Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God's approval. President Thomas B. Monson, April 2014 General Conference

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.  The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. Nelson Mandela

It is natural to have questions—the acorn of honest inquiry has often sprouted and matured into a great oak of understanding. There are few members of the Church who, at one time or another, have not wrestled with serious or sensitive questions. One of the purposes of the Church is to nurture and cultivate the seed of faith—even in the sometimes sandy soil of doubt and uncertainty. Faith is to hope for things which are not seen but which are true [see Hebrews 11:1 ;  Alma 32:21 ]. President Dieter http://www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/unto-all-the-world/come-join-with-us?lang=eng F. Uchtdorf, October 2013 General Conference

As a scriptural theme for this discussion, I have chosen the second-shortest verse in all of holy scripture. I am told that the shortest verse—a verse that every missionary memorizes and holds ready in case he is called on spontaneously in a zone conference—is John 11:35: “Jesus wept.” Elders, here is a second option, another shortie that will dazzle your mission president in case you are called on two zone conferences in a row. It is Luke 17:32, where the Savior cautions, “Remember Lot’s wife.” Hmmm. What did He mean by such an enigmatic little phrase? To find out, I suppose we need to do as He suggested. Let’s recall who Lot’s wife was. The original story, of course, comes to us out of the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, when the Lord, having had as much as He could stand of the worst that men and women could do, told Lot and his family to flee because those cities were about to be destroyed. “Escape for thy life,” the Lord said, “ look not behind thee  . . . ...

Elder Holland, General Conference April 2013: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/lord-i-believe