Mormon Musings

Our Lord's admonition to men to become perfect, even as the Father is perfect (Matt. 5:48) cannot rationally be construed otherwise than as implying the possibility of such achievment.  Plainly, however, man cannot become perfect in mortality in the sense which God is perfect as a supremely glorified Being.  It is possible, though, for man to be perfect in his squere and in a sense of analogous to that in which superior intelligences are perfect in their several spheres; yet the relative perfection of the lower is infintely inferior to that of the higher. Elder James E. Talmage, Jesus The Christ , page 248, note 5

"It is well to know that prayer is not compounded of words, words that may fail to express what one desires to say, words that so often cloak inconsistencies, words that may have no deeper source than the physical organs of speech, words that may be spoken to impress mortal ears. The dumb may pray, and that too with the eloquence that prevails in heaven. Prayer is made up of heart throbs and the righteous yearnings of the soul, of supplication based on the realization of need, of contrition and pure desire. If there lives a man who has never really prayed, that man is a being apart from the order of the divine in human nature, a stranger in the family of God’s children. Prayer is for the uplifting of the suppliant. God without our prayers would be God; but we without prayer cannot be admitted to the kingdom of God. So did Christ instruct: “your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” James E. Talmage, Jesus The Christ

At the ninth hour, or about three in the afternoon, a loud voice, surpassing the most anguished cry of physical suffering issued from the cross, rending the dreadful darkness.  It was the voice of Christ: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”  What mind of man can fathom the significance of that awful cry?  It seems that in addition to the fearful suffering incident to crucifixion, the agony of Gethsemane had recurred, intensified beyond human power to endure.  In that bitterest hour the dying Christ was left alone, alone in most terrible reality.  That the supreme sacrifice of the Son might be consummated in all its fullness, the Father seems to have withdrawn the support of His immediate Presence, leaving the Savior of men the glory of complete victory over the forces of sin and death .  Elder James E. Talmage, Jesus The Christ p. 661 (emphasis added) See also D&C 133:50

One last piece of counsel regarding coming to Christ. It comes from an unusual incident in the life of the Savior that holds a lesson for us all. It was after Jesus had performed the miracle of feeding the five thousand from five loaves of bread and two fishes. (By the way, let me pause here to say, Don't worry about Christ running out of ability to help you. His grace  is  sufficient. That is the spiritual, eternal lesson of the feeding of the five thousand.) After Jesus had fed the multitude, he sent them away and put his disciples into a fishing boat to cross over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. He then "went up into a mountain apart to pray" (Matthew 14:23). We aren't told all of the circumstances of the disciples as they set out in their boat, but it was toward evening, and certainly it was a night of storm. The winds must have been ferocious from the start. Because of the winds, these men probably never even raised the sails but labored only with ...

In the accounts kept by recording angels, figured according to the arithmetic of Heaven, entries are made in terms of quality rather than quantity, and values are determined on the basis of capability and intent.  The rich [ in the story of the widow's mite, see Mark 12:41-44 ] gave much yet kept back more; the widow's gift was her all.  It was not the smallness of her offering that made it especially acceptable, but the spirit of sacrifice and devout intent with which she gave.  On the books of heavenly accountants, that widow's contribution was entered as a munificent gift, surpassing in worth the largess of kings. James E. Talmage, Jesus The Christ pp. 561-62

It is well to know that prayer is not compound of words, words that may fail to express what one desires to say, words that so often cloak inconsistencies, words that may have no deeper source that the physical organs of speech, words that may be spoken to impress mortal ears.  The dumb may pray, and that too with the eloquence that prevails in Heaven.  Prayer is made up of heart throbs and the righteous yearnings of the soul, of supplication based on the realization of need, of contrition and pure desire.  If there lives a man who has never really prayed, that man is a being apart from the order of divine human nature, a stranger in the family of God's children.  Prayer is for the uplifting of the suppliant.  God without our prayers would be God; but we without prayer cannot be admitted to the Kingdom of God. James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ , p. 238

Paying tithing is  not  a token gift we are somehow charitably bestowing upon God. Paying tithing is discharging a debt. Elder James E. Talmage once described this as a contract between us and the Lord. He imagined the Lord saying: “‘You have need of many things in this world—food, clothing, and shelter for your family … , the common comforts of life. … You shall have the means of acquiring these things; but remember they are mine, and I require of you the payment of a rental upon that which I give into your hands. However, your life will not be one of uniform increase … [so] instead of doing as mortal landlords do—requir[ing] you to … pay in advance, whatever your fortunes or … prospects may be—you shall pay me … [only] when you have received; and you shall pay me in accordance with what you receive. If it so be that in one year your income is abundant, then … [your 10 percent will be a] little more; and if it be so that the next year is one of distress and your income is n...

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2001/10/like-a-watered-garden?lang=eng&query=well+watered+garden+(name%3a%22Jeffrey+R.+Holland%22)

“The Savior’s use of moral agency during His lifetime is an instructive example for us. At one point in His teaching He revealed the principle that guided His choices: ‘He that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.’ (John 8:29) I believe that much of the Lord’s power is attributable to the fact that He never wavered in that determination. He had a clear, consistent direction. Whatever the Father desired, Jesus chose to do…So, being Jesus’ obedient disciple—just as He is the Father’s obedient disciple—leads to truth and freedom… … Some think that they should be spared from any adversity if they keep God’s commandments, but it is ‘in the furnace of affliction’ (Isaiah 48:10) that we are chosen. This is the battle we expected when we ‘shouted for joy’ (Job 38:7) at the prospect of this time on earth. I believe the challenge of learning to make and hold onto correct choices in the face of opposition appealed to us when God...

“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.’ Those 18 words from Moroni have been like a beacon light to me. Let...

" Into every adult human life come experiences like unto the battling of the storm-tossed voyagers with contrary winds and threatening seas; ofttimes the night of struggle and danger is far advanced before succor appears; and then, too frequently the saving aid is mistaken for a great terror. As came unto Peter and his terrified companions in the midst of turbulent waters, so comes to all who toil in faith, the voice of the Deliverer— 'It is I; be not afraid .'"  (emphasis added) James E. Talmage Jesus The Christ,  pp. 313-14