Mormon Musings

…whenever I have had anything that was great or important to accomplish, I have been impressed with my own weakness and inability to perform the task imposed upon me, and that of myself I was as nothing, only as I trusted in God, and under these circumstances I was certain to speak by the power and influence of the Holy Ghost.   When I have trusted in books, or in my own acquirements that I had gleaned from reading the productions of different authors…I was sure to be foiled in my attempt, for all would leave me.   But when I have trusted in the Lord, and relied upon Him for strength, it has come out right. Jedediah M. Grant, May 30, 1855, Journal of Discourses 3:11 Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this people; speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and you shall not be confounded before men; For it shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say.   But a commandment I give unto you, that ye sh...

We  become  what we want to  be  by consistently  being  what we want to  become  each day.  Righteous character is a precious manifestation of what you are becoming. Righteous character is more valuable than any material object you own, any knowledge you have gained through study, or any goals you have attained no matter how well lauded by mankind. In the next life your righteous character will be evaluated to assess how well you used the privilege of mortality. Elder Richard G. Scott, October 2010 General Conference

http://mormonthoughts.wordpress.com/2010/11/05/the-choice-of-faith/

Let us here observe that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation...When a man has offered in sacrifice all that he has for the truth's sake, not even withholding his life, and believing before God that he has been called to make this sacrifice because he seeks to do his will, he does know, most assuredly, that God does and will accept his sacrifice and offering and that he has not, nor will not, seek His face in vain.  Under these circumstances, then, he can obtain the faith necessary for him to lay hold on eternal life.  It is in vain for persons to fancy to themselves that they are heirs with those, or can be heirs with them, who have offered their all in sacrifice, and by this means obtain faith in God and favor with Him so as to obtain eternal life, unless they, in like manner, offer unto Him the same sacrifice, and through that offering obtain the knowledge that they are...

Now, brethren and sisters, what hinders you from enjoying all you anticipated [when you prepared to accept the Gospel and join the Church]? The calm reflections of your own minds, and the conclusions of a well balanced judgment, enlightened by the Spirit of the Lord, will give you a correct answer to this question. I can answer it for myself, and perhaps for many of you. If I do not enjoy all I anticipated, if my happiness is not as complete as I anticipated, if the light of the Holy Spirit is not in my heart to that degree which I expected it would be, if I have not obtained all I anticipated when I was down in yonder world, mingled with the wicked, the cause is in myself, in my own heart, in my own disposition, in the weakness of human nature; it is my own will that prevents me from enjoying all I anticipated, and more. It is a mistaken idea to suppose that others can prevent me from enjoying the light of God in my soul; all hell cannot hinder me from enjoying Zion in my own heart...

http://mormonthoughts.wordpress.com/2010/11/02/the-book-of-mormon-keystone-to-our-religion/

http://mormonthoughts.wordpress.com/2010/11/02/the-book-of-mormon/