"My testimony coincides with the testimony of the beloved Apostle John: 'If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them' (John 13:17). May we search for the doctrines and commandments of the great plan of happiness; and when we learn them, may we embrace them willingly. By doing so we will find lasting joy, happiness, and peace."

M. Russell Ballard, Ensign, May 1995, 22

"...If we refuse to repent, and thereby must satisfy justice by suffering for our own sins, we will remain unprepared to enter the celestial kingdom. Unless we accept the Savior's invitation to carry our sins, we will not experience the complete rehabilitation that occurs through a combination of divine assistance and genuine repentance."

Bruce C. Hafen, Ensign, Apr 1990, 7

"I can forgive but I cannot forget is another way of saying I cannot forgive."

Henry Ward Beecher as quoted in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, (2006), 89-101

"Develop an appreciation for the great gifts of God as found in nature: the beauty of the seasons, the eloquent testimony of God in the sunrises and sunsets, the leaves, the flowers, the birds, the animals."

James E. Faust, Ensign, Feb 1998, 2

"Some miracles affect many people. The ultimate such miracle is the Atonement of Jesus Christ-His triumph over physical and spiritual death for all mankind. No miracle is more far-reaching or more magnificent. Other far-reaching miracles-impossible to explain by rational means-occur as a result of obedience to the commandments of God."

Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, Jun 2001, 6

"Some of us make repentance too easy, and others make it too hard."

Bruce C. Hafen, Ensign, Apr 1990, 7

"Are we prepared to lengthen our stride? To enlarge our vision? Remember, our ally is our God. He is our commander. He made the plans. He gave the commandment. Remember what we have quoted thousands of times as told by Nephi: 'And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.' (1 Ne. 3:7.)"

Spencer W. Kimball, Ensign, Oct 1974, 3

"Our present mortal state places a veil of forgetfulness over our minds, allowing us to prove ourselves able to 'do all things whatsoever the Lord [our] God shall command' (Abr. 3:25). But even though our present long-range view of eternity is limited, the Lord has not left us without direction. He has provided scriptures and Apostles and prophets through whom he has revealed his plan for our exaltation and eternal life. And we have the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, to guide us."

M. Russell Ballard, Ensign, May 1995, 22

"Therefore, let us exercise charity and forgiveness, love and mercy, one towards another; and go out of your way to help those that are in distress, so that the widow's voice shall not ascend to God in complaint against the people for the lack of food, or raiment, or shelter. See to it that the orphan is not without a home in the midst of this people, nor without food or raiment, or chance to improve his mind. See to it that charity pervades all your actions and dwells in your hearts, inspiring you to look after the poor and afflicted, comforting those that are in prison, if they need comforting, and ministering unto those that are sick; for he that giveth a cup of cold water to a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward."

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 192

"We mortals have a limited view of life from the eternal perspective. But if we know and understand Heavenly Father's plan, we realize that dealing with adversity is one of the chief ways we are tested. Our faith in our Heavenly Father and his beloved Son, Jesus Christ, is the source of inner strength. Through faith we can find peace, comfort, and the courage to endure. As we trust in God and his plan for our happiness with all our hearts and lean not unto our own understanding (see Prov. 3:5), hope is born. Hope grows out of faith and gives meaning and purpose to all we do. It can give us comfort in the face of adversity, strength in times of trial, and peace when we have reason for doubt or anguish."

M. Russell Ballard, Ensign, May 1995, 22

"I have been in places where I felt insecure and unprepared. I have yearned inwardly in great agony for some power to pave the way or loosen my tongue, that an opportunity would not be lost because of my weakness and inadequacy. On more than a few occasions my prayers have been answered by the power of inspired music. I have been lifted above myself and beyond myself when the Spirit of the Lord has poured in upon the meeting, drawn there by beautiful,
appropriate music. I stand indebted to the gifted among us who have that unusual sense of spiritual propriety."

Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, Aug 1976, 60

"If we would sue for peace, taking the initiative in settling differences- if we would forgive and forget with all our hearts-if we would cleanse our own souls of sin, bitterness, and guilt before we cast a stone or accusation at others-if we would forgive all real or fancied offenses before we asked forgiveness for our own sins-if we would pay our own debts, large or small,
before we pressed our debtors-if we would manage to clear our own eyes of the blinding beams before we magnified the motes in the eyes of others-what a glorious world this would be! Divorce would be reduced to a minimum; courts would be freed from disgusting routines; family life would be heavenly; the building of the kingdom would go forward at an accelerated pace; and that peace which passeth understanding [see Philippians 4:7] would bring to us all a joy and happiness that has hardly 'entered into the heart of man.' [See 1 Corinthians 2:9.]"

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, (2006), 89-101

"We tend to think of agency as a personal matter. If we ask someone to define 'moral agency,' the answer will probably be something like this: 'Moral agency means I am free to make choices for myself.' Often overlooked is the fact that choices have consequences; we forget also that agency offers the same privilege of choice to others. At times we will be affected adversely by the way other people choose to exercise their agency. Our Heavenly Father feels so strongly about protecting our agency that he allows his children to exercise it, either for good or for evil."

M. Russell Ballard, Ensign, May 1995, 22

"I think we ought to live our religion. We should keep the commandments of God. We should possess and enjoy the spirit of the gospel in our hearts and bear the fruits of the spirit in our lives; faith, hope and charity, love, humility and forgiveness in our souls one for another, and avoid, as far as possible, the spirit of accusation, of contention, that leads to strife, to confusion and division among men, and the spirit of hatred. Oh, banish hatred from you."

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 192

"I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection"

Thomas Paine, The Works of Thomas Paine [1934], 392 as quoted by James E. Faust, Ensign, Feb 1998, 2

"Life's most challenging questions seem to be those that begin with the word why. 'Why is life so hard?' 'Why is there so much sorrow, hate, and unhappiness in the world?' 'Why does death take the young?' And 'why must the innocent suffer?' We all have wrestled with such questions from time to time as we struggle with the vicissitudes of mortality... I believe the only satisfying answers to such questions come from the comforting perspective of faith in our Heavenly Father and his eternal plan for our happiness."

M. Russell Ballard, Ensign, May 1995, 22

"...The greatest miracle is not in such things as restoring sight to the blind, healing an illness, or even raising the dead, since all of these restorations will happen, in any event, in the Resurrection. ..A change of heart, including new attitudes, priorities, and desires, is greater and more important than any miracle involving the body. I repeat, the body will be resurrected in any event, but a change affecting what the scripture calls the 'heart' of a spirit son or daughter of God is a change whose effect is eternal. If of the right kind, this change opens the door to the process of repentance that cleanses us to dwell in the presence of God. It introduces the perspective and priorities that lead us to make the choices that qualify us for eternal life, 'the greatest of all the gifts of God' (D&C 14:7)."

Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, Jun 2001, 6

"God has given us the capacity to exercise faith, that we may find peace, joy, and purpose in life. However, to employ its power, faith must be founded on something. There is no more solid foundation than faith in the love Heavenly Father has for you, faith in His plan of happiness, and faith in the capacity and willingness of Jesus Christ to fulfill all of His promises."

Richard G. Scott, Liahona, May 2003, 75-78

"Many in today's generation have not fully known nor appreciated the refining blessings of adversity. Many have never been hungry because of want. Yet I am persuaded that there can be a necessary refining process in adversity that increases our understanding, enhances our sensitivity, makes us more Christlike."

James E. Faust, Ensign, Feb 1998, 2

"A man who cannot sacrifice his own wishes, who cannot say in his heart, 'Father, Thy will be done, not mine,' is not a truly and thoroughly converted child of God; he is still, to some extent, in the grasp of error and in the shades of darkness that hover around the world, hiding God from the presence of mankind."

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 192

"Some people reject the possibility of miracles because they have not experienced them or cannot understand them. In contrast, President Howard W. Hunter declared, 'To deny the reality of miracles on the ground that the results and manifestations must be fictitious simply because we cannot comprehend the means by which they have happened is arrogant on the face of it."

Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, Jun 2001, 6

"One cannot look at suffering, regardless of its causes or origins, without feeling pain and compassion. I can understand why someone who lacks an eternal perspective might see the horrifying news footage of starving children and man's inhumanity to man and shake a fist at the heavens and cry, 'If there is a God, how could he allow such things to happen?' The answer is not easy, but it isn't that complicated, either. God has put his plan in motion. It proceeds through natural laws that are, in fact, God's laws. Since they are his, he is bound by them, as are we."

M. Russell Ballard, Ensign, May 1995, 22

"When we think we see failings, weaknesses or faults, whether they be real or imaginary, in our brethren and sisters, instead of blurting it abroad and pouring it into the ears of friends and neighbors, wherever we meet them, if we will use sufficient charity, and friendship, . we will go to our friends who suffer our displeasure, or our belief of their defects, and tell them how we feel and what we think, and do it in the spirit of helping them to overcome their weaknesses, and we will thus do ourselves, as well as them, much good. We will not go to them in the spirit of condemnation and complaint, and hurt their feelings and fill their hearts with enmity."

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 192

"What a wonderful, warm, and reassuring thing it is to know that the primary objective of the very God of heaven is 'the immortality and eternal life of man' (Moses 1:39), or, in other words, our eternal happiness and joy. Sometimes I wonder if we really appreciate what that means and how it should affect our lives. We must give adequate attention to the doctrines of happiness-real happiness, infinite and eternal. They should be the objective of everything we teach in the Church and of everything we do."

M. Russell Ballard, Ensign, May 1995, 22

"...The Lord works miracles in response to the faith of His children...He loves and blesses all of His children. In an airport one day I picked up a copy of the Dallas Morning News. My eyes were drawn to a columnist's report of a letter detailing a remarkable miracle. The writer's five-year-old granddaughter, Heather, suddenly became feverish and lethargic. She breathed with difficulty, and her lips turned blue. By the time she arrived at the hospital, her kidneys and lungs had shut down, her fever was 107 degrees, and her body was bright red and covered with purple lesions. The doctors said she was dying of toxic shock syndrome, cause unknown. As word spread to family and friends, God-fearing people from Florida to California began praying for little Heather. At the grandfather' s request, a special prayer service was held in their Church of Christ congregation in Waco, Texas. Miraculously, Heather suddenly came back from the brink of death and was released from the hospital in a little over a week. The columnist concluded that Heather 'is living proof that God does answer prayers and work miracles."

Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, Jun 2001, 6

"The Lord through His grace appeared to man, gave him the Gospel or eternal plan whereby he might rise above the carnal and selfish things of life and obtain spiritual perfection. But he must rise by his own efforts and he must walk by faith."

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 205

"The axiom 'You get what you pay for' is true for spiritual rewards as well. You get what you pay for in obedience, in faith in Jesus Christ, in diligent application of the truths that you learn. What you get is the molding of your character, with growth in capacity, and the successful completion of your purpose here on earth-to grow through being proven."

Richard G. Scott, Liahona, May 2003, 75-78

"The Gospel is calculated to remove from us everything that is not consistent with God and the plan of salvation which he has revealed to men. It is designed to qualify us to live so that we may enjoy a fulness of the light of truth, and understand the purposes of God, and be able to live so near to Him that we may be in harmony with His wishes constantly."

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 192

"As we consider the importance of nourishing our intellects with the promising potential of Superhighway resources, we must be ever cautious about the choices of programs and the impact of media in our lives. Those who understand our Heavenly Father's eternal plan for the joy and happiness of his children will be better prepared to make good choices as the Information Superhighway rolls across the world. The computer, television, satellite, microchip, and even the telephone, all can bless and enhance our lives-or can make them miserable."

M. Russell Ballard, Ensign, May 1995, 22