“Words of the Living Prophet,” Liahona, Dec. 1996, 8
Words of the Living Prophet
Our Witness of Christ
“No church in the world speaks up with a stronger witness of the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Redeemer of the World than does this church which carries His name—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His gospel is the gospel we teach. The spirit of love which He exemplified is the spirit in which we try to work.”1
Peace in the World
“The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only element that will destroy the hatred that exists among people. If they will bring this gospel into their lives and recognize the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man and the effects of the atonement of Christ, there will be a far greater measure of peace in the world. We will not have peace until that happens more generally. That is why you and I are here, brothers and sisters. That is the objective of our work—to teach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and touch the hearts of people so that they can look upon one another as brothers and sisters, as children of our Father in Heaven.”2
Love the Lord
“To love the Lord is not just counsel; it is not just well-wishing. It is a commandment. It is the first and great commandment incumbent upon each of us because love of God is the root from which springs all other types of love. Love of God is the root of all virtue, of all goodness, of all strength of character, of all fidelity to do right. … Love the Lord your God, and love His Son, and be ever grateful for Their love for us. Whenever other love fades, there will be that shining, transcendent, everlasting love of God for each of us and the love of His Son, who gave His life for each of us.”3
God’s Promises
“Great are the promises of the Lord. The marvelous thing to me is that the Lord never asks us to do anything that He does not attach to it a blessing. It is not a sacrifice to live the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is never a sacrifice when you get back more than you give. It is an investment. And the living of the gospel of Jesus Christ becomes a greater investment than any of which I know because its dividends are eternal and everlasting.”4
A World Church
“We are not an American church. We are not an English church. We are not a Japanese church. We are a world church with a world message and a world program, and our whole course is designed to help people, to lift them, to strengthen them—as has been said frequently, to make bad men good and good men better; to teach peace, the gospel of Christ; to try to exemplify the Golden Rule and a program of helpfulness to those in distress wherever they may be and whatever their circumstances.”5
Pornography
“Recognize pornography for what it is—a vicious brew of slime and sleaze, the partaking of which only leads to misery, degradation, and regret. The Church expects you who have taken upon yourselves the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to walk in the sunlight of virtue and enjoy the strength, the freedom, the lift that comes from so doing.”6
Defend the Right
“Take a stand for righteousness. It is not enough to be lukewarm and stand idly by in this world that is on a toboggan slide going down and down and down. Take a stand. Rally yourselves with others to stand up for what is right and true and moral and good, whatever it be. As I look at this congregation, there are enough people here to turn almost any cause around if we were all united in speaking with one voice in defense of that which the God of heaven has declared to be true and right.”7
Virtue
“There is nothing more precious in all this world than virtue. Now, if there are any of you here who may have stepped over the line and transgressed and thinks that all is lost, let me say to you that all is not lost. The principle of repentance is the first principle of the gospel after faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. You can repent and you can put the past behind you and, as it were, clean the slate, rub those marks off the chalkboard and go forward with your lives. If there is anything of that kind in the past, talk in confidence with your bishop and get it straightened out and move forward with cleanliness. Be clean. There is nothing more beautiful in this world than a beautiful girl who is clean in thought and word and deed, nor anything more handsome or attractive than a young man likewise.”8
Photograph by Jed Clark
The Crucifixion, by Carl Heinrich Bloch. Original at the Chapel of Frederiksborg Castle, Denmark. Used by permission of the Frederiksborgmuseum.
Inset: Simeon Reverencing the Christ Child, by Greg K. Olsen