Inspirational Thoughts

By President Gordon B. Hinckley

Testimony

“We know that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and the Redeemer of the world. His life was no idle dream of some writer. No! His life, His death, His Resurrection were realities. He appeared to the boy Joseph Smith. He talked with him as I speak with you tonight, as person to person in a very real and individual and personal way. How grateful we ought to be for that knowledge. ‘And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent’ (John 17:3). That knowledge has come to this Church and blessed it, and there is nothing more important in all the world than to have in our hearts a testimony, a conviction, an absolute assurance of the reality of God the Eternal Father and His Son, the risen Lord, the Redeemer of the world.”¹

Be Prayerful

“Be prayerful. Get on your knees. Speak with the Lord in prayer. He is the God of the Universe, but He will hear and answer your prayers if you will seek after Him. … Pray about the important things of your life—about attending school, about going on a mission, about the girl you will marry or the boy you will marry. The Lord will bless you and guide you.”²

Parents

“You parents, you fathers and mothers, … live the kind of exemplary lives before your children that they will find in you the polar star to which they can look as they shape their own lives. Isaiah declared, ‘And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord,’ and then he gives this promise, ‘and great shall be the peace of thy children’ (Isa. 54:13).

“… Have you ever seen children without peace? Derelict children? Children on drugs? Children in trouble? … I hope, fathers and mothers, that you are having family home evening with these young people, your sons and daughters. I hope that you are setting before them an example of righteousness in living. I hope that they can look to you in times of trouble and stress for wisdom and understanding with their problems.”³

Men of Righteousness

“You men hold the priesthood of God, the power to speak in His name, the authority to serve in the governance of the Church, the capacity, the right, the privilege, the blessing of laying your hands upon the heads of others and pronouncing a blessing in the name of the Lord. You must keep your life clean. There can be no place for pornography in any of your lives or anything of the kind. We must be men of God, men who walk in faith, men of righteousness, men of truth, good husbands, kind fathers.”⁴

Youth, Be Good to Your Parents

“You are very precious, you young people. You are! You are so very, very precious. You are precious to your parents. You may not think that sometimes, when you get a little careless about what you think of your father and your mother. All of their hopes and dreams rest in you. They pray for you. They worry about you. They think of you. They love you. Be good to your parents. Treat them with love and respect and kindness. It won’t hurt you once in a while to tell them that you love them.”⁵

Missionary Companions

“I remember interviewing some missionaries in Asia one time, and I said to one of the missionaries, ‘What do you see in your companion’s life that you’d like to put into your own?’ He began to think, and then he began to talk a little. He said, ‘He’s a hard worker. He gets up in the morning and gets out on the street. He does what is expected of him.’ I said, ‘You adopt into your life the virtues of your companion.’ Every missionary has a companion. In the mouths of two or more witnesses shall all things be established (see 2 Cor. 13:1). You stand as witnesses one with another in this great work of bearing testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.”⁶

Tithing

“The Lord carries great expectations of you in taking care of your part of the burden of moving forward the work of the Lord, in the payment of your tithes and offerings. We have money enough to run this Church because of the faithfulness of the people. Marvelous is that faithfulness. We don’t have a lot of rich people in the Church. The money which operates the Church comes from the consecrations of such as you—wonderful, faithful people. Tithing isn’t so much a matter of money as it is a matter of faith. The Lord can’t bless those who aren’t obedient.”⁷

Temple Recommend

“I think of all the things of which I may be proudest, and I don’t mean that in an evil sense, is the fact that ever since I went on a mission I’ve had a temple recommend in my pocket. I have one in there now. It is my credit card with the Lord, and I am grateful for it.”⁸

Believe in Yourself

“Believe in yourself. Believe in yourself as a child of God. Believe in your capacity to do good in the world, to spread light and truth and understanding, to reach out to those in distress and need to help and bless them.”⁹

Sacrament Meeting

“Sacrament meeting, partaking of the sacrament each week—what a glorious blessing that is. What a wonderful privilege to go to sacrament meeting and partake of the sacrament, the emblems of the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ and of the great Atonement which was wrought by Him, that makes possible our moving beyond the grave into a glorious future. I hope that all of us attend our sacrament meetings. I hope we recognize it as an opportunity and as a wonderful blessing.”¹⁰

Book of Mormon

“[The Book of Mormon] came forth as a voice from the dust, from Cumorah’s hill, to go forth to the world in declaration of the divinity of the Lord. It has gone across the earth and is going across the earth in a miraculous and wonderful way. We are now printing about five or six million copies a year in various tongues and languages. I think those who set the type, those who worked the press, and those who had to do with that work never in their wildest imaginations dreamed that this marvelous testament of the New World would go forth across the earth in the fashion in which it has gone forth. It carries with it an inspiration, a power that is wonderful to behold. It is more than just an ordinary book; it is something which touches the hearts of those who read it prayerfully and carefully.”¹¹

Ideas for Home Teachers

“And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost,” the Lord has said concerning that which His servants speak, “shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation” (D&C 68:4).
Prayerfully select from among the excerpts printed here those that would strengthen and bless the individuals and families you home teach.

Left: The First Vision, by Gary E. Smith

Right: Detail from Christ and the Rich Young Ruler, by Heinrich Hofmann

Photo illustration by Craig Dimond

Inset: Photo illustration by Michael Schoenfeld