“Words of the Living Prophet,” Liahona, Mar. 2002, 8
Words of the Living Prophet
A Covenant People
“You are a covenant people. … When you were baptized into this Church, you came under an obligation that will remain with you all of your lives to live as He would have you live. Every week you partake of the sacrament, the emblems of His sacrifice, of His suffering in your behalf, and a reminder of the covenant you make to take upon yourselves the name of Jesus Christ and keep His commandments. And He makes a covenant with you that He will bless you with His Spirit.”1
Add to the Good of the World
“We believe that we are all sons and daughters of God, born with something of a divine birthright, that there is good in us, and that we ought to cultivate and nurture that good and make it evident and add to the general good of the world.”2
Relief Society
“This remarkable [Relief Society] organization affords sociality, tremendous service opportunities, enlightenment and education, administering to the wants of those in need, and many other opportunities. [To you women] the Relief Society is your dear and caring mother. In sickness or in health it will bless your life. It will afford you opportunities for growth and development. It will provide you with the friendship of the best women in the world. It will comfort you in times of sorrow, bless you in times of distress, and give unto you the inimitable joy of association with those of your own kind.”3
Appreciate Various Cultures
“Misunderstanding grows out of ignorance and suspicion. As we learn to know and appreciate those of various cultures, we come to appreciate them.”4
Be a Good Latter-day Saint
“It is not a difficult thing to be a good Latter-day Saint. You just have to be good and decent and kind and gracious and friendly and neighborly, and the Lord will accept of your effort and magnify you and bless you and bring blessings upon your home and upon your family and upon your children. … Let us be Latter-day Saints. Let us stand a little taller, lift our heads a little higher, and walk as should become members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”5
Be Found Worthy of His Blessings
“Get on your knees, every night and every morning. … Don’t let anything come into your lives which would take from you the desire to pray. Speak with your Father in Heaven. Speak with love. Express your thanks to Him for His blessings. Ask Him for those things which you hold dear to your heart, and He will hear and answer your prayers. He will open the way before you if you plead with Him and live worthy of His blessings.”6
Faithful Tithe Payers
“I can’t get over feeling gratitude for the faithful tithe payers of this Church. I know the Lord loves them. I know He loves them so much that He’s willing to open the windows of heaven and shower down blessings upon them. I’ve seen it again and again and again.”7
Hope
“People are not without hope. Everybody ought to recognize that in the most dire circumstances there is an element of hope, that people can recover from what they have done, that they can do better, that they can turn around, that they can improve and increase their happiness by so doing.”8
Left: Photograph by Jed A. Clark; right: Photo illustration by Steve Bunderson