Words to Live By

Staying Worthy against Temptation

Erasing Your Mistakes

“If you have made mistakes, and all of us have, whether minor or serious, then you have an enormous need to find out how they can be erased so that you are no longer in darkness. …

“Throughout your life there may be times when you have gone places you never should have gone and done things you never should have done. If you will turn away from sin, you will be able one day to know the peace that comes from following the pathway of complete repentance.

“No matter what our transgressions have been, no matter how much our actions may have hurt others, that guilt can all be wiped out. To me, perhaps the most beautiful phrase in all scripture is when the Lord said, ‘Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more’ (D&C 58:42).”

President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Protection from the Adversary

“Do you young people want a sure way to eliminate the influence of the adversary in your life? Immerse yourself in searching for your ancestors, prepare their names for the sacred vicarious ordinances available in the temple, and then go to the temple to stand as proxy for them to receive the ordinances of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. As you grow older, you will be able to participate in receiving the other ordinances as well. I can think of no greater protection from the influence of the adversary in your life.”

Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Escaping Spiritual Droughts

“Many who are in a spiritual drought and lack commitment have not necessarily been involved in major sins or transgressions, but they have made unwise choices. Some are casual in their observance of sacred covenants. Others spend most of their time giving first-class devotion to lesser causes. Some allow intense cultural or political views to weaken their allegiance to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some have immersed themselves in Internet materials that magnify, exaggerate, and, in some cases, invent shortcomings of early Church leaders. Then they draw incorrect conclusions that can affect testimony. Any who have made these choices can repent and be spiritually renewed. …

“Youth who have been exposed to immoral images at a very early age are terrified that they may have already disqualified themselves for missionary service and sacred covenants. As a result, their faith can be severely impaired. I want to assure you young people, as Alma taught, that through repentance you can qualify for all the blessings of heaven (see Alma 13:27–30; 41:11–15). That is what the Savior’s Atonement is all about. Please talk with your parents or a trusted adviser, and counsel with your bishop.”

Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

The Reward of Eternal Life

“This is the exchange the Savior is asking of us: we are to give up all our sins, big or small, for the Father’s reward of eternal life. We are to forget self-justifying stories, excuses, rationalizations, defense mechanisms, procrastinations, appearances, personal pride, judgmental thoughts, and doing things our way. We are to separate ourselves from all worldliness and take upon us the image of God in our countenances.”

Elder Robert C. Gay of the Seventy

Being Valiant in Courage (see Alma 53:20)

An Essential Role to Play

“As men of the priesthood, we have an essential role to play in society, at home, and in the Church. But we must be men that women can trust, that children can trust, and that God can trust. In the Church and kingdom of God in these latter days, we cannot afford to have boys and men who are drifting. We cannot afford young men who lack self-discipline and live only to be entertained. … We cannot afford to have those who exercise the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God, waste their strength in pornography or spend their lives in cyberspace (ironically being of the world, while not being in the world). …

“Of the many places you are needed, one of the very most important is your priesthood quorum. We need quorums that provide spiritual nourishment to members on Sunday and that also serve. We need leaders of quorums who focus on doing the Lord’s work and on supporting quorum members and their families.”

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Safely on the Path

“In our fast-paced and entertainment-saturated world, men are still quick to ‘forget the Lord, … to do iniquity, and to be led away by the evil one’ ” (Alma 46:8). …

“To stay safely on the priesthood path amid rock slides of temptation, I remind us of six fundamental principles that deepen conversion and strengthen family.

“First, praying always opens the door for divine help to ‘conquer Satan’ (D&C 10:5). …

“Second, studying ancient and modern scripture connects us to God. …

“Third, worthily participating in ordinances prepares us to take ‘the Holy Spirit for [our] guide’ (D&C 45:57). …

“Fourth, showing genuine love is at the heart of personal conversion and family relations. …

“Fifth, obeying the law of tithing is an essential element of faith and family unity. …

“Sixth, fully living the law of chastity yields confidence to stand ‘in the presence of God’ with the Holy Ghost as our ‘constant companion’ (D&C 121:45–46).”

Elder Anthony D. Perkins of the Seventy

Like the 2,000 Stripling Soldiers

“I invite you to qualify yourselves as did the 2,000 stripling soldiers by being valiant in courage as worthy priesthood holders. Remember, what you do, where you go, and what you see will shape who you become. Who do you want to become? Become a worthy deacon, a worthy teacher, a worthy priest. Set a goal to be worthy to enter the temple now and to be worthy to receive your next ordinance at the proper age and ultimately to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood. This is a pathway of righteousness which invites divine assistance.”

Bishop Gary E. Stevenson, Presiding Bishop

Finding Spiritual Strength and Comfort

Prime Targets of the Adversary

“Through all the fast-paced changes occurring around us, we earnestly pray and work to ensure that the values of the gospel of Jesus Christ endure. Already some of them are in jeopardy of being lost. At the top of the list of these values and, therefore, prime targets of the adversary, are the sanctity of marriage and the central importance of families. They provide an anchor and the safe harbor of a home.”

Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Comfort from Sorrow, Loneliness, and Despair

“I have learned that the bitter, almost unbearable pain can become sweet as you turn to your Father in Heaven and plead for His comfort that comes through His plan; His Son, Jesus Christ; and His Comforter, who is the Holy Ghost. …

“I testify that because of … Jesus Christ, those feelings of sorrow, loneliness, and despair will one day be swallowed up in a fulness of joy. I testify that we can depend on Him and when He said: ‘I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you’ (John 14:18).”

Elder Shayne M. Bowen of the Seventy

Solutions to Our Problems

“If we properly prepare for the sacrament, we can transform our lives. …

“… We can receive inspiration for solutions to our problems during sacrament meeting. … We should come with our problems, humble as children ready to learn, and with the desire to help God’s children.

“… We must come prepared, be willing to listen, and not be distracted.”

Elder Don R. Clarke of the Seventy

Strength to Keep Going

“Come and follow in [Christ’s] footsteps. With each step we take, I testify that the Lord will strengthen us. He will help us come the rest of the way. Then when obstacles appear, we will keep going. When doubt comes, we will keep going. We will never turn back. We will never fall away.”

Russell T. Osguthorpe, Sunday School general president

Living the Gospel Daily

A Simple Practice That Makes a Difference

“There is one simple daily practice that can make a difference for every member of the Church, including … you young men and you young women. …

“That simple practice is: In your morning prayer each new day, ask Heavenly Father to guide you to recognize an opportunity to serve one of His precious children. Then go throughout the day with your heart full of faith and love, looking for someone to help. Stay focused. … If you do this, your spiritual sensitivities will be enlarged and you will discover opportunities to serve that you never before realized were possible.”

Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Navigating the Celestial Web

“Surrounded by so much information, we might think that navigating millions of web pages will give us all that we need to know. We can find good and bad information on the web, but information alone is not enough. God has given us another source for greater knowledge, even knowledge sent from heaven. Our Heavenly Father can give us such knowledge when we navigate the celestial web in our hearts and minds. …

“We access this celestial source when we do things such as reading the scriptures, hearkening to the living prophet, and praying. It is also important to take time to be still (see D&C 101:16) and feel and follow the celestial promptings. When we do this, we will “feel and see” [3 Nephi 18:25] things that cannot be learned with modern technology. Once we have some experience in navigating this celestial web, we will discern the truth, even when reading secular history or other topics. The honest seekers of truth will know the truth of all things by the power of the Holy Ghost (see Moroni 10:3–5).”

Elder Walter F. González of the Presidency of the Seventy

A Message for All the World

“The Book of Mormon is sacred scripture. It contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel. … It has a message for all people of the world. …

“… Read and reread the Book of Mormon. Learn of the promises contained in the Book of Mormon. Follow the teachings and example of Jesus Christ.”

Elder Larry Echo Hawk of the Seventy

“I learnt that I need to do family history work far more, as with it come a lot of blessings and strength against the adversary. I have also learnt from conference a lot of great things I could use in a talk I am giving next week about faith.”

Joshua F., 16, United Kingdom

“I liked when Elder Richard G. Scott talked about genealogy and promised that the Lord would help us with family history work and indexing. I’ve had trouble with indexing because I couldn’t read much of the handwriting. I tried indexing again and prayed for help to be able to read the handwriting. I was able to get through a batch of names without as much trouble as I usually have.”

Jarom L., 14, Alberta, Canada

“I was really afraid of my future. There has been a lot of insecurity in the last few months, and all I could think was, ‘What’s going to happen in the future?’ But in the conference they said that the view of the future depended on the person’s faith. That really made me change the way I view the future, having faith it will all get better in time and that the Lord is with us.”

Karina M., 16, Coahuila, Mexico

“I really enjoyed President Uchtdorf’s talk on Saturday morning in which he stated that we determine our own happiness. This really lingered in my mind all day and I realized that my prayers to be happier were answered because I truly am happy when I spend time with my family and friends.”

Nate P., 16, Utah, USA

“Every single talk had so much that I could take into my life to progress and become better. I was also reminded that our Father in Heaven loves every single one of us and He has given us so much. The two days of conference have helped me gain a fuller understanding of the gospel.”

Tiana G., 15, Wyoming, USA