An unquenchable faith

Photo by Jason Swensen

TEMPLE ORDINANCES: "The ordinances of the temple are a fundamental part of our religious worship, our theology, and without them we cannot give people all that we think they are worthy of having." (Monterrey Mexico Temple)

May you carry in your hearts an unquenchable faith, a certain knowledge of the great and salient things of the gospel of Jesus Christ of which you are a part — this the Church and kingdom of God.

That the God of Heaven and His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, parted the curtains in this (day) and opened themselves to the view of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Do you have a certain faith in that? That John the Baptist came? That Peter, James, and John; Moses, Elias, and Elijah came and restored the priesthood and its keys in ushering in this great dispensation? And that when all is said and done, this is where the truth lies?

Do you have in your heart that certain faith? If you do, the load will be light, I promise you. If you do not … there is a way to get it. And the Savior pointed out that way when He said, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself" (John 7:17). — From regional conference, American Fork, Utah, priesthood session, Aug. 24, 2002

Do not you ever doubt it

This is God's holy Church. Do not you ever doubt it. … The Lord Jesus Christ lives. He is our Savior. He is our Redeemer through whose sacrifice immortality is assured for each of us and exaltation may be had through obedience to the principles of the gospel — all as a free gift from our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, whose name this Church bears. — From member meeting, Jamaica, May 15, 2002

Serve in the Church

Go forward. Serve in the Church. You will be better off after you have served than if you don't serve. You will grow in leadership and power and capacity as you serve in the work of the Lord. It is never a sacrifice to serve in the Church. It becomes an investment because you get more than you give. — From member meeting, Reykjavik, Iceland, Sept. 11, 2002

Temple ordinances are fundamental

Brigham Young made a very significant statement on one occasion. … He predicted that the time would come when we would return and build here (in Nauvoo) and elsewhere many temples. The ordinances of the temple are a fundamental part of our religious worship, our theology, and without them we cannot give people all that we think they are worthy of having. And so we have been going forward with a temple-building program. … As the Church grows, this work will go on. It is necessary. It is important. And it is something our people desire, wish for, long for, pray for, and it means a great deal to them. — From interview by Lee Groberg, June 27, 2002

The contribution of older saints

Caring for the elderly has become one of the great social problems of our time. Of course, they reach an age when they cannot do very much. I can testify of that. But there are years between retirement and that age … when they can give their great talents, the fruits of many years of marvelous experience, to lift and help people. They become concerned with others less fortunate and work to meet their needs. And they say, "What a great time we are having." They finish one duty, and volunteer for another, time after time. … God bless them for their great and dedicated service. — From meeting, Los Angeles World Affairs Council, June 12, 2002

Sons and daughters of God

Be friendly to those not of our Church. We live in a world of many religious denominations. We are all part of the human family. We are all sons and daughters of God. Many of us … are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are Christians. We need to turn the other cheek, to give the second coat, to go the extra mile, to lift those in trouble and distress of whatever faith they may be. …

Let us live together as sons and daughters of God, as believers with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, building and strengthening one another, and building and strengthening those about us. If we will do so, God will bless us. We will be a happy people. We will be a growing people. We will be a people who will get on our knees and thank the Lord for His blessings upon us. I could wish for you no greater thing than this. — From member meeting, Trinidad & Tobago, May 20, 2002