Acknowledge the Lord

"The whole Church prays for the missionaries in family prayer, in private prayer, in the prayers in meetinghouses. The plea goes up to heaven to remember and bless the missionaries."

It is so very important that you do not let praise and adulation go to your head. Adulation is poison. You better never lose sight of the fact that the Lord put you where you are according to His design, which you don't understand. Acknowledge the Lord for whatever good you can accomplish and give Him the credit and the glory and (do) not worry about that coming to yourself. If you can do that, you'll get along all right and will go forward with a love for the people and a great respect for them and try to accomplish what your office demands of you. — From Deseret News interview, Feb. 25, 2000

Catastrophes across the world

I don't know the reason for many of the catastrophes (across the world) but I do know this, that the God of Heaven has imposed upon us as Christians the responsibility to look after those who become the victims of these terrible disasters.... If we are followers of the Christ, we will follow Him in doing what He would have us do as His followers in our daily living. — From sacrament meeting, East Mill Creek 12th Ward, Dec. 26, 1999

Ease the burden of others

It's just heartbreaking to see starving people in the midst of plenty, to see people who are the victims of unfortunate natural disasters. To see the people who are the victims of conflict and war is a terrible thing. We ought to be doing all that we can possibly do to ease the burdens of such people and help them and lift them and bring encouragement in their lives. — From interview, Fox 13 News, June 27, 2000

Endless treasure of thoughts

How marvelous a thing is a book.... Books represent the accumulated workings of the human mind, the endless treasure of man's thoughts as he has contemplated himself and the phenomena with which he is surrounded. How grateful I am for books and for those who have tenderly watched over and guarded them through the centuries. — From Rededication of Harold B. Lee Library, BYU, Nov. 15, 2000

Growth of the Church

This Church is moving in a way that it has never moved before. We have been reminded of its pioneer beginnings. Those days gratefully are behind us, those days of persecution, terrible oppression and burnings and drivings and all of the other things that our pioneer forebears endured. We have come into a better day. A day when the sun shines upon this work. I marvel at the way in which it is growing across the earth. — From St. George Utah West Stake Conference, Feb. 27, 2005

Move forward

You are on the fast track of a great Church that's moving forward, and you've got to keep up with it. You've got to live up to it, to its teachings, and help it move forward. Your obligation in terms of your responsibility in this Church is as great as is my obligation in terms of my responsibility in moving this work forward. — From regional conference Salt Lake Ensign/Rose Park Utah, Feb. 28, 1999

Prayers for the missionaries

Do you know that you are the most prayed for people on earth? You know that your fathers and your mothers are praying for you. You know that your brothers and your sisters are praying for you.... The whole Church prays for the missionaries in family prayer, in private prayer, in the prayers in meetinghouses. The plea goes up to heaven to remember and bless the missionaries.... If there ever comes a temptation to do something that you shouldn't do, just quietly stop and think of all the people throughout the world who are on their knees praying for you. — From missionary meeting, Maracaibo, Venezuela, Aug. 3, 1999

Nature of God

We have so much to offer. Just think of what we have to offer. Other people do not understand the true nature of God. But we have a perfect knowledge of the nature of God that has come through the First Vision of the Prophet Joseph. He saw God. He heard Him speak. He saw His Son. He heard Him speak and he could speak to Them. There was no question in his mind about the true nature of God. What a tremendous thing that is. The scripture says, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3).

That is a great and marvelous gift, which we have, to give to the world — a true understanding of God. We are His children. It does not matter our nationality. It does not matter where we were born. It does not matter whether our hair is light or dark. Each of us is a child of God. He is the great God of the universe, but He is also our Father, to whom we may go in prayer. We know, I know, you know, that He hears and answers our prayers.... What a wonderful and marvelous thing that is. — From member meeting, Vladivostok, Russia, July 31, 2005

The miracle of leadership

No man could carry a day job and also preside over a congregation as a bishop if he had to do it all alone, but he has so many wonderful helpers who work with him. He serves for a period of years, then he is released and someone takes his place. There is a miracle in that. There is leadership. That is the way you develop leaders. You do not develop leaders by putting their arm in a sling. You develop leaders by giving them things to do. — From interview, Norte newspaper, April 27, 2002