Youth

"When we hear the question, and we often do, 'What is wrong with our teenagers?' I want to thunder out, 'The only thing wrong with teenagers is that there aren't enough of them' " ("The Errand of Youth," October 1962 general conference).

Doctrine

True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior ("Little Children," October 4, 1986, general conference).

The spirit and the body

"Pretend, my little friends, that my hand represents your spirit. It is alive. It can move by itself. Suppose that this glove represents your mortal body. It cannot move. When the spirit enters your mortal body, then it can move and act and live. Now you are a person — a spirit with a body, living on the earth. …

"Someday, because of old age, or perhaps a disease, or an accident the spirit and the body will be separated. We then say a person has died. Death is a separation. All of this was according to a plan. ...

"When I separate them, the glove, which represents your body, is taken away from your spirit; it cannot move anymore. It just falls down and is dead. But your spirit is still alive" ("Behold Your Little Ones," April 1973 general conference).

Spiritual crocodiles

"We stopped at a water hole [in a game reserve in Africa] to watch the animals come to drink. It was very dry that season and there was not much water, really, just muddy spots. … The antelope particularly were very nervous. They would approach the mud hole, only to turn and run away in great fright. I could see there were no lions about and asked the guide why they didn't drink. His answer, and this is the lesson, was 'Crocodiles.'…

" 'Nonsense,' I said. 'There are no crocodiles out there. Anyone can see that. ...

"'We drove around to another location where the car was on an embankment above the muddy hole where we could look down. 'There,' he said. 'See for yourself.'

"I couldn't see anything except the mud, a little water, and the nervous animals in the distance. Then all at once I saw it — a large crocodile, settled in the mud, waiting for some unsuspecting animal to get thirsty enough to come for a drink.

"Suddenly I became a believer! When he could see I was willing to listen, he continued with the lesson. 'There are crocodiles all over the park, ... We don't have any water without a crocodile somewhere near it, and you'd better count on it.'…

"I could see for myself that there were no crocodiles. I was so sure of myself I think I might have walked out just to see what was there. Such an arrogant approach could have been fatal! ...

"My young friends, I hope you'll be wiser in talking to your guides than I was on that occasion. That smart-aleck idea that I knew everything really wasn't worthy of me, or is it worthy of you. ... I think I'd be ashamed to tell you about it except that telling you may help you" ("Spiritual Crocodiles," April 1976 general conference).