If we choose to view events in our lives from the eternal perspective that emanates from an understanding of God’s eternal plan of salvation, our lives will be happier and more productive, and we will have greater strength to meet the challenges that will inevitably come our way.
Just as a reliable physical heart is needed to provide nourishment to our physical bodies, a reliable spiritual heart is needed to provide nourishment to our spirits.
My challenge to you is to study the scriptures daily, draw upon the word daily, let the words of Christ tell you all things that you should do, and drive darkness from your life. May you always remember that all things testify of Christ.
Sometimes life’s circumstances may seem to be in turmoil, and you may have so much on your so-called “plate” that you don’t know where to begin or what to do. This is when I believe humor and the ability to be optimistic can enhance the quality of your life.
When you’re sitting there wondering if you can stand back up again, remember that sometimes the test is not about overcoming but about whether we will keep trying no matter how hard things seem to be. Never give up. Do all things cheerfully that lie in your power, and then stand still with the assurance that God will help you.
Well, brothers and sisters, there are many other stumbling blocks that will undoubtedly threaten your future progress. Some of you will need to maneuver around them or laboriously push them from your path. You will avoid many stumbling blocks by living wise, obedient lives and by paying attention to the stepping-stones that will build your faith.
As we listen to the stories of others, we form invisible connections that bind us to our ancestors and to strangers. These connections can be both fulfilling and compelling, driving us to strengthen relationships, to develop new friendships, and, ultimately, to make the world a better place.
Whatever your circumstance, it will work out well eventually if you do your best to cause it to happen. Sometimes these trials are blessings in disguise, and what the Lord may have in store for you later could be dramatically better than your current conception of optimal achievement.
No one else can do what you can do. Please do not compare yourselves to others. Rather, bloom where you’re planted!
My counsel to you...is to be clear in your priorities, in your understanding, in your faith, and in all your endeavors.
Faith in Jesus Christ has the power to help us get our stories straight, and I pray that, like Zoram, we will see that our life’s circumstances are often the very conditions in which God has chosen to bless us as He helps us work out our lives.
For me, and I hope for you, it comes down to this simple fact: It is an awesome and exciting time to be alive because the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ has again been restored to the earth in our day. Only a relative few of our Father in Heaven’s children have had that great blessing and opportunity.
There are lots of disappointments in the world that may be hard to understand. Instead of stressing over them or blaming others, sometimes it is best to “be still,” become humble, and put your trust in God that all is well.
I still can vividly recall the time I realized that I should savor and treasure each day and be thankful for and appreciate life. I somehow realized that each day is a gift from a loving Heavenly Father and that if I did not view each day as such, I would be ungrateful.
The Holy Ghost will be the wind beneath your wings, placing in your hearts the firm conviction of the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ and His place in the eternal plan of God, your Eternal Father.
For you to see the Lord's plan for your life, you will need to prepare today to develop tomorrow's necessary social, practical, and spiritual skills.
The physical principles of inertia and entropy are strikingly relevant to our spiritual lives, as is the admonition to "be of good cheer."
Though the world is often cynical, negative, and hopeless, because of the faith we have in Jesus Christ we can have optimism and seek the positive.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we have every reason to rejoice with hope despite the despair and discouragement that surrounds us.
We all have adversity. However, we can choose selective attitudes of positivity, gratitude, and faith that will make life happy, no matter the circumstance.
When school, the weather, or life in general leaves you in a state of the "blahs," reach up. Reach out. Learn. And never, never give up.
You are partakers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel means “good news.” The message of the Lord is one of hope and salvation. The voice of the Lord is a voice of glad tidings. The work of the Lord is a work of glorious and certain reward.
The text for this speech is unavailable. Please see our FAQ page for more information. Thomas L. Martin humorously describes the main events of his life and highlights how the hand of the Lord worked to help him reach all his righteous goals.
