Conquering Life’s Daily Distractions
“I testify that if you will pause and think about the things you really want to achieve in the future and then begin doing the things that are consistent with that desire every day, you will achieve that desired result.”
Of Cookies and Judgments
By focusing on Jesus Christ, we invite His Spirit into our lives. Through that Spirit, Christ changes us. Through that Spirit, He expands our perspective and helps us see things as they really are, which helps us judge both others and ourselves in a more charitable and accurate light.
Great Expectations
Our great expectation for you is that you will love, serve, and worship the Savior and that you will bless the world like no other generation.
“Choose You This Day Whom Ye Will Serve”
Remember that there is one thing Christ and Satan have in common: they both want us to become like them. Satan, however, wants to trick us into it. Christ wants it to be our choice.
“Could We Have Supposed?”
Does your pattern reflect exercising faith, seeking to know His will, trusting the Lord, heeding His counsel, and keeping the commandments, even when you cannot suppose what lies ahead?
“Look unto Him in Every Thought”
Obviously we cannot completely control the events that come at us daily, but we can indeed control the worthwhileness of those events. We worship an omniscient God and know that “all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name’s glory, saith the Lord.”
Questions and Answers
When we love God, we make and strive to keep our sacred covenants. I testify that living gospel commandments brings anyone untold blessings, allowing us to become our very best selves—exactly who God wants us to be.
Real Causes and Real Effects
The Lord exhorted us to “judge not” (Matthew 7:1), but the allure of observable correlations can be challenging to ignore. The best response in many cases is to not draw causal conclusions based solely on correlated information.
Finding Your Way
We can safely travel life’s journey by relying on the maps of the scriptures, the words of the living prophets, and the compass of the Holy Ghost. God’s plan and desire is that all be successful in reaching their destination.
We Believe in You
It has always amazed me that by combining the powers of heaven and the power of personal responsibility, all things are possible—even going down stairs one step at a time.
“Nevertheless I Went Forth”
Our Heavenly Father wants us to grow in every way while on this earth, and that includes developing our ability to weigh facts, render judgments, and make decisions. But He also invites us to bring our decisions to Him in prayer.
Recognizing and Responding to the Promptings of the Spirit
As we learn to better recognize and respond to the promptings of the Spirit, we will find answers to our prayers and have increased capacity to know how and whether those promptings are from the Holy Ghost.
Persistence, Patience, and Posies
Most of our plans have bumps along the way. Your plan may include an education program that because of limited resources cannot admit all applicants. Your bump may be that you are not able to get into your program or that you have to apply to it more than once. Maybe you will find some of your courses especially challenging. This is when persistence and patience are particularly helpful.
Zion Is the Pure in Heart
I truly believe that one virtuous young woman or young man, led by the Spirit, can change the world! But before we can change the world, we must change ourselves.
Decision Making—The Lord’s Way
Following the Lord’s process of decision making results in consistently and powerfully righteous decisions. And that pattern of righteous decision making in turn develops our character.
Our Divine Nature and Life Decisions
Although secular knowledge somewhat explains how genetic-based characteristics and environmental influences interact to influence human development, there is an important spiritual dimension of our beings that cannot be readily probed by scientific means. What a wonderful blessing it will be if we are found worthy to learn from our Heavenly Father about how our spiritual personalities and biology are intertwined, according to His foreknowledge, in preparation for individualized schooling experiences in mortality.
Live Right Now
Promptings from Heavenly Father through the Holy Ghost can help us live right now. I am grateful Heavenly Father respects perfectly our agency and at the same time—in circumstances and at times He knows best—also prompts and guides us.
Decisions Determine Destiny
I can’t stress too strongly that decisions determine destiny. You can’t make eternal decisions without eternal consequences.
Decisiveness in the Face of Uncertainty: The Basis of Progress
Becoming decisive is part of our spiritual growing up. This growing up requires constant decision making. We must learn to be decisive, because indecision is no choice at all. If we fail to choose, we fail to act.
Discerning the Will of the Lord for Me
Growing in our ability to receive revelation is like learning a new language or learning to play a musical instrument. We must practice diligently for a long time before we feel comfortable with it. We must be patient with ourselves, recognize that we might have some setbacks, and persist until we become masters at recognizing a witness of the Spirit.
Life’s Greatest Decisions
Three of the greatest decisions we make in life are: What will be my faith? Whom shall I marry? What will be my life's work?
Making the Right Choices
Resolve that each moment of your life will reflect your determination to humbly be an example of righteousness, integrity, and conviction.
“Choose You This Day”
Choosing the Lord is both a daily and a lifelong task. In mortality we simply never arrive. We must diligently endure to the end every day.
Have No Regrets
Do not play games with the Lord. When you trust Him fully, He is able to bless you richly.
Do What Is Right
Do what is right and others will follow your example. Every time you make the right choice in the face of potential criticism, you build strength that makes it easier the next time.
Keeping an Open Mind about Things that Matter
"I strongly believe that one of the best barometers by which you can measure whether you are taking advantage of what BYU uniquely offers is your activity in your ward or other congregation."
Let Us Think Straight
Future world and Church leaders must learn early to weigh decisions, use common sense, and invest in the future - in other words, to think straight.
The Gift of Knowing
As we seek the influence of the Holy Ghost, we will have the gift of knowing how to balance our time and what to do when we face important decisions.
Decisions Determine Our Destiny
Decisions determine our actions, our habits, our character, and our destiny. Are you making decisions that will help you end up where you want to go?
What Is Your Mission?
Discovering your mission in life is a daunting, but not impossible task. If you trust Him and have the courage to act, God will guide and shape your life.
Love Is Not Blind: Some Thoughts for College Students on Faith and Ambiguity
All I ask brothers and sisters, is that we who go to college may be honest enough and courageous enough to face whatever uncertainties we may encounter, and that we try to understand them and do something about them.
Decisions
When we have important decisions to make, the counsel of prophets and the power of prayer, together with the will to act, will guide us to our potential.
Living More Abundantly in Today’s World
Thank you, President Oaks. One is honored to be asked to speak to a devotional assembly, especially when his journey has left most of his footprints in the sands of time. I appreciate the prayer that was offered by Brother Skousen, the son of Karl Skousen, an outstanding scholar and a wonderful man, and I pray that the Lord will respond to that prayer in this period that we have…
Feed My Sheep
I feel about as out of place as a rabbi in the mission home to be in this position. I have been here at BYU for fifteen years and have seen some outstanding speakers and heard some great sermons preached from this and other pulpits for devotional assemblies. When the President’s office called and asked if I would fulfill this particular assignment, I searched in vain for excuses but could…
Commitment to Temple Marriage
Commitment to temple marriage begins with dating worthy Saints. As you date, consider the covenants you intend to make and the home you wish to have.
The Story of My Life
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.
