Pointing Our Souls to Christ
It’s true that we usually have to shoulder our burdens and do hard work, but as we work through our trials and look with hope and love to Christ, we will be given compensating blessings that will bind us to Him in powerful ways—even if our challenge remains.
Stay Connected: Making It Safely Home
We choose the King of the kingdom when we choose to follow the counsel of those
He has chosen: the living prophets. Choose to stay connected.
The consequences are eternal.
He has chosen: the living prophets. Choose to stay connected.
The consequences are eternal.
Lifelong Conversion
Enduring to the end is not a separate step in the doctrine of Christ—as though we complete the first four steps and then hunker down, grit our teeth, and wait to die. No, enduring to the end is actively and intentionally repeating the steps in the doctrine of Christ.
In Awe: The Astonishing Goodness of God
What fills me with profound awe is that our Brother Jesus Christ would be willing to “descend from his throne divine” to suffer, bleed, and die to rescue rebellious souls like me and you. His sacrifice is “sufficient . . . to redeem, and to justify” all of humanity, and at the same time He succors you and me personally. That is truly awesome!
There Must Needs Be a Christ
The Spirit will help you remember that our potential is beyond our present capacity. We cannot attain it in our current condition and we cannot attain it on our own. We need help. We need a helper. We need Jesus, who is our Helper.
The Transformative Power of Faith and Art
Faith that is “tested, wounded, but . . . here” is a powerful, transformative kind of faith. That kind of faith recognizes that because we look through a glass, darkly, we will still have questions. It is a faith that coexists with questions and paradoxes. It is a faith that has battle scars but also enduring resonance.
Five Unexpected Things My Research Taught Me
Ramona Hopkins, recipient of BYU's prestigious Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Lecturer Award, discusses five things her research has taught her.
Faith and Science: Symbiotic Pathways to Truth
If learning scientific theories puts your faith in jeopardy, choose your faith! Choose your faith until you can better understand the science—or until science can provide better explanations. I firmly believe that both truths—religious and scientific—exist in harmony.
What it Means to Be Educated
What is it that you think you want to know to consider yourself an educated person, to be part of civic and professional life alongside people from different religions in this, the most religiously diverse nation in human history?
The Education of the American Mind
Melody Barnes speaks about the compatibility of science and faith while exploring what it means to educate the American mind.
The Process and Power of Hope
At those times when you wonder if there is any reason to hope, when you wonder if anyone cares—or if anyone should care—I invite you to ask God what He thinks of you—what He really thinks of you.
Faith and Courage to Move Forward
First, we need to always remember to turn to Heavenly Father and be willing to submit to Him. He loves us.
How to Act While Being Acted Upon
President Kevin J Worthen shares insights on how we should act despite outside influences.
“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?
Meekly Placing Our Total Trust in God
Will you shift in your seat and succumb to popular opinion, or will you stand firm and confident in the counsels and blessings of your loving God and let Him have His head?
Faith Still Precedes the Miracle
My dear friends, examples of faith are not confined solely to the scriptures. Great faith was also demonstrated by Saints early in this dispensation. And it is clearly evident in our fellow Saints with whom we live day to day.
Why Mountains?
Please remember when you look up at Y Mountain to ask yourself the question “Why Mountains?” My prayer is that you will remember that they are there not to befuddle us but to bless us.
The Real Value of a BYU Education
A BYU education does not focus solely on the acquisition of knowledge, as important as that is. As our mission statement makes clear, a BYU education focuses on “the full realization of human potential.”
The Gift of Uncertainty
In this life we know only in part, and in fact the more I learn, the more I see that I do not know. But I also believe that God knows us completely, that in our uncertainty we can accept God’s love for us as certain and constant.
“The Undiscover’d Country”: Navigating Toward the Future
The light of the gospel and the guidance of the Holy Ghost are the constants that you can rely on to help you make the right decisions when you reach life’s inevitable crossroads.
Choose to Trust the Lord
I am learning that my faith in the Lord is not conditioned on getting what I want when I want it. Instead, I have worked to develop trust and love for the Lord that is not transactional, but is relational.
Stand Forever
We must be grounded on the rock of revelation, and although we may not know the answer to every question, we must know the answers to the primary questions. And if we do, the gates of hell shall not prevail against us and we will stand forever.
Humble Uncertainty
There is, however, a soul-expanding kind of doubt that proceeds from an attitude of humility—the species of humility that openly admits our weaknesses. When we begin to see ourselves and our weaknesses clearly, we arrive at a state of vulnerability similar to what Joseph Smith faced as he unwittingly prepared himself for the Sacred Grove.
“Thy Troubles to Bless”
In the midst of our adversity, it may be tempting to think that God has not fulfilled His promises. But we do not lean for repose on desired outcomes. As the song says, we lean for repose on Jesus, who will not desert us to our foes, though all hell may shake around us.
The Faith to Do His Will
Do you have faith that your Heavenly Father knows you so well that He knows under what circumstances you will emerge as a stronger, albeit wounded, healer so that you will become a valuable instrument in His hands, able to do His work and comfort His children?
Lessons from Roses: Trust Yourself and Trust God
Sometimes we allow ourselves to listen and believe things that we know are contrary to what we know to be true. When others question our beliefs, we may start to panic and begin to doubt.
The Power of Your Words
I have since learned that dwelling obsessively on what we do wrong is one of the greatest sources of interference to maximizing our potential. Self-doubt is dangerous.
Do We Really Believe?
When you are faced with the question of whether you really believe some principle of the gospel, I encourage you to hold fast to the things that you know are true because the answers to the rest will come to you in time.
Awakenings: Living as Believers in the Nation We Have Now
Nations change when people change, and people change through the witness of other people—people like each of you here today. You make the future. You build it stone by stone with the choices you make.
Guided Safely Home
In making this choice, please remember the father who sought healing for his son. The Savior reminded him that belief, or faith, was key. Said He, ”If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”
“Daddy, Is Jesus Real?” Overcoming Fear through Faith in Christ
Faith leads to repentance of our past mistakes. But all of us need to follow up necessary repentance with belief—a belief in God and a belief that, though we all sin, the Atonement of Jesus Christ can and will save us.
The Allegory of the Wedding Cake
God gives each of us opportunities to create so that we can learn to take joy in that celestial process. Sometimes the result will not be what we have expected, but the process itself is important.
The Return of the King
If we are prepared for His coming—if we are looking for it—that day will be a great time of reunion and rejoicing. Make your choice, brothers and sisters, to use your time in the cause that matters most—the one that leads to the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth
I too confess that we are strangers and pilgrims on the earth, that life continues after our mortal bodies fail us, that our loved ones who have gone before know us and are there to help us.
Faith and Reason: The Appropriation of Knowledge and Truth
Just as both wings are necessary and must be in working order for the dove or the eagle to fly, so too both faith and reason are necessary for the intellectual and spiritual quest and for the intellectual and spiritual life.
Tenacity
There is nothing more discouraging than knowing what you should do and then procrastinating performance and missing the opportunity. There is nothing more invigorating than knowing what you should do and then getting about doing it.
Wandering and Wondering
The Lord has furnished us with two models to help us cope with the tension we often face between faith and reason. These two models take the form of the wanderer and the wonderer. Both of these types appear prominently in our scriptures and provide us postures we ought to consider assuming as we confront the challenges of living in a modern world.
Faith to Forgive Grievous Harms: Accepting the Atonement as Restitution
This is a very strong statement: if we refuse to forgive, there remaineth in us the greater sin. How can this be? As I hope to explain, our salvation is conditioned on forgiving others because when we refuse to forgive, what we are really saying is that we reject, or don’t quite trust, the Atonement. And it is our acceptance of the Atonement that ultimately saves us.
What Happens When Life Gets One Degree Colder?
A plan in which supposedly everything would go right so nobody would be lost was
already proposed and rejected. The plan of salvation, on the other hand, allows for opposition in all things: sadness and sweetness, wrongdoing
and repentance, trial and testimony.
Harvey and Howard: Lessons from Two Grandfathers
Perhaps one of my messages today is to learn from our family histories. Both Howard and Harvey were born in large families in small towns. One became an internationally known scientist, bearing his testimony to large numbers of people throughout his life and while working in New York City. The other quietly served a mission, raised a family, worked hard on a farm in Victor, Idaho, and served the Lord with all of his heart whenever called. Perhaps in the eyes of the world one was great and one was relatively obscure. However, in the eyes of the Lord, I think that both were good. Both were valiant servants of our Lord Jesus Christ throughout their lives.
Faith: An Essential Principle of the Gospel
It is easy in life to become busy with all kinds of things, even things that are important, but we have to be careful not to neglect those things that are essential; otherwise, none of the other things will really matter.
To Live Well
God has given you the capacity to exercise faith so that you may find peace, joy, and purpose in life. However, to employ its power, that faith must be rooted in something secure. There is no more solid foundation than faith in the love Heavenly Father has for you, faith in His plan of happiness, and faith in the willingness and power of Jesus Christ to fulfill all of His promises.
Be Still, and Know God
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.
The Most Important Three Things in the World
I testify that charity—Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ’s pure love for us—is real. I pray that we may be blessed with a more abundant measure of charity in accordance with the work of our hands and the desires of our hearts.
Building upon the Rock
You, my young brothers and sisters, and you who teach them, have an obligation to participate fully in this wonderful and sometimes tumultuous time of preparation. We simply cannot afford to be anchored to anything less consequential than the saving rock of our Redeemer.
Going Forward with Faith During Difficult Times
Great blessings come when the faithful endure adversity.
“Remember Lot’s Wife”: Faith Is for the Future
To all such of every generation, I call out, “Remember Lot’s wife.” Faith is for the future. Faith builds on the past but never longs to stay there. Faith trusts that God has great things in store for each of us and that Christ truly is the “high priest of good things to come.”
Some Lessons on Faith and Fear
It is important to learn how to live in faith rather than in fear because the process of changing for the better is at the very foundation of the Father’s plan for us. Changing for the better is what we are here in this life to do, and it is what the mission of His Son enables us to do.
Faith, Family, and Friendship
We have been given much; therefore we must give of ourselves and incorporate and strengthen faith, family, and friendships. Doing so can ensure happiness and peace in this life and help us begin to understand, in part, what life will be like in our heavenly home.
Mixing Reason and Faith
The seeds of faith and light are planted, cultivated, nurtured, and grow bathed in the glow of His tender care—the behavioral and verbal testimony examples of Latter-day Saint BYU students and graduates on campus and around the world.
Faith and Works in a Secular World
Act upon what you know to be true and your righteous works will perfect your faith. Your lives will be full and wonderful.
Faith and Joy
To ignore or violate the principle of faith will hamper our own progression and diminish our spiritual influence on others. The mastering of faith gives us joy as we become more effective instruments in doing the Lord’s work.
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.
The Morning Breaks, the Shadows Flee
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Living Right
Resolve that each moment of your life will reflect your determination to humbly be an example of righteousness, integrity, and conviction. With such a life you will succeed in the purpose for which you came to earth.
The Wind Beneath Your Wings
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.
Science, Faith, and the Nobel Prize
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Rely upon the Lord
We will have trials, but let’s accept them as part of this earthly experience. Let’s recognize that our lives are a miracle, a miracle of love and of innumerable blessings.
Faith, Reason, Knowledge, and Truth
Let us then be clear in our vision as we pursue and proclaim truth.
“Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence”
Don’t lose your confidence. Don’t forget how you once felt. Don’t distrust the experience you had. That tenacity is what saved Moses when the adversary confronted him, and it is what will save you.
Nourishing the Tree
Brothers and sisters, good morning! Several years ago a young returned missionary came to see me. I had been his bishop several years before and had helped him to work through some problems from his youth and to prepare to serve a mission. By the time he began his mission, he was ablaze with the fire of the gospel and served enthusiastically and honorably. It was now a year or…
Knowing What You Believe, Believing What You Know
You should study Church doctrine to know what you believe, but equally important is believing what you know, which requires trusting spiritual experiences.
Trusting God When Things Go Wrong
Ultimately it is this faith in what God has done for us and revealed to us through his Son that will strengthen our trust in him when things go wrong.
“Watching It Rain”
All these actions will allow you the opportunity to more fully understand, envision, and internalize the lessons being taught by the Savior. You will indeed be “watching it rain.”
It Still Takes Faith
It still takes faith—the same faith of our pioneer forebears—to keep our covenants: to love God with all our heart, might, mind, and strength.
A Faith That Preserves and Strengthens
"We can trust him. He earned our trust in the Garden and on the cross."
Divine Designs: Tracing the Lord’s “Pattern in All Things”
From a sick opera star to a missionary’s lost contact lens, Richard H. Cracroft shows how the Lord's divine designs are evident in our lives.
Faith of Our Fathers
The faith of our fathers - both our own ancestors as well as the pioneers of the gospel - give us inspiring examples to revere and emulate.
“A More Excellent Hope”
We yearn for hope not just for moments in this life, but for eternity. Our hope is bolstered by understanding faith and charity, the pure love of Christ.
A Legacy of Faith
Tell me a story,” I nightly pled of Grandma as a child. Though I wanted to hear of Cinderella, Snow White, or Sleeping Beauty, she would say, “Susan, I can only tell you stories that are true. If you want to hear truth, I have something to say.” Not wanting to sleep, I enthusiastically listened to stories of Jesus, the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and those whose…
On How We Know
When you are on record and in the presence of others, and are trying to be truthful, and you consult the depths of your own soul, you yourself may learn how profoundly you know.
Increasing Faith, Reaffirming Trust, Rekindling Love
As we seek the "assurance" and the "evidence" (grand as well as personal) of God's Plan of Salvation and all "things hoped for," we are increasing faith.
The Lord Is at the Helm
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.
“And Also By Faith”
Will we continually soften our hearts, change our lives, and partake of the knowledge and understanding our Father in Heaven wishes to give us? Or will we confine ourselves to the safe, secure methods of the educational establishment and accept a lesser portion?
“Out of Small Things Proceedeth That Which Is Great”
"I sincerely believe that we can establish Zion, the city of the pure in heart, the city of those who have washed their sins in the blood of the Lamb, person by person, sin by sin."
Lessons That Have Helped Me
"This is your time to prepare, to develop character, to increase your faith. I have great confidence in you and your ability to figure out the future."
“One Step Enough”
Because our tribulations unfold in real time, the only way out, alas, is through. This means we must endure not only our hardships but the ordeal of anxiety within the ordeal; it means we must live on promises and walk by faith.
The Edge of the Light
Elder Boyd K. Packer teaches that we should be grateful for the blessings of studying at BYU and to learn from those who teach and correct us.
Fruits of Faith
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Fear Not
Take your fears to the Lord. Talk to him and listen to him. Then, if you feel a spiritual motion as tiny as the touch that a butterfly’s wing might make, acknowledge it, heed it, and let his influence work upon you. The Lord wants you to succeed even more than you want to yourself.
Women of Faith
What does it mean to be a woman of faith? Patricia Holland addresses this topic in her BYU address, encouraging women to recognize their divine identity.
An Untroubled Faith
How can we have the kind of simple, pure, untroubled faith that moves mountains and brings peace? Build and nurture faith on a solid foundation.
A Return to Full Belief in God
George P. Lee calls for an individual and worldwide return to full belief in God and His gospel, as opposed to half-believing and counterfeit faith.
Begin with the End in Mind
Begin with the end in mind. Shape your own destiny. Remember that the development of your career, your family, and your faith in God is your individual responsibility—for which you alone will be held accountable.
Renewal of Mind and Heart
Relielf Society General President Barbara B. Smith speaks to graduates of Brigham Young University, sharing how they can use their education to better themselves and better the world.
Walking on the Water
"When Jesus called Peter to come to Him across the water, Peter, for one brief, glorious moment, forgot he did not know how and strode with ease across the sea. This is how we are meant to be."
Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
Faith in the Lord is more than just a passive feeling. True faith is a principle of action and sacrifice, and it brings about miracles.
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.
The Faith, Strength, and Service of Youth
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The Weightier Matters of the Law
We are sometimes so caught up in unimportant things that we omit the weightier matters of the gospel: righteous judgment, mercy, and faith.
God Shall Give unto You Knowledge by His Holy Spirit
Gordon B. Hinckley shares that through faith, you will be led by the Holy Spirit. Faith has the miraculous power to change the hearts of men.
Peter, My Brother
Spencer W. Kimball highlights the faith and devotion the apostle Peter exhibited during his ministry. The Savior loved and forgave him, and so should we.
When Thou Art Converted
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Lord, Increase Our Faith
Bruce R. McConkie discusses the teaching of Joseph Smith that faith is power. He shares ways to enlarge and increase our faith in the Lord.
“And Be Not Faithless But Believing”
The Lord has commanded us to "be not faithless, but believing." Faith in Jesus Christ can help us overcome any challenge or obstacle in life.
We Are Here to Be Tried, Tested, Proved
When viewed from the perspective of eternity, this life is only a brief moment. In that moment, we are being tried, tested, proved, and taught by our Father in Heaven. Will we be faithful to Him?
Faith, the Key to Happiness
Faith in God is the key to happiness. Unlike anything else, He offers peace, freedom from fear, and the joy of knowing our eternal potential.
Feet Shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace
To face difficult decisions and tests of our faith, we must be armed with the spiritual preparation that comes from consistent righteousness.
“According to Your Faith”
The Lord promises, "according to your faith, so shall it be unto you." The blessings we seek are predicated on our faith to ask, to obey, and to act.
Put Your Hand into the Hand of God
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A Simple Faith: Don’t Try to Rationalize
Sometimes we ruin our simple faith by trying too hard to understand everything. Sometimes we can't rationalize; we just believe.
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.
