It's so easy in life for us to receive blessings, many of them almost uncounted, and have things happen in our lives that can help change our lives, improve our lives, and bring the Spirit into our lives. But we sometimes take them for granted. How grateful we should be for the blessings that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings into our hearts and souls. I would remind all of you that if we're ever going to show gratitude properly to our Heavenly Father, we should do it with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength-because it was He who gave us life and breath

Take advantage of this great opportunity in your life to live it well, to be good, to have good works, and to influence other people for good.

It is the love that we give and the service we render that really is the great payoff.

Life is a competition not with others, but with ourselves. We should seek each day to live stronger, better, truer lives; each day to master some weakness of yesterday; each day to repair a mistake; each day to surpass ourselves.

God does not love us because we are lovable, have a pleasing personality or a good sense of humor, or at rare times show exceptional kindness. In spite of who we are and what we have done, God wants to pour out His love on us, for the unlovable are also precious unto Him.

Someone has written, Love is a verb. It requires doing -not just saying and thinking. The test is in what one does, how one acts, for love is conveyed in word and deed.

The world needs someone to look up to-like you. A national leader remarked, "There comes a time when we must take a stand-when we draw a line in the dust and say, 'Beyond this line, we do not go.'"