It has always seemed somewhat paradoxical to me that we must constantly have the Lord command us to do those things which are for our own good. The Lord has said, 'He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.' (Matt. 10:39.) We lose our life by serving and lifting others. By so doing we experience the only true and lasting happiness. Service is not something we endure on this earth so we can earn the right to live in the celestial kingdom. Service is the very fiber of which an exalted life in the celestial kingdom is made.

There is an interdependence between those who have and those who have not. The process of giving exalts the poor and humbles the rich. In the process, both are sanctified.

While the Lord will magnify us in both subtle and dramatic ways, he can only guide our footsteps when we move our feet.

The possession of a true testimony is the most valuable possession that one could have. It gives one knowledge, the hope and assurance that one, through obedience, can be a partaker of all the promised blessings.

In this modern world plagued with counterfeits for the Lord's plan, we must not be misled into supposing that we can discharge our obligations to the poor and the needy by shifting the responsibility to some governmental or other public agency. Only by voluntarily giving out of an abundant love for our neighbors can we develop that charity characterized by Mormon as "the pure love of Christ." (Moro.7:47) This we must develop if we would obtain eternal life.

It is perfectly evident...that to thank the Lord in all things is not merely a courtesy, it is a commandment as binding upon us as any other commandment

Prayer is the means by which men communicate with God. Revelation is the means by which God communicates with men.