Persistence is the answer, and a sense of humor helps.

The desire of our hearts, of course, is not only to acquire salvation and immortality but also to attain eternal life with a loving Father in Heaven and our Savior in the celestial kingdom with our families. We can obtain eternal life only through obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel.

When we follow the Savior of the world, the Son of God, we flourish and become glorious despite the many terrible circumstances that surround us.

Even worthwhile endeavors need evaluation in order to determine if they have become distractions from the best goals.

Youth who have been exposed to immoral images at a very early age are terrified that they may have already disqualified themselves for missionary service and sacred covenants. ... I want to assure you young people [that] through repentance you can qualify for all the blessings of heaven. That is what the Savior’s Atonement is all about.

If the grim realities you are facing at this time seem dark and heavy and almost unbearable, remember that in the soul-wrenching darkness of Gethsemane and the incomprehensible torture and pain of Calvary, the Savior accomplished the Atonement, which resolves the most terrible burdens that can occur in this life. He did it for you, and He did it for me. He did it because He loves us and because He obeys and loves His Father. We will be rescued from death-even from the depths of the sea.

This feeling of accountability, which is encompassed by the first great commandment to love God, has been described by some as 'obedience to the unenforceable.' [John Fletcher Moulton.] We try to do what is right because we love and want to please our Father in Heaven, not because someone is forcing us to obey.