I have felt an urgency to counsel each of us to seek the higher ground---the refuge and eternal protection of the temple.

God’s plan provides a way for family relationships to extend beyond the grave. We can return to the presence of God, eternally united with our families.

It is our faith in Jesus Christ that sustains us at the crossroads of life's journey.

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.

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.

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.

Our doctrinal obligation is to our own ancestors. This is because the celestial organization of heaven is based on families. The First Presidency has encouraged members, especially youth and young single adults, to emphasize family history work and ordinances for their own family names or the names of ancestors of their ward and stake members. We need to be connected to both our roots and branches. The thought of being associated in the eternal realm is indeed glorious.