True friends don't hold us back spiritually or pull us down when we're trying to rise and progress. True friends protect us. True friends help us be better than we would be on our own.

Pursue your goals with all your heart, might, mind and strength. You are doomed to failure if you pursue them in a vacillating manner

Whenever we choose to come unto Christ, take His name upon us, and follow His servants, we progress along the path to eternal life. In our mortal journey, it is helpful to remember that the opposite is also true: when we don't keep the commandments or follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost, our opportunities are reduced; our abilities to act and progress are diminished.

Each of us has been sent to earth by our Heavenly Father to merit eternal life

By choosing to be in His kingdom, we separate—not isolate—ourselves from the world.

The more I live, the more I recognize that the teaching moments in my youth, especially those provided by my parents, have shaped my life and made me who I am. It is impossible to overestimate the influence of parents who understand the hearts of their children.

It is not how you start the race or where you are during the race-it is how you cross the finish line that will matter.