Tithing—a Commandment Even for the Destitute

"...the truer measure of sacrifice isn’t so much what one gives to sacrifice as what one sacrifices to give. Faith isn’t tested so much when the cupboard is full as when it is bare. In these defining moments, the crisis doesn’t create one’s character—it reveals it."
--Lynn G. Robbins, “Tithing—a Commandment Even for the Destitute,” Ensign, May 2005, 34

What Is Christmas?

"What will you and I give for Christmas this year? Let us in our lives give to our Lord and Savior the gift of gratitude by living His teachings and following in His footsteps. It was said of Him that He 'went about doing good.' As we do likewise, the Christmas spirit will be ours."
--Thomas S. Monson, “What Is Christmas?” Ensign, Dec. 1998, 2

The Atonement and the Value of One Soul

"If we could truly understand the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, we would realize how precious is one son or daughter of God."

--Elder M. Russell Ballard, "The Atonement and the Value of One Soul", May 2004 Ensign pg 84

The Lifeline of Prayer

"No earthly authority can separate us from direct access to our Creator. There can never be a mechanical or electronic failure when we pray. There is no limit on the number of times or how long we can pray each day. There is no quota of how many needs we wish to pray for in each prayer. We do not need to go through secretaries or make an appointment to reach the throne of grace. He is reachable at any time and any place."
--James E. Faust, “The Lifeline of Prayer,” Ensign, May 2002, 59

For the Beauty of the Earth - TOTW

For the Beauty of the Earth

Hymns, For the Beauty of the Earth, no. 92

1. For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,

[Chorus]
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

2. For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flow’r,
Sun and moon, and stars of light,

3. For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild,

Text: Folliott S. Pierpoint, 1835-1917
Music: Conrad Kocher, 1786–1872

Psalm 95:1–6
Psalm 33:1–6

Who’s Losing? - TOTW

"One warm evening during the past summer months Sister Ashton and I enjoyed a professional baseball game. During the early part of the competition our attention was diverted from the action by a late arriver. As he walked by, he spotted me and asked, 'Who’s losing?' I responded with, 'Neither one.' Following my answer, I noticed that he glanced at the right-field scoreboard, saw the game wasn’t tied, and walked on, undoubtedly wondering about me.

Seconds after he made his way to a distant seat, Sister Ashton said, 'He doesn’t know you very well, does he?' 'What makes you say that?' I replied. She responded with, 'If he did, he would know you don’t believe anyone is losing. Some are ahead and some are behind, but no one is losing. Isn’t that right?' I smiled in approval with a warm feeling inside.

Proper attitude in this crisis-dominated world is a priceless possession. Never before is it more important for all of us to move forward with conviction. We may be behind, but we are not losing if we are moving in the right direction. God will not score our performances until the end of the journey."
--Elder Marvin J Ashton, "Who’s Losing?" Ensign, Nov. 1974, 41

Strengthening Each Other - TOTW

"If you sometimes get discouraged, consider this fellow. He dropped out of grade school. Ran a country store. Went broke. Took 15 years to pay off his bills. Took a wife. Unhappy marriage. Ran for House. Lost twice. Ran for Senate. Lost twice. Delivered speech that became a classic. Audience indifferent. Attacked daily by the press and despised by half the country. Despite all this, imagine how many people all over the world have been inspired by this awkward, rumpled, brooding man who signed his name simply, A. Lincoln.” (Wall Street Journal.)

'It is important to know, when you feel down, that many others do also and that their circumstances are generally much worse than yours. And it’s important to know that when one of us is down, it becomes the obligation of his friends to give him a lift. I hope that each of us will cultivate a sensitivity toward the feelings of others, and when encouragement is needed, make an effort to extend it. Be a friend, and you will have a friend. God be thanked for wonderful friends.'
--Gordon B. Hinckley, “Strengthening Each Other,” Ensign, Feb. 1985, 3

Three Choices - TOTW

"Tomorrow’s joy or tomorrow’s despair has its roots in decisions we make today. Perhaps some people think to themselves: 'I know I need to change some things in my life. Maybe later, but not now.'

Those who stand at the threshold of life always waiting for the right time to change are like the man who stands at the bank of a river waiting for the water to pass so he can cross on dry land.

Today is the day of decision."

--Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Three Choices,” Ensign, Nov. 2003, 78

TOTW - Don’t be discouraged...

"Don’t be discouraged at seemingly overwhelming odds in your desire to live and to help others live God’s commandments. At times it may seem like David trying to fight Goliath. But remember, David did win."

--David B. Haight (Ensign, November 1977)

A Mighty Change of Heart - TOTW

"...we must be careful, as we seek to become more and more godlike, that we do not become discouraged and lose hope. Becoming Christlike is a lifetime pursuit and very often involves growth and change that is slow, almost imperceptible.

The scriptures record remarkable accounts of men whose lives changed dramatically, in an instant...

But we must be cautious as we discuss these remarkable examples. Though they are real and powerful, they are the exception more than the rule. For every Paul, for every Enos, and for every King Lamoni, there are hundreds and thousands of people who find the process of repentance much more subtle, much more imperceptible. Day by day they move closer to the Lord, little realizing they are building a godlike life. They live quiet lives of goodness, service, and commitment. They are like the Lamanites, who the Lord said "were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not." (3 Ne. 9:20)."

-- Ezra Taft Benson, “A Mighty Change of Heart,” Ensign, Oct. 1989, 2

That My Family Should Partake - TOTW

"In a world filled with much laboring and striving in parliaments, congresses, agencies, and corporate offices, God's extraordinary work is most often done by ordinary people in the seeming obscurity of a home and family."

--Neal A. Maxwell (That My Family Should Partake [1974], 122)

TOTW

"Ideals are stars to steer by; they are not sticks to beat ourselves with."
--Barbara B. Smith (Ensign, March 1976)

A Mighty Change of Heart - TOTW

"We must not lose hope. Hope is an anchor to the souls of men. Satan would have us cast away that anchor. In this way he can bring discouragement and surrender. But we must not lose hope. The Lord is pleased with every effort, even the tiny, daily ones in which we strive to be more like Him. Though we may see that we have far to go on the road to perfection, we must not give up hope."

-Ezra Taft Benson, “A Mighty Change of Heart,” Ensign, Oct. 1989, 2

I so needed this thought today - which came into my Inbox for our own TOTW from On Wings of Faith. Different trials come to us in all shapes and sizes, sometimes easier than others, some really hard to even drag your feet through the mud of it all. I have been through several trials, and in the midst of a few myself right now that have been very trying. But it is so true that we must not lose hope. There are many blessings for each of us as we strive to improve ourselves for the better - spiritually, mentally, and physically. The strength the comes through our trials is an amazing blessing in itself.

The Power of Speech - TOTW

"Like all gifts 'which cometh from above,' words are 'sacred, and must be spoken with care, and by constraint of the Spirit' (D&C 63:64). "It is with this realization of the power and sanctity of words that I wish to caution us, if caution is needed, regarding how we speak to each other and how we speak of ourselves. "There is a line from the Apocrypha which puts the seriousness of this issue better than I can. It reads, 'The stroke of the whip maketh marks in the flesh: but the stroke of the tongue breaketh the bones' (Ecclesiasticus 28:17)." (Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Tongue of Angels," Ensign, May 2007, 16)

TOTW - We Are Responsible...

"We are all responsible to God for the manner we improve the light and wisdom given by our Lord to enable us to save ourselves." -Joseph Smith

The Price of Discipleship

"For most of us . . . what is required is not to die for the Church but to live for it. For many, living a Christlike life every day may be even more difficult than laying down one's life. . . .
"Many think that the price of discipleship is too costly and too burdensome. For some, it involves giving up too much. But the cross is not as heavy as it appears to be. Through obedience we acquire much greater strength to carry it."

(James E. Faust, "Discipleship," Ensign, Nov. 2006, 22)

TOTW - Our Priceless Heritage

"The Declaration of Independence . . . is much more than a political document. It constitutes a spiritual manifesto -- revelation, if you will--declaring not for this nation only, but for all nations, the source of man's rights. Nephi, a Book of Mormon prophet, foresaw over 2,300 years ago that this event would transpire. The colonies he saw would break with Great Britain and that 'the power of the Lord was with [the colonists],' that they 'were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations' (1 Nephi 13:16, 19).
"The Declaration of Independence was to set forth the moral
justification of a rebellion against a long-recognized political
tradition--the divine right of kings. At issue was the fundamental question of whether men's rights were God-given or whether these rights were to be dispensed by governments to their subjects.
This document proclaimed that all men have certain inalienable rights. In other words, these rights came from God."

(Ezra Taft Benson, "Our Priceless Heritage," Ensign, Nov. 1976, 33)

TOTW - Let every American...

“Let every American, every lover of liberty, every well wisher to his posterity, swear by the blood of the Revolution, never to violate in the least particular, the laws of the country; and never to tolerate their violation by others. As the patriots of seventy-six did to the support of the Declaration of Independence, so to the support of the Constitution and Laws, let every American pledge his life, his property, and his sacred honor;—let every man remember that to violate the law, is to trample on the blood of his father, and to tear the character of his own, and his children’s liberty. Let reverence for the laws, be breathed by every American mother, to the lisping babe, that prattles on her lap—let it be taught in schools, in seminaries, and in colleges;—let it be written in Primers, spelling books, and in Almanacs;—let it be preached from the pulpit, proclaimed in legislative halls, and enforced in courts of justice. And, in short, let it become the political religion of the nation; and let the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the grave and the gay, of all sexes and tongues, and colors and conditions, sacrifice unceasingly upon its altars.”
-Abraham Lincoln

TOTW - The Virtue of Kindness

"We are all children of our Heavenly Father. And we are here with the same purpose: to learn to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves (see Mark 12:30-31)."

(Joseph B. Wirthlin, "The Virtue of Kindness," Ensign, May 2005, 28)

TOTW - The Great and Wonderful Love

"If you have any thoughts and feelings [of inadequacy and guilt], I invite you to become as a little child and feel again 'the great and wonderful love made manifest by the Father and the Son in the coming of the Redeemer into the world' (D&C 138:3). Childlike faith in the perfect love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will 'divide asunder' (Helaman 3:29) Satan's snares of inadequacy, imperfection, and guilt."

(Anthony D. Perkins, "The Great and Wonderful Love," Ensign, Nov. 2006, 77)