Week of September 9, 2019: “Complete obedience brings eternal life. But to be exalted one must keep the whole law. This is the great love he shows forth for his children: notwithstanding they sin and close their eyes against the truth, yet his arm is stretched out still, and he will feel after them and bring them back if they will keep his commandments; and if not, he will do for them just the best he can. . . the commandments of the Lord must be kept in all things. [DS 2:6.]” –Joseph Fielding Smith, Selections of Doctrines of Salvation, p. 502. Bold and italics in original. Ellipsis mine.

Week of September 2, 2019: “Saints have knowledge of spirit life. The Latter-day Saints are the only people in the world, as far as my knowledge goes, who have a clear, distinct doctrine in regard to the questions: Where did we come from? Why are we here? And, Where are we going? I believe we are the only people in the world who believe in the pre-existence of the human family” –Joseph Fielding Smith, Selections of Doctrines of Salvation, p. 43. Bold in original.

Week of August 26, 2019: “I have a hard time with historians because they idolize the truth. The truth is not uplifting. It destroys. I could tell most of the secretaries in the Church office building that they are ugly and fat. That would be the truth, but it would hurt and destroy them. Historians should tell only that part of the truth that is inspiring and uplifting”–Apostle Boyd K. Packer, Faithful History: Essay on Writing Mormon History, p. 103, footnote.

Week of August 19, 2019:“DON’T BE CONCERNED OVER BOOK OF MORMON GEOGRAPHY. Some say the Hill Cumorah was in southern Mexico (and someone pushed it down still farther) and not in western New York. Well, if the Lord wanted us to know where it was or where Zarahemla was, He’d have given us latitude and longitude, don’t you think? And why bother our heads trying to discover with archaeological certainty the geographical locations of the cities of the Book of Mormon like Zarahemla?” (Harold B. Lee, “Loyalty,” address to Seminary and Institute Faculty, Brigham Young University, July 8, 1966. Cited in The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, p. 156).

Week of August 12, 2019: “Today the greatest enemies we have are those who, for flattery of the world, would betray the Savior by denying His prophets and making light of Church pronouncements on vital issues that strike at the very foundation of the Lord’s work. Such we have among us today—make no mistake” –Harold B. Lee, “Yet are the Salt of the Earth,” Delta Phi Conference Address, Assembly Hall on Temple Square, March 5, 1966. Cited in The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, p. 392

Week of August 5, 2019: “If the Lord had followed the thoughts of men and had commanded Joseph Smith to place the plates in some repository where they could have been inspected by the curious public, it would have led to endless disputations. Enemies of the Church would not have been convinced and would have contended most bitterly that the plates were spurious. No one could have read them for the characters engraved on them are unknown to the savants of the present age” –Joseph Fielding Smith, Selections of Doctrines of Salvation, p. 282. Italics in original.

Week of July 29, 2019: “Some hymns profane Deity. Even in some of the sacred hymns that are universally used, the frequent and familiar use of the name of the Lord enters, and spoils their use so far as we are concerned. A few hymns of this nature, with noble, uplifting thoughts, have found their way into the musical exercises of the Latter-day Saints. [DS 1:14)” –Joseph Fielding Smith, Selections of Doctrines of Salvation, p. 13. Bold in original.

Week of July 22, 2019: “We should marry within our faith. Young people–we do marry our ‘dates.’ If our religion means anything to us, we will not be happy without a Mormon marriage, a Mormon family, prayer and harmony in the home. When the romance wears off, the unbelievers may become distasteful. Many have found this to be so. So dater seriously only with Latter-day Saint young men and women. Let the others be friends in their own place, but when it comes to serious dating, let us date Latter-day Saints” –Howard W. Hunter, “Except Ye Be Agreed,” Youth Fireside Series, April 10, 1962. Cited in The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, p. 125. Bold and italics in original.

Week of July 15, 2019:  “THE MOST DISTINGUISHING FEATURE. If at this moment each one of you were asked to state in one sentence or phrase the most distinguishing feature of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, what would be your answer? It occurs to me now that my answer would be this: Divine authority by direct revelation. There are those who claim authority through historical descent, others form the scriptures, but this Church stands out as making the distinctive claim that the authority of the priesthood has come directly from God the Father and the Son, by revelation to Joseph Smith”–David O. McKay, Gospel Ideals, p. 98.

Week of July 8, 2019: “Latter-day Saints should be happy and optimistic. Of all people on the face of the earth, Latter-day Saints, with the perspective given them by the gospel, ought to be happy and optimistic” (Howard W. Hunter, Speeches of the Year 1991-1992, p. 39. Cited in The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, p. 268. Bold and italics in original).

Week of July 1, 2019: ‘’We are not required to prove that the Book of Mormon is true or is an authentic record through external evidences—though there are many” –Ezra Taft Benson, Sermons and Writings of President Ezra Taft Benson, p. 101.

Week of June 24, 2019: “And yet the larger proportion of this world do not now know the contents of the Bible. Most of those who have read it and are familiar more or less with its text do not know after all these years how to interpret it. The Lord has given to us the power to interpret it. He gave to the Prophet Joseph Smith the privilege of retranslating it, if I may use that term. (CR, October 1948, pp. 163-65.)” –George Albert Smith, The Teachings of George Albert Smith, p. 57. Italics in original.

Week of June 17, 2019: “PEOPLE APOSTATIZE DUE TO IGNORANCE OR SIN. In nine cases out of ten—I’d say in every case—those who apostatize from this church do it from one of two reasons, either because of their ignorance of the doctrine or because of their sinfulness and falling away from the truth” –Harold B. Lee, remarks made in Paris, France, March 29, 1960. Cited in The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, p. 390.

Week of June 10, 2019: “The Savior invites all to follow Him into the waters of baptism and, in time, to make additional covenants with God in the temple and receive and be faithful to those further essential ordinances. All these are required if we want to be exalted with our families and with God forever” –President Russell M. Nelson, “Come, Follow Me,” Ensign (Conference edition), May 2019, pp. 89-90.

Week of June 3, 2019: “Keeping your promises will take unshakable faith that the Lord called them. Keeping those promises will also bring eternal happiness. Not keeping them will bring sorrow to you and to those you love–and even losses beyond your power to imagine”–Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, “The Power of Sustaining Faith,” Ensign (Conference Edition), May 2019, p. 59.

Week of May 27, 2019: “THOSE IN THE SPIRIT WORLD MAY BE GUARDIAN ANGELS TO THOSE IN MORTALITY. Who are guardian angels? Well, it would appear that someone who is quickened by some influence, not yet celestialized, is permitted to come back as a messenger for the purpose of working with and trying to aid those who are left behind” –Harold B. Lee, Funeral Service for Margaret Peel Childs, May 3, 1958. Cited in The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, p. 60.

Week of May 13, 2019: “The Lord does not expect perfection from us at this point in our eternal progression” (President Russell M. Nelson, “We can do better and be better,” Ensign, May 2019 (Conference Edition), p. 68).

“This progress toward eternal life is a matter of achieving perfection. Living all the commandments guarantees total forgiveness of sins and assures one of exaltation. . . . Being perfect means to triumph over sin. This is a mandate from the Lord, He is just and wise and kind. He would never require anything from his children which was not for their benefits and which was not attainable. Perfection therefore is an achievable goal” (President Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, pp. 208-209).

Week of May 6, 2019: “One of my children once said, ‘Dad, I wonder if I will ever be able to make it.’ I responded, ‘All Heavenly Father asks us is to do the very best can can each day.’ Brother and sisters, do the best you can do day after day, and before you will come to realize that your Heavenly Father knows you and that He loves you. And when you know that–really know it–your life will have real purpose and meaning and you will be filled with joy and peace”–Apostle M. Russell Ballard, “The True, Pure, and Simple Gospel of Jesus Christ,” Ensign (Conference Edition) May 2019, p. 28.

“To ‘try’ is weak. To ‘do the best I can’ is not strong. We must always do better than we can. This is true in every walk of life”–President Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 165.

Week of April 29, 2019: “We hold that sexual sin is second only to the shedding of innocent blood in the category of personal crimes; and that the adulterer shall have no part in the exaltation of the blessed” –Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, p. 310.

Week of April 22, 2019: “Adam received the holy priesthood and was commanded by the Lord to teach his children the principles of the gospel. Moreover, Adam was baptized for the remission of his sins, for the same principles by which men were saved in the beginning. In that day as many as repented and were baptized received the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. Adam made all these things known to his sons and daughters (see Moses 5:11-15, 57-59; 6:1-9, 50-68; D&C 20:17-28). [DS 3:81-82.]” –Joseph Fielding Smith, Selections of Doctrines of Salvation, p. 328.

Week of April 8, 2019: “Live the spirit of the Word of Wisdom. We complicate the simplicity of the Word of Wisdom. The Lord said don’t drink tea, coffee, or use tobacco or liquor and that admonition is simple. But we confuse it by asking if cola drinks are against the Word of Wisdom. The 89th Section of the Doctrine and Covenants doesn’t say anything about cola drinks, but we ask questions that go beyond the simplicity of the lesson that has been taught. We know that caffeine is taken out of coffee and used as an ingredient of cola drinks. It seems to me that if we probably want to live the spirit of the law we probably wouldn’t partake of that which had been taken from what we were told not to drink” –Howard W. Hunter, “Marriage is Forever,” Australia Area Conference, Women’s Meeting, Melbourne, Australia, November 28, 1979. Cited in The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, pp. 104-105. Bold in original.

Week of March 11, 2019: ”MORMONISM” DEFINED. I desire to say that “Mormonism,” as it is called, is still, as always, nothing more and nothing less than the power of God unto salvation, unto every soul that will receive it honestly and will obey it” –Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine,  p. 72.

Week of February 25, 2019: “Gospel taught from beginning. These principles were taught to Adam after he was driven from the Garden of Eden, who repented and was baptized in water for the remission of his sins, and received the Holy Ghost (see Moses 6:51-68). . . .” –Joseph Fielding Smith, Selections of Doctrines of Salvation, p. 109. Bold and ellipsis in original.

Week of February 11, 2019: “The Lord knows what is harmful to our bodies. How foolish I would be  . . . to partake of these forbidden things, having the assurance that it is the counsel of the Lord I should abstain therefrom. I would feel under condemnation if I should partake of them, when he who knows better than anybody else says that they are harmful, and has warned me against them. (CR, April 1907, pp. 19-20.)” –George Albert Smith, The Teachings of George Albert Smith, p. 102. Italics and ellipsis in original.

Week of February 4, 2019: “The Church of Jesus Christ promulgates the doctrine that little children are redeemed and sanctified through the atonement of our Lord and Savior. If they die before reaching the age of accountability, they become heirs of the celestial kingdom of heaven” –David O. McKay, Gospel Ideals, p. 74.

Week of January 28, 2019: “God the Father married Adam and Eve. Marriage as established in the beginning was an eternal covenant. The first man and the first woman were not married until death should part them, for at that time death had not come into the world. The ceremony on that occasion was performed by the Eternal Father himself whose work endures forever” –Joseph Fielding Smith, Selections of Doctrines of Salvation, pp. 169-170. Bold in original.

Week of January 14, 2019: “If Joseph Smith did not have that interview with God and Jesus Christ, the whole Mormon fabric is a failure and a fraud. It is not worth anything on earth” –Heber J. Grant, Gospel Standards, p. 15.

Week of January 7, 2019: “It is the celestial glory which we seek. It is in the presence of God we desire to dwell. It is a forever family in which we want membership. Such blessings are earned. A high report card of mortality qualifies us to graduate with honors” –Thomas S. Monson, “An Invitation to Exaltation,’ Satellite. Broadcast, March 4, 1984. Cited in Teachings of Thomas S. Monson, p. 33.

Week of December 31, 2018: “Intelligent beings are organized to become Gods, even the Sons of God, to dwell in the presence of the Gods, and become associated with the highest intelligences that dwell in eternity. We are now in the school, and must practice upon what we receive” –Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 245.

Week of December 24, 2018: “If the Lord had followed the thoughts of men and had commanded Joseph Smith to place the plates in some repository where they could have been inspected by the curious public, it would have led to endless disputations. Enemies of the Church would not have been convinced and would have contended most bitterly that the plates were spurious. No one could have read them for the characters engraved on them are unknown to the savants of the present age” –Joseph Fielding Smith, Selections of Doctrines of Salvation, p. 282.

Week of December 17, 2018: “Marriage insurance is available to those who live righteously. Marriage insurance is available also to those who live righteous lives, love the Lord, keep his commandments, and strive to be worthy co-creators with God”–Howard W. Hunter, “Marriage Insurance, Beneficial Life Insurance Company Convention, Tamarron, Colorado, July 14, 1978. Cited in The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, p. 130).

Week of December 10, 2018: “EUROPEAN MEMBERS ARE CHALLENGED TO LEARN ENGLISH. Now, I am sure that you understand that inasmuch as we have seventeen different languages in which we are preaching the gospel today [1973], we [the General Authorities] can’t be expected to learn all those seventeen languages. Think how helpful it would be if everyone one of you now speaking your own native tongues would all learn to speak English. I would like to challenge you to do that; then you would be able to talk with us more clearly and we could understand you better than we have today” (Harold B. Lee, European Area Conference Report, August 26, 1973–four months before Lee passed away. Cited in The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, p. 385).

Week of December 3, 2018: “Grave consequences await those who purposely do not have children. How will those feel who fail to obey that first great command when they stand in the presence of the Creator. . .. How can they comply with that invitation if they have no children to take to the Father? They must remain childless throughout eternity” –George Albert Smith, The Teachings of George Albert Smith, p. 118. Italics in original. Ellipsis mine).

Week of November 26, 2018: “The miracle of forgiveness is available to all of those who turn from their evil doings and return no more, because the Lord has said in a revelation to us in our days: ‘. . . go your ways and sin no more; but unto that soul who sinneth [meaning again] shall the former sins return, saith the Lord your God.’ (D&C 82:7.) Have that in mind, all of you who may be troubled with a burden of sin” –Harold B. Lee, Stand Ye in Holy Places: Selected Sermons and Writings of President Harold B. Lee, p. 185.

Week of November 5, 2018: “If you think the church has been fully restored, you’re just seeing the beginning. There is much more to come. . . Wait till next year. And then the next year. Eat your vitamin pills. Get your rest. It’s going to be exciting”–Russell M. Nelson, The Salt Lake Tribune, Nov. 1, 2018, p. A5.

Week of October 29, 2018: “It is a mistake when we are called upon to confirm someone a member of the Church, to say, ‘Receive ye the gift of the Holy Ghost.’ We should say, ‘Receive the Holy Ghost.’ (I do not say ‘ye’ because that is a plural pronoun.) That covers everything, and they get the gift. [DS 1:39-40.]”–President Joseph Fielding Smith, Selections from Doctrines of Salvation Special First Presidency Edition, p. 249.

Week of October 22, 2018: “Modern inventions part of fulness of times. Yet I maintain that had there been no restoration of the gospel, and no reorganization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there would have been no radio; there would have been no airplane, and there would not have been the wonderful discoveries in medicine, chemistry, electricity, and the man other things wherein the world has been benefited by such discoveries” –President Joseph Fielding Smith, Selections from Doctrines of Salvation Special First Presidency Edition, p. 249.

Week of October 15, 2018: ”MORMONISM” DEFINED. I desire to say that “Mormonism,” as it is called, is still, as always, nothing more and nothing less than the power of God unto salvation, unto every soul that will receive it honestly and will obey it” (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine,  p. 72).

Week of October 8, 2018: “JOSEPH SMITH’S NAME WILL NEVER PERISH. God lives, and Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world. Joseph Smith is a prophet of God—living, not dead; for his name will never perish” –President Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, p. 479.

Week of September 3, 2018: “Those whose lineage is from the various tribes of Israel are those whose hearts will most likely be turned to the Lord. He [Jesus]  said, ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me’ (John 10:27). Those who are of the house of Israel will most easily recognize the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and will desire to be gathered into His fold. They will want to become members of His Church, make covenants with Him and Heavenly Father, and receive their essential ordinances”–President Russell M. Nelson, Worldwide Youth Devotional, June 3, 2018, Supplement to the New Era and Ensign, p. 8.

Week of August 20, 2018: “Please avoid using the abbreviation ‘LDS’ or the nickname ‘Mormon’ as substitutes for the name of teh Church, as in ‘Mormon Church,’ LDS Church,’ or ‘Church of the Latter-day Saints.”–New style guide found, ironically, at “LDS.org”

Week of August 13, 2018: “I believe if you could see yourself living with your Heavenly Parents and with Jesus Christ; if you could observe what you did premortally and see yourself making commitments—even covenants—with others, including your mentors and teachers; if you could see yourself courageously responding to attacks on truth and valiantly standing up for Jesus Christ, I believe that everyone one of you would have the increased power, increased commitment, and eternal perspective to help you overcome any and all of your confusion, doubts, struggles, and problems. All of them!” –Wendy W. Nelson, Worldwide Youth Devotional, June 3, 2018, Supplement to the New Era and Ensign, p. 5.

Week of August 6, 2018: “Think of this, my dear young brothers and sisters, right now I am preparing for the day when I will be required to give an accounting to the Prophet Joseph Smith, to President Brigham Young, and others—and ultimately to the Lord—about my stewardship as God’s prophet upon the earth today. . . . So, now I am inviting every young woman and every young man between the ages of 12 and 18 in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to enlist in the youth battalion of the Lord to help gather Israel” –Russell M. Nelson, Worldwide Youth Devotional, June 3, 2018, Supplement to the New Era and Ensign, p. 13.

Week of July 30, 2018: “Elder Kimball passed the manuscript to Harold B. Lee, who pleased and embarrassed him by praising it in a meeting of the Twelve. Elder Lee said that on the basis of the half he had read ‘if was factual and heavily documented and adequate and covered the field beautifully.’ Delbert L. Stapley, who had read the manuscript, echoed those sentiments”–Edward L. Kimball, Spencer W. Kimball: The Early and Apostolic Years, p. 384. Referring to the time when Spencer Kimball’s The Miracle of Forgiveness was first released in 1969.

Week of July 23, 2018: “Mormonism does not tend to debase God to the level of man, but to exalt man to the perfection of God”–Charles Penrose, member of the First Presidency, cited in The Gospel Through the Ages, p. 107.

Week of July 16, 2018: “The Savior ‘picks up’ part of the burden for those who do repent.”–Tad Callister, Sunday School general president, former Seventy, The Infinite Atonement (Deseret Book, 2000), p. 184.

Week of July 9, 2018: “The religion of the Book of Mormon is monotheistic, and embodies the revelations of God to His people on this the American continent”–J.M. Sjodahl, An Introduction to the Study of the Book of Mormon, p. viii.

Week of July 2, 2018: “Many men say there is one God; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are only one God! I say that is a strange God anyhow–three in one, and one in three! It is a curious organization. All are to be crammed into one God, according to secetarianism. It would make the biggest God in all the world. He would be a wonderfully big God–he would be a giant or a monster”–Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 372.

Week of June 25, 2018: “I thank God for ‘Mormonism,’ so-called; it is the power of God unto salvation”–President Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 1986, p. 97.

Week of June 18, 2018: “Repentance is a thing that cannot be trifled with every day. Daily transgression and daily repentance is not that which is pleasing in the sight of God.”–Joseph Smith, History of the Church 3:379. See also Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 148.

Week of June 4, 2018: “Had I anything to do with the negro, I would confine them by strict law to their own species, and put them on a national equalization”–Joseph Smith, History of the Church 5:217-218.

Week of May 28, 2018: “I believe God will save all people, except the sons of perdition, in some glory”–Wilford Woodruff, March 5, 1899, Collected Discourses 1:225.

Week of May 21, 2018: “We are the sons and daughters of celestial beings, and the germ of the deity dwells within us. when our spirits took possession of these tabernacles, they were as pure as the angels of god, wherefore total depravity cannot be a true doctrine”–President Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 78.

Week of May 14, 2018: “In addition to the physical ordinance of baptism and the laying on of hands, one must be spiritually born again to gain exaltation and eternal life”–President Ezra Taft Benson, Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 78.

Week of May 7, 2018: “Among the first principles lost in the Apostasy was an understanding of God the Father”–Apostle Quentin L. Cook, “The Doctrine of the Father,” Ensign, February 212, p. 33.

Week of April 30, 2018: “Immortality comes by grace alone, but those who gain it may find themselves damned in eternity” (Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1966, p. 671).

Week of April 23, 2018: “We preach tithing to the poor people of the world because the poor people of the world have had cycles of poverty, generation after generation. That same poverty continues from one generation to another, until people pay their tithing” (Russell M. Nelson, “’Dowry is not the Lord’s way’: In Kenya, LDS President Nelson says tithing breaks poverty cycle,” Deseret News, 4/16/2018).

Week of April 16, 2018: “Gold and silver grow, and so does every other kind of metal, the same as the hair upon my head, or the wheat in the field; they do not grow as fast, but they are all the time composing or decomposing” (Brigham Young, October 9, 1852, Journal of Discourses 1:219).

Week of April 9, 2018: “Now hear it, O inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile, Saint and sinner! When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him. He helped to make and organize this world. He is MICHAEL, the Archangel, the ANCIENT OF DAYS! about whom holy men have written and spoken–HE is our FATHER and our GOD, and the only God with whom we have to do”–President Brigham Young, April 9, 1852, Journal of Discourses 1:50.

Week of April 2, 2018: “Now, to each member of the Church I say, keep on the covenant path. Your commitment to follow the Savior by making covenants with Him and then keeping those covenants will open the door to every spiritual blessing and privilege available to men, women, and children everywhere.”–President Russell M. Nelson, “As We Go Forward Together,” Ensign, April 2018, p. 7

Week of March 19, 2018: “Repentance is for every soul who has not yet reached perfection” –President Spencer W. Kimball, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 2006, p. 37.

Week of March 12, 2018: “We should follow his [the Prophet’s] inspired teachings completely. We should not choose to follow part of his inspired counsel and discard that which is unpleasant or difficult”–Gospel Principles, 2009, p. 42. Brackets ours.

Week of March 5, 2018: “I do not look upon Adam’s action as a sin. I think it was a deliberate act of free agency. He chose to do that which had to be done to further the purposes of God”–Marion G Romney, Look to God and Live: Discourses of Marion G. Romney, p. 251

Week of February 12, 2018: “People cannot think in a vacuum. Without facts, public discussion is but the pooling of ignorance”–President Ezra Taft Benson, The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 133.

Week of February 5, 2018: “Our Father in heaven does not sin, and He does not allow people who sin to live with Him. To live with Him, we must repent of our sins. To repent means to feel sorry for our sins and stop doing them”–Gospel Fundamentals, 2002, p. 67.

Week of January 22, 2018: “God cannot forgive unless the transgressor shows a true repentance which spreads to all areas of his life”–Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 203. See also Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual: Religion 231 and 232, p. 41.

Week of January 15, 2018: “Should there be anything amiss in your life, there is open to you a way out. Cease any unrighteousness”–Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, January 2018, p. 5.

Week of January 1, 2018: “Essential to the plan [of salvation] is our Savior, Jesus Christ. Without His atoning sacrifice, all would be lost. It is not enough, however, merely to believe in Him and His mission. We need to work and learn, search and pray, repent and improve. We need to know God’s laws and live them. We need to receive His saving ordinances: Only by so doing will we obtain true, eternal happiness”–President Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, January 2018, p. 5.

Week of December 25, 2017: “Significantly. Joseph [Smith] was finally released from Liberty Jail, with a subsequent escape enroute, on April 6, 1830–both the Savior’s and his church’s birthday (D&C 20:1)”–Neal A. Maxwell, But for a Small Movement, p. 18.

Week of December 11, 2017: “CHRIST NOT BEGOTTEN OF HOLY GHOST. . . Christ was begotten of God. He was not born without the aid of man, and that Man was God!” –Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 1:18. Italics in original. Ellipsis mine.

Week of December 4, 2017: “Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven”–D&C 1:32

Week of November 27, 2017: “Grace (vv. 11-3, 20) — Strength and power from God that allows us to obtain eternal life and exaltation” ==Doctrine and Covenants and Church History Seminary Student Guide, 2001, p. 106. Referring to D&C 93.

Week of November 20, 2017: “For many people, confession is the most difficult part of repentance. We must confess not only to the Lord but also to the person we have offended, such as a husband or wife, and to the proper priesthood authority”–Gospel Principles, 2009, p. 231.

Week of November 13, 2017: “My dear brothers and sisters, I promise that as you prayerfully study the Book of Mormon every day, you will make better decisions—every day I promise that as you ponder what you study, the windows of heaven will open, and you will receive answers to your own questions and directions for your own life” –Russell M. Nelson, “The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like without It?” Ensign, November 2017 (Conference Edition), 62-63.

Week of November 6, 2017: “Who is Satan? Satan was the spiritual offspring of Deity. He was a spiritual brother to the Chosen, the one whom we have come to know as the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” –Harold B. Lee, The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, edited by Clyde J. Williams, p. 36.

Week of October 16, 2017: “Only those who accepted Jesus to be their Savior can have bodies of flesh and bones. We know, because we have bodies of flesh and bones, that we accepted Jesus to be our Savior. We chose the right things in heaven” —Gospel Fundamentals, 2004, p. 11.

Week of October 9, 2017: “In every sacrament meeting, we have the privilege of promising Heavenly Father that we will always remember the Savior and keep His commandments so that we may have His Spirit to be with us (see Moroni 4:3; 5:2; D&C 20:77, 79)” –Henry B. Eyring (First Counselor in the First Presidency), “Becoming True Disciples, Ensign, October 2017, p. 4.

Week of October 2, 2017: “With diligence, patience, and divine aid, we can obey the Lord’s command to be perfect.”–Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, p. 95.

Week of September 25, 2017: “The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything” –Ezra Taft Benson, Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson, 2014, p. 153.

Week of September 18, 2017: “Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it”–D&C 135:3

Week of September 11, 2017: “Matter is eternal, that is, everlasting” –John A. Widtsoe, Rational Theology, p. 11.

Week of September 4, 2017: “There is no salvation outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”–Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 670.

Week of August 28, 2017: “If a husband and wife have been sealed and the wife dies, the man may have another woman sealed to him if she is not already sealed to another man” (Handbook I: Stake Presidents and Bishops, 2010, p. 20).

Week of August 21, 2017: “Our Father in heaven does not sin, and He does not allow people who sin to live with Him. To live with Him, we must repent of our sins. To repent means to feel sorry for our sins and stop doing them” —Gospel Fundamentals, 2002, p. 67.

Week of August 14, 2017: “Those who have been offended or lost interest [in the Church], or who have turned away for any reason, we invite all of you to join in full fellowship again with us. . . . We need your help in the great struggle against the powers of darkness so prevalent today. . . You can enjoy the blessings and covenants administered in the holy temples” –James Faust, First Presidency, Ensign, Nov. 1992, p. 85, repeated in “Please Come Back!” Ensign, August 2017, p. 80.

Week of July 31, 2017: “Do you uphold your husband before God as our lord? “What!—my husband to be my lord?” I ask, Can you get into the celestial kingdom without him? Have any of you been there? You will remember that you never got into the celestial kingdom without the aid of your husband. If you did, it was because your husband was away, and some one had to act proxy for him. No woman will get into the celestial kingdom, except her husband receives her, if she is worthy to have a husband; and if not, somebody will receive her as a servant” –Apostle Erastus Snow, Journal of Discourses 5:291.

Week of July 24, 2017: “When the Lord came to earth, He had a veil of forgetfulness placed over His mind, as we do, but He, like us, progressed from grace to grace” –Presidency to the Seventy Jay E. Jensen, “The Savior the Master Teacher,” Ensign, January 2011, p. 42.

Week of July 17, 2017: “We measure our faith by what it leads us to do—by our obedience” –Robert D. Hales, “Becoming a Disciple of Our Lord Jesus Christ,” Ensign (Conference Edition), May 2017, p. 46.

Week of July 3, 2017: “We also increase the Savior’s power in our lives when we make sacred covenants and keep those covenants with precision. Our covenants bind us to Him and give us godly power. As faithful disciples, we repent and follow Him into the waters of baptism. We walk along the covenant path to receive other essential ordinances. And gratefully, God’s plan provides for those blessings to be extended to ancestors who died without an opportunity to obtain them during their mortal lives. Covenant-keeping men and women seek for ways to keep themselves unspotted from the world so there will be nothing blocking their access to the Savior’s power” –Russell M. Nelson, “Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into our Lives,” Ensign, May 2017 (Conference Edition), p. 41.

Week of June 26, 2017: “Our beloved Heavenly Father’s plan includes giving us a growing, stretching, learning, physical mortality through which we can become more like Him. Clothing our eternal spirits in physical bodies; living by the teachings and commandments of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; and forming eternal families allows us, through the Savior’s Atonement, to fulfill God’s goal of immortality and eternal life for His children with Him in His celestial kingdom” –M. Russell Ballard, “Return and Receive,” Ensign (Conference Edition), May 2017, p. 63.

Week of June 19, 2017: “As Latter-day Saints, we refer to His mission as the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which made resurrection a reality for all and made eternal life possible for those who repent of their sins and receive and keep essential ordinances and covenants” –Russell M. Nelson, “Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives,” Ensign (Conference Edition), May 2017 p. 40.

Week of June 5, 2017: “While my spirit was yearning to learn more, Satan began to whisper in my ear. He told me that in order to be completely objective, I needed to read what was written by the critics of the Church also. I went back to the public library and began to look around. Sure enough, I found a book that discredited the Prophet Joseph. Reading this anti-Mormon book confused me. I lost that sweet spirit and influence that had guided my investigation. I became frustrated and was about to abandon my search for truth. I was praying for an answer while reading anti-Mormon literature!” –Larry R. Lawrence, “The War Goes on,” Ensign, April 2017, p. 38.

Week of May 29, 2017: “Satan loves to spread contention in the Church. He specializes in pointing out the faults of Church leaders. Joseph Smith warned the Saints that the beginning step to apostasy is to lose confidence in the leaders of the Church. Almost all anti-Mormon literature is based on lies about the character of Joseph Smith. The enemy works hard to discredit Joseph because the message of the Restoration hangs on the Prophet’s account of what happened in the Sacred Grove. The devil is working harder today than ever before to make members question their testimonies of the Restoration” –Larry R. Lawrence, “The War Goes on,” Ensign, April 2017, p. 37.

Week of May 8, 2017:  “While my spirit was yearning to learn more, Satan began to whisper in my ear. He told me that in order to be completely objective, I needed to read what was written by the critics of the Church also. I went back to the public library and began to look around. Sure enough, I found a book that discredited the Prophet Joseph. Reading this anti-Mormon book confused me. I lost that sweet spirit and influence that had guided my investigation. I became frustrated and was about to abandon my search for truth. I was praying for an answer while reading anti-Mormon literature!” –Larry R. Lawrence, “The War Goes on,” Ensign, April 2017, p. 38.

Week of May 1, 2017: “Everyone who comes to the earth and receives a mortal body will be resurrected, but we have to work to receive the blessing of exaltation through our faithfulness, our agency, our obedience, and our repentance. Mercy will be meted out with justice, allowing repentance. Because we have chosen to follow and accept Jesus Christ as our Redeemer, we take His name upon us at baptism. We take on the law of obedience. We promise we will always remember Him and keep His commandments. We renew our covenants when we partake of the sacrament” –Robert D. Hales, “The Savior’s Atonement: Foundation of True Christianity, Ensign, April 2017, p. 25.

Week of April 24, 2017: “Joseph Smith often used the words ‘translated’ and ‘translation,’ not in the narrow sense alone of rendering a text from one language into another, but in the wider senses of ‘transmission,’ having reference to copying, editing, adding to, taking from, rephrasing and interpreting. This is substantially beyond the usual meaning of ‘translation.’ When he said the Bible was not translated correctly, he not only was referring to the difficulties of rendering the Bible into another language but he was also observing that the manuscripts containing the text of the Bible have suffered at the hands of editors, copyists, and revisionists through centuries of transmission. Thus, the available texts of the Bible are neither as complete nor as accurate as when first written”–Encyclopedia of Mormonism 2:764.

Week of April 17, 2017: “The third article of faith reads, ‘We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.’ ‘Saved’ in this context refers to reaching the highest degree of glory in the celestial kingdom. Resurrection is granted to all who come to earth, but to receive eternal life, the full blessings of eternal progression, each person must obey the laws, receive the ordinances, and make the covenants of the gospel.” –Apostle Robert D. Hales, “The Savior’s Atonement: Foundation of True Christianity, Ensign, April 2017, p. 21.

Week of April 3, 2017: “Then one night last May, I was awakened by those two little girls from the other side of the veil. Though I did not see or hear them with my physical senses, I felt their presence. Spiritually, I heard their pleadings. Their message was brief and clear: ‘Brother Nelson, we are not sealed to anyone! Can you help us?’ Soon thereafter, I learned that their mother had passed away, but their father and younger brother were still alive” –Russell M. Nelson, “The Price of Priesthood Power,” Ensign, May 2016, p. 66.

Week of March 20, 2017: “In fact, historical evidence shows that in addition to the two seer stones known as ‘interpreters,’ Joseph Smith used at least one other seer stone in translating the Book of Mormon, often placing it into a hat in order to block out light. According to Joseph’s contemporaries, he did this in order to better view the words on the stone” –Richard E. Turley, Jr., Robin S. Jensen, and Mark Ashurst-McGee, “Joseph the Seer,” Ensign, October 2015, p. 51.

Week of March 13, 2017: “In fact, historical evidence shows that in addition to the two seer stones known as ‘interpreters,’ Joseph Smith used at least one other seer stone in translating the Book of Mormon, often placing it into a hat in order to block out light. According to Joseph’s contemporaries, he did this in order to better view the words on the stone” –Richard E. Turley, Jr., Robin S. Jensen, and Mark Ashurst-McGee, “Joseph the Seer,” Ensign, October 2015, p. 51.

Week of March 6, 2017: “Let me be direct and clear. The answers to the questions ‘Am I good enough?’ and ‘Will I make it?’ are ‘Yes! You are going to be good enough’ and ‘Yes, you are going to make it as long as you keep repenting and do not rationalize or rebel.’ The God of heaven is not a heartless referee looking for any excuse to throw us out of the game. He is our perfectly loving Father, who yearns more than anything else to have all of His children come back home and live with Him as families forever. He truly gave His Only Begotten Son that we might not perish but have everlasting life! Please believe, and please take hope and comfort from, this eternal truth. Our Heavenly Father intends for us to make it! That is His work and His glory. . . . ‘Really trying’ means doing the best we can, recognizing where we need to improve, and then trying again. By repeatedly doing this, we come closer and closer to the Lord, we feel His Spirit more and more, and we receive more of His grace, or help” –J. Devn Cornish, “Am I Good Enough,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2016, p. 33. Ellipsis mine.

Weeks of February 13-March 5, 2017: “As with my own experience, our members often ask, ‘Am I good enough as a person?’ or ‘Will I really make it to the celestial kingdom?’ Of course, there is no such thing as ‘being good enough.’ None of us could ever ‘earn’ or ‘deserve’ our salvation, but it is normal to wonder if we are acceptable before the Lord, which is how I understand these questions” –J. Devn Cornish, “Am I Good Enough,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2016, pp. 32-33.

Week of February 6, 2017: “If we will sincerely repent, God really will forgive us, even when we have committed the same sin over and over again” –J. Devn Cornish, “Am I Good Enough,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2016, p. 34. See D&C 58:43 and D&C 82:7 for confirmation.

Week of January 30, 2017: “Brothers and sisters, we are eternal beings, without beginning and without end. We have always existed. We are the literal spirit children of divine, immortal, and omnipotent Heavenly Parents! We come from the heavenly courts of the Lord our God. We are of the royal house of Elohim, the Most High God. We walked with Him in our premortal life. We heard Him speak, witnessed His majesty, learned His ways” –Dieter F. Utchtdorf, “O How Great the Plan of Our God,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2016, p. 29.

Week of January 23, 2017: “We are a people who have taken upon us a solemn covenant and the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us strive a little harder to keep the commandments, to live as the Lord has asked us to live” –Gordon B. Hinckley, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Gordon B. Hinckley, p. 181.

Week of January 16, 2017: “After the Resurrection, there will be a Day of Judgment. While all will eventually be saved and inherit a kingdom of glory, those who trust in God and seek to follow His laws and ordinances will inherit lives in the eternities that are unimaginable in glory and overwhelming in majesty. That Day of Judgment will be a day of mercy and love—a day when broken hearts are healed, when tears of grief are replaced with tears of gratitude, when all will be made right” –Dieter F. Utchtdorf, “O How Great the Plan of Our God,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2016, p. 21.

Week of January 9, 2017: “You impose upon yourselves each Sunday a renewal of your pledge and covenant to take upon yourselves the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Did you ever think of that, of how important that is, of what it means to take upon yourselves the name of the Lord Jesus Christ with a pledge and a promise to you that He will give you His Spirit to be with you. What a wonderful thing that is” –Gordon B. Hinckley, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Gordon B. Hinckley, p. 125.

Week of January 2, 2017: “Brothers and sisters, we are eternal beings, without beginning and without end. We have always existed. We are the literal spirit children of divine, immortal, and omnipotent Heavenly Parents! We come from the heavenly courts of the Lord our God. We are of the royal house of Elohim, the Most High God. We walked with Him in our premortal life. We heard Him speak, witnessed His majesty, learned His ways” –Dieter F. Utchtdorf, “O How Great the Plan of Our God,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2016, p. 29).

Week of December 26, 2016: “The Lord teaches us that no single person, regardless of his or her righteousness, can obtain all our Heavenly Father has for His children. A single individual is half of the equation, unable to dwell in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom (see 1 Corinthians 11:11; D&C 131:1–4). Your students need to understand that the purpose of mortality is to become more like God by gaining physical bodies, exercising agency, and assuming roles that previously belonged only to heavenly parents—roles of husband, wife, and parent. The prophets have assured that all those who are worthy and who rely upon Jesus Christ but have not been able to be sealed to a companion or have children in this life will have those opportunities in the world to come”–M. Russell Ballard, “By Study and By Faith,” Ensign, “By Study and By Faith,” Ensign, December 2016, p. 28.

Week of December 19, 2016: “Our safety lies in repentance. Our strength comes of obedience to the commandments of God. . . . Let us stand firm against evil, both at home and abroad. Let us live worthy of the blessings of heaven, reforming our lives where necessary and looking to Him, the Father of us all” –Gordon B. Hinckley, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Gordon B. Hinckley, p. 183. Ellipsis in original.

Week of December 12, 2016: “Keep my commandments continually, and a crown of righteousness thou shalt receive.” [D&C 25:15.] That was the promise of the Lord to Emma Hale Smith. It is the promise of the Lord to each of you. Happiness lies in keeping the commandments. For a Latter-day Saint… there can be only misery in the violation of those commandments. And for each who observe them, there is the promise of a crown…of righteousness and eternal truth” –Gordon B. Hinckley, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Gordon B. Hinckley, p. 182. Ellipsis in original.

Week of December 5, 2016: “As you teach your students and respond to their questions, let me warn you not to pass along faith-promoting or unsubstantiated rumors or outdated understandings and explanations of our doctrine and practices from the past. It is always wise to make it a practice to study the words of the living prophets and apostles; keep updated on current Church issues, policies, and statements through mormonnewsroom.org and LDS.org; and consult the works of recognized, thoughtful, and faithful LDS scholars to ensure you do not teach things that are untrue, out of date, or odd and quirky” –M. Russell Ballard, “By Study and By Faith,” Ensign, “By Study and By Faith,” Ensign, December 2016, p. 27.

Week of November 28, 2016: “To any who may be questioning their testimony of Joseph Smith or are struggling with erroneous, misleading, or superficial information about his life and ministry, I invite you to consider the fruits—the many blessings that have come to us through the miraculous mission of Joseph Smith, the Prophet of the Restoration” –Craig C. Christiansen, “A Choice Seer Will I Raise Up,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2016, p. 21.

Week of November 21, 2016: “We can respect other religions, and must do so. We must recognize the great good they accomplish. We must teach our children to be tolerant and friendly toward those not of our faith. We are not out to injure other churches. We are not out to hurt other churches. We do not argue with other churches. We do not debate with other churches. We simply say to those who may be of other faiths or of no faith, ‘You bring with you such truth as you have, and let us see if we can add to it’” –Gordon B. Hinckley, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Gordon B. Hinckley, p. 277.

Week of November 14, 2016: “I have just completed reading a newly published book by a renowned scholar. It is apparent from information which he gives that the various books of the Bible were brought together in what appears to have been an unsystematic fashion. In some cases, the writings were not produced until long after the events they describe. One is led to ask, ‘Is the Bible true? Is it really the word of God?’ We reply that it is, insofar as it is translated correctly. The hand of the Lord was in its making” –Gordon B. Hinckley, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Gordon B. Hinckley, p. 49.

Week of November 7, 2016: “Reformers worked to change the [Christian] church, notably such men as Luther, Melanchthon, Hus, Zwingli, and Tyndale. These were men of great courage, some of whom suffered cruel deaths because of their beliefs. Protestantism was born with its cry for reformation. When that reformation was not realized, the reformers organized churches of their own. They did so without priesthood authority. Their one desire was to find a niche in which they might worship God as they felt He should be worshipped” –Gordon B. Hinckley, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Gordon B. Hinckley, p. 45.

Week of October 31, 2016: “But the Savior’s grace can do much more for us. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we aspire to something unimaginably greater. It is exaltation in the celestial kingdom. It is life eternal in the presence of our Father in Heaven. It is the greatest gift of God. In the celestial kingdom, we receive ‘of his fulness, and of his glory.’ Indeed, all that the Father hath shall be given unto us. Exaltation is our goal; discipleship is our journey” –Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “It Works Wonderfully,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2015, p. 23.

Week of October 24, 2016:  “What might be some of those vanities that can interfere in the process of receiving a remission of our sins and that are associated with keeping the Sabbath day holy? Some examples include arriving late for sacrament meeting without a valid reason; arriving, without previously having examined ourselves, to eat the bread and drink from the cup unworthily (see 1 Corinthians 11:28); and arriving without first having confessed our sins and having asked God for forgiveness for them. Other examples: being irreverent by exchanging messages on our electronic devices, leaving the meeting after partaking of the sacrament, and engaging in activities in our homes that are inappropriate for that sacred day” –Francisco J. Vinas, “The Pleasing Word of God,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2015, pp. 37-38.

Week of October 17, 2016: “The scriptures teach that every individual must ‘be judged according to the holy judgment of God.’ On that day there will be no opportunity to hide among a larger group or point to others as an excuse for our being unclean” –Allen D. Haynie, “Remembering in Whom We Have Trusted,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2015, p. 123.

Week of October 10, 2016: “The knowledge which we seek, the answers for which we yearn, and the strength which we desire today to meet the challenges of a complex and changing world can be ours when we willingly obey the Lord’s commandments”–President Thomas S. Monson, “The Blessings of Obedience,” Ensign (October 2016, p. 4)

Week of October 3, 2016: “My heart sank during a recent meeting with wonderful Latter-day Saints. The question was asked, ‘Who desires to live with Heavenly Father again?’ Every hand went up. The next question was ‘Who has confidence you’ll succeed?’ Sadly and surprisingly, most hands went down. When we perceive a gap between who we are now and who we desire to become, many of us are tempted to choose to lose faith and hope. Because ‘no unclean thing can dwell with God,’ in order to live with Him again we will need to be cleansed of sin and sanctified. If we had to do this alone, none of us would make it. But we are not alone. In fact, we are never alone” –Randall K. Bennett, “Your Next Step,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2015, p. 69.

Week of September 26, 2016: “Thereafter, we can receive and retain the companionship of the Holy Ghost by always remembering the Savior, keeping His commandments, repenting of our sins, and worthily partaking of the sacrament on the Sabbath day” — Robert D. Hales, “The Holy Ghost,” Ensign, May 2016, p. 105.

Week of September 19, 2016: “The key sacred records were kept on metal to ensure their permanence; accounts kept on any more perishable substance would, they assumed, become unreadable over time (see Jacob 4:2). The use of copies of the scriptures on paper for everyday use is implied by the burning of those in the possession of Alma’s converts at Ammonihah (see Alma 14:8; compare Mosiah 2:8; 29:4; and Alma 63:12). Metal plates were not easy to manufacture (see Mormon 8:5) and engrave, so they were in limited supply” –John Sorenson, “Mormon’s Miraculous Book,” Ensign, February 2016, p. 40.

Week of September 12, 2016: “Many evolutions and iterations of religious creeds have greatly distorted the simple clarity of true doctrine, declaring the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost to be abstract, absolute, transcendent, immanent, consubstantial, coeternal, and unknowable; without body, parts, or passions; and dwelling outside space and time. In such creeds, all three members are separate persons, but they are a single being, the oft-noted ‘mystery of the trinity.’ They are three distinct persons, yet not three Gods but one. All three persons are incomprehensible, yet it is one God who is incomprehensible. We agree with our critics on at least that point—that such a formulation for divinity is incomprehensible” –Jeffrey R. Holland, “Knowing the Godhead,” Ensign, January 2016, pp. 36-37.

Week of September 5, 2016: “Because the President of the Church speaks for the Lord (see D&C 1:38), it is not wise to pick and choose just parts of his counsel that we want to follow. Rather, we treat his counsel and invitations as if we had received them directly from Jesus Christ, ‘in all patience and faith’ (D&C 21:5)” –“We Believe in Following the Prophet,” Ensign, June 2016, p. 8.

Week of August 22, 2016: “Although none of us can achieve perfection is this life, we can become increasingly worthy and spotless as we are ‘cleansed by the blood of the Lamb’” –David A. Bednar, “Always Retain a Remission of Your Sins,” Ensign, May 2016, p. 62.

Week of August 1, 2016: “Of all the gifts our loving Heavenly Father has provided to His children, the greatest is eternal life (see D&C 14:7). That gift is to live in the presence of God the Father and His Beloved Son forever in families. Only in the highest of the kingdoms of God, the celestial, will the loving bonds of family life continue”–Henry B. Eyring, “The Hope of Eternal Family Love,” Ensign, August 2016, p. 4.

Week of July 25, 2016: “We claim that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God and the only true Church on the earth. It is called the Church of Jesus Christ because He stands at the head; it is His Church, and all these things are possible because of His atoning sacrifice. We believe that these distinguishing features can be found in no other place or organization on this earth. As good and sincere as other religions and churches are, none of them have the authority to provide the ordinances of salvation that are available in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”–Bonnie L. Oscarson, Young Women General President, “Do I Believe?” Ensign, May 2016, p. 88.

Week of July 18, 2016: “We honor Heavenly Father as we deepen our relationship with Him by making and keeping all the saving covenants and ordinances. He blesses those who keep their covenants with His Spirit to guide and strengthen them”–Joseph W. Sitati, “Honoring God by Honoring Our Covenants,” Ensign, June 2016, pp. 58, 60.

Week of July 11, 2016: “What will people do I the celestial kingdom? Those who inherit the highest degree of the celestial kingdom will be exalted, which means they will have eternal life, become like our Heavenly Father, and receive all that the Father has. To become like Heavenly Father means to acquire His attributes of perfection, including love and service. It also means to share in His work and glory, which is ‘to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man’ (Moses 1:39). Exaltation includes being sealed in marriage for eternity, living in eternal families, and having eternal spirit offspring” –David A. Edwards, “What Do We Know About Life after Death?” Ensign, June 2016, p. 67

Week of July 4, 2016: “As we receive the inspiration of the Holy Ghost for ourselves, it is wise to remember that we cannot receive revelation for others. I now of a young man who told a young woman, ‘I’ve had a dream that you are to be my wife.’ The young woman pondered that statement and then responded, ‘When I have the same dream, I’ll come and talk to you’” –Robert D. Hales, “The Holy Ghost,” Ensign, May 2016, p. 106.

Week of June 27, 2016: “Then one night last May, I was awakened by those two little girls from the other side of the veil. Though I did not see or hear them with my physical senses, I felt their presence. Spiritually, I heard their pleadings. Their message was brief and clear: ‘Brother Nelson, we are not sealed to anyone! Can you help us?’ Soon thereafter, I learned that their mother had passed away, but their father and younger brother were still alive” –Russell M. Nelson, “The Price of Priesthood Power,” Ensign, May 2016, p. 66.

Week of June 20, 2016: “Sunday afternoon, following the conference, I met with Sister Tumiri and explained this glorious doctrine to her as well. With the pain of her loss still fresh, but now with a glimmer of hope, she tearfully asked, ‘Will I really be able to hold my little boy in my arms again? Is he really mine forever?’ I assured her that as she kept her covenants, the sealing power found in the temple, effective because of the authority of Jesus Christ, would indeed allow her to be with her son again and hold him in her arms.” –Bishop W. Christopher Waddell, “A Pattern For Peace,” Ensign, May 2016, p. 91

Week of June 6, 2016: “Truth is found in the simplicity of a Primary song: ‘Words of a prophet: Keep the commandments. In this there is safety and peace’” –W. Christopher Waddell, Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, “A Pattern for Peace,” Ensign, May 2016, p. 92.

Week of May 23, 2016: “Sometimes the adversary tempts us with false ideas that we may confuse with the Holy Ghost. I testify that faithfulness in obeying the commandments and keeping our covenants will protect us from being deceived” –Robert D. Hales, “The Holy Ghost,” Ensign, May 2016, p. 106.

Week of May 9, 2016: “The full blessings of the priesthood are received together as husband and wife or not at all” –Seventy Paul B. Pieper, “Revealed Realities of Mortality,” Ensign, January 2016, p. 21.

Week of May 2, 2016: “Great and eternal blessings are promised to those who receive gospel ordinances performed by proper priesthood authority and sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise, and who then keep the sacred covenants associated with the ordinances. These blessings include forgiveness of sins, the power of godliness, and the companionship of the Holy Ghost, together with the guidance, inspiration, comfort, peace, hope, and sanctification that attend that gift. The greatest of all the blessings and gifts of God is eternal life—which is the life God lives! This gift is given only to those who receive all gospel ordinances and abide by the covenants encompassed within the new and everlasting covenant” –Marcus B. Nash, “The New and Everlasting Covenant,” Ensign, December 2015, p. 43.

Week of April 25, 2016: “Our devoted weekly observance of the Sabbath is our sign to the Lord that we love Him.” –Seventy Randall K. Bennett, “Your Next Step,” Ensign, November 2015, p. 70.

Week of April 18, 2016: “So the priesthood has a direct line from our Lord and Savior through the chief Apostle to the other Apostles and on to the other priesthood holders in the Church. Keys of authority are given to the Apostles, and as long as those keys are on the earth, we will be guided by the Lord Himself. This divine direction protects us and assures us that the Church will not vary from the truth. It will remain consistent because it is not directed by any earthly being. It is directed by the Lord.”–Apostle L. Tom Perry, “The Priesthood: A Sure Anchor,” Ensign, April 2016, p. 75.

Week of April 4, 2016: “Further, as the Prophet also taught, there is ‘a God above the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’” –Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1966, p. 322.

Week of March 28, 2016: “Pray that the Holy Spirit will be with you as you study and teach the talk(s). You may be tempted to prepare the lesson using other materials, but the conference talks are the approved curriculum. Your assignment is to help others learn and live the gospel as taught in the most recent general conference of the Church” –“Teachings for Our Time,” Ensign (Conference Edition), May 2013, p. 133. See also Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2004, p. 120).

Week of March 21, 2016: “What is said is not as important as what we hear and what we feel. That is why we make an effort to experience conference in a setting where the still, small voice of the Spirit can be clearly heard, felt, and understood” –Robert D. Hales, “General Conference: Strengthening Faith and Testimony,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2013, p. 6).

Week of March 14, 2016: “Our marching orders for each six months are found in the general conference addresses, which are printed in the Ensign magazine”–Ezra Taft Benson, Teachings of the Living Prophets Student Manual Religion 333, 2010, p. 23.

Week of March 7, 2016: “Then in Gethsemane we will see the Son of God ransom man from the temporal and spiritual death that came to us because of the Fall”–Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, “The Three Gardens of God,” Ensign, March 2016, p. 43.

Week of February 29, 2016: “To make our repentance complete we must keep the commandments of the Lord (see D&C 1:32)” —Gospel Principles, 2009, p. 111.

Week of February 22, 2016: “There are members who know this latter-day work is true, but who fail to endure to the end. One who rationalizes that he or she has a testimony of Jesus Christ but cannot accept direction and counsel from the leadership of His Church is in a fundamentally unsound position and is in jeopardy of losing exaltation” –Ezra Taft Benson, The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 467.

Week of February 15, 2016: “We are saved when we are ‘born again.’ This happens when we enter into a covenant relationship with Christ by accepting baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and taking Christ’s name upon us. We must faithfully keep and renew that covenant relationship”–Book of Mormon Seminary Student Guide, 2000, p. 100.

Week of February 8, 2016: “Our agreement to keep all the commandments is our covenant with God. Only as we do this may we deserve His blessings and merit His mercy” –Ezra Taft Benson, The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 442.

Week of Febraruy 1, 2016: “No matter how hard you play a video game, virtual work can never bring you the satisfaction that accompanies real work”–Seventy Paul P. Pieper, “Revealed Realitiies of Mortality,” Ensign, January 2016, p. 20.

Week of January 25, 2016: “So we are very comfortable, frankly, in letting it be known that we do not hold a fourth- or fifth-century, pagan-influenced view of the Godhead, and neither did those first Christian Saints who were eyewitnesses of the living Christ. We are New Testament–not Nicene–Christians”–Apostle Jeffrey R. Holland, “Knowing the Godhead,” Ensign, January 2016, p. 37.

Week of January 18, 2016: “The full blessings of the priesthood are received together as husband and wife or not at all.” –Seventy Paul B. Pieper, “Revealed Realitiies of Mortality,” Ensign, January 2016, p. 21.

Week of January 11, 2016: “What might be some of those vanities that can interfere in the process of receiving a remission of our sins and that are associated with keeping the Sabbath day holy? Some examples include arriving late for sacrament meeting without a valid reason; arriving, without previously having examined ourselves, to eat the bread and drink from the cup unworthily (see 1 Corinthians 11:28); and arriving without first having confessed our sins and having asked God for forgiveness for them. Other examples: being irreverent by exchanging messages on our electronic devices, leaving the meeting after partaking of the sacrament, and engaging in activities in our homes that are inappropriate for that sacred day” –Francisco J. Vinas, “The Pleasing Word of God,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2015, pp. 37-38.

Week of January 4, 2016: “We do not have to be perfect, but we need to be good and getting better. We need to strive to live the plain and simple truths of the gospel. If we take upon us the name of Christ, act with faith in Him to repent of our sins, keep His commandments, and always remember Him, we will receive the companionship of the Holy Ghost through the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ” –Kim B. Clark, “Eyes to See and Ears to Hear,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2015, p. 125.

Week of December 28, 2015: “Too many people think Church leaders and members should be perfect or nearly perfect. They forget that the Lord’s grace is sufficient to accomplish His work through mortals. Our leaders have the best intentions, but sometimes we make mistakes. This is not unique to Church relationships, as the same thing occurs in our relationships among friends, neighbors, and workplace associates and even between spouses and in families” –M. Russell Ballard, “God is at the Helm,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2015, p. 24.

Week of December 21, 2015: “It is important that we realize that just like the remission of sins, repentance is a process and not something that happens at one particular moment. It requires consistency in each of its steps. For example, when we partake of the sacrament, we show the Lord that we are going to remember Him always and keep His commandments. That is an expression of our sincere intent. The moment we begin to remember Him and keep His commandments every day—and not just on the Sabbath day—is when the remission of our sins begins to gradually take effect and His promise of having His Spirit with us begins to be fulfilled. Without the proper obedience that must accompany our intent, the effect of remission may disappear before long and the companionship of the Spirit begins to withdraw. We will run the risk of honoring Him with our lips while removing our hearts from Him (see 2 Nephi 27:25)” –Francisco J. Vinas, “The Pleasing Word of God,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2015, pp. 36-37.

Week of December 14, 2015: “We should not deceive ourselves about what it takes to return and remain in the presence of our Father in Heaven. We have to be clean” –Allen D. Haynie, “Remembering in Whom We Have Trusted,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2015, p. 122.

Week of November 30, 2015: ”Brothers and sisters, if you ever think that the gospel isn’t working so well for you, I invite you to step back, look at your life from a higher plane, and simplify your approach to discipleship. Focus on the basic doctrines, principles, and applications of the gospel. I promise that God will guide and bless you on your path to a fulfilling life, and the gospel will definitely work better for you” — Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “It Works Wonderfully,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2015, p. 22.

Week of November 23, 2015: “My heart sank during a recent meeting with wonderful Latter-day Saints. The question was asked, ‘Who desires to live with Heavenly Father again?’ Every hand went up. The next question was ‘Who has confidence you’ll succeed?’ Sadly and surprisingly, most hands went down. When we perceive a gap between who we are now and who we desire to become, many of us are tempted to choose to lose faith and hope. Because ‘no unclean thing can dwell with God,’ in order to live with Him again we will need to be cleansed of sin and sanctified. If we had to do this alone, none of us would make it. But we are not alone. In fact, we are never alone”–Randall K. Bennett, “Your Next Step,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2015, p. 69.

Week of November 16, 2015: “But the Savior’s grace can do much more for us. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we aspire to something unimaginably greater. It is exaltation in the celestial kingdom. It is life eternal in the presence of our Father in Heaven. It is the greatest gift of God. In the celestial kingdom, we receive ‘of his fulness, and of his glory.’ Indeed, all that the Father hath shall be given unto us. Exaltation is our goal; discipleship is our journey” –Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “It Works Wonderfully,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2015, p. 23.

Week of November 9, 2015: “My message to you tonight is straightforward. It is this: keep the commandments. God’s commandments are not given to frustrate us or to become obstacles to our happiness. Just the opposite is true. He who created us and who loves us perfectly knows just how we need to live our lives in order to obtain the greatest happiness possible. He has provided us with guidelines which, if we follow them, will see us safely through this often treacherous mortal journey. We remember the words of the familiar hymn: ‘Keep the commandments! In this there is safety; in this there is peace.’ Our Heavenly Father loves us enough to say: Thou shalt not lie; thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself; and so on. We know the commandments. He understands that when we keep the commandments, our lives will be happier, more fulfilling, and less complicated. Our challenges and problems will be easier to bear, and we will receive His promised blessings. But while He gives us laws and commandments, He also allows us to choose whether to accept them or to reject them. Our decisions in this regard will determine our destiny” –Thomas S. Monson, “Keep the Commandments,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2015, p. 83. Italics in original.

Week of November 2, 2015: “Joseph related that when he finally obtained the plates from Moroni in 1827, he also received two stones to be used in translating them. He and close acquaintances left accounts of these stones, describing them as white or clear in appearance, set in silver bows or rims like modern eyeglasses or spectacles, and connected to a large breastplate. As described, this seeric device would have been bulky. Joseph Smith’s mother said that he detached the stones from the breastplate for convenience while using them” –Richard E. Turley, Jr., Robin S. Jensen, and Mark Ashurst-McGee, “Joseph the Seer,” Ensign, October 2015, p. 51.

Week of October 26, 2015: “Recognizing that today so much information about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can be obtained from questionable and often inaccurate sources, officials of the Church began in 2013 to publish straightforward, in-depth essays on a number of topics. The purpose of these essays, which have been approved by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, has been to gather accurate information from many different sources and publications and place it in the Gospel Topics section of LDS.org, where the material can more easily be accessed and studied by Church members and other interested parties.” –LDS.org article on the Gospel Topics Essays

Week of October 19, 2015: “In fact, historical evidence shows that in addition to the two seer stones known as ‘interpreters,’ Joseph Smith used at least one other seer stone in translating the Book of Mormon, often placing it into a hat in order to block out light. According to Joseph’s contemporaries, he did this in order to better view the words on the stone” –Richard E. Turley, Jr., Robin S. Jensen, and Mark Ashurst-McGee, “Joseph the Seer,” Ensign, October 2015, p. 51.

Week of October 12, 2015: “The casuistry of Mormon leaders was obviously self-protective. As guardians of the church, they were motivated to defend the religious institution and it tenets, including plural marriage, at all costs. This commitment to plural marriage had repeatedly dictated situational responses to ethical dilemmas since the early 1830s. Apostle Matthias F. Cowley, in testimony before the Council of the Twelve on 10 May 1911, articulated the rationale for such duplicities: “I have always been taught that when the brethren were in a tight place that it would not be amiss to help them out. One of the Presidency of the Church made the statement some years ago. . . that he would lie like hell to help his brethren.”–Richard S. Van Waggoner, Mormon Polygamy, p. 151.

Week of October 5, 2015: “Everyone who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a descendant of Israel either by bloodline or adoption. If you magnify your callings and receive all of the ordinances offered by our Father in the temple, you are entitled to all the promised blessings—the inheritance. –Seventy Shayne M. Bowen, “The Blessings and Mission of the Seed of Abraham,” Ensign, October 2015, pp. 20-21.

Week of September 28, 2015: “Much inspired counsel by prophets, seers, revelators, and other General Authorities of the Church is given during general conference. Our modern-day prophets have encouraged us to make the reading of the conference editions of our Church magazines an important and regular part of our personal study. Thus, general conference becomes, in a sense, a supplement to or an extension of the Doctrine and Covenants” –Howard W. Hunter, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Howard W. Hunter, p. 119.

Week of September 21, 2015: “Look to the President of the Church for your instructions. If ever there is a conflict, you keep your eyes on the President if you want to walk in the light.” —Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, p. 85.

Week of September 14, 2015: “I testify that the boy prophet, who is so many ways remains the central miracle. . . of this church’s experience, is living proof that, within God’s hands and under the direction of the Savior of the world, weak and simple things should come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones” (Howard W. Hunter, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Howard W. Hunter, p. 90. Ellipsis in original.)

Week of September 7, 2015: “When you renew your covenants each week by partaking of the sacrament, you covenant that you will always remember the Savior and keep His commandments.” –Elaine S. Dalton, “At All Times, in All Things, and in All Places,” Ensign (Conference Edition), May 2008, p. 117.

Week of August 31, 2015: “Unlike the Bible, which passed through generations of copyists, translators, and corrupt religionists who tampered with the text, the Book of Mormon came from writer to reader in just one inspired step of translation.” —Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson, p. 129.

Week of August 24, 2015: “When the Lord came to earth, He had a veil of forgetfulness placed over His mind, as we do, but He, like us, progressed from grace to grace.” –Jay E. Jensen, “The Savior the Master Teacher,” Ensign, January 2011, p. 42.

Week of August 17, 2015: “In reality, every day is a day of judgment. We speak, think, and act according to celestial, terrestrial, or telestial law. Our faith in Jesus Christ, as shown by our daily actions, determines which kingdom we will inherit.” —Gospel Principles, 2009, p. 273.

Week of August 10, 2015: “Eternal life is to gain exaltation in the highest heaven and live in the family unit.” –Apostle Russell M. Nelson, “Prepare for the Blessings of the Temple,” Ensign Special Issue Temples, October 2010, p. 49.

Week of August 3, 2015: “When we become members of the Church of Jesus Christ, we covenant to always remember Him, take His name upon us, and keep His commandments (see D&C 20:77). Any sin prevents us from keeping this covenant, but there’s one sin, above all others, that we need to avoid because it leads to so many others: pride.” –“We Believe in Being Humble,” Ensign, August 2015, p. 10.

Week of July 27, 2015: “I think there is one thing which we should have exceedingly clear in our minds. Neither the President of the Church, nor the First Presidency, nor the united voice of the First Presidency and the Twelve will ever lead the Saints astray or send forth counsel to the world that is contrary to the mind and will of the Lord.” —Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith, p. 159.

Week of July 20, 2015: “Note that you cannot be saved in your sins; you cannot receive unconditional salvation simply by declaring your belief in Christ with the understanding that you will inevitably commit sins throughout the rest of your life (see Alma 11:36-37). Through the grace of God, you can be saved from your sins (see Helaman 5:10-11). To receive this blessing, you must exercise faith in Jesus Christ, strive to keep the commandments, forsake sin, and renew your repentance and cleansing through the ordinance of the sacrament.” –True to the Faith, 2004, pp. 151-152.

Week of July 13, 2015: “Grandpa has graduated–he has taken the next step. I know that Grandpa is still alive and that if we live worthy, we will see him again.”

–Alllan F. Packer, grandson of Apostle Boyd K. Packer, at the apostle’s funeral service (Salt Lake Tribune, 7/11/15, A-2)

Week of July 6, 2015: “If a couple are (sic) true to their covenants, they are entitled to the blessing of the highest degree of the celestial kingdom. These covenants today can only be entered into by going to the House of the Lord.”

—Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson, p. 171.

Week of June 29, 2015: “The Apostle Paul wrote that we should become living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto God (see Romans 12:1). If we are to be a living sacrifice, we must be willing to give everything we have for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—to build the kingdom of God on the earth and labor to bring forth Zion (see 1 Nephi 13:37).”

–Gospel Principles, 2009, p. 151.

Week of June 22, 2015: “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is no partisan Church. It is not a sect. It is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the only one today existing in the world that can and does legitimately bear the name of Jesus Christ and his divine authority.”

—Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, p. 396.

Week of June 15, 2015: “Our marching orders for each six months are found in the general conference addresses, which are printed in the Ensign magazine.”

—Teachings of the Living Prophets Student Manual Religion 333, p. 23, quoting the second point of Ezra Taft Benson’s “Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet”

Week of June 8, 2015: “The priesthood power to bind families eternally is one of the greatest gifts of God. Every person who understands the plan of salvation longs for that lasting blessing. Only in sealing ceremonies performed in dedicated temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does God offer the promise that families can be bound together forever.”

–Henry B. Eyring, “Families can be together forever,” Ensign, June 2015, p. 4

Week of June 1, 2015: “We must not pick and choose which commandments we think are important to keep but acknowledge all of God’s commandments.”

–L. Tom Perry, “Obedience to Law is Liberty,” Ensign (Conference Edition), May 2013, p. 88). [Note: This LDS apostle passed away on May 30, 2015 in Salt Lake City.]

Week of May 25, 2015: (Referring to Moses 1:6) “The phrase ‘there is no God beside me’ should not be interpreted to mean that mankind does not have the eternal potential to become like God.”

—The Pearl of Great Price Student Manual Religion 327, p. 4.

Week of May 18, 2015: “I think there is one thing which we should have exceedingly clear in our minds. Neither the President of the Church, nor the First Presidency, nor the united voice of the First Presidency and the Twelve will ever lead the Saints astray or send forth counsel to the world that is contrary to the mind and will of the Lord.”

—Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith, p. 159.

Week of May 11, 2015:  “Grace is a gift of God, and our desire to be obedient to each of God’s commandments is the reaching out of our mortal hand to receive this sacred gift from our Heavenly Father.

–Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Gift of Grace,” Ensign (Conference Edition), May 2015, p. 110.

Week of May 4, 2015: “Obedience is essential for us to obtain exaltation and eternal life and thus become like our Father—beings of flesh and bone, immortal, exalted, and glorified. Only then will we be heirs of all He possesses.”

–Adhemar Damiani, “The Merciful Plan of the Great Creator,” Ensign, March 2004, p. 10.

Week of April 27, 2015: “A part of tithing is no tithing at all, no more than immersing only half a person’s body is baptism.”

–Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, 2012, p. 161.

Week of April 20, 2015: “Jesus said, ‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect’ (Matthew 5:48). Because it is very difficult to become perfect, our Father helps us. He has established the Church; called leaders; and given us commandments, principles, and ordinances. In our Church meetings we receive instructions concerning these things. We must obey and live according to God’s laws to become perfect.”

—The Latter-day Saint Woman Part A, p. 122.

Week of April 13, 2015: “We can sustain the General Authorities and our local leaders and officers in several ways: By our faith and prayers in their behalf. By following their counsel. By helping when they ask us. By accepting callings they extend to us. Sustaining our leaders is evidence of our goodwill, faith, and fellowship.”

–“We Sustain our Leaders,” Ensign, March 2012, p. 8.

Week of April 6, 2015:

“What do Latter-day Saints believe about grace? We believe that God’s grace is what ultimately saves us; yet it does not save us without our doing all that we can to live God’s commandments and follow Jesus Christ’s teachings. We do not believe salvation comes by simply confessing belief in Christ as our Savior. Faith, works, ordinances, and grace are all necessary.”

–Ensign, March 2013, p. 21.

Week of March 30, 2015:

“We must obey the Word of Wisdom to be worthy to enter the temple. If we do not obey the Word of Wisdom, the Lord’s Spirit withdraws from us.”

–Gospel Principles, 2009, p. 167.

Week of March 23, 2015:

“Exaltation is eternal life, the kind of life God lives. He lives in great glory. He is perfect. He possesses all knowledge and all wisdom. He is the Father of spirit children. He is a creator. We can become like our Heavenly Father. This is exaltation. If we prove faithful to the Lord, we will live in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom of heaven. We will become exalted, to live with our Heavenly Father in eternal families. Exaltation is the greatest gift that Heavenly Father can give His children (see D&C 14:7.”

–Gospel Principles, 2009, p. 275.

Week of March 16, 2015:

“By keeping God’s commandments, we prepare for eternal life and exaltation. Sometimes we do not know the reason for a particular commandment. However, we show our faith and trust in God when we obey Him without knowing why.”

–Gospel Principles, 2009, p. 202.

Week of March 9, 2015:

“Latter-day prophets have said that the spirits of those who have died are not far from us.”

–Gospel Principles, 2009, p. 241.

Week of March 2, 2015: “We read in Acts 10 that the Roman soldier Cornelius received inspiration from the Holy Ghost so that he knew the gospel of Jesus Christ was true. But Cornelius did not receive the gift of the Holy Ghost until after he was baptized. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that if Cornelius had not received baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost, the Holy Ghost would have left him (see Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 97.”

–Gospel Principles, 2009, p. 122.

Weeks of February 16 and 24, 2015: “The Church today teaches the same principles and performs the same ordinances as were performed in the days of Jesus.”

–Gospel Principles, 2009, p. 98.

Week of February 9, 2015: “The Savior told him not to join any church because the true Church was not on the earth. He also said that the creeds of present churches were ‘an abomination in his sight’ (Joseph Smith—History 1:19; see also verses 7–18, 20).”

 –Gospel Principles 2009, p. 96.

Week of February 2, 2015: “Jesus is the only person on earth to be born of a mortal mother and an immortal Father. That is why He is called the Only Begotten Son. He inherited divine powers from His Father. From His mother He inherited mortality and was subject to hunger, thirst, fatigue, pain, and death. No one could take the Savior’s life from Him unless He willed it. He had power to lay it down and power to take up His body again after dying. (See John 10:17–18.)” 

 –Gospel Principles, 2009, p. 53.

Week of January 26, 2015: “What is your purpose? You brethren were foreordained in a premortal realm to bear the priesthood (see Alma 13:2-3). And you sisters were chosen before the foundation of the world to bear and care for God’s children; in doing so, you glorify God (see D&C 132:63). Have you sisters considered what it really means to be co-creators with God?”

 –Ensign, January 2015, p. 31.

Week of January 19, 2015: “We are told that faith without works is dead; that as the body without the spirit is dead, so also is faith without works dead [see James 2:17, 26], and I am sorry to say that there are many professed Latter-day Saints who are spiritually dead.”  –Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, p. 25.

Week of January 12, 2015: “When the Smiths moved to Ohio in 1831, Joseph there met the majority of his future wives. Most of them were still adolescents—the children of close associates. . . In other words, for a decade prior to Smith’s first plural marriages, he met and established relationships with those who would later become his wives. . . .By the time the Latter-day Saints settled in Illinois, the young women Joseph once met as pre-teenagers had become old enough for him to marry.” (Nine of Smith’s wives were 12 or younger when Smith first met them, as young as 5 (Sarah Ann Whitney) or 6 (Nancy Winchester).

–George A. Smith, Nauvoo Polygamy, pp. 29, 30, 35, 51

Week of January 5, 2015: “He [the Holy Ghost] will help us understand that we can become exalted like our Heavenly Father. (See Romans 8:16–17.)”

 –Gospel Principles, 2009, p. 32. Brackets ours.

Week of December 29, 2014: “Live your lives so that when you need a blessing from Heavenly Father, you can receive it out of your righteousness, not His mercy.”

—President Gordon B. Hinckley

Week of December 22, 2014:  “If we want to accomplish something, we must climb the stairs that take us to our destination,” he told the graduates. “We may be blessed with talent and capacity, but raw ability alone has never produced anything of lasting value. Real progress and accomplishment are the products of careful planning, hard work and the blessings of heaven.”

–L. Whitney Clayton, Presidency to the Seventy, address to BYU-Hawaii graduates

Week of December 15, 2014: (Referring to why the Gospel Topics essays were written): “Most who study our history well understand the context of these matters, as far as time and place. But some members of the church, many really, are surprised by some of the things they learn in our history, and we want them to be able to go to a place where they can read accurate information and be able to seek to understand those historical chapters in the context of time and place.”

–Seventy Steven E. Snow, LDS.org

Week of December 8, 2014: “Qualifying for exaltation is like entering another country. We must each obtain our spiritual passport. We do not set the requirements, but, individually, we must meet all of them. The plan of salvation contains all of the doctrines, laws, commandments, and ordinances needed for all to qualify for exaltation. Then, ‘through the Atonement of [Jesus] Christ, all mankind may be saved.’ The Church helps but cannot do it for us. Qualifying for exaltation becomes a quest of a lifetime.”

–Allan F. Packer, “The Book,” Ensign (Conference edition), November 2014, p. 99.

Week of December 1, 2014: “When we consider the ancient methods of transmitting texts by hand, we realize that the Bible went through a remarkable process to make it into this century. The Dead Sea Scrolls stand as a witness that the Old Testament has been passed down through the centuries with a respectable degree of accuracy.”

–Donald W. Parry (BYU Professor of Hebrew Bible at BYU), “The Dead Sea Scrolls: Window to the Modern Bible,” Ensign, December 2014, p. 61).

Week of November 24, 2014: “When we invite you to attend church with us or to learn with the full-time missionaries, we are not trying to sell you a product. As members of the Church, we do not receive prizes or bonus points in a heavenly contest. We are not seeking simply to increase the numerical size of the Church. And most importantly, we are not attempting to coerce you to believe as we do. We are inviting you to hear the restored truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ so you can study, ponder, pray, and come to know for yourself if the things we are sharing with you are true. Some of you may respond, ‘But I already believe in Jesus and follow His teachings,’ or ‘I am not sure if God really exists.’ Our invitations to you are not an attempt to diminish your religious tradition or life experience. Bring all that you know is true, good, and praiseworthy—and test our message.”

–David A. Bednar, “Come and See,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2014, p. 107.

Week of November 17, 2014: “Many details about the early practice of plural marriage are unknown. Plural marriage was introduced among the early Saitns incrementally, and participants were asked to keep their actions confidential. They did not discuss their experiences publicly or in writing until after the Latter-day Saints had moved to Utah and Church leaders had publicly acknowledged the practice. The historical record of early plural marriage is therefore thin: few records of the time provides details, and later reminiscences are not always reliable. Some ambiguity will always accompany our knowledge about this issue. Like the participants, we ‘see through a glass, darkly’ and are asked to walk by faith.” 

 –Gospel Topics Essay, lds.org 

Week of November 10, 2014: “When we invite you to attend church with us or to learn with the full-time missionaries, we are not trying to sell you a product. As members of the Church, we do not receive prizes or bonus points in a heavenly contest. We are not seeking simply to increase the numerical size of the Church. And most importantly, we are not attempting to coerce you to believe as we do. We are inviting you to hear the restored truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ so you can study, ponder, pray, and come to know for yourself if the things we are sharing with you are true. Some of you may respond, ‘But I already believe in Jesus and follow His teachings,’ or ‘I am not sure if God really exists.’ Our invitations to you are not an attempt to diminish your religious tradition or life experience. Bring all that you know is true, good, and praiseworthy—and test our message.”

–David A. Bednar, “Come and See,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2014, p. 107.

Week of November 3, 2014: “We have had misguided souls in the Church who have, in their ignorance, opposed the advice of the [President of the Church], not sensing the fact that they were opposing the Lord and they have fallen into darkness and sorrow, and unless they repent they will not find a place in the celestial kingdom. Let us remember that the President of this Church has been officially designated as the pilot of the Church here in mortality to represent the Master of heaven and earth.

 –Teachings of Presidents of the Church: George Albert Smith, p. 116

Week of October 27, 2014: “If you have a tattoo, you wear a constant reminder of a mistake you have made. You might consider having it removed.”

 –True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference, p. 167.

Week of October 20, 2014: “The first vision of the Prophet Joseph Smith is bedrock theology to the Church.”

–Ezra Taft Benson, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson, p. 105.

Week of October 13, 2014: “Near the middle of the twentieth century Joseph Fielding Smith gave a more tempered explanation of this teaching: ‘All children born under the covenant belong to their parents in eternity, but that does not mean that they, because of that birthright, will inherit celestial glory. The faith and faithfulness of fathers and mothers will not save disobedient children. Salvation is an individual matter.’ More recently, President James E. Faust put a few cuffs on Orson F. Whitney’s divine ‘tentacles’ saying that, in order for wayward children who have been sealed to their parents to be saved, they ‘must fully repent’ and their salvation ‘must be fully earned.’ The implication of these later teachings is that the salvation of sealed children is now seen as being essentially up to the individual and is not guaranteed by virtue of the covenant of the parents as in earlier teachings.”

–Charles R. Harrell, “This is My Doctrine”: The Development of Mormon Theology, p. 327

Week of October 6, 2014: “The first vision of the Prophet Joseph Smith is bedrock theology to the Church.”

–President Ezra Taft Benson, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson, p. 105.

Week of September 29, 2014: “Simply feeling remorseful is not repentance. True repentance leads to a new and righteous pattern of life.”

–John B. Dickson, “After the Manner of Happiness,”Ensign, February 2008, p. 17. 

Week of September 22, 2014: “After the Crucifixion of the Savior and the death of His Apostles, people changed some of the doctrines and ordinances of the gospel. Even though many good people believed in Jesus Christ and tried to understand and teach His gospel, the fullness of truth was no longer available. The result was varying stages of apostasy among the surviving Christians. While they had many truths, none of them had the fullness of Christ’s doctrines, ordinances, or priesthood.”

–“The Gospel of Jesus Christ was Restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith,” Ensign, December 2012, p. 8.

Week of September 15, 2014: “Other people do not understand the true nature of God. They are still bound by the old Nicene Creed of the fourth century, which I cannot understand. But we have a perfect knowledge of the nature of God that has come through the First Vision of the Prophet Joseph Smith.”

President Gordon B. Hinckley, “Inspirtational Thoughts,” Ensign, February 2007, p. 8

Week of September 8, 2014: “Every member of the Church is a missionary.”

–Gospel Principles, 2009, p. 192.

Week of September 1, 2014: “Don’t put your eternal life at risk. Keep the commandments of God.”

–Thomas S. Monson, “Preparation Brings Blessings,” Ensign, May 2010, p. 66

 Week of August 25, 2014: “You must not only believe, but you must obey and do the things that [God] commands. You must not only do that, but you must give your heart, your affection and your whole soul with a willing mind to God. You must give up your will to the will of the Father, and you must do all things that He requires at your hands, if you will be saved and exalted in His presence.”

—Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, p. 244.

Week of August 18, 2014: “Eternal life is to gain exaltation in the highest heaven and live in the family unit”

–Apostle Russell M. Nelson, “Prepare for the Blessings of the Temple,” Ensign Special Issue Temples, October 2010, p. 49.

Week of August 11, 2014: “Teach the doctrine. Approved curriculum materials from the Church, such as scriptures, general conference talks, and manuals, contain doctrine–eternal truths from God.”

—Ensign, “We Teach By the Power of the Holy Ghost” (What We Believe), July 2014, p. 10. Boldface in original.

Week of August 4, 2014: “There are . . . many members of the Church who are lax and careless and who continually procrastinate. They live the gospel casually but not devoutly. They have complied with some requirements but are not valiant. They do no major crime but merely fail to do the things required—things like paying tithing, living the Word of Wisdom, having family prayers, fasting, attending meetings, serving.”

—Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, p. 8. Ellipsis in original.

 Week of July 28, 2014: “(40-7) We Can Become like God Because We Have the Seed of Deity Within Us. When Jesus was created after the fashion and in the likeness of the Father, and was therefore in the image of his Father, did he strive also to become like God in every other way? What does the word equal mean? And since Jesus thought that it was not robbery for him to become like God, what does Paul say you should strive to do as well? (See Philippians 2:5–8, 12; 3 Nephi 27:27.)”

—The Life and Teachings of Jesus & His Apostles Religion 211-212, p. 328. Bold and italics in original.

 Week of July 21, 2014: “A common tactic used by those who are trying to destroy faith is called a ‘straw man’ argument. This is done by setting up a false image—a straw man—of the truth and then attacking the false image in order to convince others the true image is false. A simple example of this is a child accusing parents who won’t let him play until he gets his work done of not wanting him to have any fun. This is faulty reasoning, but it is often used to deceive others. Sometimes others claim that Latter-day Saints believe something that we don’t believe. They claim that the false belief is false and then show that it is false. It has nothing to do with what we really believe but is an attempt to make us seem to be in error.”

–Book of Mormon Student Manual 121-122, p. 216.

Week of July 14, 2014: “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is no partisan Church. It is not a sect. It is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the only one today existing in the world that can and does legitimately bear the name of Jesus Christ and his divine authority.”

—Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, p. 396.

 Week of July 7, 2014: “Write the following statement on the board: Adam and Eve were the first Christians. Have students find phrases in Moses 5:7–11 that show this statement to be true. Tell students that most people think Christianity did not exist until Jesus Christ lived on the earth. List and discuss other people from before the time of Christ who were Christians (for example, see 2 Nephi 25:26; Alma 46:13–15; D&C 138:12–16, 38–46). Ask students why they think the gospel of Jesus Christ has been taught since the beginning.”

 –The Pearl of Great Price Teacher Manual Religion 327, p. 22. Italics in original.

 Week of June 30, 2014: “In the premortal Council in Heaven, Lucifer rebelled against Heavenly Father’s plan. Those who followed Lucifer ended their eternal progression—be careful who you follow!”

–Robert D. Hales, “If Ye Love Me, Keep my Commandments,” Ensign (Conference Edition), May 2014, p. 35.

Week of June 23, 2014: “Other people do not understand the true nature of God. They are still bound by the old Nicene Creed of the fourth century, which I cannot understand. But we have a perfect knowledge of the nature of God that has come through the First Vision of the Prophet Joseph”

–President Gordon B. Hinckley, “Inspirational Thoughts,” Ensign, February 2007, p. 8.

Week of June 16, 2014: ”They should never criticize priesthood leaders or say unkind things about them. Criticizing our leaders endangers our own salvation.”

—The Latter-day Saint Woman: Basic Manual for Women, Part B, p. 106.

Week of June 9, 2014: “The Lord commanded Joseph Smith not to join any church because all of them were wrong (see Joseph Smith—History 1:18–20; see also 2 Timothy 4:3–4; Mormon 8:28, 32–38).”

–The Pearl of Great Price Teacher Manual Religion 327, p. 56.

 Week of June 2, 2014: ““Which is more likely, that he [Joseph Smith] dreamed it all up on his own or that he had the help of heaven? Do the scriptures he produced sound like the words of man or the words of God?”

–Lawrence E. Corbridge, “The Prophet Joseph Smith,” Ensign (Conference Edition), May 2014, p. 105.

Week of May 26, 2014: “After that, in the most sublime show of His love for humankind, and in the full exercise of His will, He walked bravely and determinedly to face His most demanding trial. In the Garden of Gethsemane, in utter loneliness, He suffered the most intense agony, bleeding from each pore. In total submission before His Father, He atoned for our sins and also took upon Him our illnesses and afflictions in order to know how to succor us (see Alma 7:11-13)”

–Carlos H. Amado, “Christ the Redeemer,” Ensign (Conference Edition), May 2014, p. 13.

Week of May 19, 2014: “The greatest of all the blessings of God, eternal life, will come to us only as we make covenants offered in the true Church of Jesus Christ by His authorized servants. Because of the Fall, we all need the cleansing effects of baptism and the laying on of hands to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. These ordinances must be performed by those who possess the proper priesthood authority. Then, with the help of the Light of Christ and the Holy Ghost, we can keep all the covenants we make with God, especially those offered in His temples. Only in that way, and with that help, can anyone claim his or her rightful inheritance as a child of God in a family forever. To some listening to me, that may seem a nearly hopeless dream.”

–Henry B. Eyring, Counselor in the First Presidency, April 2014 general conference address (“A Priceless Heritage of Hope,” Ensign, May 2014, p. 24)