Happy Birthday, President Monson!

Thomas S. Monson turns 88 years old today. In honor of his birthday, I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite quotes from his conference talks. Since his life has truly been spent in the service of God and his fellowman - nearly 52 years since he was called to be an apostle and now our prophet for the last 7 1/2 years - I decided to use only his conference talks since becoming the prophet. For a glimpse into President Monson's life, I love this article from the June 2008 Ensign written by Jeffrey R. Holland titled President Thomas S. Monson: In the Footsteps of the Master. There is definitely a lot we can learn from our prophet!

April 2008

Our homes are to be more than sanctuaries; they should also be places where God’s Spirit can dwell, where the storm stops at the door, where love reigns and peace dwells.

He will not always take your afflictions from you, but He will comfort and lead you with love through whatever storm you face.

October 2008

This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now.

April 2009

Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us.

Fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith.

October 2009

We are the Lord’s hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children. He is dependent upon each of us.

April 2010

In our hour of deepest sorrow, we can receive profound peace from the words of the angel that first Easter morning: “He is not here: for he is risen.”

Remember that prayer is the passport to spiritual power.

October 2010

Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love.

Those things which provide deep and lasting happiness and gratitude are the things which money cannot buy.

All of our choices have consequences, some of which have little or nothing to do with our eternal salvation and others of which have everything to do with it.

April 2011

Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings.

October 2011

We have been and continue to be taught God’s laws. Despite what you may see or hear elsewhere, these laws are unchanging.

As we go about living from day to day, it is almost inevitable that our faith will be challenged. We may at times find ourselves surrounded by others and yet standing in the minority or even standing alone concerning what is acceptable and what is not. Do we have the moral courage to stand firm for our beliefs, even if by so doing we must stand alone?

We are never alone when we stand with our Father in Heaven.

Communication with our Father in Heaven—including our prayers to Him and His inspiration to us—is necessary in order for us to weather the storms and trials of life.

April 2012

Our Heavenly Father rejoices for those who keep His commandments. He is concerned also for the lost child, the tardy teenager, the wayward youth, the delinquent parent. Tenderly the Master speaks to these and indeed to all: “Come back. Come up. Come in. Come home. Come unto me.”

How blessed we are to have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives and in our hearts. It provides answers to life’s greatest questions. It provides meaning and purpose and hope to our lives.

At times the wisdom of God appears as being foolish or just too difficult, but one of the greatest and most valuable lessons we can learn in mortality is that when God speaks and a man obeys, that man will always be right.

October 2012

The Lord’s purposes are often accomplished as we pay heed to the guidance of the Spirit. I believe that the more we act upon the inspiration and impressions which come to us, the more the Lord will entrust to us His errands.

There is absolutely nothing in this world that will provide more comfort and happiness than a testimony of the truth.

We have the responsibility to see individuals not as they are but rather as they can become.

April 2013

The Lord has provided guidelines and commandments to help ensure our spiritual safety so that we might successfully navigate this often-treacherous mortal existence and return eventually to our Heavenly Father.

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.

October 2013

The difficulties which come to us present us with the real test of our ability to endure.

Our Heavenly Father, who gives us so much to delight in, also knows that we learn and grow and become stronger as we face and survive the trials through which we must pass. We know that there are times when we will experience heartbreaking sorrow, when we will grieve, and when we may be tested to our limits. However, such difficulties allow us to change for the better, to rebuild our lives in the way our Heavenly Father teaches us, and to become something different from what we were—better than we were, more understanding than we were, more empathetic than we were, with stronger testimonies than we had before.

We truly need Him every hour, whether they be hours of sunshine or of rain.

April 2014

We must be careful that we do not destroy another person’s confidence through careless words or actions.

Blame keeps wounds open. Only forgiveness heals.

October 2014

Physically walking where Jesus walked is less important than walking as He walked.

Decisions determine destiny.

April 2015

As we enter through the doors of the temple, we leave behind us the distractions and confusion of the world.

As we attend the temple, there can come to us a dimension of spirituality and a feeling of peace which will transcend any other feeling which could come into the human heart.