Happy Birthday, President Uchtdorf
In honor of President Uchtdorf's birthday, I wanted to share some of my favorite quotes. There is at least one from each conference since he became President Monson's counselor. His talks are always full of encouragement, compassion and optimism. How much better our lives would be if we lived by the words he speaks!
April 2008 Revelation is a constant compass that keeps us always true to the will and the faith of our Heavenly Father.
October 2008 Hope has the power to fill our lives with happiness.
April 2009 We cannot and we must not lose focus on the things that matter most.
The gospel is the way of discipleship. As we walk in that way, we can experience confidence and joy—even during times of peril, sorrow, and uncertainty.
October 2009 Love is the fire that warms our lives with unparalleled joy and divine hope. Love should be our walk and our talk.
It is often in the trial of adversity that we learn those most critical lessons that form our character and shape our destiny.
April 2010 As we emulate His perfect example, our hands can become His hands; our eyes, His eyes; our heart, His heart.
Often the most difficult times of our lives are essential building blocks that form the foundation of our character and pave the way to future opportunity, understanding, and happiness.
October 2010 We would do well to slow down a little, proceed at the optimum speed for our circumstances, focus on the significant, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matter most.
In family relationships love is really spelled t-i-m-e, time.
April 2011 Some of the most powerful promptings we receive are not only for our own benefit but also for the benefit of others. If we are thinking only of ourselves, we may miss some of the most powerful spiritual experiences and profound revelations of our lives. The most effective way to preach the gospel is through example. If we live according to our beliefs, people will notice. If the countenance of Jesus Christ shines in our lives, if we are joyful and at peace with the world, people will want to know why.
October 2011 The Lord uses a scale very different from the world’s to weigh the worth of a soul.
At times we may even feel insignificant, invisible, alone, or forgotten. But always remember—you matter to Him!
God has given us this mortal experience and the temporal challenges that attend it as a laboratory where we can grow into the beings Heavenly Father wants us to become.
April 2012 When the Lord requires that we forgive all men, that includes forgiving ourselves. Sometimes, of all the people in the world, the one who is the hardest to forgive—as well as perhaps the one who is most in need of our forgiveness—is the person looking back at us in the mirror.
When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following: Stop it!
October 2012 The more we devote ourselves to the pursuit of holiness and happiness, the less likely we will be on a path to regrets.
Sometimes in life we become so focused on the finish line that we fail to find joy in the journey.
Many of the deepest regrets of tomorrow can be prevented by following the Savior today.
April 2013 Even though we may feel lost in the midst of our current circumstances, God promises the hope of His light—He promises to illuminate the way before us and show us the way out of darkness.
God’s light is real. It is available to all! It gives life to all things. It has the power to soften the sting of the deepest wound. It can be a healing balm for the loneliness and sickness of our souls. In the furrows of despair, it can plant the seeds of a brighter hope. It can enlighten the deepest valleys of sorrow. It can illuminate the path before us and lead us through the darkest night into the promise of a new dawn.
October 2013 Our daily walk with Jesus Christ leads to peace and purpose in this life and profound joy and eternal salvation in the world to come.
Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith.
April 2014 Being grateful in our circumstances is an act of faith in God. It requires that we trust God and hope for things we may not see but which are true. By being grateful, we follow the example of our beloved Savior, who said, “Not my will, but thine, be done.
The more we learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ, the more we realize that endings here in mortality are not endings at all. They are merely interruptions—temporary pauses that one day will seem small compared to the eternal joy awaiting the faithful.
October 2014 God cares about you. He will listen, and He will answer your personal questions. The answers to your prayers will come in His own way and in His own time, and therefore, you need to learn to listen to His voice. God wants you to find your way back to Him, and the Savior is the way.
The Church is a home for all to come together, regardless of the depth or the height of our testimony. I know of no sign on the doors of our meetinghouses that says, “Your testimony must be this tall to enter.”
April 2015 With the gift of God’s grace, the path of discipleship does not lead backward; it leads upward. It leads to heights we can scarcely comprehend!
With patience and persistence, even the smallest act of discipleship or the tiniest ember of belief can become a blazing bonfire of a consecrated life.
October 2015 God didn’t design us to be sad. He created us to have joy!
We don’t need to be “more” of anything to start to become the person God intended us to become. God will take you as you are at this very moment and begin to work with you. All you need is a willing heart, a desire to believe, and trust in the Lord.
As you exercise a little faith and begin your walk as a peaceable follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, your heart will change. Your whole being will be filled with light. God will help you become something greater than you ever thought possible.
