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The LDS Daily WOOL© Archive - Change


(3/11/01)
"Pause long enough to measure your acquaintance with spiritual gifts and powers. See whether foresight, discernment, sanctification, revelation, spiritual gifts, angelic speech, peace of assurance, and attendant blessings are evident in your life. Determine whether spiritual experiences are sprinkled generously throughout your daily living. And, if you find yourself wanting, have the courage to change and place your life in order." — Carlos E. Asay, "The Companionship of the Holy Ghost," Ensign, Apr. 1988, p. 17

(3/12/01)
"When you are honest with yourself, you may feel afraid. To change will require you to take an unfamiliar path, and it is uphill and narrow. The other is so inviting, but it leads to heartache. None of your partners in error will help you onto the upward path. They think only of themselves. (See D&C 10:25.) You know the result of following their path—unhappiness, failure, disappointment, and greater fear. They don’t love you. They want to use you. Don’t listen to them." — Richard G. Scott, "Finding the Way Back," Ensign, May 1990, p. 74

(3/13/01)
"To change or break some of our chains even in a small way means to give up some behavior or habits that have been very important to us in the past. Generally this is frightening. Change involves risks. 'How will people react and respond to me if I change and am different?' Even if our present way of life is painful and self-destructive, some of us think it serves a purpose, and so we become comfortable with it. Every worthy change means risk—the risk of losing an old and damaging habit for a new and improved way of life." — Marvin J. Ashton, "Shake Off the Chains with Which Ye Are Bound," Ensign, Nov. 1986, p. 15

 (3/14/01)
"I know that one of our greatest blessings as Latter-day Saints is that we need never look back. We need never ask what might have been. Should I have dropped out of school or struggled to get my degree? Should I have married Sally instead of the girl I did marry? What if I had taken that job in the East instead of teaching school? If we have been worthy, and if we have followed the guidance of the Spirit as manifested in the feelings of our heart, then we can know beyond doubt that what has been done was best." — F. Burton Howard, "The Gift of Knowing," Ensign, Sept. 1983, p. 33

(3/15/01)
"I firmly believe that activities and practices, even traditions that do not adhere to gospel standards, can be changed. Young women, you can unite and use positive peer influence to help bring about needed change. There is great power to change when there is unity—in families, in wards and stakes, in neighborhoods and schools—especially when motivated by righteous principles. However, if unacceptable activities are not changed by these efforts, then choose not to participate in them. You can do that. I know you can." — Ardeth G. Kapp, "'Crickets' Can Be Destroyed through Spirituality," Ensign, Nov. 1990, p. 94

(1/6/02)
"There is nothing so unchanging, so inevitable as change itself. The things we see, touch, and feel are always changing. Relationships between friends, husband and wife, father and son, brother and sister are all dynamic, changing relationships. There is a constant that allows us to use change for our own good, and that constant is the revealed eternal truths of our Heavenly Father." — Marvin J. Ashton, "Progress through Change," "Ensign," Nov. 1979, 61

(1/7/02)
"An honest heart will lead to a change of heart. Spiritually speaking, a change of heart is not only desirable, but essential for eternal life. The Book of Mormon describes the conversion experience, which all of us must have, as a 'mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.' (Mosiah 5:2.)"— Marvin J. Ashton, "The Measure of Our Hearts," "Ensign," Nov. 1988, 15-16

(1/8/02)
"A periodic review of the covenants we have made with the Lord will help us with our priorities and with balance in our lives. This review will help us see where we need to repent and change our lives to ensure that we are worthy of the promises that accompany our covenants and sacred ordinances. Working out our own salvation requires good planning and a deliberate, valiant effort." — M. Russell Ballard, "Keeping Life's Demands in Balance," "Ensign," May 1987, 14

(1/9/02)
"I believe that words and actions are rooted in our thoughts and that our thoughts determine our deeds. Our daily decisions, planned or spontaneous, are the result of our thoughts, and we are responsible for them. Although we as individuals might think that we are and can act independently of God, we cannot escape the realization that we are subject to eternal laws. Our happiness and our peace in this life, as well as in the life after, depend on our readiness to base our thoughts and actions on God-given laws. True peace of mind and everlasting happiness come from being in harmony with God. If we are to be one with Deity, then it is we who must change--and not God." — Hans B. Ringger, "Lord, to Whom Shall We Go?" "Ensign," Nov. 1995, 83

(1/10/02)
"A person's attitude is perhaps the hardest of all personal attributes to change. If your attitude is right, then your life is made right. If your heart is touched, your mind and way of thinking will change and your life will change for the better accordingly. I believe we must become so immersed in the gospel of Jesus Christ that we become physically as well as mentally more and more like the Lord himself. We must yield our whole hearts to him. What we then do is done not because we are asked to, nor because we are forced to, but because we want to. Neither pressure nor force can be exerted upon us from outside, when what we do is done because it is our own choice and desire. It then makes no difference to us what other men may think, or say, or do. Our hearts being committed wholly to God, what we do is done out of our love for and our trust in him. We then serve God in every way we can because we have been converted, our attitude has been changed and we now desire to become like him both spiritually and physically." — Theodore M. Burton, "The Need for Total Commitment," "Ensign," Jan. 1974, 115

(4/25/04)
"A change of heart and a will to live righteously can bind Satan. Thus, in the Book of Mormon we find accounts of those who had received a mighty change in their hearts and could say, 'We have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually' (Mosiah 5:2; see also Alma 19:33)." - Clyde J. Williams, "A Shield against Evil," Ensign, January 1996, p. 33

(10/15/05)
"We can improve, and when all is said and done that's what this is all about: improvement, changing our lives so that we can help people change their lives and be better. And let's build Zion in the earth. That's what it is all about." - Gordon B. Hinckley, "Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley," p.726

4/10/07
"We are instructed to 'come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny [ourselves] of all ungodliness' (Moroni 10:32), to become 'new creature[s]' in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:17), to put off 'the natural man' (Mosiah 3:19), and to experience 'a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually' (Mosiah 5:2). Please note that the conversion described in these verses is mighty, not minor—a spiritual rebirth and fundamental change of what we feel and desire, what we think and do, and what we are. Indeed, the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ entails a fundamental and permanent change in our very nature made possible through our reliance upon 'the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah' (2 Nephi 2:8). As we choose to follow the Master, we choose to be changed—to be spiritually reborn." - David A. Bednar, "Ye Must Be Born Again," General Conference, April 2007

9/21/07
"Do not doubt your abilities. Do not delay your worthy impressions. With God's help, you cannot fail. He will give you the courage to participate in meaningful change and purposeful living. We need to repent, straightway, and trust in His reality and capacity to assist us in knowing the abundant life. He will help us learn to be sensitive to our own needs and to those of others. Those who fear, procrastinate. Those who change for the better show progress straightway and become wiser and stronger. We need to develop the courage to straightway take the first step. We need to remember that children learn to walk only because someone encourages them to take the first step." - Marvin J. Ashton, "Straightway," Ensign (CR), May 1983, p.30

10/10/07
"If we fail to recognize the personal spiritual challenge of political and economic changes and constant new threats to the moral and spiritual stability of individuals and families, we will fail to recognize the needs and requirements to adapt to these new conditions by finding within ourselves a firm and true foundation that will determine a firm and true behavior." - Charles Didier, "Testimony," Ensign (CR), November 1991, p.62

3/11/08
"When we truly understand how great a blessing the gospel of Jesus Christ is in our lives, when we accept and embrace these eternal truths and allow them to sink deep into our hearts and souls, we experience a 'mighty change' (Alma 5:14) in our hearts. We are filled with love and gratitude. As the prophet Alma wrote, we feel 'to sing the song of redeeming love' (Alma 5:26) to all who will hear it." - M. Russell Ballard"Creating a Gospel-Sharing Home," CR April 2006

5/19/08
"Certain things man has to do. Not much stress is laid upon knowledge but much upon understanding and habits of virtue and the cultivation of a brotherly good will towards all mankind. He is taught that as in dealing with his fellowmen he extends kindness, shows mercy, observes justice, practices self-denial, curbs ambition, denies greed, bestows love, banishes hate, gives succor, lives humbly, reveres right and respects the sacredness of human beings, he is contributing to the establishment of peace and good order and happiness in the world and is cultivating in himself those qualities of virtue which will raise him toward the level of his high destiny.
" - Albert E. Bowen, "Conference Report," April 1939, Afternoon Meeting, p.94 - 95


1/20/09
"In the laboratory the chemist may take an element and, by heat and pressure, change it completely in its physical properties. It is possible to take black amorphous charcoal and, under the influence of heat and pressure, to change it into transparent, crystalline diamonds. If lifeless, inert matter may be changed, a greater transformation may be expected in the souls of men, when, under God's influence, by the power that comes from the use of the truths that God has revealed to his children, men obey the gospel. Such a chance, coming into human lives, is greater than that from the black charcoal to the luminous white diamond. The lives of Latter-day Saints, by the tens of thousands, attest that such a transformation is possible; that there lies in the gospel of Jesus Christ the power for man to achieve perfection, even in this life, physically, mentally, spiritually and in every way, if only he will give himself to the ideal of perfection." - John A. Widtsoe, "Conference Report," October 1925, Afternoon Session, p.139


4/12/09
"We are instructed to 'come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny [ourselves] of all ungodliness' (Moroni 10:32), to become 'new creature[s]' in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:17), to put off 'the natural man' (Mosiah 3:19), and to experience 'a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually' (Mosiah 5:2). Please note that the conversion described in these verses is mighty, not minora spiritual rebirth and fundamental change of what we feel and desire, what we think and do, and what we are. Indeed, the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ entails a fundamental and permanent change in our very nature made possible through our reliance upon 'the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah' (2 Nephi 2:8). As we choose to follow the Master, we choose to be changedto be spiritually reborn." - David A. Bednar, "Ye Must Be Born Again," CR April 2007


1/26/10
“Man can transform himself and he must. Man has in himself the seeds of godhood, which can germinate and grow and develop. As the acorn becomes the oak, the mortal man becomes a god. It is within his power to lift himself by his very bootstraps from the plane on which he finds himself to the plane on which he should be. It may be a long, hard lift with many obstacles, but it is a real possibility.” - Spencer W. Kimball, “The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball,” edited by Edward L. Kimball, p. 28


5/8/10
"To follow Christ is to become more like Him. It is to learn from His character. As spirit children of our Heavenly Father, we do have the potential to incorporate Christlike attributes into our life and character. The Savior invites us to learn His gospel by living His teachings. To follow Him is to apply correct principles and then witness for ourselves the blessings that follow. This process is very complex and very simple at the same time. Ancient and modern prophets described it with three words: 'Keep the commandments'...nothing more, nothing less." - Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Christlike Attributes—the Wind beneath Our Wings," Ensign, (CR) November 2005


6/16/10
"In abandoning evil, transforming lives, changing personalities, molding characters or remolding them, we need the help of the Lord, and we may be assured of it if we do our part. The man who leans heavily upon his Lord becomes the master of self and can accomplish anything he sets out to do, whether it be to secure the brass plates, build a ship, overcome a habit, or conquer a deep-seated transgression." - "Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball," p. 45


7/1/11
"Some say that the leap of faith is when we begin to believe in God, and that is, indeed, a very significant moment. However, the real leap occurs when the beginning believer forsakes his self-centeredness and begins loving God with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength. Compliance with that first commandment takes us on a journey that is so demanding that many never even try it. It is a journey that requires a complete letting go of the old self and old ways. No wonder God has declared that all the law and the prophets hang on the first and second commandments!" - Neal A. Maxwell, "Notwithstanding My Weakness," p.31


11/12/11
Can human hearts be changed? Why, of course! It happens every day in the great missionary work of the Church. It is one of the most widespread of Christ’s modern miracles. If it hasn’t happened to you—it should. - Ezra Taft Benson, "Born of God," Ensign (CR) October 1985


12/13/11
True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior.

The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior. Preoccupation with unworthy behavior can lead to unworthy behavior. That is why we stress so forcefully the study of the doctrines of the gospel. - Boyd K. Packer, "Little Children," Ensign (CR) October 2011


12/27/11
When in prayerful meditation a man confirms his faith in God and sees that his world is essentially spiritual, although superficially it seems to be wholly material. He sees evidence everywhere of plan and purpose and design; he tries instinctively to relate himself to that plan, to find his place in the scheme of things. He becomes anxious to bring his life into harmony with God's will. This necessitates some changes in his habits. He wishes to forsake the wrong way—evil, the cause of misery—and seek the right way—good, which leads to happiness, to rich and radiant living. This changing of one's course, forsaking bad habits, and adopting new and better ways of living, is in gospel language called repentance. - Hugh B. Brown, "The Eternal Quest," p.289


1/18/12
There are those today who say that man is the result of his environment and cannot rise above it. Those who justify mediocrity, failure, and even weakness and criminality are certainly misguided. Surely the environmental conditions found in childhood and youth are an influence of power. But the fact remains that every normal soul has its free agency and the power to row against the current and to lift himself to new planes of activity and thought and development, Man can transform himself. Man must transform himself. - Spencer W. Kimball, "The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball," edited by Edward L. Kimball, p.169


4/23/14
Once this man decided—once any of us conclude—“That’s just the way I am,” we give up our ability to change. We might as well raise the white flag, put down our weapons, concede the battle, and just surrender—any prospect of winning is lost. While some of us may think that does not describe us, perhaps every one of us demonstrates by at least one or two bad habits, “That’s just the way I am.” - Donald L. Hallstrom, “What Manner of Men?” Ensign (CR) May 2014


8/21/14
If our works and the desires of our hearts are the ultimate criteria of our character, how do we measure up? What kind of heart should we seek? For what kind of heart should we pray? How should we measure the worth of other people? - Marvin J. Ashton, “The Measure of Our Hearts,” Ensign (CR) November 1988


9/30/15
We have our problems and we have them aplenty. Little by little, one misdeed, one deception, one self-centered act, one person at a time, the character of the American people is being reshaped. Thus, if we are to change society, we must change ourselves. For one person can make a difference. It was one woman, the Jewish Queen Esther, who ignored personal danger, spoke truth, and saved a people. Surely the words Mordecai spoke to her apply to us all: "Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14). - Sheri L. Dew, "No One Can Take Your Place”


12/31/15
A person's attitude is perhaps the hardest of all personal attributes to change. If your attitude is right, then your life is made right. If your heart is touched, your mind and way of thinking will change and your life will change for the better accordingly. I believe we must become so immersed in the gospel of Jesus Christ that we become physically as well as mentally more and more like the Lord himself. We must yield our whole hearts to him. What we then do is done not because we are asked to, nor because we are forced to, but because we want to. - Theodore M. Burton, "The Need for Total Commitment," Ensign (CR), January 1974, p.114


3/6/16
This world would be, comparatively, a heaven if men could be brought to understand and know the living and true God. They who are able to receive and who do receive the restored truth concerning God are literally transformed by their knowledge of, and faith in, him. - Marion G. Romney, "Conference Report," October 1964, Second Day-Morning Meeting, p.51


7/31/16
We always see the guideposts in our life more clearly after we have passed them and have reached a higher vantage point. If we were more alert to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, we would see them before we reach them and thereby be guided more effectively. This process requires self-mastery, self-control, and a heart willing to accept change. - Richard G. Scott, “Happiness Now and Forever,” Ensign (CR), November 1979, p.70


12/31/16
The wayward son, the willful daughter, the pouting husband, the nagging wife—all can change. There can occur a parting of the clouds, a break in the storm. Maturity comes, friendships alter, circumstances vary. “Cast in concrete” need not describe human behavior.

From the perspective of eternity, our sojourn in this life is ever so brief. Detours are costly; they must be shunned. The spiritual nature within us should not be dominated by the physical. It behooves each of us to remember who he or she is and what God expects him or her to become. – Thomas S. Monson, “The Will Within,” Ensign (CR) May 1987


 
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