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(5/06/00)
"Many times I have prayed to my Father in heaven that he would help me to do my
work. I hope that I may pray more and more effectively that I may help him to do
his work, and by that means express to him the appreciation that I feel for all
of the blessings of my life." — "Conference
Report," April 1954, p. 118
(5/07/00)
"If we were looking for some program to cure all of the problems that
presently beset our world, we might well find it by properly observing the
Sabbath day. The importance of the Sabbath is prefigured in the account of
creation. In programming the seven creative periods, God set aside the
seventh day as his Sabbath. And then in our interests he especially blessed
and hallowed this one day out of each week, which he ordained to be our
Sabbath day. And what a magnificent day it is when it is used as he
intended." — "Conference Report,"
October 1969, p. 16
(5/08/00)
"You can't merely snap your fingers and get great faith in God, any more
than you can snap your fingers and get great musical ability. Faith takes
hold of us only when we take hold of it. The great psychologist, William
James, said, 'That which holds our attention determines our action,' and one
of the unfortunate things in life is that we sometimes focus our attention
on the wrong things." — "Conference
Report," April 1955, p. 117
(5/09/00)
"We should remember that any disobedience to God or any other offenses that
we pick up in our own lives are soon transmitted to others, particularly our
children. That is, the power of example is the greatest power in the world.
That is the way we learn to walk. That is the way we learn to talk. That is
why we speak with the accent we do. That is how we learn to dress ourselves.
That is why we have our hair cut and our clothing tailored the way we do."
— "Conference Report," April 1960, p. 68
(5/10/00)
"There are those who in their teachings seek to deprive God of his body.
Many do not believe in their own resurrection. But next to the human spirit
the human body is the most marvelous of God's creations. If the body was not
necessary, God would never have created it in the first place. If it was not
necessary for eternity, God would never have instituted the resurrection. If
a body was not necessary for God the Father, certainly there would have been
no reason why God the Son should have been resurrected. The spirit and the
body inseparably connected constitutes the soul. The spirit can never be
perfect without the body. There can never be a fulness of joy until the
spirit and the body are inseparably joined together." — "Conference Report," April 1963, p. 42
- 43
(9/11/04)
"When Gladstone
was asked the secret of his brilliant career, he answered with one word:
'Concentration.' Concentration is achieved by limiting the scope. Emerson
said: 'The one prudence in life is concentration; the one evil is
dissipation' (The Complete Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, New York: Wm. H.
Wise & Co., 1929, p. 542). Jesus was limiting the scope when he
cautioned us to keep our eye single (see D&C
4:5). A single vision should also have a narrow focus. Jesus proclaimed
this same philosophy when he said: 'No man can serve two masters' (Matt.
6:24)." - Sterling W. Sill, "The
Strait Gate," Ensign, July 1980, p. 6
(1/5/05)
"Certainly the most successful lives are those that have the most
worthwhile experiences. The religion of Christ itself is not so much a set
of ideas as it is a set of activities. The purpose of the Church is to help
us translate the principles of the gospel of Christ into constructive,
meaningful human experience. And everyone should work toward this end by a
daily practice of thinking some uplifting thoughts, listening to some fine
music, reading some stimulating literature, doing some good deeds, and
having some great experiences every day." - Sterling W. Sill, "Great
Experiences," Ensign, June 1971, p. 43
(2/18/05)
"The kind of emphasis that is given to an idea is sometimes about as
important as the idea itself. Recently a minister on the radio said that he
never talked about the Ten Commandments in his church anymore because they
were too far out of date. He also said that their language was too harsh for
the weak sensibilities of our day. This minister felt that instead of using
such strong terms as command and Thou shalt not, the Lord should have
employed some softer words such as I recommend or I suggest or I advise. But
soft words frequently produce soft attitudes with weak meanings and built-in
violations.
We know that the destructive permissiveness of our present day causes some
of our most serious sins. But the Lord allowed no permissiveness to get into
the Ten Commandments. He came down onto the Mount in a cloud of fire from
which the smoke ascended as from a furnace. He came with such power that the
mountain quaked and the people themselves trembled. Then, to the
accompaniment of the lightnings and thunders of that sacred mountain, God
gave the people their basic law and listed some of those things that they
must not do." - Sterling W. Sill, "Thou
Shalt Not," Ensign, Dec. 1971, p. 93
(6/14/05)
"In spite of the fact that Jesus asked us to shun the
broad road leading to death, the traffic thereon continues to get more and more
crowded. Some of our broad-mindedness has been compared to the Powder River,
which is very broad and very shallow. We never get much power from a river that
is a mile wide and an inch deep; rather, it is the narrow torrent that tears
away the mountainside." - Sterling W. Sill, "The
Strait Gate," Ensign, July 1980, 7
(6/16/05)
"Although I have not seen the Lord in this life, yet I know
His word. I know of the great Atonement made on behalf of all of God’s children.
I know about the Lord's glorious, celestial resurrection, a resurrection similar
to that which He has promised to all of those who keep His commandments. I know
the course of that strait and narrow way and how to follow it so that we might
qualify for the celestial kingdom.
"On one occasion the Lord said to Thomas, 'Because thou hast seen me, thou hast
believed: [more] blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.' (John
20:29.) The Lord himself promised, 'Blessed are the pure in heart: for they
shall see God.' (Matt. 5:48.)
With all of these advantages, I should be able to make it on my own until He
comes in clouds of glory for His millennial reign upon the earth when every eye
shall see Him and every heart shall rejoice in His blessings." - Sterling W.
Sill, "Have
You Ever Seen the Lord?" Ensign, June 1987, 35
8/15/06
"Recently a young man was complaining about the many temptations that
he had to fight in this age of crime and sin. To him, the challenge was very
unpleasant, and he said that he was about to lose his mind while fighting his
temptations. But he was having difficulty with his temptations because he was
giving in to them instead of overcoming them. The prophet said: 'Resist the
devil, and he will flee from you.' (James
4:7.) This young man was being driven out of his mind by the shame of
surrender and his weakness in the conflict, whereas he would have received great
strength from the glory of victory. He told of a number of serious moral
transgressions before which he had already fallen. And yet, he couldn't make up
his mind about what he was going to do in the future. If he can't even make up
his mind while he is seeking aid, how can he possibly resist the evil when the
temptation is upon him in full force? If he can't win moral victories while the
antagonist is absent, how can he expect to win literal victories when he is
being slugged into surrender by his own fifth column? If one wants to get up on
time in the morning, he had better make up his mind about it before he goes to
bed, and his determination had better be firmly set on a victory." - Sterling W.
Sill, "That Ye Might Have Life," p.92
2/9/07
"There is a physician in New York City who writes an interesting prescription to
cure people of their most serious problems of tension, fear, inferiority, guilt,
resentment, and anger. He prescribes that they attend church at least once each
Sunday. If they say they do not believe in religion or that they do not like
sermons, he asks them to go anyway, even if they don't listen to what is said.
If they will just regularly sit quietly and absorb the healing atmosphere, their
mental, spiritual, and physical health will all be greatly improved. The church
is a place especially set apart in which to worship God, and we need to actually
commune with him. The Lord himself said, 'For where two or three are gathered
together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.' (Matt.
18:20.) Then we will be able to say with Jacob at Bethuel, 'Surely the Lord
is in this place..." (Gen.
28:16.)." - Sterling W. Sill, "That Ye Might Have Life," p.237
5/16/07
"Someone once said, 'I don't know whether I am for it or against it, but I'm not
neutral.' No one could ever accuse God of being neutral on any important
subject. He is never confused. He never answers questions by saying, 'I'm all
mixed up.' He is never stalemated between right and wrong. He does not belong to
the apathy club. He does not vacillate or procrastinate. He hates sin, evil, and
failure. Apathy, listlessness, and insensibility are not among his traits. As
his children, we should always be aware of our inheritance, and constantly
reaffirm it in our lives." - Sterling W. Sill, "That Ye Might Have Life," p.116
7/7/07
"The Lord said, '...if ye have
desires to serve God ye are called to the work.' (D&C 4:3.) If we don't WANT to
do it we can't do it. Alma said that God grants unto every man according to his
desires. (See Alma 29:4.)
And we ought to spend a lot more time than we ordinarily do in increasing the
volume and intensity of our righteous desires." - Sterling W. Sill, "Hold
Up Your Hands," Ensign (CR), July 1973, p.102
8/25/07
"What a tremendous point to
have clearly in mind, that the Redeemer is alive. And that he is alive
forevermore. During the last few hundred years, the world has been flooded with
the crucifix. It pictures a dead Christ upon a cross of pain. But Christ did not
remain upon the cross. Neither is the tomb his dwelling place. He is alive, and
he has the keys of death and hell. He also has the keys of eternal life and
celestial glory." - Sterling W. Sill, "Conference Report," April 1964, First
Day—Morning Meeting, p.14
9/3/07
"Ralph Waldo Emerson pointed
out one of our biggest problems when he said that primarily we are parlor
soldiers. We like to dine nicely and sleep warm, but we shun the vigorous battle
of life where strength is born. The divine law that the Lord always fits the
back to the burden embodies one of the greatest benefits that ever uplifts our
lives. If we want to get a strong back, the best way is to get a big load to
carry. The way to get more is to give more. If you want to see your own problem
solved, learn how to solve the problems of other people. If you will effectively
do the Lord's work, he will help you to do your own much better." - Sterling W.
Sill, "That Ye Might Have Life," p.152
9/13/08
11/18/08
"In
announcing his famous 'as if'
principle, William James said that if you want a quality, act 'as
if' you already had it. If you want to
be friendly, act as if you are already friendly. If you want to be courageous,
don't go around talking fear and indulging in negative, un-Christian thinking.
If you want to be faithful, act 'as if'
you are already faithful. Do the things that faithful people do. Go to church,
say your prayers, love God, refrain from evil, study the scriptures, be honest
with yourself, and everyone else. And if you would like to be perfect, act 'as
if' you were already perfect. Don't go
around glorying in your sins and weaknesses. We can come very close to
perfection if we really get the spirit of it in our hearts. If we really want to
obey God, we should act 'as if'
we were already obedient. We should think obedience, love obedience, practise
obedience, and we should allow no exceptions to obedience. The fewer the
exceptions to perfection, the nearer we get to perfection." - Sterling W. Sill,
"Conference Report," October 1962, Second Day—Morning Meeting, p.38 - 39
4/1/09
"Eight years after I was born, I learned
something about the great principle of repentance by which we can clear out our
D.F.T. [damn foolish things] files and
be born again. And so, on August 27, 1911, I was born of the water and of the
Spirit in the exact manner prescribed by the Savior of the world. I became a
member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had the gift of
the Holy Ghost officially conferred upon me.
"Then I had another great experience. I discovered that I could be reborn as many times as I desired, and that each time I could be reborn better. Phillip Brooks was once asked when he was born and he said, 'It was one Sunday afternoon when I was twenty-five years old, just after I had finished reading a great book.' Saul of Tarsus was reborn on the Damascus road. Joseph Smith was born again after reading a great scripture." - Sterling W. Sill, "Great Experiences," Ensign (CR), June 1971, p.43
4/13/09
"Fine gold might be described as
gold that has been fully refined. It has been finished and brought to its
perfection by being freed from its impurities. A fine man is also one who is
refined, who is complete. He was formed in God's image. He is well fashioned and
has a noble appearance. If he follows God's program, his impurities are removed,
and fine personality and godly character traits develop within him. This gives
him a fine tone, makes him fine spirited, and great beauty forms in his soul."
- Sterling W. Sill, "Principles, Promises, and
Powers," p.66
5/4/09
"And it has been said that the most important event in life is death. We live to
die and then we die to live. Death is a kind of graduation day for life. It is
our only means of entrance to our eternal lives. And it seems to me to be a very
helpful procedure to spend a little time preliving our death. That is, what kind
of person would you like to be when the last hour of your life arrives?" -
Sterling W. Sill, “To Die Well,” Ensign (CR), November
1976, p. 46
11/11/09
“To
discover God is the greatest discovery that anyone ever makes in his lifetime,
and in trying to understand the great responsibility that goes with such a
discovery, I got down on my knees and asked God to help me bear an acceptable
witness of him to all of those with whom I should come in contact. When it was
revealed to Paul as he journeyed on the way to Damascus that Jesus was the
Christ, a great responsibility was placed upon him. When the same thing was made
known to Joseph Smith, a tremendous responsibility was placed upon him. He said,
‘... I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could
not deny it, neither dared I do it.’ (P. of G. P. Joseph Smith 2:25.) Now that
the same thing has been made known to us, a great responsibility has been placed
upon us, and I pray that our heavenly Father will help us to be effective,
inspired, untiring bearers of this great truth to all men everywhere in the
world.” - Sterling W. Sill, “Conference Report,”
October 1954, Afternoon Meeting, p. 29
12/2/09
“Through the Bible we may draw upon the accumulated experiences of some of the
greatest men who ever lived. A consistent student of the scripture gains a new
power to think, to feel, and to enjoy. It is a source of the most exquisite and
enduring delight to have one's mind stored with worth-while thoughts, beautiful
expressions, and stimulating ideals.” - Sterling W.
Sill, “Conference Report,” October 1959, Third Day–Morning Meeting, p. 105
3/22/10
“The
most inspiring thing about the life of Jesus was not his ability to quiet the
storm or control the tempest, but his absolute control of himself. The Master
did not need to make a single mistake in order to find out that it was wrong. We
have developed a fairly good control over some of our body members; for example,
I have great authority over my finger. If I tell it to bend, it bends. If I tell
it to unbend, it unbends. If I give my feet an order, they obey immediately, and
we will have succeeded in our religious responsibility when we get that same
kind of control over our thoughts, our emotions, our tongues, our industry, our
faith, and our desire to serve God. Some of us have mistrained our appetites to
a point where we tend to ‘think’ with our stomachs; that is, our appetites
frequently have more influence in directing our lives than our reason or even
the commandments of God. This same misuse of our powers frequently gives our
fears, our doubts, our prejudices, our hates, and our sex impulses the control
of our lives. Before we can be successful in our God-given dominion, our
emotions must be brought under the direction of the spirit.” -
Sterling W. Sill, “Conference Report,” October 1963, General
Priesthood Meeting, p. 78
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