The LDS Daily WOOL Home Page
(3/14/99)
"Too
many of our Heavenly Father's children spend their precious lives
carving out broken cisterns of worldly gain that cannot hold the
living water that satisfies fully their natural thirst for everlasting
truth." — Joseph B. Wirthlin, General Conference, April 1995
(3/15/99)
"In Proverbs, we read, 'For the commandment is a lamp' (Prov. 6:23).
Once darkened, a society loses its capacity to distinguish between right
and wrong and the will to declare that some things are wrong per se.
Without the lamp, our world finds itself desperately building temporary
defenses, drawing new lines, forever falling back, unwilling to
confront. A society which permits anything will eventually lose
everything!" — Neal A. Maxwell, General Conference, April 1995
(3/16/99)
"The distance between the Church and a world set on a course which we
cannot follow will steadily increase." — Boyd K. Packer, General
Conference, April 1994
(3/17/99)
"Members of the Church need to influence more than we are influenced. We
should work to stem the tide of sin and evil instead of passively being
swept along by it.... We can live in the world, brothers and sisters,
without letting the world into us." — M. Russell Ballard, General
Conference, April 1989
(3/18/99)
"If one 'mind[s] the things of the flesh' (Rom. 8:5), he cannot 'have
the mind of Christ' (1 Cor. 2:16), because his thought patterns are 'far
from' Jesus, as are the desires or the 'intents of his heart' (Mosiah
5:13). Ironically, if the Master is a stranger to us, then we will
merely end up serving other masters." — Neal A. Maxwell, General
Conference, October 1995
(3/18/99)
"Some fine and capable people become so committed to science,
philosophy, history, art, music, athletics, professional pursuits,
intellectual hobbies, or recreation that these interests replace the
simple core values, covenants, and doctrines of the gospel. These
pursuits become a substitute religion and the governing force in their
lives." — John K. Carmack, General Conference, October 1988
(7/13/04)
"Many in the world hold back from making the 'leap of faith' because
they have already jumped to some other conclusions-often the conclusions
of Korihor, which are: God never was nor ever will be; there is not a
redeeming Christ; man cannot know the future; man cannot know of that
which he cannot see; whatsoever a man does is no crime; and death is the
end. (See Alma 30:13-18.)
The number of modern-day adherents to the Korihor conclusions will
grow." - Neal A. Maxwell, "The
Inexhaustible
Gospel," Ensign, April 1993, p. 71
(7/20/04)
"We must not allow the things of the world to blinker our vision of the
eternal destination. Nor must we permit the 'voices in the world' to
lead us off course (1
Cor. 14:10). Rather, we must allow the hope of Christ's glory and
of eternal life to rest in our minds forever (see Moro.
9:25). We must reaffirm the goal that matters most and press
toward it 'looking forward with an eye of faith' (Alma
32:40)." - Carlos E. Asay, "Stay
on
the True Course," Ensign, May 1996, p. 60
(2/17/05)
"The trials through which today's young people are passing-ease and
luxury-may be the most severe test of any age. Brothers and sisters,
stay close to your own! Guide them safely! These are perilous times.
Give increased attention. Give increased effort." - A. Theodore Tuttle,
"The
Things
That Matter Most," Ensign, Dec. 1971, p. 90
(4/7/05)
"The Lord revealed the remedy for such spiritual disaster when He
counseled Emma Smith to 'lay aside the things of this world, and seek
for the things of a better' (D&C
25:10). And Christ provided the pattern, declaring prior to
Gethsemane, 'I have overcome the world' (John
16:33; emphasis added). The only way that we may overcome the
world is by coming unto Christ. And coming unto Christ means walking
away from the world. It means placing Christ and Christ only at the
center of our lives so that the vanities and philosophies of men lose
their addictive appeal. Satan is the god of Babylon, or this
world. Christ is the God of Israel, and His Atonement gives us power to
overcome the world. 'If you expect glory, intelligence and endless
lives,' said President Joseph F. Smith, 'let the world go'
(Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith [1998], 243;
emphasis added)." - Sheri L. Dew, "We
Are
Women of God," Ensign, Nov. 1999, p. 98
(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
2/10/06
"We must not allow the things of the world to blinker our
vision of the eternal destination. Nor must we permit the 'voices in the
world' to lead us off course (1
Cor. 14:10). Rather, we must allow the hope of Christ's glory and
of eternal life to rest in our minds forever (see
Moro. 9:25). We must reaffirm the goal that matters most and press
toward it 'looking forward with an eye of faith' (Alma
32:40)." - Carlos E. Asay, "Stay
on the True Course," Ensign (CR), May 1996, p.59
6/2/06
"We have earthly debts and heavenly debts. Let us be wise in dealing
with each of them and ever keep in mind the words of the Savior. The
scriptures tell us, 'Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth,
where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and
steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.' (Matt.
6:19-20.) The riches of this world are as dust compared to the
riches that await the faithful in the mansions of our Heavenly Father.
How foolish is he who spends his days in the pursuit of things that rust
and fade away. How wise is he who spends his days in the pursuit of
eternal life." - Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Earthly
Debts, Heavenly Debts," Ensign (CR), May 2004, p.40
9/13/06
"The adversary is delighted when we act like sightseers, meaning those
who are hearers rather than doers of the word (see James
1:22), or shoppers, meaning those preoccupied with the vain things
of this world that suffocate our spirits. Satan baits us with perishable
pleasures and preoccupations—our bank accounts, our wardrobes, even our
waistlines—for he knows that where our treasure is, there will our
hearts be also (see Matt.
6:21). Unfortunately, it is easy to let the blinding glare of the
adversary's enticements distract us from the light of Christ. 'For what
is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own
soul?' (Matt. 16:26).
"Prophets have admonished us to forsake the world and turn our hearts to
Jesus Christ, who promised us, 'In this world your joy is not
full, but in me your joy is full' (D&C 101:36;
emphasis added). Said President Spencer W. Kimball, 'If we insist on
spending all our time and resources building up ... a worldly kingdom,
that is exactly what we will inherit' ('The
False Gods We Worship,' Ensign, June 1976, 6). How often are we so
focused on pursuing the so-called good life that we lose sight of
eternal life? It is the fatal spiritual equivalent of selling our
birthright for a mess of pottage." - Sheri L. Dew, "We
Are Women of God," Ensign (CR), November 1999, p.97
8/1/07
What is in the future? How far can we see ahead of us? Some of us cannot
see the length of our noses, but the prophets have warned us of the
danger that menaces us. We must be prepared and get our feet planted
upon the ground, because we don't know, I don't know, what test is ahead
of us. The gospel of Jesus Christ has had to be preached with tears and
beseechings, sufferings, adversity and persecution from one generation
to another. No generation accepted it because their belief in material
power was so dense that they lost faith in the spiritual, We have to
talk of the temporal. Temporal things have to be attended to, or we all
would starve to death, but we must not place the temporal before the
spiritual, for if we do, you can look out for disaster and trouble. No
man can save the nation, or a people when they get the temporal first
and forget the spiritual." - J. Golden Kimball, "Conference Report,"
April 1923, Third Day—Morning Session, p.127
9/8/07
"There is no balance in living on the fringes of our faith, with one
foot in Zion and one foot in Babylon. We cannot be sinners part of the
time and saints part of the time. We cannot be servants of the Lord
one moment and people of the world the next. It won't work. It smacks
of hypocrisy. Those who attempt to do so teeter on the brink of
disaster. As James stated, 'A double minded man is unstable in all his
ways' (James
1:8)." - Carlos E. Asay, "In the Lord's
Service: A Guide to Spiritual Development," p.51
12/13/07
"At this very moment, international heroes in sports, music, and
movies not only live immoral lives but teach that immorality around
the world through the powerful influence of the media. They are
idolized and accepted by millions worldwide. The world in general
seems to have lapsed into a coma of unrighteousness, leaving God-given
and time-honored moral values and principles behind.
"The Brethren have said to push the world back. We are many more than
the ten needed to save Sodom and Gomorrah. How will we fight this
battle as it continues? The faithful Saints of God, with the
undergirding of His holy priesthood, are the most powerful force on
earth. We must hold fast to forceful proclamations from God regarding
the sanctity of life, His eternal and never-ending instruction to be
chaste and pure. His loving counsel that families are ordained of God
with a father, mother, and children to live together forever was not
intended to be the exception, but the rule. A return to Christ by an
individual will bring peace of mind in place of turmoil, tranquility
to replace strife, courage and optimism in place of fear." - Durrel A.
Woolsey, "A
Strategy for War," Ensign (CR), November
1995, p.84
3/30/08
"We must watch and pray, and
look well to our walk and conversation, and live near to our God, that
the love of this world may not choke the precious seed of truth, and
feel ready, if necessary, to offer up all things, even life itself, for
the Kingdom of Heaven's sake." - "Discourses
of Brigham Young," selected and
arranged by John A. Widtsoe, p.314
5/14/08
"Wise
use of our technology would include care in that which we invite into
our homes by the way of television, videos, computers, including the
Internet. There is much that is good and edifying in the media, but
there is also much that is gross, immoral, and time-consuming,
enticing us to be 'ever
learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth'
(2 Tim. 3:7).
During the Second World War when gasoline was in short supply and
rationed, I remember signs saying, 'Is
this trip necessary?' Today,
with ever-increasing demands on everyone and time in short supply,
might we ask ourselves before we turn on the video game, the
television, the computer, or access the many programs available, 'Is
this trip necessary?'"
- Harold G. Hillam, "Teachers,
the Timeless Key," Ensign (CR), November 1997, p.62
9/28/08
"Thus,
ever acknowledging God's
redeeming hand is very important, but, alas, so doing is diminished by
the unwise mortal reliance on 'the
arm of flesh' (2 Ne. 4:34;
D&C 1:19). Ah, the arrogant arm of flesh, like the quarterback
whose arm was so strong it was boasted that he could throw a football
through a car wash and it would come out dry on the other side! Such
naïveté, such triviality symbolize not only the arm, but also the mind
of flesh, which misses 'things
as they really are, and … things as they really will be'
(Jacob 4:13)."
- Elder Neal A. Maxwell, "From Whom All Blessings Flow," Ensign
(CR), May 1997, p.11
2/2/09
"'Having
food and raiment let us be therewith content.'—Why
another farm, another herd of sheep, another bunch of cattle, another
ranch? Why another hotel, another cafe, another store, another shop? Why
another plant, another office, another service, another business? Why
another of anything if one has that already which provides the
necessities and reasonable luxuries? Why continue to expand and increase
holdings, especially when those increased responsibilities draw one's
interests away from proper family and spiritual commitments, and from
those things to which the Lord would have us give precedence in our
lives? Why must we always be expanding to the point where our interests
are divided and our attentions and thoughts are upon the things of the
world? Certainly when one's temporal possessions become great, it is
very difficult for one to give proper attention to the spiritual things."
- Spencer W. Kimball, "Conference Report," October 1953, Second
Day—Morning Meeting, p.54
3/16/09
"While Lot's wife and the
small party of which she was a member were told not to look back at
Sodom for a very good reason, we in our time have good reason to look
back at Sodom!"
- Neal A. Maxwell, "Deposition of a
Disciple," p.63
11/30/09
“The scriptures teach us that we should ‘seek … earnestly the [very]
best gifts,’ that we should seek wisdom and understanding and to
‘prepare every needful thing.’ We are admonished to lose ourselves in
the service of others and to seek those things that are ‘virtuous,
lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy.’
“At the same time, we are cautioned not to seek the unclean things of the world. President Gordon B. Hinckley has said: ‘There is so much evil, enticing evil, in the world. Shun it, my brothers and sisters. Avoid it. It is as a dangerous disease. It is as a poison that will destroy you. Stay away from it.’ In the book of Amos we read, ‘Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you.’” - Craig C. Christensen, “Seek, and Ye Shall Find,” Ensign (CR), May 2003, p. 33
3/4/10
“I have
learned as I have become older that worldly goods and things are of
minor importance. One needs only sufficient food to sustain his body,
a reasonable amount of clothing to wear, and sufficient comforts of
home, and probably some money for entertainment, cultural things,
church service, taxes, and traveling. The man with worldly riches
cannot use more. He cannot wear two shirts comfortably at one time,
nor can he eat two meals at one time. (Of course I know some who try.)
I do not mean that one should cease trying to achieve; but what I am
trying to say is that one should put first things first.” - Milton
R. Hunter, December 15, 1964, “BYU Speeches of the Year,” 1964, p. 4
9/3/10
"My brothers and
sisters, today, as we look at the world around us, we are faced with
problems which are serious and of great concern to us. The world seems
to have slipped from the moorings of safety and drifted from the harbor
of peace.
"Permissiveness, immorality, pornography, dishonesty, and a host of
other ills cause many to be tossed about on a sea of sin and crushed on
the jagged reefs of lost opportunities, forfeited blessings, and
shattered dreams.
"My counsel for all of us is to look to the lighthouse of the Lord.
There is no fog so dense, no night so dark, no gale so strong, no
mariner so lost but what its beacon light can rescue. It beckons through
the storms of life. The lighthouse of the Lord sends forth signals
readily recognized and never failing." - Thomas
S. Monson, "A Word at Closing," Ensign (CR) May 2010
1/15/11
The values of the world wrongly teach that 'it’s all about me.' That
corrupting attitude produces no change and no growth. It is contrary to
eternal progress toward the destiny God has identified in His great plan
for His children. The plan of the gospel of Jesus Christ lifts us above
our selfish desires and teaches us that this life is all about what we
can become. - Dallin H. Oaks, "Unselfish Service," Ensign (CR)
April 2009
9/13/11
Yes, the
voices and enticements of the world make good seem evil and evil, good.
The false attractions to engage in immorality, to view that which is
forbidden on your home video, to seek unbounded pleasure as if God did
not exist, are, in reality, the yawning pit of hell, set there by the
one who will try to bind you with his awful chains. -