Mosiah 23:21 Trials

Elder Orson F. Whitney (1855–1931) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that everything we experience teaches us valuable lessons:

“No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God … and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven” (as quoted in Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle[1972], 98).

Doctrinal Mastery Anchor Scriptures

Doctrinal Mastery Anchor Scriptures

Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge James 1:5-6 If you lack wisdom, ask of God

THE GODHEAD D&C 130:22-23 The Father and Son have bodies of flesh and bone

THE PLAN OF SALVATION Moses 1:39 God’s work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man

THE ATONEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST Alma 7:11-13 Jesus Christ experienced our pains and overcame sin and death

THE RESTORATION JSH 1:15-20 In the First Vision, God called Joseph Smith to be a prophet

PROPHETS AND REVELATION Amos 3:7 God reveals His secrets to His prophets

PRIESTHOOD AND PRIESTHOOD KEYS Matthew 16:15-19 Jesus Christ promised to build His Church and confer the keys of the kingdom

ORDINANCES AND COVENANTS D&C 84:20-22 The power of godliness is manifest in priesthood ordinances

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY D&C 49:15-17 Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God 
COMMANDMENTS John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments

Jacob 6:12 Be Wise and Happy

President Gordon B. Hinckley:

“Don’t make the kinds of mistakes that will bring regret. You can be wise and happy or stupid and miserable. The choice is yours” (December 2006 New Year's Eve Youth Devotional).

Jacob 5:7 God Loves You

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency:

“God loves you this very day and always.

“He is not waiting to love you until you have overcome your weaknesses and bad habits. He loves you today with a full understanding of your struggles. … He knows of your sufferings. He knows of your remorse for the times you have fallen short or failed. And still He loves you” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Living the Gospel Joyful,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 123).

President Russel M. Nelson
"While divine love can be called perfect, infinite, enduring, and universal, it cannot correctly be characterized as unconditional. The word does not appear in the scriptures. On the other hand, many verses affirm that the higher levels of love the Father and the Son feel for each of us—and certain divine blessings stemming from that love—are conditional. Before citing examples, it is well to recognize various forms of conditional expression in the scriptures." 
"Why is divine love conditional? Because God loves us and wants us to be happy. “Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God" 
("Divine Love," Ensign, Feb 2003).

Jacob 2:16 Pride

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

“At its core, pride is a sin of comparison, for though it usually begins with ‘Look how wonderful I am and what great things I have done,’ it always seems to end with ‘Therefore, I am better than you.’ …

“… This is the sin of ‘Thank God I am more special than you.’ At its core is the desire to be admired or envied. It is the sin of self-glorification” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Pride and the Priesthood,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 56).

See also: Mere Christianity, Book 3, Chapter 8, "The Great Sin" and "Beware of Pride" by President Ezra Taft Benson.

The Holy Ghost 2 Nephi 32:3

Parley P. Pratt:

"An intelligent being, in the image of God, possesses every organ, attribute, sense, sympathy, affection, of will, wisdom, love, power and gift, which is possessed by God himself."
"But these are possessed by man, in his rudimental state, in a subordinate sense of the word. Or, in other words, these attributes are in embryo; and are to be gradually developed. They resemble a bud — a germ, which gradually develops into bloom, and then, by progress, produces the mature fruit, after its own kind."
"The gift of the Holy Spirit adapts itself to all these organs or attributes. It quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections; and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness and charity. It develops beauty of person, form and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation and social feeling. It develops and invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens, invigorates, and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being."
(Pratt, Parley P. Key to the Science of Theology. Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1874. 95-102).

2 Nephi 13:9 Countenance

Elder Spencer V. Jones of the Seventy:

“At times, consequences of sin may appear to be very subtle to the sinner. We may even convince ourselves … that no one will be able to detect our sins and that they are well concealed. But always to our Heavenly Father and often to spiritually sensitive leaders, parents, and friends, our sins are glaringly apparent.

“While attending a youth fireside with Elder Richard G. Scott, I noticed five youths scattered among the congregation whose countenances or body language almost screamed that something was spiritually amiss in their lives. After the meeting, when I mentioned the five youths to Elder Scott, he simply replied, ‘There were eight’” (Spencer V. Jones, “Overcoming the Stench of Sin,”Ensign or Liahona, May 2003, 88).

2 Nephi 9:9

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught what our fate would be without the Atonement of Jesus Christ: “If our separation from God and our physical death were permanent, moral agency would mean nothing. Yes, we would be free to make choices, but what would be the point? The end result would always be the same no matter what our actions: death with no hope of resurrection and no hope of heaven. As good or as bad as we might choose to be, we would all end up ‘angels to a devil’ [2 Nephi 9:9]” (D. Todd Christofferson, “Moral Agency,” Ensign, June 2009, 50).

Testimony of Joseph Smith

President Brigham Young (1801–77):

“It was decreed in the counsels of eternity, long before the foundations of the earth were laid, that he, Joseph Smith, should be the man, in the last dispensation of this world, to bring forth the word of God to the people, and receive the fulness of the keys and power of the Priesthood of the Son of God. The Lord had his eyes upon him, and upon his father, and upon his father’s father, and upon their progenitors clear back … to Adam. He has watched that family and that blood as it has circulated from its fountain to the birth of that man. He was fore-ordained in eternity to preside over this last dispensation” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young [1997], 96, 343).

Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

“The negative commentary about the Prophet Joseph Smith will increase as we move toward the Second Coming of the Savior. The half-truths and subtle deceptions will not diminish. There will be family members and friends who will need your help. …


“To the youth … , I give a specific challenge: Gain a personal witness of the Prophet Joseph Smith.” 

“A testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith can come differently to each of us. It may come as you kneel in prayer, asking God to confirm that he was a true prophet. It may come as you read the Prophet’s account of the First Vision. A testimony may distill upon your soul as you read the Book of Mormon again and again. It may come as you bear your own testimony of the Prophet or as you stand in the temple and realize that through Joseph Smith the holy sealing power was restored to the earth. With faith and real intent, your testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith will strengthen” (Neil L. Andersen, “Joseph Smith,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 30).

Opposition

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

“God’s premortal children could not become like him and enjoy his breadth of blessings unless they obtained both a physical body and temporal experience in an arena where both good and evil were present. …

“… We wanted the chance to become like our heavenly parents, to face suffering and overcome it, to endure sorrow and still live rejoicingly, to confront good and evil and be strong enough to choose the good” (Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon [1997], 200, 204).

Agency

Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

“Four great principles must be in force if there is to be agency: 1. Laws must exist … which can be obeyed or disobeyed; 2. Opposites must exist—good and evil, virtue and vice, right and wrong—that is, there must be an opposition, one force pulling one way and another pulling the other; 3. A knowledge of good and evil must be had by those who are to enjoy the agency, that is, they must know the differences between the opposites; and 4. An unfettered power of choice must prevail” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 26).

1 Nephi 17:45 Past Feeling

President James E. Faust (1920–2007) of the First Presidency.

Listen for an analogy between cell phone communication and communication with the Lord:

“Occasionally … we find dead spots where the signal coming to a cell phone fails. This can happen when the cell phone user is in a tunnel or a canyon or when there is other interference. So it is with divine communication. … We often put ourselves in spiritual dead spots—places and situations that block out divine messages. Some of these dead spots include anger, pornography, transgression, selfishness, and other situations that offend the Spirit” (James E. Faust, “Did You Get the Right Message?” Ensign or Liahona, May 2004, 67).

1 Nephi 13:1-9 Great and Abominable Church

Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–1985) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

“The titles church of the devil and great and abominable church are used to identify all … organizations of whatever name or nature—whether political, philosophical, educational, economic, social, fraternal, civic, or religious—which are designed to take men on a course that leads away from God and his laws and thus from salvation in the kingdom of God” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 137–38).

1 Nephi 11:22 The Tree of Life

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

“The greatest manifestation of God’s love for His children is the mortal ministry, atoning sacrifice, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The fruit on the tree can be considered a symbol for the blessings of the Savior’s Atonement” (David A. Bednar, “Come and See,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 109).

1 Nephi 7:21

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency:


“I have discovered one thing that most [happy families] have in common: they have a way of forgiving and forgetting the imperfections of others and of looking for the good.

“Those in unhappy families, on the other hand, often find fault, hold grudges, and can’t seem to let go of past offenses. …

“… As we accept [our Savior’s] ways and overcome our pride by softening our hearts, we can bring reconciliation and forgiveness into our families and our personal lives. God will help us to be more forgiving, … to be first to apologize even if something wasn’t our fault, to lay aside old grudges and nurture them no more” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “One Key to a Happy Family,” Ensign, Oct. 2012, 5, 6).

1 Nephi 7:17-18

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

Elder David A. Bednar
“It is especially interesting to me that Nephi did not pray … to have his circumstances changed. Rather, he prayed for the strength to change his circumstances” (David A. Bednar, “In the Strength of the Lord” [Brigham Young University devotional, Oct. 23, 2001], 4, speeches.byu.edu).

God talks to us through His scriptures

Elder Richard G. Scott:

"Study the word of God in the scriptures and the words of the living prophets. We talk to God through prayer. He most often communicates back to us through His written word. To know what the voice of the Divine sounds and feels like, read His words, study the scriptures, and ponder them.5 Make them an integral part of everyday life" ("Make the Exercise of Faith Your First Priority," General Conference, Oct 2014).

Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

“When we want to speak to God, we pray. And when we want Him to speak to us, we search the scriptures; for His words are spoken through His prophets. He will then teach us as we listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit” (Robert D. Hales, “Holy Scriptures: The Power of God unto Our Salvation,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2006, 26–27).

Elder David A. Bednar: 

“The scriptures contain the words of Christ and are a reservoir of living water to which we have ready access and from which we can drink deeply and long. …

“Through normal activity each day, you and I lose a substantial amount of the water that constitutes so much of our physical bodies. Thirst is a demand by the cells of the body for water, and the water in our bodies must be replenished daily. It frankly does not make sense to occasionally ‘fill up’ with water, with long periods of dehydration in between. The same thing is true spiritually. Spiritual thirst is a need for living water. A constant flow of living water is far superior to sporadic sipping” (“A Reservoir of Living Water” [Church Educational System fireside, Feb. 4, 2007], 1, 7, broadcast.lds.org).

Another Testament of Jesus Christ

President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994):

“The honest seeker after truth can gain the testimony that Jesus is the Christ as he prayerfully ponders the inspired words of the Book of Mormon.

“Over one-half of all the verses in the Book of Mormon refer to our Lord. Some form of Christ’s name is mentioned more frequently per verse in the Book of Mormon than even in the New Testament.

“He is given over one hundred different names in the Book of Mormon. Those names have a particular significance in describing His divine nature” (Ezra Taft Benson, “Come unto Christ,”Ensign, Nov. 1987, 83).

President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994):

“There are three ways in which the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. It is the keystone in our witness of Christ. It is the keystone of our doctrine. It is the keystone of testimony. …

“… Just as the arch crumbles if the keystone is removed, so does all the Church stand or fall with the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. The enemies of the Church understand this clearly. This is why they go to such great lengths to try to disprove the Book of Mormon, for if it can be discredited, the Prophet Joseph Smith goes with it. So does our claim to priesthood keys, and revelation, and the restored Church. But in like manner, if the Book of Mormon be true … then one must accept the claims of the Restoration and all that accompanies it” (Ezra Taft Benson, “The Book of Mormon—Keystone of Our Religion,”Ensign or Liahona, Oct. 2011, 54, 55).

Plan of Salvation Quotes

President George Albert Smith:

“There is a line of demarcation well defined between the Lord’s territory and the devil’s territory. If you will stay on the Lord’s side of the line you will be under his influence and will have no desire to do wrong; but if you cross to the devil’s side of that line one inch you are in the tempter’s power and if he is successful, you will not be able to think or even reason properly because you will have lost the Spirit of the Lord” (Teaching of President George Albert Smith, Chapter 18).

C.S. Lewis:

“No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness — they have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means — the only complete realist" (Mere Christianity).

Elder James E. Talmage (1862–1933) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

“The present is an age of pleasure-seeking, and men are losing their sanity in the mad rush for sensations that do but excite and disappoint. …

“Happiness includes all that is really desirable and of true worth in pleasure, and much beside. …

“Happiness leaves no bad after-taste, it is followed by no depressing reaction; it calls for no repentance, brings no regret, entails no remorse; pleasure too often makes necessary repentance, contrition, and suffering” (James E. Talmage, Improvement Era, Dec. 1913, 172–73).

President Russel M. Nelson:

“As Latter-day Saints, we refer to His mission as the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which made resurrection a reality for all and made eternal life possible for those who repent of their sins and receive and keep essential ordinances and covenants.”

“It is doctrinally incomplete to speak of the Lord’s atoning sacrifice by shortcut phrases, such as “the Atonement” or “the enabling power of the Atonement” or “applying the Atonement” or “being strengthened by the Atonement.” These expressions present a real risk of misdirecting faith by treating the event as if it had living existence and capabilities independent of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.”

“There is no amorphous entity called “the Atonement” upon which we may call for succor, healing, forgiveness, or power. Jesus Christ is the source. Sacred terms such as Atonement and Resurrection describe what the Savior did, according to the Father’s plan, so that we may live with hope in this life and gain eternal life in the world to come. The Savior’s atoning sacrifice—the central act of all human history—is best understood and appreciated when we expressly and clearly connect it to Him” (“Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives,” General Conference, April 2017). 

Book of Mormon Quotes

Joseph Smith:

“I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” (History of the Church, 4:461.)

President Thomas S. Monson:

"I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day.  As we do so, we will be in a position to hear the voice of the spirit, to resist temptation, to overcome doubt and fear, and to receive heaven’s help in our lives.”

“The Power of the Book of Mormon," General Conference, April 2017