Being a neighbor
There are millions of people yet to hear the message of the Restoration, and we must not say no in their behalf. We cannot judge whom the Lord may prepare to hear His message. Some we may least expect are ones who are best prepared to accept the gospel. What is needed by you and me? A vision of our opportunity. And then a desire to really be a neighbor. — “Who Is My Neighbor?” Amsterdam Area Conference, Aug. 7, 1976
Family History
There are thousands upon thousands, yes, millions upon millions of spirit children of our Heavenly Father who have lived here, who have never heard of the word “Christ,” who have died, who have gone back to the spirit world in their state of progression and have been taught the gospel; and now they are waiting the day when you and I will do the research which is necessary to clear the way, that we might likewise go into the house of God and perform that work for them, that they, themselves, cannot perform. Are we willing to accept that challenge? My brothers and sisters, I testify that the Lord will bless you as you do accept and respond to that challenge. — Los Angeles Temple Genealogical Library Dedication, June 20, 1964
Missionary minded
We are a missionary-minded people. We have a divine mandate to proclaim the message of the Restoration. … That energetic missionary from the Book of Mormon, even Alma, provides for us a blueprint for missionary conduct: “This is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy” (Alma 29:9).
I add my personal witness: Our missionaries are not salesmen with wares to peddle; rather, they are servants of the Most High God, with testimonies to bear, truths to teach and souls to save.
Each missionary who goes forth in response to a sacred call becomes a servant of the Lord whose work this truly is. — “Missionary Memories,” Ensign, November 1987, p. 42
Service
Though exaltation is a personal matter, and while individuals are saved not as a group but indeed as individuals, yet one cannot live in a vacuum. Membership in the Church calls forth a determination to serve. A position of responsibility may not be of recognized importance, nor may the reward be broadly known. Service, to be acceptable to the Savior, must come from willing minds, ready hands, and pledged hearts.
Occasionally discouragement may darken our pathway; frustration may be a constant companion. In our ears there may sound the sophistry of Satan as he whispers, “You cannot save the world; your small efforts are meaningless. You haven’t time to be concerned for others.” Trusting in the Lord, let us turn our heads from such falsehoods and make certain our feet are firmly planted in the path of service and our hearts and souls dedicated to follow the example of the Lord. In moments when the light of resolution dims and when the heart grows faint, we can take comfort from His promise: “Be not weary in well-doing. … Out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (Doctrine and Covenants 64:33). — “The Path to Peace,” Ensign, May 1994, p. 62
Temple work
Why are so many willing to give so much in order to receive the blessings of the temple? Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings. There are never too many miles to travel, too many obstacles to overcome, or too much discomfort to endure. They understand that the saving ordinances received in the temple that permit us to someday return to our Heavenly Father in an eternal family relationship and to be endowed with blessings and power from on high are worth every sacrifice and every effort. — “The Holy Temple — A Beacon to the World,” Ensign, May 2011, p. 92
