“The bodies and minds and morals of increasing numbers of little children are brutalized and abused by those who should protect them.
In it all, mankind has sown a bitter wind and reaps heartbreak, guilt, abandonment, divorce, addiction, disease, and death; and little children suffer.
If these sins remain unchecked, civilization will be led unfailingly to destruction.”
“Once we accept the truth of the doctrine that we are the children of God, that realization changes us. Thereafter we cannot willingly injure another of transgress against him. That simple, profound doctrine has a very practical value. It brings a feeling of self-worth, of dignity, of self-respect. Then self-pity and depression fade away. When then can yield to self-discipline and to the discipline of a loving Father and accept even the very hard lessons of life. The gospel is good medicine.”
| “Hope for Troubled Hearts”
“You are a child of God. He is the father of your spirit. Spiritually you are of noble birth, the offspring of the King of Heaven. Fix that truth in your mind and hold to it. However many generations in your mortal ancestry, no matter what race or people you represent, the pedigree of your spirit can be written on a single line. You are a child of God!”
| “To Young Women and Men,” Ensign, May 1989, 54.
“The extension of mercy will not be automatic. It will be through covenant with Him. It will be on His terms, His generous terms.”
| “The Mediator,” Ensign, May 1977, 56.
“If you understand the great plan of happiness and follow it, what goes on in the world will not determine your happiness.”
| "The Father and the Family," Ensign, May 1994
“The earth did not come by chance nor by accident. It is the result of a creation that is based on purpose, on agency, on choice. It accords with laws which were in force long before the plan was every laid down. All of it has order; all of it was planned for us. The beauty and precision of the universe, the endless variety of plant and animal life—all testify of a plan and a creator.”
| The Earth Shall Teach Thee, 12.
“Put difficult questions in the back of your minds and go about your lives. Ponder and pray quietly and persistently about them. The answer may not come as a lightning bolt. It may come as a little inspiration here and a little there, “line upon line, precept upon precept” (D&C 98:12). Some answers will come from reading the scriptures, some from hearing speakers. And, occasionally, when it is important, some will come by very direct and powerful inspiration. The promptings will be clear and unmistakable.”
| “Prayers and Answers,” Ensign, November 1979, p. 21
“People write asking what is the position of the Church on the Word of Wisdom, for instance, on soft drinks or something. And we think, “Why do they have to ask?” It is a principle, and you have the freedom to do as you will. You do not have to be commanded in all things. Without having to have the Church deliver a statement on it, you should know what the Lord’s position is on abortion or cloning or same-gender marriage or birth control. All of those things are built in as a part of what we know and what we are.
“We are about the only ones left in the world who hold to these standards. When we look around, we cannot find any organization that is holding to the standards. We do not like to talk about the other churches, but we are going to stand alone. If so, there we will stand.”
| “The Instrument of Your Mind and the Foundation of Your Character,” CES Fireside for Young Adults, February 2, 2003, p. 7
“The old saying ‘The Lord is voting for me, and Lucifer is voting against me, but it is my vote that counts’ describes a doctrinal certainty that our agency is more powerful than the adversary’s will. Agency is precious. We can foolishly, blindly give it away, but it cannot be forcibly taken from us.
“There is also an age-old excuse: ‘The devil made me do it.’ Not so! He can deceive you and mislead you, but he does not have the power to force you or anyone else to transgress or to keep you in transgression.”
| “Cleansing the Inner Vessel”
“Had agency come to man without the Atonement, it would have been a fatal gift.”