Discipleship

LDS Quotes on Discipleship

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

“Declaring our testimony of the gospel is good, but being a living example of the restored gospel is better. Wishing to be more faithful to our covenants is good; actually being faithful to sacred covenants – including living a virtuous life, paying our tithes and offerings, keeping the Word of Wisdom, and serving those in need – is much better. Announcing that we will dedicate more time for family prayer, scripture study, and wholesome family activities is good; but actually doing all these things steadily will bring heavenly blessings to our lives.

“Discipleship is the pursuit of holiness and happiness. It is the path to our best and happiest self. Let us resolve to follow the Savior and work with diligence to become the person we were designed to become. Let us listen to and obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit. As we do so, Heavenly Father will reveal to us things we never knew about ourselves. He will illuminate the path ahead and open our eyes to see our unknown and perhaps unimagined talents.

“The more we devote ourselves to the pursuit of holiness and happiness, the less likely we will be on a path to regrets. The more we rely on the Savior’s grace, the more we will feel that we are on the track our Father in Heaven has intended for us.”

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf  |  “Of Regrets and Resolutions,” Ensign, November 2012

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I fear that in this world of skeptics and pragmatists we are losing the spirit of those wonderful scriptural phrases: “I will go and do;” “I know not save the Lord commandeth me;” or “for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not.” That’s the spirit of dedication, of commitment, of faith that we must show to the Lord as we go about our Father’s business in a significant way. This is how we say in our own lives, “Because I have been given much, I too must give.”

Stanley A. Peterson

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Neal A. Maxwell Headshot

“. . . whether we like it or not, God intends to give us what we need, not what we now think we want.” (C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain, p. 53) Hence it is so vital for us to be submissive because we’ll be puzzled when He gives us what we need in order to become more like Him and the Son, unless we are submissive in mind.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell  |  “Insights from My Life,” Ensign, August 2000, p. 10

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“True success in this life comes in consecrating our lives – that is, our time and choices – to God’s purposes. In so doing, we permit Him to raise us to our highest destiny.”

Elder D. Todd Christofferson  |  “Reflections on a Consecrated Life,” General Conference, October 2010

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Neal A. Maxwell Headshot

“From Gethsemane and Calvary there are many lessons we need to apply to our own lives. We, too, at times may wonder if we have been forgotten and forsaken. Hopefully, we will do as the Master did and acknowledge that God is still there and never doubt that sublime reality – even though we may wonder and might desire to avoid some of life’s experiences. We may at times, if we are not careful, try to pray away pain or what seems like an impending tragedy, but which is, in reality, an opportunity. We must do as Jesus did in that respect – also preface our prayers by saying, “If it be possible,” let the trial pass from us – by saying, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt,” and bowing in a sense of serenity to our Father in heaven’s wisdom, because at times God will not be able to let us pass by a trial or a challenge. If we were allowed to bypass certain trials, everything that had gone on up to that moment in our lives would be wiped out. It is because he loves us that at times he will not intercede as we may wish him to. That, too, we learn from Gethsemane and from Calvary.

“It is interesting to me, brothers and sisters, to note that among the qualities of a saint is the capacity to develop patience and to cope with the things that life inflicts upon us. That capacity brings together two prime attributes – patience and endurance. These are qualities, in the process of giving service to mankind that most people reject or undervalue. Most people would gladly serve mankind if somehow they could get it over with once, preferably with applause and recognition. But, for the sake of righteousness, to endure, to be patient in the midst of affliction, in the midst of being misunderstood, and in the midst of suffering – that is sainthood!

Elder Neal A. Maxwell  |  “But For a Small Moment,” BYU Fireside, September 1, 1974

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Elder Jeffery R. Holland of the LDS church

“Lesson number one for the establishment of Zion in the 21st century: You never “check your religion at the door.” Not ever. My young friends, that kind of discipleship cannot be – it isn’t discipleship at all.”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland  |  CES Devotional 2012

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“It is not enough to simply be known as a member of this Church. A solemn obligation rests upon us. Let us face it and work at it.

“We must live as true followers of the Christ, with charity toward all, returning good for evil, teaching by example the ways of the Lord, and accomplishing the vast service He has outlined for us.”

Gordon B. Hinckley  |  “A beautiful light,” Church News, Apr. 10, 2004, p. 10

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Spencer W. Kimball Portrait

We can also tell that we are making progress by the attention we get from the adversary. Do not falter nor be distressed when others misrepresent us, sometimes deliberately and sometimes in ignorance. This has been the lot of the Lord’s people from the beginning, and it will be no different in our time.

Brothers and sisters, pray for the critics of the Church; love your enemies. Keep the faith. . . . This work, which Satan seeks in vain to tear down, is that which God has placed on earth to lift mankind up!

Spencer W. Kimball  |  “No Unhallowed Hand Can Stop the Work,” Ensign, May 1980, pp. 5-6

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Neal A. Maxwell Headshot

“The more we become like Jesus, the more useful we are to Him.”

Elder Neal A. Maxwell  |  Ensign, July 1993, p. 74

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Neal A. Maxwell Headshot

“God is in the details of our lives. He knows us perfectly, just as Jesus knew the woman of Samaria whom He quizzed as to her belief in the Messiah. She said, “I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things” (John 4:25). And Jesus said, “I that speak unto thee am he” (John 4:26). She went back to her village all excited and said she’d found the Messiah, and then, significantly, she said to the villagers, “He told me all that ever I did” (John 4:39).

“God knows us perfectly. He loves us perfectly. His only begotten son, Jesus, has invited us to “come, follow me.” In a real and majestic sense, each of us has been called to serve in His holy discipleship. May we all renew our desires and efforts to do so.”

Elder Neal A. Maxwell  |  “Becoming a Disciple,” Ensign, June 1996

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