“To reach a goal you have never before attained, you must do things you have never before done.”
| "Finding the Way Back," Ensign, May 1990, 74
Goals
LDS Quotes on Goals
“How many specific things go undone because forgetfulness covers what a pencil and paper could have made into a prickly reminder?”
| Deposition of a Disciple (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1976), 33.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
“You must cultivate a desire to develop the skill of setting worthy and realistic goals. If your goals are righteous, then go for them. When you set a goal and commit yourself to the necessary self-discipline to reach that goal, you will eliminate most of the problems in your life. Spend your energies doing those things that will make a difference.
“We have to have faith. We have to have faith in God. We have to have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And oh, how desperately we have to have faith in ourselves.”
| How Do I Achieve My Goal?
“As we think about the future, we should be filled with faith and hope. Always remember that Jesus Christ—the Creator of the universe, the architect of our salvation, and the head of this Church—is in control. He will not permit His work to fail. He will be victorious over all darkness and evil.”
| Face the Future with Faith and Hope
“All that is not eternal [is] too short, [and] all that is not infinite [is] too small.”
| Inscription on the east transept wall of Stanford University Memorial Church
“Whenever we tackle a gospel imperative, immediate goals will help us master it. …We should set up long-range and eternal goals, to be sure—they will be the guides and inspiration of a lifetime.” Baptismal covenants fit this description. They parallel what the world calls ‘values,’ or high-level principles that govern our lives… But we should not forget the countless little immediate objectives to be won tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. To win and pass these objectives marks our progress toward the greater goals and ensures happiness and the feelings of success along the way.”
| “Gospel Imperatives,” Improvement Era, June 1967, 103
“Begin now to establish those goals which will bring you happiness—education in your chosen skill or branch of learning, whatever it may be; a mission in which to surrender yourself entirely to the Lord to do His work; future marriage in the house of the Lord to a wonderful and delightful companion of whom you will be worthy because of the way you have lived.”
| "Converts and Young Men," April 1997
“First, think about your life and set your priorities. Find some quiet time regularly to think deeply about where you are going and what you will need to do to get there. Jesus, our exemplar, often ‘withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed’ (Luke 5:16). We need to do the same thing occasionally to rejuvenate ourselves spiritually as the Savior did. Write down the tasks you would like to accomplish each day. Keep foremost in mind the sacred covenants you have made with the Lord as you write down your daily schedules.
“Second, set short-term goals that you can reach. Set goals that are well balanced—not too many nor too few, and not too high nor too low. Write down your attainable goals and work on them according to their importance. Pray for divine guidance in your goal setting.”
| "Keeping Life's Demands in Balance," April 1987