Commonplace Book

 

"When we are keeping the commandments, we are living in revelation."
(Elder David A Bednar, RootsTech Leadership Training, 2/25/2021) 

"Only those who have the courage to make mistakes ever learn worthwhile lessons and truths.”
(Karl Maeser, as quoted in Saints, vol two, page 334)

 
"The Lord taught us the Gospel not with rule books or treatises on theology but by giving us scriptures full of life stories of real people - disciples' lives that show us by example how to live."
(Bruce C Hafen, A Disciple's Life, the Biography of Neal A Maxwell, Deseret Book 2002, 520)

 "Every thought or word or act we direct at this sacred work is pleasing to the Lord. Every hour spent on genealogical research, however unproductive it appears, is worthwhile. It is pleasing to the Lord. It is our testimony to Him that we accept the doctrine of the resurrection and the plan of salvation. It draws us close to those who have gone before. It welds eternal links of family associations and draws us closer to Him who is our Lord and stands in the presence of Him who is our Eternal Father."
(Boyd K Packer, The Holy Temple, Bookcraft 1980, pg 255)

 “Man can serve man by the spirit of man, but in order to be a servant of God we must have the spirit of God.”
(Rudger Clawson, October Conference 1899) 

"It should not surprise us that this glorious gospel message is more perfect than any of its messengers, save Jesus only. Nor should it surprise us that the gospel message is more comprehensive than the comprehension of any of its bearers or hearers, save Jesus only."
(Neal A Maxwell, The Book of Mormon: A Great Answer to "The Great Question", Symposium at BYU, October 10, 1986) 

"There is only one explanation for the war that is now concluding, and that is that the people of this world refused to honor God and keep His commandments … So we may know that war is the result of unrighteousness, not righteousness. All war that has ever occurred has happened because of unrighteousness."
(George Albert Smith, "Conference Address", Improvement Era, XLIX, Nov 1946, 762-763) 

"Today as I stand here, I realize that in this city, in the Catholic Church, the Presbyterian Church, the Methodist, the Baptist, the Episcopalian, and the other churches, I have brothers and sisters that I love. They are all my Father's children. …
"Let us not complain at our friends and our neighbors, because they do not do what we want them to do. Rather let us love them into doing the things that our Heavenly Father would have them do. We can do that"
(George Albert Smith, Closing Address, October Conference 1945) 

"The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."
(Numbers 6:24-26) 

"I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore, treasure up wisdom in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear. And that ye might escape the power of the enemy, and be gathered unto me a righteous people, without spot and blameless"
(D&C 38:30-31) 

"Some people wonder, “How do I know if a thought is from the Holy Ghost, or if it’s just me?” I don’t worry so much about that now. I’d suggest that it’s okay if it’s you, because your voice matters."
(Ben Fryar, Institutional Research & Assessment Managing Director, BYU-Idaho, The Power of Listening, BYU-I Devotional, 10 March 2020)

 "Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous."
(Albert Einstein) 

"We can even give thanks for our trials; from which we learn the things we would not know otherwise."
(Russell M Nelson, The Healing Power of Gratitude, 20 November 2020) 

"People who love to give need people willing to receive. It's a beautiful dance."
(Anonymous) 

"Be the kind of friend who makes it easier for others to obey the commandments when they are with you."
(Robert D Hales, If Thou Wilt Enter into Life, Keep the Commandments, April Conference 1996)

Commonplace Book

"When we think of the resurrection of our Redeemer, I am reminded that the purpose of his life was to prepare us all, to make a path that we could all walk, that would bring us eternal happiness in his presence as well as in the presence of one another."
(George Albert Smith, Closing Address, April Conference 1950. Emphasis added) 

"The change we need will come less by activism, and more by actively seeking to understand each other."
(Sharon Eubanks, By Union of Feeling We Obtain Power with God, October Conference 2020) 

"There can be no certain protection to the people of the world in the future except by keeping the commandments of God and the counsel He has given to His children through His servants the prophets."
(George Albert Smith, Pres Smith's Leadership Address, Church News, Deseret News, 16 February 1946) 

"Social media is awash with hate. The language of politics has become ad hominem and vile. We seem to have forgotten ... that evil speech is a plague. It destroys relationships, rides roughshod over people’s feelings, debases the public square, turns politics into a jousting match between competing egos and defiles all that is sacred about our common life. It need not be like this." (Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Words That Heal, Tazria-Metzora 5780, April 22, 2020) 

"People have a hard time changing their minds. Once their minds are made up, they are relatively impervious to argument, evidence, and persuasion."
(Robert J Samuelson, Goodbye, readers, and good luck — you’ll need it, Washington Post, September 13, 2020) 

"No generation has ever lived without facing uncertainty. … We must not let the things we can't do keep us from doing the things we can do."
(Elder Richard L Evans, The Power and Privilege of Repentance, April Conference 1950) 

"Thy servant has sought thee earnestly; now I have found thee; ...and I will do well to hearken unto thy voice, therefore let thy servant rise up and depart in peace."
(Abraham 2:12-13) 

"I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not"
(Luke 22:32) 

"Faithfulness is neither foolishness nor fanaticism. It is trusting and placing our confidence in Jesus Christ as our Savior."
(Elder David A Bednar, We Will Prove Them Herewith, October Conference 2020)

"My beloved brethren and sisters and friends: I have in my pocket a wonderful talk; one I have been three months preparing. I find it necessary, however, to deprive you of the great pleasure of hearing it at this time because it has already been given. President McKay gave half of it, and Bishop Wirthlin and Brother Lee used most of my scriptures. I am very happy, however, to be in harmony with them."
(Marion D Romney, The Atonement of the Savior, October Conference 1953. This is how he began his conference address) 

"The only safety we have as members of this church is to do exactly what the Lord said to the Church in that day when the Church was organized. We must learn to give heed to the words and commandments that the Lord shall give through His prophet, ‘as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me; … as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith’ (D&C 21:4–5). There will be some things that take patience and faith. You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may contradict your political views. It may contradict your social views. It may interfere with some of your social life. But if you listen to these things, as if from the mouth of the Lord Himself, with patience and faith, the promise is that ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory’ (D&C 21:6)” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee [2000], 84–85). 

"I don't know what the Lord's eternal timetable is, but I am sure that He is happy to have it modified by the acts of men in the use of their free agency in bringing themselves to repentance. I feel sure that there is no dire prediction of any of His prophets that He would not be happy to have set aside by the repentance of His people."
(Elder Richard L Evans, The Power and Privilege of Repentance, April Conference 1950) 

"Where there is selfishness, natural differences of men and women often divide. Where there is unselfishness, differences become complementary and provide opportunities to help and build each other. Spouses and family members can lift each other and ascend together if they care more about the interests of the other than their own interests."
(Henry B Eyring, The Complementarity of Man and Woman, An International Interreligious Colloquium Vatican City, November 18, 2014)

 "In this church we ask for faith, not infallibility."
(Jeffrey R Holland, For Times of Trouble, BYU Devotional, March 18, 1980) 

"Those who think they know are at a disadvantage, as their assumptions put up a barrier between themselves and the truth. It's the ones who understand their own ignorance who will learn the most."
(Horoscope, August 8, 2020)

Commonplace Book

A Commonplace Book. “Commonplace”, from the Latin 'locus communis', meaning “a theme or argument of general application.”  For me, it is a collection of thoughts, ideas, anecdotes, poems, observations, and quotes that stood out and caught my attention, some with comment, some without. Essentially a scrapbook, a repository of thoughts too good to just pass over and let go.

  

"Man should not slow the watch and the calendar to blind him to the fact that each moment of his life is a miracle and a mystery."

(HG Wells 1866-1946, English writer) 

"It is not the privilege of those called as leaders to slide the Church about as though it were on casters, hoping to put it into the path that men or youth will be safe within it."

(Boyd K Packer, Inspiring Music—Worthy Thoughts, October Conference 1973)

“Vice is a monster of so frightful mien

As to be hated needs but to be seen;

Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,

We first endure, then pity, then embrace.”

(Alexander Pope (1688-1744), British poet)

"Therefore, for this cause, that men might be saved, hath repentance been declared."

(Helaman 12:22)

"We were born to die, and we die to live. As seedlings of God, we barely blossom on earth; we fully flower in heaven."

(Russell M Nelson, Doors of Death, April Conference 1992)

Commonplace Book

A collection of thoughts, ideas, anecdotes, poems, observations, and quotes that stood out and caught my attention, some with comment, some without. Essentially a scrapbook, a repository of thoughts too good to just pass over and let go.

"If you never risk to lose

You may never get to win

If you never venture out

You will see nothing."

(Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), Doors)

"If you aren’t in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?”

(Often attributed to T. S. Eliot)

"Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one."

(Marcus Aurelius, 121-180. Roman emperor and philosopher)

"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."

(John F Kenney (1917-1963), Address on the first anniversary of the Alliance for Peace, March 13, 1962)

Commonplace Book

A Commonplace Book. “Commonplace”, from the Latin 'locus communis', meaning “a theme or argument of general application.”  For me, it is a collection of thoughts, ideas, anecdotes, poems, observations, and quotes that stood out and caught my attention, some with comment, some without. Essentially a scrapbook, a repository of thoughts too good to just pass over and let go.

"We should be living by covenant, not by convenience."
(Elder Robert C. Gay, of the Presidency of the Seventy, Worldwide Devotional for Youth, 3 May 2020)

"When an angel misses you, they toss a penny down … sometimes to cheer you up, to make a smile out of your frown. So, don’t pass by that penny when you’re feeling blue; it may be a penny from Heaven that an angel tossed to you."
(Anonymous)


"The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him."
(Lamentations 3:28)


"We always think of failure as the antithesis of success, but it isn’t. Success often lies just the other side of failure."
(Leo F. Buscaglia, Born for Love: Reflections on Loving, 7)

Commonplace Book

A Commonplace Book. “Commonplace”, from the Latin 'locus communis', meaning “a theme or argument of general application.”  For me, it is a collection of thoughts, ideas, anecdotes, poems, observations, and quotes that stood out and caught my attention, some with comment, some without. Essentially a scrapbook, a repository of thoughts too good to just pass over and let go.

"Listening is high religious art ... capable of attending to other people, listening to them, talking gently to them in a way that is powerfully affirming without for a moment being bland or assuming that all is well with the world or with them. The reason this is both interesting and important is that it is hard to know how to listen to God if we do not know how to listen to other people. And how can we expect God to listen to us if we are incapable of listening to others?" 

(Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Words That Heal, Tazria-Metzora 5780, April 22, 2020) 

“I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day."

(Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), 16th President of the United States)

"How often we look upon God as our last and feeblest resource! We go to Him because we have nowhere else to go. And then we learn that the storms of life have driven us, not upon the rocks, but into the desired haven." 

(George MacDonald (1824-1905), Scottish author, poet & minister)

 "If we have faith in Jesus Christ, the hardest as well as the easiest times in life can be a blessing."

(Henry B Eyring, April Conference 2012)

 "Every storm runs out of rain."

(Maya Angelou, 1928-2014, American poet, singer, memoirist, and civil rights activist)

 “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive, to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”

(Marcus Aurelius, 121-180. Roman emperor and philosopher)

Commonplace Book

 A Commonplace Book. “Commonplace”, from the Latin 'locus communis', meaning “a theme or argument of general application.”  For me, it is a collection of thoughts, ideas, anecdotes, poems, observations, and quotes that stood out and caught my attention, some with comment, some without. Essentially a scrapbook, a repository of thoughts too good to just pass over and let go.

"Come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you."

(Jacob 6:5) 

"As evil increases in the world, there is a compensatory spiritual power for the righteous. As the world slides from its spiritual moorings, the Lord prepares the way for those who seek Him, offering them greater assurance, greater confirmation, and greater confidence in the spiritual direction they are traveling. The gift of the Holy Ghost becomes a brighter light in the emerging twilight.”

(Elder Neil L Anderson, A Compensatory Spiritual Power for the Righteous, BYU Devotional, August 15, 2018) 

"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."

(Viktor E Frankl, 1905-1997, Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist, and Holocast survivor) 

"When you think about the fact that a distinguished medical doctor is the President of the Church at this time, and that over the past two years he has led changes that prepared us to be able to teach our families at home, and to minister more personally to fellow Church members, it appears the Lord knew what he was doing in calling Elder Russell M Nelson into the Quorum of the 12 so he would be in a position to lead us during this crisis.”

(Raymond Swenson, Line Upon Line, Meridian Magazine, March 13, 2020) 

"And the moon said to me, “my darling, you don't have to be whole to shine."

(Anonymous) 

"Striving to better, oft we mar what's well."

(Shakespeare: King Lear; Act 1 Scene 4) 

"One of the things I learned that will stick with me the most is your quote “If you are not failing now and then, you are not reaching high enough.” I was always afraid of failure, but now I realize it is a normal part of becoming better."

(Daris Howard, What Students Learned in Math Class 2020, Meridian Magazine, March 3, 2020)