LDS Quotes

I have finished my custom schedule of reading The Book of Mormon at readthescriptures dot com. I haven't finished reading it, I got behind, but kept requesting the next assignment anyway. Because I've finished the schedule, I don't get the quotes every day & I miss it. I decided I'd go looking for them. There is a section on readthescriptures called LDS Quotes. You have to search by author, keyword or subject.

Who to search for? I thought of Elder Carlos E. Asay. He was the head of the Missionary Department when I worked there from 1976 to 1982. There are only 2 quotes by Elder Asay in the archives. One is already here on the blog, so I'm sharing the other one:

"I fear that many of us rush about from day to day taking for granted the holy scriptures. We scramble to honor appointments with physicians, lawyers, and businessmen. Yet we think nothing of postponing interviews with Deity - postponing scripture study. Little wonder we develop anemic souls and lose our direction in living. How much better it would be if we planned and held sacred fifteen or twenty minutes a day for reading the scriptures. Such interviews with Deity would help us recognize his voice and enable us to receive guidance in all of our affairs."

--Carlos E. Asay, "Look to God and Live," Ensign, Nov. 1978, 52

I have certainly enjoyed my scripture reading. I had to smile at the 15-20 minutes a day Elder Asay suggests because I finally had to cut my scripture study down to 15-20 minutes a day from 60-90 minutes a day. I still have a hard time keeping it at 15-20 minutes. I fear I'd be much less likely to read the scriptures if I had to read them from a book with tiny print. I much prefer to read them online & make the text big enough to see.

Destination

When going on a road trip, there is generally a destination in mind. When plotting life's journey, we should have a destination in mind.

"If we choose the wrong road, we choose the wrong destination."

--Elder Dallin H. Oaks, "Be Not Deceived," Ensign, November 2004, 44

Not all roads end up in the same place. President Thomas S. Monson had several choices for employment. He chose to stay in Salt Lake & work for Deseret News & that has made all the difference. Not only in his life, but in the lives of millions of Church members.

The following quote is from Elder Bruce R. McConkie's last conference talk. I remember it. He was so ill & he died just a few days after giving it.

"I am one of [Jesus Christ's] witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears. But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God's Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way."

--Bruce R. McConkie, "The Purifying Power of Gethsemane," Ensign, May 1985, 9

One of my favorite hymns is I Believe in Christ by Elder McConkie.

I remember meeting Elder McConkie when I worked in the Missionary Dept. He was on the Missionary Executive Committee. I had to run a letter over to the Administration Building for his signature. I expected to just give it to his secretary & she would take it in to him. She told me to go right in, he was waiting for it. OMG! This was a man I greatly admired. I couldn't imagine even being in his presence. I had on a pair of shoes with rubber soles. I remember his carpet being so soft, I tripped walking to his desk.

More on reverence

I started reading Elder Vaughn J Featherstone's quote on reverence & I kept thinking, we just had a quote on reverence, but I don't have any quotes from Elder Featherstone. I found the quote I was looking for here. It is not quite the way reverence is taught in Primary, but then neither is this from Elder Featherstone.

"Our Heavenly Father is perfect and we can also become perfect. One of the most Christ-like qualities we ought to develop is reverence, an attitude that shows how we feel about Heavenly Father and the things He has asked us to do. The person who is reverent has a quiet dignity. It requires a pure heart to be reverent. Reverence is more than just being quiet. It is a spiritual communication between us and our Father in heaven. When we are reverent, we don't do anything that reflects negatively upon the Lord or His Church. This does not mean just during meetings, but it includes our conduct wherever we may be or in whatever we do."

--Vaughn J Featherstone, "Friend to Friend", September 1976 Friend pg 8

Emphasis is mine. A quiet dignity, we don't have to be loud & raucous.

I love Elder Featherstone. When I first started working at the LDS Church Office Building, in 1975, I worked in the Presiding Bishopric's Office in the stenographic pool. Elder Featherstone was a counselor in the Presiding Bishopric. I had to type his name several times a day. Look at his name: Vaughn J Featherstone. There are 19 letters in his name or 25 keystrokes. That's a long name. VgFtrt or 6 letters of his name is typed with the left index finger; uhnJhn or 6 more letters of his name is typed with the right index finger.

I quit the Presiding Bishop's office. I remember thinking I would never have to type Elder Featherstone's name again. I was hired in the Missionary Department, & shortly afterwards, Elder Featherstone came to the Missionary Dept. I kept typing his name.

Elder Featherstone is a dear man. One of my favorite people.