Joseph B. Wirthlin Quotes

To beguile is to deceive or lead astray, as Lucifer beguiled Eve in the Garden of Eden.

We should be patient in developing and strengthening our testimonies. Rather than expecting immediate or spectacular manifestations, though they will come when needed, we should pray for a testimony, study the scriptures, follow the counsel of our prophet and other Church leaders, and live the principles of the gospel. Our testimonies then will grow and mature naturally, perhaps imperceptibly at times, until they become driving forces in our lives.

Mortality is very brief but immeasurably important.

Jesus Christ is infinitely more than a great teacher and philosopher.

Learning to endure times of disappointment, suffering, and sorrow is part of our on-the-job training. These experiences, while often difficult to bear at the time, are precisely the kinds of experiences that stretch our understanding, build our character, and increase our compassion for others.

Over the course of my years, I have met thousands of people. I have dined with the prosperous as well as the poverty-stricken. I have conversed with the mighty and with the meek. I have walked with the famous and the feeble. I have run with outstanding athletes and those who are not athletically inclined. One thing I can tell you with certainty is this: You cannot predict happiness by the amount of money, fame, or power a person has. External conditions do not necessarily make a person happy ... The fact is that the external things so valued by the world are often the cause of a great deal of misery in the world. Those who live in thanksgiving daily, however, are usually among the world's happiest people. And they make others happy as well.

Though our trials are diverse, there is one thing the Lord expects of us no matter our difficulties and sorrows: He expects us to press on.

The spiritual self of each of us is that part of us that will never grow old, or ill, or die, but it must be nurtured and invigorated!

A certain amount of impatience may be useful to stimulate and motivate us to action. However, I believe that a lack of patience is a major cause of the difficulties and unhappiness in the world today.

Daily prayers can help us keep on the path that leads to eternal life. We are very unlikely to stray if we offer a humble, simple prayer at least each morning and evening to express thanks and to seek divine guidance.

We are ever on the threshold of new journeys and new discoveries. Can you imagine the excitement of the Wright brothers on the morning of that first flight? The anticipation of Jonas Salk as he analyzed the data that demonstrated a way to prevent polio?

Think of how dark that Friday was when Christ was lifted up on the cross ... It was a Friday filled with devastating, consuming sorrow that gnawed at the souls of those who loved and honored the Son of God.

Patience with family members and others who are close to us is vital for us to have happy homes.

You can find peace amidst the storms that threaten you.

Some of the happiest people I know have none of the things the world insists are necessary for satisfaction and joy.

You can get people to work by using threats or by promising rewards.

Fast offerings are used for one purpose only: to bless the lives of those in need.

There is no real joy that does not involve self-denial and self-discipline

Lucifer is a master at gradual deception.

Sometimes we make the process more complicated than we need to. We will never make a journey of a thousand miles by fretting about how long it will take or how hard it will be. We make the journey by taking each day step by step and then repeating it again and again until we reach our destination.

Love is the beginning, the middle, and the end of the pathway of discipleship. It comforts, counsels, cures, and consoles. It leads us through valleys of darkness and through the veil of death. In the end love leads us to the glory and grandeur of eternal life.

You are stronger than you think.

Why must we love the Lord? Because as we do so, we become refined, pure, and holy.

Come what may and love it.

When we make purchases on credit, they give us only an illusion of prosperity.

Being true to one's duty is a mark of true disciples of the Lord and the children of God. Be valiant in your duty. Stay in step. Do not fail in your most important task, that of keeping your second estate. Be true to your duty, for it will bring you to God.

Bookstore operators tell us that the books which head the bestseller list are books on peace and happiness.

Even when we make mistakes, we hope others will love us in spite of our shortcomings - even if we don't deserve it.

In my early teens, I was a janitor. In high school, I got up early to deliver to accounts that required early service.

Some people are weak in their faith and testimonies but are not even aware of how precarious their situation is. Many of them likely would be offended at the suggestion.

For me, the Lord has opened the windows of heaven and showered blessings upon my family beyond my ability to express.

Charity can be the outward expression of faith and hope.

The Holy Ghost is a personage of Spirit: a separate and distinct member of the Godhead.

The Spirit is as operative today in communicating the gospel to all who seek the truth as it was on the day of Pentecost anciently.

Prior to high school, I played a lot of neighborhood football.

'Success' is a seductive word. Thousands of books have been written on the subject. They promise money, freedom, leisure, and luxury.

The birth of the Savior into mortality is an event of immeasurable significance that occurred almost 2,000 years ago. In much of the world, calendar years are numbered forward and backward from the entire time of His birth.

Some memories are unforgettable, remaining ever vivid and heartwarming!

Because Jesus Christ suffered greatly, He understands our suffering. He understands our grief. We experience hard things so that we too may have increased compassion and understanding for others.

This I have observed: There are no language barriers in the Church. There is a mighty power that transcends the power of messages conveyed by words alone, and this is the power of messages communicated by the Spirit to our hearts.

The Lord will never forsake or abandon anyone, You may abandon him, but he will not abandon you. You never need to feel that you are alone.

I remember when I was young, there was an older boy who was physically and mentally disabled. He had a speech impediment and walked with difficulty. The boys used to make fun of him. They teased and taunted him until sometimes he would cry.

God truly is our Father, the Father of the spirits of all mankind. We are his literal offspring and are formed in his image. We have inherited divine characteristics from him.

The sweet companionship of eternal marriage is one of the greatest blessings God has granted to His children.

Our integrity determines what we really are.

President Eyring is a wise, learned, and spiritual man.

My mother was a very positive thinker; she was always active, always doing something good.

The way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life.

Perseverance means to continue in a given course until we have reached a goal or objective, regardless of obstacles, opposition, and other counterinfluences ... Perseverance is a positive, active characteristic ... It gives us hope by helping us realize that the righteous suffer no failure except in giving up and no longer trying.

Our homes need to be more Christ-centered. We should spend more time at the temple and less time in the pursuit of pleasure. We should lower the noise level in our homes so that the noise of the world will not overpower the still, small voice of the Holy Ghost. One of our greatest goals as parents should be to enjoy the power and influence of the Holy Ghost in our homes.

We see ourselves as yesterday and today. Heavenly Father sees us as forever.

I love the German and the Swiss people for their many fine traits of character. I love their language that is so exacting and yet so expressive.

The plague of pornography is swirling about us as never before. Pornography brings a vicious wake of immorality, broken homes, and broken lives. Pornography will sap spiritual strength to endure. Pornography is much like quicksand. You can become so easily trapped and overcome as soon as you step into it that you do not realize the severe danger. Most likely you will need assistance to get out of the quicksand of pornography. But how much better it is never to step into it. I plead with you to be careful and cautious.

A computer can be a useful and indispensable tool. But if we allow it to devour our time with vain, unproductive, and sometimes destructive pursuits, it becomes an entangling net.

If we become ill, modern medicine can work healing miracles.

Valued companionships begin with a personal commitment to be an exemplary companion.

While we yearn for peace, we live in a world burdened with hunger, pain, anguish, loneliness, sickness, and sorrow.

Faith is not so much something we believe; faith is something we live.

God wants us to serve willingly and obediently.

True disciples of Jesus Christ have always been concerned for the one. Jesus Christ is our greatest example. He was surrounded by multitudes and spoke to thousands, yet He always had concern for the one.

Please do not lose hope in the Savior and His love for you. It is constant. He promised that He would not leave us comfortless.

Many of the most important and life-changing moments of my life occurred when I was a young man. The lessons I learned then formed my character and shaped my destiny.

As we progress and become more like the Savior, we can strengthen every group with whom we associate, including families and friends.

The Savior encouraged brotherhood. He was not a long-distance leader. He walked and worked with those whom he led. He was not afraid of close friendships. He spent many hours with his disciples, and his relationships with them were intimate.

We should learn to be patient with ourselves. Recognizing our strengths and our weaknesses, we should strive to use good judgment in all of our choices and decisions, make good use of every opportunity, and do our best in every task we undertake. We should not be unduly discouraged nor in despair at any time when we are doing the best we can. Rather, we should be satisfied with our progress even though it may come slowly at times.

The impressions on the soul that comes from the Holy Ghost are far more significant than a vision. It is where the spirit speaks to spirit and the imprint upon the soul is far more difficult to erase.

Most of us don't mind doing what we ought to do when it doesn't interfere with what we want to do, but it takes discipline and maturity to do what we ought to do whether we want to or not.

Our prayers can and should be focused on the practical, everyday struggles of life.

We observe that in the scriptures, fasting almost always is linked with prayer. Without prayer, fasting is not complete fasting; it's simply going hungry.

At the final day, the Savior will not ask about the nature of our callings. He will not inquire about our material possessions or fame. He will ask if we ministered to the sick, gave food and drink to the hungry, visited those in prison, or gave succor to the weak.

We cannot have the fruits of the gospel without its roots.

Love is the greatest of all the commandments-all others hang upon it. It is our focus as followers of the living Christ. It is the one trait that, if developed, will most improve our lives.

In some respects, progressing through life is like running a marathon.

In the first century A.D., members of the growing Church in Corinth were enthusiastic about the gospel. Almost all were recent converts to the Church. Many were attracted to it through the preaching of the Apostle Paul and others.

Prosperity often leads to pride, which leads to sin.

My own great-grandfather suffered so much from asthma that he had to walk a mile or two behind the covered wagons crossing the plains to avoid the dust. However, he always arrived at his destination and did his share of the work.

Don't be discouraged if the answer to your prayer does not come immediately. Study, ponder, and pray, sincerely having faith, and live the commandments.

Knowledge is very important and one of the few things that accompanies us into the next life.

When I was a deacon, the ominous signs of the Great Depression began to appear. Tens of thousands lost their jobs. Money was scarce. Families had to do without. Some young people did not ask their mothers, 'What's for dinner?' because they knew all too well that their cupboards held very little.

As we look for humor, seek for the eternal perspective, understnd the principle of compensation, and draw near to our Heavenly Father, we can endure heardship and trial.

Perhaps the best-known Old Testament example of perseverance is the story of Job.

Wherever I go throughout the world - no matter the language, no matter the culture - I thrill to hear the testimonies of the Saints.

My father was truly a great man. I remember one day putting my feet in my father's shoes. I was amazed at the size. Would I ever be big enough to fill his shoes? Could I ever grow into the man my father was? I wondered.

Having received the Spirit of Christ to know good from evil, we should always choose the good.

Some have been ensnared in the net of excessive debt. The net of interest holds them fast, requiring them to sell their time and energies to meet the demands of creditors. They surrender their freedom, becoming slaves to their own extravagance.

The notion that you can endanger your physical and mental health by letting strong passions go unsatisfied is a vicious falsehood.

I have had the opportunity to become acquainted with many wonderful people from many walks of life. I have known rich and poor, famous and modest, wise and otherwise.

The greater the measure of our love, the greater is our joy.

Joseph Smith was true to his calling and fulfilled his duty even in the face of severe persecution and great personal sacrifice.

The ideal course of life is not always easy.

Prophets have no other purpose, no other mission except to serve God.

When some people have a difficult job to do, they give up everything else until that job is finished. Others just give up.

My parents were hardworking. They made every penny stretch as far as possible. That was probably the major reason everything they gave me was always two or three sizes too large.

Nothing you do makes much of a difference if you do not have charity. You can speak with tongues, have the gift of prophecy, understand all mysteries, and possess all knowledge; even if you have the faith to move mountains, without charity it won't profit you at all ... Without charity-or the pure love of Christ-whatever else we accomplish matters little. With it, all else becomes vibrant and alive.

Logic itself affirms that a loving Heavenly Father would not abandon His children without providing a way for them to learn of Him.

Pondering, which means to weigh mentally, to deliberate, to meditate, can achieve the opening of the spiritual eyes of one's understanding.

I believe that perseverance is vital to success in any endeavor, whether spiritual or temporal, large or small, public or personal ... All significant achievement results largely from perseverance.

If you feel that Heavenly Father is not listening to your petitions, ask yourself if you are listening to the cries of the poor, the sick, the hungry, and the afflicted all around you.

If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be times of greatest growth, which in turn can lead toward times of greatest happiness.

Parents should plant deeply the seed of the work ethic into the hearts and habits of their children.