Elder McConkie regarding those who transgress after having Calling and Election made sure:



[11] What if those whose calling and election has been made sure thereafter commit grievous sins? Suppose they backslide and walk in the ways of wickedness? Or fight the truth and rebel against God--what then?
That all men commit sin, before and after baptism, and for that matter, before and after their calling and election is made sure, is self-evident. There has been only one Sinless One--the Lord Jesus who was God's own Son.
Thus in the revelation announcing the setting up of the restored church in this day, the Lord says: "There is a possibility that man may fall from grace and depart from the living God; Therefore let the church take heed and pray always, lest they fall into temptation; Yea, and even let those who are sanctified take heed also." (D&C 20:32-34.)
The prophets and apostles from Adam and Enoch down, and all men, whether cleansed and sanctified from sin or not, are yet subject to and do in fact commit sin. This is the case even after men have seen the visions of eternity and been sealed by that Holy Spirit of Promise which makes their calling and election sure. Since these chosen ones have the sure promise of eternal life, and since "no unclean thing can enter into" the Father's "kingdom" (3 Ne 27:19), "or dwell in his presence" (Moses 6:57), what of sins committed after being sealed up into eternal life?
Obviously the laws of repentance still apply, and the more enlightened a person is, the more he seeks the gift of repentance, and the harder he strives to free himself from sin as often as he falls short of the divine will and becomes subject in any degree to the Master of Sin who is Lucifer. It follows that the sins of the godfearing and the righteous are continually remitted because they repent and seek the Lord anew every day and every hour.
And as a matter of fact, the added blessing of having one's calling and election made sure is itself an encouragement to avoid sin and a hedge against its further commission. By that long course of obedience and trial which enabled them to gain so great a blessing the sanctified saints have charted a course and developed a pattern of living which avoids sin and encourages righteousness. Thus the Lord said: "I give unto you Hyrum Smith to be a patriarch unto you, to hold the sealing blessings of my church, even the Holy Spirit of promise, whereby ye are sealed up unto the day of redemption, that ye may not fall notwithstanding the hour of temptation that may come upon you." (D&C 124:124.)

But suppose such persons become disaffected and the spirit of repentance leaves them--which is a seldom and almost unheard of eventuality--still, what then? The answer is--and the revelations and teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith so recite!--they must then pay the penalty of their own sins, for the blood of Christ will not cleanse them. Or if they commit murder or adultery, they lose their promised inheritance because these sins are exempt from the sealing promises. Or if they commit the unpardonable sin, they become sons of perdition.

 Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:325-353.

Calling and Election

This, then, without amplifying, without saying more, is the doctrine that is involved. It is a true doctrine; it is a sound doctrine. What does it mean to us? It is not something that is beyond us; it is not outside the realm of our capabilities. The Lord would not offer baptism to a people and say, "Be baptized and you can be saved in my kingdom," unless he knew that the people had it within their power to enter into baptism and to do the things that will result in the promised salvation. And the Lord would not offer to a people celestial marriage and say to them, "Now enter this order of matrimony and keep the covenant and you will have eternal life," unless he knew that the people had the talent and the spiritual capacity and ability to gain the promised reward. And the same thing applies to making our calling and election sure. The Lord would not say to us, "Make your calling and election sure," unless he knew it was within our spiritual potential -- unless we had the capacity and ability to press forward in steadfastness and devotion until that desired eventuality occurred.
Now, I am suggesting that this is within the realm of possibility and of probability for the members of the Church today. Many in this dispensation have obtained such a status. This ought to cause us to make a firm and unshakable determination to gain the blessings and benefits of baptism; to gain the blessings and benefits of celestial marriage; and in each instance those blessings accrue on condition that we keep the covenants that we make in connection with those holy ordinances. And then we ought to press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, keeping the commandments and living by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God, so that our calling and election shall be made sure. In one manner of speaking, this is the most glorious doctrine that there is in the Church. It is the doctrine that assures people of eternal reward in the kingdom of God. By the grace and glory and goodness of a merciful Father, he has restored in this, our day, the knowledge, the doctrine, the keys, the priesthood, the powers -- everything that is needed to seal men up unto eternal life. Our objective, our goal, our aim, our determination in this life is to press forward with that steadfastness and devotion which will give us complete peace and satisfaction and joy in this life and assure us of eternal life in the world to come.  McConkie BYU Devotional 1969

Was that all that was Required?

Sisters, I do not know why we have the many trials that we have, but it is my personal feeling that the reward is so great, so eternal and everlasting, so joyful and beyond our understanding that in that day of reward, we may feel to say to our merciful, loving Father, “Was that all that was required?” I believe that if we could daily remember and recognize the depth of that love our Heavenly Father and our Savior have for us, we would be willing to do anything to be back in Their presence again, surrounded by Their love eternally. What will it matter, dear sisters, what we suffered here if, in the end, those trials are the very things which qualify us for eternal life and exaltation in the kingdom of God with our Father and Savior? (Linda Reeves, E 11/15)

A Close Embrace

“Rich meaning is found in study of the word atonement in the Semitic languages of Old Testament times.  In Hebrew, the basic word for atonement is kaphar, a verb that means ‘to cover’ or ‘to forgive.’  closely related is the Aramaic or Arabic word kafat, meaning ‘a close embrace...I weep for joy when I contemplate the significance of it all.  To be redeemed is to be atoned-received in the close embrace of God, with an expression not only of His forgiveness, but of our oneness of heart and mind.” (The Atonement E 11/96:34, E Nelson)

Complete Forgiveness

“Save for the exemption of the very few who defect to perdition, there is no habit, no addiction, no crime exempted from the promise of COMPLETE FORGIVENESS.  That is the promise of the atonement of Christ.” (The Brilliant Morning of Forgiveness, E 11/95:20, BKP)

You will not survive spiritually

"You will not survive spiritually without the protection of the companionship of the Holy Ghost in your daily life.
You must pray for it
and work to have it.
Only with that guide will you be able to find your way along the strait and narrow path through the mists of evil.
The Holy Ghost will be your guide as He reveals truth when you study the words of prophets.
Getting guidance will take more than a casual listening and reading.
You will NEED to pray
And WORK in faith to put the words of truth down into your 💗.
You MUST pray that God will bless you with His Spirit,
That He will lead you into all truth
And show you the right way.
That is how He will warn
and guide you into the right path in your life..."

Pres. Eyring E5/15:86

God Winked

"And the times of this ignorance 

God winked at; 

but now commandeth 

all men 

every where 

to repent:"

Acts 17:30

God Winks

 He doesn't curse me

 He doesn't turn His back

He is there

 Ready to listen

Eager to forgive

 Calling me to return

Christ's arms are stretched out

Waiting for me to see my sin

Grace strengthens me

As I return to Him

Sorrow is replaced by

Hope

Peace

Forgiveness

Love

As a new creature

I too shall Wink

At those who wrong me

I shall not curse them

Nor turn my back

Eager to forgive

With arms outstretched

 I offer the Forgiveness

and Grace

 Received from Him 

to them.

Kris
09/15

Give Me All

‘Christ says, “Give me All. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. … Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked—the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.”’ (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, New York: Collier Books, 1960, p. 167)”

I am a Child of God

"Be careful how you characterize yourself. Don't characterize or define yourself by some temporary quality.

The only single quality that should characterize us is that we are a son or daughter of God. 

That fact transcends all other characteristics, including race, occupation, physical characteristics, honors or even religious affiliation...

We have our agency and we can choose any characteristic to define us.

But, we need to know that when we choose to define ourselves or to present ourselves by some characteristic that is temporary or trivial in eternal terms, we de emphasize what is most important about us, and we overemphasize what is relatively unimportant.

This can lead us down the wrong path and hinder our progress."

Elder Oaks BYU-I 2006

Happiness

"happiness must be earned from day to day.  But it is worth it."

"Be cheerful I all that you do. Mlive joyfully. Live happily. Live enthusiastically, knowing God does not dwell in gloom and melancholy, but light and love."

"A sad face never won a battle in war or love."

"To live happily is to grow in spiritual strength toward perfection."

Quotes from Teachings of the Presidents of the Church, Pres. Benson chapter 4

Mothers

"No more sacred word exists in secular or holy writ than that of mother. There is no more noble work than that of a good and God-fearing mother."


"A child needs a mother more than all the things money can buy.  Spending time with your child is the greatest gift of all."


Ezra Taft Benson, Teachungs of the Presidents of the Church p. 197

“Let us review some of these less-conspicuous gifts: the gift of asking;
the gift of listening;
the gift of hearing and using a still, small voice;
the gift of being able to weep;
the gift of avoiding contention;
the gift of being agreeable;
the gift of avoiding vain repetition;
the gift of seeking that which is righteous;
the gift of not passing judgment;
the gift of looking to God for guidance;
the gift of being a disciple;
the gift of caring for others;
the gift of being able to ponder;
the gift of offering prayer;
the gift of bearing a mighty testimony;
and the gift of receiving the Holy Ghost”
(Marvin J Ashton in Conference Report, Oct. 1987, 23; or Ensign, Nov. 1987, 20).

"Heavenly Father
Hears your prayers.
He loves you.
He knows your name.
Jesus is the Christ,
The Son of God, and
Our Redeemer.
He loves you
Beyond your ability to comprehend.”

President Henry B. Eyring
Continuing Revelation E. 11/14

Praise

The Truth Most Worth Knowing

"If you have stumbled or even been lost for a time,
if you feel that the adversary now holds you captive,
you can move forward with faith
and not wander to and fro in the world any longer.
There are those who stand ready to guide you back to peace and security.
Even the grace of God, as promised in the scriputres, comes "After all we can do." 
The possibility of this, to me is the truth most worth knowing.

I PROMISE that the brilliant morning of forgiveness can come.  Then "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding" comes into your life once again, something like a sunrise, and you and He "will remember [your ] sin no more." [I repeat..."you and he will remember your sin no more] ( he repeated that last phrase when giving the talk but it is not in the printed version).  How will you know?  you will know!"

BKP CES Devotional 2011  Truths Most Worth Knowing

God will help

And we do not need to achieve some minimum level of capacity or goodness before God will help-divine aid can be ours every hour of every day, no matter where we are in the path of obedience.  But I know that beyond desiring His help, we must exert ourselves, repent and choose God for Him to be able to act in our lives consistent with justice and moral agency.  My plea is simply to take responsibility and go to work so that there is something for God to help us with.” 

Elder D. Todd Christofferson, E: 11/14

Face your weaknesses

“...acknowledge and face your weaknesses, but don’t be immobilized by them, because some of them will be your companions until you depart this earth life.  No matter what your current status, the very moment you voluntarily choose honest, joyful, daily repentance by striving to simply do and be your very best, the Savior’s Atonement envelops and follows you, as it were, wherever you go.  Living in this manner, you can truly, “always retain a remission of sins” every hour of every day, every second of every minute, and thus be fully clean and acceptable before God all the time.” 

Elder Klebingat, E 11/14:37

Aron Ralston's Vision

How do we develop desires? Few will have the kind of crisis that motivated Aron Ralston,3 but his experience provides a valuable lesson about developing desires. While Ralston was hiking in a remote canyon in southern Utah, an 800-pound (360 kg) rock shifted suddenly and trapped his right arm. For five lonely days he struggled to free himself. When he was about to give up and accept death, he had a vision of a three-year-old boy running toward him and being scooped up with his left arm. Understanding this as a vision of his future son and an assurance that he could still live, Ralston summoned the courage and took drastic action to save his life before his strength ran out. He broke the two bones in his trapped right arm and then used the knife in his multitool to cut off that arm. He then summoned the strength to hike five miles (8 km) for help.4 What an example of the power of an overwhelming desire! When we have a vision of what we can become, our desire and our power to act increase enormously.
Most of us will never face such an extreme crisis, but all of us face potential traps that will prevent progress toward our eternal destiny. If our righteous desires are sufficiently intense, they will motivate us to cut and carve ourselves free from addictions and other sinful pressures and priorities that prevent our eternal progress.
Elder Oaks
April Conference 2011

Be of Good Cheer I Have Overcome the World

Years ago I presided in a Church disciplinary council. The man whose sins were the subject of the council sat before us and related something of his history. His sins were indeed serious, but he had also been terribly sinned against. As we considered the matter, my soul was troubled, and I asked to be excused to think and pray about it alone before rejoining the council.


I was standing in front of a chair in my office pleading with the Lord to help me understand how such evil could have been perpetrated. I did not see but rather sensed an immense pit with a covering over it. One corner of the covering was lifted slightly for just an instant, and I perceived within the pit the depth and vastness of the evil that exists in this world. It was greater than I could really comprehend. I was overcome. I collapsed into the chair behind me. The experience seemed to take my breath away. I cried silently, “How can we ever hope to overcome such evil? How can we survive something so dark and overwhelming?”


In that moment there came to my mind this phrase: “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Seldom have I felt such peace juxtaposed with the reality of evil. I felt a deeper appreciation for the intensity of the Savior’s suffering and had a better, even frightening, appreciation for the depth of what He had to overcome. I felt peace for the man who was before us for judgment, knowing he had a Redeemer, whose grace was sufficient to cleanse him and also repair the injustices he had suffered. I knew better that good will triumph because of Jesus Christ, whereas without Him we would have no chance. I felt peace, and it was very sweet.
You Are Free
Elder Christofferson
http://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/03/you-are-free?lang=eng

Yoke

How it works: The beam rests in front of the shoulder hump (or withers), distributing weight and enabling natural and comfortable movement. Custom fitting each side allows oxen of unequal size or strength to pull together without one being dragged by the other."

Ensign 9/13