Russell M. Nelson

The antithesis of faith is doubt; the opposite of hope is despair. And the opposite of charity is disregard or even disdain for the Savior and his commandments.

Russell M. Nelson, “‘A More Excellent Hope’,” Ensign, Feb 1997, 60

Russell M. Nelson

A more excellent hope is mightier than a wistful wish. Hope, fortified by faith and charity, forges a force as strong as steel. Hope becomes an anchor to the soul. To this anchor, the faithful can cling, securely tethered to the Lord. Satan, would have us cast away that anchor and drift with the ebb tide of despair. If we will cling to the anchor of hope, it will be our safeguard forever.

Russell M. Nelson, “‘A More Excellent Hope’,” Ensign, Feb 1997, 60

Joseph B. Wirthlin

Kindness is the essence of a celestial life. Kindness is how a Christlike person treats others.


Joseph B. Wirthlin, “The Virtue of Kindness,” Ensign, May 2005, 26

C.S. Lewis

When I come to my evening prayers and try to reckon up the sins of the day, nine times out of ten the most obvious one is some sin against charity; I have sulked or snapped or sneered or snubbed or stormed.  And the excuse that immediately springs to my mind is that the provocation was so sudden and unexpected: I was caught off my guard, I had not time to collect myself.  Now that may be an extenuating circumstance as regards those particular acts: they would obviously be worse if they had been deliberate and premeditated.  On the other hand, surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of man he is?  Surely what pops out before the man has time to put on a disguise is the truth?  If there are rats in a cellar you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly.  But the suddenness does not create the rats: it only prevents them from hiding.  In the same way the suddenness of the provocation does not make me an ill-tempered man: it only shows me what an ill-tempered man I am.

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, (1952)

Jeffrey R. Holland

...negative speaking so often flows from negative thinking, including negative thinking about ourselves. We see our own faults, we speak—or at least think—critically of ourselves, and before long that is how we see everyone and everything. No sunshine, no roses, no promise of hope or happiness. Before long we and everybody around us are miserable… We should honor the Savior’s declaration to “be of good cheer.” (Indeed, it seems to me we may be more guilty of breaking that commandment than almost any other!) Speak hopefully. Speak encouragingly, including about yourself

Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Tongue of Angels,” Ensign, May 2007, 16–18

James E. Faust

If we really want to feel better about ourselves, we should do deeds of kindness.  Kindness shapes our character and makes us more like our Father in Heaven

James E. Faust, “Who Do You Think You Are?,” Ensign, Mar 2001, 2

Harold B. Lee

Happiness does not depend on what happens outside of you but on what happens inside of you. It is measured by the spirit with which you meet the problems of life.
Harold B. Lee, "A Sure Trumpet Sound: Quotations from President Lee,” Ensign, Feb. 1974, 78.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is success?
To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by
a healthy child, a garden patch
or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed
easier because you have lived;
This is to have succeeded.

Ralph Waldo Emerson