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My focus this morning will be on the divine nature and destiny of women and the sacred role they play in the sanctification and purification of men.  In pondering the effect women have had on my life, I have concluded that there has been a metamorphosis of my spirit that could not have taken place without these relationships. Complete text of this talk and other formats are available at speeches.byu.edu .

You need not be either rich or hold high position to be completely successful and truly happy. In fact, if these things come to you, and they may, true success must be achieved in spite of them, not because of them. It is remarkably difficult to teach this truth. Original talk at lds.org

...Many of the things we value in our religion will not be enough to save us.  Personal testimony, for example, is not enough, a temple recommend won’t do it, visions and ministering of angels, personal healings, a brilliant grasp of the gospel, a righteous lineage; all of the ordinances put together will not do it; the celebrity and universal good opinion of your friends and colleagues in the Church will not do it.  Each of these is necessary, but without reaching out to the "least of these, my brethren" they don’t qualify us. Listen or  Read at BYUI devotional site.

If you and I would learn to discern the difference between our own emotions and the promptings of the Holy Ghost, then we must come to recognize the Lord’s pattern and process for giving us spiritual knowledge. And the phrase “line upon line, precept upon precept” describes a central feature of the Lord’s pattern. Read original text Read New Era article Listen to mp3 audio

 How can a father raise a happy, well-adjusted daughter in today’s increasingly toxic world? The answer has been taught by the Lord’s prophets. It is a simple answer, and it is true—“The most important thing a father can do for his [daughter] is to love [her] mother.”1 By the way you love her mother, you will teach your daughter about tenderness, loyalty, respect, compassion, and devotion. She will learn from your example what to expect from young men and what qualities to seek in a future spouse. You can show your daughter by the way you love and honor your wife that she should never settle for less. Your example will teach your daughter to value womanhood. You are showing her that she is a daughter of our Heavenly Father, who loves her. Read, listen, or watch at lds.org

The priesthood does not have the strength that it should have and will not have until the power of the priesthood is firmly fixed in the families. We need everyone. The tired or worn out or lazy and even those who are bound down with guilt must be restored through repentance and forgiveness. Too many of our priesthood brethren are living below their privileges and the Lord’s expectations. Read, watch, or listen at lds.org

The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can go home but that—miraculously—we can feel at home there. If Christ did not require faith and repentance, then there would be no desire to change. Think of your friends and family members who have chosen to live without faith and without repentance. They don’t want to change. They are not trying to abandon sin and become comfortable with God. Rather, they are trying to abandon God and become comfortable with sin. If Jesus did not require covenants and bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost, then there would be no way to change. We would be left forever with only willpower, with no access to His power. If Jesus did not require endurance to the end, then there would be no internalization of those changes over time. They would forever be surface and cosmetic rather than sinking inside us and becoming part of us—part of who we are. Put simply, if Jesus didn’t require practice, then we would never become pianists. Read or listen at speeches.b

May I suggest that you set aside time every day to find out for yourself if the Book of Mormon is a true book.  For it will change your heart and change your life. If you seek this knowledge with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, I promise you will receive an answer. Such a personal testimony is essential if we are to safely navigate the sometimes treacherous paths of life, with the adversary attempting to deceive us at every turn. Read or listen at speeches.byu.edu

How can we be more cheerful and enthusiastic? How can we be more polite, kind, and sincere and show genuine concern for other people and be patient, especially with family and friends? How can we increase our temperance and be more humble and submissive to the Lord? How can we have increased godly love and be more positive and bring more energy into our lives? How can we increase our self-mastery, self-discipline, and self-control? How can we better govern ourselves and be more hones t and true to the teachings of Heavenly Father? How can we exercise our God-given moral agency in inspiring ways? Let me suggest three basic, simple principles you can follow daily to cultivate, increase, and deepen your spirituality. Listen or read at speeches.byu.edu