Great Throughts Treasury

"The time we spend on earth is but one tick of the eternal clock in an unending eternity. We are here in mortality for a brief moment and then on to the next stage of our development. It does not matter how many trials we have in life, just how we handle them. It does not matter how long we live, just how we live. How can we appreciate eternal good health if we have never experienced sickness, pain, or disease? How can we appreciate eternal joy if we have never experienced disappointment, hardship, or failure? How can we appreciate living forever if we have never known death?"

"It seems that a big factor that contributes to our state of happiness is the attitude we have about life. We alone are responsible for the attitude we have about things. We can decide to look for the good in life, or we can agonize over that which did not go the way we wanted and stress about what the future might bring."

"A father watched as his son struggled and strained to move a large rock. “Are you using all your strength?” “No, you’re not. You have not asked me to help.”"

"Happiness does not mean our live will be free from difficulties; it has more to do with how we approach life despite the hardships."

"A father watched as his son struggled and strained to move a large rock. ?Are you using all your strength?? ?No, you?re not. You have not asked me to help.?"

"Appreciate and be thankful for the beauty, order, and intricacy of the world we live in."

"Choosing to be righteous does not mean we will never meet disappointments, hardships, or discouragement; but it does mean that if we continually try to do what is right, Heavenly Father will bless us."

"I believe that each friend or loved one that precedes us in death serves as a magnet to make entering the next stage of our existence more inviting for us when our turn comes."

"I have found that happiness comes into my life when I choose to be positive and happy, when I look for that which is good in life, and when I appreciate the many great blessings in my life."

"I believe that our Father in Heaven sent us to earth so that we could learn to walk by faith and to become more like Him."

"I believe that the Lord requires us to earn a living ?by the sweat of our brow? not as a punishment but as a way to help us. He placed us on earth and gave us the opportunity to struggle and overcome so that we might build our character, refine our virtues and characteristics, and become better and more capable people."

"I think that sometimes in a world that focuses so much upon the importance of freedom and rights with little or no mention of duties and obligations, it is easy to get into trouble."

"In the New Testament, Jesus Christ summarizes all the laws we have been given in two great commandments: ?Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and will all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.?"

"Is God mindful of his children? How could God who is busy making planets, stars, or solar systems have time to pause and listen to us? He is wise? huge responsibilities? his relationship with his children is ultimately more important."

"Make decisions throughout your life that will help you develop the kind of character that will feel comfortable in the presence of divine purity, kindness, and love."

"It is only when we forget to call upon Him or we ignore His direction that we place ourselves in the position of becoming spiritual orphans."

"Satan rebelled against God while he was in heaven and sought to take away our ability to choose for ourselves. He wanted God to give him the power to force mankind to obey all of God?s laws. However, Satan?s plan could never have worked; for if we were not free to choose, there would be no growth, learning, or progress, and thus the purpose that God had in sending us to the earth could have been accomplished? I believe we have been placed upon this earth to learn and grow by having to choose between good and evil."

"Once I came to believe that I am a child of God, it changed my entire outlook on life. It not only expanded and enlarged my concept of who I am, but it gave real meaning to my purpose for being here on earth."

"Proverbs gave us great counsel: ?Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths, Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.?"

"When I remember to pray to my Father and ask Him for help with my problems, I can overcome discouragement, depression, and the sense of being overwhelmed."

"We seek most earnestly for answers to life?s greatest questions when we are on death?s doorstep. Why not bring that satisfaction and peace of mind to our lives sooner? The quest to find answers will be your most important investment in this lifetime."

"This life is not the beginning of our existence."

"This earth did not come into being by accident? Life on earth operates under the most amazing system of checks and balances, allowing it to perpetuate itself."