Quotes from Jeffrey R. Holland

The moment you have a self there is the temptation to put it forward, to put it first and at the center of things. And the more we are--socially or intellectually or politically or economically--the greater the risk of increasing self-worship.

We must be willing to place all that we have--not just our possessions (they may be the easiest things of all to give up), but also our ambition and pride and stubbornness and vanity--we must place it all on the altar of God, kneel there in silent submission, and willingly walk away.

Through His grace God has dealt bread to the hungry and clothing to the poor. At various times in our lives that will include all of us, either temporally or spiritually speaking.

When Christ comes, the members of His Church must look and act like members of His Church are supposed to look and act if we are to be acceptable to Him. We must be doing His work and we must be living his teachings. He must recognize us quickly and easily as truly being his disciples.

Keep your faith. Look for the good in your situation. Do something kind for someone. Seek Christ devoid of wrapping and tinsel. You will find that despite external circumstances, Christmas—like the kingdom of God—is 'within you' (Luke 17:21).

Please, never say: 'Who does it hurt? Why not a little freedom? I can transgress now and repent later.' Please don't be so foolish and so cruel. You cannot with impunity 'crucify Christ afresh.

Do all that you can to make your baptismal services a spiritual, Christ-centered experience. A new convert deserves to have this be a sacred, carefully planned, and spiritually uplifting moment. The prayers, the hymns, surely the talks that are given-all ought to be focused on the significance of this ordinance and the Atonement of Christ, which makes it efficacious.

First and forever fan the flame of your faith, because all things are possible to them that believe.

With any major decision there are cautions and considerations to make, but once there has been illumination, beware the temptation to retreat from a good thing. If it was right when you prayed about it and trusted it and lived for it, it is right now.

Hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes. You have more faith than you think you do.

In a world of tribulation--and there will always be plenty of it--let's remember our faith. Let's recall the other promises and prophecies that have been given, all the reassuring ones, and let's live life more fully, with more boldness and courage than at any other time in our history.

In a world of discouragement, sorrow, and overmuch sin, in times when fear and despair seem to prevail, when humanity is feverish with no worldly physicians in sigh, I too say, Trust Jesus. Let Him still the tempest and ride upon the storm. Believe that He can lift mankind from its bed of affliction, in time and in eternity.

Christ and His angels and His prophets forever labor to buoy up our spirits, steady our nerves, calm our hearts, send us forth with renewed strength and resolute hope. They wish all to know that "if God be for us, who can be against us?"7 In the world we shall have tribulation, but we are to be of good cheer. Christ has overcome the world.8 Through His suffering and His obedience He has earned and rightly bears the crown of "Prince of Peace.", Nov. 1996

Heaven, or the kingdom of God, is easy if e work at it hard, but hard if we work at it easy.

No one of you is insignificant, in part because you make the gospel of Jesus Christ what it is—a living reminder of His grace and mercy, a private but powerful manifestation in small villages and large cities of the good He did and the life He gave bringing peace and salvation to other people.

Each day can bring more joy than sorrow when our mortal and spiritual eyes are open to God's goodness.

When making decisions, God expects us to pray, trust, and be believing and then not give up, panic, or "jump ship" when something doesn't seem to be going right.

Don't you quit. You keep walking, you keep trying, there is help and happiness ahead.

Be a true friend to those who need your strength and integrity.

One of the early pieces of advice I had as a General Authority was that "we ought to have great music in the Church and more of it, coupled with great speaking in the Church and less of it.

I bear witness of that day when loved ones whom we knew, to have disabilities in mortality, will stand before us glorified and grand; breathtakingly perfect in body and mind. What a thrilling moment that will be. I do not know whether we will be happier for ourselves, that we have witnessed such a miracle or happier for them that they are fully perfect and finally free at last.

Sadly enough... it is a characteristic of our age, that if people want any gods at all, they want them to be gods who do not demand much: comfortable, smooth gods.

If for a while the harder you try, the harder it gets, take heart. So it has been with the best people who ever lived.

Let people repent. Let people grow. Believe that people can change and improve… If something is buried in the past, leave it buried.