Words, Thoughts, and Desires ![]()
"But purify your hearts before me; and then go ye into all the world, and preach my gospel unto every creature who has not received it." D&C 112:28
"Keep your thoughts clean, the things you dwell on. Get out of the gutter; stand tall and clean. Unclean thoughts . . . are like a terrible poison that will tear you down and utterly ruin your lives. If you are busy with your missionary work you won't be troubled with those things. . . . Be worthy of the tremendous commission you have." President Gordon B. Hinckley, LDS Church News, July 4, 1998
"If you go on a mission to preach the gospel with lightness and frivolity in your hearts, looking for this and that, and to learn what is in the world, and not having your minds riveted - yes, I may say riveted - on the cross of Christ, you will go and return in vain...Let your minds be centered on your missions, and labor earnestly to bring souls to Christ." Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 12:33-34.
"A missionary should never permit himself to see a movie or (read) cheap literature, or hear music that tends to interfere with or which dampens the spirit of missionary work. There is ample evidence that rock music is offensive to the Spirit and affects adversely the spirituality of the missionaries and thus the success of the proselyting work." Ezra Taft Benson, The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 202
"Remember, young men, that purity precedes power. The Lord said, 'But purify your hearts before me; and then go ye into all the world, and preach my gospel unto every creature who has not received it' (D&C 112:28). Missionaries discover this very early in their missions and make every effort to be worthy so they can serve with power." M. Russell Ballard, October 1990 General Conference
"To remain clean and worthy, one must stay positively and conclusively away from the devil's territory, avoiding the least approach toward evil. Satan leaves his fingerprints." Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 232.
"How could a person possibly become what he is not thinking? Nor is any thought, when persistently entertained, too small to have its effect. The 'divinity that shapes our ends' is indeed ourselves." Spencer W. Kimball, Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 104-105.
"The thought in your mind at this moment is contributing, however infinitesimally, almost imperceptibly, to the shaping of your soul...Even passing and idle thoughts leave their impression." David O. McKay, The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 105.
"I will know what you are if you tell me what you think about when you don't have to think." David O. McKay, True to the Faith, p. 170.
"A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts." Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 103.
"When we speak, let us speak good words; when we think, think good thoughts; and when we act, perform good acts; until it shall become the delight of every man and woman to do good instead of evil, and to teach righteousness by example, and precept rather than unrighteousness." Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 10:360
"All our dignity consists then in thought. By it we must elevate ourselves, and not by space and time, which we cannot fill. Let us endeavor then to think well; this is the principle of morality." Blaise Pascal, Pascal's Penses, number 347.
"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7
"A man's what he thinks about all day long." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"A man's action is only a picture book of his creed." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The key to every man is his thought. Sturdy and defying though he look, he has a helm which he obeys, which is the idea after which all his facts are classified. He can only be reformed by showing him a new idea which commands his own." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The spiritual is the parent of the practical. Thought is the parent of the deed." Thomas Carlyle
"They who know the truth are not equal to those who love it, and they who love it are not equal to those who delight in it." Confucius
"A man cannot utter 2 or 3 sentences without disclosing to intelligent ears precisely where he stands in life and thought." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." Albert Schweitzer
"Change your thoughts, and you change your world." Norman Vincent Peale
One's thoughts and words are the deepest reflection of true priorities and desires. When missionaries gather, dedicated missionaries share ideas and stories about missionary work while others talk about entertainment, their plans following release, or eating at a Western restaurant. A truly dedicated missionary consistently centers his desires and thoughts on the Lord's work and always seeks to be more effective. Self-improvement comes naturally when a missionary puts the Lord's work above his own. The true test of a missionary is not simply in accepting the mission call, but in the dedication with which he or she serves daily.