Quoth me...three

If Zion could take on flesh, it would be Christ.
~Ethan

4 of us worked on the Quad. McKonkie, Ashton, Packer, and one other... oh, me.
~Pres Thomas S Monson

The family will reflect your personal turmoil if you are not seeking the Lord.

The beauty of the temple is in the sincerity of its worshipers.

The laughter of the world is just loneliness trying to reassure itself.
Broken hearts and broken homes are the results of broken covenants.
When I gave my will to the Father, I promised that I would obey. And I am free. Free of the world. And you can be free too.
~Neil A Maxwell

Boys, remember who you are and what you can become.
~Pres David O McKay


Because I have been given much
Because of thy life's mission Lord, I too must serve.
I'll leave the comfort of my home to tech thy word.
I'll see the sheep who've gone astray, and those who've never known the way.
I'll show that love by word and deed,
thus shall my thanks be thanks indeed.
~Denver Colorado Mission

I am saints for heaven and that makes a difference! I will go, I will do, the prophet told me to go and build a boat. I did it! I did it! The Lord commanded Nephi, fight the man. I did it! I did it!
~Andrew, while wearing a cheerio box on his head

He worketh in me to do according to His will.
Always put your trust in God, as it is not His work that is frustrated.
~Martin Harris

You can lose the cherry in the Shirley Temple by choosing not to repent and keep the commandments.
The worst thing you can do for your character is to feel the spirit and do nothing about it.
Unselfishness brings a ward closer together and closer to the Savior.
~Mark Tingey

Lord, use the fire in my heart to melt the lead in my feet.

We are not obedient because we are blind. We are obedient because we can see.
~M Russel Ballard

Don't run in the church, let the church run in you. Then you can walk in righteousness, and walk the strait and narrow.
~President Larsen

Remember that what binds us is stronger that what keeps us apart.

More quotes

More from my collection. ps-I cannot verify the validity of any of these quotes.


I feel a great burden being a member of the church, and yet, I'd rather feel it than not.
~Justin Cracroft

You can't go back to where you haven't been, you can't teach that which you don't know.

There is no danger of developing eyestrain from looking at the bright side of things.

There is a Book of Revelations in everyone's life. Everyday is a fresh start with no mistakes.
~Anne of Avonlea

If you want to give light to others, you first have to glow yourselves.
~Pres. Thomas S Monson

It's only a sacrifice if you give more than you get.
~Pres. Gordon B, Hinkley

Missionary work is the lifeblood of the Kingdom. When it stops flowing, the kingdom stops growing.
~Pres. Spencer W Kimball

We are not fighting for ourselves, we are fighting for the Savior.
~Elder Rex D Pinegar

When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes a quest, in that moment God with endow us with power.
~Pres. Ezra T Benson

Be loyal to the royal within you.
~ Pres. Harold B Lee

What we insistently desire, over time, is what we will eventually become and what we will eventually receive in Eternity.
~Elder Neil A Maxwell

When satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future.
~Matt Huff

The field is white, step up to the plate.
~Matt Nelson

Sisters, you and your Christ-like attributes are what will get these investigators interested.
~Elder Kikuchi

When members and missionaries work together, baptisms can rise to whatever level the members want.
~Elder M Russel Ballard

Are you the kind of missionary your mother thinks you are?

Everything that is precious to me is mine be covenant.
~Kenton Allred

He's dying to know us. No, He died to know us. Love the Lord with all thy hear,t might, mind, and soul. When we do, the Lord is eager to bless us.
~Jason Ortiz

My heart rejoices until I can hardly remain earthbound.
If I could change anything about my life, I wish that I would pray more.
~Pres. Rhodes

Stretch seconds, magnify  moments.

That person is not truly converted until he sees the power of God resting upon the leaders if the church, until it goes into his hears like fire.
~ Pres. Harold B Lee

There are few people who are either too stupid or too dishonest that you can't learn something from everyone around you.

Always use the scriptures! My mom told me to never give a talk with at least one scripture.

Ah, Hong Kong.

 So, I used to collect quotes. I ran across these in an old folder and wanted to preserve them here before tossing them. What beautiful memories. God be praised for His mercy and plan in sending me to China.

If you are ever called upon to chasten a person, never chasten beyond the balm you have within you to bind up. ~Brigham young

Yang Kekurangan dijadikan Cukup melalui Korban Tebusan Yesus Kristus.
Translation: That which is found lacking is made enough through the Atonement of Jesus Christ

View all things through the lenses of Eternity. ~James E. Faust

Our standards are not socially negotiable. ~Jeffery R. Holland

If you looked so much like the world, how would they find you? ~Neal A. Maxwell

To live and move among men, requires the heart to break . . . or harden. ~Maclane Strong

Living an inspirational life is more important than saying inspirational things ~Maclane Strong (oh the irony...)

Thick skin, soft heart. ~Maclane Strong

When the Lord commands, do it. ~Joseph Smith

If you love the Truth, you will remember it. ~Brigham Young

The devil thinks Mormonism died in Joseph. But the Gospel is in God, who never changes. ~Kyle Johnson

We will never be alone so long as we know how to pray. ~Joseph B. Wirthlin

When you save a girl, you save generations. ~Gordon B. Hinkley

They will love you , not because of who you are, but because of what you bring them. ~President Ong

I hope that things continue to remind you of the presence of your God and your calling to serve Him and His Son. Stay humble, and remember Whose time this is. ~Jake Weirman

I hope that you feel like you're a successful missionary, because you are.~Summer Hoogendorn

Footprints are not made by the leader that said, 'Go thither', but by the Leader that said, 'Come Follow Me'.


Even if the Gospel changes our lives, what good is it if it doesn't change us? ~Jessica Waters

It is the enemy who can truly teach us to practice the virtues of compassion and tolerance. ~Dalai Lama

Fear not. Consider the chickens. ~Kit Burton

The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones. ~Chinese Proverb

They won’t remember what you said or did, but how you made them feel. ~Margaret Gnadt

The church in Aberdeen is far from the fish so it doesn’t smell bad. In fact, it’s a very nice church. ~Laura Bailey

Where is a Chinese person? ~Elder Matsamuri

I don’t try my best, I DO my best. ~Sister Ladesma

I was never given the chance to change until I met the missionaries and they taught me the Gospel of Jesus Christ. ~A Chinese convert

I have a remedy so you don’t have to move…we’ll drag down the sun! ~Sister Bautista

Repenting: When you stop seeking some things, and start seeking others. ~Hugh Nibley

Are you satisfied with your wound? He he, you’re laughing. He he. ~Chinese Doctor

By being fearless we see people’s lives change. ~Elder Hudson

What good is Eternity if a person can’t use a ½ hour? ~Elder Erickson

Consecration means that I'll give you my best hammer for your best loaf of bread. ~Maclane Strong

 Actually, the spirit calls me Ted. ~President Ong

I love the Chinese people because under their minds, they have a heart that is soft. ~Elder Julian

I’m glad my companion listened more to the spirit than to the conversation. ~Jake Wierman

Other than the Gospel is gossip. ~Sis Arandia

To share the Gospel in difficult circumstances means to treasure it even more. ~Richard G. Scott

So, is this sweater missionary appropriate?~Pres. Ong

Everything Christ does is an invitation. ~Elder Segars

Your faith must make up for their lack of faith. ~Tyler Whitlock

Your best becomes better everyday. ~Elder Strong

It is better to ruffle a few feathers than to deprive a friend of the knowledge and eternal life of the Gospel. ~Joseph Smith

Our responsibility is to help people have a spiritual experience. ~Satish Tewari

God only uses tools that are organized. ~Elder Hudson

My honor is intact because I have been striving for His. ~Elder Barson

Here is my Facebook Mission album if you'd like to see.

Believing Christ

I have been rereading Believing Christ by Stephen E. Robinson over the last few months (I lost it for a while...) and while I'm not done I wanted to share a story from the book that, to me, best exemplifies the main principle of the book:

...many years ago I came into contact with a woman who was, initially at least, one of the roughest persons I have ever known. Abused as a child, she had run away from home and lived on the streets for years...[and] traveled around the country with a morotcycle gang. In late middle age, her beauty gone, she spent most of her time in a pub, where some missionaries met her when they went in to get change for a pay phone outside. When she was baptized, many of the members worried that her conversion wouldn't last, and there were good reasons to suspect that it might not.
For a long time after her baptism, this sister still swore...[and] never quite lived the word of wisdom one hundred percent. On one occasion during her first year in the Church, she lost her temper during a relief society meeting and punched out one of the other sisters...

Now the question before us is whether someone like this can seriously expect to be saved....
'Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow'...God does not lie. Whoever will come, may come. All are invited, none is excluded. Though this sister had further to travel than most, the same covenant was offered to her: "Do all you can. I will do the rest while you learn how" ...Finally, after she'd been in the Church for many years, she was ready to go to the temple.
Can such a person really expect to inherit the kingdom of God? Of course.

But now the harder question. At what point did this sister become a candidate for the kingdom? What is when she finally gave up cigarettes, or when she got her language and temper under control? Or was it when she finally qualified for a temple recommend? No. It was none of these, though they were all important landmarks in her progress. She was justified through her faith in Jesus Christ on the day that she repented of her sins, was baptized, and received the gift of the Holy Ghost, for she entered into that covenant in good faith and with all sincerity.

I love that question: "At what point [do we] become a candidate for the kingdom?" And the answer is as soon as we enter the covenant of baptism and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost! From then on, as long as we "are willing", as long as we continue to repent and try to be better we can have absolute confidence that we are covered by the covenant and will be saved, for truly "God does not lie". To sum it up with one more line from the book "[God] does not measure height - he measures growth."

Lead Me

This is such a powerful song for husbands and wives. I love it...putting our strength in God to do what He's asked us to. Here is the artist and his wife talking about the history of this song. I think everyone should hear it. I especially love the prayer at the end-a model for open, honest prayer, pleading for help from our Father. It's #22 on our playlist if you want to listen along.

I look around and see my wonderful life
Almost perfect from the outside
In picture frames I see my beautiful wife
Always smiling
But on the inside, I can hear her saying...

“Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, what about us?

Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone”

I see their faces, look in their innocent eyes
They're just children from the outside
I'm working hard, I tell myself they'll be fine
They're in independent
But on the inside, I can hear them saying...

“Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, but what about us?

Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone”

So Father, give me the strength
To be everything I'm called to be
Oh, Father, show me the way
To lead them
Won't You lead me?

To lead them with strong hands
To stand up when they can't
Don't want to leave them hungry for love,
Chasing things that I could give up

I'll show them I'm willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
So we can call this our home
Lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone

Father, lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone

Our Easter Weekend

Saturday was spent lounging around and (attentively) watching conference. What bliss. What truth.
Saturday evening I spent some time in the kitchen prepping some stuff for our Passover lunch that we planned to have with another couple and their new baby on Sunday. Oh, and while E was at priesthood, I visited an old mission buddy grilling her on the details of her upcoming wedding. SO EXCITING!
Sunday morning E helped me get things ready to go in the oven, offering his hand at washing and chopping potatoes, rolling out bread dough, and mixing up the sauce for the roast. He said he was surprised by how much work it was getting a little meal ready. ;-)
Well, the meal turned out very yummy and uplifting. After dessert some of us shared our testimony of Christ. I shared about my favorite Easter memory. On my mission I was asked to put the Easter program together for the branch sacrament meeting. I was terrified. Seeing my musical incompetence, the Lord truly blessed me with so many wonderful experiences at that time and we were able to pull it off. I also mentioned how much I love the idea of the Passover. With the blood of the Lamb on our doorways, death cannot enter in, evil cannot enter it. Yes, death will visit us all for a little season. But it will not stay, again, because of the blood of the Lamb. Do we need a symbol of some kind to place over our doorways so that the world will know of our faith? Of course not. We do not need a symbol because we have the true power of the Priesthood that makes out covenants and the Atonement real and efficacious in our lives.

Our Passover Meal: (Keep in mind that this was not a kosher meal, just a traditional one.)
London Broil Roast (from bakedbree.com/our modifications follow)
1 – 3.5 pound brisket (we used London Broil as it was cheaper)
3 onions sliced thin (2 onions)
3/4 cup chili sauce (should've halved this, it was SPICY)
1/4 cup ketchup
1 cup red wine (1 cup beef broth)
4 Tablespoons brown sugar
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 cloves chopped garlic
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (omitted)
salt and pepper
Mix all of the sauce ingredients together. Season well. Pat the meat dry .Season with salt and pepper right before you sear it.  Crank up the heat in your pan and add a little oil.  It needs to be screaming hot before the beef goes in.  We are after a nice crispy crust on the outside of our brisket.

When both sides are seared put it in your roasting pan.
Pour the sauce all over the brisket.
Cover the brisket with the sliced onions.
Add a few sprigs of thyme and season with salt and pepper.
Cover with tin foil. Put the brisket in a 300 degree oven.  The time depends on how large your brisket is.  Mine was 3.5 pounds and it cooked for almost 3 hours.  Brisket should be fork tender.  If it is not fork tender, put it back in the oven until it is.(we cooked it for 2 hours and let it rest for 30 min-it was not very tender) Get on with the other parts of your meal.

Let it rest a bit before you cut it.  Slice on the bias against the grain.  This is very important.  If you cut with the grain, you will lost the texture of the brisket and it will be tough.(true dat)

Orange Jello
duh. And anyone who knows me well will attest that I am awful at making Jello. One recipe I found actually called for juice and gelatin, not a box of Jello. But we used a box.

Unleavened Bread (from tammysrecipes.com)

Yield: 

6 cookie sheets full

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups water
6 to 6 1/2 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour

Instructions: 

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oil, honey, salt, eggs, and water. Stir until well-mixed. Stir in about 4 cups of the flour, then add more flour as needed and knead into a fairly stiff dough.
2. Divide dough into 3 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a large rectangle. You can make your matza as thin or as thick as you wish; we like ours rolled fairly thin.

3. Cut rolled dough into squares. Place squares onto lightly greased baking sheets. Prick with a fork. Sprinkle with salt if desired.
4. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven. For thin matza, bake 10-11 minutes. For medium matza, 13-14 minutes. For thick matza, bake 15-20 minutes or until done. Matza should be very lightly browned on top. Over-baked matzah will be hard and not very good, so be careful to not bake too long!


Green Salad
My friend made it. It was good.

Roasted Veggies with Rosemary
We used about 3 pounds of red potatoes and 2 carrots. 1/2 cup of olive oil and 2 T of fresh rosemary. Seasoned well. Lined a cookie sheet with foil and they roasted with the meat at 300 degrees for 1 hour. Perfectly tender.

Macaroons (there are a million recipes for these. And it doesn't help that 2 distinctly different cookies have that name. I settled on a simple one and now I can't find it. Internet Cops: Please forgive me.) P.S. These we awesome. Next time I'll make a double batch.
7 oz sweetened coconut (1 small bag or 1/2 a large one)
1/2 cup sugar
3 egg whites
pinch of salt
Mix together and mound into tablespoon-sized balls and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
I think next time I'll try unsweetened coconut and increase the sugar just a little. In my opinion, these cookies don't need to be really sweet to be good.

It was the general consensus around our table that the Jews used unleavened bread in remembrance of their flight out of Egypt. Oh, to have the kind of faith to flee from sin and follow the prophet in such haste that we wouldn't even allow our bread to rise! Reminds me of "Gazelle Intensity".
Thanks Jessie for the inspiration.

Courtesy of my mother-in-law

Here are some fun pics from our fabulous Halloween party in Payson. Thanks mom!!

Teaching in the R.S.

Over the last 3 1/2 years in this ward, I think I've spent over 3 of them as a teacher or in some teaching position in Relief Society. I LOVE to teach and am so grateful that I've been able to develop my talent a contribute to the work in this way.

Well . . . yesterday was my last time teaching! No, not ever, and fortunately, people tend to put RMs in front of the classroom more than not, so I expect to have many, many more years of service.

I taught lesson #45 from the "Teachings of Joseph Smith" book about how Joseph felt about his mission. It was beautifully written and culminated my feelings about studying the prophet's words this year.

I began with a question (as I tend to always do): What does it mean to know someone?

"Oh, I know her." or "I know my husband." We then preceded to make a lengthy list of what that could mean.

• You know their name


• You know their likes/dislikes


• You understand their perspective


• You know their history


• You know what they're feeling


• You know what they need


• You've spent time with them


• You've met them

Now, with the expectation of the last, do you know someone whom you've never met? One sister mentioned Christ. He loves, and in turn, knows us completely in return. Now what if we became to busy to spend time with Christ? Then the rest would fall away. We would know his feelings, his desires, or how to approach Him. In his way, we seem to know a lot about Joseph Smith. But do we really KNOW him as we must to have faith in the Christ of our salvation? This manual has given us the chance to really know Joseph. In his words.

In the end, I asked the sisters, "Who was Joseph Smith?" As we reviewed the list we had made about "knowing", there were answers of strong faith that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. That he loved children and cared individually about the saints. We have come to know this Joseph through our study of him this year.

And now, our challenge, is to introduce this "great, good man" to our friends.

As a side note, I would like to receive some feedback on my teaching. If you have heard me teach, I'd like to know what you thought was good, and and could be improved. Post a comment, or if you'd rather, email mrsdresses(at)gmail(dot)com. Thanks in advance.

Pray for something he can give you...

At one point Bro. Griffin told us to make sure that we were praying for things that God could give us. He reminded us that if all 30 of us were praying that God would make us seminary teachers, God could not answer those prayers. Well he could he said (he has all power), but he won't answer that prayer for all of you.
That really opened my eyes and my heart. Up to that point I think I probably had been praying for his help to become a seminary teacher. Afterwards I was able to honestly look at what I wanted. I asked Him to help me do my best as I taught, that I could teach by the spirit and be a blessing in the lives of the students. That prayer was answered!!!

"More fit for the kingdom, more used would I be"

I mentioned in my last post that I was a little disappointed that I (most likely) will not get to student teach. I love teaching seminary and it would be impossible to not be sad that I won't get to spend my career in the class with amazing kids. But the main reason that I'm not too disappointed is that the focus of the class is not on becoming a seminary teacher. I know that might sound weird that the focus of a class called "Methods of seminary teaching" is not on becoming a seminary teacher...but the teacher, Brother Griffin, says from day one that the focus is on becoming more like the Master teacher. He quotes the hymn ‘More Holiness Give Me’:
“More fit for the kingdom, more used would I be, more blessed and holy, more, savior, like thee.”
These have, over the last few months, become some of my favorite verses. That was our focus in every class and every teaching experience! When the time came for 25 of us to find out that we would not be student teaching, we were not devastated but could look back thankfully on experiences that really have made us 'more fit for the kingdom', that have prepared us to serve wherever the Lord will send us.
I am so grateful that I took those classes and would encourage everyone to take them if they get the chance. No matter what position we hold in life we are teachers, and our goal in life is to become like the Master Teacher. I really do feel like the words of the hymn have been realized for me this semester, 'more fit for the kingdom...more savior like thee.'

The Body of Christ

The institute class I am taking right now is called 'Methods of Teaching Seminary', in preparation to become a seminary teacher (if I get to student teach, and then if I get hired...). To help us practice, instead of a devotional at the beginning of class, one of us teaches a 5 minutes lesson and then we get feedback from the class. I taught a while ago and it went really well, so I wanted to share the doctrine I taught. If you have time, read the following scriptures:
Eph 4:12-15, Eph 5:23, & 1 Cor 12:27.
We see that Christ is 'the Head', and that the church is the 'body of Christ', and that we as members of the church are also the body of Christ. But what does it mean to be "the Body of Christ"? Think about poeple with disabilities, or who have been in accidents...the head might still be giving out instructions, but some of the parts are no longer responding, for whatever reason. How frustrating would that be, to not have control of your hand, foot or eyes?
While you are thinking about that, listen to the song "If We are the Body" (number 4 on our playlist-below and to the right), and then read the conclusion.
I know that Christ is the head of the church, and the head of 'the body of Christ', of which we are 'members in particular'. I know that we have the opportunity to be His hands to lift up the weary, his feet to go after the lost sheep, and his voice to teach people that He is the way. I hope that we are not the hand or foot that is no longer responding to the directions from the head. I love what president Monson says (paraphrased): 'I try to live my life so that if the Lord needs an errand run, He knows that Tommy Monson will do it'. I pray that I can be that responsive to the Lord, that I can be his hands to reach and heal and lift and teach those around me.

It was a normal situation: Sunday evening,the family was gathered around the table ready to play a game. The caveat: A stake priesthood meeting. I like going to priesthood meetings, they are usually very edifying and inspire me to be better. But two weeks ago, I didn't want to go. I wanted to stay home and play the farming game, a dilemma I usually don't face. Thanks to a good wife, a slight prod from the spirit, and a small encouragement from a father-in-law who believes in fulfilling your priesthood duties, I made it. And that seemingly small decision has made a large impact on my life:
-It reaffirmed my testimony that our priesthood leaders are led from on high
-It renewed my desire to share the gospel with my co-workers
-I was lifted up and given strength that only in hindsight could I see that I was lacking.

Truly the Lord kept his promise when he said "if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and ^astrengthen them,..."

Years of Plenty and Years of Scarcity - words of a prophet

On Friday we had the opportunity to attend a fireside by Elder Joe J. Christensen, an emeritus general authority. He talked about the current economic difficulties and quoted from a talk by president Hinckley in conference in 1998:

We have witnessed in recent weeks wide and fearsome swings in the markets of the world. The economy is a fragile thing. A stumble in the economy in Jakarta or Moscow can immediately affect the entire world. It can eventually reach down to each of us as individuals. There is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed.

Elder Christensen then remarked that, looking at the world today, President Hinckley truly was a seer, and that those who had followed his counsel to get their houses in order and get out of debt are surely grateful that they followed the counsel of a prophet.
That quote and remark made me remember something I hadn't thought of for almost 3 years.
In that same talk (right before the quote above), president Hinckley also spoke of Pharoah's dream of 7 years of plenty and 7 years of scarcity. After which he said "I am not predicting years of famine in the future. But I am suggesting that the time has come to get our houses in order."

Seven years after that talk (To the boys and to the Men) he said the following in General Conference in a talk called, If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear:

"Now what I have said should not occasion a run on the grocery store or anything of that kind. I am saying nothing that has not been said for a very long time.

"Let us never lose sight of the dream of Pharaoh concerning the fat cattle and the lean, the full ears of corn, and the blasted ears; the meaning of which was interpreted by Joseph to indicate years of plenty and years of scarcity"

I don't think that the current situation (economic and moral) is going to improve drastically anytime soon, so I am thankful for prophets who 'see' and then tell me (every six months, if not more often) what I can do to be prepared.
Though in school, Megs and I have tried hard to follow president Hinckley's advice to stay out of debt, obtain food storage, and live within our means. And I'm happy to say that we have no debt (and will be graduating this spring) and that we have 3 months food storage (which we have lived off of for a few weeks more than once). Having a small reserve has also allowed us to serve, and give, knowing that we had extra.

Obedience makes us free from the entanglements of debt and fads, clouds of fear and guilt, because the Son has set us free by His name and by His grace. One of the greatest blessings of all is that I can sleep each night in peace with hope for tomorrow.

The First Law of Heaven

For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing (DC 132:5)

Blessing - Law

Guidance and Prosperity - Fasting & Helping the afflicted (Fast offering) (Isaiah 58:6-11) (Lots of blessings in these verses-Also see this talk by E' Uchtdorf)

Charity - Prayer, Discipleship (Moroni 7:48)

Double Your Spirituality - Double Your Fast Offering (Pres. Marion G. Romney)

Comfort - Keep the Commandments (John 14:15,18)

Wisdom and Great (Hidden) Treasures of Knowledge - Word of Wisdom (DC 89)

Strength and Nourishment - Keep the Commandments (specifically the one you are struggling with RIGHT now) 1 Nephi 17:3

Here are links to some great talks on the subject:
A Law Upon Which All Blessings Are Predicated by David A. Thomas

"I will not leave you comfortless"

Today Megs and I had a wonderful opportunity to speak in a sacrament meeting at the Logan Rehabilitation Center. I went through several topics as I was preparing my talk, but none of them seemed quite right. Then came to my mind one of my favorite scriptures, from a picture of Christ that hung on my bedroom wall when I was a teenager: "I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you." So many times in my life I have seen that promise fulfilled, I who have suffered so little and been blessed so greatly. I hoped that I could adequately share that message with people who are truly suffering. I know that I do not understand what they are going through, and that perhaps they do not understand why they must suffer so. I found a wonderful talk by Gene R. Cook that expressed many of the feelings that I wished to share. It is titled "The Love of God: Suffering Tribulation in the Redeemer's Name"
(Here is a link to the talk: http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=8676)

As I sat in the room before the meeting and looked at those wonderful, faithful, elderly people, I asked the Lord to help me. I was filled with a great love for them, and a sense of compassion for their suffering. Compassion is not something that comes easy to me (Ask Megs......) I am often too analytical, too detached. Today the Lord opened my heart and blessed me, helping me to love those to whom I was to speak by helping me sense what they were suffering. And because of that love I desired with all my heart to share with them His love, and his promise to "leave them not comforless". He is the Master Healer, the Good Shepherd. He does know his sheep. He knows us by name. And He will send the comforter unto us, to give us remembrance of brighter days, happier times, and blessings received. He will help us find President Monsons "June Roses in the Decembers of our lives". He alone knows fully what we suffer, and why we sometimes must suffer. And He, the Lord of all the universe, the creator of worlds without number, will keep His promise, He will not leave us comfortless! He will take us in his arms, as a little child, calm our fears, and then lead us into our eternal home, to inherit celestial glory with our families.
I could not hold back the tears as I spoke (hardly can I now as I remember) because once again I was reassured that He knows me, and that He knows them, and no matter the present difficulties, that all will be well.