Elder Ballard Quotes

Trying to exhaust himself, Vaughan devised an endless almanac of terrifying wounds and insane collisions: The lungs of elderly men punctured by door-handles; the chests of young women impaled on steering-columns; the cheek of handsome youths torn on the chromium latches of quarter-lights. To Vaughan, these wounds formed the key to a new sexuality, born from a perverse technology. The images of these wounds hung in the gallery of his mind, like exhibits in the museum of a slaughterhouse.

Set aside time each day to thank the Lord for that day. Never allow yourself to forget, even if it's a quick "thank you for getting me through another day.

If we want to be respected today for who we are, then we need to act confidently—secure in the knowledge of who we are and what we stand for and not as if we had to apologize for our beliefs. That doesn’t mean we should be arrogant or overbearing. Respect for others’ views should always be a basic principle for us—it’s built right into the Articles of Faith (see Articles of Faith 1:11 ). But when we act as if we are a persecuted minority or as if we expect to be misunderstood or criticized, people will sense it and respond accordingly.

The distinction between sin and weakness is important to understand the enabling or strengthening power of the atonement.  Sin results from the wrong choices we make when faced with temptation.  Sin is a choice to do wrong when we know what is right  (see Romans 3:20; 5:13).  God does not encourage or give us sin.  Moroni makes the important distinction between sin and weakness by clearly stating, “I give unto men weakness that they may be humble” (Ether 12:27).  We can’t imagine a prophet saying “God gives unto men sin.”  In fact, Elder Russell M. Ballard taught that “…the Lord gives us weaknesses-- not sin but weaknesses-- so that we may be humble…if you will but humble yourselves and turn to Them, Their grace, Their enabling power can not only help you throw off the chains of sin but actually turn your weaknesses into strengths” (BYU Speeches March 3, 2002).  This distinction helps us see that overcoming weakness is not necessarily the same thing as overcoming sin.  Weakness seems to be a part of the human nature inherent in mortality.  This weakness is felt as we experience temptation, trial, suffering, or the challenge of spiritual tasks or progression.  But it is not sin.