“Aim at heaven and you will get the earth thrown in; aim at earth and you will get neither.”

CS Lewis | Mere Christianity

Topics: Inspirational Quotes, Motivational Quotes, Purpose, Secularism (Worldliness)

“Now a good many people in the world do not know what the resurrection is. Do you teach your children and your associates what it means? . . . [The Savior’s] resurrection is plain to the Latter-day Saints who understand the gospel, but there are so many who do not understand what it means. . . . The purpose of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is to prepare every man, woman and child for the time when all those who have died will be brought forth from their graves, and when our Heavenly Father will establish his kingdom upon this earth and the righteous will dwell there and Jesus Christ will be our King and our Law-giver.”

George Albert Smith | Teachings of Presidents of the Church, George Albert Smith, Ch. 7, “The Immortality of the Soul”

Topics: Death, Final Judgement, Physical, Purpose, Resurrection

As we consider our mortal existence on this earth and the purpose of life expressed by Alma that ”this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God” (Alma 34:32), what is the Lord’s way to help us achieve this very purpose? It is simply, by using this metaphor, to help us build a bridge of faith in our life for crossing and overcoming the walls of unbelief, indifference, fear, or sin. Our mortal life is the time for men to meet God by building a bridge of faith, opening the door into immortality and eternal life.

Charles Didier | Ensign, November 2001

Topics: Eternal Life, Mortality, Plan of Salvation, Purpose

“It is a peculiarity of man that he can only live by looking to the future – sub specie aeternitatis. And this is his salvation in the most difficult moments of his existence, although he sometimes has to force his mind to the task.”

Victor Frankl | Mean's Search for Meaning

Topics: Goals, Potential, Purpose

“We are the creative force of our life, and through our own decisions rather than our conditions, if we carefully learn to do certain things, we can accomplish those goals.”

Stephen R. Covey | Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Topics: Decisions, Goals, Purpose

“In all humility and sincerity we must admit a power higher than ourselves from whom is derived a positive moral code that will give our lives significance and purpose. We also must remember once and for all that honesty, respect, and honor as such are not for sale on the market block. They are ingredients that you and I and all people should put into our daily lives.”

Delbert L. Stapley | "Honesty and Integrity", June 1971 Ensign pg 104

Topics: Humility, Morality, Purpose

Therefore, perhaps the challenge is to have the kind of faith during the hard times that we exercised when we first chose. The kind of faith that turns questioning and even anger into acknowledging the power, blessings, and hope that can come only from Him who is the source of all power, blessings, and hope. The kind of faith that brings the knowledge and assurances that all that we experience is part of the gospel plan and that for the righteous, all that appears wrong will eventually be made right. The peace and understanding to endure with dignity and clarity of purpose can be the sweet reward. This kind of faith can help us to see the good, even when life’s path seems to be layered only with thorns, thistles, and craggy rocks.

Richard C. Edgely | “For Thy Good,” Ensign, May 2002, p. 6

Topics: Faith, Purpose

“But when considered from the unique perspective of eternity, fame and popularity aren’t nearly as important as loving and being loved; status doesn’t mean much when compared to service; and acquiring spiritual knowledge is infinitely more meaningful than acquiring an excess of wealth.”

Elder M. Russell Ballard | Our Search for Happiness

Topics: Knowledge, Money, Purpose

You cannot be passive in life, or in time the natural man will undermine your efforts to live worthily. You become what you do and what you think about. Lack of character leads one under pressure to satisfy appetite or seek personal gain.”

Richard G. Scott

Topics: Character, Natural Man, Purpose

“Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given you by God. If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to His service, you could not give Him anything that was not in a sense His own already. It is like a small child going to its father and saying, ‘Daddy, give me sixpence to buy you a birthday present.’ Of course, the father does, and he is pleased with the child’s present. It is all very nice and proper, but only an idiot would think that the father is sixpence to the good on the transaction.”

CS Lewis | Mere Christianity

Topics: Plan of Salvation, Purpose, Salvation, Service

Sisters and brothers, through the incessant din and drumbeat of our day, may we strive to see Christ at the center of our lives, of our faith, and of our service. That is where true meaning lies.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland | The Message, the Meaning, and the Multitude

Topics: General Conference 2019, Priorities, Purpose

“There is no more compelling motivation to worthwhile endeavor than the knowledge that we are children of God, that God expects us to do something with our lives, and that He will give us help when help is sought.”

Gordon B. Hinckley | Standing for Something: 10 Neglected Virtues That Will Heal Our Hearts and Homes

Topics: Nature of God, Potential, Purpose

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Topics: Goals, Purpose

“It seems to me that if you or I must choose between two courses of thought or action, we should remember our dying and try so to live that our death brings no pleasure to the world.”

John Steinbeck | East of Eden

Topics: Death, Physical, Purpose

“In this method, you don’t ask, What do I want from life? You ask a different set of questions: What does life want from me? What are my circumstances calling me to do? In this scheme of things we don’t create our lives; we are summoned by life.”

David Brooks | The Road to Character

Topics: Potential, Purpose

“Start your work from where you live, with the small concrete needs right around you. Help ease tension in your workplace. Help feed the person right in front of you. Personalism holds that we each have a deep personal obligation to live simply, to look after the needs of our brothers and sisters, and to share in the happiness and misery they are suffering.”

David Brooks | The Road to Character

Topics: Purpose, Work

“The people around us are not perfect. People do things that annoy, disappoint, and anger. In this mortal life it will always be that way. Nevertheless, we must let go of our grievances. Part of the purpose of mortality is to learn how to let go of such things. That is the Lord’s way. Remember, heaven is filled with those who have this in common: They are forgiven. And they forgive.”

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf | The Merciful Obtain Mercy

Topics: Mercy, Mortality, Purpose

“The purposes of our God are great, His love unfathomable, His wisdom infinite, and His power unlimited; therefore, the Saints have cause to rejoice and be glad.”

Joseph Smith

Topics: Heavenly Father, Nature of God, Purpose

“True success in this life comes in consecrating our lives – that is, our time and choices – to God’s purposes. In so doing, we permit Him to raise us to our highest destiny.”

Elder D. Todd Christofferson | “Reflections on a Consecrated Life,” General Conference, October 2010

Topics: Discipleship, Purpose

“Nothing you do makes much of a difference if you do not have charity. You can speak with tongues, have the gift of prophecy, understand all mysteries, and possess all knowledge; even if you have the faith to move mountains, without charity it won’t profit you at all…. Without charity—or the pure love of Christ—whatever else we accomplish matters little. With it, all else becomes vibrant and alive.”

Joseph B. Wirthlin | The Great Commandment, (Ensign, Nov 2007, 28–31)

Topics: Charity, Purpose

“The earth did not come by chance nor by accident. It is the result of a creation that is based on purpose, on agency, on choice. It accords with laws which were in force long before the plan was every laid down. All of it has order; all of it was planned for us. The beauty and precision of the universe, the endless variety of plant and animal life­—all testify of a plan and a creator.”

Boyd K. Packer | The Earth Shall Teach Thee, 12.

Topics: Agency, Creation, Nature, Purpose

“The problem of reconciling human suffering with the existence of a God who loves, is only insoluble so long as we attach trivial meaning to the word love…What we would here and now call our ‘happiness’ is not the end God chiefly has in view; but when we are such as He can love without impediment, we shall in fact be happy.”

CS Lewis | The Problem of Pain

Topics: Happiness, Love, Plan of Salvation, Purpose

“The strongest principle of growth lies in the human choice.”

George Eliot

Topics: Agency, Change, Purpose

“The Savior teaches that we will have tribulation in the world, but we should ‘be of good cheer’ because He has ‘overcome the world’ (John 16:33). His Atonement reaches and is powerful enough not only to pay the price for sin but also to heal every mortal affliction. The Book of Mormon teaches that ‘he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people’ (Alma 7:11; see also 2 Nephi 9:21). “He knows of our anguish, and He is there for us. Like the Good Samaritan in His parable, when He finds us wounded at the wayside, He binds up our wounds and cares for us (see Luke 10:34). Brothers and sisters, the healing power of His Atonement is for you, for us, for all.” “Lucifer whispers that life’s not fair and that if the gospel were true, we would never have problems or disappointments. … The gospel isn’t a guarantee against tribulation. That would be like a test with no questions. Rather, the gospel is a guide for maneuvering through the challenges of life with a sense of purpose and direction.”

Sheri Dew | “This Is a Test. It Is Only a Test,” The Best of Women’s Conference (2000), 134–35

Topics: Atonement, Purpose, Trials