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Elder D. Todd Christofferson

AUTHOR PROFILE

Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Elder D. Todd Christofferson is described in biographical records as an American religious leader (born 1945) (born 1945). The selections gathered here touch on fathers & fatherhood, holy ghost, personal revelation. This profile brings the attributed quotations together with their available source information.

FEATURED QUOTE
I haven’t met anyone who found the gospel later in life who didn’t wish it could have been earlier.
— Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Biography at a glance

  • Profile: American religious leader (born 1945)
  • Life: born 1945
  • Quotes in this collection: 18

Life and work

Biographical records connect Elder D. Todd Christofferson with Brigham Young University and Duke University School of Law. This collection includes 18 quotations credited to Elder D. Todd Christofferson. Each quotation page preserves its own citation, when supplied, so readers can follow the passage back to its stated context.

Reading the quotations

The selections gathered here touch on fathers & fatherhood, holy ghost, personal revelation. These topic links make it easier to compare these words with other voices in the LDS Flow library. Citations are shown on the individual quotation pages where the source collection provided them.

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Sources and further reading

Quotes by Elder D. Todd Christofferson

18 quotes

“Exercising agency in a setting that sometimes includes opposition and hardship is what makes life more than a simple multiple-choice test. God is interested in what we are becoming as a result of our choices. He is not satisfied if our exercise of moral agency is simply a robotic effort at keeping some rules. Our Savior wants us to become something, not just do some things. He is endeavoring to make us independently strong – more able to act for ourselves than perhaps those of any prior generation. We must be righteous, even when He withdraws His Spirit, or, as President Brigham Young said, even ‘in the dark.’”

“Moral Agency,” Ensign, June 2009, p. 53

— Elder D. Todd Christofferson

“We cannot afford young men who lack self-discipline and live only to be entertained. We cannot afford young adult men who are going nowhere in life, who are not serious about forming families and making a real contribution in this world. We cannot afford husbands and fathers who fail to provide spiritual leadership in the home. We cannot afford to have those who exercise the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God, waste their strength in pornography or spend their lives in cyberspace. Brethren, we have work to do.”

Brethren We Have Work to Do, Conference October 2012

— Elder D. Todd Christofferson

“It is the Holy Ghost that bears witness of your words when you teach and testify. It is the Holy Ghost that, as you speak in hostile venues, puts into your heart what you should say and fulfills the Lord’s promise that “you shall not be confounded before men” (D&C 100:5). It is the Holy Ghost that reveals how you may clear the next seemingly insurmountable hurdle. It is by the Holy Ghost in you that others may feel the pure love of Christ and receive strength to press forward. It is also the Holy Ghost, in His character as the Holy Spirit of Promise, that confirms the validity and efficacy of your covenants and seals God’s promises upon you.”

“The Power of Covenants,” Ensign, May 2009, p. 22

— Elder D. Todd Christofferson

“My prayer was, ‘Give me a miracle. Solve this problem,’ and it took a while to finally come to the point of saying, ‘I’m content to get a daily help’ and let it take what time it takes knowing that I can rely upon God. It’s been a blessing to me ever since to have that rather harrowing experience. Because of what it meant for my relationship with him. Maybe the greater blessing for us is to have to walk through it with him.”

"Daily Bread: Experience"

— Elder D. Todd Christofferson

“We control the disposition of our means and resources, but we account to God for this stewardship over earthly things. It is gratifying to witness your generosity as you contribute to fast offerings and humanitarian projects. Over the years, the suffering of millions has been alleviated, and countless others have been enabled to help themselves through the generosity of the Saints. Nevertheless, as we pursue the cause of Zion, each of us should prayerfully consider whether we are doing what we should and all that we should in the Lord’s eyes with respect to the poor and the needy. “We might ask ourselves, living as many of us do in societies that worship possessions and pleasures, whether we are remaining aloof from covetousness and the lust to acquire more and more of this world’s goods. Materialism is just one more manifestation of the idolatry and pride that characterize Babylon. Perhaps we can learn to be content with what is sufficient for our needs.”

“Come to Zion,” Ensign, October 2008

— Elder D. Todd Christofferson

“Divine covenants make strong Christians. I urge each one to qualify for and receive all the priesthood ordinances you can and then faithfully keep the promises you have made by covenant. In times of distress, let your covenants be paramount and let your obedience be exact. Then you can ask in faith, nothing wavering, according to your need, and God will answer. He will sustain you as you work and watch. In His own time and way He will stretch forth his hand to you, saying, “Here am I.”

“The Power of Covenants,” Ensign, May 2009, p. 22

— Elder D. Todd Christofferson

“I think we would all agree that those who profess no religious belief can be, and often are, good, moral people. We would not agree, however, that this happens without divine influence. I am referring to the Light of Christ. The Savior declared, “I am the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” Whether aware of it or not, every man, woman, and child of every belief, place, and time is imbued with the Light of Christ and therefore possesses the sense of right and wrong we often call conscience.”

"Sustainable Societies"

— Elder D. Todd Christofferson

“At Christmas when we ponder the birth of Jesus and his example of near-constant service, we are prone to draw from our own resources that which would bless and liberate others. The stories of people helping and blessing one another at Christmastime are legion. And that is certainly one of the main reasons we rejoice so much in this holiday. … “And so at Christmas, the stories of sacrifice and ministering multiply across the world. Our gifts and service gladden hearts; the kindness of others pours healing balm into our own wounds. It is living the Savior’s way of life. And since, as he, we came down from heaven to do the will of the Father, it must not be only an annual event, but rather the pattern of our lives. In all that serves to deepen our empathy, broaden our understanding, and purify our souls, his declaration reassures us: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

"The Condescension of God and of Man"

— Elder D. Todd Christofferson