Biography at a glance
- Born: August 21, 1927, in Salt Lake City, Utah
- Died: January 2, 2018
- Family: Married Frances Beverly Johnson in 1948
- Church service: Apostle from 1963; counselor in the First Presidency from 1985; President of the Church from 2008
- Recurring themes: Personal service, missionary work, and care for people who might otherwise be overlooked
Learning to serve one person at a time
Monson grew up in Salt Lake City, served in the United States Naval Reserve, and studied marketing. In his early twenties he was called as a bishop over a large ward that included many people living in difficult circumstances. His visits to widows became a lasting part of the way he understood ministry. The Church’s history overview follows those formative years and the later pattern of personal service in his leadership.
International ministry and Church leadership
Called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at age 36, Monson traveled widely as the Church grew beyond its western United States roots. His assignments included work with Saints in the German Democratic Republic during the Cold War and a major effort to improve the Church’s editions of scripture. He later served as a counselor to three Church presidents before becoming president himself in February 2008.
Presidency and legacy
During Monson’s presidency, temple building and missionary work continued to expand. In 2012 he announced a lower minimum age for full-time missionary service, a change that reshaped many young members’ plans. LDS Flow’s look at missionary numbers places the resulting surge in a longer trend. Monson died in 2018, leaving a record of talks and stories that repeatedly ask readers to notice and help the person in front of them.
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Quotes by Thomas S. Monson
80 quotes
“Your Heavenly Father loves you—each of you. That love never changes. It is not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions, or by the amount of money you have in your bank account. It is not changed by your talents and abilities. It is simply there. It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there.”
— Thomas S. Monson
“So much in life depends on our attitude. The way we choose to see things and respond to others makes all the difference. To do the best we can and then to choose to be happy about our circumstances, whatever they may be, can bring peace and contentment. … We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. For maximum happiness, peace, and contentment, may we choose a positive attitude.”
“Living the Abundant Life,” Ensign, Jan. 2012, 4.
— Thomas S. Monson
“Our task is to become our best selves. One of God’s greatest gifts to us is the joy of trying again, for no failure ever need be final.”
"The Will Within"
— Thomas S. Monson
“The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.”
— Thomas S. Monson
“Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings.”
“The Holy Temple—a Beacon to the World,” Liahona and Ensign, May 2011, 91–92.
— Thomas S. Monson
“What are the three most important decisions? First, what will be my faith? Second, whom shall I marry? Third, what will be my life’s work?”
"Decisions Determine Destiny"
— Thomas S. Monson
“Men, take care not to make women weep, for God counts their tears.”
"That We May Touch Heaven"
— Thomas S. Monson
“In the performance of our responsibilities, I have learned that when we heed a silent prompting and act upon it without delay, our Heavenly Father will guide our footsteps and bless our lives and the lives of others. I know of no experience more sweet or feelings more precious than to heed a prompting, only to discover that the Lord has answered another’s prayer through you.”
General Conference, October 5, 2002
— Thomas S. Monson
Of all the tests we face, none hurts more than the death of a loved one. Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ all are delivered from death, and all will rise in the Resurrection. And by the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all may gain peace in this life washed clean from the sorrows of sin and have hope of a glorious resurrection with the just…At this Easter season we give our sure witness that Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer of all mankind. Because of His atoning sacrifice, He stands as our Advocate and Savior. Though He was crucified, He rose triumphant from the tomb to our everlasting blessing and benefit.
First Presidency Easter Message [Thomas S. Monson, Henry B. Eyring, Dieter F. Uchtdorf], LDS Church News, March 31, 2013
— Thomas S. Monson
“My brothers and sisters, do we remember to give thanks for the blessings we receive? Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love.”
The Divine Gift of Gratitude”
— Thomas S. Monson
“Through tears and trials, through fears and sorrows, through the heartache and loneliness of losing loved ones, there is assurance that life is everlasting. Our Lord and Savior is the living witness that such is so.”
"I Know That My Redeemer Lives!" Ensign, May 2007
— Thomas S. Monson
“My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith.”
Be of Good Cheer
— Thomas S. Monson
And when we find him, will we be prepared as were the wise men of old to provide gifts from our many treasures? They presented gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These are not the gifts Jesus asks of us. From the treasure of our hearts Jesus asks that we give of ourselves.
The Search for Jesus
— Thomas S. Monson
“It has been said by one, years ago, that history turns on small hinges, and so do people’s lives. Our lives will depend upon the decisions which we make—for decisions determine destiny.”
"Decisions Determine Destiny"
— Thomas S. Monson
“Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.”
"Finding Joy in the Journey," Conference October 2008
— Thomas S. Monson
“[Your chosen field] should be one which will challenge your intellect and which will make maximum utilization of your talents and your capabilities. Finally, it should be a field that will supply sufficient remuneration to provide adequately for your companion and your children. Now that’s a big order. But I bear testimony that these criteria are very important in choosing your life’s work.”
— Thomas S. Monson
“Please do not pray – I plead with you – for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be the miracle.”
BYU Commencement, April 25, 1991; Church News, May 4, 1991
— Thomas S. Monson
“Prayer is the passport to spiritual power.”
Ensign, November 1990, p. 47
— Thomas S. Monson
“I can’t stress too strongly that decisions determine destiny. You can’t make eternal decisions without eternal consequences. “May I provide a simple formula by which you can measure the choices which confront you. It’s easy to remember, sometimes difficult to apply: You can’t be right by doing wrong; you can’t be wrong by doing right. Your personal conscience always warns you as a friend before it punishes you as a judge.”
"Decisions Determine Destiny"
— Thomas S. Monson
“A patriarchal blessing is a revelation to the recipient, even a white line down the middle of the road, to protect, inspire, and motivate activity and righteousness. A patriarchal blessing literally contains chapters from your book of eternal possibilities. I say eternal, for just as life is eternal, so is a patriarchal blessing. What may not come to fulfillment in this life may occur in the next. We do not govern God’s timetable. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Your Patriarchal Blessing:A Liahona of Light
— Thomas S. Monson
“Faith precedes the miracle. It has ever been so and shall ever be. It was not raining when Noah was commanded to build an ark. There was no visible ram in the thicket when Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac. Two heavenly personages were not yet seen when Joseph knelt and prayed. First came the test of faith–and then the miracle. Remember that faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time, for one will dispel the other. Cast out doubt. Cultivate faith.”
The Call to Serve
— Thomas S. Monson
“Life is full of difficulties. Some are minor and others are major. There seems to be an unending supply of challenges for one and all. Our problem is that we often expect instantaneous solutions to such challenges, forgetting that frequently the heavenly virtue of patience is required.”
— Thomas S. Monson
“The honest payment of tithing provides a person the inner strength and commitment to comply with the other commandments.”
Ensign, November 1996
— Thomas S. Monson
“In the game of life a second effort is often required. The happy life is not ushered in at any age to the sound of drums and trumpets. It grows upon us year by year, little by little, until at last we realize that we have it. It is achieved in individuals not by flights to the moon or Mars, but by a body of work done so well that we can lift our heads with assurance and look the world in the eye. Of this be sure: You do not find the happy life . . . you make it.”
“Faces and Attitudes,” New Era, September 1977
— Thomas S. Monson
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