Ezra Taft Benson - The teachings of Ezra Taft Benson (1988)

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When individual members and families immerse themselves in the scriptures regularly and consistently, … other areas of activity will automatically come. Testimonies will increase. Commitment will be strengthened. Families will be fortified. Personal revelation will flow

Ezra Taft Benson
Many a man in his hour of trial has turned to the Book of Mormon and been enlightened, enlivened, and comforted. The psalms in the Old Testament have a special food for the soul of one in distress.

Ezra Taft Benson
The Book of Mormon is the 'keystone' of our religion, and the Doctrine and Covenants is the 'capstone,' with continuing latter day revelation. The Lord has placed His stamp of approval on both the keystone and the capstone.

Ezra Taft Benson
We must share the gospel with others. That is our responsibility-every member a missionary. That is the call of prophets of God....Member-missionary work is one of the great keys to the individual growth of our members. It is my conviction that member-missionary work will raise the spirituality in any ward where applied

Ezra Taft Benson
Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He can deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their soals, and pour out peace.

Ezra Taft Benson
Why did the Lord inspire Mormon (or Moroni or Alma) to include that in his record? What lesson can I learn from that to help me live in this day and age?

Ezra Taft Benson
"Thou shalt not bear false witness" Exodus 20:16. When we speak of morality, we imply that a man is true to his word-true to his signature on a contract. The violations of God's laws are evidence that lying and misrepresentation are not absent from us.

Ezra Taft Benson
There are blessings in being close to the soil, in raising your own food even if it is only a garden in your yard and a fruit tree or two. Those families will be fortunate who, in the last days, have an adequate supply of food because of their foresight and ability to produce their own.

Ezra Taft Benson
The temple will be an ever-present reminder that God intended the family to be eternal.

Ezra Taft Benson
Husbands, recognize your wife's intelligence and her ability to counsel with you as a real partner regarding family plans, family activities, and family budgeting. Don't be stingy with your time or with your means. Give her the opportunity to grow intellectually, emotionally, and socially as well as spiritually.

Ezra Taft Benson
Periodic fasting can help clear up the mind and strengthen the body and the spirit.

Ezra Taft Benson
One of the trials of life is that we do not usually receive immediately the full blessing for righteousness or the full cursing for wickedness.

Ezra Taft Benson
I counsel you, in the words of Jesus Christ, to "watch and pray I always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat" (3 Nephi 18:18). If you will earnestly seek guidance from your Heavenly Father, morning and evening, you will be given the strength to shun any temptation.

Ezra Taft Benson
We must not lose hope. Hope is an anchor to the souls of men. Satan would have us cast away that anchor.

Ezra Taft Benson
The great task of life is to learn the will of the Lord and then do it.

Ezra Taft Benson
More than ever before, we need to learn and apply the principles of economic self-reliance. We do not know when the crisis involving sickness or unemployment may affect our own circumstances. We do know that the Lord has decreed global calamities for the future and has warned and forewarned us to be prepared. For this reason the Brethren have repeatedly stressed a 'back to basics' program for temporal and spiritual welfare.

Ezra Taft Benson
It is the mark of a truly educated man to know what not to read.

Ezra Taft Benson
From the standpoint of food production, storage, handling, and the Lord's counsel, wheat should have high priority. Water, of course, is essential. Other basics could include honey or sugar, legumes, milk products or substitutes, and salt or its equivalent. The revelation to store food may be as essential to our temporal salvation today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah.

Ezra Taft Benson
It is a fundamental truth that the responsibilities of motherhood cannot be successfully delegated. No, not to day-care centers, not to schools, not to nurseries, not to babysitters.

Ezra Taft Benson
Wickedness never did, never does, never will bring us happiness.

Ezra Taft Benson
A missionary should never permit himself to see a movie or (read) cheap literature, or hear music that tends to interfere with or which dampens the spirit of missionary work. There is ample evidence that rock music is offensive to the Spirit and affects adversely the spirituality of the missionaries and thus the success of the proselyting work.

Ezra Taft Benson
Humility responds to God's will-to the fear of His judgments and to the needs of those around us. To the proud, the applause of the world rings in their ears; to the humble, the applause of heaven warms their hearts. Someone has said, "Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man."

Ezra Taft Benson
When you choose to follow Christ,
you choose to be changed.

Ezra Taft Benson
An almost forgotten means of economic self-reliance is the home production of food. We are too accustomed to going to stores and purchasing what we need.

Ezra Taft Benson
What does it mean to love someone with all your heart? It means to love with all your emotional feelings and with all your devotion. Surely when you love your wife with all your heart, you cannot demean her, criticize her, find fault with her, or abuse her by words, sullen behavior, or actions.

Ezra Taft Benson
Successful families try to work together toward solutions instead of resorting to criticism and contention.

Ezra Taft Benson
The Book of Mormon offers so much that broadens our understandings of the doctrines of salvation. Without it, much of what is taught in other scriptures would not be nearly so plain and precious.

Ezra Taft Benson
One good yardstick as to whether a person might be the right one for you is this: in her presence, do you think your noblest thoughts, do you aspire to your finest deeds, do you wish you were better than you are?

Ezra Taft Benson
Years of happiness can be lost in the foolish gratification of a momentary desire for pleasure.

Ezra Taft Benson
The fellowship of true friends who can hear you out, share your joys, help carry your burdens, and correctly counsel you is priceless.

Ezra Taft Benson