A New Apostle

This past weekend was the 179th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A new member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was sustained by the church membership. I have been impressed by many of his messages over the last few years and wanted to share a few of his thoughts:

"The opportunity to choose good over evil is precisely why we are here. The message is: Beware of the evil behind the smiling eyes!...As we increase our understanding and love for the Savior, His light will illuminate everything around us. We then will see evil for what it is."
--“Beware of the Evil behind the Smiling Eyes,” Ensign, May 2005, 46

"How do we find our way through the many things that matter? We simplify and purify our perspective. Some things are evil and must be avoided; some things are nice; some things are important; and some things are absolutely essential. The Savior said, 'This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.' Faith is not only a feeling; it is a decision. With prayer, study, obedience, and covenants, we build and fortify our faith."
--“It’s True, Isn’t It? Then What Else Matters?,” Ensign, May 2007, 74–75

"Our spiritual journey is the process of a lifetime. We do not know everything in the beginning or even along the way...At times, the Lord’s answer will be, 'You don’t know everything, but you know enough”—enough to keep the commandments and to do what is right.' Challenges, difficulties, questions, doubts—these are part of our mortality. But we are not alone. As disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have enormous spiritual reservoirs of light and truth available to us. Fear and faith cannot coexist in our hearts at the same time. In our days of difficulty, we choose the road of faith."
--“You Know Enough,” Liahona, Nov 2008, 13–14