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1. Be
grateful. Express appreciation to everyone who does us a favor or
assists us in any way.
2. Be
smart. The Lord wants us to train our minds and hands to become an
influence for good.
3. Be
clean. We live in a world filled with filth and sleaze. We cannot afford
to let it touch us. We should not be disrespectful of the body which the
Lord has given us.
4. Be
true. Let us be loyal to the Church under all circumstances. The
authorities of this Church will lead us in paths of happiness.
5. Be
humble. The meek and the humble are those who are teachable.
6. Be
prayerful. Look to the Lord for understanding and guidance, and walk
according to His precepts and commandments.
Be Grateful
Walk with
gratitude in your hearts, my dear friends. Be thankful for the wonderful
blessings which are yours. Be grateful for the tremendous opportunities
that you have. Be thankful to your parents, who care so very much about
you and who have worked so very hard to provide for you. Let them know
that you are grateful. Say thank you to your mother and your father. Say
thank you to your friends. Say thank you to your teachers. Express
appreciation to everyone who does you a favor or assists you in any way.
Thank the Lord for His goodness to you.
Be Smart
The Lord
wants you to educate your minds and hands, whatever your chosen field.
Whether it be repairing refrigerators, or the work of a skilled surgeon,
you must train yourselves. Seek for the best schooling available. Become
a workman of integrity in the world that lies ahead of you.I repeat, you
will bring honor to the Church and you will be generously blessed
because of that training.
Be Clean
Avoid evil
talk. Do not take the name of the Lord in vain. . . .Choose your friends
carefully. . . . While you should be friendly with all people, select
with great care those whom you wish to have close to you. . . .
Be clean.
Don’t waste your time in destructive entertainment. . . .
How truly
beautiful is a well-groomed young woman who is clean in body and mind.
She is a daughter of God in whom her Eternal Father can take pride. How
handsome is a young man who is well groomed. He is a son of God, deemed
worthy of holding the holy priesthood of God.
He does not
need tattoos or earrings on or in his body. The First Presidency and the
Quorum of the Twelve are all united in counseling against these things.
. . .There is no need for any Latter-day Saint boy or girl, young man or
young woman, to even try [drugs]. Stay clean from these mind-altering
and habit-forming addictions.
Be True
Be loyal to
the Church under all circumstances. I make you a promise that the
authorities of this Church will never lead you astray. They will lead
you in paths of happiness. . . .Be true to your own convictions. You
know what is right, and you know what is wrong. You know when you are
doing the proper thing. You know when you are giving strength to the
right cause. Be loyal. Be faithful. Be true.
Be Humble
The Lord has
said, “Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the
hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers” (Doctrine and Covenants
112:10). . . .
I believe the
meek and the humble are those who are teachable. They are willing to
learn. They are willing to listen to the whisperings of the still, small
voice for guidance in their lives. They place the wisdom of the Lord
above their own wisdom.
Be Prayerful
You need His
help, and you know that you need His help. You cannot do it alone. You
will come to realize that and recognize that more and more as the years
pass. So live that in good conscience you can speak with the Lord. Get
on your knees and thank Him for His goodness to you and express to Him
the righteous desires of your hearts. The miracle of it all is that He
hears. He responds. He answers— not always as we might wish He would
answer, but there is no question in my mind that He answers.
(“A
Prophet’s Counsel and Prayer for Youth,” Ensign, January 2001, pages
2–11.)
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