Doctrine and Covenants 18:10

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf:

“God sees you not only as a mortal being on a small planet who lives for a brief season—He sees you as His child. He sees you as the being you are capable and designed to become. He wants you to know that you matter to Him” (“You Matter to Him,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 22).

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf:

“Every person we meet is a VIP [very important person] to our Heavenly Father. Once we understand that, we can begin to understand how we should treat our fellowmen.

“One woman who had been through years of trial and sorrow said through her tears, ‘I have come to realize that I am like an old 20-dollar bill—crumpled, torn, dirty, abused, and scarred. But I am still a 20-dollar bill. I am worth something. Even though I may not look like much and even though I have been battered and used, I am still worth the full 20 dollars’” (“You Are My Hands,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 69).

Doctrine and Covenants 18:14

Elder Neil L. Andersen:

“Crying repentance simply means helping people return to God” (“Preparing for Your Spiritual Destiny” [CES fireside address, Jan. 10, 2010], 7, speeches.byu.edu).

Doctrine and Covenants 18:15–16

President Thomas S. Monson:

“My responsibilities as a bishop were many and varied, and I tried to the best of my ability to do all that was required of me. The United States was engaged in a … war by then. Because many of our members were serving in the armed services, an assignment came from Church headquarters for all bishops to provide each serviceman a subscription to the Church News and the Improvement Era, the Church’s magazine at that time. In addition, each bishop was asked to write a personal, monthly letter to each serviceman from his ward. Our ward had 23 men in uniform. The priesthood quorums, with effort, supplied the funds for the subscriptions to the publications. I undertook the task, even the duty, to write 23 personal letters each month. After all these years I still have copies of many of my letters and the responses received. Tears come easily when these letters are reread. It is a joy to learn again of a soldier’s pledge to live the gospel, a sailor’s decision to keep faith with his family.

“One evening I handed to a sister in the ward the stack of 23 letters for the current month. Her assignment was to handle the mailing and to maintain the constantly changing address list. She glanced at one envelope and, with a smile, asked, ‘Bishop, don’t you ever get discouraged? Here is another letter to Brother Bryson. This is the 17th letter you have sent to him without a reply.’

“I responded, ‘Well, maybe this will be the month.’ As it turned out, that was the month. For the first time, he responded to my letter. His reply is a keepsake, a treasure. He was serving far away on a distant shore, isolated, homesick, alone. He wrote, ‘Dear Bishop, I ain’t much at writin’ letters.’ (I could have told him that several months earlier.) His letter continued, ‘Thank you for the Church News and magazines, but most of all thank you for the personal letters. I have turned over a new leaf. I have been ordained a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood. My heart is full. I am a happy man.’

“Brother Bryson was no happier than was his bishop. I had learned the practical application of the adage ‘Do [your] duty; that is best; leave unto [the] Lord the rest.’ (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “The Legend Beautiful,” in The Complete Poetical Works of Longfellow [1893], 258).

“Years later, while attending the Salt Lake Cottonwood Stake when James E. Faust served as its president, I related that account in an effort to encourage attention to our servicemen. After the meeting, a fine-looking young man came forward. He took my hand in his and asked, ‘Bishop Monson, do you remember me?’

“I suddenly realized who he was. ‘Brother Bryson!’ I exclaimed. ‘How are you? What are you doing in the Church?’

“With warmth and obvious pride, he responded, ‘I’m fine. I serve in the presidency of my elders quorum. Thank you again for your concern for me and the personal letters which you sent and which I treasure.’

“Brethren, the world is in need of our help” (“Willing and Worthy to Serve,” Ensign or Liahona,May 2012, 68–69).

President Thomas S. Monson:

“When I served as a bishop, I noted one Sunday morning that one of our priests was missing from priesthood meeting. I left the quorum in the care of the adviser and visited Richard’s home. His mother said he was working at the West Temple Garage.

“I drove to the garage in search of Richard and looked everywhere, but I could not find him. Suddenly I had the inspiration to gaze down into the old-fashioned grease pit situated at the side of the station. From the darkness I could see two shining eyes. Then I heard Richard say, ‘You found me, Bishop! I’ll come up.’ After that he rarely missed a priesthood meeting.

“The family moved to a nearby stake. Time passed, and I received a phone call informing me that Richard had been called to serve a mission in Mexico, and I was invited by the family to speak at his farewell testimonial. At the meeting, when Richard responded, he mentioned that the turning point in his determination to fill a mission came one Sunday morning—not in the chapel, but as he gazed up from the depths of a dark grease pit and found his quorum president’s outstretched hand.

“Through the years, Richard has stayed in touch with me, telling of his testimony, his family, and his faithful service in the Church, including his calling as a bishop” (“They Will Come,” Ensign, May 1997, 46).

Doctrine and Covenants 18:20

President Joseph Fielding Smith:

“We must understand that this is instruction to us to contend against all evil, that which is opposed to righteousness and truth” (Church History and Modern Revelation, 2 vols. [1953], 1:83).

Doctrine and Covenants 18:23

Elder M. Russell Ballard:

“We take the name of Christ upon us in the waters of baptism. We renew the effect of that baptism each week as we partake of the sacrament, signifying our willingness to take His name upon us and promising always to remember Him (see D&C 20:77, 79) …

“We are asked to stand as a witness of Him. … This means that we must be willing to let others know whom we follow and to whose Church we belong: the Church of Jesus Christ. We certainly want to do this in the spirit of love and testimony. We want to follow the Savior by simply and clearly, yet humbly, declaring that we are members of His Church” (“The Importance of a Name,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 79–80).

Doctrine and Covenants 18:27

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland:

“Obviously my greatest thrill and the most joyful of all realizations is that I have the opportunity, as Nephi phrased it, to ‘talk of Christ, … rejoice in Christ, … preach of Christ, [and] prophesy of Christ’ (2 Ne. 25:26) wherever I may be and with whomever I may find myself until the last breath of my life is gone. Surely there could be no higher purpose or greater privilege than that of ‘special [witness] of the name of Christ in all the world’ (D&C 107:23).

“… Beyond my words and teachings and spoken witness, my life must be part of that testimony of Jesus. My very being should reflect the divinity of this work. I could not bear it if anything I might ever say or do would in any way diminish your faith in Christ, your love for this church, or the esteem in which you hold the holy apostleship.

“I do promise you—as I have promised the Lord and these my brethren—that I will strive to live worthy of this trust and serve to the full measure of my ability” (“Miracles of the Restoration,” Ensign, Nov. 1994, 31).

Doctrine and Covenants 18:44

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf:

“As we emulate [the Savior’s] perfect example, our hands can become His hands; our eyes, His eyes; our heart, His heart. …

“With this in mind, let our hearts and hands be stretched out in compassion toward others, for everyone is walking his or her own difficult path. As disciples of Jesus Christ, our Master, we are called to support and heal rather than condemn” (“You Are My Hands,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 68–69).