“It is … through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts” (Bible Dictionary, “Grace”).
“‘Abide in me’ [John 15:4] is an understandable and beautiful enough concept in the elegant English of the King James Bible, but ‘abide’ is not a word we use much anymore. So I gained even more appreciation for this admonition from the Lord when I was introduced to the translation of this passage in another language. In Spanish that familiar phrase is rendered ‘permaneced en mi.’ Like the English verb ‘abide,’ permanecer means ‘to remain, to stay,’ but even [English speakers] like me can hear the root cognate there of ‘permanence.’ The sense of this then is ‘stay—but stay forever.’ That is the call of the gospel message to [everyone] in the world. Come, but come to remain. Come with conviction and endurance. Come permanently, for your sake and the sake of all the generations who must follow you. …
“… Christ is everything to us and we are to ‘abide’ in Him permanently, unyieldingly, steadfastly, forever. For the fruit of the gospel to blossom and bless our lives, we must be firmly attached to Him, the Savior of us all, and to this His Church, which bears His holy name. He is the vine that is our true source of strength and the only source of eternal life” (“Abide in Me,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2004, 32).
“When we humbly seek our Father in Heaven by prayer, and by learning and keeping His commandments, He transfers to us His love and many of His powers. Thousands bear witness that His words ‘If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love’ (John 15:10) are true. We then, as the Savior said, begin to attach ourselves as branches to the ‘true vine’ and receive the same strength and power and can expect the same fruit. (See John 15:1–6.)” (“Love One Another,” Ensign, May 1981, 54).
“As a Saint you say, ‘I think I understand my duty and I am doing very well.’ That may be so. You see the little twig; it is green, it flourishes and is the very picture of life, it bears its part and proportion in the tree, and is connected with the stem, branches and root; but could the tree live without it? Yes, it could. It need not boast itself and get uplifted, and say ‘how green I am and how I flourish, and what a healthy position I am in, how well I am doing and I am in my proper place and am doing right.’ But could you do without the root? No; you bear your proper part and position in the tree. Just so is this people. When they are doing their part; when they are magnifying their calling, living their religion and walking in obedience to the Spirit of the Lord, they have a portion of his Spirit given to them to profit withal. And while they are humble, faithful, diligent and observe the laws and commandments of God they stand in their proper position on the tree; they are flourishing, the buds, blossoms, leaves and everything about them are all right, and they form a part and parcel of the tree” (Deseret News, Dec. 16, 1857, 323).
“Surely the best evidence of our adoration of Jesus is our emulation of Him” (“The Mission and Ministry of Jesus Christ,” Ensign, Apr. 2013, 38.)
“Jesus is my friend. None other has given me so much. ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends’ (John 15:13). He gave His life for me. He opened the way to eternal life. Only a God could do this. I hope that I am deemed worthy of being a friend to Him” (“My Testimony,” Ensign, May 2000, 71).
“[Jesus Christ] gave us the supreme example of love when He declared, ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends’ [John 15:13]. He later atoned for all our sins and finally gave His life for all of us.
“We can lay down our lives for those we love not by physically dying for them but rather by living for them—giving of our time; always being present in their lives; serving them; being courteous, affectionate, and showing true love for those of our family and to all men—as the Savior taught” (“Don’t Leave for Tomorrow What You Can Do Today,” Ensign or Liahona,Nov. 2007, 74).