Always Love the Sinner, but Never Condone the Sin – Jeffrey Holland (Great Quotes)

"Faith on Friday" “[W]e have to be careful that love and empathy do not get interpreted as condoning and advocacy, or that orthodoxy and loyalty to principle not be interpreted as unkindness or disloyalty to people. As near as I can tell, Christ never once withheld His love from anyone, but He also never once said to … Continue reading Always Love the Sinner, but Never Condone the Sin – Jeffrey Holland (Great Quotes) →

Gratitude and Thanksgiving – Antidotes for Pride and the Universal “Pride Cycle”

"Sunday Thanksgiving Sermon" Pride - the Greatest of all Sins In 590 AD, Pope Gregory I codified the “Seven Deadly Sins,” and he listed pride as the most serious. In the beginning, pride led to Lucifer’s rebellion and downfall. “Pride is considered the original and worst of the ‘seven deadly sins.’” “Pride is thought to … Continue reading Gratitude and Thanksgiving – Antidotes for Pride and the Universal “Pride Cycle” →

Satan’s Strategies: “Sin Now, Repent Later.”

"Sunday Sermon" One of Satan's key strategies is: "Go ahead and sin. There's plenty of time. You can always repent later." But when "later" comes, Satan strategy becomes: "You've blown it now. It's too late. There's no going back. You will always be unworthy. You might as well give up." "Procrastination" - Satan's Successful Strategy … Continue reading Satan’s Strategies: “Sin Now, Repent Later.” →

Satan’s Strategies: “God accepts me just the way I am.”

"Sunday Sermon" Absolutely nothing, not even sin, can ever separate us from God's love. (Rom. 8:35-39) (See: Old Testament theme: "Hesed" and New Testament theme: "Agape") Heavenly Father will always love His children, no matter what. However, the concept that “God accepts me just the way I am,” can become an excuse. It can lead … Continue reading Satan’s Strategies: “God accepts me just the way I am.” →

Sloth: the Animal, not the Sin (13 Fun Facts)

(Fun Facts Saturday) Sloth, the animal, is named after the one of the "7 deadly sins." “Sloth” means lazy, idle, lethargic, and sluggish. (1) Sloths have the lowest metabolic rate of any mammals. (2) Sloths can hold their breath longer than dolphins. Dolphins can hold their breath for 10 minutes, but when a sloth slows … Continue reading Sloth: the Animal, not the Sin (13 Fun Facts) →

Resisting Temptation and Overcoming Sin – Scriptures and Quotes

“Sunday Sermon” The "Temptations of Jesus" give great insights on confronting Satan and resisting sin. (Matthew 4: 1-11) Center your life in Christ and Follow the Savior’s Example Christ Resists Temptations The Savior “suffered temptations but gave no heed unto them” (Doctrine and Covenants 20:22). When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, the Lord … Continue reading Resisting Temptation and Overcoming Sin – Scriptures and Quotes →

Obedience is better than Repentance

"Sunday Sermon" A Terrible Object Lesson on Repentance: Nail Holes in the Board When I was a child, there was an object lesson used by Primary and Sunday School teachers to teach that "obedience is better than repentance." The teacher pounded nails, representing sin, into a board. Repentance removed the nails. However, ugly holes were … Continue reading Obedience is better than Repentance →

14th Article of Faith – “We Believe in Meetings”

"Sunday Sermon" 14th Article of Faith We believe in meetings. We believe in all the meetings that have been held, all the meetings that are now being held, and we believe that there will yet be many great and important meetings pertaining to the kingdom of God. We have endured many meetings, and we hope … Continue reading 14th Article of Faith – “We Believe in Meetings” →

Love the Sinner, but Don’t Condone the Sin

"Sunday Sermon" One of the greatest challenges in life is to keep things in proper balance. We must strive to balance “our compassion for others" with “our loyalty to the commandments.” We must always love the sinner, but we must never advocate sin. We Must Always Love the Sinner As disciples of Christ, we … Continue reading Love the Sinner, but Don’t Condone the Sin →

We Can NEVER Judge Another’s Heart

"Sunday Sermon" "Judge Not" Throughout my life -- as a husband, father, and grandfather -- and as a criminal prosecutor, state judge, and ecclesiastical judge -- I have become convinced that we are NEVER in a position to judge another person’s heart. I think this is what Jesus meant when he commanded, “Judge not.” (Luke … Continue reading We Can NEVER Judge Another’s Heart →