David Oman McKay Quotes (54 Quotes)

One time or another we all face adversitys chilling wind. One man flees from it, and like an unresisting kite falls to the ground. Another yields no retreating inch, and the wind that would destroy him lifts him as readily to the heights. We are not measured by the trials we meet, only by those we overcome.

Spirituality is not constant meditation and an indifference to surrounding conditions and responsibilities rather, it is doing those things which are in accordance with the mind and will of God. It concerns itself with temporal life as well as with things of the spirit.

There is no better way to manifest love for God than to show an unselfish love for your fellow-men.

Free agency is the impelling source of the soul's progress. It is the purpose of the Lord that man become like him. In order for man to achieve this it was necessary for the Creator first to make him free.

Meditation is one of the most secret, most sacred doors through which we pass into the presence of the Lord.

Spirituality is the consciousness of victory over self and of communion with the Infinite. Spirituality impels one to conquer difficulties and acquire more and more strength. To feel one's faculties expanding the soul is one of life's most sublime experiences.

That from the heart come good thoughts and bad thoughts is the message of the Savior. By the right choice, and through application of thought, man ascends to divine perfection by the abuse and wrong application of thought, he descends below the level of the beasts. Between these two extremes are all the grades of character and man in their maker and master. Jesus taught that from within the heart of man come evil thoughts, sexual vice, acts of theft, murder, adultery, greed. When men commit these crimes individually or collectively, they trespass upon human rights and, of course, bring misery into the world. A noble and godlike character is no thing of favor or chance, but is a natural result of continued effort and right thinking, the effect of long cherished associations with godlike thoughts.

A humble birth is no hindrance to greatness.

Each one of us is the architect of his own fate and he is unfortunate indeed who will try to build himself without the inspiration of God, without realizing that he grows from within, not from without.

Please do not think me a pessimist. I love life. I think it is a joy to live in this age. Every morning, as I greet the sun as he ushers in these unexcelled autumn days, I feel the joy of living. I realize the accomplishments, to a certain degree, of this wonderful mechanistic age. Today time and distance are practically annihilated.

Next to being one in worshipping God, there is nothing in this world upon which this Church should be united than in upholding and defending the Constitution of the United States.

The noblest calling in the world is that of mother. True motherhood is the most beautiful of all arts, the greatest of all professions. She who can paint a masterpiece or who can write a book that will influence millions deserves the plaudits and admiration of mankind but she who rears successfully a family of healthy, beautiful sons and daughters whose immortal souls will be exerting an influence throughout the ages long after painting shall have faded, and books and statues shall have been destroyed, deserves the highest honor that man can give.

By fasting we are losing nothing financially we are blessing ourselves physically and we are gaining greater spiritual power to withstand the temptations that we meet in life and, best of all, in giving to the poor we are practicing the very essence of our religion.

To heal the soul is a greater miracle than to heal the body.

A man in such a mental state that the anger itself does him more harm than the condition which aroused his anger ... suffers more from the vexation than he does from the acts that aroused that vexation. I wonder how long it will take us to realize that in matters of temper nothing can bring us damage but ourselves.

I will know what you are if you tell me what you think about when you dont have to think.

Prayer is the yearning of the spirit. It is the message of the soul sent directly to a loving father. The language is not mere words, but a loving heart in tune with the infinite. Sincere praying implies that when we ask for any blessing or virtue we should work for the blessing and cultivate the virtue.

Anger itself does more harm than the condition which aroused anger.

The virtues that combined to make this perfect character are truth, justice, wisdom, benevolence, and self control. His every thought, word, and deed was in harmony with divine law and therefore true. The channel of communication between him and the Father was constantly open so that truth which 'rests upon revelation' was always known to him.... His short though eventful life was one of benevolence which comprehends charity and love. His self-control, whether exemplified in his power over his appetites and passions or his dignity and poise when before his persecutors, was perfectwas divine.

Man has subdued nature, conquered seas, conquered distance, and is now penetrating space, but he has not yet learned to conquer himself, nor is he even now putting forth comparable effort to subdue and master lingering animal tendencies and passions which, when dominant, may destroy him.

Thankfulness is measured by the number of words gratitude is measured by the nature of our actions.

Your thoughts are the architects of your destiny.

In these days of uncertainty and unrest, liberty-loving peoples greatest responsibility and paramount duty is to preserve and proclaim the freedom of the individual, his relationship to deity, and the necessity of obedience to the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Only thus will mankind find peace and happiness.

There is a spiritual strength derived from the subjecting of the physical appetite to the will of the individual. 'He who reigns within himself and rules passions, desires, and fears is more than king.' If there were no other virtues in fasting but gaining strength of character, that alone would be sufficient justification for its universal acceptance.

The most important of life's battles is the one we fight daily in the silent chambers of the soul.

In our worship there are two elements one is spiritual communion arising from our own meditation the other, instruction from others, particularly from those who have authority to guide and instruct us. Of the two, the more profitable introspectively is meditation.

No other success can compensate for failure in the home.

Live and radiate the principles of the gospel.

We are prone to magnify weaknesses and to imagine vices in others that do not exist. We chew the cud of slander with satisfaction slander, 'whose whisper over the worlds diameter, as level as the cannon to its blank, transports his poisoned shot.' Talk about battles yet to be fought Backbiting and evil speaking head the list.

Every partaker of the sacrament gives evidence of his willingness to assume three very great obligations, to which he becomes bound in sacred honor To take upon himself the name of the Son, That he will always remember him, To keep his commandments.

Obedience to the commandments of God is the key to spirituality.

To Him this earthly career is but a day, and its closing but the setting of life's sun death, but a sleep, is followed by a glorious awakening in the morning of an eternal realm.

There is no cause to fear death it is but an incident in life. It is as natural as birth. Why should we fear it Some fear it because they think it is the end of life, and life often is the dearest thing we have. Eternal life is man's greatest blessing. If only men would 'do his will' instead of looking hopelessly at the dark and gloomy tomb, they would turn their eyes heavenward and know that 'Christ is risen' With all my soul I know that death is conquered by Jesus Christ.

I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day I'd rather have one walk beside me than merely point the way.

A man who cannot control his temper is not very likely to control his passion, and no matter what his pretensions in religion, he moves in daily life very close to the animal plane.

A man's reaction to his appetites and impulses when they are roused gives the measure of that man's character. In these reactions are revealed the man's power to govern or his forced servility to yield.

Our most precious possession is the youth of the land, and to instruct them to walk uprightly and to become worthy citizens in the kingdom of God is our greatest obligation.

Prayer is the pulsation of a yearning, loving heart in tune with the Infinite, It is a message of the soul sent directly to a loving Father. The language is not mere words but spirit vibration.

We must continually study and learn the commandments of God. We cant do what we dont know. Then we must do what we have learned.

I feel grateful and happy this morning for so many evidences of the goodness of the Lord that I wish I could strike a note of optimism that would reverberate to the uttermost parts of the Church. In the words of Frank L. Stanton 'This world o' God's is brighter Than we ever dream or know Its burdens growin' lighter An' it's Love that makes 'em so An' I'm thankful that I'm livin' Where Love's blessedness I see, 'Neath a Heaven that's forgivin' Where the bells ring 'Home' to me'

The greatest battles of your life are fought within the private chambers of your own soul.

What ere thou art, act well thy part.

The thought in your mind at this moment is contributing, however, infinitesimally, almost imperceptibly to the shaping of your soul, ... even passing and idle thoughts leave their impression.

The power of choice is a God-given gift, and the purpose of life is happiness. Things which pertain to the physical nature are so easily obtained and the pleasure so immediate that many spend most of their time seeking them and neglecting the permanent joys of the spirit.

The secret of success is doing well the job close at hand.

If we would have peace as individuals, we must supplant enmity with forbearance, which means to refrain or abstain from finding fault or from condemning others.... We shall have power to do this if we really cherish in our hearts the ideals of Christ, who said 'Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.' (Matt. 523-24) Note the Savior did not say if you have ought against him, but if you find that another has ought against you.

There should be no yelling in the home unless there is a fire.

The dearest possession a man has is his family. In the divine assurance that family ties may transcend the boundaries of death, and may continue throughout endless ages of eternity, I find supreme consolation and inspiration.

Out of the homes of America will come the future citizens of America, and only as those homes are what they should be will this nation be what it should be.

The Savior's constant desire and effort were to implant in the mind right thoughts, pure motives, noble ideals, knowing full well that right words and actions would inevitably follow.