Classic BYU Speeches

Obedience is the price, faith is the power, love is the motive, the Spirit is the key...and Christ is the reason—for everything we do.

LeGrand Richards teaches that we ought to cultivate a spirit of thanksgiving for the many blessings we have in the gospel—including the commandments, which are evidence of God's love. Support the show.

Life is a great chain of generations that we in the Church believe must be linked together. Never permit yourself to become a weak link in the chain.

Growing in our ability to receive revelation is like learning a new language or learning to play a musical instrument. We must practice diligently for a long time before we feel comfortable with it. We must be patient with ourselves, recognize that we might have some setbacks, and persist until we become masters at recognizing a witness of the Spirit.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell teaches that chastity and family love are key components to healthy individual, family, and community spiritual ecology.

Prophecies, visions, and dreams may take different forms for you. Take time for teaching the gospel, for contemplation, and for chasing worthy dreams.

Prayer is a tool for comfort, peace, guidance, testimony, and forgiveness. How are you using prayer to access the powers of heaven?

Each time we take the sacrament, we covenant to keep God's commandments and always remember Him." How often, though, do we actually remember Christ?

Kim B. Clark warns us to beware the dangerous universal sin of pride that can come in adversity or prosperity. Our heart must be full of the Spirit and not set upon worldly things.

The way to become perfect is to change your life—to substitute the good for the evil in every case. Changes can come best if we take one item at a time.

Joseph Smith ignited something in thousands of men and women that connects them to God and to each other in powerful ways.

Faith means trust—trust in God’s will and in His timing. We must not try, in our personal lives or in building His kingdom, to impose our timetable on His.

Financial worries, academic stress, and other challenges are inevitable for college students. We need not fear, though, because Christ is our Shepherd.

To remember who we are is to access a divine birthright of power, focus, and hope. It changes not only what we think of ourselves, but what we do every day.

Sometimes, when we pray and cry out to our Heavenly Father, answers do not come easily or as expected—but He reminds us that He is there for us.

You are a choice generation, and you will do marvelous things as you strive to meet great expectations Heavenly Father knows you are capable of.

As we learn to make important decisions, we must find the balance between seeking the Lord's guidance and having the courage to make our own choices.

These stories and testimonies shared by Vaughn J. Featherstone highlight the wonderful blessings of the gospel, of living righteously, and of loving one another.

Reconciliation with God (changing our ways and turning to peace and harmony with His ways) is possible only through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

The legacy left behind by our pioneer ancestors—a legacy shared by converts and "pioneer stock" alike—is one that will continue to stand the test of time.

Charitable giving is more than a good idea. Science and faith agree that giving makes us happier and better people, families, and communities.

It is common for people to say that they love with their hearts, but what of their minds? John W. Welch explores what it means to love God with our mind.

What lessons does Joseph Smith's experience in Liberty Jail teach us about God's love? How can our trials be both a prison and a temple?

As we face the challenges of today, the doctrine of foreordination teaches us that God has a knowledge of all things, and plans for each of us to succeed.

Sally H. Barlow teaches the ways in which a self-knowledge of our eternal identity is essential in the journey to overcome the crucibles of this life.

The gospel is inexhaustible because there is not only so much for us to know, but there is also so much for us to become.

Christ's Atonement does more than cleanse us from sin. His grace is also an enabling power to become better and serve more faithfully.

Our theology is derived from prayer—we pray to God whom we already know and we must do so with our whole souls, with faith, with sincerity, and with love.

We can navigate a changing world by laying hold on "every good thing:" eternal family, personal purity, and learning by study and faith.

Good managers produce personal gain and rely on the wisdom of the world, but great leaders build the Lord's kingdom. Leadership relies on God.

It is difficult sometimes to hear the voice of the Spirit amid the noises of the world, but it is worth the effort to have the Spirit's guidance and peace.

No matter how complicated your trials, how dark your sins, or how overwhelming the challenges you face, in Christ there is always hope.

We can develop a closer relationship with God by improving our prayers. All we must do is come before Him with a broken heart and contrite spirit.

We live in a day where comparing and competing are viewed as normal ways to get ahead in life. Merrill J. Christensen explains how to overcome that mindset.

With faith, clean living, pure motive, and the love of Christ, we can expect revelation every day through the Spirit of God.

At times we will go through trials and need to be lifted up. Control, attitude, and faith in divine power will create wind beneath our wings and lift us up.

To emulate the Savior in our personal ministry, we should open our hearts and help, uplift, and encourage others in small, simple ways every day.

The past is to be learned from but not lived in. We remember the blessings and the lessons, but then we look with faith toward the future.

If you have faith in Christ, you will be led by the direction of the Holy Spirit. Faith is the power by which miracles are wrought in the hearts of men.

Widely-circulated heresies can act as stumbling blocks for LDS church members. Seek out a knowledge of true doctrine, and live by it.

God has the power to offer us deliverance through the hardest of trials, including comfort in grief, strength in fierce opposition, and escape from sin.

Luke records that Christ grew in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man. Follow in His steps by caring for your body, spirit, mind, and relationships.

Because God loves us, He will deliver to each of us customized challenges that will last "but for a small moment" to help us grow and progress.

Do we simply use our agency or do we rely on inspiration from God? The fact is that we can't move forward without either when we counsel with the Lord.

The missionary experiences of Elder LeGrand Richards testify that the doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ speak for themselves.

Elaine S. Marshall shares some insights she has gleaned about physical and spiritual healing and what it means to have the "healer's art."

Life may seem unfair and unsatisfactory to the lonely and misunderstood, but purpose can be found through faith, repentance, obedience, and service.

Our response to adversity shapes our character. Trials are temporary, but the blessings we can receive from them are permanent.

We yearn for hope not just for moments in this life, but for eternity. Our hope is bolstered by understanding faith and charity, the pure love of Christ.

As you make resolutions for the new year, don't be too hard on yourself. Remember that God can give you the spirit of commitment and resolution you lack.

This Christmas, we remember not only on the implications that a Savior was born, but also the implications that He died—for us.

May your Christmas be a wholesome, hallowed, and gracious one. Fill the season with love for the Savior and love for your neighbor.

This Christmas, remember that the best gifts are given when the giver feels for the receiver, gives freely, and counts the sacrifice as a bargain.

Thomas S. Monson shares a few touching experiences that demonstrate the true meaning and spirit of Christmas, which we should all seek to have in our hearts.

Small acts of charity can make a big difference in the lives of others. When we exhibit charity, we are doing the extraordinary.

Many of us suffer from ingratitude, which deprives us and others of meaningful blessings. By taking steps to develop gratitude, we will be happier.

By living with a spirit of thanksgiving and not complaining about our circumstances, we will become happier. Opening our eyes to the beauty around us, opening our hearts to God, and opening our arms to those in need will help foster an attitude of gratitude in our lives.

A strong, healthy self-esteem is part of being truly humble. Seek the assured confidence that comes from loving God, others, and yourself.

Trouble will come, but discouragement doesn't have to. If we work now to prepare ourselves through patient and faithful discipleship, we will get through.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World declares the importance of family in our journey to, and enjoyment of, eternal life.

The scriptures are like living water, nourishing and sustaining. To drink deeply, we must read the scriptures, study them, and search for connections daily.

Having patience with ourselves and our circumstances will bring us closer to God and increase our love, humility, and willingness to submit to Him.

Trust in a perfect God gives us the confidence to act in faith, even when faced with difficult decisions or paralyzing fear.

Amidst political, economic, and educational challenges, don’t be a "pickle sucker." Be positive, focus on the good, and "let not your heart be troubled."

Choose to keep God's commandments—always—and stay out of Satan's territory. You are promised safety and peace if you stay on the Lord's side of the line.

God is the gardener of our lives. When we put our life in harmony with His will, we will be able to become what we are meant to be.

To be covenant children of God is a call to leadership. The price for such leadership is often loneliness, but peace of conscience is the reward.

Blessings come when we recognize our identity as covenant children of God, and when we make the Lord—and family—our top priority.

Drawing parallels between the olive press and the events in Gethsemane, Truman G. Madsen invites us all to reflect on the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Former BYU football head coach LaVell Edwards counsels us to put on the whole armor of God, which protects us and enables us to create a meaningful life.

Patricia Holland reminds students that often fear is our greatest enemy. As we follow the scriptural admonition to "fear not," our faith is magnified.

Rabbi Harold S. Kushner describes gifts of faith cultivated on the human soul's quest for God. Inspiration and guidance come to those who follow Him.

The scriptures teach of ordinary people using the Atonement to "walk in newness of life." Their examples prove that it is never too late to change.

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/gordon-b-hinckley_noble-pioneers/

With an eternal perspective, God will help you—our granddaughters, and all women—fulfill your divine missions in the family, the Church, and the world.

In this 1993 Provo Freedom Festival fireside, Neal A. Maxwell calls for true patriotism: living so that we create a better country for future generations.

The physical principles of inertia and entropy are strikingly relevant to our spiritual lives, as is the admonition to "be of good cheer."

As we choose to follow the Savior, and have no confidence in the contrary messages of the world, we will understand our great potential in His eternal plan.

Jesus Christ is the best friend we have—but do we treat Him like the friend He is? Do we live the principles He taught? Our love, service, and compassion towards others is a key indication of our friendship with the Savior.

As we replace earthly perspectives with eternal perspectives, we find that keeping God's commandments becomes natural and our lives take on new meaning.

Robert K. Goodwin, president and CEO of the Points of Light Foundation, calls on the BYU community, along with people everywhere, to join in the nationwide effort to get people involved in service. This involvement is the antidote for many of society's ills.

You are the men and women of tomorrow, and your actions today matter not only for the future of this world, but for your future in eternity.

As children of God, we have a divine nature and destiny, which includes sacred roles to fulfill. The most important of those roles are the eternal responsibilities of fatherhood and motherhood.

The Atonement of Jesus Christ is somehow both vast enough to apply to the entirety of the universe and intimate enough to support us in our individual trials. The Atonement influences the heavens, and it will also influence our hearts if we let Christ in.

The scriptures and the revelations of modern prophets teach us that service is the essence of "true religion, undefiled before God." As we go about doing good, let our service be characterized by privacy and generosity.

The story of the prodigal son testifies that no matter how mild or how severe our sins, there is always a way back to light, peace, and eternal life. Our Father is waiting to greet us with open arms and with a robe, ring, and the fatted calf.

This Christmas season, ask yourselves, "How does my testimony of Jesus Christ influence my beliefs, my actions, and the way I treat others?"

If you desire to find the true spirit of Christmas and partake of the sweetness of it, find time to turn your heart to God.

Whether in education, in war, in marriage, or in building God's kingdom, we must be willing to endure with perseverance until we can claim sweet victory.

Increasing influence of the Supreme Court on national policy is one example of a delicate balance in the separation of powers in U.S. law and government.

Have we learned to give thanks in ALL things? A simple but heartfelt "thank you" can make all the difference in our relationships and character.

When we speak of our relationship with deity, it is important to remember the closeness and love that God feels for us, yet the reverence we owe Him.

Like flaxen threads, seemingly insignificant habits can build up in our lives and become almost impenetrable. Make choices wisely when considering actions that have the potential to become habits.

To have a comprehending soul, we need to approach the gospel with a balance between our mind and heart. Alone, neither is enough. Support the show.

An understanding of how personal revelation works will allow us to develop a closer relationship with God and to live better, happier lives.

C. Terry Warner shares stories from his life as he learned that being self-centered is the antithesis of being honest, simple, solid, and true. Support the show.

Let it be said of us that when the pressures of the world tried to pull us away from God and His word, that we stood fast—that "we heeded them not."

Robert L. Millet shares his experiences answering the most common, but often most difficult questions on what Latter-day Saints believe.

Revelation serves many purposes necessary and beneficial: it testifies, prophesies, comforts, uplifts, informs, restrains, confirms, and impels.

Meekness does not oppose boldness. It means to speak up without speaking down. It means to depend upon the Lord. It means to become like the Savior.