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Ezra Taft Benson

Ezra Taft Benson Quotes

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Famous Ezra Taft Benson Quotes

“I believe that God has endowed men with certain inalienable rights as set forth in the Declaration of Independence and that no legislature and no majority, however great, may morally limit or destroy these; that the sole function of government is to protect life, liberty, and property, and anything more than this is usurpation and oppression.”

MenBelieveMayGovernmentCertainI BelieveLibertyRightsProtectLimitsFunctionIndependenceMajorityPropertyOppressionSoleDeclarationLegislatureDeclaration Of IndependenceInalienable RightsUsurpation
Book:The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson
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“I don't know how you feel, my brethren and sisters, but I'd rather be dead than to lose my liberty. I have no fear we'll ever lose it because of invasion from the outside. But I do have fear that it may slip away from us because of our own indifference, our own negligence, as citizens of this land. And so I plead with you this morning that you take an active interest in matters pertaining to the future of this country.”

KnowsFeelsMayCountryMatterInterestLosesLibertyMorningKnow HowLandCitizensActiveIndifferenceSlipsNo FearInvasionHow You FeelBrethrenHave No FearNegligence
Book:So shall ye reap: selected addresses
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“Our bishops storehouses are not intended to stock enough commodities to care for all the members of the Church. Storehouses are only established to care for the poor and the needy. For this reason, members of the Church have been instructed to personally store a year's supply of food, clothing, and, where possible, fuel. By following this counsel, most members will be prepared and able to care for themselves and their family members, and be able to share with others as may be needed.”

YearsMayHas BeensReasonEnoughCareAbleChurchPoorShareNeededMembersPreparedFollowingStoresFuelClothingsCommodityBe PreparedBishopsNeedyFamily Members
Author:Ezra Taft Benson
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“Youth is the spirit of adventure and awakening. It is a time of physical emerging when the body attains the vigor and good health that may ignore the caution of temperance. Youth is a period of timelessness when the horizons of age seem too distant to be noticed.”

MayBodySeemsAgeSpiritYouthAdventurePeriodsAwakeningHorizonCautionEmergingGood HealthVigorTemperanceTimelessnessSpirit Of Adventure
Book:The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson
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“More than ever before, we need to learn and apply the principles of economic self-reliance. We do not know when the crisis involving sickness or unemployment may affect our own circumstances. We do know that the Lord has decreed global calamities for the future and has warned and forewarned us to be prepared. For this reason the Brethren have repeatedly stressed a 'back to basics' program for temporal and spiritual welfare.”

KnowsNeedsMaySelfReasonSpiritualSpiritualityLordPrinciplesLearningEconomicCircumstancesProgramCrisisPreparedPreparationWelfareSicknessBe PreparedUnemploymentSelf RelianceRelianceCalamityStressedInvolvingBrethrenBasicsPreparednessEmergency PreparednessBack To BasicsForewarned
Author:Ezra Taft Benson
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“The price of peace is righteousness. Men and nations may loudly proclaim, 'Peace, peace,' but there shall be no peace until individuals nurture in their souls those principles of personal purity, integrity, and character which foster the development of peace. Peace cannot be imposed. It must come from the lives and hearts of men. There is no other way.”

MenWayHeartMaySoulCharacterIndividualNationsPrinciplesDevelopmentIntegrityPurityRighteousnessNurtureIntegrity And Character
Book:So shall ye reap: selected addresses
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“If America is destroyed, it may be by Americans who salute the flag, sing the national anthem, march in patriotic parades, cheer Fourth of July speakers - normally good Americans, but Americans who fail to comprehend what is required to keep our country strong and free, Americans who have been lulled away into a false security.”

IfsMayHas BeensCountryAmericaStrongFailingSecurityDestroyedOur CountryNationalismMarchPatrioticCheerFlagsFourthSpeakersJulyParadesSaluteAnthemNational Anthem
Book:An enemy hath done this
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“We are recipients of God's choicest blessings. We enjoy an abundance of material things beyond that enjoyed by any other nation in the history of the world; but unless we keep alive a realization that all these blessings come from God and are a part of our great spiritual heritage, they may crumble as ashes in our hands. "In nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things and obey not his commandments."”

MenWorldMayHandsSpiritualNationsEnjoyAliveMaterialsBlessingAll ThingsHistoricalRealizationEnjoyedAbundanceHeritageAshesCommandmentsWrathWorld HistoryMaterial ThingsGreat Spiritual
Author:Ezra Taft Benson
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“Our families may be corrupted by worldly trends and teachings unless we know how to use the [Book of Mormon] to expose and combat the falsehoods in socialism, organic evolution, rationalism, humanism, and so forth.…And our nation will continue to degenerate unless we read and heed the words of the God of this land, Jesus Christ, and quit building up and upholding the secret combinations which the Book of Mormon tells us proved the downfall of both previous American civilizations.”

KnowsMayBookUseJesusNationsChristSecretKnow HowTeachingLandBuildingEvolutionCivilizationJesus ChristHumanismQuittingSocialismCombinationOur FamilyTrendsCombatFalsehoodWorldlyHeedDegeneratesDownfallRationalismBuilding Up
Author:Ezra Taft Benson
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“We must not lose hope. Hope is an anchor to the souls of men. Satan would have us cast away that anchor. In this way he can bring discouragement and surrender. But we must not lose hope. The Lord is pleased with every effort, even the tiny, daily ones in which we strive to be more like Him. Though we may see that we have far to go on the road to perfection, we must not give up hope.”

MenWayGivingMaySoulLosesEffortLordGoes OnGiving UpPerfectionStriveCastsTinySurrenderSatanNot Giving UpAnchorsDiscouragementCast Away
Book:The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson
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“From the standpoint of food production, storage, handling, and the Lord's counsel, wheat should have high priority. Water, of course, is essential. Other basics could include honey or sugar, legumes, milk products or substitutes, and salt or its equivalent.”

PeopleShouldMayTodayCoursesWaterLordProductsEssentialsShould HaveSalvationProductionsStoresPrioritiesRevelationsSubstitutesHoneyMilkSugarSaltStandpointWheatBasicsStorageArkFood Production
Author:Ezra Taft Benson
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“I counsel you, in the words of Jesus Christ, to "watch and pray I always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat" (3 Nephi 18:18). If you will earnestly seek guidance from your Heavenly Father, morning and evening, you will be given the strength to shun any temptation.”

IfsMayFatherJesusGivenChristWatchesMorningPrayingJesus ChristTemptationEveningGuidanceSatanHeavenlyHeavenly FatherWheat
Author:Ezra Taft Benson
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“If we are to achieve long-range goals, we must learn to set up and accomplish short-range goals that will move us along the way. If we do not consciously select our goals, we may be controlled by goals not of our own choosing - goals imposed by outside pressures (such as the expectations of others) or by our habits (such as procrastination) or by our desire for the approval of the world.”

IfsWorldWayMayLongMovingDesireGoalAchieveHabitExpectationsPressureAccomplishGenerosityRangeControlledApprovalProcrastinationSelect
Author:Ezra Taft Benson
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“The stage, the screen, the novel, casual conversation, the street discussion, and too often the fireside intimacies are punctuated with blasphemy, to which may be added, as of the same nature, coarse, ribald jokes, foul stories, and low small talk. Some would have us believe that profanity is a sign of masculinity and emotion maturity.”

BelieveMayStoriesEmotionNovelStreetsStageConversationLowsJokesScreensIntimacyDiscussionMaturityMasculinityCasualFoulBlasphemyCoarseProfanitySmall TalkRibald
Book:The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson
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