10 notable quotes of President M. Russell Ballard

SALT LAKE CITY — President M. Russell Ballard, the Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints died Sunday evening. He had recently returned home from a brief hospital stay and died at approximately 11:15 p.m. He was 95 years old.

President Ballard gave many sermons and talks over his time as an apostle, a capacity he served in since 1985. We’ve gathered some of his best quotes from over the years.

“It may not always be easy, convenient or politically correct to stand for truth and right, but it is the right thing to do. Always. ” — Standing for Truth and Right, October 1997

“Remember, you can be exalted without a college degree. You can be exalted without being slender and beautiful. You can be exalted without having a successful career. You can be exalted if you are not rich and famous. So focus the best that you can on those things in life that will lead you back to the presence of God – keeping all things in their proper balance.” — Be Strong in the Lord,  Church Educational System fireside, March 2002

“Sometimes we need a personal crisis to reinforce in our minds what we really value and cherish. The scriptures are filled with examples of people facing crises before learning how to better serve God and others. Perhaps if you, too, search your hearts and courageously assess the priorities in your life, you may discover, as I did, that you need a better balance among your priorities.” — Keeping Life’s Demands in Balance, April 1987

“What matters most is what lasts longest, and our families are for eternity.” — What Matters Most Is What Lasts Longest, October 2005

“My testimony to you is that the safety, peace, joy, and security we seek are found only in accepting and sincerely believing in the life and mission of Jesus Christ, the Son of Almighty God. As we embrace His teachings, we give up all of our sins, we repent, and we do all that is in our power to come unto Him in a true spirit of discipleship, knowing perfectly well that it is through His grace that we are saved, even after all that we can do. And as we give ourselves to Christ, fully and completely, we find safety, peace, joy, and security in Him. Does that mean we will not have turmoil or personal problems, sickness, family challenges, or employment difficulties? . . . Not at all. But it does mean that if our faith is anchored securely in our testimonies of Christ, we will be able to cope with whatever challenge or adversity comes our way, and we will be able to do so in a positive, faith-promoting manner. If we keep our lives focused on Christ, we will gain a broader view, an eternal perspective. With that we can understand adversity and what is the right thing for us to do . . . within the context of Heavenly Father’s eternal plan for all of His children. And we can find comfort in this life in the eternal safety, peace and security that He promises.” — Safety, Peace, Joy, and Security in Christ, Ensign, June 2001

“Because of Jesus Christ, peace can replace guilt. Healthy relationships can be restored. Addictions can be overcome. We need to let our family and our friends know this truth—God is love, “and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him.” — Be Still, and Know That I am God, CES Devotional for Young Adults, May 2014

“It is impossible for us to fail when we do our best when we are on the Lord’s errand.” — Put Your Trust in the Lord, October 2013

“A mother’s nurturing love arouses in children, from their earliest days on earth, an awakening of the memories of love and goodness they experienced in their premortal existence. Because our mothers love us, we learn, or more accurately remember, that God also loves us.” — The Sacred Responsibilities of Parenthood, March 2006

“Live a righteous, pure life. Do the right things for the right reasons, and in God’s due time, all of the blessings of eternity will be yours. The key to this is personal self-discipline that leads to righteousness. The key is to do and to learn to master living the gospel for the right reason, to build the inner self. You have a mighty spirit and so do I. The greatest education and the greatest thrust in our lives ought to be to build upon the things of the Spirit. You do that by practicing some of the principles I have suggested. We cannot ignore keeping the commandments of God. We cannot excuse ourselves or rationalize or justify even the smallest things in our lives that we need to master. We must work to overcome them. We can become the masters of our own destinies by practicing self-discipline and by setting worthy goals that will lead to higher ground so that we can become what our Heavenly Father wants us to become.” — Go For It! , March 2004

“Today is in many ways like Jacob’s day. My counsel is like unto his: “Repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you” (Jacob 6:5). Brothers and sisters, be wise with your families. Be wise in fulfilling your Church callings. Be wise with your time. Be wise in balancing all of your responsibilities. O be wise, my beloved brothers and sisters. What can I say more?” — O Be Wise, October 2006

President Ballard’s final testimony given in General Conference in October 2023 stated, “I leave you my witness and testimony that I know that Jesus is the Christ. He is our Savior, our Redeemer. He is our best friend.”

Community mourns and reacts to death of M. Russell Ballard