Faith and Personal Character

This morning I came across some notes I took from a talk by Elder Richard G. Scott (link at bottom). I'm glad I wrote them down, because I needed to reminded of these beautiful truths.

• “Faith is a foundation building block of creation.”
• Faith can transform our daily activities from drudgery to a “symphony of joy.”
• “Faith and character are intimately related. Faith in the power of obedience to the commandments of God will forge strength of character available to you in times of urgent need. Such character is not developed in moments of great challenge or temptation. That is when it is intended to be used.”
• “We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become.”
• “Strong moral character results from consistent correct choices in the trials and testing of life.”
• “The bedrock of character is integrity.”
• Happiness on earth, as well as eternal salvation, comes from making many correct choices. They aren’t difficult to make, and together they forge a character that can resist temptation. This nobility of character gives our lives direction.
• “Your character is a measure of what you are becoming. It is the evidence of how well you are using your time on earth.”
• Serving others helps forge our character. It gives us a greater capacity to recognize the Spirit’s direction.
• A testimony “is the very essence of character woven from threads born of countless correct decisions.”
• “A testimony grows from understanding truth distilled from prayer and the pondering of scriptural doctrine. It is nurtured by living those truths with faith anchored in the secure confidence that the promised blessing will be obtained.”
• “Humility is the precious fertile soil of righteous character.”
• Cultivate seeds of growth with faith, prune with repentance, fortify with obedience and service and you’ll receive the fruit of spiritual direction.

“The Transforming Power of Faith and Character” by Elder Richard G. Scott (general conference October 2010)