Joseph B. Wirthlin "Concern for the One." Ensign, May 2008, 17-20.

The Lord did not people the earth with a vibrant orchestra of personalities only to value the piccolos of the world. Every instrument is precious and adds to the complex beauty of the symphony. All of Heavenly Father's children are different in some degree, yet each has his own beautiful sound that adds depth and richness to the whole.

Henry B. Eyring "This Day." Ensign, May 2007, 89-91

Hard as things seem today, they will be better in the next day if you choose to serve the Lord this day with your whole heart. Your circumstances may not be improved in all the ways which you desire. But you will have been given new strength to carry your burdens and new confidence that when your burdens become too heavy, the Lord, whom you have served, will carry what you cannot. He knows how. He prepared long ago. He suffered your infirmities and your sorrows when He was in the flesh so that He would know how to succor you.

Gordon B. Hinckley, Quoted in "Facing the Future with Hope" by Lowell M. Snow. Ensign, December 2007, 48-51.

It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It all works out in the end. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers.

Spencer W. Kimball Quoted in "A Vision of What We Can Be" by James E. Faust. Ensign, March 1996, 10.

Happiness does not depend upon what happens outside of you, but on what happens inside of you. It is measured by the spirit with which you meet the problems of life.

David A. Bednar. "Clean Hands and a Pure Heart." Ensign, November 2007, 80-83.

Let me suggest that hands are made clean through the process of putting off the natural man and by overcoming sin and the evil influences in our lives through the Savior's Atonement. Hearts are purified as we receive His strengthening power to do good and become better. All of our worthy desires and good works, as necessary as they are, can never produce clean hands and a pure heart. It is the Atonement of Jesus Christ that provides both a cleansing and redeeming power that helps us to overcome sin and a sanctifying and strengthening power that helps us to become better than we ever could by relying only upon our own strength. The infinite Atonement is for both the sinner and for the saint in each of us.

Gene R. Cook. "Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ." New Era, October 1982, 4.

My brothers and sisters, today is a day of miracles. We believe in miracles. The Latter-day Saints may expect miracles according to their faith. As a member of this Church, you are authorized to take a leading part in the development of the kingdom of God on earth within your respective responsibilities. Pray fervently. Actively seek to increase your faith, and with that great gift from God, you can cause great things to occur within your life and in the lives of others.

Dallin H. Oaks. "The Challenge to Become." Ensign, November 2000, 32-34.

It is not even enough for us to be convinced of the gospel; we must act and think so that we are converted by it. In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.

Robert D. Hales. "If Thou Wilt Enter into Life, Keep the Commandments." Ensign, May 1996, 35.

The commandments are not a burden or a restriction. Every commandment of the Lord is given for our development, progress, and growth. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught: "God has designed our happiness. ...He never will institute an ordinance or give a commandment to His people that is not calculated in its nature to promote that happiness which He has designed."

Thomas S. Monson. "How Firm a Foundation." Ensign, November 2006, 62, 67-68.

As we pray, let us really communicate with our Father in Heaven. It is easy to let our prayers become repetitious, expressing words with little or no thought behind them. When we remember that each of us is literally a spirit son or daughter of God, we will not find it difficult to approach Him in prayer. He knows us; He loves us; He wants what is best for us. Let us pray with sincerity and meaning, offering our thanks and asking for those things we feel we need. Let us listen for His answers, that we may recognize them when they come. As we do, we will be strengthened and blessed. We will come to know Him and His desires for our lives. By knowing Him, by trusting His will, our foundations of faith will be strengthened. If any one of us has been slow to hearken to the counsel to pray always, there is no finer hour to begin than now. William Cowper declared, "Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees".

Thomas S. Monson. "How Firm a Foundation." Ensign, November 2006, 62, 67-68.

Along your pathway of life you will observe that you are not the only traveler. There are others who need your help. There are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspire, and souls to save.

Richard C. Edgley. "Three Towels and a 25-Cent Newspaper." Ensign, November 2006, 72-74.

Honesty should be among the most fundamental values that govern our everyday living. When we are true to the sacred principles of honesty and integrity, we are true to our faith, and we are true to ourselves.

Jeffrey R. Holland. "The Tongue of Angels." Ensign, May 2007, 16-18.

Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith and hope and charity, the three great Christian imperatives so desperately needed in the world today. With such words, spoken under the influence of the Spirit, tears can be dried, hearts can be healed, lives can be elevated, hope can return, confidence can prevail.

Joseph B. Wirthlin. "The Great Commandment." Ensign, November 2007, 28-13

The most cherished and sacred moments of our lives are those filled with the spirit of love. The greater the measure of our love, the greater is our joy. In the end, the development of such love is the true measure of success in life.

Joseph Smith, Quoted in "Thy Will Be Done, Oh Lord" by Franklin D. Richards. Ensign, January 1973, 71.

Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God.

Boyd K. Packer. "Do Not Fear." Ensign, May 2004, 77.

True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior.

Gordon B. Hinckley. "Inspirational Thoughts." Ensign, August 1997, 3.

Prayer unlocks the powers of heaven in our behalf. Prayer is the great gift which our Eternal Father has given us by which we may approach Him and speak with Him in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Be prayerful. You cannot make it alone. You cannot reach your potential alone. You need the help of the Lord.

Joseph B. Wirthlin. "The Great Commandment." Ensign, November 2007, 28-31.

True love lasts forever. It is eternally patient and forgiving. It believes, hopes, and endures all things. That is the love our Heavenly Father bears for us. We all yearn to experience love like this. Even when we make mistakes, we hope others will love us in spite of our shortcomings--even if we don't deserve it. Oh, it is wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father loves us--even with all our flaws! His love is such that even should we give up on ourselves, He never will. We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won't, for He sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming.

Proclamation of Civil Rights Week, December 1955 Quoted in "Just and Holy Principles: An Examination of the U.S. Constitution" by Arvo Van Alstyne. Ensign, August 1987, 6.

Liberty is not any one man's possession. When a man asks freedom for himself alone, both he and his neighbor lose what he thinks he has gained. The spirit of liberty is more than jealousy for your own rights. It is a decent respect for the rights and opinions of others. We are free, not because we have freedom, but because we serve freedom. The love of liberty cannot be separated from loving your neighbor as yourself.

Howard W. Hunter. "The Gifts of Christmas." Ensign, December 2002, 16.

This Christmas, mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love and then speak it again. Christmas is a celebration, and there is no celebration that compares with the realization of its true meaning-- with the sudden stirring of the heart that has extended itself unselfishly in the things that matter most.

Joseph B. Wirthlin. "The Great Commandment." Ensign, November 2007, 28-31.

At the final day the Savior will not ask about the nature of our callings. He will not inquire about our material possessions or fame. He will ask if we ministered to the sick, gave food and drink to the hungry, visited those in prison, or gave succor to the weak. When we reach out to assist the least of Heavenly Father's children, we do it unto Him. That is the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Gordon B. Hinckley. "Inspirational Thoughts." Ensign, October 2003, 2-5.

We must look after the individual. Christ always spoke of individuals. He healed the sick, individually. He spoke His parables of individuals. This Church is concerned with individuals, notwithstanding our numbers. Whether they be 6 or 10 or 12 or 50 million, we must never lose sight of the fact that the individual is the important thing.

Joseph Smith Quoted in “The Great Commandment” by Joseph B. Wirthlin. Ensign, November 2007, 28-31.

Love is one of the chief characteristics of Deity, and ought to be manifested by those who aspire to be the sons of God. A man filled with the love of God, is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race.

Richard L. Evans Quoted in "Gratitude and Thanksgiving" by Marion G. Romney. Ensign, November 1982, 49.

Gratefully we acknowledge the infinite mind of our Maker, and gratefully ought to offer our tithes and offerings, and earnestly consistent service, in thanks for all that God has given, and keep his commandments in remembrance of the love and providence and purpose of the Creator, the God and Father of us all, the organizer and operator of heaven and earth, without whom all these things would not be so. Thank God for all this: for life and what sustains it, for loved ones that make it meaningful, for faith and purpose and continuance, always and forever. Thank God for all of this-- and much, much more.

Joseph F. Smith Quoted in "Live in Thanksgiving Daily" by Joseph B. Wirthlin. Ensign, September 2001, 6.

The grateful man sees so much in the world to be thankful for, and with him the good outweighs the evil. Love overpowers jealousy, and light drives darkness out of his life. Pride destroys our gratitude and sets up selfishness in its place. How much happier we are in the presence of a grateful and loving soul, and how careful we should be to cultivate, through the medium of a prayerful life, a thankful attitude toward God and man!

Gordon B. Hinckley. "The Need for Greater Kindness." Ensign, May 2006, 58-61.

There is no end to the good we can do, to the influence we can have with others. Let us not dwell on the critical or the negative. Let us pray for strength; let us pray for capacity and desire to assist others. Let us radiate the light of the gospel at all times and all places, that the Spirit of the Redeemer may radiate from us.

John K. Carmack. "Unmeasured Factors of Success." Life in the Law, 2004, 26.

Integrity involves the concept of a whole and integrated person, all of his or her parts acting harmoniously, honestly, and completely. The decisions of such a person are honest and wise, their effect on the lives of others carefully considered.

C.S. Lewis Quoted in "Lawyers and the Atonement" by Thomas B. Griffith. Life in the Law, 2004, 238.

The Load, or weight, or burden of my neighbor's glory should be laid on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it...It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship...It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all plays, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal...Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quoted in "Pure Religion" by Stephen A. West. Life in the Law, 2004, 130.

A religion true to its nature must also be concerned about man's social conditions. Religion deals with both earth and heaven, both time and eternity. Religion operates not only on the vertical plane but also on the horizontal. It seeks not only to integrate men with God but to integrate men with men and each man with himself.

Ralph R. Mabey. "Just Lawyers." Life in the Law, 2004, 194.

I have one other radical suggestion for you on the practice of law. This time you can all laugh out loud. You will be successful and you will be living the scriptural admonitions for lawyers and the law if you will practice the paradox of humility. You will be smarter, better, and more successful if you are humble. It makes you happier. Someone said, "Too many humble people are proud of it."

D. Todd Christofferson. "Confirm Thy Soul in Self-Control." Life in the Law, 2004, 75.

My plea is that we do what we can to inspire principled conduct and acceptance of responsibility, first in ourselves, next at home, and then wherever our influence extends. This is not simply for the great decisions and moments in life, but most important, in the minutiae of daily life.

Dallin H. Oaks. "Weightier Matters." Life in the Law, 2004, 113

We do not improve our position in eternity just by flying farther and faster in mortality, but only by moving knowledgeably in the right direction.

John K. Carmack. "Unmeasured Factors of Success." Life in the Law, 2004, 31.

Great achievements require diligence, taking risks intelligently, and sometimes working around the clock. The standards and competition are high in our work. Yet people grow by courageously taking responsibility and discharging it. We should not shy away from our challenges.

Sheila K. McCleve, "The Other Side of Time," Clark Memorandum, Fall 2006, 20

I think if there is one piece of advice that I can give you today, one thing I hope you will take with you and remember and cherish throughout your lives, that one thing is not about time--it is about timelessness. It is about valuing the things that are timeless first and most.

Winston Churchill. 1940. Quoted in "Truth: A Shield to Memory" by Marion D. Hanks. Life in the Law, 2004, 155..

The only guide to man is his conscience; the only shield to his memory is the rectitude and sincerity of his actions. It is very imprudent to walk through life without this shield, because we are so often mocked by the failure of our hopes and the upsetting of our calculations; but with this shield, however the fates may play, we march always in the ranks of honor.

Alexander B. Morrison, "A Caring Community: Goodness in Action," Ensign, Feb 1999, 13.

How our world would be transformed if the vast reservoir of goodness in individuals could somehow be focused and harnessed for the uplift and betterment of society as a whole. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu has said, "Somehow the world is hungry for goodness and recognizes it when it sees it. ... There's something in all of us that hungers after the good and true" (quoted in Parade magazine, 11 Jan. 1998). I agree: goodness is the attribute most needed and longed for not only in our individual lives but also in families, communities, states, and nations.

James E. Faust. "The Study and Practice of the Laws of Men in Light of the Laws of God." Life in the Law. 2004. Pg. 36.

In my opinion there need be no conflict between what the Savior has taught...and what you do as a professional lawyer. Indeed, if you are careful about observing the high moral standards..., you will stand out in your profession. Sir Thomas More did. Although he was beheaded, he fitted well the description of Job, "a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil...and...holdeth fast his integrity" (Job 2:3). The great lawyers I have known have also had great souls.

Sheila K. McCleve, "The Other Side of Time," Clark Memorandum, Fall 2006, 23

Law--and life--is a fight, a battleground. The fight is real, and you are right in the middle of it. I quote form Ephesians 6:12: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

You are in a profession that is adversarial, and you will be fighting the fight, and we believe and expect you to be able to do it. Don't forget the battle is real. Continue to learn, to serve, and to remember and appreciate what you have been given here to enable you to do it.

Thomas S. Monson, "In Quest of the Abundant Life," Ensign, Mar 1988, 2

Let us not overlook obedience to the laws of the land. They do not restrict our conduct so much as they guarantee our freedom, provide us protection, and safeguard all that is dear to us.

In our time, when otherwise honorable men bend the law, twist the law, and wink at violations of the law, when crime goes unpunished, legally imposed sentences go unserved, and irresponsible and illegal conduct soars beyond previously recorded heights, there is a very real need to return to the basic justice that the laws provide when honest men sustain them.

Rex E. Lee, "A Lawyer Whose Client Is the United States," Ensign, Jun 1976, 53

My testimony and understanding of the restored gospel and my government service have each benefited from the other. My experience here has sharpened and illumined my appreciation of the Prophet Joseph Smith's admiration for our constitutional protections of individual rights, and President J. Reuben Clark, Jr's., concern for the intricate problems arising out of the separation of powers. Our constitutional system is deeply rooted and highly resilient, but no system of government in which ultimate power and authority are vested in the people can endure without the continuing involvement of citizens to whom good government is important.

James E. Faust, "'He Restoreth My Soul'." Ensign, Oct 1997, 2.

There seems to be a great need for a restoration of goodness and decency in the souls of many throughout the world. Could not much goodness be brought about in our societies by members of the Church individually, humbly, wisely, and persuasively adhering to their convictions at all times and under all circumstances? It could be brought about by the young lawyer who has the courage to let his voice be heard as a voice of reason to remind others that there are no "victimless crimes." ... This would be the beginning of a different kind of a revolution. It would be a revolution of thought and purpose. It would be a quiet revolution, with each individual acting independently and courageously in his or her own peace of conscience. This kind of moral courage does not destroy one's credibility. It enhances it. Acting in harmony with our own conscience and beliefs is fundamental to our own inner peace and security.

Robert S. Wood, "On the Responsible Self," Ensign, Mar. 2002, 27.

We are among the most blessed people in all of history. There is no place for complaining, no excuse for inaction, no "escape from freedom." Being so richly blessed, we have the responsibility to be a blessing to others, to our nation, to the world. When we stand at the great judgment bar of Jehovah, He may ask: Did we honor our personal responsibility? Did we bear the burdens of our neighbors? Did we heal? Did we comfort? Did we bring peace? Did we instill virtue? Did we spend ourselves in the service and uplift of mankind? May we at that day be able to answer in the affirmative and then hear the words pronounced, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into my rest."

Dallin H. Oaks, "The Divinely Inspired Constitution," Ensign, Feb. 1992, 68 .

Those who enjoy the blessings of liberty under a divinely inspired constitution should promote morality, and they should practice what the Founding Fathers called "civic virtue." In his address on the U.S. Constitution, President Ezra Taft Benson quoted this important observation by John Adams, the second president of the United States:

"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

The personal righteousness of citizens will strengthen a nation more than the force of its arms.

Robert S. Wood, "On the Responsible Self," Ensign, Mar. 2002, 27.

"There is a fairy tale about a king who offered the hand of his daughter in marriage to the young man who would do or create the most extraordinary, unbelievable thing. Young men from all over the kingdom brougth to the royal city marvelous works of mind and hand and tremendous demonstrations of physical agility. Finally, one young man created a tremendous clock that not only told the minutes, hours, days, months, and years, but also had carved within it the figures of the great poets, philosophers, and prophets of history, who on the appointed hours expounded the wisdom of the ages. The people exclaimed, "What an unbelievable thing!" But then another young man appeared on the scene, who, sledgehammer in hand, began to destroy the masterpiece. Again the people exclaimed--this time in horror--"Why, this is the most unbelievable thing we've seen!" And so it appeared that the king was to be compelled to hand his daughter over to the ruffian. But, this being a fairy tale, suddenly all the stone figures reassembled, became flesh, and drove the young man from the town.

When I first read this tale to one of my daughters, she asked, "What was everyone doing while the young man was wrecking the clock?" A very sensible question! For too many, responsibility seems to end with hand-wringing and exclamations of dismay. Yet talk without action accomplishes little. We need to be vigorously engaged in the world. If our schools are inadequate or destructive of moral values, we must work with fellow members of the community to bring about change. If our neighborhoods are unsafe or unhealthy, we must join with the civic-minded to devise solutions. If our cities and towns are polluted, not only with noxious gases but soul-destroying addictions and smut, we must labor to find legitimate ways to eliminate such filth while respecting freedom of conscience. "

President James E. Faust, J. Reuben Clark Law Society Fireside, February 28, 2003.

"Before the wounds of injustice can heal, there must first come a feeling of peace. So, in a sense, a lawyer who helps make peace becomes something of a healer. A good beginning for settling controversy is to try to lower the tension between the real parties in interest."

President James E. Faust, J. Reuben Clark Law Society Fireside, February 28, 2003.

"Our lawyers need to be more than successful advocates. We need to bring our sacred religious convictions and standards to the practice of law. To do otherwise would bring an inconsistency to our character. There always needs to be a connection between having an involvement in the law and living the gospel. In a sense we are all 'able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.'"

President James E. Faust, J. Reuben Clark Law Society Fireside, February 28, 2003.

"To those of you who are practitioners a few simple suggestions learned the hard way over half a century at the bar might include:

This can all be summed up in the principle that we should never do anything to offend the spirit."

President James E. Faust, J. Reuben Clark Law Society Fireside, February 28, 2003

“To be fully successful in the law, one does not have to be brilliant or exceptionally gifted. The most effective work of the world is done by ordinary people who put forth extraordinary effort. This is true of lawyers. Our strengths are magnified with experience and inspiration.”

Abraham Lincoln

“There is a vague popular belief that lawyers are necessarily dishonest. I say vague, because when we consider to what extent confidence and honors are reposed in and conferred upon lawyers by the people, it appears improbable that their impression of dishonesty is very distinct and vivid. Yet the impression is common, almost universal. Let no young man choosing the law for a calling for a moment yield to the popular belief-resolve to be honest at all events; and if in your own judgment you cannot be an honest lawyer, resolve to be honest without being a lawyer.”

President James E. Faust, J. Reuben Clark Law Society Fireside, February 28, 2003

"In our own standards of personal conduct we must remember that the laws of men are the lesser law. I cite to you that the laws of many jurisdictions do not require or encourage being a Good Samaritan. As I have said before, there is a great risk in justifying what we do individually and professionally on the basis of what is "legal" rather than what is "right." In so doing, we put our very souls at risk. The philosophy that what is "legal" is also "right" will rob us of what is highest and best in our nature. What conduct is actually "legal" is, in many instances, way below the standards of a civilized society and light years below the teachings of the Christ. If you accept what is "legal" as your standard of personal or professional conduct, you will deny yourself of that which is truly noble in your personal dignity and worth."

Thomas B. Griffith, “Lawyers and the Atonement”, Life in the Law, p. 238:

The rule of law, the idea that each human being is entitled to the protection of the law, is most firmly rooted and grounded when we approach an understanding of what the Savior has done for each human being. Thus, the calling of lawyers is to build communities based on the rule of law, communities that reach us in the direction of a Zion society, a place where the power of the Atonement unites us.

Constance K. Lundberg, "The Ethical Professional: Consecration in the Workplace", Life in the Law, pp. 184-85:

"I believe that is the way consecration figures in our professional lives. It is not an artificial or externally imposed thing. But, by bringing understanding and love to our contacts with others-clients, opponents, judges-we can share those things most sacred to us-the spirit of the Savior, the eternal concepts of Christ's love and the atonement-not through preaching, but through demonstration, not by announcement, but by letting others feel its sweetness and peace. I believe that we cannot perform immoral acts and pursue unethical courses if we remain true to that spirit as we bring it to our daily service."

Ralph R. Mabey, “Just Lawyers”, Life in the Law, p. 188:

There is something profound in the purpose of our laws when seen in this context. Even the criminal laws are there to unify us in obedience to those laws and, in the event of a breach of the criminal law, to reconcile the offender with the rest of society, to reconcile that offender through enforcement of the law.

Scripture recognizes that this is the purpose of the civil law. By “civil law,” I mean the secular law. Doctrine and Covenants 134:6 says of our laws:

We believe that every man should be honored in his station, rulers and magistrates as such, being placed for the protection of the innocent and the punishment of the guilty; and that to the laws all men show respect and deference, as without them peace and harmony would be supplanted by anarchy and terror; human laws being instituted for the express purpose of regulating our interests as individuals and nations, between man and man; and divine laws given of heaven, prescribing rules on spiritual concerns, for faith and worship, both to be answered by man to his Maker

What is meant here? Harmonize? Bring peace between human beings? The purpose of the law, according to scripture, is to unify us.

Constance K. Lundberg, "The Ethical Professional: Consecration in the Workplace", Life in the Law, p. 177:

"In the scriptures, consecration has two forms. One can consecrate himself, his time, talents, and service. King David called the people to build the temple: "And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?" (1 Chronicles 29:5). Or one can consecrate one's wealth, as Christ commanded the rich man, and as saints did in the primitive Church and in the early days of the latterday Church. Both forms of consecration are partial obedience to the first commandment, as explained by Moses in Deuteronomy. Both forms require both giving and receiving. Again, Dr. Nibley explains the offerings required of the Israelites:

The great gathering and feasts, whose strict observance makes up such an important part of the old law, all have the same purpose, to remind the Israelites that everything they had was a free gift from God. In holding these solemn conferences "you and your sons, daughters, servants, . . . strangers, orphans, widows must all come together and rejoice and be happy," as one big happy family. That is the spirit in which this must be done, and that is the spirit of the law of consecration and the United Order. "Remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt,"if some are slaves, all are slaves. This is to show where we stand with each other and the Lord.

How does this translate into your lives as professionals? First, you must share your gifts,knowledge, skills, talents,with others in need, whether or not they can pay for your services. Lawyers and doctors have professional obligations to provide service pro bono publico, for the good of the public. Does this mean you oppress the poor until four o'clock Friday afternoon and then spend one hour giving nonreimbursed service to a poor person? I think not. Neither do I think it means providing service to the poor only when someone else (Legal Services, Medicare, the Peace Corps) pays you to do so."

Marion G. Romney, "A Christ Like Attitude", Life in the Law, p. 246-47:

For present purposes, I would like to make only three observations. First, neither your obligation to your client nor any other professional obligation should ever require you to be dishonest or in any other respect to compromise your integrity. Your professional responsibilities neither require nor permit you to deal in overt falsehood or misrepresentation, and if your client insists that you do, get another client.

I doubt that any of you will ever have a harder choice to make in this respect than President Clark had on one occasion. I hope that you will make it the same way he did. After many years of struggling, it finally appeared that his chances for success might be realized when he became legal counsel to the first of this country's multi-national corporations. The corporation changed presidents, however, and the new president insisted on taking some steps that were beyond the bounds of what integrity would permit. President Clark had to choose between his conscience and financial success. In the words of the biographer of his law school and professional years, Brother Frank Fox, Reuben let "the dream [of financial success] go glimmering."

Second, even beyond the requirements of truth telling, service to the client and his interests seldom requires the lawyer to sacrifice the kind of civility that is consistent with the Savior's instruction that we should love all people, including our enemies. All too often, practicing lawyers confuse the pursuit of their clients' interests with lack of courtesy and thoughtfulness toward the opposing lawyer. Most of the time, the two are unrelated. Rarely, if ever, will a client's interests be advanced by rudeness or discourtesy. Do not discard, as a lawyer, those basic attitudes of concern for other people that you have come to regard as the foundation stone of virtue in general.

Third, integrity means being prepared to say or do what must be said or done, regardless of the consequences. After the Savior fed the 5,000, many of those who had been fed followed Him to Capernaum. The Savior knew that they followed Him because He had fed them and would be offended if He declared Himself to be the promised Messiah. Nevertheless, He declared: I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst (John 6:35).

Marion G. Romney, "A ChristLike Attitude", Life in the Law, p. 246:

The first characteristic of a Christlike advocate is integrity. I speak of integrity in its broadest sense. No characteristic is more highly prized by members of the legal profession.

Integrity certainly means honesty, but I believe it includes more than honesty. It includes that cornerstone principle of the Savior's life and teachings, a concern for other people. The reason I give such a broad meaning to integrity is that the word means "completeness" or "wholeness." I can think of no better formula for the complete person than the one the Savior gave: to love our Heavenly Father and to love other people as ourselves.

But how, you may ask, can concern, respect, and even love for other people be reconciled with a lawyer's duty to vigorously represent his client? I recognize that there is a potential tension between a lawyer's duty to represent his client and his obligations to other lawyers and to society as a whole. There are times when this tension will present some difficult problems. (Those kinds of problems are outside the scope of this evening's discussion, though I would urge, parenthetically, that when those problems arise, you not hesitate to discuss them with more experienced members of the bar. You will find your professional colleagues more willing to be helpful in that respect than you might have anticipated.)

Thomas B. Griffith, “Lawyers and the Atonement”, Life in the Law, p. 238:

The rule of law, the idea that each human being is entitled to the protection of the law, is most firmly rooted and grounded when we approach an understanding of what the Savior has done for each human being. Thus, the calling of lawyers is to build communities based on the rule of law, communities that reach us in the direction of a Zion society, a place where the power of the Atonement unites us.

Thomas B. Griffith, “Lawyers and the Atonement”, Life in the Law, p. 236:

Here is the insight I offer for you to consider. To build a community that extends beyond your family or congregation-and I believe we are compelled by our understanding of the Atonement of our Savior to do just that-involves the law. Properly understood, the highest and most noble role of a lawyer, then, is to help build communities founded on the rule of law. By doing so, lawyers are participating in the redeeming work of the atoning power of the Savior at its zenith. To be sure, the working out of the power of the Atonement occurs initially at the intimate level of a sinner realizing her individual need for God's grace. But it must also ultimately include creating a community based on the rule of law.

The rule of law is the idea, of staggering importance in the progress of humankind, that a community should not be organized according to the principle that might makes right. Rather, a community and its laws should reflect the reality that each person is a son or daughter of God and by virtue of that fact alone is entitled to be treated with dignity, respect, and fairness. The most famous and influential expression of this radical idea came from the pen of Thomas Jefferson, Virginia's greatest son and the founder of my other alma mater:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

Ralph R. Mabey, Just Lawyers, Life in the Law, p. 195:

It isn’t that there is a religious life we live and a lawyer’s life we live and that we’d better try to reconcile them as best we can. No, I’m proposing something maybe a little more dramatic: that they are the same life, that your calling as a lawyer under e pluribus unum is part of your calling as a disciple of Christ under Romans 12:5.

Ralph R. Mabey, Just Lawyers, Life in the Law, p. 194:I have one other radical suggestion for you on the practice of law. This time you can all laugh out loud. You will be successful and you will be living the scriptural admonitions for lawyers and the law if you will practice the paradox of humility. You will be smarter, better, and more successful if you are humble. It makes you happier. Someone said, “Too many humble people are proud of it.” So I can’t speak for myself. But I speak for you, brothers and sisters. (In general priesthood meeting last October, Bishop Richard C. Edgley spoke of the paradox or irony that strength comes from humility.)

The way you become the best trial lawyer you can is with the humility to learn from what that witness tells you, to learn how that other attorney does it. You may say, “Michael Jordan, he’s not humble. He says, ‘Give me the ball.’” And that’s what a good lawyer says: “Give me the ball.”

How did Michael Jordan come to want to get the ball and to know what to do with it? He did it through the humility of working harder than others, of learning everything about his opponents, of learning every move from the other guy and employing it. There is the paradox in humility.

Ralph R. Mabey, Just Lawyers, Life in the Law, pp. 188-89:

I submit, brothers and sisters, that that is the purpose of a lawyer: to unify us under the law or reconcile us with the law. And only one of you laughed out loud. I would expect more of you to laugh out loud. It seems counterintuitive to the way we picture lawyers. But I want you to think about this because I submit to you that it is true. I believe with this purpose in mind that lawyers are to unify the Lord said:

We believe that men should appeal to the civil law for redress of all wrongs and grievances, where personal abuse is inflicted or the right of property or character infringed, where such laws exist as will protect the same [and such appeals are made by lawyers]; but we believe that all men are justified in defending themselves, their friends, and property, and the government, from the unlawful assaults and encroachments of all persons in times of exigency, where immediate appeal cannot be made to the laws, and relief afforded (Doctrine and Covenants 134:11).

To put it another way, no law enforces itself, no law interprets itself. If the purpose of the law is e pluribus unum, then the purpose of a lawyer is to effect e pluribus unum.

Ralph R. Mabey, Just Lawyers, Life in the Law, p. 188:

There is something profound in the purpose of our laws when seen in this context.
Even the criminal laws are there to unify us in obedience to those laws and, in the event of a breach of the criminal law, to reconcile the offender with the rest of society, to reconcile that offender through enforcement of the law.
Scripture recognizes that this is the purpose of the civil law. By “civil law,” I mean the secular law.
Doctrine and Covenants 134:6 says of our laws:

We believe that every man should be honored in his station, rulers and magistrates as such, being placed for the protection of the innocent and the punishment of the guilty; and that to the laws all men show respect and deference, as without them peace and harmony would be supplanted by anarchy and terror; human laws being instituted for the express purpose of regulating our interests as individuals and nations, between man and man; and divine laws given of heaven, prescribing rules on spiritual concerns, for faith and worship, both to be answered by man to his Maker (emphasis added).

What is meant here? Harmonize? Bring peace between human beings? The purpose of the law, according to scripture, is to unify us.

Constance K. Lundberg, "The Ethical Professional: Consecration in the Workplace," Life in the Law, pp. 182-83:

"Here is the real challenge of the consecration of a profession. It is so easy to be moral in the abstract; so much harder in the dirty, raging, hate-filled reality that is muttering and swearing a blue streak in your office. Moses didn’t get nice, clean, well-educated, upper-middle-class Hebrews. He got illiterate, superstitious slaves. As he reminded them in Deuteronomy, they were not the chosen people because they were more pure, more upright than others. But from these people came the seeds of the people of the covenant -- they preserved the scriptures through war and pestilence. Finally, they were the family of the Savior. By the same token, Paul didn’t get a nice, clean, well-behaved BYU ward in Corinth. He thanked God he didn’t baptize the Corinthians, because they are so quarrelsome (1 Corinthians 1:14-15). He found the Corinthians carnal, envying, and full of strife and division (1 Corinthians 3:3). They were greedy, withholding support for missionary work and for the Church, but providing for themselves (1 Corinthians 4:10-14). What did Paul find in these quarrelsome and sinful Corinthians? He found them epistles from God, written on the fleshy tables of his heart (2 Corinthians 3).

As professionals, you will minister to the needy, the weary, those who are falling by the wayside. The whole do not come to the healer. If you wish to share a common commitment for the good, as described by Shaffer and Bellah, after Aristotle, you will have to look carefully. And it will not be enough to say it is a miracle of God that good could come from such people. They are the children of God, and you have consecrated your time and talents to serve them, to bring them into goodness."

Constance K. Lundberg, "The Ethical Professional: Consecration in the Workplace", Life in the Law, p. 177:

"In the scriptures, consecration has two forms. One can consecrate himself, his time, talents, and service. King David called the people to build the temple: "And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?" (1 Chronicles 29:5). Or one can consecrate one’s wealth, as Christ commanded the rich man, and as saints did in the primitive Church and in the early days of the latter-day Church. Both forms of consecration are partial obedience to the first commandment, as explained by Moses in Deuteronomy. Both forms require both giving and receiving. Again, Dr. Nibley explains the offerings required of the Israelites:

The great gathering and feasts, whose strict observance makes up such an important part of the old law, all have the same purpose, to remind the Israelites that everything they had was a free gift from God. In holding these solemn conferences -- you and yours -- sons, daughters, servants, . . . strangers, orphans, widows must all come together and rejoice and be happy, as one big happy family. That is the spirit in which this must be done, and that is the spirit of the law of consecration and the United Order. "Remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt"-- if some are slaves, all are slaves. This is to show where we stand with each other and the Lord.

How does this translate into your lives as professionals? First, you must share your gifts -- knowledge, skills, talents --with others in need, whether or not they can pay for your services. Lawyers and doctors have professional obligations to provide service pro bono publico for the good of the public. Does this mean you oppress the poor until four o’clock Friday afternoon and then spend one hour giving nonreimbursed service to a poor person? I think not. Neither do I think it means providing service to the poor only when someone else (Legal Services, Medicare, the Peace Corps) pays you to do so."

Rex E. Lee, "Lawyer as Policy Maker", Life in the Law: Answering God’s Interrogatories, p. 171

"Remember that like any great edifice, a lawyer’s reputation cannot be quickly built, but it can be quickly destroyed. Remember also that there are enormous opportunities and temptations to trade long-range benefits, including your reputation, for short-term advantages. It is the same kind of trade-off that Jacob proposed to Esau some three millennia past. It was not a good deal then, and it hasn’t improved with age.
So I’m hopeful that in your dealings with your fellow lawyers you will always lean a little on the careful side. When those opportunities come, as they surely will, to harvest an advantage in a particular case at the cost of your long-range relationship with your fellow lawyers: Don’t do it."

"There are two paths you can travel in seeking to accommodate your professional calling and your religious beliefs. One is the path of delusion and segmentation; the other is the path of reconciliation and integration. The path of reconciliation is the harder way, but it is the truthful way. The easy way is the delusion that you can separate your Christian aspirations from that part of yourself that is engaged in earning a living. It is easier because you can then let the secular world define your professional role for you, and you can limit your professional aspirations by the ethics of role. The study of professional ethics for lawyers is a serious and worthwhile part of your legal education. Professional ethics will lift your standards above the daily mores of commerce and politics, but they cannot be substituted for your Christian aspirations if you want to be at a peace with yourself."

Carl S. Hawkins, Professional Service as a Christian Ministry, Life in the Law: Answering God’s Interrogatories, p. 164

"Another obstacle to viewing law school as preparation for a service ministry will be the daily grind of law school itself. Many of you will have to work harder than you ever have before. There will be stress and anxiety caused by having to learn new ways of thinking, aggravated by a lack of adequate feedback on how you are doing. Your sense of security and, for some of you, even your sense of worth may be threatened temporarily as you seem to be competing in faster company than ever before. And very little that goes on from day to day in the classroom will remind you of the higher aspirations of a Christian ministry. Most of your learning efforts will be spent on acquiring secular knowledge of the law and developing the lawyer’s tough-minded skills of analysis and advocacy.

You will have to keep in mind that such knowledge and skill are indispensable preparation for an effective life of professional service, even if they are not enough to fulfill your higher aspirations. Your preparation at this Law School will be no less rigorous than at other good law schools. That sometimes disappoints some of our students, who seem to expect that, because this is a church-sponsored school, and because they are religious persons, their professional development should come easier by some special dispensation without having to work for it, or else they suppose that their religious beliefs will somehow make them superior lawyers without having to acquire all of the tedious knowledge and hard skills that are required of less pious lawyers. That is, of course, a perversion of our religious beliefs."

"There is before anyone who is in the practice of the law the absolute certainty of many difficult questions and the absolute assurance that, if we are committed clearly and early to the idea that there are some things that are wrong and some things that are right, we will make those decisions with correctness and integrity and the shield of memory and conscience that will permit us to live."