Nice collection. I must admit that I skipped the sections by Education Week Favorites... That wasn't what I was looking for this time around. I kind of wish that the compiler had included the original dates/locations of the discourses. ( )

Tiny little book full of wonderful things. Published in 1977, this is a compilation of essays or talks by Spencer W. Kimball, N. Eldon Tanner, Marion G. Romney, Ezra Taft Benson, Mark E. Petersen, Marvin J. Ashton, Bruce R. McConkie, L. Tom Perry, Neal A. Maxwell, Marion D. Hanks, Joseph Anderson, John H. Vandenberg, Robert L. Simpson, S. Dilworth Young, Hartman Rector, Jr., Carlos E. Asay, Vaughn J. Featherstone and H. Burke Peterson.

There were so many wonderful things, I can't share them all. But here were some of my faves:

"Under Divine Law the blessings of prayer, like Salvation, are enjoyed by each individual in the measure which we are willing to receive, other than in any inscrutable outpouring or withholding from the heavens....Under these principles, we limit what God can do for us by our wilful ignorance or disobedience or selfishness or lack of faith." ~Marion D. Hanks, emphasis added.

"When our prayers are inspired, we actually learn from our very petitions, just as President Marion G. Romney has observed that when he speaks under inspiration, he learns from what he says....
To be able to tap Divine perspective, with regard to the content of our petitions, thus becomes exceedingly important...we might ask 'amiss' in terms of removing a challenge, when what we need is help in order to cope with that challenge...We must comet o bend our will to the will of God, so that in our prayers we really commune with Him and ask for those things which are right." ~Neal A. Maxwell--emphasis added.

"Prayers are not bulldozers that automatically clear the way of all roadblocks." ~Neal A. Maxwell

"God will think nothing trivial if it bears upon our salvation. God never holds us in contempt." ~Neal A. Maxwell

"Admitting aloud (privately) our weaknesses and stating our promises is sometimes better than just thinking them. Dealing with our specific weaknesses is far better than simply praying that we will be more righteous." ~Neal A. Maxwell

"Children's prayers seem to get directly through because their thoughts are not filled with detours and reservations." ~Marvin J. Ashton

"Our prayers should be meaningful and pertinent. We should not use the same phrases at each prayer. Each of us would become disturbed if a friend said the same four words to us each day, treated the conversation as a chore, and could hardly wait to finish in order to turn on the TV and forget us." ~Ezra Taft Benson

And one more long one...

"I hope that someday you will hvae a longing, a longing that seems to wring your soul...that you will meet a wall that seems insurmountable, impregnable; but if duty lies beyond that wall, do not stand back and say, 'I cannot do it.' You may aspire to do it, but that is not sufficient. Do what James says: Ask God for power, but add to that faith, an acknowledgement of your own ability to do what you are able to do.

You can walk from where you stand, up to the wall. When you get there, and you have gone as far as you can, you will find in answer to your prayer that there is a hidden ladder by which you can scale it, or a there is a door which you could not see from where you were first standing. God's hand is shown. In that hour you become responsive to the Infinite, and you realize what it means to be entititled to the guidance of the Holy Ghost; and he will guide you in these thing. Wisdom comes through effort. All good things require effort. That which is worth having will cost you part of your physical being, your intellectual power and soul power. 'Ask and it shall be given you, seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.' But you have to ask, you have to knock, you have to seek. ~John H. Vandenberg (quoting David O. McKay) ( )

Signed by Spencer W. Kimball, N. Eldon Tanner, Marion G. Romney, Ezra Taft Benson, Mark E. Petersen, Marvin J. Ashton, Bruce R. McConkie, L. Tom Perry, Neal A. Maxwell, Marion D. Hanks, Joseph Anderson, John H. Vandenburg, Robert L. Simpson, S. Dilworth Young, Hartman Rector, Jr., Carlos E. ASay, Vaughn J. Featherstone, and H. Burke Peterson