“The way of the Lord is the way of happiness. ‘Wickedness never was happiness’ [Alma 41:10]. Transgression never was happiness. The way of happiness is following the way of the Lord. I believe this with all of my heart. If there is any message that runs all through the Book of Mormon, it is this great, transcendent message—that when the people lived in righteousness, they were happy and they were prospered; and when they fell into wickedness they were miserable. they were at war, they were in poverty, they were in trouble. That theme goes all the way through the Book of Mormon. As it was true then, so it is true now. The way of happiness for the people of this Church lies in following the ways of the Lord.” ~President Gordon B. Hinkley, Oahu, Hawaii, regional conference, 18 February 1996
“With all our doing, with all of our leading, with all of our teaching, the most important thing we can do for those whom we lead is to cultivate in their hearts a living, vital, vibrant testimony and knowledge of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the world, the Author of our salvation, He who atoned for the sins of the world and opened the way of salvation and eternal life. I would hope in all we do we should somehow nourish the testimony of our people concerning the Savior. I am satisfied—I know it is so—that whenever a man has a true witness in his heart of the living reality of the Lord Jesus Christ, all else will come together as it should. . . . that is the root from which all virtue springs among those who call themselves Latter-day Saints.”~President Gordon B. Hinkley, BYU Married students’ regional Conference 10 Feb 1996
