We must pray with real intent, with genuine faith. Then let us diligently do our part to facilitate the fulfillment of our own requests. “Of all the great and wonderful and inspiring promises I have read, the most reassuring to me are the words of the Savior: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.’ (Matt. 7:7.) … . Let us never forget to pray. God lives. He is near. He is real. He is our Father. He is accessible to us” (Gordon B. Hinckley, Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1997], 467).
“Judge Not, That Ye Be Not Judged”
Let us be empathetic and slow to find fault. Simply put, we must not judge anyone—and let us remember that if we do judge harshly, we will be judged harshly. “These words … are a message for his saints, for all the people, for those who choose him as the way, the truth, and the life. The sense and meaning of each rendition is expressive of the divine will: ‘Condemn not, that ye be not condemned; judge wisely and righteously, so that ye shall be judged in like manner; and the Lord shall recompense to every man according to his work, and measure to him ‘according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man.’ (D&C 1:10.)” (Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah: From Bethlehem to Calvary, 4 vols. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1979–1981], 2:161).
“Beware of False Prophets - by Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them”
We can discern the emissaries of the Lord by their noble character and righteous actions. All that we do and say represents our value system and beliefs. If we want to help people, we should let them see our good works that we might glorify our God and help them understand the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We want to represent the word of God as loyal and authentic disciples.
Says Elder Bruce R. McConkie:
False prophets—the curse and scourge of the world! How awful and awesome and evil it is when one pretends and professes to speak for God in leading men to salvation, but in fact has a message that is false, a doctrine that is not true, and a prophecy that will not come to pass. And how little do the Jewish people of Jesus’ day know—or does the world today know—who among them are the false prophets. But then, false prophets are of the world; they follow the practices of the world; they teach what the carnal mind desires to hear; they are loved by the world (The Mortal Messiah: From Bethlehem to Calvary, 4 vols. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1979–1981], 2:168)
“By their fruits ye shall know them.” What a dependable and time-tested criterion to apply as we find our way carefully through our mortal experience. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin has stated:
Throughout the ages, the Lord has referred to his people, those who love him and keep his commandments, in words that set them apart. He has called them a “peculiar treasure” (Exodus 19:5), a “special people” (Deuteronomy 7:6), “a royal priesthood, an holy nation”‘ (1 Peter 2:9). Scriptures refer to such people as Saints. As the Savior taught, “by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matthew 7:20.)
In sharp contrast to those who live by gospel principles, I see accounts of people who either ignore or don’t understand these principles. Some do not follow gospel standards and live in sin, evil, dishonesty, and crime. The result is untold misery, pain, suffering, and sorrow. (Finding Peace in Our Lives [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1995], 39)