you can quote me on that

"Who you are speaks so loudly I can't hear what you're saying."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Perhaps I'm in a quotey mood. I usually am, truth be told. I love me a good quote. There's just something about saying something in just the right way to have just the right effect. Just that one liner that hits ya. That's what I'm talkin about.

Now apostles know how to put it right - that whole revelation of truth from God factor really helps out, and the Spirit factor really adds that BAM when you hear something great from them. But you know what else I love? Quotes from "worldly" people, that don't share my faith, but still have that mmm that's good stuff effect.

For example, I bring forth exhibit A, compliments of the 30th President of the United States of America, John Calvin Coolridge. Amen, JCC Jr., amen.

"We do not need more national development, we need more spiritual development. We do not need more intellectual power, we need more spiritual power. We do not need more knowledge, we need more character. We do not need more law, we need more religion. We do not need more of the things that are seen, we need more of the things that are unseen."

The relief society lesson I taught last Sunday was on Elder Richard G. Scott's talk, "The Transforming Power of Faith and Character" from Oct 2010 conference. If you want some dang good quotable reading - this talk is it. I could cut out every single paragraph and put them all on my wall. That's how good it is. Read it. He writes so eloquently and precisely. But I went in search of "the world's" view of character and came up with some more kickers that have helped me put my thoughts and actions into perspective and align them with who I want to be.

Exhibit B through D:

"Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones. " - Phillips Brooks

"Reputation is what the world thinks a man is; character is what he really is." - Anonymous

"The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we don't know what to do." - Jon Holt

And here's one I went back for after someone paraphrased it in relief society. I like it, I like it a lot. I bring you exhibit E:

"Character is the ability to follow through on a resolution long after the emotion with which it was made has passed." - Brian Tracy

How often have we been super motivated in one moment to make a change, be better, do better; only the next moment to loose steam, loose motivation, completely forget? I like this quote. We've got to have integrity, character, faith, come what may and after.

And a little pick-me-up favourite from Elder Scott:

"We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day."

Sorry if too many quotes all at once is too many quotes all at once, but I couldn't help myself. Perhaps I'll try to limit myself to just one per post from here on out...

call me quotey cathy.