John A. Widtsoe

No man’s faith, no man’s religious organization in all the world, can ever rise above the truth. The truth must be at the foundation of religion, or it is in vain and it will fail of its purpose.

Christ’s Ideals for Living

The word orthodoxy is not applicable to Church doctrine or practice. Therefore it is seldom used within Church circles. Latter-day Saints should be careful in speaking about themselves or others as being orthodox or unorthodox in the Church. It is not an accurate statement of their position.

evidences and reconciliations, p. 276

Give a man a little authority, and he loves to show it off.

in a sunlit land, p. 140

The wealth of new knowledge must be used for human welfare, if happiness and progress is to be won.

in a sunlit land, p. 150

There are those who tend to look down upon the teacher because he is content to work in a profession that offers meager financial returns. But, let it never be forgotten that the future of free America lies in the hands of its educators.

in a sunlit land, p. 152

I had studied the gospel as carefully as any science. The literature of the Church I had acquired and read. During my spare time, day by day, I had increased my gospel learning. And I had put gospel truth to work in daily life, and had never found it wanting.

The claims of Joseph Smith the Prophet had been examined and weighed. No scientific claim had received a more thorough analysis. Everywhere the divine mission of the latter-day prophet was confirmed.

in a sunlit land, p. 158

If one desires, great satisfaction may be found in simple pleasures.

in a sunlit land, p. 162

As the years went on, duties increased, until there was really no time for recharging the mind with ideas or thinking out problems.

in a sunlit land, p. 163

The temple is peculiarly a place of revelation.

in a sunlit land, p. 177

Women can reach certain classes with the gospel that the elders fail to interest.

in a sunlit land, p. 195

That which I learned, all of it, was as food to my soul.

in a sunlit land, p. 21

Besides, whatever the work fate thrust upon me, I have cultivated the life of the spirit. Reading, thinking, reaching out for contact with the unseen world, whether of imagination or revelation, have brought a change from the routine of life, and daily peace. I thank God that men have written books. One can live with the great ones through their writings.

in a sunlit land, p. 241

All real joys come from within. That is a world lesson which every man needs to learn. Without mystery over one’s appetites, and courage to seek and accept truth at any cost, life’s path is thorny, however attractive the veneer may be.

in a sunlit land, p. 243

Every person learns more outside than inside the schoolroom.

in a sunlit land, p. 30

The degree of learning and development depends on individual effort which, if continued through life, really educates a person.

in a sunlit land, p. 30

Good reading continued through life adds to a person’s enjoyment and culture. Fiction and poetry have never seemed antagonistic to more serious reading. In my case they have been refreshing.

in a sunlit land, p. 34

I dislike dictatorship in any manifestation and in any place, even more than ever in education.

in a sunlit land, p. 44

The noble history of Norway, with its record or centuries of struggle for personal freedom, thrilled me, and created within me a love of freedom and a horror of anything bordering upon human slavery. In my own professional life I have avoided, as far as possible, rules and regulations. Very few will usually suffice in any enterprise. Free men work best

in a sunlit land, p. 5

The individual man, free to act for himself, has always been my first concern; for there, it has seemed to me, lies the strength of a community or a nation.

in a sunlit land, p. 5

Truth had always been my first love. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I had found used, and enjoyed truth.

in a sunlit land

The message of the scripture is divine; the words in which it is clothed are human. Failure to make this distinction has led to much misunderstanding. Intelligent readers will separate the message of the scripture from its form of presentation.

The Best of Lowell L. Bennion, p. 199

If you will spend 15 minutes a day—that’s all, just 15 minutes a day—reading carefully the standard works, you will know more in five years than most men.

Improvement Era volume 63

That there are similarities in the services of the temple and some secret organizations may be true. These similarities, however, do not deal with the basic matters but rather with the mechanism of the ritual. Moreover, they are not peculiar to any fraternity. They are used and have been used by people throughout the centuries. They belong to the common heritage of mankind. Joseph Smith had the right to employ such commonly used methods and symbols without being charged with plagiarizing from any particular group.

evidences and reconciliations, p. 112