Come What May

Come what may
We still will know peace
Come what may
Our souls will then increase

Let our hearts
Be turned unto Thee
For life charts
A course that's challenging

Come what may
We will profit
We will say
That we love it

We'll be wise
When comes disaster
Though fear tries
Blessings are seen after

We'll endure
The nights dark shadows
For we're sure
We've brighter tomorrows

Come what may
We will profit
We will say
That we love it

We'll not moan
On trails to Zion
We're God's own
And we shall soon triumph

With life's peaks
The heart grows heavy
But God speaks
And brings strength from heaven

Come what may
We will profit
We will say
That we love it

The birds sing
Come now and listen
As bells ring
Come let your eyes glisten

When we're caught
And seized by trials
It's but ought
The wheel of life's dials

Come what may
We will profit
We will say
That we love it

Know each tear
That clouds up today
Soon will clear
Unto a joyous day

We shall seek
For life eternal
We'll be meek
With peace that's internal

Come what may
We will profit
We will say
That we love it

God does see
Beyond- to success
And we'll be
Strengthened though we've distress

For each loss
He will compensate
When we cross
Beyond what comes of late

Come what may
We will profit
We will say
That we love it

Elder Wirthlin
Come What May, And Love It
Ensign, November 2008, 26

The words came to me
after choir practice
with Once In Royal David's City
still playing in my mind

Let Us Live in the Spirit

Let us live in the Spirit
Being quickened for truth
That by it's workings so quiet
We spiritually improve



If we [increase our spiritual] effort and quench not the Spirit, our inner being is quickened. As we persevere, eternal life awaits us. Thus, we dare not quench the Spirit through disobedience or neglect. Rather, let us 'live in the Spirit' (Galatians 5:25), enhancing the sacred and essential role of the Holy Ghost in our individual lives. I testify that as we truly seek the Spirit, we shall benefit more fully from the quiet, but essential, workings of the Holy Ghost."
Keith K. Hilbig, "Quench Not the Spirit Which Quickens the Inner Man, "Ensign, Nov. 2007, 38

As One Pursued the Master's Ways

As one pursued the Master's ways
He loved life and saw good days
For from evil his tongue refrained
To be without guile it was trained

And from his lips, what came out?
Words of devotion without a doubt
With purity of heart, of mind, and soul
He was sent forth unto an assigned role

But as the fiery furnace tested his strength
The heat of the trial proved a lack of faith
Thus many are called but few are chosen
For in his heart he remained not golden

Who will live in righteousness and harmony?
Those who maintain a pure testimony
That when the fiery darts come about
Faith burns brighter with good works about

How I would have loved to have been this man
In that single moment when he knew God's hand
As he heard the lord speak to him so directly
To be like him I will ever try to be

And that he fell away what can I say?
That is reserved for the judgment day
But, I do know Heavenly Father gave him so much!
He gave him love, praise, free agency, and trust

D&C 124:20
My servant George Miller is without guile; he may be trusted because of the integrity of his heart; and for the love which he has to my testimony I, the Lord, love him.'
1 Pet. 3:10
he that will love life, and see good days,
let him refrain his tongue from evil,
and his lips that they speak no guile.

At the April 1988 general conference, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve spoke of several scriptural references to people who lived without guile.

click on the the title to go to Church News to read the story

An Unhappy Young Man

An unhappy young man faced a stream
There he would pace and there he would dream
If only the water would not flow
He could move on and a better life know

And there he relived all his mistakes
Wishing and missing all that life takes
But, no matter- the past is long gone
And his only choice now was to move on

Up or down the stream- away from this spot
Acknowledging errors- he vowed this lot:
To daily be noble and compassionate
To repent happily as one fortunate

And as the way ahead would not be easy
He pressed on with fear, somewhat queasy
With first things first he would begin
To work on his most grievous sin

First things first with his plan

To go places and move on

How he felt like a man

On firm ground, he stood strong 

With priorities set, he chose to improve
For where one's thoughts lie, there one does move
And with the commandments as his handbook
Peace and joy in his life soon overtook

As he embraced the words of the Lord
Gone were homelife's feelings of discord
The emptiness in his soul began to shrink
As more on his family he did think

At church, he attended all his meetings
And accepted and served within callings
And as one who knows of the high cost
He never let the distressed ever feel lost

He'd never let a wedge drive between
As he ever remembered life stuck at the stream
And when he looked back upon his life
He expressed gratitude and gave thanks for strife

First things first with his plan

To go places and move on

How he felt like a man

On firm ground, he stood strong 

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
Self-Improvement Via Gospel Living
Ensign, November 2003

Never Give Up, Never

Never give up, never
Persevere to the end
Why would you risk or want to sever
The hope of fullness with our Lord, our friend

The course is the easy way
When the goal stays within sight
Even when there comes a trial of faith
And there's sorrow, temptation and blight

This opposition helps us
So that we'll not be passive
But ever following Jesus
There is help He alone can give

For us, He has paved the course
Through His suffering and death
He knows our every sorrow and remorse
And each pitfall to the very depth

He will endow us with gifts
If we but remain true and sure
Having His Spirit in us uplifts
And strengthens us so that we'll endure

May we more learn to be like Him
And seek to know the Father's will
When there's lost sheep, may we tend them
For we've each a course to fulfill

Joseph B. Wirthlin
Never Give Up
Ensign, Nov 1987, 8

We Can All Benefit- By Looking Deep Inside

For the entire membership of the Church
General Conference is an inspiring time of the year
As we're instructed and edified
We learn how to act upon the laws we hold dear

Great things are happening in God's kingdom
We are moving forward as never before
The great mountain will fill the whole earth
And if we are righteous, we'll see so much more


We can all benefit by looking deep inside
During reverent moments of worship
To be proved true, there's nothing we will hide
As we journey in our membership

Each Sunday's a spiritual checkup
That helps navigate life's highways and byways
During sacrament meetings while we sup
We can get our bearings and see the right ways

To stay on the narrow path of faith
With the Bishop, we've worthiness interviews
Have we pursued what's foolish or vain?
It's easy to get diverted from what is true

Truth provides virtues unto our lives
Steadfast, loyal, honest, and just are but a few
In our career paths, as one strives
We must not serve two masters, but always be true

With full faith in their every footstep
The pioneers forged and tempered their souls
Without the Lord, they would be inept
May we too be true, in all of our roles

Elder Wirthlin - General Conference April 1997

D&C 59: 23
23 But learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.

Living Water to Quench Spiritual Thirst

As He walked from Judea to Galilee
The Savior stopped a while in Sychar
It was a shorter route, for His ministry
Yet, at Jacob's well, He had not a jar

Though the Jews and Samaritans never mixed
Jesus asked of one for fresh water
And the woman became more perplexed
To hear He was the gift of Heavenly Father

He spoke of living water. She was intrigued
How could one drink and never thirst again?
The single thought physically appealed indeed
With fancies of magic, which are of men

Throughout history men have been in search of youth
A fountain that springs with everlasting life?
Could this man perhaps be speaking of some truth?
What she would do to avoid old age and strife!

But, only the faithful can tap at this well
Where one quenches their thirst for happiness
Without keeping commandments, we all would fail
Then, He layed bare that she currently slept in this

He told her of the things that she ever did
And astonished, she left her lone water pot
Her cries of amazement just could not be hid
As she went to tell others... to believe it or not

A crowd soon followed her, to see and hear Him
To learn more from him, they asked and they delved
And they besought Him that He'd tarry with them
As living waters to have for themselves

His words refreshed them and quenched all their yearnings
For we suffer when we spiritually thirst
And as we have the answers to satisfy searchings
May we run and tell them where the well bursts

There's long cool drinks of satisfying insights
For all those who crave knowledge and are parched
Every spirit cries out for what sustains life
There to enliven their aging withering hearts

Many have been deceived by man's craftiness
For for truth- they know not where to find it
The Lord's gospel is a cup of happiness
That's bubbling forth out from our prophet

If we hold a cistern dirty and broken
We will be parched and suffer much from drought
And as these waters share mysteries that God has spoken
They will dry up when good works are not about

May we come and be refreshed continually
And be anointed- for our Lord endows
May we find His spring and drink habitually
There to keep ourselves clean for His Holy House


Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
Ensign, May 1995
Living Water to Quench Spiritual Thirst


John 4
Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him,
How is it that thou, being a Jew,
askest drink of me, which am a woman of
Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings
with the Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said unto her,
If thou knewest the gift of God,
and who it is that saith to thee,
Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked
of him, and he would have given thee
living water.
11 The woman saith unto him, Sir,
thou hast nothing to draw with,
and the well is deep: from whence
then hast thou that living water?
12 Art thou greater than our father
Jacob, which gave us the well, and
drank thereof himself, and his children,
and his cattle?
13 Jesus answered and said unto her,
Whosoever drinketh of this water shall
thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water
that I shall give him shall never thirst;
but the water that I shall give him shall
be in him a well of water springing up
into everlasting life.
15 The woman saith unto him, Sir,
give me this water, that I thirst not,
neither come hither to draw.


Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
Ensign, May 1995
Living Water to Quench Spiritual Thirst

Jesus -Concern For the One

How oft did He find time for solitude?
When the needs of the lost were not done.
While surrounded by the multitudes
He always had concern for the one
We've been commissioned to do likewise.
May we see others through Christ-like eyes.

Today some are weary and have strayed
When we've ninety-nine who should we seek?
One who may be different? Or heavy lade?
Of the way they look, act, think and speak
Do they think that they're not befitting?
And from the flock find themselves slipping?

But, the Lord who has peopled the earth
Placed us as a vibrant orchestra
Each of us as fine instruments of worth
That adds to complex beauty and spectra.
In every single personality
Lies a depth rich with ability

The miscellanea of creation
Is a testament of self-esteem
We are like God in variation
Black and white, male and female, bond and free
One flesh is not above another
For, in fact, spiritually we are brothers

Whenever a Saint trips, slips or falls
Who is the best to help one back up ?
He's the Master, and for each He calls
He who submitted and bore the cup.
Let's lend encouragement and support
For we are all imperfect and fall short.

It's at the Lord's Church we find doctrine
That's redemptive- full of charity
Where we can lose ourselves and begin
To give service with variety
For this we'll consecrate talents and skills
According to as the Father wills


Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
“Concern for the One,”
Liahona, May 2008, 17–20

Band of Brothers

In the fires of shared experience
Come some of the closest friendships
They form bonds based on love and trust
Where otherwise emotions crush
From a shared grief or happiness
Comes an amplified tenderness
When we struggle, we must gather
To share what really does matter

To preach the gospel, To change lives
To leave home's comforts, To baptize
To serve God and build His kingdom
And humbly seek out for wisdom
United by a common goal
To usher in another soul
As we link our arms together
We soon journey towards forever

Never forget the value of
A great cause and of selfless love
Captain Moroni rent his coat
And to his countrymen, he wrote
In memory of our religion,
Freedom, peace, wives and our children
Once united, he could lead them
To transcend their lives to his vision

Threatened by familiar neighbors
The two- thousand stripling warriors
Were needed to fight in the war
They prepared for what was in store
With armory, swords, and knives
They trusted God would save their lives
And they knew why they too must fight
To help their fathers keep their plight

They learned of faith from their mothers
That fear's a thick fog which smothers
When we are loyal and faithful
The impossible is possible
Each night may we write down a few goals
For each labor and varied roles
So each day we'll learn, as we grow
Keeping bonds, for Christ our hero

Elder wirthlin

Come Sunday

When all is suddenly dark
With sadness bleak and stark
I picture a gray Friday
When all hope felt to be in vain.

For, Our Lord was upon a cross.
And, for mankind, all seemed lost.
The earth shook and darkness grew.
What were the Saints then to do?

And, too, the temple was rent.
Where holy prayers could be sent.
The Son of Heav'nly Father
No more to walk on water.

He tortured and killed, what grave sorrow.
Gone was their hope of a bright tomorrow.
Gone was the hope of being saved
From the bondage that Rome had paved

That Friday was the darkest
In history. No joy could be harnessed
Devastating sorrow gnawed.
As deep in their souls it clawed.

Their beloved Savior had died.
But, suddenly word came, their tears dried.
The worst doom could not endure.
Eternal Life was now assured!

The glorious Lord was now raised.
They cried when upon Him they gazed.
Though dark days come. We've Fridays.
Bright days await. We've Sundays.

For us in Heaven there is a place.
There is a Lord offering grace.
He lives! We will see His face,
Feel His marks, and Him embrace!

-Elder Wirthlin
Joseph B. Wirthlin, Nov 2006, “Sunday Will Come, ” Liahona

The Law of the Fast

The day has come at last.
Now, humbly I will fast.
For what purpose, I pray,
Can be strengthened today?
At testimonies feast
I hope faith to increase!

I know spiritual power
Attends the sacred hour.
As testimonies born
Ease burdens heavy worn.
Expressed blessings abound
In grateful hearts they're found.

I love Heavenly Father.
To fast is not a bother.
Although I am hungry,
With prayer it reminds me
Of those who have much less.
To them offerings bless.

- Joseph B. Wirthlin

88–91, Joseph B. Wirthlin, Jul 2001,
“The Law of the Fast, ” Liahona

Life's Lessons Learned

If I were to examine my life,
Would I like who I have come to be?
Have I learned life's lessons, though there's strife?
Did I listen to those who coached me?
All I have learned has shaped my destiny.

Prayerfully, I'll reflect on my life.
Have I kept the Lord close beside me?
Did I stay strong though there's fear of strife?
Did I say no when things tempted me?
All I have done has shaped my destiny.

I'll set high goals to improve my life.
And create what will inspire me.
Consistently, I will pray through strife.
I will think of those who have taught me,
With my eyes on the things that will shape me.

- Elder Wirthlin

45–47, Joseph B. Wirthlin, May 2007,
“Life’s Lessons Learned, ” Ensign

Live in Thanksgiving Daily

In a day of Thanksgiving,
What should be abundant?
Gratitude for just living
Marks a soul triumphant!

I'll do your chores, you do mine
Thankful for what each does.
We will contribute in kind.
In service, without fuss.

There's lots of things we don't have.
Are we then unhappy?
On God focus, and not cave
We will then feel happy.

It takes a little talent
To exercise each day
Three things yield powers immense.
With goals along the way.

First, we must open our eyes.
And see what's bountiful.
The brilliance of the skies.
Makes earth so beautiful.

Next, we must open our hearts.
And fill our souls with good.
Repent, rejoice- there is fresh starts
In living as one should.

Last, we must open our arms.
And serve our fellow man.
With our love to those in alarm-
We're God's help, and we're His hands.

Every day's a new canvas
For this we are grateful.
And with thanks for all that's vast.
We feel joy that's delightful.

-Elder Wirthlin

6, Joseph B. Wirthlin, Sep 2001,
“‘Live in Thanksgiving Daily’, ” Ensign

The Great Command

They sought to find in Him a flaw.
He would not deride or use a rod.
“Master”, they asked, “What is the great law?”
He replied, “ Thou shalt love thy God.”
Our Savior, they could not defraud.

I will love God, with all my heart,
With all my soul, with all my mind.
I'm known of Him, the Great Thou Art.
And, to self and man, I'll be kind.
Though men may despise, I'll be refined.

When one argues, contentions sway.
We know to be more unified.
This is the more excellent way.
As our Lord exemplified-
With charity all's dignified.

With the love of God, I am filled.
This is the measure of my soul.
With His love, my spirit is thrilled.
And, blessing others is my role.
In service, I will Him extol.

Eternal love lasts forever.
It is patient and forgiving.
To be Christ-like, we endeavor.
For He sees beyond each shortcoming.
Where we're glorious and becoming.

With Christ's image, we are transformed.
He shares our pain and we soften.
A heart once bitter is reformed.
With perspective, hates forgotten.
Thus, we feel His love more often.

Obedience is a delight.
Love frees us from the weight of pain.
We are vibrant and carry light.
We want all man to feel the same.
With the Lord we've so much to gain.

Unto the sick, we will minister.
To the hungry, we'll offer food.
When, the sacrament's administered
I'll remember beatitudes.
With these emblems, I am renewed.

Our Savior gives us tools to cope.
He gives water from which we draw.
His Light gives us reason to hope.
His love's for us, and we're in awe.
All things hang upon love's great law.

Our Father in heaven provides
Love infinite, eternal.
With this heart, we improve our lives.
He offers Christ- Love is not final-
Blood sealed- the greatest love of all.

Our Lord offers a gift that guides,
That, when we're righteous it teaches,
Inspires, comforts, and resides.
What behooves us, it beseeches!
From this gift, God's love soon far reaches.

-Elder Wirthlin

28–31, Joseph B. Wirthlin, Nov 2007,
“The Great Commandment, ” Liahona