Friday Night Thoughts, VII Edition

" 'There are large parts of [the world] where religion is a thing of the past and there is no counter-voice to the culture of buy it, spend it, wear it, flaunt it, because you’re worth it.  The message is that morality is passé, conscience is for wimps, and the single overriding command is ‘Thou shalt not be found out' ' (Jonathan Sacks, “Reversing the Decay of London Undone,” Wall Street Journal, Aug. 20, 2011, online.wsj.com; emphasis added.)
"My brothers and sisters, this—unfortunately—describes much of the world around us.  Do we wring our hands in despair and wonder how we’ll ever survive in such a world?  No.  Indeed, we have in our lives the gospel ofJesus Christ, and we know that morality is not passé, that our conscience is there to guide us, and that we are responsible for our actions.
"Although the world has changed, the laws of God remain constant.  They have not changed; they will not change.  The Ten Commandments are just that—commandments. They are not suggestions.  They are every bit as requisite today as they were when God gave them to the children of Israel.  If we but listen, we hear the echo of God’s voice, speaking to us here and now..."
(Thomas S. Monson, Stand in Holy Places; GC Oct. 2, 2011)