Matthew 8

 As Jesus performs a series of miraculous healings, one of which is the healing of a servant of a Roman centurion, we read - 

"there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,

6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.

7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him."  (Matthew 8:5–7)

But centurion responded - 

"...Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel."  (Matthew 8:8–10)

What I think is significant is the desire for his servant just as much as his faith.

President Henry B. Eyring - Legacy of Encouragement

 President Eyring encouraged the saints to continue striving for exaltation as he taught - 

"Mormon saw meekness as evidence of the strength of their faith. He saw that they felt dependent on the Savior. He encouraged them by noting that faith. Mormon continued giving them encouragement by helping them see that their faith and meekness would build their assurance and their confidence of success in their struggle..."

"Mormon then encourages them by testifying that they are on the way to receiving the gift of their hearts being filled with the pure love of Christ. He weaves together for them the interactions of faith in Jesus Christ, meekness, humility, the Holy Ghost, and the firm hope of receiving eternal life...."

"...The Savior knows your struggles in detail. He knows your great potential to grow in faith, hope, and charity.

The commandments and covenants He offers you are not tests to control you. They are a gift to lift you toward receiving all the gifts of God and returning home to your Heavenly Father and the Lord, who love you.

Jesus Christ paid the price of our sins. We may claim that blessing of eternal life if we will have faith in Him enough to repent and become like a child, pure and ready to receive the greatest of all the gifts of God."

Matthew 7

 As the Savior concludes His sermon on the mount, he warns - 

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."  (Matthew 7:21–23)

Joseph Smith corrected "I never knew you" with "Ye never knew me".  (Matthew 7:23 note a)

The condition is doing the will of the Father which is in heavan.

Matthew 6

 I may have mentioned this before but the verse that seems to ring true to me in His sermon is - 

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."  (Matthew 6:21)

Which follows that we will be judged by the desires of our heart.

Matthew 5

 Part of His sermon on the mount, the Savior taught - 

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."  (Matthew 5:48)

This statement was not necessarily about Himself, but His Father.  My thoughts are then, not only spiritually but also physically.  Obviously, this can only happen after this life and the ressurection.

President Russell M. Nelson - Overcome the World and Find Rest

 In his remarks, I felt President Nelson was speaking directly to me as he taught - 

"...Each person who makes covenants in baptismal fonts and in temples—and keeps them—has increased access to the power of Jesus Christ. Please ponder that stunning truth!

The reward for keeping covenants with God is heavenly power—power that strengthens us to withstand our trials, temptations, and heartaches better. This power eases our way. Those who live the higher laws of Jesus Christ have access to His higher power. Thus, covenant keepers are entitled to a special kind of rest that comes to them through their covenantal relationship with God."

"...because He atoned for each of us, you too can overcome this sin-saturated, self-centered, and often exhausting world.

Because the Savior, through His infinite Atonement, redeemed each of us from weakness, mistakes, and sin, and because He experienced every pain, worry, and burden you have ever had,5 then as you truly repent and seek His help, you can rise above this present precarious world.

You can overcome the spiritually and emotionally exhausting plagues of the world, including arrogance, pride, anger, immorality, hatred, greed, jealousy, and fear. Despite the distractions and distortions that swirl around us, you can find true rest—meaning relief and peace—even amid your most vexing problems."

"As we strive to live the higher laws of Jesus Christ, our hearts and our very natures begin to change. The Savior lifts us above the pull of this fallen world by blessing us with greater charity, humility, generosity, kindness, self-discipline, peace, and rest."

"My plea to you this morning is to find rest from the intensity, uncertainty, and anguish of this world by overcoming the world through your covenants with God. Let Him know through your prayers and your actions that you are serious about overcoming the world. Ask Him to enlighten your mind and send the help you need. Each day, record the thoughts that come to you as you pray; then follow through diligently. Spend more time in the temple, and seek to understand how the temple teaches you to rise above this fallen world."

Matthew 5

 On the Mount, the Savior taught - 

"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted."  (Matthew 5:4)

David J Ridges suggested - 

"...mourn [for their sins; in other words, those who repent]"

Adding that they are comforted by the Holy Ghost.

Just an interesting thought.

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John 4

 As the Savior demonstrated spiritual reaping with "woman at the well" and the people in the city of Sychar, he instructs His disciples - 

"Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth."  (John 4:35–37)

I believe He is saying the same to us in our day.

John 3

 As Nicodemus was taught concerning the necessity of being born again, the Savior said - 

"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit."  (John 3:8)

The Lord teaches a great doctrine here.  The Spirit will teach us at one point what we should do.   The test will be if we follow those impressions or not.  If we do, we are more than likely to be taught again.

Elder David A. Bednar - Put On Thy Strength, O Zion

 Teaching the Parable of the royal marriage feast, Elder Bednar explained - 

"As the king entered the wedding hall, he surveyed the audience and immediately noticed that one conspicuous guest was not wearing a wedding garment. The man was brought forward, and the king asked, “Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.”14 In essence, the king asked, “Why are you not wearing a wedding garment, even though one was provided for you?”

The man obviously was not dressed properly for this special occasion, and the phrase “And he was speechless” indicates that the man was without excuse."

"A Christian author, John O. Reid, noted that the man’s refusal to wear the wedding garment exemplified blatant “disrespect for both the king and his son.” He did not simply lack a wedding garment; rather, he chose not to wear one. He rebelliously refused to dress appropriately for the occasion. The king’s reaction was swift and decisive: “Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”"

"The invitation to the wedding feast and the choice to partake in the feast are related but different. The invitation is to all men and women. An individual may even accept the invitation and sit down at the feast—yet not be chosen to partake because he or she does not have the appropriate wedding garment of converting faith in the Lord Jesus and His divine grace. Thus, we have both God’s call and our individual response to that call, and many may be called but few chosen."

Elder Bednar than teaches - 

"I believe the implication of these verses is quite straightforward. God does not have a list of favorites to which we must hope our names will someday be added. He does not limit “the chosen” to a restricted few. Instead, our hearts, our desires, our honoring of sacred gospel covenants and ordinances, our obedience to the commandments, and, most importantly, the Savior’s redeeming grace and mercy determine whether we are counted as one of God’s chosen."

In other words - 

“Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion.”31

“For Zion must increase in beauty, and in holiness; her borders must be enlarged; her stakes must be strengthened; yea, verily I say unto you, Zion must arise and put on her beautiful garments.”

John 2

 As the Savior cleared the merchants in the temple, He said responded to questions of who did he think he was - 

"...Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  (John 2:19)

His disciples did not understand this and probably many others.  But in my mind, there were Pharisees that did for after His crucifixion, they said to Pilate

"Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,

63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.

64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first."  (Matthew 27:62–64)

Obviously, these individuals knew exactly what he meant.

Luke 5

 In my mind, the Savior was telling the Pharisees that it was difficult to turn to His new doctrine than the old Mosiac law when He said - 

"No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better."  (Luke 5:39)

Luke 4

 Luke records of the Savior - 

"...he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her.

39 And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them."  (Luke 4:38–39)

In my mind is the included gem that Peter was married.

Elder Gerrit W. Gong - Happy and Forever

 As Elder Gong addressed "Happy and Forever", what caught my attention were -

"...Temple ordinances do not of themselves change us or those in the spirit world. But these divine ordinances enable sanctifying covenants with the Lord, which can bring harmony with Him and each other."

"Our joy becomes full as we feel Jesus Christ’s grace and forgiveness for us. And as we offer the miracle of His grace and forgiveness to each other, the mercy we receive and the mercy we offer can help make life’s injustices just."

"...The Lord “will judge [us] according to [our] works, according to the desire of [our] hearts.”11 Our souls bear record of our works and desires."

"In contrast, those who deliberately choose wickedness, who consciously procrastinate repentance, or who in any premeditated or knowing way break the commandments, planning for easy repentance, will be judged by God and a “bright recollection of all [their] guilt.”14 We cannot knowingly sin on Saturday, then expect automatic forgiveness by partaking of the sacrament on Sunday..."

"We find heaven’s sociality in each other. God’s work and glory include bringing to pass happy and forever.  Eternal life and exaltation are to know God and Jesus Christ so, through godly power, where They are we shall be."

Matthew 4

 Matthew records that in the first year of His ministry - 

"...Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people."  (Matthew 4:23)

Joseph Smith added in his translation - 

JST Matt. 4:22   "… people which believed on his name."  (Matthew 4:23 note f)

An important clarification.