The Savior is our example of humbly serving others.

“The Savior’s ministry was one of compassion and service. It is beyond my ability to comprehend how any of us today could conceive of the tidal wave of emotions that would come to anyone whose feet would be washed by the very Son of God. No wonder Peter in complete reverence asked, ‘Lord, dost thou wash my feet?’…Some things seem to violate every foundation principle we have used to guide our lives. To have him who was the center of all Peter held precious and dear wash his feet was beyond consideration. Peter would have done the same for the Savior, undoubtedly would have crawled on cut glass to him, but to have the Master serve him in this way was too much. Peter said, ‘Thou shalt never wash my feet.’ (John 13:8.) Each of us would probably have felt as Peter, and thought as he did.

“Many things could have been said to Peter to get him to change his mind. The Savior in a sentence struck at the great nerve center of Peter’s loyalty, love, and very life. ‘If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.’ Peter’s firm stance then collapsed to total submission: ‘Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.’ (John 13:8-9.) The Master was teaching servant leadership.” (Vaughan J Featherstone, More Purity Give Me [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1991], 16.)

‘By the act of washing their feet, He, their Lord, taught the spirit of self-sacrifice and love in opposition to the spirit of self-seeking and pride which ruled even in the Apostles’ hearts. That lesson every servant and apostle of Jesus Christ must learn, for the servant is. not greater than the Lord, nor the Apostle than the Sender. That lesson Peter was refusing to learn in the pride of his own impulsive will, which seemed to be humility. But unless he learns to accept the love of Christ’s humiliation, and is so cleansed by its power that he yields his human will wholly to the divine, and learns in self-sacrifice what the spirit of Christ really is, he can have no part in Him. The lesson is a hard one, but it is necessary; the sacrifice of will may be harder than that of life; but the strong man must become as the little child before he can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.’ (Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers)

“He their Lord and Master had washed their feet. It was a kind and gracious task, and such ought to be the nature of all their dealings with each other. He had done it to teach them humility, … self-denial, [and] love” (Farrar, Life of Christ, p. 559)

Love is the defining characteristic of disciples of Jesus Christ.

‘A new commandment – This command he gave them as he was about to leave them, to be a badge of discipleship, by which they might be known as his friends and followers, and by which they might be distinguished from all others. It is called new, not because there was no command before which required people to love their fellow-man, for one great precept of the law was that they should love their neighbor as themselves Leviticus 19:18; but it was new because it had never before been made that by which any class or body of people had been known and distinguished. The Jew was known by his external rites, by his uniqueness of dress, etc.; the philosopher by some other mark of distinction; the military man by another, etc. In none of these cases had love for each other been the distinguishing and special badge by which they were known. But in the case of Christians they were not to be known by distinctions of wealth, or learning, or fame; they were not to aspire to earthly honors; they were not to adopt any special style of dress or badge, but they were to be distinguished by tender and constant attachment to each other.’ (Barnes’ Notes on the Bible)

“Imagine for a moment the result if everyone were to love one another as Jesus loves his disciples. We would have no bickering, quarreling, strife, or contention in our homes. We would not offend or insult one another either verbally or in any other way. We would not have unnecessary litigation over small matters. War would be impossible, especially war waged in the name of religion.” (Joseph B Wirthlin, Finding Peace in Our Lives [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1995], 28.)

‘Have you ever wondered what language we all spoke when we lived in the presence of God? I have strong suspicions that it was German, though I suppose no one knows for sure. But I do know that in our premortal life we learned firsthand, from the Father of our spirits, a universal language—one that has the power to overcome emotional, physical, and spiritual barriers.

That language is the pure love of Jesus Christ.

It is the most powerful language in the world.

The love of Christ is not a pretend love. It is not a greeting-card love. It is not the kind of love that is praised in popular music and movies.

This love brings about real change of character. It can penetrate hatred and dissolve envy. It can heal resentment and quench the fires of bitterness. It can work miracles.’ Dieter F Uchtdorf, Young Women Conference, April 2013)

The Holy Ghost enables us to fulfill our purpose as disciples of Jesus Christ.

“…in the New Testament, the full powers and gifts of the Holy Ghost were not given in the Old World meridian Church until the day of Pentecost…While the Bridegroom was present with his disciples in the flesh, he was their Comforter, their Revelator, their Testator. He was their Life and Light, their source of power and might. ‘Hence, as long as Jesus was with the disciples in person, there was not the full need for them to have the constant companionship of the Spirit that there would be after Jesus left.’ But because of the vital role that Spirit would play thereafter in the growth, development, and expansion of the early Christian Church, Jesus said: ‘It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you’ (John 16:7).” (Selected Writings of Robert L. Millet: Gospel Scholars Series [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 2000], 194.)

“The Holy Ghost, then, is the Spirit of truth; therefore, those who are worthy to possess it will be guided into all truth, which truth is the word of God. The Holy Ghost will not abide with the unrighteous, the insincere, or the wicked person. It is a gift from God, most valuable to those who enjoy its companionship and powers. Said Moroni, a Nephite prophet: “And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things” (Moro. 10:5).

Without the Holy Ghost one lives in spiritual darkness, blind to truth, unbelieving of heart, and apostate in feelings and teachings.

The Holy Ghost is also a comforter; it has the power to give peace to the soul of the righteous.

The Holy Ghost is the spirit of prophecy. The Apostle Peter, speaking of the more sure word of prophecy, admonished all to take heed, “knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Pet. 1:20-21).

If prophets speak by the power of the Holy Ghost, then the Holy Ghost is required to interpret correctly the teachings of holy men. Therefore, those who do not possess the Spirit of God cannot comprehend the things of God (1 Cor. 2:11).

The Holy Ghost is a revelator. Jesus, speaking of the Holy Ghost, promised his disciples: “. . . and he will shew you things to come” (John 16:13).” (Delbert L Stapley, General Conference, October 1966)

As we abide in the Savior, we will be fruitful and have joy.

‘Jesus Christ is the vine and all who sincerely want to become godlike, prepared to live with their Heavenly Father in his kingdom, must receive their strength and power from the Savior. No man cometh unto the Father but by and through Jesus Christ.

The nonproducing branches on the vine, some lost in the darkness and sin of the world, some weak and sick from the blight of evil, some branches fluttering in the winds of worldly pleasure and disrespect for the power to produce godlike fruit through the divine vine, having disrespect for Jesus Christ and for the Father and for their commandments, will be pruned from the vine. They will be cut away from their source of divine nourishment and their chance to become godlike. Pruned away from their divine opportunity, as a child of God, to partake of the light and divine way of life, their chance to live with God was foolishly dissipated away. They failed to feed on the living bread of life.

All of God’s children are branches on the vine; all have the opportunity to partake of the life, example, and commandments of Jesus Christ and to become like him.’ (Bernard P Brockbank, General Conference, October 1973)

Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are perfectly united, and They want us to be united too.

“This was Jesus’ appointed hour-the hour for which he came into the world; the hour when he would take upon himself the sins of the world. For this purpose was he born; for this purpose had he lived. And because he would accomplish the appointed purpose, he would soon rise in immortal glory-for which glory he now prayed.” (Bruce R McConkie, The Mortal Messiah: From Bethlehem to Calvary, 4 vols. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979-1981], 4: 107.)

“Our quest for eternal life is nothing other than a quest to understand who God is and for us to return to live with Him.” (Christoffel Golden Jr, General Conference, April 2013)

“In his prayer Jesus made it perfectly clear that the eleven disciples knew him to be the Son of God. He had taught them who he was and that he had been sent from his Father. That they had received a witness in their hearts and souls to the truth of his teachings is made clear in the following statement by John: (quotes John 17:1-2, 6-8.).

“By receiving the Savior’s message and accepting him for what he was and is, the Apostles obtained eternal life.

“This knowledge of ‘the only true God, and Jesus Christ’ (John 17:3) is the most important knowledge in the universe; it is the knowledge without which the Prophet Joseph Smith said no man could be saved. The lack of it is the ignorance referred to in the revelation wherein it is written: ‘It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.’ (D&C 131:6.)” (Marion G Romney, “Except a Man Be Born Again,”Ensign, Nov. 1981, 14)

“If we are living the religion which the Lord has revealed and which we have received, we do not belong to the world. We should have no part in all its foolishness. We should not partake of its sins and its errors-errors of philosophy and errors of doctrine, errors in regard to government, or whatever those errors may be-we have no part in it.

“The only part we have is the keeping of the commandments of God. That is all, being true to every covenant and every obligation that we have entered into and taken upon ourselves…If I sometimes, and once in a while I do, go to a football game or a baseball game or some other place of amusement, invariably I will be surrounded by men and women who are puffing on cigarettes or cigars or dirty pipes. It gets very annoying, and I get a little disturbed. I will turn to Sister Smith, and I will say something to her, and she will say, ‘Well, now, you know what you have taught me. You are in their world. This is their world.’ And that sort of brings me back to my senses. Yes, we are in their world, but we do not have to be of it.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Conference Report, April 1952, Afternoon Meeting 28.)

“It is the principle of unity that has enabled the wards, stakes, branches, and missions of the Church to progress and to accomplish the purposes for which the Church was established. It could not have been done by dissension and hatred. There have been difficulties. Each member of the Church has his own ideas. Sometimes they are not the same as those of the bishopric, and not the same as those of the presidency of the stake, and not the same as the Presidency of the Church; but each has had to submerge his own ideas to the good of the whole, and in that united purpose we have achieved something that is wonderful.”(David O. McKay, General Conference, October 1967)