“What I am suggesting is that each of us turn from the negativism that permeates our society and look for the remarkable good among those with whom we associate, that we speak of one another’s virtues more than we speak of one another’s faults, that optimism replace pessimism, that our faith exceed our fears. When I was a young man and was prone to speak critically, my father would say: “Cynics do not contribute, skeptics do not create, doubters do not achieve.”

American religious leader and author

Gordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who led The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1995 until his death in 2008. He is remembered as the church’s 15th president and, among members, as a prophet, seer, and revelator. Hinckley served at the head of the church for nearly 13 years and reached 97 years of age. He was, for a time, the oldest person to preside over the church. His public words reflect his role as a faith leader and his long service in the church.