“Life was never intended to consist of a glut of luxury, be an easy course, or filled only with success. There are those games which we lose, those races in which we finish last, and those promotions which never come. Such experiences provide an opportunity for us to show our determination and to rise above disappointment.”

American religious leader and author

Thomas Spencer Monson was an American religious leader and author, and the 16th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He lived from 1927 to 2018 and spent much of his life in church leadership and public service. He first worked as a manager at the Deseret News, a Utah newspaper owned by the LDS Church. Later, he became one of the central figures in his faith, serving as church president and, among believers, as a prophet, seer, and revelator.