---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We must also know for ourselves that the…"
description: "\"“We must also know for ourselves that the Lord restored His Church and the priesthood keys through the Prophet Joseph Smith. And we must have an assura..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb7/henry-b-eyring-1096_finding-fault_we-must-also-know-for-ourselves-that-the_163249.jpg"
---

#  We must also know for ourselves that the Lord restored His…

![“We must also know for ourselves that the Lord restored His Church and the priesthood keys through the Prophet Joseph Smith. And we must have an assurance through the Holy Ghost, refreshed often, that those keys have been passed without interruption to the living prophet and that the Lord blesses…” quote by Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb7/henry-b-eyring-1096_finding-fault_we-must-also-know-for-ourselves-that-the_163249.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb7/henry-b-eyring-1096_finding-fault_we-must-also-know-for-ourselves-that-the_163249.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb7/henry-b-eyring-1096_finding-fault_we-must-also-know-for-ourselves-that-the_163249.jpg)

> ““We must also know for ourselves that the Lord restored His Church and the priesthood keys through the Prophet Joseph Smith. And we must have an assurance through the Holy Ghost, refreshed often, that those keys have been passed without interruption to the living prophet and that the Lord blesses and directs His people through the line of priesthood keys that reaches down through presidents of stakes and of districts and through bishops and branch presidents to us, wherever we are and no matter how far from the prophet and the Apostles. That is not easy today. It was not easy in the days of Paul. It has always been hard to recognize in fallible human beings the authorized servants of God. Paul must have seemed an ordinary man to many. Joseph Smith's cheerful disposition was seen by some as not fitting their expectations for a prophet of God. Satan will always work on the Saints of God to undermine their faith in priesthood keys. One way he does it is to point out the humanity of those who hold them. He can in that way weaken our testimony and so cut us loose from the line of keys by which the Lord ties us to Him and can take us and our families home to Him and to our Heavenly Father. Satan succeeded in undermining the testimony of men who had, with Joseph Smith, seen the heavens opened and heard the voices of angels. The evidence of their physical eyes and ears was not enough when they no longer could feel the testimony that the priesthood keys were still in place with Joseph. The warning for us is plain. If we look for human frailty in humans, we will always find it. When we focus on finding the frailties of those who hold priesthood keys, we run risks for ourselves. When we speak or write to others of such frailties, we put them at risk. We live in a world where finding fault in others seems to be the favorite blood sport. It has long been the basis of political campaign strategy. It is the theme of much television programming across the world. Whenever we meet anyone, our first, almost unconscious reaction may be to look for imperfections. To keep ourselves grounded in the Lord's Church, we can and must train our eyes to recognize the power of the Lord in the service of those He has called. We must be worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost. And we need to pray for the Holy Ghost to help us know that men who lead us hold this power. For me, such prayers are most often answered when I am fully engaged in the Lord's service myself.””

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The passage stresses that recognizing priesthood authority requires spiritual assurance, not just human observation, and warns against focusing on leaders’ flaws which can weaken faith.

**In simple terms:** Faith in authority comes from spiritual confirmation, not judging leaders’ imperfections.

Key Takeaway

Seek spiritual confirmation, not human judgment.

Themes

faith authority spiritual discernment leadership human frailty

Mood

reflective cautious hopeful

Type

theological inspirational cautionary

When to use this quote

- church leadership
- personal devotion
- community worship
- religious study

Key Concepts

priesthood keys prophetic authority spiritual testimony

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance respect for authority with healthy skepticism?
- What practices help you feel spiritually assured?

A Different Perspective

Focusing on human flaws can erode trust and unity in faith communities.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Finding fault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finding-fault/) [Heavenly father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavenly-father/) [Holy ghost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy-ghost/) [Man To Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-to-man/) [Ordinary man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ordinary-man/) [Political campaign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-campaign/)

## Related quotes

> [Our Heavenly Father loves us. He sent His Only Begotten Son to be our Savior. He knew that in mortality we would be in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/our-heavenly-father-loves-us-he-sent-his-only-begotten-son-to-be-our/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [Satan will always work on the Saints of God to undermine their faith in priesthood keys. One way he does it is to point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/satan-will-always-work-on-the-saints-of-god-to-undermine-their-faith/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [This room is a testimony that there are men who want to be a man for God and a man of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/this-room-is-a-testimony-that-there-are-men-who-want-to-be-a-man-for/)

[Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/)

> [No person having the least particle of Negro blood can hold the Priesthood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigham-young/no-person-having-the-least-particle-of-negro-blood-can-hold-the/)

[Brigham Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigham-young/)

> [Verily, I say unto you, that the wisdom of man, in his fallen state, knoweth not the purposes and the privileges of my hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-smith-jr/verily-i-say-unto-you-that-the-wisdom-of-man-in-his-fallen-state/)

[Joseph Smith, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-smith-jr/)

> [Any man having one drop of the seed of Cane in him Cannot hold the priesthood ... I will say it now in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigham-young/any-man-having-one-drop-of-the-seed-of-cane-in-him-cannot-hold-the/)

[Brigham Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigham-young/)

> [Whoever functions in an office or calling received from one who holds priesthood keys exercises priesthood authority in performing her or his assigned duties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/whoever-functions-in-an-office-or-calling-received-from-one-who-holds/)

[Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/)

> [Missionary work will never be what it might be without the help of the members. Stake presidents need to feel some responsibility and ownership…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-faust/missionary-work-will-never-be-what-it-might-be-without-the-help-of/)

[James E. Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-faust/)

> [Priesthood power blesses all of us. Priesthood keys direct women as well as men, and priesthood ordinances and priesthood authority pertain to women as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/priesthood-power-blesses-all-of-us-priesthood-keys-direct-women-as/)

[Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/)

> [We live in a world where finding fault in others seems to be the favorite blood sport. It has long been the basis of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/we-live-in-a-world-where-finding-fault-in-others-seems-to-be-the/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [“I'm trying to find something wrong with you so that I don't want you so much.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-mcgahan/i-m-trying-to-find-something-wrong-with-you-so-that-i-don-t-want-you/)

[Kate McGahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-mcgahan/)

> [Dont worry about backstabbers. Theyre the people who tried their hardest finding faults in your life instead of fixing the faults in theirs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/dont-worry-about-backstabbers-theyre-the-people-who-tried-their/)

[Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/)

> [One must learn to forgive and not to hold a hostile, bitter attitude of mind, which offends those about us and prevents us from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/one-must-learn-to-forgive-and-not-to-hold-a-hostile-bitter-attitude/)

[Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/)

> [“We begin but never finish, we make a show but we do nothing concrete, we do not believe what we set out to do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pradip-kumar-das/we-begin-but-never-finish-we-make-a-show-but-we-do-nothing-concrete/)

Pradip Kumar Das

> [WE NEED TO TALK. Why do we fear these four little words? Why do they arouse the same physical protective responses that occur in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santanu-mishra/we-need-to-talk-why-do-we-fear-these-four-little-words-why-do-they/)

[Santanu Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santanu-mishra/)

## More by Henry B. Eyring

> [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [So many things beat upon us in a lifetime that simply enduring may seem almost beyond us… But the test a loving God has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/so-many-things-beat-upon-us-in-a-lifetime-that-simply-enduring-may/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [If you ponder the scriptures and begin to do what you covenanted with God to do, I can promise you that you will feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/if-you-ponder-the-scriptures-and-begin-to-do-what-you-covenanted-with/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [For us to know that the Book of Mormon is true, we must read it and make the choice found in Moroni: pray to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/for-us-to-know-that-the-book-of-mormon-is-true-we-must-read-it-and/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [The good word of the Lord with which we must nourish is the simple doctrine of the gospel. We need not fear either simplicity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/the-good-word-of-the-lord-with-which-we-must-nourish-is-the-simple/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [Heavenly Father hears your prayers, He loves you. He knows your name. He loves you beyond your ability to comprehend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/heavenly-father-hears-your-prayers-he-loves-you-he-knows-your-name-he/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [If we have faith in Jesus Christ, the hardest as well as the easiest times in life can be a blessing. In all conditions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/if-we-have-faith-in-jesus-christ-the-hardest-as-well-as-the-easiest/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [Discord or jealousy inhibits the ability of the Holy Ghost to teach us and inhibits our ability to receive light and truth. And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/discord-or-jealousy-inhibits-the-ability-of-the-holy-ghost-to-teach/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [At this and every season, our Savior invites us to join with HIM and others to offer the priceless gift of JOY.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/at-this-and-every-season-our-savior-invites-us-to-join-with-him-and/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [We help God's children best by providing ways to build faith in Jesus Christ and in His restored gospel when they are young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/we-help-god-s-children-best-by-providing-ways-to-build-faith-in-jesus/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [In the priesthood we share the sacred duty to labor for the souls of men. We must do more than learn that this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/in-the-priesthood-we-share-the-sacred-duty-to-labor-for-the-souls-of/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [You need never be discouraged or afraid. The way through difficulties has always been prepared for you, and you will find it if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/you-need-never-be-discouraged-or-afraid-the-way-through-difficulties/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [“When you walk in the light, you will feel some of the warmth and the happiness that will finally be yours when you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/when-you-walk-in-the-light-you-will-feel-some-of-the-warmth-and-the/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [I perceive myself as rather uninhibited, with a certain mathematical facility and more interest in the broad aspect of a problem than the delicate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-perceive-myself-as-rather-uninhibited-with-a-certain-mathematical/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [Heavenly Father and the Savior are grateful that you do your part. They know you, They watch over you, and They love you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/heavenly-father-and-the-savior-are-grateful-that-you-do-your-part/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

[Explore all 294 Henry B. Eyring quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

## More Finding fault quotes

> [WE NEED TO TALK. Why do we fear these four little words? Why do they arouse the same physical protective responses that occur in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santanu-mishra/we-need-to-talk-why-do-we-fear-these-four-little-words-why-do-they/)

[Santanu Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santanu-mishra/)

> [“We begin but never finish, we make a show but we do nothing concrete, we do not believe what we set out to do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pradip-kumar-das/we-begin-but-never-finish-we-make-a-show-but-we-do-nothing-concrete/)

Pradip Kumar Das

> [One must learn to forgive and not to hold a hostile, bitter attitude of mind, which offends those about us and prevents us from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/one-must-learn-to-forgive-and-not-to-hold-a-hostile-bitter-attitude/)

[Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/)

> [Dont worry about backstabbers. Theyre the people who tried their hardest finding faults in your life instead of fixing the faults in theirs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/dont-worry-about-backstabbers-theyre-the-people-who-tried-their/)

[Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/)

> [“I'm trying to find something wrong with you so that I don't want you so much.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-mcgahan/i-m-trying-to-find-something-wrong-with-you-so-that-i-don-t-want-you/)

[Kate McGahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-mcgahan/)

> [“The children turned and saw the spinach-green boat coming toward them. “Oh no! Not the Carters!” said Maia. She looked round desperately for somewhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-ibbotson/the-children-turned-and-saw-the-spinach-green-boat-coming-toward-them/)

[Eva Ibbotson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-ibbotson/)

> [Complaining is finding faults, wisdom is finding solutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-brahm/complaining-is-finding-faults-wisdom-is-finding-solutions/)

[Ajahn Brahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-brahm/)

> [“She was the kind of woman who made a sport of finding fault with other people; her favorite target being me. I wasn’t good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-james/she-was-the-kind-of-woman-who-made-a-sport-of-finding-fault-with/)

Clara James

> [Happy are those who find fault with themselves instead of finding fault with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad/happy-are-those-who-find-fault-with-themselves-instead-of-finding/)

[Muhammad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad/)

> [Perfect servants would be the worst of all for certain masters, whose happiness consists in finding fault with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-antoine-petit-senn/perfect-servants-would-be-the-worst-of-all-for-certain-masters-whose/)

[Jean Antoine Petit-Senn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-antoine-petit-senn/)

> [I dislike nothing more than finding fault with a man's nature or talent; it only depresses and worries and does no good; one cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-mendelssohn/i-dislike-nothing-more-than-finding-fault-with-a-man-s-nature-or/)

[Felix Mendelssohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-mendelssohn/)

> [Dont worry about what people say behind your back, they're the people who're finding faults in your life instead of fixing their own faults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexia/dont-worry-about-what-people-say-behind-your-back-they-re-the-people/)

[Alexia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexia/)

> [Just so far as we are pleased at finding faults, are we displeased at finding perfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/just-so-far-as-we-are-pleased-at-finding-faults-are-we-displeased-at/)

[Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/)

> [the most censorious are generally the least judicious; who, having nothing to recommend themselves, will be finding fault with others. No man envies the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellin-devis/the-most-censorious-are-generally-the-least-judicious-who-having/)

Ellin Devis

> [I, therefore, O Caesar, do not publish this work, merely prefixing my name to a treatise which of right belongs to others, nor think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-therefore-o-caesar-do-not-publish-this-work-merely-prefixing-my/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Browse all 93 Finding fault quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finding-fault/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“We must also know for ourselves that the Lord restored His Church and the priesthood keys through the Prophet Joseph Smith. And we must have an assurance through the Holy Ghost, refreshed often, that those keys have been passed without interruption to the living prophet and that the Lord blesses and directs His people through the line of priesthood keys that reaches down through presidents of stakes and of districts and through bishops and branch presidents to us, wherever we are and no matter how far from the prophet and the Apostles. That is not easy today. It was not easy in the days of Paul. It has always been hard to recognize in fallible human beings the authorized servants of God. Paul must have seemed an ordinary man to many. Joseph Smith's cheerful disposition was seen by some as not fitting their expectations for a prophet of God. Satan will always work on the Saints of God to undermine their faith in priesthood keys. One way he does it is to point out the humanity of those who hold them. He can in that way weaken our testimony and so cut us loose from the line of keys by which the Lord ties us to Him and can take us and our families home to Him and to our Heavenly Father. Satan succeeded in undermining the testimony of men who had, with Joseph Smith, seen the heavens opened and heard the voices of angels. The evidence of their physical eyes and ears was not enough when they no longer could feel the testimony that the priesthood keys were still in place with Joseph. The warning for us is plain. If we look for human frailty in humans, we will always find it. When we focus on finding the frailties of those who hold priesthood keys, we run risks for ourselves. When we speak or write to others of such frailties, we put them at risk. We live in a world where finding fault in others seems to be the favorite blood sport. It has long been the basis of political campaign strategy. It is the theme of much television programming across the world. Whenever we meet anyone, our first, almost unconscious reaction may be to look for imperfections. To keep ourselves grounded in the Lord's Church, we can and must train our eyes to recognize the power of the Lord in the service of those He has called. We must be worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost. And we need to pray for the Holy Ghost to help us know that men who lead us hold this power. For me, such prayers are most often answered when I am fully engaged in the Lord's service myself.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Henry B. Eyring"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/we-must-also-know-for-ourselves-that-the-lord-restored-his-church-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Finding fault"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/we-must-also-know-for-ourselves-that-the-lord-restored-his-church-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb7/henry-b-eyring-1096_finding-fault_we-must-also-know-for-ourselves-that-the_163249.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb7/henry-b-eyring-1096_finding-fault_we-must-also-know-for-ourselves-that-the_163249.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb7/henry-b-eyring-1096_finding-fault_we-must-also-know-for-ourselves-that-the_163249.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We must also know for ourselves that the Lord restored His Church and the priesthood keys through the…” — Henry B. Eyring",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Henry B. Eyring",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“We must also know for ourselves...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/we-must-also-know-for-ourselves-that-the-lord-restored-his-church-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/we-must-also-know-for-ourselves-that-the-lord-restored-his-church-and/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
