History of the Church 5:31; refer in this text to Mosiah 27:14-16
“I was in Idaho Falls and was the guest in a home of a typical Church family. There were a dedicated set of parents and many children. The oldest was in military duty in the dreaded South Pacific, and the hearts of the family followed him from place to place. They handed me his latest letter from the war zone. I read this: ‘There have been times when we were so scared, we would tremble, but the fear was out of our minds with prayer and the knowledge that we were being guided by the Lord. Dad, I live my religion and I am proud that I had someone like you and mother to teach me to pray. Then I also know that you are praying for me each morning and night… .’” (Spencer W. Kimball, Conference Report, Apr. 1973, pp. 152-153)
“Christ taught the Nephites that prayer is more than just a means to receive our Father in Heaven’s generosity; rather, prayer itself is an act of faith as well as an act of righteousness… . This is because the act of prayer itself can change and purify us, both individually and as a group. As our Bible Dictionary states, ‘The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them’ (p. 753). In other words, prayers bring our desires and the desires of our Father into harmony, thus bringing us both the blessing we are seeking and also the blessing of greater unity with the Father… . The greatest blessing and benefit is not the physical or spiritual blessings that may come as answers to our prayers but in the changes to our soul that come as we learn to be dependent on our Heavenly Father for strength… . The very act of praying will improve us… . Surely, as our creator, He knows our cares, our worries, our joys, our struggles without our informing Him. The reason our Heavenly Father asks us to pray cannot be that we are able to tell Him something He does not already know. Rather, the reason He asks us to pray is that the process of learning to communicate effectively with Him will shape and change our lives …” (David E. Sorensen, Ensign, May, 1993, pp. 30-31)
“Do you have prayers in your family? … And when you do, do you go through the operation like the [grinding] of a piece of machinery, or do you bow in meekness and with … sincere desire to seek the blessing of God upon you and your household? That is the way … we ought to do, and cultivate a spirit of devotion and trust in God, dedicating ourselves to him, and seeking his blessings.” (John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 21:118)
“Never let a day go by without holding family prayer and family scripture study. Put this, the Lord’s program, to the test; and see if it does not bless your home with greater peace, hope, love, and faith. I promise you that daily family prayer and scripture study will build within the walls of your home a security and bonding that will enrich your lives and prepare your families to meet the challenges of today and the eternities to come.” (L. Tom Perry, Ensign, May 1993, p. 92)