“A Soft Answer Turneth Away Wrath, but Grievous Words Stir Up Anger”
Proverbs 15:1
1 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
President Brigham Young said:
“In our daily pursuits in life, of whatever nature and kind, Latter-day Saints, and especially those who hold important positions in the Kingdom of God, should maintain a uniform and even temper, both when at home and when abroad. They should not suffer reverses and unpleasant circumstances to sour their natures and render them fretful and unsocial at home, speaking words full of bitterness and biting acrimony . . . , creating gloom and sorrow in their habitations, making themselves feared rather than loved by their families. Anger should never be permitted to rise in our bosoms, and words suggested by angry feelings should never be permitted to pass our lips. ‘A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger’ [Proverbs 15:1]. ‘Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous’ [Proverbs 27:4]; but ‘the discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression’ [Proverbs 19:11].”
(Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young [1997], 174.)
