Elder Ephraim

“However, it is not long before the miserable and filthy desire of sin and the world reappear, enticing us with many appealing things, and attracting us like a powerful magnet. We also have the other passionate world within us, the old man[13] who has his own desires. These internal desires merge with the external ones and, together, they pressure the soul into submission. And every submission results in a corresponding sin, which is added to man’s criminal record. Later, when the time comes for man to die physically, he takes this record with him and proceeds with it through the toll-houses.”
― Elder Ephraim, The Art of Salvation

“Let us reflect that we were not crucified for our Christ, our Savior, but He for us monsters suffered the Cross, the Cross for the sake of obedience.”
― Elder Ephraim, Counsels from the Holy Mountain: Selected from the letters and homilies of Elder Ephraim