The Worth of Doing Good – January 24, 1999
Life may seem to flow on steadily, the same as it’s always been. But if we look back and review what life was like years ago, we see that there are dramatic differences.
Like turning a giant ship, steering begins long before change is seen. It takes time. And only by small increments does society trade in one set of values for another. The process is so subtle that most of us do not realize our ship is turning.
It wasn’t long ago that most business was conducted with a handshake. Children were taught to return a borrowed item in better shape than they found it. How heartwarming it is, and how pleasantly surprised we are, when we find people who have not forgotten the values of long ago—people we can honestly trust. Those who keep their reputations spotless become known for their integrity and become invaluable friends, neighbors, and employees. They inspire us to be honest too.
Taking time to help a lost or stranded motorist used to be commonplace. Now such individuals are seen as heroes—rare beacons of bygone virtues. Going the extra mile, holding the door for an elderly person, sharing when you have more than you need—these simple gestures of kindness should not amaze us. They still live in the hearts and actions of many.
Plato said that a city is only a reflection of its citizens.1 Is your town known for charity and compassion? Brigham Young said, “Every moment of human life should be devoted to doing good somewhere and in some way.”2 Perhaps if we can recapture the little things that made life glisten in years past—the thoughtfulness of others that made us glad to live in our community, happy to lend a hand to those around us—we can make a difference.
Program #3623
1The Republic, Book 5, Franklin Library (1975), 155.
2Discourses of Brigham Young, selected and arranged by John A. Widtsoe (1961), 280.