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None of us has a complete, objective view of the world. We see things through the prism of our own personalities. Ask any three witnesses about an event and they’ll give three different accounts, colored by their own character and experience. It is those differences that make us interesting to one another and provide style […]
Personal worth can be measured by the happiness one generates in the lives of others. And the lives over which we have the most influence are those of our own family members. No joy can equal the joy which comes from being part of a successful family, from building strong relationships and a concept of togetherness, from the feeling that family members belong to each other.
Misinformation is often the cause of ignorance. With little effort on our part we become victims of, and even pass on, untruths that we assume to be accurate. It would probably amaze us if we knew how many things, we believe to be true that, in fact, are not true.
Boys come in assorted shapes and sizes. They grow at separate rates and develop contrasting interests. They mature at different ages and demonstrate distinct aptitudes for learning.
The forces of nature have been much in the news lately; volcanic eruptions, floods, earthquakes, and unusual weather patterns have made the headlines throughout the world. Some areas of the world have experienced drought in what is normally a rainy season. Here, in the usually arid west, we've had more water than the ground can hold.
There is a great deal of satisfaction to be had from independence, and we all seek to be self-sustaining: to use our God-given talents for the purpose of earning our way in the world. But in our efforts to become independent, we must remind ourselves that we depend upon what we are given as much as upon what we earn. Life itself is a gift, and the sweetness of a gift is not that it is deserved, but that it is joyfully given and gratefully received.
The first flowers of spring have already wilted. Like fragile flags against the snow, they came, had their brief day and wilted into memory. It is a typical pattern; it is the pattern of all living things. Artificial flowers may stand in petrified splendor, but nothing live can stay.
When we think of the Savior's importance in our lives, we realize that His teachings are as relevant today as they were nearly 2,000 years ago.
Life is so basically good, and we so expect it to be good, that occasionally we are frustrated and confused by the adversities that may appear to stand in the way of our happiness. There may even be those who ask, "If God loves us, why does He not protect us? Why does He not keep trouble from afflicting us?"
We turn again to thoughts of mother with memories of home and infancy. We have learned the heavenly lesson which has waited patiently for us, biding its time, until we could understand that a mother's love is the most constant and the most unconditional human affection that this life has to offer.
With the coming of warmer weather, many of us will be spending time in our gardens. If we meditate a bit while we are there, we can harvest more than food and flowers. We can gather wisdom as well.
Moral courage characterizes the highest order of manhood and womanhood. It is the courage to seek and to speak the truth; the courage to be just, to be honest, to resist temptation; the courage to do one's duty.
Jerusalem stirred with passion that Sunday before the Passover. Travelers had clustered there bringing sacrificial lambs. Coins clattered in coffers where pigeons were sold and in the temple yard, merchants were busy earning silver off the celebration. But above the hubbub hung a question, "Would the prophet from Galilee come?" "What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?"1 they asked one another.
If it's true that wisdom consists of the proper application of knowledge, then it's equally true that knowledge without application is a form of ignorance.
"Sweet are the uses of adversity,"1 wrote Shakespeare. That is counsel we might well keep in mind. The adversity and sorrow we go through may be bitter, but the experience may leave us wiser and more compassionate human beings.
Faith is the "...substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."1
With spring nearly here, we are constantly reminded that one of the joys of this world is its physical beauty: small and beautiful miracles such as the first green shoots sent up from bulbs too eager for spring to wait for the melting of the last snow, the pattern by which a window is glazed with frost, the new patterns by which frost melts beneath the sun. And such small, remarkable beauties are supported by the larger miracles of the physical universe: the constant harmony of sunrise and sunset, the movement of stars across a night sky I the very changing of the seasons themselves.
Take a man or a woman, take any individual, and measure his progress. Use whatever yardstick as a measure: skill, aptitude, ability to produce, sensitivity, business prowess, or even genius. Then look for causes; search for the reasons behind individual potential; determine why one individual succeeds where another fails, why one man can finish the job while another is still seeking for methods; analyze why the same task is surmountable by one and impossible for another—and when you do, you'll discover this fact: that experience is one of the most valuable factors in any human success formula.
One of the most frequent words in Christ's vocabulary was a small one—come. The gestures with which we associate Him echo that same idea. Arms outstretched in welcome, His entire being said, "Come." This is not a restricted invitation for the few, for the elect, for those who somehow deserve it; He made it open and for all, no matter how weak or afraid or hesitant.
To sit on a grassy hillside bathed in warm sunlight on a quiet, windless day is one of life's simple pleasures. The calm of the moment brings a quiet, peaceful reassurance to the soul and makes us wonder why life can't always be like that.
Much had been written lately about financial investment programs. Stocks and bonds, tax shelters, money markets, and savings accounts have all been extolled as methods of adding to our financial assets, and as ways to survive the hardships of economic difficulty.
The ladies of the Choir have just sung a thoughtful text, "Tis a gift to be simple...when we find ourselves in the place just right." But if we don't end up in life at that place for which we started, it is usually not because we were tempted away, but because we were distracted from it. It doesn't take a large wound to impede our progress, a swarm of mosquitoes will do. It is the trifles, the mere nothings, the inconsequential which deflect our attention from our most worthy goals and finally defeat us.
Recently, a little girl said to her father, “Daddy, I know the opposite of night.” “What is it?” he obligingly asked. "Day!" she proudly replied, smiling at her knowledge and accomplishment.
It is traditional to look upon this season as a time to begin anew, to rise above past mistakes. It is also a time when many individuals examine their priorities and lifetime objectives and feel the need to increase their spirituality and religious commitment.
It is good to be merry, for a merry heart makes a cheerful countenance. It was Emerson who wrote about the wonderful expressiveness of the human body. "The face and eyes reveal what the spirit is doing," he said, "... [and announce] to the curious how it is with them."1
Today the New Year spreads before us open to our hopes, dedicated to our dreams. Certainly, there are problems ahead and always will be. But we, as no other people in the history of the world, have the resources with which to overcome our difficulties and achieve our aspirations.
This Christmas season is drawing to a close. The nativity scenes which have beautified the American landscape will be carefully boxed to safeguard their storage for another year.
Jesus, who created the world, could certainly have chosen any birthplace here. He must have come to a stable by design. Were there no palaces in Israel? Were there no halls decked with finery and smelling of perfume? Were there no comforts in the country, no soft beds or medical attendants? Almost surely there were, but that was not to be His beginning.
Home. Home is where our mother and our father are. Home is where our children play and think about the holiday season and wonder what bright and beautiful surprises lie ahead. Home is where we long to be and where we need to be—especially at this time of year, when the spirit of the season reminds us that we are members of a family, that we are brothers and sisters, sons and daughters.