I Believe in Work

I Believe in Work

I believe hard work is good for the body and soul.   I have always worked.  I remember helping on a dairy farm owned by one of my friend’s, Scott Nelson, dad.  I drove a tractor during the harvest of corn silage when I was only 13 or 14.  Scott was quite a bit smaller than I was so he had to help pack the silage.  The tractor pulled a trailer and I would drive between the field and the farm.  I remember that the tractor did not have power brakes and I would have to stand up on the brake and pull up on the steering wheel to slow the trailer down as I came down one of the hills just before turning into the farm.  I hauled hay for him and help dehorn baby cows.  He got me a job hauling hay the summer that I was 15, for a hay and feed company in Layton.  I worked all summer and earned about 300 dollars. I got paid by the bail, not the hour. I always had a job in High School.  My senior year I worked 3 jobs and earned enough money to fly to England and tour Europe with my best friend, Paul Belnap, whose dad was mission president in London and had bought him a car so we could drive all through Europe.  I enjoy working on houses and making them look good and I feel a real sense of accomplishment when I am finished with a project.  There is something about hard physical work that builds character; “by the sweat of thy brow” has to have some importance.  Even at my age, hard work that makes you sweat also makes you feel good.  Maybe I am just glad I can still do it, but I Believe in work.

I Believe in Sacrifice

I Believe in Sacrifice

I believe that sacrifice is an essential part of “The Plan”.  When I say the plan, I am talking about God’s plan for us.  It is called by other names, the plan of salvation, the plan of happiness, the plan of redemption, the plan of deliverance, and the plan of mercy, but for me it is The Plan.  I asked my Sunday school class last week to explain in one sentence the plan of salvation.  The youth curriculum for this month is the plan of salvation.  They had a hard time coming up with a one sentence explanation of The Plan, so I helped them.  The plan given to us by our Father in Heaven that if followed will allow us to return to Him.  I believe sacrifice plays an essential role in making us prepared to live with Father in Heaven.  I define sacrifice as giving up something for something better or enduring some hardship well, without becoming bitter.  In the guide to the scriptures under sacrifice it says, “In ancient days, sacrifice meant to make something or someone holy. It has now come to mean to give up or suffer the loss of worldly things for the Lord and his kingdom. Members of the Lord’s Church should be willing to sacrifice all things for the Lord. Joseph Smith taught that “a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has the power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation. In the eternal perspective, the blessings obtained by sacrifice are greater than anything that is given up." I will give you some examples of each kind of sacrifice.  We give up our time to prepare a lesson for church or our money to help the less fortunate.  Some of us have health problems and we endure pain and suffering.  The pioneers in the Willie and Martin handcarts companies endured many physical hardships and some sacrificed their lives.  I love the ancient definition of sacrifice, to make something or someone holy.  I believe that as we sacrifice we are made holy, by holy I mean clean, refined and worthy to live with our Father in Heaven.  I believe sacrifice is an essential part of the plan and without it we could not become who we need to be in order to live with our Father and Elder Brother.  We need to learn to sacrifice everything for the Lord’s kingdom in order to have the faith necessary to lay hold of eternal life.  I believe in sacrifice.

I Believe in Optimism

I Believe in Optimism

I believe in optimism and the power of positive thinking.  Susan M. Heathfield writes, “The power of optimism cannot be over-rated as a factor in success and personal growth and development. Optimism allows you to see the positive aspects of any situation and enables you to capitalize on each possibility.”  There has been a lot written and a lot of research done that supports this idea.  For me this is a nice byproduct, but I believe the most important result is that people with optimism are happier and more fun to be around.  Chris says my glass is always half-full and I really do try and look for the positive.  I have always believed that for any problem there are lots of solutions and that things will work out.  I don’t believe in spending a lot of time worrying about things that have not happened.  I believe that this way of thinking only causes one to lose their optimism and that usually the things we worry about don’t happen.  But if they do happen, then there will be solutions and things will work out.  I believe that “Life is Good” and we are here to enjoy life, the good and the bad.  Remember the counsel of President Monson, “Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family.”  I believe that optimism is a character trait of the Savior.  I can’t prove it by scripture references, but I have never seen more optimistic men than our last two prophets and they are more like the Savior than anyone else I know.  Remember I believe in Optimism!

I Believe in Regular Temple Worship

I Believe in Regular Temple Worship

I believe that the temple can and will change your life profoundly.  For me it all started with a call from the president of the Salt Lake Temple.  He invited us in for a chat.  That was in December of 2004.  He interviewed us and then asked if we would serve as temple workers.  I had a beard at the time and he indicated that I would have to shave it off.  So in Jan. of 2005, we started working in the Salt Lake Temple.  The Salt Lake and Manti temples are the only two temples in the church that do not use the video for the instruction in the endowment and all male ordinances workers are asked to memorize the different parts of the endowment.  So I began and over the course of the next 6 months, I memorized all the parts and began taking my turn at each part.  The fact that now these words were part of my memory and I could go over them in my mind and that I would have to go over them to keep them word for word in my memory, made it possible to start thinking about the meaning of the words. Over the course of the next 4 and a half years, I came to understand what the covenants we make in the temple really mean and how being in the temple on a regular basis can and will change your life.  Elder Scott had a similar experience:  “Fourteen years ago I decided to attend the temple and complete an ordinance at least once a week. When I am traveling I make up the missed visits in order to achieve that objective. I have kept that resolve, and it has changed my life profoundly.”  How can just being in the temple on a regular basis change your life profoundly?  I have come to believe that anyone who comes to the temple on a regular basis with a desire to worship will be made a better person.  One cannot be in the House of the Lord regularly and not feel the Spirit and that Spirit works on us and teaches us and refines us and changes us in a very personal and profound way.  I believe in regular temple worship.