One of the things I remember about those unforgettable days in the dust and mire of Fort Ord, California, where I did my basic training in the US Army was the phrase NAME – RANK AND SERIAL NUMBER. Tags were issued with this information inscribed as a reminder and evidence of existence, or in case of death, identifying the bearer. Although, we have since entered into a day where waterboarding and unending ear piercing noise have overridden the rules entered into in the Geneva Pact, for a moment an attempt was made to add some humanity to our inhumanity. However, every new recruit is still indoctrinated that they need reveal these three things about themselves and nothing more.
On the occasions that I have visited cemeteries, the burial markers I read usually bore the name, date of birth, date of death and sometimes an epitaph which possibly gave some hint as to a characteristic or contributions of the deceased. While on my mission in Mexico as a young man I was struck with disbelief when I learned that burial plots were bought for only a specific number of years and then the remains of the deceased would be removed and another planted in their place. In these cases there might or might not be a record kept of the former tenants. Sometimes short notations are made of those who are cremated on a brass plaque or on the urn containing the ashes. I have recently become aware of a woman who makes a bob to be hung on a necklace which contains a few of the ashes of a cremated family member. If I went this direction, I would want a flat ‘stone’ mounted in silver or gold with an inscription on the back bearing the basic information about my mortal span.
When I was pondering on this last option – the thought went through my mind that I would need to commission six bobs so that each of our children would have one. I suspect there would be plenty of ash to accommodate this choice. The footprint of one’s existence would really be diminutive if this alternative were to be their choice, even less than an urn.
I don't really worry about how this unique inheritance would be passed to grandchildren and posterity beyond, since very few of earth’s inhabitants leave life with much more than a two generation remembrance. My children know a little of their grandparents’ lives. Some of them may be able to identify the names of their great grandparents, but I would not even chance asking them to come up with names or life contributions of generations beyond that point.
As I was reading the one question in the book of Genesis which is repeated, ‘who art thou? who art thou my son?’
I was struck with and then spent some time pondering about the idea, whether everyone who has dwelt on this little sphere, when thinking about the transiency of life, afterward had that thought, as it always seems to do, lead to wondering who they really are?
I suspect that if they see themselves according to the rusting accumulation of stuff they have amassed, the reality of the temporary-ness of existence will become overwhelming.
If they do this soul searching during a particularly disappointing period of their lives, I doubt that any depression they have been feeling will be diminished.
If the accumulated voices of those who have expressed their opinions of who they think one might be are used as a measuring stick, I am sure that delusion will be a paramount part of one’s daily walk.
As I have spent time personally contemplating ‘who art thou,’ I have found the following points to be of tremendous value.
An expansion of one’s total existence and great joy enters into the soul of a person when they come to know that the words ‘Eternal Father’ mean more than just a title of convenience in prayer talk.
There are few thoughts which cause more exhilaration to one and which broaden their understanding of who they are, than the understanding that they are the spiritual offspring of Deity.
It would be difficult to measure the tremendous expansion of self-worth which comes to that son or daughter who comes to the realization that they have been sent to this earth by loving Heavenly Parents to be added upon.
Our vistas are expanded when we come to understand that we have been sent to earth, not to train our physical bodies for a momentary Olympic event, but how to dwell forever in Kingdoms of Glory.
Our understanding of the purpose of existence takes on expanded meaning when we finally realize that the purpose of learning obedience is not to keep us safe because we stop at stop signs, but we have been sent to learn to harmonize ourselves with Eternal Laws.
How we wish to shout with joy, with the angels of heaven, when we come to know for ourselves that death is not dying, but is being born into Everlasting Life.
How sad that so many of Heavenly Father’s children have been deceived into believing that our destiny is but scattered ashes and maybe a few notations on tags or stones.
The testimony which is forever true, gives us the profound understanding of ‘who thou art.’
A child of God sent to earth on a mission of absolute importance, where we are preparing ourselves to live in Eternal Kingdoms of Glory.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Sunday, May 24, 2015
A PROMISED LAND
I’m not sure what happened between here and there, between us and them. But somewhere between the glens of Ireland, the Black Forests of Germany, the vast reaches of Africa, the misty heights of Asia and the land which stretches from sea to shining sea, sometime between our land-worshipping great grandparents of the Emerald Islands and the land beneath the spacious skies, something snapped. Something was lost.
For millennia our ancestors relentlessly preserved and reverenced their lands. However, in just a few short centuries we have managed to use up and abuse our promised land.
It would be difficult to single out a cause for our wanton wastefulness of this beautiful land. Maybe the vastness of the land was too much to handle for those whose birthrights could be traced to restrictive Isles and mountain restraining valleys. Perhaps, those who came here from afar were missing that particle of their DNA which for centuries had caused their forefathers to repair, reuse and reinvent the precious little stuff they were able to accumulate. Or it could just be that abundance nullified the necessity of frugality and numbed desires to conserve what seemed like unlimited resources.
With seeming disregard for the lessons of the ancients and unfeeling hearts toward the generations who will reap the consequences of our wanton waste we fill our valleys and fertile fields with asphalt and concrete and try to feed an ever growing populace with meager harvests from rocky slopes and artificially energized soils.
With only a slight sigh, we watch the deforesting of our mountains while trying to foliate our arid deserts with diminishing portable water.
Proposition: The people of the United States of America in most instances have mismanaged their resources. The positive (nay) would not be a side of this debate one would choose to defend. It would be much easier for this statement to be sustained with the negative (yea) arguments; that with the exception of a few like Theodore Roosevelt and his ilk, (who now bear the derogatory label of ‘tree huggers) through whose efforts have come the preservation of national parks, we have not done a very good job.
Besides these treasured tracts of land which hopefully will be reserved for millennia, there is also another ray of hope which, if we are willing to search out and discover, shines brightly as a token example that we are not completely degenerate when it comes to honoring and respecting the resources of this wonderful land.
Lo and Hark! There may be a ray of hope! There may be something that our land filling throw away populace has and is doing very well.
On the island of Oahu, Hawaii, upon a prominent hill overlooking the Pacific, an area which surely could be used for a fantastic condominium development, remains a plot of hollow ground seemingly unspoiled and mainly as it was created by nature.
In San Diego, California, a beautiful point of land overlooking the broad expanse of the beautiful blue Pacific Ocean we find acreage preserved from the developers’ shovels.
In Washington, D.C., we can visit a vast tract of land which has resisted the lure or our office space mentality.
What is it that has caused an abrupt shift from our seemingly insatiable appetite to put even the most barren of spaces on the sales block and keeps these premium pieces of property, along with many others, protected from being occupied by high rise edifices?
Punch Bowl on Oahu, Point Loma near San Diego and the War Memorial in Washington, D.C., along with other plots of sacred soil scattered across this vast land, host National Memorial Cemeteries.
That these choice spaces have been consecrated is a perhaps positive and fitting indication that a spark of caring still rests in our collective souls about the wondrous land where we are privileged to abide.
May these spaces ever be dedicated and set apart – as a continuing reminder – how precious this Promised Land is – less we forget, less we forget.
It should never be forgotten that hundreds of thousands have valued the principles upon which this nation was founded enough to give their lives that these principles might be preserved.
It should never be forgotten that as a nation we are still in our adolescence and as our maturation continues we seem to be more constantly conscience of our need to care for and cherish every inch of our inheritance.
Although we should never forget that war is evil and leaves nations with fields filled with markers memorializing death and destruction, we likewise should never forget that the preservation of peace and the warding off of greed and domination by excess power, many times demands a price to be paid.
We must never forget that those of other nations with whom we all share common ancestries, have also had to set apart large tracts of land where their patriotic citizens who have given their lives for their lands are honored.
Hopefully, in all of our remembering, we will never cease in our desire to eliminate the further necessity to expand the preservation of soil for the internment of brave loved ones.
Perhaps, through the increased awareness of our universal kinship, prejudice, greed and hate and all the other justifications for war can be done away with and our efforts can be put into a universal righteous dominion over this wonderful world on which we live.
May our beautiful planet – be a continuing reminder of the universality of the human family – less we forget – less we forget!!
For millennia our ancestors relentlessly preserved and reverenced their lands. However, in just a few short centuries we have managed to use up and abuse our promised land.
It would be difficult to single out a cause for our wanton wastefulness of this beautiful land. Maybe the vastness of the land was too much to handle for those whose birthrights could be traced to restrictive Isles and mountain restraining valleys. Perhaps, those who came here from afar were missing that particle of their DNA which for centuries had caused their forefathers to repair, reuse and reinvent the precious little stuff they were able to accumulate. Or it could just be that abundance nullified the necessity of frugality and numbed desires to conserve what seemed like unlimited resources.
With seeming disregard for the lessons of the ancients and unfeeling hearts toward the generations who will reap the consequences of our wanton waste we fill our valleys and fertile fields with asphalt and concrete and try to feed an ever growing populace with meager harvests from rocky slopes and artificially energized soils.
With only a slight sigh, we watch the deforesting of our mountains while trying to foliate our arid deserts with diminishing portable water.
Proposition: The people of the United States of America in most instances have mismanaged their resources. The positive (nay) would not be a side of this debate one would choose to defend. It would be much easier for this statement to be sustained with the negative (yea) arguments; that with the exception of a few like Theodore Roosevelt and his ilk, (who now bear the derogatory label of ‘tree huggers) through whose efforts have come the preservation of national parks, we have not done a very good job.
Besides these treasured tracts of land which hopefully will be reserved for millennia, there is also another ray of hope which, if we are willing to search out and discover, shines brightly as a token example that we are not completely degenerate when it comes to honoring and respecting the resources of this wonderful land.
Lo and Hark! There may be a ray of hope! There may be something that our land filling throw away populace has and is doing very well.
On the island of Oahu, Hawaii, upon a prominent hill overlooking the Pacific, an area which surely could be used for a fantastic condominium development, remains a plot of hollow ground seemingly unspoiled and mainly as it was created by nature.
In San Diego, California, a beautiful point of land overlooking the broad expanse of the beautiful blue Pacific Ocean we find acreage preserved from the developers’ shovels.
In Washington, D.C., we can visit a vast tract of land which has resisted the lure or our office space mentality.
What is it that has caused an abrupt shift from our seemingly insatiable appetite to put even the most barren of spaces on the sales block and keeps these premium pieces of property, along with many others, protected from being occupied by high rise edifices?
Punch Bowl on Oahu, Point Loma near San Diego and the War Memorial in Washington, D.C., along with other plots of sacred soil scattered across this vast land, host National Memorial Cemeteries.
That these choice spaces have been consecrated is a perhaps positive and fitting indication that a spark of caring still rests in our collective souls about the wondrous land where we are privileged to abide.
May these spaces ever be dedicated and set apart – as a continuing reminder – how precious this Promised Land is – less we forget, less we forget.
It should never be forgotten that hundreds of thousands have valued the principles upon which this nation was founded enough to give their lives that these principles might be preserved.
It should never be forgotten that as a nation we are still in our adolescence and as our maturation continues we seem to be more constantly conscience of our need to care for and cherish every inch of our inheritance.
Although we should never forget that war is evil and leaves nations with fields filled with markers memorializing death and destruction, we likewise should never forget that the preservation of peace and the warding off of greed and domination by excess power, many times demands a price to be paid.
We must never forget that those of other nations with whom we all share common ancestries, have also had to set apart large tracts of land where their patriotic citizens who have given their lives for their lands are honored.
Hopefully, in all of our remembering, we will never cease in our desire to eliminate the further necessity to expand the preservation of soil for the internment of brave loved ones.
Perhaps, through the increased awareness of our universal kinship, prejudice, greed and hate and all the other justifications for war can be done away with and our efforts can be put into a universal righteous dominion over this wonderful world on which we live.
May our beautiful planet – be a continuing reminder of the universality of the human family – less we forget – less we forget!!
Sunday, May 17, 2015
ANOTHER UNOPENED BOOK
Although it is one of the most voluminous books printed each year, I have as yet not seen it on any best seller list. Still the probability exists that it may be read or referenced by more people annually than any other published material.
Lest you die of suspended expectations, that which I speak of is the annual publication of the rules and regulations for the Federal Income Tax.
Although it will seldom be read by the general populace, tax accountants will spend billions of accumulated hours poring over every jot and tittle of the law, striving with great meticulousness to find advantages which will lure customers desirous of avoiding taxes or at least reducing their tax bills to their places of business.
Those who wish to serve the masses rather than the one percenters have developed Blocks and Turbos where the majority of the population can be guided through the process of untangling their tax obligation in small cubicles or be led step by step through the drudgery on a ‘user friendly’ computer program.
Besides the taxes which are due, the combined citizenry will have paid billions of dollars (one of those numbers we use when we have no idea what the real number is) to the various forms experts come in.
Experts are those who constitute a small portion of the populace which have actually perused the zillions of pages (another of those previously mentioned numbers) of the ‘simplified’ tax code. It seems that each year the tax code is simplified it takes a significant deforestation of the State of Washington to supply the needed paper.
We must all keep in mind the quadrillions of dollars (yep, another one of those numbers) which have been paid to those who have been elected as our representative legislative servants so that fair and equitable tax laws could be drafted.
I suspect there has to be some kind of message from these previous paragraphs about the collective intelligence of the human race, but that thought will have to be explored at a later time since my mind has wandered in a very different direction.
The thought which prompted this introductory tirade has to do with the real all-time bestselling book ever printed. That book being, in case you were wondering, and to no one’s surprise, the Holy Bible.
My spiritual prejudices make me ponder about what the strength of this or any nation would become if it were to expend the same national effort on understanding and obeying every jot and tittle of the Holy writ as we do on the uniform national tax code. (Of course there would still always be ‘scriptural experts’ available to hire to find the avoidance loopholes some would desire).
Weekly most citizens are made aware of their tax obligations as they sigh over what seems to be the ever expanding gulf between the gross and net of their weekly pay.
It is hard to imagine what would happen to our collective conscience if we likewise, at least weekly, made ourselves aware of the pluses and minuses which come as a result of adhering to or neglecting to follow the revelatory laws found in the scriptures.
Have you ever wondered how different life would be if the only sure things in this world weren't death and taxes, but instead were death and scriptural awareness? Oh, be still my faint heart! (Sorry, but if you are reading this you will never again be able to say that thought hasn’t crossed your mind).
Can we even faintly imagine the effect of a National Scripture Awareness Week that would, in some small degree, approach the magnitude of the taxees’ frenzy as they clog the parking lots of the Post Offices or the Federal Super Computer as the dreaded April 15th deadline descends?
It is probably beyond the modern citizen’s capability to contemplate what might be the positive result to a nation if all collected revenues were wisely used with thrift and economical integrity.
Likewise, we seem to stray daily from being able to be part of a collective national culture which is intent on following the revealed admonitions of a loving Father in Heaven, and delivered to His children through his Apostles and Prophets.
What a wondrous world it would be if our daily reading were less about politicians and bureaucrats bent on building more and more sophisticated armaments, more and more elaborate multileveled spy systems and higher and stronger governmental complexes, and instead our reading could be more about those who strive to direct the nation toward adhering to scriptural tenets which admonish us to become zealous in feeding the hungry and caring for the widows and orphans.
Well, there is little doubt that words could be multiplied ad infinitum, but then I would be mimicking those whom I have been criticizing; (gratefully, modern technology won't demand a single tree be cut down in order that this thought be distributed). Besides, it really is time that I pick up my scriptures for my daily reminder of that which should be of most worth in this world of ours.
Lest you die of suspended expectations, that which I speak of is the annual publication of the rules and regulations for the Federal Income Tax.
Although it will seldom be read by the general populace, tax accountants will spend billions of accumulated hours poring over every jot and tittle of the law, striving with great meticulousness to find advantages which will lure customers desirous of avoiding taxes or at least reducing their tax bills to their places of business.
Those who wish to serve the masses rather than the one percenters have developed Blocks and Turbos where the majority of the population can be guided through the process of untangling their tax obligation in small cubicles or be led step by step through the drudgery on a ‘user friendly’ computer program.
Besides the taxes which are due, the combined citizenry will have paid billions of dollars (one of those numbers we use when we have no idea what the real number is) to the various forms experts come in.
Experts are those who constitute a small portion of the populace which have actually perused the zillions of pages (another of those previously mentioned numbers) of the ‘simplified’ tax code. It seems that each year the tax code is simplified it takes a significant deforestation of the State of Washington to supply the needed paper.
We must all keep in mind the quadrillions of dollars (yep, another one of those numbers) which have been paid to those who have been elected as our representative legislative servants so that fair and equitable tax laws could be drafted.
I suspect there has to be some kind of message from these previous paragraphs about the collective intelligence of the human race, but that thought will have to be explored at a later time since my mind has wandered in a very different direction.
The thought which prompted this introductory tirade has to do with the real all-time bestselling book ever printed. That book being, in case you were wondering, and to no one’s surprise, the Holy Bible.
My spiritual prejudices make me ponder about what the strength of this or any nation would become if it were to expend the same national effort on understanding and obeying every jot and tittle of the Holy writ as we do on the uniform national tax code. (Of course there would still always be ‘scriptural experts’ available to hire to find the avoidance loopholes some would desire).
Weekly most citizens are made aware of their tax obligations as they sigh over what seems to be the ever expanding gulf between the gross and net of their weekly pay.
It is hard to imagine what would happen to our collective conscience if we likewise, at least weekly, made ourselves aware of the pluses and minuses which come as a result of adhering to or neglecting to follow the revelatory laws found in the scriptures.
Have you ever wondered how different life would be if the only sure things in this world weren't death and taxes, but instead were death and scriptural awareness? Oh, be still my faint heart! (Sorry, but if you are reading this you will never again be able to say that thought hasn’t crossed your mind).
Can we even faintly imagine the effect of a National Scripture Awareness Week that would, in some small degree, approach the magnitude of the taxees’ frenzy as they clog the parking lots of the Post Offices or the Federal Super Computer as the dreaded April 15th deadline descends?
It is probably beyond the modern citizen’s capability to contemplate what might be the positive result to a nation if all collected revenues were wisely used with thrift and economical integrity.
Likewise, we seem to stray daily from being able to be part of a collective national culture which is intent on following the revealed admonitions of a loving Father in Heaven, and delivered to His children through his Apostles and Prophets.
What a wondrous world it would be if our daily reading were less about politicians and bureaucrats bent on building more and more sophisticated armaments, more and more elaborate multileveled spy systems and higher and stronger governmental complexes, and instead our reading could be more about those who strive to direct the nation toward adhering to scriptural tenets which admonish us to become zealous in feeding the hungry and caring for the widows and orphans.
Well, there is little doubt that words could be multiplied ad infinitum, but then I would be mimicking those whom I have been criticizing; (gratefully, modern technology won't demand a single tree be cut down in order that this thought be distributed). Besides, it really is time that I pick up my scriptures for my daily reminder of that which should be of most worth in this world of ours.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
UNOPENED BOOKS
In 1973, President Harold B. Lee gave a talk to Beloved Sisters. In the introduction to that talk he told the story of a young man who had lived a life which, in the kindest of terms, would have been referred to as wayward.
While he was still a very young man his mother passed away and to everyone’s surprise he asked if he could speak at her funeral. Of course tears were shed, but more importantly, introspections were done by most as he spoke. He proclaimed that his mother had been a wellspring of things of beauty, virtue and integrity which would fill volumes, but his downfall had come because he had never opened those volumes of books.
The service lasted longer than many anticipated, but few were anxious that it would end. With tears spilling over the brims of his eye lids he decried the life he had chosen, which was in stark contrast to the constant caring counsel his loving mother had given him from his earliest recollection and which continued even in the raunchiest days of his rebellion.
As I recently reread these words, I again tried to retrace in my mind the chapters and verses which would have filled volumes, from the words and examples which have been bestowed upon me from the Beloved Sisters I have been blessed to have in my own life.
I suspect it would be difficult for any of us to search our personal shelves of unopened volumes without quickly coming to the conclusion that we would have been far better off had we opened and read and reread the wisdom contained in those caring counsels.
A partial list of some of the chapters I need to read or reread:
Work and study need to be finished before play.
Money can only be spent once.
Consequences should always be considered before making choices.
The eternal role we are preparing for is Parenthood.
Friendships fade, but families can be forever.
Integrity isn’t a choice, it is a lifestyle.
Search for treasures which last rather than those which turn to waste.
People will remember acts of love longer than lectures.
You will be appreciated for who you are more than for what you know.
Kindness never goes out of style.
Since I have reached that limit of ten which I was counseled to adhere too, I will allow your minds to conjure up the volumes which you might think worthy of reopening or opening for the first time.
One of the marvelous traits that I have witnessed which seems to be fairly universal in Beloved Sisters is that sharing counsel comes as naturally to them as breathing. We would all save ourselves hours of grief and miles of retraced steps if following that loving counsel became just as natural to us.
Therefore, I hope for a moment we can sincerely send our thanks to mother, grandmother, wife, daughter, sister, friend and teacher, Beloved Sisters all, for the libraries of loving wisdom they have given to the world. I have no doubt that the world would be a much safer, cleaner, peaceful and more pleasant place to reside if more of us would crack open those books which have been collecting dust for far too many seasons.
THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY
EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY
UNOPENED BOOKS
Sunday, May 10, 2015
In 1973, President Harold B. Lee gave a talk to Beloved Sisters. In the introduction to that talk he told the story of a young man who had lived a life which, in the kindest of terms, would have been referred to as wayward.
While he was still a very young man his mother passed away and to everyone’s surprise he asked if he could speak at her funeral. Of course tears were shed, but more importantly, introspections were done by most as he spoke. He proclaimed that his mother had been a wellspring of things of beauty, virtue and integrity which would fill volumes, but his downfall had come because he had never opened those volumes of books.
The service lasted longer than many anticipated, but few were anxious that it would end. With tears spilling over the brims of his eye lids he decried the life he had chosen, which was in stark contrast to the constant caring counsel his loving mother had given him from his earliest recollection and which continued even in the raunchiest days of his rebellion.
As I recently reread these words, I again tried to retrace in my mind the chapters and verses which would have filled volumes, from the words and examples which have been bestowed upon me from the Beloved Sisters I have been blessed to have in my own life.
I suspect it would be difficult for any of us to search our personal shelves of unopened volumes without quickly coming to the conclusion that we would have been far better off had we opened and read and reread the wisdom contained in those caring counsels.
A partial list of some of the chapters I need to read or reread:
Work and study need to be finished before play.
Money can only be spent once.
Consequences should always be considered before making choices.
The eternal role we are preparing for is Parenthood.
Friendships fade, but families can be forever.
Integrity isn’t a choice, it is a lifestyle.
Search for treasures which last rather than those which turn to waste.
People will remember acts of love longer than lectures.
You will be appreciated for who you are more than for what you know.
Kindness never goes out of style.
Since I have reached that limit of ten which I was counselled to adhere too, I will allow your minds to conjure up the volumes which you might think worthy of reopening or opening for the first time.
One of the marvelous traits that I have witnessed which seems to be fairly universal in Beloved Sisters is that sharing counsel comes as naturally to them as breathing. We would all save ourselves hours of grief and miles of retraced steps if following that loving counsel became just as natural to us.
Therefore, I hope for a moment we can sincerely send our thanks to mother, grandmother, wife, daughter, sister, friend and teacher, Beloved Sisters all, for the libraries of loving wisdom they have given to the world. I have no doubt that the world would be a much safer, cleaner, peaceful and more pleasant place to reside if more of us would crack open those books which have been collecting dust for far too many seasons.
THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY
EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY
While he was still a very young man his mother passed away and to everyone’s surprise he asked if he could speak at her funeral. Of course tears were shed, but more importantly, introspections were done by most as he spoke. He proclaimed that his mother had been a wellspring of things of beauty, virtue and integrity which would fill volumes, but his downfall had come because he had never opened those volumes of books.
The service lasted longer than many anticipated, but few were anxious that it would end. With tears spilling over the brims of his eye lids he decried the life he had chosen, which was in stark contrast to the constant caring counsel his loving mother had given him from his earliest recollection and which continued even in the raunchiest days of his rebellion.
As I recently reread these words, I again tried to retrace in my mind the chapters and verses which would have filled volumes, from the words and examples which have been bestowed upon me from the Beloved Sisters I have been blessed to have in my own life.
I suspect it would be difficult for any of us to search our personal shelves of unopened volumes without quickly coming to the conclusion that we would have been far better off had we opened and read and reread the wisdom contained in those caring counsels.
A partial list of some of the chapters I need to read or reread:
Work and study need to be finished before play.
Money can only be spent once.
Consequences should always be considered before making choices.
The eternal role we are preparing for is Parenthood.
Friendships fade, but families can be forever.
Integrity isn’t a choice, it is a lifestyle.
Search for treasures which last rather than those which turn to waste.
People will remember acts of love longer than lectures.
You will be appreciated for who you are more than for what you know.
Kindness never goes out of style.
Since I have reached that limit of ten which I was counseled to adhere too, I will allow your minds to conjure up the volumes which you might think worthy of reopening or opening for the first time.
One of the marvelous traits that I have witnessed which seems to be fairly universal in Beloved Sisters is that sharing counsel comes as naturally to them as breathing. We would all save ourselves hours of grief and miles of retraced steps if following that loving counsel became just as natural to us.
Therefore, I hope for a moment we can sincerely send our thanks to mother, grandmother, wife, daughter, sister, friend and teacher, Beloved Sisters all, for the libraries of loving wisdom they have given to the world. I have no doubt that the world would be a much safer, cleaner, peaceful and more pleasant place to reside if more of us would crack open those books which have been collecting dust for far too many seasons.
THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY
EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY
UNOPENED BOOKS
Sunday, May 10, 2015
In 1973, President Harold B. Lee gave a talk to Beloved Sisters. In the introduction to that talk he told the story of a young man who had lived a life which, in the kindest of terms, would have been referred to as wayward.
While he was still a very young man his mother passed away and to everyone’s surprise he asked if he could speak at her funeral. Of course tears were shed, but more importantly, introspections were done by most as he spoke. He proclaimed that his mother had been a wellspring of things of beauty, virtue and integrity which would fill volumes, but his downfall had come because he had never opened those volumes of books.
The service lasted longer than many anticipated, but few were anxious that it would end. With tears spilling over the brims of his eye lids he decried the life he had chosen, which was in stark contrast to the constant caring counsel his loving mother had given him from his earliest recollection and which continued even in the raunchiest days of his rebellion.
As I recently reread these words, I again tried to retrace in my mind the chapters and verses which would have filled volumes, from the words and examples which have been bestowed upon me from the Beloved Sisters I have been blessed to have in my own life.
I suspect it would be difficult for any of us to search our personal shelves of unopened volumes without quickly coming to the conclusion that we would have been far better off had we opened and read and reread the wisdom contained in those caring counsels.
A partial list of some of the chapters I need to read or reread:
Work and study need to be finished before play.
Money can only be spent once.
Consequences should always be considered before making choices.
The eternal role we are preparing for is Parenthood.
Friendships fade, but families can be forever.
Integrity isn’t a choice, it is a lifestyle.
Search for treasures which last rather than those which turn to waste.
People will remember acts of love longer than lectures.
You will be appreciated for who you are more than for what you know.
Kindness never goes out of style.
Since I have reached that limit of ten which I was counselled to adhere too, I will allow your minds to conjure up the volumes which you might think worthy of reopening or opening for the first time.
One of the marvelous traits that I have witnessed which seems to be fairly universal in Beloved Sisters is that sharing counsel comes as naturally to them as breathing. We would all save ourselves hours of grief and miles of retraced steps if following that loving counsel became just as natural to us.
Therefore, I hope for a moment we can sincerely send our thanks to mother, grandmother, wife, daughter, sister, friend and teacher, Beloved Sisters all, for the libraries of loving wisdom they have given to the world. I have no doubt that the world would be a much safer, cleaner, peaceful and more pleasant place to reside if more of us would crack open those books which have been collecting dust for far too many seasons.
THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY
EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY
Sunday, May 3, 2015
LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED 9
Monday, February 09, 2015: We don't have to look long for – nor dig deep – to understand that there are more – seekers of truth – lovers of peace – and gracious givers – in the world – than those who seem to act like they live in a world – where these values don't exist!!
Tuesday, February 10, 2015: There are a lot of variables – in the theory of acting ones age!!
Wednesday, February 11, 2015: If you want to see your neighbor more clearly – remove your biases blinders!!
Thursday, February 12, 2015: Hatred, hostility and evil thoughts – are happiness prohibiters!!
Friday, February 13, 2015: The more we believe the people who inhabit this planet with us are family – hopefully, the more it will help us to overcome some of our dysfunctional activities!!
Monday, February 16, 2015: If the path you have chosen hasn’t led you to happiness – perhaps it is time to find a new path!!
Tuesday, February 17, 2015: Temporal stuff – will always be temporary!!
Wednesday, February 18, 2015: When rust and decay have returned all your stuff to dust – that which remains is what you should have been concentrating your efforts on all along!!
Thursday, February 19, 2015: The thrill of Christmases coveted toy – which quickly fades – should teach us that lasting satisfaction will never come from stuff!!
Friday, February 20, 2015: Buying stuff which will soon be put in a rented storage space – or hauled to the dump – makes little if not zero sense!!
Monday, February 23, 2015: It is difficult to know – whether I control my stuff – or if my stuff controls me!!
Tuesday, February 24, 2015: If you really want to make yourself a great day – spend it trying to help those you encounter – better and happier for having spent a moment with you!!
Wednesday, February 25, 2015: It would be nice if – benevolence was infectious!!
Thursday, February 26, 2015: When we learn to be satisfied with blessings already received – we will find that that illusive contentment we were seeking – is now ours!!
Friday, February 27, 2015: We only reap the full harvest of charity – when we give without any expectations of any reward!!
Monday, March 02, 2015: If we insist on retaining our biases and prejudices – we will never become a truly charitable person!!
Tuesday, March 03, 2015: The probability exists – that 100% of what we think and say – has been thought and said hundreds of times previously in all languages – but in a very strange way – when we think it and say it – it becomes uniquely ours!!
Wednesday, March 04, 2015: Compassion is the ember – which causes so many other virtues – to burn more brightly!!
Thursday, March 05, 2015: Not liking someone – has never been a justifiable reason – for not being kind to them!!
Friday, March 06, 2015: Being compassionate – involves both the heart and the hands!!
Monday, March 09, 2015: We are all offspring of Eternal Heavenly Parents – therefore – we are never temporary or disposable!!
Tuesday, March 10, 2015: The easiest way to increase anxiety – is to narrow your vision – by concentrating solely on your own needs and wants!!
Wednesday, March 11, 2015: If you really want to lessen your anxiety over your own personal problems – just widen your vision to include the problems – of as many of your neighbors as you can – you will shortly find your own worries over your own problems shrinking considerably!!
Thursday, March 12, 2015: The success one achieves in life cannot be fully measured – until one subtracts the cost of getting there!!
Friday, March 13, 2015: We should count the times – when we have arrived at a mutual trust level with another person – when we are able to count them as a true friend – as a great investment and blessing.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015: There are a lot of variables – in the theory of acting ones age!!
Wednesday, February 11, 2015: If you want to see your neighbor more clearly – remove your biases blinders!!
Thursday, February 12, 2015: Hatred, hostility and evil thoughts – are happiness prohibiters!!
Friday, February 13, 2015: The more we believe the people who inhabit this planet with us are family – hopefully, the more it will help us to overcome some of our dysfunctional activities!!
Monday, February 16, 2015: If the path you have chosen hasn’t led you to happiness – perhaps it is time to find a new path!!
Tuesday, February 17, 2015: Temporal stuff – will always be temporary!!
Wednesday, February 18, 2015: When rust and decay have returned all your stuff to dust – that which remains is what you should have been concentrating your efforts on all along!!
Thursday, February 19, 2015: The thrill of Christmases coveted toy – which quickly fades – should teach us that lasting satisfaction will never come from stuff!!
Friday, February 20, 2015: Buying stuff which will soon be put in a rented storage space – or hauled to the dump – makes little if not zero sense!!
Monday, February 23, 2015: It is difficult to know – whether I control my stuff – or if my stuff controls me!!
Tuesday, February 24, 2015: If you really want to make yourself a great day – spend it trying to help those you encounter – better and happier for having spent a moment with you!!
Wednesday, February 25, 2015: It would be nice if – benevolence was infectious!!
Thursday, February 26, 2015: When we learn to be satisfied with blessings already received – we will find that that illusive contentment we were seeking – is now ours!!
Friday, February 27, 2015: We only reap the full harvest of charity – when we give without any expectations of any reward!!
Monday, March 02, 2015: If we insist on retaining our biases and prejudices – we will never become a truly charitable person!!
Tuesday, March 03, 2015: The probability exists – that 100% of what we think and say – has been thought and said hundreds of times previously in all languages – but in a very strange way – when we think it and say it – it becomes uniquely ours!!
Wednesday, March 04, 2015: Compassion is the ember – which causes so many other virtues – to burn more brightly!!
Thursday, March 05, 2015: Not liking someone – has never been a justifiable reason – for not being kind to them!!
Friday, March 06, 2015: Being compassionate – involves both the heart and the hands!!
Monday, March 09, 2015: We are all offspring of Eternal Heavenly Parents – therefore – we are never temporary or disposable!!
Tuesday, March 10, 2015: The easiest way to increase anxiety – is to narrow your vision – by concentrating solely on your own needs and wants!!
Wednesday, March 11, 2015: If you really want to lessen your anxiety over your own personal problems – just widen your vision to include the problems – of as many of your neighbors as you can – you will shortly find your own worries over your own problems shrinking considerably!!
Thursday, March 12, 2015: The success one achieves in life cannot be fully measured – until one subtracts the cost of getting there!!
Friday, March 13, 2015: We should count the times – when we have arrived at a mutual trust level with another person – when we are able to count them as a true friend – as a great investment and blessing.
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