Doing More With Less
I read through the book "The seven habits of highly effective people" by Stephen R. Covey and found a different approach to doing more with less. Doing more with less can also apply to deciding who you are and what you are going to make of yourself. I read on page 71 about proactivity and how we are responsible for our own lives and our behaviors toward things that happen in our lives. A line that really caught my attention was that we have the responsibility to make things happen. On page 73 it says, "It's not what happens to us, but our response to what happens to us that hurts us." "Things can hurt us physically or economically and can cause sorrow. But our character, our basic identity, does not have to be hurt at all." We choose to make something of ourselves and it doesn't take much more than the attitude and decision to change and be better, doing more with maybe not as much as the world would have us think makes a person.
I really enjoyed this article. It explains what should be done first if we are going to live with the moto of doing more with less.
“Prepare by Living Providently and Paying Tithes and Offerings,” Ensign, Dec 2003, 52 Scripture:
There are so many things that are required of us as members of the church, parents, spouses, and friends. I often feel like I’m in a crunch trying to do all the things that I’m suppose to and often do not seem to have time to do the things that I want to do. Is there a point when as we try to be more effective with less time that we may go to far? In answer to this question I came across the following scripture:
D&C 10:4-5
"Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength and means provided to enable you...but be diligent unto the end. Pray always, that you may come off conqueror."
This message was given to Joseph Smith after the 110 pages of manuscript where stolen. At this time Joseph probably felt over whelmed by many of the things that were being required of him. The Lord gave comfort to him by telling him that he was not required to do more than he had the ability to do; however, he was required to be diligent and to include the Lord in what he was doing that he could successfully accomplish what the Lord needed him to do. I think it is the same for us in our lives. The Lord knows our limitations and will not require more us us than we have the ability, but if we ask of him, he will give us the strength that we need to succeed in the things that we need to do.
Submitted by: Mike Preston
I think a great example of doing more with less is Helen Keller. She was blind, deaf and mute, yet she became a teacher to further help those with the same disabilities she had. The play, The Miracle Worker, which derived from her autobiography The Story of My Life, shows a prime example of someone taking what little they have to better themselves as well as others. Submitted by Elisa Guzman.
I think the novel "Huckleberry Finn" is a great example of doing more with less. In this novel a young boy named Huck has nothing and is an orphan (I think). so what does he do with no money and no one to love him, he goes on adventures and even be friends a black slave, which at the time was a big NO NO. He also uses his imagination instead of worrying about not having all the worldly positions that most likely all the other kids his age had. All in all Huck was happy with what he had and I think we should all try to do the same thing. Submitted by Ashley Penney.
Scripture: Genesis 14:39-40 (Found in the Joseph Smith Translation)
Often times Heavenly Father requires us to sacrifice much of what we have to building up his kingdom. As a result, we are asked to live with less and often times develop the faith that if we give the Lord what he requires than everything will be alright. This scripture is a vivid example of a prophet who was asked to give the Lord some of his substance and because of the willingness of this prophet he was blessed. This is what he did and how he was blessed:
Verse 39-40: Wherefore, Abram paid unto him tithes of all that he had, of all the riches which he possessed, which God had given him more than that which he had need. And it came to pass, that God blessed Abram, and gave unto him riches, and honor, and lands for an everlasting possession; according to the covenant which he had made, and according to the blessing wherewith Melchizedek had blessed him.
Submitted By: Amber Preston
Scripture: Matthew 14:15-21
I think a good example of doing more with less can be found in the Bible. It is the passage when Jesus feeds the multitude with five loaves of bread and two fish, and is able to feed 5,000 people with twelve baskets left. I love this story and it amazes me that something this miraculous could occur, but reminds me that through Christ, we can do anything and that He will not leave us to hunger or thirst if we follow Him.
Submitted by Sibonet Holden
One good example of doing more with less is found in the story titled The Gift of the Magi. This story is about a young couple who are husband and wife and do not have much money. The husband and the wife each want to give each other a special gift for Christmas. The husband sells his pocket watch so that he can buy his wife a jeweled comb. The wife cuts off all her hair so that she can have enough money to buy her husband a chain for his pocket watch. When Christmas comes, the couple realizes that they both sacrificed something very special to them so that they could give something special for the other. Because the husband sold his pocket watch he can't use the chain. Also since the wife cut all her hair so has no use for the comb.
Submitted by Melissa Mortensen
The Martin Handcart Company was the fifth handcart company to travel west to the Salt Lake Valley. This company of English emigrants left Iowa City, Iowa, on 28 July 1856. There were "576 [people], with 146 carts, 7 wagons, 30 oxen, and 50 cows and beef cattle" (LeRoy R. Hafen and Ann W. Hafen, Handcarts to Zion [1960], 93).
At Florence, Nebraska, they stopped for handcart repairs. It was late in the season, and they wondered if they should continue. A few members dropped out, but most wanted to go on. They left Florence on 25 August.
They reached Fort Laramie, Wyoming, 8 October. After leaving Fort Laramie their food rations had to be cut. Because of their growing weakness, they had to lighten the loads they were pulling, so they discarded blankets and clothing. On 19 October they crossed the North Platte River. As soon as they crossed, it started to snow. Several people died that night.
As the storms and cold continued, the pioneers desperately needed the supplies they had left behind. The men became so weak and sick they couldn't pitch the tents. Twelve miles beyond the river they were stopped by the deep snow. Fifty-six had died since they had crossed the river.
Early in October President Brigham Young heard there were still pioneers on the trail. He knew they would have problems, so he called for volunteers to go to their aid. Horsemen, wagons, and supplies were sent. On 28 October three men rode into the camp of the Martin Company. The deep snow had halted the rescue wagons, so the men told the emigrants their only hope was to keep moving to reach the rescue wagons. They struggled on, and on 3 November they reached the first of the supply wagons. The rescuers decided the company had to move on to find better shelter from the snow and cold.
The company pushed on until they came to the Sweetwater River. For many, crossing the river seemed more than they could manage, but men from the rescue party bravely carried several of the pioneers across. The company found shelter in a mountain cove where they stayed for several days.
When they moved on, they left most of the handcarts behind. The rescuers loaded the sickest and weakest into wagons, but the rest had to walk. The storms had forced some rescuers back, while others waited to try again. One of these, Ephraim Hanks, left his wagon and went on with two horses. One day he killed a buffalo and loaded his horses with the meat. That evening he reached the Martin Handcart Company. The meat was welcomed by the starving pioneers. On 11 November Ephraim Hanks and members of the handcart company camped on Bitter Creek (present-day Cottonwood Creek).
Gradually other wagons reached the pioneers, and all were able to ride the rest of the way into the valley. They reached Salt Lake on 30 November. Between 135 and 150 people had died on the way.
Mistake to send the Handcart Company out so late in the season? Yes! But I was in that company and my wife was in it....We suffered beyond anything you can imagine and many died of exposure and starvation, but did you ever hear a survivor of that company utter a word of criticism?...
I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead of the other....Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No! Neither then nor any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company.
-Ancestor of Matt Asay
I think the pioneers are a great example of doing more with less. They literaly gave up all they had to travel across the country. Because of their willingness and determination they grew closer to Heavenly Fater and wre eternally blessed.
submitted by Brenda Roberts
Liahona Article
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin counseled us on financial responsibility in the May 2004 Liahona article Earthly Debts, Heavenly Debts. We will be able to serve our Heavenly Father better as we take our focus off of the material things that surround us in life. Society makes us feel that we need to have more to be successful and happy in the world, but do we? Matthew 6:19-20 states, ““Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” We can not take souvenirs with us when we end our mortal existence, but we will obtain things that are even of more worth than these as we serve one another in the kingdom of God. When we sacrifice, we will come to an understanding of how we can individualy do more with less. Eternal things are those that truly matter.
The link below is for the article:
Submitted by Celeste Olsen
I think the whole first book of Nephi is a great example of sacrifice and doing more with less. Nephi and his family left the comfort of their home and and precious things to follow the Lord. The lived in the wilderness and went through much hardship. Yet the blessings they recieved far outweighed the trials and tribulations they faced. Nephi trusted in the Lord and was able to to do things he never thought were possible (ie build a ship). Not to mention their wives baring children and raising families in the wilderness. Even though they had much less as far as material things....the Lord blessed them as they followed his will spiritually and physically. Submitted by Jeff Tobler.
This advertisement of doing more with less uses the simple saying (in this case slogan) when life gives you lemons make lemonade. This is true in every aspect of life. When life seems to be not going according to plan and we seem to be overwhelmed in what we are doing, we need to see what we can do to change the situation with what we have. The example is that you are given lemons, they are not sweet or pleasant to eat, but when squeezed and sugar is added it can become a tasty treat. This fully incorporates the concept of doing more with less; the main aspect is how one sees the cup as half full or half empty.
Submitted by Kendall George
Poem: A Vision
One February 16, 1832 the prophet sat translating the Bible. While in the midst of the work he realized that there were some parts that were missing, or in other words that there was less bible than there originally had been. Even though the doctrines and teaching included in the bible had been incomplete he used the knowledge which it provided and through his faith he was able to receive more scripture which eventually became section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants. Several years later while living in the City of Nauvoo, W. W. Phelps wrote him a question structured as a poem concerning the meaning of some of these doctrines. Joseph responded by answering the question in poetic form and essentially rewrote section 76 expounding and clarifying many of the doctrines contained therein. Not only does the creation of this literature illistrate how a man who could barely read or write create such a magnificent work, but additionally the poem shows us as does D&C 76 how we can do more with less. A Vision, Joseph Smith, Nauvoo Feb. 1843, Times and Seasons 4:82-85
If you quick access to the poem it can be reached through the link below.
http://emp.byui.edu/satterfieldb/talks/76.htm
Submitted by: Aaron Olsen
One of the greatest stories of all time is that of Apollo 13. I have included a link to a short clip that shows just how they were able to do more with less. It is very short and does not capture all that I wanted it to but I think that it shows my point. As you watch this keep in mind that they made it safely home.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pE7Q4IjVsGk
Movie: The Pursuit of Happiness
Doing more with less is certainly evident in the movie titled The Pursuit of Happyness. This movie is based on a true story about the trials and hardships Chris Gardner faced. In the early 1980s Chris Gardner had a very difficult time trying to provide for his family and make ends meet. As a result he was evicted from his apartment in San Franciso and forced to live on the streets. He and his five year old son had nowhere to go, no one that could help them financially. In spite of all this, Chris managed to get an internship at a stock brokerage firm. However, he wasn't paid any money for being an intern. He studied very hard to pass the final exam that would determine if he would get the license to be a stock broker. Chris had virtually no money, but was still able to accomplish his dream of being a successful business man. He studied very hard for the test and passed it with flying colors. This movie is inspiring because it shows that even though one might not have any money and be living on the streets they can still become successful people in life if they set their minds to it.
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808722062/details
Submitted by Melissa Mortensen
Literature: The Work and the Glory: So Great a Cause
I believe that doing more with less is evident by the early Saints trek to the west. In the Work and the Glory, volume 8, the author Gerald Lund uses fiction characters and real people in church history to describe this important event in Church history. The Saints were forced to leave Nauvoo and were not able to take much with them. However, many were able to cross the plains and survive the trek with little resources at all. The pioneers had to make many sacrifices and do more with less. Because of their faithfullness, the Lord blessed the pioneers and made it possible for many to come to Salt Lake and the western states. Even though the pioneers did not have much, they worked together and served one another in order to come to the west.
http://deseretbook.com/store/product?sku=4940523
Submitted by Melissa Mortensen
Anonymous Article
My dad has a piece of paper hanging on his bulletin board, that we think desricbes our business and the principal of doing more with less. This is what is says:
WE The Willing
Led By The Unknowing
Are Doing The Impossible
For The Ungrateful
We Have Done So Much
For So Long With So Little
We Are Now Qualified
To Do Anything
With Nothing
Since my family owns a ranch in a remote part of Eastern Oregon where the nearest fast food restuarant and a parts store is an hour and a half away, we are constantly looking to be able to do more with less in our daily lives and our business to be more productive and efficient. We have to get by with what we have until we are able to make a trip to town. Also we face different conditions like prolonged drought where we really have to watch the decisions we make, because they can affect the success of our business. Being able to do more with less is an important principal that has become a part of our everyday life as we make a living in agriculture. There were times that felt as though we were doing everything with nothing. Being practiced in doing more with less can create life long principals that might be used in that extra tough time of hardship.
I have also included a link to an article that talks about Doing More With Less with Information Technology in schools and different places.
http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERM0460.pdf
This article is interesting in the fact that it makes me wonder if doing more with less is always a good thing. Through lack of funding schools are forced to use the resources they do have more carefully, but is it costing students in the long run? As budget cuts are happening everywhere are school officals cuting the right things? These just provide some differnet ways to think about the same concept.
Submitted by Cari Berrett
I think that Alma 37:6 is a good example of How the Lord does more with "less" and this scripture leads my mind to thoughts about Joseph Smith. He was a simple man with not much education or money and the Lord took him and turned him into a great leader. I think the Joseph Smith History is great literature for this subject.
Tropical or oriental flower arrangements are great examples of how an artist/florist can do a great and even very expensive piece of art work with just a few flowers/media. Here are a couple of examples of beautiful flower arrangements that have done more with less. I have worked with lots of flowers and many times the solution to getting the perfect arrangement lies in simplifying, using less flowers, or finding a simpler way to get the same effect.
I think that the concept of food storage ties in really well with doing more with less. We have been counseled extensively on this subject and recently the first presidency told us this:
"We encourage Church members worldwide to prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings.
"We ask that you be wise as you store food and water and build your savings. Do not go to extremes; it is not prudent, for example, to go into debt to establish your food storage all at once. With careful planning, you can, over time, establish a home storage supply and a financial reserve."
—The First Presidency, All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage, Feb. 2007
Submitted by Kelly Heath
For the theme Doing More with Less I have chosen to recommend the poem
The World is too Much with Us by William Wordsworth (early 1800’s):
"The world is too much with us"
THE World is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon, 5
The winds that will be howling at all hours
And are up-gather'd now like sleeping flowers,
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not.—Great God! I'd rather be
A pagan suckled in a creed outworn,— 10
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.
And I am recommending Consecration: A Law We Can Live With by Orson Scott Card who will be on campus in a few weeks. Here is the link: http://www.nauvoo.com/library/card-consec.html
Just recently I was hanging out with my friends and we all saw the movie "Bridge to Terabithia". I remember reading this book when I was in elementary school. The story is about how to children let their imaginations run free and they have fun and explore new adventures in their own "little land" called Terabithia. This really does remind me of doing more with less because these childen did not have much to play with except each other's friendship and imagination. I remeber as child that I had an equal amount of toys to play with, but the most fun I had with was with the nature outside and my friends. This book is light reading, but anyone can read it and realize that life can be enjoyed wiht material things. The author is Katherine Paterson.
The play " The Death of a Salesman" By Arthur Miller reminded me that we need to do more with less.. Willy Loman only cares about money but doesn't know how to make the most out of his money. While Mrs. Loman is mending her nylons, Willy gives new ones to another lady. Willy doesn't understand the importance of spending money in the right way. Ultimately in the end Willy's family ends up with nothing, not even each other because Willy only cared about obtaining money and spending it.
Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Earthly Debts, Heavenly Debts,” Liahona, May 2004, 40–43
We have earthly debts and heavenly debts. Let us be wise in dealing with each of them.
My beloved brethren and sisters, what a glorious event it is to attend conference. We find that the words spoken are words of inspiration, and it’s a joy to be present.
I would like to talk about our heavenly debts and earthly debts. The Gospels record that nearly everywhere the Savior went, He was surrounded by multitudes of people. Some hoped that He would heal them; others came to hear Him speak. Others came for practical advice. Toward the end of His mortal ministry, some came to mock and ridicule Him and to clamor for His crucifixion.
One day a man approached the Savior and asked Him to intervene in a family dispute. “Master, speak to my brother,” he pleaded, “that he divide the inheritance with me.”
The Savior refused to take sides on this issue, but He did teach an important lesson. “Beware of covetousness,” He told him, “for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” 1
Brothers and sisters, beware of covetousness. It is one of the great afflictions of these latter days. It creates greed and resentment. Often it leads to bondage, heartbreak, and crushing, grinding debt.
The number of marriages that have been shattered over money issues is staggering. The amount of heartbreak is great. The stress that comes from worry over money has burdened families, caused sickness, depression, and even premature death.
Earthly Debts
In spite of the teachings of the Church from its earliest days until today, members sometimes fall victim to many unwise and foolish financial practices. Some continue to spend, thinking that somehow the money will become available. Somehow they will survive.
Far too often, the money hoped for does not appear.
Remember this: debt is a form of bondage. It is a financial termite. When we make purchases on credit, they give us only an illusion of prosperity. We think we own things, but the reality is, our things own us.
Some debt—such as for a modest home, expenses for education, perhaps for a needed first car—may be necessary. But never should we enter into financial bondage through consumer debt without carefully weighing the costs.
We have often heard that interest is a good servant but a terrible master. President J. Reuben Clark Jr. described it this way: “Interest never sleeps nor sickens nor dies; it never goes to the hospital; it works on Sundays and holidays; it never takes a vacation. … Once in debt, interest is your companion every minute of the day and night; you cannot shun it or slip away from it; you cannot dismiss it; it yields neither to entreaties, demands, or orders; and whenever you get in its way or cross its course or fail to meet its demands, it crushes you.” 2
The counsel from other inspired prophets in our time on this subject is clear, and what was true 50 or 150 years ago is also true today.
President Heber J. Grant said, “From my earliest recollections, from the days of Brigham Young until now, I have listened to men standing in the pulpit … urging the people not to run into debt; and I believe that the great majority of all our troubles today is caused through the failure to carry out that counsel.” 3
President Ezra Taft Benson said, “Do not leave yourself or your family unprotected against financial storms. … Build up savings.” 4
President Harold B. Lee taught, “Not only should we teach men to get out of debt but we should teach them likewise to stay out of debt.” 5
President Gordon B. Hinckley declared: “Many of our people are living on the very edge of their incomes. In fact, some are living on borrowings. …
“… I urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt to the extent possible. Pay off debt as quickly as you can, and free yourselves from bondage.” 6
My brothers and sisters, many have heeded this prophetic counsel. They live within their means, they honor the debts they have incurred, and they strive to reduce the burden they owe to others. We congratulate those who are doing so, for the day will come when they will reap the blessings of their efforts and understand the value of this inspired counsel.
However, others struggle when it comes to finances. Some are victims of adverse and often unforeseen events that have financially damaged them. Others are in financial bondage because they have not learned to discipline themselves and control their impulses to spend. Consequently, they have made unwise financial choices.
May I suggest five key steps to financial freedom for your consideration.
First, pay your tithing. Do you want the windows of heaven opened to you? Do you wish to receive blessings so great there is not room enough to receive them? 7 Always pay your tithing and leave the outcome in the hands of the Lord.
Obedience to God’s commandments is the foundation for a happy life. Surely we will be blessed with the gifts of heaven for our obedience. Failure to pay tithing by those who know the principle can lead to heartache in this life and perhaps sorrow in the next.
Second, spend less than you earn.This is simple counsel but a powerful secret for financial happiness. All too often a family’s spending is governed more by their yearning than by their earning. They somehow believe that their life will be better if they surround themselves with an abundance of things. All too often all they are left with is avoidable anxiety and distress.
Those who live safely within their means know how much money comes in each month, and even though it is difficult, they discipline themselves to spend less than that amount.
Credit is so easy to obtain. In fact, it is almost thrust upon us. Those who use credit cards to overspend unwisely should consider eliminating them. It is much better that a plastic credit card should perish than a family dwindle and perish in debt.
Third, learn to save. Remember the lesson of Joseph of Egypt. During times of prosperity, save up for a day of want. 8
Too often, people assume that they probably never will be injured, get sick, lose their jobs, or see their investments evaporate. To make matters worse, often people make purchases today based upon optimistic predictions of what they hope will happen tomorrow.
The wise understand the importance of saving today for a rainy day tomorrow. They have adequate insurance that will provide for them in case of illness or death. Where possible, they store a year’s supply of food, water, and other basic necessities of life. They set aside money in savings and investment accounts. They work diligently to reduce the debt they owe to others and strive to become debt free.
Brothers and sisters, the preparations you make today may one day be to you as the stored food was to the Egyptians and to Joseph’s father’s family.
Fourth, honor your financial obligations. From time to time, we hear stories of greed and selfishness that strike us with great sorrow. We hear of fraud, defaulting on loan commitments, financial deceptions, and bankruptcies.
We hear of fathers who financially neglect their own families. We say to men and women everywhere, if you bring children into the world, it is your solemn obligation to do all within your power to provide for them. No man is fit to be called a man who gathers around himself cars, boats, and other possessions while neglecting the sacred financial obligations he has to his own wife and children.
We are a people of integrity. We believe in honoring our debts and being honest in our dealings with our fellow men.
Let me tell you the story of one man who sacrificed greatly to maintain his own financial integrity and honor.
In the 1930s Fred Snowberger opened the doors of a new pharmacy in northeastern Oregon. It had been his dream to own his own business, but the economic turnaround he had hoped for never materialized. Eight months later, Fred closed the doors of his pharmacy for the last time.
Even though his business had failed, Fred was determined to repay the loan he had secured. Some wondered why he insisted on repaying the debt. Why didn’t he simply declare bankruptcy and have the debt legally forgiven?
But Fred did not listen. He had said he would repay the loan, and he was determined to honor his word. His family made many of their own clothes, grew much of their food in their garden, and used everything they had until it was thoroughly worn out or used up. Rain or shine, Fred walked to and from his work each day. And every month, Fred paid what he could on the loan.
Years passed and finally the wonderful day arrived when Fred made the last payment. He delivered it in person. The man who had loaned him the money wept and with tears streaming down his face, said, “You not only paid back every penny, but you taught me what a man of character and honesty is.”
To this day, nearly 70 years after Fred signed his name to that note, descendants of Fred and Erma Snowberger still tell this story with pride. This act of honor and nobility has lived through the decades as a cherished example of family integrity.
Fifth, teach your children to follow your example. Too many of our youth get into financial difficulty because they never learned proper principles of financial common sense at home. Teach your children while they are young. Teach them that they cannot have something merely because they want it. Teach them the principles of hard work, frugality, and saving.
If you don’t consider yourself informed well enough to teach them, all the more reason for you to begin learning. Abundant resources are available—from classes, to books, to other resources.
There are those among us who have been blessed abundantly with enough and to spare. Our Heavenly Father expects that we do more with our riches than build larger barns to hold them. Will you consider what more you can do to build the kingdom of God? Will you consider what more you can do to bless the lives of others and bring light and hope into their lives?
Heavenly Debts
We have spoken of earthly debts and our duty to repay them. But there are other debts—debts more eternal in nature—that are not so easy to repay. In fact, we will never be able to repay some of them. These are heavenly debts.
Our mothers and fathers gave us life and brought us into this world. They gave us the opportunity to obtain mortal bodies and experience the joys and sorrows of this bounteous earth. In many cases, they set their own dreams and desires aside for the sake of their children. How fitting it is that we honor them and show by word and deed our love for them and our gratitude.
We also have a great debt to our ancestors who have preceded us and who wait beyond the veil for those ordinances that will allow them to continue their eternal progression. This is a debt we can repay for them in our temples.
What a debt we owe to the Lord for restoring His divine Church and true gospel in these latter-days through the Prophet Joseph Smith. From his youth until his Martyrdom, he devoted his days to bringing to mankind the gospel of Jesus Christ that had been lost. We owe our deepest gratitude to him and to all men in this sacred calling who have been given the mantle to preside over His Church.
How can we ever repay the debt we owe to the Savior? He paid a debt He did not owe to free us from a debt we can never pay. Because of Him, we will live forever. Because of His infinite Atonement, our sins can be swept away, allowing us to experience the greatest of all the gifts of God: eternal life. 9
Can such a gift have a price? Can we ever make compensation for such a gift? The Book of Mormon prophet King Benjamin taught “that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess … [and] serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.” 10
We have earthly debts and heavenly debts. Let us be wise in dealing with each of them and ever keep in mind the words of the Savior. The scriptures tell us, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” 11 The riches of this world are as dust compared to the riches that await the faithful in the mansions of our Heavenly Father. How foolish is he who spends his days in the pursuit of things that rust and fade away. How wise is he who spends his days in the pursuit of eternal life.
Know within your hearts that Jesus the Christ lives. Be at peace, for as you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you. Let not your hearts be weary, but rejoice. Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the gospel is restored once again. The heavens are not sealed. As in ancient days, we have a man who communicates with the Infinite. A prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, walks the earth in our day and at this time. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
By Dallin
For the theme Doing More with Less I have chosen to recommend the poem The World is too Much with Us by William Wordsworth (early 1800’s):
"The world is too much with us"
THE World is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon, 5
The winds that will be howling at all hours
And are up-gather'd now like sleeping flowers,
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not.—Great God! I'd rather be
A pagan suckled in a creed outworn,— 10
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.
And I am recommending Consecration: A Law We Can Live With by Orson Scott Card who will be on campus in a few weeks. Here is the link: http://www.nauvoo.com/library/card-consec.html
I came across LDS fiction romance novels by Anita Stansfied, Timeless Waltz, and A Time to Dance. These are the first two in a series of four. They show how someone goes through a big life change and progressed for the better. In Timeless Waltz, Alex Keane hadnt gone to church since he was a child and also has never forgiven his father for cheating on his mother. This tore apart his life, he was never happy. He changed for the better and made something of his life. In A Time to Dance, Alex's half brother is going through the worst time of his life after realizing that the father he had known since birth, was not his biological father. He later meets and loves his biological father and makes a life that could have ended in suicide, very productive. I feel these books are good examples of someone doing more with the little time they have on earth. They realized that they need to use their little time better to help them in the next life.
and
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