The things I have Learned
I have learned a few things in my life. Some of them I've had to learn more than once. For example:
1. I learned early in my life that Jesus is the Christ, the very Son of the Living God. I have never forgotten and I will not.
2. I learned early in my teens that I am not indestructible. I have to relearn that sometimes. It seems that every year I am given more opportunity to realize that I am still mortal, and that my body can still be injured.
3. I learned, when we were married, that women do not think about the same things as do men. Moreover, they don't think the same things are important as do we. Additionally, they are generally right.
4. I learned, as we received children into our lives, that each one is an individual. Each has his/her own personality. Each one has different talents. Each of them has to make his/her own life. It is hard to understand that I am unable to live their lives for them. Nor can I require them to do as I want them to do. I can only ask and hope.
5. I learned, as our children left the nest, that each of them is more valuable to me than I realized. Each of them carries a part of me. As those who left for missions I worried. I needn't have, but I hadn't learned that yet. As each created their own lives I worried. They didn't think I needed to, but I did and do.
6. I learned, as I have approached the "Golden" years, why my parents were not as physically capable as they were when I was a younster.
7. I learned that I have lived through a great deal of world history in the past 67 years.
8. I have learned that each of us is born into this world and must pass from it to continue our immortal lives.
9. And finally, I have learned that pain comes in various forms, i.e. physical pain, emotional pain, mental pain and spiritual pain. Each can and should be overcome, but none are overcome easily.
Over this past weekend, the Senior Missionaries in the Texas Houston East Mission had dinner together and then we spent several hours together at NASA in Houston. We saw for ourselves that control room that was instrumental in placing men on the moon. We relived the moment that Neil Armstrong stepped off the Lunar Lander onto the soil of the moon. "One small step for man. One giant leap for mankind." We saw replicas of the lunar lander, the Apollo capsule, and other parts of the United States' space program. I remember this history as clearly as if it had happened just last week.
As we marveled at the Space Shuttle and the Boeing 747 that transported it from Southern California to Cape Canaveral, I couldn't help but wonder what our Heavenly Father thinks of these things that are really inconsequential in terms of eternity. These technically marvelous advances seem important to us, but really do not have any importance in our securing our eternal reward. They are interesting, but.... I doubt we'll be so "in awe" in 50,000 years or so.
More important is our helping ourselves, our dead and our fellow human beings to access forgiveness through the atonement of Jesus Christ. More important than all of these technical advances are following the Lord's commandments regarding worshiping Him, honoring mother and father, loving our neighbors, keeping the sabbath day holy, holding family and personal prayers, studying the scriptures, obeying ALL of God's commandments to the best of our ability and teaching our children to do the likewise.
1. I learned early in my life that Jesus is the Christ, the very Son of the Living God. I have never forgotten and I will not.
2. I learned early in my teens that I am not indestructible. I have to relearn that sometimes. It seems that every year I am given more opportunity to realize that I am still mortal, and that my body can still be injured.
3. I learned, when we were married, that women do not think about the same things as do men. Moreover, they don't think the same things are important as do we. Additionally, they are generally right.
4. I learned, as we received children into our lives, that each one is an individual. Each has his/her own personality. Each one has different talents. Each of them has to make his/her own life. It is hard to understand that I am unable to live their lives for them. Nor can I require them to do as I want them to do. I can only ask and hope.
5. I learned, as our children left the nest, that each of them is more valuable to me than I realized. Each of them carries a part of me. As those who left for missions I worried. I needn't have, but I hadn't learned that yet. As each created their own lives I worried. They didn't think I needed to, but I did and do.
6. I learned, as I have approached the "Golden" years, why my parents were not as physically capable as they were when I was a younster.
7. I learned that I have lived through a great deal of world history in the past 67 years.
8. I have learned that each of us is born into this world and must pass from it to continue our immortal lives.
9. And finally, I have learned that pain comes in various forms, i.e. physical pain, emotional pain, mental pain and spiritual pain. Each can and should be overcome, but none are overcome easily.
Over this past weekend, the Senior Missionaries in the Texas Houston East Mission had dinner together and then we spent several hours together at NASA in Houston. We saw for ourselves that control room that was instrumental in placing men on the moon. We relived the moment that Neil Armstrong stepped off the Lunar Lander onto the soil of the moon. "One small step for man. One giant leap for mankind." We saw replicas of the lunar lander, the Apollo capsule, and other parts of the United States' space program. I remember this history as clearly as if it had happened just last week.
As we marveled at the Space Shuttle and the Boeing 747 that transported it from Southern California to Cape Canaveral, I couldn't help but wonder what our Heavenly Father thinks of these things that are really inconsequential in terms of eternity. These technically marvelous advances seem important to us, but really do not have any importance in our securing our eternal reward. They are interesting, but.... I doubt we'll be so "in awe" in 50,000 years or so.
More important is our helping ourselves, our dead and our fellow human beings to access forgiveness through the atonement of Jesus Christ. More important than all of these technical advances are following the Lord's commandments regarding worshiping Him, honoring mother and father, loving our neighbors, keeping the sabbath day holy, holding family and personal prayers, studying the scriptures, obeying ALL of God's commandments to the best of our ability and teaching our children to do the likewise.
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