Desist from making cutting remarks one to another. Rather, cultivate the art of complimenting, of strengthening, of encouraging. It is responsibility divinely laid upon each of us to bear one another's burdens, strengthen one another, to encourage one another, to lift one another, to look for the good in one another and to emphasize the good. There is not a man or woman in this vast assembly who cannot be depressed on the one hand or lifted on the other by the remarks of his or her associates.--Gordon B. Hinckley, Prophet and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
As always, President Hinckley knew what to say and how to say it. He achieved great honors in his life, yet he remained humble and generous in how he treated others.
What would our families, our churches, our communities, our nation be like if we all followed his counsel? Would we have greater peace in our personal lives? Would we have a kinder, gentler world? Undoubtedly.
Yet some of us (me especially) struggle to get this right. Unkind words spill from our lips. And, if we're fortunate enough to keep the words from spilling out, they stick in our hearts, cankering our souls and tainting our lives with bitterness. Ironically (or maybe not so ironically), when I remember to find the good in others, I also seem to find it in myself.
So, for today, I am grateful for those times when I get it right.
Does this counsel extend to Bronco fans watching from home as their team, and one player in particular, self-destructs? OK, I know it does. Why do I allow certain situations to compromise what I know is right?
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