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I've been going through my mom's things since cleaning out my parents how to sell it. I found a file box full of 3″x5″ cards my mom had typed up and organized by topic. Each one contains a quote she felt was important, helpful, useful. Most have a religious or character component about them.
Over the next few months, I thought I'd post the quotes that were most meaningful to me and open up a discussion about them. Feel free to share any thoughts, feelings, or quotes of your own.
Now, I know that knowing the truth does not give one the capacity to act in accordance with it…loving the truth is the only thing that could give one this capacity.
Harold B. Lee, Decisions for Successful Living, p. 229
Discuss!
Alison Moore Smith is a 61-year-old entrepreneur who graduated from BYU in 1987. She has been (very happily) married to Samuel M. Smith for 40 years. They are parents of six incredible children and grandparents to two astounding grandsons. She is the author of The 7 Success Habits of Homeschoolers.
The only way I can get myself to act is by motivation. Knowing the truth does not motivate me. Loving the truth? I dont know. In a gospel sense wanting the best for myself and family (living with God) eternally motivates me .
I like the way that sounds – loving the truth. If I love the truth, I value it, hold it dear, and use it. hmm, good food for thought!
threadjack: Are the forums permanently broken?
Kris, I wonder if Lee’s “loving truth” isn’t close to what you mean by “wanting” the truth (the best). Do you think? It’s something you DO care about.
jennycherie, I agree. If we know something, but don’t care about it, we aren’t likely to take the steps to do it. It’s hard to get motivated about things I just don’t really care about, at least if it’s remotely difficult.
I have that problem with a few things: journal writing (can blogging count?), genealogy, etc.
I’m taking a genealogy class right now to TRY to get excited about it. It just seems like SO much work for SO little payoff. I did that fan chart thing and EVERYTHING is done in my genealogy back to the seventh generation — when there are four missing people.
Most lines are filled out past nine generations. And I keep thinking, “Really good genealogists have been working on these lines for DECADES. What do I think *I* can find that they haven’t?”
I think the stuff is *interesting*, but I do NOT “love” genealogy and it seems to daunting that I just really want to focus on something else.
Thanks for your input. 🙂
No, the forums aren’t permanently disabled. I just have to dig into the code and fix the error (I think). Hopefully I’ll get that done before too long.
I’m just not motivated! 😉
Thank you President Lee. And thank you for posting his thoughts. So incredibly true. So the challenge for us then, is to *find* our love of each point of doctrine so that we will act. How do we learn to love?
Alison,
I just want to encourage you a little on the subject of genealogy. I put aside mine 10 years ago when I went back to school, and there it remained when I had kids. I just picked it up again and was able to find people that I couldn’t 10 years ago, because there is now so much more available on the Internet than there was back then. Perhaps you are to find that missing child. Or maybe you need to make sure temple work is done for everyone. Or maybe your job is to just compile yours and your dh’s for the sake of your children. Perhaps you will add copies of photographs or journals to what you already have. Once you figure out just what part of family history Heavenly Father intends for you to do, it will be easier to find the motivation to do it.
Thanks, Tracy.
BTW, if I’m not mistaken, there isn’t much you can do (on the new Family Search anyway) on OTHER people’s lines. It seems you are limited in access.