New Year.

Forewarning. This blog report is quite long. 

Please Be Advised. 

George Albert Smith.

What an incredible individual this man was. We were given a lesson this past Sunday that hit me like a stack of bricks. It was the first lesson of the G.A.S. Manual, and for those who haven’t read it, I highly recommend you do. And for the folks who have no idea what I’m talking about, chill. I’ll explain. 

Basically, it was about “Living What We Believe”, which is ironically what the title was called, whatdoyah know. It talks about how when George was 34 years old, he created a list of resolutions. (Which I think is perfect that we were being taught this lesson in the beginning of the New Year.) He titled the list, his “Personal Creed”-

1.  “I would be a friend to the friendless, and find joy in ministering for faith to be healed.”

2.  “I would visit the sick and afflicted and inspire in them a desire for faith to be healed.”

3. “I would teach the truth to the understanding and blessing of all mankind.”

4. “I would seek out the erring one and try to win him back to a righteous and happy life.”

5. “I would not seek to force people to live up to my ideals but rather love them into doing the thing that is right.”  (Which I must say, this is one of my favorites.)

6. “I would live with the masses and help to solve their problems that their earth life may be happy.”

7.  “I would avoid the publicity of high positions and discourage the flattery of thoughtless friends.”

8. “I would not knowingly wound the feelings of any, not even one who may have wronged me, but would seek to do him good and make him my friend.”

9. I would overcome the tendency to selfishness and jealously and rejoice in the successes of all the children of my Heavenly Father.”

10.        “I would not be an enemy to any living soul.”

I don’t know about any of you guys. . . But I felt like absolute crap after reading this. I know that I can be a good person, and say the right things. But is my heart in the right place when I do or say such things? 

A company that my sister, Stephanie, and her husband have fallen in love with is called, The Arbinger Institute. Basically, the main frame of their thinking is being “Out-Of-The-Box”, which means, they are trying to make people see others and themselves, situations, and problems differently. So, I couldn’t help but consider their main ideas and compare it to the George Albert Smith’s,“Personal Creed”. 

A lot of us are probably thinking, well I can’t always help others. I have myself and my family to think about. Oh, of course. By all means, I am far from the “perfect” saint, who feeds the poor, and clothes the naked. I try and do my part as a good citizen of society, but frankly I kind of suck at it sometimes. But here’s where that “Out-Of-The-Box” thinking comes in.

For people that don’t know this, I’ll let you in on a little secret. There are (4)common boxes that everyone “carries” in their lifetime, or even maybe all the time. Who knows. What I do know is that I have definitely been a carrier. Those (4) Boxes are known as simply:

1.  The “Worse-Than” Box

2.  The “Better-Than” Box

3. The “Must Be Seen As” Box

4. The “I Deserve” Box

Now, you are probably putting the pieces together because I know y’all are smart, but why do you think these boxes have any reason to be associated with the great George Albert Smith’s creed? Well, I’m going to go over a few of his creed notions, and tell you how learning about it has got me thinking about when I have been inside the box, how I think about the creed to help get myself out of it.

Well, let’s start with the first couple creed notions.

1.  “I would be a friend to the friendless, and find joy in ministering for faith to be healed.”

2.  “I would visit the sick and afflicted and inspire in them a desire for faith to be healed.”

If you were thinking “Inside the Box”, you could honestly have either one of the 4. But let’s go with. . . The “Worse-Than” box. That’s something that I would totally do. I have been awesomely diagnosed with Endometriosis. It’s not fatal or life threatening, or any of that mumbo jumbo. It just causes a good amount of pain to my ovaries and legs once in a while, and then goes away for a while, and then rejoins me. So with me saying that, I can easily say that I am in “way to much pain to go help my friend who is sick with the flu, and has two kids, because well I’m just way sicker than her.” Wow. Kind of a rude thing to say, huh? But let’s face it. Everyone has those days, right?

Ezra Taft Benson told a story about George Albert Smith, who did indeed “visit the sick and afflicted and inspire in them a desire for a faith to be healed”. He said, “I shall never cease to be grateful for the visits he made to my home while I was (away) serving as a humble missionary. . . . Particularly I am thankful for a visit in the still of the night when our little one lay at death’s door. Without any announcement, President Smith found time to come into that home and place his hands upon the head of that little one, held in her mother’s arms as she had been for many hours, and promise her complete recovery. This was President Smith, he always had time to help, particularly those who were sick, those who needed him most.” 

What an incredible man right? For him to just pop over to Ezra Taft Benson’s house, without even bother telling people he was coming, and give his daughter a blessing. That could have been a total inconvience on President Smith, or his family, but did he show any concern about himself? No, not at all. All he was worried about was this little girl, and the mother watching her daughter waste away from this terrible illness.

Now, what would of happened if George Albert Smith would have been in the “Worse-Than” box? He probably wouldn’t of gone over and helped her at all. 

In the “Worse-Than” box, I tend to find myself just thinking about well, myself. Like I said before with my friend who had the flu and two kids; I was hurting quite badly that day, I still haven’t done a thing around the house because I’ve been in bed, she will for surely be better by tomorrow, and if I go over there now I’ll just end up hurting myself more in the long run, and, and. . Oh come on. Give me a break. Someone please slap me already! That is called, J U S T I F C A T I O N, my friend. 

Take a good look at what it looks like folks, because it is not getting any prettier. How do I get myself out of this crazy justification mess!? 

Well for one, I myself pray. I pray to Heavenly Father to give me strength to help a friend in need. I pray that he will bless her that she may be able to heal from this terrible illness that has fallen upon her. I pray that me going over there will provide her with comfort and love. Of course, I’m not completely out of pain by the time my prayer is done. What I do feel is just the right amount strength to go over and see her. I feel that I will help her with just stopping by and saying hello, and helping her with what she needs done. 

Moroni 7:45 & 47 “And charity suffereth long, and is kind and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seekth not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in inquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”

“But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.”

On to our next phase! Here are the next (2) of George Albert Smith’s personal creed:

4.   “I would seek out the erring one and try to win him back to a righteous and happy life.”

5. “I would not seek to force people to live up to my ideals but rather love them into doing the thing that is right.” 

I have always had a struggle with the church, and for that have fallen away for the majority of my life. I cannot tell you what a box I created with people who looked down on me because of what I was doing. Granted I was doing wrong, but come on people. Like you’ve never made a mistake in your ENTIRE life?! Well, because of those good doer’s, I created the “Better-Than” box. I mean how dare them! Trying to make me to be a great Mormon when they can’t even get their coffee drinking under control! The nerve of some people’s kids I swear. 

Alright, alright. My thinking was a tad bit over board. But at the time I was totally justified to think that way because well, “I’m “Better-Than” them.” At least I wasn’t drinking coffee, or doing whatever else they were doing. I was making my own mistakes. I was following my own trail of destruction. 

I was definitely blessed when a little help came into my life. Now, because of my, awesome “Better-Than” behavior, I was “transferred” to San Antonio, Texas, where my brother, Chris, and sister-in-law, Becky, live. Becky and Chris play(ed) a huge role in my life. I tear up when I say that because they really did. Those two loved me like there was no tomorrow, and it freaked me out. 

They were tough on me don’t get me wrong, but I needed that tough love. Now what was awesome about them was that, they never “forced” me to do anything, unless I did something stupid and they grounded me – which frequently happened. They would give me the tools I needed, say the right thing, and hoped I picked the right answer. Well, what I forgot to mention was they also have (4) kids they are raising also. They could of easily said they couldn’t take me, because they already have to take care of their (4) kids! Why on Earth would they want to have another one, who is almost 18, and screwing up her life? But they didn’t. Not only did they allow me into their home, but made me apart of their family. They taught me what Christ love is all about, and how the Atonement works.

After a while of going to church, mutual, and all other sorts of church activities, I started to realize that, I’m not better than anyone. They are all just like me. They deal with the same outer worldly problems that I do. They have family problems. They struggle with the gospel. They are all human; like me. 

Alma 34:31: “Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harder not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation..”

Moving on to my absolute LEAST favorite part of this creed:

7.  “I would avoid the publicity of high positions and discourage the flattery of thoughtless friends.”

SO MANY  countless times I have said that someone has looked nice, or they did a really good job on something. But looking back have I just said those things to make me look good, or make them feel good? That’s the twister part of it, and where the “I Must Be Seen As” box comes in. When I carry this box, I usually don’t show the fact that I’m resenting something about someone. I am a really nice person. I love talking to people, and making them feel good about themselves. I know it makes me feel better when someone compliments me on something I’m wearing, or something I taught, or even something I said. So, of course I absolutely LOVE to do the same thing back to people. But when I look deeper into it, am I just saying those things because I want people to still think of me as a nice person, and that they expect me to say that? Or do I truly, and honestly mean it? If I were to go into the psychological part of it, I would say a bit of both. I do love making people feel better, and I want to be known as a nice person. 

This box I have always had a hard time understanding because the “Must Be Seen As” box can mean so many things. It could be that you work at a fancy company, so you have to drive a sports car. It could be you’re a skater, so you have to shop at PacSun or Zumiez. It could mean an endless amount of things. So now the question is how do I make my compliments only about them, and not consider myself in the picture? Well, it’s easy! I don’t just dish out compliments anymore. I really think about what exactly I’m complimenting that person on, and why I think they need to hear it.

This last one is my favorite, but also one of the hardest parts in this post that I have struggled with:

8. “I would not knowingly wound the feelings of any, not even one who may have wronged me, but would seek to do him good and make him my friend.”

9. “I would overcome the tendency to selfishness and jealously and rejoice in the successes of all the children of my Heavenly Father.”

10.        “I would not be an enemy to any living soul.”

I will say that I am a nice person, but don’t get me wrong I’m not THE nicest person. I have my downfalls. Especially, when it comes to people hurting my loved ones, or even myself. I cannot handle people who hurt my family for kicks, or who just are having a bad day, or just because they simply can get away with it. That “I Deserve” box is looking pretty friendly right about now. I know that “I Deserve” not be treated that way, nor my family. “I Deserve” to have the right to kick their teeth in. “I Deserve” to grace them with the attitude that they bestowed upon me. “I Deserve” to not show them any kindness in the world, because they have no kindness in their heart. 

So, let’s take a step back and think about a story that Spencer W. Kimball told about George Albert Smith that “demonstrated his conviction to do good”. He said, “It was reported to (President Smith) that someone had stolen from his buggy, the buggy robe. Instead of being angry, he re­sponded: ‘I wish we knew who it was, so that we could give him the blanket also, for he must have been cold; and some food also, for he must have been hungry.”

What a great person it takes to be able to think about the man who just stolen something from you, and only be concerned about him. In Luke 5:35 & 36 it tell of Jesus saying, “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest; for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” – “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”

There are times that people make me so upset that all I can think about is wanting to punch their face. But what am I spiritually gaining from acting like that? Nothing. I’m not making my Heavenly Father proud. I’m not helping my family heal. I’m not helping myself heal. All I’m doing is damaging myself, and the opportunity for the Holy Ghost to be with me. That doesn’t help anyone. Not the person who hurt me. Not my family. Not me. No one. So what good does it do to feel such hateful feelings towards someone? It doesn’t do any good to myself at all. I’m becoming an enemy to God. I’m trying to “knowingly wound the feelings” of the person who harmed me. And why? So I can eat out of the revenge dish? No thank you. 

This one is the hardest for me because I am fiercely protective over my family. I know though that the person, who did the damage, is almost a part of my family. Not my immediate Earthly family, but they are a son/daughter of Heavenly Father.

Mosiah 3:19 - “For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticing of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.”

So as you can see I have been accompanied many times with the (4) boxes. But I always try to put my faith in Heavenly Father first to help me see how I am wrong, and how to help me find the knowledge to fix it. I’m far from perfect, but I hope this year I can try to live up to George Albert Smith’s creed, and in doing so become a better wife, sister, daughter, friend, and a be better citizen in my community.