Sunday, November 23, 2008

Initial Observations

I am a naturally lazy person. Just ask my wife. If I could spend most of my days reading a good book or just hanging out, I probably would. Despite my inherent desire for inactivity, I do believe in what President Gordon B. Hinckley called the "Gospel of Work." Our existence on earth, our happiness in this life, and our ultimate reward in the eternities is dependent on our willingness and ability to work. We must learn to work to provide for our temporal needs. We must learn to work to provide for our spiritual needs. We must learn to work to serve others.

Work is the basis of our existence. It is the method of finding joy and happiness in this life. I would like to share the following statements by President Hinckley:

"I believe in the gospel of work. There is no substitute under the heavens for productive labor. It is the process by which dreams become reality. It is the process by which idle visions become dynamic achievements. We are all inherently lazy. We would rather play than work. We would rather loaf than work. A little play and a little loafing are good--that is one of the reasons you are here. But it is work that spells the difference in the life of a man or woman. It is stretching our minds and utilizing the skills of our hands that lifts us from the stagnation of mediocrity." ("Articles of Belief," Bonneville International Corporation Management Seminar, February 10, 1991.)