Week 2-Part 2

"Making a Living and a Life" Elder Lynn G. Robbins First Quorum of the Seventy

He talked about Adam and Eve and how Satan di not have a lot of things to tempt them with, it was when they started having children that the competitions began. When we are worried about someone else having more than we do this causing jealously and contention.

“In fact, Satan had very little to work with – there were very few sins with which he could tempt Adam and Eve.  Think about it – if you were the first man or woman what could he tempt you with?  Stealing? – no -- from whom?  Coveting – no.  Envy?—no.  Gossiping? – impossible – think about it.  Living beyond one’s means? – also impossible.  When you reflect on it, most serious sins involve others and would not become a possibility for Satan until the human race began to multiply and he could use competition and comparisons to appeal to the pride of men.”

 This also reminds me of a talk by Elder Holland he said, “Furthermore, envy is a mistake that just keeps on giving. Obviously, we suffer a little when some misfortune befalls us, but envy requires us to suffer all good fortune that befalls everyone we know! What a bright prospect that is—downing another quart of pickle juice every time anyone around you has a happy moment!”

              The Lord wants us to be grateful and be happy for others as well when they are blest. Contention and envy are of the Devil.

                “What you do to make a living, or how many dollars you earn, aren’t nearly as important to the Lord as whether you:   Are building His kingdom including strong and valiant families. Are honest in your dealings with your fellowmen and using your God-given talents in their service;  and if you are filling your life with good works, that positively impact your community and world.”

                Honesty and Integrity are vital to have the Lord’s help and guidance in all aspects of our lives. He uses the example of the 2 banks in the movie IT’S a Wonderful Life and how the big bank was dishonest and many people were suffering because of the wrong doings, the little savings and loan was completely honest and because of this he actually really struggled at times but all involved were blessed in the end for their integrity.

                Sheri L. Dew  “True Blue, Through and Through”

                Today I want to talk with you about a virtue that is just plain smart and that will have as much impact on your happiness, your peace of mind, and your ability to fulfill your life’s mission as any virtue I can think of. It is a virtue that will ultimately make you or break you. It will make or break you as a husband or wife, father or mother, brother or sister, colleague or friend or leader. It will make or break your career. And most significantly, it will make or break your efforts to achieve exaltation. For it will define your relationship with God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost.This is a virtue that every man or woman of God must come to possess in increasing degrees. It is a virtue found in every true follower of Jesus Christ. It is the virtue of integrity.”

                She says that integrity is different form just being honest

                 President Joseph F. Smith called integrity “the cornerstone of character” (4 April 1897 General Conference).

Sister Dew shared a story about how she drove a work truck on her farm when she was a child and there was one stop sign, she started by stopping at it every single time and then she starting justifying herself and would only slow down and then she wasn’t stopping at, she ended up getting oulled over and got in a lot of trouble, she said this about her experience, “I learned three things that day: First, that with lightening speed, I went from complete observance to complete disregard of the law. Second, my demise started with a small crack in my integrity. The instant I talked myself into taking a small liberty, I was on a slippery slide into full-scale disobedience. And third, there is no such thing as slightly breaking a law–whether a law of the land or a law of God–because even a slight breach of integrity opens the door for Satan.”

I have always used he analogy of frog soup with my kids, it is so easy to slip a little and justify ourselves and then find ourselves so off course we do not even know how we git there. We must follow the Lord 100% of the time to truly be happy.