Bucket list 28 – forgo all untruths

April 8, 2014

Last week I took Charles Lewis to the train station so he could visit a friend in Salt Lake. Public transportation, as it may be, it still cost him $9.10 to make the trip. He purchased a ticket and went on his way. I was so delighted when he returned home with a proud acclamation that he could have traveled without a ticket since the conductor never asked for his ticket; however, he chose to be honest in his dealings with his fellow men and used the ticket instead of storing it away for another occasion. What a blessing it is to see Charles rise to the occasion of honesty and be the big winner. Charles is not given enough shifts at his employment to make enough to pay his bills and obligations; yet, he made this most honorable stretch in his life and became my hero.

David Jacobs struggled with a requirement to sign a weekly paper for workforce services, allowing him to qualify for employment compensation. This paper certified that he was able to return to work without limitation, or physical/mental assistance. After long and fervent prayer and consultation he determined that even though it would enhance the difficulties which they would go through economically, it was the right thing to do to decline the offer of employment compensation because he could not lie. His personal worth, honor, and admiration from many was increased many fold by that decision and he raised his image in my eye to super hero.

Many years ago I attended a leadership training seminar in which I participated in a number of activities requiring individuals to jump through a myriad of physical and mental hoops and be judged on their individual and team success. One of the activities required team members to walk from one side of a partition to another, stepping on pieces of small pieces of wood without stepping on the floor; retrieve a flag and return in the same manner. I dishonored myself when I stepped, then missed a wooden step. Instead of calling myself out, I decided that the prize was worth the little indiscretion and went on to complete the exercise.

Just as we will be judged from the books of life when we return and report to our Savior, I am sure I was judged to be unable to be truthful in dealing with temporal responsibilities. Where was the hero here? Absent without official leave. No one remembers this act of dishonor but me. No one was damaged by this act but me. I share it with each of you in the hope that you will understand each of us has our own little secrets. We can resolve to do as Charles and David have done in the occasions noted above and take the high road; however, if we have gone the other direction and made errors in judgment, our job is to take the reins of our life and make course adjustments that will bring us back to the word of God, to the Iron Rod, and the comfort of the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of the Holy Ghost, and the understanding we have about life eternal and exaltation.

I would be mocked to scorn if I were to tell you that I had made no more mistakes since that fateful leadership training seminar. It seems that every day I do something that brings to my attention mans’ fallen nature; our rock headedness, our inability to get it right the first time. That is why our Savior shared with us that He will forgive who He will; but ours is to forgive all; not seven times but seventy times seventy. I suspect that if that is not enough times for us to forgive, we can add on a few thousand more just for good measure. I think of how many times I have broken my promise to be truthful, to avoid swearing, to maneuver around road rage, etc, and I begin to understand a small fraction of how much better life would be if we would all learn to forgive, ask for the blessings of Heaven, and allow ourselves to heal with His healing balm through our Savior’s Death, resurrection, and atonement.

God bless each of us as we attempt to live Christ like lives that we can forgive others, love God, and love ourselves as He loves us.

Duane Jacobs, friend, grandfather, father,  uncle, and cousin