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GIVE YOURSELF TO SOMETHING GREAT

The Lord established the principles of the restored gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith, and then said, "Now therefore, hearken, O ye people of my church; and ye elders listen together; you have received my kingdom." ( D&C 136:41.)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God on the earth. On several occasions the Lord said, "The kingdom is yours." (D&C 62:9.) We have the opportunity to build his kingdom in preparation for his Second Coming, which time draws nearer day by day.

There is no greater cause to which we can give ourselves than that of building the kingdom of God, for its nature is eternal and its rewards are exalting.

The Lord says of those who are involved in building his kingdom, "And they shall go forth and none shall stay them, for I the Lord have commanded them." (D&C 1:5.)

Have you ever heard a more positive statement? The Prophet Alma admonished us to "use boldness, but not over-bearance". (Alma 38:12.) In a talk given at the Seminar for New Mission Presidents in June 1974, President Spencer W. Kimball outlined the program for taking the gospel to the nations of the world, and then he said, "This is the way it must happen. This is the way it will happen." There is nothing negative in that statement. It is forthright and positive. It is an application of the statement of the Savior when he said, "All things are possible to him that believeth." (Mark 9:23.)

Success is the attainment of an objective. Success starts in the mind. Where was the Model T started? In the mind of Henry Ford. Your next accomplishment will start in your mind.

The aim of this article is to build the faith of the Church leader or member to the point that he knows he can accomplish whatever goal he sets as he contributes to the building of the kingdom of God. The apostle Paul wrote, "I can do all things through Christ which strengheneth me." (Philippians 4:13.) There is no limit to what we can accomplish in building the kingdom if we have the faith and unite as one in working toward a common objective.

The Lord said, for my Spirit is sent forth into the world to enlighten the humble and contrite." (D&C 136:33.) It is essential that we maintain a contrite spirit that makes us submissive to the will of the Lord. Whether leading or following, we should maintain an attitude and desire to continually improve ourselves.

Self-improvement requires a person to CONTROL THE CIRCUMSTANCES in which he operates. WE MUST BE CREATORS OF CIRCUMSTANCES AND NOT CREATURES OF CIRCUMSTANCES. Anyone can do so if his desire is strong enough, and if he puts his mind to it.

King Solomon wrote, "As he thinketh in his heart so is he." (Proverbs 23:7.) The basic difference between one person and another is what he thinks. BY CONTROLLING WHAT YOU THINK YOU WILL CONTROL YOUR FUTURE. William James, the famous author and psychologist, said, "We sow a thought and reap and act; we sow an act and reap a habit, we sow a habit and reap a character; we sow a character and reap a destiny. How important it is that we think the right beginning thoughts.

Another interesting thought about our minds is that we can entertain only one thought at a time.

Therefore, our destiny may be determined by one simple thought. It is up to each of use whether we want to make it NEGATIVE or POSITIVE. Our ACTIONS, ATTITUDE, and LIFE will be directed accordingly.

Once we get our minds right we get in the habit of winning. To get in this habit of success we only have to succeed in each small act each day. This is why success is not luck. Success can be predicted. If each day is successful, the results will be a successful week, a successful year and a successful life. Live one hundred percent for today, as though each day were a building block. Do each day what should be done that day.

"Look to this day For yesterday is already a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision; But today well lived, makes every Yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore, to this day."

How can you build yourselves into this dynamic, self confident, successful person? The only obstacle you have to overcome is yourself. First of all you must have FAITH IN YOURSELF. If we have the faith that we can then we will. The Lord told Peter that if he had had faith he could have walked on the water. He didn't succeed in doing so because he lacked faith. Faith is knowing that a thing can be done. Success is not a question of physical superiority or education. YOU have the needed potential and genius, but THE FAITH YOU HAVE IN YOURSELF will be the underlying factor of its development.

Someone has suggested that we are blessed with a conscious and a subconscious mind. We think with the conscious mind, and we feed the subconscious or creative mind. Our mind operates like a computer. The creative mind stores what it is fed and determines our habits and attitudes. The wonderful part about this is that the subconscious mind is neutral. It does not care with what it is programmed. The subconscious mind will take in whatever it is fed. If a person programs his neutral subconscious mind with a successful image of himself, this will be taken as absolute instruction and the mind will not be satisfied until success is attained. Likewise, if a negative reading is put through, the person goes along with "almost" and feels content with no success. Just as a hypnotized person takes orders as direct instructions from his controller, so will your creative mind take instructions from your own conscious mind.

THE "AS IF" PRINCIPLE

When President David O. McKay was a missionary in Scotland, he became discouraged after being in the mission field for just a few weeks. He became despondent and considered returning home. One day as he was walking down the street he saw a sign cut in stone above a doorway. IT was a quotation from Shakespeare which read: "What e'er thou art act well thy part." Elder McKay studied the quotation carefully and realized that TO BE SUCCESSFUL he must ACT SUCCESSFUL. This thought changed the course of his mission and influenced every phase of his successful life as a school administrator, general Sunday School superintendent, apostle, and prophet of God. From that day on he acted the part he was assigned and excelled in everything he did. He fed his subconscious mind with the image of the person he wanted to become. That stone plaque bearing Shakespeare's inscription has been preserved and is displayed at the foot of the stairs on the lower floor of the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City.

President McKay was implementing the "AS IF" Principle That is, having decided what kind of person he wanted to be, he acted "AS IF" he already were that person, or "AS IF" he already had those characteristics.

If you want a better memory, tell yourself you have a good one. Say "It will come to me in a minute" instead of "I can't remember." If you have a feeling that you will not succeed then this is registered on the subconscious mind, and your subconscious will accept failure with little intelligent reasoning. If you feel you will not succeed, combat it, be positive. The leaders of the world are those who know that greater things are yet to come, and that they themselves will help bring them about.

Once a person knows where he is going, and that he will succeed he is already halfway there. If you can see yourself succeeding, the chances are you will succeed. This is called VISUALIZATION and is a very important principle in the process of accomplishment.

Treat everyone as though he were the greatest person on earth. It is your attitude toward others that will determine their attitude toward you. This positive relationship in your life starts with: DESIRE

The prophet Alma wrote, "If ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe ... Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves It must be that this is a good seed .... for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me. Now behold would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, Yea ..... "(Alma 32:27-29.)

DESIRE leads to BELIEF and is the starting point of all ACHIEVEMENTS. The power of a BURNING DESIRE has greater impact than goals that use no emotion. We need to get INVOLVED in our goals in order to succeed. Successful people sail through life. Join them! Act "as if" you already have what you desire. Do not procrastinate.

We grow into the molds we think about. Henry David Thoreau says, "Man becomes what he thinks about all day long." Emulate someone worth emulating. The Savior asked the question, "What manner of men ought ye to be?" He then answered his own question: "Even as I am." ( 3 Nephi 27:27.) You too, can become perfect. You can reach your potential if you believe you can.

William James has told us, "The greatest discovery of any age is that men can change their circumstances by changing the attitude of their minds." As you change the attitude of your mind, your circumstances will change in an instant. When we solve our problems and stay continually positive, it means we have mastered the attitude of our minds.

The key to success is making up your mind where you are going, then working hard to get there.

Don't be afraid to dream big dreams. This is the beginning of success.

The key to happiness is doing what you should do when you should do it. Obedience to the commandments of God is essential to obtaining happiness. The scriptures say, "And when we obtain any blessing form God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." (D&C 131:21.)

The greatest men came to the top because of the strength that grew out of OVERCOMING RESISTANCE. We should anticipate stumbling blocks that we may encounter and be prepared to respond positively. The overcoming of problems builds character. The Lord said "And my people must needs be chastened until they learn obedience, if it must needs be, by the things which they suffer." (D&C 105:6.)

George Bernard Shaw told us, "People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them." If we could but learn that the time has come for the greatest idea in the world to take possession of our consciousness. It is a simple idea. I WILL SUCCEED BECAUSE I WILL NOT ACCEPT FAILURE. If we have this in our hearts to succeed in our Church assignments because we will not accept failure, then our goals will become realities.

The fire that will lead you to success comes from within. This desire and enthusiasm, however, can be misguided and misused if you do not know where you are going. Too often we let chance make our goals and then we grow into them. With a goal and a purpose, a person can go further in a year than he would have previously gone in a lifetime. THE ONLY LIMITATION ON YOUR SUCCESS IS YOU. To get into action we implement:

THE SIX STEPS TO SUCCESS

1. SET A DEFINITE LONG-TERM GOAL. State what kind of person you want to become and what you want to accomplish. Do not just say, "I want to become successful." State more specifically what you want to become and what you want to accomplish. Fix your mind and your energies on this goal. Become RESOLUTE in your work. But don't seek for positions in the Church. JOBS DON'T HAVE FUTURES, PEOPLE DO.

2. SET A DEFINITE SHORT-TERM GOAL. You will achieve your long-term goals when you persistently succeed in reaching your short-term goals. A short-term goal should be specific and should relate to a single problem. A person may be working on more than one short-term goal at any one time.

3. BUILD A SET OF PRACTICAL PLANS to achieve your goals. Determine exactly WHAT YOU INTEND TO GIVE to accomplish what you desire. Use your knowledge, your experience, and the scriptures as a foundation. BEGIN NOW.

4. ESTABLISH A DEFINITE DATE FOR THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF EACH GOAL. A good goal is always a function of time and is measurable and specific. To assist in meeting your goal within your scheduled time, obtain the help of the Lord through fasting and prayer. VISUALIZE CONTINUALLY THE REALIZATION OF YOUR GOAL. Cultivate faith in your ability to accomplish your plan within the specified time.

5. OVERCOME ANY FEELINGS OF DISCOURAGEMENT YOU HAVE ABOUT PAST FAILURES. Pray to the Lord for strength and confidence. HAVE FAITH THAT YOU CAN DO IT. Begin at once to put your plan into action. If your plan collapses, try another and another until you find one that will work. Visualize yourself accomplishing the goals you have set for yourself.

6. WRITE OUT A CLEAR AND CONCISE STATEMENT OF YOUR GOAL AND YOUR PLAN. Read it first thing in the morning. Read it the last thing at night. Develop fortitude in making it a reality. DARE YOURSELF TO ACCOMPLISH these written goals.

Become proud of your goals, and as you see them in your mind's eye. Also visualize yourself being proud of your future goal accomplishments and act accordingly in this "realm" of success. ALL THE "MATERIALIZATIONS OF LIFE ARE SIMPLY THIE RESULT OF A STRONG POSITIVE "VISUALIZATION". Whatever you do, don't doubt these goals. You are the only chance they have to be realized. As Shakespeare put it: "Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt."

Once a goal is chosen, the only thing we have to do is prepare a plan and resolve the problems that stand between where we are and where we want to be. Be sure you are not wasting time worrying about things that have nothing to do with the real problem. Someone has said that 40% of our worries never happen, 30% are over and past and can't be changed, 12% are needless health worries, 10% are miscellaneous, and 8% are real.

Remember that we make our goals as real as we desire by the ACTION and DETERMINATION with which we back them. How strong must this be? At the bleaker moments of the war, Prime Minister Churchill was asked what the policy of his country would be now that France had fallen to the Nazis. His answer was, "You ask what is our policy? I say it is to wage war by sea, land and air with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask what is our aim? I can answer in one word victory, victory, at all costs. Victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival." Following this Gibraltar-like statement, Mr. Churchill followed up with directives to his commanders in the field with new instructions for their areas of command. It was at the bottom of each of these sets of orders that was written the now famous charge "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never, never- in nothing great or small, large or petty."

This bulldog -like attitude, this unquestionable, irrevocable determination that would not be denied, simple in its declaration, momentous in its scope, had much to do with the survival and eventual victory of the Allied forces. Winston Churchill demanded one thing of himself and of those with whom he associated, "Victory at all costs."

We will be victorious in building the kingdom of God, for the Lord has said that in these latter days, "The God of heaven shall set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed." (Daniel 2:44.)

The Lord also said, speaking of these days, "I will raise up unto myself a pure people that will serve me in righteousness." (D&C 100:16.) When we keep his commandments, we qualify as a member of that select group to whom the Lord has given his kingdom on earth.

To succeed in this opportunity, we must valiantly GIVE ourselves to this great cause and THRUST in our sickle with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. To accomplish the objective, we must be RESOLUTE in our DETERMINATION, with an eye single to the glory of God. As we LOSE ourselves in the service of others, we will find eternal joy and happiness, for the Lord says, "He that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." (Matthew 10:39.) And King Benjamin said, "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." (Mosiah 2:17.)

Your "acre of diamonds" is where you are right now--your family, your job, your Church assignment, your friends. There is OPPORTUNITY in the kingdom of God for every member. What we do with that opportunity will determine our success in this life and in the life to come.

As we UNITE OUR EFFORTS and PULL TOGETHER, the kingdom of God on earth will MOVE FORWARD as our Savior, to whom we are all indebted, would have it do.

This article was written by Elder Royden G. Derrick and given to Glen L. Rudd in 1977

Missionaries read this every day until it becomes you !

God bless you President Baxter. April 2, 1987

From the Files of Glen L. Rudd.

This article was given to all the missionaries in the New Zealand Christchurch Mission by President Dean D. Baxter in April 1987.

Transcribed by S. Eldredge from a copy given to the missionaries. August 22, 1993