I gave the Relief Society lesson on the Plan of Salvation. Glen and I got the wrong lesson number so gave it out of sequence. It was good for me, because it went along with what I had been reading. Anyway the following is something that happened just before I taught the lesson and I used it at the end. I also put it in my column, thus this version is rather veiled.
" was with a group of good people discussing people in our area. We were sort of celebrating the fact that so many really good people were moving into our communities. There was a little light chuckling as we reflected how it had been an eye-opener to realize that many of these people are from a different religious culture and how it is that we used to think we had some kind of corner on being good. Some voiced the desire to be better neighbors and wondered how-- as it was laughingly said to be "gooder". How to be "gooder". . . . Most people I know really want to be good people. That desire is natural to most hearts, but many wonder if they are good enough and keep an eye out for ways to be better. I had an experience that showed me probably the best way to be a good person. Nothing new, that's for sure. But it came to me in a new way. I was cleaning up after a family reunion and found a pair of the most beaten up old sandals I'd about ever seen. I thought "Well, I'm certainly not going to waste time trying to return these old things. I'll just toss them in the garbage." Then I looked at those dirty, worn shoes and wondered about the person who put so many miles on them, or I should say "in them". What were his or her hopes and dreams, his or her fears and heartaches. I slipped in them and walked around a bit thinking of this and trying to love and empathize with the person. It was an interesting few minutes. I understood then that what being good is mostly about is loving others and feeling how they feel. Of course, then there is the part about treating them as you wish they would treat you. I suppose it is in the doing that that is when the "being good" happens. It makes sense to give it a try."