LDS Misc - Stand For Something

Gordon B. Hinckley, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, recently wrote a very compelling book that describes what we can do to resolve most of the ills in society today. Instead of mandating laws and regulations from outside, the usual quick-fix path espoused by politicians, Pres. Hinckley sets out a short list of virtues we can practice in our own homes to find a lasting solution from within working upon one family at a time.

Pres. Hinckley writing is aimed, not at the Latter-day Saint, but at the true and honest in heart in the American society. Those decent people that have become disgusted with the way our society has degenerated within our lifetimes.

The title is "Standing for something: ten neglected virtues that will heal our hearts and homes". Copyright 2000. The foreword is by Mike Wallace, noted television journalist and commentator.

The following are the 10 neglected virtues (and the chapter titles):

1. Love: The Lodestar of Live
2. Where There Is Honesty, Other Virtues Will Follow
3. Making a Case for Morality
4. Our Fading Civility
5. Learning: "With All Thy Getting - Get Understanding"
6. The Twin Virtues of Forgiveness and Mercy
7. Thrift and Industry: Getting Our Houses in Order
8. Gratitude: A Sign of Maturity
9. Optimism in the Face of Cynicism
10. Faith: Our Only Hope

The second part deals with some concrete things we can practice to strengthen our marriages (the essential union that makes families possible).

• Mutual respect and loyalty to one another
• The soft answer
• Financial honesty
• Prayer

The nation can be saved by saving our homes. Pres. Hinckley describes what we can do in our own homes.

• Accept responsibility for our role as parents and fulfill our obligations to our children.
• Get married and stay married.
• Put the father back at the head of the home.
• Recognize and value the supreme importance of mothers.
• Celebrate and treat children as our most priceless treasures.
• Discipline and train children with love.
• Teach values to children.
• Teach children to work.
• Read to and with children.
• Pray together.

Most importantly, we must be "Moral leaders". We must "Stand for Something". Character does stand for something.

In leadership, in standing for principle, there is loneliness. But men and women of integrity must live with their convictions. Unless they do so, they are miserable - dreadfully miserable...

Never in the history of the world has there been a more profound need for leaders of principle to step forward.

He recounts four principles forwarded by Peter Druker in studies of American business leaders:

1. Practice conservation of time
2. An eye fixed on new developments
3. Build on the strength of colleagues
4. Starve the problems, feed the opportunities.

The book is exceptionally good, and should be read by all. The only "fault" I could find with the book, is that he doesn't place footnote numbers at his references through out the text. The established practice with modern scientific papers and academic prose. However, he does list in his citation index the page and beginning text of where they apply. Therefore, you can relate the text with the citation.