This week I read about Samuel traveling to the home of Jesse with a horn of oil. The Lord said unto Samuel, "Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature because I have refused him; for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).

Samuel met the seven elder sons of Jesse and then asked Jesse, "Are here all thy children?" When David was brought in from keeping the sheep, the Lord told Samuel, "Arise, anoint him: for this is he."

The line "The Lord looketh on the heart" intrigued me, which led to study this week on the condition of the heart.

I learned that hearts can be removed far from God (Isaiah 29:13) or set upon treasures, or the things of the world (2 Nephi 9:30, Doctrine and Covenants 121:35). People are sometimes puffed up in the pride of their hearts (2 Nephi 28:15). Hearts can be hardened, proud, and turned (2 Nephi 33:2, Doctrine and Covenants 42:40, Abraham 1:7). Not surprisingly, Satan desires to get hold of our hearts (4 Nephi 1:28).

Shall not God search this out? For he knoweth the secrets of the heart (Psalm 44:21, Rev. 2:23, Luke 16:15). 

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might (Deut. 6:5). God asks us to have clean hands and a pure heart (Psalm 24:4). We are invited to cast away our transgressions and make a new heart and a new spirit (Ezekiel 18:31). Zion is the pure heart, and the Savior specifically mentions "Blessed are the pure in heart" (Doctrine and Covenants 97:21, Matthew 5:8). The prophet Alma explains that it is Christ that changes our hearts, and Alma invites us to plant a seed in our hearts (Alma 5:7, 32:28). We are invited to have our hearts full and drawn out in prayer unto him, and to offer a broken heart and a contrite spirit as a sacrifice unto the Lord (Alma 34:27, 3 Nephi 9:20). Come unto the Lord will all your heart (Mormon 9:27). See that ye serve him with all your heart (Doctrine and Covenants 4:2). Let thine heart be softened (Doctrine and Covenants 121:4). In summary the Lord states, "I the Lord require the hearts of the children of men (Doctrine and Covenants 64:22).

It is not enough to be where I am supposed to be, or do what I am supposed to be doing. My heart must be there too. I want to be completely in. I desire to offer the Lord my heart--all my affection, my attention, my desires, and my love.

 

I like to watch Richie Saunders play basketball because he gives it his all! He is intense and determined.  I watched a video about him and was interested to learn he has a personal creed.  This creed is described as his internal value system, and no matter what happens around him, he uses this creed to determine who he is, or who he wants to be. Here are the points in his personal creed:

1. Take the time and energy to elevate the one in the moment.

2. Whatever I accomplish on or off the court, always remember that I am no more important than others.

3. No one will question my commitment to the team and to the game.

4. Trust in the 5 a.m.s. It is who I am, so be me.

5. Be relentless in my work ethic.

6. Find the joy in the now.

7. Serve at every possible opportunity.

8. Take the time to connect with God daily.

9. Protect the family name.

Today is July 24th and we commemorate the arrival of the saints in the valley after their long, arduous journey. Elder Ballard wrote in 2013, 

"We owe much to the pioneers and must never forget that the success of today is built upon the shoulders and courage of the humble giants of the past. 

 

Even though the wilderness we have been given to conquer is decidedly different from the rough and rocky trail to Utah and the barren landscape that our pioneer forebears encountered, it is no less challenging and trying for us than it was for them. Avoiding the temptations and evils of the world requires the faith and fortitude of a real modern-day pioneer.

 

When we truly believe, we don't ask, "What do I have to do?" but rather, "What more can I do?"

 

("Pioneer Faith and Fortitude Then and Now, July 2013, Ensign)

 

My dear father-in-law passed away at the age of 95.  Here is a picture of J. Richard Clarke Barbara Clarke with our son Logan from 2015. 

I am eternally blessed to be a part of the Clarke family.  Dad Clarke welcomed me into the family with open arms and always cheered me on and supported me.  He thought more of me than I do of myself, and he had confidence in my abilities. He always looked happy to see me and would ask about my life and our family.

He was a man of integrity and high values who made intentional choices as to the direction of his life. He introduced me to the word "probity," which means having strong moral principles, honesty, decency. He has inspired me to aim high and live life with a purpose.

Dad Clarke was (is) the spiritual rock of our extended family. He was a strong witness of the Savior and the restored church, and he delighted in discussing the gospel. We had many family study groups which I enjoyed and learned from.

I will miss him! I am happy that he was released and can now move on. Though his body failed him, he remained cheerful and submissive to the very end. What a legacy of faithfulness, hard work, and love he leaves!

You know what is one of the most refreshing things in life?  Someone who is honest. 

Last night we had a youth activity and I was talking with a girl who is on the high school track team.  She is trying events she has never tried before and is competing in four events; the long jump, high jump, 100 yard dash and 100 yard hurdles.  I asked her how the track season was going and she enthusiastically said that she was last in every event! I tried to console her by telling her that I didn't care how she compared with other people. I said, "I bet you have improved your individual times," at which  point she said that she hasn't, surprisingly. Oh geez--can I not say anything right? The first time she ran the 100 yard dash she did better than the second time because the day of the second track meet was very windy.  She cannot say she has improved on the high jump because she can never get over the basic, low-level, first bar. 

"Well," I said, "the important thing is that you are having fun!" And she said she was. 

Some people, including adults, have to be the best at everything, or say they are the best, or they have a hard time admitting they are having trouble with something.  I loved her honesty in explaining the track-team situation just as it was. I admire her for sticking with it, for trying things she has never tried before, for smiling and trying and being last. 

I read an article the other day about Jimmer Fredette. A coach for the Shanghai Sharks, Brian Goorjian said,
"Other NBA players who did a stint here treated it like a prison.  They'd stand outside and smoke. They'd refuse to go into games, show up drunk, stay out all night, and skip practices. Not Jimmer. Jimmer has never missed a game. He never misses practice. He plays hard. I mean, it's like is this guy for real?  He's like a Boy Scout. I've never heard him swear. I've never heard him talk bad about anyone. He's polite to everyone. Signs every autograph. He's in bed early."
(From "The Lonely Master: From March Madness to Shanghai, the unlikely journey of Jimmer Fredette" by  Jesse Hyde)

I applaud Jimmer's character and his determination to continue working and trying, even though his plans have not worked out exactly the way he expected.

By far the most compelling thing I have read this week is the words of Job. He had a steady and trusting relationship with God that saw him through very tough times.  His external world was in upheaval, and yet his inner core remained solid. Job did not turn his back on God nor revile Him, no matter the wrenching losses he endured. I marvel at Job's faith and integrity.

"Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither.  The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord."

"His troops come together and raise up their way against me and encamp round about my tabernacle.  He hat put my brethren far from me and mine acquaintances are verily estranged from me.  My kinsfolk have failed and my familiar friends have forgotten me. I called my servant, and he gave me no answer.  Yea, young children despised me.  My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth....For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God."

"Til I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.  My righteousness I hold fast and will not let go."

We recently finished staining the fence.  I say "we" loosely because Matthew put in 80% of the effort this time and me 20%. The part that I specialized in was painting the spots that were hard to get to. Why paint the boards that are next to the dirt or the boards that are behind the bushes? Oh, I just have to. The job cannot be checked off if there are boards unpainted behind bushes.  Every board needs the same attention and care. It is a matter of thoroughness and completeness.  How I wish I could be as thorough in other areas of life.

I just read a book that was published in 1906 and I loved it.  It is called, "The Marks of a Man."  Robert E. Speer was a Presbyterian and he had a lot of good things to say about Christian character.  Oh, I could share pages but I will choose a couple of paragraphs:

In that day we shall ask Him, “When saw we Thee?”  “Saw Me?”  He will answer:   

“When you lied to that man in your class in college, you lied to Me.  When you struck that man on the athletic field, and the umpire was not looking, you struck Me.  When you cheated that widow and her children as you were practicing your profession, you were cheating Me.  In all the dishonesty and the dishonor and the meanness of your life you were affronting Me.  When saw you Me?  In absolutely every trial and testing of your life you faced Me.”  This life of ours, what is it except just the story of our attitude to Jesus Christ?  My bearing to every man is my bearing toward Christ.  Every hope and thought and act and practice of mine is a judgment for or against Jesus Christ.  In the secrecies of our life we are living against Him or for Him, and at the last we shall be judged in proportion as everything we did was a service of or an affront to the Christ whom we served or spurned in the silences of our lives.

We say that a thing is notable, but what do we mean by that?  We mean that a few millions of people now think it is notable.  What about that great crowd of witnesses around us who look down upon all that goes on here in this world of ours?  How vastly they out-number this little company here whose knowledge of the thing, we say, makes it great and notable!  Our Lord has told us that the day will come when the things whispered in the ear will be proclaimed from the housetop, and when the things spoken in the darkness will be blazed abroad in the light.  In that hour, the hidden heart that served Jesus Christ, whom it saw in the unadvertised opportunities that came to it, in the inconspicuousness and the oblivion that are essential to the highest moral power, will be shown to be the great and potent life.  Well will it be for us if in that day when we face Christ we can say:  “O Lord, I recognized Thee there; I saw Thee in those opportunities.  When saw I Thee?  All through my life I saw Thee.”

Permit me to share with you a partial list of "Traits that I Admire":

1.  I admire people who deal with adversity bravely. Of course, everyone deals with adversity and the rain certainly falls on the just and the unjust.   I know many people who are currently facing difficult things and are pressing forward with courage and faith. They do not turn their backs on the Lord, nor do they become bitter.  Their adversity has brought a softening of heart instead of a hardening. I have deep admiration for them.
2. I admire a person who stays true to the Lord.  I have respect for someone who has set their own standards, in accordance with the Lord's unchanging standards, and they remain true to those standards.  Even if no one is looking, they remain true.  Integrity is very impressive to me.
3.  I admire people who do not give up.  Some people have to work at something for a very long time, and their persistence is tried, yet they continue to fight.  They doggedly go after something and they remain determined and focused.  I applaud them.
4.  I admire people who know how to work.  We had a ward service project last weekend and there were many who went from house to house raking leaves without a complaint, getting right in there and getting the job done.  In a current calling that I have, I serve with people that get things done--they are anticipating what needs to happen, they are thinking and doing and not waiting around for applause.  Where does the desire and capacity for work come from?   I am not sure, but some people have it and I like to be around them.
5. I admire people who are humble.  Confidence is impressive, but humility takes the cake.  Some of my most accomplished friends are the most humble.  
6. I admire people who care about others.  Some people have a gift of being aware of others and they instinctively think of ways to lift and build others.  What a wonderful trait!

I learn so much from other people. 

Dr. Laura Schlessinger said this:

I'm always amused by this expression, "I have to find myself."  

Truly, you find yourself in your commitments; you find yourself in the 

eyes of people who depend on you; you find yourself in your noble 

responses to life's challenges; you find yourself in your actions and decisions; you find yourself right where you are now.  

(Ten Stupid Things Couples Do To Mess Up Their Relationships, pg. 263)

This week the Sunday School reading assignment is about Job.  Isn't he impressive?  In Job chapter 1 we read of the literal collapse of Job's world--his children have been killed and his possessions are gone.  And what do we read that Job does upon hearing of this news?  

Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, and said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither:  the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.   In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Later when Job is covered from head to toe in boils, his wife asks, "Dost thou still retain thine integrity?  curse God, and die.  

But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh.  What?  shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?  

I think this statement from the Bible Dictionary is interesting,
The human mind is such that it is essential for Job to have a correct knowledge of God and know that his own course of life was acceptable to God, or he would not have been able to endure the trials that came upon him. 

So, Job must have had a correct knowledge of God and he must have known that his own course of life was acceptable to God, for he endured the trials that came upon him.   

I can only hope that if or when my world collapses, I will fall down and worship God and keep my integrity.

 

At family night this week, we read parts of a talk that Elder Scott gave at 
BYU in 2011.  Here is a part of that talk:

"The bedrock of character is integrity.  

Worthy character will strengthen your capacity to recognize the

 direction of the Spirit and be obedient to it.  

Strong character is more important than what you own, 

what you have learned, or what goals you have accomplished.  

Your consistent exercise of faith builds strong character.  

Wherever you live, whatever your occupation or focus in life, 

you will be drawn into the battle for the souls of men and women.  

Be valiant in that struggle.  It is waged on the basis of character.  

Satan and his troops have defined their character by resolute opposition to 

the will of our Father and consistent violation of His commandments.  

Your character is being solidified by consistent correct choices."

I want to have strong character and integrity.  I want to live worthy of the Spirit and to be obedient to the promptings that I receive.  I want to be defined as one who follows the Savior and strives to be like Him.  I know that I am not perfect, but little by little, day by day, I am trying to make correct, consistent choices.

 

 Do you know the mayor of Murray, Utah? (I should say past mayor as his term just ended.)  His name is Dan Snarr and he is famous for his long mustache. There was an article in the paper about him last week and he said something that I really like.  Mayor Snarr said,

"The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world is to be in reality what we would appear to be."

Dan is not the usual politician.  Doug Robinson of the Deseret News says this about him, "Whatever pops into his mind comes out of his mouth.  He likes cowboy poetry and flowers.  He drives a rusty old car and gets up at 4 a.m. to plow snow and keeps a sprayer in his back seat so he can kill weeds around town just to experience that warm feeling of progress that he craves. There is no subterfuge, no spin; what you see is what you get--a man who's a little rough around the edges by a politician's standards, but passionate, aggressive, outspoken, and always, genuine."

I like that he did not try to be someone he is not.  

My thoughts about his quote:  Integrity is being true to yourself and your standards in every circumstance.  It means being the same person in private as you are in public, or I guess it could also go the other way around too--it means being the same person in public that you are in private.  It means being honest and true.  Integrity is vital because it constitutes your moral backbone.  It is when you make for yourself a set of standards and then live by them.