Putting it All Together week 7

I just want to tell everyone that I love my Lord Jesus Christ, my savior.  I read about the resurrection in the new Testament this week and I have to say that it takes a very faithful and strong person to do what Jesus did. I am proud to say that I follow my Heavenly Father and my brother Jesus Christ because I know they have a plan for me and that it is to return to live with them.  I learned this week that the only way this could happen was if our elder brother Jesus Christ died for our sins and to be resurrected.  I imagine that it would have been a little scary for Jesus to do what he did but since he had complete faith in our Father he knew it was the right thing to do and as hard as it was he did it.  I know that if I follow the right path that I too will be resurrected and live with Him again.

Reflection Journal week 7

Write at least two short paragraphs describing anything new that you have learned including how you learned it; mention how your life is changing or will change as a result of what you have studied this week, and include any other questions for the instructor or insights you would like to share.

This week has been very good.  I was able to go to the cookie exchange at church this week and mingle with several sisters that I have felt like since this semester started I have not been able to do.  I learned in my readings about the resurrection and I used setting for my study skill and I have learned to read with the thought in my mind of who? Where? And When?  I didn't really study the scriptures in that way before.  I focused on what the guards must have been feeling when they were guarding the tomb and knowing that no one went in or out but when the angels moved the stone Jesus's body was gone.

I reflected a lot this week on if I were a guard what would I have done? Cover it up or learn more about the Savior to know of the resurrection.  I would like to think I would have done the right thing but in that time period I do not think I would have done the right thing.  Thinking about the things that happen in my life right now I know that following my savior is the right thing to do but it is not always easy.  I have found that praying often has helped my keep the spirit close to me so that I can make the right 

study skills report week 7

Study Skills Report
Which skill did you use and how many times have you used it, including this lesson? (no more than 3 times without permission) (Study Skill: Substitutions, Setting, Principles and Doctrine, List, Clustering, Flag Phrases, Symbolism, Visualize, and Cause and Effect)	Skill: Setting	# of Times (1-3): 3
Show some examples of how you used the skill: (example: I, Candace, having been born of goodly parents)	Matthew 28:1 Who? Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary Where: at the tomb When: Sunday morning, the day of resurrection
	Mark 16:9 Who? Jesus and Mary Magdalene Where? The tomb where Jesus had lain When: Early the 1st day of resurrection
	Luke 24: 13 Who? Two disciples Where? About 7 miles from Jerusalem When? The 1st day of resurrection
What did you learn from using this Study Skill? (“Learning” implies something you didn’t know before)	I learned about the resurrection and the events that were happening at that time.  I learned that by knowing the who? Where? And when? I can have a better idea of what was going on and when it was going on and where.
Why did you choose this skill for this lesson?	I chose this study skill because Setting just kept jumping off the pages as I was studying these scriptures.

Becoming Project Final Report

Becoming Project Final Report

FEDREL 211:25 Brother Mangum

By Janette Bailey

Working on my becoming project this semester has proven to be a hard journey.  There have been some days that I didn’t think about working on it and then there were other days that I worked very hard on it.  My project was for obedience.  I read in Mathew 8:27 how the disciples were still learning about who the savior is and how amazed they were when they received blessings when they obeyed Him.  This scripture helped me push forward to being obedient by reading my scriptures and talking to others about what I am learning. 

I have been reading my scriptures in personal time and family time and I have found that it is easier for me to discuss my readings with my family.  I also notice that it is much easier for me to understand the Sunday school lesson and to be able to answer the questions that are asked during class.  I have found a study guide book that has helped me with understanding what I am reading.  It basically has the scripture and then under the scripture or set of scriptures, it tells me in English what the scriptures said.  I know that those thoughts are just thoughts from the author, but it has really helped my studying alone.  (reference – The gospel study series second addition by David J Ridges)

I have been visiting a lot with my son (a returned missionary who has fallen away) and I have made progress with him.  He still is not coming to church, but he has started to hang out with his church friends.  I have been praying for him to want to come back to church. I know that he is moving in the right direction and I’m very blessed to have that knowledge.  Specifically, he has been hanging out with our old Bishop who is in his early thirties and has five children.  My son loves hanging out with him and his family and I know that they are a great influence on him.  I know that my prayers are being answered by the fact that our old Bishop has a calling in the Stake and he still manages to find time to spend with my son. It is the best blessing. 

Praying several times a day has helped me to remember Christ.  I have been reading, studying, and pondering my scriptures to help me with obedience to the Lord.  I know from my many teachings from church that to be obedient you need to really know Heavenly Father and learn all you can about him.  Luke 11:28 says the word of God is true and it is important for those who hear it obey it.  I have enjoyed learning from the New Testament this semester.  I have learned that when I pray always and study my scriptures daily that I feel the spirit with me every day all day and night.  I have had many opportunities to talk about Heavenly Father with my friends and family. 

I’d like to share a couple of personal stories of my conversations with friends and family.  The first story is a positive story.  I was having lunch at work when an acquaintance walked over to my table and asked if she could join me for lunch that day.  I, of course, said yes and as she was sitting down, she asked me if I was ever embarrassed about praying at work before my meal.  I shared the story of when Joseph Smith was only fourteen and he started openly asking questions about which church to join and he prayed to know which church to join.  I told her that by showing my faith always I will receive blessings.  The following week she asked me if I could send the missionaries to her house and they are currently teaching her the lessons.  I have gone over with them a couple of times and it has been very spiritual.

My second story is not as happy.  I have been working on a Christmas tree farm and I asked my twin sister if she would like to work as well and she said yes but I had to give her a ride.  That was fine with me because I was already going.  My Sister asked me why am I LDS? I told her that I’m on a mission to learn as much as I can about Heavenly Father.  She then proceeded to tell me why my church is wrong and why she “hates” Mormons.  I was very hurt by this comment and it was hard to gain my composure, but I did and I told her that some of the things she was saying weren't true and that if she would just read the Book of Mormon she would understand it, that’s when she started yelling at me and stating that; that the was another thing she “hated” about the Mormons, we have a separate book.  This was when I decided that she was not ready to hear the truth and I told her that we can talk about this another day when she is ready to hear me.  I learned that day that not all people are ready to hear the gospel truths and it’s not a good idea to push it on them they only get upset and it only frustrates me. 

Working on obedience to the Lord has been a great experience for me.  I am blessed to have had this opportunity to learn what obedience is and how to incorporate it in my life.  I have learned that obedience is not only studying my scriptures, but it is also meant to take the opportunity to share the gospel when it is appropriate to do so.  I have a goal to continue to work on this attribute because it has helped me to open my mouth and I feel the spirit with me. I’m thankful for my Savior and all he offers to me and I’m grateful for the atonement.

Discussion Board Post

Matthew 28: 11 -15

The soldiers who were on duty guarding the tomb were in a dilemma when the angels rolled back the large stone and Jesus' body was gone. The priests and elders conspire to cover up the resurrection. 

These scriptures made me think of the resurrection and how the soldiers must have felt when the body was gone and they knew the stone had not been moved.  There must be a lot of confusion and since no one could logically explain it the priests and elder felt that trying to cover it up was the right thing to do.  I wonder if I lived at that time would I come closer to Christ?  This is a difficult question because in those days the people have to have faith because otherwise there is no other way to explain the disappearance of the Savior.  I'm glad to live in this day where it is easier to have faith by living the gospel every day and having a living prophet to guide us.

Directed study week 7

Find three principles that are most powerful to you from this week's scripture reading

While the women were going to tell the Apostles soldiers who had been assigned to watch the tomb came into the city and told the chief priests all the things that were done. Matthew 28: 11

He who is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be stopped in their progress. Mark 16: 16

The women were afraid and they bowed their heads, the angels said to them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? Luke 24: 5

Bro. Kunzler/ Whitesides - Video Notes

 Bro. Kunzler/ Whitesides - Video Notes

Defining the supply chain - it is so vast and it encompasses so much of the business. There are three categories of ex-sponging

1. Input is coming into the company
• Purchasing
• Realastate location
• Warehouse location
2. Optimize the business to become as efficient as possible
3. The interface between your business and your customers
• Delivering product at the right time
• Right quantity
• Right quality

Ex-sponging is one of the areas that is least understood. Business supply chain is:

• Understand what your customers really need in terms of products, in terms of timing, pricing,
• Coordinating all of the activities and processes that are required from your end suppliers and making sure everything is delivered and coordinated correctly so your customers and their customers (down the chain) get what they want or what they need when they want it or need it and at the right price.

Supply management includes

• Technology
• Organization
• People
• Equipment
• Communication

There is a really close connection with Marketing because we are trying to understand what the customer's needs (down the chain) are and how do we satisfy those needs from an operational standpoint. Also whenever a new product is developed or new services invented its not that you are developing the product you are also supplying the Supply chain

There is a close connection with engineering with product development.

One of the main goals of Supply chain is to find out how to trim out cost and to keep those low ---clear connection with finance.

Personalities to work in the supply chain:

1. Analytical
2. Negotiation skills (most important is communication)
3. Being able to work with all different levels of people within the organization
4. Networking

Don't look for the money it will materialize. Match your personality with the job you are seeking.

 it's all about what excites you and what goals and aspirations do you have.

https://byui.brightspace.com/d2l/le/content/121042/viewContent/1901704/View

ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNAL: LAST LECTURE EXERCISE

Entrepreneurship is a rough road to go down.  First thing you will want to do is find out your personality type.  You need to be one who can take criticism, rejection, and high rewards with pride.  There will be some falling and you will spend a lot of money getting your business off the ground and you have to be a person who can handle that.  If your personality fits this scenario next you need to know what kind of company you are going to start.  I suggest something you already know and you love doing. It's much harder to get into business on something you don't know how to do. Expect to work hard and long hours.  I suggest you know what you want and go after it like it is your baby.

Week 13 Entrepreneur journal

Week 13 Entrepreneur journal

This week I really enjoyed reading An Attitude of Gratitude byThomas S. Monson, Second Counselor in the First Presidency. It talks about having gratitude for our mothers, fathers, teachers, friends, and for our country.  I'd like to touch base on these things that I'm grateful for, first my mom.  I'm grateful for my mom who raised 5 wonderful children to know of the Lord and to live the gospel even when she was forbade to bring us to church.  She did a great job of keeping our home gospel centered.  I'm grateful for my dad because he brought us to the church.  He grew up in this church and he married my mom in the temple and they both had all 5 children sealed to them before they both passed on to live in heaven.  I'm grateful for all of my friends who have helped me keep my home gospel centered even with a non-member spouse. Lastly, I'm thankful for my country and the land I live on. I'm thankful for my freedom and my rights to work outside the home and the ability to come back to school and gain a greater knowledge.  This article helped me to realize all that I am grateful for and to not take it for granted. 

Stanford eCorner Avoid the Wrong Job Stan Christensen, Stanford Technology Ventures Program; Arbor Advisors November 12, 2008 - transcript

Stanford eCorner Avoid the Wrong Job Stan Christensen, Stanford Technology Ventures Program; Arbor Advisors November 12, 2008

Video URL: http://ecorner.stanford.edu/videos/2169/Avoid-the-Wrong-Job

Stan Christensen, Stanford instructor and a partner at Arbor Advisors, outlines a few of the erroneous career assumptions that land workers in an ill-fitting career. Don't take a job simply to build your resume; follow your passions, rather than guessing what an employer will want. The fun should outweigh the drudgery - even in entrylevel positions. Don't feel that by taking one job, you're committing to a career; people switch teams often. And remain a generalist, rather than specializing in a single pursuit, as this will retain your flexibility and keep your skills from becoming irrelevant.

Transcript

I think the people end up in the wrong careers often and I think part of that is that they make unhelpful assumptions and as we talk about the negotiation class, a lot of bad decisions come from making unnecessary assumptions. So I just wanted to write down a couple of these here that I think are key assumptions that people erroneously make that sometimes get them in trouble. The first one I've alluded to is about building your resume. So don't do things because you think it's what other people want you to do. You're not going to be able to outguess them. You will likely if you do things that you feel passionately about find similarly minded people or people who appreciate your experience and you will fit in somewhere. I think that trying to outguess what people want is a bad decision. I think that you get to tell your stories. So when I interview lots of people including students for jobs, and what I'm interested most in is what their story. Why did they make the choices they made

And you get to craft that story. And so I don't think that focusing too much on how someone else is going to interpret or judge your story through a piece of paper is worth spending years doing something that you think is painful. Which relates to the second bullet point, people say, wow I'm just going to do this job for two or three years. I'm going to hate it but it's going to get me to the next level. I think the most important criteria when thinking about how to choose a job is pick something you think is fun that you're going to enjoy. You're going to prosper, do well in things that you're having fun with and so it isn't about sort of pain at work. You know there's a reason they call it work. There's a reason they pay you. It's not all fun. There's going to be some of it that's probably drudgery particularly in junior level jobs.

But I think that taking a job just so you can move forward and get to another job is generally, you know, the pain of that outweighs the gain. You have to choose a career now. So most of you will move around quite a bit. Your first job, you're likely to stay in for two or three years. If I look back at my experience, so there were 800 at Harvard Business School that graduated and they kept track of how long we stayed in our careers. So across 800 students, the average tenure in their first job out of business school was 11 months. OK. That was the average and I stayed ten years. So choosing a career or a job is not necessarily a long-term decision. There's plenty of time to try lots of different things.

You know I thought the whole world in career I think is even becoming irrelevant. I thought how do I title this something different. Is it negotiating jobs? Is it negotiating experiences? But you're not going to have most of you long-term careers where you're at a company and you get a gold watch after, you know, 30 years of service. The world has changed. And so people think that the first job out of school is such a huge decision. And I don't think it is. We'll talk a little bit about how to make that choice. But just, if you could subtract that anxiety, you're more likely to end up in a position that's actually fun that you enjoy. Specialization is the best route to success. I think that's a faulty assumption.

I think that we live in a world where there's increased specialization pressure. People want you to specialize. But actually what you want is to be a generalist. And for a bunch of reasons. Number one it's more fun to have different projects. You don't want to be that person who knows the- let's say you go to an investment bank and everybody knows how to use the program Excel. Lots of you already know how to use Excel. You don't want to be the top person in Excel. There are diminishing returns to spending all your extra time being the best at PowerPoint, the best at Excel. It just doesn't matter.

I remember when I was doing spreadsheets we didn't have Excel. It was Lotus 1, 2, 3 and, you know, all of the skills that I learned at Lotus 1, 2, 3, I was great at Macros, I was really quick, I never do it anymore. I never use it. So special, one of the dangers of specialization is it's going to become irrelevant whatever you specialize in. And I think that what you want to do is put yourself in a position to take advantage of opportunities when they come up.

Stanford eCorner Paths to an Entrepreneurial Career Ted Zoller, Kauffman Foundation February 01, 2012

Stanford eCorner Paths to an Entrepreneurial Career Ted Zoller, Kauffman Foundation February 01, 2012
Video URL: http://ecorner.stanford.edu/videos/2887/Paths-to-an-Entrepreneurial-Career

Kauffman Foundation Senior Fellow Ted Zoller describes his findings on the pathways young people take that lead to them becoming dealmakers in an ecosystem. Rather than starting a company out of school or working in venture capital, Zoller says the most likely path is gaining a C-suite position in a larger enterprise and then stepping into entrepreneurial ventures later in a career.

Transcript
What path will lead to my success, I'm going to do this very quickly. I did analysis of all the dealmaker pathways, and there were bunch of different pathways and I'm going to just interpret this, this is the hand waving portion. I thought for sure most of the people who're really successful will start out in investment banking, go to business school, go to the investment banking world and come back to - get their MBA and then get into private equity or get into venture capital and become mega financial guys. Those are the guys, that's the pathway in the top. Then I thought the other pathway would be, the person who starts a company, then who he starts the second company, who starts the third company, serial entrepreneur, that's the pathway at the bottom. Then I saw all these other pathways when I was studying their backgrounds and it was like, who are these people? These are the guys who go to corporations, they start working for large companies and then they, ironically, as they get senior in their career start working for smaller and smaller companies, private equity-backed companies or high growth companies, they left IBM to go work for some of the companies you all admire in Silicon Valley, while ironically there was a set of profiles that came about by looking at this work. And I did this really clever kind of pathway analysis and based on that I looked at the centrality of the pathway, and sure enough going and becoming a financial engineer will lead you to become a dealmaker, but not most likely. Being a serial entrepreneur will lead you to be a dealmaker, but not most likely. What's the most likely path? Getting to the C-suite of a large company and then backing into a private company. So what we've been saying is, go start a company.


It's not a bad idea to go work for a company and then go fuel a company's growth. Is that interesting? Please. Okay. Can you cut out years by doing management consulting? Well, I think consulting - as a matter of fact, consulting is one of these pathways and there's - it's actually a very common path. This one right here is consulting and services company, so yes. The answer is yes. I wish it was definitive, but it was an interesting pattern, I didn't - that surprised me. So don't leave the idea of working for enterprises out. I'm not saying go work for the big huge corporations necessarily, but learn something that you can leverage ultimately in the building of your of entrepreneurial career.

An Attitude of Gratitude Thomas S. Monson - talk

An Attitude of Gratitude

Thomas S. Monson

Second Counselor in the First Presidency

On this Sabbath day our thoughts turn to Him who atoned for our sins, who showed us the way to live and how to pray, and who demonstrated by His own actions the blessings of service. Born in a stable, cradled in a manger, this Son of God, even Jesus Christ the Lord, yet beckons to each of us to follow Him.

In the book of Luke, chapter 17, we read:

“And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

“And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

“And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

“And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

“And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

“And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

“And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

“There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

“And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.” (Luke 17:11–19.)

Through divine intervention, those who were lepers were spared from a cruel, lingering death and given a new lease on life. The expressed gratitude by one merited the Master’s blessing, the ingratitude shown by the nine, His disappointment.

Like the leprosy of yesteryear are the plagues of today. They linger; they debilitate; they destroy. They are to be found everywhere. Their pervasiveness knows no boundaries. We know them as selfishness, greed, indulgence, cruelty, and crime, to identify but a few. Surfeited with their poison, we tend to criticize, to complain, to blame, and, slowly but surely, to abandon the positives and adopt the negatives of life.

A popular refrain from the 1940s captured the thought:

Accentuate the positive;

Eliminate the negative.

Latch on to the affirmative;

Don’t mess with Mr. In-between.1

Good advice then. Good advice now.

This is a wonderful time to be living here on earth. Our opportunities are limitless. While there are some things wrong in the world today, there are many things right, such as teachers who teach, ministers who minister, marriages that make it, parents who sacrifice, and friends who help.

We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues.

A favorite hymn always lifts our spirits, kindles our faith, and inspires our thoughts:

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings; name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done. …

So amid the conflict, whether great or small,

Do not be discouraged; God is over all.

Count your many blessings; angels will attend,

Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Well could we reflect upon our lives as individuals. We will soon discover much to prompt our personal gratitude.

First, there is gratitude for our mothers.

Mother, who willingly made that personal journey into the valley of the shadow of death to take us by the hand and introduce us to birth—even to mortal life—deserves our undying gratitude. One writer summed up our love for mother when he declared, “God could not be everywhere, and so He gave us mothers.”

While on the cruel cross of Calvary, suffering intense pain and anguish, Jesus “saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother!” (John 19:26–27.) What a divine example of gratitude and love!

My own mother may not have read to me from the scriptures; rather, she taught me by her life and actions what the “Good Book” contains. Care for the poor, the sick, the needy were everyday dramas never to be forgotten.

Second, let us reflect gratitude for our fathers.

Father, like Mother, is ever willing to sacrifice his own comfort for that of his children. Daily he toils to provide the necessities of life, never complaining, ever concerned for the well-being of his family. This love for children, this desire to see them well and happy, is a constant in a time of change.

On occasion I have observed parents shopping to clothe a son about to enter missionary service. The new suits are fitted, the new shoes are laced, and shirts, socks, and ties are bought in quantity. I met one father who said to me, “Brother Monson, I want you to meet my son.” Pride popped his buttons; the cost of the clothing emptied his wallet; love filled his heart. Tears filled my eyes when I noticed that his suit was old, his shoes well worn; but he felt no deprivation. The glow on his face was a memory to cherish.

As I reflect on my own father, I remember he yielded his minuscule discretionary time to caring for a crippled uncle, aged aunts, and his family. He served in the ward Sunday School presidency, always preferring to work with the children. He, like the Master, loved children. I never heard from his lips one word of criticism of another. He personified in his life the work ethic. I join you in an expression of gratitude for our fathers.

Third, all of us remember with gratitude our teachers.

The teacher not only shapes the expectations and ambitions of pupils; the teacher also influences their attitudes toward their future and themselves. If the teacher loves the students and has high expectations of them, their self-confidence will grow, their capabilities will develop, and their future will be assured. A citation to such a teacher could well read: “She created in her room an atmosphere where warmth and acceptance weave their magic spell; where growth and learning, the soaring of the imagination, and the spirit of the young are assured.”

May I express public gratitude for three of my own teachers. I thank G. Homer Durham, my history professor. He taught the truth, “The past is behind; learn from it.” He loved his subject; he loved his students. The love in his classroom opened the windows of my mind, that learning might enter.

O. Preston Robinson, my professor of marketing, instilled in his students that the future is ahead and we are to prepare for it. When he entered the classroom, his presence was like a welcome breath of fresh air. He instilled a spirit of “You can do it.” His life reflected his teaching—that of friendly persuasion. He taught truth. He inspired effort. He prompted love.

Then there was a Sunday School teacher—never to be forgotten, ever to be remembered. We met for the first time on a Sunday morning. She accompanied the Sunday School president into the classroom and was presented to us as a teacher who actually requested the opportunity to teach us. We learned that she had been a missionary and loved young people. Her name was Lucy Gertsch. She was beautiful, soft-spoken, and interested in us. She asked each class member to introduce himself or herself, and then she asked questions that gave her an understanding and an insight into the background of each boy, each girl. She told us of her childhood in Midway, Utah; and as she described that beautiful valley, she made its beauty live, and we desired to visit the green fields she loved so much. She never raised her voice. Somehow rudeness and boisterousness were incompatible with the beauty of her lessons. She taught us that the present is here and that we must live in it. She made the scriptures actually come to life. We became personally acquainted with Samuel, David, Jacob, Nephi, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Our gospel scholarship grew. Our deportment improved. Our love for Lucy Gertsch knew no bounds.

We undertook a project to save nickels and dimes for what was to be a gigantic party. Sister Gertsch kept a careful record of our progress. As boys and girls with typical appetites, we converted in our minds the monetary totals to cakes, cookies, pies, and ice cream. This was to be a glorious occasion—the biggest party ever. Never before had any of our teachers even suggested a social event like this one was going to be.

The summer months faded into autumn; autumn turned to winter. Our party goal had been achieved. The class had grown. A good spirit prevailed.

None of us will forget that gray morning in January when our beloved teacher announced to us that the mother of one of our classmates had passed away. We thought of our own mothers and how much they meant to us. We felt sorrow for Billy Devenport in his great loss.

The lesson that Sunday was from the book of Acts, chapter 20, verse 35: “Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” [Acts 20:35] At the conclusion of the presentation of a well-prepared lesson, Lucy Gertsch commented on the economic situation of Billy’s family. These were depression times; money was scarce. With a twinkle in her eyes, she asked, “How would you like to follow this teaching of the Lord? How would you feel about taking your party fund and, as a class, giving it to the Devenports as an expression of our love?” The decision was unanimous. We counted very carefully each penny and placed the total sum in a large envelope.

Ever shall I remember the tiny band walking those three city blocks, entering Billy’s home, greeting him, his brother, sisters, and father. Noticeably absent was his mother. Always I shall treasure the tears which glistened in the eyes of each one present as the white envelope containing our precious party fund passed from the delicate hand of our teacher to the needy hand of a grief-stricken father. We fairly skipped our way back to the chapel. Our hearts were lighter than they had ever been, our joy more full, our understanding more profound. This simple act of kindness welded us together as one. We learned through our own experience that indeed it is more blessed to give than to receive.

The years have flown. The old chapel is gone, a victim of industrialization. The boys and girls who learned, who laughed, who grew under the direction of that inspired teacher of truth have never forgotten her love or her lessons.

Even today when we sing that old favorite—

Thanks for the Sabbath School. Hail to the day

When evil and error are fleeing away.

Thanks for our teachers who labor with care

That we in the light of the gospel may share.

—we think of Lucy Gertsch, our Sunday School teacher, for we loved Lucy, and Lucy loved us.

Let us ever have an attitude of gratitude for our teachers.

Fourth, let us have gratitude for our friends. Our most cherished friend is our partner in marriage. This old world would be so much better off today if kindness and deference were daily a reflection of our gratitude for wife, for husband.

The Lord spoke the word friend almost with a reverence. He said, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” (John 15:14.)

True friends put up with our idiosyncrasies. They have a profound influence in our lives.

Oscar Benson, a Scouter of renown, had a hobby of interviewing men on death row in various prisons throughout the country. He once reported that 125 of these men had said they had never known a decent man.

In the depths of World War II, I experienced an expression of true friendship. Jack Hepworth and I were teenagers. We had grown up in the same neighborhood. One afternoon I saw Jack running down the sidewalk toward me. When we met, I saw that there were tears in his eyes. In a voice choked with emotion, he blurted out the words, “Tom, my brother Joe, who is in the Navy Air Corps, has been killed in a fiery plane crash!” We embraced. We wept. We sorrowed. I felt highly complimented that instinctively Jack, my friend, felt the urgency to share with me his grief. We can all be grateful for such friends.

Fifth, may we acknowledge gratitude for our country—the land of our birth.

When we ponder that vast throng who have died honorably defending home and hearth, we contemplate those immortal words, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). The feelings of heartfelt gratitude for the supreme sacrifice made by so many cannot be confined to a Memorial Day, a military parade, or a decorated grave.

At the famed Theatre Royal, situated on Drury Lane in London, England, is a beautifully framed plaque containing words which touch my very soul and prompt feelings of deep gratitude:

1914–1918

Actors, musicians, writers and workers for the stage who have given their lives for their country. Honour to the immortal dead, that great … company of shining souls who gave their youth that the world might grow old in peace. Their name liveth forever more. These nobly played their parts, these heard the call for God and King and home. They gave their all.

Since ye who pass in quest of happy hours

Behold the price at which those hours were bought,

Strew here the fragrance of memorial flowers,

The silent tribute of a grateful thought.2

Sixth and finally—even supremely—let us reflect gratitude for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His glorious gospel provides answers to life’s greatest questions: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where does my spirit go when I die? His called missionaries bring to those who live in darkness the light of divine truth:

Go, ye messengers of glory;

Run, ye legates of the skies.

Go and tell the pleasing story

That a glorious angel flies,

Great and mighty, great and mighty,

With a message from the skies.

He taught us how to pray. He taught us how to live. He taught us how to die. His life is a legacy of love. The sick He healed; the downtrodden He lifted; the sinner He saved.

Only He stood alone. Some Apostles doubted; one betrayed Him. The Roman soldiers pierced His side. The angry mob took His life. There yet rings from Golgotha’s hill His compassionate words, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34.)

Earlier, perhaps perceiving the culmination of His earthly mission, He spoke the lament, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” (Luke 9:58.) “No room in the inn” was not a singular expression of rejection—just the first. Yet He invites you and me to host Him. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Rev. 3:20.)

Who was this Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief? Who is this King of glory, this Lord of hosts? He is our Master. He is our Savior. He is the Son of God. He is the author of our salvation. He beckons, “Follow me.” (Matt. 4:19.) He instructs, “Go, and do thou likewise.” (Luke 10:37.) He pleads, “Keep my commandments.” (John 14:15.)

Let us follow Him. Let us emulate His example. Let us obey His word. By so doing, we give to Him the divine gift of gratitude.

My sincere prayer is that we may, in our individual lives, reflect that marvelous virtue: an attitude of gratitude. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

From <https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1992/04/an-attitude-of-gratitude?lang=eng&query=attitude+gratitude+(name%3a%22Thomas+S.+Monson%22)> 

W12: Entrepeneurial Journal

W12: Entrepeneurial Journal 

Also, after reading “What’s a Business For?” answer the following questions in your journal writing in ADDITION to your normal writing for this week.

§  Based on what you read in the first two pages (pages 3 and 4), why are virtue and integrity so vital to an economy?

The market relies on rules and laws depending on truth and trust and if we don’t have it than the market will collapse. Virtue provides a way for the savings of society to be used for the creation of wealth.

§  According to Charles Handy, what is the “real justification” for the existence of businesses?

The purpose of a business, in other words, is not to make a profit, full stop. It is to make a profit so that the business can do something more or better. That “something” becomes the real justification for the business. Owners know this. Investors needn’t care

§  What are two solutions proposed by Handy that you agree with? Why?

1.    Associate myself with a charitable organization, the pursuit of a cause does not have to be the prerogative of charities and the not-for-profit sector. Nor does a mission to improve the world make business into a social agency.

~I would like my company to be associated with a charitable organization because it publicly helps the company look good and that we do get involved with our community.

2.    More corporate democracy and better corporate behavior will go a long way to improve the current business culture in the eyes of the public, but unless these changes are accompanied by a new vision of the purpose of business, they will be seen as mere palliatives.

~the world is changing dramatically, keeping ideas and new visions open to all in the company will help the company have happy employees and help employees want to work for you.