Boxing Defeat

In the 2008 Beijing Olympics -

While Lee Ok-sung got his glove fixed with 35 seconds left, Rau'Shee Warren turned in his neutral corner and searched for a clear voice in the cacophony of shouted advice.

Warren swore he heard somebody in the stands yelling "Move! Move!", meaning the world champion flyweight had the lead and should simply avoid getting punched to win. His coaches were screaming the opposite message from their ringside seats, because Warren actually trailed 9-8 and needed to attack.

In a painfully perfect illustration of what might be the U.S. boxing team's biggest problem, Warren listened to what he thought his friends, family or teammates were telling him. It cost him a chance at the medal he waited four years to hang around his mother's neck.

Warren spent the final moments of his second Olympics with his gloves at his waist Tuesday night, dancing in a pointless circle around the South Korean former world champion.

The stunning loss - and the head-scratching way it ended - crushed the first two-time American boxing Olympian in 30 years.

"It doesn't feel real," Warren said, pulling up his red tank top to dry his tears. "I didn't feel like I lost the fight, because I was fighting hard, doing everything the coaches were telling me. To get this far and then lose, I don't even know what happened."

"There was so much going on in the crowd," Warren said. "When I just stood there at the end, I thought I was up. To wait this long, and then to lose after one fight ..."

Warren broke into sobs again. 

Parable of the Silversmith

Some time ago, a few ladies met to study the scriptures. While reading the 3rd chapter of Malachi, they came upon a remarkable statement in the 3rd verse: "He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver" (Malachi 3:3).

One lady decided to visit a silversmith, and report to the others on what he said about the subject. She went accordingly, and without telling the silversmith the reason for her visit, begged him to tell her about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot.

Then she asked, "Sir, do you watch while the work of refining is going on?"

"Oh, yes ma'am," replied the silversmith. "I must sit and watch the furnace

constantly, for, if the time necessary for refining is exceeded in the slightest degree, the silver will be injured."

The lady at once saw the beauty and comfort of the statement, "He shall sit

as a refiner and purifier of silver." God sees it as necessary to put His children into the furnace -- but His eye is steadily intent on the work of purifying, and His wisdom and love are both engaged in the best manner for us. Our trials do not come at random, and He will not let us be tested beyond what we can endure.

Before she left, the lady asked one final question, "How do you know when

the process is finished?"

"Oh, that's quite simple," replied the silversmith . . . "When I can see my

own image in the silver, the refining process is complete."

Scandal and Judging

I went one day to the Prophet with a sister.   She had a charge to make against one of the brethren for scandal.   When her complaint had been heard the Prophet asked her if she was quite sure that what the brother had said of her was utterly untrue. She was quite sure that it was.

He then told her to think no more about it, for it could not harm her.   If untrue it could not live, but the truth will survive. Still she felt that she should have some redress.

Then he offered her his method of dealing with such cases for himself.   When an enemy had told a scandalous story about him, which had often been done, before he rendered judgment he paused and let his mind run back to the time and place and setting of the story to see if he had not by some unguarded word or act laid the block on which the story was built.   If he found that he had done so, he said that in his heart he then forgave his enemy, and felt thankful that he had received warning of a weakness that he had not known he possessed.

Then he said to the sister that he would have her to do the same: search her memory thoroughly and see if she had not herself unconsciously laid the foundation for the scandal that annoyed her. The sister thought deeply for a few moments and then confessed that she believed she had.

Then the Prophet told her that in her heart she could forgive that brother who had risked his own good name and her friendship to give her this clearer view of herself.

The sister thanked her advisor and went away in peace.

(Jesse W. Crosby, "Stories from the Notebook of Martha Cox, Grandmother of Fern Cox Anderson," Church archives, Lee C. LaFayette, "Recollections Of Joseph Smith," Church Archives, cited in Helen Mae and Hyrum Andrus, They Knew The Prophet, p. 144.)

Eternal Life

"We can have eternal life if we want it, but only if there is nothing else we want more."

Bruce C. Hafen, "The Atonement: All for All," Ensign, May 2004, 98

Spirit of the Mothers

"We shall prosper and build up Zion upon the earth; for this is our mission, and the work of your mothers and daughters of Zion—the mothers now, and by and by the daughters, who will, in turn, be mothers in Israel. Great responsibility rests upon you. Upon you depend the training and the direction of the thoughts and the inspiration of the hearts of your children, for they drink into the spirit of their mothers, and the influence of the mother over the children is the most enduring impression that can be made. There is nothing so imperishable as the influence of the mother; that is when she is good and has the spirit of the Gospel in her heart, and she has brought up her children in the way they should go."

--Joseph F. Smith, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith [1998], 33

Celestial Pedigree, Eternal Success

If ever you are tempted to become discouraged or to lose faith, remember those faithful Saints who remained true in Kirtland. Hold on a little longer. You can do this! You are part of a special generation. You were prepared and preserved to live at this important time in the existence of our beautiful planet earth. You have a celestial pedigree and therefore have all the necessary talents to make your life an eternal success story.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Hold on a Little Longer,” Liahona, Jan 2010, 4–8

Embrace the Future

God expects you to have enough faith and determination and enough trust in Him to keep moving, keep living, keep rejoicing. In fact, He expects you not simply to face the future (that sounds pretty grim and stoic); He expects you to embrace and shape the future—to love it and rejoice in it and delight in your opportunities.

God is anxiously waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has. But He can’t if you don’t pray, and He can’t if you don’t dream. In short, He can’t if you don’t believe.

Drawing upon my vast background of children’s bedtime stories, I say you can pick your poultry. You can either be like Chicken Little and run about shouting “The sky is falling; the sky is falling” or you can be like the Little Red Hen and forge ahead with the productive tasks of living, regardless of who does or doesn't help you or who does or doesn't believe just the way you believe.

(Jeffery R. Holland, "Terror, Triumph, and a Wedding Feast" CES Fireside, September 12, 2004)

Promptings of the Spirit

How Can I Feel the Promptings of the Spirit?

D&C 8:2: “I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.”

Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: "The Spirit of God … will be as soft as a whisper, coming as a thought to our minds or a feeling in our hearts. … Choose to put yourself in a position to have experiences with the Spirit of God through prayer, in scripture study, at Church meetings, in your home, and through wholesome interactions with others." (“To Act for Ourselves: The Gift and Blessings of Agency,” Liahona and Ensign, May 2006, 7)

President Boyd K. Packer, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “Put difficult questions in the back of your minds and go about your lives. Ponder and pray quietly and persistently about them. The answer may not come as a lightning bolt. It may come as a little inspiration here and a little there, ‘line upon line, precept upon precept’ (D&C 98:12). Some answers will come from reading the scriptures, some from hearing speakers. And, occasionally, when it is important, some will come by very direct and powerful inspiration.” (“Prayers and Answers,” Ensign, Nov. 1979, 21)

Elder Henry B. Eyring of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “Write down impressions or thoughts that you feel came from God. … Think carefully about whether the truth you received requires action. It is by obedience to commandments that we qualify for further revelation of truth and light.” (“A Life Founded in Light and Truth,” Ensign, July 2001, 13)

Bonnie D. Parkin, Relief Society general president: “If we are in tune with the Spirit, if we are seeking the Lord and His guidance, if our direction is to return to our Father in Heaven, the sweet moments will come. And we will treasure them, for we have become instruments in the hands of God.” (“Sweet Moments,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2005, 108)

Best of Men

As a father, I wonder if I and all other fathers could do more to build a sweeter, stronger relationship with our sons and daughters here on earth. Dads, is it too bold to hope that our children might have some small portion of the feeling for us that the Divine Son felt for His Father? Might we earn more of that love by trying to be more of what God was to His child? In any case, we do know that a young person’s developing concept of God centers on characteristics observed in that child’s earthly parents.

I don’t know who wrote these little storybook verses remembered from my youth, but they go something like this:

Only a dad with a tired face,

Coming home from the daily race,

Toiling and striving from day to day,

Facing whatever may come his way,

Glad in his heart that his own rejoice

To see him come home and to hear his voice.

Only a dad, but he gives his all,

Smoothing the way for his children small,

Doing with courage so stern and grim

The deeds that his father did for him.

These are the lines that for him I pen,

Only a dad—but the best of men.

And, brethren, even when we are not “the best of men,” even in our limitations and inadequacy, we can keep making our way in the right direction because of the encouraging teachings set forth by a Divine Father and demonstrated by a Divine Son. With a Heavenly Father’s help we can leave more of a parental legacy than we suppose.

The Hands of the Fathers - Jeffery R Holland April 1999 GC