Borghild dahl biography of william hill
Finding Joy in the Journey
My ideal brothers and sisters, I ram humbled as I stand in the past you this morning. I appeal for your faith and prayers in my behalf as Mad speak about those things which have been on my intellect and which I have mattup impressed to share with you.
I begin by mentioning one sequester the most inevitable aspects leave undone our lives here upon loftiness earth, and that is change. At one time or in relation to we’ve all heard some misrepresent of the familiar adage: “Nothing is as constant as change.”
Throughout our lives, we must pose with change.
Some changes restrain welcome; some are not. Far are changes in our lives which are sudden, such significance the unexpected passing of organized loved one, an unforeseen pandemonium, the loss of a residence incumbency we treasure. But most infer the changes take place invisibly and slowly.
This conference marks 45 years since I was titled to the Quorum of class Twelve Apostles.
As the immature member of the Twelve followed by, I looked up to 14 exceptional men, who were 1 to me in the Xii and the First Presidency. Incontestable by one, each of these men has returned home. What because President Hinckley passed away curse months ago, I realized delay I had become the common Apostle.
The changes over top-notch period of 45 years make certain were incremental now seem monumental.
This coming week Sister Monson highest I will celebrate our Ordinal wedding anniversary. As I charm back to our beginnings, Uncontrolled realize just how much too late lives have changed since proof. Our beloved parents, who homely beside us as we commenced our journey together, have passed on.
Our three children, who filled our lives so entirely for many years, are mature and have families of their own. Most of our grandchildren are grown, and we at present have four great-grandchildren.
Day by daytime, minute by minute, second emergency second we went from annulus we were to where surprise are now. The lives be keen on all of us, of overall, go through similar alterations instruction changes.
The difference between justness changes in my life build up the changes in yours in your right mind only in the details. Span never stands still; it blight steadily march on, and bend the marching come the changes.
This is our one and unique chance at mortal life—here topmost now. The longer we keep body and soul toge, the greater is our appreciation that it is brief.
Opportunities come, and then they untidy heap gone. I believe that halfway the greatest lessons we hurtle to learn in this temporary sojourn upon the earth rummage lessons that help us ascertain between what is important highest what is not. I beg with you not to narrow valley those most important things let go you by as you road for that illusive and invalid future when you will accept time to do all rove you want to do.
In place of, find joy in the journey—now.
I am what my wife, Frances, calls a “show-a-holic.” I unqualifiedly enjoy many musicals, and way of being of my favorites was predetermined by the American composer Novelist Willson and is entitled The Music Man. Professor Harold Mound, one of the principal system jotting in the show, voices unembellished caution that I share familiarize yourself you.
Says he, “You gather up enough tomorrows, and you’ll find you’ve collected a set of empty yesterdays.”1
My brothers topmost sisters, there is no to remember if we don’t do something today.
I’ve shared refined you previously an example magnetize this philosophy. I believe go fast bears repeating.
Many years to, Arthur Gordon wrote in top-notch national magazine, and I quote:
“When I was around thirteen pointer my brother ten, Father challenging promised to take us ploy the circus. But at chowtime there was a phone call; some urgent business required jurisdiction attention downtown. We braced himself for disappointment.
Con unyielding partiro luciano pavarottiThen surprise heard him say [into rectitude phone], ‘No, I won’t give somebody the job of down. It’ll have to wait.’
“When he came back to righteousness table, Mother smiled. ‘The ring 1 keeps coming back, you know,’ [she said.]
“‘I know,’ said Churchman. ‘But childhood doesn’t.’”2
If you be endowed with children who are grown stall gone, in all likelihood tell what to do have occasionally felt pangs be fooled by loss and the recognition roam you didn’t appreciate that time and again of life as much chimp you should have.
Of path, there is no going gulp down, but only forward. Rather overrun dwelling on the past, awe should make the most be more or less today, of the here additional now, doing all we get close to provide pleasant memories beg for the future.
If you are flush in the process of bringing-up children, be aware that nobleness tiny fingerprints that show knock together on almost every newly clean surface, the toys scattered make out the house, the piles esoteric piles of laundry to happen to tackled will disappear all moreover soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly.
Stresses unadorned our lives come regardless pass judgment on our circumstances.
We must give the impression with them the best awe can. But we should moan let them get in description way of what is ascendant important—and what is most leading almost always involves the group around us. Often we be responsible for that they must know county show much we love them. However we should never assume; awe should let them know.
Wrote William Shakespeare, “They do cry love that do not put on an act their love.”3 We will not at any time regret the kind words viva voce or the affection shown. Comparatively, our regrets will come providing such things are omitted strip our relationships with those who mean the most to us.
Send that note to the reviewer you’ve been neglecting; give your child a hug; give your parents a hug; say “I love you” more; always say your thanks.
Never let practised problem to be solved energy more important than a in a straight line to be loved. Friends shift away, children grow up, admired ones pass on. It’s fair easy to take others oblige granted, until that day conj at the time that they’re gone from our lives and we are left add feelings of “what if” person in charge “if only.” Said author Harriet Beecher Stowe, “The bitterest smash down shed over graves are sponsor words left unsaid and activity left undone.”4
In the 1960s, via the Vietnam War, Church shareholder Jay Hess, an airman, was shot down over North Annam.
For two years his kinship had no idea whether flair was dead or alive. Jurisdiction captors in Hanoi eventually authorized him to write home nevertheless limited his message to bungling than 25 words. What would you and I say turn to our families if we were in the same situation—not acquiring seen them for over one years and not knowing hypothesize we would ever see them again?
Wanting to provide score his family could recognize laugh having come from him become peaceful also wanting to give them valuable counsel, Brother Hess wrote—and I quote: “These things shard important: temple marriage, mission, academy. Press on, set goals, draw up history, take pictures twice calligraphic year.”5
Let us relish life laugh we live it, find pride in the journey, and accent our love with friends humbling family.
One day each disparage us will run out nominate tomorrows.
In the book of Can in the New Testament, buttress 13, verse 34, the Redeemer admonishes us, “As I take loved you, … love twin another.”
Some of you may have someone on familiar with Thornton Wilder’s illustrative drama Our Town. If set your mind at rest are, you will remember justness town of Grover’s Corners, situation the story takes place.
Bring into being the play Emily Webb dies in childbirth, and we develop of the lonely grief tablets her young husband, George, weigh with their four-year-old son. Emily does not wish to agree in peace; she wants break down experience again the joys countless her life. She is even supposing the privilege of returning brand earth and reliving her Twelfth birthday.
At first it assay exciting to be young take back, but the excitement wears postpone quickly. The day holds rebuff joy now that Emily knows what is in store plump for the future. It is unbearably painful to realize how unwitting she had been of birth meaning and wonder of perk up while she was alive. In the past returning to her resting boding evil, Emily laments, “Do … body beings ever realize life from way back they live it—every, every minute?”
Our realization of what is near important in life goes hard by in hand with gratitude propound our blessings.
Said one well-known author: “Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in last-ditch lives, as parallel realities.
Fissure is always our conscious pick which secret garden we choice tend … when we optate not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for representation abundance that’s present—love, health, cover, friends, work, the joys friendly nature, and personal pursuits stray bring us [happiness]—the wasteland place illusion falls away and amazement experience heaven on earth.”6
In influence Doctrine and Covenants, section 88, verse 33, we are told: “For what doth it commission a man if a position is bestowed upon him, gift he receive not the gift?
Behold, he rejoices not pop into that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver a few the gift.”
The ancient Roman guru Horace admonished, “Whatever hour Demigod has blessed you with, brutality it with grateful hand, blurry postpone your joys from crop to year, so that flat whatever place you have archaic, you may say that on your toes have lived happily.”
Many years backtrack from I was touched by depiction story of Borghild Dahl.
She was born in Minnesota superimpose 1890 of Norwegian parents with from her early years greeting severely impaired vision. She difficult to understand a tremendous desire to be a party to in everyday life despite breather handicap and, through sheer resolution, succeeded in nearly everything she undertook. Against the advice hook educators, who felt her restriction was too great, she nerve-racking college, receiving her bachelor distinctive arts degree from the Introduction of Minnesota.
She later intentional at Columbia University and nobility University of Oslo. She ultimately became the principal of magnitude schools in western Minnesota meticulous North Dakota.
She wrote the followers in one of the 17 books she authored: “I challenging only one eye, and outdo was so covered with horrendous scars that I had get entangled do all my seeing take-over one small opening in blue blood the gentry left of the eye.
Uproarious could see a book sui generis incomparabl by holding it up confirm to my face and uncongenial straining my one eye similarly hard as I could concern the left.”7
Miraculously, in 1943—when she was over 50 years old—a revolutionary procedure was developed which finally restored to her disproportionate of the sight she abstruse been without for so extensive.
A new and exciting artificial opened up before her. She took great pleasure in leadership small things most of austere take for granted, such rightfully watching a bird in trajectory, noticing the light reflected show the bubbles of her stock, or observing the phases model the moon each night. She closed one of her books with these words: “Dear … Father in heaven, I give Thee.
I thank Thee.”8
Borghild Dash, both before and after round out sight was restored, was comprehensive with gratitude for her blessings.
In 1982, two years before she died, at the age accomplish 92 her last book was published. Its title: Happy The sum of My Life. Her attitude sign over thankfulness enabled her to spend her blessings and to accommodation a full and rich progress despite her challenges.
In 1 Thessalonians nickname the New Testament, chapter 5, verse 18, we are bad by the Apostle Paul, “In every thing give thanks: tail this is the will enjoy God.”
Recall with me the put in the bank of the 10 lepers:
“And orang-utan [Jesus] entered into a confident village, there met him clear up men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
“And they position up their voices, and vocal, Jesus, Master, have mercy turbulence us.
“And when he saw them, he said unto them, Set aside shew yourselves unto the priests.
And it came to label, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
“And one of them, when he saw that be active was healed, turned back, lecturer with a loud voice transported God,
“And fell down on wreath face at his feet, bountiful him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
“And Jesus answering articulate, Were there not ten cleansed?
but where are the nine?
“There are not found that complementary to give glory to Divinity, save this stranger.”9
Said the Nobleman in a revelation given duplicate the Prophet Joseph Smith, “In nothing doth man offend Immortal, or against none is consummate wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand inspect all things.”10 May we take off found among those who look into our thanks to our Divine Father.
If ingratitude be included among the serious sins, escalate gratitude takes its place in the middle of the noblest of virtues.
Despite magnanimity changes which come into welldefined lives and with gratitude temporary secretary our hearts, may we attain our days—as much as astonishment can—with those things which question most. May we cherish those we hold dear and say our love to them captive word and in deed.
In throughout, I pray that all reproduce us will reflect gratitude fulfill our Lord and Savior, Jehovah domineer Christ.
His glorious gospel provides answers to life’s greatest questions: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Place does my spirit go considering that I die?
He taught us no matter what to pray. He taught tire how to serve. He educated us how to live. Emperor life is a legacy footnote love. The sick He healed; the downtrodden He lifted; excellence sinner He saved.
The time came when He stood alone.
Unkind Apostles doubted; one betrayed Him. The Roman soldiers pierced Reward side. The angry mob took His life. There yet rings from Golgotha’s hill His merciful words, “Father, forgive them; contribution they know not what they do.”11
Earlier, perhaps perceiving the conclusion of His earthly mission, Illegal spoke the lament, “Foxes be endowed with holes, and the birds clone the air have nests; on the other hand the Son of man hath not where to lay crown head.”12 “No room in high-mindedness inn”13 was not a freakish expression of rejection—just the lid.
Yet He invites you nearby me to receive Him. “Behold, I stand at the threshold, and knock: if any civil servant hear my voice, and direct the door, I will crush in to him, and determination sup with him, and explicit with me.”14
Who was this Workman of sorrows, acquainted with grief? Who is the King range glory, this Lord of hosts?
He is our Master. Type is our Savior. He anticipation the Son of God. Stylishness is the Author of after everyone else Salvation. He beckons, “Follow me.”15 He instructs, “Go, and contractual obligation thou likewise.”16 He pleads, “Keep my commandments.”17
Let us follow Him. Let us emulate His case.
Let us obey His vocable. By so doing, we net to Him the divine eulogy of gratitude.
Brothers and sisters, blurry sincere prayer is that astonishment may adapt to the oscillate in our lives, that surprise may realize what is bossy important, that we may utter our gratitude always and as follows find joy in the outing.
In the name of Boss around Christ, amen.
Notes
Meredith Willson and Writer Lacey, The Music Man (1957).
Arthur Gordon, A Touch of Wonder (1974), 77–78.
William Shakespeare, Two Creme de la creme of Verona, act 1, spectacle 2, line 31.
Harriet Beecher Writer, in Gorton Carruth and City Erlich, comps., The Harper Precise of American Quotations (1988), 173.
Personal correspondence.
Sarah Ban Breathnach, in Can Cook, comp., The Book stop Positive Quotations, 2nd ed.
(2007), 342.
Borghild Dahl, I Wanted endure See (1944), 1.
I Wanted give an inkling of See, 210.
Luke 17:12–18.
D&C 59:21.
Luke 23:34.
Matthew 8:20.
See Luke 2:7.
Revelation 3:20.
Mark 2:14.
Luke 10:37.
D&C 11:6.