185. Inspirational Thoughts from various places.

I like to read several inspirational things each day -- I subscribe to LDS Living, Meridian Magazine, and Latter Day Light Devotion, which come free to my e mail each day.  I also receive some blogs when their authors write one.  Today I want to put together some small parts which I have saved, thinking we all would enjoy reading them -- So here are a few various thoughts -- 

On June 2, 2014, I took this from Latter Day Light Devotion, which was an incident during "Zion's Camp" in Church history -- I find this very interesting!

To subscribe to this newsletter visit www.latterdaylight.com

1834 - Zion's Camp ferried across the Illinois River. They had been threatened by their enemies, but there were no problems. They encamped on the bank of the river. They visited several of the ancient burial mounds built by the ancestors of the Native Americans in the area. On top of one mound, the brethren dug the "depth of about one foot, discovered the skeleton of a man, almost entire, and between his ribs the stone point of a Lamanitish arrow, which evidently produced his death. . . . subsequently the visions of the past being opened to my understanding by the Spirit of the Almighty, I discovered that the person whose skeleton was before us was a white Lamanite, a large, thick-set man, and a man of God. His name was Zelph. He was a warrior and chieftain under the great prophet Onandagus, who was known from the Hill Cumorah, or eastern sea, to the Rocky mountains. . . . He was killed in battle by the arrow found among his ribs, during the last great struggle of the Lamanites and Nephites" (History of the Church, 2:79-80).  (The vision was given to the Prophet Joseph Smith.)

Here is another excerpt from Latter Day Light Devotion:

Latter Day Light DAILY DEVOTION _________________________ Stand By and Maintain its Principles Nauvoo, Illinois July 2, 2014

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY: Doctrine & Covenants 101:77-78 "According to the laws and constitution of the people, which I have suffered to be established, and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles; that every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given unto him,  that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment. QUOTE OF THE DAY:   John Taylor   "By and by, you will find they will tear the Constitution to shreds, as they have begun now.  They have started long ago to rend the Constitution of our country in pieces; and in doing so they are letting loose and encouraging a principle which will react upon themselves with terrible consequences. . . . But we will stand by and maintain its principles and the rights of all men of every color, and every clime.  We will cleave to the truth, live our religion, and keep the commandments of God, and God will bless us in time and throughout the eternities that are to come" (The Gospel Kingdom, p. 310-311). The following are thoughts taken from an article by Rodger Dean Duncan:   (written July 7, 2014) Stephen Covey: A Legacy Of Humanity And Wisdom Next week marks the second anniversary of the death of my good friend Stephen R. Covey. It triggers a flood of memories. I first met Stephen in the late 1960s when he and his brother John and I were faculty members at Brigham Young University.    Many of the ideas found in his colossally popular 1989 book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People came directly from his research and teaching experiences. It was interesting to witness the evolution of Stephen’s teachings. For example, Habit 4 of the 7 Habits started out as simply “Win-Win.” Then Stephen added a single word that made all the difference: “Think Win-Win.” To help create an outcome that was genuinely a “win” for both you and the other party, he reasoned, you must invest as much energy in the other party’s win as your own.  In addition to 7 Habits, Stephen authored several other bestselling books – including First Things First and Principle-Centered Leadership.  Relationships, he often said, are really the why for mortality – whether with family and friends or colleagues and acquaintances. Years later, when his corporate speaking fee was in the tens of thousands of dollars, I asked him to speak pro bono at a community event.  I was honored to introduce Stephen that night, and I still remember his advice to parents: Focus on what unites, not what divides. Unconditional love is vital for family health (“How do you treat the child who tests you the most?”) Forgive those who sin differently than you. Stephen’s signature 7 Habits book has been named the number one most influential business book of the Twentieth Century.  But his most valued titles were husband, father (nine children), grandfather (52 grandchildren who called him Papa), brother, neighbor, and friend. A clue to how grounded he was is the story of the time he was on an important business call and one of his young children wanted attention. So while he talked on the phone, Stephen let the child have play time by piling peanut butter and jelly on his bald head. One might call the incident a win-win. Stephen met with kings and presidents and titans of business. But he treated everyone with the same appreciation and dignity. My friend Stephen was never flippant. He never exhibited an air of superiority, pretense, or inflated ego. He took others, but not himself, seriously. He was a man of marvelous intellect, abiding faith, and humility not often found in a person whose name is famous in dozens of languages. Stephen Covey Quotes: The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities. Management works in the system. Leadership works on the system. You can’t talk your way out of a problem you behaved your way into. Our ultimate freedom is the right and power to decide how anybody or anything outside ourselves will affect us. It’s easy to say “no” when there’s a deeper “yes” burning inside. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. Be a light, not a judge. Be a model, not a critic. If our life ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster. Rodger Dean Duncan is the bestselling author  Follow him on Twitter @DoctorDuncan