Would To God That It Were True

Today I was reading on Gospelink.com and I came across a book by Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone, called Commitment.  At the end of the last chapter is written a beautiful quote by "Honest Abe" (Hint -- Our Fifth US President):
   
"[Elder Featherstone] once heard president Harold B. Lee quote Abraham Lincoln in about these words: If a man had a tightrope and stretched it across Niagara Falls, then he commenced to attempt to cross the tightrope, carrying in his arms everything you treasured as priceless and dear, you would not be yelling at him trying to get him to lose his balance and fall. You would be kneeling and praying with all of your soul that he would make it. So it is with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Every soul on the earth who has heard the message ought to kneel and pray with all his or her heart that it is true. They ought to say, "Would to God that it were true."  


Wow.  He truly understood what we as members believe, and more importantly, what we value most in this life.  I just thought I'd share that, because it isn't every day that you hear a US President say something of this nature.  Gratefully, I know that the message that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shares with the world is, in fact true.  That knowledge of course came only through a leap of faith, much like the one described by Pres. Lincoln.  (mormon.org)  

LOVE CAME KNOCKING

By Mabel Jones Gabbott

(An awesome poem I found from the Improvement Era, 1944)

LOVE came knocking at my heart,
But found therein an angry word,
With riled resentment built around,
So that his knock could not be heard.
Faith touched my shoulder one bright day,
But I shrugged on, quite unconcerned;
I had no need of God, I thought,
And faith walked by and never turned.
Peace sang her tuneful melody
Into my soul. I heard too late,
For I was brooding o'er a wrong
And heaping fancied hurt on hate.
Now love is gone, and faith is lost,
And peace is far away and frail.
Dear God, another chance, I pray,
And vision that I may not fail.

This poem teaches me not to dwell too much on my mistakes as to miss the opportunities that invite me to forgive myself and to ultimately let love in.  Good lesson.