I am unpersuaded that relative poverty and hard work are greater adversities than relative affluence and free time.

When we give thanks in all things, we see hardships and adversities in the context of the purpose of life.

Become what our Heavenly Father desires you to become.

If we knew that we would meet the Lord tomorrow - through our premature death or through His unexpected coming - what would we do today? What confessions would we make? What practices would we discontinue? What accounts would we settle? What forgivenesses would we extend? What testimonies would we bear? If we would do those things then, why not now?

My experiences taught me firsthand that when a person is not performing well, there are many possible reasons, some not of his own choosing.

We are cast as combatants in the war between truth and error. There is no middle ground. We must stand up for truth, even while we practice tolerance and respect for beliefs and ideas different from our own and for the people who hold them.

We are overcome by the "cares ... of this life" when we are paralyzed by fear of the future, which hinders our going forward in faith, trusting in God and His promises. It is up to each of us to set the priorities and to do the things that make our soil good and our harvest plentiful.