Moving Along

I received a forwarded email from my cousin in South Carolina, smiling when I read through “the things that have changed in one hundred years.” For instance, the average age expectancy in the U.S. in 1906 was 47 years. Yikes.

Apparently, only 16% of the American population had an indoor bath tub at that time. Women washed their hair once a month, on average, using borax or egg yolks. The number one killers in the U.S. were pneumonia and influenza. Sounds like lots of fun, huh?

Then, comparing the swift changes within the past couple of decades or so, it becomes interesting on a different level. By way of example, my daughter shared with me a conversation she and her husband had just the other night with a younger friend, one who is ten years younger than they.

When he explained how a classmate had texted his entire list of friends about a graduation issue, he was shocked to learn that my daughter and her husband had no capability of texting when they were in school. Wow, his head would really reel to learn that there were no computers to use when I was in school! There were no blow dryers for hair. There were no cell phones.

We have been moving right along in the technology sector in recent years, haven’t we?  And we have made astounding progress in this past one hundred years. It is amusing to learn that at the turn of the 20 th century, one statesman moved to pass a law to close the patent office because, in his words, “there was nothing left to invent”!

Along with the restored gospel, we have seen amazing advances in every way. Could it be more than coincidence that so many blessings have come to us because men and women have been inspired in their creativity, their science experiments, their abilities to build upon things from the past? Not content with things as they are, they focus on a better way of doing things, a more simple approach to a complex problem, a means of consolidating time and energy to make progress or to add beauty or another “fix it” to the world.

Because of their discontent, feeling that there are better things ahead, bright scholars, inventors and scientists have provided intense technology at our fingertips, cures for diseases, and medications and procedures to prolong the quality of life as well as life expectancy.

Females have every imaginable choice with which to wash their hair these days. And most are washing (indoors, in a tub or shower) that head of hair every day of the week! People we know and love are living longer and better because someone acted on an inspired thought, put forth the effort, and utilized their time and energy to do something good within the medical field or some related service arena.

Knowingly or unknowingly, those who come up with great new things are participating in adding glory to our Father in Heaven. Their wise use of intelligence adds more intelligence to that which they already have, and add to Father’s as well. This is the way Elder Robert L. Simpson described it:

For behold, this is my work and my glory — to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39.) This tremendous scripture summarizes in one sentence the sum and substance, the purpose, of all creation.

When I was young, I always assumed it would be impossible for God to participate further in the great process of eternal progression. After all, he was perfect. All knowledge was his. He had indeed overcome all things. But understanding this scripture, I now know that he is capable of further glorification or exaltation. Indeed, he is added upon through the success of his children. Your failure or my failure diminishes his possibilities. Our success in righteous endeavors adds further glory to his name. Should not that be the perfect motivation? It is perfect because it is without selfish interest.” (Ensign, March 1977.)

What things, small or large, might we contribute in the way of adding to our Father’s glory? In what ways may we do better, think better, exercise our agency — and intelligence — to build upon good things and add to eternal possibilities? Whether it takes a moment of brilliant deduction to effect a good change, or years of labor in order to bring to pass an important contribution to the world, our forward movement is the important thing — adding to our intelligence and adding glory to our God.

How many young people reading this column will invent a marvelous technology, write a beautiful song of praise [on a keyboard right in their own room, perhaps], rid the world of some illness, create a new way of doing an old thing and make life easier for millions?

Or, how many will place a phone call and lift the burden hanging on another’s shoulders? How many will create good will in their school, neighborhood, or town by being the one whose word is good, and whose integrity is sound? While one may invent a “taste good” medicine for children with chemotherapy, another may invent a great shampoo that makes a tired worker feel refreshed at the end of a hard day. It’s all good!

There are lots of ways in which we may move along. While our society advances in leaps and bounds (and struggles more and more with dark elements of poor choices and the adversary’s influence), we may absolutely be part of the solution rather part of the problem. Each of us has something to offer that matters.

Elder Marvin J. Ashton shared these wise words, “I am convinced of the fact that the speed with which we head along the straight and narrow path isn’t as important as the direction in which we are traveling.”

We just need to keep moving along!