If God does not bring it, the Earth will not give it. In the mystical experience the soul is emptied and wholly lost in God, but this is actually not conceived as a union with the Godhead. The soul and God remain distinct in substance, although they are joined by the glue of love. Through man’s love flowing up to God and through the downward movement of God’s grace, the two become united. We can purify ourselves through prayer and be illuminated by the divine mercy, which will allow us to gain a continuing union with God through love. This love is nourished by concentrating upon God, to the exclusion of mutable things. Great things are brought about and burdens are lightened through the efforts of many hands anxiously engaged in a good cause. In the American Midwest, the size of a typical family farm is 450 acres of land. Americans, thousands of years ago, were encouraged and inspired through their cooperative energy to transform the barren desert wasteland into the fertile valleys we have today. We are the beneficiaries of their collective vision and industry. However, things were not always easy for them. Sometimes their tools would break and they would be so low on food that they would have to spend days in bed, packing their bodies tightly in order to stay warm and eat less food. They weaken themselves deliberately. #RandolphHarris 1 of 6

Human hibernation was a physical and economic necessity. Lowering the metabolic rate prevented hunger from exhausting supplies. Only when our testimony transcends what is in our mind and burrows deep into our heart will our motivation to love and to serve become like unto the Savior’s. A belief in work ought to be a thing of beauty. Virtually every success story involves someone or some group working harder than their peers. Bill Gates was addicted to his computer as a child. So was Bill Joy. The Beatles put in thousands of hours of practice in Hamburg. Joe Flom ground away for years, perfecting the art of takeovers, before he got his chance. Working really hard is what successful people do, and the genius of the culture from that hard work give people a way to find meaning in the midst of great uncertainty and poverty. Without cohesive nations and tribes that we can become fully attached to, we become creatures of longing and dissatisfaction. Today, our lives are dictated by memories of things past rather than by the perception of things present. We have often elected those who promised a return to a former, superior moral order. We must exemplify in our lives specific virtues, such as an attitude of gratitude, a longing for learning, a devotion to discipline, and a willingness to work. #RandolphHarris 2 of 6

Our yearning for moral order makes us want to connect with leaders who actually articulate how we might get there and what we might have to sacrifice to attain the comfort that comes with collective moral purpose. Our choices are always given to us in some sense, and as long as they are going to be given, why not have them given to us by God, by traditions that hold warehouses of stored wisdom, rather than by Gallup polls? Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God. We are relentlessly searching for something meaningful and seeking to flee the ravages of globalism and conformist individualism through the reclaiming of righteous and simple ways. In any community of Saints, we all work to serve each other in the best way we know how. Our work has a higher purpose because it is work to bless others and build the Kingdom of God. We all have life events that, when we recall them years later, acquire new and important meaning. #RandolphHarris 3 of 6

The revival of interest in basic institutions (such as family and community), and the search for historical roots are all signs of a search for more secure moorings and longer-lasting values in a shifting World. The urge to return to the ole ways, the old tribes and localities, is the urge to protect oneself in an era when everything and everyone is up for grabs. The joiner finds momentary or even lifelong peace and comfort. Safely ensconced, this individual is buffered from society, becomes permanently somebody. We are blessed with a great and noble heritage that offers a pathway to truth that veers dramatically from the so-called ways of the World. We need to remind ourselves about the value of our heritage so we do not underestimate its worth. Stand tall, stop hiding in the corners, and proclaim the treasured teachings of our common heritage, not with a spirit of pride or boasting but with a spirit of confidence and conviction. Something about which many of us are most proud is how our forefathers, through their faith in God and their industry and perseverance, turned places that nobody wanted into beautiful cities. Our Father in Heaven has given all of his children everything they have—their talents, their abilities, their material goods—and has made them stewards over these blessings. Let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God. One that loves not knows not God; for God is love. #RandolphHarris 4 of 6

It is our understanding of the principle of love that encourages us to give generously. May the Lord continue to bless us with the desire to love one another. Work is just as important to the success of the Lord’s economic plan as the commandment to love our neighbor. The courage to pursue the main mission in life, which is to love well, and to stay healthy and true to that commitment no matter how difficult it might be. When we risk being ourselves, we can master our greatest interpersonal fears. At the same time, we forge healthier, more rewarding alliances with others. Caring, concern, and a healthy connection to the people in our lives may be the strongest indication that we are well-adjusted, mature adults. In a survey seeking information on what contributes most to psychological well-being during adult years, almost 70 percent of the survey respondents rated their families as the most important thing in their lives at present; slightly more than one-third felt their jobs were most important. When asked what experiences from the past were most beneficial, respondents ranked marriage and family first and second. A loving family is, for most of us, the place where we feel comfortable in disclosing ourselves, where we care enough to exercise compassion during conflict, where we can risk being autonomous in relating, and where we are first called upon to find our sources of personal power. #RandolphHarris 5 of 6

It is within our families—whether they be made of blood bonds or never emotional bonds—that we can most easily learn the lessons of interpersonal effectiveness, which carry over into every relationship we undertake. Although confronting our shortcomings in relationships is painful and embarrassing at times, the alternative is worse: people in midlife who do not work at better relationships end up isolated and disenfranchised from themselves. In contrast, people who hone their capacity to be first-class relaters reap unanticipated benefits. Increased ease with others, greater happiness with ourselves, and a deeper understanding of humanity are the bonus prizes of interpersonal effectiveness. The rewards garnered are also the basis for spirituality; connection with others is the first step toward the connection with the greater whole that united us all. Interpersonal effectiveness is also a key component of personal integrity, which is defined in part by how much we respect the integrity, which is defined in part by how much we respect the integrity of others. Most important, as we continue to grow and mature as adults, strong interpersonal skills ensure that we attract warm, caring people as our companions on the journey of life. #RandolphHarris 6 of 6