Brother James Ritchie just sent the students out a letter of what we'll be talking about in class today. It was so awesome I thought I'd share it with ya'll. :)
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Below is my Life Lesson for the weekend and a note home to my kids, grandkids, and friends..it focuses on what I want to talk about in class this week. Ponder it and be prepared to challenge me if you think I'm being too hard on the 'normal' leaders who make up the masses of people called and presently serving in many parts of the world and Kingdom. Does it describe you? Does it describe the leader you aspire to be?
My Dear Family and Friends,
Why do I love reading about William Wilberforce (the hero of Amazing Grace)?
Why do I love reading Captain Moroni or Ammon stories?
Why do I love reading Gordon B. Hinckley stories?
What did I respect most about Ronald Reagan?
Why do I love reading about Churchill, Eisenhower, Patton, MacArthur, Golda Meir, Lincoln, Washington, John Wooden and Nelson Mandela?
Why do I love reading Jack Rushton?
Why did I record nearly everything David B. Haight taught me?
Why? THEY WERE LEADERS!!!
And WHY were they Leaders? Why did they stand out from the crowded podium of the many others who are 'called' or 'appointed' to be leaders but never seem to end up much nearer to Zion?
The Answer, in my opinion, is that those who REALLY become our Leaders and Heroes and Role Models identify with a GOOD CAUSE and then they distinguish themselves 'fighting' for that GOOD CAUSE with an inward driving force that eventually differentiates GREAT leaders from the rest. That driving force of Leadership has CAUSED Jack Rushton to excel as a Quadriplegic on Life Support for over twenty years; William Wilberforce to never flinch or quit fighting for the freeing of the slaves for over fifty years; Churchill to never, never, never give up on the CAUSE of saving freedom for the British people and the world; Mandela to survive 27 years in prison and then peacefully defeat Apartheid; Pres. Hinckley to add over 100 new temples to the world landscape; John Wooden to create a basketball legacy that inspires all aspiring coaches; Ammon and Capt Moroni earned the right to represent the scores of other great leaders of the scriptures who identified their great CAUSE and then even today still motivates every bright future missionary to know the secret weapon of missionary work - which is to identify a CAUSE and then work their hearts out to take those they lead to HIGHER GROUND; David B. Haight's CAUSE was his missionaries who needed to learn the formula for their future leadership opportunities, to 'get their education, make their mark and get prepared to build the Kingdom'; Eisenhower, Patton, MacArthur, Meir, Washington and Lincoln were just a few who became Leaders by using a WAR of freedom as their CAUSE.
Perhaps "War" best describes the CAUSE that is the baseline of nearly all great LEADERS, not necessarily a 'killing' war but instead a WAR (or Passion) for - or against - something and by so fighting for that CAUSE they will take a quorum, a class, a Scout Troop, a ward, a stake, a mission, a campus, a community and especially a family... to that Enoch inspired Higher Ground called Zion.
May that lofty CAUSE capture all of us and may we limit our beach time and our wasted time and instead make all of our time, sacred time - committed to a CAUSE, any CAUSE that will inspire the next generation to leave their beach front comfort zones and join the CAUSE of preparing themselves and others for HIS RETURN...may it happen quickly - and may it find each of us at our post, buried in HIS good CAUSE.
Mahalo from the north shore's enticing beaches - the CAUSE of the masses - ha.
bro Jim
