Friend

• Ecclesiastes 4: 8-9…Two are better than one.  If one falls, the other lifts him up.  Woe unto him who is alone when he falleth.
• Proverbs 22: 24-25…Don’t become friends with an angry or furious man or you may learn his ways and get a snare in your soul.
• Proverbs 13: 20…Walk with wise men and you’ll be wise.  With fools, and you’ll be destroyed.
• John 15:13…Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
• Mosiah 24: 25…Receive family and friends with much joy
• Alma 15: 16, 18…Alma took Amulek to his own house, administered unto him his tribulations & strengthened him in the Lord
• John 15:13-14…True Friend gives up his life
• “If you had a friend who was always criticizing you, would you want to be around that person?”  You Can Heal Your Life (Louise Hay) Page 28
• … But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.
• The story of Josh and John
• “I was at a luncheon celebrating the release of my Road to 500 video, an event attended by representatives of the Philadelphia sports media. Following the speeches, Stan Hochman, a writer for the Philadelphia Daily News, cornered me, and we got into a general discussion about the Phillies organization, past and present. I told Sam I thought the organization wasn’t as attentive to details as it once had been, and that certain things—the AstroTurf, the dugouts, the clubhouses—weren’t being maintained as immaculately as in the past. I told Stan that we actually had a family of stray cats roaming under the stands after hours, and that the dugout runway to the clubhouse smelled like cat piss. Needless to say, I said this without thinking, as I should have, that he was taking it all down, and certainly without meaning to disrespect the people responsible for stadium maintenance. The next day, Stan’s Daily News article reported—accurately, I’m afraid—what I had said. That afternoon when I arrived at the clubhouse, I found a sweeper, disinfectant, and other household cleaning articles in my locker, plus a bouquet of flowers. The worst part, of course, was that I had unintentionally offended several close friends, especially clubhouse man Kenny Bush and stadium operations director Mike DeMuzio. I should have been smart enough to know that (a) the stadium was managed by the City of Philadelphia, and (b) certain friends might be hurt by seeing my words in print. I drove another nail into my coffin when I was quoted in a Philadelphia publication following my retirement as saying, “The Phillies are my team.” I meant simply that I had given my life to the Phillies—which I had. To this day, I cannot understand how anybody could think otherwise. But some in the front office evidently did. (P.S.: The dugout runway did smell like cat piss.)”  Clearing the Bases (Schmidt, Mike;Waggoner, Glen) Kindle Location  1035-1049
• Alma 17: 1-4…1  And now it came to pass that as Alma was journeying from the land of Gideon southward, away to the land of Manti, behold, to his astonishment, he met with the sons of Mosiah journeying towards the land of Zarahemla.  2 Now these sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel first appeared unto him; therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.  3 But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God. 4 And they had been teaching the word of God for the space of fourteen years among the Lamanites, having had much success in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth; yea, by the power of their words many were brought before the altar of God, to call on his name and confess their sins before him.
• Matthew, Chapter 26: 56… But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.
• “Definition of a friend: someone who says nice things about you when you aren’t around.” Charlie Brown
• “I don’t have time to worry about who doesn’t like me…I’m too busy loving the people who love me.” Charlie Brown
• “The less you respond to rude, critical, argumentative people the more peaceful your life will become,” Charlie Brown
• “Stay close to the people who feel like sunshine.” -Oliveaveboutique
• “Phenomenal Clarity of vision people gain at the end of their lives (same top 5 regrets people expressed in the last 12 weeks of life)
  1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
  2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard. (Every male patient) Felt they missed their children’s youth & partner’s companionship. 
  3. I wish I’d have the courage to express my feelings. 
  4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. 
  5. I wish that I had let myself be Happier. Realized happiness was a choice
• “Rather than being judgmental and critical of each other, may we have the pure love of Christ for our fellow travelers in this journey through life” Thomas S. Monsoon
• “[Empathy] is defined as ‘the action of understanding…and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of another. With so much pain and despondency, so much hopelessness, one thing we certainly ought to try to give [each person we serve] is the reassurance he is not alone. We should be adamant in stressing that God is with him, angels are with him, and we are with him. Empathy. Sounds pretty inadequate, but it is a place to start. We may not be able to alter the journey, but we can make sure no one walks it alone.”  – Jeffrey R. Holland
• “Elder Jeffrey R. Holland told of a young man who was the brunt of his peers teasing during his school years. Some years later he moved away, joined the military, received an education, and became active in the Church. This period of his life was marked with wonderfully successful experiences. After several years he returned to his hometown. However, the people refused to acknowledge his growth and improvement. To them, he was still just old ;so-and-so; and they treated him that way. Eventually, this good man faded away to a shadow of his former successful self without being able to use his marvelously developed talents to bless those who derided and rejected him once again. What a loss, both for him and the community!” Ensign, 2016, General Women’s Session, I Will Bring the Light of the Gospel Into My Home
• May 9, 1995 – Tuesday – Quito Ecuador… “Today was another spiritually uplifting day.  We talked with President Farnsworth for about 4 hours! …..He also explained that the “Discussions are there to wake up what the investigators learned in the Pre-mortal life.”  So the chosen are going to listen & remember only by the Spirit.  The investigators that progress are chosen, those that don’t….we shouldn’t waste our time.  He gave us a lot of advice & knowledge today…..I could see the importance of this missionary work.  We need to find the chosen – and quick!!!  I realize how important and urgent it is to inform the people.  I also realized that the Lord was telling me to get prepared to not forget the changes I’d made here in the mission and to keep growing daily – spiritually.  Man, I have a deep desire to learn more about the gospel and live it.  Now I need to apply it.  The desire doesn’t mean a thing if you don’t act on it.  I pray I can live up to the calling I have now as a missionary and plus my calling I have in my life.” – Clinton Brown Missionary Journal