Influence

• Alma 14: 6…When a sinful person comes to realize the negative effect he’s had on others, his soul will be harrowed up under a consciousness of his own guilt and will be circled about by the pains of Hell
• “It is natural to assume that when we don’t appear to be doing ‘excellently’ the perfection process is not working. But the exact opposite may be true. Our moments of greatest stress and difficulty are often the times when the refiner’s fire is doing its most purifying work….I am addressing primarily a need for perspective. I do not mean to diminish the value of serious commitments to personal achievement and responsibility…But the striving must be to find out God and to accept fully the experiences he knows will enlarge our souls. The trouble with modern pursuits of excellence is that they can become a striving to please other people, or at least to impress them or to seek their approval. A desire for such approval is not all bad, especially among Church members, who generally reserve their approval for accomplishments having positive value. But other people are not finally our judge, and making too much of either the affirmative or the adverse judgments of others can actually undermine our relationship with God and our development of sound values” (Broken Heart, 97-99)
• “Priesthood men stand and deliver. They exercise righteous influence. Men who would enjoy such influence kneel to learn the will of heaven and then walk the earth to bring to pass the mysterious but marvelous ways of God.” (Men of Influence, 60-61)
• “There are two influences in the world today and have been from the beginning. One is an influence that is constructive, that radiates happiness, and that builds character. The other influence is one that destroys, turns men into demons, tears down, and discourages. We are all susceptible to both. The one comes from our Heavenly Father and the other comes from the source of evil that has been in the world from the beginning seeking to bring about the destruction of the human family. We will all be tempted; no man is free from temptation. The adversary will use every means possible to deceive us; he tried to do that with the Savior of the world without success. He has tried it on many other men who have possessed divine authority….”Teachings of Presidents of the Church: George Albert Smith, Chapter 18: Stay on the Lord’s Side of the Line
• “Emotional inheritances are quite different. They are composed of the values that you experienced and absorbed from your parents, grandparents, and other important people in your life. These people of influence may have taught you these values explicitly, or perhaps you picked them up simply through living around them and interacting with them. It is this emotional inheritance (added to and enriched by your own life experience and living example) that you will pass on to your family and other people you know, whether or not you leave anything amounting to a financial inheritance. This emotional legacy is no less than the sum total of your life experience as evidenced by the values by which you lived. Values such as work, faith, philanthropy, and honesty. You received an emotional inheritance from your parents or grandparents while they lived. Your own children and grandchildren are receiving theirs from you right now.” Beating the Midas Curse, by Perry L. Cochell and Rodney C. Zeeb, Page 46
• “People are usually more convinced by reasons they discovered themselves than by those found by others. Blaise Pascal, 1657. Beating the Midas Curse, by Perry L. Cochell and Rodney C. Zeeb, Page 95
• “It’s hard enough to make changes when we want to, but to try to make someone else change when he or she doesn’t want to is impossible, and it can ruin a good friendship.” You Can Heal Your Life (Louise Hay) Page 56
• “The very nature of our lives bears witness of what we believe and teaches all who come within our sphere of influence.” (Harold G. Hillam, Ensign, Nov. 1997, 64)
• “There is one responsibility that no one can evade. That is the effect of one’s personal influence.” (David O. McKay, Ensign, May 2004, 20)
• “There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don’t care who gets the credit.”  Ronald Reagan
• “Brother Chad Webb, from CES, noted this tie between empathy and those who distance themselves from the Church:  “They are stepping away because [they] see issues through a certain set of lenses — often through the lenses of not fitting in or through heartbreak or unmet expectations. If we answer their questions without empathy, without understanding the context, we may not provide the help they need. Even worse, if we are dismissive, judgmental, or defensive, we will lose their trust and the opportunity to have a positive influence in their lives.” Brother Webb suggested that understanding why people say or do things is more important to our ministry than observing what they actually say or do.”  – President Scott Smith, San Clemente Stake Conference, June 13th, 2021