TRULY Looking for the Good

I am currently taking a class on the Presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This week we read and talked about Howard W. Hunter, the 14th president. I was really impressed with the sincere love he had for Christ, his family, and even for those he met only briefly. My teacher (Lawrence Flake) related a story to us from Elder Huntsman's point of view. Unfortunately I don't know where to find the story so I will attempt to tell you what happened in my own words.

President Hunter, age 85 (source)

Elder Huntsman was driving when he passed by President Hunter's home and felt impressed to stop by and see how President Hunter was doing. Elder Huntsman inquired, and President Hunter replied that he had just though ill of someone and because of that thought he felt physically sick. President Hunter asked for a blessing to help him overcome the thought.

Can you imagine being so sensitive to the Holy Spirit that you are physically affected when you so much as think a bad thought about someone else? I am inspired by President Hunter to be more Christ-like, to look for the good in others.

 President Uchtdorf reminds us that we can choose to look for the good:

Dieter F. Uchtdorf (source)

"We have a choice. We can seek for the bad in others. Or we can make peace and work to extend to others the understanding, fairness, and forgiveness we so desperately desire for ourselves. It is our choice; for whatever we seek, that we will certainly find." (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Looking for the Good", Liahona, March 2011, 4–6)

President Hunter exemplifies the person just described. He chooses to look for the good. In the same talk, President Uchtdorf said:

"There is no end to the creativity, ingenuity, and tenacity of those who look for reasons to criticize. They cannot seem to release their grip on grudges. They gossip and find fault with others. They nurse wounds for decades, taking every opportunity to tear down and demean others. This is not pleasing to the Lord, 'for where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work' (James 3:16)."

I do not want to be like that. I am reminded of the children's song, "When I am Baptized" (Children’s Songbook of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 103).

"I like to look for rainbows whenever there is rain
And ponder on the beauty of an earth made clean again.

I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain.
I want to be the best I can and live with God again.

I know when I am baptized my wrongs are washed away,
And I can be forgiven and improve myself each day.

I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain.
I want to be the best I can and live with God again."

I want to be clean. I want to be the best I can.