Treasures in Heaven: Fifteenth Book of the Faith Promoting Series, Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day Saints — John Shaqi
Treasures in Heaven: Fifteenth Book of the Faith Promoting Series, Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day Saints
Religion
Treasures in Heaven: Fifteenth Book of the Faith Promoting Series, Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day Saints
Eskildz, Niels P. L., 1836-; Lambert, Mary Alice Cannon, 1828-; Service (Theology)
It may be inferred from this that he is working under high pressure,
to spare so much time from his own absorbing affairs to devote to this
charitable work, as well as to be under the financial tribute that he
is in this connection, and indeed he is. He probably inherits from his
father (who was a man of unusual energy, mental and physical,) his
capacity for work. There is no doubt about his feeling better for the
strenuous life that he is leading, and especially for his gratuitous
work. He has been heard to remark that he has found no good and safe
place to stop at, as any lessening of his efforts in the voluntary work
for the good of others that he has undertaken, results in a perceptible
diminution in the good spirit that he has enjoyed in recent years,
and in his growing worldly-minded in a corresponding degree. His is
a nature that is not satisfied with anything mediocre. He craves the
best, and is naturally thorough and whole-hearted in that which he
does, and has a keen sense of both enjoyment and suffering.
He has learned what many others fail to learn: that happiness depends
less upon what we receive than what we give, less upon what we have
than upon what we do; less upon what others do for us than upon what we
do for them; and that we can adopt no more certain means of securing
happiness for ourselves than that of seeking to make others happy. Life
never was so full and rich and satisfying to him before as it has been
in recent years, for he never did so much for others, and never before
exhibited so much unselfishness.
He objects to being classed as a rich man, because, notwithstanding
his interests are rather extensive, he has invested a large amount of
borrowed money in an industry which involves a good deal of risk, and
yet, with good fortune in his favor, may yield a handsome profit.
Well, if he is not rich he is certainly enterprising, and deserves to
be rich, and never was in less danger from being rich.
Wealth is a comparative term, anyhow. If he is not rich compared with
some who are very wealthy, he is compared with those who have little or
none of this world's goods.
If, with the risk he is taking, he still finds time to devote so
much unselfish attention to others, dead and living, how much more
creditable than if he labored for selfish ends! And how much more of
a sacrifice he is making than if he had converted all his surplus
property into government bonds, the income from which would insure him
a living without care on his part, and then only gave his time to the
cause of humanity.
He has again married--this time in God's own appointed way, to one
who is full of faith--and two lovely children have come to grace his
home--the first living children he has had. He takes an optimistic view
of life, and never felt that he had so much to live for.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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