A Favor for Ourselves

We often see the familiar picture of parents and teachers pleading with young people to improve themselves, to learn their lessons, to make the most of their lives. And because of this sincere anxiety on the part of parents, young people may sometimes assume that they are doing teachers or parents a favor by learning their lessons, by improving their lives.

In one sense this is true. It is true that much of the measure of a parent’s success and satisfaction is found in the happiness and success of his children. It is true that much of a teacher’s success is found in the lessons that his students learn. But in another sense, it is a peculiar paradox that parents or teachers should so much, so long, so patiently have to plead with young people to make good use of their lives for every effort they make, all the knowledge they acquire, every lesson they learn is for their own everlasting advantage. And in doing what they should do and in learning what they should learn, they are doing a favor for themselves.

Leaving for the moment the matter of prodding and persuading young people, may we look briefly at another side of the subject: Sometimes we may think that we have done someone else a special favor if we live according to law. Sometimes we may think we are doing the Lord God a special favor if we keep His commandments. And it is true that it would please Him to have us do so, for His declared purpose is to bring to pass the happiness and peace and everlasting progress of His children. For this cause were the commandments given, and for this cause He has patiently repeated them through His servants the prophets. But in keeping them, we serve first ourselves-no matter what we may do for others besides ourselves. And in breaking them we do injury to ourselves, no matter what we may do to others besides ourselves.

It is a great virtue to love and to please parents; it is a sincere satisfaction to a teacher to see a lesson learned; and it is good to keep the commandments for the approving favor of our heavenly Father. But in all this pleasing of others, in all this learning of lessons, in all this keeping of commandments, we do immeasurable service for ourselves. And others shouldn’t have to plead with us so much or labor with us so long to persuade us to do what we ought to be anxiously doing as a favor for ourselves.