In President Mckays Recent Book Ancient Apostles...

"One Builds Palaces " ¶

In President McKay's recent book, Ancient Apostles, we read: "Character is built out of circumstances. From exactly the same materials, one man builds palaces while another builds hovels." Evidence of the truth of this statement is found on every hand. ¶

In the current issue [October] of the Reader's Digest, there is a thrilling article written by Ira Wolfert entitled "The Most Phenomenal Athletes in History." I should like to quote some excerpts: ¶

"Hot Rodders indeed! Among the boys and girls who were graduated from California's Santa Clara High School in June are four national swimming champions, two of whom have broken four world records. Generally, athletes do not reach their physical peak until they are in their late twenties. But Don Schollander, Donna de Varona, Sharon Finneran and Terri Stickles were still teen-agers when they performed their amazing feats of speed, strength, stamina, and co-ordination. ¶

"What is perhaps most extraordinary is that it isn't extraordinary anymore, but representative of what today's youngsters are doing. . . . ¶

"It will be front-page news around the world this October if no new Olympic records are set at the games in Tokyo. ¶

That is because, as athletes, today's young generation is the most phenomenal in history." ¶

Mr. Wolfert goes on to say: ¶

"It's the same story on dry land. Not one Olympic track or field champion before 1932 could qualify on the basis of his winning performance for a place in this year's games. ¶

"What makes the difference? Actually there are two categories of athletic prowess measured by the records. One is inborn, a physical gift that cannot be taught, can only be perfected. The other involves normal physical attributes that have been trained to a high degree. ¶

Olympic events test both kinds of excellence. . . ." ¶

He goes on: ¶

"One night last winter, a 15-year-old boy, Bill McClellon of DeWitt Clinton High in New York City, walked into an armory and, as a novice wearing sneakers, leaped from a hardwood floor to a height of 6 feet, 7 inches. . . . This lad jumped higher in his first competition than every Olympic champion except one before 19521" ¶

He continues: ¶

"But physical genius is still a rarity. ¶

Ninety percent of our athletes have only the talent we were all born with. They have transformed the ordinary into the extraordinary by persistent training. . . ." ¶

Or in the words of President McKay: ¶

"From exactly the same materials, one man builds palaces while another builds hovels." ¶

Just two more quotes from the article. ¶

Robert Giegengack of Yale, coach of this year's United States Olympic track and field team said of some of his athletes: ¶

"They work about two and a half times as hard as they did ten years ago. . . " ¶

Finally: ¶

"Amateur athletes generally do not make a career out of their special abilities. The training involves intense, overwhelming preoccupation with oneself, and usually the athlete becomes interested in other things. But meanwhile, the revolution in training methods is giving the kids something much more valuable than a knowledge of their bodily prowess. Coach Giegengack put it this way: Not too long ago, he said, when a 'hopeless' case who obviously didn't have it tried out for one of his teams, he'd take the youth aside and gently advise him to devote his energies to something else. He no longer does that. The indispensable 'it' required for athletic success is in the mind rather than the body. Anyone can be good who's willing to work hard enough." (P. 151.) "If He is Willing to Work Hard Enough" ¶

Anyone can build a palace rather than a hovel if he is willing to work hard enough. If we applied the principles used Second Hay in making Olympic champions to all phases of our lives, the transformation in society would be just as phenomenal. ¶

The managing director of one of the largest banking institutions of England, with more than a hundred branches throughout the world, says that out of one hundred men starting on an even footing, only ten ever rise above the surface of the business, and of these ten, not more than one ever proves himself fit to hold a position of grave responsibility. He says that inevitably the cause of failure is the disposition to take things easy, to avoid the hard tasks. ¶

Life everywhere consists of hard jobs. Men tackle them, but the aimless crawler will get into his shell and decay. ¶

The great industrialist Andrew Carnegie said: ¶

"I congratulate poor young men upon being born to that ancient and honorable degree which renders it necessary that they should devote themselves to hard work." ¶

And from another pen: ¶

"There is one right which man is generally thought to possess which I am confident he neither does nor can possess, the right to subsistence when his labor will not fairly purchase it." ¶

(Thomas R. Malthus.) Someone has said: ¶

"The man who goes through life looking for something soft can often find it right under his hat." ¶

Examples of Diligence and Faithfulness Now let us turn to another aspect of life, one that is not limited by time but rather one that is eternal. Just as it is necessary for the athlete to work hard at his training and for the successful executive to work hard at his business, so it is necessary for all of us, no matter what our personal activities may be, to work hard at living the kind of lives that will build palaces and not hovels. ¶

When I was bishop of a ward, we called one of our members to be the general secretary of the Aaronic Priesthood. He was one of the finest general secretaries in the Church. He worked at his assignment. Through his thoroughness and inspired leadership, almost all of the boys earned their Aaronic Priesthood awards, became Eagle Scouts, and went on missions. ¶

I recall a former stake president whose business consistently took him far away from home a great deal of the time. He never missed his church meetings. It was often necessary for him to return home, attend his meetings that very night, and then leave again immediately. This meant traveling all night many times. ¶

Expense and inconvenience were of little consequence. ¶

I know two counselors to stake presidents who, even though away on business to distant cities, will interrupt their business trips to return just to attend to their church meetings and then return by air to their business appointments. ¶

This is the kind of devotion to responsibility that makes a champion of leaders: ¶

the women who accepts the call to be the chorister in Primary, even though she feels inadequate, and sticks at it week after week until she succeeds; the Sunday School teacher who is so interested in her class that she spends hours preparing lessons so well that even the disinterested like to come; the drama director who is so patient and understanding in teaching our people to perform on the stage; the Relief Society sister who spends hours scrubbing floors, washing clothes, serving meals for a sick neighbor; the 12,000 young men and women who are serving as missionaries throughout the world for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, young people who are giving of themselves to their fellow men, champions of the first degree; and, of course, the example of our beloved President who at 91 still does not find time to take a vacation from his responsibilities but continues to work hard without sparing himself for a moment. ¶

Just as the athletes are training so well for the Olympic competition, so are these loyal devoted members of the Church training for a far more important contest. Each in his own way is taking the same material and building palaces rather than hovels. ¶

May God bless each one of us that we may set our sights high and then be willing to work hard enough to be good, good enough to build palaces and not hovels. ¶

I bear my humble witness that Jesus Christ lives and that he directs this, his Church, through his servant and our President and Prophet, David O. McKay, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶