One Little Quote

“It doesn’t matter what you know, it only matters what you do.”  That thought has been going through my head all week.  We had an amazing Sacrament Meeting on Sunday and in one of the talks given by one of our missionaries he repeated three quotes that were his favorites.  One of which came from his father who would go downstairs hours after his mother asked her son to do a chore and he did not do it and tell that boy to do that chore.  The missionary would always say, “I know, I know,” like a typical teenager and his father’s reply was always, “I don’t care what you know I only care what you do.”

I know the scriptures and I know how to read them, but am I reading them and more than that am I living them?  My daughters know about modesty and purity but are they acting upon it when they are away from home and at school?  Sam knows how to be a good friend and a good student but is he doing it when I am not looking?

My niece Molly was over today and I was thinking on this when she climbed up to our big bar and sat down in between Sam and Steph.  They were having a piece of jelly roll so she wanted it too.  They were using a big fork so she wanted one too.  When she heard Suzy singing downstairs, the master of karaoke…yes, Molly wanted to play diva too.  Molly is almost two and like most two year olds she wants to do what everyone around her is doing too, including mimicking everything her brothers or cousins say, good or bad, cute or grownup.  I guess that is where the “It doesn’t matter what you know, it only matters what you do,” comes in with her. 

Let’s suppose my kids were throwing rocks through windows and calling the neighbors names when Molly was here.  You can bet your breatches that she would want to too.  Or how about something even more realistic…suppose my kids were fighting and calling each other names, not completely impossible I assure you, then what would Molly want to do?

Now Molly is only two, well almost two, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work the same way with everyone around us also.  I can say and say and say again that I have a testimony of the Savior, I can stand up at that pulpit at church during testimony meeting or preach to the youth in Young Woman’s that Jesus Christ loves me and loves them, but if I don’t behave like someone who is loved by their Savior and I don’t love them like their Savior does, then what difference does that make?  What do they know from my actions?

I guess that I need to try a little harder.  Politicians say one thing and do another.  They are the kings and queens of saying one thing and doing another.  Very few in fact live what they say and what do we do as a people?  We roll our eyes and complain to our neighbor but then we vote them right back in again.  Why do we do that?  Perhaps over the years we have learned that it is alright to say one thing but do another.  Heck isn’t that how the world is run?  So why should we expect them to be any different?  Why should we expect ourselves to be any different?

Why?  Because “It doesn’t matter what you know, or say, or claim to believe, it only matters what you do.”  The whole concept of who we are and who we are perceived as in reality is in what others see us do.  And probably the most important One of All is in what He sees us do, the Savior.  Now can you honestly say that as your children go to sleep at night do they know by your actions what you stand for?  Do they know in your actions that you love the Savior?  Do they know by your actions that their Savior loves them?  See how one little quote could get me thinking all week.  I guess that I have a lot of changing to do and a lot more of stepping up to the plate to do, so to say.

I think that I could almost see the Savior with the most tender smile but all too knowing expression on his face saying to me, “It doesn’t matter to me what you know…It only matters to me what you do.”  One to sleep on tonight, ponder tomorrow, and do better at every day thereafter.