by David E Bay, High Councilor

On Wednesday, January 17, I had an appointment. Unfortunately, that morning Brigham City got hit with a big snowstorm. When I finally got myself together enough to leave the house, I was dismayed to see that snow covered the driveway. With the idea of making my job easier, I decided to just pull my car out of the garage and cross the driveway into the street without shoveling. It worked well until I got to the gutter in my little car and bogged down to a total stop.

Due to the snow, I couldn’t get the car to move forward or back. I ended up spending a lot more time and energy digging and shoveling and pushing and putting down ice melt and still not making progress. I enlisted my sweetheart to drive the car while I tried to push but it was still to no avail. It wasn’t until Ever Sevilla came along with his son Jordan and added a lot more muscle power to what I had to offer that we were able to get the car back in the garage. I do have a four-wheel-drive truck, but it was useless because the car was blocking it from getting to where it could do anything at all.

Eventually, I got to my rescheduled appointment. I am supposed to know a lot better than how I behaved that day.

I made a bad decision by feeling rushed and in a hurry. Despite knowing better, I didn’t stop and take the time to do things right.

I hope you can learn from my mistake and decide that it is always appropriate to do things right even if we feel rushed for one reason or another. All too often, shortcuts do not pay off in the end.

We need a better example than my behavior. My Grandad was a great storyteller. The next story is one of my favorites that he told. (The following is a summary of the tale as shared by Elder Shayne M. Bowen at BYU Provo in November 2018.)

Once, at an old country fair in England, farmer Smith was looking for a boy to work on his farm. A sixteen-year-old boy caught his attention, but when asked what he could do, the boy replied, “I can sleep when the wind blows.” Though the answer wasn’t awe-inspiring, something about the boy’s gray eyes intrigued him, and he decided to give him a chance.

One night, a storm hit, and the strong winds woke up Farmer Smith. He needed the new boy’s help to secure the farm’s buildings and animals. However, when he went to wake the boy, he found him sound asleep. In desperation, he went out to check on the cows, pigs, and haystacks, only to find that the boy had already taken care of everything. Wires had been thrown and weighted down on the haystack, chinks had been filled in the cow and pig pens, and the animals were all safe and sound.

Then, Farmer Smith realized the true worth of the boy’s answer. He could sleep when the wind blew because he had already prepared for it. From that day on, the boy became one of his most valuable employees, and Farmer Smith learned an important lesson about being prepared before disaster strikes.

“This young man displays what to me personifies character, honor, and integrity,” Elder Bowen said. “Regardless of the circumstances, he would be prepared. His word was his bond.”