On Saturday, September 15, at 5 pm, members and friends gathered in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Petaling Jaya to listen to Hyrum W. Smith and his wife Gail speak about principles they consider essential to being successful in life. Mr. Smith is a past CEO of Franklin Covey, one of the most notable business resources for time and life management.
- Hyrum Smith fireside attendees
- Hyrum Smith group
- Hyrum Smith meeting Sister Ho
- Hyrum Smith presentation
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One of the attendees, Royce, said, “He captured me with his stories. Language differences were minimized as he was able to engage us and teach his message.”
Mr. Smith taught that we all have multiple responsibilities from providing to nurturing to teaching in family, church and community circles. He stated: “While none of us is perfect, we have the ability to improve and achieve the highest level of success in our various responsibilities. If we don’t believe that we are capable, we can not achieve the success we desire in any of our roles.”
Next, he spoke of the emotions that drive us to perform our responsibilities. He simplistically divided our motives into three tiers.
- The lowest is fear or a feeling that “I have to. . . .“
- The next level is duty or a feeling that “I ought to . . . .”
- The highest level is love or a feeling that “I want to, or I get to . . . .”
He said, “We all function day to day under the influence of all three emotions. To be most successful and happy, we should try to function at the highest level.”
He described a moment of epiphany as he pondered character development. He has always considered Jesus Christ as the perfect character, a true example of manhood. He decided over a course of weeks to identify 100 traits of the Master and illustrate them with events from His life.
Three he mentioned were: Jesus was a good listener; He noticed others; and He exhibited mental toughness, which he illustrated with a story:
Shortly after the September 11, 2001 bombing of the New York World Trade Centers, he was invited to speak to a group of people who were seriously affected by the tragedy. When he stood to speak, a man cynically challenged him about what he could say to make things better. He reached out to the group with empathy, but also boldness and told them, “Pain is inevitable; misery is optional.” While we mourn the tragedy, it is imperative to begin to move forward. The fatalities would want that for us.
Gail A. Smith, added a poignant personal memory. In the small community where she grew up, there was a creek that ran behind her house. She would visit a secluded, wooded area beside the stream to ponder and pray. That was where she believes she came to know God. She encouraged attendees to remember circumstances from defining moments that give meaning and purpose to their lives.