Quote of the week:
One person can make a difference and everyone should try.
John F. Kennedy

After spending the time to read and watch the assignments this week, there were two that really had a profound affect on me.  The first was Elder Holland's talk, "Are we not all Beggars?"  I learned from Elder Holland that no matter what you have or do not have we are all responsible to help others.  My favorite story was the story about President Monson giving the shoes off his feet to help those in East Germany who had nothing.  We are responsible to help when and where we can and it seems like we may be able to help more than we do. 
The second address was from Elder Gay, I've never heard this before and I didn't even really know who Elder Gay was until this video but I felt the Spirit while listening to his remarks.  Elder Gay talked about what the purpose of business is really for. It's not to make men or their companies rich, it's not even so men can help others to get notoriety or recognition, it is simply to rescue others who could otherwise not rescue themselves.  God allows us to create with the talents he has given us and then gives us opportunities to rescue others. 
As I think about the temple and the covenants I made there and then I try to apply the things that Elder Gay taught it makes everything we do, even down to the way we make money seem so much more meaningful if we will use it for it's righteous purposes.  To rescue others.  As Elder Gay says, "We need to understand why God has put us here in America and not in Darfore."  The story he told about the little 14 year old girl who watched so many horrific thing happen in her young life was unbelievable, she is just one of so many who need to be rescued in this dark world.
I also really learned a lot from Elder Gay's lesson on why the plates were held from Joseph Smith for so many years.  He needed to make sure Joseph was not only willing but able to understand the purpose of the plates and that he was not tempted by the peculiar treasure that they were and that Joseph was not tempted by any monetary gain.  We also can learn from this in our own lives, before we can receive the full assistance of the Lord in our business we need to not only be willing but able servants to prove ourselves worthy to assist others according to the will of the Lord.