A short story told by Dieter F. Uchtdorf in his talk entitled, “You Are My Hands” given in April 2010. It is a great example of two brothers showing concern for each other rather than having a mine, mine, mine attitude.
In a world that most mothers only dream about, instead of hearing shrieking screams of MINE! MINE! MINE!
a mother hears sweet words of, “You take it, I insist.”
Unfortunately, no matter how hard we try to teach our children all about sharing and kindness, it can still come down to plain ole self-discipline in order to overcome certain tendencies of selfishness. Selfishness is a weakness of the natural man that even as adults, we sometimes struggle with.
The story I’m about to share with you is a story of compassion. It is a great example of how to have concern for the welfare of your fellow man rather than having a mine, mine, mine attitude. This is a tale of two brothers whose love for each other overpowers any thought of selfishness.
Pres. Uctdorf shared this story in his talk entitled, “You Are My Hands” in April 2010. You can find his talk HERE.
There’s an old Jewish legend that tells of two brothers, Abram and Zimri, who owned a field and worked it together. They agreed to divide both the labor and the harvest equally.
One night as the harvest came to a close, Zimri could not sleep, for it didn’t seem right that Abram, who had a wife and seven sons to feed, should receive only half of the harvest, while he, with only himself to support, had so much.
So Zimri dressed and quietly went into the field, where he took a third of his harvest and put it in his brother’s pile. He then returned to his bed, satisfied that he had done the right thing.
Meanwhile, Abram could not sleep either. He thought of his poor brother, Zimri, who was all alone and had no sons to help him with the work. It did not seem right that Zimri, who worked so hard by himself, should get only half of the harvest. Surely this was not pleasing to God. And so Abram quietly went to the fields, where he took a third of his harvest and placed it in the pile of his beloved brother.
The next morning, the brothers went to the field and were both astonished that the piles still looked to be the same size.
That night both brothers slipped out of their houses to repeat their efforts of the previous night. But this time they discovered each other, and when they did, they wept and embraced. Neither could speak, for their hearts were overcome with love and gratitude.
I’m told the greatest teaching tool we have is to live by example. May we each strive to overcome any selfish desires within us and develop a character of love and compassion towards all men that we may teach our children to do the same. Imagine what a better place this world would be.
Let us also be ever mindful and compassionate of those around us who are in need not only physically, but emotionally as well. We each face times in our lives when we need to be reminded that we are not alone. Be that someone that lifts others up and gives them a reason to keep going, gives them a reason to hope for better days to come and hope in mankind. Be sure and listen to this song and watch the touching video You Will Be Found by BYU Vocal Point by Clicking HERE.
Stories are a powerful way to teach gospel principles. The Savior is a great example of this as the scriptures are filled with stories and parables that He taught during His ministry. Be sure you are kept aware of all the newest short stories that are shared here in Melanie’s Library by signing up for inspiring resources to be delivered right to your inbox! Sign up today 🙂
Yours truly,
