The Good Samaritan

I have noticed that the harder I work at bettering myself, it is like a gateway effect. With each good decision I make daily, I am able to recognize more promptings from the Holy Ghost on ways I can continually improve.

With the beginning of a new institute course, Parables of Jesus with Brother Peterson, I am able to observe that I am lacking somewhat in my personal study of the Book of Mormon. I am reading everyday, but I know there is more I am missing out on. I must decide to try harder.
Brother Peterson taught us about a parable from Luke 10, the parable of the Good Samaritan. He was able to give us deeper insight, and reminded us of our capability to do good for others, and how it can be a domino effect:

          Brother Peterson was telling us of a girl who he was, they were, um together in college... anyway, she was asking him about what they would do with the little money they had for Christmas. She had $9.00 and he had $12.00. So, she suggested that instead of buying gifts for each other, combine their money, and buy something for those with greater needs. Other individuals heard about what they were doing, and began to contribute money to their Christmas "fund," and pretty soon there was a ward gathering money for the homeless, there were toys donated to all of the children of those homeless families, and there were even Christmas dinners that were provided for them by another generous source.

His point was, all of this had been caused by $17.00, but soon was much more than that. He also challenged us to be "doing good in all things," like the Good Samaritan had done for a dying man in need. He had given him more than enough, being charitable in abundance.

The challenge was to do just that: to be doing good in all things, and be more than just nice. Go out of our way this weekend to be more charitable. He said that the only way to fail was to forget.

I am taking Brother Peterson's challenge to be charitable, in abundance, and working to remember to do this, in hopes of a better understanding of the parable of the Good Samaritan, and to better understand what is good and right in life.