A few months ago, the More Good Foundation built the GordonHinckley.com website. As I helped research content for that site, I read the following quote in Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley which stood out to me:
There is a loneliness in all aspects of leadership. . . It was ever thus. The price of leadership is loneliness. The price of adherence to conscience is loneliness. The price of adherence to principle is loneliness. I think it is inescapable. The Savior of the world was a man who walked in loneliness. I do not know of any statement more underlined with the pathos of loneliness than His Statement: ‘The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head.’ (Matthew 8:20).
In general conference today, Elder Craig Zwick encouraged us to stand for right. But, as we do so, he said that we may be standing alone for a while. Elder Neuenschwander gave examples in general conference about righteous individual in a crowd. He reminded us about Alma, who was one of the priests of the wicked King Noah in the Book of Mormon. Alma stood up and spoke out in favor of the prophet Abinadi. When King Noah sought to kill him, Alma fled, and started the Church of God among those people. Elder Neuenschwander also gave the example of the one woman in the crowd who touched the hem of the Saviour’s robe and was healed. In Nephi’s dream of the tree of life in the Book of Mormon, a multitude of people partied in a great and spacious building. They mocked a small number of people who had arrived at the tree of life and were partaking of it’s fruit, which symbolized the love of God.
Standing up for something often means standing alone. Moral leadership often does not have followers at first. Doing what’s right is usually not the popular position. However, in time our examples of standing for right can help others draw the strength they need to also stand up. I’m grateful for courageous people who I have observed standing as moral leaders, and the strength they have given me through their example.
Posted on April 6th, 2008 by Nathan Gwilliam
Filed under: Ethics, Faith, Jesus Christ, Leadership, Life Lessons
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