Persistence
by Shauna Gibby

Dazed, bruised, bleeding, and humiliated, Dr. Talmage was not convinced that the difficult maneuver was beyond his skill. Rather, he was stubbornly determined to prove that he could and would master the difficulty.

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Thought:

That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do—not that the nature of the thing has changed, but that our power to do has increased. (Heber J. Grant, quoting Emerson)

Song:

“Choose the Right Way,” Children’s Songbook, p. 160.

Scripture:

And we know that all men must repent and believe on the name of Jesus Christ, and worship the Father in his name, and endure in faith on his name to the end, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God. (Doctrine and Covenants 20:29)

Lesson:

Cut two semi-circular arrows. When put together they should form a circle as well as point to each other. Label one instruction and the other practice.

Show a picture of a famous basketball player to your family. Tell them to imagine that the famous ball player is coming to their home. He is coming to teach them everything he knows about basketball: dribbling, passing, shooting, blocking, and much more.

They watch him carefully and listen to everything he says. But that is not enough. He tells them that they have to practice everything he teaches them. So they begin to practice every day. He agrees to come and watch them practice. When he sees something they need to improve on, he stops them and gives more instruction. Then they practice again.

This continues day after day. He gives them the help they need, and they practice diligently each move he teaches them. Put up the arrow labeled instruction. The first step in becoming good at something is receiving instruction from someone who is already experienced. Put up the next arrow, labeled practice, to form a circle. The second part of becoming good at something is to practice what we have been taught. As we practice we receive more instruction to make us even better. Then we practice what we have learned. This is a cycle which repeats itself over and over.

Another word for practicing, or trying something over and over, is persistence. (Beth Lefgren and Jennifer Jackson, Sharing Time, Family Time, Anytime, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1992], p. 62.)

Story:

“The Result Was Spectacular” John R. Talmage

While serving as president of the University of Utah, James E. Talmage learned to ride a bicycle for transportation. Some time after James had achieved reasonable proficiency in handling his machine on standard roads, he showed up at the front door one evening a full hour late for dinner and scarcely recognizable.

[His wife, May,] nearly went into shock, for her husband was a frightening sight. Battered, bruised, and bleeding profusely, clothes torn in a dozen places and covered with dust and mud, James looked as though he had been caught in a riot, or at least a fight of unusual violence. Neither, it developed, had been the case. Half a block from the Talmage home a single-plank footbridge crossed the ditch of running water that separated the street from the footpath. Until now, James had dismounted when he reached this point in a homeward journey, and crossed the narrow bridge on foot. Today, he had decided that he had reached the point in his development as a cyclist where he should no longer resort to this prudent maneuver, but rather ride over the bridge in the manner of an accomplished veteran of the two-wheeler.

Having so decided, James approached the bridge resolutely, confident that he would negotiate the tricky passage in a manner to be proud of and to impress neighbors, if any should chance to be watching, with his skill and casual daring. He turned sharply from the road toward the bridge with scarcely any diminution of speed. The result was spectacular and observers, if any there were, must indeed have been impressed, but in a very different way from that intended. The professor’s bicycle went onto the plank at an oblique angle and quickly slid off the side, throwing its rider heavily into the ditchbank.

Dazed, bruised, bleeding, and humiliated, Dr. Talmage was not convinced that the difficult maneuver was beyond his skill. Rather, he was stubbornly determined to prove that he could and would master the difficulty.

For the next hour, the president of the University of Utah might have been observed trundling his bicycle fifty yards or so down the road from the bridge, mounting and riding furiously toward the plank crossing, turning onto it with grim-lipped determination—and plunging off it in a spectacular and bone-shaking crash into the rough ditchbank. Uncounted times this startling performance was repeated, but in the end mind triumphed over matter, will power over faltering reflexes, and the crossing was successfully made. Not just once, but enough times in succession to convince James that he was capable of performing the feat without mishap at any time he might desire to do so. From then on, he never again dismounted to cross the bridge, albeit he never made the crossing without experiencing deep-seated qualms which he kept carefully concealed from any who might be watching. (Jay A. Parry, Jack M. Lyon and Linda Ririe Gundry, Best-Loved Stories of the LDS People, vol. 3, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 200], p. 164-5.)

Activity:

Set up an obstacle course using chairs, tables, broomsticks, or other items. Select someone to walk blindfolded from one end of the obstacle course to the other. If he touches any obstacles he must start over, but someone will give him verbal directions through the course. Let each family member try the obstacle course. Explain that the more you try it, the easier it gets. (adapted from George and Jeane Chipman, Games! Games! Games!, [Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 1983], p. 163.)

Refreshment:

Zucchini Bread

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

3 eggs

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 cups zucchini, grated

1 cup walnuts, chopped

Grease well large 8x4-inch loaf pan or 2 small 7x3-inch loaf pans. Set aside. In large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Set aside. In separate mixing bowl, beat eggs until light and foamy. Add oil, sugar, vanilla, and zucchini; mix well. Add flour mixture and mix just until moist. (Overmixing causes tunnels and a coarse texture.) Fold in nuts. Pour into prepared pan or pans. (Pans should be about two-thirds full.) Bake at 325 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes for large loaf or 35 minutes for small loaves, or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Do not overbake. Serves 10 to 12. (Lion House Classics, [Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 2004] p. 88.)

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