Comment

Waiting for “Mr. Right”

I am twenty-nine years of age and unmarried. I have been an active member of the Church since my baptism at age sixteen.

When I reached marriageable age, I assumed that all I needed to do was wait for “Mr. Right” to come along and then get married. So I developed a waiting habit. After a long day at work, I would lounge at home in front of the television, feeling too tired for outside activities. Eventually, loneliness would overtake me, and then, in desperation, I would consent to a date with someone I had no real interest in.

I finally decided one day to do what our leaders have often encouraged us to do—get involved in life, rather than just contemplating it. I enrolled in an institute class and faithfully attended. I got tickets to the local symphony and took a different friend to each concert. I went to Church activities and got involved in service projects I had formerly passed up.

A daily study of the Book of Mormon and the New Testament (for Sunday School class) fit easily into my schedule. I started attending ward choir more regularly, and I became a substitute teacher in Relief Society in addition to my regular Church calling.

Since I made the decision to get involved, my life has been happier, my energy has increased, and my loneliness has disappeared. The gospel does provide a foundation for an abundant life; we only have to get out and DO IT!

Claudia Green
Mesa, Arizona

Pass It On!

I have consistently seen articles in the Ensign on sharing the gospel with others. Although I now live in the Salt Lake Valley, I lived in southern California for twenty-five years. My ward there, the Canoga Park Ward, had established an outstanding missionary program. Each Sunday, a ward member was given a Book of Mormon. During the week, that individual would write his or her testimony inside the book and give it to someone that he or she felt might be moved by it. In sacrament meeting the following Sunday, the individual would tell about his or her experience in passing on the book, then give a book to another ward member to share the next week. The pattern was repeated each Sunday.

I don’t know how many people were baptized as a direct result of this activity, but I do know of some that were reactivated.

Boyd Olson
West Valley City, Utah

Keep Office Relationships Businesslike

After reading the September 1990 issue of the Ensign, I feel compelled to write. In one article you talk about excommunication and in another about how men should be nicer to women at work. But I feel we need an article on what I perceive to be one of the biggest problems—relationships between men and women who work together.

I know of several people who have been excommunicated after having extramarital affairs with co-workers. It’s really no wonder. Most people probably spend more waking hours with their co-workers than at home with their families. Adding to the problem is that companies often require a man and a woman to travel together.

Another problem is the number of activities that go on outside the office. My husband has always had bosses who feel good relationships are important in the office, so whenever the men get together to play golf or tennis after work, the boss invites the women to come along. And many companies have coed sports teams, so co-workers not only spend their days with each other, but two or three evenings a week practicing and playing.

Yes, men should treat women well at work, but we must stick to businesslike behavior. Flirting is rampant in the work force, and so are extramarital affairs. We need to be on our guard.

Name withheld upon request