Why Do We Make Covenants?

Here are a gathering of quotes on the topic. Those of you that attended Elder's Quorum today heard the topic discussed briefly and I came home and read up a bit on it. Hope at least one of you benefit from it.

...

The Latter-day Saints are a covenant people. From the day of baptism through the spiritual milestones of our lives, we make promises with God and He makes promises with us. He always keeps His promises offered through His authorized servants, but it is the crucial test of our lives to see if we will make and keep our covenants with Him. . . .
The fruit of keeping covenants is the companionship of the Holy Ghost and an increase in the power to love. That happens because of the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ to change our very natures. We are eyewitnesses of that miracle of greater spiritual power coming to those who accept covenants and keep commandments. . . .
Each of us who have made covenants with God face challenges unique to us. But each of us shares some common assurances. Our Heavenly Father knows us and our circumstances and even what faces us in the future. His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior, has suffered and paid for our sins and those of all the people we will ever meet. He has perfect understanding of the feelings, the suffering, the trials, and the needs of every individual. Because of that, a way will be prepared for us to keep our covenants, however difficult that may now appear, if we go forward in faith. Henry B. Eyring, "Witnesses for God," General Conference, October 1996; Ensign, November 1996, pgs. 30-33


The following is taken from We Believe, compiled by Rulon T. Burton

108. God's people are a covenant making people.

Marion G. Romney

Traditionally, God's people have been known as a covenant people. The gospel itself is the new and everlasting covenant. The posterity of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob is the covenant race. We come into the Church by covenant, which we enter into when we go into the waters of baptism. The new and everlasting covenant of celestial marriage is the gate to exaltation in the celestial kingdom. Men receive the Melchizedek Priesthood by an oath and covenant. CR1962Apr:17

John A. Widtsoe

Everyone who receives an ordinance must make a covenant, else the ordinance is not fully satisfactory. He who is baptized covenants to keep the law of the Church; he who is administered to for sickness, and the administrators, covenant to use their faith to secure the desired healings; he who receives the temple endowment covenants to use in his life that which he has been taught; he who is ordained to the priesthood agrees to honor it, and so on with every ordinance.

That places covenants high, as they should be. Knowledge of itself has little saving power. Only as it is used does knowledge become of value. The man who learns and promises to use that knowledge is of value to society. ("What Is the Need of Ordinances?" IE1948Feb:97) TLDP:117-18

President Brigham Young

All Latter-day Saints enter the new and everlasting covenant when they enter this Church. They covenant to cease sustaining, upholding and cherishing the kingdom of the devil and the kingdoms of this world. They enter into the new and everlasting covenant to sustain the Kingdom of God and no other kingdom. They take a vow of the most solemn kind, before the heavens and earth, and that, too, upon the validity of their own salvation, that they will sustain truth and righteousness instead of wickedness and falsehood, and build up the Kingdom of God, instead of the kingdoms of this world. (At Bountiful, Utah, May 17, 1868, JD12:230) TLDP:118

Related Witnesses:

Marion G. Romney

A covenant is an agreement between two or more parties. An oath is a sworn attestation to the inviolability of the promises in the agreement. In the covenant of the priesthood the parties are the Father and the receiver of the priesthood. Each party to the covenant undertakes certain obligations. The receiver undertakes to magnify his calling in the priesthood. The Father, by oath and covenant, promises the receiver that if he does so magnify his priesthood he will be sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of his body; (see D&C 84:33) that he will become a member of ". . . the church and kingdom, and the elect of God," (Ibid., 84:34) and receive the ". . . Father's kingdom; therefore," said the Savior, "all that my Father hath shall be given unto him." (Ibid., 84:38) CR1962Apr:17

Joseph Smith

All covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or expectations, that are not made and entered into and sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, of him who is anointed, both as well for time and for all eternity . . . are of no efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the resurrection from the dead; for all contracts that are not made unto this end have an end when men are dead. (Revelation relating to the new and everlasting covenant, July 12, 1843, [1831]) D&C 132:7

Delbert L. Stapley

The Holy Priesthood is accepted by an oath and covenant and is binding upon those who receive it. They obligate themselves to keep faithfully all the commandments of God and to magnify their callings by honoring and exercising the priesthood in righteousness for the benefit and blessing of mankind. CR1959Apr:109

Author's Note: Ordinances are covenants, writes Joseph Fielding Smith: "Each ordinance and requirement given to man for the purpose of bringing to pass his salvation and exaltation is a covenant. Baptism for the remission of sins is a covenantÂ….

"Keeping the Sabbath day holy is a covenant. . . . All of the Ten Commandments are everlasting covenants. The law of tithing is a form of an everlasting covenant . . . although some day we shall be given a higher form of this law known as consecration.

"Marriage is an everlasting covenant, but not as some believe, the new and everlasting covenant." (Church News, May 6, 1939; Doctrines of Salvation, 1:152-53)

. . .

113. We are to keep the sacred covenants we have made with God if we are to merit entrance into the celestial kingdom.

Elder Joseph Fielding Smith

The fate of the covenant breaker was most severe. "And the soul that sins against this covenant, and hardeneth his heart against it, shall be dealt with according to the laws of my church, and shall be delivered over to the buffetings of Satan until the day of redemption." The breaking of any covenant that our Father in heaven makes with us, is a dreadful thing. We make a covenant in the waters of baptism. Many have broken it, and hence lose the promised blessings. All through our lives we are called to enter into covenants and many members of the Church seemingly fail to realize the seriousness of a violation or to understand that punishment must inevitably follow. Solemn covenants are taken by members of the Church in the Temples. These covenants are to prepare us for an exaltation. Yet there are many who receive them who utterly fail to heed them, but presumably, they think the Lord has a short memory, or that he is so extremely merciful that he will break his promises and the punishment mentioned for the violation will not be inflicted. In this manner many deceive themselves. CHMR1:322-23

Delbert L. Stapley

Perhaps we should define the meaning and significance of a covenant. In a spiritual application a covenant is a solemn, binding compact between God and man whereby man agrees to keep God's commandments and serve him in righteousness and in truth unto the end. The gospel covenants and obligations bind Church members to obedience to laws and principles given of God which lead to happiness, love, and eternal joy. A covenant then is an agreement which includes obligations and is given as a principle with promise of blessings for obedience. . . .

Perhaps in Church assemblies today we do not stress sufficiently the importance of gospel covenants and the Saints' obligation to them. It is our duty to learn and understand the sacred and binding nature of the covenants we accept at baptism and the covenants and obligations associated with all other ordinances of the gospel found along that narrow path which leads to life eternal. CR1959Apr:107-08

Joseph Smith,

receiving the Word of the Lord

For if ye will not abide in my covenant ye are not worthy of me. (Revelation received Aug. 6, 1833, in consequence of the persecution of the Saints) D&C 98:15

Joseph Smith,

receiving the Word of the Lord

I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise. D&C 82:10

Joseph Smith,

receiving the Word of the Lord

The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which shall not be forgiven in the world nor out of the world, is in that ye commit murder wherein ye shed innocent blood, and assent unto my death, after ye have received my new and everlasting covenant, saith the Lord God; and he that abideth not this law can in nowise enter into my glory, but shall be damned, saith the Lord. (Revelation relating to the new and everlasting covenant, July 12, 1843 [1831]; law given relative to blasphemy against the Holy Ghost) D&C 132:27

Related Witnesses:

John A. Widtsoe

Everyone who receives an ordinance must make a covenant, else the ordinance is not fully satisfactory. He who is baptized covenants to keep the law of the Church; he who is administered to for sickness, and the administrators, covenant to use their faith to secure the desired healings; he who receives the temple endowment covenants to use in his life that which he has been taught; he who is ordained to the priesthood agrees to honor it, and so on with every ordinance.

That places covenants high, as they should be. Knowledge of itself has little saving power. Only as it is used does knowledge become of value. The man who learns and promises to use that knowledge is of value to society. ("What Is the Need of Ordinances?" IE1948Feb:97) TLDP:117-18

Recorded in Ecclesiastes

When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.

5. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. (Reflections of a son of David the king) Eccl.5:4-5

HYMNS Written by Prophets

Applicable to this Topic

Parley P. Pratt

Father in Heaven, We Do Believe

HYMNS:180

Father in Heav'n, we do believe

The promise thou hast made;

Thy word with meekness we receive,

Just as thy Saints have said.

We now repent of all our sin

And come with broken heart,

And to thy covenant enter in

And choose the better part.

O Lord, accept us while we pray,

And all our sins forgive;

New life impart to us this day,

And bid the sinners live.

Humbly we take the sacrament

In Jesus' blessed name;

Let us receive thru covenant

The Spirit's heav'nly flame.

We will be buried in the stream

In Jesus' blessed name,

And rise, while light shall on us beam

The Spirit's heav'nly flame.

Baptize us with the Holy Ghost

And seal us as thine own,

That we may join the ransomed host

And with the Saints be one.

SUMMER FUN (Father and Son's Campout is TONIGHT!)

Brethren,

Summertime is upon us. For the elders and the ward in general, that means lots of opportunities for service. However, in this message, it’s just the fun stuff…take a look at all the good activities we have coming up.

Announcements:

1. You and your family are cordially invited to a Traditional Hawaiian Luau, including Polynesian dancers, music, food and fun. Date: Friday, June 19, 2009. Time: 7:00pm
Location: The Carlson's Meadow, 5005 Jett Road, Atlanta, GA 30327 (directions on the invitations handed out in Church)
RSVP (very important): GLENRIDGELUAU@GMAIL.COM
Please bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on.

Thanks,
Brenda Barlow
2. I want to pass along some information about the upcoming Aaronic Priesthood Commemoration (aka Fathers and Sons) Campout on May 15-16.

We will be camping at the Lake Lanier Islands Resort. We will have a brief devotional Friday evening followed by a "dessert potluck" -- bring a snack to share. The Stake will provide some marshmallows for roasting as well. Also, the Stake will provide breakfast on Saturday morning. We can check into the campsite any time after 4 pm and check out is 1 pm. We will make arrangements to have parking passes available at the Gate House (see below), but please arrange to carpool if possible. Check in for the 1200s campsites (1208-1211).

Brother Mike Fisher passed along some additional information about the site as well as some directions to the site (see below).

Lake Lanier campsite
1) There is water
2) The bathroom is one block away
3) There are 4 pads which can take 3-4 tents each(1208-1211)
4) There is plenty of space on the beach to camp
5) You can place tents between the pads
6) The cars cannot park along the road
7) Unless the cars have a pass the cost is $8.00
8) Since this is a primitive camp, there is no pavilion
9) There is an equestrian center where you can go riding-$35.00 per hour
12) You can fish as well as go swimming on the beach

DIRECTIONS TO LAKE LANIER CAMPGROUND

Take Exit 14 off of 400 (20 East toward Buford)

Left on Peachtree Industrial (approximately 10 miles from Exit 14)

Left on Friendship Road which becomes Holiday Road (approximately 5 miles from Peachtree Industrial)

Continue straight on Holiday Road and go around traffic circle.

Stop at Gate House and present parking pass for admission into the park

Follow signs to Beach and Water Park, camp grounds, equestrian center, etc. ( left at the Clock tower)

Pass water park on the left and bear left at the camp ground sign

Bear right when you see the camp grounds registration sign. There is a green house on the left. (5 miles from Friendship Road)

Pass the bathrooms (gray building) on the left and continue on the road until you see a sign for the 1200 camp ground on the right. Drive through the gate and up the hill to park. Please note that there is no parking along the paved road or at the dumpster area.
There is additional parking at the green house and at the Equestrian Center.


3. Smyrna Ward BBQ Date: Saturday, June 6th.
Activities and Pinewood Derby start at 4:30, with dinner at 5:30
Location: Tolleson Park Pavilion and Volleyball Court, near intersection of South Cobb Drive and McCauley Road

It will be an awesome evening of fun and great food!

Cub Scouts Volunteers

The Smyrna Ward Cub Scouts are in need of some volunteers to help supervise day camp this year. Day camp is a week-long activity held at Jim Miller Park on June 8-12 from 7:45am-3:00pm. Obviously, we are not asking for anyone to commit to an entire week of help, but if you are available for any of those single days, we desperately need the help!

The commitment entails showing up for the time and shepherding about five, very willing boys through a series of activities run by other people (things like archery, crafts, etc.) Volunteers can be female or male (ask your husbands if they are available too!).

There is a brief fact sheet attached and, if you can help, there is a form to fill out that I can send you. Please respond quickly as the registration is due this week! Let me know if you can be of service.

Thanks so much. We really appreciate any help you can offer!

Ariel Partridge
(ariel.partridge@gmail.com)

Time Sensitive Announcements!!! April 14, 2009

Brethren,

We want to thank each of you for reporting your home teaching so quickly. This month, 16 of you replied within 24 hours with your home teaching results. I’m not sure you each understand how helpful that is. It was a pleasant surprise, so thank you.
We hope that each of you enjoyed your Easter and had an opportunity to reflect on the Savior and all that He has given to each of us.
We have a series of announcements this week. We appreciate your help in advance!

1. Sister Hill move – THIS SATURDAY, April 18th. More details to follow with address and time.

2. Youth baptism: THIS FRIDAY, April 17th 6:30 PM. Think back to your own baptism. I am sure that your attendance will be greatly appreciated.

3. Stake Service Activity - April 25th. 9:00 AM—Noon. Our team lead is going to be Josh Jernigan. This is a huge service project with media coverage brought in by the stake so it is important that we get some solid attendance. Several friends, neighbors, community groups, churches, and partners in Atlanta came together to plan a project where we could serve the community, work with the community through partnering, do something good for the environment by example, and have time left for our family. We will be cleaning up bike and pedestrian trails the PATH
Foundation built in Atlanta as well as a few parks through Park Pride in the vicinity of the trails.

At noon, we will finish up the work and meet for photo opps, media interviews, and a complimentary lunch around 1:00. An invitation with driving directions to the building will be given to volunteers after the work is finished at each work site. The LDS church is providing the lunch complimentary to all event partners, volunteers, media, and city officials.

4. Paige Henderson Move - May 2nd. No time yet. Stay tuned.

5. Stake Priesthood Invitation: “You are invited to a special evening of inspiration, testimony, and brotherhood. The Atlanta Georgia Stake Priesthood Meeting will be held Sunday, April 26 at 6:00 PM at the Ponce de Leon Building. We extend a special invitation to fathers and sons, and ask that all fathers invite their sons (ages 11 years and older and regardless of whether they are holders of the Priesthood or members of the church) to attend with them. Come prepared to feel the Spirit of the Lord. You will be blessed by attending. We look forward to seeing you.” --Stake Presidency.

6. New member discussions – Thanks to the sisters on Sunday, we should all be prepared to give a simple new member lesson. We will be getting a list of all those families that still need those lessons and we ask that you will be diligent in delivering those lessons as the home teacher. Thank you in advance.


Lastly, for those of you that have not yet had a chance to see the Easter video put out by the church, please take a few minutes and watch it with your family. The Atonement is what makes Jesus Christ our Savior. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpFhS0dAduc

These are the Times that Try Men's Souls

Before I get into the meat of what is on my mind, Mike Best has notified us that Costco is running a sale on their 2009 Quicken Premier money management personal software. You can purchase the program right now for $20 plus tax. (50% off). Mike has coupons for four copies. It is a valuable tool, and is easier than doing finances by hand. Most credit unions, banks and credit cards have automatic downloads of statements to make reconciling even easier. I am about 5 days late in getting this out, so hopefully he has some left. Please contact Mike if you could benefit from this: (404-368-7110)


I was tracked down by an old friend this week. We started by catching up, exchanging stories, talking about our families, and how we’ve arrived at where we are. He told me that he was in the process of moving. He felt that he was being exploited by his employer and it was taking time away from his family. He acknowledged that the pay was good and he had gained considerable experience, but was asked to work more often than he would like to do. With the current economy as a backdrop, I felt anxiety for him in making the decision to willingly change jobs when so many people are without work, working week to week, or will soon be without work. But he spoke with an optimism. He was confident in his abilities. He said that they have made conscious efforts to not live beyond their means, to do what they know they should be doing and to fulfill their callings and they have always felt comfortable financially.

As we study the scriptures, we tend to keep a study companion book nearby at all times to help shed light on what seem to be even the most simple verses. After reading Doctrine and Covenants 24: 3-9, Joseph Smith is told, “In temporal labors thou shalt not have strength.” The Doctrine and Covenants student manuals refers to Smith and Sjodahl’s commentary and explains, “The Prophet Joseph’s gifts were of a spiritual, not financial nature, but the Lord promised him that, if he would magnify his calling, he would always have what he needed. Financial ability is also a gift that can be used for the glory of God, but the Prophet was not a financier. He did not live for the accumulation of wealth. The Kingdom of God was his first and chief concern.”

It’s OK to not be “of great means.” It’s amazing how happy one can be by making the Kingdom of God a first and chief concern. At the same time, the reality is that we live in a society that requires money for food, shelter, medical care and other necessities. Often, when we are unable to satisfy even these basic needs, it become very difficult to focus on much anything else in life, including our Church responsibilities, building of the Kingdom, and strengthening the foundation of our testimonies.

1. If we find ourselves paying more money each month than we are bringing in I would challenge each of us to try to step back from our own lives ask God to help us separate needs from luxuries.
2. Take out a sheet of paper.
3. List the needs on one side of the paper and how much they are costing.
4. On the other side of the paper list the luxuries and how much they are costing.
5. Take that evaluation to God, ask Him for to help you figure out a way to make you income exceed your expense.
6. Ask for an interview with a member of the bishopric. Bring your sheet of paper with your needs and luxuries listed. Ask for their help. Most often, a new set of eyes will be able to see things that you have never been able to.
   

This video is a very simple explanation of how a very simple budget can be set up. Once you are able to set up the budget, the hard part is going to be to determine where cuts can be made. For that, I would encourage you to go through the steps above.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9uynrzqftI

Message-Ryan Inns Lesson

Time ran short on Sunday to finish the lesson. Such being the case, Ryan Inns has been nice enough to share his notes on the lesson with us all and we are copying them here. Please take time to prayerfully read through the summary.

President Peterson asked if I would give him a copy of my notes I prepared for the Elders Quorum lesson today since our time was cut short and I was not able to deliver everything I had prepared. I have also taken a little time to summarize my notes, including some topics that were already discussed, in order to connect everything in its entirety.

I started the lesson talking about how life is so unpredictable at times, and despite our greatest efforts we can never guarantee how our life will unfold itself. All of us have experienced, at one time or another, both uplifting and discouraging experiences. These experiences can be seen as peaks and troughs within our lives, and to illustrate this concept I shared a quotation from C.S Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters.

Humans are amphibians -- half spirit and half animal... As spirits they belong to the eternal world, but as animals they inhabit time. This means that while their spirit can be directed to an eternal object, their bodies, passions, and imaginations are in continual change, for to be in
time means to change. Their nearest approach to constancy, therefore, is undulation -- the repeated return to a level form which they repeatedly fall back, a series of troughs and peaks...

This quote reminds me of the ubiquitous saying, “The only thing in life that is constant is change.” Everything changes, but through the cycle of peaks and troughs we need to remember to always have a positive trend. To clarify this concept I would like to use something that Brother Alexander told me shortly after Church when he said, “It is important that when you take a step back you always counter with two steps forward.” If we try to live our lives while keeping this concept in mind, then we can count on progressing toward the ultimate goal of obtaining eternal life with our Heavenly Father.

The source of these peaks and troughs can be found in nearly everything and almost everywhere. The troughs could be as simple and innocent as a car accident where you are at fault or as serious as a death in the immediate family, while the peaks could be a promotion at work or a birth of a child. Sometimes we may have control over our circumstances, but on the flip side, we may not. Regardless of the control that we have over our circumstances, we need to remember it is how we react to change that is important. Elder Neal A. Maxell shared a keen insight regarding irony in life and how we react to it when he said,

"Irony is the hard crust on the bread of adversity. Irony can try both our faith and our patience. Irony can be a particularly bitter form of such chastening because it involves disturbing incongruity. It involves outcomes in violation of our expectations. We see the best laid plans laid waste.

"Amid life’s varied ironies, you and I may begin to wonder, Did not God notice this torturous turn of events? And if He noticed, why did He permit it? Am I not valued?

"Our planning itself often assumes that our destiny is largely in our own hands. Then come intruding events, first elbowing aside, then evicting what was anticipated and even earned. Hence, we can be offended by events as well as by people.

"At the end, meek and lowly Jesus partook of the most bitter cup without becoming the least bitter." (“Irony: The Crust on the Bread of Adversity,” May 1989).

Examples in the scriptures of this principle are numerous and range from Enoch to Joseph Smith; however, I would like to focus on examples of both Nephi and Laman. The simultaneous lives of Nephi and Laman are interesting to study because they both were raised similarly, but they nevertheless reacted differently to the same circumstances. The following table shows three examples from Nephi and Laman’s life that demonstrate different ways we
each can react to changes in our lives. While reading these passages, please note
their attitudes and how each reacted to the same situation.

Leaving Jerusalem:

• Nephi: 1 Nephi 2:16
• Laman: 1 Nephi 2:12-13

Brass Plates:

• Nephi: 1 Nephi 3:7
• Laman: 1 Nephi 3:5

Ship Building:

• Nephi: 1 Nephi 17:7-9
• Laman: 1 Nephi 17:17
  

From just these three examples the differences between how Nephi and Laman responded should be clear. Nephi, being a faithful man, trusted in his Heavenly Father and did not let worldly distractions or limitations stop him from accomplishing those things he was asked to do. While, on the other hand, Laman questioned everything he was asked to do and always seemed to respond with a negative attitude. How can we ensure that when the time comes for us to react that we will do so as Nephi? To respond in this way we must be faithful and obedient, meaning the Lord may require us to take a step into the dark and wait for His illuminating light to catch up (Boyd K. Packer, “The Candle of the Lord”).

The Brother of Jared gives a wonderful example of this principle when he was asked by the Lord to prepare means to travel to the Promised Land. After finishing the construction of the barges, instructions of which came from the Lord, the Brother of Jared was asked to perform one more task. The task involved creating a way to provide light within the barges for the entire duration of the journey, but for this task the Lord did not give the Brother of
Jared any instructions. Therefore, the Brother of Jared was required to use his own initiative, creativity, and spiritual understanding to solve the problem at hand. The brother of Jared did not let the circumstance overcome him; rather, he conquered the circumstance. By the way, what was the Brother of Jared’s solution to the light conundrum? He fabricated sixteen (two for each barge) white and clear stones, and then asked the Lord to touch them with His finger
so that the stones might “shine forth in darkness.”

Was this the only possible solution? Probably not, but it is important to note that after the Brother of Jared made the stones he approached the Lord and asked for help because he knew that he could not do it all by himself. This example shows that if we begin to do our part then the Lord will eventually step in and help in whatever may be left over to accomplish. The following quotation from President Ezra Taft Benson reiterates this idea,

"I work as hard as I can, and then I try my best to be obedient so that the Lord knows I am mindful of Him. Then, I have the faith that He will make up the difference between what I am able to do, and what I am not able to do."

The Lord may not give to us the same tasks He gave to the Brother of Jared or Nephi because those were experiences that the Brother of Jared and Nephi needed for their own salvation. Meaning, the principles and concepts they learned as they struggled through those experience are necessary for their eventual salvation. The same can be said for everything we experience. Since the Lord is familiar with each of lives, then He is able to customize and tailor
everything we experience for our eternal benefit. Brigham Young could not have said better when he said,

"Every calamity that can come upon mortal beings will be suffered to come upon the few, to prepare them to enjoy the presence of the Lord. ... Every trial and experience you have passed through is necessary for your salvation." (Discourses of Brigham Young, pg. 345)

The trials and experiences of our life shape and mold us into something far greater than we could ever imagine. The Lord in His infinite grace and wisdom understands what each of us need to experience in this life in order to obtain the divine gift of eternal life. Sometimes we resist, but we all must come to the understanding that these experiences, both good and bad, are for our benefit (D&C 24:8).

I concluded the lesson with one of my favorite quotes that constantly reminds me to do my best and not always be worried with the outcome.

"In the battle of life it’s not the critic that counts. Not the one who points out how the strongman stumbles, or how the doer of great deeds might have done better. The credit actually belongs to the man in the arena whose face is marred by sweat, and dust, and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again. Who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends his time in a worthy cause. Who if he wins knows the triumph of great achievement and who if he fails at least fails daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls that know neither victory nor defeat." (Theodore Roosevelt).