Stubborness

We were driving up Eagleridge drive the other day when a car came from the left on Cynthia way and drove right in front of us. I put on the brakes and avoided an accident. Your grandmother asked me why I didn't honk the horn. I replied that I was more concerned about stopping than sounding the klaxon. 

I then repeated to her a quote from my youth.

In this grave lies Willie Gray
He died while maintaining his right of way
Although he was right as he sped along 
He's just as dead as if he were wrong.

This is Stubbornness

Stubbornness is a good quality to have if used in the right way. A better term would be persistence. Stubbornness denotes inflexibility and like Willy Gray it can end up in disaster or even death. 

You will come in contact with stubborn people in your life. They're inflexible in their thinking and may bump up against you and want to interfere with your agency. They are controlling and manipulative in their behavior and actions. Even if they are in the right, if they understand the gospel, they will allow you the freedom to make your own choices. 

The right way to interact with people is with persuasion and gentleness and love unfeigned.

Persistence is a good quality to cultivate, but do not be stubborn. 

Now let us talk about being right. We see in the news almost every day where people try to use coercion because they think they are right. I have addressed coercion here
 
Recent events show that if a state wants to pass a law that other people without the state to do not like they get up in arms and get the media involved and try to coerce that state into changing their law because the people without the state do not agree. They do not think that other people have the right to disagree with what they believe is right. 

When I was growing up my brothers and I often would complain that things were not fair. As I have matured, I have realized that we cannot have everything fair or perfect in this life. Elder Holland said that if everything were fair in this life Jesus would not have been crucified.

Thus what you think is right may not be, unless it comes from the Lord. Even then we may not infringe our will upon the rights of others, especially if we are doing it in a controlling manner. 

We may end up like Willy Gray and die spiritually while trying to steady the ark and maintain our insistence on being right. 

Do not be so determined that you are right that you do not allow for the fact that others may have differing opinions and use the gospel of Jesus Christ and the revealed word as your standard.

Love,
Grandpa