The Power Pole Perspective

In the Saturday Afternoon Session of the October 2016 General Conference,  Elder Quentin L. Cook spoke of a power pole on his father's ranch. This power pole was given a rather prominent position in the center of one of the main vistas of the ranch. Elder Cook noted this to his father, complaining that the power pole ruined the view. His father replied "Quentin, that power pole is the most beautiful thing to me on the entire ranch!" He then explained that the power pole meant that we wouldn't have to light candles or oil lamps and that he could use electricity to cook his food and pump water to the cabin. That power pole was a reminder of his blessings, which is probably a big part of why he said "I want to see that power pole right in the middle of the view window."

We, too, have things that seem unpleasant to us, but which bring great blessings. Many of our trials meet that description, as do some of our callings and/or service opportunities. These things are ultimately of great benefit to us, but temporally, they seem to merely get in the way. Instead of seeing our trials as eyesores spoiling our views of life, we can use them as reminders of the blessings we have that make life easier. Seeing our trials as blessings, or at least as means by which we can obtain blessings, can help us improve our attitudes about them.

Since we are all going to have trials and obstacles in our lives anyhow, it is a good idea to find ways to look at them more favorably and to learn to see them from a more positive perspective, thinking not of how ugly they are or how much they get in the way, but of how beneficial they are and how many blessings they bring into our lives. No one is exempt from trials. We will all have power poles on our ranches. However, those power poles and the energy they bring into our lives can be wonderful things. We just need to practice looking at them that way, so we can improve our perspectives and see our trials in a more positive light. Elder Cook's father had the right idea. Rather than focussing on the negative things in our lives, we need to focus on the positive things they bring into our lives, so we can be grateful, even for the power poles that spoil our vistas.