For those who can see, a significant proportion of the information we process comes into the brain through our eyes. It follows that much of the time, the conclusions we come to are based on what we see. Unfortunately, similar to the way many may show favor to one race car over another just because of its color and racing stripe, many of us make value judgments about others because of their appearance.
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A certain man who enjoyed running decided to enter a race in his area to see if he could give a decent accounting of himself. He registered for the race and drove into the hills just after daybreak on the appointed day. When he arrived, he frowned and checked the location in the ad again. No one else appeared to be there. But this was the right spot supposedly.
No, there was one other person. She walked up to him.
“Here for the race?” she asked.
“Yes, can you direct me—”
“This way.” She motioned and walked away. The runner followed. In seconds they stopped at a white line across a path. The woman drew a pistol, pointed it in the air, and fired.
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Often, when we’re sleeping comfortably, we don’t like to be disturbed. And we especially don’t like the lights turned on because it’s too much for our dilated pupils. When I was in elementary school, just about every morning my mother would switch on the bedroom light and call cheerfully, “Up and at ’em!” I probably grumbled about that routine more than once.
Light of a different sort—divine light—can be shed on us in varying amounts over time. A little bit of correction from a caring family member, friend, or leader can decrease the darkness in our lives a shade. The Lord may send a message through the Holy Ghost or the scriptures that increases the clarity of our sight. His prophet, apostles, or missionaries may preach in ways that significantly increase our understanding. Sometimes that light comes a as a blatant and even urgent warning. But how do we receive that light? Do we embrace it, take it in, let it illuminate our steps—or do we fight against it and tell its Source to cut it out and leave us alone?
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A young boy decided he wanted to show his mother that he loved her, so he asked his dad for some money to buy her some candy. Knowing that his wife’s favorite treat was a Belgian chocolate bar and therefore cost more than a Milky Way, Dad gave his son several dollars to be sure to cover the purchase. They walked down to the grocery store, where the boy insisted on doing this himself while Dad waited outside. So Dad told him the name of Mom’s chocolate bar and where to find it.
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A prodigious young entrepreneur, though from affluent circumstances, set out on his own and created a company from scratch. This startup went from modest beginnings to a multibillion-dollar venture within a matter of a few years. Not content to use his quickly growing means for his own benefit, he invested in his employees’ development, made community-building partnerships, and donated cash to good causes. In particular, he became interested in and then driven to end homelessness in the city where he lived and his company’s headquarters were located.
At the height of his success, he sold his company and retired to a beautiful mansion in an upscale neighborhood situated on the hills overlooking the city.
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The Weekly Parable 