Alma 47-49

Quote "Be true to your own convictions. You know what is right, and you know what is wrong. You know when you are doing the proper thing...We need not fear as long as we have in our lives the power that comes from righteously living by the truth."

~President Gordon B. Hinckley

Question "The Lamanites did no want to go to battle against the Nephites, but they also did not want to displease the king (Alma 47:2). Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted to do the right thing, but were afraid you would displease someone? Why is it always better to do the right thing than to worry about what others might think of you?"

This is tough for me, because I think when you are young, it is harder to stand strong, because you aren't really sure who you are, and you desire acceptance, even if it costs you. I have this discussion with my son all the time, because I see him saying and doing things that he wouldn't normally say or do to make his friends like him. I always tell him that the only person it is important to please is Heavenly Father. I think as you get older, this gets a little easier, but that's not to say that situations don't come up that you still have to deal with these hard decisions.

Right now, we are kind of faced with this kind of decision in our office. We are dealing the insurance companies that are trying to say how the patient should be treated, when they have never even met this person, they have only collected all their money. They are not paying the Dr.'s fairly at all, and they are not doing what is in the policy holder's best interest. The right thing to do is if all Dr.'s would stand together and say "enough of this, we are not going to take any insurance company that does not treat the Dr. and patient fairly." However, if we go this route, it will upset many patients, and we will lose many patients that will go to a Dr. that still accepts their insurance (because, let's get real, there are always businesses that are desperate enough to take whatever they can get).

Although these decisions may not be life or death, these can be very difficult situations, and in some cases there is not a clear cut right or wrong answer. So, being prayerful about these decisions is so important. To pray to know what is the right thing to do, and secondly, praying to have the courage to do the right thing! Even if this is a hard thing.....the only "real happiness" comes from keeping the commandments of God!