It's Better to Look Up

In June I attended a fireside where Elder Carl B. Cook and his wife spoke. He was sustained as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy at April 2011 General Conference. He told us about an experience he had very shortly after being called. He was at the church office building in Salt Lake, coming down the elevator. He had just been in a meeting where he was given a huge stack of papers and manuals to read and learn. His new responsibilities were kind of weighing him down. He stood in the elevator, looking down toward the floor, when the elevator stopped at one of the floors and a man walked into the elevator. But Elder Cook did not look at the person. He continued his downward gaze. Then he heard a voice say, "What are you looking at down there?" He immediately recognized the voice as that of President Monson's and quickly looked up at him. President Monson was looking down, as if to try to figure out what he was looking at.

"Oh, nothing," Elder Cook quickly answered.

"It's better to look up," President Monson said as he pointed and looked up. I can just imagine his voice saying this, in his special uplifting way.

Obviously, that is good advice for all of us. Where should we look when we are weighed down? Where should we look when we have questions? Where should we look when we need help? It is always better to look up. That is where we will find strength, answers, peace and love.