Finishers Wanted

So today right after the opening hymn in Institute, the teacher likes to shake everyone's hand before class starts and sometimes he has to do it during the hymn, but after the hymn was over he came over to me and shook my hand and said:"You are a great guy. I can tell, and I don't even know much about you." Then he went about the class as normal. It was a really good class. He is really good at opening the class to us to comment, or discuss anything. We read a talk from President Monson titled "Finishers Wanted". A very good one. We ended up talking about how its not an easy thing to be a finisher. Its not easy to do all the little things right, but as we do our best we will be blessed and great things will happen to us (Alma 37:6). Then we read 1 Nephi 8:21-22, and in verse 21 it talks about how those in the vision of the tree of life were "pressing forward" to get to the tree. Then it hit me that being a finisher doesn't mean that we have to be the best, all we have to do is press forward, doing our best and repenting of our sins on our way. The blessings don't come immediately. They come after a while. But as long as we press forward we will be blessed. I really liked that.
Here is a small poem that President Monson used in his talk:

Stick to your task 'till it sticks to you;

Beginners are many, but enders are few.

Honor, power, place and praise

Will always come to the one who stays.

Stick to your task 'till it sticks to you;

Bend at it, sweat at it, smile at it, too;

For out of the bend and the sweat and the smile

Will come life's victories after a while.

-Author Unknown

On my way out of the class, Brother Soderburg shook my hand at the door again, and said:"You are a great man, I know it!"

Needless to say I left the building in a great mood!

I love Institute.