What Constitutes a Successful Life?

What Constitutes Success in Life?

[In the September Era, 1911, we promised to send the Improvement Era one year to each of the three persons who should give the best answer, in not more than 400 words, to the question, "What, in your opinion, constitutes a successful life?" The invitation to write brought to the editors' table a largenumber of articles for which we hereby tender thanks to the authors. We print the three answers which we consider best. If the authors will please send to the associate editor their present addresses, their Era subscriptions will be extended one year. — Editors.]

BY JOHN S. SAGERS, FORMERLY PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN MISSION.

One may answer the above query by saying, he who owns a large farm, stocked with horses, cattle, and farming utensils, supplied with capacious barns and granaries, ornamental lawns, trees, and a beautiful dwelling. In the estimation of another, he who possesses a large bank, with thousands at interest, has attained success. Still another may think the historian, the politician, or' the minister, are the successful ones. But a man may own either one, or all, of these possessions, and then his life be unsuccessful. For aught we know, he may have become the owner of his large farm, with all its improvements, by fraud and dishonesty. The banker may have secured his wealth surreptitiously. The man who has won fame as an historian, a politician, or a minister, may have done so by chicanery and deceit. Therefore, in reality, they would not possess that which they are reputed to possess. An honest man who fails to reach the acme of his ambition may be more successful than his dishonorable colleague, who reaches it. Oftentimes this is the case. To be truly successful one must devote his whole life to duty, no matter what it costs. He must steadfastly adhere to principles of nobility and truth, although they call him to wade through tribulation knee-deep. He must be willing to bare his bosom to the assassin's dagger, if duty demands it.

544 IMPROVEMENT ERA A man may be ambitious, and then be unsuccessful. He must couple his ambition to tireless energy. Humiliation, wedded to determination and effort, is the keynote to success. Success is not built up in a moment, but constant effort is necessary. It strike^ me that no one ever attained success in a moment, or an hour. It life time. requires the constant labor of a One must arouse every energy, summon every latent power, and develop them for the better of humanity, to be able to say, "I have been successful." Thoroughness is indispensable to the man who wants to be successful. Napoleon won his great battles by anticipating every contingency, and by preparing for every emergency. In the battle of life, one must ever prepare himself for glory, honor, and immortality. He can only do this by living his best self every day. He who, in taking a retrospect view of his life, can say, in the words of President Joseph F. Smith, "I have been true to every covenant I have made with the Lord, with the Saints, and with the world," has been successful in the strictest sense of the word. If you, when looking over your past life, and weighing your conscience, can say, "I have betrayed no trust, violated no obligation, nor counseled any man so to do," your life will have been n success.

BY Z. N. DECKER

"Man is, that he might have joy" (Lehi). In my opinion, a life in which happiness predominates is, to some extent, successful. But successful lives are of varying degrees, almost as numerous as is the number of lives that can be called successful. One man is successful in one way, another in another. Much that appears to be success, however, does not always add to the conditions that make up a successful life, but, in many cases, detracts therefrom. Often a man's wealth, or ability to accumulate, is thought to spell success. The getting of knowledge is also considered success. A man may possess the wealth of Croesus, or the knowledge of the "Son of the Morning," and yet his life be far from successful. Both wealth and knowledge contribute to success, or detract therefrom, according as they are properly obtained, and are rightly or wrongly used. "But, before you seek for riches, seek ye first the kingdom of God. And after ye have