Flip-flops and Scorpions

Although I've never actually been stung by a scorpion (we don't have many in Idaho), I imagine it to be a fairly painful experience. As a young boy, Elder Kearon knew exactly what to do and what precautions to take in order to avoid being stung by one of these. However, like most of us, he disregarded those precautions because of casualness in his behavior. We see instances like this all around us. We all know that by obeying the speed limit we reduce our risk of being in a serious accident, yet how many of us speed anyway? We know that wearing our seat belts may very well save our lives, yet how many of us neglect to buckle up?

The same principle applies to our spiritual lives as well. It may not be a scorpion, but it may be a sin or addiction that we are taught to avoid. Our parents or leaders may spend hours discussing ways to properly protect ourselves from these dangers, but in the end it is our decision whether or not we will follow their council. One such "scorpion" may be drug abuse. My parents always warned us of this danger and told us that if we would surround ourselves with good influences or good friends, we could protect ourselves and put on those "shoes." I've tried to follow council such as that throughout my life and have luckily been able to avoid many of the pit-falls that claim much of today's world. It may not always be convenient or even popular, but if we'll just put on our shoes, we'll be protected from the stings in life.