Never Throw Anything In Anger

To my son,

                In his recent talk in general conference, President Nelson related this shocking story: “During my surgical internship many years ago, I assisted a surgeon who was amputating a leg filled with highly infectious gangrene. The operation was difficult. Then, to add to the tension, one of the team performed a task poorly, and the surgeon erupted in anger. In the middle of his tantrum, he threw his scalpel loaded with germs. It landed in my forearm! Everyone in the operating room—except the out-of-control surgeon—was horrified by this dangerous breach of surgical practice. Gratefully, I did not become infected.” President Nelson concluded, “But this experience left a lasting impression on me. In that very hour, I promised myself that whatever happened in my operating room, I would never lose control of my emotions. I also vowed that day never to throw anything in anger—whether it be scalpels or words.” It is hard to imagine a doctor that would throw his dirty knife across a room with many people in it! President Nelson could have become very angry himself because of this terribly inappropriate behavior of the surgeon, but he didn’t; instead he committed to never do anything similar. We all have experiences that make us feel upset and angry—the key is to try to learn to respond with patience and love and kindness even if that’s not what we feel like doing. The writer of Proverbs said this thousands of years ago: “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). That is great wisdom for us still today. Though we will make mistakes, you and I should strive always to give a soft answer instead of grievous words no matter what the circumstance.

                In his talk President Nelson also said this: “One of the easiest ways to identify a true follower of Jesus Christ is how compassionately that person treats other people.” The most important way that we show the Savior that we want to be His disciple is by showing love to those around us, especially to those who might make us upset or hurt us or offend us. In the Sermon on the Mount the Savior said, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Those are hard words to live by! But I know that true happiness comes from cultivating love instead of hate, showing kindness instead of animosity, giving service instead of getting revenge. This reminds us of the Savior’s words to His disciples at the Last Supper: “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). He taught His disciples that right after He washed their feet, and it seems that He even washed the feet of Judas who was about to betray Him. Later that night when the armed multitude came to take Him from Gethsemane and arrest Him, Peter in His defense cut off the ear of a soldier named Malchus. Luke recorded, “And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him” (Luke 22:51). He healed the ear of this man who was their to help illegally arrest Him—clearly He lived by the words He taught to love even His enemies. I hope that we can try to always follow His example of love and service as we interact with each other in our family and with others around us. Remember, like President Nelson learned, “never to throw anything in anger—whether it be scalpels or words.” 

Love,

Dad