This I Believe

If I could sum up what I believe in a single sentence, I think it would this: I believe in the future. This is the star which has guided my life, and I have tried to instill this faith in the future of our children so that my contribution to progress may continue. It is difficult to decipher what the All Mighty’s plan for us may be, but that there is a plan I am certain. And I believe that I can best fulfill that plan by striving to live in accordance with the best there is in me. This striving is the one that counts—looking ahead and reaching forward. Without that urge, I believe that you and I might still be living in caves, hunting our food with clubs and stones.

I believe in the youth of our nation. For three decades, I have devoted all I can of time, effort, and money to young people’s groups and youth organizations. I believe that they are our brightest hope and promise for the future of America. I therefore feel that I should dedicate myself to their training with unstinting devotion. The psychologists define character as the will to do. I believe my task is to direct that will into constructive channels. We are born with great potentialities for either good or evil. And which direction these energies takes is pretty much largely due to environment. I do my best to supply patient, loving parental guidance, an upright home atmosphere, and contribute all I can toward maintaining good schools, churches, and wholesome community activities. I believe that in this way, I can forge one of the small but important links in the chain that holds the door on the forces of evil that work against all that is good in this world.

I believe strongly in doing something positive about the things which I hold dear. Divorce and broken homes, it seems to me, is one of the biggest problems with which we modern Americans are faced. I believe that through my own conduct, I must help set an example that my friends, neighbors, and business associates can point to as propaganda for a good and complete life that marriage holds for us all.

I believe that the teaching profession is held in disregard by many, but belief without action or participation certainly makes for no change. I believe, therefore, that I must seek the problem out and take part in helping to solve it. In our dynamic Southern California area, where we have been enjoying a population and building boom—an industrial growth that is almost without precedent in the history of this country—I believe that I see too few churches here to administer to the spiritual needs of our people and our neighbors. I believe that I must speak out as positively and constructively as possible so that I as an individual may make some contribution to this need, rather than sit by and simply complain about it.

Finally, I believe that I must continue to attack and attempt to solve these problems in simple and active fulfillment of my God-given responsibility and the privilege of being my brother’s keeper.