Learning to Serve, Love, and Live - Silski, Lawrence Joseph

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Résumé :
Larry Silski grew up in Chicago during the Great Depression and postwar era. Motherless at age six, he led a fairly nondescript, aimless, but typical life: he served in Japan during the Korean War; worked odd jobs; and hung out with friends. Meeting his German immigrant sweetheart transformed his next 54 years into a meaningful life of love and service. Helga became his best friend, and they did everything together. They successfully raised two children, 11 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren-all of whom he considered his greatest legacy. His personal conversion story to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints persisted through five decades and has inspired countless people to lead a life dedicated to serving their faith, their families, and their neighbors. In his own words, he offers a compelling rationale for narrating his life's work and summarizes uplifting lessons of hope and faith for happiness in life: I write this personal history for the benefit of my posterity and hope that it will be of interest to them, and that they will have an inkling of what it was like for me to live most of my life during the 20th century.....Life has many challenges which we all have to face at one time or another. We must approach them one day at a time. From them, we can gain a great learning experience....My wish for you is to enjoy life, live in the world but do not become a part of it. True happiness will come to you by living righteously, for wickedness will never be happiness. I urge you to keep the commandments of God and walk uprightly before Him. The material things of the world are but for a short time and will all decay, but lay up your treasures in Heaven, where moth and rust will not corrupt, and will be there for you after your earth life is over. I have gained a testimony of these things, and I know that they are true during my sojourn here upon this earth. He adds that, Living here upon earth has never been easy and is a