How to treat others

*This quote has been going through my head a lot lately, and I couldn't help but think about its profound message.

"Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be, and he will become as he can and should be."
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


*I had a great experience while serving in Germany that has profoundly effected my life. On a LDS mission one serving is expected to maintain high standards of conduct which are worthy of one claiming to be a messenger of God. We are expected to live in a manner that portrays our message, and radiates the light of that which has brought so much joy to our lives.

At this time I was serving with a "companion" or work associate as some might call it who was not so much interested in keeping these standards of conduct, which greatly effected the success we had. I was really down because here I was dedicating two years of my life to a cause in which I knew was true and of God and it felt like we were being held back due to a lack of obedience on his part.

Luckily, for our help and success as missionaries we are given mission presidents, who have been called to serve as a mentor, counselor, and ultimately to preside over the area in which we are assigned to serve in. As I told my mission President of the struggle I had with my companion he listened patiently. I told him how hard it was to work with this companion (work associate). He responded, "Tell him while writing your next letter that President thinks he is an obedient missionary." I was a little confused, but I followed this wise counsel. Sure enough while writing my next letter to my President I told that to my companion. To my amazement his eyebrows raised a little bit and with an enthusiastic response he replied, "really?" "Oh yes, he thinks your are great," I said. In the next week I noticed a great change in his attitude and his willingness to do the things which we were called to do all because someone thought of him as being someone he could and should become.

This is one of the few experiences I have had which has showed me that if you treat a man as he is he will remain as he is, but if you treat a man as he can be and should be he will become what he can and should be.