The Six B’s and Why They Matter

In a world filled with challenges and troubles, President Hinckley offers six simple principles to help us make correct decisions and be successful.

I love inspirational quotes. I love reading them, collecting them, and plastering them all over my bedroom wall. However, some of these quotes can be long and forgettable. How can I apply all of these ideas into my life when I can’t remember them?

Luckily for me, President Gordon B. Hinckley offers six simple, yet powerful, suggestions for living a focused, successful, and happy life. In his First Presidency message entitled “A Prophet’s Counsel and Prayer for Youth,” President Hinckley explains his Six B’s:

1. Be grateful
2. Be smart
3. Be clean
4. Be true
5. Be humble
6. Be prayerful

These are six simple statements, but what a difference they can make if we apply them into our lives!

Being grateful helps us see how richly blessed we are and cultivates a spirit of thanksgiving. Getting into the habit of saying thank you “is the mark of an educated man or woman.” When we have an attitude of gratitude, we can live happier lives.

Being smart is especially important in this competitive age. President Hinckley counsels, “The Lord wants you to educate your minds and hands, whatever your chosen field. . . . There can be no doubt, none whatever, that education pays.”

Being clean applies to much more than just our bodies—we should strive to be clean in every aspect of our lives. We should avoid unclean media, language, and friends. President Hinckley promises, “Walk in the sunlight of that peace which comes from obedience to the commandments of the Lord.”

Being true means to be loyal to yourself and to your beliefs. President Hinckley reminds us to be loyal, faithful, and true to our own convictions.

Being humble and prayerful helps us learn. In D&C 112:10, the Lord teaches us, “Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers.”

The Six B’s are a simple, no-nonsense recipe for happiness. Will following the Six B’s solve all of life’s problems? No. However, can our lives be impacted and improved by living these principles? Yes.

Read President Gordon B. Hinckley’s in-depth explanation of the Six B’s in his address “A Prophet’s Counsel and Prayer for Youth.”

Source: Ensign

—Cynthia Chan, Mormon Insights

feature image by jenna lee

Find more insights

Read more about gratitude in President Henry B. Eyring’s First Presidency Message “The Choice to Be Grateful.”

Learn about President Gordon B. Hinckley’s advice to priesthood holders in “Four B’s for Boys.”