Founders recognize divine help
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“But Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God. Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.”
Alma 26:11-12
Here an ancient Christian missionary named Ammon attributes his missionary success to God. He says that as to “[his] strength [he] is weak; therefore [he] will not boast of [himself], but [he] will boast of [his] God, for in his strength [he] can do all things.”
In our day there have been dozens of successful businessmen who, like Ammon, recognized the Lord’s hand in their life.
Here are quotes from founders who recognized God’s help in their business ventures.
Business founders who recognized God’s help
(emphases added)
Henry J. Heinz – Founder of Heinz Ketchup
“Looking forward to the time when my earthly career will end. I desire to set forth at the very beginning of this will, as the most important item in it, a confession of my faith in Jesus Christ as my Saviour. I also desire to bear witness to the fact that throughout my life, in which were the usual joys and sorrows, I have been wonderfully sustained by my faith in God through Jesus Christ. This legacy was left me by my consecrated mother, a woman of strong faith; and to it, I attribute any success I have attained.“
Conrad Hilton – Founder of Hilton Hotels
“Man with God’s help and personal dedication is capable of anything he can dream.”
S. Truett Kathy – Founder of Chick-Fil-A
“To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us.” (Chick-Fil-A’s Purpose)
James L. Kraft – Founder of Kraft Foods
“The only investment I ever made which has paid consistently increasing dividends is the money I have given to the Lord.“
James C. Penney – Founder of J.C. Penney
“I believe a man is better anchored who has a belief in the Supreme Being. ”
“God gives us intelligence to uncover the wonders of nature. Without the gift, nothing is possible.”
Sam Walton – Founder of Walmart
“I do not choose to be a common man. It is my right to be uncommon-If I can. I seek opportunity-not security. I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humble and dulled by having the state look after me. I want to take a calculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and succeed…I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat. It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid; to think and act for myself, to enjoy the benefit of my creations and to face the world boldly an say: “This, with my god’s help, I have done”. All this is what it means to be an entrepreneur.”
Dave Thomas – Founder of Wendy’s
“Everyone has an opportunity to succeed. You can be anything you want within the laws of God and Man.”
“Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He can deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, and pour out peace.”
- Ezra Taft Benson
Personal Notes: In my life, any real success I’ve had can be attributed to God. There have been instances in my life when I’ve felt the Lord guide me. If it weren’t for the Lord’s help I wouldn’t have known what to study in college, what career to pursue and who to marry. I’m so grateful to Heavenly Father for the many blessings He’s given me and continues to give me. If we do what the Lord asks of us, we can receive incredible energy and strength from Him. If we are doing all we can, He will do what we cannot.
I also wouldn’t be where I am with a great family and new job fresh out of college if it weren’t for the help of the Lord. There is no way I can take credit for the blessings I’m seeing because I didn’t even see them coming. There is another Ezra Taft Benson quote that i really like, “Without his divine help we cannot succeed. With his help we cannot fail.” That’s how important it is to stay on the Lord’s side.
That’s cool how you didn’t even see the blessings coming. I believe if we trust in the Lord, He will give us what is best for us in the long run. I likewise received many wonderful blessings I didn’t expect. I’ve also seen how many of my trials have turned out to be blessings in ways I didn’t anticipate. For example, I the acne I had growing up helped me be humble and not worry what others think. While it was difficult in the moment to see the trial as a blessing, time has proven that the trial really was only a blessing in disguise. The Lord can make every experience turn to our benefit if we obey Him.
I loved reading these quotes from successful businessmen. I know that any success anyone ever has is not without help from God. Another scripture that helps me understand the greatness of God and the nothingness of man is a scripture in Mosiah 2:21 that says:
“I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.”
Thanks for your comment David! I love that scripture- I feel like everything we have is in one way or another from God. It seems any possessions we have are stewardships to help others along their mortal journey. I think it’s always good for us to remember how dependent we are on God, who preserves us, gives us our breath and supports us from moment to moment.