Regardless of their position or location in life, men and women can improve themselves by focusing on their potential and taking life in small steps, said President Thomas S. Monson at an LDS Business College devotional in Salt Lake City Nov. 14.

"Wherever we are, whatever we're doing, I would like to suggest that we perform our service in a way which is above reproach," said President Monson, second counselor in the First Presidency. He added that individuals should "use all of the faculties which we have, all the skills we possess, and look at life one day at a time."The Church leader spoke to an assembly of students and faculty as part of the college's Founder's Day festivities, commemorating the school's 103rd anniversary.

"The world is changing," said President Monson, after relating his experiences in the German Democratic Republic in the 1970s. "Barriers are being broken and opportunities are coming to the Church which have never come in such a manner before.

"You live in an exciting time," he told the students. "The Lord has preserved you and brought you forward in this special time. [You] have the privilege to mark out your own destiny and accomplish what He would have you do here."

President Monson quoted Paul's counsel to Timothy in the New Testament, "Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." (I Tim. 4:12.)

"I'd like to suggest," he said, "that we follow that instruction in each one of these areas of our lives. If we are exemplary, then we can be a model for others to follow." The Lord is the model for each of us, he said.

When the Kirtland Temple was being built, he related, the Lord provided the "blueprint" for it. President Monson suggested that individuals are given such direction as well. "Remember we are fashioning this temple which we've been given," he said, "and we're novices . . . so I think it would behoove all of us to listen carefully to that blueprint which the Lord . . . provided for you.

"He said, `Organize yourselves, and prepare every needful thing." (D&C 88:119.) My suggestion is to remind ourselves that each one of us is an individual: no two of us are identical in every respect."

One of the mistakes people make, President Monson said, is trying to walk in the footsteps of another person, and he counseled the students against such an attempt.

"Let us be ourselves," he encouraged, "let us be our best selves, and oh, there can be quite a difference in those two phrases."

President Monson suggested four areas in which individuals can work to fulfill their potential:

Be your best self - spiritually

Quoting the scripture "Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study, and also by faith" (D&C 88:118), President Monson said that "there isn't time to read trash; there is so much that is beautiful, and so much that is edifying."

A fundamental key to spirituality, he said, is daily prayer. "There isn't one of us who can't meet the challenges of each day," he counseled, "if we take that day one day at a time and if we pray in the morning and in the evening. Talk to your Heavenly Father and take time to listen to Him."

Be your best self - physically

"Not everyone here is going to be a film idol or fashion model," President Monson continued, "and thank the Lord for that." Suggesting that individuals need to develop more self-esteem, he quoted a Nobel prize winner, who once declared that the best motivation toward having a proper appreciation of oneself is to remember that all have been created in God's image.

President Monson showed the audience a newspaper advertisement for a weight loss program, saying, "Sometimes our young ladies particularly will read that and say, `I want to become like that model!' "

Adjacent to the ad, however, was an article on anorexia. "What a contrast," he said. "Sometimes [young women's] lives have been forfeited in that great desire to be exactly like someone else."

Be your best self - academically

"Be steady in your study," he advised. "Go right from the blocks as you start the race in a quarter; pace yourself . . . Follow the philosophy of taking one day at a time."

President Monson spoke of a young man who cheated on written exams and got away with it, but when it came time for the verbal exam, failed miserably. "You can't cheat and win in the long run," he said emphatically.

Be your best self - socially

"Smile!" President Monson encouraged the students. "Have a positive outlook on life; don't go around dreary and grumpy. Think of that dance that's coming up! Be a good listener; don't criticize other people. Be interested in others."

He said that one of the greatest factors in a man's selection of a companion is her ability to make him feel comfortable. "Seek the help of the Lord," President Monson said, "and all will be well with you socially."

Concluding his address, President Monson gave the students a new interpretation of the initials "LDS," in their school name:

"L," he said, stands for "Live life to the fullest."

"D" represents "Don't do drugs."

And "S" means "Stay on the Lord's side of the line," which was a phrase of President George Albert Smith's.

"The Lord seems to draw a line," President Monson concluded, "and He lets you know when you're slipping over into the wrong side. If you ever find yourself where you shouldn't be, get out. That's good advice for all."