I Love My Friends - Hank Smith

Popular speaker Hank Smith asks, “Have you ever heard your parents say, ‘If all of your friends jumped off a bridge, would you jump too?’ How are you supposed to answer that?” Brother Smith suggests that your response depends on knowing the answer to a few other questions, like, “How high is the bridge? How deep is the water below? Is someone on the bridge trying to kill me?!” In this positive and uplifting talk, Hank Smith discusses the life-changing importance of choosing good friends and of being a good friend. Quoting from For the Strength of Youth, Brother Smith says, “Choose your friends carefully. They will greatly influence how you think and act and even determine the person you become.” Using his trademark humor, colorful stories and examples, and quotes from the prophets and apostles, Brother Smith illustrates just how true this statement is. He says that a true friend can help you make wise choices and can even save your life. “A real friend will stand between their friend and a horrible choice and at least say something,” emphasizes Brother Smith. “Your friend might just say ‘forget you,’ but at least they’ll know you said something. Sometimes in order to save the friend you have to ruin the friendship.”

Brother Smith encourages youth to avoid risking their future on bad friends and above all to “become friends with Jesus Christ. He will greatly influence how you think and act. Let Him determine the person you will become.”