Fifty-one years ago my mom started teaching swimming lessons -- and soon after that she did two of the smartest things I have ever heard of.

As her clientele grew, she saw a need to hire another teacher, and another, to grow her business. She didn't take out a loan from the bank, or spend thousands of dollars in advertising, she made a brilliant decision that would affect the course of her business and the course of my life: She hired 7-foot jumpers.

Now, 51 years later, I have just finished a summer of working with 30 seven-foot jumpers. Let me explain.

When we hire an employee we introduce him or her to one principle; we ask, "If you were in charge of creating a championship high-jumping team, would you rather start off with one person who jumps seven feet or seven people who jump one foot?"

We further explain that it is better to start off with one person who jumps seven feet vs. seven people who jump one foot. If you begin with a team of 1-foot jumpers, then the team or those who join that team usually will not have sights set much higher than one foot. Oh, maybe some jumpers will shoot for two feet or maybe even three feet, but not in their wildest dreams will they think they could jump seven feet because they are surrounded by 1-foot jumpers. No one can win a high-jumping championship jumping two or three feet.



However if you have a 7-foot jumper to start off with, then everyone who joins the team instantly will have sights set on beating seven feet.

We explain what a 7-foot jumper means to us: Someone who is hard working, teachable, honest, genuinely happy, has a positive attitude, is loving, is responsible, is accountable and uses appropriate language and behavior at all times. We do not hide the fact that we want the cream of the crop.

As the business grew, my mom would turn down business before she would hire anyone who didn't jump seven feet. Once my mom had several 7-foot jumpers in place, she would occasionally hire 5- or 6-foot jumpers, believing that surrounded by 7-foot jumpers they too would jump higher.

I have seen so many lives transformed over the years. I have watched young men and women not only learn to teach swimming, but also learn to live a life of higher standards and attain a higher level of excellence. Their sights were now set higher, and they rose to the occasion.

Swim-school owners have traveled from all over the county to find the secret to our success. They come to see our facility, our method, water toys and anything else that might help them run their schools more efficiently. It isn't long before their focus changes. Upon arriving, they say, "where do you find these teachers?" We quickly explain that we hire for character, not experience in the water. There are plenty of people who have water experience, but fewer who have character -- who jump seven foot. We believe in starting out with a 7-foot jumper, and then we train them how to teach swimming. We want our employees to not only be excellent teachers but role models as well.

My mom never dreamed of having a swim school on the scale that it is now; she was just focused on hiring 7-foot jumpers, not on the bottom line or trying to build something bigger than herself.

Do you have any idea how wonderful it is to work and be raised around 7-footh jumpers? Everyone is benefited by working and associating with them. We all flourish when the behavior, thoughts and environment are elevated.

Now to the other smartest thing my mom has ever done. Not coincidentally but around the same time that my mom started her swim school, she and my dad listened to the missionary lessons and joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

My grandma was not crazy about the idea of my mom leaving her Presbyterian roots, but she had one thing to say about it: "Though I do not know much about your new religion, I will say that you will now be associating with people of the highest standards, character and morals."

Needless to say my grandma was right. Though 7-foot jumpers are not exclusive to the LDS Church, nor are all Mormons 7-foot jumpers; it is true that there are sure a lot of them!

If I were perfectly honest, even on my best days I was not a 7-foot jumper while I was growing up. In fact I think my parents worried if I could even clear the curb at times. However, there is just something amazing that happens over time when you are surrounded by 7-foot jumpers. You start to think loftier thoughts, to act more appropriately, and to expect more of yourself.

The gospel shows us how to be 7-foot jumpers. My parents wanted a championship team as a family. They wanted me and my brothers to have high ideals, standards and morals. They knew that by joining the church we would all be better for it. Not only would we be associating with people of like standards, but our sights would be raised when we learned who we were, and why we are here, and where we are going. This knowledge would prove to be priceless.

Recently I met a young man who plays semi-pro soccer. He and his team had just returned from playing BYU. I told him that was where I went to school. We spoke for a few minutes of other things -- then he changed the subject and said: "I am sorry, but what is it about BYU and the Mormons? They are the nicest people anywhere. I have never met people like that. When they fouled us they apologized. After the game their fans were screaming from their cars 'good game' -- no one acts like that."

He went on to tell me how no one swore during the game. He explained how they like to "rough the opponents up," but because BYU was so nice, it threw their game off; just one of zillions of examples of people who are jumping seven feet.

How grateful I am for a wise mother as well as a church with leaders who train us to be 7-foot jumpers. I am grateful for scriptures full of men and women who took their trials and challenges and used them to jump higher. I am grateful for all those I have known, or only watched, who, in the face of adversity, became better for it.

Oh what a great blessing to be surrounded by 7-foot jumpers!