Time for another update on what I'm learning in Pathway.
This post will include what learned this week in my Life Skills class and what I learned this week and last week in my Book of Mormon class.
This week in Life Skills, we learned about the importance of being a lifelong learner and using technology wisely. It is important to gain as much knowledge as you can while you are here on Earth, because the things you learn down here, is what you get to take with you when you leave. In his April 2009 Ensign article, entitled "Learning and Latter-Day Saints", Elder Oaks said "We must choose learning with care because learning has an eternal shelf-life, and whatever useful knowledge or wisdom or 'principle of intelligence' we acquire in this life will rise with us in the resurrection (D&C 130:18)".
As part of the lesson, we read some articles and watched some videos. The first article we read was Bishop Henry B. Eyring's "Do What They Think You Can't Do" from the October 1989 New Era. In the article he mentioned three keys to being a lifelong learner:
1. There is no limit to your potential for learning as a Child of God.
2. Childlike humility is the key to teachableness.
3. Living a clean life will allow the Holy Ghost to confirm and expand learning.
"As a Child of God, your destiny, if you work hard enough and are faithful, is to become like Him. That means that there is no truth that you can't learn, because He knows all truth". This means that Heavenly Father will help us with ANYTHING we want to learn, whether it's art, music, hobbies, crafts, school, job, etc. He will help, because he knows everything there is to know about everything. If you have the desire, and put forth the effort to learn it, there is NOTHING that He won't teach you. Also, if you have the desire and put forth the effort, and if what you want to know is a righteous desire, He will also provide a way for you to be able to learn it, whether it's providing a way for you go to school or take a class, or by putting people in your path who could teach you, etc. God is mightier than anything and anyone. He is able to teach you ALL things, as long you exercise faith in Him.
Elder Eyring's father use to say "You know, sometimes I think God watches me and laughs at me as I struggle like a little child. Someday I will be with Him and He will show me how childlike my ideas were". This statement showed that he knew that he didn't know everything, and that he was humble enough to be teachable. Last week in class we learned about leading with a small "L". Just as you can be a leader with a small "L", you can also be a learner with a small "L": humble, teachable, have the desire and attitude that you can learn, etc. Also, as you learn, don't put yourself down. Learners need their teachers to build them up, that includes yourself.
The Holy Ghost is essential for true learning. It is the Holy Ghost that teaches us new things, testifies of truth and "brings all things to our remembrance". He also nudges us in the direction of truth and brings ideas to your mind. As you continue to listen to Him, He will add to our capacity learn. Since the Holy Ghost is so vital to true learning, it is very important for us to remain worth of His constant companionship.
The second article we read was the first chapter of Henry J. Eyring's book "Major Decisions". In this chapter, he states "Part of the tragedy we must avoid is to discover too late that you missed an opportunity to prepare for a future only God could see for you." We, as humans, think we know "the end from the beginning" and we think we know what the "plan" is for our lives. We forget that we have a loving Heavenly Father who DOES know "the end from the beginning" and He has a bigger plan for our lives...bigger than we can even imagine. He knows where we need to be and who we need to be in order to accomplish what only WE can do. He also places us where we need to be in order to learn the things we need to learn. If we don't take full advantage of every opportunity that crosses our path, then we run the risk of having a "missed opportunity to prepare for a future only God can see". Some of these missed opportunities could be: not learning a different language when you had the opportunity, miss out on learning an instrument, not developing or increasing your talents and not developing a relationship with someone Heavenly Father puts in you path.
Sometimes the plans we have for ourselves and the plans Heavenly Father has for us take us in different directions. Sometimes we WANT something, like we want to go to a certain school, or live in a certain city, or work at a certain job or career. Heavenly Father, on the other hand, pulls us in a different direction to where He knows we NEED to be, like going to a different school than where you wanted to go, live in a city you never thought you would move to, or work at a job or a career you never considered. As we put our trust in Him, and follow where He leads and take full advantage of learning everything we can, then we will be better prepared for the Bigger Plan He has for us.
In a video we watched of Elder Bednar's "Things as They Really Are" (Mormon Messages for Youth), he talks about using technology appropriately and how, if we use it inappropriately, we could impede the Spirit. Using technology appropriately and inappropriately isn't just about the sites you go on or the music you listen to, etc. Appropriate and inappropriate use of technology also involves how much time you are on the deice.
Elder Bednar offered two questions to ask yourself as to how you are using technology:
1. Does it invite or impede the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost?
2. Does it enlarge or restrict your capacity to live, to love, and to serve in meaningful ways?
Technology can create a "virtual reality" where things that are real appear to be fake and fake things appear to be real. Elder Bednar said, "some people ignore things as they really are. They waste countless hours, postpone schooling and academic achievement and ultimately sacrifice cherished relationships with family, friends, and others, because of detours that have no lasting value".
If used correctly, technology can be a wonderful tool to help bless the lives of others and bring them closer to Christ. Elder Bednar said, "Not all media is bad. It must be used appropriately to learn, to share, to build meaningful relationships, to lift and to brighten lives and to build the church".
For my Book of Mormon class between the two weeks we studied 1 Nephi 6-22. There is a lot of wonderful things crammed into these 16 chapters, including Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life, Lehi and his family wondering in the wilderness, Nephi is commanded to build a ship and Lehi and his family arrive in the Promised Land...oh and there are also Isaiah chapters and Laman and Lemuel's (many) murmurings thrown in these chapters as well.
Since there is so many things in these chapters, I won't talk about everything. I will talk about some of the important things and insights I learned from these chapters.
1 Nephi 7:8-12- Laman and Lemuel had so many manifestations of the Lords hand in their lives (visits from angels, deliverance from their enimies, promises kept, etc) and yet they continued to "forget". How often do we experience the Lord's hand in our lives and yet we continue to "forget"?
1Nephi 7:15 -"Ye have choice"- We all have the freedom to choose. We all get to choose if we will follow the Savior or if we won't. What we don't get to choose is the consequences of our choice, either good or bad. We must make sure we always make the right choice because some of the choices we make have far reaching effects...far beyond ourselves and what we can see now. Some of our choices effect generations and on into eternity.
1 Nephi 7:17-18- When Laman and Lemuel bind up Nephi, he prays to Heavenly Father to loosen the bands according to his faith. Just like with Nephi, our faith and our prayers can loosen the bands that bind us...no matter what those bands are.
1 Nephi 8:7-12- Lehi had to travel "for the space of many hours in the darkness" before he reached the Tree of Life. Like Lehi, we too must travel "for the space of many hours in the darkness (trials)", before, we to, reach the Tree of Life.
1 Nephi 9: 5-6- Nephi is commanded to make the small plates. Although he doesn't know why, he obeys the commandment. Sometimes we are commanded to do something and yet we don't know why. We need to trust that Heavenly Father knows more than we do and He sees what the future holds.
1 Nephi 16- The Liahona provided direction to Lehi and his family. It kept them "in the more fertile parts of the wilderness" and " did work according the the faith and diligence which we gave unto it". Like Lehi and his family, we too have Liahona's in our lives (parents, bishops and other church leaders, prophets and apostles, etc). Like the Liahona for Lehi and his family, if we use our faith to give our full diligence to the counsels they give, we too, will be lead to the more fertile parts of the wilderness. We won't be taken completely out our "wilderness" (trials), but we will be able to get through them safely.
1 Nephi 16:18-25- Lehi and his family began to murmur because Nephi's broken bow. Then Nephi comes up with a plan on how to fix the situation. How often do we murmur when problems arise? How often do we murmur when there is a simple solution to fix the problem? How often do we murmur when it is us that caused the problem? How often does our murmuring keep us from seeing a solution? How often do we turn to the Lord for help in fixing it?
1 Nephi 17: 1-2 "And we did travel and wade through much affliction...and so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us". Although they had many afflictions, they recognized their blessings and who the blessings came from. How often, when we are going through trials, do we recognize our blessings and who they come from?
1 Nephi 17:13- "And I will be your light in the wilderness.." When we go through our "wilderness'" (trials), Christ WILL be our light and He will prepare a way before us. If we follow His light, then we will always be led to our "promised land". He will ALWAYS be in front of us and beside us.
1 Nephi 17:15: "I, Nephi, did strive to keep the commandments of God..." This verse lets us know that even Nephi wasn't perfect. Here is this amazing example of faith, obedience, etc, and even he had to "strive" to keep the commandments of God. Even though I sometimes feel like a Laman and Lemuel, there is hope for me to be a Nephi.
I apologize for this being so long, but like I said, I'm learning a lot of amazing things. I hope you enjoyed it. I also hope you learned at least one thing.
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
What Results Will YOU Produce???
I learned sooo much from Pathway last week. In my Life Skills class, we learned about what it meant to be a disciple leader. We learned the difference between leading with a small "L" and leading with a large "L". We also learned how BYU-I is a "Disciple Preparation Center".
Being a disciple leader means to not only do the things that Jesus would do, but to also "see" and "feel" the things he would see and feel. When you "see" and "feel" what Jesus saw and felt means you go sit by someone you see is alone, you have compassion for someone who is struggling, you are happy when others succeed, you give a hug to someone who is struggling, etc. By seeing and feeling what Christ saw and felt, you see things that others overlook.
Being a disciple leader also means you lead with a small "L". When you lead with a small "L" instead of a large "L", you lead as how the Savior lead: you serve and minister, you love a support, and you bless the lives of others. When you lead with a small "L", you lead quietly and unnoticed and you aren't seeking recognition. Those who lead with a large "L" do it to be noticed and recognized. Leaders who lead with a small "L" minister to their students. Those who lead with a large "L" administer to their students. Those who lead with a small "L" consider themselves on equal ground with the ones they are leading. Leaders with a large "L" consider themselves above the ones they are leading. Followers of a leader who leads with a small "L" CHOOSE to follow them. Followers of a leader who leads with a large "L" are COMPELED to follow. The world needs more leaders who lead with a small "L". When Christ comes again, he will rule the whole Earth. How is the world going to know how to follow Christ, if they don't know how to follow a disciple leader???
BYU-I is a "Disciple Preparation Center" because the students who attend BYU-I are being prepared to become disciples of Christ. A disciple is "one who follows or attends upon another for the express purpose of learning". Preparation is "a process of making or getting ready; putting or setting in order for any action or purpose". "Center" is "a point from which things and influences originate or emanate". This meas that a "Disciple Preparation Center" is "A place in which followers of the Master learn and are set in order and are made ready and from which their influences flows to the world".
BYU-I prepares it's students to become disciples of Christ by teaching them three important lessons. The first lesson they teach the students is that a disciples faith is focused on Jesus Christ. The first principle o the gospel is not "faith", but it is "faith in the Lord Jesus Christ". Saving faith is rooted and focused on the Savior and through Him, in the Father. Our faith must be rooted and focused upon the Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
The second lesson is that a disciple recognizes that Faith in the Savior is a spiritual gift and appropriately seeks for that gift in his/her life. Faith is a gift we receive from Heavenly Father when we are obedient to His commandments and we prove to Him that we will follow where He leads. I always thought that faith in Christ was something that we already possessed, and then WE GAVE it as a gift to Heavenly Father. Instead, faith in Christ, is a GIFT that is GIVEN to US by Heavenly Father. It is such a relief to know that our faith in Christ isn't something that we have to "muster up ourselves". Like with everything else in our lives, our faith in Christ, is accomplished with the help of a loving Heavenly Father.
The third lesson taught to students is that a disciples faith in the Savior and spiritual preparation dispels fear. We live in troubled times, but the Lord states "My disciples shall stand in Holy Places, and shall not be moved" (D&C 45:12). "Protected by the Shield of Faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked (D&C 27:17) and "prepared the the Gospel of Peace (D&C 27:16). Because the Lords disciples are prepared, they shall not fear (D&C 38:30). This lesson can be applied in all aspects of our lives. If we prepare ourselves, and if we have faith in the Savior, then we shall not fear. We all have important lessons to learn and an eternally important work to do. And in tumultuous times, we will follow the Master.
As part of the lesson, I watched a very powerful video. I will write a partial transcript of it:
"You are in a DPC. There are people who are counting on YOU to gain as much knowledge as you can so you can lead them. You can't see them and they can't see you, but in time...you will help them see who they really are. You will help them learn the gospel of Jesus Christ.
'The work of the world isn't done by extraordinary people. It's done by ordinary people who have learned to work in extraordinary ways.' (President Gordon B. Hinckley).
Life is made up of random encounters: family, friends, strangers. All of whom shape us into who we are today. We are better today because of the ordinary people who have helped in extraordinary ways. 'Ordinary people who consistently and diligently do simple things, will produce extraordinary results'. (Elder Bednar)
We will produce extraordinary results. President Eyring has promised that we will have the capacity to influence others. We will be a lifter, a teacher, and a leader. We will bless our families and our church as we go and serve.
These promises are powerful. We need to be diligent and consistent in order to produce results. YOU can be a disciple leader. What results will YOU produce ???"
What results will I produce??? I want to WILL lead people to Christ. I want to WILL become a leader who leads with a small "L". I want to WILL give hope to others who have none. I want to WILL bring happiness to others. I want to WILL show love, kindness and charity to all who cross my path. I want to WILL be a Disciple Leader.
What results will YOU produce????
Part 2 of what I learned last week in Pathway coming soon!!!
Saturday, January 16, 2016
My insights for the week
What an amazing week it has been as I have "feasted" (2 Nephi 31:20) for my studies for Pathway. I have leaned and grown soo much. One difference I have noticed this week is that I have been relying on Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost to help me. Before, I would rely only on myself. I would try to write EVERYTHING down because I didn't want to miss anything. If I missed something, I would panic. I would spend hours on assignments thinking about what I should write and wonder if my answers were right or "good enough". I was always doubting myself and thinking that I wasn't good enough or that I wasn't smart enough. etc. All of these thoughts and feelings left me very stressed, worried, unconfident, and I had very negative thoughts and feelings about myself. I had faith that They COULD help me, I was just a little lacking on the faith that They WOULD help me.
This week I exercised my seed of faith that They would help me. It has made a HUGE difference in my studies. When I rely on Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost to help me, I notice that I'm not stressed, answers come to me right away, I'm confident in what I'm learning, teaching and saying, I think better of my self, and I don't doubt my answers. This change isn't just in my studies, it is also present in my overall attitude. I notice a huge difference in the times when I am relying on Them versus the times when I am relying on myself.
Increasing my reliance on Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost helps me with my topic I have chosen for my Becoming Project: Faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and Their love for me. I chose this topic because, throughout my life I have had people cut me down and tear me apart, by the things they have said and the things they have done. Because of this, I have had very low self esteem and I didn't love myself (how could I love myself if people who were suppose to love me didn't?). Because I didn't love myself, why would Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me??? Why would they love someone who is "a regret", "a mistake" and "hated" etc?????
In order for me to know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me, I have to first, love myself. That is what I am working on this week: loving myself. I have been working on thinking, and talking, more positively about myself. I have also been looking at myself in the mirror and saying positive things to myself. I also put quotes on the mirror from General Authorities about self worth. I'm still not all the way there yet, but I'm a lot closer.
Like I said before, I have also been learning a lot this week. In my Life Skills class, we learned about BYU-I's Learning Model and the Honor Code. There are 3 Steps and 5 Principles of the Learning Model.
The 3 Steps are:
1. Prepare
2. Teach One Another
3. Ponder/Prove
The 5 Principles are:
1. Exercise Faith
2. Learn by the Holy Ghost
3. Lay hold of the Word of God
4. Act for Themselves
5. Love, Serve, Teach One Another
We learned what each step means and why it is important. The fist step, Prepare, tells us that we need to be prepared before coming to class. We need to have read the material and have our assignments done ahead of time. This allows the the class period to become a "discussion", where everyone participates and we learn and teach each other, instead of a "lecture" where the instructor does all the teaching. Being prepared ahead of time, allows for deeper understanding and learning. As you prepare, your ability to deepen your overall learning experience will increase considerably.
The second step, Teach One Another, tells us that when we have learned something, we should teach it to others. Knowledge is like talents. We are told that we are to build up our talents and then share them with others. If we don't use our talents, then we loose them. The same with knowledge, if we learn something, and then don't teach it to others, then we loose that knowledge. As we teach each other, we build upon the things we already know. Our learning becomes discussions where we can bounce off our thoughts and ideas. As we teach others, our ability to recall that information will increase.
The third step, Ponder/Prove, invites us, after we have learned something, we then go and think about what we have learned and then take action. Pondering allows the Spirit to come and teach you more. Pondering and proving solidifies your understanding. After we have pondered, we are then expected to apply what we have learned.
The first Principle of the Learning Model, Exercise Faith, reminds us that we are not doing this alone...we do have help. If we do our part, then Heavenly Father promises that He will send His help when we need it, we just have to exercise our faith. Learning to act according to ones faith in Christ is fundamental to enjoying deep, life changing learning.
The second principle of the Learning Model, learn by the Holy Ghost, reminds us that true teaching is done by the Holy Ghost. "The Holy Ghost can teach men things that they cannot teach one another" President Hinckley. It's the Spirit that testifies of the truth that is being taught.
The third principle is Laying Hold of the Word of God. Laying hold of the Word of God in the scriptures and in the words of the prophets signifies our faith and the importance of them in our lives.
The fourth principle, Act for Themselves, students are expected to use their agency to take responsibility for their own learning. They are suppose to "act for themselves" instead of "being acted upon". Students are expected to come to class prepared to teach, to learn, to participate, and to exercise their faith in Jesus Christ. They are also expected to take action with what they have learned.
The fifth principle, Love Serve Teach, teaches us to love those we teach. When we love the ones we teach, we create an environment that is safe, and where all can stretch and stumble without fear. Charity replaces competition. If love is felt, then learning and teaching grows.
The Learning Model was created so students could deepen their learning by teaching one another. President Clark said of the Learning Model "The Learning Model will become a pattern for learning, not just while at BYU-I, but throughout your life". President Eyring said of BYU-I students "The students at BYU-I will be known as natural leaders because they have been taught to teach and to learn from one another". As you can see, BYU-I really emphasizes the importance of teaching each other what we are learning.
As part of the Honor Code, are rules about what you can and can't do and what you can and can't wear, etc. Some of the rules are easy to understand as to why or why not. Others...not so much. Although we don't understand some of the rules, we are still expected to follow them. Why??? One of the reasons I came up with, is because, the Honor Code is preparing us to keep sacred covenants that we make in the temple. If we are obedient to the rules of the Honor Code, we show Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that we can be obedient to the covenants we make in the temple, even though we might not understand all of them.
This week in my Book of Mormon class, we studied 1 Nephi 1-5. This block of scripture talks about Lehi and his family having to leave all their possessions and flee into the wildeness. It talks of how some members his family were faithful and others murmured. These are just some of the insights I gained through studies and teaching and as I was being taught.
-1Nephi 1:1 "...having seen many afflictions...nevertheless having been highly favored of the Lord..." Being highly favored of the Lord does not exempt you from adversity. It is only in your reaction to adversity, that you become highly favored of the Lord.
-Although Laman and Lemuel, did the things that were asked of them, they didn't do it for the right intent. They were constantly murmuring and complaining. Sometimes we are asked to do something, and although we do it, we are like Laman and Lemuel and murmur and complain.
-1Nephi 3: 29-31- Laman and Lemuel saw many angels, and yet they still did not believe that the Lord could/would deliver them. How often are we like Laman and Lemuel? How many times have we seen the Lord "deliver" us, and how many times do we still doubt???? It shows that "Seeing is not believing, believing is seeing".
-1Nephi 4:6-7 "I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do...Nevertheless I went forth"- Nephi had such great faith in Jesus Christ that he didn't know how he was going to get the Plates of Brass from Laban, all he knew was that a way was going to be provided.
1Nephi 4:20- When Nephi went into Laban's treasury, the ONLY thing he took was the Brass Plates. He could have taken gold, silver, treasures, he could have even taken back his family's own possessions that Laban stole, but he didn't. He knew the commandment was to take the Brass Plates and only the Brass Plates. If you were Nephi, would you have been that obedient?
-In every situation, Lehi offered thanks unto the Lord. When he fled into the wilderness, he thanked God for protecting his family from destruction etc. When we are going through trials, do we say thanks to God????
-Nephi and Lehi look towards future generations. Their focus is on preserving their future posterity.
This is all I have time for today. I will be writing more soon.
This week I exercised my seed of faith that They would help me. It has made a HUGE difference in my studies. When I rely on Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost to help me, I notice that I'm not stressed, answers come to me right away, I'm confident in what I'm learning, teaching and saying, I think better of my self, and I don't doubt my answers. This change isn't just in my studies, it is also present in my overall attitude. I notice a huge difference in the times when I am relying on Them versus the times when I am relying on myself.
Increasing my reliance on Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost helps me with my topic I have chosen for my Becoming Project: Faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and Their love for me. I chose this topic because, throughout my life I have had people cut me down and tear me apart, by the things they have said and the things they have done. Because of this, I have had very low self esteem and I didn't love myself (how could I love myself if people who were suppose to love me didn't?). Because I didn't love myself, why would Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me??? Why would they love someone who is "a regret", "a mistake" and "hated" etc?????
In order for me to know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me, I have to first, love myself. That is what I am working on this week: loving myself. I have been working on thinking, and talking, more positively about myself. I have also been looking at myself in the mirror and saying positive things to myself. I also put quotes on the mirror from General Authorities about self worth. I'm still not all the way there yet, but I'm a lot closer.
Like I said before, I have also been learning a lot this week. In my Life Skills class, we learned about BYU-I's Learning Model and the Honor Code. There are 3 Steps and 5 Principles of the Learning Model.
The 3 Steps are:
1. Prepare
2. Teach One Another
3. Ponder/Prove
The 5 Principles are:
1. Exercise Faith
2. Learn by the Holy Ghost
3. Lay hold of the Word of God
4. Act for Themselves
5. Love, Serve, Teach One Another
We learned what each step means and why it is important. The fist step, Prepare, tells us that we need to be prepared before coming to class. We need to have read the material and have our assignments done ahead of time. This allows the the class period to become a "discussion", where everyone participates and we learn and teach each other, instead of a "lecture" where the instructor does all the teaching. Being prepared ahead of time, allows for deeper understanding and learning. As you prepare, your ability to deepen your overall learning experience will increase considerably.
The second step, Teach One Another, tells us that when we have learned something, we should teach it to others. Knowledge is like talents. We are told that we are to build up our talents and then share them with others. If we don't use our talents, then we loose them. The same with knowledge, if we learn something, and then don't teach it to others, then we loose that knowledge. As we teach each other, we build upon the things we already know. Our learning becomes discussions where we can bounce off our thoughts and ideas. As we teach others, our ability to recall that information will increase.
The third step, Ponder/Prove, invites us, after we have learned something, we then go and think about what we have learned and then take action. Pondering allows the Spirit to come and teach you more. Pondering and proving solidifies your understanding. After we have pondered, we are then expected to apply what we have learned.
The first Principle of the Learning Model, Exercise Faith, reminds us that we are not doing this alone...we do have help. If we do our part, then Heavenly Father promises that He will send His help when we need it, we just have to exercise our faith. Learning to act according to ones faith in Christ is fundamental to enjoying deep, life changing learning.
The second principle of the Learning Model, learn by the Holy Ghost, reminds us that true teaching is done by the Holy Ghost. "The Holy Ghost can teach men things that they cannot teach one another" President Hinckley. It's the Spirit that testifies of the truth that is being taught.
The third principle is Laying Hold of the Word of God. Laying hold of the Word of God in the scriptures and in the words of the prophets signifies our faith and the importance of them in our lives.
The fourth principle, Act for Themselves, students are expected to use their agency to take responsibility for their own learning. They are suppose to "act for themselves" instead of "being acted upon". Students are expected to come to class prepared to teach, to learn, to participate, and to exercise their faith in Jesus Christ. They are also expected to take action with what they have learned.
The fifth principle, Love Serve Teach, teaches us to love those we teach. When we love the ones we teach, we create an environment that is safe, and where all can stretch and stumble without fear. Charity replaces competition. If love is felt, then learning and teaching grows.
The Learning Model was created so students could deepen their learning by teaching one another. President Clark said of the Learning Model "The Learning Model will become a pattern for learning, not just while at BYU-I, but throughout your life". President Eyring said of BYU-I students "The students at BYU-I will be known as natural leaders because they have been taught to teach and to learn from one another". As you can see, BYU-I really emphasizes the importance of teaching each other what we are learning.
As part of the Honor Code, are rules about what you can and can't do and what you can and can't wear, etc. Some of the rules are easy to understand as to why or why not. Others...not so much. Although we don't understand some of the rules, we are still expected to follow them. Why??? One of the reasons I came up with, is because, the Honor Code is preparing us to keep sacred covenants that we make in the temple. If we are obedient to the rules of the Honor Code, we show Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that we can be obedient to the covenants we make in the temple, even though we might not understand all of them.
This week in my Book of Mormon class, we studied 1 Nephi 1-5. This block of scripture talks about Lehi and his family having to leave all their possessions and flee into the wildeness. It talks of how some members his family were faithful and others murmured. These are just some of the insights I gained through studies and teaching and as I was being taught.
-1Nephi 1:1 "...having seen many afflictions...nevertheless having been highly favored of the Lord..." Being highly favored of the Lord does not exempt you from adversity. It is only in your reaction to adversity, that you become highly favored of the Lord.
-Although Laman and Lemuel, did the things that were asked of them, they didn't do it for the right intent. They were constantly murmuring and complaining. Sometimes we are asked to do something, and although we do it, we are like Laman and Lemuel and murmur and complain.
-1Nephi 3: 29-31- Laman and Lemuel saw many angels, and yet they still did not believe that the Lord could/would deliver them. How often are we like Laman and Lemuel? How many times have we seen the Lord "deliver" us, and how many times do we still doubt???? It shows that "Seeing is not believing, believing is seeing".
-1Nephi 4:6-7 "I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do...Nevertheless I went forth"- Nephi had such great faith in Jesus Christ that he didn't know how he was going to get the Plates of Brass from Laban, all he knew was that a way was going to be provided.
1Nephi 4:20- When Nephi went into Laban's treasury, the ONLY thing he took was the Brass Plates. He could have taken gold, silver, treasures, he could have even taken back his family's own possessions that Laban stole, but he didn't. He knew the commandment was to take the Brass Plates and only the Brass Plates. If you were Nephi, would you have been that obedient?
-In every situation, Lehi offered thanks unto the Lord. When he fled into the wilderness, he thanked God for protecting his family from destruction etc. When we are going through trials, do we say thanks to God????
-Nephi and Lehi look towards future generations. Their focus is on preserving their future posterity.
This is all I have time for today. I will be writing more soon.
Friday, January 8, 2016
The First Gathering
Today was my first Gathering for Pathway. For the first hour we went around the room and introduced ourselves. The second hour, we mostly talked about the course syllabus of our Book of Mormon class.
During the class tonight, two things that were said really struck me:
1. When we got on the topic of The Becoming Project, a classmate said "With ALL the good attributes that Christ has, Satan has ALL those opposite attributes and both are vying for us to follow them".
I never thought about Satan having ALL the opposite attributes that Christ has. Where Christ has love, Satan has hate. Christ has peace, Satan has strife. Where Christ has compassion, Satan has condemnation. Etc.
2. The Senior Couple Missionaries who are over my Gathering class said "For 20 years, every January 1st, we start reading the Book of Mormon from the beginning. We finish it around June. Then around September we are again challenged to read it again by the end of the year, so we do it. We are sooo thankful to be able to do Pathway with all of you, because as many times as we have read the Book of Mormon, we have never "studied" it".
I'm sure most of us can say the same thing. We are taught growing up to "read" your scriptures. We are all challenged to get the scriptures read by a certain date. How many of us can actually say that we have "studied" the scriptures? How many of us can say that we actually searched and did an in-depth study of them. I'm sure not many. I only know of a few people who, instead of "reading" their scriptures, they "study" them. That is one of the reasons I love the Book of Mormon class I'm taking. We aren't just "reading", we are "studying".
When I got home, I told Amber what happened in the Gathering and what was said. When I told her about the comment about "reading" the scriptures vs. "studying" the scriptures, she said "One of the reasons that people "read" the scriptures instead of "studying" them is because they put a "time limit" on when to have the scriptures read by: such as I will read the Book of Mormon straight through, either by this date or in this amount of time. Because of the "time limit" they put on themselves, they don't leave room in their "time table" in order to "study" them".
I totally agree with this. People are sooo focused on "when" they get the reading done, that they don't take the time to ponder what they read. They don't take the time to "search diligently". They don't take the time find hidden treasures. They don't take "time".
During the class tonight, two things that were said really struck me:
1. When we got on the topic of The Becoming Project, a classmate said "With ALL the good attributes that Christ has, Satan has ALL those opposite attributes and both are vying for us to follow them".
I never thought about Satan having ALL the opposite attributes that Christ has. Where Christ has love, Satan has hate. Christ has peace, Satan has strife. Where Christ has compassion, Satan has condemnation. Etc.
2. The Senior Couple Missionaries who are over my Gathering class said "For 20 years, every January 1st, we start reading the Book of Mormon from the beginning. We finish it around June. Then around September we are again challenged to read it again by the end of the year, so we do it. We are sooo thankful to be able to do Pathway with all of you, because as many times as we have read the Book of Mormon, we have never "studied" it".
I'm sure most of us can say the same thing. We are taught growing up to "read" your scriptures. We are all challenged to get the scriptures read by a certain date. How many of us can actually say that we have "studied" the scriptures? How many of us can say that we actually searched and did an in-depth study of them. I'm sure not many. I only know of a few people who, instead of "reading" their scriptures, they "study" them. That is one of the reasons I love the Book of Mormon class I'm taking. We aren't just "reading", we are "studying".
When I got home, I told Amber what happened in the Gathering and what was said. When I told her about the comment about "reading" the scriptures vs. "studying" the scriptures, she said "One of the reasons that people "read" the scriptures instead of "studying" them is because they put a "time limit" on when to have the scriptures read by: such as I will read the Book of Mormon straight through, either by this date or in this amount of time. Because of the "time limit" they put on themselves, they don't leave room in their "time table" in order to "study" them".
I totally agree with this. People are sooo focused on "when" they get the reading done, that they don't take the time to ponder what they read. They don't take the time to "search diligently". They don't take the time find hidden treasures. They don't take "time".
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Pathway
A few days ago I started an amazing online college program called Pathway. It's through BYU-I (Brigham Young University-Idaho). Pathway is a program designed for the student to become more like Christ through increase knowledge in both secular and spiritual development.
I'm taking two classes this semester: Life Skills and Book of Mormon (first half: 1 Nephi-Alma 29). In Life Skills I will be learning skills that will help me throughout my life. Some of these skills include: how to be a leader, how to make good decisions, set achievable goals, how to manage time and finances, and improve family relationships.
The Book of Mormon class is designed to increase scripture study. The purpose of studying the scriptures is so that their teachings can ultimately bring us closer to Christ. But we can't just read them...we have to actually study them. We have to be searching them and looking for hidden treasures that often get overlooked. We have to make them a part of our lives. We have to use them to become a disciple of Christ.
In the Book of Mormon class, I will be working on a semester-long project called The Becoming Project. The motto of the class is "Reading the scriptures is only efficacious if what you LEARN from them causes you to DO something that helps you BECOME a better disciple of Christ". Learn...Do...Become. For The Becoming Project, I will be studying the Book of Mormon and find attributes of Jesus Christ. I will then pick one of the attributes and, through activities and assignments, implement that attribute into my personal life. As I implement the attribute into my personal life, I will become more of a disciple of Jesus Christ.
All the classes in the Pathway program are also designed to help the student not only to learn from others, but to teach others as well. One of the ways we learn and teach one another is through our "Gathering" meetings on Thursday nights. Although this is an online course, there are "Gatherings" on Thursday nights where I meet with others in my Stake who are also doing the Pathway program. These Gatherings offer support, friendship, learning and teaching opportunities, etc. At Gatherings, we do activities and lessons that encourage us to not only learn from each other, but to teach each other as well.
I am SOOOO EXCITED to be taking this journey on Pathway!!!! On this blog I will be writing things that I learn, discover, feel, find, impressions I receive, etc, as I learn...do...become.
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