Lifelong Learning

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.