My Becoming Project

Image from WikiHow Creative Commons usage

This was my submission for my final report in my Book of Mormon class.  After finishing it tonight I felt like sharing it with others.  Not because I'm proud of it but because I hope it will help others on their own journey.

I can honestly say that this course has saved me from me.  Leading into this course I had lost my relationship with the Holy Ghost, Jesus Christ, and Heavenly Father.  I had read the testimonials about Pathway but I had grown cynical and hard-hearted to the point that I easily dismissed those testimonies.  When I read about the Becoming Project I was, frankly, turned off by the idea and dismissive of the process.  However I knew I had to do it and I remember thinking I would just go through the motions for the credit.  Having completed this term I’m shocked at how wrong I was and how different I’ve become.

By the end of the first week I was already warming up to the idea of the project.  I think this is why I picked “Disciplined Faith” as the trait I wanted to work on.  I had always held a resentment in the back of my head for not getting the blessings I wanted when I wanted them.  I had finally figured out that I was getting blessed based on the effort I was putting in.  So I had decided that I would simply start doing the things Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ ask of us. 

In my opinion the effect on me was astoundingly quick.  By the third week I was sold that I really did need to work on becoming a better disciple if I was to be worthy of the blessings I needed in my life.  At our Gathering meeting one of the women in my group was lamenting that there was no way she could become this improved person in only three months.  I replied that she had misinterpreted the intent. 

I showed her that the project is titled “Becoming” not “Become”.  I explained that the project is the beginning of a process and that very few people will become the disciple we imagine by the end of the term.  I then confessed that I would likely be working on my attribute for the rest of my life. 

At this point it hit me that while we have chosen one attribute to work on; we don’t end up working on just that one attribute alone.  As I work on applying discipline in my life, with the faith that I’ll be blessed for following counsel and commandments, I end up working on several traits by nature of focusing on the one trait. 

During this process I’ve learned to trust more in the Lord and Heavenly Father.  I’ve learned how to be more humble and accepting.  I’ve gained patience and a greater appreciation and understanding for others as well.  I never intended to focus on those traits.  They simply became part of the narrative as I went along.  As I pondered these changes in my life I started to appreciate the people I was reading about in the Book of Mormon. 

For example I’ve finally been able to relate to Nephi.  Prior to this I had always envisioned him as this stalwart servant of God.  But now I see that he worked on obedience and was blessed greatly for that simple act.  I also came to realize that Nephi, like me, was blessed with the things he needed when he needed them.  But he was not always blessed with the things he likely would have wanted at several points.  His example was that he appreciated the blessings and looked beyond the trials.

Another person I was startled to relate to was Amulek.  I remember roughly equating my own conversion to that of Saul and Alma.  I was anti-religion and knew nothing of the gospel (nor did I want to have anything to do with it).  But I had experienced a change of heart like these two men.  I had turned my back on what I was and became a new person.  However I hadn’t had an appreciation for Amulek until recently.

In previous reading I had always imagined Amulek as someone who was basically a good guy and was called by God to aid His prophet.  That was all.  I hadn’t really thought about what he had testified.  Suddenly I could relate to Amulek though.  He had said that he was a man of reputation among his friends.  Yet he then states that he knew nothing of the gospel and had wronged God by not seeking knowledge.  Amulek even nails down the exact date of his conversion (and I like to imagine he would have specified the hour and minute if he would have had a clock available).  This was his way of saying to others, and himself, that he was forever changed from that point forward.   Once again I suddenly felt a kinship with someone in the scriptures. 

This entire process has been a blessing that I didn’t know I needed before I started.  I can look back over the past few months and realize just how hard my heart had become.  I can also see how that affected those I love.  This provided me empathy for Laman and Lemuel and all who did not follow the promptings they were given. 

I’m not claiming to have had a miraculous change of who I am.  I know I still have a lot to work on and a long way to go.  But I now appreciate more of why we’re taught “line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little”.  We don’t need to work on changing all at once.  If we pick one thing then the rest falls into place automatically. 

I keep thinking about how the scripture in 1 Nephi 16:29 applies directly to me where it says “…And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things.”  The Becoming Project is about picking one small thing to work on in ourselves.  Picking that one small thing then leads to great things in ourselves. 

I’m so thankful for the lessons I’ve learned from this process and I will continue to strengthen these newly found spiritual muscles as I learn to walk before I run.

Battling Ourselves

Photo by Elena Schevardo

This week for Pathway the General Studies class was on family relationships while the Book of Mormon class was on Mosiah 27 through Alma 7.

It's interesting to me to realize that the recording of the Book of Mormon started from family relationships.  If Laman and Lemuel had better relationships with their parents and siblings would there have been such a long, bitter, struggle between these family branches?

Family relationships are a common element in the scriptures.  Cain and Abel, Abraham and Isaac, and even how God is our Heavenly Father.

I remember when The Family Proclamation was read aloud in services in 1995.  I've remembered thinking "duh" when it was read and wondering why it needed to be so formally stated.  Much like other revelation and prophecy it wasn't until much later that the need for this proclamation became apparent.

Money, Money, Muuuuuunnnn-aaaaayyy

I hope you read the title and heard the Pink Floyd song in your head.

This week the Patheay general studies class was on personal financial management.  I've seen and heard the precepts in many different forms and from many different sources.  It's all good information and yet it's so hard to follow sometimes (seems like a rehash from the history of the Gospel doesn't it?).

We did get pointed to some useful tools for financial planning though.  Budgets people.  Use them and stick to them.

For our Book of Mormon class we're covering Mosiah 4-26.  Every time I hear about King Benjamin I can't help but think of it as the first General Conference ever held.

What's remarkable to me is, like the financial counsel given, people quickly turn away.  We lose our excitement, zeal or steam.  We quickly fall back into bad habits and turn away from the good things we've been taught.

Yikes! Time flies!

Image borrowed from InsideTech

So this week I've quickly learned that it's hard work to keep a blog going.  It's not that the technical process is that hard.  It's making the TIME to create the entries that is hard.  If you look a the dates of my entries you can see this.  It's been 10 days since I did an entry!  Clearly I need to work on my time management if I want to keep this blog going.

So this week's General Studies course lesson was on "work" which followed up nicely with last week's lesson on self-reliance.  During the lesson I learned a new way of studying called SQ3R that I had never heard of or thought about.  I highly recommend looking into it. :)

In our Book of Mormon course we studied the books of Enos, Jarom, Omni, Words of Mormon and the beginning of Mosiah.  Of course in those books are, technically, also the books of Amaron, Chemish, Abinadom, and Amaleki as well (if you can call a few verses a book).  But so much is packed into those books!

During our Gathering meeting on Thursday we were presented with the concept of "clustering" as a study skill.  I look forward to using that this week.  But, more importantly we went over Jarom 1:7-9 and how the Nephites had fortified themselves against the Lamanites.  This was a fascinating discussion as we took the preparations they did and then thought about how they applied to our own lives.  The list was pretty cool:

• Kings and leaders had faith - Lean on the faith of the prophet and our local leaders
• They taught the people - We need to teach each other
• Fortified cities - family home evening, family prayer, home teaching, visiting teaching
• The people multiplied and spread out - missionary work and spreading the gospel
• Prepared temporally by collecting things of wealth - Food storage, emergency funds, etc
• Made weapons of war - strengthen our testimonies and faith

Self-Reliance

This week our Pathway general studies lesson is on self-reliance.  The priesthood lesson this past Sunday was on self-reliance.  I think that I'm supposed to acknowledge self-reliance.

The Pathway lesson has us reading a talk from President Marion G. Romney titled The Celestial Nature of Self-Reliance.  The talk was written so many years ago but, like all counsel from our priesthood leadership, is so relevant to today (emphasis mine).

"The practice of coveting and receiving unearned benefits has now become so fixed in our society that even men of wealth, possessing the means to produce more wealth, are expecting the government to guarantee them a profit. Elections often turn on what the candidates promise to do for voters from government funds. This practice, if universally accepted and implemented in any society, will make slaves of its citizens.
We cannot afford to become wards of the government, even if we have a legal right to do so. It requires too great a sacrifice of self-respect and political, temporal, and spiritual independence.
In some countries it is extremely difficult to separate earned from unearned benefits. However, the principle is the same in all countries: We should strive to become self-reliant and not depend on others for our existence."

That being said there is nothing wrong with graciously accepting aid from others when the need arises.  Whenever we are in a position to help others we must do so.  It doesn't necessarily have to be monetary aid.

Don't let the prospect of someone taking advantage keep you from helping them.  If someone is taking advantage of the help of others then they will have to answer for that behavior.

Give of our time if that's all we have.  Give physical aid.  Bear one another's burdens.  Galatians 6:2 and Mosiah 18:8

A New Hope

Forgive me for copying Star Wars.  With the premier of the next installment coming up I couldn't resist.

It's now the start of a new week.  Or the end depending on your viewpoint.  Looking at the Sabbath as the start AND end of your week allows you to "double dip" into the spiritual well.

For my Pathway studies this week we're going through Jacob 1-7 in our Book of Mormon class and the subject of self-reliance in our General Studies class.  Should be a good week!  I can't believe that the semester is halfway done already. 

I love this passage form Jacob 1:5-6.  It's great to see that even prophets of old had anxiety even tbough they had great faith.  It gives me (a new) hope.  ;-)

5 For because of faith and great anxiety, it truly had been made manifest unto us concerning our people, what things should happen unto them.
6 And we also had many revelations, and the spirit of much prophecy; wherefore, we knew of Christ and his kingdom, which should come.

What a week...

This week in our Book of Mormon class we studied 2 Nephi 28-33.  I can't help thinking that the timing of this was on purpose.  Stick with me and you'll understand why.

Just the other day the new policy announcements on baptism for children of same-sex parents became public.  The outcry from the members has been the only thing I've seen.  Maybe I'm too sheltered to see non-member opinions being thrown out.  I do know I haven't searched out how the non-members feel.  All I know is it makes me sad how the members have reacted.

There have been several posts from leadership clarifying the policies and I'm glad for that.  I've read a few and I'm thankful that we have leadership with such patience and kind hearts.

I have to admit that my knee-jerk reaction was to be upset on behalf of the children.  However I waited before posting anything online and I'm glad I did.  It gave me the chance to see what our leadership said to clarify the stance.  It also gave me a chance to ponder the issue.  And to calm down.

We need to remember that we're on an eternal mission.  Things of the world are temporal and fleeting in the grand scheme.  The following verses from 2 Nephi 38 come to mind.  

30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.

 31 Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Welcome?

I'm not sure if anyone will ever find this blog on their own.  I'll share the link in my personal social media but I have no way of knowing if anyone will visit.  But if you found this place I hope you find it uplifting.

I'm starting this blog thanks to my studies in the Pathway program from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and BYU-Idaho as well as to basically be yet another start to my journal efforts.  One of my Pathway classes has a "Putting It All Together" assignment where we roll together the insights we gained during our studies that week and put them in a format for teaching others.  Happily the assignment says we can create a blog!

So my plan is to have daily posts of things I think of, weekly summaries of Pathway studies, and then the random posts on topics related to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how I see things in the world. It's all my personal point-of-view (see how that ties into the blog title?  Aren't I clever?).

I do have to say that everything I put on this blog is my own opinion and not reflective of the official policies and doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints a.k.a. "The Mormons".