A Year of Institute in Review
Today was the final institute class for this school year. (Technically, it is called Adult Continuing Education, but it is a lot easier just to call it institute.) To round out the year, we spent the last half hour or so discussing what we have learned from the Book of Mormon this year, what made a difference to us, what we take with us going forward.
Each week, I've come home and written about something that I learned from class that week. Here is a very brief outline of what I have learned (the dates are links to what I wrote for that week):
Each week, I've come home and written about something that I learned from class that week. Here is a very brief outline of what I have learned (the dates are links to what I wrote for that week):
- Purpose of the Book of Mormon - to convince the world that Jesus is the Christ.
- The Lord is merciful.
- When we are earnestly striving to be obedient in spite of the difficulties and trials, that is when God will endow us with power. That is when the miracles will come.
- Lehi's dream relates to the entire human family.
- Elder Neal A Maxwell: "So it is that the laughter of the world is merely loneliness pathetically trying to reassure itself."
- The Lord chastens us because he loves us and wants us to reach our full potential.
- It is uncomfortable to be chastened, but how we react to chastisement can teach us a lot about ourselves.
- Be meek - Don't critique others' efforts.
- Assume others are doing the best they can and respect them for their efforts.
- Have charity: be kind, don't be easily provoked, think no evil.
- People generally do better when they don't feel they need to fear criticism.
- Different people can read the same passage of scripture and come up with entirely different understandings, and both of them can be correct.
- Understanding Isaiah requires the guidance of the Spirit.
- Knowing historical background and symbols helps in understanding Isaiah.
- If we turn to God, he will help us.
- Nephi wrote about a lot of the same things Isaiah did, but he is easier to understand.
- Nephi and Isaiah both wrote about the Jews, about Christ, and about the Restoration.
- We need to teach our children about Christ.
- The Lord speaks to us in the manner in which we understand best.
- We must endure to the end to receive Eternal Life.
- Riches are granted as a means for helping others.
- The allegory of the olive tree is about returning; it is about Christ and his atonement.
- We can resist being deceived by clinging to the scriptures and the words of the prophets.
- Written records are important for helping us to remember both the commandments of God, and our family history.
- There were a lot of journeys and mass migrations among the Nephites.
- I have a lot of unanswered questions about this part of the Book of Mormon. (see here.)
- It is important to teach the youth in ways they understand, so they can carry on and become a righteous generation.
- Angels are only sent to perform missions that men cannot do on their own.
- God may give us circumstances that encourage us to repent, but he always leaves us our agency.
- The atonement is necessary because we are only saved through the atonement when (and if) we repent of our sins and come to Christ. Just saying, "I believe" is not enough to save us, nor is the mere fact that God loves us.
- When we are true followers of Christ, our eyes gain a light that is visible to others.
- If we seek God's word and strive to do his work - quick to obey, relying on the Holy Spirit, trusting and believing in Christ, then we will be blessed and guided and strengthened until the day that we will receive our salvation.
- Book of Mormon missionaries taught about the Creation, Fall and Atonement.
- True conversion brings real change.
- God wants us to pray always, where ever we may be.
- God wants us pray about everything going on in our lives, to recognize that we need His help.
- God also wants us to do all we can to meet both our own needs and the needs of those around us who are in need of help.
- We should recognize God's hand in all things and be grateful.
- Covenants are powerful and important.
- We should do all we can to fortify ourselves from the temptations of Satan.
- Life is difficult enough without adding unnecessary burdens by taking offense.
- Taking offense is a choice. We can choose not to be offended.
- The speed of the pride cycle in the book of Helaman is a depressing thing.
- I should do all I can to get to institute on time.
- We should really pay attention to our children, and give them the love and care that the Savior would if he were in our place.
- Faith in God and righteous living bring happiness.
- Sometimes God withholds blessings until we ask for them.
- God doesn't just gift us everything we need. He requires us to do what we can. He needs our willing hands to help him in his work.
- Neil A. Maxwell: "Work is always a spiritual necessity even if, for some, work is not an economic necessity."
- The Lord doesn't often shout at us; he doesn't need to. We need to learn to hear the gentle promptings of the Spirit.
- I don't need to have a huge spiritual experience like seeing an angel to know that God lives.
- The light of Christ uplifts and inspires, and is a free gift to all of God's children.
- The light of Christ leads us to have faith, to improve our lives and the world around us.
- Today we talked about charity, and how charity is the action part of love, just as faith is the action part of belief.
- We talked about how we can come to know of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon: by reading it and really studying to understand what it says, by praying and asking God with a real desire to know if it is true. The scriptures assure us that the Holy Ghost will testify of its truth.
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