Selecting Leaders

What kind of men should we be searching for to fill our high offices?

 Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.
~~Deuteronomy 1:13

Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
~~Exodus 18:21

Wherefore, honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil.
~~D&C 98:10

So, a leader should have the following characteristics:

Able
God Fearing 
Truthful
Hateful of Covetousness 
Wise 
Honest (x2!) 
Good 

And now a little bit about the sort of person we don't want as our leader: 

And they did wax strong in love towards Mosiah; yea, they did esteem him more than any other man; for they did not look upon him as a tyrant who was seeking for gain, yea, for that lucre which doth corrupt the soul; for he had not exacted riches of them, neither had he delighted in the shedding of blood; but he had established peace in the land, and he had granted unto his people that they should be delivered from all manner of bondage; therefore they did esteem him, yea, exceedingly, beyond measure.
~~ Mosiah 29:40

So, we need somebody who has the following characteristics:

Not a tyrant
Not seeking for gain/lucre
Establishes peace in the land.
Not a taxer
Not somone who delights in bloodshed
Delights in peace!

Faith: 

As of late, I have stopped praying for things.

I think it started during my mission. I prayed we would find somebody to baptize. We didn't. I prayed that Sister Kupet's heart would be softened. It wasn't.

After my mission, too. I prayed about who I should marry. I felt like Sherilyn was definitely the right choice. I prayed about who I should marry again. I heard a voice saying, "Jarom, you will marry MXXXX JXXXXXX."

Не получилось.

I suppose my thought chain goes like this:

1. If I expend a lot of energy praying for something good, it won't happen if it's not God's will. 
2. If it IS God's will, it will happen. 
3. So why expend the energy??

What am I not understanding about prayer?

1. God is anxious to support me in my practical and specific challenges. 
2. "Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:31) 
3. On second thought, aren't you GLAD they didn't decide to marry me? At least, I would be very uncomfortable with the idea of a girl I didn't like praying to make me love her, and then me falling in love against my will.
4. Have faith that you will receive personal revelation to guide you from day to day. The Holy Ghost will help you in every aspect of your work. (PMG, Chapter 4) 

Some good thoughts

I'm going to study a little bit about killing time. Why it's a problem, why I need to repent.

I already know how to change a personal weakness.

1) Realize that you can't justify it any more.
2) Make a plan to stop
3) Stop

SO:

Times I tend to play video games.

• Weeknights, between 9:30 and 11:00 PM, sometimes with Seth. 
• At break at work 
• Saturday morning after work 

"Reflections on a Consecrated Life."

“Life offers you two precious gifts—one is time, the other freedom of choice, the freedom to buy with your time what you will. You are free to exchange your allotment of time for thrills. You may trade it for base desires. You may invest it in greed. Yours is the freedom to choose. But these are no bargains, for in them you find no lasting satisfaction."

YOU NEED TO FIX YOUR PHONE SO THAT YOU CAN GO HOME TEACHING 

"Love is the conviction that one woman is different from all the rest." George Bernard Shaw 

You know, I was looking at young women as they walk past, and trying to see them for qualities other than beauty. I was trying to value them for their kind hearts and instinctive desire to nurture and help others. 

It was so beautiful. Try to value women for their kindness, for their sweetness, for their goodness, for their desire to serve others. Sometimes it may be buried a little bit in today's world. But it is their God-given endowment of goodness. Honor it. Treasure it. 

Isn't that what's beautiful about it? The man protects and provides. The woman nurtures and beautifies. 

And THAT's why I love Sherilyn, Laura, Marie, and Mckenna. All of them are physically attractive in different degrees. But the most important thing is that they're kindhearted, faithful, sweet, and wholesome.  

Are you the sort of young man that is that way? You know what, men like women who make them feel good about themselves. Doesn't it follow that women like men who make them feel good about themselves as well? 

You used to have such a talent for making people feel good about themselves. That's probably the most important talent a person could ever develop. 

Alma Chapter 1

Notes:

• Nehor was noted for his much strength. 
• In short, he was buff. 
• Dude, check out these abs.

• But let's not forget what he was doing... killing the righteous Gideon. 
• How often is somebody's influence measured by how they look? What a silly reason to trust somebody! And yet, we do it all the time. 
• Why would you support a priest who goes around with a suspiciously pro-priest message: "Support us! We ought not to labor!" 
• Well, it has certain advantages. A priest who is beholden to you for his livelihood will be unlikely to call you to repentance. 
• And indeed, this is what we see.
• No sooner does Nehor begin to preach this philosophy than we see him preaching universal, unconditional salvation. 

And he also testified unto the people that all mankind should be saved at the last day, and that they need not fear nor tremble, but that they might lift up their heads and rejoice; for the Lord had created all men, and had also redeemed all men; and, in the end, all men should have eternal life.

~~Alma 1: 4~~ 

• And it worked! People started giving him money. Observe the next very interesting phenomenom.

And he began to be lifted up in the pride of his heart, and to wear very costly apparel, yea, and even began to establish a church after the manner of his preaching.

~~Alma 1:6~~

• Funny that I have so much in common with Nehor. am also frequently lifted up in the pride of my heart, convinced that I am the greatest thing on earth since George Washington. 
• I also have a hankering for costly apparel. 
• When somebody is seeking to lead away the children of Israel, you admonish them with the words of God. 
• SIDE NOTE: Perhaps my friend was more right than I. Aren't we taught that there will come among us wolves in sheep's clothing? 
• On that note, we are definitely given strict instructions on how to judge. 
• Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? (3rd Nephi 14:16) 
• I had never thought about the grape/fig analogy before. 
• Do men seek grapes among thorns or figs among thistles? 
• In other words, is he seeking good things in bad places? No matter how good your motives are (tolerance seems pretty admirable to most) it's unwise to seek it in thorny places like condoning sin or allowing evil policies go unchallenged. 

Book of Mormon Fundamentalism: 

Do you actually believe what the Book of Mormon says? Do you actually trust the Brethren in their statements? Do you seek to apply the scriptures to your life and see parallels in the world at large?

Are you actually interested in religion? Is improving your spiritual standing actually a real goal of yours?  

I am thinking that there is much among them I need to accept. But the mainstream of the church will always provide my best refuge and safety. 

Another comic that actually impressed me quiet a bit was the following: 

Unfortunately, I'm often the sheep on the front row, kicking the poor guy in the rear. I don't like to think things are wrong. I'm an optimist by nature, but far more than that, I have a tendency to avoid problems. I like to ignore them until they are apparent and urgent. But by that time, it's probably far too late to stop evil in the hearts of men, right? 

So, Jarom. You need to drift a little more right-wards. There's a lot of good on the left, there's a lot of good in your tolerance and open-mindedness and flexibility, but you wouldn't hurt from some backbone, too! 

The Great BYU Debacle

So, here's the final reply that I posted to the BYU post by my friend.

I'm truly sorry if I've come off as combative or obstinate in these discussions. One thing that irritated me about this post was sweeping references to "false philosophies" and "agendas" without any specific examples. I went and did some studying and talked with my parents, and that has helped me clarify some things. Some BYU professors definitely teach things that I don't agree with. (Steven L. Peck of the biology department, for instance, openly says he believes his ancestors were apes.) Some of my mother's literature professors presented some pretty radical feminist ideas. But brothers and sisters, can we focus on the few loose cannons instead of launching a frontal assault on BYU itself? Friend, the way you talk, you would think the BYU faculty has been hijacked by orcs from Mordor, and that's what ruffled my feathers. The university as a whole is not off track. The university as a whole supports the mission statement of "assisting individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life." Classes are uplifting, inspiring, and tenets of the gospel are frequently discussed. Take Professor Katya Jordan who joined the church after the fall of the Soviet Union, who starts every class with a prayer and compares the harmful ideas of the Soviet Union with current democratic truths from the United States. Take Professor Dennis Packard, whose entire logic class was built around defending church doctrines against logical attacks. Take Professor Purves and Professor Volfevna (Volfevna is not LDS, for the record) who have taught me through such books as "Anna Karenina" and "Fathers and Sons" more about being a decent human being than any other people besides my parents Take Professor Ray Christensen who helped us understand the faulty logic behind the Supreme Court cases that laid the foundation for abortion and homosexual marriage. Take Professor John Bell of the biology department, and a former Stake President, who bears his testimony to us that the gospel is true, even if it seems to contradict some of the modern principles of evolutionary theory. Point at nearly any one of my professors (and I've had dozens now) and I will show you a good person who is NOT plotting behind close doors, who is NOT pushing some agenda straight from the Diabolical Office of Education, and who IS a worthy, endowed, charitable, serving member of the church. BYU is the Lord's university, headed by apostles and prophets, and if there are some tares growing among the wheat, let's not throw indiscriminate molotov cocktails into the field, because you will find both wheat and tares in your ward, in your stake and in the church at large, and you will burn far more wheat than you will tare. Thanks for the discussion, and thanks for getting me thinking about this topic. Sincerely, Jarom Harrison


So, here's what I've learned about fundamentalists. Those are the people who believe that the church as a whole is desperately lacking in spiritual sternness and only by hearkening to Joseph Smith and Ezra Taft Benson can we escape the terrible judgments of the Lord.

They're mostly right.

I mean, aren't they? They're right in substance. Evolution is not right. We ought not to apologize for our beliefs. We need to return to fundamentals. They play an important role in reminding people like me of the hard, stern side of the gospel. The requirement side. The repentance side.

But were I резко разойду with them is the incendiary manner in which they tend to proclaim their views. Yes, they're right, we all need to repent. All of us. But lambasting the church at large for being "wicked" is never going to work! That's not your job! That's the prophet's job!

So study, share, and be righteous, but let's not go off on our own private crusade to reform the Lord's kingdom. It's not yours. It's his.

Sincerely,

Jarom

Charity and Debate

I recently had a rather spectacular argument with one of my friends over a Facebook post. I don't think what I said was inappropriate, but the spirit that was with me was definitely one of contention.

So, how can one disagree? All my life, I've learned that disagreeing is wrong. That you ought to be amiable and get along with people. And I don't think I'm completely wrong. 

There are times when all a disagreement calls for is increased understanding and love on my part.

But what if somebody is actually wrong? And what if the truth calls out to be defended? What if something actually needs to be said?

For example, Nephi often calls his brethren out in a very blunt fashion. Should I call my brothers out when they do things wrong?

But then again, Nephi also goes humbly to his father and asks his direction when his father is clearly not acting righteously.

The Savior often calls people out in a very blunt fashion with no apologies. He calls them "generation of vipers" and so forth. But then there are other times when he is silent and says nothing, but humbly endures abuse. Or still others when he takes the middle road, and loves the sinner, yet hates the sin.

Some answers from the Sermon on the Mount. =

And blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 
~~3rd Nephi 12:5~~

And blessed are all the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. 
~~3rd Nephi 12:9~~

And yet,

And blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute, and shall say no manner of evil against you falsely for my sake; 
~~3rd Nephi 12:11~

So in short, the Lord cares about WHAT you say. But he cares a great deal more about HOW you say it.

Is my heart meek? Am I seeking to be a peacemaker? And yet am I standing for what I know to be right, even if it is likely that people will revile and persecute me?

What if I'm not sure I'm right?

I think the answer is, if you are going to challenge somebody's opinion, you ad better be be willing to accept the possibility, что тебе придётся изменить твоё мнение, if you find that you aren't correct.


ANOTHER QUESTION:

Am I living my version of Christianity? Am I living my version of the gospel?

It's a pretty good version, I think. There's a lot of good things that I"m doing. But if its not the Lord's version, then that's a problem. Am I moving too far to the political middle on certain things? Do I need to be more firm in my defense of the family, less compromising with my opinion of what's right and wrong?

If I went today and posted on Facebook, "Homosexuality is wrong and those who engage in homosexual relationships need to repent or they will be condemned by the Lord," then I would be 100% right. So then what's holding me back from posting it? The fear of losing friends? Am I more worried about that than with pleasing the Lord?

In the Strength of the Lord

You know? I want the Lord's strength. I've been praying for His help to overcome my weaknesses. And I feel it. 

Goodness and badness are both subject to the snowball effect. The more you fill your life with good things, the less room there is for the bad. And the more you fill your life with bad (or even just useless things) the less room there is for the bad.

The first decision any strong man in this day and age must make is to not while his life away on entertainment. For me, the internet is a major distraction. Facebook, video games, and music all distract me from my true potential and purpose.

I am a son of God. I was sent here to gain a body and to learn to control it. (Remember THAT when the natural man tries to kick in.) I was sent here in order to build a family. The Lord is preparing me for that, but I need His strength.

We're going to make a list of scriptures here about how the Lord can empower and strengthen us.

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory. 

~~1st Nephi 14:14~~

Notice, we gain power by being saints and also by being a covenant people. If we are faithful to our covenants, we shall be "armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory."

I followed the link to Righteousness and was pleasantly surprised to begin reading about "the mission of the Latter-Day Saints."

The mission of the Saints is to redeem the dead and in them all the nations of the earth will be blessed. This is why our temple building and operating is a great source of strength. The Lord gives us strength when we are earnestly engaged in his work. And so, we earnestly engage.

The mission of the Saints is to be a light unto the world. This is why we refuse to lower our moral standards of purity and instead stick to the high and lonely citadel of chastity, honesty, and goodness. This is why we fight political battles when we need to in order to be the leaven of a rapidly declining society.

The mission of the Saints is to preach the gospel. This is why we train up young men and women, armed with testimonies, and send them out across the globe to the homes of the humble and pure in heart. This is why we save money for senior missions and why we open our mouths to our neighbors and friends.

The mission of the Saints is to aid the poor and distressed. Honestly, I'm not doing so well at this one. What more can I do?

As long as we are engaged in these activities and keep ourselves "unspotted from the world," we may be confident that the Lord's strength will abide with us. 

And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb, and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be." 

~~1st Nephi 13:37~~

I have never made that connection before: If we want the Lord's strength, we had better be doing the Lord's work!

So, from these two scriptures (1 Nephi 14:14 and 1 Nephi 13:37) I can make the following inferences about Spiritual Power. 

1. We gain Spiritual Power from keeping our covenants. Going to the temple, partaking of the sacrament, fulfilling our priesthood obligations, etc, etc. 
2. We gain Spiritual Power from doing the Lord's work. Family history work, caring for the poor and needy, spreading the gospel, anything else that helps move forward the Work of Salvation. 


The Lord WANTS to bless you, but His supreme fairness does not allow Him to bless people according to his whims. He cannot send extraordinary blessings if you are seeking for them halfheartedly. The Lord is no respecter of persons, and so He invented a mechanism whereby those who put forth more effort gain more blessings and vice versa.

Forgiveness

Ah, how wonderful it is!  Behold a beautiful line from the pamphlet "Let Virtue Garnish Thy Thoughts."

If you have tried to quit pornography but have been unsuccessful, you may feel discouraged. Satan will try to exploit your discouragement by attempting to convince you that you cannot stop or that the Atonement does not apply to you. These are lies. Because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, you can repent and change. The Lord promised that “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18). 

I'm not recovering from a pornography addiction, but the principle is still true and beautiful. Oftentimes I'm discouraged because my weaknesses seem never ending.

But let's not forget the countless testimonies of God's power to make us gloriously happy as we change for the better.

Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death. And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more. And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

Alma 36: 18-20

And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away. 

Enos 1:6

REMEMBER:

Satan is in the business of discouragement. If he tells you lies about your future potential, ignore that! Believe that you can be gloriously, eternally happy and strong forever. 

Klebingatt-esque. Nephi-Esque. Christ-Esque

You know, I've always looked up to my former mission president, Elder Klebingatt. For me, he represents the sort of hard-hitting, dedicated disciple that I want to be.

He's almost ferocious in the way he lives the gospel. And I want to be more ferocious.

Let's talk about some gospel heroes today. So what does living the gospel really look like?

Things to learn from NEPHI

Strength: I love Nephi's strength. I love how in hard situations, he didn't complain or doubt.

And it came to pass that Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael did begin to murmur exceedingly, because of their sufferings and afflictions in the wilderness; and also my father began to murmur against the Lord his God; yea, and they were all exceedingly sorrowful, even that they did murmur against the Lord. 
(1st Nephi 16:20)

Wherefore, they came unto me, and loosed the bands which were upon my wrists, and behold they had swollen exceedingly; and also mine ankles were much swollen, and great was the soreness thereof. Nevertheless, I did look unto my God, and I did praise him all the day long; and I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions. (1st Nephi 18:15-16)

But behold I said unto them that: As the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us. (1st Nephi 3:16)

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them. (1st Nephi 3:7)

Things to learn from MORONI 

Dedication: I loved how focused he was on the truly important tasks that were placed before him.

Now it came to pass that while Amalickiah had thus been obtaining power by fraud and deceit, Moroni, on the other hand, had been preparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord their God. (Alma 48: 7)

And thus he was preparing to support their liberty, their lands, their wives, and their children, and their peace, and that they might live unto the Lord their God, and that they might maintain that which was called by their enemies the cause of Christians.

And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery; 

Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people. 

 Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood.

(Alma 48:10-13)

Things to learn from CHRIST

Humility and an eye single to God's glory:

And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. (Matthew 26:39)

"For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak." (John 12:49)

Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (Mosiah 4:14)



So, in conclusion:

1. Be strong in times of trial! Praise God when things get hard!  Look forward with an eye of faith and expect that God will deliver you.
2. Be focused on the right things! Work tirelessly to defend right and goodness and truth. Prepare for battle against the enemy.
3. In complete humility, acknowledge your dependence and love for Heavenly Father. Look to him for instruction often and respond with alacrity to His commandments.

This Week

This week has been pretty great. I was hoping to ask Mckenna out on another date, and so the whole week I was trying to be worthy of a girl like that. She ended up saying "no" but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

Here are some of the things I've been doing:

Monday-Family Home Evening
Tuesday-Endowment Session
Wednesday-Institute
Thursday-Temple Session/Fasting
Friday-N/A
Saturday-N/A
Sunday-Missionary Visits


So, lots of spiritual effort!

I also tried a new experiment. I did not allow any entertainment from screens. That includes chess, facebook, video games, youtube, etc.

I made it all the way up till Thursday when I was just exhausted, and then I played 1 hour of video games. And this morning after work I played a little bit as well. But I felt so good! I hope to continue to do that this week. I can check facebook once a day in the morning for important communications, but do NOT lounge around on it! It's a lousy way to spend time!

One thing I want to try this week is experimenting with my eating. I eat out a lot. And it is unhealthy and costs a lot of money. So, if I can make it from right NOW to Saturday without eating out once, I will allow myself to go to Cafe Rio on Saturday and have a gorgeous salad.

That means I will have to stop at Wal-Mart and get beans, chips, bread, turkey, peanut butter, fruit, and granola bars. The one exception will be to buy chocolate milk after my workouts.   :)

But what can I study this week to aid me?

I want to study the talk The Consecrated Life: 

"It is in this life that you prove yourself able of choosing enduring happiness over mere amusement." 

Idea: Go social dancing
Keep track of how long you've been diligent in preparing for Sister Harrison in your life.

"When entertainment turns from virtue to vice, it becomes a destroyer of the consecrated life." 

"Those who quietly and thoughtfully go about doing good offer a model of consecration."

“All true Work is sacred; in all true Work, were it but true hand-labour, there is something of divineness. Labour, wide as the Earth, has its summit in Heaven." 

Honesty

I was working a little irresponsibly last night. And as I flipped a table up rather quickly, it caught on a loose floor tile, and the floor tile came off. We fixed it, but I feel like I should tell, even though I am afraid of the consequences.

Honesty is a perfect example of trusting in the Lord. Why don't people tell the truth? Because they are afraid of the consequences.

But when we fear the Lord more than the consequences, we will come clean and tell the whole truth.

Fear not thou; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

~Isaiah 41:10~

True to the Faith makes it clear that honesty is a bargain. When we are dishonest in our words or actions, we lose our self-respect.

Being honest often requires courage and sacrifice. If you find yourself in such a situation, remember that the lasting peace that comes from being honest is more valuable than the momentary relief of following the crowd. 

It certainly took courage, but I just sent Tegan an email about what I have done, and I feel better. Now I am worried about what's going to happen to me and not whether or not I was honest. It's still uncomfortable, but I'm doing the right thing!

At work, I need to be more honest. I need to maintain my integrity in order to maintain my self-respect. There have been one or two times when I responded to text messages when I should not have, or took a little break when I should not have.

Anyways! Be good, Jarom. Be good. And God will bless you. 

Как Изучать Свяшенные Писание Как Апостол

How does one study scriptures like an apostle? In weight training, I'm constantly looking at different methods, trying out new things, pushing myself to get the best results possible. Shouldn't I be doing the same with my spiritual strength? 

Indeed, I think I should.

What do I already know about Scripture Study? 

1. We should begin with a prayer
2. We should have a specific question
3. We should avoid distractions, and study in an area conducive to the spirit
4. We should record answers to our question in a special place for future reference
5. We should set a goal to change our behavior based on the acquired knowledge (application) 

QUESTION: How do the prophets approach scripture study? 

Nephi: 

" For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children." 

~~2nd Nephi 4:15

Nephi claims that his soul delights in the scriptures. He seeks to write them and ponder them, both for himself and for his children. Ponder means to think deeply about, to wonder about, and then to pray about. 

How does one gain a delight in something? 

Understand the benefits of it. 

Be good at it.

That entails spending lots of time doing it. 

See results from it. 

Since it is a spiritual thing, probably need to have the Spirit about you to delight in it. 

Nephi uses a word pattern twice. He says that "my soul delighteth in the scriptures and my heart pondereth them" in 2nd Nephi 4:15. One verse later, repeats the same phrase, "For my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord, and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard."  

I deduce that Delight---->Pondering

I also deduce that Pondering means to "think continually upon the things which you have both seen and heard." 

So, Jarom reads a scripture and likes it so much that it won't leave his mind. It will remain with him for the entire day. Oh to be that sort of Jarom!! 

What do I really want in life? I fear that sometimes I've relegated the gospel to a nice accessory in my life. I like it because it brings peace, balance, and comfort when I need it. But it's far from the most beautiful treasure of my heart. To tell the truth, I'm far more interested in other things. 

But I believe in the formula that was taught yesterday in Stake Priesthood Session: 

Work----> GOSPEL---->Blessings 

Funny... I'm having the same reaction here as Nephi, and I didn't even notice till just now. (See verse 17.) 

"Oh wretched man that I am!" exclaims Nephi, "Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities." 

Meanwhile, we're all thinking "yeah right, Nephi. Oh wretched man that you are." 

Well, let's get a second opinion, shall we? 

And that from a child thou has known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 

All scripture is given by inspiration from God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 

That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." 

~~Timothy 3:15'

As children, we ought to know the holy scriptures. They make us wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ.

Wow, that's a dense statement! Let's unpack it a little: 

1. Wise
2. Unto Salvation
3. Through Faith
4. Which is in Christ 

Wise means having a deep and mature understanding of how something actually works. "Having or showing experience, knowledge, or good judgement." 

But it's not just any wisdom. It's "wisdom unto salvation." So, it is experience, knowledge or good judgement which leads to eternal life. 

But through faith. It must be coupled with faith which is in Christ. 

Знаете, что можно делать? Можно пригласить девушек на музей в Спрингвиле. И вот так, что ждёт тебя на конец всего!! That is definitely a worthwhile place, ala Richard G. Scott. And the museum is open till 9:00 PM on Wednesdays! 

Как ухаживать за девушкой по-Божему.

I am certain that the Lord is trying to help me to accomplish my dreams of being an excellent father and husband. (After all, this life is designed to teach us Fatherhood and Husbandhood. See Larry M. Gibson's talk Fatherhood-Our Eternal Destiny.)

Well, so. How can I court a young woman like a man of God? What do the prophets have to say about it?

1. Talk to her a lot: 

“There was so much to tell and we seemed to enjoy each other so very much. … It was a perfect courtship during which I discovered in Flora a great character and a rare combination of virtues.” 

~~Ezra Taft Benson

2. Take your time:

“Infatuation may be romantic, glamorous, thrilling, and even urgent, but genuine love should not be in a hurry. … Time should be taken for serious thought, and opportunity given for [each partner to gain] physical, mental, and spiritual maturity. Longer acquaintances will enable both to evaluate themselves and their proposed companions, to know each other’s likes and dislikes, habits and dispositions, aptitudes and aspirations." 

~~Hugh B. Brown

"If one tries to stand the pyramid on its point, expecting romance to hold everything else up, the pyramid will fall." 

~~Bruce C. Hafen 

3. Find simple opportunities for interaction:

“Took a ride over on South hills. Saw purple [mountains] at sunset. Very beautiful. … Went strolling with [Emma Ray]. Told each other secrets. A memorable night!”

~~David O. McKay

But depth and meaning emerge in a relationship only when two people converse, exploring each other’s feelings and aspirations and sharing concerns and perspectives. This kind of growth best occurs during simple, wholesome activities. 

Be the kind of boy that the girl you want would want. 

~~Kimber Magoffin 

To Sum Up: 

"Make your highest priority finding a worthy, eternal companion. When you find you are developing an interest in a young woman, show her that you are an exceptional person that she would find interesting to know better. Take her to places that are worthwhile. Show some ingenuity. If you want to have a wonderful wife, you need to have her see you as a wonderful man and prospective husband."

~~Richard G. Scott 

1. Make it your highest priority.

2. Show that you are an exceptional person that she would find interesting 

3. Take her to places that are worthwhile. 

4. Show some ingenuity. 

There's a misogynist group having a rally in Provo. Among other things, they espouse the idea that women only exist for men's sexual satisfaction. I was pretty perturbed by all of this, so I'm going to do some research on the subject. Research, I would like to clarify, about what God's view of women is. 

This group's message is shocking but it's simple. It is the logical culmination of the world's thinking. 

World says: If a girl is beautiful, and physically desirable, then she is worthwhile. 

But that's ignoring all the other beautiful qualities of a woman! The most beautiful part of a woman is her femininity: 

President Faust observed that femininity “is the divine adornment of humanity. It finds expression in your … capacity to love, your spirituality, delicacy, radiance, sensitivity, creativity, charm, graciousness, gentleness, dignity, and quiet strength. It is manifest differently in each girl or woman, but each … possesses it. Femininity is part of your inner beauty.” ²

Notice that President Faust focuses on inner beauty. 

Now, inner beauty won't win you any worldly beauty contests. The world doesn't care about that. But inner beauty sure produces some world-class marriages and parents and childhoods for the children of those parents. 

Outer beauty is temporary and therefore produces temporary satisfaction. 

Inner beauty is прочный and long-lasting and therefore produces long-lasting satisfaction. 

Or better yet, are you ready to cry? 

Yes, that's what is truly satisfying in love. 

Outer beauty fulfills pleasure needs which is always a temporary fix and leaves you more hungry than before. 

Inner beauty fulfills emotional needs which is a long-term fix and leaves you healthy and whole.

Now, the ultimate evil logic of Satan ends in women being objects which exist for sexual pleasure. 

But what's God's plan for women? It's family-oriented. 

Just as Elder Larry Gibson points out that men were sent here to learn fatherhood, so it would seem that women were sent here to learn mothering. To learn kindness, graciousness, service, which coincide wonderfully with Elder Faust's remarks about femininity. 

For God, a successful women is not a model but a mother. He cares little about physical beauty (aren't we all going to be resurrected into fantastically beautiful beings in perfect bodies anyways?) and a great deal about the inner beauty that marriage and motherhood both require and develop. 

But let's examine the diabolical perspective. Satan hates marriage. For him, it's social problem number one.  

The problem with marriage is that it teaches us everything Satan doesn't want us to learn. It teaches us to sacrifice, to think of others first, to be focused on the long-term, to work interdependently, and to love. It also values love over lust, and love is something Satan hates antithetically. For if God is love, Satan cannot be love. 

Also, love is not against the commandments. Loving will get you closer and closer to God. So Satan tries to get you to lust, which is against the commandments. 

So, Satan tries to distort marriages in a thousand ways. He has a whole lot of wrong options, and God has only one. 

God's plan: 

A man and a woman are attracted to each other. Physical attraction can play a role, especially to get the slow-moving guy moving in the right direction. They treat each other nicely. They are considerate and compassionate and supportive. They fall in love. 

They get married. They have children. The father sacrifices his time for the children to support them, the mother sacrifices her time for the children to nurture them. The parents teach the children faith, responsibility, and being polite. The children teach their parents humility, patience, and unconditional love. 

Eventually, the man and woman die and go to heaven where they continue to learn together. Eventually, they take all the lessons they've been learning together and get to do it on a HUGE, COSMIC, GRAND SCALE. Trillions of children. Trillions of precious souls to keep track of

Satan's plan: 

1. Men subjugate women for sexual pleasure.  Families are definitely not created, nor would God ever want a child raised in such an environment. 
2. Any combination of homo-trans-bisexual nonsense. Again, no families are formed or taken care of. 
3. Men and women both use each other for pleasure. Bars, parties, one-night stands.  No thought about children or long-term love. No families
4. Men and women get married and the woman focuses exclusively on her career. No/little thought for children, they're considered baggage on the fast-paced road to $$$ and influence. 
5. Men and women marry and divorce. Hate. Emotional fallout. Things get ugly and everybody leaves scarred and the family (although it gets formed in the first place) doesn't make it to heaven. 
6. Any other diabolical alternative which leaves men and women stranded and apart and nobody going to heaven with solid, secure, loving families. 

Signing off. 

Last of all, go Huffington Post: I approve of this message

And this one too

Charity

I just wanted to re-emphasize last post's words of wisdom.

Never give up trying to overcome your weaknesses, achieve your dreams, and find true love. 

It's a pretty good motto I think!

Anyways, today I am wanting to study charity.

CHARITY:

What is it? Why do we want it? How do we get it?

Charity is when you sympathize with somebody and go do something to help them.