winning the hearts

institute night! you know what that means...lots of things rolling around in this head of mine.

favorite quote: "to state it again, even thought the scriptures contain no words to answer our specific personal question, a prayerful study of the scriptures will help us obtain such answers. This is because scripture study will  make us susceptible to the inspiration of the holy ghost." --dallin h. oaks, studying the scriptures, byu-hawaii campus, march 14, 1986, p. 19

favorite scripture/new theme of my life: alma 17: 29. i had a special love for alma 17 ever since my mission and the morning we sat in front of the huge painting of 'go ye therefore' in the main hall of the mtc. but the end of alma 17 just always seemed violent, cutting off arms and all...well i'm giving ammon's story another look. :) j/k. ammon, who is the servant of king lamoni sees the lamanites scatter his flocks. his fellow servants say, ah the king will slay us and they start to cry. and what does ammon do? his heart swells for joy. he saw not a tragic event but a glorious opportunity to win the hearts of his fellow servants in hopes he can lead them to believe him. he saw opportunity.

there are many attributes i could delve into here, but here is just one that strikes me particularly hard. he isn't concerned about his own heart, he is seeking to win hearts, the hearts of others.

a few months ago, getting myself to church was really hard. not to say that i didn't go or that i didn't want to go, but i guess i lost perspective because all i could see was me. i felt lonely, and alone. i felt like i could go through the whole day and no one would necessarily sit by me or talk to me or even really notice if i was there or not and at that, really care.

i give you that example because i think its the opposite of this "winning hearts" concept. someone who wants to win the hearts of others is not interested in the welfare of their own heart, they are seeking to others hearts. its being concerned for someone else, saying hello, caring more about making others feel loved, appreciated, noticed and cared for. the miracle is...your heart benefits as well.

there are many other stories that could be told, other parallels that can be drawn; and this is just my beginning. hello new theme: "win the hearts"

I delight in enthusiasm.

(pardon the spots on my pictures. something is wrong somewhere in my camera. it's going to the shop this week.)

It has been a great week. Although lately, I've been in the business of 'making great weeks.' I had a roommate once, who always said, "Make it a great day." I'll be honest, somedays I was flat out annoyed as I was, at times, completely convinced that nothing in my power could 'make' the day any better--it was just bad.

Yesterday I was talking to my Mom. She was telling me about the epiphany she'd had during the week. My Mom does not live a solitary existence. Two other souls depend on her for their food, transportation, and at times entertainment. In fact, most of the time, it's mom+1, the +1 is LB. LB (aka Christin) is the sidekick, always there following often inches behind asking questions like, "what's for dinner mom?" and "is it pals yet?" or "slurpee day?" These questions can all get old after a while plus when you have so much to do during the day that dinner is the last thing on your mind--the question "what's for dinner" while eating breakfast, can make a long day ahead...even longer. Back to the point at hand. Mom realized that whatever her attitude is, rubs off on Christin. So if she's agitated, so is LB. If she's happy, so is LB. If Mom makes it a great day, then it's a great day for LB and if those two are happy--I think its fair to say that the rest of us are happy.

Point of the story, our attitude makes a difference in our lives and the lives of those around us. We have gifts and talents insomuch that when we utilize them, great things can happen!

What does all this have to do with enthusiasm? Elder Perry spoke at the Salt Lake Institute tonight. He started by telling how all his siblings were full of talent--musical talent, athletic talent, scholastic talent. He, however, did not possess any of those talents, but he soon realized he did have enthusiasm. I spent the first 10 minutes, wondering if he was joking, surely he has other talents, but none so significant he felt to address them. Enthusiasm it was. However, as the oldest current general authority spoke I realized how his enthusiasm was a great gift in his life and in his presence. At the age of 89, Elder L. Tom Perry doesn't look much different from the first picture I remember seeing of him (besides his glasses...they're different now).

Elder Perry spoke of how the the word enthusiasm is derived from a greek word meaning 'possessed by god' 'inspired.' He quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson as saying something to the effect of, Nothing great ever happens without enthusiasm. Up to this point, I hadn't thought much about enthusiasm but as I listened to Elder Perry speak the following words, I realized how he personified this quality. "I am an average person whose had extraordinary opportunities." "God can do extraordinary things with ordinary people who invite God to be with them."

He spoke about the need of enthusiastic leaders in this church. Elder Perry told of three lessons he would have us learn from his life, 1) aAlways be active and a part of a community, 2) Keep alive the great Christian heritage in America, and 3) Remember who you are and that God is our Father.

In closing he shared, "Whatever your talents are--they can make you extraordinary because God is in your life."

Sometimes we value some talents over others. But tonight I had the epiphany that perhaps it is not about the talent its self, it's about how you've invited God to assist you in developing that talent.

I think I've been blessed to have some pretty extraordinary opportunities in my life. I know I'm an average simple soul but a significant soul to my Father in Heaven. It is my hope that I can always say that I have taken advantage of every opportunity God grants me so that by His guiding hand, I can find myself leading an extraordinary life by being both a builder of this great nation and church.

Because I choose God's influence in my life based on the choices I make--I can make it a great day.

I delight in institute.

Institute is a program in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the Young Single Adults in the church (there are classes available for those who are older, and a seminary program for high school age students) to continue learning in the gospel. Institutes are often located near the campus' of most major Universities in the United States (and elsewhere) or are held in nearby chapels and homes. Its a great opportunity to learn about the gospel in a group with peers.

Tonight I went to a class on the Book of Moses, found in the Pearl of Great Price. 10 weeks of class, 8 chapters. Tonight we had the opportunity to talk about the plain and most precious truths that were removed from the Bible as we now know it. We discussed how the world would be different had just the first Chapter of Moses (or Genesis as we know it) not been changed, most of the confusion about the nature of God, our relationship to him, our purpose, the role of our Savior Jesus Christ, the existence of Satan, and the fact that God speaks and not spake would all be so clear.

My gratitude deepened for a 14-year old boy who read James 1:5, who believed that God would hear his prayer and who had the faith to act on the answer he received. Out of the darkness came light, a brighter day, the restoration of the Gospel. To learn more about the restoration and about the Prophet Joseph Smith, click here.