Teach A Friend & Learning Report

After I gave the quote by President Eyring, Mom said that what President Eyring had to say was true in life and in everything else. She said that things will not stay with you forever and that you need to keep using the information in order for it to stick with you. There are few people, she said, who learn something once and it sticks to them; she said that is why people renew their vows and why people should read their patriarchal blessings often.

In reference to different types of sources, Mom said that the most important sources out there are scriptures and other gospel materials. In terms of knowing who we are so we can know our strengths, Mom said that she is learning not only about her strengths and weaknesses, she is also learning about how to build upon her strengths through the career counseling opportunities available through her school.

When it came to discussing President Uchtdorf's quote concerning not blindly accepting all that we hear, Mom said that the world thinks we blindly follow and that just isn't so. She said those concerns of blind following are why we have access to so many resources both inside and outside of the gospel, as it is important for us to constantly stay informed. She added that one can read and study all they want, but the best teacher is experience and that she knows the gospel is true not by learning and studying, but by living it for many years. She also added that the natural man often seeks to be people pleasers and that the way we personally discern between truth and error should include a lot of thoughtful prayer and listening to feelings.

When it came to learning about information literacy, Mom agreed with the fact that what we consider to be true and what really is true can often be two different things. She also agreed that we should see reliable sources of information using both gospel tools and proper evaluation guidelines like the ones mentioned in the lesson so that we are not deceived.

At the concluding part of the lesson when I said that it is not enough to sit and watch, but that we actually have to go and do and also strive to have the Spirit in our lives so we can do good things, Mom agreed with that. She said that she knows that not because she told that through the gospel, but she knows about the importance of not only going and doing, but working to do so with the help of God's Spirit through bad experiences from earlier parts of her life.

Learning Report
The three most important things on my list were spending more time with my family however it could be managed, dedicating more time to exercise, and get to bed earlier at night so I could get up and see my mother off to school each day. I am doing well in terms of spending time with family whenever I can, as I am always helping my mother with household things, trips to the grocery store and laundromat, and also meeting her after school so we can take the bus home together each day and have a chance to talk about how her day went. It's nice spending time with Mom doing those things and also going to ward activities together so that we can get to know our ward family.

In terms of exercise, I walk almost every day either around the apartment or around downtown after taking the bus from my area and it's helped me to keep in shape quite well. I haven't been swimming yet, but I hope to go soon, as I have loved the water most of my life.

When it comes to sleep, however, I am still working on going to bed early enough to able to see my mom off to school. I find that when I don't get enough sleep, I am very irritable and unsociable in the mornings, so even if I cannot get up to see my mom off, I should still go to bed early enough so that I can wake up refreshed and ready to do things the next day. 

I have been most impacted by the concept of disciple leadership and knowing that because of the Atonement, I can walk beyond my imperfections and learn how to be a good leader. Matthew 6:33 states that a commitment to God will bring forth more blessings once we show that our commitment is firm. I know that if I show a commitment to wanting to be better and actually put forth a consistent effort in trying to be better each and every day, the Lord will help me to become a better person and also show me how I can lead by being a good example to everyone within and outside my circle of influence.

The most important thing I want to remember from this lesson is the fact that in President Uchtdorf's CES devotional about truth, he said that we are the future of the Church. While that is such an awesome thing to comprehend, as we will all grow up to do something awesome with our lives if we make good choices, it is also slightly intimidating. There are times in everyone's life when it is hard enough being a good child of God sometimes, as we often struggle to remember our divine identity, and we forget that the Atonement is not just for sins, but also for sorrows. President Uchtdorf's talk reminds me that the Atonement can not remove the burden we feel from messing up, it can also remind us of the divine worth we have to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.