Teach A Friend

I began by first going over the SQ3R study technique which is Study, Question, Read, Review, and Recite, which are interesting ways to study. I then turned my focus to the topic of work by talking about Moses 5:1 and how before Adam and Eve fell, they were taught about work so they would have the opportunity to create a sense of unity with one another. After the Fall, Adam and Eve had the opportunity to actually come together in unity in order to complete work that was not only essential to their survival, but also essential to the continuation of man.

Mom said that what was taught in Moses 5:1 makes sense because if Adam and Eve wouldn't work, who would do the things that would meet their needs? Because of the Fall, Mom said, Adam and Eve were told that they needed to work in order to achieve anything needed for survival. Mom also said that if for some reason, Adam and Eve couldn't work, the Lord would probably meet their needs just because God isn't one to let others suffer needlessly when they are giving it their all.

There were five questions asked about work in class and they implored us to think about who we know that is a hard worker, what evidence there was to support that they were a hard worker, what was admirable about them, what other desirable traits they possess, and how their work ethic relates to their other desirable traits.

I then said that one can make work interesting by learning all that can be learned about it and that it is our attitude about what we do not necessarily what we do that matters. Mom said that in job searching, one should always research the company that they are applying to and also about the good they have done for others, as companies often want to know what a job seeker knows about their company.

In terms of disliked jobs, Mom said that she has worked for a commercial laundry facility before and didn't enjoy it and also that we my brother and I were little, she would work alongside us when she needed us to do something because that was the best way to teach us. According to Mom's wisdom, a good way to learn how to like a job that you don't like is to do volunteer work because it teaches you how to not only like work, but to also appreciate what you have. Volunteer work also teaches us organization and Mom said that if we are not organized, we are muddled.

My focus then turned to a discussion on the difference between leisure and idleness and I started by talking about how D&C 42:42 says that we should not be idle nor be rewarded for idleness. There were questions in class about if there is a clear difference between leisure and idleness, how we can know if we are being idle and when we are engaged in leisure, and how we can ensure that any leisure time we have doesn't slip into idleness. I actually think that sometimes, idleness can be a way for people to rejuvenate themselves after working themselves into exhaustion.

In conclusion, Mom said that there are activities that definitely qualify as idleness and that there are also activities that definitely qualify as leisure. Mom also said that engaging in leisure activities is more than likely to motivate you to have a good attitude while idleness is more likely to dampen your attitude, also adding that one has to firmly make their mind up about what they are not going to do with their time and they also have to make up their mind about how they can and will spend their time productively.

I then concluded with a quote by President Gordon B. Hinckley that was read in class, which said the following, "Believe in yourselves, in your capacity to do something remarkable. The work of the world is done by ordinary people who have learned an extraordinary way."

Discussion Board Responses
Before we engage in a work, we need to think about our motivating behind getting involved. We need to ask ourselves if our motivation is our own or if we are just doing the work because others expect us to even if we do not believe in it. We need to believe in a work and the good it can do for either ourselves or others before we engage in it, as engaging in a work is committing to it and we shouldn't make a commitment to something we don't have a belief in that is our own. The belief of another is not enough reason for us to engage in a work; we have to have the desire to do it and the belief that our contribution will mean something.

It is an awesome thing when someone is so motivated by their love of God and Christ that they want to good for everything and everyone out there. However, we need to remember that if we neglect our own well-being in the pursuit of doing good for everyone else, we will not have the Spirit to be with us and have it help us know who to help and how to help them. We need to put ourselves first, as the Lord has and always will put us first, and when we are strong enough to help others, the Lord will guide us to who He wishes us to help and show us how to do it.

 There is nothing too great or too small when it comes to the work of the Lord and nobody is any more or less important than anyone else when it comes to getting involved. The Lord knows our hearts, our capabilities, and what we can grow into if we are given the opportunity and take full advantage of it when it is given. Even though others may see certain callings as being greater or lesser than others, the Lord knows where we will be best and when we will be best there and nobody knows anything better than the Lord. Christ gave us the Atonement so that we could look beyond our imperfections and strive to become our best self on the journey to perfection that we are all invited to undertake. Look at each work God asks you to do for Him as important, as all who are willing and worthy to participate in God's work shall be rewarded for their sacrifice. God does not exclude people from participating in His work, people exclude themselves from participating in the Lord's work by being unwilling to make necessary sacrifices or unworthy of the Spirit that will help guide the faithful in the work.