Learning to be a Learner...

Based on: A Child of God; Elder Henry B. Erying.
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Something I never thought i would have to do...learn how to learn.
but i guess here at BYU they really do mean business. They don't skip a beat.
Elder Eyring compared the youth of our church, the students at BYU, to the survivors of World War 2; bloody and tarnished men, climbing out of ravines and through muddy fields, watching their friends fall around them, compared to a group of young adults wearing khaki and collared shirts, paying what is nationally recognized as an unfathomably reasonable tuition to obtain a top notch education. Yea, we have it so hard.
I was flattered to say the least.

But in a way, Eyring does have a point. As we all know Satan is at his prime. He is getting better everyday at wedging his way into the hearts of good men and corrupting them with evil and seductive thoughts. Thoughts of an easier life; a more laid back and fast paced existence, showered with good times, no worries, and freedom to make whatever decisions we would like with no thoughts of tomorrow. Classic artistic and trendy sayings that run rampant such as, "live life with no regrets" and "live for today" cloud the minds of our youth, including some of us, i am sure. But when we really think about it do we live through those words? We actually live for quite the opposite, for if we lived only for today we wouldn't be able to have a vision of what we wanted for our future, our eternity, and we wouldn't see the importance of valued covenants such as the ones we make behind the sanctified walls of the temple. Also if we truly lived everyday with 'no regrets' we would never be able to repent for our daily sins or mistakes. Feeling regret is an essential step on the road to redemption, and on our journey back to our heavenly father. Elder Eyrings says that we are the survivors. We have in his words, 'made it through a hail of spiritual bullets' while watching our friends and some of our family fall to the enticings of Satan and pressing forward to live the way we have been impressed is right.

While this struck me as flattering to say the least, it also opened up my mind to see that at this point in our lives, if we are as elite a group and Eyring claims us to be, we are in even more danger than the average.

 First of all because as we all know Satan tries to destroy the righteous by starting at the top. In the same way that he will try to destroy the most essential parts of the church such as the family, temple ordinances, and missionary work, he will try to destroy those with the strongest testimonies in fear that they will in turn strengthen others. We need to keep our eyes open for the subtle enticings of Satan. We need to remember that he knows us. He knows us well. And he knows we are too smart to fall for giant flashing signs in front of us, telling us to do wrong. The ways he chooses to tempt us will be quiet and disguised and come slowly to us but they will be there and we need to be alert enough to recognize and avoid them as they come.

Second of all it is because, we, the youth of the church today know where we stand. We know our beliefs and most of us know them well enough to know just what is true and what is not in the world around us. We are firm and fast in our testimonies and have been taught, or taught ourselves what is right and wrong. Which means we do not have the luxury of slacking off anymore. Friends around us who are not involved with the gospel, or seem unsure on where they stand, may choose to do the wrong things because they have not learned for themselves what is right and wrong, sin and sanctity. We know while we are doing it, if what we are doing is alright based on the doctrine that we believe in. We are then only sinning, full well knowing that it is a sin. There is no excuse for us to break those simple commandments any longer. This is when we find out the type of Latter Day Saint we will really be. In exchange for knowing, and for losing the luxury of unknowingly slacking off, we have gained knowledge, and a testimony, and the constant companionship of the holy ghost in our lives, if we choose to make the right decisions and avoid sin at all cost. I am not perfect, I sin at times knowing as i do it, that it is not the right decision. But i have no excuse. I have no way of getting around it other than to say that i will try to do it less and less as each day passes by.

This talk made an impact on me, and i think that any piece of literature that can have an impact on someones outlook on life, or even really make them sit down and give it a good thought, is an inspired piece of writing. i hope i can do that at least once throughout this semester, for anyone who chooses to actually read these posts.
i am grateful for the assignment to read this talk.
'till next time..

love is our weapon