Capstone Practicum

Tama Shutts

FDREL 333 (Online)

Matt Strader

AGENCY

1. In all of this, let us remember that there is an adversary who

personally seeks to disrupt the work of the Lord. We must choose
whom to follow. Our protection is as simple as deciding individually to
follow the Savior, making certain that we faithfully will remain on His
side.
Boyd K. Packer - April 2014 General Conference The Witness
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/the-witness?lang=eng

2. Using our agency to obey means choosing to do what is right [and

letting] the consequence follow. It requires self-mastery and brings
confidence, eternal happiness, and a sense of fulfillment to us and, by
example, to those around us; and it always includes a deep personal
commitment to sustain priesthood leaders and follow their teachings
and counsel.
Robert D. Hales April 2014 General Conference If Ye Love Me, Keep
My Commandments https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2014/04/if-ye-love-me-keep-my-commandments?lang=eng

3. Our love of the Savior is the key to Savior-like obedience. As we strive

to be obedient in todays world, we declare our love and respect for all
of Heavenly Fathers children. Yet it is impossible for this love for others
to modify Gods commandments, which were given for our good! For
example, the commandment thou shalt not kill, nor do anything like
unto it is founded upon spiritual law that protects all of Gods children,
even the unborn. Long experience suggests that when we ignore this
law, immeasurable sorrow results. Yet many believe it is acceptable to
terminate the life of an unborn child for reasons of preference or
convenience.
Robert D. Hales April 2014 General Conference If Ye Love Me, Keep
My Commandments https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2014/04/if-ye-love-me-keep-my-commandments?lang=eng

4. Men and women who ignore the gentle promptings of the Spirit will
often learn, as the prodigal son learned, through the natural
consequences of disobedience and riotous living. It was only after
natural consequences humbled the prodigal son that he came to

himself and heard the whisperings of the Spirit telling him to return to
his fathers house (see Luke 15:1132).
L. Tom Perry April 2014 General Conference Obedience Through Our
Faithfulness https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2014/04/obedience-through-our-faithfulness?lang=eng

5. Too often we think of obedience as the passive and thoughtless

following of the orders or dictates of a higher authority. Actually, at its
best, obedience is an emblem of our faith in the wisdom and power of
the highest authority, even God. When Abraham demonstrated his
unwavering faithfulness and obedience to God, even when
commanded to sacrifice his son, God rescued him. Similarly, when we
demonstrate our faithfulness through obedience, God will ultimately
rescue us.
L. Tom Perry April 2014 General Conference Obedience Through Our
Faithfulness https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2014/04/obedience-through-our-faithfulness?lang=eng

6. You may be tired of others trying to run your lifealways telling you
what to do. After all, you have the right to make your own choices.
That is correct. You have that right. It is your agency. The secret to
solve problems in your life will be found in understanding and using the
eternally beneficial interaction of your agency and His truth.
Richard G. Scott October 1992 General Conference Healing Your
Damaged Life https://www.lds.org/generalconference/1992/10/healing-your-damaged-life?lang=eng

7. My young brothers, if you are not proactive in educating your desires,

the world will do it for you. Every day the world seeks to influence your
desires, enticing you to buy something, click on something, play
something, read or watch something. Ultimately, the choice is yours.
You have agency. It is the power to not only act on your desires but
also to refine, purify, and elevate your desires. Agency is your power to
become. Each choice takes you closer to or further from what you are
meant to become; each click has meaning. Always ask yourself,
Where will this choice lead? Develop the ability to see beyond the
moment.

Randall L. Ridd April 2014 General Conference The Choice

Generation https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/thechoice-generation?lang=eng

8. Satan wants to control your agency so he can control what you

become. He knows that one of the best ways to do this is by trapping
you with addictive behavior. Your choices determine whether
technology will empower you or enslave you.
Randall L. Ridd April 2014 General Conference The Choice
Generation https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/thechoice-generation?lang=eng

9. Contrary to the worlds secular teaching, the scriptures teach us that

we do have agency, and our righteous exercise of agency always
makes a difference in the opportunities we have and our ability to act
upon them and progress eternally.
Robert D. Hales October 2010 General Conference Agency: Essential
to the Plan of Life https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2010/10/agency-essential-to-the-plan-of-life?lang=eng

10.
I bear my special witness that They live. When we exercise our
agency in righteousness, we come to know Them, become more like
Them, and prepare ourselves for that day when every knee shall bow,
and every tongue confess that Jesus is our Savior.
Robert D. Hales October 2010 General Conference Agency: Essential
to the Plan of Life https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2010/10/agency-essential-to-the-plan-of-life?lang=eng

__________

Agency is one fundamental of the gospel of Jesus Christ which is often

misunderstood by our non-member peers. In every moment we are making
choices; there is nothing that is not performed at least somewhat
consciously. However, todays society is beginning to shift away from this
understanding with the justification of natural behavior. Instinct was never
meant to supersede choice.

Today we struggle with the temptation to do as we please and any

receipt of judgment is considered hypocrisy. Any opposition is seen as a
hindrance to personal liberty, and the voices of the most sinful cry out for
justice. Agency is the ability to choose and live according to our conscience.
This means that we are free to even define our conscience.
The Lord gave us this ability and right in order to increase our
understanding of truth, as well as to increase the fruit of our actions, for
better or for worse. This means that consequence is to be augmented on
either end. Whether we justify evil or uphold righteousness through our
agency, there will be a corresponding consequence. The Lord has seen fit to
let us choose our consequence.
Through this understanding, we can see that the way our lives move
are dictated solely by our decisions, and by understanding this, we are faced
with the responsibility and choice to act wisely. However, knowing that we
would often fall short of that responsibility, the Lord saw fit to create a way
to interact and intervene in the lives of His children.
__________

ATONEMENT
1. Always remember, with the Saviors help, you can break free from
addiction. It may be a long, difficult path, but the Lord will not give up
on you. He loves you. Jesus Christ suffered the Atonement to help you
change, to free you from the captivity of sin.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf April 2014 General Conference Are You Sleeping
Through The Restoration? https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2014/04/are-you-sleeping-through-the-restoration?
lang=eng

2. I testify that the cleansing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and
the transformative power of the Holy Ghost can heal and rescue
mankind. It is our privilege, our sacred duty, and our joy to heed the
Saviors call to follow Him with a willing mind and full purpose of heart.
Let us shake off the chains with which [we] are bound, and come forth
out of obscurity, and arise from the dust.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf April 2014 General Conference Are You Sleeping

Through The Restoration? https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2014/04/are-you-sleeping-through-the-restoration?
lang=eng

3. The Atonement of His Beloved Son enabled both of the Fathers

objectives to be fulfilled. Without the Atonement, there would be no
immortality. Without the Atonement, there would be no return to the
presence of the Father and no continuation of the family beyond the
grave.
Russell M. Nelson April 2010 General Conference Generations
Linked in Love https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2010/04/generations-linked-in-love?
lang=eng&query=family

4. The Savior will take upon Himself the consequences of your sins as
you repent now. If that is not done, in time you will have to suffer for
them yourself.
Richard G. Scott - October 2002 General Conference To Be Free of
Heavy Burdens https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2002/10/tobe-free-of-heavy-burdens?lang=eng

5. Complete healing will come through your faith in Jesus Christ and His
power and capacity, through His Atonement, to heal the scars of that
which is unjust and undeserved.
Richard G. Scott - October 2002 General Conference To Be Free of
Heavy Burdens https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2002/10/tobe-free-of-heavy-burdens?lang=eng

6. Whenever we disobey, we spiritually paint ourselves into a corner and

are captive to our choices. Though we are spiritually stuck, there is
always a way back. Like repentance, turning around and walking across
a newly varnished floor means more worka lot of resanding and
refinishing! Returning to the Lord isnt easy, but it is worth it.

Robert D. Hales October 2010 General Conference Agency: Essential

to the Plan of Life https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2010/10/agency-essential-to-the-plan-of-life?lang=eng

7. We are not and never need be alone. We can press forward in our
daily lives with heavenly help. Through the Saviors Atonement we can
receive capacity and strength beyond [our] own (Lord, I Would Follow
Thee, Hymns, no. 220). As the Lord declared, Therefore, continue your
journey and let your hearts rejoice; for behold, and lo, I am with you
even unto the end (D&C 100:12).
David A. Bednar April 2014 General Conference Bear Up Their
Burdens with Ease https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2014/04/bear-up-their-burdens-with-ease?lang=eng

8. Not only does the Atonement of Jesus Christ overcome the effects of
the Fall of Adam and make possible the remission of our individual sins
and transgressions, but His Atonement also enables us to do good and
become better in ways that stretch far beyond our mortal capacities.
David A. Bednar April 2014 General Conference Bear Up Their
Burdens with Ease https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2014/04/bear-up-their-burdens-with-ease?lang=eng

9. Our theology begins with heavenly parents. Our highest aspiration is

to be like them. Under the merciful plan of the Father, all of this is
possible through the atonement of the Only Begotten of the Father, our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Dallin H. Oaks April 1995 General Conference Apostasy and
Restoration https://www.lds.org/generalconference/1995/04/apostasy-and-restoration?lang=eng&query=glory

10.
For His Atonement to be infinite and eternal, He had to feel what
it was like to die not only physically but spiritually, to sense what it was
like to have the divine Spirit withdraw, leaving one feeling totally,
abjectly, hopelessly alone. But Jesus held on.

Jeffrey R. Holland April 2009 General Conference None Were With

Him https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2009/04/none-were-withhim?lang=eng&query=atonement

__________
The Atonement of Jesus Christ was the most pivotal moment in all of
history. It was the sacrifice of a loving God of his only perfect, and thusly
innocent, child in order to empower and enable the return of his other
children, even though imperfect. Christ atoned for the sins, afflictions, pains,
and even sicknesses of the whole world and all the beings which had ever
lived upon it.
By performing this sacrifice, all those who are willing to accept the
conditions which Christ set would be able to reap the blessings promised
through it. These promises included eternal glory and eternal life. Even
though it would be difficult, our agency was provided for us to be able to
accept it and to be able to move forward toward this goal.
Christ, having borne our afflictions, also understands us more than any
other being. He was able to experience our most difficult trials and burdens,
and can now, through his own experience, serve as our greatest friend and
comforter. He promised this and more, being able to act on our behalf at the
throne of our Father in Heaven. If we accept the terms of his sacrifice, he has
promised to be our advocate to our Eternal Father.
Not only does this enable us through the eternities, but it also has
created a power into which we may be able to tap into even in this life. We
call this the enabling power of the atonement. It allows us to turn away from
the difficulties of this life as well as increasing our capacity well beyond that
which would normally be considered possible. By having Christ on our side,
we are empowered to sufficiently perform any task or duty.
Our duty now becomes being sufficient to accept the terms of his
atonement. This requires faith, experience, and study to discover and
understand that which he has set forth as his terms, or requirements, in
order to receive this great blessing.
__________

EDUCATION
1. God gave you moral agency and the opportunity to learn while on
earth, and He has a work for you to do. To accomplish this work, you
have an individual responsibility to seek learning Education will
open the doors of opportunity. As you follow the Lords admonition to
seek learning, even by study and also by faith, you gain not only
knowledge from your study but added light as you learn by faith.
Mary N. Cook April 2012 General Conference Seek Learning: You
Have a Work to Do https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2012/04/seek-learning-you-have-a-work-to-do?
lang=eng&query=education

2. After all, education continues as long as we live. If there is ever an end

to secular learning, surely there is no end to spiritual learning.
Boyd K. Packer General Conference October 1992 To Be Learned is
Good If https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1992/10/to-belearned-is-good-if?lang=eng&query=education

3. Leaders of this Church have repeatedly emphasized the importance

of education. It is a vital component of wisdom.
Russell M. Nelson October 1992 General Conference Where Is
Wisdom? https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1992/10/where-iswisdom?lang=eng&query=education

4. Because of our sacred regard for each human intellect, we consider

the obtaining of an education to be a religious responsibility. Yet
opportunities and abilities differ. I believe that in the pursuit of
education, individual desire is more influential than institution, and
personal faith more forceful than faculty.
Russell M. Nelson October 1992 General Conference Where Is
Wisdom? https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1992/10/where-iswisdom?lang=eng&query=education

5. We encourage our youth in every country to get an education. Even if

at times it seems hopeless. With determination and faith in the Lord,
you will be blessed with success. It is a dream well worth pursuing.
Boyd K. Packer General Conference October 1992 To Be Learned is
Good If https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1992/10/to-belearned-is-good-if?lang=eng&query=education

6. Providing an education for your children is part of that nurturing and is

your sacred responsibility. Like the stripling warriors, who had been
taught by their mothers, you will be the most important teacher your
children will ever have, so choose your learning carefully. Bless your
children and your future home by learning as much as you can now.
Mary N. Cook April 2012 General Conference Seek Learning: You
Have a Work to Do https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2012/04/seek-learning-you-have-a-work-to-do?
lang=eng&query=education

7. Live so that you can be guided and taught by the Spirit in all your
activities, including all your efforts to learn and gain an education:
honor your parents; be true to the teachings of the Church; be clean
and faithful in all things; and be loyal to the leaders of the Church.
Dallin H Oaks October 1971 General Conference Strive for
Excellence https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1971/10/strive-forexcellence?lang=eng&query=education#watch=video

8. My personal experience converts me to the wisdom of the educational

philosophy that joins spiritual with secular instruction. At Brigham
Young University and in the other institutions of the Church Educational
System, we are concerned with teaching the fundaments of spiritual
and secular knowledge and with bringing those teachings into harmony
in the lives of men and women in order to prepare them for a balanced
and full life of service to God and fellowman.
Dallin H Oaks October 1971 General Conference Strive for
Excellence https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1971/10/strive-forexcellence?lang=eng&query=education#watch=video

9. Education is not so much the filling of a bucket as the lighting of a

fire.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf October 2009 General Conference Two Principles
for any Economy https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2009/10/two-principles-for-any-economy?
lang=eng&query=education

10.
Brethren, you have a duty to learn as much as you can. Please
encourage your families, your quorum members, everyone to learn and
become better educated. If formal education is not available, do not
allow that to prevent you from acquiring all the knowledge you can.
Under such circumstances, the best books, in a sense, can become
your universitya classroom that is always open and admits all who
apply.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf October 2009 General Conference Two Principles
for any Economy https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2009/10/two-principles-for-any-economy?
lang=eng&query=education
__________

Education is a great part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. While many may
see this as a solely secular achievement, it is considerably a large part of our
eternity. In fact, as we have been told, the whole goal for us is to become as
Christ and our Father in Heaven, which is to say, perfect. No being could ever
be considered perfect by ignorance, through ignorance, or even while
possessing ignorance. Such would be considered a large imperfection. Thus
we can see just how knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom can affect our
eternal status.
Christ has told us on several occasions that we should study the
scriptures, and even rebuked those who had studied them for
misunderstanding or misinterpreting them. As we know today, anything that
can be tied back to truth is essentially a part of the gospel, for God created it
and thus it is based on eternal principles. This means even the subjects that
we study at school on such a common basis are tied with eternity.
By studying these things the Lord will bless us with eternal blessings as
well as temporal blessings. We will also acquire a greater ability to succeed
in this life in many different ways. It will increase our ability to help other

people, provide for our families, serve the Lord, and essentially magnify His
name.
There should be no question that the Lord considers this to be an
eternal priority. By considering His recommendation, we can come to
recognize His hand in opening up opportunities to receive an education, both
formal and casual. Technology has opened up a wide array of resources as
well as our ability to more accurately receive and reflect upon true principles.
New programs are being created which allow for more quality education than
ever before.
Perhaps one of the greatest duties we have is to both pursue and
provide an education in order to more fully and more wisely utilize our
agency as well as to teach others how to do likewise. This is most often seen
in regards to family and is most powerfully displayed in a gospel-founded
eternal home.
__________

FAMILY
1. Public opinion surveys indicate that people everywhere in the world
generally consider the family as the highest priority; yet in recent
years the broader culture seems to ignore or misdefine the family.
Consider some of the changes of the past decade:
a. Many larger national and international institutions that used to
support and strengthen families now try to supplant and even
sabotage the very families they were created to serve.
b. In the name of tolerance, the definition of family has been
expanded beyond recognition to the point that family can be
any individuals of any gender who live together with or
without commitment or children or attention to consequence.
c. Rampant materialism and selfishness delude many into
thinking that families, and especially children, are a burden
and a financial millstone that will hold them back rather than
a sacred privilege that will teach them to become more like
God.
M. Russell Ballard October 2005 General Conference What Matters
Most is What Lasts Longest https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2005/10/what-matters-most-is-what-lasts-longest?
lang=eng&query=family

2. Our family-centered perspective should make Latter-day Saints strive

to be the best parents in the world. It should give us enormous respect
for our children, who truly are our spiritual siblings, and it should cause
us to devote whatever time is necessary to strengthen our families.
Indeed, nothing is more critically connected to happinessboth our
own and that of our childrenthan how well we love and support one
another within the family.
M. Russell Ballard October 2005 General Conference What Matters
Most is What Lasts Longest https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2005/10/what-matters-most-is-what-lasts-longest?
lang=eng&query=family

3. When I think of the love I feel for each member of our family, I sense,
to a slight degree, the love that our Heavenly Father bears for His
children. While the family is under attack throughout the world, The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proclaims, promotes, and
protects the truth that the family is central to the Creators plan for the
eternal destiny of His children. The Family: A Proclamation to the
World and our vast family history efforts are but two evidences of how
this Church brings hope and help to the sacred institution of
the family.
Russell M. Nelson April 2010 General Conference Generations
Linked in Love https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2010/04/generations-linked-in-love?
lang=eng&query=family

4. Consider the spiritual connections that are formed when a young

woman helps her grandmother enter family information into a
computer or when a young man sees the name of his greatgrandfather on a census record. When our hearts turn to our ancestors,
something changes inside us. We feel part of something greater than
ourselves. Our inborn yearnings for family connections are fulfilled
when we are linked to our ancestors through sacred ordinances of the
temple.
Russell M. Nelson April 2010 General Conference Generations
Linked in Love https://www.lds.org/general-

conference/2010/04/generations-linked-in-love?
lang=eng&query=family

5. The doctrine of the family in relation to family history and temple

work is clear. The Lord in initial revelatory instructions referred to
baptism for your dead. Our doctrinal obligation is to our own
ancestors. This is because the celestial organization of heaven is based
on families. The First Presidency has encouraged members, especially
youth and young single adults, to emphasize family history work and
ordinances for their own family names or the names of ancestors of
their ward and stake members. We need to be connected to both our
roots and branches. The thought of being associated in the eternal
realm is indeed glorious.
Quentin L. Cook - April 2014 General Conference Roots and Branches
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/roots-and-branches?
lang=eng&query=family

6. Temple and family history work is not just about us. Think of those on
the other side of the veil waiting for the saving ordinances that would
free them from the bondage of spirit prison. Prison is defined as a
state of confinement or captivity. Those in captivity might be asking
William Saroyans question: Now what?
Quentin L. Cook - April 2014 General Conference Roots and Branches
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/roots-and-branches?
lang=eng&query=family

7. I believe that [my grandfather] Heinrich Eyring knew then that what I
am teaching you today is true. He knew that the happiness of eternal
life comes through family bonds which continue forever. Even when he
had so recently found the Lords plan of happiness, he knew that his
hope for eternal joy depended on the free choices of others to follow
his example. His hope of eternal happiness depended on people not
yet born.
Henry B. Eyring April 2014 A Priceless Heritage of Hope
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/a-priceless-heritageof-hope?lang=eng&query=family

8. All families need strengthening, from the ideal to the most troubled.
That strengthening can come from you. In fact, in some families you
may be the only source of spiritual strength. The Lord is depending on
you to bring the blessings of the gospel to your family. It is important
to establish patterns of righteousness in your own life, which will
enable you to set a good example for your family, whatever form
your family may take.
Mary N. Cook October 2007 Strengthen Home and Family
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/10/strengthen-home-andfamily?lang=eng&query=family

9. All of us, single or married, are eternally part of some family

someway, somewhere, somehowand much of our joy in life comes as
we correctly recognize and properly develop those family relationships.
We come to this earth charged with a mission: to learn to love and
serve one another. To best help us accomplish this, God has placed us
in families, for he knows that is where we can best learn to overcome
selfishness and pride and to sacrifice for others and to make happiness
and helpfulness and humility and love the very essence of our
character.
John H. Groberg April 1982 The Power of Family Prayer
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1982/04/the-power-of-familyprayer?lang=eng&query=family

10.
Can you detect that if we do not pray in our families always they
may not be blessedor at least not so fully? If we truly love our
families we will constantly pray for them and with them. I know of no
single activity that has more potential for unifying our families and
bringing more love and divine direction into our homes than consistent,
fervent family prayer.
John H. Groberg April 1982 The Power of Family Prayer
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1982/04/the-power-of-familyprayer?lang=eng&query=family

__________

The family is a unit of organization. We are organized into these units

by nature, and yet, many do not understand that these units are also
eternally organized as well. Through the gospel, we understand that we were
spiritually existent even before this life. God organized our spirits into our
physical bodies through His omniscience and eternal wisdom. This was done
with our best interest in mind.
We were placed here on earth with families which would help augment
our righteous desires. This means that no matter what the circumstance, the
Lord placed us in a situation where we could thrive and exercise our agency.
As it says in 2 Nephi 2: 27:
Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things
are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free
to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all
men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and
power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like
unto himself.
This scripture displays that the Lord provided everything necessary to choose
for ourselves. He largely accomplished this through our families.
The family is an eternal structure which is to be led by a father and
mother, jointly making decisions and accepting responsibilities. These
parents are to perform duties through different yet equal roles. Their primary
responsibility, however, is to righteously and diligently raise children up unto
the Lord. Children are to obey their parents and to prepare themselves to
eventually serve as parents themselves.
Even though this structure is under attack, it still remains as the
greatest, most important, and potentially the most powerful structure and
organization in which we can participate. Its whole design and structure,
when righteously performed, is wholly designed to magnify and achieve
eternal glory together.
__________

GLORY
1. As a servant of the Lord, acting in the office to which I have been
ordained, I give those in such circumstances a promise that there will

be nothing essential to your salvation and exaltation that shall not in

due time rest upon you. Arms now empty will be filled, and hearts now
hurting from broken dreams and yearning will be healed.
Boyd K. Packer - April 2014 General Conference The Witness
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/the-witness?lang=eng

2. As you live righteously year after year, I assure you that your
experiences will confirm to you again and again that Jesus is the Christ.
The spiritual rock under your feet will be solid and secure. You will
rejoice that God has placed you here to be a part of the final
preparations for Christs glorious return.
Neil L. Andersen April 2014 General Conference Spiritual
Whirlwinds https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/spiritualwhirlwinds?lang=eng

3. Sometimes we mistakenly may believe that happiness is the absence

of a load. But bearing a load is a necessary and essential part of the
plan of happiness. Because our individual load needs to generate
spiritual traction, we should be careful to not haul around in our lives
so many nice but unnecessary things that we are distracted and
diverted from the things that truly matter most.
David A. Bednar April 2014 General Conference Bear Up Their
Burdens with Ease https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2014/04/bear-up-their-burdens-with-ease?lang=eng

4. The primary purpose of this priesthood power is to bless, sanctify, and

purify us so we can live together with our families in the presence of
our heavenly parents, bound by priesthood sealings, participating in
the marvelous work of God and Jesus Christ in forever
expanding Their light and glory.
M. Russell Ballard April 2013 General Conference This Is My Work
and My Glory https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/this-ismy-work-and-glory?lang=eng

5. God has freely given His power to those who accept and honor His
priesthood, which leads to the promised blessings of immortality and
eternal life.
M. Russell Ballard April 2013 General Conference This Is My Work
and My Glory https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/this-ismy-work-and-glory?lang=eng

6. From the top of the peak where the soles of our feet now tread, we
can look forward, crest upon crest, to the Zion of God which one day
will be ours if we walk in the course charted by those who have gone
before.
Bruce R. McConkie April 1980 General Conference The Coming Tests
and Trials and Glory https://www.lds.org/generalconference/1980/04/the-coming-tests-and-trials-and-glory?lang=eng

7. Our view of the future shall be undimmed, and, whether in life or in

death, we shall see our blessed Lord return to reign on earth. We shall
see the New Jerusalem coming down from God in heaven to join with
the Holy City we have built. We shall mingle with those of Enochs city
while together we worship and serve the Lord forever. And so, as we
view the endless course ahead, the glory and wonder on each
succeeding peak seems to swallow up the shadows and sorrows in the
valleys below.
Bruce R. McConkie April 1980 General Conference The Coming Tests
and Trials and Glory https://www.lds.org/generalconference/1980/04/the-coming-tests-and-trials-and-glory?lang=eng

8. The lowest degree is the telestial domain of those who received not
the gospel, neither the testimony of Jesus, neither the prophets (D&C
76:101) and who have had to suffer for their wickedness. But even this
degree has a glory that surpasses all understanding (D&C 76:89). Its
occupants receive the Holy Spirit and the administering of angels, for
even those who have been wicked will ultimately be heirs of [this
degree of] salvation (D&C 76:88).
Dallin H. Oaks April 1995 General Conference Apostasy and
Restoration https://www.lds.org/generalconference/1995/04/apostasy-and-restoration?lang=eng&query=glory

9. Following the necessary experience of mortal life, all sons and

daughters of God will ultimately be resurrected and go to a kingdom
of glory. The righteousregardless of current religious denomination or
beliefwill ultimately go to a kingdom of glory more wonderful than
any of us can comprehend. Even the wicked, or almost all of them, will
ultimately go to a marvelousthough lesserkingdom of glory. All of
that will occur because of Gods love for his children and because of
the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who glorifies the
Father, and saves all the works of his hands (D&C 76:43).
Dallin H. Oaks April 1995 General Conference Apostasy and
Restoration https://www.lds.org/generalconference/1995/04/apostasy-and-restoration?lang=eng&query=glory

10.
And then he wrote of the celestial glory, which glory is that of
the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all (D&C 76:70). There
the faithful will dwell together with their families, enjoying exaltation
with our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son. With them will be those
who have been obedient to ordinances and covenants made in holy
temples, where they were sealed to predecessors and posterity.
Russell M. Nelson October 1990 General Conference Choices
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1990/10/choices?
lang=eng&query=glory

__________

Glory is a very interesting subject. It is defined in many different ways

including many different details, yet every description is never truly able to
suffice. In fact, most descriptions usually end with something to the effect of
you cannot conceive nor imagine how glorious eternity is. The greatest and
perhaps most accurate description we can have is that of the comparison of
glory to the sun, moon, and stars.
The celestial glory is that which is compared to the sun. It is the
highest glory that can be attained. The description is such that no other light
can compare with it, and similarly, no other glory can either. The kingdom
with this glory, the Celestial Kingdom, is where God resides. The glory of this
kingdom has His likeness and power.

The terrestrial glory is compared to the moon. It is the secondary light

by which we can compare, and is seen as the second highest kingdom of
glory. Such as we can most clearly see its glory when outside the influence or
presence of the sun, we can see that, even though glorious, its glory cannot
compare with that of the Celestial Kingdom.
The last is the telestial glory. This is compared to the stars in the sky.
Hardly visible, even at night, it does not have much glory at all by
comparison to the other two. However, it has been said that even these stars
give off more light than the world upon which we live, and similarly, it has
more glory than this world does.
In addition to these definitions of eternal glory, there have been
reference to glory in other ways. For example, as it says in Doctrine and
Covenants 93:36, The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light
and truth. This is different yet related to the definitions previously
mentioned. Also, as God says in Moses 1:39, For behold, this is my work and
my gloryto bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. In this
last reference, God introduces the concept that His glory is intrinsically
intertwined and related with our own. Perhaps it is due to His status as being
our Eternal creator, or even more personally as His being our primary parent,
that we can share His glory with Him.
__________

PARENTHOOD
1. Parenthood is a sacred privilege, and depending upon faithfulness, it
can be an eternal blessing. The ultimate end of all activity in the
Church is that a man and his wife and their children can be happy at
home.
Boyd K. Packer - April 2014 General Conference The Witness
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/the-witness?lang=eng

2. Your secret yearnings and tearful pleadings will touch the heart of
both the Father and the Son. You will be given a personal assurance

from Them that your life will be full and that no blessing that is
essential will be lost to you.
Boyd K. Packer - April 2014 General Conference The Witness
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/the-witness?lang=eng

3. We as parents and leaders need to counsel with our children and

youth on an ongoing basis, listening with love and understanding.
Linda S. Reeves April 2014 General Conference Protection from
Pornography A Christ-Focused Home https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2014/04/protection-from-pornography-a-christ-focusedhome?lang=eng

4. We need to make our homes a place of refuge from the storm, which
is increasing in intensity all about us. Even if the smallest openings are
left unattended, negative influences can penetrate the very walls of
our homes.
L. Tom Perry April 2003 General Conference The Importance of the
Family https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2003/04/theimportance-of-the-family?lang=eng&query=family

5. As earthly parents we participate in the gospel plan by providing

mortal bodies for the spirit children of God. The fullness of eternal
salvation is a family matter.
Dallin H. Oaks April 1995 General Conference Apostasy and
Restoration https://www.lds.org/generalconference/1995/04/apostasy-and-restoration?lang=eng&query=glory

6. Although life sometimes makes us weary, impatient, or too busy for

our children, we must never forget the infinite worth of what we have
in our homesour sons and our daughters. The task at hand, a
business engagement, or a new automobile are all of benefit but pale
in value when compared to the worth of a young soul.
W. Douglas Shumway April 2004 General Conference Marriage and
Family: Our Sacred Responsibility https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2004/04/marriage-and-family-our-sacred-responsibility?
lang=eng&query=parenthood

7. Loving, protecting, and nurturing our children are among the most
sacred and eternally important things we will do. Worldly belongings
will vanish, todays number-one movie or song will be irrelevant
tomorrow, but a son or a daughter is eternal.
W. Douglas Shumway April 2004 General Conference Marriage and
Family: Our Sacred Responsibility https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2004/04/marriage-and-family-our-sacred-responsibility?
lang=eng&query=parenthood

8. At the outset we understand that conscientious parents try their best,

yet nearly all have made mistakes. One does not launch into such a
project as parenthood without soon realizing that there will be many
errors along the way. Surely our Heavenly Father knows, when he
entrusts his spirit children into the care of young and inexperienced
parents, that there will be mistakes and errors in judgment.
Howard W. Hunter October 1983 General Conference Parents
Concern for Children https://www.lds.org/generalconference/1983/10/parents-concern-for-children?
lang=eng&query=parenthood

9. Let us not misunderstand. The responsibilities of parenthood are of

the greatest importance. The results of our efforts will have eternal
consequences for us and the boys and girls we raise. Anyone who
becomes a parent is under strict obligation to protect and love his
children and assist them to return to their Heavenly Father. All parents
should understand that the Lord will not hold guiltless those who
neglect these responsibilities.
Howard W. Hunter October 1983 General Conference Parents
Concern for Children https://www.lds.org/generalconference/1983/10/parents-concern-for-children?
lang=eng&query=parenthood

10.
Would our perspective be more clear if we could, for a moment,
look upon parenthood as a calling in the Church. Actually, it is so much
more than that; but if we could look at it that way for a moment, we
could reach a better balance in the way we schedule families.

Boyd K. Packer October 1998 General Conference Parents in Zion

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1998/10/parents-in-zion?
lang=eng&query=parenthood

__________

Parenthood is an eternal calling. As it has been said by President

Packer, it is like, but even greater than, a calling in the church. It is a calling
that all have received to raise up a family in righteousness. When defining
the familial relationship, it was determined that our collective glory would
depend upon that of our familys glory. This was a calling given to all the very
moment we came into this life.

However, there are many who are physically or circumstantially unable

to perform this duty. The Lord does not always look at this responsibility in
the traditional sense, as would many of us mortals. Parenthood is the eternal
charge to raise up righteous children to the Lord. This does not necessarily
require a parental tie nor a blood relation in order for it to count. Through
service and charity to all of the Lords children, we are able to influence them
to be raised up to righteousness to the Lord. This includes being a great
example to our families, children in our area, neighbors, and even missionary
work.

Even presiding in a quorum, ward, or stake is a form of parenthood. It

is said that the father of a ward is indeed the bishop. The bishop takes
charge over all those who are within his sphere of influence, even those who
are not members. A home teacher may provide service and blessings that
would otherwise be given by a worthy Priesthood-wielding father.

However, to those who have the ability to be literal parents, this is a

difficult task. Children are a major blessing, yet provide, or rather are
accompanied, by many obstacles.
__________

PATIENCE
1. Patiencethe ability to put our desires on hold for a timeis a
precious and rare virtue. We want what we want, and we want it now.
Therefore, the very idea of patience may seem unpleasant and, at
times, bitter.
Nevertheless, without patience, we cannot please God; we cannot
become perfect. Indeed, patience is a purifying process that refines
understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for
peace.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf General Conference April 2010 Continue in
Patience https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/04/continue-inpatience?lang=eng&query=patience

2. From that experience, I learned that patience was far more than
simply waiting for something to happenpatience required actively
working toward worthwhile goals and not getting discouraged when
results didnt appear instantly or without effort.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf General Conference April 2010 Continue in
Patience https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/04/continue-inpatience?lang=eng&query=patience

3. Another who portrayed the virtue of patience was the Prophet Joseph
Smith. After his supernal experience in the grove called Sacred, where
the Father and the Son appeared to him, he was called upon to wait. At
length, after Joseph suffered through over three years of derision for
his beliefs, the angel Moroni appeared to him. And then more waiting
and patience were required. Let us remember the counsel found in
Isaiah: My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my
ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so
are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your
thoughts.
Thomas S. Monson General Conference October 1995 Patience A
Heavenly Virtue https://www.lds.org/generalconference/1995/10/patience-a-heavenly-virtue?
lang=eng&query=patience

4. Whenever we are inclined to feel burdened down with the blows of

life, let us remember that others have passed the same way, have
endured, and then have overcome. There seems to be an unending
supply of trouble for one and all. Our problem is that we often expect
instantaneous solutions, forgetting that frequently the heavenly virtue
of patience is required.
Thomas S. Monson General Conference April 1998 Look to God and
Live https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1998/04/look-to-god-andlive?lang=eng&query=patience

5. To our temperance we are to add patience. A priesthood holder is to

be patient. Patience is another form of self-control. It is the ability to
postpone gratification and to bridle ones passions. In his relationships
with loved ones, a patient man does not engage in impetuous behavior
that he will later regret. Patience is composure under stress. A patient
man is understanding of others faults.
Ezra Taft Benson General Conference October 1986 Godly
Characteristics of the Master https://www.lds.org/generalconference/1986/10/godly-characteristics-of-the-master?
lang=eng&query=patience

6. After that great First Vision, the Prophet Joseph received no additional
communication for three years. However, he did not wonder; he did not
question; he did not doubt the Lord. He waited patiently. He taught us
the heavenly virtue of patienceby example.
Thomas S. Monson General Conference October 2005 The Prophet
Joseph Smith: Teacher by Example https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2005/10/the-prophet-joseph-smith-teacher-by-example?
lang=eng&query=patience

7. What, then, does it mean to wait upon the Lord? In the scriptures, the
word wait means to hope, to anticipate, and to trust. To hope and trust
in the Lord requires faith, patience, humility, meekness, long-suffering,

keeping the commandments, and enduring to the end. To wait upon

the Lord means planting the seed of faith and nourishing it with great
diligence, and patience.
Robert D. Hales General Conference October 2011 Waiting upon the
Lord: Thy Will Be Done https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2011/10/waiting-upon-the-lord-thy-will-be-done?
lang=eng&query=patience

8. Unsurprisingly, hope is intertwined with other gospel doctrines,

especially faith and patience. Just as doubt, despair, and
desensitization go together, so do faith, hope, charity, and patience.
The latter qualities must be carefully and constantly nurtured,
however, whereas doubt and despair, like dandelions, need little
encouragement in order to sprout and spread. Alas, despair comes so
naturally to the natural man! Patience, for example, permits us to deal
more evenly with the unevenness of lifes experiences.
Neal A. Maxwell General Conference October 1998 Hope through
the Atonement of Jesus Christ https://www.lds.org/generalconference/1998/10/hope-through-the-atonement-of-jesus-christ?
lang=eng&query=patience

9. Patience is a divine attribute. The Book of Mormon invites us to come

to a knowledge of the goodness of God, and his matchless power, and
his wisdom, and his patience, and his long-suffering towards the
children of men.
Russell M. Nelson General Conference October 1991 TheseWere
Our Examples https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1991/10/thesewere-our-examples?lang=eng&query=patience

10.
The Book of Mormon provides insight into the relationship
between patience and charity. Mormon, after pointing out that if a man
have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity,
goes on to name the 13 elements of charity, or the pure love of Christ.
I find it most interesting that 4 of the 13 elements of this must-have
virtue relate to patience.

Robert C. Oaks General Conference October 2006 The Power of

Patience https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2006/10/the-powerof-patience?lang=eng&query=patience

__________

Patience is a virtue that Christ had displayed. Not only is this

characteristic a desirable one for the dedicated Christian, but it is a
necessary one. In Christs teachings, he often acknowledged its importance
on a daily basis. Indeed, every person on this earth has to deal with
adversity. It is a difficult task, as well as a common one. In every moment
there is pain, affliction, difficulty, and trial all around us. To be able to deal
with this requires patience.
Christ had said that those who wanted to follow him would have to
take up their own cross to follow him. Those who wish to follow in his
footsteps and example are spiritually, socially, and sometimes even
physically assaulted. Christ himself served as the greatest example of
adversity, and yet he bore it patiently. In 1 Nephi 19:9 it reads And the
world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught;
wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he
suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving
kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.
In this verse, we come to understand that patience is intertwined with
other attributes. The most righteous root of patience is and should always be
love and charity. Through love and charity, we can find that we will be willing
to endure any sort of pain or circumstance. While there are many reasons
whereby we may gain patience, love is the greatest. Love should be the path
by which all difficulties in this life are traversed, for there are many
difficulties and obstacles to the success which true love promises.
__________

Pornography

1. Many children, youth, and adults are innocently exposed to

pornography, but a growing number of both men and women are
choosing to view it and are drawn back repeatedly until it becomes an
addiction. These individuals may desire with all of their hearts to get
out of this trap but often cannot overcome it on their own. How grateful
we are when these loved ones choose to confide in us as parents or a
Church leader. We would be wise not to react with shock, anger, or
rejection, which may cause them to be silent again.
Linda S. Reeves April 2014 General Conference Protection from
Pornography A Christ-Focused Home https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2014/04/protection-from-pornography-a-christ-focusedhome?lang=eng

2. We as leaders are also greatly concerned about the spouses and

families of those suffering from pornography addiction. Elder
Richard G. Scott has pleaded: If you are free of serious sin yourself,
dont suffer needlessly the consequences of anothers sins. You can
feel compassion. Yet you should not take upon yourself a feeling of
responsibility for those acts. Know that you are not alone. There is
help. Addiction recovery meetings for spouses are available, including
phone-in meetings, which allow spouses to call in to a meeting and
participate from their own homes.
Linda S. Reeves April 2014 General Conference Protection from
Pornography A Christ-Focused Home https://www.lds.org/generalconference/2014/04/protection-from-pornography-a-christ-focusedhome?lang=eng

3. Addictions often begin subtly. Addictions are thin threads of repeated

action that weave themselves into thick bonds of habit. Negative
habits have the potential to become consuming addictions.
These binding chains of addiction can have many forms, like
pornography, alcohol, sex, drugs, tobacco, gambling, food, work, the
Internet, or virtual reality. Satan, our common enemy, has many
favorite tools he uses to rob us of our divine potential to accomplish
our mission in the Lords kingdom.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf April 2014 General Conference Are You Sleeping
Through the Restoration? https://www.lds.org/general-

conference/2014/04/are-you-sleeping-through-the-restoration?
lang=eng

4. I know that you can escape the controlling influence of the evil one,
and the repressive chains that bind your life. That relief will require you
to accept a solution that is likely foreign to your current personal
experience. It will require you to exercise faith in a Father in Heaven
who loves you. While you may not understand why now, you must trust
that the Savior has given His life so that you can make the required
changes in your life, changes that will bring peace and the illusive
success that always seem beyond your reach. Believe that you can
overcome the depressing environment in which you live by trusting
that there is a better way. You must seek the help of others who
understand and live that better way, even though you cannot see it
now. This will require you to learn and obey the teachings of the Lord.
Once you have fully committed yourself to that change, you will find
that it is not as difficult as it now may seem.
Richard G. Scott - October 2002 General Conference To Be Free of
Heavy Burdens https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2002/10/tobe-free-of-heavy-burdens?lang=eng

5. If you have felt impressions to be free of burdens caused by yourself

or others, those promptings are an invitation from the Redeemer. Act
upon them now. He loves you. He gave His life that you may be free of
needless burdens. He will help you do it. I know that He has the power
to heal you. Begin now.
Richard G. Scott - October 2002 General Conference To Be Free of
Heavy Burdens https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2002/10/tobe-free-of-heavy-burdens?lang=eng

6. If you are trapped and there seems to be no way out, remember what
Robert Frost taught, The best way out is always through (from A
Servant to Servants). You must face the challenge and conquer it. The
way through is based on faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to His
commandments. It is the only way to permanently cure damage to
mind and spirit caused by unrighteous acts. It also provides healing,
within the bounds of eternal law, to a body devastated by the effects of
transgression.

Richard G. Scott October 1992 General Conference Healing Your

Damaged Life https://www.lds.org/generalconference/1992/10/healing-your-damaged-life?lang=eng

7. You may have found that change is hard. But know you can do it. You
may wonder why you are not believed when you decide to change from
a life of disobedience to one of integrity and compliance to truth.
Recognize that it takes time to build a reputation that overcomes the
effects of past deliberate decisions to deceive and to take advantage of
othersbut it is worth it.
Richard G. Scott October 1992 General Conference Healing Your
Damaged Life https://www.lds.org/generalconference/1992/10/healing-your-damaged-life?lang=eng

8. Pornographic or erotic stories and pictures are worse than filthy or

polluted food. The body has defenses to rid itself of unwholesome food.
With a few fatal exceptions, bad food will only make you sick but do no
permanent harm. In contrast, a person who feasts upon filthy stories or
pornographic or erotic pictures and literature records them in this
marvelous retrieval system we call a brain. The brain wont vomit back
filth. Once recorded, it will always remain subject to recall, flashing its
perverted images across your mind and drawing you away from the
wholesome things in life.
Dallin H Oaks - April 2005 General Conference Pornography"
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2005/04/pornography?
lang=eng&query=Pornography.

9. Some have suggested that pornography should be a separate

question in the temple recommend interview. It is already. At least five
different questions should elicit a confession and discussion on this
subject if the person being interviewed has the spiritual sensitivity and
honesty we expect of those who worship in the house of the Lord.
Dallin H Oaks - April 2005 General Conference Pornography"
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2005/04/pornography?
lang=eng&query=Pornography.

10.
Children are exploited, and their lives are severely damaged.
The minds of youth become warped with false concepts. Continued
exposure leads to addiction that is almost impossible to break. Men, so
very many, find they cannot leave it alone. Their energies and their
interests are consumed in their dead-end pursuit of this raw and sleazy
fare.
Gordon B. Hinckley October 2004 General Conference A Tragic Evil
Among Us https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2004/10/a-tragicevil-among-us?lang=eng

__________
Pornography is a vile evil and a major common obstacle to the people
of this earth. With the advent of advanced technologies, we have seen major
increase to the availability and acceptability of this practice. It is more
commonplace in our lives than ever before and has and will continue to bring
about much heartache to the citizens of this life.
Pornography is an evil and exploitative construct which fights for Satan
on all fronts. It attacks the children who have no understanding of righteous
sexual relationships and yet are exposed to enticing and mysterious images.
It attacks the teens who have begun to notice changes within their own
bodies. It exploits the young adults whose bodies are veritable hormonal
cauldrons. It plagues the adults who have the ability to rationalize, justify,
and hide it. It attacks the family, friends, and even strangers who may be
indirectly involved.
In our society, we see the effects all around us. Women are more often
objectified than ever before. They begin to feel even more self-conscious and
self-critical due to the reflexive response of our men. Some women are
addicted themselves, and even fight to objectify themselves to increase their
appeal in order to increase their power.
Perniciously poisoned, our men lose self-control and self-confidence.
Pornography causes a spiral which then destroys homes, shatters
relationships, devastates families, and abolishes happiness. Satan knows this
has great power over the hearts of men, and uses it as often as he can.
Our media is rife with this disruption, and yet, we are told to take
heart. If we will but exercise faith in Christ enough to do that which he has
asked, we will be safe from this tribulation. In fact, the promise of Christs
Atonement remains, as with any other difficulty or sin. If we will forsake the

practice of evil, as well as repent, the atonement will do that for which it was
designed, which is to purify and sanctify, as well as elevate and exalt, all
those who accept it.
__________

The topic I decided to apply was agency. I figured that agency was the
root for essentially all the other topics, and that by choosing to ameliorate
my choices, all other aspects could be improved as well.
My intention with this project was to monitor and record several
consequences during the day, and to review them at night, in an attempt to
analyze them and to find what choice had brought them about. My original
goal was to do at least 5 per week, which would result in about 30-40
instances.
The project I came up with was to recognize either a positive or
negative consequence, write it down as a note to myself, and analyze it later
in the day. After having discovered the choice to which the consequence
corresponded, I would then journal about it that night, recording my
thoughts.
I did end up with at least one instance per day, with certain days
having multiple occasions and choices. In the end, I had 46 written instances
from my daily life, all with corresponding journal entries, although some had
more attention than others. In terms of time, I had on average about 15

minutes of journaling per entry each day in which I participated, which total
was about 11 hours. I was fairly surprised with the effects.
Firstly, the project proved to me just how much we act by impulse and
not by careful reflection. Many of the mistakes I made, and even some of the
good things, were done simply because of my nature. It was a natural
reaction to the circumstance. This does not contradict our understanding of
agency, but rather reinforces it. As I have seen, consistent choices reinforces
character. This means that we are essentially a culmination of what we have
done before. In order to change the nature we built within ourselves, it
requires further and intensified agency. This means if we wish to either
improve or digress from our current nature, it requires conscious effort to do
so. Thus we see why God calls sin a wilful rebellion (see Mosiah 15:26).
Secondly, I was surprised to notice how many negative choices were
petty or inconsequential. As all of the negative consequences were not worth
the so-thought gain or convenience of the transgressions, most of them
were significantly so. The disagreement over dinner, for example, was trivial
and unimportant. Yet, its consequences were significantly direr than the
disagreement merited. As the negative choices were made, they would soon
be reinforced by an intensification or continuation of negative choices. Never
was it worth it.
Lastly, I noticed how positivity seemed to spread even more than
discord. As much as negativity could increase, positivity could increase even
faster and more powerfully, if sufficiently enticed and cultivated. If the
environment was right, positivity could continue to no end, and everyone
present could be edified.
All of these things could be brought about through conscious effort. I
learned that we have more power than we think to shape and change our
future. Our eternal goal should then be to tame the natural man and recreate
our own respective internal nature. In this practice lies our eternal nature,
and thus, our eternal glory.