Four.

This is a simple verse from the Doctrine and Covenants that I think sums up the point of this blog very well.

"And as al have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith."
-Doctrine and Covenants 88:118

I really, really like this verse. There are so many good books available, if we take the time to read them and learn from them. It is my hope that this summer, when I won't be taking any classes or have a whole campus of students around me, I will be able to read some great books (like the ones on the sidebar of this blog). I know it will be difficult since some of them (especially Jesus the Christ) are thick books. But I feel like it will be such a valuable experience for myself if I can knock a few of these books out this summer so that during the next school year I can focus on some of the great, literary classics that I want to read.

Three.

A combination of notes & thoughts from Elder Robert D. Hales messages from his 3/1/09 CES Fireside, and 4/4/09 General Conference talk

-Live JOYFULLY within our means

-Not living providently brings stress which decreases our health, and increases depression and anxiety

-The three most loving words are "I Love You". The four most caring words for those we love are "We can't afford it"

-Don't covet: don't buy things we can't afford or things we don't really need.


These thoughts from him really hit me, and every college student I've talked to. Lets just say, we are pretty poor collectively, and many spend excessively. Roommates don't always help with this matter. One might have a lot of savings and therefore feel like going out for dinner is within their means, but then they drag along a roommate who probably shouldn't go out to eat but doesn't have the heart to say that they can't afford it. Nobody wants to be the "poor roommate".

Two.

"He who cannot learn by others' mistakes is stupid. He who cannot learn by his own errors is a fool."
-Spencer W. Kimball

Kimball, Spencer W. The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 173


This should be an obvious one. I love President Kimball's choice of words, and how he calls things exactly as they are.

One.

"But wo unto him... that wasteth the days of his probation..."
-2nd Nephi 9:27

followed by the following quote:

"Waste is unjustified, and especially the waste of time-limited as that commodity is in our days of probation. One must live, not only exist; he must do, not merely be; he must grow, not just vegetate."
-Spencer W Kimball

Kimball, Spencer W. The Miracle of Forgiveness. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft Pubs, 1993, 92.

I just like this quote. End of story.

Explanation

I suppose a blog like this needs an explanation. I was sitting in Stake Conference a few weeks ago and ended up with this list of lots of reading I wanted to do. Pretty soon I found my list growing, and growing. One night while reading the first book on my list (The Miracle of Forgiveness) I found a quote that I really, really liked that I thought applied to everyone in my age group. I wanted to write it down, but I wasn't sure what to do with it, so I wrote it down on the mirror in my room. But... in 18 days I'm moving out and won't have a mirror in my room that I can write quotes on. Hence, this blog. When I find good quotes, or notes, they will be added to this blog. Sometimes they will have specific reasons as to why I like them, or what I like about them. Other times I will leave the interpretation up to you!

This blog will also help me keep up with one of my favorite parts of my Pearl of Great Price class: writing down what I learn, soon after I learn it. Each day after class we write a short paper (1/2-1 page) about the insights we gained from the reading and the in-class discussion. I love thinking about what I'm learning and the chance to share that with others.

With that said, I'm going to go write my first "real" post with the quote that inspired this whole blog.