They Don't Care How Much You Know, Until...

A little talking, a lot of listening

Have you heard the saying, "They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care?"

Seminary for 2009-2010 starts tomorrow morning and I'm teaching the high school juniors. We are studying the Book of Mormon this year.

I'm going to dedicate the first half of the time tomorrow doing very little talking and a lot of listening so they know I care about them and what's important to them.

What they look forward to in school, what fears they have, how their summer went, what are their likes and dislikes, what they care about. Relating and empathizing with them. It's about them, not me.

Caring about what matters

Human nature is that we care about things that matter to us. So the next objective tomorrow is taking them from what matters to them, what they care about, what's important in their lives, to where they clearly understand and believe that the Book of Mormon helps them with those things that matter to them.

This will be the second half of the class -- listening to what they care about and bridging that to the Book of Mormon.

For example, they probably care about having friends that understand and help them. If that comes up then I will show them how the Book of Mormon has patterns for finding friends and being a friend. Alma caring for Amulek in his tribulation comes to mind.

Preempting objections

The learning process is usually linear. If a student has an objection that their mind is stuck on, additional learning is stunted because they can't accept what they are hearing until their objection is resolved.

Our youth exist in an environment of skepticism about the Book of Mormon. The world generally passes it off as false.

Spending a few minutes quickly going through a bullet list of irrefutable reasons that the Book of Mormon is true will clear this barrier if it exists. Youth respond positively to these kinds of proofs because it solidifies and inspires confidence to what they already hope, and in many cases, believe, to be true.

Having accomplished these things tomorrow should lay the foundation for a spiritual and in depth study of the Book of Mormon for the next 10 months.

- Alma 15:18

Keep Your Financial Promises and Live

When we take on financial obligations like borrowing a dollar from a friend, borrowing $1,000 from a credit card company, or borrowing $100,000 from a bank for our mortgage, is that a serious obligation?

If we aren't willing to do everything in our power to keep the promise of payment we shouldn't enter into the agreement in the first place. But once entered we must do everything in our power to stay true to the obligation -- it could be the difference between life and death.

Limhi and his people made an agreement with the Lamanite king to pay 50% each year of everything they had in exchange for keeping their land and a few other terms.

"...the Lamanites had granted unto them that they might possess the land by paying a tribute to the Lamanites of one half of all they possessed".

This worked for two years until the Lamanites came and attacked Limhi's people. In the battle, the Lamanite king was wounded and brough to Limhi.

Limhi asked, "What cause have ye to come up to war against my people? Behold, my people have not broken the oath that I made unto you; therefore, why should ye break the oath which ye made unto my people?"

Since Limhi and his people had kept their financial obligation, the Lamanite king trusted them and his heart was softened. He went to his people, who were preparing to come attack and destroy Limhi's people, and convinced them not to do it.

Limhi's people were literally saved from death because they had kept their financial promise.

- Mosiah 19:15, 22; Mosiah 20:14

Laden with Taxes

Congress is currently drafting and considering a bill that will give the government control of health care delivery and will also cost a lot of money to execute. In reference to the bill, I was asked this question by one of my nephews:

I wonder what freedom of any real significance do you stand to lose from this bill?

After giving thoughtful consideration to the question, this was my answer:

I suppose it's a matter of perspective. In my world (my perspective) there are 7 people I provide for. So there is quite a bit of significant freedom I lose. Each time I am forced to give up (at the threat of going to prison) a dollar which I've earned by the 'sweat of my brow' I lose some freedom.

To illustrate, imagine that tomorrow you suddenly became the owner of 5 apartment complexes that generate monthly cash flow of $10,000 each. For the rest of your life you will be earning $50,000 a month without having to lift a finger since other people run the business. You would suddenly be able to choose to do whatever you wanted. You might still choose to go to law school and then go work for a law firm or whatever you currently are planning on doing. But here is the point, you would have the freedom to make other choices like serving missions or writing books. Whatever your passion is, you would be free to choose.

I'm trying to illustrate that there is a direct correlation between your ability to do what you choose with your money and the freedom that you have. Each time someone takes away a dollar from you by force you lose a little freedom. So the more money taken from you, the more freedom you lose. I hope this makes sense.

King Benjamin said that he labored with his own hands so the people wouldn't be laden with taxes. To be laden is to have a load or burden put on. He wanted his people to not have that burden so he ran his government in a way to keep the people free from that burden.

Your length of time as a provider for your family has been short but hopefully enough that you feel the weight of the responsibility to a degree that these principles make sense to you.

Consider all the work you have put in to teaching swimming lessons this summer. Instead of sitting around, you've busted your bum to provide a value to the children you teach. In exchange for that value, they have paid you money. The money is just a symbol of the value you provided to them, it reflects how they feel about what you've done, and it's paid well.

Now, you are free to choose what to do with that money. You will use it however you want, whatever makes the most sense to you and Kaity. But if I forced you to give 50% of that money to me so now I control the money, would you lose some freedom? Clearly you would.

Please seriously consider this. What are you planning to do with the money? Now someone forces you to give up half of it, what changes will you need to make from your original plan? Do you see how for every dollar you are forced to give up you lose some of your freedom?

So that's the principle -- the more you are taxed the more freedom you lose. How you apply that principle to your beliefs defines who you are and what you stand for or against.

As I mentioned in my earlier email, I value freedom and liberty over security and that defines what I stand for and against.

- Mosiah 2:14

Be Selfish to be More Selfless

On commercial airline flights they tell us that when the oxygen masks drop we were to put the mask on ourself and get the air flowing, then help our child or others that need assistance. This bothered me for years -- I thought it was inconsiderate to put my needs in front of others and that a good Christian would defer to the needs of others first.

This was incorrect.

Jesus told Peter "and when thou are converted, strengthen thy brethren." Essentially Peter needed the 'oxygen' before he could give it to others.

This applies to helping other people economically. Given that high inflation is coming, job security will continue to be less secure, and taxes are going to increase, there will be many opportunities and needs to help people and relieve their suffering.

Now is the time to create a solid foundation for our own families. Not for selfish reasons but so we can effectively help those in need. If we don't have food stored for these times and food becomes scarce, we'll be forced to spend all our time just trying to get food for our family leaving no opportunity to help others.

If we have built income streams that don't require going to a job then we can spend our time helping people in need rather than just trying to survive ourselves. In other words, become financially independent now and you will have a great capacity to be of service to others.

While on the surface it might seem selfish to take care of yourself first, it actually allows you to be less selfish and more giving to others.

- Luke 22:32

How We Learn Best

Dale Edgar studied how people learn and created the "Cone of Learning" to illustrate it. His findings validate what I will be doing teaching seminary this school year.

Listening to lectures is one of the least effective ways to learn. However I believe it is effective to talk in front of the class to explain a context or set the stage for what they will be learning. Reading the scriptures also sets the stage for learning, and we'll be doing that as well.

So while there will be some lecturing and reading, I want to spend a fair amount of time having the students participate in discussions and teaching/sharing the scriptures with other over the new media.

Here is the Cone of Learning:

Scripture Stories as Patterns for Our Lives

Elder Jay E. Jensen Of the Presidency of the Seventy in a recent Ensign article talks about a scripture study pattern that can help us better understand the scriptures.

When I read this article a few weeks ago I felt strongly that we should use this pattern while studying the Book of Mormon in seminary this upcoming school year. It's a great way to benefit and learn from the scriptures.

Scripture Stories as Patterns for Our Lives (PDF)

Join the Conversation

My seminary class this upcoming school year will be sharing and teaching what they are learning by joining the conversation on the new media. These links below are reference material I'll be using to help my students understand what we can do.

Elder Ballard encourages us to join the conversation in the new media, share the gospel in simple and clear terms including the message of the restoration (Dec 2007):


Click here for the text of his talk

News article of what members are doing to join the discussion:
http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/mormons-make-their-voices-heard-digitally

Elder Ballard in October 2007 shared the need for clear, simple statements about our faith. Suggests creating a list of simple statements or points:
http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-775-9,00.html

Bad Economy is Good

A faltering economy means real suffering for many people.

In some ways having a faltering economy is good. It helps us remember our dependence on our Creator. In remembering this dependence we are humbled, live better lives, and repent. Which is good.

Prophets of old have actually asked for conditions that resulted in a faltering economy. Their purpose specifically was to encourage people to repent and remember who they really are.

Nephi requested "let there be a famine in the land, to stir them up in remembrance of the Lord their God, and perhaps they will repent and turn unto thee."

Keep our current economic situation in perspective. It is temporary and if it stirs us to a remembrance of our Lord then there is good in it.

- Heleman 11:4-7

The Price of Pleasure

Tiffany and I ate dinner last night at a Cajun restaurant. Yum.

I noticed a middle-aged couple near our table completely enjoying their meal. Heaping plates with blackened shrimp and fish, okra, and peppered french fries. All things Cajun. Bite after blissful bite, no time for talk, just eat and enjoy. Hors d'oeuvres, main course, desert, the works.

After they finished they sat in quiet reverie for a few minutes contemplating the enjoyment they just had, expressions of satisfaction on their faces.

As they got up to leave their expressions changed to discomfort and pain. They both slowly hauled themselves up out of their chairs, one with a cane, the other using the table and chair for support. They were both about 100 pounds overweight.

Then it struck me that for the 15 minutes of enjoyment just concluded they would now suffer the effects of that pleasure 24x7, around the clock, in everything they did. Even sleeping would not give repreive since their sleep would be inhibited. Even while eating they still had to deal with feeling terrible physically.

Imagine if they swapped the amount of time feeling good and feeling bad -- they would spend 15 minutes of pain for feeling good at all times. Wouldn't it be worth it? Ironically when we eat in moderation and eat healthy food a natural pleasure is felt so there wouldn't even be the 15 minutes of pain.

As Alma says, "see that ye bridle all your passions." Following that advice will go a long way to living a truly pleasurable life, one where we can feel good all the time rather than just for a few moments here and there.

- Alma 38:12

Pleasure Has Limits

You might believe that super rich people have much more pleasure in life than you do. This is why many of us envy the rich, picturing a life with no constraints on the fun and pleasure we can have.

The truth is that even super rich people have constraints on the amount of pleasure in their life. Consider this: are their bodies special in some way that they can eat large amounts food and not get fat?

All people, regardless of how much money they have, need to love and be loved, need a purpose in life, need physical exercise, and need mental development. No amount of money can change this.

Regardless of how much wealth you have, you still have to take care of your body, your mind, and your spirit. If you don't you will suffer. So rich people who neglect these things suffer just as much as poor people do.

Instead of envying rich people and thinking that somehow they have much better lives, we should focus on gratitude for the blessings we already have in our lives. Everyone, regardless of challenges or economic position, has blessings to be grateful for.

"Humble yourselves even to the dust, and worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you."

- Alma 34:38