Enriching Lives through Online Training

Hello Brethren!
Remember in this past Sunday’s priesthood lesson we discussed the talk by Elder Richard G. Scott ("Full Conversion Brings Happiness")? In this talk he spoke of a three step "cyclic" process of conversion -- faith, repentance, consistent obedience … wherein he states that with each cycle we proceed through we grow spiritually stronger and obedience becomes more of a "habit"… we are more consistent in our obedience! In essence, through our continued/continuing efforts, we are in the process of reaching perfection one-step-at-a-time (line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little). I like to use the analogy that we are replacing ruts (bad habits) with grooves (good habits). There is a well-known psychologist, William James, who in a document entitled "Psychology: Briefer Course," explains it perhaps best as follows –

"Habit is the flywheel of society, its most precious conserving agent. The great thing, then, is to make our nervous system our ally instead of our enemy. We must make automatic and habitual, as early as possible, as many useful actions as we can, and guard against growing into ways that are disadvantageous as we guard against the plague. The more of the details of our daily life we can hand over to the effortless custody of automatism, the more our higher powers of mind will be set free for their proper work. There is no more miserable person than one in whom nothing is habitual but indecision, and for whom … the drinking of every cup, the time of rising and going to bed every day, and the beginning of every bit of work are subjects of deliberation. Half the time of such a man goes to deciding or regretting matters which ought to be so ingrained in him as practically not to exist for his consciousness at all."

Take a moment right now and think of all those "habits" we know we should have, in relation to the Gospel, and as the prophets have counseled: personal & family prayers, Family Home Evening, family councils and father’s interviews, tithing, attending church meetings, attending mid-week meetings (Relief Society & YM/YW), sharing the gospel, doing our genealogy/temple work, etc. … and ask yourself, "How many of these are habits? … How many of these do I do routinely/consistently?" As we progress, we have gone beyond overcoming the sins of commission and are now overcoming the sins of omission! We are becoming more Christlike … We are following the words of the prophet, Alma: "And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive. And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works." (Alma 7:13)

… And in conclusion, in relation to home teaching (& visiting teaching), are we following the prophet David O. McKay’s counsel: "To perform fully our duty as a home teacher, we should be continually [there’s that word again!] aware of the attitudes, the activities and interests, the problems, the employment, the health, the happiness, the plans and purposes, the physical, temporal, and spiritual needs and circumstances of everyone—of every child, every youth, and every adult in the homes and families that heave been placed in our trust and care." … And I might add, are we visiting our families in the first half of each month, keeping in touch between visits? Are we making an extra effort with those families who are inactive or partially active? Do our families consider us two of their best friends … who they would have no reservations of calling on in times of distress or need … or for that matter, in times of success and "celebration"? Do we remember their birthdays and anniversaries, do we attend their special events, do we share with them special events we have coming up? Have we truly made them a part of our lives (and for that matter, of our family)? If you have any "room for improvement" in this … as I "suspect" we all do, we encourage each of you/us to follow the so-often-heard "command" of Captain Piccard in the series, StarTrek, when he would say, "Make it so!"