Posts tagged virtue
Demeter
Stuff from me
Today I came up with a new idea to prepare myself for general conference
I’m going to do some inventorying of myself today, before the conference begins, and then make a list of the things about myself that I most want to change or improve.
I’m going to start by using the “Attributes” list on page 126 of Preach My Gospel (pdf). It’s a list of different Christlike attributes, along with scriptural references. I actually got this idea from the new Youth curriculum (which I am of course totally reading right now, what with being almost 32, not having a calling, and having a ton to do to prepare for conference.)
But I’m going to expand beyond that one activity idea - I’ve found some good “personal inventory” stuff in the Addiction Recovery manual (pdf), and I’m going to go through the 13th Article of Faith and some other key scriptures (basically, whatever is missing from the Preach My Gospel list.) I also have the list of For the Strength of Youth guidelines, and the Primary Gospel Standards, and the YW Values. If I manage to still have commandments left over by the time I get to the end of all that, I’ll go through them, too.
And at the end of conference, I’m going to go back over my list of things-that-need-improving and use that list (along with my notes from conference) to make up some goals and an action plan.
We’ll see how it goes. :)
Many people do not fully understand the meaning of virtue. One commonly understood meaning is to be chaste or morally clean, but virtue in its fuller sense encompasses all traits of righteousness that help us form our character.
It’s easy to be righteous when things are calm and life is good and everything is smooth, but the test is when there is real trial or temptation…can we be faithful then?
I truly believe that one virtuous young woman or young man, led by the Spirit, can change the world, but in order to do so, we must return to virtue. We must engage in strict training.
As the marathon runner Juma Ikangaa said after winning the New York Marathon, “The will to win is nothing without the will to prepare.”
Now is the time to prepare by exercising more self-discipline. Now is the time to become “more fit for the kingdom.” Now is the time to set our course and focus on the finish. A return to virtue must begin individually in our hearts and in our homes.
We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig.
