Personal Attributes (Self-Worth)

Thursday, June 27, 2013


Elders Robinson and Earley say I am:

Intelligent. I can continue to develop this attribute by learning more and keeping an open mind. By definition, intelligence is: 1) having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree; 2) possessing sound knowledge. I would say that possessing sound knowledge could be attributed to knowing that this Church is the one true church and knowing that the Book of Mormon is true. So, as long as I continue to read and gain a stronger testimony, I will be able to possess sound knowledge.

Full of hope and faith - In Alma 32:21, it says "And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." By this we know that we have to hope for things and have faith in those things we cannot see. Elder Holland gave a speech awhile back about trusting in the Lord and hoping and believing in good things to come. We need to hope that there will be good things ahead, even when it doesn't seem like it right now. And we do this through faith. I need to work on my faith and hope that everything will turn out okay with my parents and I can do this by trusting in the Lord and hoping for happiness and help.

Obedient. To be obedient is to do what someone says. For me, I need to work on listening more to the Lord than to my parents. There are many times when He's told me to do something and I haven't done it because I'm afraid of the consequences from my parents. In Matthew 10:37, it says "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." So, I need to work on loving the Lord and listening to Him more than I listen and love my parents.

You have a sincere desire to serve the Lord. My desire to serve the Lord comes from almost 17 years of not doing so. As a child, I chose not to listen or follow the Lord and I can say those were the absolute saddest times of my life. The Gospel literally has saved my life and I encourage all who have not given the Mormon faith a try to do so. It is amazing what happens when you have a desire to learn more about the Lord and the will to do as He says. I can honestly say that a life without the Lord is not worth living. I can improve my desire to serve the Lord by praying and reading my scriptures daily. I know that each time I read my scriptures, specifically the Book of Mormon, my faith continues to grow. As does my trust and faith in the Lord.

Optimistic. This means to have a positive outlook on life. I know for the longest I was a glass is half empty kind of person, but this is not the way to be. We need to look for good things to come and look over past the mountain that is in front of us. For me, this is sometimes quite a challenge. I know I can overcome this and be more optimistic by exercising my faith in the Lord and reading my scriptures daily.

Trusting. My parents always told me this is my biggest downfall in life. I too easily trust those that I know. I also know, though, that if I had not trusted the Lord to help me, I would not have met the amazing missionaries I now know. I need to trust that the Lord will help me and with His help, that everything will turn out alright in the end.

Diligent. Means to be persistent and not stop until you accomplish your task. Currently, my task is to persuade my parents to allow me to attend church. I also need to work on my faith in the Lord. I can do this by diligently (consistently) reading my scriptures on a daily basis and praying to ask the Lord for help.

Cheerful. Is to be happy. I need to learn to be happy with what I have and not wish for more. I cannot go living a life in a negative manner. Through the help of the Lord, I can change this.
Meek and humble - to be meek is to be willing to do as the Lord says. I need to work on not only listening to what the Lord says, but actually doing this. I can do this by developing a greater trust in the Lord. To be humble is to never take more than you need and to be happy with what you have. I need to be happy that I am allowed to meet with the online missionaries and to not concentrate on what I don't have. I can do this through prayer and faith with the Lord's help.

Charity and love. Charity is the pure love of Christ. It is the love that Christ has for the children of men and that the children of men should have for one another. It is the highest, noblest, and strongest kind of love and the most joyous to the soul. Love is an amazing thing and is something I need to work on. I need to be more open to people and not to think I'm better than them. As an athlete, we were encouraged to think that we're better than others, but through the gospel and the missionaries, I have learned this is not correct. Through faith and prayer, I know that the Lord can help me eliminate these thoughts and help me become a more Christ-like person.