Saturday, March 30, 2013

The Living Among the Dead

Easter Sunday is tomorrow. Honestly I haven't done much to prepare. I blame it on the fact that I have been constantly nursing and sleeping (what else can you do with a newborn baby?). I should be better about studying the gospel when I am nursing, instead of wasting time on Facebook (did I actually just admit to that?) but I have been having a hard time studying the gospel lately. I told my husband that I feel like I am constantly in "input" mode, and rarely in "output" mode. That is, I feel like I am absorbing all sorts of information, but I am never actually putting that information to use in changing my behavior, or actually doing something. It's like my brain is one big pinterest board - you know, full of really awesome ideas that you will probably never actually do.


I need to focus more on creating. Especially creating things with my family, specifically my children. I don't know when I got distracted from that important task, but it was easy to feel like all of my studying was important.

Many years ago at an EFY (Especially For Youth) summer camp, one of the instructors told us not to write down what we hear him say, but rather to write down what we are going to do because of what we heard.

I think that in all my studying of the gospel and other truths I have been too focused on the information and not focused enough on what I am going to do because of the information I am absorbing and the insight I am gaining.

I have been thinking about the question posed by the angel at the tomb, "Why seek ye the living among the dead?" I want to make sure that I am actually living. I want to live the things I read, the things I learn. It's as if I have been seeking life by reading and studying. Not that reading and studying is bad, but all of this knowledge is dead without action. Reminds me of that scripture - "Faith without works is dead."

So, first off, I am going to actually go and talk with my children about Easter. We're going to talk about the Savior and the purpose of His life and death and resurrection. Then we're going to do something about it. In order to really drive home the idea that Christ gave His life for us, I think we will each decide an act of service to do for each member of our family, and then we'll spend time today doing those acts of service - giving of ourselves to our family members.

I don't think I have ever been so excited to shut the computer down and spend time with my family! I think it is refreshing to be in "output" mode. Why learn things if you aren't going to use them, right?

5 comments:

  1. I think it is easy to get stuck in input mode! Balance is hard to find. Have a great Easter!

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  2. Great thoughts Becca! Here's a thought for you. I love general conference. I love taking 'copious' notes at conference. One year, I had a newborn and just couldn't take copious notes. I was very frustrated. But I (after a session or two) decided to write down the things I felt instead of the things I heard. I wrote thoughts and impressions...things I was going to do because of what I heard. That was a major turning point in my scripture study and conference notes. It is good to get information and to process it and to grow in that area. But I think it is better to write down the inspirations you have and then you have a list of the things the Lord wants you to do/change/be. It has been a much more effective tool in helping me to become who the Lord wants me to be than all of the stuff I was trying to remember so I would have knowledge. Interesting thought, huh?

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  3. I love this! How amazing would our lives be if we learned about a principle, then started practicing it! If we all did this consistently, maybe Heavenly Father wouldn't need to be so repetitive when teaching us!

    And I also loved Carin's suggestion about how to take notes during General Conference and scripture study. I am in Young Women right now, so we are studying the new Come Follow Me study and tonight for the first time in my study journal I wrote I FEEL... and THE HOLY GHOST IS TELLING ME... I think next time I will also include NOW I WILL...

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  4. You must have a little window into my head. Wow.
    Thanks so much for your thoughts. I also appreciated the comments. Much to think on.

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  5. I love everyone's comments about note taking at General Conference. I've always thought it was a waste of my effort to write down everything the speaker said, since recording and transcripts of GC are available within the week. If I write down something the speaker actually said, I usually try to make sure it is something that really struck me, so I can remember to revisit it later when I study the talks. Otherwise, I try to write down the things the Spirit says to me (that won't be in any transcript on lds.org!) and what I am going to DO because of what I heard. I have a little coding system, too - I put stars next to inspiration I receive, and arrows next to the action items. Then at the end of General Conference I type them up and separate them into two lists - the things I heard, and the things I am going to do. I also try to work out goals/habits to develop from the things I felt inspired to go and do and I work on those between Conferences.

    I wrote more about note taking here: General Conference 101 - note taking and conference.

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