I'm All In

 For the past couple of years, I have been pretty into listening to podcasts.  (Enough that it has slowed my reading down quite a bit because instead of listening to audiobooks in the car, I typically listen to LDS podcasts.  I love Follow Him, Real Talk Come Follow Him, and All In.  I enjoy Don't Miss This and also sometimes listen to Unshaken Saints, Leading Saints or Talking Scriptures.  I also just found podcasts by Kerry Muhlestein called The Scriptures are Real that I plan to give a try.)

I love the All In podcasts because each one is an interview with someone who loves God and tries to follow Him. Most are members of the church, though not all.  And the podcast always ends with the question:  "What does it mean to you to be "All In" the gospel of Jesus Christ?"  And every week the answer is a bit different.  It has lead me to think A LOT about what it means to me to be all in.  And my answer varies depending on the day or month.  But today I have felt like I wanted and perhaps even needed to record what being all in means to me right now.

Sometimes my answer would be as simple as "Love God, and love my neighbor."  And that is the crux of it.  It can be simplified down to that.  But today, I feel like there are some things sitting on my heart that I want to express.

So here's what is in my heart and head right now.  To me, being all in means that I am striving with all my heart to "Let God prevail."  I am trying to make sure that He is my greatest friend, my greatest influence, and that I am striving to become like Him.  I love Him, and being all in means that I pledge loyalty to Him.  I strive to follow Him, and to be obedient to His commands.  

Being all in also means that I love others.  I've heard it said that the way we love others is a barometer for how fully we love God.  I want to love God fully, with my whole heart, might, mind and strength.  I have thought a lot lately about what it means to love others.  It seems like the world's definition for love is acceptance and to allow people to "be themselves" with no encouragement to change, improve, or grow.  I don't believe that it real love.  I think my opinion is sometimes unpopular...and sometimes I may be accused of being judgmental.  (And sometimes I AM guilty of being judgmental.)  But I believe that truly loving others includes helping them become better, helping them reach their divine potential, just as Christ does.  It includes having rules and expectations of my students and then holding them accountable while being patient and forgiving of their mistakes.  It means teaching truth clearly and directly, even if that truth is unpopular or may make some people uncomfortable because their situations are imperfect or because they are choosing another path.  It means sustaining and honoring the prophet and other leaders, despite them being human and even when it is soul-stretching to do so.  It means trusting that they see things I don't see and have been led and inspired by God to give counsel that will be to my benefit.  Loving others means meeting them where they are, but then helping them to become a little better.  Loving others means focusing more on how I can help them and love them well than on how they are demonstrating love to me.  It means being willing to forgive hurts, and it also means having high expectations for those I love.

Being all in means that I repent regularly...because while I want to do all the things I have listed above, I fail.  Daily.  

Being all in means that  "we ^atalk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we ^bprophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our ^cchildren may know to what source they may look for a ^dremission of their sins." (2 Nephi 25:26) That we trust that the Savior "doeth not ^aanything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he ^bloveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw ^call men unto him." (2 Nephi 26:  24.)   Being all in means that I am striving to develop Christlike attributes. In the words of Elder Hales:  "Disciples live so that the characteristics of Christ are woven into the fiber of their beings, as into a spiritual tapestry."

I have a long way to go in becoming perfect, but if I am striving to live as I believe, if I'm striving to be a disciple of Christ, if I'm striving to let God prevail, then I believe I am "all in".  

Atomic Habits Notes

 Chapter 4:

This chapter begins with an amazing story. A woman had worked for years as a paramedic.  She arrived at a family party one day and said her father in law didn't look right.  She told him to head straight to the hospital.  They found that he had a blockage to a major artery and would likely have had a heart attack had they not done immediate surgery.  Such a blockage causes the body to send blood to critical organs and not to peripheral locations.  This changes the way blood is distributed in the face, and while the paramedic couldn't have explained what she was seeing, she knew that something was wrong.  

Similar examples of people developing these types of skills exist in other fields:  hairdressers that can tell a client is pregnant by the feel of their hair or military analysts who can tell which blips on the radar are enemies and which are part of their own fleet despite there being no noticeable difference.  

A surprising thing about habits is that you don't need to be conscious of a cue for a habit to develop.

A helpful method to make the unconscious become conscious is to "point and call"...to articulate what you are doing.  The Japanese railway system uses this system, and it is one of the safest in the world.  Each operator must go through a ritual of pointing at objects and calling out commands.  This reduces mistakes significantly because it uses your eyes, ears, hands, and mouth.

The suggestion is to make a list of your everyday behaviors/habits and decide which are good (+), bad (-) and neutral (=).  Of course your marks are subjective.  What you consider good or bad will depend on what your goals are and what you value.  

When about to make a choice, state aloud what you are doing and what the outcome will be.  "I'm going to brush my teeth which will help my teeth and gums be healthy and keep my breath fresh."  "I'm going to eat some chocolate which will make my skin break out."  "Tomorrow I will go to the post office after lunch".  

Create a scorecard of your habits to see how many positive and negative habits you have.  Which habits need to be changed?  What are the cues that initiate this negative habit?  (My students go to recess, so I grab a quick --usually unhealthy--snack.)

Atomic Habits Standouts

 I'm reading Atomic Habits by James Clear right now.  I've read the first 4 chapters and want to share the things that have stood out to me so far.  It's been a really good back so far.  

Introduction/His Story:  

James Clear was hit by a baseball bat when he was a sophomore in high school.  His face was smashed and he had multiple skull fractures and shattered his eye sockets.    He went into a coma.  He had a number of complications but gradually recovered.  However, his return to baseball was difficult.  He didn't make the varsity baseball team.  He made the team as a senior but spent most of his time on the bench.  Prior to the accident, he'd thought he would be a MLB player.  He went to Denison University and focused on getting his life on track.  He studied, built good sleep habits, cleaned up after himself and lifted wights.  Six years after his accident, he was the top athlete on Denison's baseball team.  He says of his experiences that he learned that "changes that seem small and unimportant at first compound into remarkable results if you're willing to stick with them for years."  (page 7)

Chapter 1:

He tells of British cycling and how they were historically one of the worst teams but through a series of 1% improvements they became champion cyclists.  Elder Michael Dunn gave a wonderful conference talk in October 2021 called "One Percent Better" and referenced the process they went through to make these changes. 

James Clear explains that getting 1% better each day for a year, then you'll be 37% better by the end of the year.  He writes, "Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement." (16)  "Making a choice that is 1 percent better or 1 percent worse seems insignificant in the moment, but over the span of a of moments that make up a lifetime these choices determine the difference between who you are and who you could be.  Success is the product of daily habits-not once-in-a-lifetime transformations." (17-18)  He also explains that our results lag behind our habits.  We don't see results right away.  But good habits make time our friend, while good habits make time our enemy.  

He also explains that goals are less important than systems.  Don't set a goal to become a pianist or to be able to play a specific song.  Instead develop a system of when you will practice, how you will practice, how you will get feedback from your teacher, and so on.  Pick a specific time to work on the habit and the exact process you will take to get the results you want.  A system helps you maintain the habit long term.  According to Clear, you don't "rise to the level of your goals.  You fall to the level of your systems."  

Atomic habits are small, simple habits or routines that compound into great results.

Chapter 2:

Chapter 2 is my FAVORITE.  It's all about how our identity influences our habits and how our habits influence our (sense of) identity.  Clear explains that there are 3 levels of behavior change.  The first is to change your outcome...lose weight, learn a song on an instrument, run a marathon, etc.  The second level is to change your process...set up a new exercise routine, developing a mindfulness practice, creating a system for keeping files organized.  The third level is to change your sense of identity/how you see yourself and others.  "Outcomes are about what you get.  Processes are about what you do.  Identity is about what you believe."  (30-31)  You'll have greater success if you focus on who you want to become rather than what you want to achieve.  Our beliefs influence our actions.  "The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity.  It's one thing to say I'm the type of person who wants this.  It's something very different to say I'm the type of person who is this." (33)

We typically become what we tell ourselves about ourselves.  "I'm bad at math.   I'm an avid reader.  I am courageous."  Our choices line up to prove ourselves right.  So if, for example, you want to stop drinking and someone offers you a glass of wine and you say, "No thanks.  I'm trying to stop drinking" your power to resist is going to be relatively weak.  But if instead you reply, "No thanks.  I'm not a drinker" then your power to resist will be much stronger.  

"Becoming the best version of yourself requires you to continuously edit your beliefs, and to upgrade and expand your identity." (36)  Your habits shape what you believe about yourself.  If you read virtually every day, you will identify as a reader.  If you spend time practicing music you will identify as a musician.  "The process of building habits is actually the process of becoming yourself." (37)  

Clear says changing your identity requires new evidence and you get that evidence by deciding what type of person you want to be and then demonstrating to yourself that you are that type of person by exhibiting small, successful changes.  Over time, these small changes will change who you believe yourself to be AND your identity and habits will be in line.

Chapter 3:

Habits are created as a quick way to solve a recurring problem.  It saves time and mental energy to consistently solve a problem in the same way so your brain looks for ways to program itself...if this happens, then I will do this.  (I feel stressed so I eat ice cream.)  Having habits frees your mind up to be creative, solve more complex problems, and learn new ideas or skills.  If the basics of your life are handled, then your mind can focus on new growth and challenges.

Four steps to build better habits:

1.  Set up an obvious cue.  Examples:  Set out your exercise clothes, fill your water bottle and place it next to your briefcase, have the guitar in the living room where you'll see it.

2.  Make the craving attractive.  The cue leads to a craving...but if you want to actually have the cue lead to a new action, it must be attached to a craving that you really want.

3.  Make it easy to give the appropriate response.

4.  Make the reward satisfying.

If you want to get rid of a bad habit, make the cue invisible, make the craving unattractive, make the response difficult and make the reward unsatisfying.

Jacob, Leah and Rachel Sunday School Lesson

 Here's my Sunday School lesson.  I never get through everything I have planned.  And that's okay.  But I love the discussions.  And I love the studying and learning I do as I prepare.  And I love the comments that others make.  Today, I really loved the spirit that was there throughout the meeting.  I always hope that with all the things we could discuss, I will focus on the things that are most important or that will be a blessing to others.

What worked well for you this week? Any especially good teaching moments or discussions in your families? 

 

Genesis 28: 1-3 Isaac chose to renew the birthright and not revoke it. Some have accused Jacob and Rebekah of being dishonest and usurping the birthright. That is not how I read the scriptures nor did I find support for that opinion from apostles of the church. 

“Bruce R. McConkie said, “Women are appointed, Rebekahlike, to be guides and lights in righteousness in the family unit and to engineer and arrange so that things are done in the way that will result in the salvation of more of our Father’s children.” 

John Taylor had this to say: “Now we will pass by the places in the Bible which speak of this birthright until we come to Isaac, the son of Abraham, and to Jacob, the son of Isaac, who bought the birthright of his brother Esau. Gen. 25:29-34 From the story that is told of Rebekah helping her son Jacob to get the first blessing from his father Isaac, on purpose to secure the birthright from his brother Esau, many would be inclined to think that deceit, dishonesty and unrighteous means were employed to secure it, and they perhaps wonder why it should be so. Gen. 27:1-46 This was really not the case; it is only made to appear so in the eyes of those who do not understand the dealings of God with man, and the [p. 371a]workings of the Holy Spirit to bring about His purposes. There was neither unrighteousness in Rebekah nor in Jacob in this matter; but on the contrary, there was the wisdom of the Almighty, showing forth his providences in guiding them in such a manner as to bring about his purposes, in influencing Esau to transfer his birthright to Jacob, that He might ratify and confirm it upon the head of Jacob; knowing as He did that Jacob and his seed were, and would be, more deserving of the birthright, and would magnify it in its true spirit. Gen. 25:23 While Esau did not sense nor appreciate his condition and birthright; he did not respect it as he should have done, Gen. 25:34 neither did he hearken to the counsels of his father and mother. On the contrary, he went his own way with a stubborn will, and followed his own passions and inclinations and took to wife one of the daughters of the Canaanites whom the Lord had not blessed; Gen. 24:1-3 Gen. 28:1-9 and he therefore rendered himself unacceptable to God and to his father and mother. He gave himself to wild pursuits—to hunting, and to following the ways of the Canaanites, and displeased the Lord and his parents, and was not worthy of this right of seniority. The Lord therefore saw fit to take it from him, and the mother was moved upon to help the younger son to bring about the purpose of the Lord, in securing to himself the blessing through the legitimate channel of the Priesthood. And as you know, his father was induced to bless him and confirm this blessing upon him. Gen. 27:1-46” (JD 21: 371a) 

 

Eldred G Smith in a talk called Patriarchal Order of the Priesthood said this: “And Rebekah, mother of Esau and Jacob, heard him and knowing that Jacob was divinely called to receive the birthright blessings, called Jacob and sent him to fetch two kids, saying that she would prepare savory meat for her husband such as he loved for she knew how to prepare it. And thus Rebekah assisted Jacob to receive the blessings of birthright.” 

Genesis 28:11-12 

*This is a vision/revelation, not just a dream. (Think of Nephi & Lehi’s dream or vision of tree of life) 

Hebrew word translated as ladder here can also be a stairway or ramp. So this is a stairway or ramp to heaven.  

Genesis 28:13-15  

And LORD: Jehovah.  

Lord stood above: He is beckoning us upward, reminding us to Look Up! 

Quote #1 Elder Carl B. Cook gave a talk entitled “Look Up”. I love this reminder: “I think the challenge for all of us—but perhaps particularly for young adults—is to try not to look sideways to see how others are viewing our lives but to look up to see how Heavenly Father sees us. He doesn’t look on the outward appearance but on the heart (see 1 Samuel 16:7). And He knows, better than anyone else, what each one of us needs.” 

Quote #2 Elder Carl B. Cook also said, “We can “look up” by staying true to the direction we’ve received from a loving Heavenly Father through personal revelation.” 

Elder Cook, in another talk, told of a time that he was feeling burdened and overwhelmed. President Monson saw him in the elevator, and able to sense his feelings, gently told him that it is “better to look up.” He said, “President Monson’s encouragement to look up is a metaphor for remembering Christ. As we remember Him and trust in His power, we receive strength through His Atonement. It is the means whereby we can be relieved of our anxieties, our burdens, and our suffering. It is the means whereby we can be forgiven and healed from the pain of our sins. It is the means whereby we can receive the faith and strength to endure all things.” 

However, in the footnote it says “beside him”...He is by our side and helps us. Both of these are beautiful concepts to consider. 

Joseph Smith said, ““Paul ascended into the third Heavens and he could understand the three principal rounds of Jacob’s Ladder, the Telestial, the Terrestrial and the Celestial glories or Kingdoms,” In other words, this was a vision of the three degress of glory! 

 

Now, this is a vision where 1. The Lord is giving instruction. 2. Covenants are being made, including the covenant of Abraham (also known as the new and everlasting covenant), 3. it’s a revelatory experience, and 4. there are messengers guiding him along the ladder or path. 

Does this sound familiar? 

Quote #3 Marion G. Romney, in an article entitled “Temples: The Gates to Heaven” said this:  

“Pondering upon the subject of temples and the means therein provided to enable us to ascend into heaven brings to mind the lesson of Jacob’s dream. You will recall that in the twenty-eighth chapter of Genesis there is an account of his return to the land of his father to seek a wife from among his own people. When Jacob traveled from Beersheba toward Haran, he had a dream in which he saw himself on the earth at the foot of a ladder that reached to heaven where the Lord stood above it. He beheld angels ascending and descending thereon, and Jacob realized that the covenants he made with the Lord there were the rungs on the ladder that he himself would have to climb in order to obtain the promised blessings—blessings that would entitle him to enter heaven and associate with the Lord. 

Because he had met the Lord and entered into covenants with him there, Jacob considered the site so sacred that he named the place Bethel, a contraction of Beth-Elohim, which means literally “the House of the Lord.” He said of it: “… this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” (Gen. 28:17.) 

Jacob not only passed through the gate of heaven, but by living up to every covenant he also went all the way in. Of him and his forebears Abraham and Isaac, the Lord has said: “… because they did none other things than that which they were commanded, they have entered into their exaltation, according to the promises, and sit upon thrones, and are not angels but are gods.” (D&C 132:37.) 

Temples are to us all what Bethel was to Jacob.” 

 

Vs. 14: In thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the Earth be blessed. Our covenants bring blessings but also responsibilities. In a podcast I was listening to a few weeks ago, I loved this thought: the Lord needs us to be different than the world so that we have something to offer the world. There IS an element of exclusivity in the gospel... 

In 1 Peter 2:9 we read : “But ye are a achosen generation, a broyal cpriesthood, an dholy enation, a fpeculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of gdarkness into his marvellous hlight:”  

God wants us to be different, to be a “peculiar” people...but the WHOLE reason He needs and wants us to be different, the WHOLE reason for that exclusivity, is because we have a responsibility to strive for Inclusivity. We are trying to share the gospel message with EVERYONE around us. The goal is for the entire world to be blessed by us. *It’s a good chance, when we read those words, to ponder for a moment how we are doing on that charge and what we can do to fulfill them more completely! 

 

Vs. 16 He said that “Surely God is in this place and I knew it not.” While God is in places like our homes, temples, and churches, God will also be with us in the hardest moments in our lives...In the times when we have rocks as pillows and feel rejected or afraid or heartbroken. God can be found in hospitals, prisons, drug treatment centers, and so on. Wherever we are, God will be there if we look for Him. We never have to walk through this life alone. 

 

QUOTE #6: The Come Follow Me Manual says: “You may find yourself in your own wilderness seeking a blessing from God. Maybe your wilderness is a difficult family relationship, such as Jacob had. Maybe you feel distant from God or feel that you need a blessing. Sometimes the blessing comes unexpectedly; other times it is preceded by a wrestle. Whatever your need, you can discover that even in your wilderness, “the Lord is in this place.” 

When have you seen God in a place that you perhaps didn’t expect? Or when have you looked back on your life and realized that God was with you at a time that you “knew it not”? 

 

Chapter 28 V. 20-21 The Lord be my God...Have we determined that the Lord will be our God? How can you show God today/this week that you have chosen Him to be your God? 

 

Genesis 29 is a love story. Anyone want to give the background of the story of Jacob and Rachel?  

(Possibly read vs. 10-12) 

Read verses 18-20. He loves Rachel and working for 7 years didn’t feel like a sacrifice because he was doing it for someone he loved. (*Applications for us) 

 

Have someone summarize vs. 21-31... Leah substituted for Rachel 

Both Rachel and Leah have a lot of heartache. Rachel is worried and heartsick because she is barren. Leah is jealous and heartbroken because Jacob doesn’t love her. Both are hard situations. My heart aches for both of them.  

Quote #4: In Women of the Old Testament Camille Fronk Olson writes, ““The biblical text reports Jacob’s anger and dismay when he discovered the deception, but no mention is made of the response of Leah or Rachel. What did they think about their father’s marriage schemes for them? Why did the sisters go along with the plan? Did they have a choice? As an imposter at her own wedding, how did Leah feel when she knew her husband would soon discover that she was not his beloved Rachel? Where was Rachel during the ceremony? Was this an act of unselfishness on her part to allow her elder sister also to enjoy the blessings of marriage? Or was Rachel opposed to her father’s chicanery? Whatever the case, Leah and Rachel became burdened with considerable confusion produced by the men closes to them. Only by trusting in the Lord could their subsequent pain and disappointment be removed and their souls be healed. Their individual struggles to let go of burdens created by those who should have been their protectors, while learning to rely on the grace of God, affords us a great lesson for our day.” 

 

 Quote #5 Camille Fronk Olson also writes , “Through deepening trials, each was stretched to the realization that only God validates and enables. His infinite balm, offered to each of us, provides healing, comfort and pure love that exceeds any mortal attempt to succor. The sisters’ individual responses to God in the midst of their unexpected circumstances helped to shape the foundations of God’s covenant people.”  

 

The end of chapter 29 and all of chapter 30 focus on the births of Jacob’s children... (write names on board: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Napthali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Dinah, and finally Joseph (Benjamin will be born in a later chapter) 

You’ll note that their names are symbolic of what their mothers are hoping for/experiencing 

Chapter 30: 22-24 God remembered Rachel. There were likely moments that she felt forgotten. But God remembered her and He will remember us. 

Can you think of a time when you recognized that God remembered you? 

*Perhaps tell story of President Oaks suddenly remembering a man he had called to be a stake president years before. He wrote a letter asking what was happening in the man’s life for him to suddenly be on President Oaks’ mind. The former stake president wrote back explaining that his wife had unexpectedly left him and he was struggling. President Oaks replied, giving counsel and love. The former stake president knew that God was aware of him, remembered him in his adversity and had inspired then Elder Oaks to write to him. 

 

Chapter 31: 3 I will be with thee. (THis is a promise given over and over. Talk for a moment about the promises to covenant Israel...show my framed picture. 

Unshaken podcast: “God’s redemption is relentless.” 

Chapter 31: 13-16...Jacob consults with his wives. They express faith and trust in God...whatever God hath said unto thee, do. (Good counsel for us!) 

 

Genesis 32: 9-12 Jacob turns to the Lord. He demonstrates great humility. We also cry out to the Lord to deliver us...from sickness, heartache, pain, sin, danger, disease or whatever our affliction may be.  

Vs. 12 also gives another beautiful promise: I will surely do thee good and make thy seed as the sand of the sea. I love this promise!  

Genesis 32: 24, 27-30 Jacob wrestles with angel/man and his name is changed. (Temple symbolism here too.) 

 

Quote #7 President Nelson spoke of this in his 2020 talk, Let God Prevail: 

“For a moment, let us recall a crucial turning point in the life of Jacob, the grandson of Abraham. At the place Jacob named Peniel (which means “the face of God”),6 Jacob wrestled with a serious challenge. His agency was tested. Through this wrestle, Jacob proved what was most important to him. He demonstrated that he was willing to let God prevail in his life. In response, God changed Jacob’s name to Israel,7 meaning “let God prevail.” God then promised Israel that all the blessings that had been pronounced upon Abraham’s head would also be his.” 

We, like Jacob, have made covenants. At baptism, we took upon us the name of Christ. Some of us have made additional covenants in the temple and experienced similar things to what Jacob’s covenant entailed. Are we, like Jacob, willing to let God prevail? 

Quote #8 President Nelson said, “The question for each of us, regardless of race, is the same. Are you willing to let God prevail in your life? Are you willing to let God be the most important influence in your life? Will you allow His words, His commandments, and His covenants to influence what you do each day? Will you allow His voice to take priority over any other? Are you willing to let whatever He needs you to do take precedence over every other ambition? Are you willing to have your will swallowed up in His?18” 

 

IF time discuss chapter 33 and Jacob and Esau’s reconciliation and reunion. Time can heal wounds. People can change.