How do I retain knowledge?

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was starting to memorize things, and as I get older how hard it is.  I wrote down this question down a couple of days ago: "How do I retain what I learn?"  This morning I read in John 14:26 which states:

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

There lies the answer to my question.  As I heed to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, it is by the Holy Ghost who will "bring all things to (my) remembrance."

The Touch of the Masters Hand

Lately I've started this goal of memorizing things.  I can't believe how difficult it is for me to memorize. I remember it being so much easier when I was younger.   I've been studying the Atonement the past month, and lately more specifically the principle of repentance.  Repentance is the second principle of the gospel... "We believe the first principles and ordinances of the gospel are first faith in the Jesus Christ, second repentance..."  When you first hear the word sometimes you can have negative thoughts around it because it can be associated with awful sin.  What a blessing it is!  We are all imperfect and sin, can you imagine if we did not have such a marvelous gift.  This gift is given to us by a loving Savior, our Master.  As I've been studying this topic I remember a poem that touches me deeply.  It is called "The Touch of the Masters Hand" by Myra 'Brooks' Welch.  So, I've decided to commit it to memory.  We are all like the old violin in this poem, and with repentance and the "Touch of the Master's Hand" we are beautiful and perfect.

  Twas battered and scarred and the auctioneer
  thought it scarcely worth his while to waste much timo on the old violin.
  but held it up with a smile:  "What am I bidden, good folks."  he cried.
  "Who'll start the bidding for me?"  "A dollar, a dollar"; then two!"  "Only
  two?  Two dollars, and who'll make it three?  Three dollars, once; three
 dollars twice; going for three.."  But no, from the room, far in the back, a 
  gray-haired man came forward and picked up the bow;  Then, wiping the dust
  from the old violin, and tightening the loose strings, he played a melody
  pure and sweet as caroling angel sings.

  The music ceased, and the auctioneer, with a voice that was quiet and low,
  said;  "What am I bid for the old violin?"  And he held it up with the bow.
  A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?  Two thousand!  And who'll make
  it three?  Three thousand, once three thousand, twice, and going 
  and gone," said he.  The people cheered, but some of them cried, "We do not
  quite understand what changed its worth."  Swift came the reply: "The touch
  of the master's hand."

  And many a man with life out of tune, and battered and scared with sin.
  Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd, much link the old violin.  A
  "mess of pottage," a glass of wine; a game - and he travels on.  "He is 
  going" once, and "going twice, He's going and almost gone."  But the Master
  comes, and the foolish crowd never can quite understand the worth of a soul
  and the change that's wrought be the touch of the Master's hand.

Don't expect to be perfect all at once

Lorenzo Snow made a statement back in 1901 that applies just the same today:

"Do not expect to become perfect at once.  If you do, you will be disappointed.  Be better today than you were yesterday, and be better tomorrow than you are today.  The temptations that perhaps partially overcome us today, let them not overcome us so far tomorrow.  Thus continue to be a little better day by day; and do not let your life wear away without accomplishing good to others as well as to ourselves."

That is good news!

I've was reading in a book this morning called: "Believing Christ" by Stephen E. Robinson.  Fantastic read.  Easter is around the corner and it is a wonderful time to remember our Savior.  I want to quote something very powerful that I read this morning in his book:

"But why would You do this for me?

    Because I love you.

But it doesn't seem fair.

    That's right.  It's not fair all - it's merciful.

    It is, after all, a gift.

But how can I possibly deserve such a gift?

   Don't be silly.  You can't.  You don't.  This gift

   is offered because I love you and want to 

   help you, not because I owe it to you.

But how can I ever repay You?

   There you go again.  Don't you get it yet?

    You can't repay me, not you or all the billions

    like you.  Gifts of this magnitude can never

   be repaid.  For what I've done out of love for you,

    you can only love me back, and seek to become

    what I am - a giver of good gifts."

Jenny's Pearls

I have 4 daughters of my own.  My oldest is just entering her teens - and I am learning so much.  She likes and wants to do everything.  This morning I felt inspired to send her a story I heard once called Jenny's Pearls.


The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.

"Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please!" Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.

"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma." As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her piggy bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores. She went to the neighbor, Mrs. McJames, and asked if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.

Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere--Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother had told her that if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you."

"Then may I have your pearls?"

"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess--the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my favorite."

"That's okay, honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"

"Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then will you give me your pearls?"

"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."

"That's okay, Honey. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss. A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.

"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"

Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. When she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you." With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the prized necklace. With the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case. He handed the handsome velvet case to Jenny and told her, "Thank you for giving me your most prized possesion that you even saved for all by yourself. Here Honey, I have this for you also. I wanted to trade you, but I was going to give these to you tonight either way."

As Jenny pryed open the blue velvet box, so nice a thing itself she'd never known, the glistening white sheen of the rich genuine pearls struck her teary eyes.



Sometimes is is so hard for us to give up things we truly love, especially when we don't have the understanding of what is in store for us.  I also want to share one of my favorite Mormon Messages called "Moments that Matters Most."  It has a lot of hidden gems.

Are you forgetful?

I think I am one of the most forgetful people around.  I'll commit to be somewhere, or do something for someone, and at times I'll just get so busy and forget.

A couple of years ago an created a post talking about how important the word of "Remember".   This morning I was reading in the book "Teachings of Lorenzo Snow" and came across these profound words:

  "We frequently, in the multitude of cares around us, get forgetful and these things are not before us, then we do not comprehend that the gospel is designed and calculated in its nature to bestow upon us those things that will bring glory, honor, and exhalation, that will bring happiness,  peace and glory.  We are apt to forget these things in the midst of the cares and vexations of life, and we do not fully understand that it is our privilege, and that the Lord has placed it in our reach to pursue that gospel whereby we may have peace within us continually....  Where is the man that will turn aside and throw away those prospects that are embraced in the gospel which we have received?  In it there is satisfaction, there is joy, there is stability, there is something upon which to rest our feet, there is a sure foundation to build upon, and upon which to yield that which is required of us."

Something what helps me in my forgetfulness is routines.  When I establish regular routines to do things like daily prayer and daily scripture study,  I do a better job at remembering.  When was the last time you  attended a regular religious meeting?  Have you forgot what it is like to be spiritual?  When was the last time you said a prayer and read and pondered scripture?

Act on Faith!

I had the privilege to server a mission for my church in Portugal.  I was serving there with 3 other young men from Cape Verde, Africa, Elder Barros, Elder Brazao, and Elder Fernandez.  I was serving in a small town called Pombal.  This was a rural area of homes and villages surrounding a castle.

We used buses and trains to get around to the various villages.  We took a bus out to a member's house that lived far away.  We spent time with the family, had dinner, (if I remember right there were pork products in a soup, one being a pig's ear, still had hair on it).  The mother Rosa drove us to the train station to catch the train.  Well, the train was suppose to stop there at 9:09pm.  Well it was a very small town station and at that hour only me, Elder Barros, Elder Brazao, and Elder Fernandez were there.  It was freezing cold.

The train doesn't show up on time, so we wait.  Soon it was 9:30pm - still no train.  We then start running in place to keep warm.  I told them this was a test of our faith.  The next train will be the one to stop and take us home.  Well, soon after we hear a train coming.  We run out of the station anxiously waiting.  There is a horn and the train passes with hardly even noticing us.  We walk back into the station (the inside of the station was still outside and cold).  By this time Elder Brazao had his shoes off rubbing his feet.  The cold was harder on the Elders from Cape Verde.  They are use to very warm climates, whereas, I'm from Utah and was more accustomed to the colder weather.  Nonetheless, I had been jogging in place for 45 minutes.  I told them again that it is our test of faith.  Don't give up hope.  Within the next 5 minutes, 6 trains pass, not one of them stopping.  We had be waiting there in the freezing cold for over an hour.  Finally, Elder Fernandez said, "Its time to leave and find a taxi."  I said "the next one will stop.  It's a test of our faith.  I know that Christ lives, I don't doubt He lives and I know anything I ask and the Holy Ghost confirms, I will receive.  The part that was missing here in this experience was the confirming of the Holy Ghost.  We found a cafe and called a taxi and arrived at home without any problems.  We could have stayed at that station and froze for another hour or put some effort into finding another way home.  You can have tons of faith by words, but without getting up and doing something about it, forget it.

James 2:14,17

14. What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
17. Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.