Diligence is described as "careful and persistent work or effort." [2] A prime example of diligence is found throughout the first book of Nephi as Nephi and his family make their journey through the wilderness to the Promised Land. I often fall into the trap of thinking that because Nephi was so righteous, choosing the right was always easy for him. However, diligence implies exertion. Nephi was a great man because of his deliberate efforts, not simply by chance. After Lehi had his vision of the Tree of Life, Nephi also desired to see what his father had seen. However, rather than just asking Heavenly Father to reveal it unto him, Nephi applied his knowledge of the principle that "he that diligently seeketh shall find" [3] and indeed, he saw Lehi's vision. He knew that if he would "search diligently in the light of Christ," [4] great things would be revealed to him.
I have found this principle to be true in my own life. When I simply go through the motions of scripture study, I am only able to pick up on the surface elements of the gospel. However, as I accepted Elder Hales' challenge that was presented in class, to pray before, during, and after I read, I was able to find insights that had never previously occurred to me. I felt the spirit with me like I never had before. Just as Nephi was blessed as he followed the counsel of his church leaders, I feel that I have had a similar experience as well. By diligently following the counsel, I was able to receive blessings I was not even aware I was missing.
Diligence is not just a spiritual attribute, however. It has significant meaning in the academic world as well. Students at universities across the country use diligence daily as they work toward earning degrees and entering the workforce. For members of the Church, diligence goes hand-in-hand with the emphasis that has been placed on education. This emphasis creates a need for us to stretch and discover who we truly are. While our church leaders may recognize the potential that we as individuals inherently have, it is crucial that we acknowledge it ourselves. Elder Jay E. Jensen said, "Now there's something very fundamental about that, to invite diligent learning and not be content with mediocrity." [5] Habits can form through diligent study in academics, which will transfer to other areas of life. Elder Jensen reiterates the importance of the Lord's counsel to take advantage of the blessing of an education found in Doctrine and Covenants 107:99-100, " 'Wherefore, now let every man [and woman] learn' and learn 'in diligence,' for he or she that learns not 'shall not be counted worthy to stand.' " [6] What shame one would feel if he/she did not make use of the resources that have been so graciously provided by our Father in Heaven.
Attending Brigham Young University (BYU) has taught me countless lessons in the short time that I have been here, both in the classroom and otherwise. I now am beginning to realize both how wise the counsel of our church leaders is, and how blessed I am to have the opportunity to further my education and eventually work in my chosen field. I am quickly learning how diligent I need to be in order to accomplish my goal of being accepted into the nursing program at BYU. However, I know that the things I am working to learn will not only bless me here in this life, but also in the life to come. As members of the church, we believe that the only thing we can take with us to the next life is the knowledge and wisdom that we gain while in our probationary state. Doctrine and Covenants 130:19 states, "And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come." [7] Diligence is essential for us to adequately prepare ourselves for that day.
The Lord has given us much counsel concerning what is necessary to return to Him. We will need qualities of humility, kindness, purity, wisdom, and many more. It will be difficult to adequately develop the previously mentioned qualities without being dedicated to the principle of diligence. However, as we remain steadfast in our resolve to be diligent in all that we do, we will be blessed with "all that [the] father hath." [8]
Works Cited
1. D&C 98:12
2. Oxford American Dictionary
3. 1 Nephi 10:19
4. Moroni 7:19
5. "The Power of Diligent Learning" Elder Jay E. Jensen, Liahona, 2008 September
6. D&C 107:99-100
7. D&C 130:19
8. D&C 84:38
8 comments:
Christie that was a wonderful post. I really enjoyed how you were able to tie in your experiences here at BYU to the scriptures. I was impressed with the many different scriptures you used. I totally agree that our diligence carries over into every part of lives here and the life that is to come. Great blog and keep working hard!
Good discussion of the importance of diligence as a general principle in learning, progressing, and preparing. I like how you say “from all different backgrounds,” because it really stresses the importance of diligently working and not necessarily being talented or skilled already
I am very impressed that you remembered Elder Hale's counsel to begin and end scripture study with prayer. I am glad that you were blessed with augmented spiritual insights as a reward for your diligence. Keep up the good work. Well done.
Thank you for sharing your personal experiences. The word choice worked really well with your topic.
I absolutely love how you bring up the fact that just because Nephi was righteous, it doesn't mean that doing the right thing always came easy for him. The fact that Nephi was righteous because of his constant exertion and effort in keeping the commandments is a lesson that I think all of us should apply to our lives. Great job!!!
I really liked how you applied diligence to our studies here at BYU. I agree that we need to diligently take advantagge of the blessings we have been given by our Heavenly Father. Though it is often easier to not be as diligent as we could be, by putting in the extra effort, we can truly be blessed.
Your personal experiences really brought this post together. I really enjoyed it.
For some reason i guess i always thought that if you were righteouss it was easy to make those choices. But it really is hard to make those decisions and i'm glad you made that clear in your post. Thanks for you insights.
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