Monday, August 29, 2005

The Tender Mercies of the Lord

The Book of Mormon
1 Nephi 1:20
"...behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."

"Knowledge of truth, combined with proper regard for it, and its faithful observance, constitutes true education. The mere stuffing of the mind with a knowledge of facts is not education. The mind must not only possess a knowledge of truth, but the soul must revere it, cherish it, love it as a priceless gem."

—Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine (1986), 269



"Everybody in this life has their challenges and difficulties. That is part of our mortal test. . . . Peace comes through hope. "
—President James E. Faust
Ensign, Nov. 1999, 59

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Is rhetorical sensitivity beyond my capability?

I need help. I just started English 101 for the second time. The first time was fairly soon out of high school and we wrote a few fluff essays that I could whip out in a short amount of time and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Then I found out much to my dismay that I have to retake it now, not because I didn't get the grade I needed, but because I took it at an university that was still on the quarter system and it transfered down to my new college as 2 credits, not 3. The new college allowed me to take English 102 by mistake (I found out), and I got a reputable grade. Then was told when I talked to an advisor about applying into the nursing program that I needed English 101.

So I start English 101 thinking that it will be a quick five week repeat of my initial experience, only to find that my propensity for arbitrarily picking the toughest teacher on campus continues. Prior to starting class yesterday, I had delusions of getting fired up about possibly writing for fun again (like I did when I was in third grade, junior high and high school. I even had a teacher ask me to be sure to send her my first published work, which this would be, although I'm sure that this isn't what she had in mind).
After my bubble burst, I realized that my teacher will probably teach me some things that will help me in my educational pursuits that I could have used in my last three years of college. I will definitely have to work instead of glide through class, which is a good thing, although unexpected. I may even figure out how to employ rhetorical sensitivity to some degree. I hope that I can remember that learning is a worthy occupation as I struggle with new concepts and that writing can still be fun even if it is work.