In
Ether 3:1, the brother of Jared “did molten out of a rock sixteen small
stones; and they were white and clear, even as transparent glass; and he did
carry them in his hands upon the top of the mount.” He then asks the Lord if He can touch the
stones to make them light up so they will be able to see on their journey in
the barges that are “tight like unto a dish.” My teacher asked us a question I
had never thought of before. Why didn’t the brother of Jared pick up sixteen
random rocks from the ground and ask the Lord to touch them? The Lord would
have been able to make any regular stones glow. Instead, the brother of Jared
put his best effort and work into making the most perfect and clear stones possible.
He took his best work to the Lord, and then the Lord made it better and more useful.
I know in our everyday life, we get tired and want to cut corners in our work. Instead
of doing the bare minimum, we should always put forth our best efforts so that
the Lord can perfect and glorify our offering.
This same principle applies to
schoolwork—especially as the end of the year approaches and finals are just
around the corner. Sometimes it is so hard to find the energy and strength to
stay strong. In my psychology class, my teacher read us an article about
Christians in college. Christians are not just paying a lot of money to go to
school, it is their calling to learn as much as they can and stand as a witness
of God. They must spend their time wisely and better the world. My teacher
encouraged us to stay focused on giving our best efforts in college by sharing
an experience he had. When he used to teach a Book of Mormon class, he would
assign his students to write an end-of-the-year paper on a chapter from the
Book of Mormon, analyzing Hebrew poetry, symbolism, etc. The students asked him
the minimum number of pages required, and he said, “I don’t know, but usually students
in the past wrote at least 10 pages. I don’t think you could write it any
shorter than that and still get a good grade—but I don’t know. I’m just looking
for quality.” Then he paused and looked at his students, “Don’t just try to
slide by with the minimum. Think about this as an offering to the Lord,
thanking Him for the Book of Mormon instead of a paper that you need to at
least get a B+ on in order to keep a good grade.” My teacher said that when the
end of the year came, he had completely forgotten that he had said this to his
class. When one student stayed behind on the due-date of the paper, he assumed
the student hadn’t finished the paper in time and would ask for an extension.
However, the student walked up and pulled out a giant book, roughly 60 pages long.
He just didn’t want to draw attention to himself in front of other students. My teacher was surprised and
said, “Oh, you didn’t have to do this for me.” The student said, “I didn’t do
this for you.” Then my teacher remembered and understood. This student had done
this project as an offering unto the Lord. He had not looked at it as a burden
or done the minimum required for a good grade. He had made it for the Lord as a
testament of his gratitude for the Book of Mormon. Just like the brother of
Jared, he had offered unto the Lord his very best work.
As I go through college, I want to
be able to enjoy each day, but I also want to have the right outlook on
schoolwork. Everything I do should show the Lord my appreciation for Him. I
know that as I do my best work, He will magnify it and make more out of it than
I could by myself. I challenge each of you to spend more effort in doing your
homework, assignments for church callings, or whatever work you have. As we do
so, our work will not be a burden, but will become glorious.
