Matthew 3:13–17. The Baptism of Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ set the example for all of us to humble ourselves before our Heavenly Father by being baptized. In Matthew 3: 13-15 said “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him.”

He did baptized to witness to His Father in Heaven that He would be obedient in keeping His commandments. He was also baptized to indicate to us that when we are also baptized we should receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

It is a commandment from our Father in Heaven to be baptized. The scriptures said “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). When we are baptized, we make a covenant, or promise to Heavenly Father to take upon ourselves the name of Christ, obey His commandment and serve Him to the end.

In partaken of the sacrament each Sunday in church, we should remember Jesus Christ’s atonement as well as the promises we made to our Heavenly Father when we were baptized. I bear my testimony of the importance of baptism, that baptism is the gate to the strait and narrow path that leads to eternal life. That baptism when we are immersed in water are buried with Christ Jesus and when we are raised from the water are resurrected with him.

If I have one final lecture to share with a group of students on what I have learnt from this course, what I will share with them is a word of encouragement to all future and continuing students, especially to those from Africa and to the rest of the world. This great University offers online student a great opportunity to achieve a higher education, and to become physically and spiritually independent.

Here at BYU Idaho you are learning, not only how to make a living, but more importantly, how to make a good and honest living. We learn here not only to make a living but learn to be honest in our dealing with our fellow men.

“The Lord will be monitoring as He observes your daily behavior in your dealings with your fellowmen. What you do to make a living, or how many dollars you earn, aren’t nearly as important to the Lord as whether you:  

·         Are building His kingdom including strong and valiant families.

·         Are honest in your dealings with your fellowmen and using your God-given talents in their service; 

·         And if you are filling your life with good works that positively impact your community and world.” President Ezra Taft Benson.

Future students be aware that this academic course is not a relaxed work, it is very intensive and one must really prepare himself both physically and spiritually to undertake this course.

I have enjoyed being one of the students of BYUI and am proud to be one. As you participate in this journey, first prepare yourselves both physically and spiritually. Remember who you are that God has endowed you with talents and gifts for you to go through this course. Be always attentive and participate in every activity. Read and understand the notes given before you start the assignment. And last but not the least do your assignment on time. That is time management.

“At the heart of it, mastery is practice.  Mastery is staying on the path.”

“Success doesn’t just happen. Successful people follow a process; they put in massive amounts of work and fail over and over before they ‘make it’. Success isn’t chance, Success is mastery.” George Leonard

So as you come on board be prepared to endure for endurance pays. To the continuing students you know what the course entails, continue to endure.  You must continue to persevere and pray often so our Father in heaven will continue to have mercy on you.

As we are nearing the conclusion of the course this semester I will give thanks and praises to our Father in Heaven for guiding and protecting all of us and for taking us through this course. President Monson said “We can lift ourselves and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues.

We will continue to cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude to our Father in Heaven and all those who helped us go through this course without any hitches and to our instructors we say good job.

I also devote this song as President Benson quoted, to all BYUI students and all the Instructors who made this possible for us all to go through.

“When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings; name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done. …

So amid the conflict, whether great or small,

Do not be discouraged; God is over all.

Count your many blessings; angels will attend,

Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

As we exploit the path to entrepreneurship we pursue with great passion, an idea which is sure will be a success. We should pursue realistic possibilities into ventures that will take us to places. We pursue opportunities as we embark on the journey of entrepreneurship. HOWARD H. STEVENSON

Virtue has been defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as morally good behavior or character and integrity the quality of being honest and fair. Many reference of virtue can be found in the scriptures, such as integrity and moral excellence, power and strength (Luke 6:46), or sexual purity (Moro 9:9).

In the rear economic terms it means we must pay our debts, we don’t cheat our neighbor, we don’t use false weights and measures and keep our financial commitments. “Not everyone is so complacent. Markets rely on rules and laws, but those rules and laws in turn depend on truth and trust. Conceal truth will erode trust, and the game becomes so unreliable that no one will want to play.” Which means that as there are rules and laws governing our markets in an economy we must be truthful in how we deal with our fellow man.

When there are widespread lack of personal integrity in our markets. Over time, people will stop trusting others. As market participants we must recognize the value of running our businesses ethically. Entrepreneurs and for that matter market participants must meet the growing demand for honesty in the market place. Honesty and integrity will persist if we invest in quality products,  and market the ethical aspects of our business.

According to Charles handy “The great virtue of capitalism – that it provides a way for the savings of society to be used for the creation of wealth.” If we fail to do this, then we will be left to rely on governments for the creation of our wealth, which governments  always have conspicuously bad at doing.

“If the contemporary business,with its foundation of human assets, is to survive, it will have to find better ways to protect people from the demands of the jobs it gives them”

Money in an economic term is known as a medium of exchange or economic medium of exchange. Money also affects our needs, our emotions, and our self-perception. Stephen W. Gibson said “Money has great power. It is the power to feed ourselves and our families, power to purchase or rent shelter and to buy transportation. It is the power to purchase medicine for our sick children and power to go on missions when we are young and power to go on missions when we are old. The power to purchase clothes to keep us warm when the Rexburg winds blow and chill you to the bone” I hold a variety of attitudes towards money as Brother Gibson has said I need money for my rent shelter and to help me trek to my work and back home and without money none of these will happen. My attitude towards money is not to enjoy it alone but also to feed the hungry and to cloth the naked. With the intent to do good.

Billy Graham once stated, “If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life.”

Values are those things that make up our character. They represent what we think is important in life. They show up in your decisions, actions, and judgments. Money can be seen to affect the way we live “However, Money usually does not make bad men good and good men better. Money can make good men better, but on the other hand it usually makes bad men worse.” So if money is to affect our life’s it should affect our lives positively not negatively. Money doesn’t exactly shape our belief system, it does influence the way we think and act toward others. 

The Heart of Entrepreneurship

I had an interesting session with my mentor who is also an entrepreneur last week during my interview with him. And In fact after the interview we all including his family had lunch together, it was an interesting moment to me where he took me round his house and showed me the national award he won in 2006 and 2013 and his accomplishments. I have learnt a lot from him and this has completely shaped my life for the great work ahead.

In fact I have not regretted in any way taking up this course and am grateful to my Father in Heaven and my instructor for helping me go through this course. One interesting thing I came across when reading The Heart of Entrepreneurship by Howard H. Stevenson and David E. Gumpert is “If only our nation’s businesses—large and small— could become more entrepreneurial, the thinking goes, we would improve our productivity and compete more effectively in the world marketplace”

What does it mean? It means being innovative, flexible, dynamic, risk taking, creative, and growth oriented. It means we must constantly seize opportunities that come our way. That is what my mentor did, he seizes the opportunity that came his way and made sure the right things are put in place at the right way and time.

In conclusion, what is important in the end is what we have become by our labors. Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Disciple Leadership

This week has been an exciting week with readings from our great leaders such as Elder David A. Bednar, President Kim B. Clark of our great Church. With which Elder David A. Bednar spoke about all missionary training centers having a common characteristics as well as Brigham Young University–Idaho in Rexburg possesses these same characteristics.

If I am to concentrate on BYU–Idaho it is located in a rather isolated geographic area.

            • By and large, students are enrolled at BYU–Idaho for a relatively short period of time.

            • The learning and teaching processes at BYU–Idaho are focused and intense.

            • There is at BYU–Idaho a distinguishing standard of deportment and dress.

            • And as was announced by the First Presidency last December, BYU–Idaho will soon be adjacent to a temple.

Infact Elder David A. Bednar spoke about Disciple Preparation Center—a DPC. As we attend this institution he said, we will experience unparalleled spiritual resources that can assist us in developing and deepening our devotion as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the primary and most important reason for the existence of Brigham Young University-Idaho and for its sponsorship by and affiliation with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

President Kim B. Clark also spoke about the call to be a disciple-leader as a call to minister and to serve.  It is a call to lead as Christ leads.  It is leadership with a small “L”—the kind of leadership that builds and lifts and inspires through kindness and love and unselfish devotion to the Lord and His work.  It is the kind of leadership that we need at every level of every kind of organization in the world and in every ward and stake in the Church.  It is the kind of leadership you will need to build an eternal family.

That is what we are being trained for and I am grateful to the for being in this institution.

Entrepreneurial journey is often very challenging and it takes a lot of patience, persistence and perseverance to succeed. There are ups and downs in the journey. Every entrepreneurial journey will have its ups and downs.

This is what Elder Holland Said “we speak about excellence a great deal at BYU these days, and, by definition, excellence does not come easily or quickly—an excellent education does not, a successful mission does not, a strong, loving marriage does not, rewarding personal relationships do not” which means nothing good come so easily, we must surfer to gain.

It takes time. There will be occasions when there will be a lot of self-doubt. But we must assess if the long-term direction is right, even if it is taking longer than earlier assumed. “Some will come soon, some will come latter and some will not come till heaven”

This gives me an encouragement that I should not relent in my effort to do more, but to push forward. Things are really not good these days, my business has gone down, but I have not relented putting my trust in God that things will come up again.

The history of entrepreneurship has been full of success stories of those who stayed long enough and threaded along patiently. Irrespective of all the obstacles and setbacks that came in their way, it’s important that we don’t take our eyes off our goal.

This week of my journal entry will be centered on the talk of President Gordon B. Hinckley which is

“Stand True and Faithful” and “The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People” An Approach To Solving Personal and Professional Problems by Stephen R. Covey. On President Hinckley he admonished us to be true to ourselves he said “Each of us has a thing we call conscience. We know the difference between right and wrong. We do not have to be instructed concerning what is good and what is evil. I think we know that. We know when we have done the wrong thing, and we suffer pangs of conscience. We know when we have done the right thing, and we experience a sense of happiness. To be true to ourselves means being an example of righteous living in all situations and circumstances” This is a powerful massage to all of us as Gods children. We are to constantly differentiate the right from the wrong.

He went on to say “I urge each of you young women to get all of the schooling you can get. You will need it for the world into which you will move. Life is becoming so exceedingly competitive” That is exactly to me what I am doing. I will try all my possible be to seek all the education I needed so long as my humanly power can take me. I encourage each and everyone who reads my journal to consider this statement if he or she is not doing it.

On stephen, he said “on the other hand, success literature for the previous 150 years focused on the character ethic as the foundation of success - things like integrity, humility, fidelity, justice, patience and the Golden Rule” let us inculcate in our lives these ethics listed above, and as we do that success which is the inner success will help us not only to progress but to have a successful life.

REFLECTIONS

In reflecting upon the readings I read and the videos I watched, what I was able to deduce from them in a sentence is what James E. Faust thought about Perseverance. “Perseverance is demonstrated by those who keep going when the going gets tough, who don’t give up even when others say, “It can’t be done.”

Jeff said the hero’s journey is all about me but it is not about me at all that is the paradox, what is it to choose a hero’s journey? It means to live every moment of my life because it matters. Because I have an important mission, it means to go through struggle; it isn’t the price at the end but the hero at the end.

I must learn how to listen which is most important, learning to ask questions and learning to live a life of meaning. “Success is usually earned by persevering and not becoming discouraged when we encounter challenges. Each of us should serve faithfully and diligently in our priesthood callings until the end of our days. Some might wonder, “How long do I have to be a home teacher?” My answer is that home teaching is a priesthood calling. To serve in the calling of a home teacher is a privilege as long as our bishop and priesthood leaders feel we are able to do so.” James E. Faust

How Will You Measure Your Life

This week, Clayton M. Christensen address “How Will You Measure Your Life?” has been my best reading article and has thought me so many important lessons. The three questions asked by Christensen.  First, how can I be sure that I’ll be happy in my career? Second, how can I be sure that my relationships with my spouse and my family become an enduring source of happiness? Third, how can I be sure I’ll stay out of jail? Should be questions answered by many if we are to succeed in life.

To answer the last question he told the students, two of my 32 people in Rhodes Scholar class spent time in jail. To stay out of jail is to be honest and sincere with our fellow men. How then can we stay in our career and be happy? “Frederick Herzberg, who asserts that the powerful motivator in our lives isn’t money; it’s the opportunity to learn, grow in responsibilities, contribute to others, and be recognized for achievements” means we need not to work only for money but to have the opportunity to learn, grow in responsibilities, contributes to others and be recognizing for achievement. Let’s remember the importance of humility.

Reflections

In reflecting upon the things I learned and have experiencing so far in this course, what attracted me the most was this week articles and the videos from our instructor, especially  "Making a Living and a Life" by Elder Lynn G. Robbins of the first Quorum of the Seventy. They really are a motivating and helpful in my entrepreneurial career.

It talks about the acquiring of wealth and material possessions that would become Satan’s most fertile ground, tempting mankind with the cunning strategy that this world is our destiny and that anything and everything in this world is available for money.

He continued “here at BYU Idaho you are learning, not only how to make a living, but more importantly, how to make a good and honest living”. In my entrepreneurial journey I always strive to love and be honest with my fellow men and that is a mark of BYU-Idaho students where this institution is a disciple preparation center.

I like Magdalena Yesil’s experience, “she was accustomed to ignoring what others might consider constraints on her choices” One constraint she ignored was gender issues. ” she developed life-long friendships and a firm belief that gender was irrelevant to accomplishment”

REFLECTIONS

This is my second journal entry post and it is to reflect upon the things  i am learning and what i have experienced so far in this course. What am i looking forward to learning and experiencing? What did i learn from the readings and videos this week.

I find this an interesting topic and will help me put down something positive  that i can reference again another time. I look forward to realizing the personal development I see in myself as i continue to undertake this program. I can say i have improve tremendously from this program and will continue to improve upon.

The most touching lecture i read was Randy Pausch. Randy had been diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer in September of 2006, and underwent a Pancreaticodoudenectomy to remove the malignant tumor from his pancreas.  Professor Pausch's "Last Lecture" has received attention and recognition both from the American media and from news sources around the world. 

The question is "if you had one last lecture to give before you died, what would it be? Dr. Randy Pausch" During that final lecture, he talked about his childhood dreams and how he achieved them, and then how he went on to enable others to achieve their childhood dreams. He recounted outstanding moments from his life, the outstanding people he had encountered, and the lessons learned along the way

This is an inspirational lecture to inspire all of us to achieve our dreams and recommend others also to watch the video or read the lecture.

"If you think you have a great technology and it dies, it probably wasn't a great technology. I just believe that great stuff has a way of surviving and lousy stuff, even though you made a thought it was great stuff" Kawasaki

“Remember, the brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something” Pausch. Lets reflect upon this statement.

This has given me a clearer way to understand my Ethical Guardrails, Stars and Steppingstones. Where to start from and where to end.

Question 1.

Why do you think Randy Pausch was able to achieve so many of his childhood dreams

Ans. 

Dr. Pausch recounted his childhood dreams being in zero gravity, playing in the National Football League, being an author in the World Book Encyclopedia, being Captain Kirk, working for Disney and what it takes to achieve them.

Remember, the brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough. Have something to bring to the table, because that will make you more welcome.

He discloses some valuable lessons learned along the way, I did not make it to the National Football League, but I probably got more from that dream and not accomplishing it than I got from any of the ones that I did accomplish. His legacy is built on what he calls the “head fake” or indirect learning. He credited his parents with helping him achieve his dreams and keeping him grounded.

2. Do you feel that dreaming is important? Why or why not?

Dreaming is important in our lives because dreams are what can get us through even the worst days. If we are struggling, dreams are our reason to keep going. They are why we wake up in the morning and try again. They are what makes our entire life worth living. Without our dreams, we are nothing.

3. Discuss at least one of your childhood dreams. Explain why you believe you can or cannot achieve this dream.

One of my childhood dream was to become a parent and to look after my children to become doctors and engineers. I was able to accomplish this assignment because i was determined. My children are not yet doctors and engineers but they are on the road to become.

Knowing Yourseves

"Living a life of meaning is about living life with intent. It's about deeply, honestly knowing ourselves". Self discovery, if we are to live a life of intent then we must embark on self discovery, discovering your true nature. Embarking on the masters journey.

BYUI has thought me this great lesson and i have been able to remove the fear in me. and is rediscovering my strengths and my passions.

I am on the masters journey. I have change my life and making serious investments in my future. Education is the key and with Gods help i and anyone who will join hands with me will succeed.

In other to succeed there must be trade offs in our life's and choose those ones that will bring us success. And education is the key.

From Frederick Herzberg, The powerful motivator in our lives isn't money, it's the opportunity to learn, grow in responsibilities, contribute to others, and be recognized for achievements. Take responsibility and be recognized for achievement, and contribute to the success of a team.

We will strive, even in the most difficult terrain, we shall persevere even  if we don't see clear. There is light definitely at the end of the tunnel.