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.