April 9th and 16th

Principle: Self-government in and through Christ leads to liberty.

We had the great opportunity to hear from Connor Boyack, author of "Latter-day Responsibility."  He gave a wonderful discourse on why education is so key to building Zion. I tried to take some good notes on the scripture references he used and you can access them here if you'd like to study them. He encouraged us to read 3 Nephi 26 from beginning to end. We are so grateful Brother Boyack came and spoke to us!

The requirements for earning Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master level work are as follows:
Apprentice: Read an hour's worth of the readings
Journeyman: Finish the readings
Master: Finish the readings and write your thoughts and insights/inspirations in your Truth Book about the readings in a meaningful way. Remember, this is YOUR education!

NOTE: Two weeks of reading assignments are in this blog post.

The inspirements for April 9 AND for the week of April 16:
Read the second and third installments of "How to Win Friends and Influence People," which is 

Part II Chapters 1-6, due April 9

and Part III Chapters 1-6, due April 16

keeping in mind the requirements for earning A, J, & M. (see above) We encourage you to underline things in this chapter that you like or think are important, and write your thoughts or questions in the margins. Dig in to these chapters and you'll be amazed at all the riches you'll find!  (see reading schedule below)

BE PREPARED ON APRIL 16 TO DO SOME AWESOME DISCUSSING OF THE READING ASSIGNMENTS THUS FAR!!!!!

Core Leadership Class

Reading Schedule

How to Win Friends and Influence People

by Dale Carnegie

Chapters	Have them read by:
Part I Chpt 1-3 (44 pgs)	April 2
Part II Chpt 1-6 (54 pgs)	April 9 (Spring Break but read anyway!)
Part III Chpt 1-6 (45 pgs)	April 16
Part III Chpt 7-12 (35 pgs)	April 23
Part IV Chpt 1-9 (43 pgs)	April 30

April 2

Principle: Self-government in and through Christ leads to liberty.

We were sure blessed to hear from Sister Daniela Larsen this last week. She encouraged us to commit to life-long learning and to adopt the attitude of a life-long learner. She also asked us to consider what our "Why" is - Why are you getting an education? She said that your 'why' matters a whole lot more than your 'how' or 'what.' She referenced a great TED talk by Simon Sinek called "Start With Why." She taught us a whole bunch of really great things and it was really wonderful to hear it all!

This week we begin our readings of "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie.  You will be so glad you read this book!!! I read this book for the first time as an adult several years ago, and I remember exclaiming how I wish I had read it many years before, and how I thought everyone ought to read this book for all the good it can do for individuals, families, and societies - even the world! Don't miss this opportunity!

NOTE: While we've known that there are quite a few editions of this book out there, it has come to our attention that there are quite a few versions out there. For the purposes of our class and the unity of our discussions, we feel it would be best to read a version that is as close as possible to the one linked to above, and shown here to the left.

The requirements for earning Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master level work are as follows:
Apprentice: Read an hour's worth of the readings
Journeyman: Finish the readings
Master: Finish the readings and write your thoughts and insights/inspirations in your Truth Book about the readings in a meaningful way. Remember, this is YOUR education!

The inspirement for this week:
Read the first installment of "How to Win Friends and Influence People" which is Part I Chapters 1-3, keeping in mind the requirements for earning an A, J, & M. (see above) We encourage you to underline things in this chapter that you like or think are important, and write your thoughts or questions in the margins. Dig in to these chapters and you will be amazed at all the riches you'll find! (see reading schedule below) 

From the book:

Principle 2: Give honest and sincere appreciation.

Core Leadership Class

Reading Schedule

How to Win Friends and Influence People

by Dale Carnegie

Chapters	Have them read by:
Part I Chpt 1-3 (44 pgs)	April 2
Part II Chpt 1-6 (54 pgs)	April 9 (Spring Break but read anyway!)
Part III Chpt 1-6 (45 pgs)	April 16
Part III Chpt 7-12 (35 pgs)	April 23
Part IV Chpt 1-9 (43 pgs)	April 30

March 26

Principle: Humility, be teachable, have life long learning. 

You all should have received an email letting you know that you'll need the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie and that we'll read it all by the end of April.  If you haven't yet acquired a copy of that book, it is highly recommended that you do so you can stay on top of the reading schedule(see below.) Our study of this book will be fascinating! 

For the next few weeks the inspirements are going to be a little different. 

The requirements for earning Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master level work are as follows:
Apprentice: Read an hour's worth of the readings
Journeyman: Finish the readings
Master: Finish the readings and write your thoughts and insights/inspiration in your Truth Book about the readings in a meaningful way. Remember, this is YOUR education! 

On April 2nd we have a real treat for you. The author of the book "Latter-day Responsibility", Connor Boyack, will be coming to speak to us in Core Leadership.  In preparation for his coming we'd like each of you to read the chapter on Education from his book. This chapter is one of the foundational resources of our commonwealth and is really excellent! 

The inspirement for this week:

Read the chapter "Education" from Latter-day Responsibility, keeping in mind the requirements for earning an A, J, or M. (see above) An email will be sent out with the chapter. Mr. Boyack has given us permission to share this chapter with our students.
 You'll want to read and finish this chapter this week so you can get started on "How to Win Friends and Influence People" next week.

We encourage you to underline things in this chapter that you like or think are important and write your thoughts or questions in the margins. Dig in to this chapter and see what gold nuggets you find!

Below is the reading schedule for "How to Win Friends and Influence People."  Please acquire this book asap and be ready to begin reading it next week. You will be sooooo glad you read this whole book!!!! The things you learn will come in handy in so many ways in your life!

Core Leadership Class

Reading Schedule

How to Win Friends and Influence People

by Dale Carnegie

Chapters	Have them read by:
Part I Chpt 1-3 (44 pgs)	April 2
Part II Chpt 1-6 (54 pgs)	April 9 (Spring Break but read anyway!)
Part III Chpt 1-6 (45 pgs)	April 16
Part III Chpt 7-12 (35 pgs)	April 23
Part IV Chpt 1-9 (43 pgs)	April 30

 

March 19

Principle: Humility, be teachable, have life long learning.

Spend time doing each of these five inspirements:

1 hour for Apprentice,

1 1/2 hour for Journeyman,

and 2 hours or more for Master level

We sure enjoyed listening to Sister Michal Coombs as she taught us about how blacksmithing relates to learning and growing, and more specifically about being humble and teachable. We sure appreciated her coming and sharing with us!

This week, we'd like you to stretch and focus the things you've learned about humility into its great aspect of being teachable. As you do these inspirements, think about what it means to be teachable, and how being teachable relates to leadership.

1. Do a word study on the word(s) teachable/teachableness.

1. Look up the words up in Webster 1828 dictionary. (It is also available online.) Select the definition for your focus. Write the definition in your Truth Book.

2. Underline key words in your definition that stand out to you and define them.

3. Look at how the original word is used in Scripture/ Conference addresses (not in general quotes or other articles, at least for this purpose). Write any new insights or definitions.

4. Rewrite the definition in your own words and how you are going to apply it.

2. Read or watch "Being Teachable" by Elder Robert R. Steuer. 
Write your thoughts/inspirations in your Truth Book.

3. Read this short article "How Do I Maintain a Teachable Attitude?" by John C Maxwell. His focus is on being teachable in terms of leadership. He says, "When I teach and mentor leaders, I remind them that if they stop learning, they stop leading." Why do you think this is so?  Write about this and your other thoughts about his article in your Truth Book.

4. Read this short story and then write in your Truth Book about the questions following the story:

"In a public meeting the Prophet Joseph, possibly as a test, sternly rebuked Brigham Young for something he had done or something he was supposed to have done but hadn’t—the detail is unclear. When Joseph finished the rebuke, everyone in the room waited for Brigham Young’s response. This powerful man, later known as the Lion of the Lord, in a voice everyone could tell was sincere, said simply and humbly, 'Joseph, what do you want me to do?' "

A. Think back to a time in your life where you were in a situation where could have been teachable but chose not to be. Maybe someone challenged you, got after you for something, or really irritated you... What words would you use to describe how you felt in that moment? 

B. Now think to a time when you were in a similar situation and chose to be teachable. What words would you use to describe how you felt in that situation?

C. Which emotions/feelings feel better? Why?

D. Why do you think it's so easy to not be teachable?

E. What can you do to become better at being teachable in those situations?

5. Watch these videos and consider this question: What can we learn from the Savior about being teachable? Write your thoughts/inspirations in your Truth Book.

Sermon on the Mount: The Beautitudes
For God So Loved the World

March 12

Principle: Humility, be teachable, have life long learning.

Spend time doing each of these five inspirements:
1 hour for Apprentice,
1 1/2 hour for Journeyman,
and 2 hours or more for Master level 

You all did a great job at teaching each other about Humility last week! Nice work! This week you're encouraged to stretch your understanding about Humility a bit further.

1. Watch or read this talk from President Uchtdorf "Pride and the Priesthood." Write down your thoughts/inspirations in your Truth Book.

2. Read these scriptures to understand how the Savior showed humility and write your findings in your Truth Book:

• Whom did He honor in all his actions? (See John 6:38 and John 5:30)
• How did He treat everyone, including the poor, the sick, the lonely, the repentant sinner? (See Luke 4:18, Matthew 14:14, Johnson 8:11) 

3. Read this incredible excerpt from C.S. Lewis' book "The Screwtape Letters" and see if you can imagine how the adversary uses pride to ensnare us. Write the thoughts/inspiration that comes to you in your Truth Book. Here's a bit of info to help you understand what the book is about:

"Lewis's satire is a Christian classic. Screwtape is a veteran demon in the service of "Our Father Below" whose letters to his nephew and protege, Wormwood, instruct the demon-in-training in the fine points of leading a new Christian astray."

4. Listen to the hymn "Be Thou Humble" and read the words, ponder on the feeling and the meaning behind this song (over on the right side of the page you can click on 'vocals and music' if you'd like.) Write down your thoughts/inspirations in your Truth Book.

5. Read through these "10 Ways to Develop Humility" and consider one of them you'd like to work on. Write about it in your Truth Book and work on it during this coming week. Come ready to class next week to share something you've learned from this exercise.

 

March 5

Principle: Humility, be teachable, have life long learning.

Spend time doing each of these five inspirements:

1 hour for Apprentice,

1 1/2 hour for Journeyman,

and 2 hours or more for Master level 

1. Read or watch "To Walk Humbly with Thy God" by Marlin K. Jensen. Think about what it means to be humble and write your thoughts/inspirations in your Truth Book.

2. Read chapter 7 from Gordon B. Hinckley's book "Way to Be!" called "Be Humble". If you don't have the book you can read the chapter here. After reading this chapter, write your thoughts/inspirations in your Truth Book, as well as doing the next two items:

A. If you were given the advice to "Forget yourself and go to work" what would that apply to in your life? In what ways would you be blessed if you forgot yourself and went to work?

B. Find these sentences in this chapter and write it in your Truth Book, filling in the spaces: "Being humble does not mean being _______. It means being _______________. It does not require us to be ________________ on. It means _________________ where our _________ and _____________ come from."

 

3. Watch these short videos:

Jesus Teaches that We Must Become as Little Children

Humility and Love

 

4. Write this scripture in your Truth Book and memorize it: 

Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers. D&C 112:10

5. Go to the Topical Guide and look up "Humility." Choose verses to read and study, and write down some of your favorites in your Truth Book. Be prepared to share one of your favorites in class.

 

 

February 26

Principle: Charity, inspire vs. expire, Genshai and Namaste

Spend time doing each of these four inspirements:
1 hour for Apprentice,  
1 1/2 hour for Journeyman,  
and 2 hours or more for Master level 

It was wonderful to hear from our guest speaker, Craig LaMont! He did a wonderful job helping us to see how to practice and 'grow' our charity muscles by deciding and committing to each day for the rest of our lives, to lift others and do something each day that blesses their lives.  He also invited everyone to memorize a poem - that poem is at the end of this post.

Here are the inspirements for the week:

We have been talking about the importance of having Charity, and how Christ, the Greatest Leader, was the best example of charity. 

Another way of describing charity, or genshai, is to "INSPIRE not expire". 

1. Do a word study on Inspire and Expire

1. Look up the words up in Webster 1828 dictionary. Select the definition for your focus. Write the definition in your Truth Book.

2. Underline key words in your definition that stand out to you and define them.

3. Look at how the original word is used in Scripture/ Conference addresses (not in general quotes or other articles, at least for this purpose). Write any new insights or definitions.

4. Rewrite the definition in your own words and how you are going to apply it.

2. Write in your truth book about the following questions:

• In the way we interact with other people, what does it look like to "inspire" others? What does it look like when we "expire"others? Write about this in your Truth Book.
• Write about a time in your life when you felt "inspired" by someone else.
• Write about a time in your life when you felt "expired" by someone else.
• Write about a time when you may have "inspired" someone else.
• Write about a time when you may have "expired" someone else.
• Which FEELS better....

3. Watch the following inspirational videos and write any thoughts/inspiration you have in your Truth Book:

• Cheering Each Other On
• Dayton's Legs
• Strengthen Thy Brethren

4. Write this poem in your Truth Book and consider memorizing it:

WHICH ARE YOU?
by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
 
There are two kinds of people on earth to-day,
Just two kinds of people; no more, I say.
Not the sinner and saint, for it's well understood,
The good are half bad, and the bad are half good. 

Not the rich and the poor, for to rate a man's wealth
You must first know the state of his conscience and health.
Not the humble and proud, for in life's little span,
Who puts on vain airs, is not counted a man. 

Not the happy and sad, for the swift-flying years
Bring each man his laughter and each man his tears.
No ; the two kinds of people on earth I mean,
Are the people who lift and the people who lean. 

Wherever you go, you will find the earth's masses,
Are always divided in just these two classes,
And, oddly enough, you will find, too, I ween,
There is only one lifter to twenty who lean. 

In which class are you? Are you easing the load,
Of overtaxed lifters, who toil down the road?
Or are you a leaner, who lets others bear
Your portion of labor and worry and care?