But after graduation, and in the midst of adult life, how many of us have accidentally let education slip from our list of priorities? Is education just for the young, or is there more we can do to continue learning, no matter what our age?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints puts so much importance on education. Growing up in the Church gave me the right mindset and has guided me as I have worked to continue to educate myself.

Ancient Prophets Teach of The Value of Education

Proverbs 1:5 emphasizes that those who are wise will seek learning. The scriptures are replete with lessons of how important it is to teach and to learn. The Savior of the world lived on the earth increasing in wisdom (Luke 2:48) and teaching in any way and at every opportunity He could. His example is a light to us all as we strive to improve. It is important to understand how the world works, and that takes a lot of effort. How much more effort is needed to understand how heaven works? No wonder we are taught to elevate ourselves from ignorance by doing all we can to obtain education. There is so much to learn in order to go through life and much more in order to grow through it.

Modern Prophets Exhort Everyone to Acquire Education

Russell M. Nelson, prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said,

“Your mind is precious! It is sacred. Therefore, the education of one’s mind is also sacred. Indeed, education is a religious responsibility.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is led by people who foster this sacred and strong desire for learning among its members. “The glory of God is intelligence…” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:36) and Heavenly Father, with all His glory, wants His children to have the quality of life that would bring the greatest joy and happiness. This is His mission, not only in this life but also in the next – “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).

President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency of the Church, in the April 2009 New Era magazine, said:

“The Lord and His Church have always encouraged education to increase our ability to serve Him and our Heavenly Father’s children. For each of us, whatever our talents, He has service for us to give. And to do it well always involves learning, not once or for a limited time, but continually.”

As much as we teach each other in Sunday school, we are not limited to spiritual learning alone. President Eyring teaches of the importance of total education,

“That spiritual element, when it is effective, refines and uplifts the aims of our total education. …Remember, you are interested in education, not just for mortal life but for eternal life. When you see that reality clearly, you will put spiritual learning first and yet not slight the secular learning. In fact, you will work harder at your secular learning than you would without that spiritual vision.”

To achieve the “work and glory” of God, President Eyring warned that “education must never stop. If it ends at the door of the classroom on graduation day, we will fail. And we will need the help of heaven to know which of the myriad things we could study we would most wisely learn….

“The real life we’re preparing for is eternal life,“ President Eyring said. “Secular knowledge has for us eternal significance. Our conviction is that God, our Heavenly father, wants us to live the life He does.”

The fundamental principle of education in the Church, then, is based on the eternal goal to become like our Heavenly Father. This is what drives the leaders as well as the members of the Church to pursue all possible means of education – to gain “more knowledge and intelligence in this life through… diligence and obedience…” in order to “have so much the advantage in the world to come.”

Available Church Resources

The heart of the education system of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints started with the School of the Prophets in 1833. Now, the Church operates three large universities in the United States – Brigham Young University (BYU), BYU-Hawaii and BYU-Idaho. It also runs LDS Business College in Utah. The Church also runs an online education program that makes it possible for many more students to get their education from these larger campuses remotely. The PathwayConnect program prepares students for that opportunity. More information about these opportunities can be found at www.besmart.com

The Church also invests in the seminary and institute programs, which are intended to further students’ religious education and give them a gospel-orientated preparation for life. These programs are free to ensure that anyone interested can participate. The following links will help in understanding these programs.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/si/seminary?lang=eng

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/si/institute?lang=eng

Continuing Your Education

Since learning is an eternal principle, that means that education is meant to last far longer than the years of our initial schooling. This entire planet was created as a learning experience for us, to help us grow. Our Heavenly Father’s ultimate goal is to help us be like Him, and He is very, very smart. He knows all there is to know, so our eternal journey is and will continue to be one of higher and higher learning until we reach the level where He is.

Even though we can’t learn everything in this life, we should still try to make continuous learning a part of our everyday lives. So sign up for that class, watch educational videos online, study current events, study and pray to receive more spiritual knowledge, read a book, or try something you’ve never done before.

We can take more responsibility in our lives by continuing to educate ourselves on everything we can. After all, this mortal life is meant to be a time of growth and learning guided by a Heavenly Father who is the greatest teacher there is.

The post Why We Should Continue to Learn appeared first on morefaith.ph.

This is the time of year in the Philippines when graduation and recognition rites are usually held. But this year, there are no graduation marches, no students wearing togas, no proud parents presenting medals to children who did well this school year. The Co-VID-19 pandemic has put a stop to all big gatherings and that includes graduation and recognition exercises. Even the school year was cut short as enhanced community quarantine has been strictly implemented for public safety. A number of questions are raised by students throughout the nation. One of them is, “Will we still be able to continue with our education?”

With the current global situation, formal education in a school setting is hard to accomplish if not impossible. Yet in the context of continuous education, there are a lot of ways we can “increase in wisdom.”

Learn From Your Own Quarantine Experience

It is quite amusing that in these trying times, there are a lot of things we discover about ourselves and our capacities. People all over the world are now facing an unseen enemy and because of this, their sense of curiosity is elevated. Questions keep popping into people’s minds, questions such as:

“What is this virus?”

“How does it spread from one person to another?”

“How do I stay away from this virus?”

“Why do we need to be quarantined?”

These are the things that people are asking. In addition to these questions are the musings that people have about other aspects of life.

“Am I prepared for what is to come because of this pandemic?”

“How can my family cope with all the changes that are happening?”

“What are the things that I need to do to rise from this bleak situation?”

“Will life get back to normal again? When?”

What is beautiful about questions is the fact that they awaken the faculties of the mind as we search for answers to them. This global pandemic, like the virus itself, is novel. It has never happened before. Not in this kind of situation. Although there have been a lot of disease outbreaks in the past, this one is unprecedented. Being in such a situation makes us all newbies when it comes to experiences that come with it. Isn’t it a good exploratory opportunity? Through this experience, we can learn to stretch our budget like we have never done before. Families can create stronger bonds as they are concerned of each others’ welfare. The human mind has rarely awoken to such creativity when it comes to health and survival.

Our family for one has explored how we can increase our immune system and better our family preparedness. Education is continuing as we come together in family council and talk about what we can do to improve our health and stretch our means to provide for this time of crisis. And what is amazing is that there are a lot of creative things that we learn from our children. For example, one of our daughters took charge of sounding an alarm every hour so we can all drink a glass of water to keep us hydrated throughout the day. It is beautiful how the learning experience can feel so new and refreshing as we face this trial of our day.

The Beauty of Home Schooling

There are a lot of ways to accomplish “formal” continuous education in the home setting. My children began home schooling when the Department of Education decided to cancel all classes. We are using the Khan Academy program available online for their academic and enhancement activities. But that is not the only avenue that we use to continually educate them.

Being at home all day long has been a blessing. Yes, at first it was chaos having all five of our children “breathing each others’ air.” But it challenged us to make a schedule that works for everyone. We saw it as an opportunity to school them in polishing their household skills. Tasks were added so they could learn more housekeeping: cooking, babysitting, gardening, sewing, cleaning – the list just goes on. It keeps them busy doing worthwhile activities and it keeps their parents’ sanity. It did not happen overnight. We have tried a couple of schedules that did not work until we finally came to one that kind of works but still needs polishing.

Let’s face it! We are not sure when this will be over. Even world leaders cannot give a specific timeline as to when things will get back to normal. Given this, let us grab it as a chance to sharpen the saw or be better at what we do. One way to do this is to avail ourselves of degrees and courses offered online. The Pathway program is definitely a great source for this. One can also take the time to research or review about your current profession and skills. I have not expanded my culinary skills for quite a while now. But because there is a need to make home cooked meals for the whole family everyday, I have tapped into the wide array of cooking knowledge on “Youtube academy.” There are a lot of webinars available to help us increase our efficiency and effectiveness. Training is made possible through technology and the internet. My husband continues to meet with his professors and classmates through Zoom. Continuous education in this trying time can be exciting and very rewarding.

Revisit Your Resolve to #HearHim

I strongly feel that the train of events that happened before the Co-VID-19 pandemic until now is a wake up call to #HearHim. In the recent General Conference, President Russell M. Nelson said,

“Family preparedness especially includes filling our personal spiritual store houses with faith, truth, and testimony.”

Continuous education must happen, most importantly, in our quest for eternal truths. The scriptures has never rung truer before, especially in the comfort and strength they provide. The “Come Follow Me Program” is such a powerful tool to anchor us when in despair. Prayers have become more sincere as we reach out to heaven for healing and peace. And because we are admonished to “stand in holy places and be not moved,” we have tried harder to make our homes holier, our language better and our service more sincere. Being able to experience this global pandemic gives us the opportunity to slow down so we can truly #HearHim.

President Nelson promised that as we strive to prepare ourselves to #HearHim, we will hear messages that will “bring peace to (y)our soul… heal (y)our broken heart(s)… illuminate (y)our mind…” and “help (you)us know what to do as (you)we move ahead in times of turmoil and trial.”

The post What Continuous Education Means While in Community Quarantine appeared first on morefaith.ph.

Life is becoming so extremely competitive. The world is changing, and it is very important we equip ourselves to move with that change. For young men and women, it is important to get all of the education you can. Education is the key which will open the door of opportunity for you. It is worth sacrificing for. It is worth working at, and if you educate yourselves, you’ll be able to make great contributions to society.

Perhaps some are struggling to pay for their education, but as we have been counseled, we must take advantage of every opportunity that we can possibly afford. I know sometimes there are free classes offered, especially in vocational courses. Let us take every chance we can to learn new skills.

In the Book of Mormon it says, “But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.” (2 Nephi 29:29) Through secular learning we can gain knowledge for a specific field of profession, but spiritual learning is even more necessary. We are not just learning for this mortal existence but for eternal life as well.

Life is more than science and mathematics, more than history and literature. Secular knowledge alone is not enough. There is a need for another education- a spiritual education. President Gordon B. Hinckley taught that there must be “an education of the heart, of the conscience, of the character, of the spirit—these indefinable aspects of our personalities which determine so certainly what we are and what we do in our relationships one with another.”

In the church we have seminary and institute programs which help us to be more educated spiritually. It teaches us to know our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ better. It will deepen our understanding of our great purpose and on how we should live our life here on earth.

For Students

I have seen students who excel in their classes and overcome difficulties in their secular education through the help of seminary and institute. I have experienced early morning institute that was fun and refreshing. You still have all your focus and concentration in the morning. I always felt excited to wake up so early to prepare myself and go to church for institute.  After class I felt like I was ready for any challenge that came up that day. I had the peace of mind and the energy to go to school and learn new things. The Spirit guided me and I felt great joy in my heart just like it says in the scripture, “Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together.” (Doctrine and Covenants 50:22)

For Workers, Parents

As we get our spiritual education through institute and other kinds of spiritual learning, it helps us to be better in our professions. We go out each day having a perfect brightness of hope in our hearts. It will increase our desire to do good and not to do evil. It will guide us to make good and right choices every time.

I believe that our greatest success each day is not just what we have obtained or achieved, but who we are inside- our character. In Doctrine and Covenants 50:24, “That which is of God is light and he that receiveth light and continueth in God, receiveth more light, and that light growth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

Our spiritual education can be our great protection against the temptations and deceptions of the world. It can provide us with the strength to remain steadfast and immovable. It can also help us to be a source of light unto others who are struggling on their way to eternal life.

The world needs people who are intelligent, talented, and competent, but most of all, people who have good and loving hearts and personal relationships with the Savior.

Let us make it a priority to elevate our spiritual learning and deny ourselves of all ungodliness.

The post How Spiritual and Secular Education Complement Each Other appeared first on morefaith.ph.

Pasukan na naman… Karamihan sa mga schools at universities ay nagsimula nitong Hunyo at may ilan na magsisimula sa darating na Agosto. Ilan sa mga estudyante ay nagsisimula nang matambakan ng mga gawain sa eskwela. May ilan na habang maaga pa ay sinisimulan na ito at may ilan na naghihintay pa bago ang mismong deadline. Usong-uso sa mga studyante ang stratehiya na tinatawag na “cramming”. Bukod dito, may mga ilang klase na pakiramdam natin na hindi tayo natututo o para sa atin ay boring. Paano nga ba tayo mas mag-eenjoy sa klase, maiwasan ang mabore at mapalawak ang pagkatuto sa bawat lecture ng teachers natin?

Mahalaga na maunawaan natin ang responsibilidad natin bilang estudyante. Ang pagiging epektibo ng pag-aaral ay nakasalalay sa ating paghahanda bago pumasok, pagiging alerto at attentive sa klase at ang regular na pagre-review ng mga notes natin.

Narito ang mga tips na makakatulong na maging epektibo ang pag-aaral habang nasa klase tayo:

Tip #1: Maghanda Bago Pumasok

Ang pagiging epektibo ng ating pag-aaral ay nakasalalay sa ating paghahanda bago pumasok sa eskwela. Kapag handa tayong makinig at matuto, mas magiging makabuluhan ang bawat oras natin sa klase. Ang mga sumusunod na suggestions ay makakatulong sa inyong paghahanda:

• Kumain ng masustansiyang pagkain– Maraming mga pag-aaral ang nagsasabi na may negatibong epekto sa pag-aaral ang kakulangan sa nutrisyon. Kailangan ng isipan natin ang “glucose” o ang tinatawag na “brain food” upang maging mabisa ang ating isip. Nakukuha ito sa mga kinakain natin. Ayon sa mga pagsusuri, nakakatulong sa kaisipan ang pagkain ng gulay at prutas. Kailangan din ng katawan natin ng carbohydrates mula sa tinapay, kanin, kamote, etc.  Kailangan din ng katawan natin ang protein upang mapanatili ang ating lakas. Naranasan niyo na ba na magutom pagkatapos ng mahabang pag-aaral or pag-eexam? Ito ang isang ebidensiya na kailangan natin ang sapat na nutrisyon upang mas maging malinaw at gumana ang ating isipan.

• Mag-exercise– Sa mga flag ceremony, kalimitan ay kasama ang exercise. Nakakatulong ito upang maging alerto ang ating isipan at katawan sa buong maghapon. Nakagaganda din ng daloy ng dugo ang ehersisyo. Ang dugo ang nagdadala ng nutrisyon at mga kemikal na kailangan ng ating katawan at isipan. Kahit simpleng stretching lang sa umaga ay makakatulong din.

• Ihanda ang mga gamit na kailangan– Kagaya ng paghahanda na ginagawa bago magsimula ang pasukan, ugaliing ihanda ang mga gamit na kailangan sa school (hal. Notebook, books, ballpen, pencil, pad paper, typewriting, etc.).

• Magbasa ng textbook/readings at tapusin ang mga assignments – Kadalasang dahilan ng pagkabore sa klase ay dahil hindi tayo makapag-participate. Isa sa mga dahilan ay dahil hindi tayo handa sa klase. Makakatulong na pag-aralan ng advance o i-review ang mga nakaraang notes upang malaman ang topic na ididiscuss ng teacher sa araw na yon. I-note din ang mga tanong na naisip mo habang nag-aaral ka. Makakatulong ang note-taking upang makapagbahagi ka sa klase o makapagtanong sa teacher kung may topic na naguguluhan ka.

Tip #2: Maging Active Learner sa Klase

Isa sa challenge ng mga estudyante ay ang pakikinig o pagiging alerto sa klase. Minsan mabilis na tumatakbo ang ating isipan at nadidistract tayo sa klase. Minsan kapag gutom tayo, naiisip natin ano na ang kakainin natin sa break? Minsan, excited tayong mag-uwian at iniisip na saan tayo gagala kasama ang mga kaibigan. Ang iba naman ay iniimagine ang kanilang crush o mga bf at gf. Ilan lang ito sa mga distractions sa klase. Maaari itong maiwasan kung kayo ay aktibo sa pakikilahok sa lecture ng teacher ninyo.

Ano ba ang active learner? Kapag ikaw ay active learner, hindi ka nakaasa sa teacher mo para sa iyong pagkatuto. Nakikinig ka at pinupulot mo ang mga bagay na kailangan mong matutunan. Isang propesor sa isang International University ang nagsabi na ang pagkatuto ay parang panganganak. Malalaman mo na natuto ka kapag ito ay nagbunga ng bagong ideya o mga realizations. Ibig niyang sabihin, hindi sapat na may nalaman lang tayong bagong impormasyon, kundi may bago tayong naisip mula sa mga impormasyon na natutunan natin.

Mga maaring gawin upang maging active learner:

• Magsulat ng notes– Magsulat ng notes ng main points ng sinasabi ng guro. Bukod dito, mas mabisa na isulat ang mga bagong natutunan mula sa discussion at lecture sa klase. Maaari ding magsulat ng mga tanong habang nagdidiscuss ang teacher.

• Magtaas ng kamay at sumagot sa klase– Kung tayo ay handa, hindi tayo matatakot na magtaas ng kamay at sumagot sa klase. Bukod sa grade sa recitation, nakakatulong ang pagtaas ng kamay at pagtayo para maging alive at alert ang ating katawan.

Tip #3: Magreview Pagkatapos ng Klase

Hindi natatapos ang pag-aaral pagkalabas ng classroom. Ang tunay na pagkatuto ay nagaganap sa labas ng apat na sulok ng silid-aralan. Ilan sa mga pwedeng gawin pagkatapos ng klase:

• Magreview ng notes– Ayon sa mga pag-aaral, nakabubuti na i-review ang notes pagkatapos ng isang araw. Nakakatulong ito upang ma-process ng ating isip ang napag-aralan natin. At kapag nagreview tayo ng notes, makakatulong ito na ma-retain sa ating isipan. Hindi lang ito mapupunta sa short-term memory na kalimitang nangyayari kapag nagkacram tayo, ngunit mas magiging long-term ang pagkatuto natin kung regular ang pagre-review natin ng notes.

• Magbahagi sa iba– Isa sa mga paraan para malaman natin na talagang naintindihan natin ang isang concept ay kung kaya natin itong ituro sa iba. Kapag kaya nating ipaliwanag ito sa ating sariling salita at matulungan ang iba na maintindihan din nila ito, sigurado tayong na-gets natin ang natutunan natin. Isa pa, habang binabahagi mo ito sa iba, habang tumatatak ito sa iyong isipan.

Ilan lamang ito sa mga tips na maaari nating gawin upang ma-maximize ang learning natin habang nasa klase tayo. Tandaan na ang pagkatuto ay iyong desisyon din at pinaglalaanan ng effort.

[box] Ano ang effective study habits mo? Paki-share sa amin. Pwede mong i-comment o i-message ang study tips mo sa Mormons.ph.

Abangan ang mga susunod pang tips sa pag-aaral.[/box]

The post Mga Tips sa Pag-aaral: Effective Learning sa Klase appeared first on morefaith.ph.

• Only rich kids get to go to BYUH.

I don’t even know where that idea came from. Maybe because there are certain fees (return airfare, housing, visa, etc.) that need to be settled before students get their supporting documents from the school, but you don’t need to be rich for that. Most Filipino students are actually on IWORK. It’s a scholarship program which helps students finish their degrees by providing them with work and financial loan.

• You have to be a son/daughter of a Bishop, Stake President, or Mission President to be admitted.

Uhmmm… No. You’re the one applying for admission not your parents. It has nothing to do with connections because they look at your school credentials, not your family tree.

• Only smart kids are accepted.

Well, you should at least get good grades and pass your classes. The school requires a GPA of 2.75 or lower (Philippines grading system) to be considered for admission. That does not really require being a genius. Just remember, your IQ score is not asked during the application process.

• Graduating from BYUH means you will easily get a job because you graduated in the US.

Skills and experience are what employers look for. Being a BYUH graduate is not an assurance that you will land a job right away.  In fact, most of the schools/companies I’ve applied for in the past have never heard of BYUH. Of course it gets their attention that you graduated in the US, but in the end it all comes down to how well-equipped you are for the job.

• Only returned missionaries can apply.

Hahaha! That’s got to be the funniest one because majority of the friends I met in BYUH have not served missions. A lot of them actually decided to submit their mission application when they were in BYUH, including myself. However, serving a mission does have an advantage when you apply but it does not mean you get accepted just because you served.

• Not all who gets accepted end up going to BYUH.

You need to listen and follow the will of the Lord. I know someone who got accepted to BYUH, but was denied a visa several times. She decided to pursue her degree in Cebu instead where she met her husband. The moral of this story is that going to BYUH does not determine your eternal destiny. Whether you go there or not, you will find happiness as long as you follow the will of the Lord.

The post Filipinos and BYU-Hawaii appeared first on morefaith.ph.