When we watch the performances of athletes during the Olympic Games, we’re often amazed by their talents and think that they must have been born with such gifts, which is usually true. But behind their awesome performances are many years of steady and consistent preparation and practice they’ve done to reach the level of performance required to compete in the Olympics. And one of their most effective tools during these years of practice, is repetition.

Building a solid spiritual foundation is like training to compete in the Olympics. It requires repeated practice and consistent commitment. We can see this pattern of learning in the way the angel Moroni instructed Joseph Smith about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. In the Pearl of Great Price we read that Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith four times and delivered the same message. However, although he delivered the same message, there was also an additional message in every appearance—”a foretelling of future events, a personal warning, and a commandment.” Joseph learned about what he should do through repeated instruction.

The pattern of instruction in Joseph Smith’s account is the same pattern that the Lord wants us to embrace. When we hear a story from the scriptures, the Lord is not just teaching us the same story over and over again for it to become firmly rooted in our hearts. The Lord is also trying to add to our understanding. Some of us may have heard others sharing that even if they have read the Book of Mormon many times, they still learn something new whenever they read the book. This is a fulfilment of His promise that those who “receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light.”

We might sometimes feel that we already have enough knowledge, or that our foundation is already firm enough. But the Lord warned that to them who say, “We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.”

So the next time we hear a message that we have already heard before, let’s not tune it out. Instead, let’s ask ourselves, “What is the Lord trying to teach me this time?” or “What additional knowledge or instruction can I learn from this message?” When we are willing to listen to what the Lord wants us to learn, our hearts and minds will be ready for increased understanding and further light and knowledge from Him.

Our lives here on Earth are like competing in the Olympic Games every day. We are constantly faced with choices and circumstances that test our spiritual stamina. The Lord knows that winning these tests require a solid spiritual foundation that can only be built through consistent, often repetitive, spiritual learning and nourishment. If we embrace this pattern of learning that the Lord has set, our spiritual foundation will not be shaken by the repetitive waves of temptation and challenges in our lives.

The post Here’s Why Gospel Principles Are Being Taught Repeatedly appeared first on morefaith.ph.

Jeepney is one of the most popular modes of public transportation in the Philippines. It’s very affordable because you share the ride with more than 20 people. However, it can be hard riding in a jeepney sometimes, especially when the driver fits 28 people in a 24-seat vehicle and the traffic is not moving at all, not to mention how hot and humid it is in the Philippines. But there are principles we can learn from a jeepney experience.

Honesty

With the driver having to weave in and out of traffic jams, he doesn’t have the time to check if everyone riding the jeepney has already paid the fare or if they paid the right amount. But many people are honest and they pay without being asked.

Kindness

When you are sitting nowhere near the driver, you can’t walk the isle of the vehicle to give him your fare. You have to kindly ask the person next to you to pass your fare down to the next person and then the next, until it reaches your driver. Many passengers pass it willingly.

Gratitude

A jeepney is a vehicle where you get to hear lots of “thank you’s,” even during a very short trip. When passing a fare down to the driver, you’ll probably hear quite a few expressions of gratitude, which is something you can carry into other areas of life as well.

Service

Some jeepneys have very loud music playing so that when a passenger calls for a stop, the driver doesn’t hear it. Oftentimes passengers will then shout for a stop until the driver hears it. Other times, when a passenger is elderly, pregnant, or someone who needs help, someone will usually notify the driver to keep the vehicle at a full stop until they are seated. Some people even get off the vehicle to help with heavy baggage. These acts gladden the heart of those passengers who need some help during their trip.

Trust

When you ride a jeepney, you put your trust in the driver, that you will arrive at your destination safely. And when you do not know where you are going, it takes trust to stay in the jeepney when the driver says that he knows exactly where to drop you off. It also takes a lot of trust on the part of the driver to keep going, trusting that everyone paid him correctly.

Patience

With the traffic being terrible most of the time, patience is key for the driver to drop off his passengers safely at their destinations. Many pedestrians do not use pedestrian lanes so drivers must deal with them too.

The world is full of chaos but it is full of so much goodness as well. And this goodness can be found anywhere if we look for it.

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