My manual for this lesson: Preach My Gospel
"The invitation to follow Christ is an invitation to follow His example and to become like Him.
At the beginning of the week, Derek and I began our companionship study on this topic(s) to help me prepare. Immediately, he pointed out an "activity" they have at the end of the chapter. It was more like a test to me. So, here it is! Take it!
ATTRIBUTE ACTIVITY
Read each item below carefully. Decide how true that statement is about you, and choose the most appropriate response from the response key. Write your response to each item in your study journal. Spiritual growth is a gradual process, and no one is perfect, so you should expect to rate yourself better on some items than on others.
Response Key 1 = never 2 = sometimes 3 = often 4 = almost always 5 =always
_____1. I believe in Christ and accept Him as my Savior. (2 Nephi 25:29)
_____2. I feel confident that God loves me. (1 Nephi 11:17)
_____3. I trust the Savior enough to accept His will and do whatever He asks. (1 Nephi 3:7)
_____4. I firmly believe that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ I can be forgiven of all my sins. (Enos 1:5–8)
_____5. I have enough faith in Christ to obtain answers to my prayers. (Mosiah 27:14)
_____6. I think about the Savior during the day and remember what He has done for me. (D&C 20:77, 79)
_____7. I have the faith necessary to help make good things happen in my life or the lives of others. (Ether 12:12)
_____8. I know by the power of the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon is true. (Moroni 10:3–5)
_____9. I have enough faith in Christ to accomplish anything He wants me to do—even miracles if necessary. (Moroni 7:33)
Charity and Love
_____14. I feel a sincere desire for the eternal welfare and happiness of other people. (Mosiah 28:3)
_____15. When I pray, I ask for charity—the pure love of Christ. (Moroni 7:47–48)
_____16. I try to understand others’ feelings and see their point of view. (Jude 1:22)
_____17. I forgive others who have offended or wronged me. (Ephesians 4:32)
_____18. I try to help others when they are struggling or discouraged. (Mosiah 18:9)
_____19. When appropriate, I tell others that I love them and care about them. (Luke 7:12–15)
______20. I look for opportunities to serve other people. (Mosiah 2:17)
______21. I say positive things about others. (D&C 42:27)
______22. I am kind and patient with others, even when they are hard to get along with. (Moroni 7:45)
______23. I find joy in others’ achievements. (Alma 17:2–4)
Virtue
_____24. I am clean and pure in heart. (Psalm 24:3–4)
_____25. I have no desire to do evil but to do good. Mosiah 5:2)
_____26. I am dependable—I do what I say I will do. (Alma 53:20)
_____27. I focus on righteous, uplifting thoughts and put unwholesome thoughts out of my mind. (D&C 121:45)
_____28. I repent of my sins and strive to overcome my weaknesses. (D&C 49:26–28)
_____29. I feel the influence of the Holy Ghost in my life. (D&C 11:12–13)
Hope
_____10. One of my greatest desires is to inherit eternal life in the celestial kingdom of God. (Moroni 7:41)
_____11. I am confident that I will have a happy and successful mission. (D&C 31:3–5)
_____12. I feel peaceful and optimistic about the future. (D&C 59:23)
_____13. I firmly believe that someday I will dwell with God and become like Him. (Ether 12:4)
Knowledge
_____30. I feel confident in my understanding of gospel doctrines and principles. (Ether 3:19–20)
_____31. I study the scriptures daily. (John 5:39)
_____32. I earnestly seek to understand the truth and find answers to my questions. (D&C 6:7)
_____33. I receive knowledge and guidance through the Spirit. (1 Nephi 4:6)
_____34. I love and cherish the doctrines and principles of the gospel. (2 Nephi 4:15)
Patience
_____35. I wait patiently for the blessings and promises of the Lord to be fulfilled.
(2 Nephi 10:17)
______36. I am able to wait for things without getting upset or frustrated. (Romans 8:25)
_____37. I am patient and long-suffering with the challenges of being a missionary. (Alma 17:11)
______38. I am patient with the faults and weaknesses of others. (Romans 15:1)
______39. I am patient with myself and rely on the Lord as I work to overcome my weaknesses. (Ether 12:27)
______40. I face adversity and afflictions calmly and hopefully. (Alma 34:40–41)
Humility
_____41. I am meek and lowly in heart. (Matthew 11:29)
_____42. I rely on the Lord for help. (Alma 26:12)
_____43. I am sincerely grateful for the blessings I have received from the Lord. (Alma 7:23)
_____44. My prayers are earnest and sincere. (Enos 1:4)
_____45. I appreciate direction from my leaders or teachers. (2 Nephi 9:28)
_____46. I strive to be submissive to the Lord’s will, whatever it may be. (Mosiah 24:15)
Diligence
______47. I work effectively, even when I’m not under pressure or close supervision. (D&C 58:26–27)
_____48. I focus my efforts on the most important things. (Matthew 23:23)
_____49. I have a personal prayer at least twice a day. (Alma 34:18–27)
_____50. I focus my thoughts on my calling as a missionary. (D&C 4:2, 5)
_____51. I set goals and plan regularly. (D&C 88:119)
_____52. I work hard until the job is completed successfully. (D&C 10:4)
_____53. I find joy and satisfaction in my work. (Alma 36:24–25)
Obedience
_____54. When I pray, I ask for strength to resist temptation and to do what is right. (3 Nephi 18:15)
_____55. I keep the required commandments to be worthy of a temple recommend. (D&C
97:8)
_____56. I willingly obey the mission rules and follow the counsel of my leaders. (Hebrews 13:17)
_____57. I strive to live in accordance with the laws
I felt about a half inch tall after taking this test. I don't think that is its purpose! I think its purpose is to give us something with which to measure ourselves and inspire growth. I did great in the faith category and did not-so-great in everything else.
"The restored gospel enables you to become like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. The Savior has shown the way. He has set the perfect example, and He commands us to become as He is (see 3 Nephi 27:27). Learn of Him and seek to incorporate His attributes into your life. Through the power of His Atonement, you can achieve this goal and lead others to achieve it also.
The scriptures describe Christlike attributes that are essential for you to eventually develop as a (daughter of God) and throughout your life."
I resigned myself to focusing my efforts on one of the attributes to see how I could improve. Then I noticed the manual had some great tips: (I also noticed they all have "action" words at the beginning!)
Developing Christlike Attributes
• Identify the attribute you wish to develop.
• Write a definition and description of the attribute.
• Record questions to answer as you study.
• List and study thoroughly passages of scripture that teach about the attribute.
• Record your feelings and impressions.
• Set goals and make plans to apply the attribute in your life.
• Pray for the Lord to help you develop the attribute.
• Evaluate your progress periodically in developing each attribute.
"Christlike attributes are gifts from God. They come as you use your agency righteously. Ask your Heavenly Father to bless you with these attributes; you cannot develop them without His help. With a desire to please God, recognize your weaknesses and be willing and anxious to improve.
Changing to become Christlike requires exercising faith, repenting, keeping covenants, receiving an increased measure of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end."
The test really opened my eyes to how much more room there is for improvement. I feel as though this lesson was a wonderful eye opener for me as far as a measurement of my spirituality, but also gave me some great tips on how I can improve upon my weaknesses.
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